Many believers today are not aware of the Passover-Easter Controversy. The disputation for determining the date for celebrating the Paschal (A Greek word that means Passover) is a very old issue. It's not just an issue that may seem new in this day and age.
The Passover is a biblical feast that is celebrated on the 14th Day of Nisan, which is the first month of the Hebrew Calendar.
Easter, on the other hand, comes from the German Eostre (Goddess of the dawn - bringer of light), is a festival which originated from the Roman Catholic Church that celebrates the death, burial and resurrection of the savior based on man-made determination and without any scriptural authority. It was an ancient pagan feast honored by different cultures to celebrate fertility and sex. “Easter—the name Easter comes to us from Ostera or Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, for whom a spring festival was held annually, as it is from this pagan festival that some of our Easter customs have come” (Hazeltine, p. 53).
But to the believers who lived in the last half of the 2nd Century A.D, the Passover-Easter Controversy was very real. This great controversy arose between the Churches of God in Asia Minor in the East andthe Church of Rome in the West.
This Controversy came to be known by the name, quartodecimanism. The 1967 New Catholic Encyclopedia states, “Quartodeciman, a term used to describe the practice in the early Church of celebrating Easter on the 14th of Nisan (die quarta decima), the day of the Jewish Passover.” The term literally meant 'fourteenthers' (from quarta which is four and decima which is ten) or the practice of the early Church to celebrate the Paschal feast on the 14th Nisan of the Jewish calendar according to the scriptures.
At that time, differences arose over the determination of the date for the celebration of the paschal feast. The big question was whether the date for celebrating Lords Supper was to be set using the Jewish Passover date? Or whether it would be celebrated on Easter as the Roman Church authority wanted? In the Roman Empire, the consensus was for Sunday but in Asia Minor, the Bishops held to the ancient method of celebrating it on the 14th of Nisan. Ultimately over time, since Rome had more political and economic muscle, they managed to intimidate everyoneto accept the Good Friday - Easter Sunday observance, in complete disregard of biblical supremacy. Yet, this Quartodeciman controversy still remained an unpleasant memory for the Church of Rome.
Despite conceited efforts by the Church of Rome to enforce the Easter Sunday observance, the Bishops of Asia Minor still held to the 14th of Nisan for commemorating the death of the Savior.It was only after much disputing that the festival Easter came to be established towards the end of the 2nd Century.
The Catholic Encyclopedia tells of the encounter of Polycarp (69 A.D-155 A.D) who was Bishop at Smyrna and a disciple of Apostle John, and he kept the Paschal on the 14th day as the Apostle John.
"Quartodecimanism, prevalent in Asia Minor and Syria in the second century, emphasized the death of Christ, the true Paschal victim (JN 18:28; 19:42), while Roman practice emphasized the observance of Sunday as the day of the Resurrection. Implicit in these two positions is the disputed chronology of Holy Week. As Christianity separated from Judaism, gentile Christians objected to observing the principal Christian feasts on the same day as the Jewish Passover.” (The 1967 New Catholic Encyclopedia)
“Roman efforts to induce the Quartodecimans to abandon their practice were unsuccessful. On a visit to Rome (C.555), St.Polycarp of Smyrna amicably discussed the question with Pope Anicetus without, however, reaching agreement. Pope Victor, (189-198) sought unity through a series of synods held in both East and West; all accepted the Roman practice except the Asiatic bishops.” (Eusebius, Hist. Eccl.5.23-25). “During the 3rd century Quartodecimanism waned; it persisted in some Asiatic communities down to the 5th century." (Vol. 12, p. 13).Polycarp and the Asiatic bishops completely refused to accept the Roman method for observing the Paschal. Another Bishop, Polycrates of Ephesus in 190 A.D also declined to submit to the Roman influence even when Pope Victor of Rome threatened to excommunicate all who followed the Nisan 14 practice. Eusebius, an early church writer records a letter written by Polycrates to Pope Victor: “We observe the exact day; neither adding, nor taking away. For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again on the day of the Lord's coming ... All these observed the fourteenth day of the Passover according to the Gospel, deviating in no respect, but following the rule of faith. And I also, Polycrates, the least of you all, do according to the tradition of my relatives, some of whom I have closely followed. For seven of my relatives were bishops; and I am the eighth. And my relatives always observed the day when the people put away the leaven.“ (Ecclesiastical History, Book V, chapters XXIII and XXIV)
On receiving the negative response of Polycrates, Pope Victor attempted to cut off Polycrates and the others who took this stance, but reversed his decision after bishops who included Irenaeus, bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, interceded, recommending that Victor follow the more peaceful attitude of his predecessors.
In 325 A.D. a final resolution on this matter was made by the Bishops of Rome in the first Council of Nicaea led by the then Emperor Constantine. In a letter to the bishops, Emperor Constantine said that it had been decided to adopt a uniform date, rejecting the custom of the Jews, who according to him had crucified Yahshua and whose practice often meant that two Passovers were celebrated in the same solar year.
“At this meeting (Council of Nicaea) the question concerning the most holy day of Easter was discussed, and it was resolved by the united judgment of all present that this feast ought to be kept by all and in every place on one and the same day…And first of all it appeared an unworthy thing that in the celebration of this most holy feast we should follow the practice of the Jews, who have impiously defiled their hands with enormous sin…for we have received from our Savior a different way [this is false because Messiah did not ever instruct “a different way”]…And I myself have undertaken that this decision should meet with the approval of your Sagacities in the hope that your Wisdoms will gladly admit that practice which is observed at once in the city of Rome and in Africa, throughout Italy and in Egypt…with entire unity of judgment.” (The 1967 New Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 5, p. 228).
At the end of the council, Emperor Constantine supported its judgment and embarked on a vile anti-Semitic attack against the Quartodecimans. He ordered a severe persecution of those who refused to comply.
The Church of Rome might have won the battle but what it did was blending Christianity with paganism and rejecting the scriptural and correct observance of Passover on Nisan 14 as it was done by Messiah and the apostles.
Today, as believers, we should ask ourselves, can mortal men with man-made rules overturn the eternal rules of order that heaven itself has ordained?The truth is unpopular. Apostle Jude gave the 1st Century church advice that still applies to believers today. Jude 1:3 - Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to CONTEND EARNESTLY FOR THE FAITH WHICH WAS ONCE FOR ALL DELIVERED TO THE HOLY ONES.
Faith, from the beginning, included—and still includes—the Passover. Therefore, will you follow the instructions and example of our Savior and the Apostles, as recorded in Scripture? Or will you be content with the pagan traditions that were introduced to replace them? Will you obey God’s word, and keep the true Passover on its correct time? Become a quartodeciman today.
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PASSOVER-EASTER CONTROVERSY.pdf