The Sabbath Should Christians keep the Sabbath? This question often comes from those who do not understand the Christian's relationship to the 10 Commandments. Many believe we must keep the 10 Commandments delivered by Moses at Mount Sinai to be pleasing to God. Since the command to remember the Sabbath is one of the 10 Commandments, the logical conclusion they come to is that we must remember the Sabbath today. This is the result of a faulty understanding of our relationship to the Law of Moses. They fail to understand what the Old Testament says about itself. Jeremiah prophesied, "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah -- not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord..." (Jeremiah 31:31-34). This passage is quoted in Hebrews 8:7-12 and Hebrews 10:15-17 to show that the new covenant is the one where true forgiveness is made available to man, that is, the covenant brought in by the blood of Christ (Matthew 26:28). The Hebrew writer calls the new covenant the "better covenant which was established on better promises" (Hebrews 8:6). Christians should not be trying to go back to the Old Covenant with its animal sacrifices. Instead, we are to approach God today through the blood of Christ. To go back to the Law to observe the Sabbath would be the same thing as to try to bind circumcision as a requirement for salvation. Paul warned that to do that would cause one to fall from grace (Galatians 5:4). When writing to the church in Rome, Paul used marriage to illustrate the Christian's relationship to the Law. In Romans 7:2-4, Paul wrote, "For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man." Paul makes the application in the next verse when he writes, "Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God." When Paul wrote that we are "dead to the law through the body of Christ", what law was he referring to? The answer is not left to our speculation because in verse 7, Paul wrote, "...I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." Here Paul quotes one of the 10 commandments as part of the law, and he had just written that we are dead to the law through the body of Christ! We are not to go back to the law delivered by Moses for our justification. We are dead to that law, which includes the Sabbath! Instead, we are to follow the "law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). This is the new covenant that Hebrews speaks of and Jeremiah prophesied that this would be the covenant in which God "will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more" (Jeremiah 31:34). In the new covenant that was first spoken of by Jesus and fully revealed by the apostles through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, there is not a single command for Christians to observe the Sabbath. The Sabbath was never intended for all mankind, but was deliv ered only to the Jews. In Deuteronomy 5:2-3, Moses reminded the Israelites who came out of the 40-year wan dering that, "The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive." To what covenant was Moses referring? If we read the context, we will find that Moses begins repeating the 10 Commandments which were originally given to the Jews in Horeb! (Horeb is the mountain range that Mt. Sinai is in.) In verse 12, Moses repeats the command to remember the Sabbath, and in the context, he says that this covenant was not made with their fathers, but with them. The reason for giving the Sabbath to them is also given in the context. In verse 15, Moses said, "And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day." Who was commanded to keep the Sabbath? Jews who had been slaves in Egypt! Why were they to remember the Sabbath? So they would remember that God brought them out with a "mighty hand and an outstretched arm!" These are the ones to whom the Sab bath was given, not Gentiles who have never been slaves in Egypt or delivered out of physical slavery by the power of God. The command for the Jews to observe the Sabbath first appears in Exodus 16:22-23, when God had provided twice as much manna to Israel as he had been doing. There we are told, "And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. Then he said to them, 'This is what the Lord has said: 'Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.'" The text in verse 23-30 indicates that this was a new experience for Israel. They were not used to keeping the Sabbath before this time. This may have been given in anticipation of the giving of the Law when Israel arrived at Mt. Sinai later. In a prayer to God in Nehemiah 9:13-14, we can read, "You came down also on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments. You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, and commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, by the hand of Moses Your servant." Here, we are plainly told that God made the Sabbath at Sinai! The Sabbath was not something all of mankind had been observing since Creation as some claim, but some thing new to the people who had been delivered from bondage in Egypt. Not only were the Jews to observe the Sabbath because they had been delivered from bondage, in Exodus 20:8-11, they were told to, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy... 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. " If we understand the two reasons the Jews were to remember the Sabbath, (deliverance from bondage and the creation), we can better understand a passage in the New Testa ment that instructs Christians concerning their relationship to the Sabbath. In Colos sians 2:16-17, Paul wrote, "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festi val or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ." The Sabbath was a shadow that helped bring us to Christ. But when the true substance or reality came, the shadows were set aside. All of the Old Testament foreshadowed the true redemption we now have in Christ Jesus. Christians observe a new day in remembrance of their new creation and new redemption. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." Also, in Galatians 6:14-15, we can read, "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation." Our new redemption is a greater redemption than freedom from physical slavery. The new redemption of the Christian is the redemption found in the blood of Christ. Paul told the Galatians, "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons" (Galatians 4:4-5). Paul also told the Ephesians, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7). In honor of our new creation and new redemption, Christians honor the day that made it all possible - the first day of the week. The resurrection of Christ was on the first day of the week. This is the foundation of the Christian religion. The Church began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Pentecost was always on the first day of the week. Paul waited in Troas for a week to break bread with the disciples on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). Paul commanded the church to gather their money on the first day of the week (1 Corinthians 16:1-3). This is why the day of the Sun, or Sunday, is the day the early Christians consistently referred to as the "Lord's Day" (Revelation 2:10) in all their writings in the first, second, third, and later centuries. The seventh day of the week belongs to the "ministration of death, written and engraven in stones" (2 Corinthians 3:7). This is the only full day our Lord was dead. Instead of remembering this day given under the Old Law, let us remember and rejoice on the first day of the week, the day our Lord rose from the