Should Christians Observe Easter?

Easter is a widely-observed annual celebration com-memorating the resurrection of Christ. You probably have noticed that Easter comes at a different time each year. “Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon that falls on or next after the vernal equinox (March 21 in the Gregorian calendar); if the full moon happens on Sunday, Easter is celebrated one week later. Easter Sunday cannot be earlier than March 22 or later than April 25; dates of all other movable church feasts depend on that of Easter” (Webster).

The Origin of Easter
Some church historians assert that Easter observance began in the first century, but they must admit that their first evidence for the observance,,. comes from the second century (Schaff, History of the Christian Church II:207; Latourette,` A: History of Christianity, 1:137). There soon arose a bitter controversy over which day Easter was to be celebrated. Some were observing it on any day of the week, and others were celebrating it only on the nearest Sunday. This indicates that they had no instruction from the Lord on this matter. By A.D. 325 the council of Nicaea de-creed that it should be on Sunday, but did not fix the particular Sunday. The exact time of observance was deter-mined by later councils.

Is Easter in the Bible?
The word Easter is only found one time in the English translation of the Bible and there it is a mistranslation. The King James rendering of Acts 12:4 used the phrase “intending after Easter.” Albert Barnes, a noted Presbyterian commentator who wrote in the nineteenth century when the King James version was widely used, said, “There never was a more absurd or unhappy translation than this. The original is simply after the Passover. The word Easter now denotes the festival observed by many Christian churches in honor of the resurrection of the Saviour. But the original has no reference to that, nor is there the slightest evidence that any such festival was observed at the time when this hook was written. The translation is not only unhappy, as it does not convey at all the meaning of the original, but because it may contribute to foster an opinion that such a festival was observed in the time of the apostles” (Barnes Notes on the New Testament, XI, 190). The word translated Pass-over, and the one used in Acts 12:4, is pascha. It means “a passing over” and is used with reference to the Jewish festival of Passover which was celebrated on the 14th of the month Nisan. This same word is used in Matthew 26:2; Mark 14:1; Luke 2:41; 22:1; John 2:13, 23 and other places, and in every instance is translated Passover in the King James Version except Acts 12:4. More recent versions correctly use the term Passover in Acts 12:4. It is absurd to think that Herod Agrippa I wanted to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. The Scripture says that he “laid hands on some who belonged to the church, in order to mistreat them. And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword .. he proceeded to arrest Peter also” (Acts 12:1-3).

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 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 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!

- by Ferrell Jenkins

 

Famous people born in 1916

Nearly 106

What do Gregory Peck, Betty Grable, Kirk Douglas, Walter Cronkite, Jackie
Gleason and Cecil Wiggins all have in common?

They were all born in 1916.

Many of these became household names due to their appearances in movies and
on television. Cecil Wiggins was not as well known as the others, but she
outlived them all. She passed from this life on February 25, 2022, at the
age of 105, just one month shy of her 106th birthday on March 20.

She didn't live as flamboyantly as the others listed above who were born the
same year as she. She lived a quiet but profound life. She is worthy of
much honor.

Cecil's life was characterized by faith, love, and fortitude.

She grew up very poor. But she worked hard, saved money, and never wasted
anything. Shortly before World War II, she began employment at Brookley Air
Force Base as a secretary. After the base closed, she worked 10 more years
for the Mobile County (AL) Tax Collector.

She cared deeply. Much of her life was spent caring for others. She helped
care for her uncle, her grandmother, her mother, her two sisters-in-law who
both suffered with cancer, her husband, and her brother. She cared for
women who were staying in the YWCA and came to visit the Government St.
Church of Christ (where Cecil was a member) which met across the street.

She was a Christian. Her life and legacy are a part of the heritage of
churches of Christ in Mobile, AL. She was baptized into Christ in 1933 by
A.H. Maner, preacher for the Church St. Church of Christ. She remained
faithful to the Lord, to the church, and to her quest to serve the Lord for
the rest of her life.

