The Bible Sabbath
The Bible Sabbath, the seventh day Sabbath, is God's worship day given in the 4th Commandment of the 10 commandments God wrote with His own finger.
Exodus 20:8-10 (KJV)
8. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
God blessed and sanctified the seventh day, Saturday the Sabbath, to memorialize that He is the Creator.
Genesis 2:2-3 (KJV)
2. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Exodus 20:11 (KJV)
11. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
The Seventh Day Sabbath
What Day Is The Sabbath Day?
The seventh day of the week Saturday is the Sabbath.
We know the Sabbath is Saturday because it is the day after Jesus was crucified and buried, and before He arose on Sunday the 1st day of the week.
Mark 16:1-4 (KJV)
1. And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
2. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
3. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
4. And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
God Promises a Blessing For Keeping the Seventh Day Sabbath Holy
Isaiah 58:13-14 (KJV)
13. If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14. Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
In the earth made new we will worship the Lord on the seventh Day Sabbath.
Isaiah 66:22-23 (KJV)
22. For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
23. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
Calendars printed in the United States put Saturday as the seventh day, but in Europe and other places in the world, Sunday is shown as the seventh day. So how can we be sure?
The seven-day weekly cycle is not tied to any patterns or alignments of the sun, moon or stars. It’s a non-stop serial counting of days, one after the other. Scripture tells us the cycle was established by God. After six days of creation, God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:1-2). Since then, the counting off of days in groups of sevens—with each group called a week and every seventh day designated as a day of rest—has continued unbroken up to our own time.
English-speaking countries call the seventh day Saturday, but the word for that day in many languages indicates its origins as the biblical day of rest. For example, the seventh day in Spanish is called Sabado (coming from the Hebrew shabbat). This too is made plain on printed calendars in those languages.
Could we have lost our place?
If you have ever tried to count off numbers in a sequence you know how easy it is to lose your place. Could this have happened with the counting of the seventh day? After all, it's been a very long time since God established the first day of rest.
If the sequence had gotten all jumbled up sometime between the first day of rest and the Exodus of Israel out of Egypt, the true seventh day was clearly reestablished by the time the Ten Commandments were given.
We can conclude confidently that our current Saturday is the seventh day of the week, on the same weekly cycle that has been in place since the beginning of creation—a cycle established and confirmed by God Himself.
In the wilderness, God fed the people of Israel with manna. The manna would appear on the ground every day except the seventh day, the day of rest (Exodus 16:14-30). This sequence would repeat every seven days, over and over for 40 years. The weekly cycle of manna only stopped when Israel entered the promised land. Four decades of repetition is plenty of time to clearly establish which day was the day of rest.
If the Sabbath had somehow been lost between creation and the exodus, 40 years of weekly miracles would have definitely reestablished it.
Did Israel ever lose track of the seventh day?
The Exodus was still a very long time in the past. Plus Israel went through many periods of turmoil, forgetfulness of God, invasion, deportation, etc. Could Israel—and later the Jewish people—have mixed up the sequence of counting the seven-day weekly cycle through all that?
Jesus Christ, the very Word of God, put off the glory He shared with the Father and was born a flesh and blood human being. He was the “Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5). Jesus would have known if He, or His fellow Jews, had the sequence of the seventh day messed up.
The record of Jesus’ life shows He rested on the seventh day in obedience to the commandment (John 15:10). Jesus observed the day of rest on the same day of the week as His fellow Jews. The religious authorities of the day may have disputed what types of activities were appropriate for observing the seventh day as a day of rest, but not which day of the week it was.
Jesus' obedience to the Fourth Commandment confirmed the seventh day as kept by the Jews was the correct day.
Did the Jewish people lose track of the seventh day after Jesus’ death?
Years before the time of Jesus’ death, and in the centuries since, the Jewish people have been widely dispersed throughout the Middle East and Europe. Wherever they have gone, they have fiercely guarded the observance of the seven-day weekly cycle so they might never break the Fourth Commandment.
It's possible to consider that isolated pockets of Jews may have lost track of the weekly cycle due to some local turmoil, but such an error would have quickly been corrected by comparing notes with the many other Jewish communities in other countries and continents—communities which had not experienced any interruption or disruption in the seven-day weekly cycle.
However, there isn’t any historical record of any dispute among any Jewish groups that the day we call Saturday is the seventh day of the weekly cycle, God’s day of rest. The Jewish people have successfully kept the original seven-day weekly cycle intact.
Now, one last question that sometimes comes up:
Did the change to the Gregorian calendar in 1582 lose track of the seventh day?
From 46 B.C. up to A.D. 1582, the Western world used what is called the Julian calendar. It was a vast improvement over the previous Roman calendars because it finally kept the months in sync with the seasons. However, after many centuries even the Julian calendar was about 10 days out of sync with the solar system.
In 1582 the old Julian calendar was replaced with the new, improved Gregorian calendar, which is the calendar system we still use today. At the time of the change to the new calendar system, those 10 days were simply dropped out of the calendar to get the dating system of the calendar back in sync with the solar system. It was Thursday, Oct. 4, 1582, and the next day, Friday, should have been Oct. 5. However, the new calendar made the next day Oct. 15 instead.
That change had no impact on the seven-day weekly cycle. Whether that following Friday was numbered as the 5th of the month or the 15th of the month, it was still the sixth day of the week, and the day that followed was still the seventh day of the week.
Even today we regularly add a day into our calendar every four years. We call it a “leap year.” Changing the number of days in a calendar month does not alter the weekly cycle—there is no six-day week, or eight-day week.
So we can conclude confidently that our current Saturday is the seventh day of the week, on the same weekly cycle that has been in place since the beginning of creation—a cycle established and confirmed by God Himself.
God commanded that the seventh day be observed as the Sabbath. A glance at almost any dictionary or encyclopedia will show you that Saturday is the seventh day of the week, while Sunday is the first day of the week. The seventh day according to God's calendar is—and always has been—the Sabbath day. Although man has modified calendars through the centuries, the seven-day weekly cycle has remained intact throughout history. The days of the week have always remained in their proper order, with Sunday as the first day of the week and Saturday as the seventh.
"The oracles of God"—His divine words and instructions recorded in the Holy Scriptures including the Commandments—were entrusted to the Jewish people (Romans 3:1-2), and they have preserved the knowledge of the seventh-day Sabbath faithfully since well before Christ's time to this day.
No biblical authorization to change the Sabbath to Sunday
How did Sunday become the primary day of rest and worship? Although the concept of rest has largely disappeared, most churches continue to hold their worship services on Sunday. You can search throughout the Bible, but you will find no authority to alter the day of worship.
James Cardinal Gibbons, Catholic educator and archbishop of Baltimore in the late 1800s and early 1900s, was blunt about the change:
"You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify. The Catholic Church correctly teaches that our Lord and His Apostles inculcated certain important duties of religion which are not recorded by the inspired writers...We must, therefore, conclude that the Scriptures alone cannot be a sufficient guide and rule of faith"
(The Faith of Our Fathers, 1917, p. 89).
Did you catch that? The writer admits that Sunday observance is nowhere authorized in the Bible and that the seventh day is the only day sanctified by the Scriptures. His justification for changing the day of rest and worship assumes that authority exists apart from the Bible to define the necessary truths and practices for salvation.
Sabbath change made after the New Testament was written
The change from Sabbath to Sunday was made long after the writing of the New Testament. No clear references to Sunday as a day of Christian worship are found until the writings of Barnabas and Justin, c. A.D. 135 and 150, respectively. Observance of Sunday as the primary day of worship appears to have solidified in the reign of Emperor Hadrian (A.D. 117-135), who harshly persecuted Jews throughout the Roman Empire. Hadrian specifically prohibited practices of Judaism, including observance of the seventh-day Sabbath.
These oppressive measures apparently influenced many early Christians in Rome to abandon the seventh day and turn to Sunday, historically observed by the Romans as a day of veneration of the sun (hence the name of the day). Within a few centuries Sabbath observance by Christians was virtually eliminated within the confines of the empire and replaced by Sunday.
Although the Protestant Reformation brought some doctrinal and administrative changes, observance of Sunday as a day of rest and worship continued from the Roman Catholic Church into subsequent Protestant denominations. Whereas the Catholic Church claimed authority to establish its own times of worship, Protestant churches generally justified Sunday observance on the grounds that the seventh-day Sabbath was replaced in the New Testament by worship on Sunday in honor of Christ's resurrection.
