During the Constantinian dynasty, institutional roles like the pope, bishops and clerics gradually evolved to maintain order in the church.

At that time Judaism was considered a rival religion to the Christianity in the Roman Empire and the church decided to institutionalise antisemitism to intensify Jewish prosecution.

The council of Laodicea

Therefore, in 363-364 the council of Laodicea, a Christian synod of 30 clerics from Asia Minor, regulated the conduct of church members by decrees in the form of written rules. This includes:

• Determining the church order and behaviour of bishops, clerics and laypeople
• Regulating the approach to heretics and Jews
• Outlawing the keeping of the Sabbath (resting on Saturday) to distinct themselves from "Jewish practices"
• Encourage rest on Sundays
• Outlining liturgical practices
• Restrictions during lent (a religious observance before Easter Sunday)
• The process how individuals are prepared for baptism and admission to the church
• Specify the biblical canon

"Christians must not Judaize and rest on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, if possible;
but the Lord's day they must especially honour, and, as far as possible, must refrain from work. If any one be found Judaizing, let him be anathema."

-- Canon 29