Sola Scriptura?

[PeaceB]

I believe that has already been provided in post #512 through the scriptures posts there

Good day to you.

 

[LoveGodsWord]

Good day to you.

Have a nice day

 

[LoveGodsWord]

That's a good question. But it raises even more questions. How did the Church hold together during the centuries before the canon of scripture was recognized? Also, how could Christians be faithful and obedient for the nearly two millennia before literacy became widespread? I mean, if they couldn't read (or afford!) Bibles themselves, it looks like your tradition would conclude that they're out of luck. I realize Protestants enjoy virtue signaling about how only scripture can possibly be anybody's religious authority but track that out. It basically leaves people to be condemned to eternal punishment if they don't know how to read.

Hi TCB, nice to meet you here. I can only point you to God's Word to answer your questions and points. What comes to mind as I read your post is....

When people do not know his Word or do not know any better God does not hold them responsible for their actions because they do not know what they are doing is good or bad but when God gives a knowledge of the truth he expects all men everywhere to believe his Word and follow it...

Acts 17:30-31
30, In times of ignorance God's winks at but now commands all men everywhere to repent 31, Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Our God is loving and long suffering not willing that any should perish....

2 Peter 3:9
9, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10, But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11, Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness.

So no God is not like you have described above we are only held accountable to God for the truth he has given to us and what he has given to us we will be judged by. Sin separates us from God and it is his desire to separate sin from us. If we continue in sin we have neither seen him or know him...

 

[thecolorsblend]

When people do not know his Word or do not know any better God does not hold them responsible for their actions because they do not know what they are doing is good or bad but when God gives a knowledge of the truth he expects all men everywhere to believe his Word and follow it...

That's lovely.

Now can you answer my questions please?

 

[prodromos]

Yes this was partly true both claims are correct... the early church was persecuted by pagan Rome as they were targeting Sabbath keepers. So they met on both days..

No. That is complete rubbish. Pagan Rome persecuted Christians no matter what day of the week they worshipped.

 

[LoveGodsWord]

No. That is complete rubbish. Pagan Rome persecuted Christians no matter what day of the week they worshipped.

Hello Friend,

What we are discussing now is of interest but not important. Only following God's Word by faith is important. There is many versions of History that can lead you away from God's Word or a different understanding of History itself and God's Word. We must be careful here as it is only the writings and interpretation of man..

This will most likely be my sole post on the subject since you are interested but did not believe my earlier post. I think it is not more important than what God's Word says but merely a side issue... Jews and Christians were indeed persecuted everyday of the week. The point I was referring to however was in relation to where it started and that was with the Jews and Christians who were fighting among themselves who were keeping the Sabbath. This is where persecution was targeted and why many kept both the Sabbath and Sunday during this time.

The Watering Down of the Sabbath in the First 300 Years
The Christians during the apostolic era, from about 35 to 100 A.D., kept Sabbath on the designated seventh day of the week. For the first 300 years of Christian history, when the Roman emperors regarded themselves as gods, Christianity became an “illegal religion,” and God’s people were scattered abroad (Acts 8:1). Judaism, however, was regarded at that time as “legal,” as long as they obeyed Roman laws. Thus, during the apostolic era, Christians found it convenient to let the Roman authorities think of them as Jews, which gained them legitimacy with the Roman government. However, when the Jews rebelled against Rome, the Romans put down their rebellion by destroying Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and again in A.D. 135. Obviously, the Roman government’s suppression of the Jews made it increasingly uncomfortable for Christians to be thought of as Jewish. At that time, Sunday was the rest day of the Roman Empire, whose religion was Mithraism, a form of sun worship. Since Sabbath observance is visible to others, some Christians in the early second century sought to distance themselves from Judaism by observing a different day, thus “blending in” to the society around them. During the Empire-wide Christian persecutions under Nero, Maximin, Diocletian, and Galerius, Sabbath-keeping Christians were hunted down, tortured, and, for sport, often used for entertainment in the Colisseum. (Persecution in the early Church by E. A. RYAN, SJ. p 310-339)

TO WHAT EXTENT WAS THE SABBATH OBSERVED AS A SACRED DAY OF WORSHIP BY EARLY CHRISTIANS?

There are many historical references out there. Kenneth A. Strand provides very convincing historical evidence that, although in Rome and Alexandria the trend was to replace weekly Sabbath worship with Sunday worship services, elsewhere in the Roman Empire the Sabbath was observed along with Sunday until the fifth century.

Strand writes: "The situation in Rome and Alexandria, however, was not typical of the rest of early Christianity. In these two cities there was an evident early attempt by Christians to terminate observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, but elsewhere throughout the Christian world Sunday observance simply arose alongside observance of Saturday."(23)

The evidence Strand presents is very impressive. Some of it is given here:

1. Two fifth-century church historians, Socrates Scholasticus and Sozomen:
"For although almost all churches throughout the world celebrate the sacred mysteries [the Lord's Supper] on the sabbath [Saturday] of every week, yet the Christians of Alexandria and at Rome, on account of some ancient tradition, have ceased to do this. The Egyptians in the neighborhood of Alexandria, and the inhabitants of Thebais, hold their religious assemblies on the sabbath, but do not participate of the mysteries in the manner usual among Christians in general: for after having eaten and satisfied themselves with food of all kinds, in the evening making their offerings they partake of the mysteries."(24)

"The people of Constantinople, and almost everywhere, assemble together on the Sabbath, as well as on the first day of the week, which custom is never observed at Rome or at Alexandria. There are several cities and villages in Egypt where, contrary to the usage established elsewhere, the people meet together on Sabbath evenings, and, although they have dined previously, partake of the mysteries."(25)

