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What is Ash Wednesday? |
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Bible general Archive 1
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The term Ash Wednesday dates from the 14th century. It is
the first day of Lent. Now what is Lent? " . . . Date: 13th century . . . [Definition]: the 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Easter observed by the Roman Catholic, Eastern, and some Protestant churches as a period of penitence and fasting." (Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary) |
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Is Easter mentioned in the Bible? |
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NT general
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Is Easter mentioned in the Bible? The celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ has become referred to often as "Easter". But is this term even mentioned in the Bible?
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Where did Easter get its name? |
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NT general
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Easter - what is its origin? Is it true Easter is derived from a Pagan celebration?
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Is Easter mentioned in the Bible? |
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NT general
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Yes. The Easter is mentioned in many places, and it's origin is found in Eodus chap. 11-13. The lamb offered for the people of Israel, is a paralell to Jesus, our Lamb. |
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Is Easter mentioned in the Bible? |
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NT general
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Thank you for your answer. I would just like to point out one thing. First, the absence of a word from the text of the Bible does not necessarily mean that the concept is not in the Bible. Having said that, please note that I have done some research myself on the term Easter. The word does not appear at all in the New King James Version, the New American Standard Bible or the Revised Standard Version. Of the four versions in which I looked up Easter, the word occurs only in the King James Version and then only once -- in Acts 12:4. Upon further research I found that the word translated Easter in the KJV is the Greek word that literally means "the Passover." So, in fact, the word Easter is not mentioned in many places in the Bible. It's mentioned only once in only one translation that I've seen so far. And even there it is the word that literally means "the Passover." But I do thank you for your interest and your reply. |
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Where did Easter get its name? |
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NT general
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Yes, my friend,the origin is pagan. "The word (Easter) is of Saxon origin, Eastra, the goddess
of spring, in whose honor sacrifices were offered about Passover time each year. By the eighth century Anglo-Saxons had adopted the name to designate the celebration of Christ's resurrection." (New Unger's Bible Dictionary)
It is mentioned once in the Bibles I checked: "And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people." Acts 12:4 KJV. I posted this last night (Japan time) but it got lost. (Must be 'Mir' related :-)
In Christ Jesus.
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Where did Easter get its name? |
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NT general
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Yes, my friend, Easter is a pagan "holy" day. Paul told the Galatian saints that he feared them because they worshiped "days, and times, and seasons." He felt he had bestowed labor upon them in vain. The custom of the goddess Ishtar, or Eastara, can be traced all the way back to Babylonian mysticism. It came up through the false church (Roman Catholicism)and is, sadly, accepted today by many other institutions. |
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Yes, but Is Easter of pagan origin? |
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NT general
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My sincere thanks for your answer. Can you support your answer with either Scriptural or historical references? Generally, I sort of agree with you. Nowhere in the Bible are we commanded to remember the birth of Jesus (Christmas). But we are definitely commanded to remember his death and resurrection (Easter). However, this alone doesn't answer the questions, "Is Easter derived from a Pagan celebration? What is the historical origin of Easter?" Surely the Bible makes no mention of bunny rabbits, Easter eggs, Easter egg baskets and hunts, Ft. Lauderdale, chocolate candy, etc. |
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Where did Easter get its name? |
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NT general
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March 20th is the first day of spring – or, as astronomers would have it, the vernal equinox. "Equinox" means, literally, "equal night." As the tilt of the earth's axis changes throughout the year, there are two points in time when day and night are of equal length: the spring and autumnal equinoxes. This fact has been recognized for thousands of years and has given rise to a considerable body of springtime folklore.
The season has also been conceived throughout human history as a time of organic and spiritual rebirth, following the "dying of the year" in winter. The ancient Germanic festival of Ostara in honor of the goddess Eostre (English, Eastre) celebrated the cyclical return of light and life with fertility rituals and symbols, some of which still survive in the modern observance of Easter. |
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Yes, but Is Easter of pagan origin? |
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NT general
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The tradition of bunny rabbits, easter eggs etc. is if pagan origin. But, we as christians are not supposed to celebrate of pagan "reasons".
I'm sorry about the missunderstanding of your question - I'm swedish, and we have the word "påsk" for easter, and the hebrew word should be "pasha" or "pesha" - meaning "passing over".
Even though, I don't think it's something wrong with celebrating either christmas or easter with eggs and candies - Read Colossians about celebrations of different days... |
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Where did Easter get its name? |
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NT general
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Thank you for your very interesting and informative answer. Additionally, according to the World Almanac, Easter is observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox (the first day of spring). |
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Why the 7th day bent? |
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Col 2:16
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Genesis to Revelation is Gods Holy Word. The old covenant is not the book of law and bondage and the new covenant the book of grace. Genesis to Revelation is a book of grace. King David sins should of cost him his life. (Gods grace)
Just as the adulterous womens sin should of cost her life. (Gods grace)
Salvation is through grace by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He who is the way, truth and life. Our life in Him is based on relationship, not legalism. This applies to us as well as the old coveenant saints.
