parresia

some on easter

Easter

According to Philip Schaff, the "history" of Easter is such.

During the Ante-Nicene period (100-311 A.D.) there were three yearly festivals: Easter, Pentecost, and Epiphany; these form a sort of framework for the entire year. Strictly speaking the church had two primary seasons: Passover, commemorating Christ's suffering, death on the cross and glorious resurrection. The second was Pentecost, commemorating the exaltation of Christ.

The Christian Passover (Easter) naturally grew out of the Jeish Passover, as the Lord's Day grew out of the Sabbath; the paschal lamb being regarded as a prophetic type of Christ, the Lamb of God slain for our sins, and the delieverance from the bondage of Egypt as a type of the redemption from sin. It is certainly the oldest and most important annual festival of the church, and can be traced back to the first century, or at all events to the middle of the second, when it was universally observed...

Schaff makes no mention of any controversy as relating to pagan holidays or anything of the sort. He does point out the numerous controversies however with regard to what particular day Easter ought to be celebrated.

Posted by jeremy stock at April 3, 2002 02:05 AM