Featured How pagan festival of Easter was used against the Sabbath

Except for the Roman and Alexandrian Christians, most Christians were observing the seventh-day Sabbath at least as late as the middle of the fifth century [A.D. 450]. The Roman and Alexandrian Christians were among those converted from heathenism, and supposedly dropped it when they became Christians and yet they held on. They began observing Sunday as a merry religious festival in honor of the Lord's resurrection, about the latter half of the second century A.D. However, they did not try to teach that the Lord or His apostles commanded it. In fact, no ecclesiastical writer before Eusebius of Caesarea in the fourth century even suggested that either Christ or His apostles instituted the observance of the first day of the week.

"These Gentile Christians of Rome and Alexandria began calling the first day of the week 'the Lord's day.' This was not difficult for the pagans of the Roman Empire who were steeped in sun worship to accept, because they [the pagans] referred to their sun-god as their 'Lord.' "--EM. Chalmers, "How Sunday Came Into the Christian Church," p. 3.

Certain historians agree that it was the pagan sun-worshipers--and not Christians--who first gave the name 'Lord's day' to Sunday. "The first day of each week, Sunday, was consecrated to Mithra [the most widely known sun-god of the early Christian centuries] since times remote, as several authors affirm. Because the Sun was god, the Lord par excellence, Sunday came to be called the 'Lord's day,' as later was done by Christianity."--Agostinho de Almeida Paiva, 0 Mitraiomo, p. 3.

In Revelation 1:10 we are told of "the Lord's Day," but we are not there told which day of the week this is. Else where in Scripture the "Lord's Day" is clearly explained: only the Seventh-day Sabbath is His day (Ex 16:23,25; 20:10; 31:15; 35:2; Lev 23:3; Deut 5:4; Isa 58:13; Matt 12:8 and Mark 2:28). But it was pope Sylvester, Bishop of Rome (314- 337 A.D.--the "pope" during the reign of Constantine) who officially called Sunday the "Lord's Day." "He officially changed the title of the first day, calling it the 'Lord's Day' "--M. Ludovicum Lucium, Historia Ecclesiastica, "Century IV," chap. 10. pp. 739-740, Edition Basilea, 1624.

"The keeping of the Sunday rest arose from the custom of the people and the constitution of the Church . . . Tertullian [155-225 A.D.] was probably the first to refer to a cessation of affairs on the Sunday; the Council of Laodicea [337 A.D.] issued the first conciliar church council] legislation for that day; Constantine I [321 A.D.] issued the first civil legislation."--Vincent J. Kelly, Forbidden Sunday and Feast-day Occupations, 1943, p. 203. [Kelly is an American Catholic priest of the Redemptorist order].

Though Sunday is mentioned in so many different ways during the second century, it is not till we come almost to the close of the second, century that we find the first; instance in which it is called “Lord’s day.

So we see that the pagan festival was picked up and claimed to be in honor of the resurrection of Christ in order to hide its origin and is directly the rites and rituals of Easter Sunday which Catholics claim is the communion instituted by Christ at the last supper. So we see the rites they call the Eucharist is not from the last supper, but from the pagan festival which is todays Easter. So lets back up look at the origin of Easter a bit.

Easter is a pagan festival that many are not aware of, or have not seen its origin from history. So then if Easter isn't really about Jesus, then what is it about? For the most part, you will find its secular culture celebrating the spring equinox, whilst religious culture celebrates what they consider the resurrection of Christ. However, if you go through history you will find that it is from the pagan celebrations or festivals consisting of the year's chief solar events (solstices and equinoxes) . While names for each festival vary among diverse pagan traditions, the solstice spring festival was allowed to creep in to the church and it made a acceptance of this ancient pagan practices, of what today is known as Easter. The general symbolic story of the death of the son (sun) on a cross (the constellation of the Southern Cross) and his rebirth, overcoming the powers of darkness, was a well worn story in the ancient world. There were plenty of parallel, rival resurrected pagan gods too.

