The Council of Nicea convened. This council officially changed the date of the observance of Passover in the Church from Nisan 14 (the biblical date) to the first Sunday after the first full moon after the first day of Spring which then became known as the celebration of Easter in the Church. This was done so that the Church would have “nothing in common” with the Jewish people.
“Was someone already circumcised when
he was called? Then he should not try to remove
the marks of his circumcision” I Cor. 7:18
Rabbi Sha’ul (Paul) was not referring in the above verse to a physical operation when he used the word “circumcised,” even though history does record rare instances where assimilated Jews of the time were given primitive “uncircumcised” operations. Most scholars agree that Sha’ul was using the word “circumcised” here to refer to Jewish identity, just as Luke did in Acts 10:45, the word “circumcised” refers to Jewish believers. He was laying down a biblical principle to first century Jewish believers-a principle that would not be applied again until modern times.
Historically, a message in direct opposition to Jewish beliefs has been communicated by Church leaders, from the Council of Nicea (325 C.E.) which forbade Jews from continuing Jewish observance-to the forced conversions of Marranos [Jewish converts] in fifteenth-century Spain.
With the proliferation of modern Messianic synagogues, an identifiable Messianic community has arisen. Now families worship the Messiah through their rich Jewish heritage, and the body of believers is becoming increasingly aware of their “Jewish roots” through the teaching and example of Messianic Jews.
Today we can praise God for our Messianic Jewish calling and recommit ourselves to that call through keeping our Jewish identity, as Rabbi Sha’ul encouraged so many years ago.
(From The Voice Of the Lord edited by David J. Randolph)
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