Easter, Eggs, and Nowruz

By now most Americans have probably heard of the Iranian/Persian New Year festival called Nowruz, or No Ruz.

One of the more recent claims against Easter is that this Christian Holy Day is merely a hijacked version of the Persian Zoroastrian new year festival called Nowruz (or Nauruz). The argument is that because Nowruz is celebrated on the vernal equinox, Christians must have taken this date or somehow absorbed this Zoroastrian holiday into its own ritual year.

Very few in the West knew anything about Zoroastrianism or its festivals until the 18^th century, and almost nobody in the West had ever heard of Nowruz before the mid-20^th century. The first ever translation of the Zoroastrian sacred texts, the Avesta, into any European language was made by Anquetil Duperron and published in 1771 (James Darmesteter 1880, xv–xx). Controversy about the genuineness of the source documents shrouded the publication until the close of the 18^th century. The term Zoroastrianism was first used by archaeologist A.H. Sayce in

The Three Outposts, part 6 – The Church

Steadfast Throwdown Radio Show-Round 41 

We continue our discussion with Pr. Joe Abrahamson on the estate of the Church. This time we focus on the Office of the Ministry and how God establishes it to serve the Church. Why is it important for pastors to be properly called? What does God’s Word say about who can hold the Pastoral Office?

The Three Outposts, part 5 – The Church

Steadfast Throwdown Radio Show-Round 38 As we continue our series on “The Three Outposts: Your Mission,” with Pr. Joe Abrahamson, we discuss the estate called “The Church.” When did the Church really begin? What is the purpose of the Church? How does Martin Luther teach on this estate in his Small Catechism?


 

The Three Outposts, part 4 – The Home

Steadfast Throwdown Radio Show- Round 37

In part four of our series on “The Three Outposts: Your Mission,” Pr. Joe Abrahamson takes us deeper into the God-given estate of “The Home,” that is, domestic governance. Listen as we discuss God’s design for husbands and wives as well as parents and children. How can we Christians bear witness to Jesus in our homes and thus be a counter-culture?