Sunday Worship:
The Biblical and Theological Case for the Lord’s Day
The Biblical and Theological Case for the Lord’s Day
hy do we worship on Sunday instead of Saturday?
In the Old Testament, God stated,
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you," (Exodus 20:8-10).
It was the custom of the Jews to come together on the Sabbath, which is Saturday, cease work, and worship God. Jesus went to the synagogue on Saturday to teach (Matt. 12:9, John 18:20) as did the apostle Paul (Acts 17:2; 18:4). So, if in the Old Testament we are commanded to keep the Sabbath and in the New Testament we see Jews, Jesus, and the apostles doing the same thing, then why do we worship on Sunday?
First of all, of the 10 commandments listed in Exodus 20:1-17, only 9 of them were re-instituted in the New Testament: five in Matt. 19:18, murder, adultery, stealing, false witness, and honor parents; in Rom. 13:9, coveting; worshiping God properly covers the first three commandments. The one that was not reaffirmed was the one about the Sabbath. Instead, Jesus said that He is the Lord of the Sabbath (Matt. 12:8).
Upon the completion of Creation God rested on the seventh day. However, since God is all-powerful, He doesn't get tired. He doesn't need to take a break and rest. So, why does it say that He rested? The reason is simple: Mark 2:27 says, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." In other words, God established the Sabbath as a rest for His people, not because He needed a break, but because we are mortal and need a time of rest, a time to focus on God. In this, our spirits and bodies are both renewed.
The Old Testament system of Law required keeping the Sabbath as part of the overall moral, legal, and sacrificial system by which the Jewish people satisfied God’s requirements for behavior, government, and forgiveness of sins. The Sabbath was part of the Law in that sense. In order to "remain" in favor with God, you had to also keep the Sabbath. If it was not kept, then the person was in sin and would often be punished (Ezekiel 18:4; Rom. 6:23; Deut. 13:1-9; Num. 35:31; Lev. 20:2, etc.).
But with Jesus’ atonement, we are no longer required to keep the Law. We are not under Law, but grace (Rom. 6:14-15). The Sabbath is fulfilled in Jesus. He is our rest. We are not under obligation, by Law, to keep it, and this goes for the Sabbath as well. It is not a requirement that we keep the Sabbath. If it were, then we would still be under the Law, but we are not.
Evidence of the Change of Days can be Seen in the NT
The New Testament has ample evidence that the seventh day Sabbath is no longer a requirement.
Rom. 14:5-6, "One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God."
The entire section of Rom. 14:1-12 is worth careful study. Nevertheless, the instructions here are that individuals must be convinced in their own minds about which day they observe for the Lord. If the seventh day Sabbath were a requirement, then the choice would not be man's, but God’s.
Col. 2:16-17, "Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ."
Notice here that the time sequence mentioned. A festival is yearly. A new moon is monthly. A Sabbath is weekly. No one is to judge in regard to this. The Sabbath is defined as a shadow; the reality is Jesus. Jesus is our Sabbath.
Acts 20:7, "And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight."
The first day of the week is Sunday and this is the day the people gathered. This passage can easily be seen as the church meeting on Sunday. It has two important church functions within it: breaking bread (communion) and a message (preaching). Additionally, Luke did not use the Jewish system of counting days: sundown to sundown. He used the Roman system: midnight to midnight. This is a subtle point that shows the Jewish Sabbath system was not the one utilized by Luke.
1 Cor. 16:1-2, "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. 2 On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come."
Notice here that Paul is directing the churches to meet on the first day of each week and put money aside. It would seem that this is tithing. So, the instructed time for the church to meet is Sunday. Is this an official worship day set up by the church? You decide.
Rev. 1:10-11, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, 11 saying, "Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."