The Torah (first 5 books) declares Gods desire to have relationship with His people, and He declares that He has given us His law (Torah-instruction) for our sakes.
The ten commandments was written by the hand of God Himself. God did not make a mistake and change the day. Man did that. God is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Again thankfully keeping sabbath or any other law does not make us righteous only trusting in the Lord. I do not think going to church on saterday is a superior way, nor eating certain foods, celebrating christmas and easter etc etc is superior. Our relationship with God is what is important.
We are free to obey His commandments and to live in them. God bless
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Beautiful |
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Acts 3:2
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Ric,
I have a commentary by an old Baptist of the 1700's that I treasure above all my commentaries--Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, by John Gill. Here's what he said about that gate. I hope it helps.
"which is called beautiful"; which some think was the gate Shushan,
which was the eastern gate of the mountain of the house, or the
outmost wall, and was so called, because Shushan, the metropolis of
Persia, was pourtrayed upon it , which made it look very
beautiful. The reason commonly given by the Jewish commentators
why this was done, is this; when the Jews returned from captivity,
the king of Persia commanded that they should make a figure of the
palace of Shushan upon one of the gates of the temple, that they
might fear the king, and not rebel against him; and accordingly they
drew one upon the eastern gate: but some say, that the children
of the captivity did this (upon their return) that they might remember
the wonder of Purim, (their deliverance from Haman,) which was done in
Shushan; moreover, it might be so called from the word Shushan, which
signifies joy and gladness: but this does not bid so fair to be the
gate here meant, since it was lower than all the rest; for as the
eastern wall was lower than the rest of the walls, that when the high
priest burnt the red heifer on the top of Mount Olivet, he might see
the gate of the temple at the time of the sprinkling of the blood; so
the gate itself was four cubits lower than the others, and
therefore could not look so grand and beautiful as the rest. Indeed,
concerning this eastern gate of the mountain of the house, it is said
, that
"in the time when the sanctuary stood, when they prayed on
the mountain of the house, they went in by the way of the
eastern gate."
And as this was now the hour of prayer, and the people were going to
the temple to pray, whose entrance was at the east gate; here it
might be thought, in all probability, was laid the lame man: though
it seems rather to be the eastern gate of the court of the women,
which was made of Corinthian brass, and looked brighter than gold
itself; of which Josephus thus speaks:
"nine of the gates were covered all over with gold and
silver, likewise the side posts and lintels; but there was
one, without the temple, of Corinthian brass, which in
dignity greatly exceeded the silver and golden ones."
And since at this gate was the greatest frequency of persons, both
men and women entering here; it is most likely, that here lay the
lame man a begging: this is thought, by some, to be the higher gate
of the house of the Lord; said to be built by Jotham, the son of
Uzziah, king of Judah, "2Ki 15:35" upon which text, a Jewish
commentator of great note has this remark,
"observe it is said of Jotham, that he built it, because he
made a building on it, "more glorious and
great" than it had been:"
and this is also called the new gate of the house of the Lord,
"Jer 26:10" and which both the Targum and Kimchi on the place say
is the eastern gate.
God bless you and yours.
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Easter Bunnies...or Risen Lord? |
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John 11:25
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Here are a few questions, the answers and notes on which may help us all better to understand and celebrate this important season of the resurrection of our Lord. The word "Easter" is found in but one translation that is in common use? Which? What does Easter really mean? Do we actually know the time of year when the events of Holy Week took place? Who saw the Risen Christ first? What were His first words after His resurrection? How was Jesus different after His resurrection? How many people saw Him between His resurrection and His ascension? Were there doubters, even during this time? What about Easter bunnies and eggs? Do they have anything to do with the Christian celebration of Easter? Please do use Biblical references, but add if you feel moved, a brief witness of what this glorious event means to you. |
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Easter Bunnies...or Risen Lord? |
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John 11:25
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I'll try to answer all of them, but I'm not promising!
1.Only in the KJV, correctly translated passover.(Acts 12?)
2.Easter was an idolatrous worship of a goddess for fertility(hence, eggs) (Ezekiel?)
3.I believe it was in April of our calender, but correct me on this one.
