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COGwriter<\/a><\/p>\n Did early Christians keep Saturday or Sunday? While there are various opinions about this, some of those opinions are not based upon biblical or historical fact.<\/p>\n The Bible Sabbath Association, which is not a Church of God group (though it has members that are in the COGs, as well as members who are not), published a series of articles from me on this subject.<\/p>\n The following is in the January-February 2018 edition of its The Sabbath Sentinel<\/em> magazine which helps give additional historical information:<\/p>\n Sabbath–Post New Testament By Bob Thiel, Ph.D.<\/p>\n This is the fifth part of a five-part series explaining why certain early documents that are claimed against the seventh-day Sabbath are misunderstood and not actually against it.<\/em><\/p>\n In my previous articles, I explained that the Greek word \u039a\u03c5\u03c1\u03b9\u03b1\u03ba\u03ae\u03bd did not mean Sunday and many have misinterpreted writings from the Didache<\/em> and Ignatius of Antioch\u2019s Letter to the Magnesians<\/em> as endorsing Sunday. Thus, the earliest claimed post-New Testament documents cited as \u201cproof\u201d that the seventh-day Sabbath was done away truly did not do so.<\/p>\n Is there other proof?<\/p>\n Yes.<\/p>\n If Jesus and\/or His apostles did away with the Sabbath as many claim, then it would be reasonable to conclude that the later faithful disciples would not keep it. Yet, other records and writings demonstrate that the faithful did continue to keep the seventh-day Sabbath.<\/p>\n It is well know that from the first century until about 135 A.D. the first fifteen bishops\/pastors of Jerusalem all kept the seventh-day Sabbath and were all circumcised Jews (Eusebius. The History of the Church, Book III, Chapter V, Verses 2,3.& Book IV, Chapter 5, Verses 2-4, pp. 45, 71).<\/p>\n Although they have their own biases, even the historians Philip Schaff and Johann Gieseler correctly noted:<\/p>\n The Jewish Christians, at least in Palestine, conformed as closely as possible to the venerable forms of the cultus of their fathers, which in truth were divinely ordained, and were an expressive type of the Christian worship. So far as we know, they scrupulously observed the Sabbath, the annual Jewish feasts, the hours of daily prayer, and the whole Mosaic ritual (Schaff, Philip, History of the Christian Church<\/em>, Chapter 9. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc. 1997. This material has been carefully compared, corrected\u00b8 and emended according to the 1910 edition of Charles Scribner’s Sons by The Electronic Bible Society, Dallas, TX, 1998.)<\/p>\n While the Jewish Christians of Palestine retained the entire Mosaic law, and consequently the Jewish festivals, the Gentile Christians observed also the Sabbath and the passover (1 Cor. v. 6-8), with reference to the last scenes of Jesus’ life, but without Jewish superstition (Gal. iv. 10 ; Col. ii. 16) (Gieseler, Johann Karl Ludwig. A text-book of church history, Volume I, Chapter II. New York : Harper & brothers. Date 1857-80).<\/p>\n It is known that early Jewish Christians did keep the Sabbath and biblical holy days. And as prophesied by Isaiah (Isaiah 56:1-7), so did the faithful Gentile Christians (and the Isaiah prophecy still has future application).<\/p>\n Ignatius and Polycarp<\/strong><\/p>\n The faithful Gentile Christians were also keeping the Sabbath outside of Jerusalem. In the early second century, Pastor\/Bishop Ignatius of Antioch wrote:<\/p>\n …to Polycarp, bishop of the Smyrnaeans\u2026So approving am I of your godly mind, which is as it were, grounded upon an unmovable rock, that my praise exceeds all bounds\u2026Do not let those who appear to be trustworthy yet who teach strange doctrines baffle you. Stand firm, like an anvil\u2026Grace will be\u2026always\u2026with Polycarp [Ignatius. Letter to Polycarp. In: Holmes, pp. 194-201].<\/p>\n And according to the later testimonies of Irenaeus, Polycrates, and Tertullian, the leader of the Sabbath-keeping Smyrnaeans [The Martrydom of Polycarp. Verse 8.1. In: Holmes, p. 233], Polycarp, did just that in Asia Minor.<\/p>\n Polycarp also taught that Christians should keep the commandments [Polycarp. Letter to the Philippians. In: Holmes, pp. 206-221].<\/p>\n And on the following sabbath he said; ‘Hear ye my exhortation, beloved children of God. I adjured you when the bishops were present, and now again I exhort you all to walk decorously and worthily in the way of the Lord…Watch ye, <\/em>and again Be ye ready, Let not your hearts be weighed down, <\/em>the new commandment concerning love one towards another, His advent suddenly manifest as of rapid lightning, the great judgment by fire, the eternal life, His immortal kingdom. And all things whatsoever being taught of God ye know, when ye search the inspired Scriptures, engrave with the pen of the Holy Spirit on your hearts, that the commandments may abide in you indelible.’ [Life of Polycarp, Chapter 24. (1889) from J. B. Lightfoot, The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 3.2, pp. 488-506]<\/p>\n (Note: While some claim Polycarp also kept Sunday, that appears to be a later edition to the text [Monroy MS. The Church of Smyrna: History and Theology of a Primitive Christian Community. Peter Lang edition, 2015, p. 31].)<\/p>\n According to the The Martyrdom of Polycarp<\/em> by the Smyrnaeans [The Martyrdom of Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, Verses 7.1 & 8.1. Charles H. Hoole’s 1885 translation] and other sources [Sozomen. THE ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF SOZOMEN. Book VII, Chapter XIX.], Christians in Polycarp’s area kept the Sabbath after he died.<\/p>\n And since Polycarp referred to Ignatius as ‘blessed’ and endorsed Ignatius’ letters in his Letter to the Philippians <\/em>[Polycarp. Letter to the Philippians, verse 13.2. In: Holmes, p. 219], <\/em>it is logical to conclude that Ignatius was faithful to the same teachings and practices that Polycarp did.<\/p>\n Theophilus<\/strong><\/p>\n In the late second century, Pastor\/Bishop Theophilus of Antioch wrote:<\/p>\n And on the sixth day God finished His works which He made, and rested on the seventh day from all His works which He made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because in it He rested from all His works which God began to create…Moreover, [they spoke] concerning the seventh day, which all men acknowledge; but the most know not that what among the Hebrews is called the “Sabbath,” is translated into Greek the “Seventh” (\u03ad\u03b2\u03b4\u03bf\u03bc\u03ac\u03c2), a name which is adopted by every nation, although they know not the reason of the appellation…God having thus completed the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and all that are in them, on the sixth day, rested on the seventh day from all His works which He made (Theophilus of Antioch. To Autolycus, Book 2, Chapters XI, XII, XIX. Translated by Marcus Dods, A.M. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 2. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885, pp. 99,102).<\/p>\n The early faithful Gentile Christians kept the Sabbath. Until the early third century, there was harmony between the faithful Christians in Antioch and Asia Minor.<\/p>\n Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n Early Jewish and Gentile Christians kept the seventh day Sabbath. The faithful did not believe that the Sabbath was done away.<\/p>\n As explained in early parts of this article, neither the Didache<\/em> or Ignatius’ Letter to the Magnesians<\/em> actually mention the term Sunday or directly refer to the first day of the week. The Didache<\/em> is not an endorsement of early Sunday observance.<\/p>\n Ignatius, himself, would have had to be a supporter of the seventh day Sabbath and would not have written against it. Nor, if properly translated, do Ignatius’ letters ever truly write against the seventh day sabbath–instead they endorse the concept that Christians are to keep the Sabbath in accordance with the commandments and the Lord’s way of living, but not according to the ways endorsed by unbiblical Jewish tradition.<\/p>\n There is no evidence whatsoever that any who professed Christ regularly worshiped on Sunday when Ignatius was alive. The simple fact is that Ignatius’ writings do not support the idea that the early New Testament Church observed Sunday.<\/p>\n The Greek expression he used in Magnesians<\/em> (\u03ba\u03c5\u03c1\u03b9\u03b1\u03ba\u03ae\u03bd \u03b6\u03c9\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2) simply did not mean Sunday when Ignatius wrote his letters. And there is no other contemporaneous reference that any professing Christian at the time of Ignatius observed Sunday. Available evidence (including the Bible, i.e. Acts 13:42-44; Hebrews 4:9) clearly supports the idea that early Christians kept the seventh day Sabbath.<\/p>\n The first clear reference to Sunday worship, even according to Roman Catholic sources, was from Justin Martyr [Slater T. Sunday. Transcribed by Scott Anthony Hibbs. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIV. Published 1912. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, July 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York]. Yet he held so many heretical positions [e.g. see Justin Martyr. The First Apology and Letter to Trypho], it makes no sense to this author that any could truly consider him to be a true Christian.