Continued from Part I
EXAMINING THE PASSOVER MEMORIAL IN CHURCH
HISTORY
AMONG THE CHURCHES OF ASIA
Rev. 1:1
1: The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.
Rev. 1:4
4: John to the seven Churches which are in Asia.
Rev 1:10-11
10: I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
11: Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven Churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
I will refer especially to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, and Philadelphia in this research of The Lord's Passover Memorial in Church history.
Rev. 2:1 Christian Passover was observed in this Church for several hundred years.
1: Unto the angel of the Church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2: I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars;
3: And hast borne, and hast patience, for my name's sake hast laboured, and has not fainted.
Rev 2:8-10 Christian Passover was observed in this Church also for hundreds of years.
8: And unto the angel of the Church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
9: I know thy works, and tribulation and poverty, [but thou art rich] and I know the blasphemy of them which they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
10: Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
Rev. 2:12-13 Christian Passover was celebrated in this Church into the fourth century.
12: And to the angel of the Church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
13: I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
Rev. 3:7-9
7: And unto the angel of the Church in Philadelphia write; these things, saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
8: I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
9: Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
Keep these Churches in your mind and when we get further into the Passover information you will see how these Churches are recorded to have specifically observed the annual event to replace the old Jewish celebration. This is not to say the others did not, but that the records are not as clear as that which exist on the ones we have here.
CHRISTIAN JUDAISM IS THE TRUE SEED
THAT CELEBRATES THE PASSOVER OF MessiehRomans 4:13
13: For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, [Jews] through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
Galatians 3:16
16: Now to Abraham and his seed [Christian Jews] were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Hebrews 2:16
16: For verily he took not on him the nature of angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham.[Flesh and bloodline]
Galatians 3:26-29
26: For ye are all the children of God [Christian Judaism] by faith in Christ Jesus.
27: For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for they are all one [Christian Judaism] in Christ Jesus.
29: And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, [Christian Judaism] and heirs according to the promise.
The only way to become a part of Christian Judaism through Christ is found in Acts 2:38.
Acts 2:38-39
38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39: For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Acts 4:10-12
10: Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11: This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Scripture has shown how the apostles instructed people to come into Christian Judaism and receive the inheritance of Abraham by coming into Mesiah's Kingdom. These promises were to people of all nations who were born again through Jesus Messieh. These are the true Children of Abraham. Natural Israel according to the flesh separate from Jesus Messieh are not the chosen people of God. The chosen people of God were predestined to find oneness in Messieh before the foundation of the world. [Eph 1:4]
Colossians 2:10
10: And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.
Galatians 1:9
9: As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than ye have received, let him be accursed.
Our subject being the Lord's Passover, I remind you, Paul said to keep the feast. The Lord's Passover was an essential part of the gospel he preached, something to be kept, to be observed annually.
1Corinthians 5:8
8: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Paul preached: 1. Repentance; 2. Baptism in the name of Jesus name; 3. Receiving Holy Ghost baptism; 4. Keeping Passover Feast; 5. Holiness; 6. The Rapture; 7. Eternal life.
Paul said in that in the later times some would depart from the Apostle's Doctrine.
1Timothy 4:1
1: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.
WHEN DID THE LATTER TIMES BEGIN
1John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antiMessiehs; whereby we know that it is the last time.
We know by this that the antichrist teachers were already trying to pervert the doctrines of the Church. The letters to the seven Asia Churches prove the perversions were attempting to destroy many Churches and they were many apostate Jews in that mixture trying to do it.
Jesus Messieh by sending the Book of Revelation, told the seven Churches to hold on to the name and all the doctrine they had received from the Apostles and not change them.
Let us examine what happened in the Asia Churches.
