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BAPTISTS
HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH EASTER, PALM SUNDAY AND CHURCH LITURGIES |
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by ST Mar 31, 2024
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This article was brought on by hearing "Baptists" talk of "Palm Sunday," "Good Friday," and "Easter". - ed.
"One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind." Rom 14.5
Let no man, therefore, judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and
worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase
of God. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines
of men? Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh. (Colossians 2.16-23)
What business do Baptists have, who assert that they only follow the New Testament, in speaking about “Palm Sunday” “Good Friday” or “Easter”? These “holidays” are not found celebrated in the New Testament
by any apostolic church. There is no “Liturgical Calendar” in the Bible. If we follow the
Encyclopedia Britannica, we read this:
Christian writers of the 2nd century came to view Sunday, “the Lord’s day,” as a symbol of
Christianity in distinction from Judaism. Most churches decided to observe the Lord’s Passover (Easter) on a Sunday after the Jewish feast was over. In addition, local churches began to celebrate the anniversaries of the deaths of their
martyrs, called “birthdays in eternity,” for these also were regarded as witnesses to the resurrection triumph of Christ in his followers. The weekly Sunday and the annual Paschal (Passover) observance of 50 days from Easter to
Pentecost (the Jewish harvest festival that also
commemorated the revelation of the Law to Moses) were thus the principal frameworks of the church year until the 4th century—reminders of the new age to be brought by Christ at his coming again in glory at the end of time when the true believers would enter
their inheritance of perpetual joy and feasting with their Redeemer and Lord.
It goes on to say:
The establishment of Christianity as a state
religion, following the “conversion” of the emperor Constantine (312 CE), brought new developments. The Paschal season was matched by a longer season of preparation (Lent)
for the many new candidates for
baptism at the Easter ceremonies and for the
discipline and penance of those who for grievous
sins had been cut off from the communion of the church.
A new focus of the celebration, to
commemorate the birth of Christ, the world Redeemer, was instituted at ancient
winter solstices (December 25 and January 6 in the Northern Hemisphere) to rival the pagan feasts in honor of the birth of a new age brought by the “Unconquered
Sun.” Later the Western churches created a preparatory season for the
Christmas festival, known as
Advent. Many new days were gradually added to the roster of
martyr anniversaries to commemorate distinguished leaders, the dedication of buildings and shrines in honor of the
saints, and the transferal of their
relics.
None of these events are based on apostolic teaching. None of these events can be seen in any passages in the New Testament. The
Roman
Catholic Church says this about the "Liturgical Calendar":
The liturgical year is made up of six seasons: Advent – four weeks of preparation before the celebration of Jesus’ birth Christmas – recalling the Nativity of Jesus Christ and his manifestation to
the peoples of the world Lent – a six-week period of penance before Easter Sacred Paschal Triduum – the holiest “Three Days” of the Church’s year, where the Christian people recall the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Easter – 50 days of the joyful
celebration of the Lord’s resurrection from the dead and his sending forth of the Holy Spirit Ordinary Time – divided into two sections (one span of 4-8 weeks after Christmas Time and another lasting about six months after Easter Time), wherein the faithful
consider the fullness of Jesus’ teachings and works among his people. The mystery of Christ, unfolded through the cycle of the year, calls us to live his mystery in our own lives.
The Protestant Reformers, “…With their strong sense of the prime authority of
Scripture
and the freedom of the gospel from all legalisms in liturgical matters, revised the church year with varying degrees of radicalism.
Lutherans
and Anglicans
took a conservative
position, retaining the traditional seasons but eliminating commemorations that had no connection with the biblical record.”
But the Puritans and the “Anabaptists” changed things more in agreement with the Bible:
The
Reformed churches, on the other hand, allowed only those feasts with a clear basis in the
New Testament: Sundays,
Holy Week and
Easter,
Pentecost, and in some cases
Christmas. The Church of Scotland, Anabaptist, and Puritan groups abolished the church year entirely except for Sundays. In recent years this attitude has been very much modified. Their protest has been a reminder to the church that all days are regarded
as belonging to
Christ in the freedom of his Spirit, who cannot be controlled by rigid systems of fixed special observances.
The Roman Catholic Church
“The basic structure of the church year was the creation of the ancient churches in the varied
cultures surrounding the
Mediterranean Sea that were embraced in the Roman Empire. Christian missionaries have carried the church year throughout the world—first in the Northern Hemisphere and, since the 16th century, in the Southern Hemisphere, where the natural seasons are reversed.