The New Bible Dictionary says regarding the term, ‘The Lord’s Day’ in Revelation 1:10: "This is the first extant occurrence in Christian literature of τῇ κυριακῇ ἡμέρᾳ, 'ta kuriaka hamera.' The adjectival construction suggests that it was a formal designation of the church’s worship day. As such it certainly appears early in the 2nd century (Ignatius, Epistle to the Magnesians, 1. 67)." Ignatius was the disciple of John the apostle.
In many churches today, the term "The Lord’s Day" is used to designate Sunday, the same as it was in the second century.
I hope this is evidence enough to show you that the Bible does not require that we worship on Saturday. If anything, we have the freedom (Rom. 14:1-12) to worship on the day that we believe we should. And, no one should judge us in regard to the day we keep. We are free in Christ, not under law (Rom. 6:14).
COUNSEL OF ACTS 15 CONVENED
WHEN THE COUNSEL OF ACTS 15 CONVENED to determine what Gentile Christians must observe, SABBATH KEEPING IS CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT. Peter exhorts the leadership of the Church not to place the Gentiles under the Law:
"Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are." Acts 15:10-11.
The final judgment of the Jerusalem Council contains no reference to Sabbath keeping. Circumcision was discussed and deemed unnecessary (vss. 5-6; 19-20). If Sabbath keeping were to be an essential part of the New Covenant relationship with God, it would have been mentioned in the discussion because it would have been an unfamiliar practice to the Gentiles. Sabbath keeping was not even discussed because it is not a requirement for New Covenant believers:
"For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials; that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell." (Acts 15:28-29).
NOTICE that the Holy Spirit told them NOT to lay upon the Gentiles any greater burden than THOSE ESSENTIALS. OBVIOUSLY, THE HOLY SPIRIT DID NOT THINK SABBATH KEEPING WAS AN ESSENTIAL THING ANYMORE!
The 7 post-resurrection appearances of Christ show that Jesus purposefully chose the first day of the week to meet with His disciples to encourage and exhort them. The evidence shows that five of these appearances occurred on a Sunday, the first day of the week. We do not have a record of what the actual day on which the other appearances (John 21 and Acts 1:6-10) occurred to His disciples. What we can say with accuracy is this: after Jesus' resurrection, whenever He met with His disciples and the day is identified, it is NOT the Sabbath, it is the first day of the week!
Pentecost happened on the first day of the week! The Church was born on the first day of the week! That doesn't make Sunday the Sabbath, but it does tell us that after the resurrection of Jesus, the Sabbath is not emphasized.
When a day is mentioned in connection with the appearances of the risen Lord Jesus, it is always the first day of the week. Look at the extremely important events that occurred in the life of the first followers of Christ on the first day of the week:
NOTE: Why did the Disciples meet on Sunday?
The NINE "MORAL" COMMANDS OF THE 10 COMMANDMENTS are reiterated in the New Testament:
When the New Testament lists sins, Sabbath-breaking is conspicuously absent:
Circumcision, which predates the Law and the Sabbath commandment, was an issue in the New Testament Church and is addressed repeatedly in the New Testament epistles and by the Jerusalem Council.
Sabbath keepers argue that it is the example of Jesus that gives us the reason for keeping the Sabbath.
"He kept the Sabbath, so I must keep the Sabbath. Jesus is my example," they say. Well, this kind of reasoning is flawed because it only chooses Jesus' Sabbath keeping and rejects the rest of His Jewish lifestyle. Jesus also kept kosher laws. He kept the Passover, Sukkot, Hanukkah, and worshiped in the temple. Are we to follow everything He did?
Galatians 4:4-5 says that Jesus lived under the Law to redeem us from the Law:
"But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons." (NIV)
JESUS WAS ALSO ACCUSED OF SABBATH BREAKING.
