A Biblical and Historical Refutation of the Sabbath-Only & Anti-Eucharist Claims

Description:
Was the Christianity brought to the Philippines a “fake” Sunday-keeping religion? Did the early Church reject the Eucharist and observe only the Sabbath? This in-depth apologetic response examines Scripture, early Church history, and apostolic succession to uncover the truth.

Introduction

A recurring accusation claims that:

The Christianity brought to the Philippines is “fake”
True followers of Jesus were Sabbath-keepers and Passover-only celebrants
The Catholic Church fulfills Paul’s prophecy of “savage wolves” (Acts 20:29)
Catholics are historically violent and therefore not the true Church

These are serious claims.

But do they stand up to Scripture, early Christian writings, and documented history?

Let us examine them carefully — point by point.

I. Did Early Christians Reject Sunday Worship?

📖 Biblical Evidence for Sunday Gathering

The New Testament repeatedly connects Christian worship with the first day of the week:

Scripture	Event
Mark 16:9	Jesus rose on the first day
John 20:19	Jesus appeared to disciples (Sunday)
John 20:26	Appeared again one week later (Sunday)
Acts 20:7	Christians gathered to break bread on first day
1 Cor 16:2	Offerings collected on first day
Rev 1:10	“The Lord’s Day”

The “Lord’s Day” (Greek: Kyriake hemera) became the earliest Christian term for Sunday.

📜 Earliest Christian Testimony (Before Constantine)

These writings predate any Roman imperial influence.

🔹 Didache (c. 90 AD)

“On the Lord’s Day gather together and break bread…”

🔹 Ignatius of Antioch (c. 107 AD)

Disciple of Apostle John:

“Christians no longer observe the Sabbath, but live according to the Lord’s Day.”

🔹 Justin Martyr (c. 150 AD)

“We gather on Sunday because it is the day on which Jesus rose from the dead.”

These are 1st–2nd century sources.

If Sunday worship is “fake Christianity,” then the generation directly after the Apostles was already “corrupted” — an extremely unlikely scenario.

II. Was the Eucharist an Invention?

📖 Biblical Foundation

1 Corinthians 10:16

“The cup of blessing… participation in the blood of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 11:23–29

Paul warns that unworthy reception brings judgment.

Acts 2:42

“They devoted themselves… to the breaking of bread.”

The Eucharist was central to apostolic worship.

📜 Early Christian Witness

Ignatius of Antioch (107 AD)

“The Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ.”

Justin Martyr (150 AD)

“This food is called Eucharist… not ordinary bread and drink.”

Belief in the Real Presence was universal in early Christianity.

No historical record shows an early “symbol-only” movement.

III. Were Christians Required to Keep the Sabbath?

Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant.

📖 Apostolic Teaching

Colossians 2:16–17

“Let no one judge you… regarding Sabbath days… these are shadows.”

Romans 14:5

“One person esteems one day above another…”

Galatians 4:10–11

Paul rebukes returning to special observance days.

If Sabbath-keeping were mandatory for salvation, Paul would never speak this way.

Christ is Our Fulfillment

1 Corinthians 5:7

“Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed.”

The Passover was not abolished — it was fulfilled in Christ and perpetuated sacramentally in the Eucharist.

IV. Is the Catholic Church the “Savage Wolves” of Acts 20:29?

Acts 20 warns of teachers who:

Speak perverse things
Draw disciples after themselves
Distort apostolic doctrine

Now ask:

Did the Catholic bishops preserve apostolic teaching — or replace it?

📜 Apostolic Succession Evidence

Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 180 AD)

Disciple of Polycarp (disciple of John):

“We can enumerate the bishops appointed by the Apostles…”

He lists the succession of bishops of Rome from Peter onward.

This is 2nd century documentation — not medieval invention.

If Catholicism were a later corruption, we would expect to see:

Sudden doctrinal shifts
Historical protest movements in early centuries
Competing preserved “Sabbath-only” churches

There is no such evidence.

V. What About Historical Violence?

It is often claimed:

“Catholics killed, therefore they are children of the devil (John 8:44).”

But context matters.

Jesus in John 8 was addressing specific unbelievers plotting His death.

By that logic:

Moses (killed Egyptian)
David (warrior king)
Paul (approved Stephen’s death)

Would permanently be “children of the devil.”

Christian doctrine does not teach violence as divine mandate.

Historical conflicts in medieval Europe were:

Political
Civil
Mixed with state power

Not doctrinal commands of Christ.

If violence invalidates a church, then:

Protestant religious wars?
Execution of Michael Servetus under Calvin?
State church persecutions in various countries?

Consistency is necessary.

VI. Historical Continuity Test

If the “true church” must be:

Sabbath-keeping
Reject Sunday worship
Reject Eucharistic theology
Reject apostolic succession

Then historical documentation should show continuous existence from 1st century onward.

But:

No 1st–15th century documented global church matches modern Sabbatarian theology.
Seventh-day Adventism formally organized in 1863.

Historical gap: 1800+ years.

VII. The Unity Mark of the True Church

Ephesians 4:4–5:

“One body, one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

Which Church:

Preserved Trinitarian doctrine?
Maintained Eucharistic worship?
Maintained episcopal succession?
Preserved global doctrinal unity?

Historically: Catholic and Orthodox communion.

VIII. Timeline Overview

Century	Historical Reality
1st	Sunday gatherings documented
2nd	Eucharist universally affirmed
3rd	Episcopal structure universal
4th	Councils clarify Trinity
5th–15th	Continuous sacramental life
16th	Protestant Reformation
19th	SDA founded (1863)

There is no historical record of a hidden Sabbath-only global church preserving original Christianity.

Conclusion

The accusation that Catholic Christianity is “fake”:

❌ Ignores New Testament evidence
❌ Ignores early Christian writings
❌ Misapplies Acts 20
❌ Oversimplifies complex history
❌ Projects modern theology backward

The Christianity brought to the Philippines was not a 16th-century invention — it was the same sacramental, apostolic Christianity documented in the first centuries after Christ.

The burden of proof remains:

Where is the continuous historical evidence of a Sabbath-only global church from the Apostles to the 1800s?

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

🔥 Was Catholic Christianity a “Fake” Church?