Amaleq13

While I think your point about slaves and their "free time" is certainly relevant, I don't think there is any reason to necessarily assume different services existed at this early date. It seems to me that every early Christian service was essentially an "Easter service".

Steven Avery

Thank you Robto.
This is really the numero uno book on the topic.

Here is a little (!) more about it
http://english.sdaglobal.org/dnl/bac...ks/sab2sun.pdf
FROM SABBATH to SUNDAY A Historical Investigation of the Rise of Sunday Observance in Early Christianity Samuele Bacchiocchi

Samuele aslo has another related book
http://english.sdaglobal.org/dnl/bac...oks/sabbnt.pdf
THE SABBATH IN THE NEW TESTAMENT Answers to Questions
- Samuele Bacchiocchi

In August, 2005 we discussed some of these points on the bible_research forum, eg.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bible_...h/message/3266
[bible_research] Re: nazarenes
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bible_...h/message/3278
[bible_research] Re: The Lord's Day - recommended reading

Also an excellent book by Ray Pritz, Nazarene Jewish Christianity
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...ternetinfidels
http://www.centuryone.com/8108-9.html
(better than probably all the books on Julien's current list )

There are a couple of notes in ..
http://www.wheaton.edu/DistanceLearning/Post-70.htm
GLIMPSES OF JEWISH CHRISTIANITY FROM THE END OF ACTS TO JUSTIN MARTYR (A.D. 62-150)

Very well done is the work continuing from the late James Arrabito
http://www.tagnet.org/llt/sabbath_history.shtml
The last is more of a pro-sabbath apologetic than a
dysfunctional scholarly tomb

... oopss.. a functional scholarly tome.

Shalom,
Steven Avery
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Messianic_Apologetic

punk77

Many thanks for the welcome :wave:.

This is the kind of stuff that I am looking for . I have a rough idea about the lack of evidence for a 1st day Sabbath but I am trying to find out more specifics about the different sects that were around at the time and trying to understand their history. Before I came on this site I had no idea just how many things about early chriatianity were disputed. I had read the 'Biblical Errancy' phamphlets but this place goes into far more detail about a lot more things. The breadth and depth of knowledge of the posters on this site is pretty amazing :notworthy:.

punk77

Many thanks for all these links . I will start looking through them now.

Tigers!

Christ arose early in the morning, before it was light.

Chili

Not if Jesus was the one who died. The reason why it was dark for Jesus was because he was disconnected from the source of light = Christ.

So it rather dumb to worship a dead ego who's 'lights' are out.

Tigers!

Which one don't the Christians follow?

Steven Avery

Hi Tigers.. when most Christians look at the 4th commandment, the creation 7th-day sabbath, they try to do things like .. transfer, abrogate, spiritualize, trivialize or subsume. Keeping, following the Decalogue sabbath commandment is the one of the lesser responses, in numbers.

Chili

By definition a Christian is set free from the law and cannot sin (1Jn.3:9 and Gal.5:4). This would be where the victory is and that is exactly why the laws were given to Moses. That is, to convict man of sin for which the 'orgy' must continue that he might stand convicted and subsequently be set free from slavery and sin.

punk77

After reading some of the links provided :thumbs: I have reached the following conclusions:

- Nazarenes/Ebionites - could be two different names for the same group of the earliest followers of Jesus;
- They were lead 1st by Jesus then by his brother James (the Just) and then, when he was killed, by another brother - cousin? - called Simeon;
- They all followed the 7th day Sabbath and did not endorse the teaching of Paul - who was not one of the original disciples.

No matter which one of the different lists of disciples you use:

- Matthew & Mark - same 12 names;
- Luke - different 12 names;
- John - only 9 names and some of them different from the other two lists (with one of the disciples not even given a name )

there is no record of any of the disciples advocating a 1st day Sabbath over a 7th day Sabbath.

When the minister that I am in debate with writes 'No dispute appears to have existed during the first three centuries about the 1st day Sabbath' he is either lying or ignorant :devil1:.

Any corrections/comments/criticisms appreciated .