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190 AD Easter Divides the Dates but Unites the Faith Why The Prayer of Jesus for Oneness Still M
190 AD – Easter Divides the Dates but Unites the Faith - Why The Prayer of Jesus for Oneness Still Matters
Metadata Package: In 190 AD, Christians faced a simple but sacred question — when to celebrate Easter. Some chose the Sunday that honored the day Jesus rose; others chose the date that matched Passover itself. Both wanted to honor the same Lord and the same resurrection.
Leaders sought peace without compromise, unity without uniformity. This story shows how faithful believers disagreed deeply yet remained devoted to Christ — and why their struggle still echoes in every church today.
Extended notes explore how John 17 connects Jesus’ final prayer for oneness to the Easter calendar clash and why the world still judges our faith by our unity. Make sure you Like, Share, Subscribe, Follow, Comment, and Review this episode and the entire COACH series.
Keywords: Easter history, 190 AD, church unity, John 17, Quartodeciman, early Christian worship, church calendar, resurrection Sunday, Passover, Nicene tradition, Christian discipleship, church division, Easter controversy, ancient faith, oneness of believers, That’s Jesus Channel, COACH podcast, Christian history, unity in Christ, Easter timeline, Bible tradition, church fathers, faith and love, Christian disagreement, history of Easter
Hashtags: #ChurchHistory #Easter #Unity #COACHPodcast #ThatsJesusChannel
Episode Summary: In 190 AD, Christians across the Roman Empire loved the same Lord but celebrated His resurrection on different days. Some honored Easter on Sunday to remember the day Jesus rose from the dead. Others kept it in line with Passover to remember the season He died and rose again.
Both sides held Scripture dear and acted from devotion, not defiance. Church leaders pleaded for peace and tried to hold a fragile fellowship together. This episode invites you to see how that ancient conflict reveals something modern — that our disagreements often hide our deepest shared love for Jesus.
It points to John 17, where Christ prayed that His followers would be one so the world would believe. When the Church is divided, the world doubts; when we are united, the world sees Him clearly. Join COACH to rediscover how the first believers wrestled with faith, tradition, and love — and why their story still coaches us today.
Call to Action: Make sure you Like, Share, Subscribe, Follow, Comment, and Review this episode and the entire COACH series.
CHUNK 1 – COLD HOOK
It’s spring in 190 AD. In Ephesus [EF-uh-suhs], streets still lined with pagan temples fill with voices preparing for the greatest Christian day of the year — Easter. But not everyone agrees on when that day should come.
Inside a dim house church, oil lamps flicker against plaster walls. One group counts days after Passover, saying, “This is the time our Lord was crucified — so this is when we remember.” Across the room, others answer softly, “The Lord rose on Sunday. That’s the day we celebrate life.”
No voices are raised, but the weight is palpable. They love the same Jesus — and yet their calendars don’t match.
Leaders write letters across the empire. Bishops plead for unity. Churches from Rome to Asia Minor pray they’re doing the right thing — but no one can find a verse that settles it. The Scriptures tell them why to remember, not when.
As the moon rises over Ephesus, the city’s Christians light their lamps for two different Easters. Some kneel tonight; others will wait three days more. Both say, “He is risen.” Both believe they honor Him. Yet somewhere in heaven, a prayer still hangs in the air — “that they may be one.”
Can a church so young survive a division over the very day it celebrates its hope? [AD BREAK]
CHUNK 2 – INTRO
From the That’s Jesus Channel, welcome to COACH — where Church origins and church history actually coach us how to walk boldly with Jesus today. I’m Bob Baulch.
On Monday, we stay between 0 and 500 AD. In this episode we are in the year 190 AD and exploring how early believers faced a simple question with eternal weight — when to celebrate Easter — and why their different answers still speak to Jesus’ call for oneness in John 17.
CHUNK 3 – FOUNDATION
It’s been nearly a century since Jesus walked the earth. The church has grown from small gatherings in homes to communities spread across the Roman Empire — in Rome, Ephesus [EF-uh-suhs], Smyrna [SMEER-nuh], and cities whose names few outside the faith even know. Yet they share one hope: the resurrection.
But a question is spreading faster than any letter can travel — When should the Church celebrate Easter?
Believers in the western regions, especially in Rome, say it must always be on Sunday, the day Jesus rose. Every Sunday is a small resurrection day, and Easter should crown them all. A single global Sunday keeps the message clear: the grave is empty, the Lord is risen, the Church stands together.
Across the east — in Asia Minor and around Ephesus — believers see it differently. They say Easter belongs to the season of Passover, when Jesus actually died and rose. Each year they count the same days the disciples once counted. “Why move it?” they reason. “This is when it happened.”
Both sides read the same Scriptures. Both honor the same Savior. And both discover something unsettling — the Bible tells them why to remember Jesus’ death and resurrection, but not when.
Nearly a generation earlier, two beloved leaders had faced this same tension. Polycarp [PAW-lee-karp] from Smyrna traveled to Rome to meet Bishop Anicetus [an-ih-SEE-tus]. They couldn’t agree on the date, but they refused to let the calendar erase their communion. They prayed, shared the Lord’s Supper, and parted as brothers.
As one account later recalled, QUOTE “They disagreed about the day, yet remained in peace, and each continued his practice without condemning the other.” END QUOTE.
Now new names rise — Victor [VIK-tor] in Rome, Polycrates [puh-LI-kruh-teez] in Asia Minor, and Irenaeus [eer-uh-NAY-us] in Lyon [LEE-ohn]. The question has grown too large for a friendly visit to solve.
Letters cross the empire. Leaders hold meetings to seek a common answer. Some say unity demands a single day. Others say faithfulness demands staying with what the apostles taught. No one doubts each other’s faith — only their timing.
For a young Church still defining its shape, this is no small issue. The world watches its worship. The Church wonders: Will Easter become a cause of celebration — or the first crack in Christian unity?
CHUNK 4 – DEVELOPMENT
Across the empire, the letters keep coming. Church leaders pass scrolls from city to city, each one written in ink but sealed with love for the same risen Lord. And each one carries the same question: What honors Jesus best — the day or the date?
In Rome and the western churches, the answer seems simple. They point to Sunday — the first day of the week — when the tomb was found empty. Every Sunday already feels like Easter, they say. It’s the rhythm of resurrection, the heartbeat of Christian life. Why should the greatest celebration fall on any other day?
