Chapter 26
Sabbath

Jews have observed the sabbath on Saturdays continuously for thousands of years. The first day of the week, Sunday (the day of the sun), was dedicated to the sun by pagans. Early Christians observed the sabbath on Saturday until the Roman Catholic Church prescribed Sunday for the hearing of mass and a day of rest, and most Christian denominations and sects still follow this unwarranted revision of the Fourth Commandment. The Lord’s Day, as opposed to the sabbath, was first associated with Sunday by St. Ignatius in the 2nd century CE; and Christians probably observed it at least since Tertullian’s admonition in 202 CE. In 321 CE, the Roman tyrant, Constantine issued a civil decree that almost everyone except farmers should take the day off on the venerable day of the sun, thereby pleasing both the pagans and the Christians who observed Sunday.
The Bible made no mention of and gave no authority for changing the sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. Neither Sunday nor the first day of the week were ever mentioned in the Bible as holy, the sabbath, sacred, the Lord’s Day, or even special. It was only mentioned once as the first day of creation (Gen 1:5). The Bible did not mention any transfer of God’s blessing or a transfer of sacredness to any other day. No commandment was ever given to observe another day. The first day of the week was never mentioned as a memorial, as part of God’s law, as a day of a Godly pronouncement, or as any other signal of special occasion. This places all non-sabbatarian Christians at risk of death and eternal damnation for continually violating the Fourth Commandment. Of course Christians have rationalized the change, but do they have good reasons?

26.1 The Bible clearly said that the seventh day, Saturday, was the sabbath and that it must be observed under penalty of death.

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy…the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God…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." Ex 20:8-11

One cannot modify one of the Ten Commandments without invoking a greater authority than the direct finger of God.

"And [God] gave unto Moses…two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God." Ex 31:18

26.2 Other passages besides the Fourth Commandment mentioned God’s order to keep the sabbath.

"Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people." Ex 31:14

"Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil." Isa 56:2

"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…" Isa 58:13

"And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you…" Ezek 20:20

Not only was the sabbath commanded of Jews, but God said the Gentiles could expect a reward if they observed it, too. The Bible made no mention of any reward for observing any other holy day.

"Also the sons of the stranger…every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer…" Isa 56:6,7

God said the sabbath should always be observed.

"…from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord." Isa 66:23

26.3 The seventh day, Saturday, was clearly dictated as the sabbath.

"Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none." Ex 16:26

"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:" Ex 20:10

"Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death." Ex 31:15

"…the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings." Lev 23:3

"But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work…" Deut 5:14

"In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week…" Mt 28:1

"And when the sabbath was past…And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun." Mk 16:1,2

26.4 In addition, the seventh day, Saturday, was clearly specified as a day of rest since it was God’s day of rest after creation.

"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." Gen 2:2

"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." Gen 2:3

"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."

"It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed." Ex 31:17

"Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest." Ex 34:21

"But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein." Ex 31:17

"Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work therein." Deut 16:8

"…And God did rest the seventh day from all his works." Heb 4:4

God worked on the first day of the week, Sunday, so it can’t have been the sabbath. God also commanded everyone else to work on the first day of the week.

"And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day." Gen 1:4,5

"Six days ye shall gather it…" Ex 16:26

"Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:" Ex 20:9, Deut 5:13

"Six days may work be done…" Ex 31:15

"Six days thou shalt work…" Ex 34:21

"Six days shall work be done…" Lev 23:3

26.5 Jesus (as well as the Old Testament patriarchs) honored the sabbath but said nothing about sanctifying any other day. Jesus lay dead in the tomb on the seventh day of the week, thereby observing the sabbath; and he arose on a Sunday, a work day.

"But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:" Mt 24:20

"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read." Lk 4:16

26.6 There was no mention in the Bible of the resurrection altering the observance of the sabbath.

"Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene…." Mk 16:9

"Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared…" Lk 24:1

"The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre." Jn 20:1

26.7 When the resurrected Jesus visited the disciples in the upper room on a Sunday, it was done in secret out of fear. The Bible made no mention of this being a signal to change the observance of the sabbath.

"Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus…" Jn 20:19

This gathering couldn’t have been done in honor of the resurrection, either, since the disciples didn’t yet believe it. Nothing in the text called it holy or sacred or the sabbath; and it did not call for any special observance. There was no call for communion to be routinely observed on the first day of the week, either.

"And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not…And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen." Mk 16:11,13,14

"But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit…And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered…" Lk 24:37,41

The breaking of bread on a Sunday didn’t signify much, since the apostles did it every day.

"When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed." Acts 20:11

"And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles…And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house…" Acts 2:43,46

Paul said that everyone should balance their checkbook and put aside a sum of money on Sundays, so this can’t have been an observance of the sabbath. This passage said nothing about a religious service or about passing the collection plate. Paul even said that there wouldn’t be any "gatherings" when the preacher man came a-calling.

"Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." 1Cor 16:2

26.8 After Jesus’ death, Paul and the apostles preached and held services on the normal Jewish sabbath day. No mention was ever made of changing it to Sunday. Even Gentiles were present, and they asked that services be held on the next sabbath, not on a Sunday. Paul never met with the Gentiles on a Sunday. All in all, Acts mentioned eighty-four services on the sabbath with nary a word about changing the sabbath to a Sunday. This was further evidenced by the fact that the Jews never accused Paul of violating the sabbath, which they darned well would have done.

"And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath."" Acts 13:42

"And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God." Acts 13:44

"And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither." Acts 16:13

"And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures," Acts 17:2

"And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks." Acts 18:4

Immediately following the crucifixion, Jesus’ followers observed the sabbath on the seventh day.

