Easter Origins Pagan?

[The Liturgist]

It is much more important to delight in keeping the holy days that God has commanded than to be concerned with whether a man-made tradition has a pagan origin.

Well, Easter, more commonly known as Pascha, like the other feasts of the Christian year (Christmas, Theophany, Candlemass, the Annunciation, the Ascension, Pentecost, the Transfiguration, the Elevation of the Holy Cross, Michaelmas, and several others) are instituted of God, and some of them like Pascha and Pentecost are continuations of Jewish feasts, some are replacements for Jewish feasts (for example, the Transfiguration replaces the Feast of Tabernacles), and some are new feasts resulting from the Body of Christ responding to the actions of the Incarnate Logos.

 

[Soyeong]

Well, Easter, more commonly known as Pascha, like the other feasts of the Christian year (Christmas, Theophany, Candlemass, the Annunciation, the Ascension, Pentecost, the Transfiguration, the Elevation of the Holy Cross, Michaelmas, and several others) are instituted of God, and some of them like Pascha and Pentecost are continuations of Jewish feasts, some are replacements for Jewish feasts (for example, the Transfiguration replaces the Feast of Tabernacles), and some are new feasts resulting from the Body of Christ responding to the actions of the Incarnate Logos.

In Deuteronomy 4:2, it is a sin to add to or subtract from God's law. People can do something other than what God has commanded in place of it, but not while remaining obedient to what God has commanded. In Mark 7:6-9, Jesus criticized the Pharisees as being hypocrites for setting aside the commands of God in order to establish their own traditions, so people are free to follow their own traditions to honor the actions of the Incarnate Logos, but that should be in addition to what God has commanded, and they should not hypocritically establish their own traditions in place of it. It is impossible to honor the Incarnate Logos in place of obeying what God has commanded.

 

[The Liturgist]

In Deuteronomy 4:2, it is a sin to add to or subtract from God's law. People can do something other than what God has commanded in place of it, but not while remaining obedient to what God has commanded. In Mark 7:6-9, Jesus criticized the Pharisees as being hypocrites for setting aside the commands of God in order to establish their own traditions, so people are free to follow their own traditions to honor the actions of the Incarnate Logos, but that should be in addition to what God has commanded, and they should not hypocritically establish their own traditions in place of it. It is impossible to honor the Incarnate Logos in place of obeying what God has commanded.

Deuteronomy 4:2 is not binding on Christians, according to Galatians and other Pauline epistles, and the feasts instituted by the Christian Church are not of human origin, since the Church is the Body of Christ according to 1 Corinthians.

However, even if that was not the case, your point would be irrelevant since Pascha, as most people outside the English speaking world call Easter, is, as the name implies, literally Passover.

 

[Soyeong]

Deuteronomy 4:2 is not binding on Christians, according to Galatians and other Pauline epistles, and the feasts instituted by the Christian Church are not of human origin, since the Church is the Body of Christ according to 1 Corinthians.

God's law is how we know what sin is (Romans 3:20) and Gentiles are obligated to refrain from sin. Christ spent his ministry teaching his followers how to obey God's law by word and by example and Galatians and other Pauline epistles should not be interpreted as speaking against Christians following Christ. The Greek word "ekklesia" is translated as church as is used in Acts 7:38 and many times in the Septuagint to refer to Israel in the wilderness, so it has always referred to the assembly of God's chosen people, which does have the authority to follow its own traditions of human origin that are in accordance with what God has commanded.

 

[The Liturgist]

God's law is how we know what sin is (Romans 3:20) and Gentiles are obligated to refrain from sin.

Sin for gentiles is defined in the Noachide Law, which was reaffirmed by the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15, not the Torah.

Christ spent his ministry teaching his followers how to obey God's law by word and by example and Galatians and other Pauline epistles should not be interpreted as speaking against Christians following Christ.

Which I am not doing.

The Greek word "ekklesia" is translated as church as is used in Acts 7:38 and many times in the Septuagint to refer to Israel in the wilderness, so it has always referred to the assembly of God's chosen people,

That is correct.

which does have the authority to follow its own traditions of human origin that are in accordance with what God has commanded.

That was correct at one time, but is no longer the case, as we see in Acts 15 when the Apostles eliminated the requirements to adhere to Kosher and for circumcision. Also the Jewish leaders did not have the power to bind and loose, nor did the entire Hebrew faithful become sacerdotal hierii (commonly translated as priest, although priest is an Anglicization of Presbyter, meaning Elder; all Christians are Priests in the sense of being a Sacerdos, Hierus or Kohen but not all Christians are Presbyters), automatically, rather, serving as a hierii was restricted to the caste of Kohanim descended from Aaron.

 

[Mockingbird0]

The reason I said yes was that the symbols of the egg and the rabbit were pagan symbols of fertility which were celebrated in the spring according to the pagan calendar with eggs and rabbits symbolizing the gods of reproduction.

All of the pagan holidays were co-opted by the Christians in order to help the conversion of the pagan people. Most Christian holidays are also pagan holidays. CHrist's birth is around the winter solstice etc.

"The" pagan calendar? There was no single pagan calendar. Every nation had its own.

