The Sabbath Through History

Hallowed by the Creator`s rest and blessing, the Sabbath was kept by Adam in his innocence in holy Eden; by Adam, fallen yet repentant, when he was driven from his happy estate. It was kept by all the patriarchs, from Abel to righteous Noah, to Abraham, to Jacob. When the chosen people were in bondage in Egypt, many, in the midst of prevailing idolatry, lost their knowledge of God`s law; but when the Lord delivered Israel, he proclaimed his law in awful grandeur to the assembled multitude, that they might know his will, and fear and obey him forever.

From that day to the present, the knowledge of God`s law has been preserved in the earth, and the Sabbath of the fourth commandment has been kept. Though the “man of sin” succeeded in trampling under foot God`s holy day, yet even in the period of his supremacy there were, hidden in secret places, faithful souls who paid it honor. Since the Reformation, there have been some in every generation to maintain its observance. Though often in the midst of reproach and persecution, a constant testimony has been borne to the perpetuity of the law of God, and the sacred obligation of the creation Sabbath.

The promises of the Lord to those who keep the Sabbath day holy are so wonderfully clear in the scriptures that they leave one asking, “Why would anyone throw away such blessings for the tawdry, temporary pleasures of the world?” Hear again the words of Jehovah as they roll down from Mount Sinai: “Ye shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord” .

“If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase. . . .
. . . And ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. And I will give [you] peace in the land, . . . neither shall the sword go through your land. . . .
For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, . . . and establish my covenant with you. . . .
And I will set my tabernacle [that is, my temple] among you. . . .
And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.”

How lovely is the Sabbath day! It has blessed our families in countless ways. The commandments of the Lord are “true and faithful.”

If you obey the Lord’s commandment keeping the Sabbath as a holy Day, you will be happier, enjoy greater peace, and find your lives made glad as you witness the miracles that come to each person and family who make the sacrifice of keeping this eternal covenant.

There is just one Lord and Savior, one faith, one baptism 6- one God and Father of all. who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:5,6). He lives, this is His Church and kingdom on earth. He is at once a just and merciful God, who loves His children with all the tenderness of a kind and loving Father. May we, in turn, “offer a sacrifice unto the Lord [our] God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit,” may we pray it, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Important questions you should ask yourself and the History

1. Which is the Sabbath day?
Saturday is the Sabbath day.

2. Why do people observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
“People observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.” – Rev. Peter Geiermann C.SS.R., The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, p. 50 (http://www.sabbathtruth.com/sabbath_quotes.asp)

Sunday was the first day of the week according to the Jewish method of reckoning, but for Christians it began to take the place of the Jewish Sabbath in Apostolic times as the day set apart for the public and solemn worship of God. The practice of meeting together on the first day of the week for the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice is indicated in Acts, xx 7; I Cor., xvi, 2; in Apoc., i, 10, it is called the Lord`s day.

In the Didache (xiv) the injunction is given: “On the Lord`s Day come together and break bread. And give thanks (offer the Eucharist), after confessing your sins that your sacrifice may be pure”.

St. Ignatius (Ep. ad Magnes. ix) speaks of Christians as “no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord`s Day, on which also Our Life rose again”. In the Epistle of Barnabas (xv), we read: “Wherefore, also, we keep the eight day (i.e. the first of the week) with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead”.

St. Justin is the first Christian writer to call the day Sunday (I Apol., lxvii) in the celebrated passage in which he describes the worship offered by the early Christians on that day to God. The fact that they met together and offered public worship on Sunday necessitated a certain rest from work on that day. However, Tertullian (202) is the first writer who expressly mentions the Sunday rest: “We, however (just as tradition has taught us), on the day of the Lord`s Resurrection ought to guard not only against kneeling, but every posture and office of solicitude, deferring even our businesses lest we give any place to the devil” (“De orat.”, xxiii; cf. “Ad nation.”, I, xiii; “Apolog.”, xvi). (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14335a.htm).