Why, if He wanted to be our "example" in Sabbath keeping, didn't He make it clear that He was not breaking the Sabbath? Instead, He clearly admits to it. He also admits that His disciples were breaking the Sabbath and He defends them. Read Matthew 12:1-14 carefully. Jesus is clearly saying that His disciples are like the priests who may work in the temple every Sabbath and be innocent of breaking the Sabbath. When Jesus says that He is "Lord of the Sabbath," He is declaring that He is above the Sabbath. He may do what He wishes on the Sabbath and therefore His disciples may do whatever they wish as well.
Apparently, Jesus did break the Sabbath:
"Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, 'This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.'" (John 9:15).
If Jesus did not want us to understand that He was breaking the Sabbath, why did He not speak against these accusations? It’s because Jesus had the right and the authority to break the Sabbath because He is Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath does not bind Him. Think about this: if it does not bind Him, are we not "in Christ"? Why would it be any more binding upon us? (Again, read Matthew 12:1-14 carefully).
EVERY MENTION OF THE SABBATH IN THE BOOK OF ACTS
Without a single exception, every mention of the Sabbath in Acts is in connection with Jewish worship on that day and not Christian celebration. Paul's evangelistic strategy was to go to the Jews first in a community and share the Gospel with them. The Sabbath is the day when he knew he would find the most Jews gathering for worship. He knew he would have his best opportunity of sharing the good news of the Messiah to the Jews on the Sabbath. It was not because he was meeting with a group of believing Christians. He was meeting with non-Christian Jews.
IS THE TEN COMMANDMENT LAW ETERNAL?
No, the Law is not eternal. Galatians 3:19 gives the purpose of the Law:
"What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come."
The Law was given 430 years after Abraham:
"What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise." (Galatians 3:17-18)
The Law had a definite beginning time (430 years after Abraham) and a definite ending time—when the promised Seed (Christ, vs. 16) came.
CREATION & THE SABBATH:
The Scriptures are very clear that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment was not given before Moses:
"The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today." (Deuteronomy 5:2-3)
"You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good. You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, decrees, and laws through your servant Moses." (Nehemiah 9:13-14, NIV)
WAS THE SABBATH GIVEN FOR ALL MANKIND TO KEEP PERPETUALLY?
No. Although Genesis 2:1-3 says that God rested on the seventh day, there is no command for Adam and Eve to keep the Sabbath. In fact, the entire book of Genesis is silent about Sabbath keeping by the Patriarchs, including Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The Sabbath was given specifically to Israel as a sign:
"The sons of Israel shall observe the Sabbath, to celebrate the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever." (Exodus 31:16-17)
DOESN'T THE BIBLE SAY THAT THE SABBATH WAS MADE FOR MAN?
Mark 2:27 states, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." Sabbatarians argue this means the Sabbath is for all mankind, but the text does not say that. It says, "The Sabbath was made for man," not "mankind."
The Sabbath was not offered to all the nations. It was given only to the nation of Israel. Look at Deuteronomy 5:1-15 which gives the commandments to Israel. It is clearly stated that God did not give the Sabbath or other commandments to the fathers before (see verses 2-3).
One writer has brought up the point that this text shows that the Sabbath was not a part of the "moral" law to be kept by all mankind from the beginning, for it had to be made. It was made in Exodus 16-20. Notice also that this text does not say it was made for man from the "beginning," as was marriage (cf Matthew 19:4ff). WHICH OTHER OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS HAD TO BE MADE? --NOT ONE! (Gerald N. Wright, Sabbatarian Concordance & Commentary, Star Bible & Tract Corp., 1977, pp. 78-79).
Wright comments:
"The other nine [commandments] were (and are) inherently right from the beginning, reflecting God's righteous nature and being naturally a part of man's moral character, who was made in the image of God (cf Romans 2:14). Which command other than the Sabbath is lower than man—subject to being set aside under certain circumstances? When, or under what circumstances, can man lawfully commit adultery? Obviously, never! Man's life is not above God's holy and moral laws. Yet even a sheep's life is more important than rigid enforcement of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:10-12)!"
NO "BURGER KING" SABBATHS — You can't "Have It Your Way" with the Sabbath.
