The Roman gens Aurelian was associated with the cult of Sol.[21] After his victories in the East, the Emperor Aurelian thoroughly reformed the Roman cult of Sol, elevating the sun-god to one of the premier divinities of the Empire. Where previously priests of Sol had been simply sacerdotesand tended to belong to lower ranks of Roman society,[22] they were now pontifices and members of the new college of pontifices instituted by Aurelian. Every pontifex of Sol was a member of the senatorial elite, indicating that the priesthood of Sol was now highly prestigious. Almost all these senators held other priesthoods as well, however, and some of these other priesthoods take precedence in the inscriptions in which they are listed, suggesting that they were considered more prestigious than the priesthood of Sol.[23] Aurelian also built a new temple for Sol, bringing the total number of temples for the god in Rome to (at least) four[24] He also instituted games in honor of the sun god, held every four years from AD 274 onwards.
...claiming the Unconquered Sun as a companion to the Emperor, used with particular frequency by Constantine.[26] Statuettes of Sol Invictus, carried by the standard-bearers, appear in three places in reliefs on the Arch of Constantine. Constantine's official coinage continues to bear images of Sol until 325/6. A solidus of Constantine as well as a gold medallion from his reign depict the Emperor's bust in profile twinned (jugate) with Sol Invictus, with the legend INVICTUS CONSTANTINUS[27]
(After his conversion to Christianity) Constantine decreed (March 7, 321) dies Solis—day of the sun, "Sunday"—as the Roman day of rest [CJ3.12.2]:
- On the venerable day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country however persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits because it often happens that another day is not suitable for grain-sowing or vine planting; lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost.[28]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Invictus
On March 7, 321, Sunday, the Day of the Sun, was declared an official day of rest, on which markets were banned and public offices were closed,[21] except for the purpose of freeing slaves. The Christians reacted to this by moving their Sabbath from the tradition Jewish day to Sunday. There were, however, no restrictions on performing farming work, which was the work of the great majority of the population, on Sundays.[22]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_the_Great_and_Christianity
The very next day, Constantine enacted another law giving pagan soothsayers official acceptance in the Empire. In all Constantine issued five additional Sunday laws over a few years to strengthen the first one.
The meaning of these weekly Sunday rituals is explained as follows:
Constantine sent to the legions, to be recited upon that day, a form of prayer which could have been employed by a worshiper of Mithra, of Serapis, or of Apollo [277], quite as well as by a Christian believer. This was the official sanction of the old custom of addressing a prayer to the rising sun." [280]
Constantine (337-361 AD), in council with the local bishop of Rome, aimed at bringing about conditions which would bring peace and prosperity where there was distrust and persecution among the leading religions of the Empire. Thus the foundations for a compromise were laid transforming the Christian Church away from its scriptural roots in the fourth century A.D.
"The Logos has transformed by the New Alliance the celebration of Sabbath to the rising of the light. He has given us a type of the true rest in the saving day of the Lord, the first day of light. ... In this day of light - first day and the true day of the sun - when we gather after the interval of six days, we celebrate the holy and spiritual Sabbaths. ... All things whatsoever that were prescribed for the Sabbath, We have transferred them to the Lord's day, as being more authoritative and more highly regarded and first in rank, and more honorable than the Jewish Sabbath. In fact it is on the day of the creation of the world that God said, `Let there be light and there was light.' It is also on this day that the Sun of Justice has risen for our souls." [288] ([288] Eusebius, Commentary on the Psalms, Psalm 91, in Patrologie Cursus Completus, ed. J.P. Migne, p. 23, 1169-1172.)
http://www.specialtyinterests.net/lords_day_history.html#tld
a) No traces of the observance of the Sunday are found until about the middle of the second century. Those appear first in Justin Martyr's First Apology. The leading reason assigned by him for its observance is founded on a mystical interpretation of certain passages supposed to refer to the millennium. The supposed resurrection of Christ on that day is mentioned incidentally as a secondary reason. About the close of the second century, the idea of commemorating the resurrection by the observance of the Sunday increases, and the term "Lord's Day" begins to be applied to it.
http://www.specialtyinterests.net/lords_day_history.html#tld
Some may say it doesn't matter which day we worship on since we do not live under the law but under grace. If that is true, then it doesn't matter if we lie, cheat, steal, murder or worship idols. These are the other commandments.
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