A young priest explains the Lord's Day

[Xeno.of.athens]

Point 1 - your post stated - "for most Christians Sunday is the day for worship"

No. For most Christians, we worship God all days of the week. What you meant to say, I suspect, is that in general the vast majority of those who proclaim themselves Christian assemble together on 'Sunday' rather than on most other days of the week, and yet while this is acknowledged, there are some distinctions, between gathering/assembling and worship, though gathering collectively is included in worship. Christians the world over also gather on other days of the week for various reasons, whether it is 'Tuesday', "Wednesday', "Thursday' for prayer meetings, or other days for 'Business meetings', or for a 'Vespers', or 'potluck' or 'special days of fellowshipping', 'bible study', 'festivals', etc. I even know Catholics who gather on Saturday evening, as my own parents/family do.

With that stated, even Seventh-day Adventists, and others similar to them, do not merely "worship" God on the 7th day, but worship God 24/7/365, and inclusive to this, gather/assemble on many days of the week, as noted above, and also especially on the 7th day of the week.

In scripture, there is no injunction on gathering on any day of the week. If certain persons want to gather/assemble together on any of the 7 days, that is their prerogative to do so, in God's graces. The issue, is the violation of the 4th commandment, not that persons gather on any particular day.

The body of believers may gather on any and every day with no injunction anywhere found in scripture against such, and in truth they met “daily”, “continually”, etc (Mat. 26:55; Mar. 14:49; Luk. 22:53, 24:33,36; Act. 19:9) and likewise among the followers of Jesus Christ (Luk. 24:51,53; Act. 1:3,9, 2:46-47, 5:42, 6:1, 16:5, 17:11,17; Heb. 3:13, etc). Jesus had been in the temple, not just the 7th day of the week, and during the feasts, the Jews had been constantly at the temple, and likewise so the Christians afterwards in Jesus' time.

I also notice that in your OP, you make distinction between "Christians" and "Seventh-day Adventists". Are you suggesting that Seventh-day Adventists are not Christian?

Also, when you say "for most Christians Sunday ...", what you mean in reality to say is "for Catholicity Sunday is the day of worship", which would include Roman, EO, OO, GO, RO, ?O, etc, since they specifically identify as "catholic". 7th-day Baptists, and other 7th day groups, such as Seventh-day Adventists would never identify as "catholic", but do identify as Christian, whereas the other groups mainly idenitfy as "catholic", and sometimes utilize the word "christian". This point is a minor distinction.

"Point 1" is a matter shorthand language; the young priest means that on Sunday most Christians gather for corporate worship.

 

[GentleGospeller]

Point 3 - your post stated - "among the communities that worship on Saturday"

So do you make distinction between "Christians" (Sunday) vs "communities" such as Seventh-day Adventists, Seventh-day Baptists, &c?

Also, there is a technical distinction between "Saturday" and the 7th day of the week.

Saturday is based in Roman time, and Roman pagan mythos. It is accounted from midnight to midnight.

The 7th Day is based in scriptural time, and is from God in Gen. 2:1-3; Exo. 20:8-11. It is from even to even (evening to evening, or sunset to sunset).

Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Lev_23:32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

Mar_1:32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.

Again, Seventh-day Adventists do not merely "worship on Saturday", but worship God 24/7/365. What you meant to say, I suspect, is that "among the communities that assemble specifically on the 7th day".

 

[GentleGospeller]

"Point 1" is a matter shorthand language; the young priest means that on Sunday most Christians gather for corporate worship.

He should have said that, and made the distinction then. It is confusing to say that Christians only worship God on a singular day, when in truth, Christians worship God 24/7/365 and even gather on many other days of the week. Even you admit this point, correct?

 

[GentleGospeller]

Point 4 - "while Christians have been worshiping on Sunday since immediately after the resurrection"

Exclusively? Not so. Again Christians (as the Jews, Israelites and Hebrews before them) worship God 24/7/365.

I demonstrated in Point 3 that Christians, after the resurrection especially kept the 7th day corporately, and met on many days of the week.

In the koine Greek are [every single 'first [day] of the week' text, as each text clearly shows that the first day is simply a number, with no special association or designation, other than it is simply one day toward the culmination of the week, being the 7th Day the Sabbath of the LORD thy God] (Gen. 1:5; Matt. 28:1(a,b); Mar. 16:2,9; Luk. 24:1; Jhn. 20:1,19; Act. 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2, with some instances as already noted specifically pointing out the counting of days of weeks towards Penetcost (7 weeks of sabbaths, and a final day, making 50).

The Sabbath [of the Lord thy God], [being] the 7th day, is always the culmination of the week in God's Created order and is always referred to as such in all of scripture, and in so in all those NT texts (every single one).

Therefore, every single “first [day] of the week” text upholds the 7th Day Sabbath, and is undeniable evidence of its continued existence and prominence. The body of believers may gather on any and every day with no injunction anywhere found in scripture against such, and in truth they met “daily”, “continually”, etc (Matt. 26:55; Mar. 14:49; Luk. 22:53, 24:33,36; Act. 19:9) and likewise among the followers of Jesus Christ (Luk. 24:51,53; Act. 1:3,9, 2:46-47, 5:42, 6:1, 16:5, 17:11,17; Heb. 3:13, etc).

None of that extra gathering, on any other (than the 7th) of the 1-6 common working days is qualification of disobedience to (breaking) the Ten Commandments (Exo. 20:1-17), especially the 4th (Exo. 20:8-11) in its explicit command to “rest” and not commonly “work” “the seventh day the sabbath of the LORD”. As for instance, a church might meet on 4th day for prayer meeting. It does not replace the need to obey the 4th commandment and fulfill its requirements by and in the grace of God and the Holy Ghost (Rom. 8:4).

In the book of Acts, hundreds of sabbaths explicitly recorded being kept by Christians (Jews & Gentiles), and Jews, Gentiles, recorded years after Jesus ascended from Mt. Olivet. Luke wrote Acts, and he never once designates the first day of the week as the sabbath, or the Lord’s day. He always identifies the 7th day as the sabbath of the LORD.

Acts 1:2, (4:24), 13:14,27,42,44, (14:15), 15:21, 16:13, 17:2, 18:4, (20:6, 21:4, 28:14; Paul always waited until the 7th day, so that he could keep the Sabbath with fellow Jews, and Proselytes (see Act. 2:10; 13:26,42-43,44,45-46,47-49, 14:1,2,15-16, 15:17,19,21, 17:17) and preach the gospel upon that sacred day (Act. 17:2), just as Jesus had; Luk. 4:16-21).

Luk 4:16 And he [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom [G1486, “ειωθος”] was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. (in point of fact, the Sabbath was the very day that Jesus began the Gospel preaching and freeing people from slavery to sin, giving them rest, Isa. 61:1-2; Luke 4:17-21, “this day”)

Act 17:2 And Paul, as his manner [G1486. “ειωθος”] was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

John was still keeping the sabbath (of the LORD, the 7th day, “the Lord's day”; Rev. 1:10, 10:6, 14:7,12; Isa. 58:13; just as Jesus had said so long before; Mat. 24:20) in AD 90+.

The first day of the week was no more special than any other of the six working days. Yet the sabbath of the Lord, the 7th day, the Lord's day was always special, always gathered on and therein rested by God’s faithful people. However, those who began to forget their Creator, and the sign of His Creatorship (the 7th Day), began to turn their back on God’s Law and worship the sun (creation) in the east (sun – day people). It was foretold that this would happen in typology and prophecy.

Eze_8:16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

Dan_7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Pro_24:21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:

I can also demonstrate historically that Christians kept the 7th day of the week in corporate gathering until the present day. Some in Rome and Alexandria ceased doing so after a time.

Thomas H. Morer (1651-1715), Church of England, "Divine" - A Discourse in six dialogues on the name, notion and observation of the Lord's Day : with an account of several canons, decrees, and laws, foreign and English, for the keeping it holy ... by Morer, Thomas (1701), London, page 189​

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"... [page 189] And in summ, The Holy Fathers saith Balsamon, ... the sabbath ... respected in Ancient times. And tho' in the Western-Church especially, this Custom wore off by degrees, and is now altogether laid by, yet still are some marks of it in other places, as among the Aethiopians, Melchitae and Abyssins, as (82) as Brerewood informs us ...​

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... We must yield therefore that the Primitive Christians had a great veneration for the Sabbath, and spent the Day in Devotion and Sermons. And 'tis not to be doubted but they derived this Practice from the Apostles themselves, as appears (84) by several Scriptures to that purpose ...​

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... (82) Tract. Div. Lin. & Relig. ... (84) Acts xiii. 14, xvi. 13, xviii. 4."​

Theodor von Zahn (10 October 1838 in Moers - 5 March 1933 in Erlangen) - Geschichte des Sonntags vornehmlich in der alten Kirche. Vortrag by Theodor von Zahn (1878), page 14.​

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[GERMAN] "… [page 14] Der Sabbath zumal war ein starkes Band der Gemeinschaft, welches sie mit dem leben des gesammten Volks verknupfte; und indem sie den Sabbath heilig hielt, folgte sie nicht nur dem Beispiel, sondern auch der Anweifung Jesu. ..."​

John Nevins Andrews (July 22, 1829 - October 21, 1883) (Seventh-day Adventist missionary, writer, editor and scholar) - History of the Sabbath and the first day of the week by Andrews, John Nevins, 1829-1883; Conradi, L. R (1912), page 440​

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[ENGLISH] "... [page 440] Besides, the Sabbath was a strong tie which united them with the life of the whole people, and in keeping the Sabbath holy, they followed not only the example, but also the command of Jesus. 6 … (6 Geschichte des Sonntags, pp. 13, 14)"​

