The True Sabbath: Exposing the Pagan Roots of Sunday Worship
Throughout history, Sunday has been widely accepted as the “Lord’s Day,” replacing the biblical seventh-day Sabbath. However, Scripture never commands this change. Instead, the historical shift to Sunday observance reveals a disturbing compromise with pagan traditions and political influences, far removed from God’s eternal law. This essay will explore the biblical, historical, and pagan evidence to expose how Sunday worship stands as a violation of God’s commandments and a dangerous tradition rooted in the rebellion of man.
God’s Eternal Sabbath: Instituted at Creation
The Sabbath was not a temporary institution; it was established at Creation and reaffirmed in the Ten Commandments:
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God..." (Exodus 20:8-10, KJV).
The Sabbath represents God’s authority as Creator, a holy day of rest and worship set apart for all of humanity—not just the Jewish people. It serves as a sign of God’s covenant:
"It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed." (Exodus 31:17, KJV).
Jesus Himself honored the Sabbath:
"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read." (Luke 4:16, KJV).
The apostles also continued to observe it after Christ’s resurrection (Acts 17:2). Nowhere in Scripture did Christ, His apostles, or prophets command the abolition of the Sabbath or its replacement by Sunday.
The Shift to Sunday: Pagan Influence and Compromise
So how did Sunday become the dominant day of worship? The answer lies not in Scripture but in paganism and political compromise.
The early church faced intense persecution and social pressure within the Roman Empire. As pagan practices like the worship of the sun god (Sol Invictus) and Roman festivals such as Saturnalia gained prominence, compromises emerged to blend Christianity with heathen traditions.
Tertullian, an early church father, admitted that Sunday retained its pagan roots:
"Incidental references... show how the Sunday, although it had then come to be called the 'Lord’s Day,' still bore the heathen characteristics."
Clement of Alexandria describes Sunday’s association with indulgence and fleshly pleasure:
"Here we have the native character of the Sunday truly set forth; a day of 'indulgence to the flesh'... the fruitage of this semi-pagan festivalism."
These writings prove that Sunday observance had nothing to do with honoring God but rather aligning with Roman pagan customs to appease the masses.
Constantine and the Political Enforcement of Sunday Worship
The most significant shift came under Emperor Constantine, who sought to unify his fractured empire by blending paganism and Christianity. In 321 AD, Constantine issued his infamous Sunday law:
“On the venerable day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed.”
Constantine, a sun-worshipper, legitimized Sunday as a day of rest—not to honor the Creator, but to venerate the sun god. Under his leadership, pagan and Christian practices merged, forming a counterfeit Sabbath that has persisted to this day.
The Papacy and Paganism: The Pontifex Maximus
The Roman Catholic Church solidified Sunday observance by continuing the pagan traditions of the Roman Empire. Roman emperors, as heads of state and religion, bore the title Pontifex Maximus—a title now used by the pope.
History records:
"All the pagan emperors, from Augustus to Julian the Apostate, were at the same time supreme pontiffs (Pontifices Maximi), the heads of the state religion, emperor-popes."
This union of church and state, characteristic of pagan Rome, is mirrored in the papacy. The pope’s modern handle on social media, @Pontifex, remains a testament to this pagan continuity.
Yet Christ explicitly rejected the blending of religious and political authority:
"My kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36, KJV).
Christ separated church and state absolutely, but the papacy has continued the pagan practice of combining spiritual and political power.
Breaking One Commandment: Breaking Them All
Scripture declares that breaking one commandment makes a person guilty of all:
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10, KJV).
By rejecting the true Sabbath in favor of man-made traditions, Sunday worshippers violate the Fourth Commandment. This transgression demonstrates disobedience to God’s eternal law:
"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4, KJV).
Grace does not permit lawlessness. Paul warns:
"Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid." (Romans 6:1-2, KJV).
The historical evidence is clear: Sunday worship did not originate from Scripture but from pagan traditions and political compromise. God’s Sabbath—the seventh day—remains eternal, unchanging, and a sign of His covenant with mankind.
Jesus rebuked man-made traditions that replace God’s commandments:
"But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matthew 15:9, KJV).
