How did the change from Saturday to Sunday come about? Pt.2

Dear Reader,

We said last week that due to persecution of the Jews by the Romans, which often included the Christians who were identified as Jews, because they were followers of Christ who was a Jew, the Christians tried to dissociate themselves from the Jews and their religions. This meant giving up the Sabbath which was the chief method of identifying the Jews. As the Christian church grew stronger and became the state church of the Roman Empire, the bishops of the church in Rome prevailed upon the Roman government to legislate laws enforcing Sunday observance instead of Saturday observance. This change did not just happen overnight, it took several centuries accomplish it. At the Council of Laodicea in Asia Minor (fourth century), Christians were prohibited from Judaizing and being idle on the Sabbath. They were forced to work on the Sabbath and to recognise Sundays as the new day of worship, Canon 29, A History of the Councils of the Church, vol. 2, p. 316. Eventually, the Christian Church set up by Jesus Christ turned into the Roman Catholic Church. Those who continued in the teachings of Jesus were forced underground due to intense persecution by the Roman Catholic Church. History shows that sabbath (Seventh day) keeping as instituted by God and continued by Jesus and the disciples was never entirely obliterated. Churches in Syria, Ethiopia, Egypt and the British Isles, including Ireland, were keeping the Seventh day as the day of worship for a long time. The Seventh-day Baptists continued this act up to today; then there is the Seventh-day Church of God, and also the Seventh-day Adventists who carry on the ancient custom of the Early Church in keeping Saturday holy. Today the champions of Sabbath (Saturday) keeping are the Seventh-day Adventists. They were once Sunday keepers but a Seventh day Baptist showed them biblical proof for keeping Saturday holy instead of Sunday. Since then, they have always been Sabbath keepers. The champions of Sunday keeping are the Roman Catholics. They do not hide this. Next week, we will see the claims, they make. God bless.