dead and made true salvation possible. Wayne Wells wayneliz@twave.net http://users.twave.net/ncc The Sabbath - Part 1 Should Christians keep the Sabbath? There is much confusion on this subject. Some talk about keeping the Sabbath on Sunday. Sunday is never called the Sabbath. The Sabbath is the 7th day - Saturday. This question often comes from those who do not understand the Christian's relationship to the 10 Commandments. Many believe we must keep the 10 Commandments delivered by Moses at Mount Sinai to be pleasing to God. Since the command to remember the Sabbath is one of the 10 Commandments, the logical conclusion they come to is that we must remember the Sabbath today. This is the result of a faulty understanding of our relationship to the Law of Moses. They fail to understand what the Old Testament says about itself. Jeremiah prophesied: Jeremiah 31:31-34 Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah -- not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt... For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more Jesus came to fulfill what was prophesied in the New Testament. Matthew 5:17-18 Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Matthew 26:28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. This passage is quoted in Hebrews 8:7-12 and Hebrews 10:15-17 to show that the new covenant is the one where true forgiveness is made available to man, that is, the cove nant brought in by the blood of Christ. Hebrews 8:6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah -- not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt... For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. Christians should not be trying to go back to the Old Covenant with its animal sacrifices. Instead, we are to approach God today through the blood of Christ. To go back to the Law to observe the Sabbath would be the same thing as to try to bind circumcision as a requirement for salvation. Paul warned that to do that would cause one to fall from grace (Galatians 5:4). When writing to the church in Rome, Paul used marriage to illustrate the Christian's relationship to the Law. Romans 7:2-4 For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God." When Paul wrote that we are "dead to the law through the body of Christ", what law was he referring to? The answer is not left to our speculation. Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet." Here Paul quotes one of the 10 commandments as part of the law, and he had just written that we are dead to the law through the body of Christ! We are not to go back to the law delivered by Moses for our justification. We are dead to that law, which includes the Sabbath! Instead, we are to follow the "law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). This is the new covenant that Hebrews speaks of and Jeremiah prophesied that this would be the cove nant in which God "will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more" (Jeremiah 31:34). In the new covenant that was first spoken of by Jesus and fully revealed by the apostles through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, there is not a single command for Christians to observe the Sabbath. The Sabbath was never intended for all mankind, but was delivered only to the Jews. Some teach we need to keep the Sabbath as the Jews did. They argue that the Sabbath is eternal. Genesis 2:2-3 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. Prolepsis: "the representation of something in the future as if it already existed or had occurred." Webster's Dictionary Genesis 3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. This is said before the birth of Cain. Genesis 4:20-21 And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother's name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute. Matthew 10:4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. The betrayal did not occur until 3 years later. When Moses wrote "Genesis" to the Jews, he brought up the reason they kept the Sabbath in the Creation account, although it was not finally revealed until the events recorded in Exodus. Exodus 20:8-11 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy... 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. " First Occurrence of the word "Sabbath" - Exodus 16:22-23 The first time "Sabbath" is mentioned in the Bible is in Exodus 16:22-23, when God had provided twice as much manna to Israel as he had been doing. Exodus 16:22-23 And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. Then he said to them, 'This is what the Lord has said: 'Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning. The text in verse 23-30 indicates that this was a new experience for Israel. They were not used to keeping the Sabbath before this time. This was given in anticipation of the giving of the Law when Israel arrived at Mt. Sinai later. In the original giving of the 10 Commandments, they were specifically given to those who were delivered from bondage. Exodus 20:2-8 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image... You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain... Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. In a prayer to God in Nehemiah 9:13-14, we can read, Nehemiah 9:13-14 You came down also on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments. You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, and commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, by the hand of Moses Your servant. Ezekiel 20:10-12 Therefore I made them go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. And I gave them My statutes and showed them My judgments, 'which, if a man does, he shall live by them.' Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. God revealed the Sabbath at Sinai! The Sabbath was not something all of mankind had been observing since Creation as some claim, but something new to the people who had been delivered from bondage in Egypt. In Deuteronomy 5:2-3, Moses reminded the Israelites who came out of the 40-year wandering: Deuteronomy 5:2-3 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive. To what covenant was Moses referring? If we read the context, we will find that Moses begins repeating the 10 Commandments which were originally given to the Jews in Horeb! (Horeb is the mountain range that Mt. Sinai is in.) In verse 12, Moses repeats the command to remember the Sabbath, and in the context, he says that this covenant was not made with their fathers, but with them. Why Were the Jews to "Remember the Sabbath"? 1. They Were To Remember Creation Exodus 20:8-11 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 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. 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. 