Thesis 16: Abandoning the Sabbath.

[Archbishop Michael-John]

16. The Apostasy of the Roman Catholic church in abandoning the Sabbath on Saturday in favour of the Roman High day of the Sun god, being Sunday. While the Eastern Orthodox church still maintains Saturday as the Sabbath and observes Sunday as the Lord’s day, the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches teach that the Apostles instituted the observance of Sunday instead of the Saturday; this is false doctrine and apostasy deceiving the faithful into breaking the fourth (Roman Catholic third) Commandment:

16.1. In Acts 20:7 it indicates that the Christians at Troas met “for the breaking of bread” on Sunday, the first day of the week, and 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 says that the Christians should lay aside something on Sunday so that no collection would be needed when St Paul arrived. In their proper context, the former event suggests that the disciples were gathered together for their own protection out of fear of attack from the Jews. The latter event occurred in the evening, because the passage refers to lamps being lit, yet to the Jews 2000 years ago, Sunday evening was our Saturday evening because the day began at sunset and finished at sunset the next day; therefore this was merely the evening at the end of the Sabbath. If St Paul considered Sunday to be the Sabbath then he would not have set out on foot to Assos on Sunday morning. Sunday worship in the later Church was not keeping the Sabbath, but a commemoration of Pentecost and the resurrection-day which are events falling on Sundays.


16.2. The Lord’s Day was described as replacing the Sabbath in an anti-Judaistic passage of the Didaché: To the Magnesians 9:2, but the passage ends with “...though some deny this.” However, there are numerous references to Jesus Christ and the apostles observing the seventh day Sabbath in the New Testament:16.2.1. Matthew 24:14-20: This passage, referred to as the “Olivet Prophecy”, describes the second coming of Jesus. Jesus recommends in verse 20 that everyone pray: “...that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a Sabbath”. Clearly, Jesus knew that the followers of his Church would still observe the Sabbath at the time of the second coming.16.2.2. Mark 2:23-28: Jesus and his disciples plucked ears of corn from the fields on the Sabbath day, and were severely criticized by the Pharisees. Jesus replied that when King David was hungry, he ate the showbread in the temple. Jesus concludes by saying that the Sabbath was made for man; man was not made for the Sabbath. Jesus showed that the Mosaic Law was never intended to be applied so absolutely that it would take precedence over the necessities of daily life.16.2.3. Mark 3:1-5: In this and many other Gospel passages, Jesus was severely criticized by the Pharisees because he collected food and healed people on the Sabbath. Jesus observed the Sabbath, but criticized the Pharisees’ overly strict rules and regulations concerning the day of rest. He emphasized throughout his ministry a different purpose for the Sabbath: a day to be enjoyed by the believer, and a time when many normal activities, particularly those that help others, were quite permissible.16.2.4. Luke 4:16: Jesus is described as entering the synagogue on the Sabbath, and teaching there, as was his custom. Similar messages appear in Mark 1:21, Mark 6:2, Luke 4:31, Luke 6:6, Luke 13:10, and John 5:14.16.2.5. Luke 23:56: The women followers of Jesus “rested according to the commandment” on the Sabbath following Jesus’ death. In Mark 16:1, three of Jesus’ female followers waited until the Sabbath was over at sundown on Saturday before bringing spices to anoint Jesus’ body.16.2.6. Acts 13:14: Paul and Barnabas observed the Sabbath in the synagogue in Antioch. See also Acts 16:13, Acts 17:2, Acts 18:4.16.3. Later Christians were under pressure to distance themselves from and not to advertise their similarity to Judaism as not only were they persecuted by the Romans but by the Jews also. Roman Paganism and Pagan Mithraism used the day of the Sun-god (Sunday) as their main day of worship as opposed to Saturn’s day (Saturday), this put further pressure and temptation on Christians to follow suit, although Saturday remained the official Sabbath day. It was in 321 AD when the Pagan High Priest and Sun-worshipper Emperor Constantine I declared Sunday as the official day of worship and this was reinforced when the regional church council of Laodicea circa 364 AD ordered, amid opposition, that religious observances were to be conducted on Sunday, not Saturday. Sunday became the new Apostate Sabbath. They ruled: “Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday, but shall work on that day.” There are many indicators in the historical record that some Christians ignored the church’s ruling. Sabbath observance was noted in Wales as late as 1115 AD. Francis Xavier was concerned about Sabbath worship in Goa, India in 1560 AD; he called for the Inquisition to set up an office there to stamp out what he called “Jewish wickedness”. A Roman Catholic Provincial Council suppressed the practice in Norway in 1435 AD.

