A short scriptural and historical survey, by Donald F. Shomody

The traditional Christian view that Sunday, the Christian Worship day and/or Sabbath, is sanctioned unquestionably by the resurrection, is based upon an extraordinarily huge lie told over and over again. In the following article we will examine this lie and compare it to scripture and the practice of the early and post apostolic Church (i.e. before 70 & after 100 AD).

I must add, that I hate using the word lie, because there are so many devout Christian men and woman who have dedicated their lives to the cause of Christ who ignore the seventh day and worship on Sunday, viewing this as a sacred duty. Nevertheless sincerity is not the measure of truth and I can not shrink from the facts and I hope you will not either.

Before we begin lets consider the following two verses which caution against adding or taking away from scripture.

Jesus states the permanency of the OT scriptures.

Contrary to these words spoken by Jesus, Thomas Aquinas (A. D. 1225-1274) who is regarded as the greatest Catholic theologian states explicitly:

"The observance of the Lord's Day took the place of the observance of the Sabbath not by virtue of the [Biblical] precept but by the institution of the church."

Can we conclude that Jesus was wrong about the Word changing? The jot and tittle of the fourth commandment has been broken by Church decree. Our common sense tells us that the words of Jesus have greater weight than that of his bride. So from the very beginning of the post Apostolic Church, God’s eternal Word was compromised with additions and subtractions by those who were the very benefactors of God’s grace and supposed guardians of the faith.

Below are two scriptures that are historically used to conclude the abolishment of the Sabbath and Biblical feasts.

Galatians 4:10 - Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years .

There are problems with the conclusions drawn from the traditional interpretations of these two verses when compared to other relevant scriptures and Greek language usage. New scholarship sees the traditional anti-Law, anti-Jewish interpretation of the epistles of Paul as misinterpreted. It is unthinkable that part of the New Testament would conflict with the words of Jesus or the OT scriptures and yet we are asked by past and present Bible authorities to overlook inconsistent Church doctrine. As you read along you will see that the Church has been misguided by its shepherds (at least in the area of our discussion). It has been through social and theological prejudice that their understanding has been impaired.

1. Can we find any NT scripture commanding us to reject the Sabbath or is it based solely on human reasoning & tradition?
2. Is there evidence that pre & post Apostolic Christians observe both the Sabbath rest and Sunday worship? Most "Sunday only" polemists avoid this question. Their poor arguments certer on wishful conjectures of what the Apostles must have done instead of fact of what was done after their deaths by an Apostatizing Church. The Church certainly has chosen many wrong paths. Remember the "Reformation" didn't happen in a vaccum.
3. Did the Church gentile majority cause the switch from Sabbath to Sunday because of anti-Semitism?
4. Should all Christians keep the seventh day rest as the Sabbath commandment just as Jesus did, or was it somehow abolished by His death on the cross?
5. Does it matter which day is our Sabbath; or can Sunday be the "Christian Sabbath"?

 As a new Christian thirty years ago, I came upon this dilemma which seemed to conflict with the teachings of the Catholic and Protestant Church, the latter of which I'm a part.

I was told, as were many of you were, that Christians only worship (or rest…maybe) on the first day of the week. This is because Jesus rose from the dead on that day, and besides that, Saturday was the Jewish day of worship and rest, and Christian are not to act like Jews. This always sounded anti-Semitic and illogical to me, because Jesus was a Jew, and He never stopped being a Jew!). Some people even told me that the Ten Commandments were no longer binding, so a day of rest was completely optional. You can rest on any day that you want…God didn't care! Being a new Christian I put my questions aside because of more pressing issues.

Well, did Jesus, the twelve Apostles or a new prophet come along and cancel out the forth commandment, one of the Big Ten that God Himself gave? That would require the power and authority of God Himself. It would also require a palatable explanation of why God would revoke a commandment that He had declared to be eternal (Exodus 20). Isn't God immutable, nether changing or making mistakes?

If you read carefully you can see that Paul really preached after sundown Saturday before he departed Sunday morning. Breaking bread after the Sabbath (sundown) was a common Jewish practice. Some Christians amazingly think that Paul spoke over 24 hours unto the morning then departed by ship Monday! Preaching all day and all night then leaving on a long journey would be a miracle! Most importantly, the narrative nowhere tells believers to meet and worship on Sunday, saying so reads into the story undocumented intent! That’s bad hermeneutics.