As confirmed by Cardinal Gibbons above, there is no biblical authority for changing the day of rest and worship from the seventh-day Sabbath to Sunday. As shown in our free booklet Sunset to Sunset: Gods Sabbath Rest, Jesus Christ, the apostles and Jewish and gentile members of the early Church alike continued to observe the Commandments, including the seventh-day Sabbath. This is the only day authorized in the Bible.
How do Christians observe God's Sabbath days?
The weekly Sabbath is also a holy time to God. It's a day of rest, and Christians honor God by following His example of resting on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2). Part of resting is not doing any of our usual work on the Sabbath, as well as on the biblical festivals as instructed in Leviticus 23.
The Sabbath days are times of a “holy convocation,” which is a “sacred assembly” (Leviticus 23:4, New International Version) that God has commanded. Today we conduct services that include sermons and congregational hymns, preceded and followed by Christian fellowship.
1) The Bible Sabbath is on Saturday, while Sunday is “the first day of the week” (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1-2, etc).
2) The New Testament is silent about Sunday being set aside in honour of Jesus Christ’s resurrection.
3) The Sabbath is not Jewish, but belongs to God (Exodus 20:10).
4) Jesus Christ regularly kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16), taught much about the Sabbath (Matthew 12:12; 24:20), and clearly stated that He is “Lord even of the Sabbath day” (Matthew 12:8).
5) Jesus Christ never mentioned “the first day of the week” even one time. He taught nothing about it.
6) There is no biblical authorization for the change of the Bible Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday.
7) The Sabbath continues after the cross (Luke 23:54-56) and was kept in the book of Acts by both Jews and Gentiles (Acts 13:42-44; 16:13).
8) God made the Sabbath at the beginning of the world (Genesis 2:1-3) before any Jews existed, to be a blessing to all people. Most importantly, it is a special sign that Jesus Christ is the true Creator of heaven and earth (see John 1:1-3, 10; Colossians 1:16; Exodus 20:11; Ezekiel 20:12).
9) Bible prophecy and history both testify that the Roman Catholic Church changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. Daniel 7:25.
10) Rediscovering the Sabbath of Jesus Christ is part of Bible prophecy in the end times (closely compare Revelation 14:6-7 with Exodus 20:11).
Sabbath Basics
The Sabbath originated at the creation of the world: Genesis 1 and 2 reveal that God made our world in six days, “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” Genesis 2:1-3. Thus God rested upon, blessed, and sanctified the seventh day of the week as a memorial of creation. He didn’t rest upon the seventh day because He was tired or weary, but as an example for man whom He had just created in His own image. Adam and Eve were created on the sixth day (Genesis 1:26, 27), and thus the seventh day would have been their first, full day of being alive in the Garden of Eden. And what a joyful day it was! Their first day was to be a day of grateful rest, so that they could focus on the goodness of their Creator who had just formed them, apart from their own works. Thus the Sabbath day, from the very beginning, points to rest, not works.
The fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11): After the fall of man, God wrote the Ten Commandments on two tables of stone with His own finger (see Exodus 31:18). The Ten Commandments reveal “His will” (see Romans 2:18) for every descendant of Adam and Eve. The fourth Commandment states:
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11 NKJV.
Of all the Ten Commandments, the fourth is the only one that starts with the word, “Remember.” Because of the supreme importance of remembering our roots (that we didn’t evolve, but were created “in the image of God”), the Lord wants to make sure that we don’t forget the seventh day Sabbath. The reason for the Commandment goes back to creation week. If any of the Commandments could be changed (which they can’t), surely it wouldn’t be the only one God told us to “Remember” and not to forget!
Jesus Christ kept the Sabbath: “As his custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day [Saturday].” Luke 4:16. Luke wrote that this was Jesus Christ’s regular “custom,” which means He would have kept over 1500 Sabbaths during the 33 years He walked this earth.
The Sabbath remains after the cross: After Jesus Christ died, His followers “rested the Sabbath day ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT.” Luke 23:56. Thus “the Commandment,” meaning the fourth Commandment (see Exodus 20:8-11) was still in force after the cross. Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D., almost forty years after Christ’s crucifixion. Looking ahead to that time, Jesus told His disciples that they should pray that their “flight be not in winter, NEITHER ON THE SABBATH DAY.” Matthew 24:20. Many years after Christ’s resurrection, Luke wrote, “And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river.” Acts 16:13. Thus Luke, who was a Gentile, and Paul, who travelled with him, kept the Sabbath day holy far from Jerusalem, in Philippi, which was Gentile territory. See also Sabbath in the New Testament.
The Sabbath will continue forever: The Sabbath will continue, even into eternity, for Isaiah wrote that even in “the new earth ... from one Sabbath to another, shall ALL FLESH come to worship before me, says the Lord.” Isaiah 66:22-23. This is what God says, not man. We should trust His Word first and foremost.
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath
Jesus Christ is “Lord even of the Sabbath day”: This is perhaps the most important part of The Sabbath. Speaking to a group of hostile religious leaders, a young Galilean Rabbi boldly declared, “For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day.” Matthew 12:8. By identifying Himself as “Lord even of the Sabbath day,” Jesus of Nazareth was, in reality, revealing to His astonished hearers that He Himself was the One who originally made planet Earth in six days, and rested on the seventh day. The New Testament is very clear that Jesus Christ is not just our Savoir, but is also our Creator. Notice carefully:
“All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that has been made.” John 1:3
“He [Jesus] was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.” John 1:10
“God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 3:9 KJV
“For by Him [Jesus] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” Colossians 1:16
Thus Jesus Christ is our Creator. The One who created, rested. Thus the Sabbath Commandment, when correctly understood in the light of both the Old and New Testaments, points to Jesus Christ as the Maker of all life. The Good News is that our Creator has become our Savoir. Our Maker died for us (see 1 Corinthians 15:3).
Sunday in the New Testament
The following is an exhaustive examination of every New Testament verse that mentions “the first day of the week [Sunday]”
1) Matthew 28:1: “In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week.” Here two different days are mentioned. One is “the Sabbath,” and the other is “the first day of the week,” or Sunday, which followed the Sabbath. Jesus Christ rose from the dead on Sunday, but Matthew reveals that this did not transform Sunday into the Sabbath.
2) Mark 16:1-2: “When the Sabbath was past ... very early in the morning the first day of the week.” The resurrection of Jesus on Sunday morning was glorious. Super-glorious! Yet there is no evidence that this made Sunday sacred. Did the cross make Friday sacred? As in Matthew 28:1, Sunday came “when the Sabbath was past,” that is, the day after the Sabbath.
3) Mark 16:9: “Jesus was risen early the first day of the week.” Sunday is simply called “the first day of the week.” The “week” began in Genesis. God made the world in six days, then He “rested on the seventh day ... blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.” Genesis 2:2-3. God ordained “the seventh day” as His Holy Day, not “the first day of the week.
4) Luke 24:1: The women went to the tomb on “the first day of the week” after “they rested the Sabbath day according to the Commandment.” Luke 23:56. This verse is enlightening. These were Christian women who loved Jesus. They kept the Sabbath after the cross. Luke was a Gentile who wrote this about 28 years after the resurrection. Again, as Luke states, the Sabbath was still there, and these Christian women were keeping it “according to the Commandment” found in Exodus 20:8-11. These verses prove that the Sabbath continues after the cross, and that the Sabbath is not Sunday.
5) John 20:1: Mary came to the tomb on “the first day of the week.” As in Matthew, Mark and Luke, John simply gives a narrative account of the resurrection of our Lord on Sunday.
6) John 20:19: On “the first day of the week” (late Sunday afternoon), the disciples “were assembled” behind shut doors. Why? “For fear of the Jews.” This was not a worship service. They were scared. They had not believed the reports from the women that Jesus had risen. Mark 16:9-13. They were worried that the Jewish authorities might burst in, accuse them of stealing their Lord’s body, and then arrest them. Then Jesus revealed Himself as the risen Lord. Yet in His teaching, He did not mention Sunday.
