Old Testament Law (vanity)

Skip to comments.

Early Church Fathers - Worship on Sabbath or Sunday
Stay Catholic ^

Posted on Saturday, March 24, 2007 6:10:20 PM by NYer

Contrary to the teaching of Seventh Day Adventists the early Church gathered for worship on the Lord’s Day (Sunday), not Saturday, in honor of the day our Lord rose from the dead.
The Didache

But every Lord’s day . . . gather yourselves together and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one that is at variance with his fellow come together with you until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned (Didache 14 [A.D. 70]).
Ignatius of Antioch

[T]hose who were brought up in the ancient order of things [i.e., Jews] 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 (Letter to the Magnesians 8 [A.D. 110]).
The Didascalia

The apostles further appointed; On the first day of the week let there be service, and the reading of the holy scriptures, and the oblation [sacrifice of the Mass], because on the first day of the week [Sunday] our Lord rose from the place of the dead, and on the first day of the week he arose upon the world, and on the first day of the week he ascended up to heaven, and on the first day of the week he will appear at last with the angels of heaven (Didascalia 2 [A.D. 225]).
Victorinus

The sixth day [Friday] is called parasceve, that is to say, the preparation of the kingdom. . . . On this day also, on account of the passion of the Lord Jesus Christ, we make either a station to God or a fast. On the seventh day he rested from all his works, and blessed it, and sanctified it. On the former day we are accustomed to fast rigorously, that on the Lord’s Day we may go forth to our bread with giving of thanks. Let the parasceve become a rigorous fast, lest we should appear to observe any Sabbath with the Jews . . . which Sabbath he [Christ] in his body abolished (The Creation of the World [A.D. 300]).
Eusebius

They [the early saints of the Old Testament] did not care about circumcision of the body, neither do we [Christians]. They did not care about observing Sabbaths, nor do we. They did not avoid certain kinds of food, neither did they regard the other distinctions which Moses first delivered to their posterity to be observed as symbols; nor do Christians of the present day do such things (Church History 1:4:8 [A.D. 325]).

[T]he day of his [Christ’s] light . . . was the day of his resurrection from the dead, which they say, as being the one and only truly holy day and the Lord’s day, is better than any number of days as we ordinarily understand them, and better than the days set apart by the Mosaic Law for feasts, new moons, and Sabbaths, which the Apostle [Paul] teaches are the shadow of days and not days in reality (Proof of the Gospel 4:16:186 [A.D. 319]).
Athanasius

The Sabbath was the end of the first creation, the Lord’s day was the beginning of the second, in which he renewed and restored the old in the same way as he prescribed that they should formerly observe the Sabbath as a memorial of the end of the first things, so we honor the Lord’s day as being the memorial of the new creation (On Sabbath and Circumcision 3 [A.D. 345]).
Cyril of Jerusalem

Fall not away either into the sect of the Samaritans or into Judaism, for Jesus Christ has ransomed you. Stand aloof from all observance of Sabbaths and from calling indifferent meats common or unclean (Catechetical Lectures 4:37 [A.D. 350]).
Council of Laodicea

Christians should not Judaize and should not be idle on the Sabbath, but should work on that day; they should, however, particularly reverence the Lord’s Day and, if possible, not work on it, because they were Christians (canon 29 [A.D. 360]).

EW had no idea of Church History when she went about attacking the Church. The Apostles were not anti-Jewish.

flee the false teachings of EW.

Contrary to the teaching of Seventh Day Adventists the early Church gathered for worship on the Lord’s Day (Sunday), not Saturday, in honor of the day our Lord rose from the dead.

The Didache

But every Lord’s day . . . gather yourselves together and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one that is at variance with his fellow come together with you until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned (Didache 14 [A.D. 70]).

Ignatius of Antioch

[T]hose who were brought up in the ancient order of things [i.e., Jews] 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 (Letter to the Magnesians 8 [A.D. 110]).

The Didascalia

The apostles further appointed; On the first day of the week let there be service, and the reading of the holy scriptures, and the oblation [sacrifice of the Mass], because on the first day of the week [Sunday] our Lord rose from the place of the dead, and on the first day of the week he arose upon the world, and on the first day of the week he ascended up to heaven, and on the first day of the week he will appear at last with the angels of heaven (Didascalia 2 [A.D. 225]).

Victorinus

The sixth day [Friday] is called parasceve, that is to say, the preparation of the kingdom. . . . On this day also, on account of the passion of the Lord Jesus Christ, we make either a station to God or a fast. On the seventh day he rested from all his works, and blessed it, and sanctified it. On the former day we are accustomed to fast rigorously, that on the Lord’s Day we may go forth to our bread with giving of thanks. Let the parasceve become a rigorous fast, lest we should appear to observe any Sabbath with the Jews . . . which Sabbath he [Christ] in his body abolished (The Creation of the World [A.D. 300]).