Reading Act 15:19-21 shows that the gentile members of the church had a different standard to observe than their Jewish counterparts. Nobody likes to admit this double tiered system existed but the situation called for sidestepping obstacles facing the new gentile converts. Remember in Jerusalem the Jewish believers under the Apostles and Elders zealously observed the Law (Acts 21:20)! Please take note that 20 years after the resurrection no one complained or corrected them for observing the LAW. Even the Apostle Paul showed that he was Torah observant (Acts 21:24, 28:17. As the Church became increasingly Gentile they may have felt this double standard was not equal enough so they universally imposed their lesser requirements upon the whole faith wrongly believing that this was God's will. Three reasons encouraging this action were the conflicts with Rome, the anti-Christian synagogue, and disagreements with fellow Jewish believers. From the second century on, anti-Semitism is openly expressed in the many writings of the Church fathers [see endnotes]. As we go along I will show the abundant facts of this embarrassing indictment.

I have found that the Bible refers to the Sabbath in three ways, a literal seventh day observance (Exodus 20), a spiritual rest (Hebrews 4:8-10) and the physical rest of the Promised Land for Israel (Deuteronomy 12:9,10). Unless you ignore many scripture references to the Sabbath it can't be singularly observed, abolished, transferred, or spiritualized away at the same time! Allegory is a useful interpretive device but it can make scripture say whatever you want it to. Most Sunday justification comes from this interpretive method. The early church fathers learned about this method from their Jewish contemporaries, but relied on it too much.

In an effort to get to the bottom of these questions and defend against the unfair anti-Semitic label of "Judaizer", I have collected some scriptural and historical evidence concerning the early Church's position on Sabbath and/or Sunday observances. This is only a brief sketch of the subject.

To find the origins of the Sabbath we begin in the Book of Genesis.

Noah then waited another seven days and sent the dove out again…the dove did not return. Sevens play a significant and symbolic role in this narrative. Seven clean animals entered the ark. Seven days passed before the flood began and it was 14 days (7 x 2) until the waters were dried up upon the earth.

Catholic Sunday literature agrees that,

"The observance of the Sunday was at first supplemental to that of the Sabbath, but in proportion as the gulf between the Church and the Synagogue widened, the Sabbath became less and less important, and ended at length in being entirely neglected" (Duchesne, Christian Worship, 47).

Catholic scholars and priests are much more honest and straightforward in their reasons the Catholic Church adopted Sunday and canceled the Biblical Sabbath (although this was a gradual process, spanning 300 to 400 years). Protestant polemists waste their efforts quoting from post Apostolic (gentile) Fathers and their literature to justify 1900 years of disobedience. Most of these guys were shaky theologically at one time or another due to their Gnostic or semi-Gnostic beliefs. Their semi-heretical ideas do not qualify them as the best group to look to for doctrinal additions. The Catholic Church, which actually made the switch, admits that they simply switched because they believed they had the power to do so because Jesus bestowed authority upon Peter. Because there is no written authority or proof, they never waste time postulating that the apostles must have instituted the change. A few enlightening examples are given below.

Martin J. Scott, Things Catholics Are Asked About (1927), p. 136.

"Nowhere in the Bible is it stated that worship should be changed from Saturday to Sunday.... Now the Church ... instituted, by God's authority, Sunday as the day of worship. This same Church, by the same divine authority, taught the doctrine of Purgatory long before the Bible was made. We have, therefore, the same authority for Purgatory as we have for Sunday."

Peter R. Kraemer, Catholic Church Extension Society (1975), Chicago, Illinois.

John Laux, A Course in Religion for Catholic High Schools and Academies (1 936), vol. 1, P. 51.

"Some theologians have held that God likewise directly determined the Sunday as the day of worship in the New Law, that He Himself has explicitly substituted the Sunday for the Sabbath. But this theory is now entirely abandoned. It is now commonly held that God simply gave His Church the power to set aside whatever day or days she would deem suitable as Holy Days. The Church chose Sunday, the first day of the week, and in the course of time added other days as holy days."

Lutheran, The Sunday Problem , a study book of the United Lutheran Church (1923), p. 36.

"We have seen how gradually the impression of the Jewish sabbath faded from the mind of the Christian Church, and how completely the newer thought underlying the observance of the first day took possession of the church. We have seen that the Christians of the first three centuries never confused one with the other, but for a time celebrated both."

Augsburg Confession of Faith art. 28; written by Melanchthon, approved by Martin Luther, 1530; as published in The Book of Concord of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Henry Jacobs, ed. (1 91 1), p. 63.