7) 1 Corinthians 16:2: “Concerning the collection for the saints” (vs. 1). The context and other Scriptures reveal that Paul was raising a “collection” for needy believers in “Jerusalem” (vs. 3) during a time of famine. See Acts 11:27-30; Romans 15:25-26. Notice carefully: On “the first day of the week” (Sunday), “let every one” (individually), “lay by him” (the original Greek literally means, “at home”), “in store” (in storage), a certain amount. The words, “by him in store,” reveal that this was to be done by the believers in their homes. The “first day of the week” was ideal for the Corinthians to look back on the previous week, examine their finances, and set aside a weekly contribution. This would then be gathered and made ready for Paul, “that there be no gatherings when I come.” Paul was going to pass through Corinth. He wanted the money ready for him to pick up. This was an emergency situation and not their regular practice, for Paul had to give them “orders” to do what they were not normally used to doing (vs. 1). Paul said nothing here about a Church service or the resurrection.
8) Acts 20:6-13: This passage is often misused to support Sunday observance, but it doesn’t. This was Paul’s last meeting with a small group of believers in “Troas” (verse 6). The meeting took place at night (20:7-8) on the “first day of the week.” Biblically, the day begins at sunset. Genesis 1.5, 8; Luke 23:54, etc. Therefore this meeting took place on a Saturday night. The New English Bible says, “On Saturday night.” That night Paul preached his farewell sermon, “ready to depart the next day [on Sunday morning].” At “daybreak” (verse 11), while Luke “sailed” (verse 15), Paul walked 25 miles “to Assos” (verse 14). Thus Paul travelled many miles that Sunday. He had been in Troas for “seven days” (vs. 6). Simple math reveals that Paul arrived on the previous Sunday, stayed for a week, and conducted his last meeting on Saturday night, which would have been right after the Sabbath. Significantly, the Book of Acts mentions “the first day of the week” only once(in Acts 20:7), yet “the Sabbath” is mentioned 11 times(see Acts 1:12; 13:14, 27, 42, 44; 15:21; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4). A careful study of Acts 20:6-13, the “Saturday Night in Troas, Sunday Travel to Assos Text” is proof that Paul did not keep Sunday holy.
Summarizing the New Testament Evidence
1) Sunday is simply called, “the first day of the week” in the New Testament and means the first day after the Sabbath. See is the Sabbath Saturday or Sunday or who changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday for more detail.
2) Jesus Christ Himself never mentioned Sunday, not even one time!
3) Not once is Sunday set aside as a holy day in honour of the resurrection.
4) In Matthew, Mark and Luke, Sunday always comes “after the Sabbath.”
5) The Holy Spirit only teaches what Jesus Christ taught. John 14:26; 16:13-14. Because Jesus never mentioned Sunday, the Holy Spirit will not teach it.
6) After His resurrection, Jesus told His disciples to teach only what He had “commanded” them. Matthew 28:20. Because Jesus never mentioned Sunday, the apostles could not have taught it.
7) Sunday cannot be part of the New Covenant because it began after Jesus Christ’s blood was shed. After death, it is impossible to “add” to a covenant. Galatians 3:15. See also the New Covenant.
Sabbath Facts in the Book of Acts
Gentiles keep the Sabbath in Antioch: In Antioch, Paul “went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day.” Acts 13:14. Jews and Gentile converts to Judaism worshipped there (verses 16 and 26). After preaching the gospel, “the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.” Verse 42. These Gentiles were already Sabbath-keepers (because they were converts to Judaism), and after they received Jesus Christ they wanted to hear more “the next Sabbath.” Paul didn’t say, “Sunday is now the Lord’s Day!” Instead, “speaking to them, [he] persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.” Verse 43. These Sabbath keeping Gentiles were now “in the grace of God” as believers in Jesus Christ. Paul told them to “continue” in this grace, which they did all week. Then “the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.” Verse 44. That Sabbath day, Paul preached only “the word of God,” not man’s traditions. Obviously, the Sabbath had not been changed, and those Gentiles in Antioch who were now believers in Jesus Christ were keeping it.
The Sabbath and the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15): A Jerusalem council led by the apostles was organized to discuss “this question ... this matter” of “circumcision” and “the law of Moses.” Acts 15:1-2, 5. The Sabbath itself was not debated or even discussed. The Church decided that the Gentiles were “saved ... through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ” (verse 11) and thus they did not need to be circumcised. Yet to avoid offending the Jews, they were given certain restrictions. Verses 19-20. At this early date in Church history, believing Gentiles were still worshiping with the Jews in their synagogues “every Sabbath day.” Verse 21. Thus, verse 21 proves that the “Sabbath day” was not abrogated by the Jerusalem Council. Rather, it was reiterated without dissent as the biblical day of worship for both Jews and Gentiles.
A Sabbath keeping Church begins in Philippi: Luke and Paul delivered “the decrees” of the Jerusalem Council and entered Greece to “preach the gospel.” Acts 16:4, 9-10. In Philippi, Luke wrote that “on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side.” Acts 16:13. There was no synagogue there, but it was still the Sabbath. A Gentile named Lydia, “whose heart the Lord opened ... was baptized, and her household” (16:14-15). This was the beginning of the New Testament Sabbath keeping Church of Jesus Christ in Philippi. “The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians” was written to this Church.
A Sabbath keeping Church begins in Thessalonica: Paul entered a synagogue in Thessalonica and for “three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead.” Acts 17:1-3. Thus Paul preached the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the Sabbath day. He did not mention Sunday. Many “devout Greeks” believed. Verse 4. This was the beginning of the New Testament Sabbath keeping Church of Jesus in Thessalonica. “The First Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians,” and “The Second Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians,” were penned to this Church.
A Sabbath keeping Church begins in Corinth: Then Paul “came to Corinth” and “reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.” Acts 18:1, 4. “He continued a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.” Verse 11. Again, Paul didn’t preach the traditions of men, but only “the word of God.” “Many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized,” including “Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue” (vs. 8). Crispus was a Sabbath-keeper who became a leader (see 1 Corinthians 1:14) in the New Testament Sabbath keeping Church of Jesus Christ in Corinth. “The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians” and “The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians” were written to this Church.
A Sabbath keeping Church begins in Ephesus: Paul “came to Ephesus” and found “certain disciples.” Acts 19:1. As usual, “he went into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.” Verse 8. This was obviously on the Sabbath days, as in Antioch, Corinth and Thessalonica. Many rejected his preaching, so Paul finally “separated the disciples.” Verse 9. He continued there “by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.” Verse 10. Those who received the Lord became the nucleus of the New Testament Sabbath keeping Church of Jesus Christ in Ephesus. “The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians” was written to this Church.
Paul was NEVER accused of Sabbath-breaking by Jews: Eventually, Paul was arrested in the Temple in Jerusalem. Acts 21. At his trial before the Sanhedrin, even the Pharisees admitted, “we find no evil in this man.” Acts 23:9. Before Felix, Paul testified, “so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets.” Acts 24:14. Before Festus he declared, “to the Jews have I done no wrong.” Acts 25:10. Before Agrippa, “I continue to this day ... saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come.” Acts 26:22. “The prophets and Moses” did not predict that “Sunday keeping should come.” Finally, Paul spoke to the Jews in Rome, “persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.” Acts 28:23. During all of his trials, the Jews never once accused Paul of breaking the Sabbath. Why not? Because he never did!
The New Testament Churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth and Ephesus were all Sabbath keeping Churches composed of Jews and Gentiles who believed in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul planted all of these Churches by preaching only “the word of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 19:10.
Jesus Christ never mentioned Sunday.
Can We Know What Day is the Sabbath?
1) “The seventh day is the Sabbath.” Exodus 20:10
2) Jesus Christ knew: Jesus “went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day.” Luke 4:16.
3) 105 Languages: In over 100 languages the name for the day that we call “Saturday” is “the Sabbath.” For example, “Saturday” in the Spanish language is “Sabado,” which means “the Sabbath.” In Italian, it is “Sabbato,” which also means “the Sabbath.” In Russian it is, “Subbota.” In Polish, “Sobota,” etc. Interestingly enough, in Ghana the day for Sunday, literally translated, means “White man changed this day!”
4) The Calendar: The calendar changed once, in 1582, from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar. Thursday, October 4, was followed by Friday, October 15. This change did not affect the weekly sequence. Most calendars still show Saturday as the seventh day.
5) The biblical sequence of the crucifixion weekend: Jesus died on a day we call “Good Friday,” which was the day before the Sabbath. See Luke 23:46, 54. When the sun went down, the woman rested on “the Sabbath day according to the Commandment.” Luke 23:56. Jesus rose on Sunday, “the first day of the week.” Luke 24:1, 6.
