The Plain Truth About Easter

by Herbert W. Armstrong

WHY DO you believe the things you believe, do the things you do?The chances are you never stopped to ask yourself that question. You have been taught since childhood to accept Easter as the chief of the Christian holidays. You have supposed it is part of the true Christian religicn to observe Lent, "Holy Week," "Good Friday," to buy hot cross buns at the bakery, to have colored Easter eggs, to dress up and go to church Easter Sunday - perhaps to attend an Easter sunrise service!Because of the "sheep" instinct in humans, most of us believe a lot of things that are not true. Most of us do a lot of things that are wrong, supposing these things to be right, or even sacred!

Paperback

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

Herbert W. Armstrong founded the Worldwide Church of God in the late 1930s, as well as Ambassador College (later Ambassador University) in 1946, and was an early pioneer of radio and tele-evangelism, originally taking to the airwaves in the 1930s from Eugene, Oregon. Armstrong preached an eclectic set of theological doctrines and teachings that he claimed came directly from the Bible. These theological doctrines and teachings have been referred to as Armstrongism. His teachings included the interpretation of biblical prophecy in light of British Israelism, and required observance of parts of the covenant Law including seventh-day Sabbath, dietary prohibitions, and the covenant law "Holy Days".

Armstrong proclaimed that behind world events during his lifespan loomed various Biblical prophecies, and that he was called by God as an 'Apostle' and end-time 'Elijah' to proclaim the Gospel of God's Kingdom to the World before the return of Jesus Christ. He also founded the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation, which promoted the arts, humanities, and humanitarian projects. Through his role with the foundation, Armstrong and his advisers met with heads of governments in various nations, for which he described himself as an "ambassador without portfolio for world peace."

Reviews

[Fred Kohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned of this booklet via Herbert W. Armstrong’s book *The United States and Britain in Prophecy*. I don’t remember the exact context in which it was mentioned. In *The United States and Britain in Prophecy* Armstrong talks at some length about the Sabbath being on Saturday, and he may have said something about when Jesus was resurrected. Of course, Jesus's resurrection is what Easter is all about for most Christians, but, surprisingly, is not what Easter is about for Armstrong!

The book starts inauspiciously by asserting that our English word "Easter" is derived from the goddess Ishtar (this is an old urban legend). Confusingly, he also quotes Alexander Hislop, who in his strange book *The Two Babylons* asserts that "Easter" is derived from the goddess Astarte. According to the Venerable Bede, the word was derived from the Nordic goddess Eostre, though some think name may derive from Old German/Germanic roots for east or dawn (ostar-, eostur), according to Google. At any rate, it’s a silly discussion. We have many words in English that derive from pagan roots. There are some sects of Christianity that do not use the common English names for the days of the week because they are derived from pagan gods. Armstrong does not seem to be among them because he uses the terms Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday in his writings.

The heart of this booklet concerns the Quartodeciman controversy which started in the 2nd century. The Eastern Church continued to celebrate the Jewish Passover on the 14th of Nisan (hence the title Quartodeciman for 14) but the Western Church started to celebrate Easter on the Sunday following the Passover. The issue came to a head in the 2nd century when pope Victor attempted to excommunicate Polycrates of Ephesus because Polycrates continued to observe Passover. In the end Victor was talked out of excommunicating Polycrates and the two groups continued their separate practices.

Armstrong cites some early Christians to bolster his case. For example, the Venerable Bede: "John, following the customs of the Law, used to begin the Feast of Easter [actually the Passover] on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month, whether it fell on the Sabbath or on any other day" (III, 25 Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation)." This, so it seems to me, is reasonable evidence that the early Christians kept Passover.

Another quote is more problematic: "Irenaeus, who lived toward the close of the second century, wrote to Bishop Victor of Rome, 'We mean Anicetus, and Pius, and Hyginus, and Telesphorus, and Xystus. They neither observed it [the true Passover on the 14th of Nisan] nor did they permit those after them to do so (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I, p. 243)'.

This translation looks problematic to me. The Early Christian Writings website, giving the more precise location of the quote as from *Ecclesiastical History*, V. XXIV, 11-18. (pp. 509-513) translates as: "They did not themselves observe it, nor did they *enjoin* it on those who followed them, and though they did not keep it they were none the less at peace with those from the dioceses in which it was observed when they came to them, although to observe it was more objectionable to those who did not do so (emphasis added). (οὔτε αὐτοὶ ἐτήρησαν οὔτε τοῖς μετ' αὐτῶν ἐπέτρεπον, καὶ οὐδὲν ελαττον αὐτοὶ μὴ τηροῦντες εἰρήνευον τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν παροικιῶν ἐν αἷς ἐτηρεῖτο, ἐρχομένοις πρὸς αὐτούς· καίτοι μᾶλλον ἐναντίον ἦν τὸ τηρεῖν τοῖς μὴ τηροῦσιν.)

