Sabbath – Saturday or Sunday
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:11)
I recently read a blog post and the replies. Seventh Day Adventists, as we all probably know, keep the Sabbath on Saturday. It is based on the 4th Commandment “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:11 ESV.” These debates whether the Church is bound to observe the 7th day Sabbath or not is endless and often very heated. I have read these debates for years and there is really no new arguments. I would like to offer my views. Is the Church compelled to observe Sabbath on Saturday? Sunday? This blog post is a retooling of a reply that I left in response to the requirement that 7th day Sabbath observance is a biblical requirement of the Church.
In the early church, the first believers were Jews. They continued to go to Temple on the 7th day, the Sabbath. It was AFTER the Sabbath was over that they met in homes. The first Christians, the Jews, met on the first day, not on Sabbath.
It is important to understand the Hebrew calendar system. Sabbath is not on Saturday. That is not how the Hebrew calendar is calculated. Days ran from sundown to sundown. The 7th day starts on our calendar on Friday at sundown and ends on our Saturday at sundown. If Sabbath observers are observing Sabbath according to the bible, it does not begin on Saturday, it begins on Friday at sundown and ends on Saturday at sundown.
The first Jewish Christians did not meet for Christian worship on Sabbath BECAUSE they were observing the Sabbath at Temple. They had to wait until Sabbath was over to meet up.
This scripture would correspond to our Saturday AFTER sundown until our Sunday at sundown which is the 1st day, not the 7th day. That’s the first day of the week in the Hebrew calendar. 1 Co 16:2 is also another scripture where they are meeting. Again that could be anytime AFTER Sabbath was over which begins on Saturday AFTER sundown. Remember, the 7th day begins on Friday at sundown and ends on Saturday at sundown.
On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 1 Corinthians 16:2 (ESV)
Our calendar runs from midnight to midnight, Sunday through Saturday. Their calendar runs from sundown to sundown. All day Friday is a workday UNTIL sundown and in fact, they can do anything they want to on Saturday beginning at sundown for Sabbath is over. At sundown, the new day begins.
If we are to use the first Christians as examples, who were Jews who religiously observed the Sabbath, they were meeting on the first day, not the 7th day. They went to temple on the 7th day and met as Christians on the first day, at least according to the bible.
Messianic congregations, such as the one I attend, meet on Sabbath because they can. It is Jewish tradition. They can, unlike the first Jewish Christians who had to go to temple on the Sabbath before they finally were able to meet, as followers of Christ, on the 1st day. The first Jewish converts to Christianity continued to go to temple on Sabbath as required as Jews. After Sabbath ended, they met up to worship Christ. Likely, due to the time period, they would not do that until what would correspond to our Sunday simply because it is likely they would not be going out at night.
That all being said, if someone feels compelled to observe the Sabbath biblically or even on Saturday, that’s not a problem. If it is a sin to someone to not do it, they should. (Romans 14). Also, Romans 14 says One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. (Rom 14:5-6 ESV)
I am very comfortable with 1st day observance that since the first Jewish believers met on the 1st day and there is no discussion in scripture that this was a problem. If God did not take issue with the first Jewish Christians meeting up on the first day, then certainly I won’t give any credence to any human that has an issue. They are welcome to meet on Sabbath and they are welcome to feel compelled to meet on Sabbath, but for the rest of the Christians there is no biblical commandment that they do so.
7th Day Adventists are of the belief that other than 7th day observance is following Satan and some have even claim that it is the mark of the beast. If 7th day observance is required to be biblically followed, then the rules surrounding Sabbath must also be followed. Most have jobs that would require them to leave their jobs early in order to begin observance. They need to be close to their respective churches as there is a biblical limitation on how far one may travel on the Sabbath. One cannot chose to observe only one part of Sabbath and declare that they are following the commandment. The commandment includes what can and cannot be done and when it begins and ends.
However, if other than 7th day observance is following Satan, then Paul the Apostle and ALL the the first Jewish believers have a huge problem and God uttered nary a peep on their meeting in His name on the 1st day. They met as believers in Christ on the first day, not on Sabbath. There is not a single scripture to suggest that they met on Sabbath as followers of Christ. They were in Temple. When Sabbath ended, they got together as followers in Christ. Because Sabbath ended at sundown, I am making an educated guess that they did not go out in the evening to meet, they waited until daylight which would be our Sunday.