6) Ask any Jew: Jews have been keeping the same Sabbath from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night for over 3000 years.
7) The World Book Encyclopaedia: “Sabbath ... It comes on Saturday, the seventh day of the week.”
8) Webster’s Dictionary: “Saturday: the 7th day of the week.” “Sunday: the first day of the week.”
1) The other nine Commandments are not “just for Jews.” God wrote “Ten Commandments” on stone, not just nine (See Deuteronomy 4:12-13; Exodus 20). Does “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” and “Do not bear false witness” apply “only to Jews”?
2) “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” Exodus 20:10. God calls the Sabbath, “my holy day.” Isaiah 58:13. The Bible never calls it “the Sabbath of the Jews.” It isn’t their Sabbath, but God’s.
3) Adam and Eve were not Jewish. “God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it” (Genesis 2:3) before sin entered. “Sanctified” means “to be set apart for holy use.” The only ones in the Garden of Eden for whom the Sabbath was “set apart” were Adam and Eve, who weren’t Jewish.
4) “The Sabbath was made for man.” Mark 2:27. Jesus said this. It was “made” in the Garden of Eden before it was “written” down on Mount Sinai. The Sabbath was “made” for “man,” not just Jews.
5) Isaiah said Gentiles should keep the Sabbath. “Also the sons of the stranger ... every one that keeps the Sabbath ... for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” Isaiah 56:6-7. Thus the Sabbath is for Gentiles and “all people,” not just for Jews.
6) The Sabbath Commandment is for the “stranger” too. The fourth Commandment itself says the “stranger” is to rest on the Sabbath. Exodus 20:10. “Strangers” are non-Jews, or Gentiles. Thus the Sabbath applies to them too. Read also Isaiah 56:6.
7) Gentiles kept the Sabbath in the Book of Acts. “The Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath ... Paul and Barnabas ... persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.” Acts 13:42-43. Here saved-by-grace Gentiles kept the Sabbath (see also verse 44).
8) “The law” [of Ten Commandments] is for “all the world,” not just for Jews. Paul wrote these words. Read Romans 2:17-23; 3:19, 23.
9) “All” mankind will keep the Sabbath in the New Earth. In “the new earth ... from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, says the Lord.” Isaiah 66:22-23. Here God says that “all flesh” will be keeping the Sabbath in “the new earth.” If this is the case, and it is, shouldn’t we start now?
10) Luke was a Gentile who kept the Sabbath. Luke was the only Gentile who wrote any New Testament books (he wrote The Gospel According to St. Luke and The Acts of the Apostles). Luke travelled with Paul and wrote, “On the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side.” Acts 16:13. It was the seventh day Sabbath, the memorial of the creation (see Exodus 20:11). Both Luke and Paul knew it.
The Sabbath Controversy in the New Testament
Between Christ and the Pharisees: The Sabbath became a sore point of contention between Jesus Christ and the Pharisees; yet the issue was not what day is the Sabbath, but rather how it should be kept. The scribes and Pharisees invented many heavy and burdensome religious rules, including strict Sabbath requirements, and laid them “on men’s shoulders” (Matthew 23:4). Jesus rebuked them for “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Matthew 15:9.
Jesus kept the Sabbath (see Luke 4:16), but He did not follow the unreasonable rules of the Pharisees. One Pharisaic rule was: “No healing on the Sabbath.” Jesus ignored this heartless “rule” by healing the sick during the Sabbath hours (see John 5:1-9; Mark 1:21-27; etc). By so doing, our Lord revealed His Divinity, His power over sickness and Satan, and that the Sabbath was originally ordained by God to be a blessing to man, not a curse. In one instance, “the ruler of the synagogue” became angry “because Jesus healed [a woman] on the Sabbath day.” Luke 13:14. Jesus countered, “Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” Luke 13:16. Because of His Sabbath healings, “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also said God was his Father, making himself equal with God.” John 5:18. First, Jesus is “equal with God” (see Philippians 2:6), thus this was no valid reason to seek His death; and second, Jesus never “broke the Sabbath” (see John 15:10), but only the Pharisees’ rules. If Jesus really “broke the Sabbath,” He would have sinned, and thus His sacrifice on the cross would not have been perfect. But Jesus “committed no sin” (see 1 Peter 2:22).
When Christ’s disciples plucked and nibbled grain while walking to a synagogue one Sabbath morning, the Pharisees accused them of doing “that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day.” Matthew 12:1. But Jesus defended His disciples, pronounced them “guiltless,” and defined their acts as “lawful ... on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:7, 12); that is, in harmony with the fourth Commandment. Another time Christ declared, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath day.” Mark 2:27, 28. Here Jesus pointed back to Creation Week. Man was made on the sixth day (see Genesis 1:26, 31), and “the Sabbath was made” on “the seventh day” to be a blessing to man. Genesis 2:1-3. Those Pharisees had changed creation’s order by putting the Sabbath first above the needs of man. (Is it right to change the order again by making the “first day of the week” a new Sabbath?). Jesus then said He was “Lord also of the Sabbath day.” This means that He is the true “Lord” who made the world in six days and rested on the seventh day (see Exodus 20:11). Thus the Sabbath is, biblically speaking, “the Lord’s day.” See Revelation 1:10. Jesus made the day, and He knows how to keep it. It was not wrong for Him to heal the sick and to meet human needs on His Holy Day.
In the New Testament Church: The Sabbath was a non-issue in the New Testament Church. There was no controversy over it in the book of Acts or in any of the epistles. If the weekly Sabbath, observed for over 1000 years by Jews, had been changed or abolished, there would have been much discussion about this by the New Testament Church. But there was none. The early Christians kept the Sabbath. Acts 13:12, 42-44; 16:13; etc.
Anti-Sabbath Arguments Are They Really Right?
“The Sabbath was only for Israel”: Some quote the following words to prove that the Sabbath was given as a sign between God and Israel only, but not for the Church: “Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily My Sabbaths you shall keep ... it is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested.” Exodus 31:13, 17. First, notice that God called the Sabbath “My Sabbaths,” not Israelitish Sabbaths. Second, the Sabbath will endure “forever.” Third, God’s reason for giving the Sabbath goes back to Creation Week (see Genesis 1; 2:1-3), long before Israel existed. Thus the Sabbath is God’s Day, lasts forever, and was established before any Jews existed. Isaiah later said that Gentiles who joined the Jews were also to keep the Sabbath. Isaiah 56:6-7. Paul wrote this to the Gentiles: “If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed.” Galatians 3:29. According to the New Testament, Gentiles are “grafted in” (Romans 11:17) and become part of Israel. Therefore the Sabbath becomes a sign for them, too. Gentiles in the book of Acts kept the Sabbath. See Acts 13:42-44. The Ten Commandments apply to everyone, not just Jews (see Romans 3:19). Neither the word, “Jew,” nor the word, “Israel,” is found in any of the Ten Commandments.
Is the Seventh day Sabbath the same as “the sabbaths which are a shadow of things to come” in Colossians 2:14-17?: This is one of the most misunderstood passages in the New Testament. Note the context: Paul wrote, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us ... nailing it to his cross” (verse 14, KJV). The “handwriting of ordinances” that was “blotted out” and nailed to the cross was not the Ten Commandments, which were not written by any man’s hand, but with “the finger of God” (see Exodus 31:18). It was the ceremonial law, with its animal sacrifices, that was written by the hand of Moses. This “handwriting” was a continual witness “against” Israel (see Deuteronomy 31:24-26) because its very existence testified that Israel had broken the Ten Commandments. That’s why they needed to offer lambs. When Jesus died, this entire system of ceremonial sacrifices was “blotted out.”
“Therefore,” wrote Paul in Colossians 2:16, “Let no man judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come.” Verses 16, 17. The “meat,” “drink,” “holy day[s],” and “sabbath days” referred to in this text are the seven annual Jewish “feasts” (Passover, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, etc) with their “meat offerings” and “drink offerings” (see Leviticus 23:37-38). Those yearly Jewish feast days, along with their blood offerings, were also called “sabbaths” (see Leviticus 23:24, 32, 37-38), but they were very different from the Seventh day creation Sabbath of the fourth Commandment. Paul referred to those annual “sabbaths” as “shadows” because their ceremonies and sacrifices pointed forward to Jesus Christ and were abolished when He died on the cross. Hebrews 10:1 specifically states that it was the ceremonial law, written by the hand of Moses, with its annual feasts and bloody sacrifices that was a “shadow,” not the Ten Commandments.
