In the previous chapter we saw how Adventist denominations erroneously argue that it was the Emperor Constantine who ordered the substitution of the Sabbath with Sunday as the Lord’s Day. In addition to this, I have seen how they frequently use patristic citations that are distorted or even taken out of context in an attempt to demonstrate that some Church Fathers defended the observance of the Sabbath. One example is found in the citations from Saint Augustine that an Adventist sent to my website:

“If you love God, you will dedicate the sabbath to resting in Him”…“Lord and our God, grant us the peace of the sabbath, with its morning and its evening.” Augustine of Hippo

“You are told to keep the Sabbath. You become his adversary when you do not do what I command, and I become his adversary if I do not say what he commands me to say: that you keep the sabbath.” Saint Augustine of Hippo, Complete Works

First of all, it must be noted that Saint Augustine does indeed speak in several instances about the spiritual observance of the Sabbath:

“The observance of the sabbath day is enjoined upon us more strictly than upon them, because it is enjoined in a spiritual sense (spiritually). The Jews observe the sabbath day in a servile manner, in indulgence and drunkenness. How much better it would be for their women to busy themselves on that day with weaving wool than to dance upon the terraces!

Far be it from us to believe that the Jews observed the sabbath. The Christian who abstains from servile works is the one who spiritually observes the sabbath. What is a servile work? Sin. What proof is there of this? The Lord gives it: “Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” God enjoins upon us the spiritual observance of the sabbath.”[1]

Later on we will address what it means for the bishop of Hippo to keep the sabbath spiritually, but what was indeed certain is that for Christians Sunday is the Lord’s Day:

“On the other hand, we are not commanded to observe literally the day of the sabbath with respect to the cessation of bodily activity, as the Jews observe it—a literal observance which, unless it signifies some other spiritual rest, is accounted ridiculous. We rightly understand, therefore, that all those things which are figuratively spoken of in the Holy Scriptures serve to inflame the love by which we tend toward rest, since in the Decalogue only the precept of rest is set forth figuratively, which rest is loved everywhere and found with certainty and holiness in God alone.

Sunday was prescribed, not to the Jews, but to the Christians, by reason of the resurrection of the Lord, and from that moment it began to have its solemnity. For the souls of all the saints truly rest before the resurrection of the bodies, but they do not have that activity which vivifies the bodies that were consigned to them. That activity is signified by the eighth day, which merges with the first, since it does not suspend but glorifies that rest… The holy patriarchs, filled with the prophetic spirit before the resurrection of the Lord, already knew that sacrament of the eighth day which signifies the resurrection… But when the resurrection took place in the body of the Lord, so that there might precede in the Head of the Church what the body of the same awaits for the end, the eighth day could already begin to be celebrated, which is identical to the first, that is, Sunday.”[2]

In addition to this explanation, in De Utilitate Credendi he enumerates among the legal precepts and commandments that Christians are no longer permitted to observe, the observance of the Sabbath:

“But all these precepts and legal commands which it is no longer lawful for Christians to observe—such as those concerning circumcision, the sabbath, sacrifices, and other similar things—contain such great mysteries that no pious person fails to recognize the evils which result from taking literally what is there set forth, nor the excellent fruits which result if they are understood as they are revealed to the spirit.

Hence Saint Paul says: “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” And that passage: “The same veil remains over the reading of the old covenant, without perceiving that only in Christ is it removed.” It is not that Christ removes the Old Testament, but that He unveils it, so that through Christ what without Him would remain in darkness and closed becomes intelligible and manifest.”[3]

Other texts in which he acknowledges that the observance of the Sabbath has been abolished for Christians:

“What does God say to Jeremiah? “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Jacob.” Abandon the old, embrace the new, and you will see how you must set aside circumcision, unleavened bread, the sabbath, and carnal sacrifices.”[4]

“There are works of the law contained in the ancient sacraments; once the New Testament has been revealed, these are no longer observed by Christians. Such are the circumcision of the foreskin, the carnal rest of the sabbath, abstinence from certain foods, the sacrifice of sheep, new moons, unleavened bread, and the like.”[5]

And he continues further in the same letter:

“Whoever wishes to be free from this carnal and animal Judaism, and from the reprehensible and condemnable that goes with it, must put away from himself those ancient rites which ceased to be necessary once the New Testament was revealed and the things signified by those symbols have been accomplished; we must no longer pass judgment on food and drink, on any portion of a feast, new moons, or sabbaths, which are shadows of what is to come.”[6]

In another place he acknowledges that the Sabbath was a temporary prescription imposed upon the Jews:

“It is the Lord, then, who must clearly show us the mystery of the sabbath, and that the sign of observing a day was a temporary prescription imposed upon the Jews; but the full fulfillment of that mystery was accomplished in Him.”[7]

He also explains that although the Jews believe they are still obliged to keep the Sabbath, Christians do not believe this:

“When He spoke to the Hebrew people about the keeping of the sabbath, He did not even mention the foods they were to eat or not eat. He prescribed only the abstention from servile works.