Eusebius

They [the early saints of the Old Testament] did not care about circumcision of the body, neither do we [Christians]. They did not care about observing Sabbaths, nor do we. They did not avoid certain kinds of food, neither did they regard the other distinctions which Moses first delivered to their posterity to be observed as symbols; nor do Christians of the present day do such things (Church History 1:4:8 [A.D. 325]).

[T]he day of his [Christ’s] light . . . was the day of his resurrection from the dead, which they say, as being the one and only truly holy day and the Lord’s day, is better than any number of days as we ordinarily understand them, and better than the days set apart by the Mosaic Law for feasts, new moons, and Sabbaths, which the Apostle [Paul] teaches are the shadow of days and not days in reality (Proof of the Gospel 4:16:186 [A.D. 319]).

Athanasius

The Sabbath was the end of the first creation, the Lord’s day was the beginning of the second, in which he renewed and restored the old in the same way as he prescribed that they should formerly observe the Sabbath as a memorial of the end of the first things, so we honor the Lord’s day as being the memorial of the new creation (On Sabbath and Circumcision 3 [A.D. 345]).

Cyril of Jerusalem

Fall not away either into the sect of the Samaritans or into Judaism, for Jesus Christ has ransomed you. Stand aloof from all observance of Sabbaths and from calling indifferent meats common or unclean (Catechetical Lectures 4:37 [A.D. 350]).

Council of Laodicea

Christians should not Judaize and should not be idle on the Sabbath, but should work on that day; they should, however, particularly reverence the Lord’s Day and, if possible, not work on it, because they were Christians (canon 29 [A.D. 360]).

John Chrysostom

When he said, “You shall not kill” . . . he did not add “because murder is a wicked thing.” The reason was that conscience had taught this beforehand, and he speaks thus, as to those who know and understand the point. Wherefore when he speaks to us of another commandment, not known to us by the dictate of conscience, he not only prohibits, but adds the reason. When, for instance, he gave commandment concerning the Sabbath — “On the seventh day you shall do no work”— he subjoined also the reason for this cessation. What was this? “Because on the seventh day God rested from all his works which he had begun to make” [Ex. 20:10]. And again: “Because you were a servant in the land of Egypt” [Deut. 21:18]. For what purpose then, I ask, did he add a reason respecting the Sabbath, but did no such thing in regard to murder? Because this commandment was not one of the leading ones. It was not one of those which were accurately defined of our conscience, but a kind of partial and temporary one, and for this reason it was abolished afterward. But those which are necessary and uphold our life are the following: ‘”You shall not kill... You shall not commit adultery... You shall not steal.” On this account he adds no reason in this case, nor enters into any instruction on the matter, but is content with the bare prohibition (Homilies on the Statues 12:9 [A.D. 387]).

You have put on Christ, you have become a member of the Lord and been enrolled in the heavenly city, and you still grovel in the Law [of Moses]? How is it possible for you to obtain the kingdom? Listen to Paul’s words, that the observance of the Law overthrows the gospel, and learn, if you will, how this comes to pass, and tremble, and shun this pitfall. Why do you keep the Sabbath and fast with the Jews? (Homilies on Galatians 2:17 [A.D. 395]).

Apostolic Constitutions

And on the day of our Lord’s resurrection, which is the Lord’s Day, meet more diligently, sending praise to God that made the universe by Jesus, and sent him to us, and condescended to let him suffer, and raised him from the dead. Otherwise what apology will he make to God who does not assemble on that day . . . in which is performed the reading of the prophets, the preaching of the gospel, the oblation of the sacrifice, the gift of the holy food (Apostolic Constitutions 2:7:60 [A.D. 400]).

yes and the SDA still teaches worshipping on the first day of the week is the mark of the beast. i have heard many SDA ministers teach that anyone who doesn’t keep the 7th day Sabbath is lost. i guess no one was saved for 19 centuries until EW and her dreams came along.

Good post.

**”They point out to me that Jesus said “I have not come to abolish the Law, nor the prophets.” **

Instead, Christ says “I have come to fulfill the law.”

saiah 1:13 - God begins to reveal His displeasure with the Sabbath.

That's a novel and succinct interpretation.

Isa 1:13 Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
Isa 1:14 Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them.

Again the issue isn't that God hates the sabbaths HE created...how could he? He hates the way that Israel is observing them..with no heart, understanding or meaning. They've defiled his holy sabbath...that's what he hates.

And while we're at it why don't we skip toward the end of Isaiah to see what God really thinks about HIS sabbaths:

Isa 56:4 For thus says the LORD: "To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant,
Isa 56:5 Even to them I will give in My house And within My walls a place and a name Better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name That shall not be cut off.
Isa 56:6 "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—
Isa 56:7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations."