God specifies how it was to be kept:
NO "INSPIRED" WRITER MAKES ANY DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE "MORAL" LAW & THE "CEREMONIAL" LAWS.
SOME SABBATARIANS CLAIM THAT THE SABBATH IS THE SEAL OF GOD.
The Seal of God is NOT the Sabbath! Scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit is the seal of God:
IS A SABBATH-KEEPING CHURCH THE "REMNANT" OR COMMANDMENT-KEEPING CHURCH THAT IS SPOKEN OF IN REVELATION 12:17?
"And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus." (Revelation 12:17)
In the New Covenant, what are the "commandments" of God? Does this mean the Ten Commandments? No! The Greek word used for the Ten Commandments is "NOMOS." That word is not used here. The word used here is "ENTELE" and means "teachings."
John clarifies the "commandments" in 1 John 3:21-24:
"And this is His commandment: that we believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us."
THE ASSERTION THAT THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH CHANGED THE SABBATH TO SUNDAY IS FALSE.
It’s often claimed that the Council of Laodicea (A.D. 364) officially changed the Sabbath. However, the council’s ruling was more anti-Judaic than transformative. Many Christians were already worshiping on Sunday before this council.
R.J. Bauckham, in From Sabbath to Lord's Day, argues:
"Anti-Judaism played a part in Christian polemic against Jewish Sabbath observance, but it did not motivate the introduction of Sunday worship, which dates back to the first century."
Early Church Father Quotes on the Lord's Day:
Conclusion:
The shift from the seventh-day Sabbath to the first day of the week, Sunday, as the primary day of Christian worship is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus and the practices of the early church. Sunday worship reflects the new covenant reality in Christ. The New Testament is clear that believers are free from the Law, including the Sabbath. Christians are called to worship in spirit and truth, without being bound to ceremonial laws.
In the Old Testament, God stated,
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you," (Exodus 20:8-10).
It was the custom of the Jews to come together on the Sabbath, which is Saturday, cease work, and worship God. Jesus went to the synagogue on Saturday to teach (Matt. 12:9, John 18:20) as did the apostle Paul (Acts 17:2; 18:4). So, if in the Old Testament we are commanded to keep the Sabbath and in the New Testament we see Jews, Jesus, and the apostles doing the same thing, then why do we worship on Sunday?
First of all, of the 10 commandments listed in Exodus 20:1-17, only 9 of them were re-instituted in the New Testament: five in Matt. 19:18, murder, adultery, stealing, false witness, and honor parents; in Rom. 13:9, coveting; worshiping God properly covers the first three commandments. The one that was not reaffirmed was the one about the Sabbath. Instead, Jesus said that He is the Lord of the Sabbath (Matt. 12:8).
Upon the completion of Creation God rested on the seventh day. However, since God is all-powerful, He doesn't get tired. He doesn't need to take a break and rest. So, why does it say that He rested? The reason is simple: Mark 2:27 says, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." In other words, God established the Sabbath as a rest for His people, not because He needed a break, but because we are mortal and need a time of rest, a time to focus on God. In this, our spirits and bodies are both renewed.
The Old Testament system of Law required keeping the Sabbath as part of the overall moral, legal, and sacrificial system by which the Jewish people satisfied God’s requirements for behavior, government, and forgiveness of sins. The Sabbath was part of the Law in that sense. In order to "remain" in favor with God, you had to also keep the Sabbath. If it was not kept, then the person was in sin and would often be punished (Ezekiel 18:4; Rom. 6:23; Deut. 13:1-9; Num. 35:31; Lev. 20:2, etc.).
But with Jesus’ atonement, we are no longer required to keep the Law. We are not under Law, but grace (Rom. 6:14-15). The Sabbath is fulfilled in Jesus. He is our rest. We are not under obligation, by Law, to keep it, and this goes for the Sabbath as well. It is not a requirement that we keep the Sabbath. If it were, then we would still be under the Law, but we are not.
