The history of how Sunday worship came about.

[Hobie]

Around 150 C.E. Justin Martyr references the regular practice of Christians meeting for worship, including the Eucharist, on "the day of the Sun" -- and ties it to Christ's resurrection (First Apology 67):

"And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn (Saturday); and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration."

How long that practice had been in vogue prior to C.E. 150, and what it's origin was, I don't know. Some trace it all the way back to Acts 20:7-12, which refers to Paul and others breaking bread on the first day of the week. See F. F. Bruce, Commentary on the Book of the Acts (1954), pp. 407-408; P. K. Jewett, The Lord’s Day: A Theo logical Guide to the Christian Day of Worship (1972), p. 61. I don't agree with them. But it does seem clear that Sunday worship was a Christian feature at least by the middle of the second century, at least in some parts of Christendom. The influence of later actions by Rome, by Constantine, etc. should not be overestimated.

And where was he, at the center of change in Rome. The name "Sunday" is used for the first time by Justin Martyr (First Apology 67) in accommodation to a Roman nomenclature, but with reference to the circumstances that the light was created on the first day (noticed also in the Midrash; Gen. R. iii.: "ten crowns adorned the first day") and that the "light of the world" rose from the night of the grave on the first day of the week. The Christians, accordingly, were obliged to defend themselves against the charge of worshiping the sun (Tertullian, "Apologeticus," xvi.).

So even the pagans noticed the worship of the sun that had gotten into the church at Rome, but it was not from Christ, the Apostles or anything in scripture, but of another origin..

 

[RedFan]

So even the pagans noticed the worship of the sun that had gotten into the church at Rome, but it was not from Christ, the Apostles or anything in scripture, but of another origin..

I agree with Tertullian on all of this, but the words "at Rome" really are misleading. Sunday worship had gotten into the Christian church in lots of places, not just Rome. The sentence would be better without "at Rome" in it.

 

[Hobie]

So the church at Rome was where this change to pagan day of the sun was spreading, the Romans substituted their own sun god, Sol, and named the day "dies solis", meaning "sun's day," in Latin. This was picked up through the Roman Empire and Constantine then made his proclamation in 321 Constantine and declared dies Solis Invicti (“Invincible Sun-day”) to be the day of rest throughout the Roman Empire. So we see where it came from, not God but from man and his 'tradition'.

Now we see even more the effects that came from these changes in this study.. "while the Catholic Church can 'categorically deny' that it ever gave the 'Saints' to the people to worship or pray to and say it was 'veneration', the pagan masses were drawn in by their use, and what they had always done. So the 'spirits' became the 'Saints' to watch over them and to give their prayers directly to them. They could go on believing in the power of the dead of the ancient beliefs now set up as 'Saints' in the church, to help them in their troubles as they had done before. Some of the early Christians protested against the this 'veneration' of the Saints which was essentially the continuation of the old Roman religion, but their attempts were swept by the influx of the pagan masses.

Now looking at the 'veneration' and the festivals which came in, there are some specific festivals that go back directly to pagan customs connected with the dead. All Saints' Day, was observed on the the Roman festival of the dead, the Lemuria. In the modern festival the faithful visit the tombs of the Saints, venerate their relics, and pray for their blessing. The next day also, the second of November, All Souls' Day, unquestionably reproduces some of the features of the Parentalia.

"Parentalia, Roman religious festival held in honour of the dead. The festival, which began at noon on February 13 and culminated on February 21, was essentially a private celebration of the rites of deceased family members. It was gradually extended, however, to incorporate the dead in general. During the days of the festival, all temples were closed and no weddings could be performed. On the last day a public ceremony, the Feralia, was held, during which offerings and gifts were placed at the graves and the anniversary of the funeral feast was celebrated." ... Parentalia | Roman religious festival

So we see how this nine day festival held to honor the dead ancestors with visits to tombs and sacred offerings, got into the church, and 'Christians' then went to the cemeteries and decked the graves of the members of their family with flowers and candles. So it was not long that there were ceremonies which took the place of the ancient 'veneration', for the 'souls of the departed'.

We find even more on All Saints Day...
Catholic scholars themselves admit that the day they call "All Saints' Day" was not observed by early Christians, but was a later addition:

ALL SAINTS. As early as the fourth century, the Greeks kept on the first Sunday after Pentecost the feast of all martyrs and saints, and we still possess a sermon of St. Chrysostom de-livered on that day.

In the West, the feast was introduced by Pope Boniface the Fourth after he had dedicated, as the Church of the Blessed Virgin and the Martyrs, the Pantheon, which had been made over to him by the Emperor Phocas. The feast of the dedication was kept on the thirteenth of May. About 731 Gregory III. consecrated a chapel in St. Peter's Church in honour of all the saints, from which time All Saints' Day has been kept in Rome, as now, on the first of November. From about the middle of the ninth century, the feast came into general observance throughout the West. (Addis W, Arnold T. Catholic Dictionary, 6th ed. The Catholic Publication Society Co, 1887. Nihil Obstat. EDUARDUS S. KEOGH, CONG. ORAT., Censor Deputatu Imprimatur. HENRICUS EDUARDUS, CARD. ARCHIEP. WESTMONAST. Die 18 Dec., 1883. Imprimatur. John Card. McCloskey, Archbishop of New York. Feb. 14, 1884. Copyright, Lawrence Kehoe, 1884/1887. p20).

All Saints' Day

In the fourth century, neighbouring dioceses began to interchange feasts, to transfer relics, to divide them, and to join in a common feast; as is shown by the invitation of St. Basil of Caesarea (397) to the bishops of the province of Pontus. Frequently groups of martyrs suffered on the same day, which naturally led to a joint commemoration. In the persecution of Diocletian the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each. But the Church, feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all. The first trace of this we find in Antioch on the Sunday after Pentecost. We also find mention of a common day in a sermon of St. Ephrem the Syrian (373), and in the 74th homily of St. John Chrysostom (407). (Mershman, Francis. "All Saints' Day." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Nihil Obstat. March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 11 Aug. 2013 <CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: All Saints' Day>)...