Let`s analyse what happened to the institution of the Sabbath throw History and cultures:

1st Century – Early Christians
“The primitive Christians had a great veneration for the Sabbath, and spent the day in devotion and sermons. And it is not to be doubted but they derived this practice from the Apostles themselves, as appears by several scriptures to the purpose.”
(Dialogues on the Lord`s Day, p. 189. London: 1701, By Dr. T.H. Morer, A Church of England divine).

Early Christians
“…The Sabbath was a strong tie which united them with the life of the whole people, and in keeping the Sabbath holy they followed not only the example but also the command of Jesus.” (Geschichte des Sonntags,pp.13, 14)

2nd Century – Christians
“The Gentile Christians observed also the Sabbath,” (Gieseler`s Church History, Vol.1, ch. 2, par. 30, 93).

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

“It is certain that the ancient Sabbath did remain and was observed (together with the celebration of the Lord`s day) by the Christians of the East Church, above three hundred years after our Saviour`s death.”
(A Learned Treatise of the Sabbath, p. 77)

(*) Note: By the “Lord`s day” here the writer means Sunday and not the true Sabbath, which the Bible says is the Sabbath. This quotation shows Sunday coming into use in the early centuries soon after the death of the Apostles. Paul the Apostle foretold a great “falling away” from the Truth that would take place soon after his death.

2nd, 3rd, 4th Centuries
“From the apostles` time until the council of Laodicea, which was about the year 364, the holy observance of the Jews` Sabbath continued, as may be proved out of many authors: yea, notwithstanding the decree of the council against it.”
(Sunday a Sabbath. John Ley, p.163. London: 1640).

3rd Century :
“Christians, till the Laodicean Council did in manner quite abolish the observations of it.” (Dissertation on the Lord`s Day, pp. 33, 34)

Egypt
“Except ye make the sabbath a real sabbath (sabbatize the Sabbath,” Greek), ye shall not see the Father.”
(The oxyrhynchus Papyri, pt,1, p.3, Logion 2, verso 4-11 – 200-250 A.D in London Offices of the Egypt Exploration Fund, 1898).

Early Christians-C 3rd
“Thou shalt observe the Sabbath, on account of Him who ceased from His work of creation, but ceased not from His work of providence: it is a rest for meditation of the law, not for idleness of the hands.”
(The Anti-Nicene Fathers, Vol 7,p. 413. From Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, a document of the 3rd and 4th Centuries).

Palestine to India (Church of the East)
“After the festival of the unceasing sacrifice (the crucifixion) is put the second festival of the Sabbath, and it is fitting for whoever is righteous among the saints to keep also the festival of the Sabbath. There remaineth therefore a sabbatismus, that is, a keeping of the Sabbath, to the people of God (Hebrews 4:9).
(Homily on Numbers 23,” par.4, in Migne, “Patrologia Graeca, Vol. 12,cols. 749, 750.
Palestine to India – Church of the East)

As early as A.D. 225 there existed large bishoprics or conferences of the Church of the East (Sabbath-keeping) stretching from Palestine to India. (Mingana, Early Spread of Christianity. Vol.10, p. 460).

India (Buddhist Controversy, 220 A.D.)
“The Kushan Dynasty of North India called a famous council of Buddhist priests at Vaisalia to bring uniformity among the Buddhist monks on the observance of their weekly Sabbath. Some had been so impressed by the writings of the Old Testament that they had begun to keep holy the Sabbath. Lloyd” (The Creed of Half Japan,” p. 23.)

“The seventh-day Sabbath was…solemnised by Christ, the Apostles, and primitive Christians, till the Laodicean Council did in manner quite abolish the observations of it.” (Dissertation on the Lord`s Day, pp. 33, 34).

4th Century
“When you are in Rome, do as Rome does.”
Ambrose, the celebrated bishop of Milan gave rise to this proverb by stating that when he was in Milan he observed Saturday, but when in Rome he observed Sunday”. (See page 70 in this Online version of Truth Triumphant)

Italy AND EAST-C 4th
“It was the practice generally of the Easterne Churches; and some churches of the west…For in the Church of Millaine (Milan);…it seems the Saturday was held in a fare esteeme… Not that the Eastern Churches, or any of the rest which observed that day, were inclined to Iudaisme (Judaism); but that they came together on the Sabbath day, to worship Iesus (Jesus) Christ the Lord of the Sabbath.” (History of the Sabbath, original spelling retained, Part 2, par. 5, pp.73, 74. London: 1636. Dr. Heylyn).