The call to return to the true Sabbath is a call to obedience, faithfulness, and worship of the one true God. Let us reject the traditions of men and stand firm on the eternal foundation of God’s Word:
"Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." (Revelation 14:12, KJV).
The seventh-day Sabbath was sanctified by God at Creation. It remains the only day ordained for holy rest and worship. Let us honor it, for in doing so, we honor the Creator Himself.
The Questionable Claim of Sunday Worship and the Lord’s Resurrection
Many Christians today assert that Sunday worship is observed in commemoration of the Lord’s resurrection. However, upon closer examination of Scripture and history, this claim does not hold up under scrutiny. The Bible makes no direct connection between the resurrection of Christ and the sanctification of Sunday as the Lord’s Day. Rather, the seventh-day Sabbath, established at Creation and reaffirmed throughout Scripture, remains the only divinely ordained day of rest and worship. The historical development of Sunday observance reveals its origins in human tradition and cultural compromise rather than divine instruction.
Scriptural Silence on Sunday and the Resurrection
The Bible does not associate Sunday, or any day other than the seventh-day Sabbath, with the resurrection of Christ. In fact, Matthew 28:1 provides a crucial detail often overlooked. It states:
“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.”
The Greek wording and timing indicate that Christ had already risen before the first day of the week began—“late on the Sabbath”—which would be Saturday afternoon just before sunset. The resurrection is therefore not tied to Sunday morning but instead emphasizes the Sabbath's conclusion.
Thus, the argument for Sunday worship as a resurrection commemoration lacks scriptural basis. The early church did not receive any divine instruction to shift the sacred day to Sunday.
The Apostolic Practice: Upholding the Sabbath
The New Testament, particularly the book of Acts, provides clear evidence that the apostles and early Christians continued to observe the seventh-day Sabbath. As Lewis summarizes:
During Christ’s Life:“The Sabbath was always observed by Him and by His followers. He corrected the errors and false notions which were held concerning it, but gave no hint that it was to be abrogated.”
After Christ’s Resurrection:“The book of Acts gives a connected history of the recognition and observance of the Sabbath by the Apostles while they were organizing many of the churches spoken of in the New Testament.”
If the apostles had been instructed to sanctify Sunday in honor of the resurrection, it would have been recorded. However, the New Testament contains sixty references to the Sabbath but makes no mention of Sunday as a day of worship.
Further, historical writings confirm the absence of any divine mandate. Lewis argues:
“In all the history of the doings and teachings of the Apostles, there is not the remotest reference to the abrogation of the Sabbath.”
To claim otherwise would imply that the apostles deliberately concealed such a monumental change, which would conflict with their mission to faithfully teach God’s Word.
The Historical Development of Sunday Worship
The rise of Sunday observance was not rooted in Scripture but emerged through a gradual process influenced by external factors, including pagan traditions. The writings of Justin Martyr, cited as an early reference to Sunday worship, provide more historical insight than biblical justification. As Lewis observes:
“We find the first mention of such observance, and of reasons therefor, in the same author, Justin, who was the first to formulate the anti-law and anti-Sabbath doctrines.”
Justin’s justification, rooted in cultural gnostic speculations and anti-Judaic sentiment, does not align with Scripture. The historical evidence reveals that Sunday observance was later institutionalized for practical and political reasons, not divine command.
Lewis further explains:
“All references to Sunday are fully accounted for on other considerations than that it was a sacred or commemorative day.”
These "ex post facto" arguments—that Sunday worship was developed after the practice emerged—undermine the claim that it honors the resurrection. Sunday became an adopted tradition rather than a continuation of Christ’s or the apostles’ teachings.
The Law and the Gospel in Harmony
Another common argument posits that Christ and the apostles observed the Sabbath merely because they were Jewish, and the Sabbath is a "Jewish" institution. However, Lewis powerfully rebukes this notion:
“It is manifestly unjust and unchristian to attempt to thrust out and stigmatize any part of God’s truth as ‘Jewish,’ when all of God’s promises and all Bible truths have come to us through the Hebrew nation.”
The Sabbath is a universal, eternal law rooted in Creation, long before the Jewish nation existed. It was sanctified by God as a day of rest for humanity (Genesis 2:2-3). Christ Himself declared:
“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27)
This affirms its relevance to all people, not just to the Jews. The law and the gospel remain in harmony, and as Lewis states:
“The law and the gospel are in harmony, and teach that ‘the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.’”