Evidence of the Change of Days can be Seen in the NT
The New Testament has ample evidence that the seventh day Sabbath is no longer a requirement.
Rom. 14:5-6, "One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God."
The entire section of Rom. 14:1-12 is worth careful study. Nevertheless, the instructions here are that individuals must be convinced in their own minds about which day they observe for the Lord. If the seventh day Sabbath were a requirement, then the choice would not be man's, but God’s.
Col. 2:16-17, "Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ."
Notice here that the time sequence mentioned. A festival is yearly. A new moon is monthly. A Sabbath is weekly. No one is to judge in regard to this. The Sabbath is defined as a shadow; the reality is Jesus. Jesus is our Sabbath.
Acts 20:7, "And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight."
The first day of the week is Sunday and this is the day the people gathered. This passage can easily be seen as the church meeting on Sunday. It has two important church functions within it: breaking bread (communion) and a message (preaching). Additionally, Luke did not use the Jewish system of counting days: sundown to sundown. He used the Roman system: midnight to midnight. This is a subtle point that shows the Jewish Sabbath system was not the one utilized by Luke.
1 Cor. 16:1-2, "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. 2 On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come."
Notice here that Paul is directing the churches to meet on the first day of each week and put money aside. It would seem that this is tithing. So, the instructed time for the church to meet is Sunday. Is this an official worship day set up by the church? You decide.
Rev. 1:10-11, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, 11 saying, "Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."
The New Bible Dictionary says regarding the term, ‘The Lord’s Day’ in Revelation 1:10: "This is the first extant occurrence in Christian literature of τῇ κυριακῇ ἡμέρᾳ, 'ta kuriaka hamera.' The adjectival construction suggests that it was a formal designation of the church’s worship day. As such it certainly appears early in the 2nd century (Ignatius, Epistle to the Magnesians, 1. 67)." Ignatius was the disciple of John the apostle.
In many churches today, the term "The Lord’s Day" is used to designate Sunday, the same as it was in the second century.
I hope this is evidence enough to show you that the Bible does not require that we worship on Saturday. If anything, we have the freedom (Rom. 14:1-12) to worship on the day that we believe we should. And, no one should judge us in regard to the day we keep. We are free in Christ, not under law (Rom. 6:14).
COUNSEL OF ACTS 15 CONVENED
WHEN THE COUNSEL OF ACTS 15 CONVENED to determine what Gentile Christians must observe, SABBATH KEEPING IS CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT. Peter exhorts the leadership of the Church not to place the Gentiles under the Law:
"Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are." Acts 15:10-11.
The final judgment of the Jerusalem Council contains no reference to Sabbath keeping. Circumcision was discussed and deemed unnecessary (vss. 5-6; 19-20). If Sabbath keeping were to be an essential part of the New Covenant relationship with God, it would have been mentioned in the discussion because it would have been an unfamiliar practice to the Gentiles. Sabbath keeping was not even discussed because it is not a requirement for New Covenant believers:
"For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials; that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell." (Acts 15:28-29).
NOTICE that the Holy Spirit told them NOT to lay upon the Gentiles any greater burden than THOSE ESSENTIALS. OBVIOUSLY, THE HOLY SPIRIT DID NOT THINK SABBATH KEEPING WAS AN ESSENTIAL THING ANYMORE!
The 7 post-resurrection appearances of Christ show that Jesus purposefully chose the first day of the week to meet with His disciples to encourage and exhort them. The evidence shows that five of these appearances occurred on a Sunday, the first day of the week. We do not have a record of what the actual day on which the other appearances (John 21 and Acts 1:6-10) occurred to His disciples. What we can say with accuracy is this: after Jesus' resurrection, whenever He met with His disciples and the day is identified, it is NOT the Sabbath, it is the first day of the week!