"Right Rev." Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667) (Church of Ireland, England) - The whole works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor : with a life of the author, and a critical examination of his writings, Volume IX, by Taylor, Jeremy (1852), page 456-457​

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"... [page 456] § 49. Upon this or some equal account the primitive Christians did keep the sabbath of the Jews; ... therefore the Christians for a long time together did keep their conventions upon the sabbath, in which some portions of the law were read t: and this [page 456-457] continued till the time of the Laodicean council u, which also took care that reading of the gospels should be mingled with their reading of the law ..."​

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"... t [Acts XV. 21.] ..."​

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"... u Can. xvi. A.D. 364 [tom. i. col. 783.] ..."​

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Apostolic Constitutions (AD 375 to AD 380) - Ante Nicene Fathers, Volume 07 (2000) - Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries: Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius, Apostolic Teaching and Constitutions, Homily, and Liturgies; -- Constitutions of the Holy Apostles; Book II. Of Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons, Section IV. - On the Management of the Resources Collected for the Support of the Clergy, and the Relief of the Poor, XXXVI (36), page 918​

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"... The Recital of the Ten Commandments, and After What Manner They Do Here Prescribe to Us.​

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XXXVI. Have before thine eyes the fear of God, and always remember the ten commandments of God, -- to love the one and only Lord God with all thy strength; to give no heed to idols, or any other beings, as being lifeless gods, or irrational beings or daemons. Consider the manifold workmanship of God, which received its beginning through Christ. Thou shalt observe the Sabbath, on account of Him who ceased from his work of creation, but ceased not from His work of providence: it is a rest for meditation of the law, not for idleness of the hands. ..."​

Salaminius Hermias Sozomenus (aka "Sozomen") (c. 400 – c. 450 AD) (Roman Lawyer & Historiran) - The Ecclesiastical History of Sozomen, comprising a History of the Church, from A.D. 324 to A.D. 440; translated from the Greek: with a memoir of the Author; also The Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgus, as epitomised by Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople.; translated by Edward Walford, M.A.; late scholar of Balliol College, Oxford.; London: Henry G. Bohn, York Street, Covent Garden. MDCCCLV (1855). Book VII (7), C. 19, page 344​

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"... [page 344] The people of Constantinople, and of several other cities, assemble together on the sabbath, as well as on the next day; which custom is never observed at Rome, or at Alexandria. There are several cities and villages in Egypt where, contrary to the usages established elsewhere, the people meet together on sabbath evenings; and although they have dined previously, partake of the mysteries. ..."​

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Socrates Scholasticus (aka "Socrates of Constantinople") (c. 380 – after 439) (5th Century Greek Church Historian, contemporary of Sozomen and Theodoret) - The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates, surnamed Scholasticus, or the Advocate., comprising a History of the Church in Seven Books, from the accession of Constantine, A.D. 305, to the 38th Year of Theodosius II., including A period of 140 years.; translated from the Greek: with some account of the Author, and notes selected from Valesius.; London: Henry G. Bohn, York Street, Covent Garden. MDCCCLIII (1853).; Book V (5), C. 22, page 289​

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"... [page 289] For although almost all churches throughout the world celebrate the sacred mysteries on the sabbath of every week, [1] yet the Christians of Alexandria and at Rome, on account of some ancient tradition, refuse to do this. The Egyptians in the neighbourhood of Alexandria, and the inhabitants of Thebais, hold their religious meetings on the sabbath …​

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... 1 That is, upon the Saturday. It should be observed, that Sunday is never called "the sabbath" (το σαββατον) by the ancient Fathers and historians, but "the Lord's day" (η κυριακη). Many of the early Christians, from their Jewish education and prejudices, continued, even as Christians, to observe the sabbath, as well as the first day of the week. Upon the whole question, see Bingham's Christ. Antiq. b. xx. ch. iii. The Latins kept the sabbath as a fast, the Greeks as a feast; and the 64th of the Apostolical Canons forbids any of the clergy to fast on the sabbath (Saturday) under pain of being deposed, and likewise a layman under the penalty of excommunication. [SOCRATES.] ..."​

I have literally a document that is somewhat about 250 pages or more with as many more historical citations. I would post the links, but I do not think I have those privileges yet.

 

[GentleGospeller]

Point 5 - your post staed - "in the beginning God worked for six days creating the heavens and the earth the Seas and all that are in them and on the seventh day he rested and since God did this you should do this as well this is the explanation given in the law as to why the Jews were to keep holy the Sabbath based on the first mythological account of creation found in the book of Genesis "

Your post stated categorically, in mere a priori assertion, and without documentation or definition, that "the Sabbath based on the first mythological account of creation found in the book of Genesis", which also implies the presenter also believes that there is not merely one account of Creation (Gen. 1:1-2:3), but also a second one contradictory to that of the first, being Gen. 2:4-25.

So, two contentions here.

[1] That Genesis 1:1-2:3 is simply "mythological"​

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[2] The Genesis contains at least 2 accounts that are "mythological", and are contradictory to one another by implication.​

God speaks to Moses by His own voice, and gave the eternal Ten Commandments by His own finger in Exo. 20:1-17. God says nothing about Genesis 1-3 being mythological, but states them as historical fact:

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Exo 20:1 And God spake all these words, saying,​

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Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.​

Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:​

Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:​

Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.​

Genesis 1-3 is itself, in Hebrew, and translated into English (etc) is written as historical narrative, just as the accounts of the global flood are (and cited by Jesus, Peter, etc) as being historically. It is specificallty cited as being historical by God even in Job:

Job 38:3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.​

Job 38:4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.​

Job 38:5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?​

Job 38:6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;​

Job 38:7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?​

Job 38:8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?​

Job 38:9 When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,​

Job 38:10 And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,​

Job 38:11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?​

Job 38:12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;​

There is not a single writer in the whole of scripture which treats the account of Genesis as "mythology". They all, in every single case, treat it as historical reality and fact, even citing their genealogy to Adam, as Luke did:

Luk 3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, ...​

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... Luk 3:38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.​

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Paul in the NT, throughout his epistles spoke on several occasions of the historical truth of the way in which God created, Col. 1:16; Eph. 3:9; Heb. 1:1-3, etc, and mentions Adam as not "mythology" but as a real historical person by which he based certain doctrine on, including marriage, the formation of the church, etc.

Paul in 1 Cor. 15:46 clearly states that the natural (historical) comes first, and then afterwards the spiritual (symbolical), for without the first the second cannot have additional meanings. The spiritual requires the natural to exist first. I canot speak symbolically, metaphorically of the 'sphere of influence' unless there is the nartural world sphere first.

Peter, in the NT cites both Creation and the Global Flood as historical fact, linking both to end time judgment:

2Pe 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:​

2Pe 3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:​

2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.​

Even Thomas Aquinas in Summa Theologica (Nihil Obstat, Imprimatur, &c), was a YEC, and natural literalist, and global deluge believer, linking both to the final global judgment. If the first were merely "mythological" and/or ethnocentric, then there can be no global judgment of God, nor of Re-Creation/Redemption. To mythologize the first is to erase the second. He even pioints out what Paul did in 1 Cor. 15:46.

Jesus in the NT, specifically referred to marriage of the first two persons of mankind, and does not equate them to "mythological":

Mat_19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,​

If Genesis is "mythological" so then is marriage and God's actual part in marriage. There is no reason to be married by being united by God since it is in the OP "mythological" and as such undermines all of stable society.

If God did not actually rest (cease from creating) then there is no logical reason to keep the day, or to even honour God as Creator, since there is no memorial to it, and no evidence that God did create since as your OP says it was "mythological", and since it was all "mythological" there is no such things as man's fall, or sin, or even need for redemption, for it is all "mythological" in the OP view. To make Genesis "mythology" is to erase all of the Ten Commandments, for there is then no reason at all to keep them to a God who Himself would then be "mythology", since the first mention of God is in Genesis. Then a person has reached atheism, or secular humanism.

Finally, Genesis 1 and 2 are not contradictory, but complimentary, the second a mere expansion of the first, as all of scripture does. Gen. 2:4 onward simply provides details of the 6th day, as found in Gen. 1. Carefully read, there is no contradiction, and this has been demonsrtated ad nausem by many writers before myself.

The Hebrew word Torah itself means "law" (facts of the case) not "mythological". Even the word toledoth means historical narrative.

 

[GentleGospeller]

Point 6 - your OP says - "even up till today Jews have observed the Sabbath on the seventh day Saturday keeping it holy with rest and worship"

This is incorrect in part.

Most (not all, some Torah) modern day Jews are Rabbincal Talmudic (and sometimes Kabbalistic) in their religion; faith and practrice, and are not the same as those identified in the NT texts. However, there is somewhat of an historical linkage in the Mizraic, Ashkenazic and Sephardic divisions, but I do not deign to get into those distinctions here. Here is the primary point:

Jews today, and historically since the time of Jesus claim to keep "sabbath", and do corporately gather on the 7th day. This is true. What is incorrect about the OP statement, is that they without Christ Jesus, the "Lord of the Sabbath" (Mat. 2:28; Luk. 6:5, &c), cannot actually keep "sabbath" properly (though some ignorantly do (without full knowledge)). The commandment requires the LORD to be with them in it. See Exo. 20:8-11. The modern days Jews mostly reject Jesus as the Messiah, as the LORD, or "God manifest in the flesh" (1 Tim. 3:16), and therefore He is not with them, by their own choice (even going so far as to place a curse upon the time prophcies of Daniel which link directly to Jesus, and in the time of the Apostles had added and extra prayer essentially blaspheming Jesus that a Christian could not say, so making clear distinction in the Jewish synagogues (places of gathering).