"They [Roman Catholics] refer to the Sabbath Day, as having been changed into the Lord's Day, contrary to the Decalogue, as it seems. Neither is there any example whereof they make more than concerning the changing of the Sabbath Day. Great, say they, is the power of the Church, since it has dispensed with one of the Ten Commandments!"

Dwight L. Moody, Weighed and Wanting (Fleming H. Revell Co.: New York), pp. 47, 48.

The Sabbath was binding in Eden, and it has been in force ever since. This fourth commandment begins with the word 'remember,' showing that the Sabbath already existed when God wrote the law on the tables of stone at Sinai. How can men claim that this one commandment has been done away with when they will admit that the other nine are still binding?"

Despite all this history and true confession, today many writers still argue with wishful logic and censored facts. Note that the statement below argues from the absence of facts and says nothing about Christian Sabbath observance.

The celebration of the Lord's Day in memory of the resurrection of Christ dates undoubtedly from the apostolic age. Nothing short of apostolic precedent can account for the universal religious observance in the churches of the second century. There is no dissenting voice. This custom is confirmed by the testimonies of the earliest post-apostolic writers, as Barnabas, Ignatius, and Justin Martyr. History Of The Christian Church, Philip Schaff, , vol. 1, pg. 201-202

The anti-popish Protestants ironically follow the unscriptural commands imposed by the Popish Church that they so pride themselves in opposing. (I'm not anti-Catholic I'm just saying this for satire.) This whole thing could be seen as buffoonery catalyzed by anti-Semitism and compromising pagan culture if it was not so obviously tragic in its consequences. The gentile church's blemished history of crimes against fellow Christians and especially Jews are a testimony to their long list of errors (tradition's equality with Scripture, purgatory/limbo, infant baptism, buying indulgences, celibacy, pilgrimages, monasticism, Mary, Saint and relic veneration or worship (depending on your view).

  Many non-Jewish Christians did observe the Sabbath as seen from polemics written against this practice by the early church fathers that express their virulent anti-Jewish views.

Laws and events affecting the Sabbath :

• 313 AD: Emperor Constantine issues the Edict of Milan, legalizing Christianity in the Roman Empire

• March 7,321 AD - Roman Emperor Constantine declares Sunday a civil Holiday

• Jesus observed the Sabbath. Luke 4:14-16 "…as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read…"
• Jewish Christians observed Sabbath /devout: Acts 2:5,41 /priests Acts6: 7 / zealous for Law Act 21:20 The Apostles found no fault with observing the Law, except that justification is through faith in Jesus. Note: accepting Jesus was not a termination of the Jewish faith for the Apostles and Jewish believers.
• Paul argues that he has always observed the Law which includes the Sabbath [Acts 25:8].

The LAW or the Torah (which means, instruction ) was made part of the "New Covenant" (Ezekiel 36:26) and not cast aside as taught by uninformed Christian teachers. This is an important part of the New Covenant.

• Gentile believers are grafted into the cultivated olive tree (Israel ) . Romans 11
• Isaiah 56 God accepts the stranger (gentile) who join themselves to the LORD and love the name of the LORD to be His servants…" not defiling the Sabbath and holds fast His Covenant.

• Galatians 3:28, neither Jew nor Greek, slave or free…" Salvation for all, Abraham’s seed, heirs of the promise.
• Romans 10:12, no difference between Jew and gentile – salvation for all

If the redeemed Jews, kept the Sabbath then it stands to reason that the redeemed gentiles did also, as the same LAW was written in their mind and heart.

Ignatius of Antioch to Syria (ca. 20-107) has been credited with about fifteen epistles, and the one written to the Magnesians is supposed to indicate a Sunday Lord's Day. We quote from chapters VIII and IX:

"Be not deceived with strange doctrines, nor with old fables, which are unprofitable. For if we still live according to the Jewish law, we acknowledge that we have not received grace.

"... If, therefore, those who were brought up in the ancient order of things have come to the possession of a new hope, no longer observing Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord's Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death" (The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Wake's Translation, of Volume 1, p. 62, 1953 edition).

"... Further, He says then, 'Your new moons and your Sabbaths I cannot endure.' Ye perceive how He speaks: 'Your present Sabbaths are not acceptable to me, but that is which I have made, [namely this] when, giving rest to all things, I shall make a beginning of the eighth day that is a beginning of another world.' Wherefore, also, we keep the eighth day with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead. And when He had manifested Himself, He ascended into the heavens" (The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Chapter XV, p. 147, 1953 edition).