It is unlikely that the dates of the two major feasts, Easter and Christmas, which control the seasons of the church year, will be changed. But new symbols and popular customs associated with them will emerge in areas where, for example, Easter is celebrated
in the autumn rather than as a spring festival.”
The Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox and the Roman church split over the date of Easter! To this day they remain separate!
Jesus Christ was crucified at the time of the Jewish Passover. The Christians of Asia celebrated Easter on the fourteenth day of the moon, according to the law of Moses, on whatever day of the week
it fell, so that if they kept some years a Good Friday, they also kept in other years Good Monday, Good Saturday, or Good any day, for the day of Christ's crucifixion must be at its due distance from the day of his resurrection. These Eastern Christians pretended
St. John kept Easter so. The Western churches used to observe the Sunday after the fourteenth day of the March moon, and they said St. Peter and St. Paul always did so. If these Christians could not convince one another in times so near those of the Apostles,
it Is not likely we should be able to determine the time of Easter now. We have nothing more then to add here, except that they debated and differed like Christians, they tolerated one another, they communicated together, and the liberal temper of such disputants
is always edifying, however idle we may think the dispute.
The Orthodox
churches of the Byzantine
tradition recall the Resurrection of Christ every Sunday. Many Sundays take their title from the Gospel lesson for the day. In addition to Easter, “the
feast
of feasts,” there are 12 other major feasts: Christmas, Epiphany,
Hypapante
(Meeting of Christ with Simeon,
February 2), Palm
Sunday, Ascension,
Pentecost,
Transfiguration
(August 6), Exaltation
of the Holy Cross (September 14), and four feasts of the Blessed Virgin
Mary—her
Nativity
(September 8), Presentation in the Temple (November 21), Annunciation
(March 25), and Falling Asleep (August 15).
The principal cycle consists of (1) 10 weeks before Easter, contained in the
Triōdion
(pre-Easter liturgical service book)—the first four of these Sundays prepare for the Great Fast, or
Lent
(i.e., the Sunday of the Pharisee and Publican; the Sunday of the Prodigal
Son; Meat-Fast Sunday, after which abstinence from meat is enjoined; and Cheese-Fast Sunday, after which the fast includes cheese, eggs, butter, and milk)—and (2) eight weeks after Easter, contained in the
Pentēkostarion
(post-Easter liturgical service book), including the Feast of Ascension, 40 days after Easter, and concluding with the Festival of All Saints on the Sunday after Pentecost. Other special commemorations of the period are the
Feast
of Orthodoxy, on the first Sunday in Lent, recalling the end of the
Iconoclastic
Controversy in 843, and the feast of the Fathers of the first Ecumenical
Council
of Nicaea in 325 on the sixth Sunday after Easter.
Let us look at some of the pagan origins of these “feasts” and “festivals”.
EASTER
As Christianity began to sweep across Europe, many pagan festivals and traditions were absorbed and adapted into the Christian faith. It made sense that the already ingrained concept of new life
being celebrated during springtime should become associated with Jesus conquering death and being reborn. If you’ve noticed, the date of Easter changes every year and this is because it is governed by
the phases of the moon and not a specific date on which Christ was said to have risen from the dead. It falls on the Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox making it a celebration of the seasons, a concept rooted in paganism. What
about the name 'Easter', where did that come from? It is believed that in most European countries, the name came from the Hebrew word 'Pesach', otherwise known as Passover - the Jewish springtime holiday. However, in English-speaking languages and Germany,
some historians have argued the word derives from a pagan springtime goddess called Ēostre, who is documented by an Anglo-Saxon monk who wrote during the 8th century AD. Ēostre was a goddess celebrated with a festival during the spring equinox and according
to some scholars, her association with hares is the origin of the Easter Bunny story, although this is still hotly debated.[1]
PALM SUNDAY AND GOOD FRIDAY
The earliest known record of any Holy Week observance, which includes a description of Palm Sunday, is found
in
the travel diaries of a woman named Egeria. Egeria, also known as Etheria, was a nun, who documented her pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the late 4th century.
