Who Changed the Sabbath Day to Sunday?

The change of the day of worship from the seventh-day Sabbath to Sunday was an unauthorized act of the Roman Catholic Church, influenced by a desire to distance the church from Jewish customs and to appeal to the pagan worldST November 19, 1894, par. 1+2. While many believe this change has a scriptural basis, a careful examination reveals that it rests entirely upon human tradition and ecclesiastical authority rather than a divine commandChSa 158.1+2.

The Role of the Papacy and the Roman Church

The primary agent in setting aside the fourth commandment was the Roman Catholic ChurchST November 19, 1894, par. 1+1. This power fulfills the prophecy of the "little horn" who would "think to change times and laws" Daniel 7:25.

• Ecclesiastical Authority: The Catholic Church openly claims that the change from Saturday to Sunday is a mark of her own power and authorityChSa 160.5+2.

• The Council of Laodicea: In approximately AD 336 (or 364), the Council of Laodicea formally transferred the solemnity of the Sabbath to Sunday, decreeing that Christians should not "judaize" by resting on the seventh dayBHB 83.5+1.

• Papal Decrees: Pope Sylvester is credited with changing the name of the first day to the "Lord's Day" to give it a more imposing Christian titleSOSL 141.7+1.

Pagan Influence and Imperial Legislation

The transition was also facilitated by the surrounding pagan culture, which honored the sun on the first day of the weekSOSL 144.1+1.

• Constantine’s Edict: In AD 321, Emperor Constantine issued the first law commanding rest on "the venerable day of the sun"SOSL 138.4+1. At the time of this edict, Constantine was still a worshiper of the sun, and the law was essentially a heathen oneSOSL 138.4.

• Blending of Customs: To facilitate the conversion of the Gentiles, the early church leaders thought it wise to adopt the same day of worship as the pagans, interpreting the "sun" of Latin adoration as the "Sun of Righteousness"SBBS 472.6+2.

The Biblical Record and Apostolic Example

There is no evidence in the New Testament that God, Christ, or the Apostles ever authorized a change in the Sabbath lawBISA 10.3+2.

• Christ's Example: Jesus observed the seventh-day Sabbath as His custom and declared that not one jot or tittle would pass from the law Matthew 5:17-19+1.

• The Apostles: Years after the resurrection, the apostles continued to meet and preach on the seventh-day Sabbath Acts 13:14+2.

• Silence of Scripture: The New Testament mentions the "first day of the week" only eight times, and never as a day of rest or a substitute for the SabbathBISA 10.3+2.

• The Original Commandment: God's law explicitly identifies the seventh day as the Sabbath, a memorial of creation that remains a perpetual sign between Him and His people Genesis 2:1-3+2.

In summary, the observance of Sunday is a human invention that supplanted the divine institution of the seventh-day Sabbath through a gradual process of apostasy and church decreesSOSL 126.2+2. Following the Bible and the Bible only leads back to the sanctification of the day God originally blessed and commandedSBBS 563.5+1.