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Okay, so here's an example of misinformation:
There is a rather consistent claim made by SDA's that Constantine changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday.
Small problem, however. That never happened.
They are confused about something Constantine did do, namely he made the first day of the week a public holiday in the Roman Empire. We know precisely what this particular law which Constantine enacted accomplished because it is recorded by the Emperor Justinian in the Code of Justinian:
"The Emperor Constantine to Elpidius
Let all judges, the people of cities, and those employed in all trades, remain quiet on the Holy Day of Sunday. Persons residing in the country, however, can freely and lawfully proceed with the cultivation of the fields; as it frequently happens that the sowing of grain or the planting of vines cannot be deferred to a more suitable day, and by making concessions to Heaven the advantage of the time may be lost.
Given on the Nones of March, during the Consulate of Crispus and Constantine, Consuls for the second time, 311." - Codex Justinianus, Book III, Title XII.3
This is claimed to be when the Church abandoned the seventh day and adopted Sunday. Except, of course, that's wrong. And here are some reasons why it is wrong:
- This law dates to the Nones of March (March 7th) in the year 311 AD. Constantine's war against Maxentius was still going on at this point, he had not yet even secured his position as emperor in the West, let alone emperor of the entire empire (in 324 when he defeated Licinius in the East and became the sole emperor of the empire). This likely has little to do with Christianity at all, given that Constantine's battle against Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge was the following year (312) and it is before this decisive battle that legend states Constantine received a sign and became convinced that the Christian God had won him the battle--which is what resulted in his conversion. It is only after this decisive battle and Constantine secures his position as the western emperor that he is able to get support from Licinius and enact the Edict of Milan (313) which ended persecution against Christians making Christianity legal for the first time in Roman history.
- Not only was this law passed before Constantine's supposed conversion and the legalization of Christianity (and thus his patronage of Christians), it is simply impossible to attribute any kind of authority for Constantine to radically alter Christian practice--the fact is Constantine never held any ecclesiastical authority and so never had that kind of authority in the first place, but it is especially true here.
- The clear evidence of the Christian Church centuries before Constantine, is that Christians gathered on the first day of the week, the Roman day of the sun, for worship:
"And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. 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. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn; and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration." - St. Justin Martyr, First Apology to Emperor Antonius Titus and the Roman Senate, ch. 67, c. 150 AD
"I do not say so; but those who have persecuted and do persecute Christ, if they do not repent, shall not inherit anything on the holy mountain. But the Gentiles, who have believed on Him, and have repented of the sins which they have committed, they shall receive the inheritance along with the patriarchs and the prophets, and the just men who are descended from Jacob, even although they neither keep the Sabbath, nor are circumcised, nor observe the feasts. Assuredly they shall receive the holy inheritance of God." - St. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, ch. 26, c. 150 AD
"Wherefore also we keep the eighth day for rejoicing, in the which also Jesus rose from the dead, and having been manifested ascended into the heavens." - Epistle of Barnabas, 15:9, c. 80-120 AD
"Others with a greater show of reason take us for worshippers of the sun. These send us to the religion of Persia, though we are far from adoring a painted sun, like them who carry about his image everywhere upon their bucklers. This suspicion took its rise from hence, because it was observed that Christians prayed with their faces towards the east. But some of you likewise out of an affectation of adoring some of the celestial bodies wag your lips towards the rising sun; but if we, like them, celebrate Sunday as a festival and day of rejoicing, it is for a reason vastly distant from that of worshipping the sun; for we solemnize the day after Saturday in contradistinction to those who call this day their Sabbath, and devote it to ease and eating, deviating from the old Jewish customs, which they are now very ignorant of." - Tertullian, Apology of the Christians, ch. XVI, c. 200 AD
That's only three examples of a multitude of others.
So unless Constantine was a time-traveler and made this change during the time of the apostles, he had literally nothing to do with it. And, further, what is further clear is that the Sabbath wasn't changed, there is no doubt that Saturday is the Sabbath, just as there is also no doubt that Christians weren't interested in observing the Sabbath but instead held to the tradition of gathering on the day after the Sabbath.
So, here, I have provided you with facts based on primary sources.
Can I trust that you will not continue to believe that Constantine "changed the Sabbath"? Or insist that Christians worshiped on the Sabbath until Constantine and then adopted the first day of the week? Or will you believe this anyway in spite of the fact that the clear and unambiguous evidence is presented?