The Hebrew people accepted that precept, which was a symbol of future rest, and abstained from work: we see that the Jews still abstain from working on the sabbath, although the carnal Jews do not understand what Christians rightly understand. In that time, when it was fitting, the Prophets kept the sabbath rest, which the Jews still believe they must observe.”[8]

For Saint Jerome, writing to Augustine, it is even inconceivable that a Jew converted to Christianity would continue to keep the Sabbath, or the other laws such as circumcision, etc.

“I say again: since you are a bishop and teacher in the churches of Christ, you may try to prove that what you say is true; take a Jew who has become a Christian, but who circumcises a son that has been born to him; who keeps the sabbath, who abstains from the foods that God created for us to use with thanksgiving, who on the fourteenth day of the first month slays a lamb at twilight. When you have done this (or rather, you will not do it, for I know that you are a Christian and will not commit such a sacrilege), whether you wish it or not, you will condemn your own judgment.”[9]

He explains that the Sabbath was a figurative shadow that would be removed with the coming of Christ:

“Here, then, is why, among the ten commandments, only the one referring to the sabbath is commanded to be observed figuratively. That figure is set before us so that we may understand it, but not so that we may celebrate it with bodily rest.”[10]

“Nevertheless—a reminder I judge sufficient for the matter at hand—it was not commanded in vain to the Jewish people that they abstain on that day from all servile work, by which sin is signified, because not sinning is the effect of sanctification, that is, of the gift of God through the Holy Spirit; and thus this precept alone, among all the others, was placed in the law, written on tablets of stone, as a figurative shadow under which the Jews observed the sanctification of the sabbath, signifying thereby that this was the time in which grace was to remain hidden—grace which through the passion of Christ, as through the rending of the veil of the temple, was to be revealed. For “when one turns to the Lord,” it says, “the veil is removed.””[11]

Likewise in his work The Literal Meaning of Genesis he maintains that the Sabbath was imposed upon the Jews as a prefiguration but abolished for Christians:

“It can certainly be said with probability that the observance of the sabbath was imposed upon the Jews as a foreshadowing of the future reality, symbolizing the spiritual rest which God promised to the faithful who do good works, under the hidden significance contained in the example of His own rest.”[12]

“To prefigure this rest, He commanded the Hebrew people to observe a day, which they understood so carnally that, when they saw the Lord working our salvation on that sabbath day, they reproached Him; and so He answers them about the work which the Father performs at all times, with whom He Himself works equally, not only in the administration of the universe, but also in our salvation. But now that grace has been revealed, that observance of the sabbath which prefigured and was reduced to the rest of one day has been abolished among the faithful, since under the law of grace whoever does some good with the hope of future rest undoubtedly observes a perpetual sabbath, and at the same time does not boast in his good works as though he possessed a good not received. Therefore, one who receives the sacrament of baptism and conceives of it as the sabbath day, that is, as the day of the Lord’s rest in the tomb, rests from his ancient works, so that, walking already in new life, he may know that God works in him, the God who at once works and rests—works in governing creatures according to their natures, and rests in possessing in Himself eternal repose.”[13]

In another text he speaks of how the Sabbath and circumcision are observances belonging to the old age and harsh servitude of the carnal law, in contrast to the moral laws which endure:

“What, then, are the commandments of God, written by God Himself upon hearts, if not the very presence of the Holy Spirit, who is the finger of God, by whose presence charity is poured out in our hearts—charity which is the fullness of the law and the end of the commandment? For with respect to the Old Testament, the promises made therein are earthly, although—apart from the sacraments which were figures of things to come, such as circumcision, the sabbath, certain observances attached to particular solemnities, the ceremonies practiced at certain meals, and many rites pertaining to sacrifices and worship, all of which suited the old age and harsh servitude of that carnal law—the same precepts that are now enjoined upon us were contained therein, especially those set out in those tablets without any figurative shadow, such as: You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not covet, and any other precept that can be summed up.”[14]

He therefore excludes the observance of the Sabbath from the moral laws:

“For among these ten commandments, if the observance of the sabbath be excepted, I should like to be told which one there is that ought not to be kept by all Christians—whether with regard to not making or worshipping idols or other gods apart from the one true God; to not taking God’s name in vain; to honoring one’s parents; to avoiding fornication, murder, theft, false witness, adultery, and covetousness of another’s goods. Who would dare say that the Christian ought not to observe all these precepts?”[15]

He gives as an example the Apostles’ plucking of grain on the Sabbath, in accordance with the will of Jesus, as a way of teaching that the observance of the Sabbath after the times had changed—no longer under law but under grace—was a superstition:

“Yet, as we read, the disciples of Christ not only ate on that sabbath, but also plucked the ears of grain, which was unlawful, for it was forbidden by the tradition of the elders.

