When was the Sabbath first given?

SabbathBlessings said:

There is Sabbath keeping all throughout the entire Bible starting at Creation with Adam and Eve.

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Who or what in your opinion was most influential in negating a 7th day sabbath rest to a 1st day rest and when did this first become a Christian norm?

AbbaLove said:

Who or what in your opinion was most influential in negating a 7th day sabbath rest to a 1st day rest and when did this first become a Christian norm?

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It was something we were warned that would happen in Scripture and not by God Dan 7:25

I believe this link covers what happened pretty well.


Today I want to answer the question which so many listeners have been concerned about since our first broadcast on the Sabbath question. How did the change take place, substituting Sunday for Saturday as the day of worship? This is possibly one of the most disturbing religious questions among thinking Christians today. Unfortunately, the issue is not examined publicly very often for reasons that we’ll consider today. But multitudes have wondered when, how and why the change came about. We have established in previous broadcasts that the Bible itself speaks with absolute consistency on this subject.

No Change Documented in the Bible​

In both Old and New Testament there is not a shadow of variation in the doctrine of the Sabbath. The seventh day, Saturday, is the only day ever designated by the term Sabbath in the entire Bible. Not only was Jesus a perfect example in observing the weekly seventh-day Sabbath, but all His disciples followed the same pattern after Jesus had gone back to heaven. Yet no intimation of any change of the day is made. The apostle Paul, who wrote pages of counsel about lesser issues of Jewish and Gentile conflicts, had not one word to say about any controversy over the day of worship. Circumcision, foods offered to idols, and other Jewish customs were readily challenged by early Gentile Christians in the church, but the weightier matter of weekly worship never was an issue. Why? For the simple reason that no change was made from the historic seventh day of Old Testament times, and from creation itself. Had there been a switch from the Sabbath to the first day of the week, you can be sure the controversy would have been more explosive than any other to those Jewish Christians.

History Gives Some Clues​

If the change did not take place in the Scriptures or through the influence of the apostles, when and how did it happen? In order to understand this, we must understand what happened in that early church soon after the apostles passed off the stage of action. Paul had prophesied that apostasy would take place soon after his departure. He said there would be a falling away from the truth. One doesn’t have to read very far in early church history to see just how that prophecy was fulfilled. Gnosticism began to rise up under the influence of philosophers who sought to reconcile Christianity with Paganism. At the same time, a strong anti-Jewish sentiment became more widespread. Very speculative interpretations began to appear regarding some of the great doctrines of Christ and the apostles.

The Conversion of Constantine​

By the time Constantine was established as the emperor of Rome in the early fourth century, there was a decided division in the church as a result of all these factors. I think most of you know that Constantine was the first so-called Christian emperor of the Roman Empire. The story of his conversion has become very well known to students of ancient history. He was marching forth to fight the battle of Milvian Bridge when he had some kind of vision, and saw a flaming cross in the sky. Underneath the cross were the Latin words meaning “In this sign conquer.” Constantine took this as an omen that he should be a Christian, and his army as well. He declared all his pagan soldiers to be Christians, and became very zealous to build up the power and prestige of the church. Through his influence great blocks of pagans were taken into the Christian ranks. But, friends, they were still pagan at heart, and they brought in much of the paraphernalia of sun-worship to which they continued to be devoted. We mentioned in a previous broadcast about the adoption of Christmas and Easter into the church. At the same time, many other customs were Christianized and appropriated into the practice of the church as well.

Sun Worship​

You see, at that time the cult of Mithraism or sun-worship was the official religion of the Roman Empire. It stood as the greatest competitor to the new Christian religion. It had its own organization, temples, priesthood, robes—everything. It also had an official worship day on which special homage was given to the sun. That day was called “The Venerable Day of the Sun.” It was the first day of the week, and from it we get our name Sunday. When Constantine pressed his pagan hordes into the church they were observing the day of the sun for their adoration of the sun god. It was their special holy day. In order to make it more convenient for them to make the change to the new religion, Constantine accepted their day of worship, Sunday, instead of the Christian Sabbath which had been observed by Jesus and His disciples. Remember that the way had been prepared for this already by the increasing anti-Jewish feelings against those who were accused of putting Jesus to death. Those feelings would naturally condition many Christians to swing away from something which was held religiously by the Jews. It is therefore easier to understand how the change was imposed on Christianity through a strong civil law issued by Constantine as the Emperor of Rome. The very wording of that law, by the way, can be found in any reliable encyclopedia. Those early Christians, feeling that the Jews should not be followed any more than necessary, were ready to swing away from the Sabbath which was kept by the Jews.