Strand comments: "Thus, even as late as the fifth century almost the entire Christian world observed both Saturday and Sunday for special religious services. Obviously, therefore, Sunday was not considered a substitute for the Sabbath."(26)

2. In the late second or early third century, Origen, the famous Alexandrian Church Father wrote of the proper kind of Sabbath observance:
"Forsaking therefore the Judaic Sabbath observance, let us see what kind of Sabbath observance is expected of the Christian. On the Sabbath day, nothing of worldly activity should be done. If therefore desisting from all worldly works and doing nothing mundane but being free for spiritual works, you come to the church, listen to divine readings and discussions and think of heavenly things, give heed to the future life, keep before your eyes the coming judgment, disregard present and visible things in favor of the invisible and future, this is the observance of the Christian Sabbath."(27)

3. The fourth-century compilation known as the Apostolic Constitutions, probably produced in Syria or elsewhere in the East, urged that both Sabbath and Sunday be observed.
"Have before thine eyes the fear of God, and always remember the ten commandments of God. . . . 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."(28)

"But keep the sabbath, and the Lord's day festival [Sunday]; because the former is the memorial of the creation, and the latter of the resurrection."(29)

"Oh Lord Almighty, Thou hast created the world by Christ, and hast appointed the Sabbath in memory thereof, because that on that day Thou hast made us rest from our works, for the meditation upon Thy laws. . . . We solemnly assemble to celebrate the feast of the resurrection on the Lord's day, and rejoice on account of Him who has conquered death, and has brought life and immortality to light."(30)

"Let the slaves work five days; but on the Sabbath-day and the Lord's day let them have leisure to go to church for instruction in piety. We have said that the Sabbath is on account of the creation, and the Lord's day of the resurrection."(31)

4. Gregory of Nyssa and Asterius of Amasea:
"Gregory of Nyssa in the late fourth century referred to the Sabbath and Sunday as 'sisters,' and about the same time Asterius of Amasea declared that it was beautiful for Christians that the 'team of these two days come together' -- 'the Sabbath and the Lord's Day.' According to Asterius, each week brought the people together on these days with priests to instruct them."(32)

5. John Cassian:
"In the fifth century John Cassian makes several references to church attendance on both Saturday and Sunday. In speaking of Egyptian monks, he states that 'except Vespers and Nocturns, there are no public services among them in the day except on Saturday and Sunday, when they meet together at the third hour [9:00 A.M.] for the purpose of Holy Communion."(33)

The historical evidence establishes that the Sabbath was kept by most Christians until at least the fifth century. Although Sunday was observed along with the Sabbath as a day for worship services, in most areas of the Roman Empire it did not replace the Sabbath. The trend in Rome and Alexandria, however, was for Sunday to replace the Sabbath. As we shall discover, in later centuries Sunday was treated as a day of rest, and Sabbath observance, although not discontinued by all Christians, was neglected by most.

WHEN DID SUNDAY OBSERVANCE REPLACE SABBATH OBSERVANCE IN THE PRACTICE OF MOST CHRISTIANS?
Sunday gradually became a rest day. Although in the early Christian centuries Sunday worship services were held in Rome and Alexandria, and increasingly in other places, Sunday was not regarded as a day of rest required by the fourth commandment. The development toward regarding Sunday as the complete substitute for the seventh-day Sabbath was a gradual process from the fourth to the twelfth century.

1. Constantine made Sunday a civil rest day.
His famous Sunday law of March 7, 321 reads as follows: "On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country, however, persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits; because it often happens that another day is not so suitable for grain-sowing or for vine-planting; lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost."(34)

Kenneth Strand comments: "This was the first in a series of steps taken by Constantine and by later Roman emperors in regulating Sunday observance. It is obvious that this first Sunday law was not particularly Christian in orientation. We may note, for instance, the pagan designation 'venerable Day of the Sun.' Also, it is evident that Constantine did not base his Sunday regulations on the Decalogue, for he exempted agricultural work--a type of work strictly prohibited in the Sabbath commandment in Exodus 20:8-11."(35)

2. Theodosius I and Gratian Valentinian
in A.D. 386 ruled that legal cases should not be heard on Sunday and that there should be no public or private payment of debt. Laws also forbad Sunday circus, theater, and horse racing.(36)

3. Ephraem Syrus
(c. A.D. 306-373) wrote that the law requires rest for servants and animals on Sunday. The law is a reference to the Old Testament Sabbath commandment (Exod. 20:8-11).(37) Hence, by the second half of the fourth century some Christians were treating Sunday as a rest day in place of the seventh-day Sabbath, and they were justifying their practice by appealing to the fourth commandment.

4. The Council of Laodicea about A.D. 364
The council showed respect for the Sabbath as well as Sunday, but Canon 29 stipulated: "Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday but shall work on that day; but the Lord's day they shall especially honour, and, as being Christians, shall, if possible, do no work on that day. If, however, they are found Judaizing, they shall be shut out from Christ."(38)

While such fourth-century documents as the Apostolic Constitutions were urging that both Sabbath and Sunday be observed, the Council of Laodicea and certain influential church leaders were attempting to substitute Sunday for the Sabbath as the day of rest.