Let that person take care, then, lest we answer him opportunely by saying that for some reason the Lord wished His disciples to do both things on that day: to pluck the ears of grain and to take food; the first, against those who wish to rest on the sabbath, and the second, against those who compel fasting on the sabbath; thus the Lord made clear that the first was a superstition once the times had changed, and the second was free at all times.”[16]

Christians, therefore, must understand the commandment of the sabbath as a kind of promulgation of rest and repose of the heart:

“Third commandment: Remember to keep holy the sabbath day. In this third commandment a certain promulgation of rest is intimated—the repose of the heart, the tranquility of mind, which a good conscience produces.”[17]

He explains that Sunday is holier than the Sabbath, because on the Sabbath the Lord’s body rested in the tomb, whereas on Sunday He rose from the dead[18], and in numerous instances he calls it “the Lord’s Day.”

“The sabbath, on which God rested from all His works, is the seventh day, and announces to us the great mystery of our future rest from all our works. The first day after the sabbath is called the first day of the week, which we also call the Lord’s Day, or Sunday.”[19]

“The first day after the sabbath is Sunday, or the Lord’s Day.”[20]

In the following text, he not only calls it the Lord’s Day, but contrasts the Sabbath as the day to be kept in the Old Testament with Sunday as the day to be kept in the New Testament:

“In the Old Testament the sabbath is kept, which signifies rest; in the New, the Lord’s Day, which points to the resurrection. The sabbath is the seventh day of the week, and Sunday, which immediately follows the seventh—what is it but the eighth?”[21]

Once this is understood, we can now turn to the texts where Saint Augustine speaks of the spiritual observance of the Sabbath, which is nothing other than spiritual rest through abstaining from sin:

“For if Christ freed us from that most burdensome yoke of so many observances—that we are not to be circumcised in the flesh, nor to sacrifice animal victims, nor every seven years, when the sabbatical cycle recurs, to rest even from necessary labors, and other such things—but rather that we are to keep them understood spiritually and, setting aside the figurative shadows, contemplate the truth of the things signified—does it therefore follow that we should say it does not apply to us that whoever finds something lost belonging to his neighbor should return it, as it is written, to the one who lost it, and other commandments similar to these, by which one learns to live piously and uprightly, and especially the Decalogue written on those tablets of stone, with the sole exception of the carnal observance of the sabbath, which signifies sanctification and spiritual rest?”[22]

In this same work he once again insists on the spiritual meaning of the Sabbath for Christians, which is to remain without sin:

“What did those say who did not see and were not anointed? This man is not from God, for he does not keep the sabbath. He kept it far better, who was without sin; for to be clean from sin is a spiritual sabbath.”[23]

Other texts in which he explains that for the Christian, unlike the Jew, the Sabbath means not abstaining from work but abstaining from sin:

“The title of the psalm is as follows: A psalm of a canticle; for the sabbath day. Mark that today also is sabbath. On this day the Jews celebrate it with a certain bodily leisure—languid, negligent, and dissolute. For they give themselves up to frivolities; and therefore, when God commanded them to keep the sabbath, they devote it to the very things He forbids. We rest from evil works; they rest from good works. Better is it to plough than to dance. They rest from good works, but not from frivolous ones. God declares to us the sabbath. What sabbath? See first where it is found. Our sabbath is within, in the heart.”[24]

He also notes that there are churches that celebrate the Eucharist every day, others on Saturdays and Sundays, and still others only on Sundays:

“There are other practices which vary according to the different places and regions. For example, some fast on Saturday and others do not. Some receive communion daily with the body and blood of the Lord, others only on certain days. Some do not let a day pass without celebrating; others celebrate only on Saturday and Sunday; others only on Sunday. If we consider these practices and others like them that may arise, all are matters of free observance. In all this, the best rule for the settled and prudent Christian is to conform to the usage he sees observed in the church where he happens to be present.”[25]

Conclusion

When I showed these citations to one of the Adventists who had sent me the letter that gave rise to this article, he replied that what had happened was that Saint Augustine had retracted his position, and that in these texts he had already changed his mind. Unfortunately for him, it was easier to fabricate an alternative story to justify the human doctrines of his Protestant denomination than to accept the reality of the historical facts.

