THE EARLY CHRISTIAN SABBATH - Friends of the Sabbath Australia

The Early Christian Sabbath
He disposed of the priesthood, of sacrifices, of washings, of ceremonial annual days, but
never did he give basis for sweeping away the weekly Sabbath of the moral law.
It was anti-Judaism which caused some leaders in the early church, particularly in
the West, where the influence of Rome, the capital of the empire, was strong, to confuse
the issue of what was done away at the cross, and to brand observance of the seventh-day
Sabbath as Jewish.
During the early centuries of the Christian Era the Jews had fallen into serious
difficulties with the Roman authorities. There were local outbreaks by the Jews against
the Romans even in the days of Christ and the apostles. The Jews considered themselves
the chosen people of God, and bitterly resented their being under the domination of a
pagan people, the Romans, who thought themselves in turn the favorite of their gods, and
held the Jews in contempt.
At last, about AD 66, there broke out a serious rebellion of the Jews against the
Romans. Roman armies were sent into Palestine. Eventually the Jewish capital,
Jerusalem, was captured and the magnificent temple which Herod had built was
destroyed. Thousands of Jews perished in this fearful war, which did not terminate until
AD 70.
Even after this awful punishment the Jews were still restive under the Roman
yoke. There were serious Jewish revolts about the year AD 115. About AD 132, the Jews
engaged in another great rebellion. Again the Jewish forces were cut to pieces. The city
of Jerusalem was taken and completely destroyed, and plows were dragged over its site.
When the city was again rebuilt, it was restored as a Gentile city, renamed as such, and
laws were passed forbidding any Jew to enter it.
Naturally this caused anything Jewish to be discredited among the people of the
Roman Empire, especially in the West and in the city of Rome. The Jews were looked
upon not only with contempt, but also with fear; and it was not well for one to be
associated with them. Anti-Jewish feeling was widespread and deep. It seriously affected
the attitude of Christians toward those elements of worship which they had properly
inherited through the inspired Hebrew Scriptures. In turn, the misfortunes of the Jews
caused them to feel bitter toward the Christians, whom they considered a semi pagan
counterfeit of historic Judaism.
The Jews resented, too, the astonishingly rapid growth of the Christian church,
and were unceasing in their efforts to discredit the Christians. To do this, they spread
damaging reports concerning them. The Jewish people were forbidden to have any
communication with the Christians, who were called blasphemers and crazy fanatics.
Justin, writing about AD 150, has Trypho, a Jew, speak, for his race:
“Our teachers laid down a law that we should have no intercourse with any of you
[Christians], and that we should not have even any communication with you on these
questions. For you utter many blasphemies.” - Dialogue With Trypho, chapter 38, in The
Ante-Nicene Fathers, volume 1, Page 213.
Justin writes, too, that the Jews cursed Christ in the synagogue:
“I hold that those of the seed of Abraham who live according to the law, and do
not believe in this Christ before death, shall likewise not be saved, and especially those
who have anathematized and do anathematize this very Christ in the synagogues, and
everything by which they might obtain salvation and escape the vengeance of fire.” -
Ibid., chapter 47, Page 218.
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