Not keeping God's sabbath holy, against his wishes, is a mighty dangerous place to be.

EW was only one of many great false prophets to arise in the 19th century. ( Joseph Smith, Charles Russel, etc )

Yes but the only reason that SDA’s celebrate a Saturday Sabbath is because modern Jews celebrate a Saturday Sabbath.

***Was Paul lying when he said:

Act 24:13 Nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me.
Act 24:14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets. ****

Paul often used his Jewishness for his own safety. When he was accused of telling people to “Forsake Moses” he could prove he did not TELL THE JEWISH BELIEVERS to do that. he even circumcised Timothy. Why? Because HIS MOTHER was Jewish but his father was a Greek.

Should we start circumcising for religious purposes again? NO!

Yet he preached against circumcision to the non Jewish believers, and here is the rub! James told him the Gentiles were free from the Law of Moses but not the Jewish believers.

And when Paul went to Jerusalem the last time, JAMES had him take a vow with others AND OFFER ANIMAL SACRIFICES to show the Jewish people those things of which they heard were not so. There was quite an altercation in the Temple over him being there.

Should we take vows or offer Animal Sacrifices again because Paul did? NO!

In another place Paul was arrested and when he discerned half were Pharisee and half Sadducee he involked his Pharisee beliefs to cause them to get to arguing with each other and thus he escaped because the Pharisees who were ready to condemn him then came to his rescue.

Christians should not Judaize and should not be idle on the Sabbath, but should work on that day; they should, however, particularly reverence the Lord’s Day and, if possible, not work on it, because they were Christians (canon 29 [A.D. 360]).

God says keep it holy and rest. Man, 300 years later, says "Forget God and work on his holy day".

Tough decision.

the Judaizers who rejected Jesus or the Church who believed in Jesus and took the Gospel to the world?

tough decision.

false prophets will arise and lead many astray, EW fits this to a T.

Ellen White: True or False Prophet?

Ellen G. White denies Jesus’ deity
“God is the Father of Christ; Christ is the Son of God. To Christ has been given an exalted position. He has been made equal with the Father. All the counsels of God are opened to His Son.” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume Eight, page 268, paragraph 3.)

“He who was made equal with God bore the sin of the transgressor” (The Signs of the Times, 02-05-1894, paragraph 10

why didn’t Ellen White believe Jesus is true God and true man like Christians have believed for 2,000 years.

Here is a chart for you.

How Old is Your Church?
by Sebastian R. Fama

Name of Church	Year Founded	Name of Founder

Catholic	33	Jesus Christ
Orthodox	1054	Separated from Catholic Church
Lutheran	1517	Martin Luther
The Church of England	1534	King Henry VIII
Presbyterian	1560	John Knox
Congregationalist	1582	Robert Browne
Baptist	1605	John Smyth
Dutch Reformed	1628	Michaelis Jones
Quaker	1652	George Fox
Amish	1693	Jacob Amman
Methodist	1744	John & Charles Wesley
Unitarian	1774	Theophilus Lindley
Episcopal	1789	Samuel Seabury
Disciples of Christ	1804	A group of Presbyterian ministers
Mormon	1830	Joseph Smith Jr.
Seventh Day Adventist	1860	Ellen White
Salvation Army	1865	William Booth
Christian & Missionary Alliance		1865	Albert Simpson
Jehovah's Witnesses	1872	Charles Taze Russell
Christian Scientist	1879	Mary Baker Eddy
Assemblies of God	1914	A group of Pentecostal preachers
Foursquare Gospel	1918	Aimee Semple McPherson
United Pentecostal	1945	A merger of Oneness churches
United Church of Christ	1957	A union of different traditions
Calvary Chapel	1965	Chuck Smith

The feast of first fruits falls on the first day of the week, the same day Jesus rose from the dead.

The problem being is that the Greek does not say that:

Young's Literal Translation: [Matthew 28:1]1 And on the eve of the sabbaths, at the dawn, toward the first of the sabbaths, came Mary the Magdalene, and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre,

All four gospels confirm that the day of resurrection was on the weekly Sabbath.....before sunrise. The women all find an empty tomb upon arriving there Sabbath morning.

[Mark 16:2]2 and early in the morning of the first of the sabbaths, they come unto the sepulchre, at the rising of the sun,

[Luke 24:1] 1 And on the first of the sabbaths, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bearing the spices they made ready, and certain others with them,

[John 20:1] 1 And on the first of the sabbaths, Mary the Magdalene doth come early (there being yet darkness) to the tomb, and she seeth the stone having been taken away out of the tomb,

For over 1700 years the Main Stream Churches have been telling this "fairy Tale" about a Sunday morning resurrection. It didn't happen. The Greek Says, μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων, which means.....the First of the Sabbaths. If the gospel writers had wished to convey the thought of a Sunday resurrection they would have written, PROTO HEMERA TE EBDOMA. That means....the first day of the week....in Greek! EBDOMA (εβδομα) is the Greek word for week and you do not find it anywhere in the New Testament.

