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Did the early Church move the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday? (Ecumenical)
Catholic.com ^ | Peggy Frye

Posted on 05/12/2013 5:55:26 PM PDT by narses

Full Question

Until recently, I always thought Catholics worshiped on the Sabbath, and that the early Church moved the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. Is this true? Answer

This is a common misunderstanding. Catholics do not worship on the Sabbath, which according to Jewish law is the last day of the week (Saturday), when God rested from all the work he had done in creation (Gen. 2:2-3). Catholics worship on the Lord’s Day, the first day of the week (Sunday, the eighth day); the day when God said "Let there be light" (Gen. 1:3); the day when Christ rose from the dead; the day when the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles (Day of Pentecost). The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: "The Church celebrates the day of Christ’s Resurrection on the ‘eighth day,’ Sunday, which is rightly called the Lord’s Day" (CCC 2191).

The early Church did not move the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. Instead "The Sabbath, which represented the completion of the first creation, has been replaced by Sunday, which recalls the new creation inaugurated by the Resurrection of Christ" (CCC 2190). Sunday is the day Catholics are bound to keep, not Saturday.

We see evidence of this in Scripture:

On the first day of the week when we gathered to break bread, Paul spoke to them because he was going to leave on the next day, and he kept on speaking until midnight (Acts 20:7). On the first day of the week each of you should set aside and save whatever one can afford, so that collections will not be going on when I come (1 Cor. 16:2). Let no one, then, pass judgment on you in matters of food and drink or with regard to a festival or new moon or Sabbath (Col. 2:16). The Catechism also says:

By a tradition handed down from the apostles which took its origin from the very day of Christ’s Resurrection, the Church celebrates the Paschal mystery every seventh day, which day is appropriately called the Lord’s Day or Sunday. The day of Christ’s Resurrection is both the first day of the week, the memorial of the first day of creation, and the "eighth day," on which Christ after his "rest" on the great Sabbath inaugurates the "day that the Lord has made," the "day that knows no evening." (CCC 1166)

Other CCC references to the Lord’s Day: 349, 2174, 2175, 2191

Answered by: Peggy Frye


TOPICS: Apologetics; General Discusssion; History
KEYWORDS: churchhistory; sabbath
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To: Elsie
2Ch 7:14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

As for foolishness, foolishness is one who rejects relationship in order to practice religion.

Gal 4:8 But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.

They were returning to ways and false gods that they had served prior to coming to the Truth. They were observing days, months and seasons that were not of God, but rather of other gods. So it would seem your definition of 'foolishness' has quite a few holes in it as your definition is not that which Paul was speaking to. But hey, that is what happens when one doesn't read ALL the context, but only picks and chooses passages that seemingly seem to fit their religious dogma.

2Pe 3:15 and reckon the patience of our Lord as deliverance, as also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you, according to the wisdom given to him, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them concerning these matters, in which some are hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the other Scriptures. 17 You, then, beloved ones, being forewarned, watch, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the delusion of the lawless,

241 posted on 05/14/2013 8:36:17 PM PDT by patlin ("Knowledge is a powerful source that is 2nd to none but God" ConstitutionallySpeaking 2011)
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To: Elsie

So, if God only made covenants with Israel, where does that leave you?


242 posted on 05/14/2013 10:29:44 PM PDT by wafflehouse (RE-ELECT NO ONE !)
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To: wafflehouse
Elsie So, if God only made covenants with Israel, where does that leave you?

Well...


Romans 10:13
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."


Watch for the word GENTILE in the following...



Acts 15

The Council at Jerusalem
 1 Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

 5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”

 6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

 12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 13 When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. 14 Simon[a] has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. 15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:

 16 “‘After this I will return
   and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
   and I will restore it,
17 that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
   even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’[b]
 18 things known from long ago.[c]

 19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers
 22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. 23 With them they sent the following letter:

   The apostles and elders, your brothers,

   To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:

   Greetings.

 24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25 So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

   Farewell.

 30 So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31 The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32 Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. 33 After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. [34] [d] 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.

Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas
 36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
243 posted on 05/15/2013 4:08:03 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: BipolarBob; editor-surveyor
Dear Diamond; I don't know of a diplomatic way to say this but you are wrong, wrong and wrong. There is no such prophecy regarding the end of the Sabbath. None. I'm sure you would like for there to be one but alas, it is not there.

You don't know what you don't know.

I will cite the prophecy of when the sabbath would be over, and it's fulfillment.

The crooked dealers with their dishonest scales in Amos 8 who begrudged even the sabbaths and feast days as interruptions in their business ask:

Amos 8:5
"When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat?"