<\/p>\n On the other hand, Polycarp and those faithful Christians who remained in Asia Minor and Antioch did continue to keep the Sabbath for centuries after Jesus died. Faithful Christians still keep the Sabbath to this day.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Here is a link to the first article I had published in The Sabbath Sentinel<\/em>: The Sabbath Sentinel: The Didache and the Sabbath<\/a>.<\/p>\n The published article is basically an extract from my article Another Look at the Didache, Ignatius, and the Sabbath<\/a>. Because of the restrictions in article length for The Sabbath Sentinel<\/em>, I submitted just a few pages which they published.<\/p>\n It is my hope and prayer that those who read the submitted articles will see that early church history supports Saturday<\/a>, and not Sunday<\/a>, as the Christian day of rest. This article should be able to reach people we have not been able to reach in other ways. It is also my hope and prayer that those who read the articles will see that we in the Continuing<\/em> Church of God<\/a> have a true and proper grasp of early church history.<\/p>\n The series of articles I have submitted and expected to be published in The Sabbath Sentinel<\/em> should also help non-Sabbath keepers realize that the historical evidence points to early, faithful Christians resting on Saturday and not Sunday.<\/p>\n Interestingly, even to this day, the Eastern Orthodox consider Saturday and Sunday festive days, different from other ones:<\/p>\n In the tradition of our Church, Saturday like Sunday is considered a festal day. Even during the Great Lent the rules of fasting are relaxed on Saturdays and Sundays (Calivas A. The Great and Holy Saturday. Copyright: 2002-2003 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n And the Roman Catholics<\/a> realize that the seventh day is the Sabbath:<\/p>\n The sabbath…The sacred text says that “on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done”…and that God “rested on this day and sanctified and blessed it”(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 345. Imprimi Potest + Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Doubleday, New York, 1994, p. 100).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Despite these views, both the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics have prophecies against those who keep the Sabbath:<\/p>\n Blessed Hieronymus Agathaghelos (1279): <\/em>And lo, an evil assembly of the crafty leader, dressed in black mourning apparel\u2026those who were taking in a most hypocritical manner the most holy name of Christ\u2026those were the most filthy citizens of Pentapolis\u2026these are semi-godless men\u2026they will have to pay the price before the public executioner of the Sabbatians. (Tzima Otto, H.\u00a0 The Great Monarch and WWIII in Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Scriptural Prophecies. Verenika Press, Rock City (SC), 2000, pp. 134,135,240).<\/p>\n Roman Catholic writer and priest P. Huched\u00e9<\/em> (19th century): \u201cAfter having weakened the faith of Christ in the minds and hearts of many, he will proceed to show that the law of Moses still prevails; he will re-establish the Sabbath and all the legal observances; and he will invite the Jews to re-establish their nationality, after which he will declare himself the true messiah; he will endeavor to prove the truth of his assertion from Scripture\u2014he will declare his design of rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple and of bringing the whole world under his dominion\u2026According to St. Cyril of Jerusalem (Cath.<\/em> 15), he will win the esteem and attachment of mankind by his urbane and unbounded kindness\u2026he will work all kinds of miracles\u2026He will therefore appear as performing miracles similar to all those wrought by Jesus Christ\u2026Antichrist being a Jew, will be circumcised; he will observe the Mosaic law\u2026Then by order of the tyrant the continual sacrifice shall be abolished (Dan.<\/em> 9:27).\u00a0 The holy sacrifice of the Mass shall no longer be offered up publicly on the altars.\u00a0 The Church shall be devastated; the sacred vessels desecrated; the priests shall be scattered\u2026It appears certain, then, that the Roman empire will be completely demolished by Antichrist and that he will substitute another in its place (Huched\u00e9, P.\u00a0 Translated by JBD. History of Antichrist.\u00a0 Imprimatur Edward Charles Fabre, Bishop of Montreal.\u00a0 English edition 1884, Reprint 1976.\u00a0 TAN Books, Rockford (IL), pp. 17,18,26,54).