No Talmudic Rabbinic Jew, which rejects Jesus as the Lord of the Sabbath, is actually keeping "sabbath" proper. Oh, they may fastidiously keep 7th day according to Talmudic, Rabbinic regulations, but none of that is actually founded in God's scriptural commandments, and are instead the vain traditions of men that Jesus warned against. In other words, a true Christian that has Jesus and keeps holy the 7th day according to the commandment, is keeping "sabbath" properly, but a Jew (or any other person for that matter) that claims to keep "sabbath" without the Lord of the Sabbath - Jesus, is not keeping "sabbath" proper. They might be a 7th day keeper (of some sort or another), but that does not necessarily equate to being "sabbath" keeper. God accepts some who are ignorant of the the fullness of the truth and worship according to their best knowledge in conscience, I am not speaking about them. I am only speaking about those who know better and reject outrightly Jesus in this matter. The same applies to all Ten Commandments.

Joh_15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

This is speaking only of the theological, practical distinctions. Jews can and need to be saved like any other person on earth, in Christ Jesus.

Likewise, a Jew, today, would not really say "Saturday" for Sabbath keeping. They are specific in saying Shabat. To the Goyim (gentile) world they might use "Saturday" as a point of contact, but they also make distinction bwtween Roman time (saturday) and actual Sabbath time, the 7th day.

 

[GentleGospeller]

Point 7 - "the early Christians continued to observe the Sabbath on Saturdays because they still saw themselves as Jews they went to the
synagogue"

No. This is a bald assertion, not founded in any sort of scriptural basis or fact. In other words, the claim is simply by personal fiat made up on the spot.

Most of the early Christians were Gentiles, not Jews. The entire book of Acts demonstrates this point most throughly.

Act_13:42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.​

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Act_13:44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.​

The very first council of Jerusalem demonstrates this also:

Act 15:14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.​

Act 15:15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,​

Act 15:16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:​

Act 15:17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.​

Act 15:18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.​

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Act 15:21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.​

Act_18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.​

Notice, that the Gentiles, according to Prophecy, as cited by James in the first Jerusalem Council, were repenting unto God, and keeping God's commandments, which included the 4th Commandment.

Paul even makes a point of this:

Act_14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:​

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Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.​

If as the previous OP point stated that Creation/Genesis was "mythology", then why would Paul appeal to it? He might as well have appealed to the Gentile mythologies, Zeus, Jupiter, etc.

Acts 1:2, (4:24), 13:14,27,42,44, (14:15), 15:21, 16:13, 17:2, 18:4, (20:6, 21:4, 28:14; Paul always waited seven days, so that he could keep the Sabbath with fellow Jews, and gentile Proselytes (see Act. 2:10; 13:26,42-43,44,45-46,47-49, 14:1,2,15-16, 15:17,19,21, 17:17) and preach the gospel upon that sacred day (Act. 17:2), just as Jesus had; Luk. 4:16-21).

Luk 4:16 And he [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom [G1486, “ειωθος”] was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. (in point of fact, the Sabbath was the very day that Jesus began the Gospel preaching and freeing people from slavery to sin, giving them rest, Isa. 61:1-2; Luke 4:17-21, “this day”)​

Act 17:2 And Paul, as his manner [G1486. “ειωθος”] was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,​

Were there Jews who became Christians? Yes, see John, James, Peter, Paul, Matthew, apostles, first disciples, etc., but they were in the minority, as Paul even states in Romans, a "remnant", just as James cited in Acts 15. Paul speaks of the "fullness of the Gentiles' in contrast.

Jesus, Paul, Peter, John and James all appeal to the keeping of God's Commandments in the NT. The entire chapters 3-4 of the book of Hebrews demonstrates this very clearly.

 

[GentleGospeller]

Point 8 - resurrected scripture shows us that this tradition dates all the way back to the very first Christians with Saint Paul speaking of a collection being taken up and the act of the Apostles describing the time to break bread both of which taking place on the first day of the week"

The OP has not carefully read saint Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 16:1-2, &c) then. Look at what it says, teaches, and most definitely does not say:

1Co 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.​

1Co 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.​

1Co 16:3 And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.​

1Co 16:4 And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.​

1 Corinthians 16:2 GNT TR - κατὰ μίαν σαββάτων ἕκαστος ὑμῶν παρ᾽ ἑαυτῷ τιθέτω θησαυρίζων ὅ τι ἂν εὐοδῶται ἵνα μὴ ὅταν ἔλθω τότε λογίαι γίνωνται​

[01.] 1 Corinthians 16:2, says nothing of a regular weekly meeting by anyone on “the first [day] of the week”, at ‘church’ ,’synagogue’ or any other location.

[02.] The Apostle Paul (Romans 1:1, 11:13; 1 Corinthians 1:1, 9:1-2, 15:9; 2 Corinthians 1:1, 12:12; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1; Colossians 1:1; 1 Timothy 1:1, 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:1,11; Titus 1:1) never once designates the “first [day] of the week” as “the sabbath” (the 7th day), or even a replacement for “the sabbath”, or that the sabbath was no longer “holy”, or to be kept as such by the follower of God, or no longer the (4th) “commandment” of God (Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15) to be obeyed by Christians (Jews & Gentiles), in any part of the book of Acts of the Apostles, which records the entire history from the time of Jesus to the time of the death of Paul in Rome (Acts 28:16,30; 2 Timothy 4:6-8), or in his Epistles (Romans to Hebrews). Paul simply calls the day the “first”, even as the people of God have from the beginning.

[03.] Paul never identifies the “first [day] of the week” as “the Lord’s day” (Revelation 1:10; really the 7th day the sabbath of the LORD, see Isaiah 58:13; Mark 2:27; &c.) anywhere in the book of the Acts or his Epistles (Romans to Hebrews).

[04.] Paul in the book of Acts, and in his Epistles (Romans to Hebrews) meets with Jews, Gentiles and Christians upon the ”sabbath” (the 7th day) many times (Acts 13:14,27,42,44, 15:21, 16:31, 17:2, (3 consecutive sabbaths) 18:4 (“every sabbath”; also vs 11, a “year and six months”, which is 52 weeks + 26 weeks, being 78 consecutive sabbaths met together on by both Jew and Gentile with the Apostle Paul and others, and in Acts 18:23, “he had spent some time there” (several sabbaths); in Act 19:8, “for the space of three months” (12 sabbaths); in Acts 19:10, “continued by the space of two years” (104 sabbaths), “in Acts 19:22, “for a season” (several sabbaths), in Acts 20:3, “three months” (12 sabbaths), and in Acts 20:7 (afterward, meets with the disciples again that night which begins the next day), and in Acts 20:18,31, “all seasons, ”a space of three years” (156 sabbaths)), and in Romans to Philemon (Romans 1:18, 2:26-27, 3:31, 6:1-23, 7:7,12,14,16, 8:4-14, 9:6-8,27,31,32, 11:1-36, 12:1,2,5,9, 13:8-14, 15:1-27, 16:17-19; 1 Corinthians 9:21; Ephesians 6:2; 1 Timoth7 1:8; Galatians 2:18, 5:14; [01.] [Ex. 20:1-3] Acts 14:15-16, 24:14; 1 Corinthians 8:5-6; [02.] [Ex. 20:4-6] Acts 15:20, 17:29; 1 Corinthians 10:7,14, 12:2; 2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; Galatians 5:20-21; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5; [03.] [Ex. 20:7] Romans 2:24; Colossians 3:8; Ephesians 5:4; 1 Timothy 6:1; [04.] [Ex. 20:8-11] Acts 13:14-16,42,44, 14:15-16, 15:21 (see Isaiah 56:6) , 16:13, 17:2 (compare Luke 4:16), 18:4,7 (see John 16:2),11 (over 78 sabbaths kept consecutively, with Jews, Gentiles and whole city at least once); Hebrews 4:1-12 (especially vs 9; “rest” = koine Greek “σαββατισμός”, “sabbatismos”), 10:25 (the Lord’s day, the 7th day in weekly cycle and also the greater ‘Day of the LORD’, the 1000 years); [05.] [Ex. 20:12] Ephesians 6:1-3; Colossians 3:20; [06.] [Ex. 20:13] Romans 1:29,32, 13:8-10; [07.] [Ex. 20:14] Romans 13:8-10 Colossians 3:18-19; [08.] [Ex. 20:15] Romans 2:21, 13:8-10; Ephesians 4:28; [09.] [Ex. 20:16] Romans 13:8-10; Colossians 3:9; [10.] [Ex. 20:17] Romans 1:29,32, 7:7, 13:8-10; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; Hebrews 13:5), Paul always magnifies the Law of God, the Ten Commandments to be kept by the Christian, and in Hebrews 4:1-12 shows that true sabbath-keeping continues from the beginning of the foundation of the world for the Christian).

[05.] Paul never states (explicitly, or implicitly) in any location (Acts or Epistles of Paul) that Christians were to gather merely upon “the first [day] of the week” in honour of Christ’s resurrection. Paul specifically records that Christians honour Christ’s resurrection through an event, called “baptism” (Romans 6:1-23; Colossians 2:12).

[06.] Paul makes direct mention of the “first [day] of the week” only 1 time in his Epistles (1 Corinthians 16:2), and also meets with some believers at an evening (night) meeting thereupon, as recorded by Luke (Acts 20:7). Paul never actually met with anyone, or preached, in the Corinthian church upon the “first [day] of the week” in the context of 1 Corinthians 16:1-10, even as he says, “For I will not see you now by the way …” (vs 7).