The Need to Return to the True Sabbath
The claim that Sunday worship commemorates the resurrection of Christ does not withstand biblical or historical scrutiny. The New Testament provides no command to sanctify Sunday, and Christ’s resurrection is not explicitly tied to the first day of the week. Instead, the shift to Sunday observance emerged from cultural and pagan influences that infiltrated early Christianity.
The seventh-day Sabbath remains the day sanctified by God at Creation, upheld by Christ, and observed by the apostles. As Christians, returning to the true Sabbath is a call to obedience to God’s eternal law. Scripture warns against following the commandments of men:
“But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:9)
To honor the Sabbath is to honor the Creator and His unchanging Word.
Sunday observance, while traditional, must be recognized for what it is—a human invention devoid of biblical foundation. The resurrection of Christ, while central to Christian faith, does not replace or nullify the Sabbath that God ordained for all humanity.
Christ’s Absolute Separation of Church and State vs. Pagan Rome’s Blending of Power
Throughout His ministry, Jesus Christ made a clear and unyielding distinction between spiritual and earthly authority. He proclaimed that His kingdom was not of this world, emphasizing the absolute separation of Church and State. Yet history reveals that, over time, this separation was eroded, particularly through pagan Rome's model, which united political and religious authority—a practice that would later influence the Roman Catholic Church.
Christ’s Teachings: “My Kingdom Is Not of This World”
Christ taught that His kingdom was spiritual, distinct from the governments and powers of this world. In John 18:36 (KJV), He explicitly stated:“My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”
This declaration sets the foundation for the complete independence of the Church from civil authority. Christ's kingdom calls for spiritual allegiance to God, not political conformity.
Lewis argues:
“Christ proclaimed the absolute separation of Church and State. ‘My kingdom is not of this world’ was the keynote in His proclamation. His kingdom knew neither Jew nor Greek, Roman nor Egyptian, bondman nor freeman. Ethnic distinctions and lines of caste vanished under His spiritual reign.”
Christ’s spiritual kingdom is eternal, a brotherhood transcending race, class, and politics. It rendered to Caesar only what was due him while demanding full allegiance to God (Matthew 22:21).
The Early Church: A Spiritual Kingdom Under Persecution
The first followers of Christ remained loyal to this vision of a purely spiritual kingdom. They refused to entangle themselves in the affairs of state or adopt pagan rituals, even when faced with persecution and death.
The early Church’s independence stood in stark contrast to pagan Rome, where political and religious power were inseparable.
Pagan Rome: The Union of Church and State
In pagan Rome, emperors assumed the dual role of political rulers and religious leaders under the title Pontifex Maximus—a title meaning “Supreme Pontiff.” This title symbolized their absolute authority over both state and religion.
This blending of political power with religious authority became a hallmark of pagan governance, where emperors oversaw the worship of false gods, organized festivals, and demanded loyalty to their rule.
The Roman Catholic Church and the Title “Pontiff”
In a striking parallel to pagan Rome, the Roman Catholic Church adopted the very title of Pontiff—a title with clear pagan origins. The Pope, as head of the Church, assumed a role that blends spiritual leadership with earthly power, mirroring the pagan emperors.
Even today, the title “Pontiff” persists. Additionally, the Pope’s official social media handle, @Pontifex, reinforces this link. It is ironic that an institution which claims to represent Christ—who absolutely separated Church and State—bears a title deeply rooted in pagan practices.
This unity between religious and political power directly opposes Christ’s teachings. It reflects not His spiritual kingdom but the corrupted systems of pagan Rome, where rulers used religion to enforce control.
The Corruption of the Sabbath and the Adoption of Pagan Traditions
In addition to blending Church and State, pagan Rome also influenced religious practices, particularly in the observance of the Sabbath. The Bible consistently upholds the seventh-day Sabbath as holy:
Genesis 2:3 – “And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.”
Exodus 20:8-11 – “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy... the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God.”
However, under Roman influence, the sacred Sabbath was gradually replaced with Sunday worship, a day rooted in pagan sun worship.