Cecil was a member of the Government St. Church of Christ for many years.
She attended services there regularly and was very active in all church
functions, including teaching Bible classes and single-handedly writing,
mimeographing, sorting, and mailing the weekly church bulletin for several
years following her retirement. Due to declining numbers, the Government
St. church disbanded, and its remaining members assimilated into other
congregations in the area. That's when Cecil and her family became members
of the Creekwood Church of Christ. Cecil was present for the last worship
service of the Government St. church in December of 1990. The last hymn
that was sung was, "There Is a Habitation."

There is a habitation Built by the living God, For all of every nation Who
seek that grand abode O Zion, lovely Zion, I long they gates to see; O Zion,
lovely Zion, When shall I dwell in thee?
- J.H. Rosecrans

That habitation is prepared for those who place their faith and trust in
Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31),
confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into
Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). The habitation awaits those
who continue to follow Jesus faithfully for the rest of their lives
(Revelation 2:10).

Cecil Wiggins lived nearly 106 years. Because of Jesus, 106 years are just
a few drops of water in an endless sea, for those who, like Cecil Wiggins,
love Jesus and follow Him all of their days.

-- David A. Sargent

* In loving memory of Cecil Toland Wiggins (March 20, 1916 - February 25,
2022), until we meet again in the habitation built by the living God.

How the churches of Christ grew so quickly

 

HOW DID WE GROW?

 

(Note: The following article is from the pen of Alan E. Highers, a close friend since our college days. Alan is a man of deep Bible knowledge who does not speak or write rashly or intemperately, but with due thought to what he says, backed up with decades of experience in preaching, teaching, writing, and combatting false religious teaching. For over 30 years he has been the editor of The Spiritual Sword and  the article is from the January 2022 issue of that publication.  I previously published it in four parts on my Facebook page, and now—by permission of The Spiritual Sword—I use it as this week's edition of Hugh's News & Views.  I believe the article deserves wide distribution and that its message needs to be thoroughly digested. Please give serious consideration to brother Highers' words below).

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About 1965 the United Press International (UPI) listed churches of Christ as the fastest growing religious body in America, based upon a fifteen year survey.  In our modern secularist society, of course, no religious body is growing as it once did.  We live in a time when people do not read the Bible as they once did, people generally are not as religious as they once were, and many people have lost their hunger for the truth.  The challenge for New Testament churches to excel and rise above our worldly atmosphere is greater than ever before.

 

Things We Did Not Have

 

There are several things we know that did *not* cause the phenomenal growth that churches of Christ once enjoyed.  Think of things we lacked during our greatest period of growth since the first century.

 

1. An educated ministry.  In our fifteen year history from 1950 to 1965, we did not have many highly educated ministers.  There were few doctoral degrees (such as Ph.D and Th.D.), yet our rate of growth was far greater than today when we have many such men.  This is in no wise a criticism of education or educated preachers.  It is simply an observation that this is not the cause of our growth.  We experienced great growth when we did not have men who were graduates of Harvard, University of Chicago, or Westminister Seminary.  Many men went out to preach who were self-taught, or who were trained by an older preacher, or who had two to four years at Freed-Hardeman, or Harding, or David Lipscomb (as it was then known).  Yet those men could meet the giants of error on the polemic platform and answer their arguments and give book, chapter, and verse for their positions.  Preachers knew the Book, and they preached the Book without theological sophistication.

 

2. Elaborate buildings and sanctuaries.  The Catholics had their cathedrals, the Mormons had their temples, but churches of Christ met in simple structures and emphasized the message.  They offered Bible classes, gospel meetings, and an informed pulpit.  The drawing power was in the gospel, not in comfortable surroundings and fashionable trappings.

 

3. Formal or liturgical worship.  The Catholics had their statues and images, their holy water and stations of the cross, others had their pipe organs and musical instruments, some had full bands and dramatic venues of entertainment, but churches of Christ grew without these artificial attractions.  Churches of Christ were content to duplicate the worship practices of the New Testament church—singing, praying, giving of our means, partaking of the Lord's Supper, and preaching the word.