[07.] In 1 Corinthians 16:2, (and context) neither did any of the believers meet together upon “the first [day] of the week”, for the text in plain English reads, “let every one of you lay by him in store, as [God] hath prospered him”, which is a personal matter to be done as an individual, in the privacy of their own homes or households, taking stock of their own personal goods. Even the koine (common) Greek reads just as emphatically, “ὑμῶν παρ᾽ ἑαυτῷ τιθέτω θησαυρίζων ὅ τι ἂν εὐοδῶται” [umon par [h]eautw tithetw thesaurizwn o ti an euodwtai]. The words are in the ”singular” (ie. Individual persons),”let” (V-PAM-3S), ”every one” (A-NSM), “lay” (V-PAM-3S), “him” (F-3DSM), “in store” (V-PAP-NSM), “as” (R-ASN), (Gr.) “ti” (X-ASN), “hath prospered him” (V-PPS-3S).

[08.] The “in store” (θησαυρίζων [thesaurizwn; G2343; V-PAP-NSM]) is not the collective ‘storehouse or treasury’ of the collective church body, but rather the individual and personal storage place of their own goods at their home and household. After the Sabbath was over, the individual persons, were to take inventory of their prosperity (given them by God), and put something extra (beyond their tithe/firstfruits and general offerings to God) aside for those in Jerusalem (vs 3), for Paul was determined to be thereby Pentecost (vs 8; see also Acts 18:21).

[09.] The special (extra, beyond tithe and general offerings, “as God hath prospered”) “collection” (vs 1), or “gatherings (of liberality)” (vs 2-3), are not commanded to be given by the believers in Corinth or Galatia (vs 1) at all seasons, or for all of time. The context of the special request for a collection to be taken later from individuals, was for those specifically in “Jerusalem” (vs 3), and no other place was mentioned. Why? It was because there was a “great dearth” (Acts 11:28), and many “poor” (Galatians 2:10; Romans 15:25-33) there. Paul, as he went about, and wrote, had asked believers in several places about this timely subject (2 Corinthians 1:15-16, 8:1-24, 9:1-5; Acts 11:27-30, 24:17; Romans 15:25-33; Galatians 2:1,10, 6:9-10). Paul, when he finally arrived in their area, would send specially chosen persons by those congregations to Jerusalem with those means (vs 3) that had already been put aside each week, all that time from the time Paul asked, for that purpose (vs 2). The event is recorded as an example of what can be done for special cases of emergency when they arise.

[10.] The Corinthian believers in 1 Corinthians 16:2 (and context) neither meet together for “the Lord’s Supper” (1 Corinthians 10:16-21, 11:20).

The context even lacks those additional things and phrases which accompanied it:

[I.] “cup” (Exodus 24:11 (“drink”); 1 Chronicles 28:17; Jeremiah 52:9; Matthew 26:27; Mark 14:23; Luke 22:17,20; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21, 11:25-29);​

[II] “fruit of the vine” (pure juice of the grape; Matthew 26:29; Mark 14:25; Luke 22:18; 1 Corinthians 10:16 (“blessing”);​

[III] “Lord’s table” (Exodus 35:13, 39:36; Leviticus 24:6; 1 Kings 7:48; 2 Chronicles 4:19, 13:11, 29:18; Ezekiel 41:22; Malachi 1:7,12; 1 Corinthians 10:21);​

[IV] “Lord’s supper” (1 Corinthians 11:20,21; Luke 22:20; John 13:2,4, 21:20; Revelation 19:9);​

[V] “wash the disciples feet” (John 13:5-17; 1 Timothy 5:10);​

[VI] “water” (John 13:5);​

[VII] “servant (‘service’)” (John 13:16);​

[VIII] “blood” (Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25; Hebrews 9:11-28);​

[IX] “testament” (Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25; Hebrews 9:11-28);​

[X] the significance of the “Lord’s supper” was not to show the resurrection, but rather the “Lord’s death” (1 Corinthians 11:26).​

[11.] The context even reveals that there was nothing that is associated with common congregational meeting. There was no:

[I.] “worship” (Isaiah 66:23; Mathew 2:2; John 4:21,23-24; Acts 24:14; &c.);​

[II] “temple” (Malachi 3:1; Acts 2:46, 3:1,2,3,8,10, 4:1, 5:20,21,24,25,42, 21:26-30, 22:17, 24:6,12,18, 25:8, 26:21, &c.);​

[III] “Synagogue” (Mathew 13:54; Mark 1:21,23,29, 3:1, 5:22,36,38, 6:2; Luke 4:16,20,28,33,38, 6:6, 7:5, 8:41, 13:14; John 6:59, 9:22, 12:42, 18:20; Acts 6:9,​

13:14,15,42, 14:1, 17:1,10,17, 18:4,7,8,17,19,26, 19:8, 22:19, 26:11; Revelation 2:9, 3:9);​

[IV] “house to house” (Luke 10:7,38; Acta 2:46, 16:15, 20:20; 1 Timothy 5:13) or “upper room/chamber” (Mark 14:15; Luke 22:12; Acts 1:13, 9:37,39, 20:8);​

[V] “meeting” (Isaiah 1:13) or “convocation” (Exodus 12:16; Leviticus 23:3,7,8,21,24,27,35,36; Numbers 28:18,25,26, 29:1,7,12);​

[VI] “Lord’s Supper” (1 Corinthians 11:20,21; Luke 22:20; John 13:2,4, 21:20; Revelation 19:9);​

[VII] “breaking of bread” [in simple fellowship or otherwise] (Luke 24:35; Acts 2:42,46, 20:7,11; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:20);​

[VIII] “prayers” [collectively, or individually] (Acts 2:42, 10:4, 11:5, 12:12; Romans 1:9, 15:30; 1 Corinthians 11:4; 2 Corinthians 8:4; Ephesians 1:16, 6:18;​

Colossians 1:3, 4:13,2; 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 3:10; 1 Timothy 2:1, 5:5; 2 Timothy 1:3; Philemon 1:4,22; Hebrews 5:7; 1 Peter 3:7,12; Jude 1:20; Revelation 5:8,​

8:3-4);​

[IX] “supplications” (2 Chronicles 6:21,39; Psalms 28:2,6, 31:2, 86:6, 116:1, 130:2, 140:6, 143:1; Jeremiah 3:21, 31:9; Daniel 6:11, 9:3,17,18,20,23; Hosea 12:4;​

Zechariah 12:10; Acts 1:14; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6; 1 Timothy 2:1, 5:5; Hebrews 5:7; &c);​

[X] “confession” [of sins to God, or faults to one another] (James 5:16; 1 John 1:9);​

[XI] “tithe” (Genesis 14:20; Leviticus 27:30,31,32; Numbers 18:24,26,28; Deuteronomy 12:6,11,17, 14:22,23,28, 26:12; 2 Chronicles 31:5,6,12; Nehemiah​

10:37,38, 12:44, 13:5,12; Amos 4:4; Malachi 3:8,10; Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42, 18:12; Hebrews 7:5,6,8,9, &c (see “firstfruits”));​

[XII] “offering” [general] (Malachi 3:4,8; Luke 21:4; Acts 24:17);​

[XIII] collection “baskets” (Matthew 14:20, 15:37, 16:9-10; Mark 6:43, 8:8,19-20; Luke 9:17; John 6:13);​

[XIV] church “storehouse” (Malachi 3:10);​

[XV] singing, psalms or hymns (1 Chronicles 16:9; Psalms 95:2, 105:2; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; James 5:13);​

[XVI] “exhortation” (preaching and/or teaching) (Luke 3:18; Acts 13:15, 16:2, 20:2; Romans 12:8; 1 Corinthians 14:3; 2 Corinthians 8:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:3; 1​

Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 4:2; Hebrews 12:5, 13:22);​

[XVII] reading from the word of God (Luke 4:16;Acts 13:15; 2 Corinthians 3:14; 1 Timothy 4:13);​

[12.] Even if 1 Corinthians 16:2 is to be taken as a ‘pattern’ for weekly, or continual, behavior among Christians meeting for service in worship (which it shouldn’t be, as no one who incorrectly thinks to make it about a weekly gathering of the body of Christ Jesus into one place in a worship setting actually follow to the letter what is written therein), then what takes place therein, is persons staying at home, as individuals, on the “first [day] of the week”, and taking account of personal business of the house, after the Sabbath was over, to determine how much they have been prospered of God, so that they can later assist only those who are poor in the earthly city of Jerusalem during a time of want, as foretold by the prophet Agabus (Acts 11:28) and others, while all of the other things associated are left out altogether (singing, prayer, reading the word, preaching, teaching, exhorting, etc).

 

[GentleGospeller]

Point 9 - the OP says - "the early 2nd century that dedicate taught only of the Lord's Day saying nothing of the Sabbath observance"

This is also incorrect, as pointed out already in point 4. I have hundreds of historical citations, from many types of religionists, historians, etc, to the contrary.

