Why The Different Dates for Easter? (No. 1)

Why The Different Dates for Easter? (No. 1)
 

Have you ever wondered why Easter comes on so many different dates? Sometimes Easter comes in April and sometimes in March.  Last year Easter came on April 12, and the year before that it came on March 23.  This year it's April  4.  Why not pick a date, say the first Sunday in April, and designate it as Easter every year?  Seems reasonable.
 
But then I looked up "Easter" in a Bible dictionary and found this:  "Easter is a mistranslation of the Greek word for Passover.  The Acts passage (Acts 12:4) refers to the seven-day Passover festival.  It is reasonably certain that the New Testament contains no reference to a yearly celebration of the resurrection of Christ."  The word "Easter" is found only in the King James Version of the Bible at Acts 12:4.  The Greek word (pascha) translated "Easter" in the King James Version at Acts 12:4 is translated "passover" in the King James Version every other time.  Church historians tell us that King James insisted the word "Easter" appear at least once in the translation even though there was no such word or meaning in the original language. (Note: King James was head of the Church of England in 1611.  The Church of England began, more or less, around 1532 when King Henry VIII broke from the Roman Catholic Church.  A factor was his desire to divorce his wife and marry another.)
 
Then my Bible Dictionary said this:  "The term Easter was derived from the Anglo-Saxon "Eostre."  "Eostre" was the  name of the "goddess of spring" and sacrifices were offered in  her honor at the time of the vernal equinox.  By the 8th century the word came to be applied to the anniversary of Christ's resurrection."  My Bible Dictionary also explained how the date for Easter is determined.  It's kind of complicated.  Basically, the date for Easter can be anywhere between March 22 and April 25.  It depends upon a variety of things including full moons, Paschal moons, vernal equinoxes, Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox Catholic traditions and other criteria.  After a lot of controversy a council finally decided that Easter would come on the first Sunday following the first full moon that comes on or after the vernal equinox (beginning of spring) which was set at March 21.

I told you it was kind of complicated!  But I've found that's what happens every time the traditions of men start getting mixed in with what the Bible teaches.  For example, it's very simple to show someone what the Bible says about baptism.  It only gets complicated when we start talking about what man has to say (sprinkle, pour, infants, outward sign of an inward grace, because you're saved, to show you've been saved, a work of human merit, to join some denomination, etc.).  No wonder there's so many Scripture warnings about adding to and taking from!
 
My sincere desire is to follow the Bible only--to just be a Christian and worship and live as a member of the church of Christ which I can read about in the New Testament of Christ. Christ said, "In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9).  That's why on Wednesday, June 24, 1962, I was baptized into Christ for the remission of sins (Romans 6:3; Acts 2:38).  That's why I didn't "sprinkle" any of my children when they were born.  That's why I'm not a member of any denomination Catholic or Protestant.  And that's why I observe the Sunday called Easter with no more religious significance than any other Sunday of the year. In fact, "Easter" comes from the same people who gave us Ash Wednesday, Lenten, the festival of the assumption of Mary (August 15th), infant baptism, the confessional, extreme unction, the "Pope," religious orders (e.g., Jesuits, Franciscans, etc.), the lighting of candles and the burning of incense and the playing of mechanical instruments as worship, the clergy, the mass, etc., etc.

It concerns me when I hear on the news that this week is the week Christians around the world celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ.  New Testament Christians celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ every week.  Every Sunday.  This is as the New Testament teaches (Matthew 25:26-29; Luke 24:1; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 et al).
--Stephen Rook
    


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