Church of Rome defends Sunday and emphasizes Seventh-day Adventists

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The Roman Catholic Church defends its traditional Sunday observance, specifically mentioning the Protestant Seventh-day Adventist Church. Furthermore, the arguments in defense of Sunday observance are very revealing regarding the origins of many of the heresies of numerous evangelical churches.

Sabbath or Sunday – And Why

It was only a matter of time before the topic of “Sabbath or Sunday” was specifically associated with the Protestant Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA). In addition to the Seventh-day Baptists, it is primarily the SDA community, which, while by no means the largest denomination, is represented in more countries than the Roman Catholic Church, that has embraced the 7th day of the week, the biblical Sabbath.

The Catholic media outlet “Catholic Answers” recently addressed the discrepancy between the “holy Sunday” celebrated by the Roman Church and the observance of the Sabbath (“Saturday”). Titled “Sunday Is Not the Sabbath,” the magazine introduces the question of why “we” [Catholics] are not obligated to keep the Sabbath and why Mass is celebrated on Sunday instead. (Source).

What is it actually about?

The commandment in question can be found in Exodus 20, from verse 8, which begins with:
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
However, variants are taught that read as follows:
“You shall keep holy the Sabbath!“, or, “You shall keep holy the Lord’s Day!“, and occasionally even, “You shall keep holy Sunday!“

The Sabbath, according to Exodus 20:8, is clearly defined by God Himself after creation. It is the seventh day of the week. Found in Genesis 2:2-3:
“And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.“

The author emphasizes right at the beginning of his argument that the Seventh-day Adventist Church, with “one of its most attractive doctrines,” insisted that Christians must obey the Ten Commandments, all ten of them! The author acknowledges that the Seventh-day Adventist Church thereby exposes the false thinking of numerous “Protestant sects” who taught that the Ten Commandments no longer need to be kept for salvation. After all, Jesus Christ also emphasized the importance of obeying the commandments (Matthew 19:16-17):
“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.“

A “Small Agreement”

On this point, the author argues, there is agreement between the Church of Rome and the SDA. However, the question arises as to why Catholics are not required to observe the Fourth Commandment, the Third Commandment in Catholic doctrine, and why Mass is held on Sundays for this purpose. The Roman Catholic Catechism emphasizes in Can. 2072 that the Ten Commandments “express the fundamental duties of man toward God and his neighbor. They are fundamentally unchangeable and binding always and everywhere. No one can release one from them.”

Catholic flexibility

The author thus states that the “Third Commandment” (actually the Fourth Commandment – Info) is fundamentally unchangeable because it is part of the Ten Commandments. The difference lies in the Catholic Church’s teaching that the day on which the “Third Commandment” is celebrated is of a “ceremonial nature” and thus an “accidental” part of the law. This, in turn, is subject to change. The Catechism also emphasizes this. (2175-2176).

It states, among other things: “Sunday is expressly distinguished from the Sabbath, which it follows weekly; for Christians, its ceremonial observance replaces that of the Sabbath. In Christ’s Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish Sabbath. […] Those who lived according to the old order of things have found a new hope by no longer keeping the Sabbath, but the Lord’s Day.“

Catholic commandments of men

It would have been beneficial to demonstrate an equally clear abolition of the biblical Sabbath, as there is for the introduction of the Sabbath. However, the author cannot provide this evidence, for there is no abolition of the Sabbath established by God on the 7th day immediately after creation. Nowhere, neither in the Old Testament nor in the New Testament. However “pious and holy” the justification for Sunday as a replacement for the Sabbath may sound, it is and remains a tradition introduced by man. Jesus Christ also had something to say about this:

“Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:7-9)

The juxtaposition between Can. 2072 of the Catholic Catechism and the author’s explanation alone should be cause for concern. “They [the Ten Commandments] are fundamentally unchangeable and binding always and everywhere. No one can release one from them,” he states. This clearly reflects the self-image of this church, with its claim to represent God and thus to be able to change or repeal laws. (Info).

Sabbath only a shadow

The author then presents a Bible excerpt that has also gained great popularity in Protestant circles, supposedly proving the abolition of the Sabbath. In connection with the “failing old law,” the author quotes a statement by Paul (Colossians 2:16-17).:
“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.“

This verse shows that the Sabbath is “clearly only a shadow” and thus transient. This is just as true as the animal sacrifices, which are no longer obligatory for Christians according to the book of Hebrews. The author also emphasizes that the “Sabbaths” mentioned describe the weekly holidays, and these are no longer obligatory, just like the annual and monthly holidays.

God’s Law – Moses’ Law

Quoting this verse alone should actually directly challenge any reader, even a critical one, to understand the context. For “so let no one judge you because of…”—who said it to whom, and for what reason? Should you be judged because you keep the Sabbaths and foods, or because you don’t? This distinction is also not discernible in this single verse. Therefore, it’s imperative that you pick up the Bible yourself and examine what a “friendly uncle” is trying to teach you.