The "eighth day" is another term for the first day of the week, Sunday. Eusebius, the earliest of the church historians, places this epistle in the catalogue of spurious writings which means that it is not an authentic apostolic view and should carry no authority weight. This pseudo-Epistle was not written by the Apostle Paul's companion Barnabas, but possibly by someone from Alexandria, Egypt.

Justin Martyr (A. D. 110 - ca. 165) was the foremost Roman apologist during the second century makes the first direct authentic reference to Sunday.

"But Sunday is -the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world, and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead." (Clark's Ante-Nicene Library, Chapter LXVII, p. 185, 1953 edition).

From the city of Rome Justin tries to persuade gentile Christians to gather together on the Day of the Sun. Rome had fought its final bitter war against the Jews in 135 AD. It is against this back drop and the anti-Jewish decrees of angry emperor Hadrian that Justin argues against the Sabbath and Torah observance. His arguments attempt to separate Christianity from Judaism and make Christianity palatable to pagans of the Roman Empire. For this reason he focuses on the Day of the Sun. Sunday centered worship was much more palatable to pagan and ex-pagan because of their sun god religious backgrounds. Thus "Christ the Sun" appealed to both gentile Christians and pagans alike. Justin Martyr writings helped to encouraged Sunday worship, which continued to spread throughout the Empire because of political and social-legal reasons.

Listed below are various quotes used to justify "Sunday only" worship. Note that they express the same errors as above.

Almost all of the quotes of the Church fathers promote Sunday as a memorial to the resurrection of Jesus and attack Sabbath keeping as Jewish. They do not quote any Apostle in regard to not keeping the Sabbath.

In Mark 7:6-9 Jesus up braided some of the errant scribes and Pharisees because they laid aside the commandment of God in order to hold to the tradition of men.

The Church hypocritically has done the same thing by replacing the LORD's Sabbath with the tradition of Sunday, the Roman day of the sun god. Jesus said that their worship was in vain because their heart and teaching was contrary to Lord's established commandment. Do we worship on Sunday only to have it be in vain due to our disobedience? The New Testament words of Jesus say yes, unless of course God holds us to a much lower standard of obedience than our Jewish brother.

Clearly, Jesus is pro-Sabbath. He corrected the distortions and abuses taught by the establishment. He declared Himself to be the Lord of the Sabbath, but by doing so he did not abrogate or annul it. The late 3 ^rd century church & State exceeded their authority by changing God's fourth commandment. By supporting the decisions made by the early Church fathers that were tainted by anti-Semitism, we have validated their errors and have institutionalized the breaking of the fourth commandment by the Church.

We can conclude that there is no scripture directing us to worship on Sunday although it is certainly permissible. Likewise there is no scripture commanding us to ignore the seventh day Sabbath which was establish as eternal. It is a "sign" between God and His people. God established the Sabbath before Sinai. At Sinai the Sabbath was made the fourth commandment to be remembered and observed, " throughout your generations ". As part of the Law (Torah) the Sabbath was included in the New Covenant to be written in the mind and on the hearts of Israel -Jeremiah 31:31 & Ezekiel 36:26 and as such obligate all believers.

Historical evidence shows that for many centuries most believers observed both the Sabbath and Sunday worship, but not without persecution.

The Sabbath is for both the Jew and Gentile believer, because in Christ they are one with "one LAW", albeit with some reduced requirements. Paul states that non-Jews have been grafted into Israel to be partakers of the New Covenant. The nation of Israel is the scriptural model given by God for us to follow not the customs of the nations from which we have been called and saved. The middle partition has been removed so that we may join those from whom we had been estranged; that is the commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:14).

There is a wealth of evidence preserved in the writings of the "gentile" Church fathers, showing their harsh anti-Semitic attitudes. This acknowledged hated with the heretical influence of Gnostic ideas were ironically coupled with honest religious concern that developed doctrine that departed from the customs and teachings of Jesus and His Apostles..

The primary issue at stake is whether we obey God or man. Many of you will default to Church custom and social pressure and continue to break God's Sabbath, although with some guilt. Some of you, because of your desire for truth, will feel compelled to submit to God's Word and observe His Sabbath, even in spite of the suspicion and ridicule coming from unsympathetic Christians.

Which ever path you choose remember "…the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him…" -2 Chronicles 16:9.

What is a perfect heart? Look in 1 Chronicles 29:19.

"And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things , and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision."

A perfect heart is expressed through faith and obedience.

I hope you have the courage to search these things out for yourself and then do what is right.