The Sumerian goddess Inanna, or Ishtar, was hung naked on a stake, and was subsequently resurrected and ascended from the underworld. One of the oldest resurrection myths is Egyptian Horus. Born on 25 December, Horus and his damaged eye became symbols of life and rebirth. Mithras was born on what we now call Christmas day, and his followers celebrated the spring equinox. Even as late as the 4th century AD, the Sol Invictus, associated with Mithras, was the last great pagan cult the church faced and rather than reject it let it come into the church with its sun worship. Dionysus was a divine child, resurrected and Dionysus also brought the mother goddess, Semele, back to life.

The Cybele cult flourished on today's Vatican Hill. They held that Cybele's lover Attis, was born of a virgin, died and was reborn annually. This spring festival began as a day of blood on Black Friday, rising to a crescendo after three days, in rejoicing over the resurrection. There was violent conflict on Vatican Hill in the early days of Christianity between the Jesus worshippers and pagans who quarrelled over whose God was the true, and whose the imitation. Christianity came to an accommodation with the pagan Spring festival and used it to bring in unconverted pagans. Although we see no celebration of Easter in the New Testament, the church in Rome celebrated it and used its power to spread it throughout Christiandom, and today we see many churches offering "sunrise services" at Easter – an obvious pagan solar celebration.

All the things about Easter are pagan. Bunnies are a leftover from the pagan festival of Eostre, a great northern goddess whose symbol was a rabbit or hare. Exchange of eggs is an ancient custom, celebrated by many cultures. Hot cross buns are very ancient too. In the Old Testament we see the Israelites baking sweet buns for an idol, and religious leaders trying to put a stop to it. The early church clergy also tried to put a stop to sacred cakes being baked at Easter. In the end, in the face of defiant cake-baking pagan women, they gave up and it swept into the church as it fell into apostasy and turned against the true believers which it then persecuted.

Easter is essentially a pagan festival which was celebrated with gifts and the ancient symbolism still is held by those who call themselves pagan followers and unfortunately by many Christian.

 

In 195 A.D., Victor, bishop of Rome, tried to force all of the eastern church leaders to keep the annual celebration of Christ's resurrection on Sunday. Of course, the bishops of the other churches protested, insisting that if done at all, the Biblical precedent for this was on the fourteenth day of the month Nisan [Ex 10,12,14, Lev 23:5].

But Victor would not consider this, and had the boldness to write letters "ex-communicating" all leaders and churches that refused to do as he said. He declared all the churches of Asia to be apostates because they would not follow his example in the matter. Back in those days, some churches were more influential than others, but none were "over" the others. Now, prior to this Victor, as the bishop of Rome, had entered into a compact with Clement of Alexandria, on about 190, to carry on 'research around the Mediterranean basin' to secure support to help make Sunday the prominent day of worship in the church. Sunday was already a day exalted among the heathen, being a day on which they worshiped the sun; yet Rome and Alexandria well knew that most of the churches throughout the world sanctified Saturday as the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Fourth, when Victor I, pronounced excommunication on all the churches of the East who would not with him make Easter always come on Sunday, Alexandria supported this first exhibition of spiritual tyranny by the bishop of Rome.

What Victor tried to do in 195 AD. was not sanctioned in any way by scripture.This was probably the first time in history that the bishop of Rome attempted to gain control over all the other churches, and commenting on it, Dr. Bower, in his History of the Popes, volume 1, page 18, calls it "The first essay of papal usurpation." In simple language, we would call it, "the first attempt at papal takeover." A careful study of the historical records reveals that gradually, with the passing of the years, the Roman bishop tended to use his new day, Sunday, as a ploy for political supremacy over the other churches. Victor's decree was the first ecclesiastical Sunday Law of any kind, in history. The festival on Easter controversy continued, with the Eastern churches giving it stiff opposition until the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., at which time Sunday was declared the official day for Easter observance. Emperor Constantine immediately followed this, the same year, with civil enactments enforcing it among the churches.