In any event, since God has not uttered a word in opposition to the first Christians meeting on the 1st day, it is not something that Christians need to concern themselves over. If certain Christians are more comfortable observing Sabbath on Saturday, then that’s not a problem. If Christians are more comfortable observing Sabbath from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown and incorporate the rules that go along with Sabbath observance, then that’s fine as well. And Christians that are comfortable observing one day over another, Sunday gathering, then they are not breaking a commandment. Remember, the first Christians met up on the 1st day, not the 7th day. Romans 14 takes care of this issue as well as scripture gives examples of Christians who met up on the 1st day. Interestingly, there is no scripture that shows that the first Christians met on Sabbath in Christian worship or gathering. God did not make an issue of that in scripture. Man should not either.
In the end, this all boils down to not understanding what it really means to be IN Christ. If we can understand what it means to be IN Christ, our eyes are really opened to God’s grace and how He sees us.
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Thanks for your comment on my page. I’ll post a response on my site in greater detail to some of the texts you use, as both are taken out of context. You are right, that they met on Saturday night (Acts 2). Here are some questions to think about though:
Was it a worship service? Could it have been a Bible study at night? If that’s an example for us Christians, why don’t we worship Saturday nights as well instead of Sunday morning services?
Here’s another question you need to ask on the accuracy of early Christians (Jews) meeting on Sabbath. When do the Jews go to worship today? I live in an area with a synagogue nearby, and every Saturday morning, while I’m driving to church, I see the more orthodox ones walking. I’m sure the Jewish Christians back then wouldn’t forget to worship on the Sabbath. To say they worshiped on the 1st day (Saturday night) with no historical evidence is very misleading my friend.
When the Jews of today worship has no bearing on the Church. They are observing Torah. I don’t mean to sound rude but if you are observing Sabbath, you have to be within a certain distance of your church to be in compliance with scripture. As well, Sabbath does NOT begin on Saturday; it begins on Friday at sundown. Those Orthodox Jews you see walking to synagogue began their Sabbath observance according to the Hebrew calendar used in the bible, not our Gregorian calendar. If you are driving farther to your church than a “Sabbath’s day journey” (referencing back to Exodus 16:29 & Acts 1:12), you have broken Sabbath. Actually, if you do not begin your Sabbath on Friday at sundown, you have broken Sabbath rules. By the time Saturday rolls around when you go to your church, Sabbath only has a few hours left since it began on Friday. When you leave your job on Friday, you cannot travel more than a biblical Sabbath day’s journey (Acts 1:12 which is about 2 miles when calculated to our measuring system) if you don’t have enough time to get home before Sabbath begins. I’ve been to Israel and that’s not very far. I walked it which is all they could do.
I did not say that the Jewish Christians did not worship on Sabbath — but they went to synagogue as Jews in the synagogue. It was AFTER Sabbath was over that they met IN WORSHIP. I did not say that they met on Saturday night which would have been the 1st day but more than likely later on the 1st day which would correspond to our Sunday. People in those days did not go out at night wandering around from place to place. In fact, when Mary went to the tomb after Sabbath, it was early in the morning on the 1st day. Even though the 1st day began on Saturday at sundown, she went to the tomb after Sabbath when it was first light. She could have gone on Saturday night after the 1st 3 stars appeared (which signaled the end of Sabbath and the beginning of the new day, the 1st day). You don’t find in scripture the 1st Christians (the Jews) meeting up Sabbath but only after Sabbath.
They did worship on the 1st day. See Acts 20:7.
In any event, God took care of this whole matter in Acts 14. He said that one esteems one day over another and each should be convinced in one’s own mind.
The purpose of the Sabbath was not to gather together in worship, it was a day set aside for rest as God did from His rest. That was the purpose of Sabbath, a day of rest. In fact, Sabbath not only applied t0 people, but the animals were also to rest and then there was a Sabbath for the land. Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word which means intermission.
Lastly, only the 9 commandments are restated in the New Testament as commandments but not the Sabbath commandment.
Thanks for commenting. I will read your post later that you referenced below.
“This blog post is a retooling of a reply that I left in response to the requirement that 7th day Sabbath observance is a biblical requirement of the Church.”
Just to clear up. The Seventh-day Adventist church doesn’t require you to go to church on the Sabbath any more than requiring to go to Church. Going to church does not guarantee salvation right? We just believe that God’s law, the decalogue, is still binding, and that the Sabbath should be spent communing with God, and kept holy as commanded.