A single Sunday keeps the message clear: one Lord, one resurrection, one Church. And if everyone celebrates together, the world will see the faith’s unity in action. It isn’t about control. It’s about clarity. When believers from city to city sing “He is risen” on the same morning, it says something powerful: the Church is one body, standing as one witness to a watching world.
But in the East — especially in the provinces around Ephesus [EF-uh-suhs] — the conviction runs just as deep. They look at the Scriptures and the stories passed down from the apostles. Jesus died during Passover. He rose in that same sacred week. They believe this season, not a substitute Sunday, tells the story best.
They trace their tradition to the men who knew the Lord personally. “We didn’t invent this,” they insist. “We received it.” Their hearts burn to stay faithful to the pattern they believe the apostles gave them — to honor the timing God Himself arranged when the Lamb of God took away the sins of the world.
In a letter still preserved by history, Polycrates [puh-LI-kruh-teez] of Ephesus defends their practice. QUOTE “I have followed the tradition handed down by the apostles… for I am not afraid of threats, for greater is God than men.” END QUOTE. To him and those like him, changing the date feels like rewriting the story itself.
Each side can quote Scripture. Each prays for unity. Yet every verse that strengthens one argument seems to strengthen the other. When western churches talk about “the first day of the week,” eastern churches point to “the days of unleavened bread.” When one speaks of honoring the resurrection, the other speaks of remembering the cross that made it possible.
By the 180s, whole regions have chosen a side. Some hold councils — gatherings of pastors and elders — to confirm their custom. The Sunday group hopes to end confusion. The Passover group sees no confusion to end.
The more they explain, the more they admire — and misunderstand — each other. Each side believes the other loves Jesus… but not quite enough to yield. And through it all, one word keeps echoing in their letters: unity. Everyone wants it. No one agrees how to keep it.
CHUNK 5 – CLIMAX & IMPACT
By the year 190, patience is running thin. In Rome, Bishop Victor [VIK-tor] has heard enough. He wants the Church to move as one. If the East insists on keeping Easter by the old Passover schedule, he warns, they will be cut off — separated from the fellowship of believers everywhere else.
It is a stunning threat. Not heretics, not false teachers — brothers. The empire’s Christians hold their breath. If Rome and Asia divide, how can the world believe their message of reconciliation?
Across the sea, the churches in Asia Minor receive the news with grief, not rage. They love their brothers in Rome. But they also love the pattern handed down through generations. Changing it now would mean abandoning their elders’ witness.
Then a different voice speaks — one that refuses to echo either side’s anger. Irenaeus [eer-uh-NAY-us] of Lyon [LEE-ohn], once a student of Polycarp [PAW-lee-karp], writes to Victor and pleads for peace.
He reminds him that older bishops had disagreed and yet stayed united. He points to Polycarp and Anicetus, who could not persuade one another but still broke bread together. QUOTE “They kept their customs, yet continued in communion,” END QUOTE one letter recalls.
Irenaeus warns that breaking fellowship over a date would wound the very body of Christ. His words travel across provinces and hearts. They carry the memory of the Lord’s own prayer: that they may be one.
And slowly, the anger softens. Victor withdraws his threat. The churches stay in fellowship. Some keep the Sunday celebration; others keep the Passover season. No winner is declared, only a grace that refuses to let the calendar become a wall.
For now, the Church breathes again. The gospel’s unity holds. Because when believers could not agree on the when, they remembered the who. And that was enough to keep them together.
If the world recognizes Jesus by our oneness, what do they see when we split over devotion instead of doctrine? In 190 AD, believers found a way to stay together without erasing conviction. Can we? [AD BREAK]
CHUNK 6 – LEGACY AND MODERN RELEVANCE
… and we can. Because unity isn’t a lost cause; it’s a living choice. The believers of 190 AD proved that conviction and compassion can share the same table.
They didn’t erase their differences — they refused to let those differences erase their fellowship. They discovered that the credibility of the gospel depends less on agreement and more on affection.
Centuries later, their witness still speaks. Jesus prayed that His followers would be one so the world would know the Father sent Him. When His people live in harmony, the world catches a glimpse of heaven’s truth; when we fracture, it only hears the noise of earth.
Our generation faces new arguments — about worship, doctrine, culture, and comfort — yet the ancient lesson stands: the way we handle disagreement preaches louder than our sermons. Those early Christians left behind more than dates on a calendar; they left a pattern for hearts that value Christ above winning.
CHUNK 7 – REFLECTION & CALL TO ACTION
Long after those believers set down their quills, their example still writes across our lives. They didn’t wait for the other side to change before choosing love. They made space for fellowship even when conviction didn’t budge.
Maybe that’s the challenge for us now. To stop guarding our positions like fortresses and start opening our tables again. To listen longer than we argue. To pray for those who worship differently — not that they’d come to our side, but that we’d both stay on His.
Unity doesn’t mean sameness. It means staying in the room — refusing to let pride or pain make us walk away. The Church’s credibility doesn’t rest on our precision, but on our posture.
And when the world sees believers who can disagree and still embrace, it begins to wonder if maybe Jesus really is who He said He is. Because love that endures through difference doesn’t just reflect maturity — it reflects resurrection.
CHUNK 8 – OUTRO
If this story of Easter’s divided dates challenged or encouraged you, like, comment and share it with a friend – they might really need to hear it. Leave a review on your podcast app! And don’t forget to follow COACH for more episodes every week.
Check out the show notes – they include the full transcript and sources used for this episode. And, if you look closely, you’ll find some contrary opinions. We do that on purpose. The Amazon links can help you get resources for your own library while giving me a little bit of a kickback.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You never know what we’ll cover next on COACH. Every episode dives into a different corner of church history.
But on Monday, we stay between 0 and 500 AD. And if you’d rather watch these stories on YouTube, visit the That’s Jesus Channel.
Thanks for listening to COACH – where Church origins and church history actually coach us how to walk boldly with Jesus today. I’m Bob Baulch with the That’s Jesus Channel. Have a great day — and be blessed.