 

4. No human creeds.  The Catholics had their catechism, the Baptists had their manual, the Methodists had their discipline, but churches of Christ had only the New Testament.  There was an emphasis on speaking where the Bible speaks and remaining silent where the Bible is silent.  Preachers cited book, chapter, and verse in their preaching.  They urged members of the audience not to accept their word, but to search the scriptures to see whether the things being taught were so (Acts 17:11).  Sermons were Bible-centered and doctrinal.  Warnings were issued against those who "cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned" (Rom. 16:17).  The men in the pulpit definitely were not ashamed of the gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16).

 

5. Faith only and "the sinner's prayer."  Some religious groups have grown because they offer cheap salvation and easy grace.  Many have been led astray by their empty promises.  "Just believe on the Lord," they tell their listeners; "that is all you have to do." They forget to tell their followers that they must repent and be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38).  They urge people to pray, "I am a sinner.  Lord save me from my sins."  Again, they forget to mention that Jesus said, "Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21).  Some of the same religious bodies that offer cheap grace for salvation also teach an easy road to heaven; it is called "once saved, always saved."  They contend that  once a person is saved, he cannot do anything to lose his salvation.  So he can live in sin every day once he is saved by "just believing," and still go to heaven when he dies.  No wonder people have been drawn to these churches in large numbers.  It is a fact that churches of Christ do not teach this cheap salvation and freedom to sin.  Our growth was not based on cut-rate commitment to the Lord.

 

Scriptural Growth

 

If we did not grow because of an educated ministry, or elaborate sanctuaries, or liturgical worship, or human creeds, or ease and comfort in religion, what caused the substantial growth which churches of Christ once enjoyed?  The answer ought to be obvious.  In speaking of the work at Corinth, the apostle Paul stated: "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase" (1 Cor. 3:6).  If we will plant and water, God will give the increase!

 

Paul clearly declared how he planted at Corinth.  He stated: "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:1-2).  Paul knew that "the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God" (1 Cor. 3:19).  The world has tried too long to understand God by human wisdom, but we must acknowledge that "the world by wisdom knew not God" (1 Cor. 1:21).  God has ordained preaching to save man—not proclaiming human wisdom, but the word of God pure and undefiled (Mark 16:15-16; 2 Tim. 4:1-4).  We are making a mistake if we are not preaching the doctrine of Christ (1 Tim. 4:16).  We grew because of the stand we took and the doctrine we declared.  Have we drifted away from that emphasis?  If we will plant and water with the word of God, God will give the increase.

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Words of true wisdom! 

Hugh Fulford                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

 

 

 

 

Love is compassion in action.

Be Of Good Cheer

Charles Schulz once created a Peanuts cartoon in which Snoopy is sitting
outside in a snowstorm and he is shivering in the cold. Linus and Charlie
Brown happen by and see Snoopy and his condition.

"Snoopy looks kind of cold, doesn't he?" asks Charlie Brown.

"I'll say he does," responds Linus. "Maybe we'd better go and comfort him."

Linus looks down upon shivering Snoopy and says, "Be of good cheer, Snoopy."

"Yes, be of good cheer," echoes Charlie Brown.

The last frame of the cartoon shows Linus and Charlie Brown walking away.
Snoopy, still shivering, is left wondering what good was accomplished with
their words.

James gives a similar scenario: "Suppose a brother or sister is without
clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well;
keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what
good is it?" (James 2:15-16 NIV). Here is James' application: "In the same
way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James
2:17 NIV).

Love, if it is not accompanied by action, is also dead.

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no
pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not
love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth" (1 John 3:17-18
NIV).

Love is compassion in action. Love sees a need and seeks to help.

Do you want an example?

Jesus saw our greatest need and went to the cross to meet our need.

Our greatest need is salvation from sin, for sin separates us from God
(Isaiah 59:1-2) and puts us on the path to eternal destruction (Matthew
7:13-14).

But God loves us so much that He gave His one and only Son to die on the
cross for our sins (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21). In Christ, "we have
redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the
riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7).

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts
17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His
Word (1 John 1:7-9).

