How Did Constantine Affect Sunday-keeping?

Upon the retirement of Emperor Diocletian in AD 305, it was an uphill battle among several men for the coveted title of Emperor. Fighting continued on from 305 until 323. Finally, Constantine emerged as the clear victor and assumed the title of Emperor of the World. The crucial battle occurred just north of Rome in October of 312, following which, by the Edict of Milan, he gave Christianity full legal equality with every other religion in the Empire. More favors to the church soon followed.

It is important to note here that Sunday-keeping was already firmly established in Rome and in Alexandria by the time Constantine assumed the throne. As we examine Constantine's contribution to Sunday-keeping, let us keep in mind that he was not so much an originator as he was a developer in the shift from Sabbath-keeping to Sunday-keeping. Even his famous Sunday law was merely a further development of an earlier Church decree by Bishop Victor of Rome (AD 189-199), enforcing observance of Easter Sunday on penalty of excommunication. Nevertheless, the primary contribution of Constantine was that of state support and enforcement of Church policy. This precedent, once established, proved lethal to millions over the next millennium.

On March 7, 321 Constantine issued the first national Sunday law in history. This is the text of that first Sunday law:

Five additional Sunday laws were issued by Constantine within a very few years to buttress this first and basic one. It should be noted here that even while making these Sunday laws, Constantine was engaged in embellishing THE TEMPLE OF THE SUN in Rome and also making decrees establishing pagan practices as well. Notice that there is nothing particularly "Christian" about this Sunday law. It enforces Sunday observance, nothing more. It was widely lauded by Roman Christians and Pagans alike.

It is accepted by most scholars that Constantine didn't openly embrace Christianity until at least after the death of his friend and colleague, Licinius, in AD 324. He postponed baptism until just days before his own death in 337 because he believed baptism embodied supernatural power to remove sin and thus he avoided doing it too early. Even though Constantine was not considered a true Christian, at least until very late in his life, and even though his various decrees were intended to unite all the religions of his empire, the Christian leaders in Rome considered his Sunday laws--insipidly worded as they were--to be great victories. The most "Christian" interpretation of the Sunday law was used by Church leaders to entreat and threaten the laity into submission.

In AD 325, the COUNCIL OF NICAEA met and Church leaders decreed: "all honor the resurrection of Christ by keeping the Easter festival--and only on a certain Sunday of each year." Immediately following this ruling, Constantine issued an edict commanding all Christians everywhere to obey the decree of this council. Church and state had united. Although controversy about the subject of Passover vs. Easter had continued since its beginning in about AD 135, the decree of Constantine essentially laid the matter to rest. From that point on, open debate or resistance about the subject was dangerous and basically useless. Most Christians continued to observe the Jewish Sabbath until late in the fifth century. However, open debate had been rendered suicidal.

In summary: Constantine's great contribution to Sunday-keeping was his development and enforcement of laws to establish it. Until Constantine, there was widespread and powerful resistance to both Easter and to weekly Sunday observance. Constantine pushed that resistance underground. His momentous unification of Church and state set the stage for over a thousand years of religious intolerance and bloodshed.