What some people might find surprising is that the Bible is does not mention any religious observance on the Friday before a believed resurrection of Jesus on Sunday morning (see our article "Three
days and three nights" for more information). In fact, even the name of the day of the week Jesus was believed to be crucified on does not appear anywhere in the Bible. The only day given a name in Scripture is the seventh day (the Sabbath). The names of the
other days are first, second, third and so on… The origin of what is called Easter has no Biblical basis whatsoever. The early New Testament church neither taught nor observed an Easter holiday. In order to move people away from celebrating the Biblical Christian
Passover, the Catholic Church adopted and Christianized a pagan holiday that celebrated the false goddess Ishtar (Astarte). The Babylonians and Assyrians worshipped this goddess. She symbolized fertility, love, war, and sex. The holiday in her honor occurred
around the spring equinox. According to the Bible, Jesus was crucified and died at 3 p.m. on a Wednesday (in 30 A.D.), spent three full days and nights in a tomb (72 hours total), then was resurrected back to life by God just before sunset Saturday. In order
to fulfill prophecy Jesus could not have died on "Good Friday!"[3]
We, as Baptists, should not be practicing or speaking about these holidays. Here we post a video that deals with the scholarship of the term Easter. Like all scholarship and science, it is tentative and
subject to new discoveries and schools of thought.
This is an accurate explanation of how Easter originated in the Greek Orthodox Church from which it came.
For those who say that Paul left it up to the believer to decide which days to keep in Colossians, there is a caveat to that position. The holidays there were Jewish holidays practiced mostly in the Old
Testament. We can see this when Paul made his vows in the temple according to the law. They were not totally invented by men. Obviously, Easter was a total innovation and invention by the "Church Fathers". So this holy day would not fall under the instructions
given to the church in Colossians.
[1]
https://www.history.co.uk/articles/the-pagan-roots-of-easter
[2]
https://time.com/5567157/holy-week-history/
[3]
https://www.biblestudy.org/question/why-is-friday-before-easter-called-good-friday.html
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DIGITAL SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Due to the time and expenditure, we have had to raise the price of the flash drives and their contents to $40 + $5 shipping. This will cover my time in organizing these files. The size of the file will be 10.11 gigabytes in size. You will need to have that
much space available on your hard drive. If you don't have that much space, you may run it from the Flash Drive, but this will take more time. If you have a Mac you can use Google Chrome browser or Safari to open the file. If you have a Windows system you
can use the Edge browser. It may take a couple of minutes to open this is natural with such a size file. The PDF is searchable, but some of the older issues, are smudged thus affecting the software's ability to find the words. Copying and pasting will be
difficult due to the quality of some of the older issues.
Please send me an email at gsantam...@gmail.com. We will accept payment in Zelle, Cash App, Venmo personal check, or postal money order. Please make sure you give your mailing
address. I will not post my Zelle, CashApp, or Venmo information until you write me due to privacy concerns. For those mailing a check or money order, you may mail me at:
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45 Westons Mill Road
East Brunswick, NJ 08816 USA
For now, until Welsh Tract Publications is reorganized as an LLC, I will handle the financial transactions. Understand that Welsh Tract Church does NOT have any affiliation with Welsh Tract Publications.
Like the website and the YouTube channel, these websites were created by the friends of Welsh Tract Church. We do not believe in any extra-church organizations or "ministries". Do not send any money until I actually have the flash drives in hand.
The Lord Bless you!
2
DIGITAL (POCKET) THOMPSON NOW AVAILABLE FROM WELSH TRACT PUBLICATIONS
This flashcard contains all of the known articles written by Elder Wilson Thompson from 1832 until he died in 1866. It also contains Simple Truths, His Autobiography in a PDF file as well as an audiobook
as well as his work Triumphs of Truth. Also, these works will be fully searchable and will fit on your smartphone. It will also be suitable for printing. The cost will be $50 for the flash drive containing all this information. We accept Zelle, CashApp,
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BLACK
ROCK ADDRESS: THEN AND NOW (SANTAMARIA) |
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by ST Mar 31, 2024
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[We cite this
article of Elder Beebe to compare how much things have changed in an attempt to raise money and attendance at New School churches. Have things changed that much? - ed]
Among the numerous modern inventions of the New Order of Baptists to entice the multitude to fall into their ranks, and replenish their coffers, our attention has recently been called to some curious and
significant advertisements which from time to time have appeared in our village daily newspapers, inviting the public to attend various carnal diversions, plays, festivals, and amusements, from that of the “Melodies of Mother Goose,” to oyster, strawberry,
ice cream, chicken pie, and numerous other festivals, including paper dress, apron, ice cream, and strawberry festivals; and last of all, if not least, we have in the papers of December 11th, 1879, the following:
“The Apron Festival at the Mulberry Strict Baptist Church, which opens tonight, will continue tomorrow evening. You can get a chicken pie supper, served up by pretty volunteer waiter girls, and everything
for reasonable prices.”