Let's put our compassion into action. When we see a person in need, let's
seek to help. Let's not just say, "I love you"; let's demonstrate love.

That's what Jesus did for us.

How will you respond?

-- David A. Sargent

Perpetuate the Pattern!

 Holmes Osborne said, “Tell the truth, even if they look at you funny.” Words from the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 1:13-14 get “funny looks” from some people when they are preached these days. In that Bible passage the apostle urged Timothy, "Hold fast the pattern of

sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.” To proclaim this Bible truth gets not only “funny looks” but howls of protest from some who insist there is no set pattern” for the church to follow as regards doctrines she teaches – including the plan of salvation, her forms and expressions of worship as well as her leadership organization, etc. Like the once popular green clay humanoid character, Gumby, some want a church that can be bent and shaped into any form and poured into any mold popular thinking and culture might want. But Paul reminds Timothy – and us – there is a pattern by which we must measure and cut and size our faith! The Greek word translated “pattern” in verse 13 is hupotuposis, and means an outline, a sketch (Vine’s Expository Dictionary).

My wife is a skilled seamstress. Before, and even after we married, she “made” some of her own dresses. To make the garment she would buy a “pattern” for a dress or blouse, etc. I was always fascinated at her ability to take the pattern and create beautiful clothing. Pieces of the garment were sketched out on the pattern which served as a guide and checkpoint. She was not free to cut and size the garment as she wished if she desired the garment under construction to be like the pattern. She cut individual pieces and kinds of material, measured, sized, sometimes temporarily pinned, and eventually sewed the pieces one to         another in a very precise and pre-determined way. And when she did – BOOM! – the new garment reflected the original pattern and in the end turned out as the original designer intended!

A few verses after Paul penned the words quoted above, in 2 Timothy 2:2 he issued a mandate to Timothy (and by extension to us). Timothy’s precise task is to “hold fast to the pattern of sound words” he heard from Paul (1:13), and also to “commit these things to faithful men who will be able to others also.” In other words, the apostle directs Timothy to perpetuate the divine pattern! Even if teaching these things makes people “look at you funny.” The first century church of Christ was distinctive from all other religious groups.

Her original designer was Jesus who said in Matthew 16:18, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Jesus and His apostles built the church the way God wanted her to be built. She was distinctive in both the Man and plan of salvation she preached to lost people (1 Colossians 1:28 * Mark 16:15-16 * Acts 4:12). She had a distinctive plan for organization (see 1 Timothy 3), a distinctive form of worship (John 4:24), and a distinctive kind of lifestyle (Romans 12:1-2). Christians in America have sought to hold fast to and perpetuate the New Testament’s distinctive pattern of sound words since the early 1800's. Will Christ’s church continue to be distinctive in a pluralistic religious world? Will she perpetuate the pattern? Or will her grip on the “pattern of sound words” prove too loose to hold fast to the original pattern the Lord revealed 2,000 years ago? Will she perpetuate the divine pattern of sound words? God help His church prove faithful to that divine trust. Think about it.

                Dan Gulley, Smithville, TN

Keep Your Head Right

Keep Your Head Right

Stephen Brown taught swimming and diving for a number of years. He tells
about a young boy named Billy. Billy had watched so many professional
divers and wanted so much to dive like them that he refused to take time to
learn the basics. Time after time Brown tried to help Billy see that the
most important thing about diving was to keep his head in the proper
position. If his head entered the water properly, Brown explained, the rest
of his body would enter the water properly - at least, more properly than it
had been.

Billy would dive into the pool, do a belly flop, and come up grinning, "Mr.
Brown," he would shout, "were my feet together?"

"Billy, I don't care whether your feet were together or not," Brown shouted
back. "Make sure your head is straight, then everything else will work
out."

The next time Billy would stand on the edge of the pool and really
concentrate. Then he would dive and, once again, make a mess of it. "Mr.
Brown, were my hands together?"

"Billy," Brown would groan in frustration, "I'm going to get you a neck
brace and weld it onto your head. For the hundredth time, if your head is
right the rest of you will be right. If your head is wrong, the rest of you
will be wrong."*

The way that we live our lives has everything to do with our "heads" - the
way that we think, the values that we set, and where we place our focus.

