FROM SABBATH TO SUNDAY - Seed of Abraham

[Pages:225]FROM SABBATH TO SUNDAY

An Historical Investigation of the Rise of Sunday Observance

in Early Christianity

SAMUELE BACCHIOCCHI

The Pontifical Gregorian University Press Rome 1977

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TABLES OF CONTENTS

Contents1 ......................................................Page #s from the Book Page #s of the PDF Preface .............................................................................. 7..................1 I. Introduction ........................................................................ 9..................3 II. Christ and the Lord's Day ...................................................... 17..................8

The Sabbath's Typology and its Messianic Fulfillment .................. 19 ...............10 The Attitude of Christ to the Sabbath ....................................... 26 ...............14

Early Patristic Interpretations ....................................... 27 ...............14 Early Sabbath Healings ................................................ 29 ...............16 The Man with the Withered Hand .................................... 30 ...............17 The Crippled Woman ................................................... 35 ...............20 The Paralytic and the Blind Man .................................... 38 ...............22 The Plucking of Ears of Corn ....................................... 48 ...............29 The Sabbath in the Letter to the Hebrews ................................. 63 ...............38 An Admonition of Christ Regarding the Sabbath ........................ 69 ...............41 Conclusions ..................................................................... 72 ...............43 III. The Resurrection Appearances and the Origin of Sunday ............ 74 ...............45 The Resurrection ............................................................... 74 ...............45 Lord's Supper .................................................................. 75 ...............46 Passover ........................................................................ 80 ...............49 The Appearances of the Risen Christ ....................................... 85 ...............51 IV. Three New Testament Texts and the Origin of Sunday .................. 90 ...............55 1 Corinthians 16:1-3 ......................................................... 90 ...............55 Acts 20:7-12 .................................................................. 101 ...............62 Revelation 1:10 ............................................................... 111 ...............68 Sunday .................................................................. 113 ...............69 Easter-Sunday ......................................................... 118 ...............72 The Day of the Lord................................................... 123 ...............75 V. Jerusalem and the Origin of Sunday ....................................... 132 ...............80 The Jerusalem Church in the New Testament ........................... 135 ...............82 The Place of Christian Gatherings ................................. 135 ...............82 The Time of Christian Gatherings ................................. 139 ...............84 The Theological Orientation of the Jerusalem Church ......... 142 ...............86 The Jerusalem Church after AD 70 ....................................... 152 ...............92 The Ebionites ......................................................... 153 ...............93 The Nazarenes ......................................................... 156 ...............95 The Malediction of the Christians ................................. 157 ...............96 Hadrian's Policy ...................................................... 159 ...............97 VI. Rome and the Origin of Sunday............................................. 165...............100 Predominance of Gentile Converts ....................................... 165...............100 Early Differentiation Between Jews and Christians ..................... 167...............101 Anti-Judaic Feelings and Measures ....................................... 170...............103 Roman Measures and Attitudes .................................... 171...............103 Christian Measures and Attitudes ................................. 177...............107 The Church of Rome and the Sabbath .................................... 185...............112 Rome and the Easter Controversy.......................................... 198...............120

