Reformation Day, Halloween, and All Saints' Day

This time of year there seems to always be confusion about what holiday/holidays we are supposed to be celebrating. Many Lutherans boycott Halloween (because they think it is a pagan holiday) and call it reformation day instead.  To clear the air, here is what is the holidays this time of year are:

All Saints Day (Also known as all hallows day) is observed on November 1 and has the purpose of celebrating, remembering, and honoring all of the saints (hallowed, or holy people) in the Church throughout history who have died. Liturgically, it begins the evening of October 31, with Vespers.

Halloween is shortened from All Hallow's Eve (or All Saints Day Eve).  Hallow is a word not used often, but it is still used sometimes. We talk about hallowed halls of an old institution, or in the Lord's Prayer, when we pray "Hallowed by Thy Name".  Therefore, Halloween just means the day before the day we celebrate all of the holy people.

Reformation Day is also celebrated on October 31 and is the commemoration of when Martin Luther nailed the 95 thesis to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517 (almost 497 years ago), starting the reformation.

Simon (the Zealot) the Apostle

Little is recorded of him aside from his name. Tradition has it that he Joined Thaddeus (Jude/Judas/Judah son of James) in Persia (Iran) where they were both martyred. He might have been either crucified or more likely hacked to death.

Thaddaeus (Judah/Jude/Judas, son of James) the Apostle

Tradition has it that he preached in Persia, where he joined Simon the Zealot and was killed with him.

Dorcas (Tabitha), Lydia, and Phoebe

Dorcas (Tabitha in Aramaic, means gazelle)Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him,“Please come to us without delay.” So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.-Acts 9:36-42
Lydia
So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us. -Acts 16:11-15

Then Paul and Silas were imprisoned and let go after their jailer was converted. "So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed." -Acts 16:40

PhoebeI commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. - Romans 16:1-3The word servant in verse 1 is deaconess.

James, Brother of Jesus

From the LCMS website:

"There are a number of "James" referred to in the New Testament, including one called "brother of the Lord." He is listed first among the brothers of Jesus, presumably as the oldest of them (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3). Most scholars think that he is the same person as the one simply referred to as James in the book of Acts (12:17; 15:13; 21:18; 1 Cor. 15:7) and in Galatians (2:9, 12). There has been some dispute regarding the relationship between Jesus and James, the natural interpretation being that James was the son of Mary and Joseph (thus a "half-brother" to Jesus). In the history of the Christian church, some believing in the perpetual virginity of Mary developed the view that Jesus and James were foster brothers, while others conjectured that they were cousins. LCMS theologians have found no difficulty with the view that Mary and Joseph themselves together had other children, including James."

Ignatius of Antioch

Ignatius of Antioch (c.35-110) was an apostolic church father. He was a student of John the Apostle and was known to talks, write, and emphasizes like John. He frequently quoted Matthew. He was martyred by being fed to wild animals (probably lions).

The Lord's Supper

Philip the Deacon/Evangelist

Philip is an evangelist who preached the Gospel to the people of Samaria and baptized the Ethiopian eunuch (see Acts 8:4-8, 26-39 below).

"Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city....

"Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”

"And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”* And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea."

*Note that there is no condition of faith first, before the baptism.

Abraham

God made a covenant with Abraham that his son with Sarah would be their heir.  And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.(Genesis 15). However, because Abraham was 86 years old and Sarah was 76 years old and without children, Sarah did not believe, so she gave her Egyptian servant, Hagar, to Abraham to have a child with. Hagar had a son name Ishmael. However, the promise did not go through Ishmael because the covenant had already been made. God did see that Hagar and Ishmael would be greatly blessed (Genesis 16).

The Arab nations of today are the descendants of Ishmael, so both the Jews and Arabs are descendants of Abraham. That has been cited as why they struggle so much in general, and especially over the "Tomb of The Patriarchs" in Hebron, in which Abraham is buried, right to this very day.

"Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish My Covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him." (Genesis 17:19).

They did have their son, Isaac, when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 (Genesis 21:5).  When Isaac was a kid, God tested Abraham by commanding him to "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." (Genesis 22:2). Abraham passed the test by following God's command, but God stopped it just in time, "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son." (Genesis 22:12). Abraham obeyed because he thought that God would raise Isaac from the dead to keep His promise (Hebrews 11:17-19).

Abraham had been willing to sacrifice his only son to God, just as God Himself would sacrifice His only Son. An interesting note is that Mount Moriah, is today known as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Therefore, Isaac would have been sacrificed very near the place that Jesus Christ was Crucified. This was a foreshadowing and a type of Jesus. After Abraham died, he was buried in the "Tomb of The Patriarchs" which is the burial place of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob/Israel and Leah. (Genesis 35:28-29, 49:31).

Abraham is mentioned the most of any old testament figure in the new testament. He is mentioned as the original Jewish patriarch, the father of the chosen people of God, in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Hebrews, James, and 1 Peter. He also mentioned as have been justified by his faith, not works in Romans, Galatians, Hebrews, James.