Italy – Milan:
“Ambrose, the celebrated bishop of Milan, said that when he was in Milan he observed Saturday, but when in Rome observed Sunday. This gave rise to the proverb, `”When you are in Rome, do as Rome does.”” (Heylyn, The History of the Sabbath, 1612).

Orient And Most Of World
“The ancient Christians were very careful in the observance of Saturday, or the seventh day…It is plain that all the Oriental churches, and the greatest part of the world, observed the Sabbath as a festival…Athanasius likewise tells us that they held religious assembles on the Sabbath, not because they were infected with Judaism, but to worship Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, Epiphanius says the same.”
(Antiquities of the Christian Church, Vol.II Book XX, chap. 3, sec.1, 66. 1137,1138).

Abyssinia – Remnants of Philip`s Evangelism
“In the last half of that century St. Ambrose of Milan stated officially that the Abyssinian bishop, Museus, had `traveled almost everywhere in the country of the Seres` (China). For more than seventeen centuries the Abyssinian Church continued to sanctify Saturday as the holy day of the fourth commandment.”
(Ambrose, DeMoribus, Brachmanorium Opera Ominia, 1132, found in Migne, Patrologia Latima, Vol.17, pp.1131,1132).

Arabia, Persia, India, China
“Mingana proves that in 370 A.D. Abyssinian Christianity (a Sabbath keeping church) was so popular that its famous director, Musacus, travelled extensively in the East promoting the church in Arabia, Persia, India and China.”
(Truth Triumphant, p.308 – Online version)

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

Spain :
It is a point of further interest to note that in north-eastern Spain near the city of Barcelona is a city called Sabadell, in a district originaly inhabited. By a people called both “Valldenses” and Sabbatati.”

Persia-A.D. 335-375 (40 Years Persecution Under Shapur II)
The popular complaint against the Christians: “They despise our sungod, they have divine services on Saturday, they desecrate the sacred the earth by burying their dead in it” .
(Truth Triumphant, Online Version p. 261)
And more:
“They despise our sun-god. Did not Zorcaster, the sainted founder of our divine beliefs, institute Sunday one thousand years ago in honour of the sun and supplant the Sabbath of the Old Testament. Yet these Christians have divine services on Saturday.”
(O`Leary, The Syriac Church and Fathers, pp.83, 84).

Council Laodicea – A.D.365
“Canon 16- On Saturday the Gospels and other portions of the Scripture shall be read aloud.”

“Canon 29 – Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday, but shall work on that day; but the Lord`s day they shall especially honor, and as being Christians, shall, if possible, do no work on that day.”
(Hefele`s “Councils,” Vol. 2, b. 6. (See an online version of this council on the Roman Catholic New Advent website – see Canon 29. http://www.sabbathtruth.com/history/sabbath_history4.asp)

(*) OBSERVE that in the 7th century the apostasy was totally implanted in the church fulfilling Daniel’s prophecy (7:25- … try to change the set times and laws).

7th Century

Scotland and Ireland
Professor James C. Moffatt, D.D., Professor of Church History at Princeton, says: “It seems to have been customary in the Celtic churches of early times, in Ireland as well as Scotland, to keep Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, as a day of rest from labour. They obeyed the fourth commandment literally upon the seventh day of week.” (The Church in Scotland, p.140).

Scotland and Ireland
“The Celts used a Latin Bible unlike the Vulgate (R.C.) and kept Saturday as a day of rest, with special religious services on Sunday.”
(Flick, The Rise of Medieval Church, p. 237).

Rome
Gregory I (A.D. 590-640) wrote against “Roman citizens (who) forbid any work being done on the Sabbath day.”
(Nicene and Post- Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol, XIII, p.13, epist. 1)

Rome (Pope Gregory I, A.D.590 TO 604)
“Gregory, bishop by the grace of God to his well-beloved sons, the Roman citizens: It has come to me that certain men of perverse spirit have disseminated among you things depraved and opposed to the holy faith, so that they forbid anything to be done on the day of the Sabbath. What shall I call them except preachers of anti-Christ?” (Epistles, b.13:1)

Rome (Pope Gregory I)
Declared that when anti-Christ should come he would keep Saturday as the Sabbath.(Epistles of Gregory I, “b 13, epist.1. found in “Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers.)