Church historians recognize the Council of Nicea of 325 AD as an important date in Church history. The emperor Constantine ordered the Council to settle two major controversies:
1. The Godhead and proper baptism.
2. Whether the Churches should keep the Lord's Passover on 14th Nisan or keep Easter Sunday.
We will study this in detail. First, we should start with the principal men and events that lead up to these two controversies and the Council of Nicaea. Since our study is on the Lord's Passover, we will focus on that subject. If you would like to study the trinity more, see Brother Reckart's article entitled *The Trinity Is Pagan.*
POLYCARP 69AD-155AD
Pastor of the Smyrna Church
We will begin our study of the seven Churches of Asia with Polycarp, a convert of the Apostle John, and Pastor of the Smyrna Church.[Rev. 2:8]
Polycarp was born in 69AD and died around 155 AD at the age of 86 years old. Polycarp was the Pastor/Bishop of Smyrna from the end of the first century until his death. If we accept that the Book of Revelation was written between 81-96 AD, then it is possible the angel of the Smyrna Church in Revelation 2:8 was none other then Polycarp. If not, then Polycarp inherited the Church from that Pastor to whom the letter was written. He would have been a member of the Church to whom the letter was written.
Irenaeus says: "But Polycarp also was not only instructed by the apostles and acquainted with many that had seen Christ, but was also appointed by apostles in Asia, bishop of the Church of Smyrna." [Eusebius Ecclesiastical History, V; 24; quoted in Nicean and Post-Niceane Fathers Vol. 1 pg 244.]
The Churches in Asia among whom Polycarp was Bishop of Smyrna were labeled "Johannean Quartodecimans". They kept the Lord's Passover at 14th Nisan and were [Quarto=4, Decim=10] "those who keep the 14th."
The Church historian Hefele, in A History of the Christian Councils, from the original documents, Vol. I p 309, says of Polycarp: "He was certainly the most worthy representative of the Johannean or Asiatic opinions, being recognized as the most distinguished bishop of Asia Minor, and certainly the only disciple of S. John then living."
As the representative of the Johannean Quartodecimens, Polycarp went to Rome in the middle of the second century around 150-155 AD. There he met with Anicetus, bishop of Rome, and discussed the Lord's Passover. The western Churches following the Rome doctrines had rejected the Lord's Passover to celebrate Easter. Polycarp went to Rome to see if he could convince them to return to the ancient faith. Anicetus became arrogant and disrespectful to Polycarp. It is reported: "For neither could Anicetus persuade Polycarp not to observe it [Lord's Passover on 14th Nisan] because he had always observed it with John the disciple of our Lord and the rest of the apostles, with whom he associated. And neither did Polycarp persuade Anicetus to observe it, who said that he was bound to follow the customs of the presbyters before him.
Eusebius Ecclesiastical History, V. 24, quoted in Hefele's History of the Christian Councils Vol. I p 309, quotes Irenaeus as writing in a letter in the name of the Gallican bishops, "that the Roman bishops before Soter, namely Anicetus, Pius, Hyginus, Telesphorus, and Xystus [who was still living at the beginning of the 2nd century] did not follow the Asiatic custom, nor did they tolerate it amongst their people."
Hefele's , History of the Christian Councils, Vol. I p 314, makes reference to the western Churches and the Johannean quartodecimans of Asia in violent conflict over the paschal controversy.
Polycarp was killed just after his Rome trip. Persecution broke out against the Christians in Smyrna. Eleven Christians were brought from Philadelphia to be put to death. A cry was made, "Away with the atheists. Let search be made for Polycarp." Polycarp fled to a country farm. He was betrayed by former Church members and arrested. The asiarch Philip, urged him to "revile Christ." Polycarp replied, "EIGHTY AND SIX YEARS HAVE I SERVED HIM AND HE HATH DONE ME NO WRONG. HOW CAN I SPEAK EVIL OF MY KING WHO SAVED ME." The mob wanted him fed to the lions. Rejecting this, the mob cried out for him to be burned. This was accepted and Polycarp was burned at the stake and went in to eternity to stand as a witness not only of his pure Apostolic Doctrine, but his pure faith in Jesus Christ.
In 196 A.D. Bishop Victor of Rome wrote to the most eminent Bishops in every country, asking them to assemble synods in their provinces, and by their means to introduce the Roman doctrine of celebrating Easter. These letters, as exampled by the one sent to Polycrates, Bishop of Ephesus of Asia, also contained threats of excommunication in the event of resistance.
Numerous synods were held and all Churches with the exception of those of Asia unanimously declared acceptance of the Roman authority that it was a rule of the Church to celebrate the Lord's Passover on Easter.