A Learned Treatise of the Sabaoth, written by Mr. Edward Brerewood (1631) (Professor in Gresham College, London), section Mr. [Nicholas] Byfields Answere With Mr Brerewoods Reply, The second Edition diligently corrected, page 77.​

​

"... [page 77] and especially because it is certaine (and little doe you knowe of the ancient condition of the Church if you knowe it not) that the ancient Sabbath did remaine and was observed ... by the Christians of the East Church above 300 years after our Saviours death; and beside that, no other day for more hundred of yeares then I spake of before, was known in the Church by the name of Sabbath, but that; let the collection thereof and conclusion of all bee this; the Sabbath of the seaveneth day as touching the alligation of Gods solemne worship to it, ... that Sabbath was religiously observed in the East Church 300 yeares and more, after our Saviours passion. That Church being a great part of Christendome, and having the Apostles doctrine and example to instruct them, would have restrained it, if it had beene deadly ..."​

Thomas H. Morer (1651-1715), Church of England, "Divine" - A Discourse in six dialogues on the name, notion and observation of the Lord's Day : with an account of several canons, decrees, and laws, foreign and English, for the keeping it holy ... by Morer, Thomas (1701), London, page 189​

​

"... [page 189] And in summ, The Holy Fathers saith Balsamon, ... the sabbath ... respected in Ancient times. And tho' in the Western-Church especially, this Custom wore off by degrees, and is now altogether laid by, yet still are some marks of it in other places, as among the Aethiopians, Melchitae and Abyssins, as (82) as Brerewood informs us ...​

​

... We must yield therefore that the Primitive Christians had a great veneration for the Sabbath, and spent the Day in Devotion and Sermons. And 'tis not to be doubted but they derived this Practice from the Apostles themselves, as appears (84) by several Scriptures to that purpose ...​

​

... (82) Tract. Div. Lin. & Relig. ... (84) Acts xiii. 14, xvi. 13, xviii. 4."​

Theodor von Zahn (10 October 1838 in Moers - 5 March 1933 in Erlangen) - Geschichte des Sonntags vornehmlich in der alten Kirche. Vortrag by Theodor von Zahn (1878), page 14.​

[GERMAN] "… [page 14] Der Sabbath zumal war ein starkes Band der Gemeinschaft, welches sie mit dem leben des gesammten Volks verknupfte; und indem sie den Sabbath heilig hielt, folgte sie nicht nur dem Beispiel, sondern auch der Anweifung Jesu. ..."​

John Nevins Andrews (July 22, 1829 - October 21, 1883) (Seventh-day Adventist missionary, writer, editor and scholar) - History of the Sabbath and the first day of the week by Andrews, John Nevins, 1829-1883; Conradi, L. R (1912), page 440​

[ENGLISH] "... [page 440] Besides, the Sabbath was a strong tie which united them with the life of the whole people, and in keeping the Sabbath holy, they followed not only the example, but also the command of Jesus. 6 … (6 Geschichte des Sonntags, pp. 13, 14)"​

"Right Rev." Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667) (Church of Ireland, England) - The whole works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor : with a life of the author, and a critical examination of his writings, Volume IX, by Taylor, Jeremy (1852), page 456-457​

​

"... [page 456] § 49. Upon this or some equal account the primitive Christians did keep the sabbath of the Jews; ... therefore the Christians for a long time together did keep their conventions upon the sabbath, in which some portions of the law were read t: and this [page 456-457] continued till the time of the Laodicean council u, which also took care that reading of the gospels should be mingled with their reading of the law ..."​

​

"... t [Acts XV. 21.] ..."​

​

"... u Can. xvi. A.D. 364 [tom. i. col. 783.] ..."​

​

John C. L. Gieseler - (3 March 1792 - 8 July 1854) (Protestant German Church Historian) - A Text-Book of Church History by Dr. John C. [Carl] [or K. for Karl] L. Gieseler, translated from the fourth revised German Edition; by Samuel Davidson, LL.D.; Professor of Biblical Literature and Ecclesiastical History In the Lancashire Independent College, A new American Edition, Revised and Edited, by Henry B. Smith, Professor in the Union Theological Seminar, New York, Volume I, A.D. 1-726 (1876), Chapter II - Apostolic Age to A.D. 70. § 30. Constitution, page 93​

​

"… [page 93] the Gentile Christians observed also the Sabbath ..."​

John Ley (4 February 1583 - 16 May 1662) (English clergyman and member of the Westminster Assembly) - Sunday, A Sabbath By John Ley (1641), London, page 163​

​

"... [page 163] First, for the time of the Apostles, their practice for religious and solemne Assemblies on the Jewes Sabbath is plaine, in the relation of their act by St. Luke, whereof they that doubt may reade their owne resolution, and receive satisfaction in Act.13.ver.14,42,44. Act.16.23. and chap.27.ver. besides other places.​

​

Secondly, from the Apostles time untill the counsell of Laodicea, which was about the yeare 364. the holy observation of the Jewes Sabbath continued, as may be proved out of many g Authors; yea (not withstanding the Decree of that Councell against it.) about the yeare 380. ..."​

​

"... g Ignat. ep. ad. Magnes. p. 77. edit. V. edel. Athanas. tract, de semente Socrat. Scholast. hist. lib. 6. ca.8. & ca.29. Centuriat. Cent. 406. col. 410. Concil. Laod. can. 29. tom. I. concil. pag. 300. edit. Bin. 1636. Paris. in lib. qui inscrib. canon Apost: & Sancter. Concil. 4. per. Jo. Tilium Hospin. de. orig. Fester. Christian. cap. 9. ..."​

Peter Heylyn (29 November 1599 - 8 May 1662) (English ecclesiastic) - ΚΕΙΜΗΛΙΑ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣΤΙΚΑ* (Keimelia Ekklesiastika); The Historical and Miscellaneous Tracts of the Reverend and Learned Peter Heylyn, D.D., Now Collected into one Volume : ... [CHAPTER] II. The History of the SABBATH; in two Parts; ... London, Printed by M. Clark, for Charles harper at the Flower-de-luce over against St. Dunflan's Church in Fleetstreet, 1681, pages 412, 414, 415, 416, 426, 427​

"... [page 412] the Saturday, or ancient Sabbath being mean-while retained in the Eastern Churches. …"​

​

"... [page 414] The Ebionites, they stood hard for the Jewish Sabbath, and would by all means have it celebrated, as it had been formerly ..."​

​

"... [page 415] And so it was observed in the Eastern parts, where those of the dispersion had took up their seats; and having long time had their meetings on the Sabbath day, could not so easily be persuaded from it. …"​

​

"... [page 415] As for St. Austin, he conceives the reason of it, to be the several uses which men made of our Saviours resting in the grave, the whole Sabbath day. For thence it came to pass, saith he, that some, especially the Eastern people, Ad requiem significandam mallent relaxare jejunium, to signifie and denote that rest, did not use to fast; where on the other side, those of the Church of Rome and some Western Churches, kept it always fasting. Propter humilitatem mortis Domini, by reason that our Lord, that day, lay buried in the sleep of Death. …"​

​

"... [page 415] Now as the African and the Western Churches were severally devoted either to the Church of Rome, or other Churches in the East: so did they follow in this manner, of the Sabbaths fast, the practice of those parts, to which they did most adhere. Millain though near Rome, followed the practice of the East : which shews how little power the Popes then had even within Italy it self. Paulinus tells us also of St. Ambrose, that he did never use to dine, nisi die sabbati & Dominico, &c. but on the Sabbath, the Lord's day, and on the Anniversaries of the Saints and Martyrs. Yet so, that when he was at Rome, he used to do as they there did, submitting to the Orders of the Church in the which he was. [page 415-416]​

​

[page 416] When that so celebrated speech of his, Cum hic sum, non jejuno Sabbato; cum Romae sum jejuno Sabbato : at Rome he did; at Millain he did not fast the Sabbath. Nay, which is more, Saint Augustine tells us, that many times in Africa, one and the self-same Church, at least the several Churches in the self-same Province, had some that dined upon Sabbath; and some that fasted. And in this difference it stood a long time together, till in the end the Roman Church obtained the cause, and Saturday became a Fast, almost through all the parts of the Western World. I say the Western World, and of that alone : The Eastern Churches being so far from altering their ancient custom, that in the sixth Council of Constantinople, Anno 692, they did admonish those of Rome to forbear fasting on that day, upon pain of Censures. …"​

​

"... [page 426] As for the Saturday, that retained its wonted credit in the Eastern Churches ...​

​

... which were appointed for meetings of the Congregation. ...​

​

... And first, beginning with the Synod held in Laodicea, a Town of Phrygia, Anno. 314. there passed a Canon, Περι το εν σαββατω ευαγγελια κατα ετερων γραφων αναγινωσκεσθαι, touching the reading of the Gospels, with other Scriptures up- [page 426-427] on the Saturday, or Sabbath; that in the time of Lent there should be no oblation made …"​

​

"... [page 427] Nor was this only the particular will of those two and thirty Prelates that there assembled; it was the practice too of the Alexandrians. S. Athanasius Patriarch there, affirms that they assembled on the Sabbath days, not that they were infected any whit with Judaism, which was far from them; but that they came together on the Sabbath day to worship Jesus Christ, the Lord of the sabbath. παραγεγοναμεν δε εν σαββατω τον κυριον το σαββατο 'Ιησον προσκινησαντες, as the Father hath it. So for the Church of Millain, which as before I said, in some certain things followed the Churches of the East; it seems the Saturday was held in a fair esteem, and joyned together with the Sunday. Crastino die & Sabbato, & Dominico, de orationis ordine dicemus, as S. Ambrose hath it. ..."​

William Prynne's A Briefe Polemicall Disseration on the True Time of the Inchoation and Determination of the Lord's-Day-Sabbath, 1655 [page 33-34. University of Michigan.edu online digital collection, manually entered/typed]​

"... [page 33] 5. It is certain, that Christ himself, his Apostles, and the Primitive Christians, for some good space of time did constantly observe the seventh day Sabbath, after [page 33-34] Christs Passion, and Resurrection; the Evangelists, and Saint Luke in the Acts, ever stiling it, the Sabbath-day (which name it yet retains in * Latine) and making mention of its conscionable solemnization by the Apostles, and other Christians. Mark 16. 1. Luke 23. 56. See Mark 15. 42. and Luke 23. 54. Matth. 24. 20. Acts 1. 12. c. 13, 14, 27. 42. 44. c. 14. 1. c. 15. 20, 21. c. 17. 1, 2, 10. and c. 18. 4. it being still solemnized by many Christians, after the Apostles times, even till the Council of laodicea, about the year of our Lord 360. as Ecclesiasticall writers, and the 29th Canon of this Council testifie, which runs thus, s Quod non oportet Christianos Judaizare, & otiare in Sabbato, sed operari in eodem die. (which many did refuse at that time to do ...​

