07/04/2026
Latest release!
"Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord shall keep you; the Lord is your shelter at your right hand. The sun shall not burn you by day nor the moon by night. The Lord shall keep you from all evil; the Lord shall keep your soul. The Lord shall keep your coming in and your going out from this present time and unto the ages."—Psalm 120 (LXX)
FROM THE INTRODUCTION
While Justin Martyr’s Dialogue with Trypho works to establish Christianity’s distinct identity and legitimacy in the face of a still-competitive Jewish context in the mid-second century, the Pseudo-Athanasian treatise On the Sabbaths and Circumcision presupposes an already-established Christian footing. It functions primarily as internal catechesis, reinforcing the typological fulfillment of the old covenant in Christ and strengthening the faithful in their observance of the Lord’s Day.
In an age when many Christians encounter sincere questions from friends, family members, and co-workers about the relationship between the Old and New Covenants—particularly whether God’s earlier laws and institutions (such as the Sabbath and circumcision) remain eternally binding—this short work offers a valuable patristic voice. Rather than treating the sacred ordinances of the old covenant with dismissive contempt, the treatise models a reverent and theologically grounded approach: it honors them as divinely instituted shadows and preparatory types that pointed forward to their perfect fulfillment in Christ and the new creation. In this way, it invites modern believers to regard these matters not as obsolete relics to be discarded, but as integral parts of God’s single, unfolding plan of salvation—now graciously brought to completion according to His eternal will. Presenting this text to contemporary readers can therefore equip them with both clarity and pastoral sensitivity when engaging such conversations.
On the Sabbaths and Circumcision, From Exodus: Greek and English Edition
