The Complete Testimony of the Fathers of the First Three Centuries Concerning the Sabbath and First Day

Testimony of Melito, Bishop of Sardis

This father wrote about A. D. 177. We have nothing of this writer except the titles of his books, which Eusebius has preserved to us. One of these titles is this: “On the Lord’s Day.” But it should be remembered that down to this date no writer has called Sunday the Lord’s day; and that every one who certainly spoke of that day called it by some other name than Lord’s day. To say, therefore, as do first-day writers, that Melito wrote of Sunday, is to speak without just warrant. Moreover the word “day” is omitted in the original Greek of Eusebius. It is not certain, therefore, that Melito wrote of the Lord’s day. He wrote of something pertaining to the Lord. It may have been the Lord’s Supper, as Paul wrote, or the Lord’s life, as wrote Ignatius. TFTC 53.1