​

... Since therefore the seventh day Sabbath was thus solemnized by Christ, the Apostles, and Primitive Christians, after the resurrection till this Laodicean Council did in a manner quite abolish the observation of it ...​

​

... For the seventh day Sabbath, (as I have proved in the second Conclusion) did ever begin and end at Evening, and is so solemnized and begun by the Jews at this day …"​

“... *. Dies Sabbati being the Latin name for Saturday. ...”​

​

“... s. Surius Concil. Tom. 1. p. 436. ...”​

Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 1, Verso 4-11 (Gospel of Thomas, verse 27) (3rd Century, AD 201 – AD 300)​

​

[GREEK Original, UNCIALS]​

" ΛEΓEΙ​

ΙC EAN MH NHCTEYCH​

TAI TON KOCMON OY MH​

EYPHTAI THN BACIΛEI​

AN TOY ΘY KAI EAN MH​

CABBATICHTE TO CAB-​

BATON OYK OΨECTE TO​

ΠPA"​

[IC, or Iota Sigma (old) = (shorthand) Iesous = Jesus]​

[ΘY, or Theta Upsilon = (shorthand) Theou = God]​

[TO ΠPA, or Tau Omicron Pi Rho Alpha = (shorthand) Patera = the Father]​

​

[GREEK Lowercase with words elongated to standard format]​

" legei​

iesou ean me nesteuse​

tai ton kosmon ou me​

euretai ten basilei​

an tou theou kai ean me​

sabbatisete to sab-​

baton ouk opseste to patera"​

​

Which reads in modern left to right Greek with spelling in full:​

​

"legei iesou ean me nesteuse tai ton kosmon ou meeuretai ten basilei an tou theou kai ean me sabbatisete to sabbaton ouk opseste to patera"​

​

[ENGLISH]​

"4-11: (27) Said​

Jesus: "If you do not fast​

to the world, you will not​

find the kingdom​

of God; and if you do not​

make the sabbath a sab-​

bath, you will not see the​

Father."​

(Cf. NHC II, 38: 17-20)"​

Many more (hundreds of pages) may likewise be cited.​

 

[GentleGospeller]

Point 10 - as the OP says - "Saint Ignatius of Antioch wrote those who lived according to the old order of things have come to a new hope no longer keeping the Sabbath but the Lord's Day in which our life is blessed by him and by his death by the mid 4th century this explanation was taught in an official Council of the church Christians should not Judy eyes and should not be idle on the Sabbath but work on that day they should however particularly reverence the Lord's Day and if possible not work on it because they are Christians from almost the very beginning Christians"

What about the so-called 'ECF" (Easily Confused Fellows, whom some call Early Church Father's)?

Another thing I have found, is that people attempt to define "the Lord's day" (Rev. 1:10), not by scripture, as is proper, but rather by the so-called "ECF" (the 'easily confused fellows', some whom mis-identify as the "early church father's"; of the 1-4th century AD, etc), instead of going back to the real "fathers"; the Patriarchs and Prophets of Scripture themselves, like John, James and Peter and Paul, and even further back unto Abraham, Moses, David, and those like them, and have those "fathers" tell us, as mouthpieces for God. I find them in the inspired and preserved words of God, and I do not find people like spurious Ignatius, imaginary Didache, self-refuting pseudo-Barnabas, misused Pliny the Younger, etc.


There are forgeries, alterations, spurious additions and subtractions, pseudo-authors among other great chicanery that takes place.

Bob Pickle, at Pickle Publishing as a great article on Ignatius. I recommend checking it out.

For Ignatius there are conflicting lengths, editions, etc,

From CCEL:

"... For if we still live according to the Jewish law, and the circumcision of the flesh, we deny that we have received grace.—ch. 8.​

​

But let every one of you keep the Sabbath after a spiritual manner, rejoicing in meditation on the law, not in relaxation of the body, admiring the workmanship of God, and not eating things prepared the day before, nor using lukewarm drinks, and walking within a prescribed space, nor finding delight in dancing and plaudits which have no sense in them. And after the observance of the Sabbath, let every friend of Christ keep the Lord's Day as a festival, the resurrection-day, the queen and chief of all the days [of the week].—ch. 9.​

​

It is absurd to speak of Jesus Christ with the tongue, and to cherish in the mind a Judaism which has now come to an end. For where there is Christianity there cannot be Judaism.—ch. 10.​

​

These things [I address to you], my beloved, not that I know any of you to be in such a state; but, as less than any of you, I desire to guard you beforehand, that ye fall not upon the hooks of vain doctrine, but that you may rather attain to a full assurance in Christ . . . .—ch. 11. ..."​

"Let's examine the longer form first, with which the reader will immediately notice a severe problem. The very quote that is supposed to prove that "Christians . . . never [worshipped] on the Sabbath" actually commands "every" Christian to "keep the Sabbath"! Moreover, since the quote also forbids Judaizing, it follows that the writer of the long form of this epistle believed that Sabbath keeping transcended Judiaism. In other words, a Christian could tell people that they needed to keep the Sabbath without being guilty of Judaizing"

The words "and after the observance of the Sabbath" were intentionally deleted from the quote. Another example of fraud?

There is also the so called shorter form.

Both are forgeries in the name of "Ignatius", and as such are noted as all benig "spurious".

Epistles of Ignatius.​

Albert H. Newman:​

​

"This form (longer recension of Ignatian letters) is now universally regarded as a gross fabrication, and is supposed to have been composed in the 4th, 5th, or 6th, Century. ...​

​

... Some accept these writings as in the main genuine, but suppose them to have been interpolated to a very conisderable extant. ..." - A Manual of Church History, Vol 1., by Albert H Newman, page 222​

​

"... [they] have been interpolated beyond almost any other document of history. ..." - ibid., page 226.​

​

Kirsopp Lake:​

​

"... It was early seen that the long recension contained several letters which were clearly not genuine, and that those which had the most claim to acceptance, as having been mentioned by Eusebius, were greatly corrupted by obvious interpolations. ...​

​

... The text of this recension (short) is nowhere extant in a pure form. ..." - The Apostolic Fathers, Vol. 1, by Kirsopp Lake, page 168​

​

J. B. Lightfoot:​

​

"... The Igantian question is the most perplexing which confronts the student of early Church History. ...​

​

... The author of Supernautral Religion has no hesitation on the subject. "The whole of the Ignatian literatuire," he writes, "is a [page 339-340] mass of falsification and fraud."* "It is not possible," he says, "even if the Epistle [to the Smyrnaeans] were genuine, which it is not, to have any such conclusion upon these words." t And again : --​

​

"We must, however, go much further, and assert that none of the Epistles have any value as evidence for an earlier period than the end of the second, or beginning of the third, century, even if they have any value at all." tt​

​

An immediately afterwards : --​

​

"We have just seen that the martyr-journey of Ignatius to Rome is, for cogent reasons, declared to be wholly fabulous, and the Epistles purporting to be written during that journey must be held to be spurious." " - Contemporary Review, Vol. 25, by J. B. Lightfoot, page 339-340​

Some only think that a portion are forgeries (even catholic scholars admit to partial forgeries, emendations, etc), and yet try to attempt to accept a portion as valid. The same rules they invalid the first, somehow get thrown out the window in the second batch, when they all demonstrate the same level of tomfoolery by someone or someones in the late AD centuries. Who?, is anyone's guess.

The point being, why rely upon unknown authorship, with uncertain materials, when the word of God is known, and validated by 10's of thousands of mss, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Syriack, etc. and even corroborated by Lectionaries

Others usually mentioned are:

The original Greek (Didache 14:1) does not have the word for "day" anywhere in that sentence and secondly, neither is the word "Sunday" present.

​

CCEL:​

​

"... 1. Κατὰ κυριακὴν δὲ κυρίου συναχθέντες κλάσατε ἄρτον καὶ εὐχαριστήσατε, προεξομολογησάμενοι τὰ παραπτώματα ὑμῶν, ὅπως καθαρὰ ἡ θυσία ὑμῶν ᾐ. ..."​

Where is the word for "day" (hemera)? Where is the word for "Sunday"? Where is the word "first"?

It literally reads, "κυριακὴν δὲ κυρίου" (Lord's of Lord).

The translation that most propose to prove Sunday sacredness or that it is the 'Lord's day' is imaginary.

Two points can be made:

​

1. The Greek word for "day" does not even appear in the passage. It has been added by the translators.​

​

2. Even if the addition of the word "day" is correct, the passage does not specifically say which day is meant by the Lord's day. It could just as well refer to the Sabbath, since that is the only day the Bible says belongs to the Lord.​

So far, we have spurious and imaginary.

Then they attempt Pseudo Barnabas:

According to pseudo-Barnabas (ought we to really trust a letter that claims to be from another, didn't Paul warn about such letters being circulated? 2 Thessalonians 2:2), we are too wicked (Christians are too wicked???) at present to keep the 7th day the Sabbath of the LORD, and will not be able to keep it until we are sanctified when Christ returns (so we are going to keep Sabbath again in the New Heavens and New Earth, that doesn't sound like people use this quote for). Because we are too wicked to keep the Sabbath now, we must keep Sunday instead. What good does this reasoning do for the cause of Sunday sacredness or holiness if we are too wicked?