1 The Tables of Contents (TOC) align the page numbers of Bacchiocchi's book with that of my PDF. iii

The Origin of Easter Sunday ....................................... 198...............120 Easter Sunday and Weekly Sunday ................................. 204...............124 The Primacy of the Church of Rome .................................... 207...............126 Conclusion..................................................................... 211...............129 VII. Anti-Judaism in the Fathers and the Origin of Sunday ............... 213...............131 Ignatius ........................................................................ 213...............131 Barnabas ..................................................................... 218...............134 Justin Martyr .................................................................. 223...............138 Conclusion..................................................................... 233...............144 VIII. Sun Worship and the Origin of Sunday ................................. 236...............146 Sun Worship and the Planetary Week Prior to AD 15 .................. 238...............148 Sun Worship............................................................ 238...............148 Planetary Week ...................................................... 241...............149 Reflexes of Sun Worship on Christianity ................................. 252...............156 Christ-the-Sun ......................................................... 253...............156 Eastward Orientation ................................................ 254...............158 The Date of Christmas ................................................ 256...............159 The Day of the Sun and the Origin of Sunday ........................... 261...............162 Conclusion..................................................................... 268...............166 IX. The Theology of Sunday ...................................................... 270...............167 Resurrection .................................................................. 270...............167 Creation ........................................................................ 273...............169 The Eighth Day ............................................................... 278...............172 Baptism ............................................................... 279...............173 Cosmic Week ......................................................... 281...............174 Continuation of the Sabbath ..........................................283...............176 Superiority of Eighth Day .......................................... 285...............177 The Detachment of the Eighth Day from Sunday ............... 296...............184 Conclusion..................................................................... 301...............187 X. Retrospect and Prospect ...................................................... 303...............189 Abbreviations ........................................................................ 322 ...............---Primary Sources ..................................................................... 324 ...............---Secondary Sources .................................................................. 333 ...............---XI. Appendix: Paul and the Sabbath2 .......................................... 339...............202 The Traditional Interpretation of Colossians 2:16-17 .................. 339...............202 The Colossian Heresy ...................................................... 343...............205 What Was Nailed to the Cross?............................................. 347...............207 Paul's Attitude Toward the Sabbath3 ....................................... 352...............210 Nature of Regulations ................................................352...............210 Practices or Principles? ................................................355...............212 The Sabbath in Colossians 2:16 .............................................358...............214 The Sabbath in Romans and Galatians ....................................364...............218 Conclusion .....................................................................368...............220

2 Roman numeral XI is not found as part of the Appendix title, but I have put "XI" in to make it easier to find among the chapters of the book.

3 You can also download From Sabbath to Sunday, which is my PDF of the book. Its footnotes are continuous whereas Bacchiocchi starts each chapter with footnote 1, and so our footnotes do not line up with his. iv

PREFACE

From Sabbath to Sunday by Samuele Bacchiocchi

compiled by Avram Yehoshua4

THE SEED OF ABRAHAM

The attraction that the problem of the origin and of the observance of Sunday has exerted on students of the Early Church in the last two or three decades is by no means exhausted. This, we believe, is due to two principal reasons. On the one hand, the ever-increasing non-observance of the Lord's Day as a result of the radical transformation of the weekly cycle caused by the complexity of modern life and by the scientific, technological and industrial progress, demands a serious reexamination of the significance of Sunday for the Christian today. To accomplish a sound theological reappraisal of Sunday it is necessary to investigate its biblical basis and its historical genesis.

On the other hand, the many studies on this topic, though excellent, have not given a fully satisfactory answer because of the lack of consideration of some of those factors, which in the Church of the first centuries contributed to the concrete genesis and development of a day of worship different from the Jewish Sabbath.

On account of this, the new work of Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi is to be welcomed. He takes up again the study of this suggestive theme and, by analyzing critically the various factors--theological, social, political, pagan-religious--which have somehow influenced the adoption of Sunday as the day of Christian worship, he makes an effort to provide a complete picture of the origin and progressive configuration of Sunday until the fourth century. It is a work that recommends itself because of its rich content, the rigorous scientific method, and the vast horizon with which it has been conceived and executed. This is indicative of the author's singular ability to encompass various fields in order to capture those aspects and elements related to the theme under investigation.

We gladly mention the thesis that Bacchiocchi defends regarding the birth-place of Sunday worship: for him this arose most probably not in the primitive Church of Jerusalem, well-known for its profound attachment to Jewish religious traditions, but rather in the Church of Rome.

The abandonment of the Sabbath and the adoption of Sunday as the Lord's Day are the result of an interplay of Christian, Jewish and pagan-religious factors. The event of Christ's resurrection, which occurred on that day,5 had naturally significant importance. Following the order of redemptive history the author begins his investigation with the Messianic typology of the Sabbath in the Old Testament and proceeds to examine how this found its fulfilment in the redemptive mission of Christ.

The strict scientific orientation of the work does not prevent the author from revealing his profound religious and ecumenic concern. Conscious that the history of salvation knows not fractures but continuity, he finds in the rediscovery of the religious values of the biblical Sabbath a help to restore to the Lord's Day its ancient sacred character. This is in reality the exhortation that already in the fourth century the bishops addressed to the believers, namely to spend Sunday not in outings or watching shows, but rather to sanctify it by assisting at the eucharistic celebration and by doing acts of mercy (St. Ambrose, Exam. III, 1, 1).6

4 This is the Preface for Samuele Bacchiocchi's, From Sabbath to Sunday (Rome, Italy: The Pontifical Gregorian University Press, 1977), pp. 7-8. All my comments, whether in the main body of the text or in the footnotes, begin with `Avram:'

5 Avram: The Scriptures are silent as to the day when Messiah rose from the dead (see The Resurrection and Mark 16:9).

6 Monachino, attributing the term, the Lord's Day to Sunday is not biblical, as Bacchiocchi brings out (Chap-

Rome, June 29, 1977 Vincenzo Monachino, S.J. Chairman of the Church History Department Pontifical Gregorian University

ter IV, pp. 111-131 of this book). Also, Bacchiocchi would not agree with him about transferring the biblical theme and concepts of the 7th day Sabbath to Sunday.

