Christian observance of Passover

[[Apollinaris Claudius|Apollinaris]] wrote:

[[Apollinaris Claudius|Apollinaris]] wrote:

{{blockquote|There are, then, some who through ignorance raise disputes about these things (though their conduct is pardonable: for ignorance is no subject for blame — it rather needs further instruction), and say that on the fourteenth day the Lord ate the lamb with the disciples, and that on the great day of the feast of unleavened bread He Himself suffered; and they quote Matthew as speaking in accordance with their view. Wherefore their opinion is contrary to the law, and the Gospels seem to be at variance with them. … The fourteenth day, the true Passover of the Lord; the great sacrifice, the Son of God instead of the lamb, who was bound, who bound the strong, and who was judged, though Judge of living and dead, and who was delivered into the hands of sinners to be crucified, who was lifted up on the horns of the unicorn, and who was pierced in His holy side, who poured forth from His side the two purifying elements, water and blood, word and spirit, and who was buried on the day of the Passover, the stone being placed upon the tomb."Apollinaris", From the ''Book Concerning Passover''. Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Excerpted from Volume I of The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, editors); American Edition copyright © 1885. Copyright © 2001 Peter Kirby.}}There is a wide debate about the celebration of Jewish Holidays by Christians because it can have underlying antisemitic overtones based on the fact that the history of [[Jewish identity]] is not acknowledged by Christians. Some have argued that Christians can celebrate Passover because Jesus celebrated the holiday according to the [[New Testament]] while others argue that when Christians celebrate Passover, they are religiously appropriating a holiday which is celebrated by an oppressed group of people rather than treating the religious identity of that group of people with reverential respect.

{{blockquote|There are, then, some who through ignorance raise disputes about these things (though their conduct is pardonable: for ignorance is no subject for blame — it rather needs further instruction), and say that on the fourteenth day the Lord ate the lamb with the disciples, and that on the great day of the feast of unleavened bread He Himself suffered; and they quote Matthew as speaking in accordance with their view. Wherefore their opinion is contrary to the law, and the Gospels seem to be at variance with them. … The fourteenth day, the true Passover of the Lord; the great sacrifice, the Son of God instead of the lamb, who was bound, who bound the strong, and who was judged, though Judge of living and dead, and who was delivered into the hands of sinners to be crucified, who was lifted up on the horns of the unicorn, and who was pierced in His holy side, who poured forth from His side the two purifying elements, water and blood, word and spirit, and who was buried on the day of the Passover, the stone being placed upon the tomb."Apollinaris", From the ''Book Concerning Passover''. Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Excerpted from Volume I of The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, editors); American Edition copyright © 1885. Copyright © 2001 Peter Kirby.}}Some Christians do celebrate Passover in community with Jews, with respect and appreciation for Jewish tradition. However, there is a wide debate about the celebration of Jewish Holidays by Christians because it can have underlying antisemitic overtones based on the fact that the history of [[Jewish identity]] is not acknowledged by Christians. Some have argued that Christians can celebrate Passover because Jesus celebrated the holiday according to the [[New Testament]] while others argue that when Christians celebrate Passover, they are religiously appropriating a holiday which is celebrated by an oppressed group of people rather than treating the religious identity of that group of people with reverential respect.

==See also==

==See also==