5. In medieval times the Sunday "Sabbath" displaced the Saturday Sabbath throughout Europe. (39)
i. Pope Gregory (Pope from A.D. 590-604) demanded that all secular activities should cease on Sunday so that the people could devote their time to prayer.(40)

ii. The Arian rulers must have accepted Sunday as a day of rest and worship, for the Visigoths were defeated by the Romans in A.D. 543 because they refused to fight on Sunday.(41)

iii. Pepin III, known as "the Short" (714-68), the Frankish king, Charlemagne (c. 742-814), the first Emperor (from 800) of the 'Holy Roman Empire,' and their successors attempted to enforce rest on Sunday.(42)

iv. "By the twelfth century, Sunday had become quite fully the church substitute for the seventh day. The rest began at sunset and lasted until the next sunset. All secular work was strictly prohibited under stern ecclesiastical and civil penalties, for nothing except very stringent necessity was allowed to interfere with church attendance (though dispensations could be granted by ecclesiastical authority). This concept of Sundaykeeping was spelled out clearly by the great decretalists. In his collection of 1234, Gregory IX, for instance, collated a decree from the Synod of Mayence from the early part of the ninth century and a letter from Pope Alexander III to the Archbishop of Trondheim in Norway teaching how Sunday must be kept. Although those were local documents, they acquired a much greater authority when they were included in a major canonic collection."(43)

6. One notable exception to the above trend was the Christian Church of Ethiopia
...which observed both Sabbath and Sunday throughout the Middle Ages and has continued to do so until the present.(44)

7. In every Christian century, even during the Middle Ages, there have been faithful observers of the seventh-day Sabbath.
Daniel Augsburger concludes his chapter, "The Sabbath and Lord's Day During the Middle Ages," by writing: "But also, all throughout that period there were groups of people who, either through the example of the Jews or because of their study of the Scriptures, attempted to keep the day that Jesus and the apostles had kept. For obvious reasons we know little about their number or their names, but their presence shows that in every age there were some who attempted to place the Word of God above the traditions of men."(45) He mentions, for example, the Passagini in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. In 1420 a group of Sabbathkeepers in northern France were dealt with by the authorities. Also some of the Bohemian "Picards" were Sabbathkeepers. In the fifteenth century some of the English Lollards (followers of John Wycliffe) and certain Christians in the Scandinavian lands kept the Sabbath.(46)

The trend from the fourth century on was away from observance of the Sabbath by most Christians and the substitution of Sunday as the day of worship and rest. Even so, in every century there were those who resisted the trend by adhering faithfully to the seventh-day Sabbath of the Scriptures.

We now summarize this article by reiterating that Jesus and the apostles observed the seventh-day Sabbath. There is no evidence in the New Testament for Sunday as a day of rest and worship. The New Testament nowhere invites or instructs Christians to observe Sunday as a memorial of Christ's resurrection. The apostle Paul did not attempt to abolish the seventh-day Sabbath. He consistently observed it. The Sabbath was neglected and depreciated in second-century Rome and Alexandria. Sabbath observance was progressively replaced by Sunday observance in the centuries that followed. But time and tradition to not abolish the law of God. Jesus said, "Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:19). John wrote, "Whoever says, 'I have come to know him,' but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such person the truth does not exist; but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says, 'I abide in him,' ought to walk just as he walked" (1 John 2:4-6).

Dear Friend, do you love Jesus enough to walk as He walked? Do you love Him enough to keep His commandments? Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15). That includes the Sabbath commandment. Are you sure that your life is in His hands and that your name is written in the Lamb's book of life (Rev. 21:27)? Now is the time to make a decision for Him and for eternity. God is waiting longingly to take you into His arms of love and pour the Holy Spirit into your heart. Believe Him, accept Him, and follow His will in everything. Then you will have life and joy for eternity.