- To Mary, on the morning of the resurrection – Matt. 28:8-10; Mark 16:9; John 20:11-18
- To two disciples going to Emmaus – Luke 24:13-33; Mark 16:12-13
- To Simon (Peter) – Luke 24:31-35
- To the eleven disciples on the evening of Resurrection Sunday – Mark 16:14-18; Luke 24:36-44; John 20:19-23
- To the eleven disciples "Eight days later" – John 20:26-29
Pentecost happened on the first day of the week! The Church was born on the first day of the week! That doesn't make Sunday the Sabbath, but it does tell us that after the resurrection of Jesus, the Sabbath is not emphasized.
When a day is mentioned in connection with the appearances of the risen Lord Jesus, it is always the first day of the week. Look at the extremely important events that occurred in the life of the first followers of Christ on the first day of the week:
- Jesus startled them by appearing to them on the first day (John 20:19).
- Jesus received worship from Thomas (John 20:27-28).
- Sunday evening, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, evidently like He had in instituting the communion meal (Luke 22:19), and their "eyes were opened, and they recognized Him" (Luke 24:31).
- Sunday evening, Jesus blessed His disciples twice, saying "Peace be with you" (John 20:20, 26).
- That same Sunday evening, Jesus "...breathed on them and said, 'receive the Holy Spirit'" (John 20:22).
- On Sunday evening, Jesus gave His disciples the ecclesiastical authority to proclaim forgiveness to those who believe in Him through the Gospel (John 20:23).
NOTE: Why did the Disciples meet on Sunday?
- Because it now carried a special symbolic/anti-typical significance for them.
- Even if it didn't and was by chance, —Jesus still chose to reveal Himself to them only on Sunday when we know what day it is. That must also hold some kind of Divine significance.
- Jesus could have chosen to meet with His disciples on the Sabbath. This would have clearly set a New Covenant precedent. He did not choose to do this. The Sabbath was the sign of a fulfilled covenant (see Exodus 31:17 & Hebrews 8:13).
The NINE "MORAL" COMMANDS OF THE 10 COMMANDMENTS are reiterated in the New Testament:
- To worship the Lord God only (1st commandment): no less than 50 times
- Idolatry (2nd commandment): condemned 12 times
- Profanity (3rd commandment): condemned 4 times
- Honoring parents (5th commandment): taught 6 times
- Murder (6th commandment): condemned 6 times
- Adultery (7th commandment): condemned 12 times
- Theft (8th commandment): condemned 4 times
- False Witness (9th commandment): condemned 4 times
- Covetousness (10th commandment): condemned 9 times
When the New Testament lists sins, Sabbath-breaking is conspicuously absent:
- In Mark 7:21-22, 13 sins are listed, but Jesus did not mention breaking the Sabbath.
- In Romans 1:29-32, 20 sins are listed, and not one of them is Sabbath breaking.
- In Galatians 5:19-21, a list of 15 sins is given.
- In 2 Timothy 3:1-4, there’s a list of 18 sins, but not once is Sabbath-breaking mentioned!
- Why is it that nowhere in the New Testament is failure to keep the Sabbath day condemned as sin?
- Why is the fourth commandment itself not repeated even ONCE in the New Testament?
- If Sabbath keeping is so important for a disciple of Christ, why was it not mentioned in His sermon on the Mount or in ANY of His teachings?
- Why didn't Jesus command Sabbath keeping?
- Why didn't any of the Apostles command Sabbath keeping?
- Why didn't the Jerusalem Council command Sabbath keeping or condemn Sabbath breaking? (Acts 15)
Circumcision, which predates the Law and the Sabbath commandment, was an issue in the New Testament Church and is addressed repeatedly in the New Testament epistles and by the Jerusalem Council.
Sabbath keepers argue that it is the example of Jesus that gives us the reason for keeping the Sabbath.
