Modern denominations, that claim to be Christian, observe
various holy days in celebration of religious events. These
holidays include Christmas, Easter, Lent, and many others. While
you may read in the Bible about the events these days are
supposed to memorialize, you do not find that the gospel tells us
to celebrate these holydays in memory of these events. They have
been developed by men over the centuries since the New Testament
was written.
2 Corinthians 13:5 - Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 - Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
The question to be considered is whether these observances are pleasing to God. Note that we are studying the observance of the days as religious holy days. It is not our purpose to consider whether Christians may participate in various traditional or secular aspects of those days.
Matthew 15:9 - And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
The question we must consider is whether God has authorized these religious observances or whether they are human in origin.
To answer these questions, we must examine the various holy days to consider their origin and nature. We will do this by considering the claims made for these days by the groups that observe them (with a few general facts from competent encyclopedias). We will consider their own explanation of the days, what they mean, and where they came from. Then we will compare this to the Bible to find out if the Bible authorized them.
Ash Wednesday is the day when the Catholic church sprinkles ashes on the foreheads of members as a sign of penitence, especially for those who seek to be restored to communion on Easter.
A Catechism for Adults (Catholic): "The church's law of abstinence says that on certain days you may not eat meat ... What are the days of obligatory abstinence? Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays of Lent ... On these days, no meat may be taken at the full meal" - p. 132.
Baker's Dictionary of Theology (Protestant): "Lent. The forty days of fasting immediately preceding Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday ..." - p. 320
"Not until much later (ca. seventh century) did the forty days' period become universally recognized in honor of our Lord's fast in the wilderness (Matt. 4:2). ... The name is derived from the old English lenckten, meaning the 'spring.'" - Baker's Dictionary, p. 321.
The Catholic church admits the practice of abstaining from meat at lent is a law made by the church and not found in the Scriptures (see quotes from Catechism and Dictionary above).
In contrast, by observing the Bible we can learn: The Bible mentions Jesus' forty-day fast (Matt. 4:2), but never uses the word "lent," never tells us to fast in memory of Jesus' fast, and never gives any set time for fasting at all. It rebukes those who would require abstaining from meats (1 Tim. 4:1-4).
We conclude that religious observance of lent is without God's approval or authority (2 John 9). The practice is human in origin, and therefore vain worship (Matt. 15:9).
"The annual festival of our Lord's resurrection ... It is at once the oldest and greatest festival of the Christian church, having been observed from very early times" - Baker's Dictionary of Theology, p. 175.
"The Jewish Christians in the early church continued to celebrate the Passover, regarding Christ as the true paschal lamb, and this naturally passed over into a commemoration of the death and resurrection of Our Lord, or an Easter feast" - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 889.
"The Jewish Christians linked it with the Passover, and so observed it on the 14th day of Nisan, regardless of the day of the week. But Gentile believers celebrated the Resurrection on the Lord's day, Sunday. This difference was settled by the Council of Nicea in 325 AD" (which set the date for the annual observance of Easter) - Zondervan's Pictorial Bible Dictionary, p. 230f.
"The Eng. word comes from the AS Eastre or Estera, a Teutonic goddess to whom sacrifice was offered in April, so the name was transferred to the paschal feast" - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 889.
"According to Bede, the name Easter is derived from Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess whose festival was held in the spring." - Baker's Dictionary of Theology, p. 175.
"The English word 'Easter,' however, corresponding to the German Oster, reveals Christianity's indebtedness to the Teutonic tribes of central Europe. Christianity, when it reached the Teutons, incorporated in its celebration of the great Christian feast day many of the heathen rites and customs which accompanied their observance of the spring festival" - Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 7, p. 859.
"There is no trace of Easter celebration in the NT, though some would see an intimation of it in 1 Cor. 5:7" - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 889.
"There is no celebration of the Resurrection in the NT" - Zondervan's Pictorial Bible Dictionary, p. 230f.
(2) The original Greek word is pasca, which is always without exception elsewhere translated "Passover," even in the KJV.
(3) Even Catholic translations, such as the Confraternity version, use "Passover" here.