The Ten Commandments are not the least bit shadowy. They point forward to nothing, but reveal God’s standard of character for the human race. The Seventh day Sabbath of the fourth Commandment is also not a type or shadow, for instead of pointing forward to the death of Jesus, it points back to Creation Week. See Exodus 20:8-11. Ever unchangeable, it remains in the New Testament, beyond the cross. See Luke 23:56. Paul continued to keep this Sabbath. See Acts 16:13.
Methodist founder John Wesley declared the truth when he wrote: “This ‘handwriting of ordinances’ our Lord did blot out, take away, and nail to His cross (Colossians 2:14). But the moral law contained in the Ten Commandments, and enforced by the prophets, He did not take away... The moral law stands on an entirely different foundation from the ceremonial or ritual law… Every part of this law must remain in force upon all mankind and in all ages.” John Wesley, Sermons on Several Occasions, 2-Vol. Edition, Vol. I, pages 221-222.
“Ye observe days, and months, and times and years. I am afraid of you” (Galatians 4:10-11): It is amazing that some people apply Paul’s words to the Sabbath, but never to Sunday. As with Romans 14, a close look at the text reveals that Paul was not talking about either the Sabbath or Sunday. The context refers to the past pagan life of those Galatians converts: “Then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now ... how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage. Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.” Verses 8-10.
Paul rebuked his Galatian converts for turning “again” to idolatry, which means they were also slipping back into the observance of pagan “days, months, times and years.” Thus the devil sought to draw them back to their old ways. On the opposite side, the book of Galatians reveals that those new converts were also under attack from misguided Jewish believers who wanted every Gentile to “be circumcised” and “to keep the law of Moses” (Acts 15:1, 5; Galatians 2:3-4), which would include the observance of the yearly feasts of the ceremonial law (Passover, Feast of Tabernacles, etc.) which Paul plainly stated in Colossians 2:14-17 were nailed to the cross. Whichever extreme the Galatians were being tempted into, the “weak and beggarly elements” leading to “bondage” (Galatians 4:9) were not the Ten Commandments, for the New Testament identifies the Ten Commandment law as “the royal law ... the law of liberty.” James 2:8-12. To apply Galatians 4:10 to the Sabbath of the fourth Commandment is to twist the Scriptures. See 2 Peter 3:16.
What about “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike” (Romans 14:5)?: Many apply this to keeping either the Sabbath or Sunday, but this is incorrect. To begin with, neither “Sabbath” nor “Sunday” is found in the entire chapter. The chapter begins, “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.” Romans 14:1 (KJV). The NKJV reads, “disputes over doubtful things.” Thus the initial context of Romans 14 is “doubtful things,” and is not a discussion of the Ten Commandments. The “Big Ten” are not “doubtful,” but exceedingly clear, written with the finger of God on two tables of stone.
The “weak” brother “eats” some things and “esteems one day above another” while the strong brother believes that he may “eat all things” and “esteems every day alike.” Romans 14:2, 5. The early Church was made up of Jewish believers and Gentile converts. Although Paul did not specify what “days” he was referring to, he was probably talking about certain Jewish fast or feast days (Luke 18:12), and certain pagan feast days when people were “eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols.” 1 Corinthians 8:4.
On a pagan feast day a “strong” Jew who knew that “an idol is nothing” and who was hungry would have no scruples about eating “meat in an idol’s temple.” See 1 Corinthians 8:4, 10. Paul warned these “strong” Jewish believers, “But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak [the Gentile convert from idolatry]. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple [on a pagan feast day], shall not the conscience of him that is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; and through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish [if he is drawn back to idolatry], for whom Christ died. But when ye sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth.” 1 Corinthians 8:9-13.
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE in either Romans 14 or 1 Corinthians 8 (a parallel reference) that the discussion about the “weak” and the strong had anything to do with the Sabbath. God never said, “One man may choose to esteem My Sabbaths, while another man may choose to esteem Sunday, or Tuesday, or every day alike.” He hasn’t left it up to us to “pick a day, any day.” Rather, He clearly commanded, “REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY TO KEEP IT HOLY ... the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” Exodus 20:8, 10. The same book of Romans is very clear, “by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20; 7:7, 12. There is nothing doubtful about God’s Law.
“But we are ‘not under the law, but under grace’” (Romans 6:14): This is absolutely true. But the very next verse continues, “What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” Romans 6:15. “Sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4. To interpret being “under grace” as a license to keep breaking any one of the Ten Commandments perverts Paul’s words. See also Romans 3:31 and 6:1-2. Jesus Christ came to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21), not in them.
“But Jesus Christ rose on Sunday”: Praise the Lord! But let’s not use Jesus Christ’s resurrection as an excuse for breaking one of the Ten Commandments. Jesus Himself never mentioned Sunday observance. The New Testament states that God established Bible baptism as His special ceremony to commemorate the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son (see Romans 6:4), not Sunday observance. Keeping Sunday as a holy day in honour of Jesus Christ’s resurrection has no Scriptural support.
The Sabbath in Bible Prophecy
The book of Revelation was given on the Sabbath: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” (Revelation 1:10), wrote John. The “Lord” is obviously Jesus. So what is His “day”? Many believe it to be Sunday, yet there is no Scriptural support for this private opinion. On the contrary, the only day that Jesus specifically identified as His day was the Sabbath. Christ declared, “The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day.” Matthew 12:8. Thus Christ revealed that He is “Lord” of that “day.” As usual, Jesus was actually quoting Old Testament Scripture and applying it to Himself. The fourth Commandment declares, “But THE SEVENTH DAY is the Sabbath of the LORD.” Exodus 20:10. There it is. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath day, which means, He is God Almighty in human form. If we stick to the Word alone, it is clear that the Book of Revelation was communicated to John on “the Lord’s day,” which, biblically speaking, is the Sabbath day.
The number “7” is God’s special number in the book of Revelation: Significantly, the book of Revelation speaks of 7 Churches (1:11), 7 golden candlesticks (1:12), 7 stars (1:16), 7 lamps of fire (4:5), 7 Spirits of God (4:5), 7 seals (5:1), 7 trumpets (8:2), 7 angels (15:1), and 7 last plagues (15:1) to be poured out on those who follow the beast whose number is 666. Revelation 13:18. Thus the number “7” is God’s special number. Jesus Christ is represented as a “lamb ... having seven horns and seven eyes” (Revelation 5:6), which reveals that the number “7” is Jesus Christ’s special number too, for it points to Him as the One who made heaven and earth in six days, and who rested on the seventh day. John 1:1-3; Exodus 20:11; Colossians 1:16. Revelation 1:8, 10-11; 22:12-14, 16 (KJV).
The Beast or the Creator?: In the book of Revelation, Jesus Christ warned that eventually “all the world” will wonder “after the beast” and “worship the beast.” Revelation 13:3-4; 14:9. To avoid worshipping “the beast,” Revelation specifically says we should “worship Him that made heaven and earth, the sea, and the fountain of waters.” Revelation 14:7. Thus one group worships the beast (Revelation 14:9), while the other group worships the Creator. Revelation 14:7. Additionally, those who worship the Creator have another key characteristic: They “keep the Commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12. If you look at the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), there is only one Commandment about worshiping the Creator, and it is the one that states, “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and He rested on the seventh day.” Exodus 20:11. By comparing Revelation 14:7 with Exodus 20:11, it is clear that Revelation 14:7 is simply quoting the fourth Commandment and emphasizing its importance. Thus we see that Jesus Christ, who originally gave “The Revelation” to John on the Sabbath day, has also revealed in Revelation’s prophecies His invitation to us to return to the Sabbath Commandment to avoid following the beast!
Revelation points to “the foundation of the world”: Notice carefully: “All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him [the beast], whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:8. At the “foundation of the world,” the Son of God made planet Earth in six days, and rested on the seventh day. See John 1:10; Exodus 20:11. When Adam and Eve sinned by yielding to the serpent’s lies (Genesis 3:1-6), immediately the Son of God volunteered to become the Savoir of fallen humanity. Thousands of years later, He appeared on earth as a Man to “seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10), that is, to eventually restore us to our original condition before the fall. If Adam and Eve had never sinned, they would have been happy, Seventh day Sabbath keeping followers of their Creator throughout all eternity. Jesus died to bring us back to the Garden, to our original state. This is the purpose of the entire plan of salvation. By reading Genesis 1 and 2, by going back to the “foundation of the world,” we learn the truth.
