Jesus did prophesy that man would THINK to change the Sabbath, but just because man thinks he has, dont mean he has! 9 John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536), trans. In Deuteronomy 5:12-15, the Israelites were commanded to keep the Sabbath as a memorial of their deliverance from Egypt by God’s mighty hand. Of special interest to Adventists is their practice of Sabbathkeeping, as already noted. Gerard Damsteegt is an associate professor of church history at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. Jesus responds with an argument that redefines the Sabbath, asserts his role as the promised Messiah, and points to his divinity (Matthew 12:3-8). They were originally known as the Valdese -- the dwellers in the valley. Please log in using one of these methods to post your comment: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. But to Jesus, Sabbath observance pointed to something greater. They are disappointed to hear that early Waldensians always observed Sunday; that there is no proof of them worshipping on Sabbath. ( Log Out /  “All” mankind will keep the Sabbath in the New Earth (Isaiah 66:22, 23). Used by permission. In 1532, at a meeting between Waldensians and representatives of the French Reformation, held in the Valley of Angrogna, most of the Waldensians voted to join the French Reformation. 7. Know the brief history of how the Catholic church fulfilled its threat of 62:4 (from lecture) How were Christian churches outside of the jurisdiction of Rome corrupted through the ages? There remain, therefore, only the first and second of these four statements, which are that they were called by these names because they kept the Saturday for the Lord's day, and because they did not keep the Sabbath of the papist. 2. The Sabbath is a blessing, not a curse!! In response, the Waldensians, and even some Adventists, have said that Ellen White was not a historian. Surely most of us who have read the Bible extensively have wondered why Christians don't keep the Sabbath. God instituted the Sabbath and sanctified it right after the creation of Adam and Eve. Fathers prior to Egypt did not keep the Sabbath: Deut 5:2-3 "The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. On the contrary, they kept the Sabbath-day, observed the ordinance of baptism, according to the primitive church, instructed their children in the Christian faith and the commandments of God. Change ), Protestant Confessions About the Sabbath (Part 2 of 2), Protestant Confessions About the Sabbath (Part 1 of 2), A Call to Repentance and Turning toward God continued…. “…They say that Pope Sylvester was the Anti-Christ of whom is made mention in the Epistle of St. Paul as being the Son of Perdition, who … However, historical evidence indicates that many did observe Sabbath during the Middle Ages. To help the non-clergy understand the New Testament he had it translated into the language which was commonly used at that time, Provencal. II, p. 662. We know God created the Sabbath after the creation of man, so did Adam and Eve keep the Sabbath? Such research is challenging because Waldensian documents themselves have been burned or otherwise destroyed through centuries of persecution.4 The only evidence one finds comes from the mouths of their inquisitors, who often portray them as a heretical movement. These historical accounts help us understand that at the very least there was a significant minority population of Sabbath keepers among the Waldenses and connected to them. No one prior to the Exodus from Egypt (Ex 16) even knew about the Sabbath law: Ezek 20:10-12 "So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. Doctrine Before the Reformation. Waldo and his disciples, “the Poor of Lyon“, … (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), p. 221. . Sabbathkeeping among Waldensians was most widespread in Bohemia and Moravia, places to which they fled during papal persecution. The Waldensians’ back-to-the-Bible approach appealed to many, and the movement quickly spread rapidly to Spain, northern France, Flanders, Germany, southern Italy, and even Poland and Hungary. The king having heard the report of his commissions, said with an oath that they were better men than himself or his people” (William Jones, Jones Church History, 1832, Page 348; In the 1824 version, it is found in Vol. But the Catholic Church did not take kindly to the Waldensian call to reform. Further, those who do not keep the Sabbath should avoid being a stumbling block (1 Corinthians 8:9) to those who do keep the Sabbath. At the same time, a modern denial does not erase the pages of history. As a result, their teachings spread to far-flung regions of Europe. Adventists share a sense of comradery with this group for another reason, too. n. 1 Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. They were also called the Cathars--which meant 'holy ones.' Notice that Saturday was not one of the Waldensian Protest. There at least seems to be several reasons that we should. The Waldensians (also known as Waldenses (/ w ɔː l ˈ d ɛ n s iː z, w ɒ l-/), Vallenses, Valdesi or Vaudois) are adherents of a proto-Protestant church tradition that began as an ascetic movement within Western Christianity before the Reformation. Beware, ye who take delight in calling it the old Jewish Sabbath, a yoke of bondage, etc. Seventh-day Adventists have been particularly interested in this movement, because many Protestants see them as a connecting link between the early church and the Protestant Reformation. 