Unity is important in a marriage too. My wife and I agree about 99 percent of the time – which means I’m only wrong 1 percent of the time. That’s pretty good! What makes it even better is that she lets me think I’m right until I figure it out later – and she doesn’t even say “I told you so” when I apologize. My Wendy is the best.
CHUNK 9a – REFERENCE QUOTES
Q1: “They disagreed about the day, yet remained in peace, and each continued his practice without condemning the other.” [Verbatim] Describes the friendship between Polycarp of Smyrna and Anicetus of Rome despite differing Easter dates. Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD.
Q2: “I have followed the tradition handed down by the apostles… for I am not afraid of threats, for greater is God than men.” [Verbatim] Polycrates of Ephesus defending the Passover-timed Easter practice. Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD.
Q3: “They kept their customs, yet continued in communion.” [Verbatim] Irenaeus of Lyon recalling earlier unity between Polycarp and Anicetus to urge peace between Victor and the Asiatic churches. Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD.
Q4: “The Scriptures give the why of remembrance, not the when.” [Paraphrased] Summary of second-century letters acknowledging that Scripture commands commemoration but sets no fixed date. Generalized from Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD.
Q5: “Victor attempted to cut off the churches of Asia, but many bishops opposed the measure and urged peace.” [Summarized] Describes Victor’s attempt to end fellowship and Irenaeus’s intervention. Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD.
CHUNK 9b – REFERENCE Z-NOTES (Zero Dispute Notes)
Z1: Christians in the 2nd century universally celebrated the resurrection of Jesus as their highest annual feast. Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD.
Z2: The dispute over Easter’s timing is historically known to have occurred around 190 AD during the episcopate of Victor of Rome. Ibid.
Z3: The disagreement centered on whether Easter should be kept on a fixed Sunday or on the date of the Jewish Passover. Ibid.
Z4: Western churches—especially those in Rome—observed Easter on Sunday. Ibid.
Z5: Churches in Asia Minor observed Easter on the 14th day of Nisan (Passover season). Ibid.
Z6: Polycarp of Smyrna and Anicetus of Rome met earlier in the century and disagreed without breaking fellowship. Ibid.
Z7: Irenaeus of Lyon intervened in 190 AD to counsel peace between Victor and the Asian bishops. Ibid.
Z8: Victor of Rome attempted to excommunicate the Asian churches over the Easter question. Ibid.
Z9: Multiple bishops opposed Victor’s decision and persuaded him to restore fellowship. Ibid.
Z10: Polycrates of Ephesus wrote a letter defending the Asian practice and claiming apostolic precedent. Ibid.
Z11: Eusebius preserves fragments of both Polycrates’s letter and Irenaeus’s response. Ibid.
Z12: The controversy did not create a permanent schism; unity was eventually maintained. Ibid.
Z13: The practice of commemorating the Lord’s resurrection weekly on Sunday was already well established in all churches. Justin Martyr, First Apology, c. 155 AD.
Z14: The Passover-dated observance was often called the Quartodeciman practice (meaning “fourteenth day”). Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD.
Z15: The New Testament provides no explicit calendar instruction for an annual resurrection feast. New Testament Texts – Gospels and Pauline Epistles.
Z16: Early believers used lunar and solar calendars differently across regions of the Roman Empire. Ibid.
Z17: Second-century churches valued apostolic tradition as highly as written Scripture in determining practice. J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, 1977.
Z18: The issue resurfaced at later councils, including Nicaea in 325 AD, which set the pattern for calculating Easter after the spring equinox. Eusebius of Caesarea, Life of Constantine, c. 337 AD.
Z19: The 190 AD debate was theological, not political; both sides affirmed the same core beliefs about Jesus. Ibid.
Z20: The Roman Empire in the late 2nd century provided postal routes that allowed correspondence between churches. Historical Roman Sources – Provincial Records.
Z21: The Easter dispute is one of the earliest recorded examples of the Church addressing a global issue through letters. Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD.
Z22: No evidence exists that persecution drove the debate; it arose entirely within Christian communities. Ibid.
Z23: The controversy demonstrated that differing traditions could coexist without altering core doctrine. Ibid.
Z24: Later historians viewed Irenaeus’s peacemaking role as a model for ecclesial diplomacy. Ibid.
Z25: Modern scholars classify the 190 AD dispute as an internal debate among orthodox believers rather than a heresy conflict. J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, 1977.
CHUNK 9c – REFERENCE POP (Parallel Orthodox Perspectives)
P1: The 190 AD Easter debate reflects the Church’s early effort to balance apostolic tradition with emerging global unity. J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, 1977.
P2: Both the Sunday and Passover observances expressed sincere devotion to the risen Christ and should be seen as complementary, not contradictory. Everett Ferguson, Church History: Volume 1 – From Christ to Pre-Reformation, 2013.
P3: Irenaeus’s mediation demonstrates an orthodox model of peacemaking rooted in John 17 rather than administrative control. Jaroslav Pelikan, The Christian Tradition: Volume 1 – The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition, 1971.
P4: The early Church’s diversity of liturgical timing proves that orthodoxy can thrive without uniform practice when love and creed remain intact. Thomas C. Oden, The Rebirth of Orthodoxy, 2003.
P5: Victor’s zeal for consistency reflected pastoral concern for clarity, not arrogance; his later restraint shows obedience to the unity of the faith. Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD.
P6: The Asian churches’ insistence on the inherited date preserved the principle that conscience and received teaching matter even when consensus is possible. Henry Chadwick, The Early Church, 1967.
P7: The episode underscores that ecclesial authority must always serve communion, never conformity for its own sake. John R. W. Stott, The Living Church, 2007.
P8: The peace that followed proved that unity in Christ transcends regional identity and ritual detail. Justo L. González, The Story of Christianity, 2010.
P9: The absence of heresy charges confirms that early orthodoxy recognized multiple faithful expressions of the same resurrection faith. R. W. Southern, Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages, 1970.
P10: The 190 AD reconciliation models how modern Christians can honor Scripture, history, and conscience while refusing to treat preference as principle. D. H. Williams, Retrieving the Tradition and Renewing Evangelicalism, 1999.
CHUNK 9d – REFERENCE SCOP (Skeptical or Contrary Opinion Points)
S1: Some modern historians argue the Easter controversy was primarily a power struggle for Rome’s authority rather than a theological issue. Bart D. Ehrman, Lost Christianities, 2003.