Notes

  1. Augustine of Hippo, Homilies on the Gospel of John, 3, 19 (after A.D. 416). NPNF1, vol. VII, p. 23. ↩
  2. Augustine of Hippo, Letter 55, To Januarius, 13,23Complete Works of St. Augustine, BAC, Madrid 1986, Tomo 8, p. 368-369 ↩
  3. Augustine of Hippo, De Utilitate Credendi, 3,9Complete Works of St. Augustine, BAC, Madrid 1956, Tomo 4, p. 843 ↩
  4. Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 198 B (year unknown). NPNF1 (supplementary sermons). ↩
  5. Augustine of Hippo, Letter 196, To Asellicus , 1,3 (año 418 d.C.)Complete Works of St. Augustine, Tomo 11, Biblioteca de autores cristianos, Madrid 1953, p. 845 ↩
  6. Augustine of Hippo, Letter 196, To Asellicus , 2,8 (año 418 d.C.)Complete Works of St. Augustine, Tomo 11, Biblioteca de autores cristianos, Madrid 1953, p. 851 ↩
  7. Augustine of Hippo, Homilies on the Gospel of John, 17, 13 (after A.D. 416). NPNF1, vol. VII, p. 115. ↩
  8. Augustine of Hippo, Letter 36, To Casulanus, 3,5Complete Works of St. Augustine, BAC, Madrid 1986, Tomo 8, p. 207 ↩
  9. Augustine of Hippo, Letter 75, Jerome to Augustine, 4,15Complete Works of St. Augustine, BAC, Madrid 1986, Tomo 8, p. 466 ↩
  10. Augustine of Hippo, Letter 55, To Januarius, 12,22Complete Works of St. Augustine, BAC, Madrid 1986, Tomo 8, p. 367 ↩
  11. Augustine of Hippo, On the Spirit and the Letter, 15,27Complete Works of St. Augustine, BAC, Madrid 1956, Tomo 6, p. 733 ↩
  12. Augustine of Hippo, The Literal Meaning of Genesis , 4,11,21 (año 415)Complete Works of St. Augustine, Tomo 15, Biblioteca de autores cristianos, Madrid 1957, p. 743 ↩
  13. Augustine of Hippo, The Literal Meaning of Genesis , 4,13,24Complete Works of St. Augustine, Tomo 15, Biblioteca de autores cristianos, Madrid 1957, p. 747 ↩
  14. Augustine of Hippo, On the Spirit and the Letter, 21,36Complete Works of St. Augustine, BAC, Madrid 1956, Tomo 6, p. 747 ↩
  15. Augustine of Hippo, On the Spirit and the Letter, 14,23Complete Works of St. Augustine, BAC, Madrid 1956, Tomo 6, p. 727 ↩
  16. Augustine of Hippo, Letter 36, To Casulanus, 3,6Complete Works of St. Augustine, BAC, Madrid 1986, Tomo 8, p. 208 ↩
  17. Augustine, Sermon VIII, The Ten Plagues and the Ten Commandments, 6. Complete Works of St. Augustine. ↩
  18. Letter to Casulanus 5,12; 7,14 ↩
  19. Augustine of Hippo, Exhortation to Celebrate Easter Worthily , 80,2 (año 395-411 d.C.)Complete Works of St. Augustine, Tomo 21, Biblioteca de autores cristianos, Madrid 1966, p. 125 ↩
  20. Augustine of Hippo, Expositions on the Psalms, “Invocation to God”, 93, 3 (A.D. 395–411). NPNF1, vol. VIII, p. 449. ↩
  21. Augustine, Enarrations on the Psalms, Psalm 150, Final Doxology of the Psalter. Complete Works of St. Augustine. ↩
  22. Augustine of Hippo, Against Two Letters of the Pelagians, 4:6 (A.D. 420). NPNF1, vol. V, p. 394. ↩
  23. Augustine of Hippo, Homilies on the Gospel of John, 44, 9 (after A.D. 416). NPNF1, vol. VII, p. 249. ↩
  24. Augustine, Enarrations on the Psalms, Praise of Divine Providence. Complete Works of St. Augustine. ↩
  25. Augustine of Hippo, Letter 54, To Januarius, 2,2Complete Works of St. Augustine, BAC, Madrid 1986, Tomo 8, p. 338 ↩