16.4. There is no biblical evidence that Jesus, his disciples, or apostles celebrated the Sabbath on Sundays (the Lord’s Day) or the Lord’s Day in preference to the Sabbath; and there is no internal evidence that would justify the Christian Church changing the day from that commanded in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament).


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The full 33 Theses are also available for download in PDF format (requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader 7 or higher) from the following link...
http://arian-catholic.org/downloads/33_Theses.pdf

[Danage]

I agree completely with this thesis. The substitution of Saturday (or more specifically Friday dusk to Saturday dusk) for Sunday not only is a direct contravention of the Fourth Commandment (which, ironically for the Sunday-keepers, says Remember), but also ensures Sun worship is maintained within the Roman Church. The change was enforced at the Council of Laodicea in 364 C.E.

G-d commands us to remember the Sabbath day, not forget it and substitute it with another day. It is completely heretical to worship on the day of the Sun.

[Danage]

Martin Luther recognised that Sunday was a false day of worship, and he thus tried to restore the Sabbath, but was beaten down by other reformers. If he had succeeded, who knows what other heresies he would have conquered through his Lutheran Church?

I heard this little nugget of information off a Binitarian, but he did not cite his source, so I cannot verify if it is true or not, but I believe he was speaking the truth. Martin Luther saw many of the heresies, he just couldn't destroy more. It is rather unfortunate.

[Postulare42]

"Acts" seems to be pretty clear that the Jerusalem community attended temple functions on Saturday, then at sunset gathered for their own agape supper.

[Rev Smith]

The traditional argument for Sunday as the Christian Sabbath has always struck me as thin, and more politically driven than anything else. Several writers have proposed that it was almost entirely political in nature, as a way for greek Christian communities to distance themselves from the Jews. Given that they are the chosen of God, and the Scriptures promise will always retain a faithful remnant, I think coming closer to the Jews rather then maintaining separation is a righteous act, a mikvah if you will!

[Danage]

The traditional argument for Sunday as the Christian Sabbath has always struck me as thin, and more politically driven than anything else. Several writers have proposed that it was almost entirely political in nature, as a way for greek Christian communities to distance themselves from the Jews. Given that they are the chosen of God, and the Scriptures promise will always retain a faithful remnant, I think coming closer to the Jews rather then maintaining separation is a righteous act, a mikvah if you will!

I would have to agree. Christianity started as a denomination of Judaism, so we should be united with the Jews, and stand with them.

[brotherkev]

I would have to agree. Christianity started as a denomination of Judaism, so we should be united with the Jews, and stand with them.

I also agree with having the Shabbat on the 7th day (Saturday)

[Eusebius]

...the Eastern Orthodox church still maintains Saturday as the Sabbath and observes Sunday as the Lord’s day...

I was brought up as an Evangelical and we were consistantly taught that saturday was still the sabbath but sunday was the Lords Day and we went to church on sunday, as do the Greek Orthodox.

I can't find any evidence that Arians didn't observe the lords day, in fact one battle against the Romans was lost by the Visigoths because they refused to to go to war on the lords day.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the intent of this thread and the op?

[Hermes]

I was brought up as an Evangelical and we were consistantly taught that saturday was still the sabbath but sunday was the Lords Day and we went to church on sunday, as do the Greek Orthodox.

I can't find any evidence that Arians didn't observe the lords day, in fact one battle against the Romans was lost by the Visigoths because they refused to to go to war on the lords day.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the intent of this thread and the op?

I think it's meant that not everyone recognizes the Sabbath anymore, not that the Lord's day shouldn't be observed. I know from my own experience that it's very commonly thought that Sunday is the Sabbath, which it is not. This is common especially among the laity, but I've seen this among the clergy as well. This might be the case especially among "High Church" European Protestants and Roman Catholics. Evangelicals are probably a different bunch.

Oh, and welcome to the forums!

[Eusebius]

I think it's meant that not everyone recognizes the Sabbath anymore, not that the Lord's day shouldn't be observed. Ah thanks it's difficult to get the emphasis right without further explanation sometimes. So Arian Catholics are not suggesting that we go to church on a saturday instead of sundays but to honour the sabbath as well?

Thanks for the welcome.

