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http://biblicalstudies.info/easter.htm
New Testament Christians Did Not Observe Easter
The famous fourteenth edition of Encyclopedia Britannica says,
"There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament, or in the writings of the apostolic Fathers. The sanctity of special times was an idea absent from the minds of the first Christians" (VII:859).
The apostle Paul warned against the observance of feast days, new moons, etc. (Gal. 4:10-11; Col. 2:16-17). Another reliable source says,
"In apostolic times the Christians commemorated their Lord's resurrection every Sunday, by meeting on that day for worship. When Paul refers to Christ as our passover (1 Cor. 5:7) his language is metaphorical and cannot be regarded as containing any allusion to a church function" (A Dictionary of Religion and Ethics, p. 140).
For many people, Easter has become the one time of the year they attend church services. Concerning urging of Catholics to receive Holy Communion the question was asked, "They must go at least once a year if they would be regarded as Catholics?" "Father" Smith answers, "Yes, during Easter time" (Father Smith Instructs Jackson, p. 159). Many forget the admonition of Hebrews 10:25: "not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near."
Importance of the Resurrection of Christ
Let no one imagine that we oppose the resurrection of Christ. It is the bedrock of Christianity and the deity of Jesus rests upon it (Rom. 1:4). Christians today meet every first day of the week, as did the early Christians, to observe the Lord's Supper (Acts 20:7). The first day of the week is a memorial to the resurrection of Christ. The death, burial and resurrection of Christ, serves as the form of an individual's death to sin, burial in baptism, and resurrection to walk a new life as a new creature in Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Rom 6:3-11; Col. 2:12).
Conclusion
"Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God (1 Pet. 4:11). The celebration of Easter began too late, and without the expressed authority of God!
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