Celebrating Special Days, from Socrates of Constantinople

Reference: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Volume 2, pp331+.

The main thrust of his argument is that being 'called into the liberty of sons' means we are not bound to a calendar. He draws from Galatians and Colossians to make his points.

Again in his epistle to the Colossians771 he distinctly declares, that such observances are merely shadows: wherefore he says, ‘Let no man judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of any holy-day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbathdays; which are a shadow of things to come.’

The result is that individual believers (and local churches, I presume) are free to establish their own celebrations as they see fit.

Neither the apostles, therefore, nor the Gospels,773 have anywhere imposed the ‘yoke of servitude’774 on those who have embraced the truth; but have left Easter and every other feast to be honored by the gratitude of the recipients of grace. Wherefore, inasmuch as men love festivals, because they afford them cessation from labor: each individual in every place, according to his own pleasure, has by a prevalent custom celebrated the memory of the saving passion. The Saviour and his apostles have enjoined us by no law to keep this feast: nor do the Gospels and apostles threaten us with any penalty, punishment, or curse for the neglect of it, as the Mosaic law does the Jews.

He sums it up nicely:

The aim of the apostles was not to appoint festival days, but to teach a righteous life and piety.

 Festivals and holy days can be good, but they are not the focus, nor is their particular date of observance or their coordination with other churches.

1 Clement and Justification

The church at Rome, appx 96 AD, explained to the church at Corinth why we do good works.

1Clem 32:1
   If any man will consider them one by one in sincerity, he shall 

understand the magnificence of the gifts that are given by Him. 

 1Clem 32:2
For of Jacob are all the priests and levites who minister unto the
altar of God; of him is the Lord Jesus as concerning the flesh; of
him are kings and rulers and governors in the line of Judah; yea and
the rest of his tribes are held in no small honor, seeing that God
promised saying, Thy seed shall be as the stars of heaven. 

• The relationship is that of being heirs. 

 1Clem 32:3
They all therefore were glorified and magnified, not through
themselves or their own works or the righteous doing which they
wrought, but through His will. 

• They were glorified because they were heirs.

 1Clem 32:4
And so we, having been called through His will in Christ Jesus, are
not justified through ourselves or through our own wisdom or
understanding or piety or works which we wrought in holiness of
heart, but through faith, whereby the Almighty God justified all men
that have been from the beginning; to whom be the glory for ever and
ever. Amen. 

• Just like the priests et al, we are justified because we are heirs.

• What's more, the mark by which we are known as heirs is faith. 

• It therefore looks like our justification is indicated by faith alone --

  although we shall see in a moment that it is accompanied by works.

 1Clem 33:1
   What then must we do, brethren? Must we idly abstain from doing
good, and forsake love? May the Master never allow this to befall us
at least; but let us hasten with instancy and zeal to accomplish
every good work. 

• This is exactly Paul's argument in Romans. 

  Work is contingent upon, and proves, our faith.

 1Clem 33:2
For the Creator and Master of the universe Himself rejoiceth in His
works.

...

1Clem 34:1
   The good workman receiveth the bread of his work with boldness, but
the slothful and careless dareth not look his employer in the face. 

I Clement and the appointment of elders

Here's how the church at Rome saw the appointment of elders.  The letter was probably written around 96 AD, primarily to comdemn the church at Corinth for deposing perfectly good leaders.

1Clem 44:1
   And our Apostles knew through our Lord Jesus Christ that there would
be strife over the name of the bishop's office.

1Clem 44:2
For this cause therefore, having received complete foreknowledge,
they appointed the aforesaid persons, and afterwards they provided a
continuance, that if these should fall asleep, other approved men
should succeed to their ministration. Those therefore who were
appointed by them, or afterward by other men of repute with the
consent of the whole Church, and have ministered unblamably to the
flock of Christ in lowliness of mind, peacefully and with all
modesty, and for long time have borne a good report with all these
men we consider to be unjustly thrust out from their ministration.