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Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

The Present Crisis of the Lord's Day

The cycle of six working days and one for worship and rest, though the legacy of Hebrew history, has in time prevailed throughout almost all the world. In fact, Jewish and Christian worship find their concrete expression in one day, recurring weekly, wherein adoration of God is made possible and more meaningful by the interruption of secular activities.

In recent times, however, our society has undergone much radical transformation because of its technological, industrial, scientific and spatial achievements. Modern man, as Abraham Joshua Heschel asserts, "lives under the tyranny of things of space."7 The growing availability of leisure time, caused by shorter work weeks, tends to alter not only the cycle of six days of work and one of rest, but even traditional religious values, such as the sanctification of the Lord's day. The Christian today therefore is tempted to consider time as a thing that belongs to him, something which he may utilize for his own eoyment. Worship obligations, if not totally neglected, are often reduced to easy dispensability according to the whims of life.

The Biblical notion of the "holy Sabbath," understood as a time to cease from secular activities in order to experience the blessings of creation?redemption by worshiping God and by acting generously toward needy people, is increasingly disappearing from the Christian view. Consequently, if one contemplates the pressure that our economic and industrial institutions are exerting to obtain maximum utilization of industrial plants?by programing work shifts to ignore any festivity--it is easy to comprehend how the pattern transmitted to us of the seven day week, with its recurring day of rest and worship, could undergo radical changes. The problem is compounded by a prevailing misconception of the meaning of God's "holy day." Many well-meaning Christians view Sunday observance as the hour of worship rather than as the holy day of the Lord. Having fulfilled their worship obligations, many will, in good conscience, spend the rest of their Sunday time engaged either in making money or in seeking pleasure.

Some people, concerned by this widespread profanation of the Lord's day, are urging for a civil legislation that would outlaw all activities not compatible with the spirit of Sunday.8 To make such legislation agreeable, even to non-Christians, sometimes appeal is made to the pressing need of preserving natural resources. One day of total rest for man and machines would help safeguard both our power resources and the precarious environment.9 Social or ecological needs, however, while they may en-

7 Abraham Joshua Heshel, The Sabbath, its Meaning for Modern Man, 1951, p. 10. The same author underlines the notion that "Judaism is a religion of time aiming at the sanctification of time" (ibid., p. 8). This is Chapter I of Samuele Bacchiocchi's, From Sabbath To Sunday (Rome, Italy: The Pontifical Gregorian University Press, 1977), pp. 9-16.

8 On the historical development of the Sunday legislation see: H. Huber, Geist und Buchstabe der Sonntagsruhe, 1958, who traces this development until the Middle Ages. A similar treatment is provided by J. Kelly, Forbidden Sunday and Feast-Day Occupations, dissertation, Catholic University of America, 1943. For the Puritan view, see J. Bohmer, Der Christliche Sonntag nach Ursprung und Geschichte, 1951. Ronald Goetz, "An Eschatological Manifesto," The Christian Century 76 (Nov. 2, 1960): 1275, argues that the principle of separation of church and state is overlooked by the advocators of Sunday laws (cf. John Gilmary Shea, "The Observance of Sunday and Civil Laws for its Enforcement." The American Catholic Quarterly Review, 8, (1883): 152ff.

9 Harold Lindsell comes close to proposing Sunday as a national rest day in his editorial in Christianity Today 3

courage resting on Sunday, can hardly induce a worshipful attitude.

