Sunday Worship

[Sir_Knight]

I’m having a disagreement with some folks who claim that the early Christians kept the Sabbath on Saturday instead of Saturday …

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  “There is not any city of the Grecians, nor any of the Barbarians, nor any nation whatsoever, whither our custom of resting on the seventh day hath not come!”
  M’Clatchie, “Notes and Queries on China and Japan” (edited by Dennys), Vol 4, Nos 7, 8, p.100.
  Philo
  Declares the seventh day to be a festival, not of this or of that city, but of the universe. M’Clatchie, “Notes and Queries,” Vol. 4, 99
  The Sabbath Through History - 1st Century

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  Early Christians
  “The primitive Christians did keep the Sabbath of the Jews;…therefore the Christians, for a long time together, did keep their conventions upon the Sabbath, in which some portions of the law were read: and this continued till the time of the Laodicean council.” “The Whole Works” of Jeremy Taylor, Vol. IX,p. 416 (R. Heber’s Edition, Vol XII, p. 416).

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  Egypt (Oxyrhynchus Papyrus) (200-250 A.D.)

  “Except ye make the sabbath a real sabbath (sabbatize the Sabbath,” Greek), ye shall not see the Father."

  “The oxyrhynchus Papyri,” pt,1, p.3, Logion 2, verso 4-11 (London Offices of the Egypt Exploration Fund, 1898).

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  Early Christians-C 3rd

  “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.” "

  The Anti-Nicene Fathers," Vol 7,p. 413. From “Constitutions of the Holy Apostles,” a document of the 3rd and 4th Centuries.
  Reply With Quote

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  “When you are in Rome, do as Rome does.”

  Ambrose, the celebrated bishop of Milan gave rise to this proverb by stating that when he was in Milan he observed Saturday, but when in Rome he observed Sunday.

  (See page 70 in this Online version of Truth Triumphant)

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  Italy AND EAST-C 4th
  “It was the practice generally of the Easterne Churches; and some churches of the west…For in the Church of Millaine (Milan);…it seems the Saturday was held in a farre esteeme… Not that the Easterne Churches, or any of the rest which observed that day, were inclined to Iudaisme (Judaism); but that they came together on the Sabbath day, to worship Iesus (Jesus) Christ the Lord of the Sabbath.” "

  History of the Sabbath" (original spelling retained), Part 2, par. 5, pp.73, 74. London: 1636. Dr. Heylyn.

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  Abyssinia - Remnants of Philip’s Evangelism

  “In the last half of that century St. Ambrose of Milan stated officially that the Abyssinian bishop, Museus, had ‘traveled almost everywhere in the country of the Seres’ (China). For more than seventeen centuries the Abyssinian Church continued to sanctify Saturday as the holy day of the fourth commandment.”

  Ambrose, DeMoribus, Brachmanorium Opera Ominia, 1132, found in Migne, Patrologia Latima, Vol.17, pp.1131,1132.

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  Spain - Council Elvira (A.D.305)
  Canon 26 of the Council of Elvira reveals that the Church of Spainat that time kept Saturday, the seventh day. “As to fasting every Sabbath: Resolved, that the error be corrected of fasting every Sabbath.” This resolution of the council is in direct opposition to the policy the church at Rome had inaugurated, that of commanding Sabbath as a fast day in order to humiliate it and make it repugnant to the people.

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  #1 Persia-A.D. 335-375 (40 Years Persecution Under Shapur II)

  The popular complaint against the Christians-“They despise our sungod, they have divine services on Saturday, they desecrate the sacred the earth by burying their dead in it.” Truth Triumphant," (Online Version p. 261)

  #2 Persia-A.D.335-375
  “They despise our sun-god. Did not Zorcaster, the sainted founder of our divine beliefs, institute Sunday one thousand years ago in honour of the sun and supplant the Sabbath of the Old Testament. Yet these Christians have divine services on Saturday.” O’Leary, “The Syriac Church and Fathers,” pp.83, 84.