 

The other Christian leaders saw the danger of worship according to the old pagan festivals and tried to stop it in what came to be known as Paschal/Easter controversies. We can find in history as the Quartodeciman controversy.

Eusebius of Caesarea (Church History, V, xxiii) wrote:
"A question of no small importance arose at that time [i.e. the time of Pope Victor I, about A.D. 190]. The dioceses of all Asia, according to an ancient tradition, held that the fourteenth day of the moon [of Nisan], on which day the Jews were commanded to sacrifice the lamb, should always be observed as the feast of the life-giving pasch (epi tes tou soteriou Pascha heortes), contending that the fast ought to end on that day, whatever day of the week it might happen to be. However it was not the custom of the churches in the rest of the world to end it at this point, as they observed the practice, which from Apostolic tradition has prevailed to the present time, of terminating the fast on no other day than on that of the Resurrection of our Saviour."

So the bishop of Rome began the practice of fixing the celebration of Passover for Christians on Sunday and it spread through the old areas of the Empire. Polycarp the disciple of John the Apostle who was now the bishop of Smyrna, came and confronted Anicetus, the Bishop of Rome who had allow the changes in the Passover and other changes to bring in converts. According to Irenaeus, around the 150s or 160, Polycarp visited Rome to discuss the differences that existed between the other centers of Christianity in Asia and Rome "with regard to certain things" and especially about the time of the Pasch or Passover which in Rome were now the Easter festivals. Irenaeus says that Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, observed the fourteenth day of the moon, whatever day of the week that might be, following therein the tradition which he derived from John the Apostle. Irenaeus said that on certain things the two bishops speedily came to an understanding, while as to the time of the Pasch and the change to Easter, each adhered to his own custom. Polycarp following the eastern practice of celebrating Passover on the 14th of Nisan, the day of the Jewish Passover, regardless of what day of the week it fell while the bishop of Rome let it be observed on Sunday.

 

We see how the conflict is called today:

"Quartodecimanism (from the Vulgate Latin quarta decima in Leviticus 23:5,[1] meaning fourteenth) refers to the custom of early Christians celebrating Passover beginning with the eve of the 14th day of Nisan (or Aviv in the Hebrew Bible calendar).

The modern Jewish Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread is seven days, starting with the sunset at the beginning of Nisan 15. Judaism reckons the beginning of each day at sunset, not at sunrise as is the ancient custom in European traditions. The biblical law regarding Passover is said to be a "perpetual ordinance" (Exodus 12:14), to some degree also applicable to proselytes (Exodus 12:19).

Regarding the chronology of Jesus, some claim the Gospel of John (e.g., 19:14, 19:31, 19:42) implies that Nisan 14 was the day that Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem and that the Synoptic Gospels instead place the execution on the first day of Unleavened Bread (Matthew 26:17). In Ancient Israel the first day of Unleavened Bread was on Nisan 15 and began a seven-day feast to the Lord (Leviticus 23:6). By the time of Christ, many customs in regard to the festival had changed, notable among them the intermixing of the two festivals in some customs and terminology. The eight days, passover and the feast of unleavened bread, were often collectively referred to as the Passover, or the Pesach Festival.[2][3]"...Quartodecimanism - Wikipedia

So the Bishop of Rome ignore the warning and continued to allow the Passover to be observed on Sunday at the pagan Spring Equinox festival, so this is how the Pasch was change to the festival of Easter.

 

But there is no authority given to the bishop of Rome to do any of this or even change Gods Word, or the Lords Prayer for that matter as we see today. That is clear.....

 

We obey only Christ and His word, and not man or traditions. Here is shown who is the true rock..."
Catholics claim that Peter is the first pope of the Catholic Church because Jesus says to Peter,

That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Catholics believe this passage establishes both Peter as the head of the Catholic Church and the Catholic Church as the one with final say on salvation issues.....

