INTRODUCTION:

Did Emperor Constantine change the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday? Did he secretly continue worshiping the sun after the Edict of Milan? This article exposes the myths with biblical evidence, Early Church Fathers, scholars, and the official teachings of the Catholic Church.

⭐ Did Constantine Change the Sabbath to Sunday? The Historical Truth Explained

For centuries, many groups—especially anti-Catholic or pseudo-historical movements—have accused the Catholic Church and Emperor Constantine of “changing the biblical Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday.”

This claim sounds dramatic, but it is historically false.

A careful study of:

the Bible,
the earliest Christian writings,
ancient history,
Church Fathers, and
the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

shows that Sunday worship began long before Constantine, originating in the Resurrection of Jesus and practiced by the Apostles themselves.

Let us walk through the evidence.

🕊 1. Did Constantine Change Saturday Sabbath to Sunday? — NO.

A. Sunday Worship Originated in the New Testament

Long before Constantine (born AD 272), the Bible already shows Christians gathering on Sunday:

1. Jesus rose on Sunday

“Now after He rose early on the first day of the week…”
— Mark 16:9

2. The early Christians broke bread (Eucharist) on Sunday

“On the first day of the week we came together to break bread.”
— Acts 20:7

3. The Apostles collected offerings on Sunday

“On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a sum of money…”
— 1 Corinthians 16:2

➡ All of these happened more than 200 years BEFORE Constantine.

Christian Sunday worship was therefore apostolic, not political.

🕊 2. The Earliest Church Fathers Testify: Christians Worshiped on Sunday BEFORE Constantine

St. Ignatius of Antioch (AD 107)

A disciple of the Apostle John.
“We no longer observe the Sabbath, but live according to the Lord’s Day.”
— Letter to the Magnesians 9

Didache (AD 90–120)

An early Christian manual:
“On the Lord’s Day gather yourselves together…”

St. Justin Martyr (AD 150)

Explaining Christian worship to the Roman Emperor:
“We gather on the day of the Sun because it is the day Jesus rose from the dead.”
— First Apology, ch. 67

Tertullian (AD 160–220)

“We also rejoice on the first day of the week.”
— Apology 16

➡ Conclusion:
Christians universally worshiped on Sunday 150–200 years before Constantine.
Thus, Constantine did not invent Sunday worship; he inherited it.

🕊 3. What Did Constantine Actually Do?

A. He issued a civil rest law in AD 321

Constantine’s “Sunday law” was not a religious decree but a civil rest day for the empire:

“On the venerable day of the Sun let all judges and people rest…”
— Codex Justinianus 3.12.2

This did not say:

“Christians must worship on Sunday.”
“Sabbath is abolished.”
“Sunday replaces the Ten Commandments.”

It simply aligned with the Christian practice that already existed and gave workers a rest day.

🕊 4. Did Constantine Continue Worshiping the Sun?

This is a popular myth but historically incorrect.

FACT 1: Constantine Abolished Pagan Sacrifices

Historians such as Eusebius and Lactantius confirm that he ended:

pagan rites,
blood sacrifices,
public idol worship.

FACT 2: He Strongly Supported Christianity

He:

legalized Christianity (Edict of Milan AD 313),
funded churches like:
- St. Peter’s Basilica (Rome),
- Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Jerusalem),
called the Council of Nicaea,
built Christian schools,
promoted Christian bishops.

A sun-worshiping pagan would never do any of this.

FACT 3: Sun Symbolism ≠ Sun Worship

Ancient Rome widely used Sol Invictus as an imperial symbol, not a religious obligation.

Even early Christians used sun imagery for Christ:

“The Sun of Righteousness” — Malachi 4:2
“The true Light of the world” — John 8:12

Coins featuring solar images were political, not religious.

FACT 4: Constantine Died a Christian

He received Christian baptism before his death (AD 337) under Bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia.

➡ Thus, the claim that Constantine “continued worshiping the sun” is historically baseless.

🕊 5. Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) on Sunday Worship

The CCC teaches that Christians keep Sunday because:

A. Sunday is the Day of the Resurrection

CCC 2174:
“Jesus rose from the dead ‘on the first day of the week.’ For Christians it has become the first of all days, the Lord’s Day.”

B. Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Sabbath

CCC 2175:
“Sunday replaces the Sabbath and is the fulfillment of the Sabbath in Christ’s Passover.”

C. It is the day for the Eucharist

CCC 2177:
“The Sunday celebration of the Lord’s Day… is at the heart of the Church’s life.”

➡ The Catholic Church did not “change” God’s commandment.
Instead, Christians celebrate the new creation in Christ on the day He rose.

🕊 6. Scholarly Support

Modern historians—Catholic, Protestant, and secular—agree:

Dr. Jaroslav Pelikan (Yale University)

“The Christian practice of worship on Sunday is evident long before Constantine.”

Dr. Everett Ferguson (Church History Scholar)

“By the early second century, Sunday worship was universal among Christians.”

Dr. F.F. Bruce (Evangelical Scholar)

“The early Church met on the first day as a commemoration of the Resurrection.”

1. Biblical References

The Holy Bible, New Testament.
Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2; Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:9; John 20:1; Revelation 1:10; Malachi 4:2.

2. Early Church Fathers

Ignatius of Antioch. Letter to the Magnesians, ch. 9. (c. AD 107)
Didache (Teaching of the Twelve Apostles). (c. AD 90–120)
Justin Martyr. First Apology, ch. 67. (c. AD 155)
Tertullian. Apology, ch. 16. (c. AD 197)
Eusebius of Caesarea. Life of Constantine. (c. AD 337)
Lactantius. Divine Institutes.

3. Church Documents & The Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC).
Paragraphs 2174–2178; 2180–2185; 2190–2193.
Council of Laodicea. Canon 29 (AD 363–364).
Codex Justinianus, 3.12.2 – Constantine’s civil Sunday law (AD 321).

4. Church History & Scholarly Sources

Ferguson, Everett. Early Christian Worship: A Basic Introduction. Eerdmans Publishing.
Pelikan, Jaroslav. The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine. University of Chicago Press.
Bruce, F.F. The Spreading Flame: The Rise and Progress of Christianity from Its First Beginnings to the Conversion of the English.
Brown, Peter. The Rise of Western Christendom. Wiley-Blackwell.
MacMullen, Ramsay. Christianizing the Roman Empire (AD 100–400). Yale University Press.
Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1. HarperCollins.
O’Collins, Gerald & Farrugia, Mario. Catholicism: The Story of Catholic Tradition. Oxford University Press.
J.N.D. Kelly. Early Christian Doctrines. HarperOne.

5. Additional Historical Sources

The Ante-Nicene Fathers Series (Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson).
The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Series (Edited by Philip Schaff).
Eerdmans Encyclopedia of Early Christianity.

🕊 Final Conclusion

❌ Myth: Constantine changed Sabbath to Sunday

✔ Truth: Sunday worship began with the Apostles, based on Jesus’ resurrection.

❌ Myth: Constantine continued sun worship

✔ Truth: He became Christian, ended pagan practices, and promoted Christianity.

Sunday worship is therefore:

Biblical
Apostolic
Historically verified
confirmed by early Christian writings
officially taught by the Catholic Church (CCC)

No historical evidence supports the idea that Constantine changed the Sabbath or that he practiced sun worship after his conversion.

Pages

Thursday, November 27, 2025

“Did Constantine Change the Sabbath? The Real Story Behind Sunday Worship—From the Apostles to the Early Church”