The Quartodeciman Controversy

by Russ Schmidt; 3/5/2025

What is Quartodeciman? It is a reference to the 14thday of the first month of the year, which God calls, Abib, and which is the Passover. The first month of the Hebrew calendar is also called the month of Nisan in scripture and by the Jews today (See more on Abib vs. Nisan here).

The Quartodeciman Controversy was a disagreement between the eastern churches under the authority of Polycarp, and the western churches whose Bishop was Anicetus, regarding the observance of the Passover. You can read more about Polycarp an important early church father who was mentored and ordained by the apostle John by clicking here.

The controversy revolved around whether or not the Passover was still to be observed by Christians. Polycarp was adamant about keeping the Passover as an important Christian doctrine, whereas the western Roman Church under the authority of Anicetus believed that the Passover was a Jewish observance that was done away with through Christ’s resurrection.

Anicetus was adamant that the Resurrection of Jesus was the more important day and that the Passover was no longer necessary. However, Resurrection Day is also a Hebrew Holy Day called, the Feast of First Fruits (Leviticus 23:9-14). The Feast of First Fruits falls three days after the Passover on the Hebrew calendar, the same time frame that Jesus lay in the grave. 

Polycarp was not denying the significance of the Resurrection Day, but because He was mentored by the apostle John and lived among disciples and apostles who were eyewitnesses of Jesus and the other eleven apostles who came before them, Polycarp was adamant that the Passover was the more important day. 

According to Irenaeus, who Polycarp mentored, it was important to Polycarp to observe everything he learned from John. And one of those things was the importance of continuing to observe the Passover on Abib 14, since it was the day Jesus was crucified and said on the cross, “It is finished!” (John 19:30).

So, the Quartodeciman Controversy was all about the division between the eastern and western churches of the early second century regarding should the Passover continue to be observed by Christians. 

Although Polycarp went to Rome specifically to speak with Bishop Anicetus regarding his belief that the Passover should be continued to be observed by Christians, Anicetus would not budge continue to insist that the Passover was an Old Covenant law that no longer stands under the New Covenant.

So, Polycarp left Rome agreeing to disagree with Anicetus regarding which day to observe, Resurrection Sunday, more commonly known today as Easter, or the traditional Passover.

As the centuries passed, Easter has become the predominant observance of most of Christianity. Although the Passover is still observed by Christians who agree with Polycarp that it still holds a special place on God’s Holy Day calendar.