With regard to the word 'Easter' in Acts 12:4, and the context of the verse:
I suggest that:
1) Easter was a pagan holiday.
2) The KJV translation of the word 'Easter' is correct.
I believe that the answers to these three questions are "at the core" of how to solve this issue:
1) What did the greek word ['pascha'] mean to the writer?
2) What did the greek word ['pascha'] mean to the translators?
3) What did the word 'Easter' mean to the translators?
That being said, my understanding has always been:
Acts 12:
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) 4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
This statement indicates that the "arrest" of Peter occured during the week after the passover.
Which leaves the last phrase of verse 4 pointing to something other than the passover.
The pagan Easter holiday occurred near-after the passover. The translators must have determined that this was actually what was being referred to - and thereby used the word 'Easter' instead of the word 'passover'.
I suggest that:
1) Easter was a pagan holiday.
2) The KJV translation of the word 'Easter' is correct.
I believe that the answers to these three questions are "at the core" of how to solve this issue:
1) What did the greek word ['pascha'] mean to the writer?
2) What did the greek word ['pascha'] mean to the translators?
3) What did the word 'Easter' mean to the translators?
That being said, my understanding has always been:
Acts 12:
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) 4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
This statement indicates that the "arrest" of Peter occured during the week after the passover.
Which leaves the last phrase of verse 4 pointing to something other than the passover.
The pagan Easter holiday occurred near-after the passover. The translators must have determined that this was actually what was being referred to - and thereby used the word 'Easter' instead of the word 'passover'.