S2: A few scholars suggest the unity preserved after Victor’s threat was temporary and politically motivated, not genuinely spiritual. Gerd Lüdemann, Heretics: The Other Side of Early Christianity, 1996.
S3: Critics claim the so-called harmony between Polycarp and Anicetus was exaggerated by later writers to sanitize early Church conflict. Charles Freeman, A New History of Early Christianity, 2009.
S4: Some secular historians view the differing Easter dates as evidence that Christianity lacked centralized authority or consistent doctrine in the 2nd century. Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels, 1979.
S5: A minority interpretation holds that both practices were later retrofitted with “apostolic” origins to legitimize regional customs. Robert M. Price, The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man, 2003.
CHUNK 9e – REFERENCE SOURCES LIST
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Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD, Clarendon Press, ISBN 9780198264033 (Q1–Q5, Z1–Z12, Z14, Z18–Z24, P5, S3).
Eusebius of Caesarea, Life of Constantine, c. 337 AD, Clarendon Press, ISBN 9780198149170 (Z18, P5).
Justin Martyr, First Apology, c. 155 AD, Harvard University Press (Loeb Classical Library), ISBN 9780674991286 (Z13).
J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, 1977, Harper & Row, ISBN 9780060643348 (Z17, Z25, P1, S5).
Everett Ferguson, Church History: Volume 1 – From Christ to Pre-Reformation, 2013, Zondervan Academic, ISBN 9780310516569 (P2).
Jaroslav Pelikan, The Christian Tradition: Volume 1 – The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition, 1971, University of Chicago Press, ISBN 9780226653708 (P3).
Thomas C. Oden, The Rebirth of Orthodoxy, 2003, HarperOne, ISBN 9780060520458 (P4).
Henry Chadwick, The Early Church, 1967, Penguin Books, ISBN 9780140137538 (P6).
John R. W. Stott, The Living Church, 2007, InterVarsity Press, ISBN 9780830838054 (P7).
Justo L. González, The Story of Christianity, 2010, HarperOne, ISBN 9780061855887 (P8).
R. W. Southern, Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages, 1970, Penguin Books, ISBN 9780140137552 (P9).
D. H. Williams, Retrieving the Tradition and Renewing Evangelicalism, 1999, Eerdmans, ISBN 9780802846686 (P10).
Bart D. Ehrman, Lost Christianities, 2003, Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780195141832 (S1).
Gerd Lüdemann, Heretics: The Other Side of Early Christianity, 1996, Westminster John Knox Press, ISBN 9780664256768 (S2).
Charles Freeman, A New History of Early Christianity, 2009, Yale University Press, ISBN 9780300164705 (S3).
Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels, 1979, Random House, ISBN 9780394502786 (S4).
Robert M. Price, The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man, 2003, Prometheus Books, ISBN 9781591021210 (S5).
Roman Provincial Records – General Infrastructure Documents, compiled by Public Domain Sources (cited for Z20).
CHUNK 10 – EQUIPMENT
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Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (1TB)
Canon EOS R50
Canon EOS M50 Mark II
Dell Inspiron Laptop (17" screen)
HP Gaming Desktop
Adobe Premiere Pro (subscription)
Elgato HD60 S+
Maono PD200X Microphone with Arm
Blue Yeti USB Microphone
Logitech MX Keys S Keyboard
Focusrite Scarlett Solo (4th Gen) USB Audio Interface
Logitech Ergo M575 Wireless Trackball Mouse
BenQ 24-Inch IPS Monitor
Manfrotto Compact Action Aluminum Tripod
Microsoft 365 Personal (subscription)
GVM 10-Inch Ring Light w/ Tripod
Weton Lightning to HDMI Adapter
ULANZI Smartphone Tripod Mount
Sony MDR-ZX110 Stereo Headphones
Nanoleaf Essentials Matter Smart A19 Bulb
CHUNK 11 – CREDITS
Host: Bob Baulch
Producer: That’s Jesus Channel
Topic Support: Assisted by Copilot (Microsoft Corp) for aligning topics to timelines
Research Support: Assisted by Perplexity.ai (AI Chatbot) for facts and sources
Script Support: Assisted by ChatGPT (OpenAI) for script pacing and coherence
Verification Support: Assisted by Grok (xAI) for fact-checking and validation
Digital License: Audio 1 – Background Music: “Background Music Soft Calm” by INPLUSMUSIC, Pixabay Content License, Composer: Poradovskyi Andrii (BMI IPI Number: 01055591064), Source: Pixabay, YouTube: INPLUSMUSIC Channel, Instagram: @inplusmusic
Digital License: Audio 2 – Crescendo: “Epic Trailer Short 0022 Sec” by BurtySounds, Pixabay Content License, Source: Pixabay
Digital License: Audio Visualizer: “Digital Audio Spectrum Sound Wave Equalizer Effect Animation, Alpha Channel Transparent Background, 4K Resolution” by Vecteezy, License: Free License (Attribution Required), Source: Vecteezy
Production Note: Audio and video elements integrated in post-production without in-script cues.
CHUNK 12 – SOCIAL LINKS
Listen on PodLink: https://www.pod.link/1823151072
Official Podcast Webpage (Podbean): https://thatsjesuschannel.podbean.com/
YouTube (That’s Jesus Channel): https://www.youtube.com/@ThatsJesusChannel
YouTube – COACH Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJdTG9noRxsEKpmDoPX06VtfGrB-Hb7T4
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BobBaulchPage
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsjesuschannel
Threads: [ADD URL]
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsjesuschannel
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Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thatsjesuschannel
Website/Show Notes: https://thatsjesus.org
Newsletter Signup: [ADD URL]
Contact: [email protected]
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Discord: [ADD URL]
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Telegram: [ADD URL]
Reddit: [ADD URL]
LinkedIn Page: [ADD URL]
CHUNK 13 – SMALL GROUP GUIDE
Summary: In 190 AD, Christians wrestled over when to celebrate Easter — some honoring Sunday, others the Passover season. Their unity survived because love for Jesus outweighed their differences. Their story shows that faithfulness isn’t proved by agreement but by affection that endures.
Scripture References:
- John 17:20-23 — Jesus’ prayer for unity.
- Romans 14:5-9 — Esteem one day above another in honor of the Lord.