(3) V3 refers to activities of Jews during "the Days of Unleavened Bread." This was undeniably a Jewish feast associated with the Passover. Hence, the context proves the reference is to the Passover.
(4) Nothing in any way connects Christians with the day as though it was a Christian holy day.
(5) Even people today who celebrate Easter religiously will admit that this reference in the KJV does not refer to a Christian holy day but to the Jewish Passover:
"The word [Easter] does not properly occur in Scripture, although AV has it in Acts 12:4 where it stands for Passover, as it is rightly rendered in RV" - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 889.
"...rendered Easter in Acts 12:4 KJV, but correctly translated Passover in ASV" - Zondervan's Pictorial Bible Dictionary, p. 230f.
We conclude again that the religious observance of Easter is human in origin, begun in pagan and apostate religion. See Matt. 15:9; etc.
The purpose of this study is to examine these holy days and see what the Bible says about them.
Many people observe these days simply from habit. They may be awed or excited by the ritual surrounding Christmas, Easter, or Lent. Their churches celebrate the days, so the members participate without questioning whether or not they truly ought to be part of Christianity. It may never occur to these folks to question where these holidays came from or whether they are really right.2 Corinthians 13:5 - Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 - Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
The question to be considered is whether these observances are pleasing to God. Note that we are studying the observance of the days as religious holy days. It is not our purpose to consider whether Christians may participate in various traditional or secular aspects of those days.
To please God, religious observances must be authorized in His word.
John 4:23,24 - Worship must be in spirit and in truth.Matthew 15:9 - And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
The question we must consider is whether God has authorized these religious observances or whether they are human in origin.
To answer these questions, we must examine the various holy days to consider their origin and nature. We will do this by considering the claims made for these days by the groups that observe them (with a few general facts from competent encyclopedias). We will consider their own explanation of the days, what they mean, and where they came from. Then we will compare this to the Bible to find out if the Bible authorized them.
We will consider the three most
commonly known and most widely practiced holy days or seasons (though
there are many more that could be considered): Easter, Christmas,
and Lent.
I. Nature and Origin of the Days
A. Lent
The meaning of the day
Catholic Dictionary: "Lent. A fast of forty days preceding Easter, kept, after the example of Moses, Elias, and above all, of Christ Himself, in order to prepare the faithful for the Easter feast ... It was a season of mourning, and hence the Church has always strongly discountenanced festivities of all kinds during Lent. Lastly, the body is mortified, in order that the soul may be invigorated ..." - p. 512, 514.Ash Wednesday is the day when the Catholic church sprinkles ashes on the foreheads of members as a sign of penitence, especially for those who seek to be restored to communion on Easter.
A Catechism for Adults (Catholic): "The church's law of abstinence says that on certain days you may not eat meat ... What are the days of obligatory abstinence? Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays of Lent ... On these days, no meat may be taken at the full meal" - p. 132.
Baker's Dictionary of Theology (Protestant): "Lent. The forty days of fasting immediately preceding Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday ..." - p. 320
Origin and authority for the day
"There is no mention in Scripture of the observance of Lent, or, indeed, of any determined time for fasting among Christians" - Catholic Dictionary, p. 512. They do claim, however, that there is historical evidence of a fast of some type before Easter dating back to or nearly to the first century."Not until much later (ca. seventh century) did the forty days' period become universally recognized in honor of our Lord's fast in the wilderness (Matt. 4:2). ... The name is derived from the old English lenckten, meaning the 'spring.'" - Baker's Dictionary, p. 321.
Summary
Hence, according to the statements of those who participate in lent, it is a period of forty days prior to Easter. People are to humble themselves by denying various pleasures and repenting. Its origin is not known exactly, but as practiced today goes back to the seventh century.The Catholic church admits the practice of abstaining from meat at lent is a law made by the church and not found in the Scriptures (see quotes from Catechism and Dictionary above).