1. The Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans (Columbus, Ohio: Wartburg Press, 1945), p. 821.
2. See Charles R. Erdman, The Epistle of Paul to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker, 1983), p. 157; F. Godet, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1883, 1956), pp. 456, 457; Howard Rhys, The Epistle to the Romans (New York: Macmillan, 1961), p. 172.
3. Dederen cites Joseph Parker, Romans and Galatians, the People's Bible (New York, 1901), 26:123-125; A Barnes, "Romans," Notes on the New Testament (London, 1832), 4:299, 300; Wilbur T. Dayton, Romans and Galatians, Wesleyan Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich., 1965), 5:85, 86.
4. Raoul Dederen, "On Esteeming One Day as Better Than Another--Romans 14:5, 6," in Sabbath in Scripture and History, ed. Kenneth A. Strand (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald, 1982), pp. 335, 336.
5. Ibid., pp. 336, 337.
6. Cyril C. Richardson, trans. and ed., Early Christian Fathers (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1953 ), pp. 161-163.
7. Didache 8:1, in Richardson, p. 174.
8. Speaking of the Jews, The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible (New York: Abingdon Press, 1962), vol. 2, p. 243 comments: "It was the custom of the pious to fast on the second and fifth days of the week (Ta'an. 12a; Luke 18:12; Did. 8:1), and the especially devout might fast even more (Jth. 8:6)."
Renaissance New Testament Full Set- Volumes 1-18 (Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican, 1985), vol. 15, p. 64; William F. Arndt and F Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Chicago: University Press, 1957), s.v. cheirographon.
10. Judith 8:6; R. H. Charles (ed.), The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913), I:256.
11. Jubilees 50:12, 13; Charles, op. cit., II, 82.
The early Christian Sabbath: Selected essays and a source collection (Ann Arbor, Michigan: Ann Arbor Publishers, 1979), pp. 9-15.
13. Tertullian, On Fasting 14; Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (eds.), The Ante- Nicene Fathers (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1965), IV:112.
14. C. J. Hefele, A History of the Christian Councils (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1894), I:146, 147.
15. Innocent I, Epistle 25.4; J. Migne, Patrologia latina XX, col. 555.
16. Samuele Bacchiocchi, "The Rise of Sunday Observance in Early Christianity," in The Sabbath in Scripture and History, ed. Kenneth A. Strand (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald, 1982), p. 137; citing S. R. E. Humbert, Adversus Graecorum calumnias 6 (PL 143:937). See also Bacchiocchi, From Sabbath to Sunday : A Historical Investigation of the Rise of Sunday Observance in Early Christianity (Rome: Pontifical Gregorian University Press, 1977), 185-198.
17. Bacchiocchi, "The Rise of Sunday Observance in Early Christianity," in The Sabbath in Scripture and History, ed. Kenneth A. Strand, p. 136. He cites Tacitus, Historiae 5, 13 and Dio Cassius, Historiae 69, 13.
18. Bacchiocchi, Ibid.
19. Bacchiocchi, Ibid., p. 137.
20. Justin, Apology 1, 67; The Ante-Nicene Fathers I:186.
21. Bacchiocchi, Ibid., p. 140.
22. Bacchiocchi, Ibid., p. 141.
The Sabbath in Scripture and History, p. 323.
24. Strand, Ibid., pp. 323, 324; citing Socrates Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical History 5, 22 in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers/2 2:132.
25. Strand, Ibid., p. 324; citing Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History 7, 19 in NPNF/2 2:390
26. Strand, Ibid.
27. Strand. Ibid., citing Origen, Homily 23, on Numbers, par. 4; J. Migne, ed. Patrologia graeca 12:749, 750.
28. Apostolic Constitutions 2.36; ANF 7:413.
29. Apostolic Constitutions 7.23; ANF 7:469.
30. Apostolic Constitutions 7.36; ANF 7:474.
31. Apostolic Constitutions 8.33; ANF 7:495.
The Sabbath in Scripture and History, p. 325, citing Gregory of Nyssa, On Reproof (PG 46:309, 310); Asterius of Amasea, Homily 5, on Matthew 19:3 (PG 40:225, 226).
33. Strand, op. cit., citing John Cassian, Institutes 3.2; NPNF/2 11:213.
34. Codex Justinianus 3.12.3, trans. in Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, 5th ed. (New York, 1902), 3:380, note 1.
The Sabbath in Scripture and History, p. 328.
36. Strand, op. cit. He cites the Theodosian Code 11.7.13 and 15.5.5, trans. by Clyde Pharr (Princeton, N.J., 1952), pp. 300, 433.
37. Strand, Ibid., p. 329.
38. Strand, op. cit., citing Charles J. Hefele, A History of the Councils of the Church, 2 (Edinburgh, 1876) 316.
39. See Daniel Augsburger, "The Sabbath and Lord's Day During the Mddle Ages," in The Sabbath in Scripture and History, ed. Kenneth A. Strand (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald, 1982), pp. 190-214.
40. Augsburger, Ibid., p. 193; citing Epist. 13:1, note (PL 77:1254, 1255).
41. Augsburger, Ibid., p. 194.
42. Augsburger, Ibid., p. 201.
43. Augsburger, Ibid., p. 204.
44. See Werner K. Vyhmeister, "The Sabbath in Egypt and Ethiopia," inThe Sabbath in Scripture and History, ed. Kenneth A. Strand (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald, 1982), pp. 169-189.
45. Augsburger, Ibid., p. 210.
46. Augsburger, Ibid., pp. 208-210.
(Source is; How When and Why the Sabbath was Changed from Saturday to Sunday)

It really does not stop there .... History confirms Sabbath keeping all through time from the Old Testament through to the New from Jesus, the Apostles, the early Church, through the Reformation to today....

As I mentioned earlier this is only a side issue. Only God's Word is important and it is there we need to look by faith to follow the one who first loved us...

May God bless you as you seek him through His Word...

 

[LoveGodsWord]

That's lovely.
Now can you answer my questions please?

Hi TCB,

I answered you in post # 523. What was it that you feel I did not answer?

 

[prodromos]

Hello Friend,

What we are discussing now is of interest but not important. Only following God's Word by faith is important. There is many versions of History that can lead you away from God's Word or a different understanding of History itself and God's Word. We must be careful here as it is only the writings and interpretation of man..

This will most likely be my sole post on the subject since you are interested but did not believe my earlier post. I think it is not more important than what God's Word says but merely a side issue... Jews and Christians were indeed persecuted everyday of the week. The point I was referring to however was in relation to where it started and that was with the Jews and Christians who were fighting among themselves who were keeping the Sabbath. This is where persecution was targeted and why many kept both the Sabbath and Sunday during this time.

TO WHAT EXTENT WAS THE SABBATH OBSERVED AS A SACRED DAY OF WORSHIP BY EARLY CHRISTIANS?

There are many historical references out there. Kenneth A. Strand provides very convincing historical evidence that, although in Rome and Alexandria the trend was to replace weekly Sabbath worship with Sunday worship services, elsewhere in the Roman Empire the Sabbath was observed along with Sunday until the fifth century.

Strand writes: "The situation in Rome and Alexandria, however, was not typical of the rest of early Christianity. In these two cities there was an evident early attempt by Christians to terminate observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, but elsewhere throughout the Christian world Sunday observance simply arose alongside observance of Saturday."(23)

The evidence Strand presents is very impressive. Some of it is given here:

1. Two fifth-century church historians, Socrates Scholasticus and Sozomen:
"For although almost all churches throughout the world celebrate the sacred mysteries [the Lord's Supper] on the sabbath [Saturday] of every week, yet the Christians of Alexandria and at Rome, on account of some ancient tradition, have ceased to do this. The Egyptians in the neighborhood of Alexandria, and the inhabitants of Thebais, hold their religious assemblies on the sabbath, but do not participate of the mysteries in the manner usual among Christians in general: for after having eaten and satisfied themselves with food of all kinds, in the evening making their offerings they partake of the mysteries."(24)

