A Point-by-Point Biblical and Historical Refutation of Common SDA Claims

Description:
Did the Catholic Church burn the Bible during the Dark Ages? Did it change the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday in fulfillment of Daniel 7:25? This in-depth apologetic article examines historical evidence, Scripture, and early Christian writings to debunk common anti-Catholic claims.

Introduction

A recent social media post claims that:

The Catholic Church burned Bibles during the Dark Ages
Catholics killed Sabbath keepers
The Vatican is designed like a serpent
The Church changed the Sabbath to Sunday in fulfillment of Daniel 7:25
Catholics falsely claim to have compiled the Bible

These accusations are serious. But are they historically and biblically accurate?

Let’s examine each claim carefully — using documented historical evidence, Scripture, and writings of the early Christians.

📜 Claim #1: “Catholics Did Not Compile the Bible”

Historical Reality: The Canon Was Finalized by Catholic Councils

The Bible did not fall from heaven with a table of contents. The Church had to discern which books were inspired.

📅 Timeline of Canon Formation

Year	Event	Significance
382 AD	Council of Rome (Pope Damasus I)	First official listing of 73 books
393 AD	Council of Hippo	Affirmed same canon
397 AD	Council of Carthage	Reaffirmed 73-book canon
419 AD	Carthage reaffirmation	Confirmed consistency

These councils produced the same 73-book canon used by Catholics today.

Critical Question:

If the Catholic Church did not compile the Bible, who did?

The Seventh-day Adventist Church was founded in 1863 — over 1,400 years after the canon was finalized.

🔥 Claim #2: “The Catholic Church Burned the Bible During the Dark Ages”

Historical Evidence Says the Opposite

During the Middle Ages:

Catholic monks hand-copied Scripture manuscripts.
Monasteries preserved biblical texts.
Some of the oldest surviving Bibles were preserved in Catholic environments.

📖 Important Manuscripts Preserved

Codex Vaticanus (4th century)
Codex Sinaiticus (4th century)
Thousands of Latin Vulgate manuscripts

If the Church wanted to destroy the Bible, why painstakingly copy it by hand for centuries?

What Was Sometimes Burned?

Historically:

Heretical writings
Gnostic gospels
Politically subversive materials

There is no historical evidence of systematic burning of canonical Bibles by the Catholic Church.

⛪ Claim #3: “The Catholic Church Killed Sabbath Keepers”

This claim assumes that Sabbath observance was universally binding in Christianity.

But what does early Christian history show?

🌅 Sunday Worship Was Practiced in the 1st Century

Biblical Evidence

Acts 20:7 – “On the first day of the week…”
1 Corinthians 16:2 – Collections on the first day
Revelation 1:10 – “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day”

Jesus rose on Sunday (Mark 16:2). Early Christians celebrated the Resurrection weekly.

Early Christian Testimony

📜 Ignatius of Antioch (c. 107 AD)

Disciple of the Apostle John:

“No longer observing the Sabbath, but living in observance of the Lord’s Day…”

📜 Justin Martyr (c. 155 AD)

“On the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together…”

These writings are over 1,700 years before the SDA church existed.

Sunday worship is not a medieval invention — it is apostolic practice.

🐍 Claim #4: “The Vatican Hall Is Designed Like a Serpent”

This is a modern conspiracy theory.

The Paul VI Audience Hall was designed by Italian architect Pier Luigi Nervi (1971). Its structure is a modern concrete shell design.

Seeing a “serpent” shape depends on camera angle and imagination. There is:

No official Church statement
No architectural documentation
No theological symbolism supporting this claim

This accusation is speculative, not historical.

📖 Claim #5: “The Church Changed the Sabbath — Daniel 7:25”

Daniel 7:25 states:

“He shall think to change times and laws…”

But in context, Daniel 7 refers to:

A persecuting power
Blasphemy
Political oppression

It does not mention Sabbath or Sunday.

What Does the New Testament Say?

Colossians 2:16

“Let no one judge you in food or drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths.”

Paul clearly indicates that Sabbath observance is not binding under the New Covenant.

Christian worship shifted focus from the Old Covenant Sabbath to the Resurrection — the Lord’s Day.

⚖ Logical Inconsistency in the Accusation

If the Catholic Church:

Was already apostate in the 4th century
Corrupted doctrine
Persecuted truth

Then why trust the Bible canon that same Church finalized?

You cannot reject the authority of the canonizing Church while accepting the canon it produced.

That is historically inconsistent.

📊 Summary Table

Accusation	Historical Evidence	Conclusion
Catholics did not compile Bible	Councils of Rome, Hippo, Carthage	❌ False
Catholics burned Bibles	Monks preserved manuscripts	❌ False
Sunday worship is pagan	Practiced in 1st–2nd century Christianity	❌ False
Vatican hall proves satanic symbolism	Conspiracy theory	❌ Unsupported
Daniel 7:25 predicts Sunday change	Context unrelated to Sabbath	❌ Misapplied

🏛 The Bigger Historical Picture

The Catholic Church can trace documented historical continuity back to:

Apostolic succession
Early Church Fathers
1st–3rd century Christianity
Ecumenical Councils

The Seventh-day Adventist Church was founded in 1863, following the failed Millerite prediction of Christ’s return in 1844.

Historically, the continuity line from Jerusalem (33 AD) flows through the early Catholic Church — not a 19th-century movement.

Final Reflection

Strong accusations require strong evidence.

Insults are not arguments.
Memes are not history.
Conspiracy theories are not theology.

If we are serious about truth, we must follow:

Scripture
Documented history
Early Christian testimony
Logical consistency

The evidence overwhelmingly shows:

👉 The Catholic Church did not burn the Bible.
👉 Sunday worship predates Constantine.
👉 The canon of Scripture was preserved through the early Catholic Church.

Truth stands on evidence — not on social media rhetoric.

IF YOU ARE A DEVOTED CATHOLIC AND HAPPY TO DEFEND YOUR CATHOLIC FAITH, YOUR SUPPORT TO CONTINUE OUR MISSION TO DEFEND THE CATHOLIC FAITH, REALLY MATTERS AND WILL ALWAYS BE VALUED AND REMEMBERED!

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Friday, February 13, 2026

🔥 Did the Catholic Church Burn the Bible and Change the Sabbath?