"He kept the Sabbath, so I must keep the Sabbath. Jesus is my example," they say. Well, this kind of reasoning is flawed because it only chooses Jesus' Sabbath keeping and rejects the rest of His Jewish lifestyle. Jesus also kept kosher laws. He kept the Passover, Sukkot, Hanukkah, and worshiped in the temple. Are we to follow everything He did?
Galatians 4:4-5 says that Jesus lived under the Law to redeem us from the Law:
"But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons." (NIV)
JESUS WAS ALSO ACCUSED OF SABBATH BREAKING.
Why, if He wanted to be our "example" in Sabbath keeping, didn't He make it clear that He was not breaking the Sabbath? Instead, He clearly admits to it. He also admits that His disciples were breaking the Sabbath and He defends them. Read Matthew 12:1-14 carefully. Jesus is clearly saying that His disciples are like the priests who may work in the temple every Sabbath and be innocent of breaking the Sabbath. When Jesus says that He is "Lord of the Sabbath," He is declaring that He is above the Sabbath. He may do what He wishes on the Sabbath and therefore His disciples may do whatever they wish as well.
Apparently, Jesus did break the Sabbath:
"Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, 'This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.'" (John 9:15).
If Jesus did not want us to understand that He was breaking the Sabbath, why did He not speak against these accusations? It’s because Jesus had the right and the authority to break the Sabbath because He is Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath does not bind Him. Think about this: if it does not bind Him, are we not "in Christ"? Why would it be any more binding upon us? (Again, read Matthew 12:1-14 carefully).
EVERY MENTION OF THE SABBATH IN THE BOOK OF ACTS
Without a single exception, every mention of the Sabbath in Acts is in connection with Jewish worship on that day and not Christian celebration. Paul's evangelistic strategy was to go to the Jews first in a community and share the Gospel with them. The Sabbath is the day when he knew he would find the most Jews gathering for worship. He knew he would have his best opportunity of sharing the good news of the Messiah to the Jews on the Sabbath. It was not because he was meeting with a group of believing Christians. He was meeting with non-Christian Jews.
IS THE TEN COMMANDMENT LAW ETERNAL?
No, the Law is not eternal. Galatians 3:19 gives the purpose of the Law:
"What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come."
The Law was given 430 years after Abraham:
"What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise." (Galatians 3:17-18)
The Law had a definite beginning time (430 years after Abraham) and a definite ending time—when the promised Seed (Christ, vs. 16) came.
CREATION & THE SABBATH:
The Scriptures are very clear that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment was not given before Moses:
"The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today." (Deuteronomy 5:2-3)
"You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good. You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, decrees, and laws through your servant Moses." (Nehemiah 9:13-14, NIV)
WAS THE SABBATH GIVEN FOR ALL MANKIND TO KEEP PERPETUALLY?
No. Although Genesis 2:1-3 says that God rested on the seventh day, there is no command for Adam and Eve to keep the Sabbath. In fact, the entire book of Genesis is silent about Sabbath keeping by the Patriarchs, including Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The Sabbath was given specifically to Israel as a sign:
"The sons of Israel shall observe the Sabbath, to celebrate the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever." (Exodus 31:16-17)
DOESN'T THE BIBLE SAY THAT THE SABBATH WAS MADE FOR MAN?
Mark 2:27 states, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." Sabbatarians argue this means the Sabbath is for all mankind, but the text does not say that. It says, "The Sabbath was made for man," not "mankind."
The Sabbath was not offered to all the nations. It was given only to the nation of Israel. Look at Deuteronomy 5:1-15 which gives the commandments to Israel. It is clearly stated that God did not give the Sabbath or other commandments to the fathers before (see verses 2-3).
One writer has brought up the point that this text shows that the Sabbath was not a part of the "moral" law to be kept by all mankind from the beginning, for it had to be made. It was made in Exodus 16-20. Notice also that this text does not say it was made for man from the "beginning," as was marriage (cf Matthew 19:4ff). WHICH OTHER OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS HAD TO BE MADE? --NOT ONE! (Gerald N. Wright, Sabbatarian Concordance & Commentary, Star Bible & Tract Corp., 1977, pp. 78-79).