-CryptoLutheran
There is a rather consistent claim made by SDA's that Constantine changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday.
Small problem, however. That never happened.
They are confused about something Constantine did do, namely he made the first day of the week a public holiday in the Roman Empire. We know precisely what this particular law which Constantine enacted accomplished because it is recorded by the Emperor Justinian in the Code of Justinian:
"The Emperor Constantine to Elpidius
Let all judges, the people of cities, and those employed in all trades, remain quiet on the Holy Day of Sunday. Persons residing in the country, however, can freely and lawfully proceed with the cultivation of the fields; as it frequently happens that the sowing of grain or the planting of vines cannot be deferred to a more suitable day, and by making concessions to Heaven the advantage of the time may be lost.
Given on the Nones of March, during the Consulate of Crispus and Constantine, Consuls for the second time, 311." - Codex Justinianus, Book III, Title XII.3
This is claimed to be when the Church abandoned the seventh day and adopted Sunday. Except, of course, that's wrong. And here are some reasons why it is wrong:
- This law dates to the Nones of March (March 7th) in the year 311 AD. Constantine's war against Maxentius was still going on at this point, he had not yet even secured his position as emperor in the West, let alone emperor of the entire empire (in 324 when he defeated Licinius in the East and became the sole emperor of the empire). This likely has little to do with Christianity at all, given that Constantine's battle against Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge was the following year (312) and it is before this decisive battle that legend states Constantine received a sign and became convinced that the Christian God had won him the battle--which is what resulted in his conversion. It is only after this decisive battle and Constantine secures his position as the western emperor that he is able to get support from Licinius and enact the Edict of Milan (313) which ended persecution against Christians making Christianity legal for the first time in Roman history.
- Not only was this law passed before Constantine's supposed conversion and the legalization of Christianity (and thus his patronage of Christians), it is simply impossible to attribute any kind of authority for Constantine to radically alter Christian practice--the fact is Constantine never held any ecclesiastical authority and so never had that kind of authority in the first place, but it is especially true here.
- The clear evidence of the Christian Church centuries before Constantine, is that Christians gathered on the first day of the week, the Roman day of the sun, for worship:
"And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. 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. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn; and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration." - St. Justin Martyr, First Apology to Emperor Antonius Titus and the Roman Senate, ch. 67, c. 150 AD
"I do not say so; but those who have persecuted and do persecute Christ, if they do not repent, shall not inherit anything on the holy mountain. But the Gentiles, who have believed on Him, and have repented of the sins which they have committed, they shall receive the inheritance along with the patriarchs and the prophets, and the just men who are descended from Jacob, even although they neither keep the Sabbath, nor are circumcised, nor observe the feasts. Assuredly they shall receive the holy inheritance of God." - St. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, ch. 26, c. 150 AD
"Wherefore also we keep the eighth day for rejoicing, in the which also Jesus rose from the dead, and having been manifested ascended into the heavens." - Epistle of Barnabas, 15:9, c. 80-120 AD
"Others with a greater show of reason take us for worshippers of the sun. These send us to the religion of Persia, though we are far from adoring a painted sun, like them who carry about his image everywhere upon their bucklers. This suspicion took its rise from hence, because it was observed that Christians prayed with their faces towards the east. But some of you likewise out of an affectation of adoring some of the celestial bodies wag your lips towards the rising sun; but if we, like them, celebrate Sunday as a festival and day of rejoicing, it is for a reason vastly distant from that of worshipping the sun; for we solemnize the day after Saturday in contradistinction to those who call this day their Sabbath, and devote it to ease and eating, deviating from the old Jewish customs, which they are now very ignorant of." - Tertullian, Apology of the Christians, ch. XVI, c. 200 AD
That's only three examples of a multitude of others.
So unless Constantine was a time-traveler and made this change during the time of the apostles, he had literally nothing to do with it. And, further, what is further clear is that the Sabbath wasn't changed, there is no doubt that Saturday is the Sabbath, just as there is also no doubt that Christians weren't interested in observing the Sabbath but instead held to the tradition of gathering on the day after the Sabbath.
So, here, I have provided you with facts based on primary sources.
Can I trust that you will not continue to believe that Constantine "changed the Sabbath"? Or insist that Christians worshiped on the Sabbath until Constantine and then adopted the first day of the week? Or will you believe this anyway in spite of the fact that the clear and unambiguous evidence is presented?
-CryptoLutheran
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