Here is information on when and how people keep All Saints Day:

All Saints' Day

All Saints' Day is a celebration of all Christian saints, particularly those who have no special feast days of their own, in many Roman Catholic, Anglican and Protestant churches. In many western churches it is annually held November 1 and in many eastern churches it is celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost. It is also known as All Hallows Tide, All-Hallomas, or All Hallows' Day.

What Do People Do?

All Saints' Day is observed by Christians in many countries around the world. In countries such as Spain, Portugal and Mexico, offerings are made on this day. In countries such as Belgium, Hungary and Italy people bring flowers to the graves of dead relatives. In other parts of Europe, such as Austria, Croatia, Poland, and Romania, it is customary to light candles on top of visiting graves of deceased relatives. It is also observed in parts of Asia, such as the Philippines, where people visit graves of deceased relatives and clean or repair them. They also lay flowers on the graves and light candles. All Saints' Day accessed 10/01/19

Prayers for to the dead saints are often given then....

Catholic scholars also reported:

All Saints' Day is a solemn holy day of the Catholic Church celebrated annually on November 1. The day is dedicated to the saints of the Church, that is, all those who have attained heaven. It should not be confused with All Souls' Day, which is observed on November 2, and is dedicated to those who have died and not yet reached heaven.

Although millions, or even billions of people may already be saints, All Saints' Day observances tend to focus on known saints --that is those recognized in the canon of the saints by the Catholic Church.

All Saints' Day is also commemorated by members of the Eastern Orthodox Church as well as some protestant churches, such as Anglican, Lutheran and Anglican churches.

Generally, All Saints' Day is a Catholic Holy Day of Obligation, meaning all Catholics are required to attend Mass on that day, unless they have an excellent excuse, such as serious illness.

Today, All Saints' Day is still a holy day of obligation, but only when it falls on a Sunday. Other countries have different rules according to their national bishop's conferences. The bishops of each conference have the authority to amend the rules surrounding the obligation of the day. (All Saints' Day. CatholicOnline. All Saints' Day - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online accessed 10/23/15)

It is considered a day of obligation by the Church of Rome, but it is not a biblical holy day.

The Pantheon was originally a pagan shrine for multiple gods and was turned into a Catholic shrine for multiple "saints."

Pantheon of Rome: A Symbol of Unity Among Confusion

How All Saints' Day actually became a universal holiday shows another type of pagan connection:

All Saints' Day ... It was first celebrated on May 13, A.D. 610, as the Feast of All Holy Martyrs, when the Emperor Phocas gave the ancient Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV as a church (All Saints' Day. World Book, vol 1. Chicago, 1966: 354).

The Romans built the Pantheon as a temple in honor of all their gods. The name means of all the gods ... Agrippa first built the famous Pantheon in Rome in 27 B.C. (Pantheon. World Book, vol 15. Chicago, 1966: 111).

Druid ... priests worshiped some gods similar to those of the Greeks and Romans, but under different names (Druid. World Book, vol 5. Chicago, 1966: 289).

Of course, some feel that although the Druids worshiped the pagan deities under different names that is wrong, yet they accepted the change of the names of the "gods" in the Pantheon to the "Catholic saints" as perfectly acceptable.

 

[Hobie]

Here is a bit more on how and why the Pantheon became acceptable to the Roman Catholics:

In 607 A.D. the Roman Emperor Phocus defeated the Barbarians who were in control of Rome. The Pantheon in Rome, a pagan edifice which had been wrested from the barbarians, was given to pope Boniface IV. Originally ... the Pantheon -- ... dedicated it to the pagan goddess Cybele and to the other Roman deities. This temple became the central place in Rome where the pagans honored and commemorated their gods. With this splendid edifice now falling into the hands of professing Christians, the question was, What should be done with it?

The pagans had dedicated it to Cybele and all their gods. But the Roman bishop now CONSECRATED IT TO THE VIRGIN MARY AND ALL THE SAINTS of both sexes (see "The Mysteries of All Nations", Grant, p. 120). Thus this pagan building became "holy." No more did the pagan Romans use this edifice to pray for their dead. It was now the professing Christians who employed the Pantheon in praying for their dead.

This re-dedication of the pagan temple to Mary and others occurred in 610 A.D. Now converted into a Christian shrine, an annual festival was instituted to commemorate the event. The day chosen was May 13.

This May 13 commemoration of the dead saints was known by the name of "All Saints Day." It continued to be held in May for over two centuries -- until 834 A.D. In that year the NAME and the DATE WERE CHANGED.

Notice! "The time of celebration was altered to the FIRST OF NOVEMBER, and it was then called ALL HALLOW" -- from where we get the name Hallowe'en, ALL HALLOW merely meaning ALL HOLY, and the "een" is a contraction of evening ("Folklore", James Napier, p. 177).

Thus in 834 A.D. the Church in the Middle Ages began to celebrate Hallowe'en on the FIRST OF NOVEMBER for the first time. This was the very same day the Druids in Britain, the Norsemen in Scandinavia, and the pagan Germans among others were keeping their festival of ALL SOULS EVE, in commemoration of Saman, lord of death, and his demons (Marx, Gerhard O. The Origin of Halloween. Plain Truth Magazine, October 1967).....

When the German Frankish king Charlemagne invaded and conquered parts of Eastern Germany, he compelled the conquered German king, Wittekind, to be baptized and to accept Christianity. Having no choice and seeing his life was at stake, this heathen ruler who knew little or nothing about Christ -- was forced into this "conversion." And with him his entire people. This policy brought complex problems. These pagans, who were usually baptized EN MASSE, were still pagans at heart. Even though they became nominal Christians, they still yearned for many of their heathen practices, which they were expected to discard...

