Introduction: This article shows that at least as early as the 4th century AD some major church leaders considered the day we know as Saturday to be the biblical Sabbath. It was at least as early as the 4th century AD that major church leaders decided that scriptures such as Col 2:14-17 permit the church to transfer the functionality of Sabbath worship and Sabbath rest but not the name from Saturday to Sunday. Thus, Saturday was still to be labeled the Sabbath but Sunday was assigned the name of Lord’s Day. Whether or not Col 2 and/or other scriptures permit such is controversial. In any case, based on the historical record that Saturday was considered the Sabbath at least as early as the 4th Century AD, personally I hold that Saturday is the Sabbath. I also hold that a person should choose at least one day out of the seven days, preferably Saturday or Sunday, as a day of family and community worship and rest. But I hold that whether one chooses Saturday or Sunday for one’s day of community worship and rest is a personal choice per Col 2:14-17 to be agreed to by the local community of faith to which one belongs/associates. Thus, some choose Saturday and some choose Sundays. One should not judge another or allow oneself to be judged by others concerning such a matter. Let each be fully persuaded in his or her own mind to the satisfaction of God by sincere faith.
Details:
It is clear that the Jews of New Testament day saw the Sabbath the same as or close to the same as those of Moses day. This includes Christian Jews.
It also seems that the Gentiles (non-Jews/non-Israelites) of New Testament days saw the Sabbath the same way as the Jews did. This should not be surprising given the synagogue was where the Gentles largely received their teaching and the synagogue met on the sabbath.
Christianity rose up as the gospel spread to nations in which the population of Gentiles significantly outnumbered the population of Jews.
A different understanding and application of scriptural requirements begin to arise.
The rise of Christianity eventually rightly or wrongly led to the official designation and sanctioning of Sunday as what is termed the Lord’s Day as the primary day of worship and rest. Sunday is designated the Lord’s Day because it is considered the first day of the week. The first day of the week is considered by many to be the day in which Jesus rose from the dead. However, there are some who hold that Jesus rose on the seventh day but his resurrection was not discovered until the first day of the week. In any case, the Lord’s Day is in honor of Jesus resurrection.
This is in contrast to Saturday being designated as the Sabbath Day and as the primary day of worship and rest.
Christianity largely considers Sabbath Day as Old Covenant and Lord’s Day as New Covenant.
Most but not all Christian churches associated with Christianity consider Sunday as the primary day or worship and rest. Indeed churches such as Seventh Day Baptist and Seventh Day Adventist are exceptions for these consider Saturday as their primary day of worship and rest.
Roman Emperor Constantine issued an Edict in AD 321 in which he declared Sunday to be a day of rest for some but not all. The Edict only applied to those living in the cities. It did not apply to those engaged in agricultural work. Moreover. Constantine did NOT use the word Sabbath but did use Sunday in the Edict.
Sunday worship as the Lord’s Day can be traced back at least to the 4th century at the council of Laodecia.
However, it may be tracable back to the 2nd Century for it is reported that in AD 107 St. Ignatius declared the Lord’s Day to be observed by Christians instead of the Sabbath.
Additionally a church leader named Justin reportedly between AD 155-157 wrote that Christians commonly met for worship on Sunday.
Also a church leader named Tertullian reportedly said in AD 200 that the Lord’s Day is Sunday.
My purpose in mentioning them is not to say whether they were right or not in their doctrine.
My purpose is to note that is what reportedly historically happened in the church.
It is noteworthy that all of this regarding St. Ignatius, Justin and Tertullian happened before Roman Emperor Constantine Edict in AD 321.
So it seems that Constantine made that practice at least more official within the Roman Empire.
It seems that the church influenced Constantine rather than Constantine influencing the church with respect to Sunday as the day of rest.
In the 4th century AD the Synod or Council of Laodicea was held; it is believed to have taken place around 363-365 AD
This council of then church leaders discussed a number of matters.
One of them was the contrast between the Sabbath and the Lord’s Day.
We generally think of that council as being the forerunner of what we know today as the Roman Catholic Church.
The council issued a number of canons to govern their members. Let us look at the ones that have to do with Sabbath and Lord’s Day.
The Synod of Laodicea Canons 16, 29, and 49 address the Lord’s Day and the Sabbath, collectively. Canons 16 and 49 say worship may take place on either day. Canon 29 says any Catholic caught resting on the Sabbath would be excommunicated.
Thus, they effectively transferred the functionality of the Sabbath to the Lord’s Day, effectively replacing the Sabbath with the Lord’s Day.
They seemingly did and do so because they believe at least Gentile Christians are not bound to the sabbath ordinances. Thus, they hold that the church has the liberty and right to choose another day for sabbath purposes and to combine it with honoring Christ resurrection on the first day of the week, that is what we know as Sunday. They seemingly took and take this principle from the Acts 15 treatment of circumcision which teaches against Judaizing.
Let’s look at those Laodicea canons of the 4th century
Canon 16 says “The Gospels are to be read on the Sabbath [i.e. Saturday], with the other Scriptures.”
Canon 29 says “Christians must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honouring the Lord’s Day; and, if they can, resting then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be judaizers, let them be anathema (cursed; excommunicated) from Christ”.
Canon 49 says “During Lent the Bread must not be offered except on the Sabbath Day and on the Lord’s Day only.”
So Synod of Laodicea recognized Sabbath but placed the Lord’s Day above Sabbath. It forbade any activities that promoted the law of Moses (Judaism) including resting on Sabbath (Saturday).
This was apparently changed at least as early as 1983 which is many years after the 4th century.
For in the 1983 Catholic Code of Canon Law there is no mention of Sabbath at all. Canons 16, 29, and 49 deal with other church matters. Thus, the Roman Catholic church stopped recognizing and regulating the Sabbath for any purpose. Instead, the focus shifted solely to the Lord’s Day for the primary day of restful worship although the church tends to meet multiple times during the week including the Sabbath. So then its members are free to follow the Sabbath if they choose and to do so without excommunication. Of course the Roman Catholic Church still encourages regular worship on the Lord’s Day as the primary day for worship though they tend to be open most days of the week.
In my view it would have been better if the church had kept Saturday as the primary day of worship and rest for they could have still honored Jesus resurrection on Saturday.
However, Col 2:14-17 (especially Col 2:16) does seem to give liberty and right to not so do on Saturday but do so do on Sunday.
Col 2:16 certainly forbids us from judging or requiring others to choose the day we choose.
This is supported by scriptures such as 2 Cor 3:6 where the spirit rather than the letter is seen as more important.
So though I think the better way was to choose Saturday in the early days of Christianity, I do hold the Bible gives the church the liberty and right to choose either Saturday of Sunday as the preferred day of rest and holy convocation.
Therefore, it is good to take at least one day to rest by faith from the hustle and bustle of life chasing money and materialism and making and acquiring things.
To focus on spiritual work of faith, and family and friends, and community.
And to do so whether that day be Saturday or Sunday as a community of believers, however large or small that community of believers might be (Matt 18:20).
Also Rom 2:29 (Rom 2:27-29); Rom 14:5; Gal 4:9-10 provide some insight into dealing with such matters as the Sabbath and Lord’s Day.
Reference:
Synod of Laodicea (4th Century)
Current Catholic Code of Canon Law (See Book IV, Part III for Sacred Times)
New Covenant and Law/Commandments – The Sabbath Question