2, page 68). But do not use your freedom to indulge the … The Sabbath was a symbol of a covenant between God and Israel, signifying that it was the Lord who set apart Israel from the other nations. The King having heard the report of his commissioners, said with an oath that they were better men than himself or his people"–"History of the Christian Church," Vol. The Jewish Sabbath starts Friday at sundown and ends Saturday at sundown, the 7th day of the week. Recently, however, new evidence has come to light. Seventh-day Adventists have traditionally held a special affinity for the Waldensians, who, during a time of religious oppression, preserved and shared the Scriptures […], Seventh-day Adventists have traditionally held a special affinity for the Waldensians, who, during a time of religious oppression, preserved and shared the Scriptures despite grim consequences. Moneta concluded by quoting Colossians 2:16, commenting that “days related to Jewish festivals are not observed, on the contrary, the days instituted by the Church, and that is it.”7. 2, pp. Mark Finley is arguably the most famous Adventist evangelist there is, and as a result probably doesn’t need a bio. In recent years, a bit of a controversy has surfaced regarding the Waldenses. We talk about the ten commandments, and we seem to believe that Christians should keep them. 2 See, e.g., Earle E. Cairns, Christianity Through the Centuries: A History of the Christian Church, 3rd ed. Based on Ellen White’s statement in The Great Controversy, Adventists have believed that some Waldensians kept the Sabbath, but not necessarily a sizable group. Through the revelations of God’s words, I came to understand that the reason why the Lord Jesus did not keep the Sabbath and chose to go out and work on that day was that He wanted to tell those who lived under the law that He had ended the old age and brought with Him new work. Some people have denied that they ever kept the Sabbath. Ironically, Moneta’s Catholic arguments against Sabbathkeeping were used by Waldensians toward Adventists after Adventists began sharing the long-forgotten Sabbath truth with them. 8 Johann Döllinger, Beiträge zur Sektengeschichte des Mittelalters (Munich: Beck, 1890), Vol. Moneta’s treatise clearly shows that a sizable group of Waldensians and Cathars in northern Italy and southern France during the thirteenth century were worshipping on a day other than Sunday, namely, the seventh-day Sabbath. 31. Gretzer, a German Jesuit who accused the Waldenses in the late 1500s/early 1600s, and Bishop Usher from Ireland (same time period) are in agreement. 1. Anxious to surroun… What led the Waldensians of northern Italy to give up Sabbathkeeping? If the Waldenses were not that much different from the Catholic Church, then why were they vigorously persecuted? Not all the Waldenses were Sabbatarians. The answer goes back to the time of the Reformation. God has promised to bless all who keep the Sabbath. (Isaiah 56:2.) Further, in 1190 the Bishop of Narbonne pronounced a … Although the Waldensians did not set out to oppose the Roman Catholic Church, they were branded heretics, excommunicated by Pope Lucius III in 1184, and targeted for extermination in several campaigns. The institution of the Sabbath at creation. The Sabbath commandment is for the “stranger” too. [As an aside, Robinson refutes the idea that these people were called insabbati because of their foot wear; as he notes, the people of their region wore a different kind altogether]. They were simple people. 