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NASB | Acts 12:4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Acts 12:4 When he had seized Peter, he put him in prison, turning him over to four squads of soldiers of four each to guard him [in rotation throughout the night], planning after the Passover to bring him out before the people [for execution]. |
Bible Question:
"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 |
Bible Answer: The Japanese term for what we call Easter which you kindly translate for us who flunked Japanese 101 as "Resurrection Celebration" comes much closer to the real meaning of of what the occasion is all about than the word "Easter" does. One wonders what we'd call it had the KJV translators rendered the word in Acts 12:4 as "Passover" the way modern English translations do. The Hebrew for Passover is "pesech" and the Greek is "pascha" -- hence the term "paschal Lamb" referring to Christ. The name "Easter" derives from the Anglo-Saxon goddess of Spring (Eostre). Easter was originally observed on the day following the end of the Passover fast (which was the 14th of Nisan according to the Jewish calendar) regardless of the day of the week on which it fell. It is also interesting to note that the date of December 25, our Christmas, may well have had its origin in paganism. The most widely accepted theory is that December 25 had already been a major pagan festival, that of Sol Invictus, the "birth" of the "Unconquerable Sun." With the triumph of Christianity, Christians replaced the pagan festival with Christmas, thus the "Unconquerable Sun" became the "Victorious Son" or perhaps the "Sun of Righteousness" (Malachi 4:2) Isn't it interesting that neither word -- Christmas nor Easter -- is mentioned in the Bible (except "Easter" once in KJV which means "Passover"? Furthermore, the Bible gives no instruction to observe them as church ordinances, as it does for baptism and the Lord's Supper, for example. It's hard to find real fault with the custom of setting aside a special day on which to center our thought on the birth of our Lord and another on which to pause and reflect on His resurrection. But in a real sense every day in the life of a Christian is, or indeed ought to be, a celebration of the true meaning of both Christmas and Easter. Hank. |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Acts 12:4 | Author | ||
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charis | ||
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Hank | ||
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Elder | ||
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Elder | ||
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justme | ||
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justme | ||
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justme | ||
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kshirer50 |