Was the weekly Sabbath changed by men to Sunday based upon a wrong interpretation of Matthew 16 v19?

Answer 1

Yes, this is the 'main' defense of the actions of men by their church. There are some others that have also been misinterpreted to support this change but let's address this question. Jesus told 'all' the Apostles as the verb 'you' used in the Matthew 16:19 verse is in the plural and addressed to all Apostles. Just because the previous verse was directed to Peter alone as the 'stone' or chief administrator for the new Church which Jesus is the 'rock' or foundation stone does not necessitate that this verse is to Peter only. So now let's look at the verse in question - please note the specific 'future perfect passive tense' Matthew uses - remember he was a educated tax collector for Rome before his calling:

Matthew 16:19New American Standard Bible (NASB) 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth [a]shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth [b]shall have been loosed in heaven." Footnotes:

1. Matthew 16:19 Gr estai dedemenon, fut. pft. pass.
2. Matthew 16:19 Gr estai lelumenon, fut. pft. pass.

What this verse is saying is that Jesus, as the Son of God had already 'bound' things in Heaven and that the Apostles were to bind these on Earth. Do you really think the divine God family would let anyone 'approved' by men into Heaven - not me, as this judgment belongs to God alone, via Jesus. No authority is given to any man to usurp God's will.

God gave the Sabbath to mankind as a day of rest and remembering His great Creation. This is the 7th day or Saturday - and days began at night to the next night or sunset Friday to sunset Saturday in the Genesis account. It is a sign we belong to God - are His - so God sanctified this day Only - for both then physical Israel and the new Church of spiritual Israelites grafted on:

Exodus 31:13New American Standard Bible (NASB) 13 "But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.

So what really happened? The timeframe had many in Rome disgusted with troublesome Jews - especially from the circa 132-135 AD revolts in Jerusalem. Emperor Constantine I was a 'sun worshipper' or dies solis or Sol Invictus. He used this desired separation from Jews to change the Sabbath to Sunday thus consolidating his Empire who were strongly pagan - especially his Imperial guards and officer corps who followed Mithra and Sunday worship. Over the centuries, followers of the Sunday practice developed many 'well-worded' defenses to support this change but it just doesn't measure up to God's word.

As then prominent Roman Catholic prelate, James Cardinal Gibbon wrote: "You may read The Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we (the Church) never sanctify" (In Faith of Our Fathers, 1876).