The shift to Sunday was not a continuation of biblical teaching but a corruption introduced through pagan influence.
The Warning of Scripture: The Unholy Union
The Bible warns of an unholy alliance between religious and political power. In Revelation 17:2, this corrupt system is described:“With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”
This “fornication” refers to the blending of spiritual and earthly powers—a direct violation of Christ’s teachings. The adoption of pagan titles, rituals, and practices serves as clear evidence of this corruption.
Return to Christ’s Model
Christ’s teachings demand a complete separation between Church and State. His kingdom is spiritual, eternal, and independent of earthly power. Yet history shows that this separation was compromised as pagan practices crept into the Church, blending spiritual leadership with political authority. The adoption of the title Pontiff, the replacement of the biblical Sabbath with Sunday worship, and the unification of Church and State all mirror the systems of pagan Rome.
Believers today must return to the pure teachings of Christ, who declared:“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24, KJV).
Let us reject the corruption of pagan influence and embrace the eternal truth of God’s Word, where Christ alone reigns as King, and His kingdom remains not of this world.
The Abolishment of the Sabbath, Anti-Judaic Sentiments, and Vatican Allegations
The abolishment of the Sabbath in favor of Sunday worship not only reflects a theological shift but also reveals a deeper undercurrent of anti-Judaic sentiment that shaped Christianity’s historical development. This sentiment can be traced back to early church figures such as Justin Martyr, a key 2nd-century Christian apologist. Justin’s writings were instrumental in formulating anti-law and anti-Sabbath doctrines, where he dismissed Jewish customs as outdated, irrelevant, and burdensome for Christians.
In his "Dialogue with Trypho the Jew," Justin Martyr claimed that the Mosaic Law and the Sabbath were temporary measures designed for the Jewish people alone and were no longer binding under the "new covenant" in Christ. Justin went so far as to argue that the Sabbath itself was a "sign of judgment" for Jewish unbelief. His writings helped establish a theological foundation that marginalized the Jewish roots of Christianity, sowing the seeds for centuries of institutionalized anti-Judaism. This rejection of Jewish practices—particularly the Sabbath—was more than a doctrinal shift; it symbolized a deliberate effort to sever Christianity from its Jewish heritage and portray Judaism as obsolete.
The Role of Popes and Anti-Semitic Laws
The anti-Judaic sentiment initiated by early church leaders like Justin Martyr became deeply embedded in the Catholic Church’s structure and policies, culminating in various anti-Semitic laws throughout history. These measures ranged from segregation to outright persecution of Jewish populations. Several Popes played critical roles in formalizing and enforcing these discriminatory practices:
Pope Paul IV (1555): Issued the notorious Cum Nimis Absurdum, a papal bull that forced Jews to live in segregated ghettos, restricted their property ownership, and limited their professions. Jews were also forced to wear identifying badges—a precedent for later European anti-Semitic laws.
Pope Innocent III (1198–1216): Convened the Fourth Lateran Council, which decreed that Jews must wear distinctive clothing, prohibited them from holding public office, and accused them of blood libel—a false claim that Jews used Christian blood for rituals.
Pope Gregory IX (1227–1241): Launched campaigns to burn the Talmud and other Jewish texts, criminalizing Jewish theological literature and promoting widespread hostility.
These institutionalized efforts laid a foundation of systemic discrimination against Jews, casting them as a perpetually marginalized group and fueling centuries of anti-Semitism across Europe.
The Vatican and Nazi Ratlines
The Vatican’s troubling relationship with anti-Semitism in the modern era reached a controversial point with its alleged involvement in the Nazi ratlines following World War II. Ratlines were clandestine escape routes used by Nazis and their collaborators to flee Europe, primarily to South America. The Vatican is accused of providing covert support for these operations, often using the cover of humanitarian organizations such as the Red Cross.
The Evidence:
The Role of the Red Cross: Under the guise of issuing travel documents for "refugees," the International Red Cross unknowingly (and in some cases allegedly knowingly) provided Nazi war criminals with papers that facilitated their escape. Figures such as Adolf Eichmann and Josef Mengele famously escaped using forged documents.