Wittekind's Germans, now professing Christians, and other conquered pagans, had a profound influence on the ecclesiastical affairs of the church in the early 800's A. D. These barbaric and uncultured people brought with them many outright pagan practices and celebrations, Hallowe'en merely being one of many. They were fervent in clinging to their past ceremonies and observed them openly -- yet supposedly converted to Christianity. What was the church to do? Excommunicate them and thus reduce her membership? This she would not do. Was she to force them into discarding their heathen practices and adopt Italian or Roman ones? This, as she had learned in past times, was not possible.

There remained only one other way. Let the recently converted pagans keep certain of their heathen festivals, such as Hallowe'en or All Souls Day -- but label it "Christian." Of course the Germans were asked not to pray to their ancient pagan gods on this day. They must now use this day to commemorate the death of the saints. To make it easy for them, the Roman Church even CHANGED HER DATE of All Saints Day from May 13 to November 1st to satisfy the growing numbers of Germanic adherents. The Church understood the yearnings the Germans and others had for their old ways (Marx, Gerhard O. The Origin of Halloween. Plain Truth Magazine, October 1967).

Since the date was not original, and was even changed, All Saints' Day obviously never was an original apostolic practice.....

All Saints' Day is a souvenir of paganism, and it is sad that more and more Protestants are embracing it. The Bible warns about Mystery Babylon the Great, the mother of abominations (Revelation 17:5) and Protestants who understand their history realize that they consider the Church of Rome as their ancestor....

Did early Christians believe that they should pray to the dead for intercession for the lives, salvation, or their vocations?

No.

Here is some of what The Catholic Encyclopedia reports about this:

The Communion of Saints

(communo sanctorum, a fellowship of, or with, the saints).

The doctrine expressed in the second clause of the ninth article in the received text of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe . . . the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints”. This, probably the latest, addition to the old Roman Symbol is found in:

the Gallican Liturgy of the seventh century (P.L., LXXII, 349, 597);
in some letters of the Pseudo-Augustine (P.L., XXXIX, 2189, 2191, 2194), now credited to St. Caesarius of Arles (c. 543);
in the “De Spiritu Sancto” (P.L., LXII, 11), ascribed to Faustus of Riez (c. 460);
in the “Explanatio Symboli” (P.L., LII, 871) of Nicetas of Remesiana (c. 400); and
in two documents of uncertain date, the “Fides Hieronymi”, and an Armenian confession. …

The communion of saints is the spiritual solidarity which binds together the faithful on earth, the souls in purgatory, and the saints in heaven in the organic unity of the same mystical body under Christ its head, and in a constant interchange of supernatural offices. The participants in that solidarity are called saints by reason of their destination and of their partaking of the fruits of the Redemption (1 Corinthians 1:2 — Greek Text). The damned are thus excluded from the communion of saints. The living, even if they do not belong to the body of the true Church, share in it according to the measure of their union with Christ and with the soul of the Church. St. Thomas teaches (III:8:4) that the angels, though not redeemed, enter the communion of saints because they come under Christ’s power and receive of His gratia capitis. The solidarity itself implies a variety of inter-relations: within the Church Militant, not only the participation in the same faith, sacraments, and government, but also a mutual exchange of examples, prayers, merits, and satisfactions; between the Church on earth on the one hand, and purgatory and heaven on the other, suffrages, invocation, intercession, veneration. These connotations belong here only in so far as they integrate the transcendent idea of spiritual solidarity between all the children of God. Thus understood, the communion of saints, though formally defined only in its particular bearings (Council of Trent, Sess. XXV, decrees on purgatory; on the invocation, veneration, and relics of saints and of sacred images; on indulgences), is, nevertheless, dogma commonly taught and accepted in the Church. …

But the complete presentation of the dogma comes from the later Fathers. After the statements of Tertullian, speaking of “common hope, fear, joy, sorrow, and suffering” (On Penance 9-10); of St. Cyprian, explicitly setting forth the communion of merits (De lapsis 17); of St. Hilary, giving the Eucharistic Communion as a means and symbol of the communion of saints (in Psalm 64:14), we come to the teaching of Ambrose and St. Augustine. (Sollier, Joseph. “The Communion of Saints.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908)

So, from the above we see that the late second century writer Tertullian may have hinted about it, but that the earliest clear reference comes from Cyprian (who was a Greco-Roman bishop of Carthage in the mid-3rd century). Augustine promoted it.

Thus, this ‘dogma’ was not an original Christian practice."

 

[rockytopva]

The churches I visited that honored Sunday worship also had the power of God operating in them. I also heard the worship was awesome in old Constantinople... So don't blame everything on the Catholics.

 

[VictoryinJesus]

We see the scriptures are clear that no other day was made as the day of worship except the seventh day, and Christians are fully aware that Sunday worship is not ordained by God or anywhere in the Bible or given by Christ or the apostles, so what is its origin. Here are statements that give a clue:

"Protestants ... accept Sunday rather than Saturday as the day for public worship after the Catholic Church made the change... But the Protestant mind does not seem to realize that ... in observing Sunday, they are accepting the authority of the spokesman for the Church, the pope." Our Sunday Visitor, February 5th, 1950. This Rock

Question: Which is the Sabbath day?
Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day.

Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?

You know what I just realized? I don’t think I have EVER heard anyone question Wednesday night services.

 

[Hobie]

The churches I visited that honored Sunday worship also had the power of God operating in them. I also heard the worship was awesome in old Constantinople... So don't blame everything on the Catholics.

But are they following God or traditions of man, that is the issue...

 

[Hobie]

Now some try to claim it was changed in the Bible or by the disciples or their actions or the resurrection, but Sunday has nothing even after the resurrection as the disciples continued with the Sabbath as it was before so you have to really twist scripture to fit a change to Sunday as the day of worship. It isnt there.......

Here is a good explanation by by Kenneth A. Strand in The Sabbath in Scripture and History:

"...The word Sunday is not found in the Bible. In the New Testament the first day of the week is mentioned eight times. In none of the eight instances is the first day said to be a day of worship, never is it said to be the Christian substitute for the Old Testament Sabbath, and never do the texts suggest that the first day of the week should be regarded as a memorial of Christ's resurrection. Let us briefly consider each of the eight New Testament passages that mention the first day of the week.

