Sabbath in History?!?

[Solja247]

I have done a a bit of research on the Sabbath Day in History to my dismay I have found that a lot of quotes from Adventist books are complete lies. I know that some churches did keep the Sabbath for a time Church in India. Assyrian Christians etc. but not many people did. Why is this? Why did the holy spirit sleep for over thousand years? There isnt many churches which even protest the Roman catholic church?

These are my conclusions in my study, I was just wondering what other people believe and understand of history? and pherhaps help me understand history of the Sabathh a bit better. Thank you all God bless.

[Twilight]

Hello :-)

What was the basis of your "study"?

What references did you use?

Mark

[Jeannieb43]

Dr. Bacchiocchi did a doctoral thesis on the Sabbath in History. It was published, and I bought the book a few years ago. I think it was published by Andrews University Press. Very scholarly. Not an easy read. But he traced the seventh-day Sabbath-keeping down through history, and gave historical references for all his statements.

It was obvious that somewhere some groups of people had always kept the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week, ever since the beginning of time.

[John317]

Could you please give several of the quotes which you say are complete lies?

Have you read the 5th century Christian historians, Sozoman and Socrates?

How about the following quotes--

"The people of Constantinople, and almost everywhere, assemble together on the Sabbath, as well as on the first day of the week, which custom is never observed at Rome or at Alexandria." Socrates, "Ecclesiastical History," Book 7, chap.19.

The World

"For although almost all churches throughout The World celebrated the sacred mysteries (the Lord's Supper) on the Sabbath of every week, yet the Christians of Allexandria and at Rome, on account of some ancient tradition, refuse to do this." The footnote which accompanies the foregoing quotation explains the use of the word "Sabbath." It says: "That is, upon the Saturday. It should be observed, that Sunday is never called "the Sabbath' by the ancient Fathers and historians." Socrates, "Ecclestical History," Book 5, chap. 22, p. 289.

Constantinople

"The people of Constantinople, and almost everywhere, assemble together on the Sabbath, as well as on the first day of the week, which custom is never observed at Rome or at Alexandria." Sozomen, "Ecclesiastical History," Book 7, chap. 19.

The World - Augustine, Bishop Of Hippo (North Africa)

Augustine shows here that the Sabbath was observed in his day "in the greater part of the Christian world," and his testimony in this respect is all the more valuable because he himself was an earnest and consistent Sunday-keeper. See "Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers," 1st Series, Vol.1, pp. 353, 354.

See many more legitimate quotes regarding the Lord's Sabbath:

http://www.sabbathtruth.com/history/sabbath_history5.asp

[Haldog]

My study of the early church has showed me that they didn't keep the sabbath at all. They may have attended church on either Saturday or Sunday, but they understood, as the Apostles did, that the requirement of the Sabbath placed on Israel was not binding on the church-age Christian.

[John317]

My study of the early church has showed me that they didn't keep the sabbath at all. They may have attended church on either Saturday or Sunday, but they understood, as the Apostles did, that the requirement of the Sabbath placed on Israel was not binding on the church-age Christian.

Where do you have Bible evidence that the apostles or the Christians in the NT worked on the Sabbath or treated it as a common day?

[John317]

Have you read the book by J. N. Andrews, The History of the Sabbath?

Study it:

http://www.giveshare.org/HolyDay/historysabbath/

[Solja247]

Quote:

Dr. Bacchiocchi did a doctoral thesis on the Sabbath in History. It was published, and I bought the book a few years ago. I think it was published by Andrews University Press. Very scholarly. Not an easy read. But he traced the seventh-day Sabbath-keeping down through history, and gave historical references for all his statements.

Yes I hope to buy that book one day.

I was talking to the Doc on Sabbath (Dr Allan Lindsy created keeper oof the flames) I told him that some adventist books and sources twist scripture.

http://www.sabbathtruth.com/history/sabbath_history5.asp

Most of these quotes are fake or are from unreliable sources.

Quote:

My study of the early church has showed me that they didn't keep the sabbath at all. They may have attended church on either Saturday or Sunday, but they understood, as the Apostles did, that the requirement of the Sabbath placed on Israel was not binding on the church-age Christian.

Yes you are right. The Didache, St Justin the Maytr etc. Talk about sunday. However in the Eastern world. (Persia, India etc) they kept the SAbbath for a long time.

[John317]

http://www.sabbathtruth.com/history/sabbath_history5.asp

Most of these quotes are fake or are from unreliable sources.

Which ones? Name them. Explain.

Also explain the quotes by Socrates and Sozoman.

When do you believe the Sabbath was changed or ceased? Do you believe God wants people to keep Sunday?

[Gail]

Solja have you seen the video series, The Seventh Day? I've been following for years the accounts that Pat Arrabito has told about how the Lord has helped in the production of this series.

She may have more information for you. You can easily Google "The Seventh Day" to follow up.

[John317]

The Didache, St Justin the Maytr etc. Talk about sunday. However in the Eastern world. (Persia, India etc) they kept the SAbbath for a long time.

There's overwhelming evidence of the keeping of the Sabbath in the Western church as well. In the first place, if there wasn't, why would the Catholic church in Rome make rules against keeping the Sabbath and encourage Sunday-keeping? It's well known that the bishop of Rome required fasting on the Sabbath and feasting on the Sunday. He made rules against "Judaizing," i.e., resting on the Sabbath. Why did he do that if no one was keeping the Sabbath?

According to Sozoman and Socrates, the fifth century church was still largely honoring the Sabbath.

There is no question that Justiny Martyr (100- 160 AD) was opposed to the weekly Sabbath.

On the other hand, there is good evidence that Polycarp, Irenaeus, and Theophilus kept the Sabbath.

As regards the Didache (60 to 150 AD):

Chapter 14 begins: kata kuriakhn de kuriou sunacqentev .....

(Notice that the word "day" [hmera] does not occur in the original language.)

Literally translated it reads, "According to [the] Lord's of [the] Lord gather together ..."

There is no way to know for sure which day is "the Lord's of the Lord" . Some believe it speaks of the Sabbath, others that it refers to the Sunday. It very probably is a reference to Sunday.

kuriakhn is from the word kuriakos and refers to something that belongs to the Lord. In the Didache, it may be translated "the Lord's [day] of the Lord..."

This is a very peculiar, awkward expression and is found nowhere else in literature, and therefore there is reason to believe that the text has been corrupted.

Kata could be translated as "every" or "on" or "according to."

Some translations. Notice the variety:

1) Ivan Lewis' translation:

THE SABBATH ASSEMBLY

"Every day, gather together..."

2) Roswell D. Hitchcock's translation:

"Now according to the Lord's [day], gather together ...."

3) An uncopyrighted translation, Ben H. Swet: http://bswett.com/1998-01Didache.html

"Gather together on the Lord's day,...."

4) J.B. Lightfoot's translation:

"And on the Lord's own day gather yourselves together ..."

5) Translation found in the Penguin's Classics edition of Early Christian Writings:

"Assemble on the Lord's day..."

BOTTOM LINE: The Didache is not our authority for the Sabbath/Sunday issue. At the most it merely shows that at the time it was written, some Christians MAY have been meeting on Sunday. But it doesn't give the reason for it and it is not even certain that "the Lord's of the Lord" refers to Sunday.

Our authority for the topic must come from the Bible and the Bible alone. Since God gave the Sabbath and gave the law which commands the keeping of the Sabbath, only God has the right and authority to change it or abolish it. Even the apostles had no such authority. Question: where in Scripture does God or Christ Jesus make the change?

[Gail]

Yes, it is :)