2. They had been delivered from bondage Deuteronomy 5:15 And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. a. Who was commanded to keep the Sabbath? Jews who had been slaves in Egypt! b. Why were they to remember the Sabbath? So they would remember that God brought them out with a "mighty hand and an outstretched arm!" These are the ones to whom the Sabbath was given, not Gentiles who have never been slaves in Egypt or delivered out of physical slavery by the power of God. How Long Was the Sabbath to be Observed? Was it Temporary or Eternal? Exodus 31:16-17 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 'It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.' Exodus 12:17 'So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. Exodus 29:39--42 "One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight... This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet you to speak with you. Exodus 30:8 And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. Exodus 30:10 And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord." Exodus 30:31 And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. Exodus 31:13 Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. Leviticus 23:28-31 And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. Numbers 15:21 Of the first of your ground meal you shall give to the Lord a heave offering throughout your generations. Numbers 18:22-23 Hereafter the children of Israel shall not come near the tabernacle of meeting, lest they bear sin and die. But the Levites shall perform the work of the tabernacle of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a statute forever, throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. Numbers 35:26-29 But if the manslayer at any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled, and the avenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood, because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession. And these things shall be a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. Why The Sabbath Was Changed If we understand the two reasons the Jews were to remember the Sabbath, (deliverance from bondage and the creation), we can better understand a passage in the New Testament that instructs Christians concerning their relationship to the Sabbath. Colossians 2:13-17 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. The Sabbath was a shadow that helped bring us to Christ. But when the true substance or reality came, the shadows were set aside. All of the Old Testament foreshadowed the true redemption we now have in Christ Jesus. Christians observe a new day in remembrance of their new creation and new redemption. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Galatians 6:14-15 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. Our new redemption is a greater redemption than freedom from physical slavery. The new redemption of the Christian is the redemption found in the blood of Christ. Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Those under the Law had been redeemed from Egypt, but they needed a greater redemption. Ephesians 1:7 in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. In honor of our new creation and new redemption, Christians honor the day that made it all possible - the first day of the week. 1. The resurrection of Christ was on the first day of the week. This is the foundation of the Christian religion. 2. The Church began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Pentecost was always on the first day of the week. 3. The promise of the Spirit was given on the first day of the week. 4. Remission of sins through the blood of Christ was first offered on the first day of the week. 5. Paul waited in Troas for a week to break bread with the disciples on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). 6. Paul commanded the church to gather their money on the first day of the week (1 Corinthians 16:1-3). 7. This is why the day of the Sun, or Sunday, is the day the early Christians consistently referred to as the "Lord's Day" (Revelation 2:10) in all their writings in the first, second, third, and later centuries. The seventh day of the week belongs to the "ministration of death, written and engraven in stones" (2 Corinthians 3:7). This is the only full day our Lord was dead. Instead of remembering this day given under the Old Law, let us remember and rejoice on the first day of the week, the day our Lord rose from the dead and made true salvation possible. What was engraven in stones ? - The 10 Commandments - Remember the Sabbath ! Wayne Wells wayneliz@twave.net http://users.twave.net/ncc The Sabbath - Part 2 (Evidence From The Early Christians) A common argument by those who teach we must keep the Sabbath is that worship on Sunday comes from corruption instituted by Constantine in 321 AD. They claim that he passed a law and changed worship from Saturday to Sunday. According to them, the apostles and everyone else worshipped on Saturday, and Sunday worship is part of the corruption that entered the church. If their claims are right, then all who want to be true Christians would want to have nothing to do with any corruption brought in by man. Often, I have heard people claim that Encyclopedia Britannica will tell you that this is true. What is the evidence? The entire article on "Sunday" in the Encyclopedia Britannica: Sunday, first day of the week; in Christianity, the Lord's Day, the weekly memorial of Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead. The practice of Christians gathering together for worship on Sunday dates back to apostolic times, but details of the actual development of the custom are not clear. Before the end of the 1st Century AD, the author of Revelation gave the first day its name of the "Lord's Day" (Rev. 1:10). Saint Justin Martyr (c. 100-c. 165), philosopher and defender of the Christian faith, in his writings described the Christians gathered together for worship on the Lord's Day: the gospels or the Old Testament was read, the presiding minister preached a sermon, and the group prayed together and celebrated the Lord's Supper. The emperor Constantine (d. 337), a convert to Christianity, introduced the first civil legislation concerning Sunday in 321, when he decreed that all work should cease on Sunday, except that farmers could work if necessary. This law, aimed at providing time for worship, was followed later in the same century and in subsequent centuries by further restrictions on Sunday activities. Sunday, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th edition, vol. 11, pg. 392 In case they were mistaken concerning this, I looked up "Sunday" in other reference works. Maybe it wasn't Britannica, but another work that made the claim. From the apostolic era to the present it has been customary for Christians to assemble for communal Sunday services... Civil laws requiring the observance of Sunday date back at least to Emperor Constantine the Great, who designated Sunday as a legal day of rest and worship in 321. This law, however was not specifically Christian, since Sunday was the day of the sun-god for pagans as well as the Lord's day for Christians. While Constantine thus managed to please the two major religious groups in the Roman empire, numerous later law regulating behavior on Sunday have been avowedly Christian. Sunday, Encyclopedia Americana, 1988, pg. 21 The New Testament contains clear evidence that from a very early period the first day of the week was observed by Christians as a day of assembly for "the breaking of bread" and perhaps for the collection of freewill offerings. (Acts xx:7 and 1 Corinth xvi:2). Justin Martyr in the middle of the second century describes how "on the day called Sunday" all town and country Christians assembled for instructions in holy writings, for prayer distribution of bread and wine, and the collection of alms. Tertullian declared that the Christians "made Sunday a day of joy, but for other reasons that to adore the sun which was not part of their religion. Sunday, Collier's Encyclopedia, 1985, pg. 632-633 The celebration of the Lord's Day in memory of the resurrection of Christ dates undoubtedly from the apostolic age. Nothing short of apostolic precedent can account for the universal religious observance in the churches of the second century. There is no dissenting voice. This custom is confirmed by the testimonies of the earliest post-apostolic writers, as Barnabas, Ignatius, and Justin Martyr Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, vol. 1, pg. 201-202 Hence, the first day was already in the apostolic age honorably designated as "the Lord's Day." ...it appears, therefore, from the New Testament itself, that Sunday was observed as a day of worship, and in special commemoration of the Resurrection, whereby the work of redemption was finished. The universal and uncontradicted Sunday observance in the second century can only be explained by the fact that it has its roots in apostolic practice. Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, vol. 1, pg. 478-479 The earliest traces of the observance of the first day of the week in remembrance of Christ's resurrection is found in the Pauline period of the Apostolic Age... Sunday was first regulated by civil authority in 321, under Constantine, directing that the day be hallowed and observed appropriately. Sunday, The New Schaff Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, pg. 145 7th Day Adventists and others argue that worship for Christians was changed by Constantine from Sabbath to Sunday in 321. If this is true, then there should be evidence for this in the early Christian writings. There are indications that some of the Jewish Christians continued to worship on Saturday, but they also met on the first day of the week. Gradually, those of Jewish background dropped the 7th day assembly and only met on the first day of the week. What Do The Early Christians Say? This is important, since they were so close to the apostles. It is more likely that they understood what the apostles taught and practiced, since some of the earliest writers personally met the apostles or studied with those who did. Tertullian was an elder in the church in Carthage and lived 140 - 230 AD. He was the head of the first known school established by Christians to teach the Bible and was one of the most prominent men in the church during his time. ...Let him who contends that the Sabbath is still to be observed as a balm of salvation, and circumcision on the eighth day because of the threat of death, teach us that, for the time past, righteous men kept the Sabbath, or practiced circumcision, and were thus rendered "friends of God." ...Therefore, since God originated Adam uncircumcised, and inobservant of the Sabbath, consequently his offspring also, Abel, offering Him sacrifices, uncircumcised and inobservant of the Sabbath, was by Him commended... Noah also, uncircumcised - yes, and inobservant of the Sabbath - God freed from the deluge. For Enoch, too, most righteous man, uncircumcised and inobservant of the Sabbath, He translated from this world... Melchizedek also, "the priest of most high God," uncircumcised and inobservant of the Sabbath, was chosen to the priesthood of God. Tertullian, An Answer to the Jews, 198 AD, ANF Vol. 3, page 153 [ANF = Ante-Nicene Fathers] How could Tertullian make this argument to the Jews, unless they too understood these things to be true? He understood that the Sabbath was revealed to the Jews and were for the Jews only. It follows, accordingly, that, in so far as the abolition of carnal circumcision and of the old law is demonstrated as having been consummated at its specific times, so also the observance of the Sabbath is demonstrated to have been temporary. Tertullian, An Answer to the Jews, 198 AD, ANF Vol. 3, page 155 Acts 20:7 is argued to just be a common meal. Why did they wait so long for this meeting? Why is nothing said about observing the Sabbath? "The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles" (or Didache) was discovered in 1873 and is probably the oldest known writings by Christians outside the New Testament itself. But every Lord's day, do ye 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. For this is that which was spoken by the Lord... [Matt. 5:23-24] The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, 70-120 AD?, Chap. 14, ANF Vol. 7, page 381 Those who teach we should observe the Sabbath today teach that the Lord's day in Rev. 1:10 is Saturday. Is this what the early Christians thought? 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 to hear the saving word concerning the resurrection...? Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, 100's AD? [date uncertain], ANF Vol. 7, pg. 423 ...every Lord's day, hold your solemn assemblies, and rejoice: for he will be guilty of sin who fasts on the Lord's day, being the day of the resurrection... Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, 100's AD? [date uncertain], ANF Vol. 7, pg. 449 On the day of the resurrection of the Lord, that is, the Lord's day, assemble yourselves together, without fail, giving thanks to God, and praising Him for those mercies God has bestowed upon you through Christ, and has delivered you from ignorance, error, and bondage, that your sacrifice may be unspotted, and acceptable to God, who has said concerning His universal Church: "In every place shall incense and a pure sacrifice be offered unto me; for I am a great King, saith the Lord Almighty, and my name is wonderful among the heathen, [Malachi 1:11, 14] Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, 100's AD? [date uncertain], ANF Vol. 7, pg. 471 Early legends claimed that Ignatius was the little child that Jesus set before the apostles in Matt. 18:2. Whether he was or not, it lets us see close he lived to the origin of the church and the teaching of the apostles. Ignatius and Polycarp were disciples of John. Ignatius was executed in 107 AD for being a Christian by Emperor Trajan.. Be not deceived with strange doctrines, nor with old fables, which are unprofitable. For if we still live according to the Jewish law, we acknowledge that we have not received grace... 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... let every friend of Christ keep the Lord's Day as a festival, the resurrection-day, the queen and chief of all the days of the week. It is absurd to speak of Jesus Christ with the tongue, and to cherish in the mind a Judaism which has now come to an end. for where there is Christianity there cannot be Judaism.... These things I address to you, my beloved, not that I know any of you to be in such a state; but, as less than any of you, I desire to guard you beforehand, that ye fall not upon the hooks of vain doctrine, but that you may rather attain to a full assurance in Christ... Ignatius, Epistle to the Magnesians, before 107 AD, chp 9. ANF, vol. 1, pg. 62-63. The Epistle of Barnabas was attributed to Paul's companion by some in the early church. Some even argued that it should be part of the New Testament. There is evidence that indicates it was not written by the Barnabas in Acts, but it was widely read by the early Christians although most understood that it was not inspired. Further, he says to them, "Your new moons and your Sabbaths I cannot endure." [Isaiah 1:13] Ye perceive how He speaks: Your present Sabbaths are not acceptable to Me, but that which I have make, when, giving rest to all things, I shall make a beginning of the eight day, that is, a beginning of another world. Wherefore, also, we keep the eight day with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead. And when He had manifested Himself, He ascended in the heavens. The Epistle of Barnabas, 100 AD, ANF, vol. 1, pg. 147 Justin Martyr grew up as a disciple of Socrates and Plato, but was later converted to a follower of Jesus Christ. His writings are the earliest defenses of Christianity in existence. He was executed during the reign of Marcus Aurelius in 165 