"The people of Constantinople, and almost everywhere, assemble together on the Sabbath, as well as on the first day of the week, which custom is never observed at Rome or at Alexandria. There are several cities and villages in Egypt where, contrary to the usage established elsewhere, the people meet together on Sabbath evenings, and, although they have dined previously, partake of the mysteries."(25)

Strand comments: "Thus, even as late as the fifth century almost the entire Christian world observed both Saturday and Sunday for special religious services. Obviously, therefore, Sunday was not considered a substitute for the Sabbath."(26)

2. In the late second or early third century, Origen, the famous Alexandrian Church Father wrote of the proper kind of Sabbath observance:
"Forsaking therefore the Judaic Sabbath observance, let us see what kind of Sabbath observance is expected of the Christian. On the Sabbath day, nothing of worldly activity should be done. If therefore desisting from all worldly works and doing nothing mundane but being free for spiritual works, you come to the church, listen to divine readings and discussions and think of heavenly things, give heed to the future life, keep before your eyes the coming judgment, disregard present and visible things in favor of the invisible and future, this is the observance of the Christian Sabbath."(27)

3. The fourth-century compilation known as the Apostolic Constitutions, probably produced in Syria or elsewhere in the East, urged that both Sabbath and Sunday be observed.
"Have before thine eyes the fear of God, and always remember the ten commandments of God. . . . 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."(28)

"But keep the sabbath, and the Lord's day festival [Sunday]; because the former is the memorial of the creation, and the latter of the resurrection."(29)

"Oh Lord Almighty, Thou hast created the world by Christ, and hast appointed the Sabbath in memory thereof, because that on that day Thou hast made us rest from our works, for the meditation upon Thy laws. . . . We solemnly assemble to celebrate the feast of the resurrection on the Lord's day, and rejoice on account of Him who has conquered death, and has brought life and immortality to light."(30)

"Let the slaves work five days; but on the Sabbath-day and the Lord's day let them have leisure to go to church for instruction in piety. We have said that the Sabbath is on account of the creation, and the Lord's day of the resurrection."(31)

4. Gregory of Nyssa and Asterius of Amasea:
"Gregory of Nyssa in the late fourth century referred to the Sabbath and Sunday as 'sisters,' and about the same time Asterius of Amasea declared that it was beautiful for Christians that the 'team of these two days come together' -- 'the Sabbath and the Lord's Day.' According to Asterius, each week brought the people together on these days with priests to instruct them."(32)

5. John Cassian:
"In the fifth century John Cassian makes several references to church attendance on both Saturday and Sunday. In speaking of Egyptian monks, he states that 'except Vespers and Nocturns, there are no public services among them in the day except on Saturday and Sunday, when they meet together at the third hour [9:00 A.M.] for the purpose of Holy Communion."(33)

The historical evidence establishes that the Sabbath was kept by most Christians until at least the fifth century. Although Sunday was observed along with the Sabbath as a day for worship services, in most areas of the Roman Empire it did not replace the Sabbath. The trend in Rome and Alexandria, however, was for Sunday to replace the Sabbath. As we shall discover, in later centuries Sunday was treated as a day of rest, and Sabbath observance, although not discontinued by all Christians, was neglected by most.

WHEN DID SUNDAY OBSERVANCE REPLACE SABBATH OBSERVANCE IN THE PRACTICE OF MOST CHRISTIANS?
Sunday gradually became a rest day. Although in the early Christian centuries Sunday worship services were held in Rome and Alexandria, and increasingly in other places, Sunday was not regarded as a day of rest required by the fourth commandment. The development toward regarding Sunday as the complete substitute for the seventh-day Sabbath was a gradual process from the fourth to the twelfth century.

1. Constantine made Sunday a civil rest day.
His famous Sunday law of March 7, 321 reads as follows: "On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country, however, persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits; because it often happens that another day is not so suitable for grain-sowing or for vine-planting; lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost."(34)

Kenneth Strand comments: "This was the first in a series of steps taken by Constantine and by later Roman emperors in regulating Sunday observance. It is obvious that this first Sunday law was not particularly Christian in orientation. We may note, for instance, the pagan designation 'venerable Day of the Sun.' Also, it is evident that Constantine did not base his Sunday regulations on the Decalogue, for he exempted agricultural work--a type of work strictly prohibited in the Sabbath commandment in Exodus 20:8-11."(35)

2. Theodosius I and Gratian Valentinian
in A.D. 386 ruled that legal cases should not be heard on Sunday and that there should be no public or private payment of debt. Laws also forbad Sunday circus, theater, and horse racing.(36)

3. Ephraem Syrus
(c. A.D. 306-373) wrote that the law requires rest for servants and animals on Sunday. The law is a reference to the Old Testament Sabbath commandment (Exod. 20:8-11).(37) Hence, by the second half of the fourth century some Christians were treating Sunday as a rest day in place of the seventh-day Sabbath, and they were justifying their practice by appealing to the fourth commandment.

4. The Council of Laodicea about A.D. 364
The council showed respect for the Sabbath as well as Sunday, but Canon 29 stipulated: "Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday but shall work on that day; but the Lord's day they shall especially honour, and, as being Christians, shall, if possible, do no work on that day. If, however, they are found Judaizing, they shall be shut out from Christ."(38)

While such fourth-century documents as the Apostolic Constitutions were urging that both Sabbath and Sunday be observed, the Council of Laodicea and certain influential church leaders were attempting to substitute Sunday for the Sabbath as the day of rest.