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Here is something from one known as ‘Pope Gregory the Great’ who wrote the following:<\/p>\n Gregory, servant of the servants of God, to his most beloved sons the Roman citizens.<\/p>\n It has come to my ears that certain men of perverse spirit have sown among you some things that are wrong and opposed to the holy faith, so as to forbid any work being done on the Sabbath day. What else can I call these but preachers of Antichrist (Gregory I. Registrum Epistolarum, Book XIII, Letter 1).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Perhaps because of this inaccurate claims from Gregory, the following inaccurate prophecy from Dionysus of Luxembourg (died 1682) claimed to be about Antichrist will probably become accepted in some Roman Catholic circles (parenthetical statements mine):<\/p>\n Antichrist will be an iconoclast. Most in the world will adore him. He will teach that the Christian (Catholic) religion is false, confiscation of Christian (Catholic) property is legal, Saturday is to be observed instead of Sunday, and he will change the ten commandments … He will read people’s minds, raise the dead, reward his followers, and punish the rest (Conner Edward. Prophecy for Today, 4th ed. TAN Books, Rockford (IL) 1984, p.85).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The truth is that the Antichrist will accept idols<\/a> (iconoclasts destroy idols), originally embrace some version of Roman Catholicism, originally practice Sunday worship<\/a>, and accept the Roman Catholic numbering of the ten commandments (see The Ten Commandments and the Early Church<\/a>). The Bible does not teach that the Antichrist will read people’s minds or raise the dead (although it mentions one who was healed of a deadly wound, Revelation 13:12).<\/p>\n Jesus, on the other hand, will destroy idols, insist on the Saturday Sabbath<\/a>, and correctly number the ten commandments after His return. He will of course be able to read people’s minds, and will raise the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:16).<\/p>\n When Christ comes it appears that statements, at least partially based upon old Greco-Roman Catholic writings (and those of other traditions\/private prophecies), will deceive many. More information can also be found in the article Do Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Againt Jesus?<\/a><\/p>\n Persecution of Sabbath keepers has happened throughout history and will happen again (cf. Revelation 12:17; see also the article Persecutions by Church and State<\/a>).<\/p>\n But, all scholars realize that the first Christians did keep the day we now call Saturday as the Sabbath.<\/p>\n Some items of possibly related interest may include the following:<\/em><\/p>\n CG7.ORG<\/a> This is a website for those interested in the Sabbath and churches that observe the seventh day Sabbath. COGwriter Did early Christians keep Saturday or Sunday? While there are various opinions about this, some of those opinions are not based upon biblical or historical fact. The Bible Sabbath Association, which is not a Church of God group (though it has members that are in the COGs, as well as members who are not), […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-84967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-church-history"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
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\nAnother Look at the Didache, Ignatius, and the Sabbath<\/a> Did Ignatius write against the Sabbath and for Sunday? What about the Didache<\/em>? What does the actual Greek reveal? Are there intentional mistranlations? A related sermon is available: The Didache, Ignatius, and the Lord\u2019s Way<\/a>.
\nThe Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad<\/a> Was the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observed by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church? Here is a related sermon video The Christian Sabbath and How and Why to Keep It<\/a>.
\nThe Christian Sabbath<\/a>. This is a series of articles from the Catholic Mirror<\/em> essentially proving that the biblical Sabbath was Saturday, that the Lord’s day in Revelation 1 is not a reference to Sunday, that the Church of Rome implemented Sunday, and that nearly all Protestants followed Rome. Here is a link to a related sermon: Catholic teachings on the Sabbath, Sunday, and Protestantism<\/a>.
\nEarly Sabbath Keeping in North America<\/a> When did Europeans first keep the Sabbath in North America? Did the pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower keep Saturday or Sunday?
\nHow to Observe the Sabbath<\/a> How should you keep the Sabbath? This is an old article by Raymond Cole, with updated information for the 21st century.