The “little horn” seeks to “change times and laws” (Daniel 7:25): By carefully comparing Daniel 7 with Revelation 13, we learn that “the beast” of Revelation is also called a “little horn” by Daniel the prophet. One of the key characteristics of the “little horn” is: “he shall think to change times and laws.” Daniel 7:25. When we look at the Ten Commandments, we discover that there is only one Commandment about “time,” – the Sabbath Commandment. All Protestant Reformers of the 16th century identified the Roman Catholic Church as the “little horn” and “the beast.” Significantly, the Roman Church boasts that it changed the Sabbath into Sunday, which fits the prophecy of Daniel 7:25 exactly. Three times in Daniel chapter 7, God is spoken of as “the Ancient of days.” Daniel 7:9, 13, 22. This unique phrase, “the Ancient of days,” is found nowhere else in the entire Bible, and points back to the original Creation Week when God Almighty first made the world in “six days” and rested on the “seventh day.” Genesis 1; 2:1-3. The “little horn,” with its “mouth speaking great things” (Daniel 7:8) attacked what God set up at “the foundation of the world.”
The prophecies of Daniel and Revelation reveal that that Jesus Christ is seeking to undo this damage and to lead His people back, step by step, first to the cross, and then to the keeping of all of “the Commandments of God” (Revelation 14:12), including the fourth, which points to the true Creator of heaven and earth. Jesus Christ is our Creator, and our “Lamb,” who died because we have broken the Ten Commandments.
“If any man has an ear, let him hear.” Revelation 13:9
The Sabbath Changed to Sunday
Sun worship infects ancient Israel: In the ancient world, ‘sun worship’ was one of the most common forms of pagan idolatry. Immediately after Israel left Egypt, God warned His people against being “driven to worship ... the sun.” Deuteronomy 4:19. Yet Israel later yielded to temptation, compromised with the nations around them, and dedicated their “horses ... to the sun.” 2 Kings 23:11. During a time of revival, King Josiah purged much of Israel and “burned the chariots of the sun with fire.” 2 Kings 23:11. Before the Babylonian captivity, many Israelite leaders rejected their Creator, yielded again to idolatry, and “worshipped the sun toward the east.” Ezekiel 8:16. At the same time, God declared that they “hid their eyes from My Sabbaths.” Ezekiel 22:26. Thus ancient Israel shifted from Sabbath keeping to sun worship. In 1 Corinthians 10:1-11, Paul warned the Church against repeating the sins of ancient Israel.
Sun worship, “the day of the sun,” and “Sunday”: The Romans called the sun god “Mithra” and “Apollo,” and they especially worshiped the sun on “the first day of the week,” also called “Dies Solis” (Latin), which means, “day of the sun.” The name “Sunday” was adopted “because this day was anciently dedicated to the sun, or to its worship. The first day of the week.” Webster’s Dictionary; 1929 edition.
A predicted “falling away” within the Church: Through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, Paul discerned that a tragic “falling away” from Jesus Christ and Bible truth would eventually occur within Christianity and that “the man of sin” would arise. 2 Thessalonians 2:3. This “man of sin” is the same power as the “little horn” with “eyes like the eyes of a man” (Daniel 7:8), and “the beast” (Revelation 13). Even in his own day, Paul saw errors creeping into the Church, and declared: “the mystery of iniquity doth already work.” 2 Thessalonians 2:7. Paul warned that after his death, from among “the elders of the Church,” men would “arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” Acts 20:17, 30. This apostasy would result in a departure from God’s Word and the original faith as taught by Jesus Christ. See 1 Timothy 4:1. Other New Testament writers warned that deceptions were entering the Church. See 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 2:18-19; Jude 3-4.
Anti-Jewish sentiment fuelled the Sabbath-to-Sunday shift: Near the end of His ministry, Jesus predicted that every stone of the Jewish Temple would be “thrown down.” Matthew 24:1-2. This occurred when the temple was destroyed by the Romans during “The First Jewish War” in 70 A.D. When the Romans again made war with the Jews from 132-135 A.D., the Roman Emperor Hadrian banished all Jews from Palestine. These Jewish Wars took place after the book of Acts was written and resulted in great pressure upon the early Christian Church to move away from anything that “appeared Jewish,” including the Sabbath. Because Sunday was already popular throughout the Roman Empire as a day for sun worship, some Christian leaders (now called the early “Church Fathers”) yielded to temptation and began the shift of “the Sabbath to Sunday change.” “Jesus Christ rose on Sunday!” became their rationalizing cry. Thus they used the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who “died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3) which is the breaking of God’s Law (1 John 3:4), as an excuse to break one of the Ten Commandments.
Christians compromise with pagan “sun worship” practices and adopt “Sunday” as a day of rest: “Before the coming of Christ, all the Eastern nations performed divine worship with their faces turned to that part of the heavens where the sun displays his rising beams ... The Christian converts ... retained the ancient and universal custom of worshiping toward the east, which sprang from it.” Mosheim’s Ecclesiastical History, century ii, part ii, ch. iv, par. 7. “Sunday (Dies Solis, of the Roman calendar; ‘day of the sun,’ because it was dedicated to the sun), the first day of the week, was adopted by the early Christians as a day of worship.” Schaff-Herzog Encyclopaedia of Religious Knowledge, Art. “Sunday.” “We all gather on the day of the sun ... on this same day Jesus Christ our Savoir rose from the dead.” From the “Church Father,” St. Justin. Quoted in the New Official Catholic Catechism (1994), p. 524.
Following in the steps of ancient Israel, Christians in the 1st (latter part), 2nd and 3rd centuries “hid their eyes” from God’s Sabbaths (see Ezekiel 22:26) and adopted pagan traditions associated with sun worship.
The Church “in Rome” becomes the Roman Catholic Church: Before the Jewish Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., a strong Christian Church was planted through missionary efforts inside the city of Rome itself – in the heart of the Roman Empire. Paul wrote his letter, “The Epistle of Paul to the Romans,” to those early believers “in Rome.” Romans 1:7. But because it was surrounded by paganism inside the world’s mightiest capital, this Church soon experienced a “falling away” (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3) from the purity of the gospel and meta-morphed into the wealthy, politically savvy and powerful Roman Catholic Church. This transition especially took place during the time of the Emperor Constantine (4th century) who favoured the Roman Catholic Church above all other Christian Churches.
Constantine, Catholicism, sun worship and Sunday: In 312 A.D., prior to his pivotal victory over his rival Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge, Constantine became a “Christian” after claiming to see in broad daylight a vision of “a cross above the sun” with these words emblazoned, “in hoc signo vinces” (by this sign conquer”). After defeating his enemies and becoming Emperor of Rome, Constantine presided in full royal pomp over the “First Council of Nicea” in 325 A.D.
A shrewd political genius, his scheme was to unite paganism and Christianity in an effort to strengthen his disintegrating empire. Constantine knew that pagans throughout the empire worshiped the sun on “the first day of the week,” and he discovered that many Christians – especially in Rome and Alexandria – also kept ‘Sunday’ because Christ rose from the dead on that day. So Constantine developed a plan to unite both groups on the common platform of Sunday keeping. On March 7, 321 A.D., he passed his famous national Sunday law:
“Let all judges and townspeople and occupations of all trades rest on the venerable day of the Sun [Sunday]; nevertheless, let those who are situated in the rural districts freely and with full liberty attend to the cultivation of the fields, because it so frequently happens that no other day may be so fitting for ploughing grains or trenching vineyards, lest at the time the advantage of the moment granted by the provision of heaven may be lost.” The Code of Justinian, Book 3, title 12, law 3.
Now a professed Christian, Constantine nevertheless remained a devout sun worshipper. “The sun was universally celebrated as the invincible guide and protector of Constantine,” notes Edward Gibbon in his classic Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, ch. xx, par. 3. Constantine even printed coins which “bore on the one side the letters of the name of Christ, on the other the figure of the sun god.” Arthur P. Stanley, History of the Eastern Church, lect. vi, par. 14. Again, Constantine’s promotion of Sunday observance was part of his definite strategy to combine paganism with Christianity: “The retention of the old pagan name of dies Solis, or ‘Sunday,’ for the weekly Christian festival, is in great measure owing to the union of pagan and Christian sentiment with which the first day of the week was recommended by Constantine to his subjects, pagan and Christian alike, as the ‘venerable day of the Sun.’” Stanley’s History of the Eastern Church, p. 184 (emphasis added).
