Christ, Our Passover

Different versions of the Bible dealing with
Acts 12:4 on the word pascha:

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

(ASV) And when he had taken him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him; intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.

(BBE) And having taken him, he put him in prison, with four bands of armed men to keep watch over him; his purpose being to take him out to the people after the Passover.

(CEV) He put Peter in jail and ordered four squads of soldiers to guard him. Herod planned to put him on trial in public after the festival.

(ESV) And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.

(GNB) After his arrest Peter was put in jail, where he was handed over to be guarded by four groups of four soldiers each. Herod planned to put him on trial in public after Passover.

(HNV) When he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Pesach.

pascha
Total KJV Occurrences: 29
passover, 28
Mat_26:2, Mat_26:17-19 (3), Mar_14:1, Mar_14:12 (2), Mar_14:14, Mar_14:16, Luk_2:41, Luk_22:1, Luk_22:7-8 (2), Luk_22:11, Luk_22:13, Luk_22:15, Joh_2:13, Joh_2:23, Joh_6:4, Joh_11:55 (2), Joh_13:1 (2), Joh_18:28, Joh_18:39, Joh_19:14, 1Co_5:7, Heb_11:28

easter, 1
Act_12:4

pascha
pas'-khah
Of Chaldee origin; the Passover (the meal, the day, the festival or the special sacrifices connected with it): - Easter, Passover.

On can easily see that because of one mistranslated word, the world is not following the Word of God in what it is supposed to do on the first day of the week in regards to worshipping the Lord.

But still each spring, every year, and annually (all meaning only once a year), millions of people around the world acknowledge, in some fashion or another, that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead some twenty centuries ago. Modern society calls it “Easter.”

The origin of this term is uncertain, though it is commonly thought to derive from the pagan worship of Eastre, the name of a spring goddess. Her symbol is the egg, symbolizing a rebirth from the long winter months. In this myth, she is said to have amused children by turning her bird into a rabbit, and then the rabbit laid colored eggs much to the delight of the children.
The term “Easter,” in the King James Version of the Bible (Acts 12:4), is a mistranslation. The Greek word used in the original Greek writings is pascha, correctly rendered “Passover” in later translations. In fact, though pascha is found twenty-nine times in the New Testament, it is only rendered as “Easter” once, even in the KJV.

Christians (meaning members of the one church that Christ died for) are not told to nor authorized to celebrate “Easter” as a special annual event acknowledging the resurrection of Christ anywhere in God’s Word. Faithful children of God reflect upon the Savior’s resurrection every Sunday (when Christ arose from the grave – John chapter 20) as they gather to worship God in the regular assembly of the church (Acts 20:7).

We ought to be glad, however, that multitudes – usually caught up in pursuits more material than spiritual – will take at least some time for reflection upon the event of the Savior’s resurrection even though they don’t understand the real meaning of what they celebrate and are doing so in vain. And I am glad that it happens…why? It is entirely appropriate that Christians take advantage of this circumstance; we should be both willing and able to explain to our friends – at least those who have some reverence for Christ – the significance of the Lord’s resurrection.

Yet, there is a fact that I have noticed about memorials. I wonder if you have noticed that same fact. As long as people are living whose lives actually touched the events or the people of the events, the gratitude is alive and strong. But one generation later the significance of the memorial begins to fade. It is then easy for the memorial to become a ritual without meaning. In time, it is easy for the meaningless ritual to become a habit, then a neglected habit. Is that the way our worship services have become for some of us??

What I see is not so much a total neglect for worship, but there are probably about 25% of our congregation who neglect Sunday evening worship and maybe 30% that neglect Wednesday Bible Study. No doubt it has become habitual... and I think about Hebrews chapter 10 quite often. The question I might ask is how are we handling church discipline with these?

Thanks for he explanation on Easter. I have never studied it. I studied Christmas, but had not gotten around to Easter yet. It is good to understand it.

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In Christ,
brother Sonnie

Illuminator;

I agree with you about memorials and how that with the passing generations memorials are become less significant. Ask many today what the date of December 7th means to them and you will see how it is passing without even a single thought of the death and destruction on that day.

I for awhile held the office of Chaplain in the Son's of Confederate Veterans and part of my duties was reminding people what the memorials stood for (both Confederate and Union) so that people would not forget what those that died.

The same holds true with God's memorial of the death of Christ. We have to remind people what the memorial means. On the front of our communion tables is written the word IN REMEMBRANCE or THIS DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME, how often do we verbally remind people of what those words really mean. When we look at I Cor. the 11th chapter we see that Paul is instructing the Corinthians in the teaching of Christ to his disciples. This is in accordance with the instructions that Christ gave his disciples in the 20th verse of Matt. 28 to teach the observance of all things just as Christ taught them. Paul then instructs Timothy to teach men who will be able to teach others also the things which Paul was teaching(II Tim. 2:2). It is this same teaching that has been handed down to us concerning the memorial upon the first day week. It is also this same teaching that we HAVE to hand down to others and not just take it for granted they know and understand what it is that they are to keep IN REMEMBRANCE.

I also feel that if we are successful in teaching them properly about the death of Christ and they accept it then that will help in taking care of other problems such as Sunday and Wednesday night attendance. For when they truely accept that Christ died for them they will want to serve and obey him in all things.

From Henry's notes...something I missed ...speaking on Easter...

When Herod was going to kill Peter...he would do this after Easter, meta to pascha - after the passover, certainly so it ought to be read, for it is the same word that is always so rendered; and to insinuate the introducing of a gospel-feast, instead of the passover, when we have nothing in the New Testament of such a thing, is to mingle Judaism with our Christianity.

...in bold the direct quote...

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Romans 16:16 1 Thess. 5:17 1 Thess. 5:22 1 Tim. 6:12 2 Tim 2:15

This is a bang on teaching. I have studied this topic and Easter in my opinion should be called Passover or Resurrection Sunday. The word Easter is derived from Ishtar and is not found in the Bible. I recall the name may come from the ancient Babylonian religion where Queen Semiramis (sp?) the Queen of Heaven and Nimrod the great hunter were deified in the mystery Babylonian religion. Nimrod or Tammuz ended up being Baal (Lord of the Flies/ Satan). Queen Semeramis became a fertility godess. Easter is the fertility feast of pagan religions if my recollection of ancient religions is correct.

wow...so enlightening I have not yet studied Easter...I"m learning so much here

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Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. PROV.31:30

And so Lord, I ask you... "Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life." Psalms 139:24

As for "recognizing" Easter, my current job is to set up merchandise shelves at Wal-Mart. The way I recognize Easter is by the sudden appearance of pastel displays with bunnies in them, appearing around the middle of February.

I do recall commenting, "Do you think they enjoyed their annual visit to church?" after services this year on that day that men call Easter.

My dear brother who was my mentor used to say, "Look at the CME Christians...Christmas, Mother's Day, and Easter!! Because that is the only time you see them!!

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Romans 16:16 1 Thess. 5:17 1 Thess. 5:22 1 Tim. 6:12 2 Tim 2:15

It is still truly the Passover and doesn't have any to do with the birth of Christ or the Lord's Day as the world likes to profess now.

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Romans 16:16 1 Thess. 5:17 1 Thess. 5:22 1 Tim. 6:12 2 Tim 2:15