And this is Amos' answer to their question, "When will the new moon... and the sabbath ... be over?:

Amos 8:9
"And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in a clear day.
Amos prophesies a supernatural event at some undetermined future time. The only event ever known that fulfills it is that of the supernatural darkening of the sun for three hours, when Jesus was crucified:
Mark 15:33
And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour."

That is when the feast of new moons and the Sabbath ended.

The set order of Jewish serives enumerated by Paul in Colossians 2:14-16; daily, weekly, monthly and yearly, Paul says were done away with, nailed to the cross, in a passage which entails some of the exact language of this very same passage in Amos, namely; "new moon", and "Sabbath".

That which was "written and engraved in stones" is done away.

Cordially

244 posted on 05/15/2013 6:03:11 AM PDT by Diamond (He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people,)
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To: Elsie
1. so you are saying you have no covenant with God?

2. there are 2 issues here. first is Salvation (which we agree on ) and 'what comes after'. My assertion is that we are part of Israel and that once saved and in the Kingdom, we should follow the rules of the King.
245 posted on 05/15/2013 10:12:58 AM PDT by wafflehouse (RE-ELECT NO ONE !)
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To: Diamond
God Himself foretold in the Old Testament when the Sabbath would end, and it ended exactly when He said it would - at the cross.

246 posted on 05/15/2013 10:14:54 AM PDT by wafflehouse (RE-ELECT NO ONE !)
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

You might wan to see Gilll on Lk. 8:12: http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/luke-18-12.html

And overall, I notice that the main sabbathtarian and dietary laws arguments here are much like conspiratorial theories stated as fact, typically entailing a complicated construct which include various presuppositions, including that sabbatwn is never used to denote a weekly sabbath, and that “the law” (which collectively can refer to that which began at Horeb: Mal. 4:4) as containing abrogated laws that were shadows can never include anything from Horeb, and Rm. 14 refers to pagan temple meats.

All of which is asserted as fact, and infers one is a second class soul or lost for not observing the 7th day, while dismissing the opposition as too dumb to get it or having an evil motive.

All of which is required in order to justify a command of cardinal importance, because it lacks reiteration like the other 9, and instead teaching is given which refers to sabbath days and dietary laws as shadows, and special observance of days a matter of liberty, and even the more ancient everlasting covenant of circumcision is abrogated.

For me, i see the focus in the NT is on Christ and holy living in having holy affections and moral living as often expressed, which is not not on diet or the 7th day.


247 posted on 05/15/2013 10:18:58 AM PDT by daniel1212 (Come to the Lord Jesus as a contrite damned+destitute sinner, trust Him to save you, then live 4 Him)
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To: Diamond

that’s the worse argument i have ever heard.


248 posted on 05/15/2013 10:21:29 AM PDT by wafflehouse (RE-ELECT NO ONE !)
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To: Diamond; BipolarBob; editor-surveyor
That which was "written and engraved in stones" is done away.

I don't want to beat you up Diamond, but this is a perfect example of how one should not read the prophets.

One of the foremost things to keep in mind when reading the Word is that YHWH is the ONLY claimant for the title of 'god' that declares explicitly that what He said in the first place is what will be in the end. It is His primary challenge against other claimants, And is the signature move that only He can do.

Your typical 'god' type allows for change through his agents - I don't care which one you might care to investigate, as every_single_one has a priesthood or prophet(s) empowered to revise the original definition/doctrine.

YHWH is the *only* one that does not allow it. What is said first cannot be altered by what is said last. Period. YHWH's Word does not return to Him empty. Ever. This is the reason that the Hebrews were instructed as they were wrt identifying false prophets - No one can change the Torah. *NO_ONE*. And no prophet can change what the prophets before him have said.

Your reading of this thing cannot be, as the Torah declares from the very beginning that the Sabbath Day is eternally sanctified and set apart. That is forever. And if you care to read Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah (and others), you will find that they speak of a time beyond the Day of the Lord, when the Law will go forth from Jerusalem, and the whole world will keep the Sabbaths of YHWH - All of them - Which includes the weekly Sabbath.

So either you are wrong, or the Torah is wrong (and YHWH is made a liar), or one or more of the prophets are wrong (and YHWH is made a liar).

249 posted on 05/15/2013 11:02:02 AM PDT by roamer_1 (Globalism is just socialism in a business suit.)
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To: wafflehouse
1. so you are saying you have no covenant with God?

Could be.

Got any EVIDENCE I have one?