“Moreover, this same Pope Gregory had issued an official pronouncement against a section of the city of Rome itself because the Christian believers there rested and worshipped on the Sabbath.”
(Same reference. http://www.sabbathtruth.com/history/sabbath_history7.asp)

Biblical passages confirming the institution of the Sabbath as a Holy Day

EXODUS 31:12,13

GENESIS 2:1

EXODUS 16: 4,5,22,23; 34:21; 35:1-3
EXODUS 20:8 (The Sabbath has three things upon itself: bless, sanctification and consecration).

EXODUS 23:12 (It’s a day of rest for us and everybody in our homes)

EXODUS 31:13-17 (It’s a forever sign between God and us)

LEVITICUS 23:3 (It’s a Day of rest consecrated to the Lord)

NUMBERS 15: 32-35;

DEUTERONOMY 5:12-15

NEHEMIAH 9:14; 10:31,32 (we don’t buy or sell anything in it)

EZEKIEL 20:13,16,20; 46:1

AMOS 8:4,5 (We can’t wish it passes fast to do wherever we want)

MATHEW 12:8-12 (the son of the man is Jesus and He is the Lord of the Sabbath because He was the first one to rest in this Day according to
Exodus 2:1,2 (Attention- The people was hypocrite, they criticize Jesus for making cures on Saturday, but according to His words we can do just good deeds on it)

MATHEW 28:1 (Read since chapter 27:57-66, to be able to understand)

MARK 2:27 (Jesus wanted to say with these words that the most important is the life of the man because the Saturday was created form him and not the other way around; The Jewish prioritized concepts over people and Jesus, people over concepts).

MARK 3:4,5 (Pay Attention to this observation. The people was so worried with the Law that they didn’t understand that the Sabbath is a Day to give glory to the Lord and to help our neighbors).

MARK 6:1,2 (This is New Testament, pay attention to the Day Christ used to go to Church);

LUKE 4:16 (Attention to the verse “And on the Sabbath day He entered the Synagogue, as was his custom”);

LUCAS 4:31, 6:6-9, 14:1-6, 23:54-56 and 24:1. Remember what He says in Mathew 5:17: “Do not think that I’ve come to abolish the Law or the prophets; I did not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them”. And he gave the example following the law…

LUKE 23:56: we are talking about New Testament, about women that followed Jesus, and knew his teachings and they rested on Saturday in obedience to the commandment.

JOHN 7:23,24 (Jesus criticized them for keeping the Law without understanding because they forgot the Love, “to cure wasn’t a work but a good deed and they didn’t understand it).

ACTS 13:14 (Here we can see Paul, a great apostle of the Lord, following the same example of Jesus, going to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, coincidence? No, obedience!) verses 27, 42, 44.

ACTS 15:21, 16:13, 17: 1,2, 18:4

ISAIAH 56:1-7 (Attention to how we can keep the Sabbath as a Holly day); 58:13,14

JEREMY 17:19-27

ISAIAH 66:22,23 (here is a prophecy for the future, after the judgment, in the new world established by God, even there we are going to keep The Sabbath as a Holy Day and rest of all our Work, dedicating it to the glory the Lord)

It is wrong to think that the Holy Day is Friday, the holy day is not the sixth, but the seventh. Sunday is the first day of the weak (Luke 23:55,56 and 24:1) and Saturday the last, the seventh day.

Friday is called the preparation day (Luke 23:54) because we prepare everything in advance to receive the Sabbath. Any day starts when the sun goes down, not midnight, midnight is a man’s creation, no God’s.

The first part of the day is the night and after comes the clear part, and so on… (read Genesis 1:2 – darkness was over the surface of the deep 3- God said: “Let there be light”. 5- attention to the last part of the verse – “And there was evening and there was light – the first day”) so a new day starts with the evening of the day before, the Sabbath starts on Friday night. The sun is the mark for starting the day and finishing it.

English version: Jucilene G. Ruffo