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Jumpstarter 9 of 10

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Church Life: AD 150  /  Sabbath  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 9
Bercot warns against Gentile Christians “turning back to the law” while sometimes refusing Christian holy days, and he lists the early Christian calendar (Lord’s Day weekly; “Preparation”/Good Friday; Pascha/Easter; Pentecost); what motivations do you think drive modern attraction to Old Testament festivals, and what might be gained—or lost—by recovering the early Christian pattern of commemoration?
Another way to ask: Bercot warns Gentile Christians not to go back to the law and mentions early Christian days like the Lord’s Day, Good Friday, Easter, and Pentecost. Why do you think some Christians are drawn to Old Testament festivals today, and what could we gain or lose by following the early Christian pattern?

Direct Answer Bercot suggests the attraction is a “turning back to the law” that Paul would question—seeking spiritual meaning in Jewish festivals even though they were fulfilled in Christ. Recovering the early Christian pattern could gain clearer focus on Christ’s death, resurrection, and the birth of the church, while resisting confusion between Old Covenant shadows and New Covenant substance.

Support from Transcript:

  • Bercot: “It really grieves me… that so many Gentile Christians are turning to things of the law,” echoing Paul’s rebuke about observing “days and months and seasons and years.”
  • He finds it “particularly strange” when Gentile Christians keep Jewish festivals but “refuse to keep the holy days of the Christian.”
  • He acknowledges a partial reason: “many of the so-called Holy Days are actually pagan festivals… but not all of them.”
  • Origen’s list of Christian observances: “the Lord’s Day… the preparation… Pascha… and Pentecost.”
  • Bercot calls Pascha/Easter “a legitimate custom handed down from the apostles… long before Constantine corrupted the church.”
Discussion Follow-ups How can Christians honor the Old Testament without “returning to the law”? What would it look like to commemorate Good Friday, Pascha, and Pentecost in a non-commercial, church-centered way?

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