Easter Is Christian, Right? Then Why Place 'Easter', the Name of a Pagan Goddess, on this Holiday? It Makes No Sense! (woman, preaching)

[Eusebius]

Originally Posted by nateswift

Every Greek text I can see says Ὀψὲ δὲ σαββάτων which is "After the Sabbath." So, Eusebius, where does your information come from?

In Matthew 28:1 in Greek Ὀψὲ is "evening." δὲ "yet" σαββάτων "of sabbaths." σαββάτων is plural and genitive. Your translation does not reflect the Greek.

In Greek οπισω is"after."

[Eusebius]

Originally Posted by nateswift

Not being a Greek scholar, I could not say why the writers used cardinal numbers here, but the "experts" all translate it as if they were ordinal numbers. Perhaps someone more proficient can help us here. At any rate, "Sabbaths" was used to designate the time between sabbaths or a week, and the context surely shows that the usage intended "first day of the week" simply because if it were another Sabbath, why would they have waited to perform the work required?

No, the translators did not understand "evening of the sabbaths." The week Christ died there were two sabbaths.

"Immediately following the slaying of the passover there was the feast of unleavened bread, the first and
seventh days of which were sabbaths (Ex.12:16). That it was no ordinary sabbath we are distinctly told
(John 19:31). So that, since the crucifixion was followed by the first day of unleavened bread and this by a
weekly sabbath, we have two sabbaths following one another.

"A reading of the last few verses of the twenty-seventh of Matthew shows that the chief priests and Pharisees came to Pilate on the first day of the feast (which was a sabbath) and the guard was set that
evening which was literally "the evening of the sabbaths."

"Immediately following the slaying of the passover there was the feast of unleavened bread, the first and
seventh days of which were sabbaths (Ex.12:16). That it was no ordinary sabbath we are distinctly told
(John 19:31). So that, since the crucifixion was followed by the first day of unleavened bread and this by a
weekly sabbath, we have two sabbaths following one another.

"A reading of the last few verses of the twenty-seventh of Matthew shows that the chief priests and
Pharisees came to Pilate on the first day of the feast (which was a sabbath) and the guard was set that
evening which was literally "the evening of the sabbaths." (A.E. Knoch, Unsearchable Riches vol.17).

[nateswift]

Can you explain to me what "The evening of the Sabbaths, it being dawn" means?

Your "Now it is the evening of the sabbaths. At the lighting up into one of the sabbaths" or dawn on one of the sabbaths seems somewhat contradictory....

[Eusebius]

Originally Posted by nateswift

Can you explain to me what "The evening of the Sabbaths, it being dawn" means?

Your "Now it is the evening of the sabbaths. At the lighting up into one of the sabbaths" or dawn on one of the sabbaths seems somewhat contradictory....

It is important to note what verses have "lighting up" and "evening of the Sabbaths" and if they are talking about two different times.


"The first few words of the twenty-eighth of Matthew belong at the end of the previous chapter. The
rendering, "end" for evening has no foundation whatever. The same word, on its two other occurrences
(Mark 11:19; 13:35) is translated "even." There is no reason why "Now it was the evening of the
sabbaths" should be joined to the following sentence. The ancient manuscripts make no division between
words or sentences, hence we are at perfect liberty to ignore such a palpable error as this. The women,
if we are to judge by all the other evidence, did not come to the tomb in the evening. Mary Magdalene
was the first to whom He appeared (Mark 16:9). She came to the tomb "in the morning, it being still
dark" (John 20:1). If all that follows in Matthew's account took place in the evening, their actions on the
following morning are absolutely incredible. The guard was set "in the evening of the sabbaths." Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary came "in the lighting up into one of the sabbaths." This has been rendered
"in the dusk toward," in order to agree with the previous sentence. But, as we have said, all the
evidence is against such a rendering, for Mary Magdalene did not come till morning and the disciples
certainly were not told all about His resurrection the evening before. This will be clear to anyone who
reads the other accounts. It must be acknowledged, however, that the word translated "dawn" in the
common version may also refer to the rising of the moon, as, indeed it does in Luke's account (Luke
23:54). For this reason we render it literally "light up," for there seems to be no English expression which
does not imply the presence of sunlight. In the early dawn of one of the sabbaths, in the presence of
the two Marys, the messenger of the Lord descends from heaven and rolls away the stone from the door
and sits on it. It is probable that the Lord had risen and left before this time, for doors were no barriers
to His resurrection body. But He was still near at hand and spoke to them as they were running to report
to His disciples, and arranged to meet them in Galilee (A.E. Knoch, Unsearchable Riches, vol.17).

[SAAN]

The day ended at sunset back then, so when the sun went down and it became dark, it was now the 1st day of the week and Christ rose from the grave.
So he didnt rise on the Sabbath or at sunrise on Sunday morning, but rather early on the 1st day of the week just after the sun went down to end the Sabbath, just as the scriptures records it.

[nateswift]

So, Jesus rose in the evening and just sort of hung out until the ladies got around to going to do the appropriate burial things

[twin.spin]

Originally Posted by SAAN

The day ended at sunset back then, so when the sun went down and it became dark, it was now the 1st day of the week and Christ rose from the grave.
So he didnt rise on the Sabbath or at sunrise on Sunday morning, but rather early on the 1st day of the week just after the sun went down to end the Sabbath, just as the scriptures records it.

One thing I learned about those who will look for any possible way to discredit the Bible ....

• they hate the truth
• their opposition is never satisfied
• so they keep on with their futile attempts to convince themselves

with the hopes they can get some type of retaliatory "gotcha" because they don't like the fact the truth condemns their unbelief.

[Rightly Divided]

Originally Posted by nateswift

So, Jesus rose in the evening and just sort of hung out until the ladies got around to going to do the appropriate burial things

We don't know what Jesus did between the time He arose and the women went to the tomb on Sunday morning. I don't think knowing that is needed for salvation or serving God, do you?

[Rightly Divided]

Eusebius

It would be helpful if you found someone who understood the biblical languages and proper interpretation rather than A.E. Knoch. That explains much of your error right there.

[Eusebius]

Originally Posted by Rightly Divided

It would be helpful if you found someone who understood the biblical languages and proper interpretation rather than A.E. Knoch. That explains much of your error right there.

He understood them just fine. The problem is that his understanding does not align with yours, but that doesn't make his incorrect.