\nThe Dramatic Story of Chinese Sabbathkeepers <\/a>This reformatted Good News article from 1955 discusses Sabbath-keeping in China in the 1800s.
\nBeliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession?<\/a> Did the original \u201ccatholic church\u201d have doctrines held by the Continuing<\/em> Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term \u201ccatholic church\u201d to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: <\/a>Original Catholic Church of God?<\/a>, <\/a>Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover<\/a>, <\/a>What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?<\/a>, <\/a>Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy<\/a>, <\/a>Early Heresies and Heretics<\/a>, <\/a>Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats<\/a>, <\/a>Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more<\/a>, <\/a>Saturday or Sunday?<\/a>, <\/a>The Godhead<\/a>, <\/a>Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession<\/a>, <\/a>Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List<\/a>, <\/a>Holy Mother Church and Heresies<\/a>, and\u00a0<\/a>Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs<\/a>. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language:\u00a0<\/a>Creencias de la iglesia Cat\u00f3lica original<\/a>., & Celibacy<\/a>, and Early Heresies and Heretics<\/a>, and Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats<\/a>, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more<\/a>, and Saturday or Sunday?<\/a>, The Godhead<\/a>, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession<\/a>, and Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List<\/a>.
\n<\/b>Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing<\/em> Church of God Differs from Protestantism<\/a> The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real <\/em>Church of God differs from mainstream\/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History<\/a>; The First Protestant, God\u2019s Command, Grace, & Character<\/a>; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon<\/a>; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter<\/a>; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism<\/a>; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday<\/a>; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God\u2019s Plan<\/a><\/a>; Seventh Day Baptists\/Adventists\/Messianics: Protestant or COG?<\/a>; Millennial Kingdom of God and God\u2019s Plan of Salvation<\/a>; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats<\/a>; The Godhead and the Trinity<\/a>; Fleeing or Rapture?<\/a>; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences<\/a>.
\nIs God Unreasonable?<\/a> Some have suggested that if God requires Sabbath-keeping He is unreasonable. Is that true? Here is a link to a related article in Mandarin Chinese \u4e00\u4e2a\u4e0d\u5408\u7406\u7684\u795e\uff1f<\/a>
\n<\/a>Should You Keep God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays?<\/a> This is a free pdf booklet explaining what the Bible and history shows about God’s Holy Days and popular holidays. Two related sermons would be <\/a>Which Spring Days should Christians observe?<\/a> and <\/a>Fall Holy Days for Christians<\/a>.
\nIs Revelation 1:10 talking about Sunday or the Day of the Lord? Most Protestant scholars say Sunday is the Lord’s Day, but is that what the Bible teaches?
\n<\/a>Sunday and Christianity<\/a> Was Sunday observed by the apostolic and true post-apostolic Christians? Who clearly endorsed Sunday? What relevance is the first or the “eighth” day? A related sermon is also available: Sunday: First and Eighth Day?<\/a>
\nWhere is the True Christian Church Today?<\/a> This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? <\/a>Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: \u00bfD\u00f3nde est\u00e1 la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy?<\/a> Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE?<\/a> Here is a link in the French language: O\u00f9 est la vraie \u00c9glise Chr\u00e9tienne aujourd\u2019hui?<\/a>
\nContinuing History of the Church of God<\/a> This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D<\/a>. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries<\/a> and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries<\/a>. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuaci\u00f3n de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios<\/a>, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes<\/a>, French: L \u0019Histoire Continue<\/em> de l \u0019\u00c9glise de Dieu<\/a> and Ekegusii Omogano Bw\u2019ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete<\/a>.
\nTradition and Scripture: From the Bible and Church Writings<\/a> Are traditions on equal par with scripture? Many believe that is what Peter, John, and Paul taught. But did they?
\n<\/a>Polycarp of Smyrna: The Heretic Fighter<\/a> Polycarp was the successor of the Apostle John and a major leader in Asia Minor. Do you know much about what he taught? A YouTube video or related interesy may be: Polycarp of Smyrna: Why Christians should know more about him<\/a>.<\/span>
\nTheophilus of Antioch<\/a> This is one of the second century leaders of some Christians in Antioch and is considered a Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch.
\nThe Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast<\/a> This is a free draft\/unedited pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"