Pseudo Barnabas also teaches the earth ends in the 7,000th year from creation. Do they accept this also?, No, as they believe in the false philosophy of evolutionism and long-agism, or simply mythologize or allegorize the whole of it into nothingness.

Next is the forgery of Justin Martyr (yes, I have a paper demonstrating this, but cannot link to it yet):

“'And on the day that is called the Sun's Day there is an assembly of all who live in the towns or the country......' - Justin Martyr, Apologia 1, LXVII, circa 150 AD.”​

To which I say, 'Oh, the forged portion, Chapter 67, got it.' It is "known only from the unreliable manuscript A (Parisinus graecus 450, of 1364 [that's 14th Cent.])" [1] [emphasis supplied, brackets added].

Pliny the Younger -

Pliny the Younger, does not say 'first day of the week', neither '8th day'.

Here is what Pliny the Younger, states (Tyrranus (com)):

​

"... They stated that the sum of their guilt or error amounted to this, that they used to gather on a stated day before dawn and sing to Christ as if he were a god, and that they took an oath not to involve themselves in villainy, but rather to commit no theft, no fraud, no adultery; not to break faith, nor to deny money placed with them in trust. Once these things were done, it was their custom to part and return later to eat a meal together, innocently, although they stopped this after my edict, in which I, following your mandate, forbade all secret societies. ..." - [Pliny The Younger; Epistulae, Volume X, Number 96 [English]]​

​

"... Adfirmabant autem hanc fuisse summam vel culpae suae vel erroris, quod essent soliti stato die ante lucem convenire carmenque Christo quasi deo dicere secum invicem seque sacramento non in scelus aliquod obstringere, sed ne furta, ne latrocinia, ne adulteria committerent, ne fidem fallerent, ne depositum appellati abnegarent; quibus peractis, morem sibi discedendi fuisse rursusque coeundi ad capiendum cibum, promiscuum tamen et innoxium; quod ipsum facere desisse post edictum meum, quo secundum mandata tua hetaerias esse vetueram. ..." [Pliny The Younger; Epistulae, Volume X, Number 96 [Latin]]​

The "day" is not specifically given, nor specifically enumerated, and definitely doesn't say 'first day of the week', or '8th day' in English or Latin.

In the book of Acts, the discples would gather on sabbath (13:14,27,42,44, 15:21, 16:13, 17:2, 18:4), hundreds of times.

Luke specifically records the word ”sabbath” (the 7th day) 27 times (actually 29 times, with the koine Greek of Luke 24:1; Act 20:7 considered); Luke 4:16,31, 6:1,2,5,6,7,9, 13:10,14(x2),15,16, 14:1,3,5, 23:54,56; Acts 1:12, 13:14,27,42,44, 15:21, 16:31, 17:2, (3 consecutive sabbaths) 18:4 (“every sabbath”; also vs 11, a “year and six months”, which is 52 weeks + 26 weeks, being 78 consecutive sabbaths met together on by both Jew and Gentile with the Apostle Paul and others, and in Acts 18:23, “he had spent some time there” (several sabbaths); in Act 19:8, “for the space of three months” (12 sabbaths); in Acts 19:10, “continued by the space of two years” (104 sabbaths), “in Acts 19:22, “for a season” (several sabbaths), in Acts 20:3, “three months” (12 sabbaths), and in Acts 20:18,31, “all seasons, ”a space of three years” (156 sabbaths)).

Hebrews 4 (vs 9) also states the same, as does Revelation 1:10. More on those as needful.

The day begins with the "evening" in scripture:

Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.​

​

Lev_23:32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.​

​

Mar_1:32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.​

​

Psa 104:19 He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.​

Psa 104:20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.​

Psa 104:21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.​

Psa 104:22 The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.​

Psa 104:23 Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.​

Psa 104:24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.​

Thus the disciples would eat, pray, and follow that by sleeping through the night, and awake before sunrise, as Jesus would (Joshua 3:1 (type); Mark 1:35), gather just before sunrise on Sabbath "morning" to worship their LORD, as He did (His Father), as given in "example" (1 Pet. 2:21).

Jos 3:1 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]tim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.​

​

Mar 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he [Jesus] went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.​

​

1Pe_2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:​

There is no just before sunrise weekly meeting of disciples in the NT on the first day of the week. Even in Acts 20, Paul was up all night long, after sabbath was over, even until "midnight" (Acts 20:7) with a specific church of Christians in Troas, to 'confim' the church (as in Acts 15:41) as he had for the others as he travelled towards Rome. After the specical event with Eutychus, Paul continued his farwell with them until sunrise ("break of day") and left, for a 19 mile or so trip by foot to Assos. There is no repeat of this one time farewell event. It was not a weekly event, and there is no indication in English or koine Greek that it was so. The only weekly event in Acts 20, is the sabbath (vs 7), which occurs every seventh day, which is why Paul waited "seven days" (Acts 20:6) so he could keep sabbath with them, and would leave the following morning.

Thus, Pliny's "stated day before sunrise" is the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week (the pattern of Genesis to Revelation, and especially Acts), not the first day of the week (as there is no weekly pattern of followers of God meeting weekly on this first day of the week).

Others attempt Clement of Alexandria, but it too has its issues, as may be later demonstrated.

In other words, all of the so called 'early' proof for sunday as the Lord's day is in question, having known issues, false authors, spurious sections, additons, differences in sources, and have obviously been tampered with by someone or someones late AD.

 

[GentleGospeller]

Point 11 - OP states - "Paul writes in numerous places that one is not justified by the works of the law but by Jesus Christ"

The OP is correct here. Paul does in several places, citing OT texts, that no one is justified by the "works" "of the law". A Chritian is Justified by:

Isa_45:25 In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.​

However, the OP seems to make a 'grave' (deathly) mistake in confusing obedience to God's stated will (Exo. 20:1-17; Psa. 40:8, &c) and the "works" of the (book of) law, which are the ritualistic sacrifices. The "works" of the law are never obedience to the Ten Commandments by God's grace through faith. The "works" of the law are never the Ten Commandments themselves.

Rom 9:31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.​

Rom_9:32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;​

The "law of righteousness" (God's Ten Commandments) are clearly distingished from the "works" of the law. It takes "faith" to even keep God's commandments because they are spiritual (Rom. 7:14).

Gal_2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.​

​

Gal_3:5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?​

​

Gal_3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.​

In the Ten Commandments, there is no "curse". That is in other places of Torah, or "book of the law". Paul was referring back to the physical circumcision, and ritualisitic sacrifices, and festal typical days.

Paul even clearly distinguishes between the Law of God (which are the Ten Commandments) which defines "sin", and that which was "added" afterwards because of "sin" (1 Jhn. 3:4; Rom. 7:7,14 transgression of the law, Ten Commandments):

Gal_3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.​

Galatians 3:19's "the law" is not the Ten Commandments, but that which was "added" in the "book of the law" because people had been transgressing the Ten Commandments since Adam (Gen. 4:7, 16:5, 5:16, 18:20, 19:15, 20:9, 31:36, 39:9, 44:16; Exo. 9:27,34, 10:16-17; Job 1:5,22, 7:20, 8:4, 22:15-17, 24:19, 31:33, 33:27; Isa. 3:9; Lam. 4:6; Eze. 28:12-19; Rom. 2:12, 3:23, 5:12-21; 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:14; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 1:6).

So, when Christ Jesus came and eventually died, what was to disappear? The Ten Commandments? No, otherwise how would Paul know what sin was (Rom. 7:7,14), or John (1 Jhn. 3:4), or James (Jam. 2:8-13), etc. The ritualistic things, given temporarily, were to be altered. The ritual sacrifices ceased because Jesus is the true passover sacrifice, and we offer spiritual sacrifices of thanksgiving and a contrite and broken heart, etc.

Dan_9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.​

​

Heb_10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,​

​

1Co_5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:​

The typological festal feasts became antitypical, etc.

The very "change" of the law of Priests (Heb. 7), from Levitical to Melchizedical (Christ Jesus), but Jesus ministers His sacrifice in Heaven because the Ten Commandments still remain.

 

[GentleGospeller]

Point 12 - OP states - "Sunday the 1st and eighth day".

This is incorrect upon at least three points.

[1] Technically, "sunday" is Roman time, midnight to midnight and is not the same as the 'first [day] of the week' timeframewise in scripture (being even unto even, or sunset to sunset, even from Gen. 1).​

​

[2] There is no mention of the first [day] of the week being called "sunday" in all of scripture.​

​

[3] Both the "first [day] of the week" (scripturally) and "Sunday" are also never called the "eighth day" anywhere in scripture. It is a pagan idea of the Ogdoad that arises in certain letters, post John (AD 90). The Christian world has not yet reached the 7000th year, and will not until after the 1000 years of Rev. 20; Isa. 24, &c.​

In this light, even those who do called 'sunday' the 'eighth day' do so in contradiction to themselves and their own cause, because they say that the 8th day is the eternal new creation, and is non repeating, and yet at the same time they desire to have the "sunday" (first day Romanly speaking) as a weekly recurring event, when there is no real explicit example of this in the NT. The closest one gets is:

Act_2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.​

​

Act_5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.​

​

Act_6:1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.​

What is even worse they attempt to link "Sunday" to the events of 6th day (scripturally) Thursday night (Romanly speaking) (Last supper), a one time Passover event and the NC meal, and with the crucifixion and death of Jesus that same 6th day, also a one time event, which was to be memorialized by the NC meal at any time the disciples gathered and did so (could be on any day of the week, any time of the year), and by Baptism (Rom. 6). There is no NT injunction, by anyone to only have NC meal on "first [day] of the week", or "Sunday", or on any specific day of the week, month or year. Paul was clear on that as Jeuss said:

1Co_11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.​

So, for instance, Seventh-day Adventists, gather corporately, 4 times a year, seasonally, for the NC meal, in harmony with not too oft (making it common), and not too sparse (making it forgotten), as scripture says:

Ecc_3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:​

​

1Co_14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.​

&c.

