Dr. Atef Meshreky claims:
"
The early Christians, both Jews and Gentiles, continued to attend the synagogues on the Sabbath and during the Jewish feasts. In addition to this, they attended their churches on Sunday where they prayed the liturgy. This continued until the 2nd century A.D. We know about this because this was mentioned in the letters of Bishop Ignatius, the martyr (2nd century) and in the Shepherd of Hermas (a Christian literary work of the 2nd century). There are also some historical references that suggest the possibility that this had continued in different places until the 4th/5th centuries.
In the writing of Origen (185-254 A.D.), we read the commendation to the believers to keep the Sabbath. We read the same thing in the Constitutions of the Holy Apostles (3rd/4th centuries). The Catholic historian, Sozomen (5th century) wrote that the Liturgy was kept and prayed on Saturday and Sunday in churches in various places in the world.
Why were the believers keen on attending the Jewish synagogues and celebrating with the Jews?
There were two reasons behind this:
- The early Christians never thought of the possibility of separating Christianity from Judaism.
- The synagogue was considered by believers as the place where they went to hear the divine Scriptures being read and explained; and where teaching was presented from the Scriptures. There is a reference to this in Acts 15:21 'being read in the synagogues every Sabbath'. At that time, the books of Scriptures were not available for the believers.
"
"The Bride & The End Times" P39-40; and the 1st lecture in Kiriath Jearim, Israel, August 2015 https://vimeo.com/ondemand/globalconference2015/141452834
The New Testament says:
- "But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed." Mat 27:20
- "But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They said, “Barabbas!”Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!”Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?”But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!”When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.”" Mat 27:20-25
- "Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,"Mat 27:51
- "So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him." Mark 3:2
- "So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. " Luke 4:28-29
- "And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people." Luke 22:2
- "For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath." John 5:16
- "Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God." John 5:18
- "However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews." John 7:13
- " His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue." John 9:22
- "Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him." John 10:31
- "Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand." John 10:39
- "Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples." John 11:53-54
- "Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus." John 12:9-11
- "Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled,for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”" John 20:19
- "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place." Acts 2:2
- "Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening." Acts 4:1-3
- "So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus." Acts 4:18
- "Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison." Acts 5:17-18
- "Now when the high priest,[b] the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. 25 So one came and told them, saying,[c] “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” 26 Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!”" Acts 5:24-28
- "and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul." Acts 7:58
- "But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison." Acts 8:3
- "Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest" Acts 9:1
- "But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ. Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him." Acts 9:22-23
- "Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover." Acts 12:1-4
- "But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul."; "But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region." Acts 13:45; 50
- "Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead." Acts 14:19
- "But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. " Acts 17:5
- "for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ." Acts 18:28
- "Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him," Acts 21:27
- "But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;" 1Cor 1:23
- "From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. " 2Cor 11:24
- "But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. " Gal 4:29
- "And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased." Gal 5:11
- "“I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan." Rev 2:9
- “And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:”; “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,“ Rev 7:4; 9