 Do You Observe Easter?
Dear Editor.
Do Churches of Christ observe the Holy Day of Easter? -NS
Dear N. S.:
To most people Easter is an integral part of Christianity. They may not know where to look, but they are sure it is in the Bible.
Consider the following quotations regarding this ancient Holy Day. "There is no trace of Easter Celebration in the New Testament" (International Standard Bible Ency. Vol. II, p. 889). "In any case... it must be admitted that... there is no conclusive evidence in the first century or more, of the keeping of the Pasch (Easter)..." (Catholic Ency. Vol. V, p. 229). "The Apostolic Fathers (earliest Christian writers) do not mention it" (Ibid. p.224). "At the end of the second century, the celebration of Easter as the feast of the resurrection of Christ was general among the Christians" (Ency. Of Religion by Ferm, p. 239).
The Bible does not mention an Easter celebration. The church of the first century did not observe it. True, the King James Bible has the word Easter in Acts 12:4. The original Greek term is pascha, rendered in all other places in the Bible as "Passover." All other versions translate it Passover.
Where then did Easter come from? It is a convergence of three traditions. (1) Pagan: The word is derived from the Norse Ostara or Eostre, meaning the festival of spring at the vernal equinox when nature is in resurrection after winter. (2) Hebrew: The Jewish Passover is celebrated at approximately the same season as Easter. (3) Christian: Jesus' resurrection from the dead (Americana Ency. Vol. 9, p. 506).
The first yearly festivals among the Christians originated with Jewish converts who "retained... all the Jewish festivals, although gradually they ascribed to them such Christian import as might naturally present itself... among Gentile Christians, there were probably from the first, no yearly festivals whatever... " (History of the Christian Religion and Church, Neander, Vol. 1, p. 297).
The Bible teaches that Christ died and was resurrected. The first Christians commemorated his death and resurrection each first day of the week (Acts 20:7). The highest authority for the Easter holy season is human tradition.
Our commitment is to follow Jesus in all things. He says, teach them to observe all things I have commanded you (Matthew 28:20). Again, he says, "In vain do they worship me teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men" (Matthew 15:9).
To those Christians observing other special days, Paul wrote, "I am afraid for you lest I have bestowed upon you, labor in vain" (Galatians 4:11).
John Waddey |