Historical Accounts​

Some of you may be greatly surprised by the explanation I’ve just made, and I’m not going to ask you to believe it blindly. I have before me a multitude of authorities to verify what has been said. Here are historians, Catholics and Protestants, speaking in harmony about what actually took place in the fourth century. After Constantine made the initial pronouncement and legal decree about the change, the Catholic Church reinforced that act in one church council after another. For this reason, many, many official statements from Catholic sources are made, claiming that the church made the change from Saturday to Sunday. But before I read those statements I shall refer to one from the Encyclopedia Britannica under the article, Sunday. Notice: “It was Constantine who first made a law for the proper observance of Sunday and who appointed that it should be regularly celebrated throughout the Roman empire.” Now you can check these statements in your own encyclopedias or go to the library and look into other historical sources.

Here is a statement from Dr. Gilbert Murray, M.A., D.Litt., LLD, FBA, Professor of Greek at Oxford University, who certainly had no ax to grind concerning Christian thought on the Sabbath question. He wrote: “Now since Mithras was the sun, the Unconquered, and the sun was the Royal Star, the religion looked for a king whom it could serve as a representative of Mithras upon earth. The Roman Emperor seemed to be clearly indicated as the true king. In sharp contrast to Christianity, Mithraism recognized Caesar as the bearer of divine grace. It had so much acceptance that it was able to impose on the Christian world its own sun-day in place of the Sabbath; its sun’s birthday, the 25th of December, as the birthday of Jesus.” History of Christianity in the Light of Modern Knowledge.

Looking a bit further into historical statements, Dr. William Frederick says: “The Gentiles were an idolatrous people who worshipped the sun, and Sunday was their most sacred day. Now in order to reach the people in this new field, it seems but natural as well as necessary to make Sunday the rest day of the church. At this time it was necessary for the church to either adopt the Gentile’s day or else have the Gentiles change their day. To change the Gentiles day would have been an offense and stumbling block to them. The church could naturally reach them better by keeping their day.” There it is, friends, a clear explanation by Dr. Frederick as to how this change happened. Another statement very parallel to this one is found in the North British Review.

But let’s move on to a statement from the Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 153. “The church after changing the day of rest from the Jewish Sabbath or seventh-day of the week to the first, made the third commandment refer to Sunday as the day to be kept holy as the Lord’s day.”

Catholicism Takes Credit for the Change​

Now a quote from the Catholic Press newspaper in Sidney, Australia. “Sunday is a Catholic institution and its claims to observance can be defended only on Catholic principles. From the beginning to end of Scripture there is not a single passage that warrants the transfer of weekly public worship from the last day of the week to the first.”

The Catholic Mirror of September 23, 1894, puts it this way: “The Catholic Church for over one thousand years before the existence of a Protestant by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday.”

To point up the claims we’re talking about, I want to read from two Catechisms. First, from the Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine by Reverend Peter Giermann. “Question: Which is the Sabbath day? Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day. Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church in the Council of Laodicea transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.”

Second, from Reverend Steven Keenan’s Doctrinal Catechism we read this: “Question: Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept? Answer: Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her; she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day; a change for which there is no Scriptural authority.”

Then from Cardinal Gibbons’ book, The Question Box, p.179, “If the Bible is the only guide for the Christian, then the Seventh-day Adventist is right in observing Saturday with the Jew. Is it not strange that those who make the Bible their only teacher should inconsistently follow in this matter the tradition of the Catholic Church?”

One more statement taken from the book, The Faith of Millions, p. 473. “But since Saturday, not Sunday, is specified in the Bible, isn’t it curious that non-Catholics who profess to take their religion directly from the Bible and not from the Church, observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Yes, of course, it is inconsistency but this change was made about fifteen centuries before Protestantism was born, and by that time the custom was universally observed. They have continued the custom even though it rests upon the authority of the Catholic Church and not upon an explicit text from the Bible. That observance remains as a reminder of the Mother Church from which the non-Catholic sects broke away like a boy running away from home but still carrying in his pocket a picture of his mother or a lock of her hair.”

That is a most interesting statement, is it not, friends? And it is a very true statement. There is some inconsistency somewhere along the line, because we have examined the statements of history, and you can check them for yourself in any library. I’m not reading anything one-sided here at all. I’ve tried to give you an unbiased picture. Although we have seen the claims made by the Catholic Church in their publications, we are not reading them to cast any reflection upon anyone, by any means. We are simply bringing you a recital of what has been written and what claims have been made.