[Hermes]

Ah thanks it's difficult to get the emphasis right without further explanation sometimes. So Arian Catholics are not suggesting that we go to church on a saturday instead of sundays but to honour the sabbath as well?

Thanks for the welcome.

Of course I can't say for certain for Arian Catholics, but I would imagine it's similar to the Eastern style: Saturday vigil on Saturday evening (at the end of Sabbath) and then Sunday morning/noon service.

[Eusebius]

...it's similar to the Eastern style: Saturday vigil on Saturday evening...and then Sunday morning/noon service. Yes of course, that would make perfect sense.

[Archbishop Michael-John]

The Arian Catholic Church goes further than the 4th - 8th century Gothic Arian Church, which was under constant struggle against the Roman church, as we hold to the the old, historical, apostolic traditions given to us by Christ and the Apostles. The commandment from God is to keep the Sabbath day Holy. We do not recognise any of the changes to doctrine imposed by the apostate post apostolic ecumenical councils.

It is of course evident that the Inquisition was extremely busy torturing and executing Arians and Judaisers in Christendom including a Welsh monastery which continued to observe the Saturday Sabbath and the Quartodeciman Passover.

The Sabbath begins at sunset of the Friday evening and ends at sundown on the Saturday evening. This is in accordance with the early church.

Be careful when reading biblical references to services taking place on the evening of the Sabbath [Saturday Night], because remember in those times the day always began from sunset with Evening, followed by Night, then Morning and Afternoon.

We also observe the Lord's day on Sundays in memory of the resurrection of Christ. This is a separate thing to the Sabbath. We also recognise that the Law was made for mankind and not mankind for the Law; it is impossible for everyone to do no work at all on the Sabbath and even Christ encouraged his disciples to pick ears of corn on the Sabbath because they were hungry. Therefore, we emphasis the need to keep the Sabbath Holy and refrain from doing any unnecessary work on this day, Sabbath observance on the Friday evening after sunset also fulfills this requirement.

I will next post a transcript from a very informative read about the history of the Sabbath called: "Sabbath Diagnosis" by C Gary Hullquist (Jan 2004), in which he quotes from the Codex of Justinian, Polycrates and some more contemporary historians.

You will see that it is quite clear that the decision to adopt the Trinitarian doctrine, Sunday as the Sabbath day and Easter in place of Passover was born entirely out of blatant anti-semitism, politics and greed for power and mammon. You will also see that the Churches that held to the old doctrines that were given to them by St John and St Philip were threatened; and in those days a threat was serious!

[Archbishop Michael-John]

Sabbath Diagnosis, by C Gary Hullquist, (Jan 2004) pp 130-133.

The Decree of Constantine was immortalised in the Codex of Justinian:
"On the venerable day of the sun [Sunday] let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed."
(Codex Justinius, lib.3, tit.12:3; translated by Phillip Schaff in History of the Christian Church, 1864, Vol.III, p.380).

"This legistaltion by Constantine probably bore no relation to Christianity; it appears, on the contrary, that the emperor, in his capacity as Pontifex Maximus [the title of the Pagan High Priest of Rome], was only adding the day of the sun, the worship of which was then firmly established in the Roman Empire, to the other festival days of the sacred calendar."
(Hutton Webster, Ph.D., Rest Days: The Christian Sunday, The Jewish Sabbath, And Their Historical and Anthropological Prototypes, 1916, pp. 122, 123).


Easter Origins

Catholicism has a long history of taking credit for the establishment of Sunday as the Christian day of Worship. This was accomplished by emphasising Easter while ruling against the Sabbath. We'll focus on three of the many councils convened over the centuries.

Eusebius, the early church historian who lived in the fourth century, relates that Bishop Sixtus of Rome was the first not to observe the Passover, and began observing Easter Sunday in its place (between AD 116-126). This was during the reign of Emperor Hadrian (AD 117-138), who adopted a Roman policy of radical repression of Jewish rites and customs.

Early Christians in most places observed the Jewish Passover, up until 135 AD and the second Roman conquest of Jerusalem, when the headquarters of the Jewish Church was finally closed, and Jews were banished from the city. The new Greek bishops appointed by the Romans to oversee the Gentile Christian church in Jerusalem, observed the Roman "Easter," thus provoking the controversy into sharp focus after 135 AD. By this time the "Easter" tradition was strong enough to challenge the authentic Passover truth of the apostles and their successors.