Wright comments:
"The other nine [commandments] were (and are) inherently right from the beginning, reflecting God's righteous nature and being naturally a part of man's moral character, who was made in the image of God (cf Romans 2:14). Which command other than the Sabbath is lower than man—subject to being set aside under certain circumstances? When, or under what circumstances, can man lawfully commit adultery? Obviously, never! Man's life is not above God's holy and moral laws. Yet even a sheep's life is more important than rigid enforcement of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:10-12)!"
NO "BURGER KING" SABBATHS — You can't "Have It Your Way" with the Sabbath.
God specifies how it was to be kept:
- It was to be kept from sunset to sunset (Lev. 23:32).
- No burden was to be carried (Jer. 17:21).
- No fire kindled (Ex. 35:3).
- No cooking done (Ex. 16:23).
- The penalty for doing any of these things during the Sabbath was death (Numbers 15).
NO "INSPIRED" WRITER MAKES ANY DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE "MORAL" LAW & THE "CEREMONIAL" LAWS.
- The Sabbath is Ceremonial in Nature:
- The moral law appeals to the conscience and requires no written revelation.
- Deciding which day to observe is ceremonial—purely symbolic.
- If the Moral-Ceremonial Distinction is Valid, the Sabbath is Ceremonial:
- If the Sabbath was purely ceremonial, then it has passed away with the rest of the Old Covenant regulations.
SOME SABBATARIANS CLAIM THAT THE SABBATH IS THE SEAL OF GOD.
The Seal of God is NOT the Sabbath! Scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit is the seal of God:
- Ephesians 1:13 – "Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit."
- Ephesians 4:30 – "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
- 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 – "He set his seal of ownership on us and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."
IS A SABBATH-KEEPING CHURCH THE "REMNANT" OR COMMANDMENT-KEEPING CHURCH THAT IS SPOKEN OF IN REVELATION 12:17?
"And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus." (Revelation 12:17)
In the New Covenant, what are the "commandments" of God? Does this mean the Ten Commandments? No! The Greek word used for the Ten Commandments is "NOMOS." That word is not used here. The word used here is "ENTELE" and means "teachings."
John clarifies the "commandments" in 1 John 3:21-24:
"And this is His commandment: that we believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us."
THE ASSERTION THAT THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH CHANGED THE SABBATH TO SUNDAY IS FALSE.
It’s often claimed that the Council of Laodicea (A.D. 364) officially changed the Sabbath. However, the council’s ruling was more anti-Judaic than transformative. Many Christians were already worshiping on Sunday before this council.
R.J. Bauckham, in From Sabbath to Lord's Day, argues:
"Anti-Judaism played a part in Christian polemic against Jewish Sabbath observance, but it did not motivate the introduction of Sunday worship, which dates back to the first century."
Early Church Father Quotes on the Lord's Day:
- The Didache (A.D. 70):
"But every Lord’s day... gather yourselves together and break bread, and give thanksgiving." - Ignatius of Antioch (A.D. 110):
"No longer observing the Sabbath, but living in observance of the Lord’s day." - Justin Martyr (A.D. 155):
"Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly." - Tertullian (A.D. 203):
"Let him who contends that the Sabbath is still to be observed... teach us that righteous men kept the Sabbath." - Eusebius of Caesarea (A.D. 312):
"They did not care about observing Sabbaths, nor do we."
Conclusion:
The shift from the seventh-day Sabbath to the first day of the week, Sunday, as the primary day of Christian worship is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus and the practices of the early church. Sunday worship reflects the new covenant reality in Christ. The New Testament is clear that believers are free from the Law, including the Sabbath. Christians are called to worship in spirit and truth, without being bound to ceremonial laws.
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