Religious Holidays: Easter

 

I am bothered about the way it is announced in the church bulletin about the coming anniversary of the Resurrection? Am I wrong in that this religious holiday is from man’s creation and not from God? I am thinking of not staying that day for the preaching and leaving after the Supper. ~ Alfred Vidal, Jr., Chula Vista, CA

 

The religious holiday of Easter by which mankind intends to celebrate the resurrection of Christ is not biblical in origin.

 

Easter —  originally a Saxon word (Eostre), denoting a goddess of the Saxons, in honour of whom sacrifices were offered about the time of the Passover. Hence the name came to be given to the festival of the Resurrection of Christ, which occured at the time of the Passover. In the early English versions this word was frequently used as the translation of the Greek pascha (the Passover). When the Authorized Version (1611) was formed, the word “passover” was used in all passages in which this word pascha occurred, except in Act 12:4. In the Revised Version [American Standard Version, ASV] the proper word, “passover,” is always used.^[1]

 

EASTER, a word used in the Germanic languages to denote the festival of the vernal equinox, and subsequently, with the coming of Christianity, to denote the anniversary of the resurrection of Christ (which in Gk. and Romance tongues is denoted by pascha, ‘Passover’, and its derivatives). Tyndale, Coverdale and others give ‘Easter’ as a rendering of pascha, and one example survives in av, at Acts 12:4 (‘after Easter’, where rv [American Standard Version, ASV] and rsv have ‘after the Passover’; similarly neb).^[2]

 

easter pascha . . . mistranslated “Easter” in Acts 12:4, A.V., denotes the Passover (R.V.). The phrase “after the Passover” signifies after the whole festival was at an end. The term Easter is not of Christian origin. It is another form of Astarte, one of the titles of the Chaldean goddess. the queen of heaven. The festival of Pasch held by Christians in post–apostolic times was a continuation of the Jewish feast, but was not instituted by Christ, nor was it connected with Lent. From this Pasch the Pagan festival of Easter was quite distinct and was introduced into the apostate Western religion, as part of the attempt to adapt Pagan festivals to Christianity.^[3]

 

While it is true that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a cardinal tenet of Christianity (1 Corinthians 15), it has not been designated in the Bible for any special observance or religious holiday. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is imitated in Christian baptism (Romans 6:3-5). The resurrection of Christ gives the children of God the assurance that they, too, can obtain their resurrection from the grave at time’s end, whereby they may make their eternal habitation with God in heaven (John 5:28-29; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

 

However, the religious holiday or holy day under Christianity is the Lord’s Day (Sunday on our calendars), which occurs once weekly. On that day of the week, Christians are to meet for worship, to include preaching or teaching, the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7) and the contribution (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). The focus of the Lord’s Supper or communion, which should be observed each Sunday, is not the resurrection of Christ, but his suffering sacrifice for our sins on the cross.

 

The apostle Paul styled manmade inventions interjected into Christianity, including the holyday, as will worship (Colossians 2:16-23). The inspired apostle did not commend these inventions, but condemned them. Anyone desiring to please God will avoid the religious contrivances of mankind and cling to the Word of God and what it teaches. “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9).

 

Yet, the proposed remedy to an exuberance for Easter cited above is problematic, too. Each child of God should identify himself with and worship with fellow Christians in a congregational setting; ideally, that congregation would be one in which one has a reasonable degree of confidence that it will practice pure Christianity. Further, one needs to understand that there are five acts of worship described in the New Testament: preaching or teaching, singing (Ephesians 5:19), giving, communion and prayer (1 Corinthians 14). It is a misconception that any one of these acts of worship (e.g., communion) is elevated above any other. Therefore, it is no more appropriate to leave after communion than to leave after the opening prayer, thereby ignoring other acts of worship, including the communion.

 

If there is another congregation within commuting distance in which one has confidence that they will properly construe and practice biblical matters, he should place his membership there. Otherwise, one is left with the choice between worshipping with a congregation in which one has some doubts, which he may or may not be able to favorably influence with the Gospel, or worshipping in one’s home or with others of similar conviction, effectively starting a separate congregation.

 

It is not my place, nor have I sufficient information, to suggest any specific course of action in a given matter. Whatever one chooses to do, though, may have far reaching consequences, including whether God will approve one’s conduct. Nothing, then, should be undertaken lightly and without first giving sufficient attention to a number of factors: (1) Does the offensive circumstance warrant a biblically justified reaction? (2) Is it possible to favorably affect an improvement to the circumstance through application of the Gospel message? (3) If the circumstance is a clear violation of God’s law and if a biblical resolution is not possible, what biblically sanctioned alternatives exist?

 

The religious holiday of Easter by which mankind intends to celebrate the resurrection of Christ is not biblical in origin. Therefore, the religious celebration or observance Easter by the Lord’s church is unauthorized and thereby sinful.

 

Endnotes