This paper will explore the positive and negative repercussions of the First Council of Nicaea’s decision to separate the annual Easter observance from the date of the Jewish Passover and Emperor Constantine’s publication of that decision. It will also offer practical suggestions for redeeming the historical-contextual gap between the two observances and for improving Jewish-Christian relations.
While the condemnation of Arianism and the affirmation of Christ’s divinity often overshadow other outcomes of the Council, the decision to change the Easter date—though considered secondary—had a profound impact on Christian liturgy and Jewish-Christian relations. This move reflected an ideological effort to distinguish Christianity theologically, socially, and liturgically from its Jewish roots.
The separation positively influenced post-Nicene Christianity regarding identity, liturgical emphasis, and unity. However, the division of these two theologically rich celebrations led to some unfortunate consequences. Divorcing Easter from Passover disconnected the celebration of the resurrection from its biblical context, contributing to a weakened sense of continuity between the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament.
Constantine’s rhetoric surrounding the Council’s decisions further reinforced anti-Jewish sentiment and framed the change not merely as calendrical but as a definitive theological and cultural break from Judaism. This shift symbolized that the Church had rendered Judaism obsolete. The emperor’s tone endorsed a form of liturgical supersessionism, which contributed to the marginalization and persecution of Jewish communities. His application of the Council’s decision developed into a binary decision between a proper Christian position or a fallacious “Judaized” position, effectively condemning Jewish-Christian sects like the Ebionites and Messianic-Jewish groups like the Nazarenes.
Today, many evangelical pastors and teachers recognize the existence of historical-contextual gaps that have created a lack of understanding of the continuity between the Testaments. Addressing these gaps presents opportunities to reconnect the Church with its Jewish roots, celebrate important biblical events contextually, improve evangelism within Jewish communities, and highlight the redemptive narrative of Scripture.