Reading Assignment #5 - Sabbath And Sunday In The Early Church

The earliest Christians were Torah-observant Jews because Christianity emerged from Judaism and the first followers of Jesus were Jewish. They continued to observe Jewish laws and customs, including the Torah, while also believing in Jesus as the Messiah. This is evident in the early Christian communities described in the New Testament, where Jewish practices such as circumcision, Sabbath observance, and dietary laws were still followed. Over time, as Christianity spread to non-Jewish populations, it became more distinct from Judaism and developed its own traditions and practices.

The question asks about who taught their converts to keep the Sabbath, and the correct answer is Paul. This suggests that there is no specific record or evidence indicating who taught the converts to observe the Sabbath.

The New Testament gives us examples of Christians meeting on the first day of the week. This can be seen in the book of Acts, where it is mentioned that the disciples gathered together on the first day of the week to break bread and listen to the apostles' teaching. Additionally, in the book of Corinthians, Paul instructs the believers to set aside their offerings on the first day of the week. These examples indicate that the early Christians considered the first day of the week, which is Sunday, as a significant day for their gatherings and worship.

The curse of the Christians was designed to identify Christians in the synagogues. This suggests that there were Christians who were attending or participating in Jewish synagogues, and the curse was intended to expose them. This could indicate a period of religious tension or conflict between the Jewish and Christian communities, where identifying and separating Christians from the synagogues was important.

The article mentions that Jesus rejected the restrictive traditions of the elders. This suggests that Jesus did not agree with or follow the traditional practices and beliefs that were imposed by the elders. He likely believed in challenging the established norms and promoting a more inclusive and open-minded approach. By rejecting these traditions, Jesus may have been advocating for a more progressive and compassionate way of living.

Jesus claimed that He had authority over the Sabbath. This is true because in the Bible, Jesus states that "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). He also performed miracles on the Sabbath and challenged the religious leaders' strict interpretation of Sabbath laws. Jesus demonstrated that He had the power to interpret and redefine the Sabbath, thus asserting His authority over it.

This statement is true because according to biblical teachings, Jesus was born and lived during a time when the Sabbath was still observed as a holy day under the old covenant. As a devout Jew, Jesus followed the religious laws and customs of his time, including observing the Sabbath. He did not break the Sabbath because he understood and respected the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy.

The correct answer is "criticized". If Christians taught that the Sabbath should no longer be observed by Jews, the Jewish leaders would have criticized them for leading Jews away from Moses. This implies that the Jewish leaders would have expressed disapproval or negative judgment towards the Christians' teachings, as they would perceive it as a deviation from the teachings of Moses.

The question asks which texts can be used to prove that Christians regularly met on any particular day of the week. The options provided are Old Testament, New Testament, None of them, and Hebrew Writings. The correct answer is "None of them" because neither the Old Testament, New Testament, nor the Hebrew Writings specifically mention or provide evidence of Christians regularly meeting on any particular day of the week. Therefore, none of these texts can be used as proof for this claim.

The first disciples of Jesus were pious Jews in a Jewish culture who kept the Sabbath according to Contemporary Jewish Customs. This means that they observed the Sabbath based on the practices and traditions that were followed by the Jewish community during that time. These customs would have included specific rules and regulations regarding how the Sabbath was to be observed, such as refraining from work and engaging in worship and rest.