Constantine and Christianity – His Sunday legacy
Prior to Constantine, the church had implemented several changes. It was Constantine who officially established Sunday observance through his edict of 321. “Let all the judges and town people, and the occupation of all trades, rest on the venerable day of the sun, but let those who are situated in the country, freely and at full liberty, attend to the business of agriculture; because it often happens that no other day is so fit for sowing corn and planting vines; lest the critical moment being let slip, men should lose the commodities granted by heaven.”
Even at the time of this edict, it’s important to recognize that Constantine was an avid sun worshiper. According to most historians, he did not convert to Christianity until his deathbed. However, many question whether his conversion was sincere. Regardless, his impact on the Church is well documented. According to author Kenneth Latourette, “He did not make Christianity the sole religion of the state. That was to follow under later Emperors. He continued to support both paganism and Christianity. In 314, when the cross first appeared on his coins, it was accompanied by the figures of Sol Invictus and Mars Conservator. To the end of his days he bore the title of pontifex Maximus as chief priest of the pagan state cult. The subservient Roman Senate followed the long-established custom and classed him among the gods” (A History of Christianity, p. 92).
It is a fact that today’s Church does not resemble the early New Testament assembly in many facets. Many biblical scholars rightfully point out that the early assembly resembled more of Judaism. It would have likely been considered another Jewish sect until it was radically changed through the Church’s adoption of pagan Greek ideas.
Author Earle E. Cairns corroborates this conclusion in his book, Christianity Through the Centuries: “Christianity may have developed in the political milieu of Rome and may have had to face the intellectual environment created by the Greek mind, but its relationship to Judaism was much more intimate. Judaism may be thought of as the stalk on which the rose of Christianity was to bloom…. Judaism provided the heredity of Christianity and, for a time, even gave the infant religion shelter…. The Jewish people still further prepared the way for the coming of Christianity by providing the infant Church with a sacred book, the Old Testament. Even a casual study of the New Testament will reveal Christs’ and the apostles’ deep indebtedness to the Old Testament and their reverence for it as the Word of [Yahweh] to man…. The books of the Old Testament and the books of the New Testament, given under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, were to be the living literature of the Church,” pp. 44-46.
While Sunday may have been observed by some within the Church prior to Constantine, he was responsible for establishing Sunday observance as civil law. He also influenced the church in many other ways.
As a ministry we are not concerned about church tradition, church fathers or church councils, but only what the Bible states and how the Messiah and the apostles worshiped in the New Testament. It is a biblical fact that they worshipped on the seventh-day Sabbath and that Sunday was introduced by man-made tradition. The Sabbath is mentioned 60 times in the New Testament while the “first day of the week” is referenced only 8 times in the KJV and not once to a day of worship. We encourage you to consider the facts and look not to early church councils and practices, but to what the Messiah and his apostles did in the New Testament. We believe that you will see a stark contrast between the two.
We hope this article Constantine and Christianity was useful for you. Remeber to Check us out on Social media (Youtube, Roku, Facebook and our Livestream Sabbath Services) Shalom!
Thank you for simplicity!
During the expansion of the early Church, more and more gentiles were being added. In order for all the brethren to assemble and worship together, they would have to gather on Sunday because the Jewish brethren had to attend services at the temple or a synagogue on Saturday to which the Gentile Christians were not allowed to go further than the court of the gentiles. This necessitated the gathering on the first day of the week.
” In order for all the brethren to assemble and worship together, they would have to gather on Sunday because the Jewish brethren had to attend services at the temple or a synagogue on Saturday to which the Gentile Christians were not allowed to go further than the court of the gentiles.” Acts 15:20-21 Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood. 21For Moses has been proclaimed in every city from ancient times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”… Read more »
Thanks for your response. 1. So, will you now provide detailed explanations in support of the claims you just affirmed? As I mentioned, the YRM member advanced “not keeping the Sabbath” as the reason for discrediting the apostolic or early church fathers. Anything more? 2. Why do you regard as, unreliable and unacceptable, post apostolic church councils just because they were not convoked by the “already dead” apostles who entrusted the church to them? 3. You teach that “There is little to gain doctrinally from these councils as they were already so far removed from the biblical standard?” In what specific areas or… Read more »
Most of your questions can be answered with similar answers. 1. So, will you now provide detailed explanations in support of the claims you just affirmed? As I mentioned, the YRM member advanced “not keeping the Sabbath” as the reason for discrediting the apostolic or early church fathers. Anything more? There is absolutely more to our rejection of the Early Church Fathers beyond neglecting the Sabbath even though that alone would be enough for us to toss them out. No fruit was borne at these councils. Only confusion, apostacy and death has come from these early church Fathers. And Yes… Read more »
Wow! That’s a whole lot. I appreciate the time you invested in writing this response.
I’ll fact-check every point you put forward here before commenting..
God bless.
Hi, I have provided my detailed responses to your claims above in seven different posts after fact-checking them as I said. I have also followed it up with a request to know if you received those messages since none appears here. It’s been a week since that request without any answer and the message has equally disappeared. It does seem that my messages are being deliberately deleted or hidden from the public, I do not know otherwise unless you provide me with answers. Is there any reason you no longer respond to my questions or at least allow my comments… Read more »
The comments are still here. We have not had a chance to respond as we are in the middle of major construction. We have four people in the office, and two of them are working on the project. We will respond, but since it is in response to topics we have covered extensively. It is not a priority.
Please do not take offense at this. We are simply few in number, and it takes time to respond to such lengthy comments.
Hi,
Between April 22 and April 30 2024 I sent you multiple messages numbered 1 to 7 in response to yours above. A few days later all my messages disappeared from the thread on your website and are still missing as I write this.
Are you preparing your response to them or did you not receive those messages?
Kindly let me know.
Thanks.
Hi, An ardent member of your ministry while explaining the statement that, “As a ministry we are not concerned about church tradition, church fathers or church councils, but only what the Bible states and how the Messiah and the apostles worshiped in the New Testament” as stated in this article “Constantine and Christianity” claimed that you (YRM) do not recognize any of the ecumenical councils including Nicaea, Constantinople, Ephesus, Trent etc. except the Jerusalem council because they were not convoked by the apostles. That rattled my mind. He also claimed that the historical accounts of what the early followers of… Read more »
Shalom Simon. The assertion by the “ardent member” would be correct. There is little to gain doctrinally from these councils as they were already so far removed from the biblical standard. We obviously value them for their historical merit. But for establishing doctrine and interpretation of the scriptures? No.
We believe by the time any of these councils were even called, the doctrine of Christianity was several steps removed from the Gospel and the Torah.
Hi,
I’m just curious. I responded to you a second time thinking maybe I did not post the message after typing it the first time, but now it seems the second message has been deleted because I ensured it was posted. Did you receive or delete the message?
Thanks.
Simon.
It was never approved as we were out of the office in observation of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It has now been approved. I will respond when I have the opportunity to.