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  “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.”

  Socrates, “Ecclesiastical History,” Book 7, chap.19.

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  The World
  “For although almost all churches throughout The World celebrated the sacred mysteries (the Lord’s Supper) on the Sabbath of every week, yet the Christians of Allexandria and at Rome, on account of some ancient tradition, refuse to do this.”

  The footnote which accompanies the foregoing quotation explains the use of the word “Sabbath.”
  It says: "That is, upon the Saturday. It should be observed, that Sunday is never called “the Sabbath’ by the ancient Fathers and historians.”

  Sacrates, “Ecclestical History,” Book 5, chap. 22, p. 289.

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  Pope Sylvester (314-335) was the first to order the churches to fast on Saturday, and Pope Innocent

  (402-417) made it a binding law in the churches that obeyed him, (In order to bring the Sabbath into disfavour.)

  “Innocentius did ordain the Saturday or Sabbath to be always fasted.” Dr. Peter Heylyn, "History of the Sabbath, Part 2, p. 44.

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  Spain (400 A.D.)

  “Ambrose sanctified the seventh day as the Sabbath (as he himself says). Ambrose had great influence in Spain, which was also observing the Saturday Sabbath.”

  Truth Triumphant, p. 68.

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  … Can anyone help me refute the above? Thanks in advance.

 

[VociMike]

Catholics don’t need to refute this, because the Catholic Church has the power to bind and loose.

Now all the Protestant denominations, they do have a problem, for they have no authority by which they worship on Sunday, no do they recognize the only authority (the Catholic Church) which would allow them to do so.

 

[EphelDuath]

The Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) decreed that it is not necessary to be Jewish to be Christian. Therefore, it is not mandatory to follow the Jewish Sabbath, but only the day which the apostles took Communion (Sunday).

 

[zagjames]

Christ died on friday and rose on Sunday. The early Christians worshiped on sunday. More to the point the authority of the Church says to do it on sunday. So it is on Sunday.

 

[Tom]

I’m having a disagreement with some folks who claim that the early Christians kept the Sabbath on Saturday instead of Saturday. Can anyone help me refute the above? Thanks in advance.

Actually they did both. The first century Church considered themselves Jewish, not a seperate religion. They were converting the Jews to the new “Way”. They met and taught in Synagogue on the Sabbath (recorded in Scripture), and met everyday to celebrate the Eucharist, (also recorded in Scripture). Sunday was a special celebration and meeting in recognition of the resurrection. It wasn’t until after the second destruction of the Temple, during the second revolt, around 70 a.d. that they were banned by the Jewish leaders from participating in the Synagogue.

 

[guanophore]

I’m having a disagreement with some folks who claim that the early Christians kept the Sabbath on Saturday instead of Saturday …

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  … Can anyone help me refute the above? Thanks in advance.

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  All the first Christians were Jews, and continued to observe the Sabbath in the Synagogue until they were ejected by the Jews. They also met again on “The Lord’s Day” (Sunday) for the “breaking of bread” (Eucharist).
  
  As the faith spread to the Gentiles, various parts of the Empire worshipped on either or both days depending upon which Apostle came to them.
  
  For unity, the church decided to celebrate the Sabbath on “the Lord’s day”.
  
  The early discipline of fasting on Saturday was not to make the people hate the Jewish Sabbath, but to hunger for the Eucharist.

 

[Ilroy]

Acts 20: 7
7 And on the first day of the week, when we were assembled to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, being to depart on the morrow: and he continued his speech until midnight.

The first day of the week is Sunday, or as we also know it as, the Lord’s day.

 

[fellowChristian]

Douay-Rheims Bible

First Epistle Of Saint Paul To The Corinthians

2 On the **first day of the week **let every one of you put apart with himself, laying up what it shall well please him; that when I come, the collections be not then to be made.

Epistle Of Saint Paul To The Colossians

16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of a festival day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbaths, 17 Which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ.