“The Jewish, the Samaritan, even the Christian, were to be fused and recast into one great system, of which the sun was to be the central object of adoration.” Henry Milman, The History of Christianity, Book 2, chap. 8, Vol. 22, p. 175. In 330 A.D., Constantine moved his capital from Rome to Constantinople (modern Istanbul), thus preparing the way for the Roman Catholic Popes to reign in Rome as the successors of Constantine. As the Papal Church grew in power, it opposed Sabbath observance in favour of Sunday sacredness.
Many 5th-century Christians kept the Sabbath and Sunday: In spite of the rising popularity of Sunday sacredness, Church historian Socrates Scholasticus (5th century) wrote: “For although almost all Churches throughout the world celebrate the sacred mysteries [of the Lord’s Supper] on the Sabbath of every week, yet the Christians of Alexandria and at Rome, on account of some ancient tradition, have ceased to do this.” Socrates Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical History, Book 5, ch. 22. Another historian confirmed this, stating, “The people of Constantinople, and almost everywhere, assemble together on the Sabbath, as well as on the first day of the week, which custom is never observed at Rome or at Alexandria.” Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History, Book 7, ch. 19. Thus even in the 5th century, Sabbath keeping was universally prevalent (except in Rome and Alexandria), along with Sunday keeping. Many Christians kept both days. But as the centuries wore on, Sunday keeping grew in prominence, especially within Roman Catholic territories. Today, the majority of Christians observe Sunday, but the question remains, What does the Bible say?
For very comprehensive information on how the Sabbath was changed to sunday that also involves the origin of 666 and the worship of Satan back as far as 2000 B.C., read who changed the Sabbath to Sunday and is the Sabbath Saturday or Sunday. Alternatively you can read who changed the Sabbath day to Sunday.
Roman Catholics Testify
Question: Which is the Sabbath day?
Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day.
Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.” Rev. Peter Geiermann C.S.S.R., The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, p. 50 (1946).
“But since Saturday, not Sunday, is specified in the Bible, isn’t it curious that non-Catholics who profess to take their religion directly from the Bible and not from the Church, observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Yes, of course, it is inconsistent; but this change was made about fifteen centuries before Protestantism was born, and by that time the custom was universally observed. They have continued the custom, even though it rests upon the authority of the Catholic Church and not upon an explicit text in the Bible. The observance remains as a reminder of the Mother Church from which the non-Catholic sects broke away like a boy running away from home but still carrying in his pocket a picture of his mother or a locket of her hair.” The Faith of Millions: The Credentials of the Catholic Religion, by Rev. John O’ Brien, Ph.D., p. 473.
‘‘The [Roman Catholic] Church changed the observance of the Sabbath to Sunday by right of the divine, infallible authority given to her by her founder, Jesus Christ. The Protestant claiming the Bible to be the only guide of faith, has no warrant for observing Sunday.’’ The Catholic Universe Bulletin, August 14, 1942, p. 4.
“The observance of Sunday by the Protestants is homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the [Roman Catholic] Church.” Monsignor Louis Segur, Plain Talk about the Protestantism of Today, p. 213.
‘‘I have repeatedly offered $1,000 to anyone who can prove to me from the Bible alone that I am bound to keep Sunday holy. There is no such law in the Bible. It is a law of the holy Catholic Church alone. The Bible says ‘Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.’ The Catholic Church says, No. By my divine power I abolish the Sabbath day and command you to keep holy the first day of the week. And lo! The entire civilized world bows down in reverent obedience to the command of the Holy Catholic Church.” Priest Thomas Enright, C.S.S.R., February 18, 1884
“Sunday is a Catholic institution, and... can be defended only on Catholic principles... From beginning to end of Scripture there is not a single passage that warrants the transfer of weekly public worship from the last day of the week to the first.” Catholic Press, Aug. 25, 1900
“The Sabbath was Saturday, not Sunday. The Church altered the observance of the Sabbath to the observance of Sunday. Protestants must be rather puzzled by the keeping of Sunday when God distinctly said, ‘Keep holy the Sabbath Day.’ The word Sunday does not come anywhere in the Bible, so, without knowing it they are obeying the authority of the Catholic Church.” Canon Cafferata, The Catechism Explained, p. 89.
‘‘Reason and sense demand the acceptance of one or the other of these alternatives: either Protestantism and the keeping holy of Saturday, or Catholicity and the keeping holy of Sunday. Compromise is impossible.’’ John Cardinal Gibbons, The Catholic Mirror, December 23, 1893.
Protestants Testify (Representative Leaders)
Baptist:
“There was and is a Commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that Sabbath day was not Sunday. It will be said, however, and with some show of triumph, that the Sabbath was transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week, with all its duties, privileges, and sanctions. Earnestly desiring information on this subject, which I have studied for many years, I ask, where can the record of such a transaction by found? Not in the New Testament, absolutely not. There is no Scriptural evidence of the change of the Sabbath institution from the seventh to the first day of the week. Of course, I quite well know that Sunday did come into use in early Christian history as a religious day, as we learn from the Christian fathers and other sources. But what a pity that it comes branded with the mark of paganism, and christened with the name of the sun god, when adopted and sanctioned by the papal apostasy, and bequeathed as a sacred legacy to Protestantism!” Dr. Edward T. Hiscox D.D., author of The Baptist Manual, stated Nov. 13, 1893, at a New York Minister’s Conference discussing the heated debate over whether the Chicago World’s Fair should remain open on Sunday (emphasis added).
Church of Christ:
“There is no direct Scriptural authority for designating the first day [as] the Lord’s day.” Dr. D. H. Lucas, Christian Oracle, Jan. 23, 1890.
Church of England:
“Many people think that Sunday is the Sabbath. But neither in the New Testament nor in the early Church is there anything to suggest that we have any right to transfer the observance of the seventh day of the week to the first. The Sabbath was and is Saturday and not Sunday, and if it were binding on us then we should observe it on that day, and on no other.” Rev. Lionel Beere, All-Saints Church, Ponsonby, N.Z. in Church and People, Sept. 1, 1947.
“Is there any command in the New Testament to change the day of weekly rest from Saturday to Sunday? None.” Manual of Christian Doctrine, page 127.
Congregational:
“The current notion that Christ and His apostles authoritatively substituted the first day for the seventh, is absolutely without any authority in the New Testament.” Dr. Lyman Abbott, Christian Union, Jan. 18, 1882.
Disciples of Christ:
“If it [the Sabbath Commandment] yet exists, let us observe it... And if it does not exist, let us abandon a mock observance of another day for it. ‘But,’ say some, ‘it was changed from the seventh to the first day.’ Where? when? and by whom? - No, it never was changed, nor could it be, unless creation was to be gone through again: for the reason assigned [in Genesis 2:1-3] must be changed before the observance or respect to the reason, can be changed. It is all old wives’ fables to talk of the ‘change of the sabbath’ from the seventh to the first day. If it be changed, it was that august personage changed it who changes times and laws ex officio, - I think his name is “Doctor Antichrist.’” Alexander Campbell, The Christian Baptist, February 2, 1824, vol 1, no. 7.
Episcopalian:
“The Bible Commandment says on the Seventh day thou shalt rest. That is Saturday. Nowhere in the Bible is it laid down that worship should be done on Sunday.” Phillip Carrington, quoted in Toronto Daily Star, Oct 26, 1949.
Lutheran:
“The festival of Sunday, like all other festivals, was always only a human ordinance.” Augustus Neander, History of the Christian Religion and Church, Vol. 1, page 186.
“The observance of the Lord’s Day (Sunday) is founded not on any command of God, but on the authority of the Church.” Augsburg Confession of Faith.
“They [the Roman Catholics] allege the change of the Sabbath into the Lord’s day… and they have no example more in their mouths than the change of the Sabbath. They will needs have the Church’s power to be very great, because it hath dispensed with the precept of the Decalogue.” The Augsburg Confession, 1530 A.D. (Lutheran), part 2, art 7, in Philip Schaff’s The Creeds of Christiandom, 4th Edition, vol 3, p. 64.
