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First Day of Unleavened Bread
March 31, 2018

While virtually all of Christianity is celebrating Holy Week activities of Easter, a minority few, who sometimes refer to themeselves as first-century apostolic Christians, instead observe a Christian Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread. If you want to read about Easter, this is not the study for you as the title indicates. I observe the Christian Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread because when I read the Bible, that is what makes sense to me. Out of fairness to the many, many more Christians observing Easter, I acknowledge you observe Easter for that very same reason, that when you read the Bible it makes sense to you, and while I have come to a different conclusion wish you peace in your observance. The Days of Unleavened Bread orginated in the Old Testament with the history of the the early, first century church observing. Let's take a look.

1 Corinthians 5:1-8
It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

One of the issues the early church faced was a misunderstanding about what the sacrifice of Jesus Christ provided. Paul had to remind the Corinthians that sexual relations outside of marriage that would cause concern among non-believers, was (and still is) something that Christians should not be doing. Walking the church at Corinth through their thought process, Paul reminded them that instead of celebrating a license to do whatever pleased them through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, including wickedness and malice, that the church should have sought to save the spirit of this person by asking Jesus to deliver his body to Satan. Paul remended everyone that the feast to be kept, the feast of unleavened bread, was to be kept not with the old leaven of the wicked thought of free license, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Looking back into the old testament in Leviticus 23:6, it was the feast of unleavened bread that was linked to unleavened bread.

Acts 12:1-3
Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. Then were the days of unleavened bread.

When Herod detained Peter, it was referenced in Acts that this occurred during the days of unleavened bread. First-century apostolic Christians look at this and conclude that when this was written decades later, this feast was still being observed because the days of unleavened bread were mentioned. Had this feast been a non-issue decades later, this statement would have been omitted.

Acts 20:1-6
And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia. And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece, And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia. And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. These going before tarried for us at Troas. And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.

When Paul and his companions sailed away from Philippi, Acts recorded that they sailed away after the days of unleavened bread. Again, first-century apostolic Christians look at this and conclude that when this was written decades later this feast was still being observed because the days of unleavened bread were mentioned. I do wish peace to all who find themselves in the midst of a religious observance, especially to those first-century apostolic christians who like me are observing the Christian Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread. May we all keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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