Passover discrepency

[Trevelyan]

Apparently St John’s gospel differs from the synoptic gospels regarding the date/day of the last supper.

How do I explain to a friend that this is NOT proof that the scriptures contradict one another? What happened?

 

[Ron_Conte]

There is no discrepancy. John places the Passover celebrated by Jesus a day before that celebrated by the Jews of Jerusalem. The Synoptics show no conflict with that timeline, except when certain unwarranted assumptions are made.

Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich explains that the Jews of Galilee were permitted to celebrate the Passover a day early. (see the Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ).

In this way, God’s Providence permitted that Jesus could both celebrate the Passover and be the Passover Lamb on the Cross.

Ron

 

[runandsew]

catholic.com/thisrock/1991/9109fea1.asp
Scott Hahn briefly covers this discrepency in his article “The hunt for the fourth cup”
The Essenes kept a different calendar, and would have celebrated the passover on a different day (solar vs. lunar calendar), This information has been found in the dead sea scrolls. The last supper was held in the essene quarter, and the Bible shows this when Jesus has them look for a room to celebrate the Passover meal, He told them to look for a man carrying a water jar, well that would have been womens work, Most of the Essenes rejected marriage, so that man would not have had a wife to do this work and would have been doing it himself. John as a friend of the high priest, and records the day of the meal as the rest of the Jews would have celebrated
I have heard this in more detail, but I can’t remember where right now. sorry… maybe someone else knows alot more about this.

 

[DCD]

You can also read about this in a book The Life of Christ by Giuseppe Ricciotti. He explains in detail that the “problem” arises from the elasticity of the calender in Jesus’s day. There was a controversy between Sadducees and Pharisees about the date of Pentecost and also the Pasch. Depending on which day the Pasch fell they (Sadducees) would change their calender. If it fell on a Friday they pushed the calender forward and made the day of sacrifice the fourteenth. If the Pasch fell on a Sunday they moved it back a day so that the wheat offering would still be made on Sunday the sixteenth. The Pharisees did not go along with this arrangement.

This book by Ricciotti should be in every Caholic’s home. He makes it painfully clear why it is crucial to understand the culture in Jesus’s day in order to understand Christ’s teaching in it’s fullness.

Peace,
David

 

[Trevelyan]

Thanks for all the help.

But, even if one can explain why the passover might have been celebrated by Jesus on a different day to other of the Jews, how can one explain the apparent discrepency, Matt. Mk. & Lk. saying one day and John saying another?

 

[DCD]

Thanks for all the help.

But, even if one can explain why the passover might have been celebrated by Jesus on a different day to other of the Jews, how can one explain the apparent discrepency, Matt. Mk. & Lk. saying one day and John saying another?

The Synoptics base their account on the calender Jesus followed along with the Pharisees. St John’s narrative follows the Sanhedrists but he takes it for granted that everyone (meaning his audience) knew the calender Jesus followed was different. This is why Jesus left us a church to help clairfy contradictions which are not there. It is a matter of biblical ignorance or more to the point cultural ignorance. Trying to read scripture without any prespective of the audience to whom the apostles were writing to gives way to confusion such as this.

Tell your friend God’s Word is meant to be taught not self- interpeted. If this answer does not suffice the burden of proof is on him for a better explanation.

Peace,
David

 

[Crumpy]

This thread is quite helpful, because I was engaged about a year ago in a “discussion” about the same thing.

For the record, the CCC calls Jesus’ Passover supper “the definitive Passover” or something like that.

A professed nun with a Ph.D. in my diocese was making an empassioned statement in a Catholic newspaper article that the “last supper” was NOT a Passover.

Then, she launches into her agenda: “Therefore” NO ONE can tell what the disciples ate with Jesus. Specifically, there is no proof that they ate unleavened bread. So…the use of unleavened bread in the Roman Mass is without foundation. THEREFORE…she is perfectly justified for “pastoral reasons” to use communion breads made with sugar, honey, and fruit and whatever.

I read Hahn’s piece, which is quite good, by the way, which is available as a link to THIS ROCK magazine way up under “Library” in the menu above (as I recall).

My answer to her at the time was based on the Catechism, and thereby on the synoptic gospels, AND on the eminence and providence of Christ to command his disciples to celebrate the Passover on a particular day, which is what the gospels say.

And, much deeper and to Hahn’s point, the Passover involved consuming the passover victim.

Aside: I don’t know if I will convince anyone, but the “Last Supper” is not a term in scripture. If you have the Bible in some electronic form, you will not find that term. “The Last Supper” is, actually, the painting by DaVinci of that Passover meal. On no particular qualification of my own, but just of scripture, I think the term the Lord’s Passover is a better title for that Passover meal so detailed in scripture. Beware though, that “the last supper” is a very common term in Vatican and Papal documents.

Thanks to those who contributed to this thread.

 

[Crumpy]

You can also read about this in a book The Life of Christ by Giuseppe Ricciotti.

yes, sort of.

I searched at a…com and they had one copy, and it was in Italian.

This book was published by the Vatican, so it must be very good.

I’d like to know if it’s available in, you know, American.

 

[DCD]

yes, sort of.

I searched at a…com and they had one copy, and it was in Italian.

This book was published by the Vatican, so it must be very good.

I’d like to know if it’s available in, you know, American.

Yes it is avialable at Roman Catholic Books

Peace,
David