Early Christians Kept the Sabbath Day!

After the time of the Apostles, did Christians keep the Sabbath day? Indeed, many early Christians who thought that Sabbath-keeping was abolished. However, this was not a universal opinion. From the writings of early Christians, we learn that many other early Christians continued keeping Sabbath on the seventh day of each week.

Of course, the early Christians were not correct about everything, and so we should not blindly believe and follow everything that they taught and said without evaluation. Nonetheless, the writings of the early Christians reflect their thoughts and practices in their localities during their time.

Origen, Homilies on Numbers

Origen was a Christian teacher who lived during the third century CE. He grew up and received Christian education in Alexandria, but moved to the land of Israel later in life. Throughout his life, Origen preached several homilies, or sermons, on Bible passages. The following quotation is from one of his homilies on the Book of Numbers.

Therefore, leaving the Jewish observances of the Sabbath, let us see what kind the observance of Sabbath should be for a Christian. On the day of the Sabbath, it is necessary to do none of all the acts of the world. Therefore, if you cease from all secular works, and bear nothing worldly, but are available for spiritual works, convene in church, give ear to divine readings and treatises and think about heavenly things, bear concern for the future hope, have the coming judgement before [your] eyes, do not look back to present and visible things but to invisible and future things, this is the observance of the Christian Sabbath. (Origen, Homilies on Numbers 23.4, trans. Rufinus)

Origen was not against keeping Sabbath. Rather, he was against keeping Sabbath in a Jewish manner. To Origen, keeping Sabbath involved not only ceasing from regular work, but also being ready for spiritual work.

The Council of Laodicea

The Council of Laodicea was a meeting of Eastern Christian leaders which was held during the fourth century CE. The Council published several canons, or rulings, which the attending leaders agreed to enforce in their churches.

On Sabbath, the Gospels should be read with the other scriptures. (Canon 15)

The Council ruled that the Gospels—i.e., the biblical books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—should be read on the Sabbath day. This ruling implies that the Christian communities represented at the Council kept the Sabbath day in some form. Van Espen, a scholar of Christian History, comments on this canon: “Among the Greeks the Sabbath was kept exactly as the Lord’s day except so far as the cessation of work was concerned.”

We know that “Sabbath” here does not refer to Sunday because elsewhere in the canons, the Sabbath day is distinguished from the Lord’s day, which is Sunday. This can also be found in the next quote.

Christians must not judaize and have leisure on the Sabbath, but they [must] work even on that day. But [Christians must,] honouring the Lord’s [day], if they can, have leisure as Christians. But if Judaizers are found, let them be accursed from Christ. (Canon 29)

The Council ruled that Christians should not judaize (behave in a Jewish manner) by having leisure (ceasing from work) on the Sabbath day. Rather, Christians should work on the Sabbath day and have leisure only on the Lord’s day, Sunday. The Council declared that those who have leisure on the Sabbath day are accursed from Christ, meaning that they are not true Christians.

This canon reflects the popular Christian view of the time, that the practice of having leisure on the Sabbath day was too “Jewish” and “un-Christian”. Apparently, many Christians were having leisure on the Sabbath day, and so the Council published this canon in response.

Pseudo-Ignatius, To the Magnesians

This Christian writer is named “Pseudo-Ignatius” because he wrote letters under the name of Ignatius of Antioch—a Christian overseer in Antioch who lived in the second century CE. This letter is a modified version of a real letter written by the real Ignatius of Antioch to Christians in Magnesia. In other words, this letter was not written by the real Ignatius of Antioch. Rather, it was written by Pseudo-Ignatius in the fourth century CE. Nonetheless, it reflects the views of the Pseudo-Ignatius and his Christian community.

Therefore, let us no longer keep Sabbath in a Jewish manner, even by rejoicing in idle things. For the oracles say, “He who does not work, let him not eat,” and again, “In the sweat of your face you shall eat your bread.” Rather, let each of you keep Sabbath in a spiritual manner, by rejoicing in meditation of laws, not in the release of the body; by wondering at the creation of God, not by eating day-old [foods], drinking lukewarm [drinks], walking measured [distances], and rejoicing in dancing and clappings that have no sense. ₄ And after keeping Sabbath, let every Christ-lover celebrate the Lord’s [day], the resurrection, the queen, the chief of all days, of which the waiting prophets said, “Unto the end, for the eighth [day]”, on which [day] also our life rose up, and victory over death came in Christ. (Pseudo-Ignatius, To the Magnesians 9:3–4)

Like the Council of Laodicea, Pseudo-Ignatius discouraged Christians from ceasing from work on the Sabbath day, on the basis that it was a “Jewish manner” of keeping Sabbath. Nonetheless, he instructed his readers to keep Sabbath—“in a spiritual manner”, which involves meditating on God’s laws and wondering at God’s creation.