All of the Torah? What about if your married brother dies, will you marry your sister in law? Anyone in your church who defiles the Sabbath, I assume they will not be put to death (Exodus 31:14-15). On the Sabbath (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown), you cannot purchase or sell anything. No running to the store, eating out or anything (Neh 10:31)
If you are not observing Sabbath according to the biblical rules set forth in the scripture, again, which begins on Friday at sundown, you have defiled the Sabbath and must be put to death by your church. I’m not trying to be facetious, just pointing out that if the Decalogue is still binding, then you have to take it in its entirety as binding.
Here is my response to 1 Corinthians 16:
http://emmilglenn.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/does-offering-collections-imply-worship-service/
I had it written up in my email somewhere.
I’m not a Jewish expert or historian, but it is my belief that the early Jewish Christians, once converted met regularly with other Christians on the Sabbath.
See Acts 13:42-44.
God Bless you.
Here is a response to Romans 14.
http://emmilglenn.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/romans-14-talks-about-fasting-not-the-sabbath/
I took it from an email discussion I’ve been having with a fellow believer and just posted the exegesis the blog.
I’ll make some quick comments to your top reply:
“When the Jews of today worship has no bearing on the Church. They are observing Torah. I don’t mean to sound rude but if you are observing Sabbath, you have to be within a certain distance of your church to be in compliance with scripture. ”
I’m well aware the Sabbath starts on Friday night, as kids we sang that song ‘when the sun goes down on Friday, it’s Sabbath…’
“If you are driving farther to your church than a “Sabbath’s day journey” (referencing back to Exodus 16:29 & Acts 1:12), you have broken Sabbath.
You see, there is a difference between the Decalogue and the Mosaic law, or ceremonial laws. The ceremonial laws were done away with the cross, but God’s law (10 commandments) are still valid today. We are not bound and shouldn’t adhere to those traditional Jewish laws, but God’s law is still relevant. I’ll post an explanation as well for your benefit.
“Those Orthodox Jews you see walking to synagogue began their Sabbath observance according to the Hebrew calendar used in the bible, not our Gregorian calendar.”
Yet strangely enough, the Sabbath always happens to fall on Saturday in the Gregorian. Other languages also use Sabbath as the name of the day, Sabbado (spanish) Sabato (Italian) Σάββατο (Greek translates Sabbath).
If you like, we can continue this discussion in email, as it’d be easier that way, instead of these comment boxes. I can answer all your questions and comments that way. God Bless.
Hi Tishrei,
Some historical/biblical evidence of the early church keeping Sabbath:
http://emmilglenn.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/did-the-early-church-keep-the-sabbath/
Still working on my ‘hell’ post, don’t worry haven’t forgotten.
God Bless
Saturday or Sunday is the Sabbath day? Do god uses a calendar when he made the Sabbath day? I believe that Sabbath day can be done on any day that you want. Just make sure that the day that you choose will going to fit your everyday life.
http://www.localsearchmobile.com/2010/02/sabbath-god%E2%80%99s-way/
What you present will no doubt have appeal to those who attend Sunday services, however, the texts used do not begin to prove the point you try to make. In particular, Acts 20:7, is simply showing a going away dinner and last chance to hear a favorite evangelist speak.
While I am certainly no Biblical scholar, I believe, that since God Himself uttered and wrote the Ten Commandments, He would also have to repeal them or just one of them the same way.
I have read and heard many of the arguments about the “Law” being an all or nothing law. But God did not entrust a mere human to first speak Decalogue and then write them, He did this Himself. Why then would he not make sure that, if He had repealed any or all of them that He was extremely clear about it? He was about the 7th day! And it is not curious that most Sunday keepers try to keep nine of the commandments and try to forget the only one that say “REMEMBER”. Was it mere coincidence that God wrote the 7th day and that He rested on the 7th day?
The law cannot, can never save anyone. It can only show us what sin is, and Jesus, when He was here, showed us the spirit of the law. It was possible to keep the letter by shear force of will, but not the spirit. And that was sinful becuase there is nothing in the law that says,”sell all you have and give to the poor…” But if you love your neightbor as yourself, will might just do that. God’s grace is all that saves us because we truly deserve death. But that in NO WAY gives license to break the Ten Commandments. Jesus fulfilled the Law, the law according to John is love, love cannot be filled full, not, I my opinion, until we have been with Jesus in the earth made new, forever.(and to quote a song, “forever is a long, long time.”)