- Ephesians 4:1-6 — One body, one Spirit, one hope.
Discussion Questions:
1. Why did early Christians see Easter as worth discussing so deeply?
2. What does this story teach us about disagreeing without dividing?
3. How does Jesus’ prayer in John 17 speak into our church relationships today?
4. Where might we be placing tradition or preference above love for others?
5. What would unity look like in your home, church, or community this week?
Application: Choose one believer or group you differ with and pray for them this week — not that they change, but that you both reflect Christ better through mutual love.
Prayer Point: Pray that God would make our unity so visible that the world can see Jesus through us.
View all episodes
By That’s Jesus Channel / Bob Baulch190 AD – Easter Divides the Dates but Unites the Faith - Why The Prayer of Jesus for Oneness Still Matters
Metadata Package: In 190 AD, Christians faced a simple but sacred question — when to celebrate Easter. Some chose the Sunday that honored the day Jesus rose; others chose the date that matched Passover itself. Both wanted to honor the same Lord and the same resurrection.
Leaders sought peace without compromise, unity without uniformity. This story shows how faithful believers disagreed deeply yet remained devoted to Christ — and why their struggle still echoes in every church today.
Extended notes explore how John 17 connects Jesus’ final prayer for oneness to the Easter calendar clash and why the world still judges our faith by our unity. Make sure you Like, Share, Subscribe, Follow, Comment, and Review this episode and the entire COACH series.
Keywords: Easter history, 190 AD, church unity, John 17, Quartodeciman, early Christian worship, church calendar, resurrection Sunday, Passover, Nicene tradition, Christian discipleship, church division, Easter controversy, ancient faith, oneness of believers, That’s Jesus Channel, COACH podcast, Christian history, unity in Christ, Easter timeline, Bible tradition, church fathers, faith and love, Christian disagreement, history of Easter
Hashtags: #ChurchHistory #Easter #Unity #COACHPodcast #ThatsJesusChannel
Episode Summary: In 190 AD, Christians across the Roman Empire loved the same Lord but celebrated His resurrection on different days. Some honored Easter on Sunday to remember the day Jesus rose from the dead. Others kept it in line with Passover to remember the season He died and rose again.
Both sides held Scripture dear and acted from devotion, not defiance. Church leaders pleaded for peace and tried to hold a fragile fellowship together. This episode invites you to see how that ancient conflict reveals something modern — that our disagreements often hide our deepest shared love for Jesus.
It points to John 17, where Christ prayed that His followers would be one so the world would believe. When the Church is divided, the world doubts; when we are united, the world sees Him clearly. Join COACH to rediscover how the first believers wrestled with faith, tradition, and love — and why their story still coaches us today.
Call to Action: Make sure you Like, Share, Subscribe, Follow, Comment, and Review this episode and the entire COACH series.
CHUNK 1 – COLD HOOK
It’s spring in 190 AD. In Ephesus [EF-uh-suhs], streets still lined with pagan temples fill with voices preparing for the greatest Christian day of the year — Easter. But not everyone agrees on when that day should come.
Inside a dim house church, oil lamps flicker against plaster walls. One group counts days after Passover, saying, “This is the time our Lord was crucified — so this is when we remember.” Across the room, others answer softly, “The Lord rose on Sunday. That’s the day we celebrate life.”
No voices are raised, but the weight is palpable. They love the same Jesus — and yet their calendars don’t match.
Leaders write letters across the empire. Bishops plead for unity. Churches from Rome to Asia Minor pray they’re doing the right thing — but no one can find a verse that settles it. The Scriptures tell them why to remember, not when.
As the moon rises over Ephesus, the city’s Christians light their lamps for two different Easters. Some kneel tonight; others will wait three days more. Both say, “He is risen.” Both believe they honor Him. Yet somewhere in heaven, a prayer still hangs in the air — “that they may be one.”
Can a church so young survive a division over the very day it celebrates its hope? [AD BREAK]
CHUNK 2 – INTRO
From the That’s Jesus Channel, welcome to COACH — where Church origins and church history actually coach us how to walk boldly with Jesus today. I’m Bob Baulch.
On Monday, we stay between 0 and 500 AD. In this episode we are in the year 190 AD and exploring how early believers faced a simple question with eternal weight — when to celebrate Easter — and why their different answers still speak to Jesus’ call for oneness in John 17.
CHUNK 3 – FOUNDATION
It’s been nearly a century since Jesus walked the earth. The church has grown from small gatherings in homes to communities spread across the Roman Empire — in Rome, Ephesus [EF-uh-suhs], Smyrna [SMEER-nuh], and cities whose names few outside the faith even know. Yet they share one hope: the resurrection.
But a question is spreading faster than any letter can travel — When should the Church celebrate Easter?
Believers in the western regions, especially in Rome, say it must always be on Sunday, the day Jesus rose. Every Sunday is a small resurrection day, and Easter should crown them all. A single global Sunday keeps the message clear: the grave is empty, the Lord is risen, the Church stands together.
Across the east — in Asia Minor and around Ephesus — believers see it differently. They say Easter belongs to the season of Passover, when Jesus actually died and rose. Each year they count the same days the disciples once counted. “Why move it?” they reason. “This is when it happened.”
Both sides read the same Scriptures. Both honor the same Savior. And both discover something unsettling — the Bible tells them why to remember Jesus’ death and resurrection, but not when.
Nearly a generation earlier, two beloved leaders had faced this same tension. Polycarp [PAW-lee-karp] from Smyrna traveled to Rome to meet Bishop Anicetus [an-ih-SEE-tus]. They couldn’t agree on the date, but they refused to let the calendar erase their communion. They prayed, shared the Lord’s Supper, and parted as brothers.
As one account later recalled, QUOTE “They disagreed about the day, yet remained in peace, and each continued his practice without condemning the other.” END QUOTE.
Now new names rise — Victor [VIK-tor] in Rome, Polycrates [puh-LI-kruh-teez] in Asia Minor, and Irenaeus [eer-uh-NAY-us] in Lyon [LEE-ohn]. The question has grown too large for a friendly visit to solve.
Letters cross the empire. Leaders hold meetings to seek a common answer. Some say unity demands a single day. Others say faithfulness demands staying with what the apostles taught. No one doubts each other’s faith — only their timing.