Methodist:
“It is true that there is no positive command for infant baptism. Nor is there any for the keeping of the first day of the week. Many believe that Christ changed the Sabbath. But, from His own words [Matthew 5:17-19], we see that He came for no such purpose. Those who believe that Jesus changed the Sabbath base it only on a supposition.” Amos Binney, Theological Compendium, p. 180-181.
“Sabbath in the Hebrew language signifies rest, and is the seventh day of the week... and it must be confessed that there is no law in the New Testament concerning the first day.” Charles Buck, A Theological Dictionary, “Sabbath.”
Moody Bible Institute:
“The Sabbath was binding in Eden, and it has been in force ever since. This fourth Commandment begins with the word ‘remember,’ showing that the Sabbath already existed when God wrote the law on the tables of stone at Sinai. How can men claim that this one Commandment has been done away with when they will admit that the other nine are still binding?” D.L. Moody, Weighed and Wanting, page 47.
Presbyterian:
“God instituted the Sabbath at the creation of man, setting apart the seventh day for the purpose, and imposed its observance as a universal and perpetual moral obligation upon the race.” American Presbyterian Board of Publication, Tract No. 175.
Biblical Answers to Good Questions
Christians are “saved by grace? So why keep the Sabbath?
Yes, undoubtedly, Christians are “saved by grace.” Ephesians 2:8. But it is vital to inquire, saved from what? Here’s the answer: Jesus Christ came to our dark world to “save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21. That was His mission. Next question: What is sin? Here’s the answer: “Sin is the transgression of the law.” l John 3:4. Next question: What law? Here’s the answer: Paul wrote, “I had not known sin, but by the law.” Then he quoted the tenth Commandment, “You shall not covet.” Romans 7:7. Thus, according to Paul, it is the law of Ten Commandments that reveals sin to us. The Good News is that Jesus Christ “died for our sins, according to the Scriptures” (see 1 Corinthians 15:3), which would include breaking the Sabbath Commandment too. Ever since the days of Adam and Eve, humanity has strayed from its Creator. “All have sinned” and are “guilty before God” for breaking His law. Romans 3:23, 19. Once guilty, we cannot be saved or “justified” (made right with God) by keeping the law (Romans 3:20), but only through faith in Jesus Christ our Savoir (Romans 3:21-28). If we confess our sins, God promises to forgive us (1 John 1:9). Then Jesus says, “If you love Me, keep My Commandments.” John 14:15. Which ones? Here’s the answer: By comparing John 14:15 with Exodus 20:6, we discover that Jesus was quoting the second Commandment. Thus the Ten Commandments are Jesus Christ’s Commandments (along with all of His teachings), for Jesus Christ is God (see John 1:1-3; read carefully also Matthew 5:17-19). If we love our Savoir, we will want to obey His Commandments, not to be saved, but because we are saved by His love and grace.
“Is God so particular?”
Ask Adam and Eve. One bite plunged our entire world into chaos and led to the death of Jesus Christ. The Sabbath day is very important to God. See Ezekiel 22:26; Jeremiah 17:19-27; Isaiah 58:13. The Bible says that breaking God’s Law is sin (see 1 John 3:4), and that sin is what caused Jesus Christ to die on Calvary (see 1 Corinthians 15:3).
“Shouldn’t we worship God every day?”
Of course, but only “the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord.” Exodus 20:10. The Sabbath is the only day that God rested on, blessed, and sanctified. See Genesis 2:1-3.
Are all “Sunday-keepers” lost?
Obviously not. Throughout history millions of Spirit-filled Christians have not understood the Sabbath Commandment and have kept Sunday. It is the same today. Yet listen to God’s Word: During “the times of THIS IGNORANCE God winked; but now He commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). When further light comes, God wants us to follow it. In “the time of the end ... knowledge shall increase.” Daniel 12:4. Knowledge is now increasing on the Sabbath subject. You may not be aware of the trend, but around the world ministers and Christians of many denominations are studying and accepting the truth about the Sabbath of Jesus Christ.
“How can so many ‘good people’ be wrong?”
Eve was not only a good person, but she was a perfect person, yet she was wrong when she obeyed the serpent (see Genesis 3:1-6). Only eight people entered Noah’s ark, which teaches us that majority opinion should not be our guide. See Matthew 7:13-14. Jesus told a group of religious leaders that they were “making the word of God of none effect” by their “tradition.” Mark 7:13. If this happened to religious leaders in Christ’s day, it can happen today. Many “good people” have never really studied this subject carefully.
How to Keep the Sabbath Holy
1) The Sabbath is a special day to focus on Jesus Christ our Maker: According to the New Testament, “the world” was “made” by Jesus Christ (see John 1:1-3, 14, 10; Colossians 1:16). Jesus is “the Lord” who made the world in six days, and “rested on the seventh day.” Exodus 20:11. Thus the Sabbath is a special day to focus on the Jesus Christ as the Creator and Sustainer of all life. It is a day to come apart from the normal stresses and cares of everyday living, to be refreshed and blessed by the great Creator who loves and died for us.
2) “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work” (Exodus 20:8-10): This is the fourth Commandment. We are to work at our normal jobs during the six working days, but from sundown Friday night until sundown Saturday night, we should “not do any work.” Late Friday afternoon, after Jesus died, “the Sabbath drew on.” Luke 23:54. When the sun went down, Christ’s followers “rested the Sabbath day according to the Commandment.” Luke 23:56. Secular business should be laid aside. Shopping, laundry, homework, and housecleaning should be done during the six working days. The Bible also calls buying and selling on the Sabbath an “evil thing.” Nehemiah 13:15-22.
The Lord says, “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath [from trampling on it], from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honourable, and shall honour Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 58:13-14. The Pharisees made the Sabbath a burden, but Jesus wants us to “call the Sabbath a delight,” and to “delight” ourselves in Him. Sabbath keeping is something we “grow into” as Jesus teaches us how to “keep it holy.”
3) Friday is “the preparation day” (Luke 23:54): The “preparation day” is a good day for dusting, ironing and housecleaning. When the sun sets our minds should be free from care to focus on Jesus. In the wilderness, the Lord instructed Israel to “bake what you bake” on the day before the Sabbath. Exodus 16:23-29. Paul specifically said the history of Israel in the wilderness is “an example” for us “upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11. If a special meal is planned for the Sabbath, it would be good to do as much of the cooking as possible on Friday.
4) Jesus was in “the synagogue on the Sabbath day” (Luke 4:16): Jesus worshiped with God’s people every Sabbath. Luke 4:16, 31-32. So should we. We should not “forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is.” Hebrews 10:25. In “the new earth ... from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, says the Lord.” Isaiah 66:22-23. We all need the blessing of “fellowship” with other believers who love Jesus and keep His Commandments. Exodus 20:6; John 14:15; 1 John 1:7.
5) Jesus said, “it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days” (Matthew 12:12): Jesus healed and helped people on the Sabbath (see Mark 1:21-27; Matthew 12:10-13; Luke 13:10-17), and His deeds of mercy were fully “lawful” on the Sabbath, that is, they were in harmony with true Sabbath keeping. The Sabbath is a good day to visit the sick, help someone in need, etc. Thus we can follow the example of Jesus.
6) “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth ... and rested on the seventh day. Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:11): The Sabbath is a wonderful day to enjoy the beautiful things of nature. Take the children for a walk in the park. Relax under a tree. Read the Bible by a stream or lake. Enjoy special fellowship with the One who said, “Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.” Ezekiel 20:12. The Sabbath reveals the glorious truth that the One who created our entire world in six days, and rested on the seventh, is also able to re-create our hearts back into His own image. See Genesis 1:26; Psalms 51:10; Ephesians 4:21-24.
7) What if I work on the Sabbath?: Kindly approach your employer and say, “My conscience tells me that I can no longer work on the Sabbath day. How can we work around this?” Tens of thousands have done this. Most employers will accommodate firm religious convictions. Even if you lose your job (which isn’t likely, but it does happen), God will help you find another one. Study Daniel 3 and you will see that God blessed the three Hebrews who refused to break the second Commandment. At the end of Daniel 3, they were promoted. If you stand up for Jesus and His fourth Commandment, He will stand up for you. If you are the only member in your family who wants to keep the Sabbath, don’t push it on them. Jesus will guide and help you step by step if you look to Him for direction and strength. See Psalms 29:11.
“Blessed are those who do his Commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life and
may enter in through the gates into the city ... the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
Revelation 22:14, 21 (KJV)
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