"[Joseph of Arimathea] went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared…" Lk 23:52-24:1

Moving the Sabbath to Sunday

Here’s a list of excuses used for moving the sabbath to Sunday.

The sabbath was meant only for Jews.

26.9 The Bible never called the sabbath Jewish, but it referred to "the sabbath of the Lord thy God." Thy, not the Jewish. This was one of the Commandments. Can we ignore the other nine commandments as well on the basis that they were given only to the Jews?

"But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God…" Ex 20:10

The Bible said that it was God’s sabbath. There was no hint of splitting it into Jewish and Gentile sabbaths.

"And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God." Ezek 20:20

God’s commandments and laws were observed long before Moses received the law on Sinai. Therefore, they were not just a part of a ceremonial law of Moses.

"…Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." Gen 26:5

Stephen said that the laws were also meant for "us," the Gentiles.

"This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:" Acts 7:38

Jesus disagreed with applying the sabbath to Jews only. He said it was for all mankind.

"And [Jesus] said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:" Mk 2:27

Sunday was the Christian sabbath, not the Jewish sabbath.

26.10 There is no Biblical support for this. Sunday was not called the sabbath until the 1600s.

The sabbath was made for God, not man.

26.11 This means that the observance of the sabbath doesn’t apply to mankind. For example:

"But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God…" Ex 20:10
Jesus disagreed. He said it was for mankind.

"And [Jesus] said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:" Mk 2:27

Every day is a holy day.

26.12 There is no Biblical support for this. Besides, if every day were a holy day, then there would be no sabbath and no need for one.

The sabbath may be kept on any day of the week as long as one day a week is set aside.

26.13 For example:

"One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks." Rom 14:5-6

If this meant that it doesn’t really matter which day is kept, then there is no sabbath at all. How can one honor the sabbath by choosing to call a different day the sabbath, especially for one’s own convenience? This would also mean that Paul rewrote God’s law without authority. The commandment clearly said "the" seventh day, not any or one or every seventh day.

"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…" Ex 20:9,10

Even if we ignore the objections above, allowing the sabbath to be observed on any day of the week can in no way be interpreted to mean that there is any reason or obligation to observe the sabbath on a Sunday.

The law was nailed to the cross, so Christians don’t have to observe it.

26.14 For example:

"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;" Col 2:14

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:" Col 2:16

"Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;" Eph 2:15

This meant that the Ten Commandments were also "nailed to the cross," so they don’t need to be observed, either. However, Jesus said he observed them himself.

"…I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love." Jn 15:10

Jesus said he came to fulfill the law, not to change it. (If we employ the common apologetic that "fulfill" really meant to abolish, then we are left with the absurdity that Jesus came not to destroy the law but to abolish it.)

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." Mt 5:17

Jesus changed the sabbath.

26.15 The Bible didn’t mention this. Besides, if Jesus was supposed to have been God’s conduit for the creation of all things, including the sabbath, why would he have changed his mind? If he did, why didn’t he tell us?

"Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;" Heb 1:2

The disciples changed the sabbath.

26.16 There is no Biblical support for this, and the disciples had no authority to do it. What sinful, mortal man would dare change the commandment of Almighty God! Why would Paul and the disciples have continued to keep the sabbath on Saturdays? (See above)

Saturday may be the sabbath, but Sunday is the real Lord’s Day.

26.17 For example:

"I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day…" Rev 1:10

There was no indication as to what day of the week this was. Why assume it was a Sunday? "The Day of the Lord" was used in Revelation in a number of prophecies as the period (not a day) of troubles climaxing in the coming of Christ in the millennium. Nowhere in the Bible was the first day of the week called the Lord’s Day. The Bible said the seventh day was the sabbath of the Lord.

"…This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord…" Ex 16:23

"And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord…" Ex 16:25

"But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God…" Ex 20:10

"…but the seventh day is the sabbath…it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings." Lev 23:3

"But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God…" Deut 5:14

"If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath…on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord…" Isa 58:13

Jesus said that he was the Lord of the sabbath, not of Sunday.

"Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath." Mk 2:28

The actual day of the sabbath has been lost in history, so we can’t know what day of the week it really should be.

26.18 The Jews have kept Saturday as the sabbath every week, continuously, for thousands of years. None of the changes in calendars throughout history has changed the weekly cycle of days.

Observing the sabbath on the first day, Sunday, honors the Resurrection.

26.19 After his resurrection, Jesus said nothing about changing the sabbath. No one else did, either, anywhere in the Bible. Why, then, did Paul and the disciples continue to keep the sabbath on Saturdays? (See above.)

The first sabbath lasted ages, so it’s not possible to keep it today.

26.20 If this were true, why would God have commanded that a holy day be kept at all? There’s no Biblical support for this claim. (Chapter 8)

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the church occurred first on a Sunday Pentecost.

26.21 This is an insufficient reason to override God’s commandment. Besides, after the Pentecost, the Christian community still observed the sabbath on Saturdays.

Bible Support of the Sabbath

26.22 The Bible repudiated the sabbath.

"Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me…and sabbaths…it is iniquity…" Isa 1:13

"One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." Rom 14:5

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day…or of the sabbath days:" Col 2:16

25.23 Jesus violated the sabbath.

"At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?" Mt 12:1-5

"And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days? And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungered, and they which were with him; How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the showbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone? And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath." Lk 6:1-4

And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 13:13,14

"Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk…and on the same day was the sabbath. The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk…And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day." Jn 5:8-11,16