In the beginning the Gospel went out to the world from Jerusalem. And at first to the children of Israel scattered around the world. God later raised up Saul of Tarsus, renaming him "Paul" to be an Apostle to the Gentiles. When Gentiles began to receive the Gospel in large numbers a controversy arose on whether the new converts should be circumcised and taught to observe the whole Law of Moses. Because Jerusalem was the home of the original Apostles and birthplace of N.T. Christianity, a council was held there to decide the issue. The Gentile converts had insisted that the matter be taken up and debated in Jerusalem where the "pillars" of the faith resided.
A few years later in 70 AD the city and it’s Temple was sieged and destroyed by the Romans. Being forewarned of this impending destruction the Church fled to Pella six months earlier. After Jerusalem’s fall the city was no longer looked upon to lead the Churches. Rome was the Capital city of the Empire that ruled the known world, and soon the Christian Church there began to be the Church of influence.
Anicetus, was the Bishop of Rome in the 150's AD. The Church there had begun exercising power and directing all the Churches to forsake the Passover for a Sunday Resurrection observance (later called Easter -this included an annual "Good Friday" as the time Jesus was crucified. (Note: Interesting that when Jesus wrote to His seven Churches in Revelation 2 & 3 they were all in Asia Minor-possibly because the rest had wandered astray)
The Churches of Asia Minor resisted this change and sent Polycarp, a disciple of the Apostle John to Rome to discuss the differences that existed between Asia and Rome. Polycarp followed the practice of observing the Passover on the 14th of Nisan, regardless of what day of the week it fell on. Polycarp argued that he had been taught to observe it this way by John and other Apostles. Anicetus followed the newly installed western practice of celebrating a resurrection feast on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the Spring equinox. Though the two representatives found no common ground on the matter, they parted as still considering themselves brothers. From this time on the brethren in Asia Minor were called Quartodecimans because they practiced Quartodecimanism ( Latin quarta decima meaning fourteenther)- the custom of observing the Passover beginning with the eve of the 14th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar.
About ten years later Polycarp was sentenced to be burned at the stake for refusing to burn incense to the Emperor of Rome. When the flames failed to touch him he sang songs of praise, upon which he was quickly stabbed to death. Afterwards another great leader from Asia Minor filled the void left by his death, his name was Polycrates.
By the 190's AD there was a new Bishop of Rome -his name was Victor and is recognized in history as being a Pope. He was not so tolerant of the differences practiced by the Churches in Asia and threatened to excommunicate them if they would not forsake the Passover for the Resurrection Feast. There was a considerable measure of anti-Jewish sentiment at this time, and to practice anything that was "Jewish" or even appeared "Jewish" was frowned upon. This is what eventually led to forsaking the "Jewish" Sabbath for Sunday worship.
Though Victor pressed and threatened the bishops of Asia, led by Polycrates, the Churches decided to hold to the apostolic custom handed down to them. In a letter which Polycrates addressed to Victor and the church of Rome, he set forth in the following words the tradition which had come down to him: "We observe the exact day; neither adding, nor taking away. For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again on the day of the Lord’s coming, when He shall come with glory from heaven, and shall seek out all the saints.
Among these are Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who fell asleep in Hierapolis; and his two aged virgin daughters, and another daughter, who lived in the Holy Spirit and now rests at Ephesus; and, moreover, John, who was both a witness and a teacher, who reclined upon the bosom of the Lord, and, being a priest, wore the sacerdotal plate. He fell asleep at Ephesus.
And Polycarp in Smyrna, who was a bishop and martyr; and Thraseas, bishop and martyr from Eumenia, who fell asleep in Smyrna. Why need I mention the bishop and martyr Sagaris who fell asleep in Laodicea, or the blessed Papirius, or Melito, the Eunuch who lived altogether in the Holy Spirit, and who lies in Sardis, awaiting the episcopate from heaven, when he shall rise from the dead?
All these observed the fourteenth day Passover according to the Gospel, deviating in no respect, but following the rule of faith. And I also, Polycrates, the least of you all, do according to the tradition of my relatives, some of whom I have closely followed. For seven of my relatives were bishops; and I am the eighth. And my relatives always observed the day when the people put away the leaven. I, therefore, brethren, who have lived sixty-five years in the Lord, and have met with the brethren throughout the world, and have gone through every Holy Scripture, am not affrighted by terrifying words. For those greater than I have said ‘We ought to obey God rather than man.’"
He then writes of all the bishops who were present with him and thought as he did. His words are as follows: "I could mention the bishops who were present, whom I summoned at your desire; whose names, should I write them, would constitute a great multitude. And they, beholding my littleness, gave their consent to the letter, knowing that I did not bear my gray hairs in vain, but had always governed my life by the Lord Jesus."
As a result, Victor immediately attempted to cut off from the common unity the Churches of all Asia as being in heresy. And he wrote letters and sent them forth declaring all the brethren in Asia were wholly excommunicated from the Body of Jesus Christ.
What have we learned from the Quartodeciman Controversy? We learned that the original Apostles and early Church observed the Passover at the beginning of the 14th day of the first Hebrew month-the "genuine day." We learned that observing the Passover is part of the Gospel and the rule of faith. We learned that the early Church believed the dead were asleep awaiting the resurrection. We learned that though the Church at Rome and its Bishop/Pope began exercising authority over Christian Churches the world over, the Churches in Asia Minor did not recognize that authority but held to the teachings and traditions of the Apostles.
It was the Roman Church that replaced the Sabbath with Sunday -replaced the Bible Holy Days with the Holidays of Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, etc, and replaced Passover with Communion. And most of the great denominations that arose from the Protestant Reformation still follow many of the teachings of Rome. As for me and my Church, we like Polycarp and Polycrates, will follow the teachings and customs of the Apostles of Jesus.