This interpretation, however, is not Biblical. There has been much scholarly debate regarding to whom Jesus refers to as the rock in Matthew 16:18. While Peter’s name in Greek is Petros which means "rock"--or actually, a small, movable stone--Jesus switches to petra when he says, “and upon this rock I will build my church” (emphasis added). Petros is a masculine noun, whereas petra is feminine and refers to bedrock or an immovable foundation.ii Jesus thus makes a play-on-words between Peter’s name and the rock that establishes His Church. Theologian Loraine Boettner writes that Jesus’ words translate as, “You are Petros, and upon this petra I will build my church.”iii A change of gender indicates a change of subject.

So if the rock isn't Peter, who is it?
Scriptures make it clear that the rock is Christ. There are approximately 34 instances of Christ being referred to as a rock in the New Testament, including the following:

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone (Ephesians 2:19-20, emphasis added).

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:1-4, emphasis added).

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11).

The rock on which Jesus would build His Church was Peter’s earlier confession in verse 16 that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” No other foundation can withstand the gates of hell, which signify death, for Hades (hell) literally means “grave.”iv Mere people cannot overcome death and the devil who reigns in hell. Only God can, which He already did through His Son’s death on the cross and resurrection. Jesus says in Revelation 1:18, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” Because of His victory, Jesus encourages His disciples in John 16:33, “be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

In fact, we see Peter’s fallibility immediately following the rock passage. In the next few verses, Jesus explains that He will suffer, be killed, and be raised to life on the third day. Peter rebukes Him saying these things will not happen. Jesus responds to Peter, “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me” (verse 23). In one moment, Peter professes a spiritual insight about Jesus and the next moment, Jesus rebukes him for his spiritual blindness. Peter’s humanness shows he is not a solid foundation on which to build God’s Church and, moreover, does not make him a great candidate for Catholics to claim as their leader. A little later on, we see that the gates of hell did most certainly prevail against Peter for a time when he denied his Lord with cursing and swearing.

Even more ironic is that Peter never refers to himself as a pope. In his epistolary letter in 1 Peter, he introduces himself as an “apostle of Jesus Christ” (1:1). Hence, the authority of God’s Church does not rest on any human system, but on Christ alone. As Peter preaches in Acts 4:10-12,

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (emphasis added). Even Peter himself calls Christ the living stone."...https://amazingdiscoveries.org/who-is-the-rock-on-which-jesus-said-he-would-build-his-church

 

Truth versus false tradition, and everyone can check their history themselves. The name "Easter" never appears in the Greek New Testament. Easter is not a Christian name. It is Chaldean (Babylonian) in origin - the name Astarte, one of the titles of Beltis, the queen of heaven. It is to be noted that the apostolic church never gave attention to either the date of Christ's birth or the date of His resurrection, other than to note that the latter occurred on a Sunday. Neither of these days was observed by early Christians but as the pagan influence came into the church so did its festivals. In the third and fourth centuries a tremendous debate arose among Christian churches as to when Easter was to be observed. For the Roman Catholic branch it was largely settled at the Council of Nicaea (AD 325) with a formula still followed to this day, which cannot possibly be commemoration of the actual resurrection. In current practice Easter always falls on a Sunday and the Sunday chosen wanders over a period of four weeks ranging from March 22-April 25.

The point is that the early Christians gave no attention to commemorating the resurrection day of Christ. If they had been serious they would be observing the 17th day of the Jewish month, Nisan, which begins with the first new moon following the spring solstice. Passover among the Jews begins with the 14th day of Nisan. It would not be possible to commemorate the actual day of the month and have it always on Sunday, so the choice was made to have it on Sunday, adjusting the day of the month for convenience.Given this information, although the resurrection of Jesus is a historical event of huge importance, we have no biblical precedent for making Easter a special day of celebration.