Vanellus said:

Adam and Eve are not mentioned in Genesis 1:1-2:3 As I wrote there is no indication in the Bible that they kept a regular weekly sabbath. Nor is there any record of the patriarchs in Genesis keeping a regular sabbath afaik.

However, there might be another explanation. Despite the implication of the sabbath being something they should know about from a good while ago, Moses in verse 29 is referring back to what he said in verse 23,

Tomorrow is to be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil. Then set aside whatever remains and keep it until morning

So when Moses says in verse 29 Understand that the LORD has given you the Sabbath he (Moses) is referring back to what he (Moses) said only a short time before. A Sherlock Holmes type solution but it does resolve the question as to how they were expected to know about the Sabbath - Genesis most likely has not been written yet.



Also may I note that the long entry in post #22 (and some other posts) have changed the subject somewhat given that this thread is about a specific Bible passage. Might not that discussion be better suited to a different section of the forum?

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Yes, it seems possible that regarding the story, Israel was first introduced to the Sabbath rest in Ex 16:29 and Ex 20 just repeats that commandment.

Or, the text of Ex 20 was originally first, but was re-ordered by some textual edit later.

Or, the text of Exodus is a compilation of multiple sources or oral traditions and whichever way the composers joined it together, it would still be somewhat inconsistent. Like the reasoning for the Sabbath is inconsistent between the Exodus and the Deuteronomy traditions.

Vanellus said:

Adam and Eve are not mentioned in Genesis 1:1-2:3 As I wrote there is no indication in the Bible that they kept a regular weekly sabbath. Nor is there any record of the patriarchs in Genesis keeping a regular sabbath afaik.

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The Bible is all one Book and doesn't reveal everything in just one verse or chapter. The entire Bible is based on repeat and enlarge. At Creation, it doesn't even mentioned the Sabbath, just the seventh day, but later in Exodus we see from the Testimony of God, that the seventh day IS the Sabbath and that He said it started at Creation Exo 20:11, we later see who the Sabbath was made for, and it was never made only for the Jews, it was made for man Mark 2:27 according to the Testimony of Jesus Christ. Jesus is referring again back to Creation when both man and the Sabbath was made. The Greek work He used for man, means mankind and the Hebrew word He used means Adam, so God made the Sabbath for man not starting at Mt Sinai but from Creation. If you don't want to believe this that's your free will, but God not only spoke this, He wrote it plainly in the Ten Commandments.

Exo 20:11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

So God connected the Sabbath commandment starting at Creation and its wasn't just one Sabbath, what does God say.

Exo 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.

From Creation God commanded man to keep the Sabbath day holy. Why He used the word Remember here because you can't remember what never happened.

Without law there is no sin Rom 4:15 and the Ten Commandments is the law that defines sin 1 John 3:4 James 2:11-12 Rom 7:7 Mat 5:19-30 and the Ten Commandments never came in a unit of 1 or 9 commandments, God Himself numbered them by design Deut 4:13 Exo 34:28 because He knew man would try to reduce them into an unbiblical number. It wasn't that Adam and Eve just disobeyed God by eating the fruit of of knowledge, when she beheld the fruit and saw that it was pleasant to the eyes, she was coveting something that wasn't hers, breaking the commandment to thou shalt not covet, when she took the fruit and ate when it didn't belong to her, she broke the commandment to thou shalt not steal, when she ate it thinking she would be like god she broke the first commandment to not have any other gods before Me, why all of the commandments are interconnected breaking one you break them all James 2:11-12. Why it was "sin" for Cain to kill Abel, because where there is no law, there is no sin Rom 4:15 and where do we find thou shalt not murder- in God's holy law that is not the law of Moses, this is God's commandments that is in His heavenly Temple Rev 11:19 the standard of Judgement for all people Rev 11:18-19 Ecc 12:13-14 James 2:11-12 Mat 5:19-30 Rev 22:14-15, why it sits under His mercy seat in heaven and removing even a jot or tittle on what God covers, its not a good idea Pro 28:13

So yes, there was a weekly Sabbath made for mankind from the beginning, man was created in the image and likeness of God. God worked 6 days from Creation and rested the seventh day, not that He needed rest, but as an example for man and to rest and communion with man to bless Isa 56:2 and sanctify man Eze 20:12 because man can't sanctify themselves, despite their best efforts Isa 66:17

Why we see the Israelites keeping the Sabbath way before it was codified because God said, it started at Creation to be on the seventh day Exo 20:11. Abraham kept God's commandments Gen 26:5 the Sabbath is a commandment of God, thus saith the Lord, so to claim Abraham was not keeping the weekly Sabbath or stealing from people because it wasn't stated verbatim is not a good argument. If you believe God, when He wrote and He spoke His Ten Commandments, called them "My commandments" Exo 20:6 not Moses we know they include the weekly Sabbath, thus saith the Lord. The denial of this is not really an argument with me.