6 Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. who kept the true Sabbath.”1. Their practice of wearing sandals or wooden shoes (sabots) caused them to be named "Sandaliati", "Insabbatati", "Sabbatati", Sabotiers". In the 1400s, Louis XII of France sent people to learn more about them. The Ten Commandments, including the Saturday Sabbath, were not done away with when Christ died. The church investigated the Waldensians’ teachings at the Third Lateran Council (1179) and condemned the believers as heretics.3 Subsequent councils repeated this condemnation of heresy, bringing severe persecution, and causing them to flee to more hospitable locations. During the early part of the seventeenth century, the Swiss histo - rian Melchior Goldastus (1576 1635) commented on Emperor Frederic II s 32. They lived in the Piedmont mountain valleys of northern Italy and Southern France. In truth, they were a small, scattered but close-knit group that professed orthodox beliefs and generally remained faithful to the Catholic Church until the time of the Reformation. Wherever the church of Rome predominated these Sabbatarians suffered confiscation of property, fines, imprisonment and execution." London: 1689. All the holy prophets kept the seventh day. To bind together the Adventist people as we wait for Jesus to come back, by sharing news and information about the church plus articles on doctrine, spiritual growth and mission. "The Abyssinians and many continental Europeans, especially in Romania, Bohemia, Moravia, Holland and Germany continued to keep the Sabbath. Who, other than Waldensians, were conducting mission tours across Europe in the middle ages? The word Valdese changed through the centuries, and was pronounced Waldenses, and Waldensians. Robinson, in his Ecclesiastical Researches, quotes two primary sources that identify the Waldenses as Sabbath keepers. 30. Below we have some primary source quotes describing this fascinating group. The pages of history will clarify the situation for us. Jesus, or Paul had nothing to do with that! We just don't have to keep it as they did under the law. The Lord required us to call it honourable, (Isaiah 58:13.) Contributing Writer • Early Waldensians were members of a reformation movement in Europe, specifically the Alpine regions of Spain, France, and Italy, during the high Middle Ages. They also confirm the validity of The Great Controversy’s account of Sabbathkeeping among early Waldensians. Here is the eye witness account that his scouts brought back: “…they found no images, nor signs of the ornaments belonging to the mass, nor any of the ceremonies of the Romish church; much less could they discover any traces of those crimes with which they were charged. When we come to consider the Sabbath-keepers during the Reformation, we shall find that even Luther charged them with practising circumcision, while their own words still extant in quotations prove the contrary. The Sabbath is one of those commandments. We have some quotes about this below: In the 1100s-1200s AD, we learn about a group connected to the Waldenses known as the Passagani. It must be understood, however, that as the Jews observed the Sabbath, so also, we observe the Lord’s day.” He added, “this day we observe as an ordinance of the Church, and it is in reverence to Christ who was born on that day, who rose on that day, who sent the Holy Spirit on that day.”, Moneta continued his dispute by referring to Galatians 4:10, 11, stating, “It is sin to observe days.” He continued by pointing out that circumcision “will be of no benefit to you” (Gal. Requirement-1 : Rest (Shabaton, שַׁבָּת֖וֹן) Shemot 35:2 [MT] : "Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy Shabat rest to the Lord; whoever performs work on-it shall be put to death. A fifteenth-century manuscript, published by church historian Johann Döllinger in History of the Sects, reports that Waldensians in Bohemia “do not celebrate the feasts of the blessed virgin Mary and the Apostles, except the Lord’s day. You can follow Kelly on his website: www.kellymcdonaldjr.com. Finding that many teachings and practices of the Roman Church were based more on tradition than Scripture, they rejected these doctrines and rituals, calling believers to return to the simplicity of the New Testament lifestyle and the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. Numerous other designations were applied to them; to their profession of extreme poverty they owed the named of "the Poor"; from their place of origin, Lyons, they were called "Leonistae"; and frequently the two ideas were combined in the title "Poor Men of Lyons". Every single commandment can be found reiterated in the New Testament. For several years I have researched, with the help of graduate students, archaic sources from European libraries for evidence of Sabbathkeeping among the Waldensians. In the chapter De Sabbato, et De Die Dominico he discussed the significance of the seventh-day Sabbath of Exodus 20:8, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” and contrasted it with the value of the Lord’s day, his term for the first day of the week.5, Anti-Sabbath Arguments Against Waldensians, Moneta claimed that the Sabbath was for the Jews, pointing out that it was a memorial of Creation and of their liberation from Egypt. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The Pharisees are understandably upset by this. 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