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Church History @Easter

Constantine’s anti-Semitic letter to the absent councilors of the 1^st Council of Nicaea 325AD, which council Constantine presided over as “our most religious Sovereign Constantine”:

[caps & highlights are my added emphasis]

https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf214.vii.x.html

On the Keeping of Easter.

From the Letter of the Emperor to all those not present at the Council.

(Found in Eusebius, Vita Const., Lib. iii., 18–20.)

"When the question relative to the sacred festival of Easter arose, it was universally thought that it would be convenient that all should keep the feast on one day; for what could be more beautiful and more desirable, than to see this festival, through which we receive the hope of immortality, celebrated by all with one accord, and in the same manner?  IT WAS DECLARED TO BE PARTICULARLY UNWORTHY FOR THIS, THE HOLIEST OF ALL FESTIVALS, TO FOLLOW THE CUSTOM [THE CALCULATION] OF THE JEWS, WHO HAD SOILED THEIR HANDS WITH THE MOST FEARFUL OF CRIMES, AND WHOSE MINDS WERE BLINDED.  In rejecting their custom,¹¹³ we may transmit to our descendants the legitimate mode of celebrating Easter, which we have observed from the time of the Saviour’s Passion to the present day [according to the day of the week].  WE OUGHT NOT, THEREFORE, TO HAVE ANYTHING IN COMMON WITH THE JEWS, for the Saviour has shown us another way; our worship follows a more legitimate and more convenient course (the order of the days of the week); and consequently, in unanimously adopting this mode, WE DESIRE, DEAREST BRETHREN, TO SEPARATE OURSELVES FROM THE DETESTABLE COMPANY OF THE JEWS, for it is truly shameful for us to hear them boast that without their direction we could not keep this feast.  HOW CAN THEY BE IN THE RIGHT, THEY WHO, AFTER THE DEATH OF THE SAVIOUR, HAVE NO LONGER BEEN LED BY REASON BUT BY WILD VIOLENCE, AS THEIR DELUSION MAY URGE THEM?  They do not possess the truth in this Easter question; for, IN THEIR BLINDNESS AND REPUGNANCE to all improvements, they frequently celebrate two passovers in the same year.  We could not imitate those who are openly in error.  HOW, THEN, COULD WE FOLLOW THESE JEWS, WHO ARE MOST CERTAINLY BLINDED BY ERROR? for to celebrate the passover twice in one year is totally inadmissible.  BUT EVEN IF THIS WERE NOT SO, IT WOULD STILL BE YOUR DUTY NOT TO TARNISH YOUR SOUL BY COMMUNICATIONS WITH SUCH WICKED PEOPLE [THE JEWS].  Besides, consider well, that in such an important matter, and on a subject of such great solemnity, there ought not to be any division.  Our Saviour has left us only one festal day of our redemption, that is to say, of his holy passion, and he desired [to establish] only one Catholic Church.  Think, then, how unseemly it is, that on the same day some should be fasting whilst others are seated at a banquet; and that after Easter, some should be rejoicing at feasts, whilst others are still observing a strict fast.  For this reason, a Divine Providence wills that this custom should be rectified and regulated in a uniform way; and everyone, I hope, will agree upon this point.  As, on the one hand, IT IS OUR DUTY NOT TO HAVE ANYTHING IN COMMON WITH THE MURDERERS OF OUR LORD; and as, on the other, the custom now followed by the Churches of the West, of the South, and of 55the North, and by some of those of the East, is the most acceptable, it has appeared good to all; and I have been guarantee for your consent, that you would accept it with joy, as it is followed at Rome, in Africa, in all Italy, Egypt, Spain, Gaul, Britain, Libya, in all Achaia, and in the dioceses of Asia, of Pontus, and Cilicia.  You should consider not only that the number of churches in these provinces make a majority, but also that it is right to demand what our reason approves, and that WE SHOULD HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON WITH THE JEWS.  To sum up in few words:  BY THE UNANIMOUS JUDGMENT OF ALL, it has been decided that the most holy festival of Easter should be everywhere celebrated on one and the same day, and it is not seemly that in so holy a thing there should be any division.  As this is the state of the case, accept joyfully the divine favour, and THIS TRULY DIVINE COMMAND; for all which takes place in assemblies of the bishops ought TO BE REGARDED AS PROCEEDING FROM THE WILL OF GOD.  Make known to your brethren what has been decreed, keep this most holy day according to the prescribed mode; we can thus celebrate this holy Easter day at the same time, if it is granted me, as I desire, to unite myself with you; we can rejoice together, seeing that the divine power has made use of our instrumentality for destroying the evil designs of the devil, and thus causing faith, peace, and unity to flourish amongst us.  May God graciously protect you, my beloved brethren."

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Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Revelation 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he-was-cast into the earth, he-pursued the woman, one-who brought-forth the male.

Revelation 12:15 And the serpent cast out-of his mouth behind the woman water as (a) river, in-order-that he-might-make her carried-off-by-the-river.

Luke 21:17  And YOU-will-be being-hated by all because-of my name.

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CONSTANTINE was Pontifex Maximus of the pagan Roman Empire at this time – he was Rome’s chief religious authority, where he was considered divine. He may have believed that he was divine, as he had received a vision of Apollo at a shrine in Gaul, where he was told to conquer using the “Christian” Chi-Rho symbol (two superimposed Greek letters Chi (X) and Rho (P).