AD. And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits... But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Savior on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn [Saturday]; and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciple, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration. Justin Martyr, First Apology, 145 AD, ANF, Vol. 1, pg. 186 Justin understood the Sabbath was first given to the Jews and argued this fact with a Jew. [after mentioning Adam. Abel, Enoch, Lot, Noah, Melchizedek, and Abraham] Moreover, all those righteous men already mentioned, though they kept no Sabbaths, were pleasing to God; and after them Abraham with all his descendants until Moses... And you were commanded to keep Sabbaths, that you might retain the memorial of God. For His word makes this announcement, saying, "That you may know that I am God who redeemed you." Justin Martyr, Dialogue With Trypho the Jew, 150-165 AD, ANF, vol. 1, page 204 But if we do not admit this, we shall be liable to fall into foolish opinion, as if it were not the same God who existed in the times of Enoch and all the rest, who neither were circumcised after the flesh, nor observed Sabbaths, nor any other rites, seeing that Moses enjoined such observances... For if there was no need of circumcision before Abraham, or of the observance of Sabbaths, of feasts and sacrifices, before Moses; no more need is there of them now, after that, according to the will of God, Jesus Christ the Son of God has been born without sin, of a virgin sprung from the stock of Abraham. Justin Martyr, Dialogue With Trypho the Jew, 150-165 AD, ANF, vol. 1, page 206 ...those who have persecuted and do persecute Christ, if they do not repent, shall not inherit anything on the holy mountain. But the Gentiles, who have believed on Him, and have repented of the sins which they have committed, they shall receive the inheritance along with the patriarchs and the prophets, and the just men who are descended from Jacob, even although they neither keep the Sabbath, nor are circumcised, nor observe the feasts. Assuredly they shall receive the holy inheritance of God. Justin Martyr, Dialogue With Trypho the Jew, 150-165 AD, ANF, vol. 1, page 207 A contrast is made with Jews who assemble on the Sabbath, and the assembly of the Christians. And how can he be other than an adversary to God, who takes pains about temporary things night and day, but takes no care of things eternal? Who takes care of washings and temporary food every day, but does not take care of those that endure forever? How can such a one even now avoid hearing that word of the Lord, "The Gentiles are justified more than you" as He says, by way of reproach, to Jerusalem, "Sodom is justified rather than thou." For if the Gentiles every day, when they arise from sleep, run to their idols to worship them, and before all their work and all their labors do first of all pray to them, and in their feasts and in their solemnities do not keep away, but attend upon them; and not only those upon the place, but those living far distant do the same; and in their public shows all come together, as into a synagogue: in the same manner those which are vainly called Jews, when they have worked six days, on the seventh day rest, and come together in their synagogue leaving or neglecting either rest from labor or assembling together... If, therefore, those who are not saved frequently assemble together for such purposes as do not profit them, what apology wilt thou make to the Lord God who forsakes his Church, not imitating so much as the heathen, but by such, thy absence grows slothful, or turns apostate. or acts wickedness? To whom the Lord says to Jeremiah, "Ye have not kept My ordinances; nay, you have not walked according to the ordinance of the heathen and you have in a manner exceeded them... How, therefore, will any one make his apology who has despised or absented himself from the church of God? Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, 100's AD? [date uncertain], ANF, Vol. 7, page 423 The results of our examination of the principal writers of the two centuries after the death of St. John are as follows: the Lord's day (a name which has now come out more prominently, and is connected more explicitly with our Lord's resurrection than before) existed during these two centuries as a part and parcel of apostolical, and so of Scriptural Christianity. It was never defended, for it was never impugned, or at least only impugned as other things received from the Apostles were. It was never confounded with the Sabbath, but carefully distinguished from it. Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, vol. 2, pg. 1687-1688 Colossians 2:13-17 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. List of Quotes Concerning Did Constantine change the Sabbath?: 90 AD DIDACHE: But every Lord's day, do ye 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. For this is that which was spoken by the Lord... [Matt. 5:23-24] (The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, , Chap. 14:1, Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. 7, page 381) 90 AD DIDACHE: Those who teach we should observe the Sabbath today teach that the Lord's day in Rev. 1:10 is Saturday. Is this what the early Christians thought? 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 to hear the saving word concerning the resurrection...? (Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. 7, pg. 423) 90 AD DIDACHE: And how can he be other than an adversary to God, who takes pains about temporary things night and day, but takes no care of things eternal? Who takes care of washings and temporary food every day, but does not take care of those that endure forever? How can such a one even now avoid hearing that word of the Lord, "The Gentiles are justified more than you" as He says, by way of reproach, to Jerusalem, "Sodom is justified rather than thou." For if the Gentiles every day, when they arise from sleep, run to their idols to worship them, and before all their work and all their labors do first of all pray to them, and in their feasts and in their solemnities do not keep away, but attend upon them; and not only those upon the place, but those living far distant do the same; and in their public shows all come together, as into a synagogue: in the same manner those which are vainly called Jews, when they have worked six days, on the seventh day rest, and come together in their synagogue leaving or neglecting either rest from labor or assembling together... If, therefore, those who are not saved frequently assemble together for such purposes as do not profit them, what apology wilt thou make to the Lord God who forsakes his Church, not imitating so much as the heathen, but by such, thy absence grows slothful, or turns apostate. or acts wickedness? To whom the Lord says to Jeremiah, "Ye have not kept My ordinances; nay, you have not walked according to the ordinance of the heathen and you have in a manner exceeded them... How, therefore, will any one make his apology who has despised or absented himself from the church of God? (Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, 100's AD? [date uncertain], Ante-Nicene Fathers , Vol. 7, page 423) 90 AD DIDACHE: ...every Lord's day, hold your solemn assemblies, and rejoice: for he will be guilty of sin who fasts on the Lord's day, being the day of the resurrection... (Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7, pg. 449) 90 AD DIDACHE: On the day of the resurrection of the Lord, that is, the Lord's day, assemble yourselves together, without fail, giving thanks to God, and praising Him for those mercies God has bestowed upon you through Christ, and has delivered you from ignorance, error, and bondage, that your sacrifice may be unspotted, and acceptable to God, who has said concerning His universal Church: "In every place shall incense and a pure sacrifice be offered unto me; for I am a great King, saith the Lord Almighty, and my name is wonderful among the heathen, [Malachi 1:11, 14] (Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. 