250 posted on 05/15/2013 11:54:15 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: wafflehouse
My assertion is that we are part of Israel and that once saved and in the Kingdom, we should follow the rules of the King.

You can assert that all you want.

All I want to see is any REQUIREMENT to do so.

Is that too much of a request?

251 posted on 05/15/2013 11:55:15 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

>> So? The purpose for posting this is to show what people meant by the words “first of the Sabbaths” at that time. <<

.
Then you failed abysmally.


252 posted on 05/15/2013 12:07:16 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Elsie

>> “All I want to see is any REQUIREMENT to do so.” <<

.
Well LC, participation in the Kingdom is actually optional. (you may not like the alternative though)


253 posted on 05/15/2013 12:26:06 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: editor-surveyor

Don’t see why. I’ve shown from REAL TRANSLATORS in the past that the terms “First of the Sabbaths” actually means first day of the week.
It also shows from writings over 2000 years ago it also meant the same thing then.


254 posted on 05/15/2013 2:02:21 PM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar (When someone burns a cross on your lawn, the best firehose is an AK-47.)
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To: editor-surveyor
Well LC, participation in the Kingdom is actually optional. (you may not like the alternative though)

And the evidence is???

255 posted on 05/15/2013 2:12:32 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar
Don’t see why. I’ve shown from REAL TRANSLATORS in the past that the terms “First of the Sabbaths” actually means first day of the week. It also shows from writings over 2000 years ago it also meant the same thing then.

Your "Real Translators" are biased members of the Catholic/Protestant Cabal! What would you expect them to say.....but things that prop up their unholy traditions?

256 posted on 05/15/2013 3:24:34 PM PDT by Diego1618 ( Put "Ron" on the rock!)
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To: roamer_1
Your reading of this thing cannot be, as the Torah declares from the very beginning that the Sabbath Day is eternally sanctified and set apart.

Your citation(s), please.

YHWH is the *only* one that does not allow it. What is said first cannot be altered by what is said last. Period. YHWH's Word does not return to Him empty. Ever. This is the reason that the Hebrews were instructed as they were wrt identifying false prophets - No one can change the Torah. *NO_ONE*. And no prophet can change what the prophets before him have said.

No one here, including me, is suggesting that the Word of God has changed.

So either you are wrong, or the Torah is wrong (and YHWH is made a liar), or one or more of the prophets are wrong (and YHWH is made a liar).

I think you are postulating a false dichotomy here based on your own presuppositions about the meaning of the word "eternally" in relation to the Sabbath.

Cordially,

257 posted on 05/15/2013 3:28:22 PM PDT by Diamond (He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people,)
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To: Elsie

Interesting question coming from a supposed believer.

Some people have made some startling comments on their deathbeds. You can take your chances if you’re so inclined.


258 posted on 05/15/2013 4:00:04 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

Your “real translators” are surely not qualified!

Try asking Nehemiah Gordon, at Hebrew University. His experience with the Dead Sea scrolls makes him a particularly qualified authority, also having come from a family of Rabbis that can trace their lineage back almost to the time of Yeshua.


259 posted on 05/15/2013 4:08:05 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Diamond; BipolarBob; editor-surveyor
Amo 8:4 Hear this, you who swallow up the needy, And make the poor of the land fail,
Amo 8:5 Saying: “When will the New Moon be past, That we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, That we may trade wheat? Making the ephah small and the shekel large, Falsifying the scales by deceit,
Amo 8:6 That we may buy the poor for silver, And the needy for a pair of sandals— Even sell the bad wheat?”
Amo 8:7 The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: “Surely I will never forget any of their works.
Amo 8:8 Shall the land not tremble for this, And everyone mourn who dwells in it? All of it shall swell like the River, Heave and subside Like the River of Egypt.
Amo 8:9 “And it shall come to pass in that day,” says the Lord GOD, “That I will make the sun go down at noon, And I will darken the earth in broad daylight;
Amo 8:10 I will turn your feasts into mourning, And all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist, And baldness on every head; I will make it like mourning for an only son, And its end like a bitter day.

Mat 24:20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.

If the Sabbath was done away with, why would Messiah be expecting them to be keeping it at His 2nd coming? If they are to be done away with, then why the need to turn them from feast days in to days of mourning? They still exist, just not as they were used to having because there now is no temple in Jerusalem. Again, context is everything!

260 posted on 05/15/2013 5:50:51 PM PDT by patlin ("Knowledge is a powerful source that is 2nd to none but God" ConstitutionallySpeaking 2011)
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