Let Us Talk and Study About "Easter"
          By Kenneth E. Thomas 

  We are also admonished to "come ye out from among them..." (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).  Christians are to be "light" and "salt" in this world (Matthew 5:13-16). We are commanded to "contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3).

     I have a flannel board lesson addressing the subject of why there will be no "Easter Services" at the local church of Christ that I have used over the years, but I wanted to have something to hand out to  audiencees for them to have and to keep as a reference when such subjects come up from time to time as you study God's word with others (2 Timothy 2:1-2).

    Faithful New Testament churches have a weekly celebration which incorporates the Lords' coming to earth as our Messiah, dying for our sins on Calvary and being resurrected from the grave the third day. This celebration is called "communion" or "The Lord's Supper." (Acts 20:6-7; 1 Corinthians 10:16; 1Corinthians 11:23-34). I say this incorporates the resurrection as well as His birth and death, for it is to be observed "until He comes again." Why can't people be satified with the one memoral which the Lord Himself gave?

   Since none of these Lent or Easter activities are mentioned anywhere in the Bible, I knew that none of my concordances, commentaries or Bible word study books would be of any help in writing about these matters, so I used the World Book Encyclopedia.  According to World Book, Mardi Gras (a French term meaning "Fat Tuesday") is a festival or celebration held on "Shrove (i.e., "Fat") Tuesday," which is the day  before "Ash Wednesday," which marks the beginning of "Lent."  Confusing isn't it?  And yet all of these days and functions are supposedly a part of how we honor and worship Christ!  Mardi Gras is a time of merrymaking that precedes the Lenten season.

    During these "pre-Lent" days, virtually anything goes.  During Mardi Gras, reveling is the order of the day.  Sinful living becomes the rule of life, and nights are given over to dissipation and debauchery, with the celebrants wearing elaborate costumes.  As "Ash Wednesday" draws near, when drinking and carousing must cease, the pace increases.  The parties get progressively wilder, louder and longer, leading up to the "grand Mardi Gras parade" on the night of "Fat Tuesday."  Although New Orleans stages the most famous and elaborate Mardi Gras festival in this country, it is celebrated on a lesser scale throughout the United States.  There is a rather large Mardi Gras celebration in Memphis, Tennessee.  And, although it traces its origin to the Catholic Church, many Protestant bodies participate in various ways in Mardi Gras  activities.

     All of this worldliness leads up to a period called "Lent," which most religious bodies recognize in some way.  Like the term "Mardi Gras," you can't find the word "Lent" anywhere in your Bible.  So, we turn again to the World Book, which informs us that Lent "begins on Ash Wednesday, 40 days before Easter, excluding Sundays, and ends on Easter Sunday."  After the excesses of Mardi Gras, Lent is supposed to be a period of fasting, refraining from amusements, and general abstinence and self-denial, all in preparation for Easter Sunday.  In other words, "Lent" is when you pay for all the sins of  "Mardi Gras."  Mardi Gras is "one last fling" before suffering through the 40 days of deprivation known as "Lent."

     Remember now, all of this is supposedly done "in the name of religion," as a part of their worship and service to Christ.  Can you imagine anything more repulsive?  Drinking, immodest attire and nudity, wild dancing, sexual  immorality - all practiced "in the name of religion!"

     These are the very things Paul condemns as "works of the flesh" in Galatians 5:16-21.  He concludes by saying, "those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (v.21).  In that same book, Paul instructs warns us about observing "days and months and seasons and years" (Gal. 4:10).  He adds, "I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain" (v.11).  To be sure, the days Paul was speaking about were various "holy days" under the law of Moses, still to observe unauthorized days religiously whatever they may be is without scriptural authority, and stands condemned as an addition to Christ's word (2 John 9- 11; Colossians 3:17; Revelation 22:18-19).

     Brethren and friends, we trust that you can clearly see that any religion that tolerates and encourages such riotous living, even just for a "season," is not the religion of Jesus Christ!

     The highschool band  was invited to be in the Marti Gras parade in New Orleans when we lived and worked in Brooksville, Florida back in the 60's. The band director  had attended a Catholic college nearby known as St. Leo's , but was not aware that Marti Gras was a Roman Catholic holiday,  and a religious celebration,  until I informed him.I suggested that he look it up in an encyclopedia which he did. When he found this out, he refused to be a party to such. We had two boys in the band. My wife  and I were big time "band boosters" then. Later we did take the band to Washington to the Cherry Blossom festival and had a great time.

