Early Church Observance of Passover and Easter
The earliest Christians observed Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month (Nisan), following the Jewish calendar established in Exodus 12 [4, 5]. This practice continued into the apostolic era, as evidenced by references in Acts to "the days of unleavened bread" [3]. The question of when to celebrate Christ's resurrection—whether on the fixed date of Nisan 14 or on the Sunday following—became one of the first major liturgical controversies in the early Church.
The Quartodeciman Controversy
Polycrates, Bishop of Ephesus (c. 130–196), represents the Eastern tradition that maintained the apostolic practice of observing Easter on the fourteenth day of the moon, in alignment with the Jewish Passover [6]. This "Quartodeciman" practice (from Latin quartodecima, "fourteenth") claimed apostolic authority through John and other early leaders. The Western churches, by contrast, celebrated the resurrection on the Sunday following Nisan 14, emphasizing the day of the week over the calendar date.
Augustine later articulated the Western rationale: "From the Old Testament Scriptures we are not taught as to the precise day of holding Easter, beyond the limitation to the period between the 14th and 21st days of the first month; but because we know from the Gospel beyond doubt which days of the week were signalized in succession by the Lord's crucifixion, His resting in the grave, and His resurrection," the Sunday observance carried theological weight [7]. The three-day pattern—crucifixion, burial, resurrection—became central to Western liturgical thinking.
Terminological Development
The English word "Easter" derives from the Saxon goddess Eostre, whose festival coincided with Passover season [1]. In early English translations, pascha (Greek for Passover) was frequently rendered "Easter," though the 1611 Authorized Version standardized "Passover" in all passages except Acts 12:4 [2]. This linguistic shift reflects the gradual separation of Christian observance from its Jewish roots.
Augustine emphasized that the Church no longer observed the Old Testament Passover "because Christ fulfilled the law. The very intention of the observances was to prefigure Christ" [8]. The typological reading—seeing the paschal lamb as prefiguring Christ's sacrifice—allowed Christians to maintain theological continuity while adopting new liturgical forms. Anatolius of Alexandria's paschal canon demonstrates the technical complexity that emerged as the Church calculated Easter dates independently of Jewish reckoning [9].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Easter — Originally a Saxon word (Eostre), denoting a goddess of the Saxons, in honour of whom sacrifices were offered about the time of the Passover. Hence the name came to be given to the festival of the Resurrection of Christ, which occured at the time of the Passover. In the early English versions this word was frequently used as the translation of the Greek pascha (the Passover). When the Authorized Version (1611) was formed, the word "passover" was used in all passages in which this word pascha occurred, except in Act 12:4. In the Revised Version the proper wor”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Easter — (Acts 12:4) In the earlier English versions Easter has been frequently used as the translation of pascha (passover). In the Authorized Version Passover was substituted in all passages but this; and in the new Revision Passover is used here. [[457]Passover]”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Feast of the Passover, The — Ordained by God -- Ex 12:1,2. Commenced the fourteenth of the first month at even -- Ex 12:2,6,18; Le 23:5; Nu 9:3. Lasted seven days -- Ex 12:15; Le 23:6. Called the Passover. -- Nu 9:5; Joh 2:23. Jew's passover. -- Joh 2:13; 11:55. Lord's passover. -- Ex 12:11,27. Feast of unleavened bread. -- Mr 14:1; Lu 22:1. Days of unleavened bread. -- Ac 12:3; 20:6. All males to appear at -- Ex 23:17; De 16:16. Paschal lamb eaten first day of -- Ex 12:6,8. Unleavened bread eaten at -- Ex 12:15; De 16:3. Leaven Not to be in their houses during. -- E”
- Ezekiel “In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, you shall have the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. -- Ezekiel 45:21”
- Ezra “The children of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. -- Ezra 6:19”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 8: Twelve Patriarchs, Excerpts, Epistles, Apocrypha, Decretals — POLYCRATES,[2] BISHOP OF EPHESUS.: [A.D. 130-196.] This author[3] comes in as an appendix to the stories of Polycarp and Irenaeus and good Anicetus, and his writings also bear upon the contrast presented by the less creditable history of Victor. If, as I suppose, the appearance of our Lord to St. John on "the Lord's day" was on the Paschal Sunday, it may at first seem surprising that this Apostle can be claimed by Polycrates in behalf of the Eastern custom to keep Easter, with the Jews, on the fourteenth day of the moon. ”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 1: Augustine — Confessions, Letters — CHAP. XIV.-- 24. Consider now with attention these three most sacred days, the days signalized by the Lord's crucifixion, rest in the grave, and resurrection. Of these three, that of which the cross i (part 4): From the Old Testament Scriptures we are not taught as to the precise day of holding Easter, beyond the limitation to the period between the 14th and 21st days of the first month; but because we know from the Gospel beyond doubt which days of the week were signalized in succession by the Lord's crucifixion, His resting in the grave, and Hi”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 4: Augustine — Anti-Manichaean, Anti-Donatist — BOOK XIX. (part 11): not observed because Christ fulfilled the law. The very intention of the observances was to prefigure Christ. Now that Christ has come, instead of its being strange or absurd that what was done to prefigure His advent should not be done any more, it is perfectly right and reasonable. The typical observances intended to prefigure the coming of Christ would be observed still, had they not been fulfilled by the coming of Christ; so far is it from being the case that our not observing them now is any proof of their not ”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 6: Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius, Julius Africanus, Methodius, Arnobius — THE PASCHAL CANON OF ANATOLIUS OF ALEXANDRIA.(1) (part 10): day, the moon's 9th; on the Kalends of November, the 305th day, the moon's 10th; on the Nones, the 309th day, the moon's 14th; on the Ides, the 317th day, the moon's 22d. On the day before the Kalends of December, the 334th day, the moon's 10th; on the Kalends of December, the 335th day, the moon's 11th; on the Nones, the 339th day, the moon's 15th; on the Ides, the 347th day, the moon's 23d. On the day before the Kalends of January, the 365th day, the”