Polycrates, Bishop of Ephesus, presided over a synod of bishops from Asia and these Pastors all approved of the following letter to Bishop Victor of Rome. The letter as stated in Eusebius V. 23 and Phillip Schaff's History of the Christian Church, Vol II, Ante-Nicean Christianity, 100-325 A.D., pp216-217, states: "We observe the genuine day, neither adding thereto or taking therefrom. For in Asia great lights have fallen asleep [great men of God] which shall rise again in the day of the Lord's appearing, in which he will come with glory from heaven, and will raise up all the saints: Phillip, one of the twelve apostles, who sleeps in Hierapolis, and his two aged virgin daughters; his other daughter, also, who having lived under the influence of the Holy Spirit, now likewise rest in Ephesus; moreover, John, who rested upon the bosom of our Lord, who was also a priest, and bore the sacerdotal plate, both a martyr and teacher; he is buried in Ephesus. Also Polycarp of Smyrna, both Bishop and martyr and Thraseas, both Bishop and martyr, of Eumenia, who sleeps in Smyrna. Why should I mention Sagaris, Bishop and martyr, who sleeps in Laodicea; moreover, the blessed Papirius, and Melito, who lived altogether under the influence of the Holy Spirit, who now rest in Sardis, awaiting the episcopate from heaven, in which he shall rise from the dead. All of these observed the fourteenth day of the Passover according to the gospel, deviating in no respect, but following the rule of faith. Moreover I Polycrates, who am the least of you, according to the tradition of my relatives, some of whom I have followed. For seven of my relatives were Bishops, and I am the eighth: my relatives always observed the day when the people of the Jews threw away the leaven. I therefore, brethren, am now sixty-five years in the Lord, who having conferred with the brethren throughout the world [Asia] and having studied the whole of the Sacred Scriptures, am not at all alarmed at those things with which I am threatened, to intimidate me. For they who are greater than I have said, "We ought to obey God rather than men."
On receiving this letter Bishop Victor sent a letter to Pastors in the Asia Churches and the neighboring provinces, of intention of excommunicating them. He was unsuccessful at this time, [196 AD] mainly because of a letter written to Bishop Victor and other western bishops. From Eusebius Ecclesiastical History, V. 23 & 24 and Hefele's History of the Christian Councils, Vol. I, p 315 quotes Irenaeus.
Eusebius says, "He tried to excommunicate them." This disposition of Victor did not please other bishops, who exhorted him rather to seek after peace. Iraneus, even though born in Asia Minor, declared that the resurrection of the Saviour ought to be celebrated on a Sunday; but also exhorted Victor not to cut off from communion a whole group of Churches which only observed an ancient custom of the Lord's Passover. He reminded Victor that his predecessors had judged the difference with more leniency and that in particular, Bishop Anicetus had discussed it amicably with Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna.
This exchange of synods and letters did not bring to an end the Passover controversy, which was one of the two major controversies that brought about the Council of Nicea in 325 AD.
The Council of Nicaea was called together by Constantine to settle two major controversies:
1. The Godhead and proper baptism.
2. To end the practice of keeping 14th Nisan Passover and to establish keeping Easter instead.
The Catholic Church recognizes Constantine as presiding over the Council of Nicaea. Pope Stephen V writes that the Emperor Constantine presided at the first Council of Nicaea. Also, the ancient acts of the synods frequently refer to the presidency and authority of the Emperor.
