What I Believe About Easter
Should the Lord's people celebrate Easter? This question, like all other religious problems can be properly settled only upon the basis of what the Bible says. The word Easter is found only once in the New Testament. (Acts 12:4, KJV) This is the only place the word "Paseha" is translated Easter. Elsewhere it is translated "Passover." It should have been so translated in Acts 12:4. There is not the slightest intimation in the New Testament that the early Christians ever celebrated "Easter." They did celebrate the resurrection of Christ. This was done on the first day of the week. There is no special significance attached to one first day of the week above another.
The word "Easter" is of Saxon origin, being derived from Estera, a Saxon goddess, to whom sacrifices were offered annually at about the same time the Jewish passover was being observed. Since Easter is not of divine origin, to celebrate it in some special way, as is done by many of the denominations, would be to act outside the realm of divine authority. Paul said to the churches of Galatia, "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years, and I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain." (Gal. 4:10,11) Such observances were no part of Christianity and Paul was calling them back to the divine order. Such observances as Easter and Christmas are clearly a departure from the faith, therefore, the Lord's people must take heed and abide in the doctrine of Christ. (2 John 9)
That it is wrong for Christians to celebrate "Easter" has always been the conviction of the writer. The church of Christ in Fayette, Alabama, shares this conviction with me. Our practice has always been consistent with our convictions. Thus we speak the same thing, and are perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1 Cor. 1:10)