Matthew 28:1, "After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake. . . ." Jesus was crucified on Friday. He rested in the tomb over the Sabbath and rose early on Sunday morning. The verse indicates that the women disciples returned to the tomb at the very first opportunity after the death and burial of Jesus. Because the Sabbath came so soon after His burial, they could not approach the tomb again until after sundown on Sabbath evening. (The Sabbath began at sundown on the sixth day and ended at sundown on the seventh day; compare Lev. 23:32; Neh. 13:19; Mark 1:21, 32) Early Sunday morning was the most convenient time for them to visit the tomb.

Mark 16:1, 2, "When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb."Mark records the same events as Matthew with the additional information that the women visited the tomb early on the Sunday morning for the express purpose of anointing Jesus' body with spices.

Mark 16:9, "Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons."This verse simply records that, after His resurrection early on the Sunday morning, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene.

Luke 23:54 24:1, "It [the day of Jesus' death and burial] was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment. But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared." The Sabbath came a few hours after Jesus' death on the cross. The women disciples "rested the sabbath day according to the commandment" (Luke 23:56, KJV). Then very early in the morning of the first day they visited the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. The fact that they observed the Sabbath rest is sufficient indication that Jesus had never attempted to change the day or to suggest that after His death the first day would replace the Sabbath. Writing years after the event, Luke gave not the slightest hint that, even though the women disciples of Jesus observed the Sabbath, such a practice was no longer expected of Christians. He simply recorded that the Sabbath day "according to the commandment," which Jesus' followers were careful to observe, was the day after the crucifixion day (Friday), and before the resurrection day (Sunday).

John 20:1, "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb."Mary Magdalene visited the tomb early the first day of the week. Nothing is said of Sunday as a day of worship or rest.

John 20:19, "When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.'" On the evening of the first day of the week the disciples were assembled behind locked doors "for fear of the Jews." Jesus appeared to them at that time. The passage does not say that henceforth Sunday was to be the day for worship. Since it was the evening of the first day of the week that Jesus appeared to the disciples, it was after sundown. According to Jewish reckoning this was actually the beginning of the second day (Monday; compare Gen. 1:5, 8 ). A week later when Thomas happened to be present, Jesus met with the disciples again (verse 26). But, writing years later, John records nothing regarding Sunday as a day of Christian worship. John's narrative gives no warrant for regarding Sunday as a substitute for the Sabbath or as a day to be distinguished by Christians above any other day of the week. And there is no indication in the passage that Sunday should henceforth be observed as a memorial of Christ's resurrection....

 

[Hobie]

....Acts 20:7, "On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion with them; since he intended to leave the next day, he continued speaking until midnight."Since the meeting was held at night on the first day of the week, it may have been Saturday night. According to Jewish reckoning, the Sabbath ended and the first day of the week began at sundown of the seventh day. If it were Sunday evening, the event gives no suggestion that Sunday should be observed as a day of worship. The following verses record that Paul preached a sermon on Thursday. The next day after the meeting recorded in Acts 20:7 (Monday), Paul and his party set sail for Mitylene (Acts 20:13, 14). The following day (Tuesday) they arrived opposite Chios (verse 15). The next day (Wednesday) they passed Samos (verse 15), and the day after that (Thursday) they arrived at Miletus (verse 15). The elders of the church of Ephesus met Paul at Miletus, and he preached to them (Acts 20:16-36). Because a Christian service was held on Thursday, do we conclude that Thursday is a day for regular Christian worship replacing the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath? A religious service on Sunday, Thursday, or any other day certainly did not make that day a replacement for the seventh-day Sabbath or a day of regular Christian worship and rest. There is no special significance in the disciples breaking bread at this first-day meeting, for they broke bread "daily" (Acts 2:46). We are not told that it was a Lord's Supper celebration, nor are we told that henceforth Sunday should be the day for this service to be conducted. To read Sunday sacredness or Sunday observance into Acts 20:7 is to do violence to the text.

1 Corinthians 16:1, 2, "Now concerning the collection for the saints: you should follow the directions I gave the churches of Galatia. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn, so that collections need not be taken when I come. And when I arrive, I will send any whom you approve with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem." These verses may be literally translated from the Greek as follows: "And concerning the collection for the saints, as I instructed the churches of Galatia, so also you do. On the first day of the week let each of you place (or 'lay') by himself, storing up whatever he might be prospered, so that when I come there might be no collections." (Italics supplied.) The phrase "by himself" (par' heauto), followed by the participle "storing up" or "saving" (thesaupizon), rules out the possibility that this is a reference to an offering taken up in a worship service. The Christian believer was to check his accounts on Sunday and put by at home the money that he wished to give to Paul for the support of the church. When Paul arrived, then the offerings of each individual would be collected.

None of these eight New Testament references to the first day of the week (Sunday), provides any evidence that Jesus or His disciples changed the day of worship from the seventh to the first day. Nor is the first day of the week represented as a time to memorialize the resurrection of Christ. Whatever special significance was given to Sunday in the later history of the church, it had no basis in the teaching or practice of Jesus and His apostles.."... https://www.andrews.edu/library/car/cardigital/Periodicals/AUSS/1983-2/1983-2-10.pdf

Jesus and the apostles kept the Sabbath and continued after the resurrection, so it wasn't changed by them....

 

[Hobie]

Now in addition to bringing what the masses had celebrated as a pagan festival day the "dies solis", many of the old Roman gods from pagan times where brought into the church. Here are a few of the pagan gods and how they were renamed to let their worship continue:

Demeter is a goddess of many festivals but most important, the Thesmophoria, which fell in late October. She became St. Demetrios, a masculine warrior saint, whose fd. is 10/26.

Aphrodite became St. Aphrodite, of which there are several, all with saints' tales that tell how she became a "repentant harlot."

Nike was picked up as Saint Nicholas, who was extremely popular wherever shipping was important. He is the patron saint of Russian, Holland and Germany, all on the north sea coast.