4.Mary Magdalene (John 20 or 21)
5.Woman, why are you crying(?) (Jn, next verse)
6.He wasn't limited by flesh, walking through doors and such (fill me in on the rest) (Jn 21)
7.the women, peter, apostles, two men on the road, paul, 500 others (tell me what I missed!)(Not even going to try!)
8.I am certain there were, but I've got no scripture in mind, fill me in!
9.Part of the idolatrous practice of Easter.(Ezekiel?)
10.No! (correct me if wrong!?)
Sorry about the lack of more specific references, but that's alot a questions! Plus, I took this off the cuff, so I'm hoping you'll tell me how I did! Thanks Hank! GOD bless!! |
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Did you know? - 977 users now. |
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Bible general Archive 1
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As of Mon., 04-09-2001, 7:48 AM Eastern, we now number 986 users! |
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Is John 6:66 the answer to 666 riddle? |
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John 6:66
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I agree with you. Please enjoy this comment about the actual 666 verse in revelation. I gave a number to each letter in our alphabet. A was 1, B was 2, etc. I know that Jesus is the Christ. I added up the numbers in the name of Jesus. The five numbers added up to 74. I know that the opposite of Christ is the anti-Christ (our spiritual nature vs. our human nature). I divided 666 by 74 and obtained the number 9. The letter "I" is the number "9" in the code. I am the anti-Christ in my human nature until I decide to become like Christ. Have a blessed Easter. |
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Mary Magdeline, facts on lifestyle |
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Luke 8:2
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Luke 8:2 NASB "and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out."
I don't know where people, including writers of Easter programs and musicals, get the idea that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Wherever they got it, it sure wasn't from the Bible, which gives no indication that Mary M. had ever been a prostitute. All the Bible does tell us of her background is that she is the one "from whom seven demons had gone out."
"8:2. *Mary who was called Magdalene.* Her hometown was Magdala. She is not to be confused with the sinful woman of Luke 7 or Mary of Bethany (John 11:1)" (Zondervan NASB Study Bible, Zondervan, 1999).
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No more Israel? |
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John 14:6
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Sounds Good to me..
Hope your Easter Celebration goes well!
I was stationed in Okinawa in the 70's while in the Marine Corps.
With Love for Jesus
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God, Satan, and Job's sons discuss dad? |
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Gen 6:4
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Where does the Bible teach that translators are inspired? The only people who have ever been inspired are the original writers of the Bible (John 16:13; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 1 Cor. 2:13 etc...) If the NIV translators were inspired why did they mistranslate the word "flesh" as "sinful nature" in so many passages? There are other examples that could be given. The same could be said of the KJV and every other translation. For example the KJV mistranslates the word Passover as Easter in Acts 12:4. If translators are inspired why the difference in the translations? I believe that God has protected His word down through the years (1 Peter 1:25) but I see nowhere in the Bible where it teaches that translators are inspired.
It's my understanding that parts of the Old Testament were written in Aramaic but the New Testament was written in Greek. |
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real presence? |
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1 Cor 11:29
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dschaertel-
I quoted Paul writing to the Corinthians. The verses are not my words; but God's ("recognizing the body of the Lord.") If you are having trouble with this scripture, I would encourage you to talk to the One who inspired it. God in Heaven. Pray to him that he can open your heart and mind.
May your Easter Observance go well my friend.
Jesus lives! |
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real presence? |
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1 Cor 11:29
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The widely held view among Protestants is that the elements of communion, the bread and the cup, are symbols of Christ's body and blood, thus the view that neither the Corinthian passagenor any other Scripture supports the literal-body view. The dogma known as transubstantation, endemic to Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox communions, teaches that the eucharistic elements at their consecration become the body and blood of Christ while keeping only the appearance of bread and wine. A strong argument for the Protestant point of view is given by Christ Himself at His institution of the Lord's Supper. The account recorded in Matthew 26:26-29 with parallel passages in the other two synopic gospels.Verse 26 reads as follows: "While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat, this is My body." He did the same thing with the cup, calling it His blood. The evidence is overwhelming that the disciples ate bread and drank the fruit of the vine. They did not physically partake of His body nor drink any of His blood. The view that virtually all Protestant faiths have taken for centuries is that this is symbolism and nothing else. A reading of the entire 1 Corinthian letter, by the way, may lead one to interpret this passage on the Lord's Supper in the light that some members of the Corinthian church were profaning the sanctity of the church by holding secular feasts and exhibiting behavior unbecoming to believers. Some New Testament scholars, by the way, see "body" in your reference as being the church, the body of Christ. Hank |
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Isai 41:2 referring to Christ or Cyrus? |
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Isaiah
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Dear Ray: Thanks for your reply. Good to hear from you first thing this morning. I honestly don't know the answer to the question you had for me. The best I could do was quote Isa 41:4 from several translations. Let me know if you find the answer, will you? Happy Easter to you! --JVH0212
. . . Q: While I'm talking with you, why do you suppose the word "with" is in Isa 41:4?
