The World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG) asserts several claims related to Constantine, alleging that he played a key role in abolishing the Sabbath in 321 AD, the Passover in 325 AD, and introducing pagan elements into Christianity after legalizing the faith in 313 AD. They argue that Constantine, as a sun god worshipper, used these changes to corrupt Christianity. These claims are widely spread to convince members that the Catholic Church is responsible for abandoning "true teachings," such as the Sabbath and Passover. However, these assertions lack historical support and misunderstand the role Constantine played in Christian history.
This study will provide historical evidence, scriptural support, and early Church writings to debunk these misconceptions, particularly focusing on why Constantine was not the origin of these changes and how the early Church Fathers practiced and taught Christianity long before Constantine’s involvement.
The shift from Sabbath (Saturday) to Sunday worship began long before Constantine's reign. Early Christians observed Sunday because it commemorated the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, a practice deeply rooted in the Apostolic era.
Ignatius of Antioch (c. 35–108 AD) wrote in his Letter to the Magnesians 9:1, well over 200 years before Constantine:
"They are no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in accordance with the Lord’s Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death."
This passage confirms that early Christians were already observing Sunday (the "Lord’s Day") in celebration of the Resurrection, not in compliance with any pagan practice.
Justin Martyr (c. 100–165 AD) also describes Sunday worship in his 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... 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 Savior on the same day rose from the dead."
Justin Martyr’s writings indicate that Sunday worship was already the norm in Christian communities long before Constantine. There is no evidence to suggest that Constantine "abolished" the Sabbath, but rather that Sunday worship was a Christian tradition from the Apostolic times, and Constantine's 321 decree simply acknowledged and formalized an existing practice.
In 321 AD, Constantine issued an edict making Sunday a day of rest for the Roman Empire, not to abolish the Sabbath, but to provide a uniform day of rest that aligned with Christian practice. The decree stated:
"On the venerable day of the sun, let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed."
This civil decree did not create Sunday worship; it merely acknowledged the day that Christians already regarded as holy. Constantine’s reference to the "venerable day of the sun" reflects common language at the time but should not be mistaken for an introduction of pagan sun worship into Christianity. Constantine, like other Romans, often used solar imagery as a symbol of light and resurrection.
The Council of Nicaea (325 AD) did not "abolish" Passover but settled a long-standing dispute over the date of Easter. The issue was whether to celebrate Easter (Resurrection Sunday) on the 14th of Nisan (the Jewish calendar date of Passover) or on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox.
Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130–202 AD) discusses the dispute over the Quartodeciman Passover in his Fragments:
"The churches of Asia Minor celebrated it on the 14th of Nisan, following the Jewish tradition, whereas other churches, like Rome, celebrated it on Sunday."
The debate about the Quartodeciman Passover was a regional disagreement between the churches of Asia Minor and Rome. It was not about whether to celebrate Passover, but about when to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. The Council of Nicaea standardized the practice of celebrating Easter on Sunday, a decision that had nothing to do with eliminating Passover but was aimed at creating unity in the Church.