In contrast, by observing the Bible we can learn: The Bible mentions Jesus' forty-day fast (Matt. 4:2), but never uses the word "lent," never tells us to fast in memory of Jesus' fast, and never gives any set time for fasting at all. It rebukes those who would require abstaining from meats (1 Tim. 4:1-4).
We conclude that religious observance of lent is without God's approval or authority (2 John 9). The practice is human in origin, and therefore vain worship (Matt. 15:9).
B. Easter
Easter is the "feast of our Lord's resurrection" - Catholic Dictionary, p. 283."The annual festival of our Lord's resurrection ... It is at once the oldest and greatest festival of the Christian church, having been observed from very early times" - Baker's Dictionary of Theology, p. 175.
The Origin of the Holy Day
"The celebration of a special Paschal or Easter feast among Christians goes back to the remotest antiquity, though it is impossible to determine the date of its introduction" - Catholic Dictionary, p. 284."The Jewish Christians in the early church continued to celebrate the Passover, regarding Christ as the true paschal lamb, and this naturally passed over into a commemoration of the death and resurrection of Our Lord, or an Easter feast" - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 889.
"The Jewish Christians linked it with the Passover, and so observed it on the 14th day of Nisan, regardless of the day of the week. But Gentile believers celebrated the Resurrection on the Lord's day, Sunday. This difference was settled by the Council of Nicea in 325 AD" (which set the date for the annual observance of Easter) - Zondervan's Pictorial Bible Dictionary, p. 230f.
The Term "Easter"
"The word Easter is derived from that of the Saxon goddess Eastre, the same deity whom the Germans proper called Ostara, and honoured ... as the divinity of the dawn" - Catholic Dictionary, p. 283."The Eng. word comes from the AS Eastre or Estera, a Teutonic goddess to whom sacrifice was offered in April, so the name was transferred to the paschal feast" - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 889.
"According to Bede, the name Easter is derived from Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess whose festival was held in the spring." - Baker's Dictionary of Theology, p. 175.
"The English word 'Easter,' however, corresponding to the German Oster, reveals Christianity's indebtedness to the Teutonic tribes of central Europe. Christianity, when it reached the Teutons, incorporated in its celebration of the great Christian feast day many of the heathen rites and customs which accompanied their observance of the spring festival" - Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 7, p. 859.
Bible authority for the annual holy day?
"...it is impossible to determine the date of its introduction" - Catholic Dictionary, p. 284. This would, of course, be possible if the practice had been revealed in the Bible."There is no trace of Easter celebration in the NT, though some would see an intimation of it in 1 Cor. 5:7" - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 889.
"There is no celebration of the Resurrection in the NT" - Zondervan's Pictorial Bible Dictionary, p. 230f.
What about the word "Easter" in KJV Acts 12:4?
(1) All modern translations say "Passover" (cf. ASV, NASB, etc.)(2) The original Greek word is pasca, which is always without exception elsewhere translated "Passover," even in the KJV.
(3) Even Catholic translations, such as the Confraternity version, use "Passover" here.
(3) V3 refers to activities of Jews during "the Days of Unleavened Bread." This was undeniably a Jewish feast associated with the Passover. Hence, the context proves the reference is to the Passover.
(4) Nothing in any way connects Christians with the day as though it was a Christian holy day.
(5) Even people today who celebrate Easter religiously will admit that this reference in the KJV does not refer to a Christian holy day but to the Jewish Passover:
"The word [Easter] does not properly occur in Scripture, although AV has it in Acts 12:4 where it stands for Passover, as it is rightly rendered in RV" - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 889.
"...rendered Easter in Acts 12:4 KJV, but correctly translated Passover in ASV" - Zondervan's Pictorial Bible Dictionary, p. 230f.
Summary
Based on statements from those who observe Easter, it is an annual holy day in memory of Jesus' resurrection. It is the result of Jewish and pagan influences combined into the present form by the Roman Catholic church. It is named after a pagan goddess, and many concepts associated with it are pagan in origin. As an annual religious holy day, Easter cannot be found in the Bible.We conclude again that the religious observance of Easter is human in origin, begun in pagan and apostate religion. See Matt. 15:9; etc.
