"IS SATURDAY SABBATH NECESSARY FOR THE CHURCH?"
The Hotly contested Sabbath debate. This is a hot topic, both sides can be emotionally involved, but as I'm a cold heartless person according to some people who have know me, (mentioning no names) I am appropriately able to look at this as the facts state. The questions I will try and answer are, Should we as New Testament believers keep the Sabbath as Israelites and those who insist on following the commandments of the Old Testament Law did, or do we go with "practice" and worship on any day, as we have done for as long as I can remember? Which can be long depending on your perspective. The bible is a little on the vague side of what constitutes work on the Sabbath what were the guidelines they followed? Is the most popular accusation, that Sunday Worship is a Roman Catholic invention, true? Are those who gather on a Sunday a servant of the papacy? What is the real day for worship if there is such a thing or has the church always gathered on a Sunday? Let's have a great discussion and grow in understanding.
The greatest accusation leveled at Sunday worship, is that the Emperor Constantine and sometimes the pope, depending on who you talk to, have changed the day from an observance of Saturday worship to an observance of Sunday worship, so that the new religion (Christianity) was palatable by being in line with Pagan traditions. History does show us that in the year 321 A.D., Constantine decreed as leaders did to set the way, "On the venerable day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed"
(Codex Justinianus lib. 3, tit. 12, 3; trans. in Philip Schaff,
History of the Christian Church, Vol. 3, p. 380, note 1).
We see that Emperor Constantine declared that the day of the sun, (Sunday) would be the OFFICIAL day that the Roman Empire would rest, thus setting the course for what will be the norm. What it does not say, that they were already observing a Saturday Sabbath or that Constantine in his great Roman egocentric ways decided to change what was already in place to a wonderful new and improved day of worship. If anything we can presume that there was no official day of worship established every week for the Romans. But I would like to clarify that point by minds far greater than mine.
In line with how politicians have generally been known to think through the ages as well as today, we can apply those same standards to Constantine, which are; he was here to stay in power, run an empire, and try his best to keep his citizens happy, after all politicians tend to jump on the popular trend of the day and find a way to make themselves popular with it. Would it be fair to assume that Constantine like every other human had an ego? Would it be fair to assume that Sunday as a day of rest was already being observed hence the decree by Constantine? I think it would be fair to assume such but can we can as such in the early records of the disciples. Yes in fact we do. In the Epistle to the Magnesians by St Ignatius, a disciple of John we read:-
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—whom some deny, by which mystery we have obtained faith …
Justin Martyr, a disciple of Polycarp wrote in his Comments on weekly worship from chapter 67 of First Apology.
And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. 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; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succors the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. 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 disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration
Sounds like church to me, wouldn’t you agree? If we can see early members of the church observing Sunday worship, why would it be necessary for the church to observe it today?? My belief is that God, is sufficiently powerful to set in motion his plan for his people and that He is able to preserve it as it has always been, His plan.
No comments:
Post a Comment