The Roman god Mars was originally a god who guarded wheat fields. He became St. Martin (esp. St. Martin-in-the-fields). Although March is the month associated with Mars (it was the beginning of the military campaigning season in Roman times), the major festival for him in Christian times now usually falls in February, called Mardi Gras "Great Mars."

The Roman god Quirinus became St. Cyrinus, of which there are various "equestrian warrior saints" such as St. Cyr in France, and St. Quirina, mother of St. Lawrence. The element quir- means (or was understood to mean) `horse.' These saints were very popular and widely worshiped in the Middle-Ages, in France, Holland and also eastern Christian countries.

The Roman gods known as the Lares became St. Lawrence, esp. St. Lawrence beyond-the-wall. The Lares were field gods who protected the grain growing in the fields. In Italian, he became St. Lorenzo beyond the Walls, meaning outside of the walls of the city, for which there is still a church in Rome, with many "daughter" churches which developed from it.

The Roman goddess Venus became St. Venera (with a feminized ending to her name since -us looks like a masculine ending in Latin). She had a major church in Rome in early Christian times, but that didn't last long.

The Roman gods known as the Gemini, who were protectors of sailors in Roman pagan times, became the Sanctos Geminos, with a number of forms in the various Christian religions. Santiago de Compostela, (St. James in English) became the protector of pilgrims during the Middle Ages. Forms of St. James all seem to be christianized from various forms of the Proto-Indo-European god *Yama. This god was repeatedly christianized in most of the Indo-European language groups.

The ancient Romans worshiped gods and goddesses involved with every aspect of life. Jupiter, the chief of the gods, was the god of rain and storms, while his wife, Juno, was the goddess of womanhood. Minerva was the goddess of handicrafts and wisdom; Venus, of sexual love and birth; Vesta, of the hearth and sacred fires; Ceres, of farming and harvests.

The Greeks considered Mercury, whom they called Hermes, to be the messenger of the gods, but the Romans worshiped him as the god of trade, with businesspeople celebrating his feast day to increase profits. And there were other popular deities: Mars, god of war; Castor and Pollux, gods of sea travelers; Cronos, the guardian of time; and of course Cupid, god of love, whose magic arrows caused both human beings and immortals to fall in love.

While the Romans would call generically on "the gods," each major deity still had its own cult, and worshippers would pray and conduct religious ceremonies to a specific god or goddess to implore help.

Now lets look at St. Valentine and origins of Valentine's Day:
"The most plausible theory for St. Valentine's Day traces its customs back to the Roman Lupercalia, a feast celebrated in February in honor of the pastoral god Lupercus, a Roman version of the Greek god Pan. The festival was an important one for the Romans and, occurring when it did, naturally had some aspects of a rebirth rite to it" (St. Valentine, Cupid and Jesus Christ by Gary Petty pp. 50-51).

'Saint Brigid' was named after one of the most powerful goddesses of the Pagan religion..Probably the clearest example of the survival of an early goddess into Christian times is Brigid, the great triple goddess of the Celtic Irish. Bridget took religious vows,...and was canonized after her death by her adoptive church, which allowed the saint a curious list of attributes, coincidentally identical to those of the earlier goddess."Exerpt from Goddess & Heroines by Patricia Monaghan

Pagan gods were made Christian saints. Bacchus became St. Bacchus, and Dionysiusbecame St. Denys or Denis."-(Charles G. Berger, Our Phallic Heritage
[NY, NY: Greenwich Book Publishers, Inc., 1966],p. 154-155).

"Semiramis became known as the "queen of heaven," and was the prototype
from which all other pagan goddesses came."--World Religionsby David Terrell

"Nimrod and his mother (Semiramis) became the chief entities of worship
as a Madonna and child. This belief and practice spread to Egypt, where the names of the gods were Isis and Osiris. ....In Rome they were called Fortuna and
Jupiter."--The Bible as Historyby Werner Keller

"The Virgin [Mary] was given the title Queen of Heaven and is depicted wearing
a blue robe decorated with stars and standing on a crescent Moon. This image
is almost identical to pagan representations of the goddess of love Ishtar who was worshipped by the Babylonians."-(Michael Howard, The Occult Conspiracy:
The Power of Secret Societies in World History) Ancient statues of mother and child formerly known as the Pagan gods Isis and Horus became Mary and baby Jesus and the old forms of worship came into the church.

And we find even more... https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/st-valentine-cupid-and-jesus-christ

Pagan Gods and Goddesses Worshipped as Christian Saints

 

[Hobie]

If you look through what they documented in the many parts of history you start to see clear evidence of what they did to bring in Sunday to gain pagan converts...

The church at Rome used the Sunday festival and the change of the Passover to 'Easter' to have the pagan masses join the church. But enforced Sunday worship began with the Roman Empire, under Constantine. This can be seen in the A.D. 321 edict forbidding work on “the venerable day of the sun”—Sunday issued by Constantine. In a letter following the Nicene Council of A.D. 325, Constantine spoke of the enforcement of Sunday worship for Easter services: “At this meeting the question concerning the most holy day of Easter was discussed, and it was resolved by the united judgment of all present that this feast ought to be kept by all and in every place on one and the same day.” HOW WAS PASSOVER REPLACED BY EASTER… And Who Did It? — The Church of God International

In other words, Easter was to be kept on Sunday, and the Jewish observance of Passover was expressly forbidden. And to those who ignored the decrees of the Nicene Council, Constantine wrote, in another letter regarding Sabbath worship, “Forasmuch, then, as it is no longer possible to bear with your pernicious errors, we give warning by this present statute that none of you henceforth presume to assemble yourselves together. We have directed, accordingly, that you be deprived of all the houses in which you are accustomed to hold your assemblies: and our care in this respect extends so far as to forbid the holding of your superstitious and senseless meetings, not in public merely, but in any private house or place whatsoever. Let those of you, therefore, who are desirous of embracing the true and pure religion take the far better course of entering the Catholic Church …. [F]rom this day forward none of your unlawful assemblies may presume to appear in any public or private place. Let this edict be made public.”| Philadelphia Church of God

After Constantine gave his edict, worship on any day except Sunday basically became illegal. Then in A.D. 363, the Council of Laodicea pass another law that determined, “Christians must not Judaize by resting on the Sabbath [that is, Saturday], but must work on that day, rather honoring the Lord’s day …. But if any shall be found to be Judaizers, let them be anathema [cursed and excommunicated] from Christ.” Why did the Council of Laodicea condemn "Judaizing" Sabbath rest?