The term “Sabbath” here does not refer to Sunday or some metaphorical Sabbath. We know this because Pseudo-Ignatius instructs his readers to celebrate the Lord’s day, Sunday, “after keeping Sabbath”. This makes it clear that “Sabbath” here refers specifically to the seventh day of the week.

Apostolic Constitutions

The Apostolic Constitutions is a collection of books produced during the fourth century CE. The writer of the books claims that the books contain instructions which were passed down from the Apostles themselves. Whether or not this claim was true, the books nonetheless reflect the views of the writer and his Christian community.

Know the differing creation of God which received beginning through Christ. You shall keep Sabbath because of him who indeed rested from making, but did not rest from providing. It is a Sabbath-keeping for meditation of laws, not for idleness of hands. (Apostolic Constitutions 2.36.2)

But much more on the day of the Sabbath and on the resurrection [day], on the Lord’s [day], meet more diligently, sending up praise to God who made the whole [world] through Jesus, sent him to us, permitted [him] to suffer, and raised [him] from the dead. (Apostolic Constitutions 2.59.3)

Let the servants work for five days, but on the Sabbath and on the Lord’s [day], let them have leisure in the church because of the teaching of reverence. For indeed, we have said that the Sabbath has the significance of creation, but that the Lord’s [day] [has the significance] of resurrection. (Apostolic Constitutions 8.33.2)

Unlike Pseudo-Ignatius and the Council of Laodicea, the Apostolic Constitutions instruct that servants should cease from work and have leisure on the Sabbath day so that they may learn from the teaching during the church assembly.

It is likely that Christians who were not servants ceased from work to have leisure in church on the Sabbath day, and this instruction was given so that Christians would extend the same benefit to their servants.

Socrates of Constantinople, Church History

Socrates of Constantinople was a Christian historian who lived during the fifth century CE. One of his books, titled Church History, recounts events in Christian History from 305 to 439 CE.

Indeed, thus is the disagreement regarding fasts among the churches, but regarding gatherings there are such other things. For all the churches of the world everywhere celebrate the mysteries on the Sabbath day of each week, but those in Alexandria and those in Rome, from some ancient tradition, have declined to do this. The Egyptians, being neighbours of the Alexandrians, and those who inhabit the Thebes, hold their gatherings on the Sabbath, but do not, as customary to Christians, partake of the mysteries. For after eating and satisfying themselves with all kinds of food, in the evening making their offerings, they partake of the mysteries. (Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 5.22)

Socrates recounted that Christians generally held church assemblies on the Sabbath day of each week. However, he notes that it was not a universal practice, as Christians in Rome and Alexandria did not do this.

The Arianizers, as we have said, held their assemblies outside the city. Therefore, when the feasts of each week occur—I mean the Sabbath and the Lord’s day—on which assemblies are accustomed to happen in the churches, they, gathering within the gates of the city around the public squares, sang responsive songs synthesized to the Arian glory. And they did this during the greater part of the night. But at dawn, speaking the same such responsive [songs] through the midst of the city, they went out of the gates and occupied the places where they assembled. (Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 6.8)

In this account, Socrates mentioned that in the city of Constantinople, church assemblies were held on both the Sabbath day and the Lord’s day of each week. That was when the Arianizers—those who spread the teachings of the false teacher Arius—would come into the city and sing their songs in order to disturb the proceedings of the church assemblies.

Sozomen, Church History

Sozomen was another Christian historian who lived during the fifth century CE. Like Socrates of Constantinople, Sozomen also wrote a book titled Church History, in which he recounted events in Christian History from 312 to 425 CE.

But even to hold church, it is not the same time or manner for all [Christians]. Doubtlessly indeed, [Christians] hold church also on the Sabbath, in the same manner as on the first day of the week, as in Constantinople and almost everywhere, but in Rome and Alexandria, no longer [is this done]. But as for the Egyptians, in many cities and villages, contrary to commonly established [custom], coming together on the evening of the Sabbath and, having dined already, they partake of the mysteries. (Sozomen, Church History 7.19)

Like Socreates, Sozomen also recounted that Christians generally kept the weekly Sabbath day. However, unlike Socrates, Sozomen noted that in Rome and Alexandria, weekly Sabbath-keeping was “no longer” done. This implies that that weekly Sabbath-keeping was once done even in those localities.

Conclusion

For more than 400 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christians continued keeping Sabbath on the seventh day of each week—though sometimes in unbiblical ways. In addition to the weekly Sabbath day, many early Christians also kept the first day of each week as the Lord’s day. However, as history progressed, more and more Christian communities stopped keeping the weekly Sabbath day, until the early Christian practice of seventh-day Sabbath-keeping eventually died out.