Vanellus said:

However, there might be another explanation. Despite the implication of the sabbath being something they should know about from a good while ago, Moses in verse 29 is referring back to what he said in verse 23,

Tomorrow is to be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil. Then set aside whatever remains and keep it until morning

So when Moses says in verse 29 Understand that the LORD has given you the Sabbath he (Moses) is referring back to what he (Moses) said only a short time before.

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Yes, the Lord has given the Sabbath to all people including Moses and the children of Israel, which represents His Church God wants to bless and sanctify all people and be in a covenant relationship with us, which includes keeping God's Sabbath, thus saith the Lord.


Isa 56:1 Thus says the Lord:

“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
For My salvation is about to come,
And My righteousness to be revealed.

Blessed is the man who does this,
And the son of man who lays hold on it;
Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

6 “Also the sons of the foreigner
Who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him,
And to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants—
Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And holds fast My covenant

Sadly most reject this.

Vanellus said:

Also may I note that the long entry in post #22 (and some other posts) have changed the subject somewhat given that this thread is about a specific Bible passage. Might not that discussion be better suited to a different section of the forum?

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I have been just responding to what has been written.

Going back to the OP, the Sabbath started at Creation according to God Exo 20:11 made for man Mark 2:27 and everyone Isa 56:6, it was always part of God's perfect plan for mankind, why it doesn't end in the New Heaven and New Earth Isa 66:23 thus saith the Lord and shown through the entire Bible, because man needs God, no relationship can survive without spending quality time with someone so God from the very beginning, sanctified meaning set aside for holy use the seventh day Sabbath made for man so He can bless and sanctify us. Most people reject this for some odd reason and instead try to sanctify themselves by their own works, instead of Gods Exo 32:16 when depending on a day to be sanctified by God when God said it was works and labors. Exo 20:9 Eze 22:26

SabbathBlessings said:

Sadly most reject this.

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Reformers such as Calvin, Knox, and even Luther recognized that Sunday observance was based more on religious tradition rather than on Holy Scripture. However, the perceived disconnect between the Judaism and Christ kept the Reformers from completely embracing the OT Sabbath ... using Christian rationale that the "Law" was "nailed to the Cross" (Colossians 2:14).

Andres Carlstadt, a controversial reformer in Germany during the Reformation and an associate of Martin Luther, became a devout Sabbath keeper. He was well versed in Latin, Greek, Hebrew and taught the paramount authority of the Scriptures (sola scriptura) above what had become hundreds of years of "Christian religious tradition".

Luther and Carlstadt were educated within the Catholic system. Yet as they studied the "Word" (John 1:1, John 1:14 and Acts 17:11) they recognized serious errors in religious tradition and desired to bring about reformation. Luther was more cautious in making changes in RCC traditions. Yet his "religious rationale" argued that if something is not expressly forbidden in the Scriptures, then it did not need to be condemned (thus man's religion). Carlstadt, however, maintained ... “We are bound to the Bible, and no one may decide after the thoughts of his own heart" (or based on hundreds of years of church tradition leading to: Supersessionism, Fulfillmaent theology). Yet even today RT in some form still lingers within Christendom. Even after Israel became a nation in 1948, and after the Arab Israeli 6-day war in 1967, church tradition (FT/RT) is thankfully no longer as adamant as it was in the 16th century or the 20th ... Supersessionism - Wikipedia

AbbaLove said:

Reformers such as Calvin, Knox, and even Luther recognized that Sunday observance was based more on religious tradition rather than on Holy Scripture. However, the perceived disconnect between the Judaism and Christ kept the Reformers from completely embracing the OT Sabbath ... using Christian rationale that the "Law" was "nailed to the Cross" (Colossians 2:14).

Andres Carlstadt, a controversial reformer in Germany during the Reformation and an associate of Martin Luther, became a devout Sabbath keeper. He was well versed in Latin, Greek, Hebrew and taught the paramount authority of the Scriptures (sola scriptura) above what had become hundreds of years of "Christian religious tradition".