A: I don't know. It just is. See the various translations below.
. . . Isa 41:4 (KJV) Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.
. . . 41:4 (The American Standard Version ) Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last, I am he.
. . . 41:4 ( Young's Literal Translation ) Who hath wrought and done, Calling the generations from the first? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last I [am] He.
. . . 41:4 (The NET Bible) Who acts and carries out decrees?
Who summons the successive generations from the beginning?
I, the LORD, am present at the very beginning,
and at the very end--I am the one.[13]
Note 13 (translator's notes) (41:4) Heb "I, the LORD, [am with] the first, and with the last ones I [am] he."
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Why is Good Friday not 3 days to Easter? |
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Not Specified
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Why is Good Friday and Easter Sunday only a day apart not 3 days? |
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Why is Good Friday not 3 days to Easter? |
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Matt 12:40
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Why is Good Friday and Easter Sunday only a day apart not 3 days? |
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Why is Good Friday not 3 days to Easter? |
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Matt 12:40
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"Three days and three nights. (Matt 12:40) This phrase does not necessarily require that 72 hours elapse between Christ's death and resurrection, for the Jews reckoned part of a day to be as a whole day. Thus this prophecy can be properly fulfilled if the crucifixion occurred on Friday." (Ryrie Study Bible, Moody Press, 1976, 1978) . . . " 'Three days and three nights' (Matt 12:40)was an emphatic way of saying 'three days,' and by Jewish reckoning this would be an apt way of expressing a period of time that includes parts of 3 days. ... All sorts of elaborate schemes have been devised to suggest that Christ might have died on a Wednesday or Thursday, just to accommodate the extreme literal meaning of these words. But the original meaning would not have required that sort of wooden interpretaion." (MacArthur Study Bible, p. 1415, Word Publishing, 1997) . . . "THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS. (Matt 12:40) Including at least part of the first day and part of the third day, a common Jewish reckoning of time." (Matt 12:40, Zondervan NASB Study Bible, Zondervan, 1999) |
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Women speak in church? |
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1 Cor 14:34
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Dear friend inHzsvc, I laud your desire to keep men in their proper place of authority in the church. I assure you that many others share this holy desire, but their methods may be different. I still must challenge you on your claim that your method is 100 percent effective, and that all other methods are ineffective. In any case, you 'think that you know' absolutely what God speaks on this issue. You also say that anyone who does not 'know' this is corrupted by these liberal days. I am sure that Jesus Himself will have a better answer, that surprises both the conservatives and the liberals with His authority, just like when He walked this earth. Until then, I will hold that men have opinions, and they differ.
As to your statement about 'older commentators,' I appreciate your desire to conserve the teachings of previous generations of saints, but the book of Joel, quoted by Peter on the day of Pentecost, prophesies that the Spirit will give new revelation as we come closer to the return of the Lord Jesus. Old is good, yes, but God still reserves the right to teach us new things and restore lost things in the Spirit.
I almost forgot to answer your question. In my church, men and women and children all, quiet themselves and listen to the preaching of the word of God. With all due respect, duh!
Blessings this Easter day, if it is not outlawed by the heathen origins of the name :-)
In Christ Jesus, charis |
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Allowed to wish all a Happy Easter? |
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Acts 12:4
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"And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people." Acts 12:4 KJV
Greetings and blessings to all this blessed day of Easter in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!
In Japan, it is already Monday. Here, Easter is translated 'Fukkatsu-sai' or 'Resurrection Celebration.' We had a wonderful Sunday. As a prophet spoke, "Though there is no need to honor special days, this day of resurrection is to remind you that every day is special in Christ the Risen Savior."
In Jesus' name, charis
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Women speak in church? |
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1 Cor 14:34
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Charis,
It's not that I "think I know" "what God speaks on this issue". I just know that is the only side presented in the Word of God. If there were any other indication that women ever held an authoritative position in any church or there were ever one statement where a writer claimed it was OK, then, I'd submit to the teaching. But, there isn't.
I do desire for the people in my church to follow the proper authority--the Bible. If we do that, and that alone without any extra ideas on our part, women will remain silent in the public mixed assemblies because that's the only way the Bible speaks of it.
As for Easter, you are right about the heathen origin of the name. However, the bunny, the egg, and several other points concerning it are of a heathen origin. That word is only mentioned once in Scripture and that word was translated passover every other time except that once--interesting. You should pick up a book, "The Two Babylons" by Alexander Hislop---very interesting.
God bless. |
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