This explains the source of the “divinity” professed by Constantine in his letter (“this truly divine command… to be regarded as proceeding from the will of God”):

2 Corinthians 11:14 "And no marvel, for the Satan is-transfiguring-himself into (an) angel of-light."
 15 "Therefore (it-is) not (a) great-thing if his ministers also are-transfiguring-themselves as ministers of-righteousness; of-whom the finish will-be according-to their works."

This explains why most Christians don't care:

2 Timothy 4:3 For (a) season will-be when they-will not tolerate the healthy teaching, BUT according-to their-own desires they-will-heap-on to-themselves teachers having-themselves the hearing itching,
 4 And on-the-one-hand they-will-turn-back the hearing from the truth, on-the-other-hand they-will-be-diverted upon the legends.
 

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More history of Easter & the Global “Church”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter

Easter and its related holidays are moveable feasts, not falling on a fixed date; its date is computed based on a lunisolar calendar (solar year plus Moon phase) similar to the Hebrew calendar. THE FIRST COUNCIL OF NICAEA (325) ESTABLISHED ONLY TWO RULES, NAMELY INDEPENDENCE FROM THE HEBREW CALENDAR AND WORLDWIDE UNIFORMITY.

In Eastern Christianity, the same days and events are commemorated with the names of days all starting with "Holy" or "Holy and Great;" and Easter itself might be called "Great and Holy PASCHA", "Easter Sunday," "PASCHA" or "Sunday of PASCHA." In Western Christianity, Eastertide, or the Easter Season, begins on Easter Sunday and lasts seven weeks, ending with the coming of the 50th day, Pentecost Sunday. In Eastern Christianity, THE PASCHAL SEASON ENDS with Pentecost as well, but the leave-taking of the GREAT FEAST OF PASCHA is on the 39th day, the day before the Feast of the Ascension.

The English term is derived from the Saxon spring festival Ēostre; Easter is also linked to the Jewish Passover by its name (Hebrew: פֶּסַח  pesach, Aramaic:  פָּסחָא  pascha are the basis of the term Pascha), by its origin (according to the synoptic Gospels, BOTH THE CRUCIFIXION AND THE RESURRECTION TOOK PLACE DURING THE PASSOVER)^[15][16] and by much of its symbolism, as well as by its position in the calendar.

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AND SO:

The Roman Catholic Church, following the anti-Semitic guidance of the Roman Emperor Constantine, changed the date of Passover at the 1^st Counsil of Nicaea , 325AD, and called it Easter, but also still called it by its Aramaic name PASCHA. 

Of course this newly dated and named “Easter”-  that was designed to exclude Jews - wasn’t the Passover prescribed by the Bible that was exclusively Jewish yet allowed Gentile participation (Ex.12:48, Rom.11:17).

By separating “this cup” and “this bread” (1 Cor.11:23-26) out of the Passover seder and putting it at a different date, the Roman Catholic Church, and all its participants whether willingly or unwittingly, then and now are excluding the Jews from the New Covenant participation.   That’s really what the creation of Easter was all about.

The enmity between Jew and Gentile that was removed in Christ (Eph.2:14-18) was brought back into the “church” by the Roman Catholic Church:

Ephesians 2:14 For he himself is our peace, the (one) having-made the both (both places- holy place and holy of holies) one even having-broken-down the midst-wall of-the fencing-in, the enmity, in his flesh

v15 Having-rendered-inactive the law of-the commandments in decrees, in-order-that he-might-create the two in himself with-reference-to one new (quality) MAN making peace,

v16 And he-might-reconcile-in-full the both (Jews and Gentiles) in one body to-the God through the cross, having-killed the enmity in it;

v17 And having-come he-himself-brought-good-news, peace to-YOU to-the (ones) far and peace to-the (ones) near;

v18 Because through him we-are-having the leading-near, the both in one Spirit to the Father.

Passover/Unleavened Breads lasts for a week. If you are calling Easter “Resurrection Day”, and if you are still doing it separate from the biblical Passover date, you are still excluding the Jews from the Good News of their risen savior, because they are at Passover, not Easter.

 Yes, the Jews are blinded by God (Ro.11:8) and often by the spiritual darkness of Rabbinical Judaism, which hides Isa.ch53 from them. Romans 11:1-2 makes it clear that God has not cast off the Jews. Ro.11:11 states that by their offence, salvation to the Gentiles. Ro.11:26 says all Israel will be saved.      As Christians, we are supposed to take the Gospel to the Jews (Rom.10:8-15).  This isn’t easy as Ro.11:28 says they are enemies concerning the Gospel…but never-the-less we are to love them none-the-less due to the choice/election for the fathers’ sakes. Ro.11:30 says God had mercy on us Gentiles because of the Jew’s disobedience, and vs31 says we are to now have mercy on the disobedient Jews so that mercy may be granted to them. 

Romans ch 11 shows that the Roman Catholic Church’s creation of Easter to exclude the Jews was against God’s will.  

2 Corinthians 6:15 But what agreement of-Messiah toward Beliar, or what portion by-(one)-trusting with (an) unbelieving-(one)?

Just some food for thought at suppertime…of course there’s no condemnation, relax: 

Romans 8:1 So (there-is) now not-one condemnation's-punishment to-the (ones) in Messiah Jesus.

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And the rest is also history...i.e. man's traditions.

Hoping to get a "long version" of the related traditions of MAN put together soon...