As you can clearly see, there is no question as to what the Roman Catholic Church did, enforced by the Roman Empire.

 

[rockytopva]

We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. - Romans 3:23

For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. - Galatians 5:3-4

We simply are justified by the faith that is in Jesus Christ. I would not want to spoil the conscience of some believer by telling them they are not doing righteous by some stickler of the law.

 

[Hobie]

Very true, but look to see what 'law' was used to force 'Sunday worship' from the masses, and the origin. So the Emperor was coerced to pass the Sunday law.. “On the venerable day of the sun, let the magistrates and people living in towns, rest, and let all work-shops be closed. Nevertheless, in the country, those engaged in the cultivation of land may freely and lawfully work, because it often happens that another day is not so well fitted for sowing grain and planting vines; lest by neglect of the best time, the bounty provided by Heaven should be lost. Given the seventh day of March, Crispus and Constantine being consuls, both for the second time.”

This was not the very first Sunday law that they secured; the first one has not survived. But although the first one has not survived, the reason for it has. Sozomen says that it was “that the day might be devoted with less interruption to the purposes of devotion.” And this statement of Sozomen’s is indorsed by Neander (“Church History,” vol. 2, p. 298). This reason given by Sozomen reveals the secret of the legislation; it shows that it was in behalf of the church, and to please the church.

By reading the above edict, it is seen that they started out quite moderately. They did not stop all work; only judges, towns-people, and mechanics were required to rest, while people in the country might freely and lawfully work. The emperor paraded his soldiers on Sunday, and required them to repeat in concert the following prayer:
“Thee alone we acknowledge as the true God; thee we acknowledge as Ruler; thee we invoke for help; from thee have we received the victory; through thee have we conquered our enemies; to thee are we indebted for our present blessings; from thee also we hope for future favors; to thee we will direct our prayer. We beseech thee, that thou wouldst preserve our Emperor Constantine and his pious sons in health and prosperity through the longest life.”

This Sunday law of A. D. 321 continued until 386, when-“Those older changes effected by the Emperor Constantine were more rigorously enforced, and, in general civil transactions of every kind on Sunday were strictly forbidden. Whoever transgressed was to be considered in fact, as guilty of sacrilege.—Neander, Id., p. 300

Then as the people were not allowed to do any manner of work, they would play, and as the natural consequence the circuses and the theaters throughout the empire were crowded every Sunday. But the object of the law, from the first one that was issued, was that the day might be used for the purposes of devotion, and the people might go to church. Consequently, that this object might be met, there was another step to take, and it was taken. At a church convention held at Carthage in 401, the bishops passed a resolution to send up a petition to the emperor, praying—“That the public shows might be transferred from the Christian Sunday, and from feast days, to some other days of the week.”—Id

And the reason given in support of the petition was:—The people congregate more to the circus than to the church.”—Id., note 5.

“Church teachers ...were in truth often forced to complain that in such competitions the theater was vastly more frequented than the church.”—Id.

And the church could not then stand competition; she wanted a monopoly. And she got it.

This petition of the Carthage Convention could not be granted at once, but in 425 the desired law was secured; and to this also there was attached the reason that was given for the first Sunday law that ever was made; namely:—
“In order that the devotion of the faithful might be free from all disturbance.”—Id., p. 301

 

[Hobie]

Here is more from A.T. Jones, Great Empires of Prophecy..
'The word apostasy means to fall away, or to depart from the truth of God. This is only to fall away from the power of God and thus to leave the church powerless. To be powerless means to be without any ability to accomplish anything at all. This then means that the church has lost all right of existence when it has come to this place where she has nothing at all to attract the people, and she finds herself drifting more and more into insignificance.

Therefore, the church must seek another power to attract the people other than the power of God. But what other power was there? There was only one other power and that was the power of force. If the people would not of themselves come to the churches and support them then they must be forced to come.

But the power of force rested not in the hands of the church. The state was the custodian of that. Therefore it followed that by some means the church must win the support of the state until they could finally control it and use it to force the people to do exactly what they wanted them to do.

There could be no other possible outcome than this. It was the inevitable step by step development of it all. And it was not a sudden thing. No apostasy or the result of it is ever sudden. It is a process. And inasmuch as that power is firmly held in the possession of the secular authorities who have been put in the world to rule those who cannot rule themselves, it follows that the church must gain the control of the State in order to control the power of the State.

The time had come when the churches so lacked the power of God that they could no longer attract the people at all and on the Sunday, and special feast days, the priests found that the people would rather work than come to church. This would never do, for not only was it a serious blow to their pride and prestige, but a decided threat to their livelihood. Having in the meantime gained great favor and power with the Emperor they went to him and secured the law that forbade all work on the first day of the week.

Neander in his history of the Christian Religion and Church, vol.2. section 3, part 2, div.3, par.4, records the fact in these words, "By a law of the year 386, these older changes effected by the Emperor Constantine were more rigorously enforced; and, in general, civil transactions of every kind on Sunday were strictly forbidden. Whosoever transgressed was to be considered, in fact, guilty of sacrilege."

"As a direct result of this law, there soon appeared an evil which, under the circumstances and in the logic of the case, called for further legislation in the same direction. The law forbade all work. But as the people had no such religion as would cause them to devote the day to pious and moral exercises, the effect of the law was only to enforce idleness. Enforced idleness only multiplied opportunity for dissipation. The natural consequences was that the circuses and the theaters throughout the empire were crowded every Sunday." A.T. Jones, Great Empires of Prophecy, p.488.