5. In medieval times the Sunday "Sabbath" displaced the Saturday Sabbath throughout Europe. (39)
i. Pope Gregory (Pope from A.D. 590-604) demanded that all secular activities should cease on Sunday so that the people could devote their time to prayer.(40)

ii. The Arian rulers must have accepted Sunday as a day of rest and worship, for the Visigoths were defeated by the Romans in A.D. 543 because they refused to fight on Sunday.(41)

iii. Pepin III, known as "the Short" (714-68), the Frankish king, Charlemagne (c. 742-814), the first Emperor (from 800) of the 'Holy Roman Empire,' and their successors attempted to enforce rest on Sunday.(42)

iv. "By the twelfth century, Sunday had become quite fully the church substitute for the seventh day. The rest began at sunset and lasted until the next sunset. All secular work was strictly prohibited under stern ecclesiastical and civil penalties, for nothing except very stringent necessity was allowed to interfere with church attendance (though dispensations could be granted by ecclesiastical authority). This concept of Sundaykeeping was spelled out clearly by the great decretalists. In his collection of 1234, Gregory IX, for instance, collated a decree from the Synod of Mayence from the early part of the ninth century and a letter from Pope Alexander III to the Archbishop of Trondheim in Norway teaching how Sunday must be kept. Although those were local documents, they acquired a much greater authority when they were included in a major canonic collection."(43)

6. One notable exception to the above trend was the Christian Church of Ethiopia
...which observed both Sabbath and Sunday throughout the Middle Ages and has continued to do so until the present.(44)

7. In every Christian century, even during the Middle Ages, there have been faithful observers of the seventh-day Sabbath.
Daniel Augsburger concludes his chapter, "The Sabbath and Lord's Day During the Middle Ages," by writing: "But also, all throughout that period there were groups of people who, either through the example of the Jews or because of their study of the Scriptures, attempted to keep the day that Jesus and the apostles had kept. For obvious reasons we know little about their number or their names, but their presence shows that in every age there were some who attempted to place the Word of God above the traditions of men."(45) He mentions, for example, the Passagini in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. In 1420 a group of Sabbathkeepers in northern France were dealt with by the authorities. Also some of the Bohemian "Picards" were Sabbathkeepers. In the fifteenth century some of the English Lollards (followers of John Wycliffe) and certain Christians in the Scandinavian lands kept the Sabbath.(46)

The trend from the fourth century on was away from observance of the Sabbath by most Christians and the substitution of Sunday as the day of worship and rest. Even so, in every century there were those who resisted the trend by adhering faithfully to the seventh-day Sabbath of the Scriptures.

We now summarize this article by reiterating that Jesus and the apostles observed the seventh-day Sabbath. There is no evidence in the New Testament for Sunday as a day of rest and worship. The New Testament nowhere invites or instructs Christians to observe Sunday as a memorial of Christ's resurrection. The apostle Paul did not attempt to abolish the seventh-day Sabbath. He consistently observed it. The Sabbath was neglected and depreciated in second-century Rome and Alexandria. Sabbath observance was progressively replaced by Sunday observance in the centuries that followed. But time and tradition to not abolish the law of God. Jesus said, "Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:19). John wrote, "Whoever says, 'I have come to know him,' but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such person the truth does not exist; but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says, 'I abide in him,' ought to walk just as he walked" (1 John 2:4-6).

Dear Friend, do you love Jesus enough to walk as He walked? Do you love Him enough to keep His commandments? Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15). That includes the Sabbath commandment. Are you sure that your life is in His hands and that your name is written in the Lamb's book of life (Rev. 21:27)? Now is the time to make a decision for Him and for eternity. God is waiting longingly to take you into His arms of love and pour the Holy Spirit into your heart. Believe Him, accept Him, and follow His will in everything. Then you will have life and joy for eternity.

The Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans (Columbus, Ohio: Wartburg Press, 1945), p. 821.
2. See Charles R. Erdman, The Epistle of Paul to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker, 1983), p. 157; F. Godet, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1883, 1956), pp. 456, 457; Howard Rhys, The Epistle to the Romans (New York: Macmillan, 1961), p. 172.
3. Dederen cites Joseph Parker, Romans and Galatians, the People's Bible (New York, 1901), 26:123-125; A Barnes, "Romans," Notes on the New Testament (London, 1832), 4:299, 300; Wilbur T. Dayton, Romans and Galatians, Wesleyan Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich., 1965), 5:85, 86.
4. Raoul Dederen, "On Esteeming One Day as Better Than Another--Romans 14:5, 6," in Sabbath in Scripture and History, ed. Kenneth A. Strand (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald, 1982), pp. 335, 336.
5. Ibid., pp. 336, 337.
6. Cyril C. Richardson, trans. and ed., Early Christian Fathers (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1953 ), pp. 161-163.
7. Didache 8:1, in Richardson, p. 174.
8. Speaking of the Jews, The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible (New York: Abingdon Press, 1962), vol. 2, p. 243 comments: "It was the custom of the pious to fast on the second and fifth days of the week (Ta'an. 12a; Luke 18:12; Did. 8:1), and the especially devout might fast even more (Jth. 8:6)."
Renaissance New Testament Full Set- Volumes 1-18 (Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican, 1985), vol. 15, p. 64; William F. Arndt and F Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Chicago: University Press, 1957), s.v. cheirographon.
10. Judith 8:6; R. H. Charles (ed.), The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913), I:256.
11. Jubilees 50:12, 13; Charles, op. cit., II, 82.
The early Christian Sabbath: Selected essays and a source collection (Ann Arbor, Michigan: Ann Arbor Publishers, 1979), pp. 9-15.
13. Tertullian, On Fasting 14; Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (eds.), The Ante- Nicene Fathers (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1965), IV:112.
14. C. J. Hefele, A History of the Christian Councils (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1894), I:146, 147.
15. Innocent I, Epistle 25.4; J. Migne, Patrologia latina XX, col. 555.
16. Samuele Bacchiocchi, "The Rise of Sunday Observance in Early Christianity," in The Sabbath in Scripture and History, ed. Kenneth A. Strand (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald, 1982), p. 137; citing S. R. E. Humbert, Adversus Graecorum calumnias 6 (PL 143:937). See also Bacchiocchi, From Sabbath to Sunday : A Historical Investigation of the Rise of Sunday Observance in Early Christianity (Rome: Pontifical Gregorian University Press, 1977), 185-198.
17. Bacchiocchi, "The Rise of Sunday Observance in Early Christianity," in The Sabbath in Scripture and History, ed. Kenneth A. Strand, p. 136. He cites Tacitus, Historiae 5, 13 and Dio Cassius, Historiae 69, 13.
18. Bacchiocchi, Ibid.
19. Bacchiocchi, Ibid., p. 137.
20. Justin, Apology 1, 67; The Ante-Nicene Fathers I:186.
21. Bacchiocchi, Ibid., p. 140.
22. Bacchiocchi, Ibid., p. 141.
The Sabbath in Scripture and History, p. 323.
24. Strand, Ibid., pp. 323, 324; citing Socrates Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical History 5, 22 in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers/2 2:132.
25. Strand, Ibid., p. 324; citing Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History 7, 19 in NPNF/2 2:390
26. Strand, Ibid.
27. Strand. Ibid., citing Origen, Homily 23, on Numbers, par. 4; J. Migne, ed. Patrologia graeca 12:749, 750.
28. Apostolic Constitutions 2.36; ANF 7:413.
29. Apostolic Constitutions 7.23; ANF 7:469.
30. Apostolic Constitutions 7.36; ANF 7:474.
31. Apostolic Constitutions 8.33; ANF 7:495.
The Sabbath in Scripture and History, p. 325, citing Gregory of Nyssa, On Reproof (PG 46:309, 310); Asterius of Amasea, Homily 5, on Matthew 19:3 (PG 40:225, 226).
33. Strand, op. cit., citing John Cassian, Institutes 3.2; NPNF/2 11:213.
34. Codex Justinianus 3.12.3, trans. in Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, 5th ed. (New York, 1902), 3:380, note 1.
The Sabbath in Scripture and History, p. 328.
36. Strand, op. cit. He cites the Theodosian Code 11.7.13 and 15.5.5, trans. by Clyde Pharr (Princeton, N.J., 1952), pp. 300, 433.
37. Strand, Ibid., p. 329.
38. Strand, op. cit., citing Charles J. Hefele, A History of the Councils of the Church, 2 (Edinburgh, 1876) 316.
39. See Daniel Augsburger, "The Sabbath and Lord's Day During the Mddle Ages," in The Sabbath in Scripture and History, ed. Kenneth A. Strand (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald, 1982), pp. 190-214.
40. Augsburger, Ibid., p. 193; citing Epist. 13:1, note (PL 77:1254, 1255).
41. Augsburger, Ibid., p. 194.
42. Augsburger, Ibid., p. 201.
43. Augsburger, Ibid., p. 204.
44. See Werner K. Vyhmeister, "The Sabbath in Egypt and Ethiopia," inThe Sabbath in Scripture and History, ed. Kenneth A. Strand (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald, 1982), pp. 169-189.
45. Augsburger, Ibid., p. 210.
46. Augsburger, Ibid., pp. 208-210.
(Source is; How When and Why the Sabbath was Changed from Saturday to Sunday)

It really does not stop there .... History confirms Sabbath keeping all through time from the Old Testament through to the New from Jesus, the Apostles, the early Church, through the Reformation to today....

As I mentioned earlier this is only a side issue. Only God's Word is important and it is there we need to look by faith to follow the one who first loved us...

May God bless you as you seek him through His Word...

Kenneth Strand, Seventh Day Adventist. Totally unbiased of course
You do realise that even the dreaded Catholic Church still has worship on every day of the week?

 

[LoveGodsWord]

Kenneth Strand, Seventh Day Adventist. Totally unbiased of course
You do realize that even the dreaded Catholic Church still has worship on every day of the week?

Biased? You can use any Historical reference for bias this is why I was saying earlier that this is a side issue and only God's Word is important. The Catholic Church has written it's own version of History. Look above there are many sources that have been used for historical reference not just one...

I believe we should worship God everyday of the week but God has set aside the 7th Day as a holy day and no work is to be done on this day. It is a memorial of creation. This is the "Lords Day" that Jesus made for us and we should follow what he says. It is a sign that God's people worship the only true God of creation and keep all the commandments of God. (Exodus 20:8-11; Mark 2:27-28; Exodus 31:17; Revelations 14:12. 12:17; 22:14).

 

[prodromos]

Biased? You can use any Historical reference for bias this is why I was saying earlier that this is a side issue and only God's Word is important. The Catholic Church has written it's own version of History. Look above there has many sources that have been used for historical reference not just one...

Firstly, I am Orthodox, so I couldn't particularly care less what you claim the Catholic Church has done, although I generally won't stand by while people make false claims.
Secondly, I have read a great deal of early Church history and am quite capable of discerning when people take quotes out of context to further their own agenda. That the early Church primarily worshipped God on the the 8th day when Christ rose from the dead is plainly evident, as is the fact that they continued to honour the 7th when Christ rested in the tomb. They understood that the 7th day Sabbath was fulfilled by Christ when He rested in the tomb, thus whoever is in Christ has fulfilled the law of the Sabbath in Christ.

I believe we should worship God everyday of the week but God has set aside the 7th Day as a holy day and no work is to be done on this day. It is a memorial of creation.

It is more than that, it was foretelling when Christ would rest in the tomb, having completed all His works of salvation.

This is the "Lords Day" that Jesus made for us and we should follow what he says.