The first recorded attempt of the bishop at Rome to extend his rule over the entire Christian church was an edict regarding Sunday. All Christian churches celebrated Passover, but while the eastern churches observed it as God had instructed, upon the fourteenth day of the first Hebrew month regardless of which day of the week it might fall on (Quartodecimans), the western churches, following Rome's lead, kept it upon the Sunday following Good Friday (Quintadecimans).

About 154 AD Polycarp of Smyrna, who had observed the Passover with the apostle John and other original apostles, travelled to Rome to discuss the growing controversy arising between the church at Rome observing Easter, claiming Christ arose from the dead on that day, and the churches in the East which observed the apostolic tradition of Passover. The meeting with Anicetus ended in a deadlock, neither persuading the other to change.

Polycrates 130-196 AD
Later, in in the days of Victor, Bishop of Rome (189-199 AD), the dispute became very severe. In 196 Victor imposed this custom upon all churches, compelling them to keep Passover on Sunday at the threat of excommunication. Schaff-Herzog Encyclo-paedia of Religious Knowledge. Christians who continued to observe communion on Passover were labelled "Quartodecimans," meaning those who observed the "fourteenth," the day on which Passover was kept. This group, under the leadership of Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus, refused to fall into line with Rome's schedule for Easter on the Spring Equinox (in honour of the Sun's return from a wintery death).

Polycrates, representing the eastern bishops in Asia Minor, wrote to Victor, in reply to his blustering threats. Polycrates again appealed to the practice of the apostles Philip and John, to Polycarp (John's disciple), Thraseas, and many others, who had celebrated Passover on 14th of Nisan. He resolved that, on the basis of Scriptures, he would not be intimidated by Rome nor would he change.

"We observe the exact day; neither adding, nor taking away. For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep [he speaks here of the death of many breathren], which shall rise again on the day of the Lord's coming, when He shall come with glory from heaven, and shall seek out all the saints.

Among these are Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who fell asleep in Hierapolis; and his two aged virgin daughters, and another daughter, who lived in the Holy Spirit and now rests at Ephesus; and; moreover, John, who was both a witness and a teacher, who reclined upon the bosom of the Lord, and, being a priest, wore the sacredotal plate. He fell asleep at Ephesus. And Polycarp in Smyrna, who was a bishop and martyr; and Thraseas, bishop and martyr from Eumenia, who fell asleep in Smyrna. Why need I mention the bishop and martyr Sagaris who fell asleep in Laodicae, or the blessed Papirus, or Melito, the Eunuch who lived altogether in the Holy Spirit, and who lies in Sardis, awaiting the episcopate in heaven, when he shall rise from the dead? All these observed the fourteenth day of the Passover according to the Gospel, deviating in no respect, but following the rule of faith.

And I also, Polycrates, the least of you all, do according to the tradition of my relatives, some of whom I have closely followed. For seven of my relatives were bishops; and I am the eighth. And my relatives always observed the day when the people put away the leaven. I, therefore, brethren, who have lived sixty-five years in the Lord, and have met with the brethren throughout the world, and have gone through every Holy Scripture, am not affrighted by terrifying words. For those greater than I have said 'We ought to obey God rather that man.'"
(Eusebius of Caearea, Church History, Book V, ch. 24).

Victor immediately excommunicated the Asian bishops who refused to adopt the Easter Sunday tradition, and then for good measure he excommunicated all the churches of Asia as well.

Council of Nicaea 325 AD
The Controversy continued to boil in Christendom until the early fourth century. Then another heresy arose. Athanasius, a priest in Alexandria began to oppose the teachings of Arius, another priest who proposed a different nature for Christ that limited His divinity and emphasised His humanity. The fierce Arian controversy divided Christendom and eventually forced Emperor Constantine in AD 325 to call all the leading clergy of the empire to settle the dispute at the council of Nicaea, in Asia Minor.

"On the one side were the old, historical, apostolic traditions; on the other side, the new, Christian, Catholic spirit, striving to part company with its ancient Jewish birthplace. The Eastern Church, at least in part, took the former view, the Western Church, the latter view… The sight of some churches fasting on the same day when others were rejoicing, and of two Passovers in one year, was against the very idea of Christian unity. The celebration of it on the same day as was kept by the wicked race that put the Saviour to death was an impious absurdity… The Jewish practice must give way to the new innovation."
(Stanley "Eastern Church" lect. 5, p.54).