7, pg. 471) 110 AD IGNATIUS: Be not deceived with strange doctrines, nor with old fables, which are unprofitable. For if we still live according to the Jewish law, we acknowledge that we have not received grace... 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 (which some deny), through which mystery we received faith, and on account of which we suffer in order that we may be found disciples of Jesus Christ our only teacher, how shall we be able to live apart from him for whom even the prophets were looking as their teacher since they were his disciples in the spirit?... let every friend of Christ keep the Lord's Day as a festival, the resurrection-day, the queen and chief of all the days of the week. It is absurd to speak of Jesus Christ with the tongue, and to cherish in the mind a Judaism w s now come to an end. for where there is Christianity there cannot be Judaism.... These things I address to you, my beloved, not that I know any of you to be in such a state; but, as less than any of you, I desire to guard you beforehand, that ye fall not upon the hooks of vain doctrine, but that you may rather attain to a full assurance in Christ... (Ignatius, Epistle to the Magnesians, chp 9. Ante-Nicene Fathers , vol. 1, pg. 62-63.) 130 AD BARNABAS: Moreover God says to the Jews, 'Your new moons and Sabbaths 1 cannot endure.' You see how he says, 'The present Sabbaths are not acceptable to me, but the Sabbath which I have made in which, when I have rested from all things, I will make the beginning of the eighth day which is the beginning of another world.' Wherefore we Christians keep the eighth day for joy, on which also Jesus arose from the dead and when he appeared ascended into heaven. (15:8f, The Epistle of Barnabas, 100 AD, Ante-Nicene Fathers , vol. 1, pg. 147) 150 AD JUSTIN: Moreover, all those righteous men already mentioned [after mentioning Adam. Abel, Enoch, Lot, Noah, Melchizedek, and Abraham], though they kept no Sabbaths, were pleasing to God; and after them Abraham with all his descendants until Moses... And you were commanded to keep Sabbaths, that you might retain the memorial of God. For His word makes this announcement, saying, "That you may know that I am God who redeemed you." (Dialogue With Trypho the Jew, 150-165 AD, Ante-Nicene Fathers , vol. 1, page 204) 150 AD JUSTIN: But if we do not admit this, we shall be liable to fall into foolish opinion, as if it were not the same God who existed in the times of Enoch and all the rest, who neither were circumcised after the flesh, nor observed Sabbaths, nor any other rites, seeing that Moses enjoined such observances... For if there was no need of circumcision before Abraham, or of the observance of Sabbaths, of feasts and sacrifices, before Moses; no more need is there of them now, after that, according to the will of God, Jesus Christ the Son of God has been born without sin, of a virgin sprung from the stock of Abraham. (Dialogue With Trypho the Jew, 150-165 AD, Ante-Nicene Fathers , vol. 1, page 206) 150 AD JUSTIN: ...those who have persecuted and do persecute Christ, if they do not repent, shall not inherit anything on the holy mountain. But the Gentiles, who have believed on Him, and have repented of the sins which they have committed, they shall receive the inheritance along with the patriarchs and the prophets, and the just men who are descended from Jacob, even although they neither keep the Sabbath, nor are circumcised, nor observe the feasts. Assuredly they shall receive the holy inheritance of God. (Dialogue With Trypho the Jew, 150-165 AD, Ante-Nicene Fathers , vol. 1, page 207) 150 AD JUSTIN: We are always together with one another. And for all the things with which we are supplied we bless the Maker of all through his Son Jesus Christ and through his Holy Spirit. And on the day called Sunday there is a gathering together in the same place o all who live in a city or a rural district. (There follows an account of a Christian worship service, which is quoted in VII.2.) We all make our assembly in common on the day of the Sun, since it is the first day, on which God changed the darkness and matter and made the world, and Jesus Christ our Savior arose from the dead on the same day. For they crucified him on the day before Saturn's day, and on the day after (which is the day of the Sun) he appeared to his apostles and taught his disciples these things. (Apology, 1, 67:1-3, 7; First Apology, 145 AD, Ante-Nicene Fathers , Vol. 1, pg. 186) 150 AD JUSTIN: There is no other thing for which you blame us, my friends, is there than this? That we do not live according to the Law, nor, are we circumcised in the flesh as your forefathers, nor do we observe the Sabbath as you do. (Dialogue with Trypho 10:1. In verse 3 the Jew Trypho acknowledges that Christians 'do not keep the Sabbath.') 150 AD JUSTIN: The commandment of circumcision, requiring them always to circumcise the children on the eighth day, was a type of the true circumcision by which we are circumcised from error and evil through the resurrection from the dead on the first day of the week of Jesus Christ our Lord. For the first day of the week, although it is the first of all days, yet according to the number of the days in a cycle is called the eighth (while still remaining the first). (Dialogue 41:4) 150 AD EPISTLE OF THE APOSTLES. I [Christ] have come into being on the eighth day which is the day of the Lord. (18)1 180 AD GOSPEL OF PETER: Early in the morning when (he Sabbath dawned, a multitude from Jerusalem and the surrounding country came to see the scaled sepulchre. In the night in which the Lord's day dawned, while the soldiers in pairs for each watch were keeping guard, a great voice came from heaven. [There follows an account of the resurrection. I Early in the morning of the Lord's day Mary Magdalene, a disciple of the Lord =85. came to the sepulchre. (9:34f.; 12:50f.) 180 AD ACTS OF PETER. Paul had often contended with the Jewish teachers and had confuted them, saying 'it is Christ on whom your fathers laid hands. He abolished their Sabbath and fasts and festivals and circumcision.' (1: I)-2 190 AD CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: Plato prophetically speaks of the Lord's day in the tenth book of the Republic, in these words: 'And when seven days have passed to each of them in the meadow, on the eighth they must go on." (Miscellanies V.xiv.106.2) 190 AD CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: (in commenting on each of the Ten Commandments and their Christian meaning:) The seventh day is proclaimed a day of rest, preparing by abstention from evil for the Primal day, our true rest. (Ibid. VII. xvi. 138.1) 190 AD CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: He does the commandment according to the Gospel and keeps the Lord's day, whenever he puts away an evil mind . . . glorifying the Lord's resurrection in himself. (Ibid. Vii.xii.76.4) 200 AD TERTULLIAN: Others . . . suppose that the sun is the god of the Christians, because it is well-known that we regard Sunday as a day of joy. (To the Nations 1: 13)3 200 AD TERTULLIAN: To us Sabbaths are foreign. (On Idolatry, 14:6)4 200 AD TERTULLIAN: Let him who contends that the Sabbath is still to be observed a balm of salvation, and circumcision on the eighth day because of threat of death, teach us that in earliest times righteous men kept Sabbath or practiced circumcision, and so were made friends of God. .. ...Therefore, since God originated Adam uncircumcised, and inobservant of the Sabbath, consequently his offspring also, Abel, offering Him sacrifices, uncircumcised and inobservant of the Sabbath, was by Him commended... Noah also, uncircumcised - yes, and inobservant of the Sabbath - God freed from the deluge. For Enoch, too, most righteous man, uncircumcised and inobservant of the Sabbath, He translated from this world... Melchizedek also, "the priest of most high God," uncircumcised and inobservant of the Sabbath, was chosen to the priesthood of God. (An Answer to the Jews 2:10; 4:1, Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. 