The appeal to the amorous and gluttonous passions of the community to banquet with them on chicken pie, and feast their lustful eyes by gazing upon the “pretty volunteer waiter girls,” with the further inducement
that those who patronize them may obtain “everything for reasonable prices,” reminds us forcibly of “the error of Balaam,” who counseled Balak to tempt Israel to sin by presenting the “pretty volunteer waiter girls” of Moab before the hosts of Israel, to tempt
them to sin to provoke the wrath of God against Israel.
It may be well for those who are “running greedily after the error of Balaam for reward,” to read what God has said on this subject, especially in Numbers xxii., xxv. and xxxi., also Micah vi. 5, Jude 11,
and Revelation ii. 14. We are mortified to learn that virtuous and lovely females of our village can be induced to exhibit themselves as “pretty volunteer waiter girls,” under the infatuation that their sacrifice of modesty and female propriety is an acceptable
offering unto the Lord because done in houses professedly consecrated to the worship of God, and for gaining a little money for what they may regard as religious purposes.
The chastity of the young and beautiful ladies who have been thus misled we do not doubt; but could they know that the same inducements are flaunted at the entrance of some of the vilest saloons in our large
cities, they would undoubtedly refuse to be gazed upon by the amorous and licentious, even for what is called reasonable prices.
Is this the way that leads to God?
Is this the path our fathers trod?
Were waiting girls of beauteous mold
Exposed to in the shining gold?
God’s holy temple, we are told,
Became a mart, where things were sold;
But with a scourge did Jesus chase
The sordid tradesmen from that place.
To Molock once, in God’s dread ire,
Children were pass’d through flaming fire.
But must their sacrilegious ways
Be re-enacted in our days?
Elder Gilbert Beebe
Middletown, N. Y. SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Volume 48, No. 1 January 1, 1880
But what about today? Are these things still going on??
PRODUCTS AVAILABLE FROM WELSH TRACT PUBLICATIONS
DIGITAL SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Due to the time and expenditure, we have had to raise the price of the flash drives and their contents to $40 + $5 shipping. This will cover my time in organizing these files. The size of the file will be 10.11 gigabytes in size. You will need to have that
much space available on your hard drive. If you don't have that much space, you may run it from the Flash Drive, but this will take more time. If you have a Mac you can use Google Chrome browser or Safari to open the file. If you have a Windows system you
can use the Edge browser. It may take a couple of minutes to open this is natural with such a size file. The PDF is searchable, but some of the older issues, are smudged thus affecting the software's ability to find the words. Copying and pasting will be
difficult due to the quality of some of the older issues.
Please send me an email at
gsantam...@gmail.com. We will accept payment in Zelle, Cash App, Venmo personal check, or postal money order.
Please make sure you give your mailing address. I will not post my Zelle, CashApp, or Venmo information until you write me due to privacy concerns. For those mailing a check or money order, you may mail me at:
Guillermo Santamaria
45 Westons Mill Road
East Brunswick, NJ 08816 USA
For now, until Welsh Tract Publications is reorganized as an LLC, I will handle the financial transactions. Understand that Welsh Tract Church does NOT have any affiliation with Welsh Tract Publications.
Like the website and the YouTube channel, these websites were created by the friends of Welsh Tract Church. We do not believe in any extra-church organizations or "ministries". Do not send any money until I actually have the flash drives in hand.
The Lord Bless you!
2
DIGITAL (POCKET) THOMPSON NOW AVAILABLE FROM WELSH TRACT PUBLICATIONS
This flashcard contains all of the known articles written by Elder Wilson Thompson from 1832 until he died in 1866. It also contains Simple Truths,
His Autobiography in a PDF file as well as an audiobook as well as his work Triumphs of Truth. Also, these works will be fully searchable and will fit on your smartphone. It will also be suitable for printing. The cost will be $50 for the flash drive containing
all this information. We accept Zelle, CashApp, Venmo, or personal checks.
For more information write to gsantam...@gmail.com.
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