Protestants Declare Their Catholicity On Easter
A curious contradiction happens every year. Virtually all the Christian world will observe the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in unison, on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox as decreed by the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. However, if this paschal full moon occurs on a Sunday, Easter is then moved to the next Sunday. The Council of Nicea also decided that the Christian Easter shall never precede or coincide with the Jewish Passover, but must always follow it, a rule still observed by the Eastern Orthodox Church, but not the Western Church. The Eastern Orthodox church also still uses the Julian calendar to calculate Easter, and so frequently does not agree with the Western Church on dates.
This presents a very interesting situation, since the Protestants generally will subscribe to the motto of Sola Scriptura, the Bible only for doctrine, yet the Catholic affirms the authority of Church Tradition.
Now if you strictly follow the Bible as your guide as to when to observe Passover, you would ALWAYS be observing the crucifixion in the middle of the biblical month, very close to the full moon. This is because the biblical month begins with the observation of the new moon, and Passover the Bible tells us, is celebrated on 14 Nisan, the middle of the 29.5 day lunar cycle (the synodic month):
Lev 23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover.
Consequently, the fourteenth day of the month is always in close proximity to the full moon.
In 2001 this full moon happened on Sunday April 8th, the astronomical new moon having been on March 25th. The biblical new moon, when a crescent of light is first observed, actually occurred on March 27th. This would mean that Monday April 9th was 14 Nisan, Passover, the day of the crucifixion. The resurrection day then, (known in Scripture as firstfruits) would coincide with Wednesday, April 11th, 2001, if you were going to follow the biblical rules, as one would expect of the true adherent to Sola Scriptura.
Here is the calendar for 2002, with the biblical new moon having been sighted on March 15th.
And here is the calendar for 2003, with the biblical new moon having been sighted on April 3rd.
And here is the calendar for 2004, with the biblical new moon having been sighted on March 23rd.
For 2005, with the barley harvest having been confirmed to be "Abib" (ripening), and the biblical new moon sighted on March 11th, the following calendar applies. The ripe barley is required on the 16th day of the first month for First Fruits (Lev. 23:10,11). If the barley had been too immature, the leap month of 2nd Adar would have been inserted, and Passover would be delayed to the next month, as the Jews generally did for 2005, observing Passover in late April.
And below is the calendar for 2006, with the biblical new moon having been sighted on March 31st, which places the day of First Fruits, the biblical resurrection day, on Saturday, April 15th.
And below is the calendar for 2007, with the biblical new moon having been sighted on March 20th, which places the day of First Fruits, the biblical resurrection day, on Wednesday, April 4th.
In 2008, the new moon of March 8th begins Adar II, the leap month. This is because the barley crop was too immature on that date to be ripened for harvesting for first fruits (the 16th), thus triggering a leap month, Adar II. The first month of Nisan/Abib begins at the sighting of the new moon of April 6th:
Now isn't this a remarkable contradiction: "Bible Only" Protestantism has clearly cast aside the Bible as their teacher on this matter, and will celebrate "Easter" always on Sunday, a day that has no biblical foundation. Aren't Protestants, in practical effect, openly declaring they are actually followers of Catholic Tradition, and care nothing for the instructions of the inspired word of God, Scripture, which they claim to be their only guide? Isn't this a rather transparent case of hypocrisy on the part of "Bible Only" Protestants? Aren't they really declaring every Easter (and Pentecost), we are Catholics and prefer Tradition over God's word! ?
Indeed they are!
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