The Sabbath and Constantine

The Jewish Sabbath seems to have slowly evolved into the Christian Sunday-Sabbath. Romanism claims responsibility for this evolution, yea demands that it was by her authority that it happened. But, we do not want to leave out Constantine when looking for persons to applaud for this observance. Constantine was the professing Christian Emperor of Rome at the beginning of the fourth century. It is clear that Sunday-Sabbath was in full swing when he came along in 321 to make it a Roman law, but one cannot overlook the historical impact that his edict had for establishing patterns that would be passed on for centuries unquestioned by the masses of Christians. His law was worded thus in English:

"On the venerable Day of the Sun [long a pagan holiday, and a special favorite of this part-Christian, part-sun-worshiper] let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest and let all workshops be closed. In the country however, persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits because it often happens that another day is not so suitable for grain-sawing or for vineplanting; lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost."

His sensitivity to those for whom an exception might be needed was certainly not akin to later Popes and Councils who would consign persons to eternal damnation for the new Sabbath-breaking, while still religiously claiming that our day was better than their day.

I find this observation of columnist Christine Tatum in the April 20, 2003 Chicago Tribune to be most insightful:

Early Christians- the first ones being Jewish of course - were careful to celebrate both holidays [Passover/ "Easter"]. They took their lead from Jesus, whose Last Supper was a Passover celebration like the ones Jews have held for more than 3,500 years to observe God's redemptive power and his protection of their nation.

The unified teaching was fleeting. As the church attracted more Gentiles, it also started to look more Roman than Jewish. Constantine, the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, widened the rift between the two factions. Often motivated more by politics than by his faith, he helped usher anti-Semitism into the church after declaring in 325 A.D. at the Council of Nicaea "a desire, dearest brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jews."

That meant no more celebrations of Jesus with a Jewish twist, including seders.

Is this what made the Jewish Sabbath disappear from the church scene? Anti-Semitism? The Sunday observance was making some inroads, with even a bit of Scripture to back it up, but without the political backing of a Roman Emperor who even posed as a Christian, it seems unlikely to me that the practice would have been ingrained in the hearts of so many. And when he played the anti-Jew card, he struck another chord that had been developing through those years.

The earliest Church was Jewish, and its Jews reached to other Jews with the message of salvation. Their message was at times harsh, but always inviting. Never would those early Jews take it upon themselves to punish their fellows for not accepting the message. They left this in the hands of God for another time. The growing Gentile church, centered in Rome and the evolving Romanist doctrines, was of a different ilk. Separation from, hatred of, killing of Jews and Judaism would be their trademark for many a century.

So, what began on a large scale partly as a pagan ordinance from an anti-Semitic Emperor was used by the church to support its own practices, and to this day so-called Christian nations, Christian communities, Christian organizations all tend to back off activities on the first day of the week. America has certainly changed in its attitude toward the first day in the last 50 years, but there is no question that Sunday is a much slower time here, whether in the Christian or purely secular world. The habit is with us.

But we must always ask, "Did it come from God? Does it glorify God? Is it done in direct obedience to a command of God?" Or perhaps Rome can continue to say, "This is ours"?

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