For a young Church still defining its shape, this is no small issue. The world watches its worship. The Church wonders: Will Easter become a cause of celebration — or the first crack in Christian unity?
CHUNK 4 – DEVELOPMENT
Across the empire, the letters keep coming. Church leaders pass scrolls from city to city, each one written in ink but sealed with love for the same risen Lord. And each one carries the same question: What honors Jesus best — the day or the date?
In Rome and the western churches, the answer seems simple. They point to Sunday — the first day of the week — when the tomb was found empty. Every Sunday already feels like Easter, they say. It’s the rhythm of resurrection, the heartbeat of Christian life. Why should the greatest celebration fall on any other day?
A single Sunday keeps the message clear: one Lord, one resurrection, one Church. And if everyone celebrates together, the world will see the faith’s unity in action. It isn’t about control. It’s about clarity. When believers from city to city sing “He is risen” on the same morning, it says something powerful: the Church is one body, standing as one witness to a watching world.
But in the East — especially in the provinces around Ephesus [EF-uh-suhs] — the conviction runs just as deep. They look at the Scriptures and the stories passed down from the apostles. Jesus died during Passover. He rose in that same sacred week. They believe this season, not a substitute Sunday, tells the story best.
They trace their tradition to the men who knew the Lord personally. “We didn’t invent this,” they insist. “We received it.” Their hearts burn to stay faithful to the pattern they believe the apostles gave them — to honor the timing God Himself arranged when the Lamb of God took away the sins of the world.
In a letter still preserved by history, Polycrates [puh-LI-kruh-teez] of Ephesus defends their practice. QUOTE “I have followed the tradition handed down by the apostles… for I am not afraid of threats, for greater is God than men.” END QUOTE. To him and those like him, changing the date feels like rewriting the story itself.
Each side can quote Scripture. Each prays for unity. Yet every verse that strengthens one argument seems to strengthen the other. When western churches talk about “the first day of the week,” eastern churches point to “the days of unleavened bread.” When one speaks of honoring the resurrection, the other speaks of remembering the cross that made it possible.
By the 180s, whole regions have chosen a side. Some hold councils — gatherings of pastors and elders — to confirm their custom. The Sunday group hopes to end confusion. The Passover group sees no confusion to end.
The more they explain, the more they admire — and misunderstand — each other. Each side believes the other loves Jesus… but not quite enough to yield. And through it all, one word keeps echoing in their letters: unity. Everyone wants it. No one agrees how to keep it.
CHUNK 5 – CLIMAX & IMPACT
By the year 190, patience is running thin. In Rome, Bishop Victor [VIK-tor] has heard enough. He wants the Church to move as one. If the East insists on keeping Easter by the old Passover schedule, he warns, they will be cut off — separated from the fellowship of believers everywhere else.
It is a stunning threat. Not heretics, not false teachers — brothers. The empire’s Christians hold their breath. If Rome and Asia divide, how can the world believe their message of reconciliation?
Across the sea, the churches in Asia Minor receive the news with grief, not rage. They love their brothers in Rome. But they also love the pattern handed down through generations. Changing it now would mean abandoning their elders’ witness.
Then a different voice speaks — one that refuses to echo either side’s anger. Irenaeus [eer-uh-NAY-us] of Lyon [LEE-ohn], once a student of Polycarp [PAW-lee-karp], writes to Victor and pleads for peace.
He reminds him that older bishops had disagreed and yet stayed united. He points to Polycarp and Anicetus, who could not persuade one another but still broke bread together. QUOTE “They kept their customs, yet continued in communion,” END QUOTE one letter recalls.
Irenaeus warns that breaking fellowship over a date would wound the very body of Christ. His words travel across provinces and hearts. They carry the memory of the Lord’s own prayer: that they may be one.
And slowly, the anger softens. Victor withdraws his threat. The churches stay in fellowship. Some keep the Sunday celebration; others keep the Passover season. No winner is declared, only a grace that refuses to let the calendar become a wall.
For now, the Church breathes again. The gospel’s unity holds. Because when believers could not agree on the when, they remembered the who. And that was enough to keep them together.
If the world recognizes Jesus by our oneness, what do they see when we split over devotion instead of doctrine? In 190 AD, believers found a way to stay together without erasing conviction. Can we? [AD BREAK]
CHUNK 6 – LEGACY AND MODERN RELEVANCE
… and we can. Because unity isn’t a lost cause; it’s a living choice. The believers of 190 AD proved that conviction and compassion can share the same table.
They didn’t erase their differences — they refused to let those differences erase their fellowship. They discovered that the credibility of the gospel depends less on agreement and more on affection.
Centuries later, their witness still speaks. Jesus prayed that His followers would be one so the world would know the Father sent Him. When His people live in harmony, the world catches a glimpse of heaven’s truth; when we fracture, it only hears the noise of earth.
Our generation faces new arguments — about worship, doctrine, culture, and comfort — yet the ancient lesson stands: the way we handle disagreement preaches louder than our sermons. Those early Christians left behind more than dates on a calendar; they left a pattern for hearts that value Christ above winning.
CHUNK 7 – REFLECTION & CALL TO ACTION
Long after those believers set down their quills, their example still writes across our lives. They didn’t wait for the other side to change before choosing love. They made space for fellowship even when conviction didn’t budge.
Maybe that’s the challenge for us now. To stop guarding our positions like fortresses and start opening our tables again. To listen longer than we argue. To pray for those who worship differently — not that they’d come to our side, but that we’d both stay on His.
Unity doesn’t mean sameness. It means staying in the room — refusing to let pride or pain make us walk away. The Church’s credibility doesn’t rest on our precision, but on our posture.
And when the world sees believers who can disagree and still embrace, it begins to wonder if maybe Jesus really is who He said He is. Because love that endures through difference doesn’t just reflect maturity — it reflects resurrection.
CHUNK 8 – OUTRO
If this story of Easter’s divided dates challenged or encouraged you, like, comment and share it with a friend – they might really need to hear it. Leave a review on your podcast app! And don’t forget to follow COACH for more episodes every week.
Check out the show notes – they include the full transcript and sources used for this episode. And, if you look closely, you’ll find some contrary opinions. We do that on purpose. The Amazon links can help you get resources for your own library while giving me a little bit of a kickback.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You never know what we’ll cover next on COACH. Every episode dives into a different corner of church history.
