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==Passover and Easter==
==Passover and Easter==
<small>''See also [[Easter]]''</small><br>
<small>''See also [[Easter]]''</small><br>
The word "easter" appears nowhere in the early bible, and its use in later translations is a mistranslation or substitution of the [[Greek]] word ''pascha'' ("passover"). That the early Church continued to keep Passover as a memorial to the ''death'' of Jesus Christ on the 14th of Nisan is confirmed by the writers of the second century. [[Polycarp]], a disciple of John the apostle, travelled to [[Rome]] to try to persuade the bishop of Rome to observe the 14th of Nisan as opposed to celebrating a feast of the ''resurrection'' several days later. [[Polycrates]] later in the 2nd century also contended with the Roman church in favor of the 14th of the first month, Jewish calendar. This controversy became known in Church History as the "[[Quartodeciman controversy]]."<ref>Hunt, Keith [http://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/how-often-should-christian-passover-lord-supper-be-taken.html ''How often should the Christian Passover (Lord's Supper) be taken?''] BibleStudy.org. Accessed 18 February 2008</ref>
The word "easter" appears nowhere in the early bible, and its use in later translations is a mistranslation or substitution of the [[Greek]] word ''pascha'' ("passover"). Easter was established later in church history by the [[Roman Catholic]] Church, which does not claim these days as biblical, but rather that the Church had
the authority to establish them.<ref>Geierman, Peter ''Question: Which is the Sabbath day? Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day. Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea (A.D. 336) transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.'' "The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine" (B. Herder Book Co., St. Louis; 1930) ISBN 0-8955-5029-6</ref> The church in Rome had begun to distance itself from relating the death of Jesus Christ to the Jewish Passover and instead began to time the celebration of the [[Resurrection]] of Jesus to coincide with the [[pagan]] rites of Attis. That the early Church continued to keep Passover as a memorial to the ''death'' of Jesus Christ on the 14th of Nisan is confirmed by the writers of the second century. [[Polycarp]], a disciple of John the apostle, travelled to [[Rome]] to try to persuade the bishop of Rome to observe the 14th of Nisan as opposed to celebrating a feast of the ''resurrection'' several days later. [[Polycrates]] later in the 2nd century also contended with the Roman church in favor of the 14th of the first month, Jewish calendar. This controversy became known in Church History as the "[[Quartodeciman controversy]]."<ref>Hunt, Keith [http://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/how-often-should-christian-passover-lord-supper-be-taken.html ''How often should the Christian Passover (Lord's Supper) be taken?''] BibleStudy.org. Accessed 18 February 2008</ref>
At the end of the second century, Victor, the [[bishop]] of Rome began to threaten other Church leaders in an
attempt to get them to abandon Passover completely in favor of the Roman Easter celebration. Polycrates, the bishop of [[Ephesus]], wrote to Victor:
<blockquote>''We for our part keep the day [14th of Nisan = Passover] scrupulously, without addition or subtraction. For in Asia great luminaries sleep who shall rise again on the day of the Lord's advent, when He is coming with glory from heaven and shall search out all His [[saint]]s – such as Philip... there is John, who lent back on the Lord's breast… there is Polycarp, bishop and [[martyr... All these kept the fourteenth day of the month as the beginning of the Paschal Festival [Passover], in accordance with the [[Gospel]], not deviating in the least but following the rule of the Faith. Last of all, I too, Polycrates, the least of you a... and my family has always kept the day when the people put away the leaven [Feast of Unleavened Bread]. So I, my friends, after spending sixty-five years in the Lord's service and conversing with Christians from all parts of the world, and going carefully through all Holy Scripture, and not scared of threats. Better people than I have said: "We must obey God rather than men".''<ref>[[Eusebius]] (c.324 AD) "The History of the Church from Christ to Constantine" (transl. G. A. Williamson; reprint; Hippocrene Books; 1983) ISBN 0-8802-9022-6</ref></blockquote>
The dispute continued until the [[Council of Nicea]] in 325 AD, ordered by the (pagan) Emperor Constantine to resolve various controversies that existed in the Church – including whether the Passover or Easter should be celebrated. In his order from the Council of Nicea he said:<blockquote>''Constantine, August, to the churches… When the question arose concerning the most holy day of Easter, it was decreed by common consent to be expedient, that this festival should be celebrated on the same day by all, in every place... it seemed to every one a most unworthy thing that we should follow the custom of the Jews in the celebration of this most holy solemnity, who, polluted wretches having stained their hands with a nefarious crime, are justly blinded in their minds. It is fit, therefore, that, rejecting the practice of this people, we should perpetuate to all future ages the celebration of this rite, in a more legitimate order, which we have kept from the first day of the Lord’s passion even to the present times. Let us then have nothing in common with the most hostile rabble of the Jews.''<ref>Boyle, Isaac "A Historical View of The Council of Nicea" (T Mason and G Lane, New York; 1839)</ref></blockquote>
==The Christian Passover in the present day==
There has been increasing interest among Christians in the Passover festival, for various reasons including:
* a growing movement away from man-made tradition towards God-given instruction
* an increasing sensitivity to cultural and societal problems and a corresponding desire to learn about others
* a renewed awareness of the importance of the Old Testament Scriptures as Christian Scripture
* a desire to recover a sense of the sacred through liturgy and sacrament
* the enjoyment that comes from acknowledging the continuity with a 3,500 year old community of faith.<ref>Bratcher, Dennis [http://www.crivoice.org/seder.html ''Recovering Passover for Christians''] The Voice. Accessed 18 February 2008</ref>
Although it was the Roman Catholic Church which had, centuries before, widened the schism between Judaism and Christianity, it was Vatican II's "Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions" in 1965 which gave impetus to the growing renewal of these teachings:
<blockquote>''Thus the Church of Christ acknowledges that, according to God's saving design, the beginnings of her faith and election go back as far as the days of the patriarchs, of Moses and the prophets She affirms that all who believe in Christ - [[Abraham]]'s sons according to faith (cf. Gal. 3,7) are included in the call of this patriarch - she also affirms that her salvation is mysteriously prefigured in the Exodus of the chosen people from the land of bondage. The Church, therefore, cannot forget that she received the revelation of the Old Testament through the people with whom God, in that loving-kindness words cannot express, deigned to conclude the Ancient covenant... For the Church believes that by His cross Christ, who is our Peace, reconciled Jews and Gentiles, making the two one in Himself (cf. Eph. 2, 14-16)''</blockquote>
==References==
==References==
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[[category:christainity]][[Category:Religious festivals]]