Many of the Roman and Greek gods had fertility aspects but I know of no documented ritual in their honor involving eggs or hares. Can you provide documentation of pagan rituals involving eggs or hares?

 

[Filippus]

Yeah, it's pretty bad that the word Easter got slipped into the translation anyway. We all know it's pashcha/passover and Christ became our Passover. The real Passover is 14 days after the spring equinox which is the Hebrew beginning of the year and yet most Christians today celebrate Easter with his resurrection. Traditions of men sometimes take over and continue to get handed down in the process.

Are you claiming that Passover falls each year 14 days after the spring equinox?

Can you please supply historical evidence that support this?

Shalom

 

[Filippus]

.

 

[Filippus]

There was no Sunday involved in how the pashca/passover was to be observed. A physical church can't change what God set in stone. Especially a church that many don't recognize as the true church. (by their fruits we will know them...)

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
I Corinthians 15:20

On which day did He rise?

The Church didn't change it they are simply commemorating it.

Shalom

 

[Sabertooth]

Resurrection Day coincides with the Jewish Feast of Firstfruits, which is part of Passover.
It occurs around the same time as the pagan Easter, but the fertility emphasis of rabbits, eggs, et al. is an Easter thing, not a Passover/Firstfruits/Resurrection thing. Linguistically, Pascha is more accurate than Easter.

Further (in pagan lore), Winter was seen as representing Death (hibernation, deciduous trees losing their leaves)
where Spring was a counterfeit Resurrection (awakening, greening once more, birth of young). "Counterfeit" because that kind of resurrection cannot save a person's soul.

 

[prodromos]

It occurs around the same time as the pagan Easter

What is this mythical "pagan Easter" I keep hearing about?

 

[Sabertooth]

What is this mythical "pagan Easter" I keep hearing about?

From easter | Etymology, origin and meaning of the name easter by etymonline ,
"Old English Easterdæg, 'Easter day,' from Eastre (Northumbrian Eostre), from Proto-Germanic *austron-, 'dawn,' also possibly the name of a goddess whose feast was celebrated in Eastermonað (the Anglo-Saxon month corresponding with April), from *aust- 'east, toward the sunrise' (compare east), from PIE root *aus- (1) 'to shine,' especially of the dawn..."

In any event, hares & eggs have nothing to do with Passover...

 

[prodromos]

From easter | Etymology, origin and meaning of the name easter by etymonline ,
"Old English Easterdæg, 'Easter day,' from Eastre (Northumbrian Eostre), from Proto-Germanic *austron-, 'dawn,' also possibly the name of a goddess whose feast was celebrated in Eastermonað (the Anglo-Saxon month corresponding with April), from *aust- 'east, toward the sunrise' (compare east), from PIE root *aus- (1) 'to shine,' especially of the dawn..."

In any event, hares & eggs have nothing to do with Passover...

There is zero evidence, apart from Venerable Bede's assumption, that there was ever a goddess by that name, and even if there was there is absolutely no archaeological evidence of any fertility rites involving rabbits or eggs.

 

[hedrick]

There is zero evidence, apart from Venerable Bede's assumption, that there was ever a goddess by that name, and even if there was there is absolutely no archaeological evidence of any fertility rites involving rabbits or eggs.

Furthermore, that only would affect English. In other languages East has other derivations. In Russian it’s resurrection. In some it’s Passover.

 

[Sabertooth]

There is zero evidence, apart from Venerable Bede's assumption, that there was ever a goddess by that name, and even if there was there is absolutely no archaeological evidence of any fertility rites involving rabbits or eggs.

Even in the absence of such evidence, there is no valid rationale* for including the rabbit nor egg motifs in Pascha/Passover.

*Biblically or historically-speaking.

 

[ralliann]

Even in the absence of such evidence, there is no valid rationale* for including the rabbit nor egg motifs in Pascha/Passover.

*Biblically or historically-speaking.

Including them in what? Which Church has this element in their liturgical services of worship?

 

[ralliann]

Furthermore, that only would affect English. In other languages East has other derivations. In Russian it’s resurrection. In some it’s Passover.

The septuagint does this.
Zec 3:8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH < greek; 395>.
Zec 6:12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH< greek; 395>; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:
Branch in both of these verses is literally EAST. As in
Mt 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east <greek; 395>, and are come to worship him.

395 ἀνατολή anatole an-at-ol-ay’

from 393; n f; TDNT-1:352,57; {See TDNT 64}

AV-east 9, dayspring 1; 10

1) a rising (of the sun and stars)
2) the east (the direction of the sun’s rising)

Since the English, is from the german ostern, meaning dawn or sunrising, early morning, there is no reason to assign a pagan Goddess. It is in the greek.

 

[BeyondET]

Does it matter if it is so, God can turn a negative into a positive. Discontinuing the practice would be a win for the atheistic crowd.

 

[Sabertooth]

Discontinuing the practice would be a win for the atheistic crowd.

Which practice?
Pascha without rabbits & eggs does not reinforce atheism.

 

[BeyondET]

Which practice?
Pascha without rabbits & eggs does not reinforce atheism.

So do you think people should stop painting eggs?