Might not more hopeful results be expected from educating our Christian communities to understand both the Biblical meaning and experience of God's "holy day"? To accomplish this, however, it is indispensable, first of all, to articulate clearly the theological ground for Sunday observance. What are the Biblical and historical reasons for Sunday-keeping? Can this day be regarded as the legitimate replacement of the Jewish Sabbath? Can the fourth commandment be rightly invoked to eoin its observance? Should Sunday be viewed as the hour of worship rather than the holy day of rest to the Lord?10

To provide an answer to these vital issues it is indispensable to ascertain, first of all, "when...where, and why" Sunday rose as a day of Christian worship. Only after reconstructing this historical picture, and having identified the main factors which contributed to the origin of Sunday, will it be possible to proceed with the task of reassessing the validity and significance of Sunday observance.

The Problem and Objectives of this Study

The problem of the origin of Sunday observance in early Christianity has aroused in recent times the interest of scholars of differing religious persuasions. The numerous scientific studies, including several doctoral dissertations, which have appeared over the last two decades are clear evidence of renewed interest and effort put forth to find a more satisfactory answer to the ever intriguing question of the time, place and causes of the origin of Sunday-keeping.11

of May 7, 1976, entitled "The Lord's Day and Natural Resources." He argues that the only way to achieve the dual objective of Sunday observance and the conservation of energy would be "by force of legislative fiat through the duly elected officials of the people." The opposition to the editorial by Sabbatarians, who view Lindsell's proposal as a violation of the rights guaranteed to Americans under the First Amendment, apparently induced the editor to come up with a counterproposal in another editorial in the same journal of November 5, 1976. According to Lindsell's new proposal, Saturday rather than Sunday should be enforced as a day of rest for all people. Seventh-day Adventists emphatically rejected even the latter proposal on the ground that the forced observance of any day of the week would bring hardship and deprive of religious freedom some segments of (the) population (cf. Leo R. Van Dolson, "Color the Blue Laws Green," Liberty, 72 [1977]: 30). 10 W. Rordorf, Sunday. The History of the Day of Rest and Worship in the Earliest Centuries of the Christian Church, 1968 (hereafter cited as Sunday), p. 296, holds that "right down to the fourth century the idea of rest played absolutely no part in the Christian Sunday." Since in Rordorf's opinion Sunday rest was not an original or indispensable component of Sunday worship but an imperial imposition (p. 168), he raises the question "whether it is an ideal solution for the day of rest and the day of worship to coincide" (p. 299). He prefers to assign to Sunday an exclusive cultic function which can be realized in the gathering of the Christian community, in any moment of the day, for the eucharistic celebration. 11 The following are some of the most recent and significant studies: W. Rordorf, Sunday; by the same author, "Le Dimanche, jour du culte et jour du repos dans l'?glise primitive," Le Dimanche, Lex Orandi 39, 1965, pp. 91-111 (hereafter cited as "Dimanche"); Sabbat et dimanche dans l'?glise ancienne (compilation and edition of texts), 1972 (hereafter cited as Sabbat); C. S. Mosna, Storia della domenica dalle origini fino agli inizi del V Secolo, Analecta Gregoriana vol. 170, 1969 (hereafter cited as Storia della domenica); J. Danielou, "Le dimanche comme huiti?me jour," Le Dimanche, Lex Orandi 39, 1965, pp. 61-89; by the same author, The Bible and the Liturgy, 1964, pp. 222-286; Pacifico Massi, La Domenica nella storia della salvezza, saggio pastorale, 1967 (hereafter cited as La Domenica); Francis A. Regan, "Dies Dominica and Dies Soils. The Beginning of the Lord's Day in Christian Antiquity," unpublished dissertation, Catholic University of America, 1961 (hereafter cited as Dies Dominica); H. Riesenfeld, "Sabbat et jour duSeigneur," New Testament Essays. Studies in Memory of T. W. Manson, 1959, pp. 210-218; the article appears with minor changes as a chapter "The Sabbath and the Lord's Day," in The Gospel Tradition: Essays by H. Riesenfeld, 1970, pp. 111-137; C. W. Dugmore, "Lord's Day and Easter," Neotestamentica et Patristica in honorem sexagenarii O. Cullnmann, 1962, pp. 272-281; Y. B. Tremel, "Du Sabbat au Jour du Seigneur," Lumiere et Vie 58(1962): pp. 29- 49; J. M. R. Tillard, "Le Dimanche, jour d'alliance," Sciences Religieuses 16 (1964): pp. 225-250; by the same author, "Le Dimanche," La Maison-Dieu 83 (1965); Le Dimanche, Lex Orandi 39,

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