3, page 153) 200 AD TERTULLIAN: It follows, accordingly, that, in so far as the abolition of carnal circumcision and of the old law is demonstrated as having been consummated at its specific times, so also the observance of the Sabbath is demonstrated to have been temporary. (An Answer to the Jews 4:1, Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. 3, page 155) 200 AD TERTULLIAN: "We solemnize the day after Saturday in contradistinction to those who call this day their Sabbath" (Tertullian s Apology, Ch 16) 200 AD BARDESANES: Wherever we are, we are all called after the one name of Christ Christians. On one day, the first of the week, we assemble ourselves together (On Fate)5 250 AD CYPRIAN: The eight day, that is, the first day after the Sabbath, and the Lord s Day." (Epistle 58, Sec 4) 300 AD EUSEBIUS: [The Ebionites] were accustomed to observe the Sabbath and other Jewish customs but on the Lord's days to celebrate the same practices as we in remembrance of the resurrection of the Savior. (Church History Ill.xxvii.5) 300 AD EUSEBIUS: "They did not, therefore, regard circumcision, nor observe the Sabbath neither do we; because such things as these do not belong to Christians" (Ecc. Hist., Book 1, Ch. 4) MODERN AUTHORITIES: Encyclopedia Britannica: Sunday, first day of the week; in Christianity, the Lord's Day, the weekly memorial of Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead. The practice of Christians gathering together for worship on Sunday dates back to apostolic times, but details of the actual development of the custom are not clear. Before the end of the 1st Century AD, the author of Revelation gave the first day its name of the "Lord's Day" (Rev. 1:10). Saint Justin Martyr (c. 100-c. 165), philosopher and defender of the Christian faith, in his writings described the Christians gathered together for worship on the Lord's Day: the gospels or the Old Testament was read, the presiding minister preached a sermon, and the group prayed together and celebrated the Lord's Supper. The emperor Constantine (d. 337), a convert to Christianity, introduced the first civil legislation concerning Sunday in 321, when he decreed that all work should cease on Sunday, except that farmers could work if necessary. This law, aimed at pr time for worship, was followed later in the same century and in subsequent centuries by further restrictions on Sunday activities. (15th edition, vol. 11, pg. 392) Encyclopedia Americana: From the apostolic era to the present it has been customary for Christians to assemble for communal Sunday services... Civil laws requiring the observance of Sunday date back at least to Emperor Constantine the Great, who designated Sunday as a legal day of rest and worship in 321. This law, however was not specifically Christian, since Sunday was the day of the sun-god for pagans as well as the Lord's day for Christians. While Constantine thus managed to please the two major religious groups in the Roman empire, numerous later law regulating behavior on Sunday have been avowedly Christian. (Sunday, 1988, pg. 21) Collier's Encyclopedia: The New Testament contain s clear evidence that from a very early period the first day of the week was observed by Christians as a day of assembly for "the breaking of bread" and perhaps for the collection of freewill offerings. (Acts xx:7 and 1 Corinth xvi:2). Justin Martyr in the middle of the second century describes how "on the day called Sunday" all town and country Christians assembled for instructions in holy writings, for prayer distribution of bread and wine, and the collection of alms. Tertullian declared that the Christians "made Sunday a day of joy, but for other reasons that to adore the sun which was not part of their religion. (Sunday, , 1985, pg. 632-633) History of the Christian Church: The celebration of the Lord's Day in memory of the resurrection of Christ dates undoubtedly from the apostolic age. Nothing short of apostolic precedent can account for the universal religious observance in the churches of the second century. There is no dissenting voice. This custom is confirmed by the testimonies of the earliest post-apostolic writers, as Barnabas, Ignatius, and Justin Martyr. (Philip Schaff, , vol. 1, pg. 201-202) History of the Christian Church: Hence, the first day was already in the apostolic age honorably designated as "the Lord's Day." ...it appears, therefore, from the New Testament itself, that Sunday was observed as a day of worship, and in special commemoration of the Resurrection, whereby the work of redemption was finished. The universal and uncontradicted Sunday observance in the second century can only be explained by the fact that it has its roots in apostolic practice. (Philip Schaff, , vol. 1, pg. 478-479) New Schaff Herzog Encyclopedia: The earliest traces of the observance of the first day of the week in remembrance of Christ's resurrection is found in the Pauline period of the Apostolic Age... Sunday was first regulated by civil authority in 321, under Constantine, directing that the day be hallowed and observed appropriately. (Sunday, pg. 145) Some quotes taken from: The Day of Christian Worship AK, Everett Ferguson; pp. 67-69 Wayne Wells wayneliz@twave.net http://users.twave.net/ncc The Sabbath - Part 3 Jeremiah 3:12-18 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: 'Return, backsliding Israel,' says the Lord; 'I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,' says the Lord; 'I will not remain angry forever. Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the Lord your God... and you have not obeyed My voice,' says the Lord... Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days," says the Lord, "that they will say no more, 'The ark of the covenant of the Lord.' It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore. At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts. In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have g iven as an inheritance to your fathers. What could cause Israel to "say no more the ark of the covenant of the Lord" and not remember it anymore after all that it meant to them during their history? The Ark represented God's presence with Israel. They were led by the Ark in the Wil derness. The Ark went before them as the crossed Jordan and stayed in the river until everyone crossed. The Ark went before them in battle at Jericho. 1. The Ark Contained the Tablets of the Covenant (Ten Commandments) Exodus 25:16 And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you. (25:21) What testimony is being referred to? Exodus 34:28-29 So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. 29. Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses' hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. This is made clear by Deut. 10. Deuteronomy 10:1-2 At that time the Lord said to me, 'Hew for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and come up to Me on the mountain and make yourself an ark of wood. And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke; and you shall put them in the ark.' Because it contained the "tablets of the Testimony, the ark was called the "ark of the testimony." Exodus 25:22 And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel. 2. God Dwelled "Between the Cherubim" That Were Over the Ark. 2 Samuel 6:2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. Psalm 80:1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth! 3. God Spoke From the Ark Exodus 25:22 And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel. Numbers 7:89 Now when Moses went into the tabernacle of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice of One speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim; thus He spoke to him. a. The Book of Leviticus was revealed from the Ark Leviticus 1:1 Now the Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying, 4. On the Day of Atonement, Blood was Sprinkled on the Ark Leviticus 16:14-15 He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. 5. By the Time of Solomon, only the Tablets of Stone were in the Ark. 1 Kings 8:8-9 The poles extended so that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day. Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. (8:21) What Did Jeremiah mean When He Prophesied of a Time When: Jeremiah 3:16 Then it shall come to pass... that they will say no more, 'The ark of the covenant of the Lord.' It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore. How could this happen? How could they forget all that the ark had been to Israel? The reason, a new covenant was brought in! - Jer. 31:31-34 Matthew 26:28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. The Ark Foreshadowed What We Have In Christ. 1. The Mercy Seat was above and covered the law. This foreshadowed the new covenant that provides a way for the Law to be covered by mercy through Christ. 2. No longer will there be blood sprinkled on the ark of the covenant on the day of atonement. Instead, God Himself would come as a man and shed his blood on the true day of Atonement for our sins. 3. Instead of the Ark representing the presence of God, Christians under the New Covenant are given the indwelling of the Holy Spirit! 4. We no longer follow the old covenant given at Sinai, including the 10 Commandments, which were in the ark, but we now follow the New Covenant brought in by the blood of Christ. The Book of Hebrews Hebrews 7:11-12 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. Hebrews 7:19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. Hebrews 7:21-22 (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: "The Lord has sworn and will not relent, 'You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek'), by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. Hebrews 8:1-13 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fau lt with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah - not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them... For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. Hebrews 9:1-4 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. Hebrews 9:15-24 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, "This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you." Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. Therefore it w as necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Hebrews 10:1-4 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect... For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Hebrews 10:9-10 then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:15-22 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them," then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience [foreshadowed by the sprinkling of the blood] and our bodies washed with pure water [foreshadowed by the many washings]. [first the blood (Passover), then the water (Red Sea)] Hebrews 10:28-29 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? Hebrews 12:22-24 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. The Sabbath is Part of the Shadows of the New Covenant The Tables of the Covenant were part of the shadow (Heb. 9:4) These tables were the stones which contained the 10 Commandments, which included the command to keep the Sabbath. Colossians 2:13-17 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Contrast of Two Covenants - Galatians 4:21-31 Galatians 4:21-31 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar - for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children - but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all... what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free. The Lord's Day - Revelation 1:10 Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. When are we to assemble? "Lord's" is from kuriakos {koo-ree-ak-os'} adjective from kurios (Lord) 1. belonging to the Lord 2. related to the Lord Kuriakos is used only two times in the New Testament. Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 1 Corinthians 11:20-21 Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. Jehovah's Passover was taken on Jehovah's Day Exodus 12:11 And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's [Jehovah's] Passover. Exodus 20:10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord [Jehovah's] 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. The Lord's Supper is taken on the Lord's Day Acts 20:6-7 But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days. Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. During the week, a Sabbath passed, but not a word about them observing it. The first day of the week is the day the early Christians called the "Lord's Day" without exception. It is the day they gathered together to break bread, the day Paul preached to Christians during their assembly, and the day they collected their money. 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. Why a particular day for something to be done at home? What difference does it make? If they were laying by in store at home, Paul would still have to goes house to house to collect the money. Only by the contribution of each Christians being put into a common treasury could Paul's instruction be carried out. Those who teach the Sabbath don't keep it. 1. 1.Numbers 28:9-10 Two extra lambs were to be offered besides the usual daily sacrifices. 2. 2.Exodus 20:10 No man or animal was to do any work. 3. 3.Exodus 31:15, 35:2-3 Whoever works on the Sabbath is to be put to death. Example: a man was stoned for gathering sticks on the Sabbath - Exodus 35:2-3 4. 4.Exodus 35:3 - no fire is to be made on the Sabbath Ministers of the New Covenant - 2 Corinthians 3:2-11 Old Covenant New Covenant 1. Written with ink Written by the Spirit of the living God, 2. Written on tablets of stone Written on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. 3. Of the letter that kills of the Spirit that gives life 4. Ministry of death, written and engraved on stones Ministry of the Spirit 5. Was glorious, had glory More glorious, exceeds much more in glory 6. Ministry of condemnation Ministry of righteousness 7. Is passing away Remains Hebrews 10:9-10 then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Wayne Wells wayneliz@twave.net http://users.twave.net/ncc