Did Catholics Change the Sabbath

JimmyAkin

Did the Catholic Church "Change the Sabbath"?

BY JIMMY AKIN Thursday, October 11, 2012 9:17 PM Comments (3)

Did the Catholic Church "Change the Sabbath"?

You sometimes encounter the charge that the Catholic Church wrongly "changed the sabbath" from Saturday to Sunday. This claim is often made by Seventh-Day Adventists, for example. But even if one isn't accusing the Church of wrongdoing, the question can still arise: Why do Catholics worship on Sunday rather than Saturday? Here's the story . . .

What Day the Sabbath Is

First, let's clear away a potential source of confusion. While it's true that people sometimes speak of Sunday as "the Christian sabbath," this is a loose way of speaking. Strictly speaking, the sabbath is the day it always was--Saturday--though it should be noted that traditionally Jewish people have celebrated the sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. Sunday is a distinct day, which follows the sabbath. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:

2175 Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ's Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man's eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of Christ.

Why We Celebrate Sunday

That same paragraph explains why we celebrate on Sunday. For Christians the ceremonial observance of Sunday replaces that of the sabbath. Properly speaking, we're not celebrating the sabbath on Sunday. We're celebrating something else, but it's something that the sabbath points toward. As the Catechism says, the Jewish sabbath announces man's eternal rest in God and prefigures some aspects of Christ. Sunday thus fulfills what the sabbath pointed toward.

The Lord's Day

What we are celebrating instead of the sabbath is "the Lord's day." That's something Christians have celebrated since the first century. In fact, in the very first chapter of Revelation, we read that John experienced the inaugural vision of the book on "the Lord's day." He writes:

I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet [Revelation 1:9-10].

And he goes on to describe the vision of Jesus Christ he received. For our purposes, the important thing to note is that he speaks of the Lord's day as an already-established thing. He expects his readers to know what it is. So, when is it?

 

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/did-the-catholic-church-change-the-sabbath#ixzz295mwrVDc

Similar Patterns in Old and New Covenants

Just something I noticed.... There seems to be a similar pattern of development in both the Old Covenant and the New when it comes to the structure of God's people as far as leadership and the written word. 

Old testament structure:

1.God chose a people--Hebrews/Israel:

God decides that from the seed of Abraham He would bring forth His people. The Old Covenant people were from the Isaac then Jacob.

2. He established leaders:

God establishes His leaders for this people. Obviously Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (the Patriarchs) were the tribal leaders then later to lead them out of Egypt He chose Moses, Aaron and then Joshua. 

3. Around four or five centuries after establishing a people, He gives them the written word:

The scholars I have read place Abraham around 2000 BC and then the Exodus about 1600 BC (give or take a hundred years.) So if we add in the lives of the Patriarchs plus the time the were in Egypt we get almost 500 years. Even if the scholars' timeline gives it less. But either way, this is when God spoke at Mt. Sinai and gave His people the Torah, the law. The writings of the prophets and other historical writings were gradually added. 

 4. God’s leaders continued and a group of Bible interpreters was established: 

The written word didn't take the place of God's leaders and authorities. The Sanhedrin with a high priest and judges were established to interpret the law. Then a king was set up to implement the law with force. So there was a triangulation of authority: God's appointed High Priest, the Sanhedrin (other appointed religious leaders) and God's Word. 

It looks to me like this same pattern was followed in His New Covenant church.

***********************************************************

The New Testament structure:

1. God chose a people--Christians:

Still from the seed of Abraham God brought forth His people, but this was with a New Covenant with Christ, fully revealing and fulfilling the Old Covenant. This came through the Hebrews, but was opened up to the Gentiles.  

2. He established leaders:

He gave the keys to Peter and consecrated the Apostles before He established the church at Pentecost. Then after the Apostles came the Patristic Fathers (like the Patriarchs) and their successors. 

3. Around four or five centuries later, after establishing a people, He gives them the written word. 

It wasn't until the end of the fourth century and into the fifth century that the canon (set of books) was compiled into what we know today as the Bible. Up until then it was a loosely formed set of gospels and letters that each area of Christendom were using and they all weren't alike. So the bishops began calling for a unified set of Christian inspired writings for use in church (they were not even thinking of a book for the people--just a set of unified church readings!) After the fifth century, complete Bibles were copied, bound and sent out into the many church areas so that each church could have a set of Christian scriptures.