Luther and Carlstadt were educated within the Catholic system. Yet as they studied the "Word" (John 1:1, John 1:14 and Acts 17:11) they recognized serious errors in religious tradition and desired to bring about reformation. Luther was more cautious in making changes in RCC traditions. Yet his "religious rationale" argued that if something is not expressly forbidden in the Scriptures, then it did not need to be condemned (thus man's religion). Carlstadt, however, maintained ... “We are bound to the Bible, and no one may decide after the thoughts of his own heart" (or based on hundreds of years of church tradition leading to: Supersessionism, Fulfillmaent theology). Yet even today RT in some form still lingers within Christendom. Even after Israel became a nation in 1948, and after the Arab Israeli 6-day war in 1967, church tradition (FT/RT) is thankfully no longer as adamant as it was in the 16th century or the 20th ... Supersessionism - Wikipedia

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Yes, they were coming out of Babylon, they brought a lot of truth back to Gods Word but still unlearning what they were taught and had more truth to go like the Sabbath commandment. Many were seeing light on this before their passing.

Like Luther

I wonder exceedingly how it came to be imputed to me that I should reject the law of Ten Commandments...Whosoever abrogates the law must of necessity abrogate sin also.
—MARTIN LUTHER, Spiritual Antichrist, pages 71, 72.

Vanellus said:

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2And by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work.a

3Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished.

Where is the "command" in this passage? Who is supposed to have heard this non-existent command on the seventh day?

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I'm not sure if you are reading my posts, this was addressed in the post you are responding to. The Bible is based on repeat and enlarge and in the Ten Commandments God said when the Sabbath commandment started, why He used the word Remember because He is recalling when it started and tells us verbatim when it started at Creation. Its part of the Ten Commandments Deut 4:13 Exo 34:28 written personally by the God of the Universe and just because it starts with Remember, doesn't mean its any less of a commandment than to only worship god or not to murder our neighbor. Never was it the 10 suggestions of optional choice on the ones we are okay with keeping but meant to keep for people of God. Rev 14:12 Isa 56:1-6 Heb 4:9NIV breaking one is like breaking them all James 2:11-12

Exo 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. (Creation Gen 2:1-3) Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

Vanellus said:

This thread is about a specific question - how were the Israelites to know about the law concerning the sabbath before the law was given at Mt Sinai.
I'm not denying that the concept of the sabbath is based on what happened at Creation but it is only made known to the Israelites by Moses ...

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So do you also question why the 613 commands (Mosaic laws) were not given to God's chosen people before their Egyptian bondage? Are you questioning God's Wisdom or are you in an around about way giving SB a difficult time with your lengthy reply #28 ?

Are you blaming God's timing for delaying His Laws (613 commands including the Ten Commndments) until the beginning of their 40 year journey before entering their Promised Land ... instead of before their Egyptian bondage or even before Noah ?

Besides the Holy Bible tells us when the "Sabbath" first became a "law". The OP Title is not about ...


It sounds like you think God's timing (Mosaic Sabbath law) was too delayed. Why do you care if you really believe the Mosaic Law wasn't a requirement for non-Jewish Christians ...

as a commandment it was first spoken to Adam and Enoch the seventh from Adam the first to keep it ...

honey badger said:

as a commandment it was first spoken to Adam and Enoch the seventh from Adam the first to keep it ...

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Proof...?

According to 99% of Christianity over the last 2000 years, it began on Mt. Sinai and ended on the hill of Golgotha where Christ was crucified.

Vanellus said:

Your post did not answer or engage with my question as to whether or not there is a command in Gen 2:1-3.

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God said it did as shown, in the Sabbath commandment Exo 20:11, but believe as you wish. You’re free to ask others until you get the answer you want, but it still won’t change what God said, who IMO is the only voice that matters.

Take care.

SabbathBlessings said:

God said it did as shown, in the Sabbath commandment Exo 20:11, but believe as you wish.

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Quote Ex 20:11 verbatim and underline the part in which it says that God commanded people to keep the Sabbath after the creation.

trophy33 said:

Quote Ex 20:11 verbatim and underline the part in which it says that God commanded people to keep the Sabbath after the creation.

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I already did, when God in the Sabbath commandment - said when the Sabbath started, which was at Creation. We all have free will to believe His Testimony or not, I am one that chooses to believe His words and live by Him, but we are all given free will, just as Adam and Eve had free will to believe and obey God, or choose to listen to another voice.

SabbathBlessings said:

I already did, when God in the Sabbath commandment - said when the Sabbath started, which was at Creation.

When was the Sabbath first given?

There is Sabbath keeping all throughout the entire Bible starting at Creation with Adam and Eve. Who or what in your opinion was most influential in negating a 7th day sabbath rest to a 1st day rest and when did this first become a Christian norm?

www.christianforums.com

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It seems that even though you are an English native speaker, you do not understand English when you do not want to.

Blessing a day is not a commandment for the people to keep it, to rest on it.