The issue is that ἐπιτρέπω can mean either "permit" or "enjoin". See BDAG. Context shows that the ECW website has the more correct translation. The point is that although there was disagreement, at this stage the two parties agreed to disagree.

So I have to wonder: if the issue wasn’t large enough in the 2nd century to cause an irreparable split, how big of a deal is it? In what sense does Easter, as practiced today, have pagan roots? I don’t think adapting pagan customs into a new setting is paganizing the new setting. Why not argue that these old pagan customs have been given new meanings by adapting them into a Christian setting, just as the names of the old gods have been incorporated into our days of the week. Armstrong compares the custom of the Easter sunrise service to Ezekiel 8.15-18 where some Jerusalemites worship the sun. That is not what is going on at a sunrise service!

Armstrong cites Galatians 4.9-10 to prove the supposed impropriety of celebrating Easter on the wrong day. But all Christians have celebrated Easter (or Passover) since the beginning of their history. And they have a long history of changing dates going back to the Didache: "But let not your fasts be with the hypocrites, for they fast on the second and fifth day of the week. Rather, fast on the fourth day and the Preparation (Friday) Didache 8.1."

In this booklet, Armstrong mentions another of his booklets: The Crucifixion was not on Friday, where he argues that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday April 25 AD 31 and rose the following Saturday. This of course goes against the chronology of the gospels and ruins the imagery of Jesus "resting" in the grave on the Sabbath. Nonetheless I’m sure it’s a short booklet and I’ll probably read it sometime.

[Kurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easter is one of the Christian world's biggest festivals, but it's pagan origins are astounding!

[Steven H · Rating 2 out of 5]

AN ARGUMENT AGAINST THE CELEBRATION OF "EASTER," AND FOR THE CELEBRATION OF PASSOVER

This booklet was written by Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986), founder of the Worldwide Church of God. He also wrote booklets such as 'The Resurrection Was Not on Sunday!', and 'The Plain Truth about Christmas.'

He begins by saying, "What is the meaning of the name 'Easter'? ... The name 'Easter,' which is merely the slightly changed English spelling of the name of the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian goddess Ishtar, comes to us from old teutonic mythology where it is known as Ostern... Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, and the holy days God has ordained forever were all observed by Jesus... Easter is one of the pagan days Paul warned Gentile converts they must not return to observing (Gel 4:9-10)." (Pg. 5-6)

He observes, "Jesus observed no Lent. The apostles and the early true Church of God observed no Lenten season... Jesus did not abolish Passover---He merely changed the emblems, or symbols used... But what has happened?... All Western nations have been deceived into dropping the festival God ordained forever ... and substituting in its place the pagan festival in commemoration of the counterfeit 'savior' and mediator Baal." (Pg. 8-9)

He notes, "did you know that dyed Easter eggs also figured in the ancient Babylonian mystery rites, just as they do in Easter observance today?... Why do people who believe themselves to be Christians dye eggs at Easter? Do they suppose the Bible ordained, or commands, this heathen custom? There is not a word of it in the New Testament... Then why should you do it today?" (Pg. 9)

He argues, "the true Church of God is pictured in prophecy as the 'LITTLE flock'! The New Testament describes this Church as continually persecuted, despised by the large popular churches because it is not of this
world ... but has kept itself unspotted from the world!... It has kept God's Festivals, not the pagan holidays... Then where did it go? Where was it during the Middle Ages... Under the lash of continual persecution and opposition from the organized forces of this world, it is difficult for such a people to remain united and organized together." (Pg. 13-15)

He asserts, "The Early Church of God in New Testament times was taught that Jesus was in the grave three days and three nights---that he arose at the close of the third day after the crucifixion. The crucifixion occurred upon a Wednesday, April 25, A.D. 31. The Passover was observed annually, on the ever of Christ's death, on Nisan 14 of God's Sacred calendar." (Pg. 18)

He contends, "'Then were the days of unleavened bread.' [Acts 12:3] But in the next verse we read of 'Easter.' ... this word 'Easter' is a mistranslation. The original Greek word is Pascha, meaning Passover... So this verse, instead of mentioning Easter, really proves that the Church, ten years after the death of Christ, was still observing Passover." (Pg. 29)

Christians opposed to the modern Easter celebration, or persons who like Armstrong's old WCOG writings, will be very interested in this brief booklet.