The World Mission Society Church of God claims, “The New Covenant Passover established by Jesus was abolished at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325 by Emperor Constantine.” They also claim that their leader, Ahn Sahng-hong, restored this Passover in 1964, opening the way to life. They insist that Jesus and the disciples’ Last Supper was the Passover, and that Jesus died on the cross the day after Passover, during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. However, these claims do not align with either historical fact or the biblical record.
The Eastern Church is said to have followed the direct teachings of the apostle John. They fasted until 3 PM on the 14th day of the Jewish month (the time of Jesus’ crucifixion), then immediately held the Eucharist to commemorate Jesus’ death. Three days later, on the 16th, they separately celebrated Jesus’ resurrection. Because of this practice, they were called “Quartodecimans” (the 14th-day group).
The Western Church, on the other hand, fasted from the afternoon of the 14th (Jesus’ crucifixion) until Sunday morning (the day of resurrection), and then celebrated the Eucharist on Sunday. They placed more theological emphasis on the resurrection than the death of Jesus, which was reflected in their observance.
This difference in commemoration between the Eastern and Western churches led to intense debate and conflict from around the mid-2nd century (c. 150 AD). Ultimately, at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325, the church sought unity by deciding that the Eucharist would be observed on Easter Sunday, commemorating the resurrection, rather than on the 14th day of the Jewish month. This decision became a significant turning point in church history after the early church period.
The Council of Nicaea was convened to resolve the long-standing controversy over the date of the Eucharist in the early church. The core issue was not “abolishing the Passover,” but unifying the date for the Lord’s Supper.
The council decided that the Eucharist should be observed on Easter Sunday, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus, not on the Passover (the 14th day, as in the Quartodeciman tradition). This shows the theological development of the church toward emphasizing the resurrection.
The WMSCOG’s assertion that “Easter replaced Passover” partially overlaps with the direction of the council’s decision, but does not mean that the Passover ritual itself was entirely abolished. More importantly, their claim that Jesus died on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the day after Passover, is clearly false both biblically and historically. Both the Gospels and early church writings consistently record that Jesus died at 3 PM on the Passover (the 14th day). Thus, the real issue at Nicaea was not the abolition of the Passover, but the unification of the date for the Eucharist.
Jesus shared the Last Supper with His disciples on the evening before the Passover (the night of the 13th, Luke 22:7–15). At this meal, He broke bread and gave the cup as symbols of His body and blood. This was a special rite held before the Passover meal. Jesus was then crucified the next day, at 3 PM on the Passover (the 14th day, Mark 15:33–37), exactly the time when the traditional Passover lambs were slaughtered. Early Christians commemorated Jesus’ death on the 14th with the Eucharist and celebrated His resurrection three days later, on the 16th. Meanwhile, traditional Jews observed Passover according to their own customs, unrelated to Jesus’ death. The idea that “the Last Supper = the Passover meal” arises from a misunderstanding of the Jewish calendar and customs in Jerusalem at that time. The WMSCOG’s teaching that Jesus died on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, not Passover, is unfounded both biblically and historically. The Last Supper, Jesus’ crucifixion, and the early church’s practices all align precisely with the meaning and fulfillment of the biblical Passover, as consistently attested in both scripture and history.
The WMSCOG’s concept of “Passover” is fundamentally different from that of the early church, church history, and the Bible. They distort part of history and mislead their followers by attaching a mystical meaning of “the sign of life” unique to their group, thus misrepresenting the whole context of scripture and history. In reality, the Council of Nicaea did not abolish the meaning or observance of Passover, but merely unified the date of communion to emphasize the resurrection.
The essence of faith must be based on the objective records of the Bible and church history, not on doctrinal claims or traditional differences. The Passover was a shadow of things to come in the Old Testament and was already fulfilled in Jesus (1 Corinthians 5:7). The early church’s tradition of communion was centered on remembering and commemorating Jesus’ redemptive work and resurrection. When we properly understand historical truth and the essence of scripture, we can find the true path of faith—the path that follows God’s will.
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