Testimony of the Heretic Bardesanes

Bardesanes, the Syrian, flourished about A. D. 180. He belonged to the Gnostic sect of Valentinians, and abandoning them, “devised errors of his own.” In his “Book of the Laws of Countries,” he replies to the views of astrologers who assert that the stars govern men’s actions. He shows the folly of this by enumerating the peculiarities of different races and sects. In doing this, he speaks of the strictness with which the Jews kept the Sabbath. Of the new sect called Christians, which “Christ at his advent planted in every country,” he says:-TFTC 53.2

“On one day, the first of the week, we assemble ourselves together, and on the days of the readings we abstain from [taking] sustenance.”TFTC 54.1

This shows that the Gnostics used Sunday as the day for religious assemblies. Whether he recognized others besides Gnostics, or Christians, we cannot say. We find no allusion, however, to Sunday as a day of abstinence from labor, except so far as necessary for their meetings. What their days of fasting, which are here alluded to, were, cannot now be determined. It is also worthy of notice that this writer, who certainly speaks of Sunday, and this as late as A. D. 180, does not call it Lord’s day, nor give it any sacred title whatever, but speaks of it as “first day of the week.” No writer down to A. D. 180, who is known to speak of Sunday, calls it the Lord’s day.TFTC 54.2