 What does the Bible say about the observance  of  "Easter Sunday?"  Absolutely nothing!  See (1 Peter 4:11; Hebrews 7:14).

      Still from time to time we are questioned as to why "Churches of Christ" do not observe the Easter season according to the modern concept.  Of course. The immediate reply is: "No where in the Scriptures are we authorized to do so."  If we are to "speak as the Scriptures speak," we will not teach people to add any religious significance to "Easter Sunday" any more than any other Sunday.  No man by the authority of Jesus Christ can set any day apart and ask men to observe it religiously.

      However, it is in order to take an even closer look at the subject of "Easter," to more fully comprehend what Easter actually is and when it started.  To do this, please note the following:

      1.       "EASTER, derived from EOSTRA,  a Teutonic goddess of spring...many of the popular observances of Easter are pagan in origin.  Some may be traced to the feast of the goddess of Spring, Eostra.  The church (Catholic, ket) endeavored to give significance to such for followers of Christ since the pagan rites  could not be rooted out.  The great bonfires, which formed a part of the pagan festivals, had their counterpart in the 'paschal tapers' or 'Easter candles' sometimes weighing 300 pounds, with which churches were lighted on Easter Eve.  The Easter egg and Easter rabbit are also pagan in origin. In reality these are fertility symbols brought over from the worship of pagan idols.

      "The proper time for the celebration of Easter has been the cause of much controversy.  In the second century, a dispute arose on this point between the Eastern and Western churches." (American Peoples' Encyclopedia, Vol. 7, p. 486)

      2.       "PASCHA, mistranslated 'Easter' in Acts 12:4 (K.J.V.), denotes Passover (R.V.).  The phrase 'after the passover' signifies after the whole festival was at an end.  The term Easter is not of (New Testament or Biblical  origin.  It is another form of Astarte, one of the titles of the Chaldean goddesses, the queen of heaven.  The festival of Pasch held by "Christians" in post apostolic times was a continuation of the Jewish feast, but was not instituted by Christ, nor was it connected with Lent.  From the Pasch the pagan festival of Easter was quite distinct and was introduced into the apostate Western religion, as a part of the attempt to adapt Pagan festivals to Christianity."  (Vine's Expository Dictionary of N.T. Words, Vol. 2, pp. 14-15). It was me who put the name Christian in "quotes" above in Vines. ket.

       3.      "EASTER - The word does not properly occur in the Scriptures, although AV (KJV, ket) has it in Acts 12:4 where it stands for Passover, as it is rightly rendered in RV.  There is no trace of Easter celebration in the N.T., though some would see an intimation of it in I Cor. 5:7."  (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 889)

       4.      "And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quarternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people."  (Acts 12:4, KJV)

       5.      "So when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover."  (Acts 12:4, NKJV)

      How could we read the above and still feel compelled to attach any religious significance to Easter?  We reject a religious observance of Easter because:

  1.)  It is not authorized by God's Word, the Bible; (2 John 9-11; Galatians 1:6-9; Matthew 15:8-9; 2 Timothy 4:1-8; Revelation 22:18- 19; Colossians 4:6)

  2.)  It originated in paganism; (John 12:48; Acts 3:22-23; John 16:12- 13; 2 Peter 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

 3.)   The King James Version of the Bible mistranslates the word "Passover" as "Easter" in Acts 12:4. Therefore, "Easter"  is not even in the Bible!

 4.)   We are not to observe the Passover, since the Law of Moses has been done away with (Cf. Gal. 2:16; 4:10-11; 2 Corinthians 3:1-18).

 5.)   If we seek to be justified by the Law of Moses,  "Christ becomes of no effect to us, and we fall from grace" (Gal. 5:4).  For further discussion of this or any other Bible questions you may have, give us a call and we will arrange for a time and place for a FREE Bible study with you. The office number is 1 (309) 347-3582 and my home number is 1 (309) 347- 5645).

Written in love and in the interest of divine truth as found in the New Testament.  Bolding and underlining mine,  Kenneth E. Thomas.