Bishop Alois Hudal: A key figure in this operation was Bishop Alois Hudal, a pro-Nazi Austrian cleric stationed in Rome. Hudal openly sympathized with the Nazis and viewed their war against Bolshevism as justified. From his position within the Catholic Church, he facilitated the escape of high-ranking Nazis by providing them with Vatican-issued travel documents and shelter in Rome.
Vatican Neutrality: During WWII, the Vatican maintained a position of "neutrality" under Pope Pius XII, who has faced ongoing criticism for his alleged silence on Nazi atrocities, particularly the Holocaust. After the war, this neutrality reportedly gave the Vatican plausible deniability in its role within the ratlines, despite mounting evidence of its complicity.
Declassified Documents: Research from declassified U.S. intelligence files further suggests that certain Catholic clergy actively collaborated to help prominent Nazis escape justice. Investigations revealed that the Vatican’s infrastructure, including monasteries and diplomatic channels, became conduits for ratlines that allowed war criminals to relocate safely.
While not every Vatican official participated in these actions, the involvement of clergy like Bishop Hudal and the alleged complicity of certain high-ranking members reflect a deeply troubling contradiction within the Church. The irony is inescapable: an institution claiming moral and spiritual authority was embroiled in activities that shielded perpetrators of one of history’s greatest crimes against humanity.
The Vatican, Interfaith Dialogue, and the Question of Islam
Adding to this complexity is the Vatican’s modern-day approach to interfaith dialogue, particularly with Islam—a religion that outright denies the divinity of Christ. Popes such as John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis have emphasized interfaith dialogue as a means to foster global peace. However, this raises difficult questions:
Theological Contradictions: Islam denies the foundational Christian doctrine of Christ’s divinity (Surah 4:171, Quran). This undermines the very basis of Christian faith, yet the Vatican has increasingly pursued unity and dialogue with Islamic leaders while rarely addressing these irreconcilable theological differences.
Political and Geopolitical Influences: The Vatican’s efforts toward interfaith dialogue may also be interpreted as political, aimed at fostering peace in conflict-ridden regions. However, this approach often comes at the cost of ignoring Islamic calls for the eradication of the Jewish state.
Anti-Semitism Among Muslim Groups: Radical Islamic factions openly advocate for the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people. Groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah echo sentiments eerily reminiscent of historical anti-Semitic policies once propagated by the Catholic Church. The Vatican’s silence on such issues raises questions about its true motivations in interfaith dialogue.
A Troubling Legacy
The historical rejection of the Sabbath, coupled with anti-Judaic doctrines, institutional anti-Semitism, and allegations of post-war complicity with Nazis, paints a complex picture of the Vatican’s moral authority. While promoting interfaith dialogue with Islam may appear to be a modern initiative for peace, the Vatican’s silence on issues such as Islamic denial of Christ’s divinity and hostility toward Israel is deeply contradictory.
This troubling legacy raises a vital question: Has the Catholic Church sacrificed its biblical and moral foundation in favor of political expediency? The abolition of the Sabbath, driven by anti-Judaic sentiment, serves as a stark reminder that traditions rooted in human manipulation often carry far-reaching consequences—spiritually, politically, and historically.
By examining these issues closely, it becomes increasingly evident that a return to biblical truth, including the observance of God’s eternal Sabbath, is essential for reclaiming spiritual integrity and standing firm against the distortions of history.
On a personal note, I have chosen to stop celebrating Christmas, which I believe is one of the greatest misconceptions in history. We were never instructed to celebrate Christ’s birth—an event many scholars suggest may have occurred in the fall, around September or October. Instead, we are called to focus on His resurrection. This year, I will observe the original festival of Hanukkah (sundown on December 25th and end at nightfall on January 2nd) not because I am Jewish, but because Christ Himself was.
My desire is to return to worshipping Christ in spirit and truth, honoring the foundations of faith as given in Scripture. So much has been altered over time, and the only way I feel I can truly worship and serve God with integrity is by keeping His commandments and recognizing the biblical festivals. Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Jewish temple—a symbol of God’s faithfulness and dedication to His people.
I want to emphasize that I am not Jewish; I am a Christian who follows both the Old and New Testaments as one cohesive truth. I choose to reject man-made pagan traditions that were designed to suit political agendas and instead cling to the path of worship that aligns with the Word of God.
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