Shabbat - the seventh day of the week

Background of Sabbath observance:

“The Sabbath was replaced by Sunday as a result of three apostate influences in the second century: anti-Judaism, arising from the church's separation from the synagogue; the influence of sun cults in the Roman empire, which led the church into making Sunday the holy day; and the church of Rome's growing authority shown in changing the day” (E. Ferguson, Editor, The Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, Garland Reference Library: 1990, pp 807-808).

“Probably very few Christians are aware of the fact that what they call the ‘Christian Sabbath’ (Sunday) is of pagan origin. The first observance of Sunday that history records is in the fourth century, when Constantine issued an edict (not requiring its religious observance, but simply abstinence from work) reading, ‘let all the judges and people of the town rest and all the various trades be suspended on the venerable day of the sun.’ At the time of the issue of this edict, Constantine was a sun-worshipper; therefore it could have had no relation whatsoever to Christianity…I challenge any priest or minister of the Christian religion to show me the slightest authority for the religious observance of Sunday. And, if such cannot be shown by them, why is it that they are constantly preaching about Sunday as a holy day? …The claim that Sunday takes the place of Saturday, and that because the Jews were supposed to be commanded to keep the seventh day of the week holy, therefore the first day of the week should be kept by Christians, is so utterly absurd as to be hardly worth considering…That Paul habitually observed and preached on the seventh day of the week, is shown in Acts 18:4 – ‘And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath’ (Saturday)“ (Henry M. Taber, Faith or Fact, pp. 112,114, 116)

“ ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy’ (Ex. 20:8). Sabbath means ‘rest,’ but God intended this day to stand for more than an absence of work. It was to be a day of worship as well—a day for setting aside all thoughts of materialistic gain and thinking about Him. God Himself set the pattern by ceasing from His labors after creating the world. Why, then, must modern-day Christians feel that being busy is equated with being spiritual?”” (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, edited by R.F. Youngblood, F.F Bruce, and R.K. Harrison, article: “Commandments, Ten,” pp. 291,292)

View a chart with the days of the week in Ancient and Modern Languages

Continue to - Catholic Admissions on the Sabbath day