But on Monday, we stay between 0 and 500 AD. And if you’d rather watch these stories on YouTube, visit the That’s Jesus Channel.
Thanks for listening to COACH – where Church origins and church history actually coach us how to walk boldly with Jesus today. I’m Bob Baulch with the That’s Jesus Channel. Have a great day — and be blessed.
Unity is important in a marriage too. My wife and I agree about 99 percent of the time – which means I’m only wrong 1 percent of the time. That’s pretty good! What makes it even better is that she lets me think I’m right until I figure it out later – and she doesn’t even say “I told you so” when I apologize. My Wendy is the best.
CHUNK 9a – REFERENCE QUOTES
Q1: “They disagreed about the day, yet remained in peace, and each continued his practice without condemning the other.” [Verbatim] Describes the friendship between Polycarp of Smyrna and Anicetus of Rome despite differing Easter dates. Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD.
Q2: “I have followed the tradition handed down by the apostles… for I am not afraid of threats, for greater is God than men.” [Verbatim] Polycrates of Ephesus defending the Passover-timed Easter practice. Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD.
Q3: “They kept their customs, yet continued in communion.” [Verbatim] Irenaeus of Lyon recalling earlier unity between Polycarp and Anicetus to urge peace between Victor and the Asiatic churches. Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD.
Q4: “The Scriptures give the why of remembrance, not the when.” [Paraphrased] Summary of second-century letters acknowledging that Scripture commands commemoration but sets no fixed date. Generalized from Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD.
Q5: “Victor attempted to cut off the churches of Asia, but many bishops opposed the measure and urged peace.” [Summarized] Describes Victor’s attempt to end fellowship and Irenaeus’s intervention. Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD.
CHUNK 9b – REFERENCE Z-NOTES (Zero Dispute Notes)
Z1: Christians in the 2nd century universally celebrated the resurrection of Jesus as their highest annual feast. Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD.
Z2: The dispute over Easter’s timing is historically known to have occurred around 190 AD during the episcopate of Victor of Rome. Ibid.
Z3: The disagreement centered on whether Easter should be kept on a fixed Sunday or on the date of the Jewish Passover. Ibid.
Z4: Western churches—especially those in Rome—observed Easter on Sunday. Ibid.
Z5: Churches in Asia Minor observed Easter on the 14th day of Nisan (Passover season). Ibid.
Z6: Polycarp of Smyrna and Anicetus of Rome met earlier in the century and disagreed without breaking fellowship. Ibid.
Z7: Irenaeus of Lyon intervened in 190 AD to counsel peace between Victor and the Asian bishops. Ibid.
Z8: Victor of Rome attempted to excommunicate the Asian churches over the Easter question. Ibid.
Z9: Multiple bishops opposed Victor’s decision and persuaded him to restore fellowship. Ibid.
Z10: Polycrates of Ephesus wrote a letter defending the Asian practice and claiming apostolic precedent. Ibid.
Z11: Eusebius preserves fragments of both Polycrates’s letter and Irenaeus’s response. Ibid.
Z12: The controversy did not create a permanent schism; unity was eventually maintained. Ibid.
Z13: The practice of commemorating the Lord’s resurrection weekly on Sunday was already well established in all churches. Justin Martyr, First Apology, c. 155 AD.
Z14: The Passover-dated observance was often called the Quartodeciman practice (meaning “fourteenth day”). Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD.
Z15: The New Testament provides no explicit calendar instruction for an annual resurrection feast. New Testament Texts – Gospels and Pauline Epistles.
Z16: Early believers used lunar and solar calendars differently across regions of the Roman Empire. Ibid.
Z17: Second-century churches valued apostolic tradition as highly as written Scripture in determining practice. J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, 1977.
Z18: The issue resurfaced at later councils, including Nicaea in 325 AD, which set the pattern for calculating Easter after the spring equinox. Eusebius of Caesarea, Life of Constantine, c. 337 AD.
Z19: The 190 AD debate was theological, not political; both sides affirmed the same core beliefs about Jesus. Ibid.
Z20: The Roman Empire in the late 2nd century provided postal routes that allowed correspondence between churches. Historical Roman Sources – Provincial Records.
Z21: The Easter dispute is one of the earliest recorded examples of the Church addressing a global issue through letters. Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD.
Z22: No evidence exists that persecution drove the debate; it arose entirely within Christian communities. Ibid.
Z23: The controversy demonstrated that differing traditions could coexist without altering core doctrine. Ibid.
Z24: Later historians viewed Irenaeus’s peacemaking role as a model for ecclesial diplomacy. Ibid.
Z25: Modern scholars classify the 190 AD dispute as an internal debate among orthodox believers rather than a heresy conflict. J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, 1977.
CHUNK 9c – REFERENCE POP (Parallel Orthodox Perspectives)
P1: The 190 AD Easter debate reflects the Church’s early effort to balance apostolic tradition with emerging global unity. J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, 1977.
P2: Both the Sunday and Passover observances expressed sincere devotion to the risen Christ and should be seen as complementary, not contradictory. Everett Ferguson, Church History: Volume 1 – From Christ to Pre-Reformation, 2013.
P3: Irenaeus’s mediation demonstrates an orthodox model of peacemaking rooted in John 17 rather than administrative control. Jaroslav Pelikan, The Christian Tradition: Volume 1 – The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition, 1971.
P4: The early Church’s diversity of liturgical timing proves that orthodoxy can thrive without uniform practice when love and creed remain intact. Thomas C. Oden, The Rebirth of Orthodoxy, 2003.
P5: Victor’s zeal for consistency reflected pastoral concern for clarity, not arrogance; his later restraint shows obedience to the unity of the faith. Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD.
P6: The Asian churches’ insistence on the inherited date preserved the principle that conscience and received teaching matter even when consensus is possible. Henry Chadwick, The Early Church, 1967.
P7: The episode underscores that ecclesial authority must always serve communion, never conformity for its own sake. John R. W. Stott, The Living Church, 2007.
P8: The peace that followed proved that unity in Christ transcends regional identity and ritual detail. Justo L. González, The Story of Christianity, 2010.
P9: The absence of heresy charges confirms that early orthodoxy recognized multiple faithful expressions of the same resurrection faith. R. W. Southern, Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages, 1970.
