There are NO inconsistencies.
Your position raises several important points and concerns about the origins of Christian practices and the early church's susceptibility to corruption.
As they should, among the rabble that became the “Christian“ faith…..how does one find the diamond in that pile of broken glass?
Observance of the Lord's Day
1. Biblical Basis for the Lord's Day:
The observance of the Lord's Day, which is commonly understood as Sunday, is rooted in the New Testament. In Acts 20:7 (Lexham Bible), we read: "On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul spoke to them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight." This passage indicates that the early church gathered on the first day of the week, which later became known as the Lord's Day, to break bread and hear teaching.
2. Early Christian Practice:
In 1 Corinthians 16:2 (Lexham Bible), Paul instructs: "On the first day of every week, each one of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come." This verse suggests that the early Christians were already setting aside time on the first day of the week for their collections, further supporting the practice of meeting on this day.
Please refer to posts #41 & #45 where I addressed those verses in the context of to whom, when, and why they were written.
3. Historical Context and Sun Worship:
While it's true that the first day of the week was associated with the Sun god in Roman culture, the Christian observance of Sunday is not necessarily a continuation of pagan practices. The early church distinguished its worship from pagan rituals by emphasizing the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as seen in Revelation 1:10 (Lexham Bible), where John refers to "the Lord’s day" as the day he was in the Spirit, indicating a distinct Christian significance.
It is also true that the Greek word “en” can be translated “on” or “in”….so mistranslating this seemingly insignificant word, can alter the verse that relates to all of this. Most Bibles will render it “on”….but if it is rendered more correctly as ”in”…then an entirely different scenario emerges.
Rev 1:10 speaks of the apostle John being transported in the spirit to “the Lord’s day”.
He was taken into the future and shown what would take place when Christ returned as King. It was “presented in signs“ or in figurative illustration to show his fellow Christians “the things that must shortly take place” (Rev 1:1)…..and we also know what the term “shortly” means to a timeless God. Here we are almost 2000 years later, and only now do we see the things mentioned in Revelation, taking place, along with the prophesy uttered by Jesus in Matt ch 24.
Full understanding was not revealed until it was time to do so. God gives understanding of his purpose, progressively, so when we need clarification, it is provided.
The sun worship incorporated into Catholic tradition and ritual, is still as visible today as it was to God when Jesus and his apostles foretold that “weeds” of counterfeit Christianity would take over the church and corrupt it from within. (Matt 13:24-30; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 2 Peter 2:17-22; 1 Timothy 4:1-3)
The "Weeds" of Apostasy
1. Apostolic Warnings:
Paul's warning about the "mystery of lawlessness" already at work (2 Thessalonians 2:7, Lexham Bible) emphasizes the presence of early corruption. This indicates that the seeds of apostasy were being sown even during the apostles' lifetimes. However, this does not necessarily imply that the entire church fell into error immediately after their deaths. The "restraint" mentioned may refer to the apostolic authority and teaching which played a crucial role in maintaining doctrinal purity.
Early corruption indeed…while the apostles were still present, and acting as a restraint until the last books of the Christian Scriptures were penned. (The Revelation and John’s three letters)
This implies that the truth would never be destroyed by this apostasy…it suggests that it was overpowered for many centuries of the adoption of all manner of beliefs and practices that had no place in the Christian faith.
God allowed this to happen….and foretold it….what excuse do we have for failing to acknowledge it?
After centuries of the unimaginable corruption, we see a glimmer of ight at the end of the tunnel in the actions of one man…a Catholic priest, who knew the Scriptures because he had access to them, when the people did not. He changed the course of Christian history, and at the very least broke the power of the Roman church and gave the Bible back to the people, allowing translations into a few different languages so that God’s word could be read by the common people, in their own tongue…..something the Catholic church forbade…..and we know why….their power trip was over. Only the completely indoctrinated would stick to their errors.
But, this “reformation” was not the light that many assumed it to be…..what it did, simply broke Christianity up into many different sects all claiming to teach ”the truth”…..yet, how many versions of the truth can there be? All it did was confuse all the issues….today there are literally thousands of” Christian” churches, yet “Christianity” is dying of starvation…..people are being fed the same empty, dreary lies that where formulated by the ’mother church’ centuries ago. The ‘daughters’ took their mother’s dirty laundry with them and this became the disunited rabble that is “Christendom”.
Amid all the chaos of this dying system on earth, as the devil is also in his “last days”, the truth shines like a beacon of hope to those who have the privilege of its revelation. That truth is not found in a disunited muddle of beliefs that have no scriptural support….only God can reveal it. (John 6:44; 65) The devil cannot prevent it.
This is history repeating….the same thing happened with the Jewish leadership….their position, power and education elevated them above the common people who were at their mercy and judgment. They too branched off off into sects, and corrupted the word of God to maintain their position. Jesus said that they made their charges subjects of Gehenna, more so than themselves….(Matt 23:13-15)