4. God's leaders interpreted the Word of God.

This is a little different as far as timeframe from the Old Covenant, because Christians had writings from the beginning--letters and gospels. Yet even they needed to be interpreted. Acts 15 records the Council at Jerusalem deciding if circumcision was necessary for the Christian. The general council of elders decided it was not and their authority was expected to be obeyed by all Christians through out the world. Later councils, through the Holy Spirit, interpreted the Word of God to arrive at a written understanding of the Trinity, the Deity of Christ and even what books would be in scripture. 


So, again, if we follow the pattern, the Written Word did not replace God's chosen leaders, but it was used to triangulate truth--with God's chosen leadership and God's word.

Not that this is a big deal, just thought the pattern was interesting.....

Sabbaths in Early Christian Literature

This is an excerpt from the book, Acts of Peter and Paul, the stories recorded between the second and fourth centuries. I stress this first thing, some of the stories in the book were rejected by the church as myth (none included in this passage). But, it does relate some fascinating true stories. The church teaches that the book factually records the deaths of the two Apostles. It also gives us a look into the struggles of the earliest Roman Jews and Gentiles had over circumcision, sabbaths and other Jewish regulations. I have included the context but bolded the parts Seventh-day Adventists will find interesting.


This particular story must have happened during the time of book of Acts before the Council of Jerusalem, for Paul is unsure about some Christian theology. So we place the date c. AD 40s before Paul began writing.

And a report went about in the city of Rome that Paul the brother of Peter was coming. And those that believed in God rejoiced with great joy. And there was great consternation among the Jews.... They came together therefore to him, and exhorted him, saying:Vindicate the faith in which you were born; for it is not right that you, being a Hebrew, and of the Hebrews, should call yourself teacher of Gentiles and vindicator of the uncircumcised; and, being yourself circumcised, that you should bring to nought the faith of the circumcision.

And when you see Peter, contend against his teaching, because he has destroyed all the bulwarks of our law; for he has prevented the keeping of Sabbaths and new moons, and the holidays appointed by the law. And Paul answering, said to them: That I am a true Jew, by this you can prove; because also you have been able to keep the Sabbath, and to observe the true circumcision; for assuredly on the day of the Sabbath God rested from all His works. We have fathers, and patriarchs, and the law. What, then, does Peter preach in the kingdom of the Gentiles? But if he shall wish to bring in any new teaching, without any tumult, and envy, and trouble, send him word, that we may see, and in your presence I shall convict him. But if his teaching be true, supported by the book and testimony of the Hebrews, it becomes all of us to submit to him.

Then Peter and Paul meet with tears in Rome....

At dawn, behold, Peter coming, finds a multitude of the Jews before Paul's door. And there was a great uproar between the Christian Jews and the Gentiles. For, on the one hand, the Jews said: We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, the friends of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, with whom God spoke, to whom He showed His own mysteries and His great wonders. But you of the Gentiles are no great thing in your lineage; if otherwise, you have become polluted and abominable by idols and graven images.

While the Jews were saying such things, and such-like, those of the Gentiles answered, saying: We, when we heard the truth, straightway followed it, having abandoned our errors. But you, both knowing the mighty deeds of your fathers, and seeing the signs of the prophets, and having received the law, and gone through the sea with dry feet, and seen your enemies sunk in its depths, and the pillar of fire by night and of cloud by day shining upon you, and manna having been given to you out of heaven, and water flowing to you out of a rock—after all these things you fashioned to yourselves the idol of a calf, and worshipped the graven image. But we, having seen none of the signs, believe to be a Saviour the God whom you have forsaken in unbelief.

While they were contending in these and such-like words, the Apostle Paul said that they ought not to make such attacks upon each other, but that they should rather give heed to this, that God had fulfilled His promises which He swore to Abraham our father, that in his seed he should inherit all the nations. For there is no respect of persons with God. ... And Paul having thus spoken, both the Jews and they of the Gentiles were appeased.

(For the full story, google Acts of Peter and Paul.)


From early on, the issue of circumcision and keeping the weekly, monthly and yearly Sabbath regulations was of great concern to the early church. This specific topic created hostility between Jews and Jewish converts to Christianity. Yet, at this early date we can see that Peter was teaching that these regulations were no longer a part of the New Covenant.