P10: The 190 AD reconciliation models how modern Christians can honor Scripture, history, and conscience while refusing to treat preference as principle. D. H. Williams, Retrieving the Tradition and Renewing Evangelicalism, 1999.
CHUNK 9d – REFERENCE SCOP (Skeptical or Contrary Opinion Points)
S1: Some modern historians argue the Easter controversy was primarily a power struggle for Rome’s authority rather than a theological issue. Bart D. Ehrman, Lost Christianities, 2003.
S2: A few scholars suggest the unity preserved after Victor’s threat was temporary and politically motivated, not genuinely spiritual. Gerd Lüdemann, Heretics: The Other Side of Early Christianity, 1996.
S3: Critics claim the so-called harmony between Polycarp and Anicetus was exaggerated by later writers to sanitize early Church conflict. Charles Freeman, A New History of Early Christianity, 2009.
S4: Some secular historians view the differing Easter dates as evidence that Christianity lacked centralized authority or consistent doctrine in the 2nd century. Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels, 1979.
S5: A minority interpretation holds that both practices were later retrofitted with “apostolic” origins to legitimize regional customs. Robert M. Price, The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man, 2003.
CHUNK 9e – REFERENCE SOURCES LIST
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Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, c. 324 AD, Clarendon Press, ISBN 9780198264033 (Q1–Q5, Z1–Z12, Z14, Z18–Z24, P5, S3).
Eusebius of Caesarea, Life of Constantine, c. 337 AD, Clarendon Press, ISBN 9780198149170 (Z18, P5).
Justin Martyr, First Apology, c. 155 AD, Harvard University Press (Loeb Classical Library), ISBN 9780674991286 (Z13).
J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, 1977, Harper & Row, ISBN 9780060643348 (Z17, Z25, P1, S5).
Everett Ferguson, Church History: Volume 1 – From Christ to Pre-Reformation, 2013, Zondervan Academic, ISBN 9780310516569 (P2).
Jaroslav Pelikan, The Christian Tradition: Volume 1 – The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition, 1971, University of Chicago Press, ISBN 9780226653708 (P3).
Thomas C. Oden, The Rebirth of Orthodoxy, 2003, HarperOne, ISBN 9780060520458 (P4).
Henry Chadwick, The Early Church, 1967, Penguin Books, ISBN 9780140137538 (P6).
John R. W. Stott, The Living Church, 2007, InterVarsity Press, ISBN 9780830838054 (P7).
Justo L. González, The Story of Christianity, 2010, HarperOne, ISBN 9780061855887 (P8).
R. W. Southern, Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages, 1970, Penguin Books, ISBN 9780140137552 (P9).
D. H. Williams, Retrieving the Tradition and Renewing Evangelicalism, 1999, Eerdmans, ISBN 9780802846686 (P10).
Bart D. Ehrman, Lost Christianities, 2003, Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780195141832 (S1).
Gerd Lüdemann, Heretics: The Other Side of Early Christianity, 1996, Westminster John Knox Press, ISBN 9780664256768 (S2).
Charles Freeman, A New History of Early Christianity, 2009, Yale University Press, ISBN 9780300164705 (S3).
Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels, 1979, Random House, ISBN 9780394502786 (S4).
Robert M. Price, The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man, 2003, Prometheus Books, ISBN 9781591021210 (S5).
Roman Provincial Records – General Infrastructure Documents, compiled by Public Domain Sources (cited for Z20).
CHUNK 10 – EQUIPMENT
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Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (1TB)
Canon EOS R50
Canon EOS M50 Mark II
Dell Inspiron Laptop (17" screen)
HP Gaming Desktop
Adobe Premiere Pro (subscription)
Elgato HD60 S+
Maono PD200X Microphone with Arm
Blue Yeti USB Microphone
Logitech MX Keys S Keyboard
Focusrite Scarlett Solo (4th Gen) USB Audio Interface
Logitech Ergo M575 Wireless Trackball Mouse
BenQ 24-Inch IPS Monitor
Manfrotto Compact Action Aluminum Tripod
Microsoft 365 Personal (subscription)
GVM 10-Inch Ring Light w/ Tripod
Weton Lightning to HDMI Adapter
ULANZI Smartphone Tripod Mount
Sony MDR-ZX110 Stereo Headphones
Nanoleaf Essentials Matter Smart A19 Bulb
CHUNK 11 – CREDITS
Host: Bob Baulch
Producer: That’s Jesus Channel
Topic Support: Assisted by Copilot (Microsoft Corp) for aligning topics to timelines
Research Support: Assisted by Perplexity.ai (AI Chatbot) for facts and sources
Script Support: Assisted by ChatGPT (OpenAI) for script pacing and coherence
Verification Support: Assisted by Grok (xAI) for fact-checking and validation
Digital License: Audio 1 – Background Music: “Background Music Soft Calm” by INPLUSMUSIC, Pixabay Content License, Composer: Poradovskyi Andrii (BMI IPI Number: 01055591064), Source: Pixabay, YouTube: INPLUSMUSIC Channel, Instagram: @inplusmusic
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Production Note: Audio and video elements integrated in post-production without in-script cues.
CHUNK 12 – SOCIAL LINKS
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CHUNK 13 – SMALL GROUP GUIDE
Summary: In 190 AD, Christians wrestled over when to celebrate Easter — some honoring Sunday, others the Passover season. Their unity survived because love for Jesus outweighed their differences. Their story shows that faithfulness isn’t proved by agreement but by affection that endures.
Scripture References:
- John 17:20-23 — Jesus’ prayer for unity.
- Romans 14:5-9 — Esteem one day above another in honor of the Lord.
- Ephesians 4:1-6 — One body, one Spirit, one hope.
Discussion Questions:
1. Why did early Christians see Easter as worth discussing so deeply?
2. What does this story teach us about disagreeing without dividing?
3. How does Jesus’ prayer in John 17 speak into our church relationships today?
4. Where might we be placing tradition or preference above love for others?
5. What would unity look like in your home, church, or community this week?
Application: Choose one believer or group you differ with and pray for them this week — not that they change, but that you both reflect Christ better through mutual love.
Prayer Point: Pray that God would make our unity so visible that the world can see Jesus through us.