The young Christian community was evangelizing. To whom? People with Jewish traditions, as well as pagans and their traditions, rituals, and specific holidays. There were quite a few of them. They brought their own ideas about holidays and foods, and didn’t these violate God’s laws and regulations, so why make an issue of it? These people should be brought to the true gospel and not be mortified by prohibitions.

It is also incorrect that the one Sabbath, the 7th day of the week, was part of the statutes that were actually abolished by Jesus Christ. In this regard, it is important to distinguish between the unchanging and eternal Ten Commandments and the ceremonial laws (Info). It is clear from Scripture that these abolished ceremonial laws, which represented the shadow of the saving acts of Jesus Christ, were added to the commandments, especially the “one Sabbath.”

“These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.” (Leviticus 23:37-38)

Alleged “Judaization”

During the early Christian era, there were discrepancies, especially with those who adhered to Jewish traditions. This included circumcision, among other things. Paul also had something to say to the church in Rome about this, as the author quotes Romans 14:1-6:

“Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.“

Here, too, the author emphasizes that the “old laws” no longer need to be observed. And this includes the Sabbath.

Proclaim the Gospel – Do not mortify

Paul’s statement to the church in Rome is similar to his remarks to the Colossians. Traditions, whether holidays or isolated rituals, pose no problem at all if they do not conflict with God’s decrees. Therefore, there is no reason to blame them on humans or even prohibit them. However, the claim that the one Sabbath (7th day of the week) is part of the ceremonial laws and thus a previously abolished “old law” is far-fetched.

Rather, it was the so-called Fathers of the Roman Catholic Church who spoke of “Judaizing,” defined Sunday as the “Lord’s Day,” and even prohibited the observance of the Sabbath (Council of Laodicea). The “Lord’s Day” is not connected with the first day of the week (“Sunday”) anywhere in the Bible, nowhere. (Info).

Incidentally, it is the Church of Rome itself that, according to its catechism, represents the three lies of the serpent in the Garden of Eden as official doctrine. – Info.

Jesus himself is Sabbath rest

The author argues that the letter to the Hebrews, chapter 4, only superficially describes the Sabbath as obligatory for Christians. Hebrews 4:4-8 says the following:

“For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.“

This context, the author argues, makes it clear that the “Jewish seventh day” was replaced by a “different day,” a “determined day,” a new “Sabbath rest for the people of God.” More precisely, this “Sabbath rest for the people of God” was “fulfilled.” However, the book of Hebrews speaks less of a day than of a person, and this person is Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is Jesus Christ himself who “realized” the rest that was only hinted at by the Sabbath.

Day becomes person

This explanation by the Catholic author solves many of the mysteries surrounding where so many Protestant churches derive their teachings. This also applies to the claim that Jesus Christ himself is the rest and thus the Sabbath itself. Whoever is in Jesus Christ is automatically also in the Sabbath. Therefore, the 7th day itself does not need to be observed. This has already been fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

The author’s “trick” in his supposed justification lies simply in defining the Sabbath mentioned in Hebrews not as a day, but simply as a person, specifically Jesus Christ. It is also beneficial to consider the preceding verses of the fourth chapter of Hebrews: Verses 2 and 3:
“For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.“

Fundamentally, whether one has entered into rest or not, faith is what is being discussed. Entering into the “rest of God” through faith is inextricably linked to the “inner peace” that Jesus Christ desires to give to every person. The prerequisite for this is “only” the person’s true faith. This is fundamentally independent of any day of the week. If one were to follow the author’s argument, this would mean that faith was established solely on the Sabbath day. But that would be sheer nonsense, because true faith, entering into the peace or rest of God, concerns 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Smart and sly like a snake

You can twist and turn it however you like. Stripped of the greasy bulge of the argument, a visible core statement remains. “We have changed the commandment of God,” period, done. The Ten Commandments of God, the reflection of His character, the universal, eternal, and unchanging law written in stone by God Himself, are still valid today, without restriction and unchanged!

It should be obvious that the little horn described in Daniel 7, which will speak wicked words against the Most High and persecute and even kill the saints (true believers), also seeks to change God’s times and laws (Daniel 7:21-15). It should be obvious that this will not happen in a clumsy and therefore extremely transparent way.

Just as the sprawling liturgies, the lavish splendor, the glitz and glamour, the organ music, and the self-portrayal as “holiness incarnate” pursue the goal of presenting one’s own, actually widespread, paganism to a stunned flock of sheep as Christianity, so too are the cover-ups for the blatant violations of God’s laws. For the great adversary is as cunning as a serpent. (Info).

Representatives of the Church of Rome even feel offended when a Protestant mistakenly defends Sunday observance as a biblical requirement. The Roman Catholic Church declares the transfer of the Sabbath to Sunday as the ultimate proof that it possesses the authority to change God’s law. (Info). The Sabbath, blessed and sanctified by God, is also the one that the Church of Rome has fought against with all its might since its beginnings. (Info).

Bible verses from King James Version (1611)