Rather it is the 8th day which is the day the Lord has made because it is the new and eternal day which has no evening following, breaking out of the endless cycle of 7 days.

 

[LoveGodsWord]

Firstly, I am Orthodox, so I couldn't particularly care less what you claim the Catholic Church has done, although I generally won't stand by while people make false claims. Secondly, I have read a great deal of early Church history and am quite capable of discerning when people take quotes out of context to further their own agenda. That the early Church primarily worshipped God on the the 8th day when Christ rose from the dead is plainly evident, as is the fact that they continued to honour the 7th when Christ rested in the tomb. They understood that the 7th day Sabbath was fulfilled by Christ when He rested in the tomb, thus whoever is in Christ has fulfilled the law of the Sabbath in Christ. It is more than that, it was foretelling when Christ would rest in the tomb, having completed all His works of salvation. Rather it is the 8th day which is the day the Lord has made because it is the new and eternal day which has no evening following, breaking out of the endless cycle of 7 days.

Hello Friend,
There are no false claims being made on my side or any agendas. I have provided you with scripture and historical references for everything I have posted. I do not see either in any of your posts. I only point people to God's Word as only he is true (sola scriptura) because it is written; let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, that thou might be justified in thy sayings, and might overcome when thou art judged (Romans 3:4). He must increase and I must decrease.... we must obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29).

May God bless you as you seek him through His Word.

 

[prodromos]

Hello Friend,
There are no false claims being made on my side or any agendas.

Sure there are. When I have some spare time I might pick a few of them out for you.

I have provided you with scripture and historical references for everything I have posted.

No you haven't. You've just done a copy/paste of someone else's work.

I do not see either in any of your posts.

Sorry I don't happen to have my extensively researched and heavily footnoted rebuttal of Kenneth Strand available on this computer. As regards scripture references, there are several which you would have recognised if you knew the Scriptures.

I only point people to God's Word as only he is true (sola scriptura) because it is written; let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, that thou might be justified in thy sayings, and might overcome when thou art judged (Romans 3:4). He must increase and I must decrease.... we must obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29).

In that case why did you point me to Kenneth Strand's work

May God bless you as you seek him through His Word.

He does, abundantly, a full measure, pressed down and overflowing. May you also be blessed in the same manner.

 

[thecolorsblend]

Hi TCB,

I answered you in post # 523. What was it that you feel I did not answer?

You typed a wall of text which has nothing to do with anything. Please answer my questions. Thanks!

 

[LoveGodsWord]

You typed a wall of text which has nothing to do with anything. Please answer my questions. Thanks!

Re-post for you...

Hi TCB,

I answered you in post # 523. What was it that you feel I did not answer?

 

[LoveGodsWord]

Sure there are. When I have some spare time I might pick a few of them out for you. No you haven't. You've just done a copy/paste of someone else's work. Sorry I don't happen to have my extensively researched and heavily footnoted rebuttal of Kenneth Strand available on this computer. As regards scripture references, there are several which you would have recognised if you knew the Scriptures. In that case why did you point me to Kenneth Strand's work He does, abundantly, a full measure, pressed down and overflowing. May you also be blessed in the same manner.

Well seems you are just making stuff up now. Let's chat again when you want to talk scripture

 

[prodromos]

Well seems you are just making stuff up now.

What makes you think that?

 

[LoveGodsWord]

What makes you think that?

I would suggest reading my linked posts # 502, 504, 505, 512 and 526.
If you still can't find the answer to your question pray about it. I do not judge you. Jesus says; If any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. Let's chat again later when you want to talk about God's Word.

May God bless you as you seek him through His Word.

 

[dzheremi]

Are the recent conversations that have gone on over the past few pages not an excellent illustration in themselves of why the more extreme/anti-traditional forms of sola scriptura cannot possibly work?

It's one thing to treat scripture in a manner that places it in an incredibly high, inviolable place (I would hope we are all doing this, regardless of our background). It's another thing to post quote after quote from the scriptures, devoid of any context, and pretend as though this is the same as arguing from the scriptures. The great exegetes of all times and places permeated their arguments with many layers of scriptural quotation and allusion, but it was all in service to the faith they sought to defend, which by definition is larger than any argument which limits itself to the bare reading of the Biblical text can actually be, since the scriptures are both necessarily limited in scope (John 21:25), and testify to the Word, rather than bringing salvation in themselves (John 5:39-40).

In common with tests for the feasibility of ecclesiology (ahem), it might benefit some of you to imagine how your faith might be if the Bible did not exist as it does now. The idea of a pre-Biblical faith that is also thoroughly rooted in scripture might seem strange, but that is indeed the reality of how things are for the earliest and most traditional Christian churches. My own, for instance, was founded on the preaching of St. Mark the Evangelist in first century Egypt, who of course brought with him to the great city of Alexandria and its environs not Biblical writings (the Septuagint was there before him thanks to the 70 translators of the preexisting Jewish community, but there weren't NT writings around yet), but his experience with and testimony of the risen Christ. If your faith directly depends upon the existence of the NT as we know it today, then by such an admission it cannot predate 367 AD, and by that time my church was on its 20th Pope (HH St. Athanasius the Apostolic, who set forth the standard NT canon in his 39th festal letter in that year). So for almost 400 years, there was no "the Bible" as we know it now. And surely Christianity did not start then.

 

[prodromos]

I would suggest reading my linked posts # 502, 504, 505, 512 and 526.
If you still can't find the answer to your question pray about it. I do not judge you. Jesus says; If any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. Let's chat again later when you want to talk about God's Word.

May God bless you as you seek him through His Word.

I suspected as much.

 

[LoveGodsWord]

I suspected as much.

Yep me too... It's hard to kick against the pricks