What to do now? The answer was simple. Having entered upon this wrong path there was nothing left to do but to go further along that path and accordingly they worked till they had a law that closed the theaters on the Sunday. At the council of Carthage in June A.D.401, the following canon was enacted:

"Canon 5. On Sundays and feast days, no plays may be performed."

This they carried to the Emperor Honorius and requested that he pass this into law.

"The church members had not enough religion or love of right to do what they professed to believe was right, therefore, the State was asked to take away from them all opportunity to do wrong; then they would be Christians! Satan himself could be that kind of Christian in that way, and he would be the devil still." Idem, 490.

In 425 this came into law and the priests were now confident that the churches were to be filled with a people who, not being permitted by law to work on the Sunday or to play either would now come to church. But again they were disappointed for the people would rather do nothing at all than come to the church which held nothing for them. Accordingly they rested at home on the Sunday and the church was as empty as ever.

"In the logic of this theory there was one more step to be taken. To see how logically it came about, let us glance at the steps taken from the first one to this point: First, the church had all work on Sunday forbidden, in order that the people might attend to things divine; work was forbidden, that the people might worship. But the people would not worship; they went to the circuses and to the theaters instead of to church. Then the church had laws enacted closing the circuses and the theaters, in order that the people might attend church. But even then the people would not be devoted, nor attend church, for they had no real religion. The next step to be taken therefore, in the logic of the situation was to compel them to be devoted, to compel them to attend to things divine. This was the next step logically to be taken, and it was taken. The theocratical bishops were equal to the occasion. They exactly met the demands of the case; and one of the grandest of the Catholic Fathers and Catholic saints, Augustine, was the father of this Catholic saintly theory. He wrote:

'It is indeed better that men should be brought to serve God by instruction than by fear of punishment or by pain. But because the former means are better, the latter must not therefore be rejected.... Many must be often brought back to their Lord, like wicked servants, by the rod of temporal sufferings, before they attain the highest grade of religious development.'"

.. Of course the majority of people who before did not have enough religion to take them to church now went, for they did not have enough religion in them either to discern the nature of this force to offer any resistance to it.

But now the true people of God began to find themselves in difficulty. They could obey a civil law that forbade work on the first day of the week, and the law that forbade them from going to the circuses and the theaters did not touch them either, but when a law came into being that demanded that they worship on the false sabbath, then they found that they had to disobey that law.

So they found themselves suffering the civil penalties of breaking a law that the church had caused the State to enact in the selfish interests of a church which, having lost the power of God, had no right to even exist as a church. And when the church found that such punishments as were inflicted did not cause the true ones to waver and to obey, then, in the ultimate, they brought in the death decree and as history attests, they slew with savage and heartless cruelty the thousands who would not yield but would obey God rather than man no matter what the price might be...."Augustine, A.T.Jones, Great Empires

 

[Grailhunter]

We see the scriptures are clear that no other day was made as the day of worship except the seventh day, and Christians are fully aware that Sunday worship is not ordained by God or anywhere in the Bible or given by Christ or the apostles, so what is its origin. Here are statements that give a clue:

"Protestants ... accept Sunday rather than Saturday as the day for public worship after the Catholic Church made the change... But the Protestant mind does not seem to realize that ... in observing Sunday, they are accepting the authority of the spokesman for the Church, the pope." Our Sunday Visitor, February 5th, 1950. This Rock

It is a little frustrating and I try to see the humor in it. Why spew garbage? I imagine some do it in an attempt to deceive but mostly they do it out of ignorance and laziness. Ignorant because they do not know and lazy because they do not look into it….It is easier to just talk nonsense.

Either way it is the reason for my ministry….people like you spewing false beliefs and lead Christianity astray.

Here you are wrong from stem to stern. The Catholics had nothing to do with establishing the Lord’s Day on Sunday, they merely agreed with it. The Lord’s day was mostly established by the Gentile-Christians by the end of the 1st century. And by that time the only Christians observing the Jewish Saturday Sabbath were the Jewish-Christians and by the end of the 1st century they were dying out quickly. No Jewish-Christian writings past the 1st century, but from the 1st century on the Gentile-Christians were writing and in the 2nd century they were confirming Sunday as the Lord’s day and condemning those that worshipped on the Saturday Jewish Sabbath.

Christianity did not stop at the end of the Bible and God did not stop interacting with people further improving their morality.

Well it’s not in the Bible!!! People prey on the Bible Only people, because they live a confused religion and it is usually cults and preachers of false beliefs that use the KJV Bible. Preaching confusion from confusion.

Not in the Bible AHHH!
Well the requirement for wedding ceremonies to be married is not in the Bible….The Protestants made that decision in the 16th century. Good stuff.

The Bible did not put an end to polygamy. Martin Luther confirmed that.

The Bible did not put an end to concubinage.

The Bible did not put an end to slavery.

What would Christianity be like if we practiced these things. And the people that spew this nonsense about observing the Saturday Jewish Sabbath never explain how to do it. The Bible never said to stop sacrificing animals on the Sabbath.
But the people that are spewing these false beliefs are fishing for the ignorant. Don’t bite on the line.

 

[Hobie]

It is a little frustrating and I try to see the humor in it. Why spew garbage? I imagine some do it in an attempt to deceive but mostly they do it out of ignorance and laziness. Ignorant because they do not know and lazy because they do not look into it….It is easier to just talk nonsense.

Either way it is the reason for my ministry….people like you spewing false beliefs and lead Christianity astray.

Here you are wrong from stem to stern. The Catholics had nothing to do with establishing the Lord’s Day on Sunday, they merely agreed with it. The Lord’s day was mostly established by the Gentile-Christians by the end of the 1st century. And by that time the only Christians observing the Jewish Saturday Sabbath were the Jewish-Christians and by the end of the 1st century they were dying out quickly. No Jewish-Christian writings past the 1st century, but from the 1st century on the Gentile-Christians were writing and in the 2nd century they were confirming Sunday as the Lord’s day and condemning those that worshipped on the Saturday Jewish Sabbath.