We need to "get our heads right."

Here is a Scripture to help us: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such
a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the
sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race
marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter
of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-2
NIV).

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.

He is our Great Example. "For to this you were called, because Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps" (1
Peter 2:21).

He is the Savior. He "endured the cross" and died for our sins so that we
can be saved from our sins and live eternally with Him in heaven (1 Peter
2:24). He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one can go to the Father
except through Him (John 14:6).

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts
17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). If we will
continue to "fix our eyes on Jesus" and dedicate our lives to following Him,
He will continue to cleanse us from sin (1 John 1:7-9).

As we embark upon a new year or whatever time we have left, let's "get our
heads right." Let's fix our eyes on Jesus and follow Him.

Won't YOU?

-- David A. Sargent

* From Stephen Brown, When Being Good Isn't Good Enough, Nashville: Thomas
Nelson Publishers, as quoted by www.thedisciplers.com.

Do You Believe?

Do You Believe?

Several years ago, my uncle, Allen Dixon, relayed some thoughts shared by
Dave Simpson, a pilot and a trainer of pilots for Fed-Ex. Simpson had
shared the thoughts in a devotional on a Wednesday evening with the
Germantown church of Christ in Memphis, TN. Here is my uncle's summary of
Simpson's anecdote along with some additional insights:

In a past year, Dave was flying over Greenland on an especially spectacular
night for Aurora Borealis. The brightness was such as to create an illusion
that one could reach out and almost touch some of the glowing, flickering
lights.

He and his co-pilot on that flight were discussing some spiritual matters.
Dave learned that the co-pilot had grown up "in church," but, as an adult,
had drifted away toward unbelief. At one point Dave exulted over the
Northern Lights display: "How can there not be a God?"

After a moment of silence, the other pilot responded: "You know, I think you
must be right!"

A somewhat similar scene is in a 2008 move: "The Bucket List." The lead
actors are on a flight together. One, a man of faith, sits next to a cabin
window, viewing what appear to be Northern Lights.

The other man's world view does not include God nor life after death. His
friend asks him, in effect, what might result if he should find out he is
wrong about his atheistic viewpoint. The unbeliever thinks for a moment,
then replies: "If I'm wrong, then I win." If eternal life happens to exist,
he seems to assume that it will be a universal gift. His friend follows
with a thought-provoking answer: "I'm not sure that it works that way."

In the movie storyline, such statements by the believer, along with his
integrity/manner of life; in time have a profound, life-changing effect on
the unbelieving friend.

At the close of the article, which Allen had printed on a 4x8.5 inch slip of
paper that could be easily shared with others (his intention), he encouraged
the reader to "read in your Bible: Psalm 19:1-2; Hebrews 11:6; John
12:44-50." Allen also included an invitation to meet with the Germantown
church and information regarding some television productions in which a
viewer can "study and search the Scriptures."

My uncle Allen was keenly interested in pointing others to God. He would
write articles based on current events or historical anecdotes and make
application to the Good News of Jesus. He printed the articles and shared
them with others in different settings: at restaurant tables for his waiter
or waitress, in the hands of grocery store cashiers, and other unique
places.

Allen wanted nothing more than for others to know that Jesus, God's Son,
died on the cross for our sins so that we can be saved and live eternally
with Him in heaven. Allen wanted others to know how to respond to God's
offer of salvation and eternal life by: placing their faith and trust in
Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31),
confessing Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed)
into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). My uncle encouraged
Christ followers to continue to live faithfully to the Lord (Revelation
2:10).

With his words and with his profound manner of life, my Uncle Allen pointed
others to Jesus. Because of him, many - including me - have seen Jesus more
clearly.

My prayer is that others - including you - may be influenced by his example
and others to examine the evidence, search the Scriptures, discover the
Savior, and follow Him.

-- David A. Sargent

* In loving memory of my uncle, Allen Dixon (January 29, 1932 - December 8,
2021). Until we meet again.