It's odd, FF, that you have SDAs in your class. Strange as it may seem, I think you'd probably get along better with us Catholics!

From a Catholic perspective, the reason the 10 Commandments are important is because they're -- with two notable exceptions -- a concise codification of natural law. Natural law is binding on all people, everywhere, and always has been. (Neither murder, nor adultery, nor idolatry, nor dishonoring one's parents was acceptable to God before Sinai; Sinai just formalized the prohibition and attached penalties.)

One of the two exceptions to the 10 Commandments as a codification of natural law has already been discussed extensively here. One can make an argument from natural law that God ought to be worshipped, and even that that worship ought to sanctify time in some way by being attached to some regular spot on the calendar. What natural law can't establish is that it ought to be on Saturday (or Sunday, or the first and third Tuesday of the month, etc.). That is why Sabbath observance per se is part of the ceremonial law, not part of the moral law.

The second exception is to the narrow interpretation of the second Commandment (using the Protestant numbering). Certainly one can argue from natural law and reason that there is one God and that one ought not to worship false gods. It follows from that that one ought not to make an image of a false god (for devotional purposes, I mean). But you can't get from natural law to the (Jewish) position that you ought not to make an image of the True God, either.

Of course, as Christians, we believe that the True God became visible to us in Jesus Christ, and most Christians would agree that there's nothing automatically idolatrous about making an image of Jesus.

Aside from the parts of the Mosaic Law that codify natural law, the rest of the Mosaic Law simply isn't binding on us. For those of us who are not Jews according to Jewish Law, it was never binding on us ... and that's a Jewish position, not merely a Christian one. (That's why it's completely wrong to claim that Gentile Christians are required to keep Jewish feast days. People who want to do that should go ahead and convert to Judaism.)

As for Christians who are legally Jews according to halacha, the argument can perhaps be made that they are bound to obey the OT ceremonial law, except for two things: (1) The OT ceremonial law was, as the rabbis recognize, primarily instituted as a penance for the Golden Calf and Israel's other transgressions in the desert. Christians don't need to continue to do penance for the sins of Aaron. (2) The full obedience to the OT ceremonial law is impossible anyway since the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in AD 70. I think that that constitutes divine absolution for Jewish Christians from the precepts of the OT ceremonial law.

***Not keeping God’s sabbath holy, against his wishes, is a mighty dangerous place to be. ***

I place my faith in a resurrected CHRIST, not a day.

What St Paul said about the LAW. Just a few there are way too many to print here.

Rom 2;17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,

Rom 2:18 And knowest [his] will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;

Rom 2:22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?

Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? [Is] the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by THE LAW: for I had not known lust, except THE LAW had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Rom 2:25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep THE LAW: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

Rom 3:1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit [is there] of circumcision?

Rom 3:2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Gal 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

Gal 5:3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the WHOLE LAW.

Gal 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

The LAW is the 10 commandments.
THE LAW is circumcision.
THE LAW is the FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES.
THE LAW is a Schoolmaster.
THE LAW is the ministration of death, written and engraved in STONES.
THE LAW is GLORIOUS!
THE LAW is less glorious than FAITH.
THE LAW fades away, replaced by more glorious Faith.
THE LAW is abolished as if fading from Moses’ face.

JAMES on THE LAW.

Jam 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one [point], he is guilty of all.

Jam 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the LAW.

see mark 16:9, the Church knows Jesus rose on the first day of the week because the Apostles were there.

Nice cherry-picking, Diego, but Luke 23:56 says that the women "rested on the Sabbath day, according to the commandment". That was the day before they went to the tomb.

And Matthew 28:1 begins "opseh deh Sabbaton," "after the Sabbath".

The Jews asked Pilate to break the legs of the crucified "because they did not want the bodies to remain on during the Sabbath, because that Sabbath was a high day" (John 19:31). It's clear from the text that that happened the same day as the crucifixion, which was the "Preparation Day", and that there was at least one full day between the crucifixion and the resurrection.

Passover was (and is) celebrated for a full week; it would not be surprising to refer to the second day as "a Sabbath". But if both the day following the crucifixion and the day following that were "Sabbaths," I think we can safely assume that they weren't both Saturday.

Jesus rose on the feast of first fruits, which is always celebrated on the first day of the week.

i am always amazed that anyone thinks the Church had no idea what day Jesus rose from the dead on for 2,000 years!