Constantine opened the council with a speech in Latin although he spoke Greek. The opening of the council taken from Eusebuis Vita Const. III 12 in Hefele's, History of the Councils of the Church, Vol. I pp280-281, follows:
"When the arrival of the Emperor was announced, all those present rose. He appeared as a messenger from God, covered with gold and precious stones, --a magnificent figure, tall and slender, and full of grace and majesty. To this majesty he united great modesty and devout humility, so that he kept his eyes reverently bent upon the ground, and only sat down upon the golden seat which had been prepared for him when the bishops gave him the signal to do so. As soon as he had taken his place, all the bishops took theirs. Then the bishop who was immediately to the right of the Emperor arose, and addressed a short speech to him, in which he thanked God for having given them such an Emperor. After he had resumed his seat, the Emperor, in a gentle voice, spoke thus:
"My greatest desire, my friends was to see you assembled. I thank God, that to all the favors He has granted me He has added the greatest, that of seeing you all here, animated with the same feeling. May no mischievous enemy come now to deprive us of this happiness! And after we have conquered the enemies of Christ, may not the evil spirit attempt to injure the law of God by new blasphemies! I consider disunion in the Church an evil more terrible and more grievous than any kind of war. After having, by the grace of God, conquered my enemies, I thought I had no more to do than to thank Him joyfully with those whom I had delivered. When I was told of the division that had arisen amongst you, I was convinced that I ought no to attend to any business before this; and it is from the desire of being useful to you that I have convened you without delay. But I shall not believe my end to be attained until I have united the minds of all--until I see that peace and that union reign amongst you which you are commissioned, as the anointed of the Lord, to preach to others. Do not hesitate, my friends--do not hesitate, ye servants of God; banish all causes of dissension--solve controversial difficulties according to the laws of peace, so as to accomplish the work which shall be most agreeable to God, and cause me, your fellow-servant an infinite joy.'"
Hosius, Bishop of Cordova appeared to be in control of the Assembly as Constantine's legate, in union with two Roman priests named Vito [Vitus] and Vincentius. Hosius resided at Constantine's quarters and therefore had considerable influence upon him in private conversations.
After much discussion among the bishops, Eusebius of Caesarea proposed the following creed for adoption:
"We believe in one only God, Father Almighty, Creator of things visible and invisible; and in the Lord Jesus Christ, for He is the Logos of God, God of God, Light of Light, life of life, His only Son, the first-born of all creatures, begotten of the Father before all time, by whom also everything was created, who became flesh for our redemption, who lived and suffered amongst men, rose again the third day, returned to the Father, and will come again one day in His glory to judge the living and the dead. We believe also in the Holy Ghost. We believe that each of these three is and subsists: the Father truly as Father, the Son truly as Son, the Holy Ghost truly as Holy Ghost".
After much debate and amendments proposed, Constantine himself suggested that the relation of the son to the Father might be expressed by the word "homoousios" [of one essence]. None dared to disagree with the Emperor Constantine because it was he who had ordered them to Nicaea in the first place. If they could not agree he would decide for them.
Jones also concludes that this was at the influence of bishop Hosius.
The final creed is as follows:
"We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, only-begotten of the Father, that is of the substance of the Father, God of God, light of light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of the same substance with the Father, by whom all things were made in heaven and in earth, who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, was incarnate, was made man, suffered, rose again the third day, ascended into the heavens, and He will come to judge the living and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost. Those who say, There was a time when He was not, and He was not before He was begotten, and He was made of nothing [He was created], or who say that He is of another hypostasis, or of another substance [than the Father], or that the Son of God is created, that He is mutable, or subject to change, the Catholic Church anathematizes."
The Nicaean Creed was adopted as a canon of the law of the Church.
The next subject for consideration concerned the Passover. Please notice that "Easter" has replaced the Hebrew word Pesach [Passover] throughout the entire Nicean argument. The word "Easter" was not used at all at Nicaea. It came into existence centuries later when the Catholic Church adopted the German "EOSTRE" goddess of spring, from which we receive our word "Easter". For this reason the word "Passover" will be put in brackets along side the word Easter to keep the correct day being discussed from being muddled. Where the word "Easter" means the Resurrection, there will be no brackets.
The Churches in Asia [Johannean Quartodecimans] following Apostolic Traditions received from the Apostles, kept the Lord's Passover on the 14th of Nisan at even regardless of what day of the week on which it might fall. The Western Churches following an unknown tradition wanted to keep the Passover with observing the resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The council ruling against the Apostolic Traditions, specifically identified as the Johannean Quartodeciman Tradition, and in favor of the Roman Traditions. The council sent the following letter to the Churches of Alexandria Egypt, Libya and Pentapolis. [Recorded in Socrates 1.9 as in Hefele's, The History of the Church Councils, p 322.
"We give you good news of the unity which has been established respecting the Holy Passover. In fact, according to your desire, we have happily elucidated this business. All the brethren in the East who formerly celebrated Easter with the Jews, will henceforth keep it at the same time as the Romans, with us, and with all those who from ancient times have celebrated the feast at the same time with us."
To continue under the blood of Jesus and to Part Three, click the Cross below.
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