What did the Church Fathers say about the Sabbath?
- Thread starter Myson
- Start date
- Status
RamistThomist
Puritanboard Clerk
Fathers in the Western Church, like Pope Gregory I, believed it still continued today, albeit on Sunday. Fathers in the Eastern church were often a bit more relaxed.
Gilfillan in his book, The Sabbath Viewed in the Light of Reason, Revelation and History, covers the first three centuries.
Here's one gloss from Chrysostom on the Sabbath from his 10th homily on Genesis...
Chrysostom (349-407): Hence, in order that this day too might have some distinction and not seem to bear some inferiority through the fact that nothing was created then, he conferred a blessing on it. “God blessed the seventh day,” the text says, “and sanctified it.” So what does that mean⸺the rest were not blessed? Of course they were, the text says, but for them it was enough, instead of any blessed, to have created things brought forth each time; hence, whereas in their case it did not say, “He blessed them,” in the case of the seventh alone it did say so and added, “and sanctified it.” What is the meaning of “He sanctified it”? He set it apart. Then, to teach us the reason for saying “He sanctified it,” Sacred Scripture added, “for the reason that on that day he rested from all the works God has begun to do.” Already at this point from the outset God provides us with instruction in a cryptic manner, teaching us that he set aside the whole of one day in the cycle of the week and marked it off for the performance of spiritual works. Fathers of the Church, Vol. 74, Homilies on Genesis 1-17, Homily 10.17 (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1986), pp. 138-139.
Greek text: ἵνʼ ἔχῃ τι προτέρημα καὶ ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη, καὶ μὴ δοκῇ ἔλαττόν τι ἔχειν διὰ τὸ μηδὲν ἐν αὐτῇ δεδημιουργῆσθαι, εὐλογίας αὐτὴν ἀξιοῖ. Καὶ εὐλόγησε, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς τὴν ἡμέραν τὴν εβδόμην, καὶ ἡγίασεν αὐτήν. Τί οὖν; αἱ λοιπαὶ οὐκ ἦσαν εὐλογηέναι; Ναὶ, φησὶν ἀλλʼ ἤρκει ἐκείναις ἀντὶ πάσης εὐλογίας τὸ καθʼ ἑκάστην αὐτῶν τὰ δημιουργήματα παραχθῆναι· διὸ ἐπʼ ἐκείνων μὲν οὐκ εἶπεν, Εὐλογησεν, ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ἐβδόμης μόνης τοῦτο εἰπὼν προσέθηκε, Καὶ ἡγίασεν αὐτήν. Τί ἐστι, Καὶ ἡγίασεν αὐτήν; Ἀφώρισεν αὐτὴν. Εἶτα διδάσκουσα ἡμᾶς ἡ θεία Γραφὴ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν διʼ ἣν εἴρηκεν, Καὶ ἡγίασεν αὐτήν; προσέθηκεν, Ὅτι ἐν αὐτῇ κατέπαυσεν ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ ὧν ἤρξατο ὁ Θεὸς ποιῆσαι. Ἤδη ἐντεῦθεν ἐκ προοιμίων αἰνιγματωδῶς διδασκαλίαν ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς παρέχεται, παιδεύων τὴν μίαν ἡμέραν ἐν τῷ κύκλῳ τῆς ἐβδομάδος ἅπασαν ἀνατιθέναι καὶ ἀφορίζειν τῇ τῶν πνευματικῶν ἐργασίᾳ. Homiliae in Genesin, Homilia X, §7, PG 53:88-89.
Chrysostom (349-407): Hence, in order that this day too might have some distinction and not seem to bear some inferiority through the fact that nothing was created then, he conferred a blessing on it. “God blessed the seventh day,” the text says, “and sanctified it.” So what does that mean⸺the rest were not blessed? Of course they were, the text says, but for them it was enough, instead of any blessed, to have created things brought forth each time; hence, whereas in their case it did not say, “He blessed them,” in the case of the seventh alone it did say so and added, “and sanctified it.” What is the meaning of “He sanctified it”? He set it apart. Then, to teach us the reason for saying “He sanctified it,” Sacred Scripture added, “for the reason that on that day he rested from all the works God has begun to do.” Already at this point from the outset God provides us with instruction in a cryptic manner, teaching us that he set aside the whole of one day in the cycle of the week and marked it off for the performance of spiritual works. Fathers of the Church, Vol. 74, Homilies on Genesis 1-17, Homily 10.17 (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1986), pp. 138-139.
Greek text: ἵνʼ ἔχῃ τι προτέρημα καὶ ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη, καὶ μὴ δοκῇ ἔλαττόν τι ἔχειν διὰ τὸ μηδὲν ἐν αὐτῇ δεδημιουργῆσθαι, εὐλογίας αὐτὴν ἀξιοῖ. Καὶ εὐλόγησε, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς τὴν ἡμέραν τὴν εβδόμην, καὶ ἡγίασεν αὐτήν. Τί οὖν; αἱ λοιπαὶ οὐκ ἦσαν εὐλογηέναι; Ναὶ, φησὶν ἀλλʼ ἤρκει ἐκείναις ἀντὶ πάσης εὐλογίας τὸ καθʼ ἑκάστην αὐτῶν τὰ δημιουργήματα παραχθῆναι· διὸ ἐπʼ ἐκείνων μὲν οὐκ εἶπεν, Εὐλογησεν, ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ἐβδόμης μόνης τοῦτο εἰπὼν προσέθηκε, Καὶ ἡγίασεν αὐτήν. Τί ἐστι, Καὶ ἡγίασεν αὐτήν; Ἀφώρισεν αὐτὴν. Εἶτα διδάσκουσα ἡμᾶς ἡ θεία Γραφὴ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν διʼ ἣν εἴρηκεν, Καὶ ἡγίασεν αὐτήν; προσέθηκεν, Ὅτι ἐν αὐτῇ κατέπαυσεν ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ ὧν ἤρξατο ὁ Θεὸς ποιῆσαι. Ἤδη ἐντεῦθεν ἐκ προοιμίων αἰνιγματωδῶς διδασκαλίαν ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς παρέχεται, παιδεύων τὴν μίαν ἡμέραν ἐν τῷ κύκλῳ τῆς ἐβδομάδος ἅπασαν ἀνατιθέναι καὶ ἀφορίζειν τῇ τῶν πνευματικῶν ἐργασίᾳ. Homiliae in Genesin, Homilia X, §7, PG 53:88-89.
- Status
Similar threads