Christianity did not stop at the end of the Bible and God did not stop interacting with people further improving their morality.

Well it’s not in the Bible!!! People prey on the Bible Only people, because they live a confused religion and it is usually cults and preachers of false beliefs that use the KJV Bible. Preaching confusion from confusion.

Not in the Bible AHHH!
Well the requirement for wedding ceremonies to be married is not in the Bible….The Protestants made that decision in the 16th century. Good stuff.

The Bible did not put an end to polygamy. Martin Luther confirmed that.

The Bible did not put an end to concubinage.

The Bible did not put an end to slavery.

What would Christianity be like if we practiced these things. And the people that spew this nonsense about observing the Saturday Jewish Sabbath never explain how to do it. The Bible never said to stop sacrificing animals on the Sabbath.
But the people that are spewing these false beliefs are fishing for the ignorant. Don’t bite on the line.

History is "garbage"? Reminds me of the old saying...“Those Who Do Not Learn History Are Doomed To Repeat It....”

 

[Grailhunter]

History is "garbage"? Reminds me of the old saying...“Those Who Do Not Learn History Are Doomed To Repeat It....”

Ya for it to be of benefit you got to look into it and get it right.

 

[GRACE ambassador]

op: 'history' of Sunday gathering?

"What Saith The Word Of Truth, Rightly Divided"?:

Sabbath = a sign for Israel

In prophecy / covenants / law for the "lost sheep" Of earthly Israel:

"Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily My sabbaths ​

ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your ​

generations; that ye may know that I AM The LORD that doth sanctify you."​

(Exodus 31:13 AV)​

​

"Moreover also I gave them My sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, ​

that they might know that I AM The LORD that sanctify them." (Ezekiel 20:12 AV)​

​

"And hallow My sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, ​

that ye may know that I AM The LORD your God." (Ezekiel 20:20 AV)​

​

"Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, ​

and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments: ​

And madest known unto them Thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, ​

statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant" (Nehemiah 9:13-14 AV)​

+​

"Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to His disciples, Saying, The scribes and the ​

Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that ​

observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not." ​

(Matthew 23:1-3 AV)​

Including "the sabbath" [ God's sign ] to them = Israel, under the law of Moses

Rightly Divided (2 Timothy 2:15 AV) From “Things That Differ!” (online):

In The Revelation Of The Mystery, and The Gospel Of The Grace Of God:

The [ Heavenly ] Body Of Christ, following Paul as he followed Christ
(1Co 4:16, 11:1 AV), gathering When? Saturday??:

"And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together​

to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow;​

and continued his speech until midnight." (Acts 20:7 AV)​

​

In God's Grace/Peace/Love letters to The Body Of Christ, Today, for us,
there are No "sabbath" Scriptures, Excepting [ in the Negative! ]:

"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: Which are​

a shadow of things to come; but The Body Is Of Christ."​

(Colossians 2:16-17 cp Galatians! AV)​

The Body Of Christ, children [ "of the Day" ] Of God, By "Grace Through faith"
really should stop "living in the shadow [ Darkness ]", but, "live in The Light,"

And, Also stop the condemnation and judging of all the brethren
(Romans 14:4, 10-12 cp 1Co 3:8-15, 4:5; 2Co 5:10 AV), since we
all have been:

"delivered from the curse * of the law," and are not "under the law"
But we Are "Under Grace", with the following:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath ​

blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ...​

​

...In Whom we have Redemption Through His [ Precious ] BLOOD, ​

The Forgiveness of sins, According To The Riches Of His Grace"​

(Ephesians 1:3...7)​

Not according to our "keeping a day." Amen?

Paul teaches that the law’s only purpose today is to point out our sin and lead
us to Christ (Rom. 3:19-20; 4:15; 5:20-21; 7:5-6; Gal. 3:19-24; 1 Tim. 1:5-11).

Conclusion: "keeping the law, observing a day," for salvation?

"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of Grace,​

but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him​

that Justifieth the ungodly, His faith Is Counted For Righteousness."​

(Romans 4:4-5 AV)​

Cease [ rest from ] all "working" for salvation, and then, for sanctification:

Fulfill All Of His Law, In "One Word: Love thy neighbor as thyself!"​

(Galatians 5:14; Romans 13:8-10 AV) ↑ ↑ ↑ No "keeping a day" ↑ ↑ ↑​

Resting in, and worshipping, The LORD Jesus Christ, 24 / 7 / 365 Every day!

God's Grace Word Is Very Clear:

"And if By Grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise Grace ​

is no more Grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more Grace: ​

otherwise work is no more work." (Romans 11:6 AV)​

​

-----------------------------

The Inspired and Profitable Word Of Truth, Rightly Divided, Sounds Really Good to me.

Uninspired and Confusing 'history' lesson - not so much ​

* Perchance any dear precious reader has not yet "been Delivered From
The Curse of the law," please Be Very Richly Encouraged and Edified In:

God's Very Simple Will, Under HIS PURE GRACE!

Amen.

 

[RedFan]

Rightly Divided (2 Timothy 2:15 AV) From “Things That Differ!” (online):

With all due respect to the KJV, this "rightly dividing" translation of ὀρθοτομοῦντα just doesn't cut it (pun intended). Paul is talking about the word of God here. If literalness is your goal, a better translation would be "properly apportioned." But literalness would be a mistake here; Paul was trying to say "correctly interpreted" rather than "rightly divided" (among whom? the word of God is not to be meted out in distinct measured shares among recipients, like some kind of humanitarian aid! everyone gets it all!).

Still, this "rightly divided" phrase seems to have stuck. So to those fond of the phrase, I say go ahead and do your long division - but don't imagine you are somehow dividing the word of God between truth and falsity. God's word contains only truth, and needs no division. Just understanding.

Sorry to stray off topic.

 

[Hobie]

Ya for it to be of benefit you got to look into it and get it right.

Please, enlighten us if you have it 'right'.