The Seventh-day Adventists also obey Jesus explicit command for footwashing, which most do not (some others do).

​

Joh 13:12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?​

Joh 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.​

Joh 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.​

Joh 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.​

Do you? If not. why not? One will not find a more clear command in the NT than that.

Addendum, since the OP claims that Creation was "mythology", then what does that do for their so called "eighth day" the new creation? Is it not also then "mythology"?

 

[GentleGospeller]

Point 13 - OP states - "Sunday is not the Sabbath but ignoring Saturday is not a sin either"

Correct on both points, but with a slight correction needed for the last point.

[1] Sunday is most definitely not the Sabbath of the LORD thy God (Gen. 2;1-3; Exo. 20:8-11) by any standards of scriptural understanding.

[2] It is not a sin to ignore "Saturday" (Roman time), since after sunset on Saturday it is no longer sabbath time, and may be worked on, etc.

[3] The correction that needs to be made clear is that it is still sin to transgress the 7th day the sabbath of the LORD (which just happens to overlap in timeframe with both Friday (night) and Saturday (day)). I did not say so, Paul (Rom. 7:7,14), or John (1 Jhn. 3:4), or James (Jam. 2:8-13) and even Jesus says so

Mat_5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.​

​

Mat_5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.​

​

Prophecy foretold what Jesus would do:

Isa 42:21 The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.​

Prophecy even foretold what would be in the NC:

Isa 56:1 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.​

​

Isa 56:8 The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.​

Both verses are speaking about what Jesus would do. Even in the NT Jesus applies Isa. 56:8 to Himself:

Joh_10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.​

But notice the sandwich, and what is in between those two slices (Isa. 56;1,8):

Isa 56:2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.​

Isa 56:3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.​

Isa 56:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;​

Isa 56:5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.​

Isa 56:6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;​

Isa 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.​

The everlasting Covenant. The eternal name. The house of prayer for all peoples. The 7th day the sabbath as the sign at it's heart that God is both Creator and Re-Creator(Redeemer).

 

[GentleGospeller]

Point 14 - OP states - "the seventh-day Adventists who insist on observing a Saturday Sabbath are not wrong per se but they do miss something in the process the Sabbath is not a day as much as it is a person"

Besides the confusion of "Satrurday" (technicality, Roman time) with that of the 7th day the sabbath of the LORD (Gen. 2:1-3; Exo. 20:8-11, even to even), there is nowhere in all of scripture that states that "the Sabbath" is a Person. Here are those texts:

[01.] Jesus, in Matthew 11:28, is actually referring back to Exodus 33:14 (KJB), which reads, “And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” This refers to Jesus in the cloudy pillar which went with Moses and the Israelites, and every 7th day they rested, for God was giving the people rest from their long slavery in bondage in Egypt, wherein they (in general) had forgotten the 4th Commandment (Exodus 16:4,23-29), and so God had sent Moses as a Sabbath reformer (Exodus 5:4-5,8-9) that they might “Remember” (Exodus 20:8-11) their Creator and Redeemer (Deuteronomy 5:12-15). Jesus never says, “I am the rest.” The bible says that Jesus would give rest to them. He did that by making sure they understood who it was that graciously saved them out of bondage (Exodus 20:2) and reminded them of the 7th day, the sabbath of the LORD.​

​

[02.] The 7th day, the sabbath of the LORD thy God, is something which is created, or “made” (Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Mark 2:27; Colossians 1:16), while Jesus is eternal and uncreated (Micah 5:2; Colossians 1:17). While God (deity) is eternal, and the character thereof eternal (Exodus 33:12-23, 34:1-9, 20:5-7), and the commandments of simply a written transcript o that character, the 7th day itself is created, in which God rested from all His work of creation, thus sanctifying it, and afterward given to mankind as a gift of holy and sacred time for eternal relationship between God and mankind.​

​

[03.] There is not a single scripture (KJB) which states that ‘Jesus is our sabbath’. Jesus would “give” us “rest”, and His “yoke”. This “rest” and “yoke” is connected with our deliverance (Matthew 1:21) from sin (1 John 3:4), and bringing us back into obedience to God’s law, even as He Himself is obedient. Look at Luke 4:14-19,20-30 (Isaiah 61:1-4). There is “rest” therein (Isaiah 28:12 (9-13)). In John 3:16, we read that the Father gave unto us the Son, who restored proper sabbath keeping (Matthew 12:12), giving true rest back to all. Does this make the gift ([1] Son, [2] Sabbath) and the giver ([1] Father, [2] Jesus) the same thing? Obviously not ([1] Isaiah 9:6; [2] Exodus 16:29). The rest (true sabbath keeping) remains (Hebrews 4:9).​

The Bible in every place declares that the 7th “day” is the Sabbath, the “rest” of God.

God: Genesis 2:1-2; Exodus 20:8-11​

Moses: Exodus 16:25, 31:15, 35:3; Numbers 15:32, 28:9; Deuteronomy 5:12,15​

Nehemiah: Nehemiah 10:31, 13:15,17,19,22​

Psalmist: Psalms 92:1​

Jeremiah: Jeremiah 17:21,22,24,27​

Ezekiel: Ezekiel 46:4,12​

Jesus: Matthew 12:5,8,11,12, 24:20; Mark 3:4; Luke 6:2,9, 13:16, 14:3,5; John 7:22,23​

Matthew: Matthew 12:1,2,10​

Mark: Mark 1:21, 2:23,24, 3:2, 6:2​

Luke: Luke 4:6,31, 6:7, 13:14, 14:1, 23:56​

John: John 5:10,16, 9:14,16, 19:31; Revelation 1:10​

Luke, Paul, Disciples: Acts 1:12, 13:14,27,44, 15:21, 17:2; Hebrews 4:4​

 

[GentleGospeller]

I am done with the 14 points, and await your (OP) reponse to any one or all. I will respond as I am able when/if you reply.

 

[YESLORDIWILL]

so much to read

 

[YESLORDIWILL]

Here are my primary points to discuss, that are merely asserted, unfounded, and in error. Are you wiling to discuss one at a time?

- "for most Christians Sunday is the day for worship"

Point 1 - your post stated - "for most Christians Sunday is the day for worship"

No. For most Christians, we worship God all days of the week. What you meant to say, I suspect, is that in general the vast majority of those who proclaim themselves Christian assemble together on 'Sunday' rather than on most other days of the week, ... Christians the world over also gather on other days of the week for various reasons, whether it is 'Tuesday', "Wednesday', "Thursday' for prayer meetings, or other days for 'Business meetings', or for a 'Vespers', or 'potluck' or 'special days of fellowshipping', 'bible study', 'festivals', etc. I even know Catholics who gather on Saturday evening, as my own parents/family do.

...

Also, when you say "for most Christians Sunday ...", what you mean in reality to say is "for Catholicity Sunday is the day of worship", which would include Roman, EO, OO, GO, RO, ?O, etc, since they specifically identify as "catholic". 7th-day Baptists, and other 7th day groups, such as Seventh-day Adventists would never identify as "catholic", but do identify as Christian, whereas the other groups mainly idenitfy as "catholic", and sometimes utilize the word "christian". This point is a minor distinction.

Don't you think Christians gather together in greater numbers on Sundays than any other day of the week (Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Dayists, Mormons, and all other Christian denominations combined)? Religious Landscape Database

I imagine overall attendance to church services on Sunday is much greater than the overall attendance to church services any other day of the week (by a lot).

 

[GentleGospeller]

Don't you think Christians gather together in greater numbers on Sundays than any other day of the week (Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Dayists, Mormons, and all other Christian denominations combined)? Religious Landscape Database

I imagine overall attendance to church services on Sunday is much greater than the overall attendance to church services any other day of the week (by a lot).

Sure, but what the 'majority' do, in the place of God's word, is not really germane to me.

Mat_7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:​

Difference between the whole world (Rev. 12:9), and the "remnant" (Rev. 12:17).

A great "falling away" (apostasy) was foretold Act. 20:30; 2 Thes. 2:3 ; 1 Tim. 4:1; Heb. 3:12, &c.

 

[GentleGospeller]

Here are a few of the links I talked about before:

JUSTIN MARTYR FORGERY by WILLIAM H. SHEA – SDA - William H Shea - Justin Martyr Forgery : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive​

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SABBATH IN THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS by WILLIAM H. SHEA – The Sabbath In The Epistle Of Barnabas By William H Shea : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive​

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CLEMENT OF AELXANDRIA - Clement Of Alexandria Not The First Day Of The Week : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive​

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SUNDAY FRAUD by BOB PICKLE – Sunday Fraud: Church "Fathers" on the Lord's Day​

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SABBATH THROUGH THE CENTURIES - Sabbath Through The Centuries With EXTRA Corrected Citations Version With Notes : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive​

 

[BobRyan]

Don't you think Christians gather together in greater numbers on Sundays than any other day of the week (Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Dayists, Mormons, and all other Christian denominations combined)?

yep - I think that is true.

I imagine overall attendance to church services on Sunday is much greater than the overall attendance to church services any other day of the week (by a lot).

to be sure.

Still - ChristianityToday identified Seventh-day Adventists as the fifth largest , and fastest growing Christian denomination in the world in 2015.

And we could certainly agree that Jews that rejected Christ - far outnumbered those that accepted Him the year after He died.
We can also say that Protestants were always the minority as compared to the Catholic church.

What is your point?