Tradition / Church Fathers

On the Lord’s own day, assemble in common to break bread and offer thanks, but first confess your sins so that your sacrifice may be pure." Didache, 14 (A.D. 90).

“If, therefore, those who were brought up in the ancient order of things have come to the possession of a new hope, **no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord’s Day, **on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death–whom some deny, by which mystery we have obtained faith, and therefore endure, that we may be found the disciples of Jesus Christ, our only Master.” **Ignatius, To the Magnesians, 9:1 (A.D. 110). **

“The seventh day, therefore, is proclaimed a rest–abstraction from ills–preparing for the Primal Day**,[The Lord’s Day]** our true rest; which, in truth, is the first creation of light, in which all things are viewed and possessed. From this day the first wisdom and knowledge illuminate us. For the light of truth–a light true, casting no shadow, is the Spirit of God indivisibly divided to all, who are sanctified by faith, holding the place of a luminary, in order to the knowledge of real existences. By following Him, therefore, through our whole life, we become impossible; and this is to rest.” **Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, 6:16 (A.D. 202). **

ARTICLE 3
THE THIRD COMMANDMENT

**II. The Lord’s Day **

This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.103
The day of the Resurrection: the new creation

**2174 **
Jesus rose from the dead **“on the first day of the week.”**104 Because it is the “first day,” the day of Christ’s Resurrection recalls the first creation. Because it is the “eighth day” following the sabbath,105 it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ’s Resurrection. For Christians it has become the first of all days, the first of all feasts, the Lord’s Day (he kuriake hemera, dies dominica)—Sunday:

Catechism of the Catholic Church
usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt1art3.htm

SUNDAY WORSHIP Scripture Catholic
scripturecatholic.com/sunday_worship.html

 

[bpbasilphx]

The Sabbath commandment has NOTHING to do with worship. Read it. You can’t get “worshiip” out of it at all.

The Sabbath (which term included the Feasts of Old Israel as well) requied REST FROM LABOR. The very word “Sabbath” in Hebrew means “cessation”.

But this rest from work extened to children, hired servants, slaves, and even farm animals.

At the time of its giving there were NO Synagoges. Services were held at the Tabernacle and later the Temple not weekly but THRICE DAILY.

With the establishment of Synagogues during the Exile, the custom of service TWICE DAILY was established, and is still followed by Orthodox Synagoges and even many Reform and Conservative congregations.

And here you can see the beginnings of Matins and Vespers of the Divine Office.

 

[Sabbath_Keeper]

I’m having a disagreement with some folks who claim that the early Christians kept the Sabbath on Saturday instead of Saturday …

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  Can anyone help me refute the above? Thanks in advance.

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  Suggestion, instead of trying to refute it why don’t you do some more exstensive research on your own. Do some heavy duty praying and ask the HS to guide you in this matter. Looks like a lot of evidence for the Sabbath, but, you need to come to that understanding yourself. Research both sides. Then decide.
  
  In Christ.

 

[Sabbath_Keeper]

The Sabbath commandment has NOTHING to do with worship. Read it. You can’t get “worshiip” out of it at all.

The Sabbath (which term included the Feasts of Old Israel as well) requied REST FROM LABOR. The very word “Sabbath” in Hebrew means “cessation”.

But this rest from work extened to children, hired servants, slaves, and even farm animals.

At the time of its giving there were NO Synagoges. Services were held at the Tabernacle and later the Temple not weekly but THRICE DAILY.

With the establishment of Synagogues during the Exile, the custom of service TWICE DAILY was established, and is still followed by Orthodox Synagoges and even many Reform and Conservative congregations.

And here you can see the beginnings of Matins and Vespers of the Divine Office.

Concering whether the Sabbath is supposed to be a worship day or not, I’ve posted a long dissertation on this on another thread dealing with the Sabbath where in it is shown that the Sabbath is a Holy Convocation. Feel free to peruse the article.