Post by Sheila on Apr 4, 2024 15:14:36 GMT -5
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days shall you labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God" (Exodus 20:8). Verses 9 through 11 provides the explanation for the Sabbath being on the seventh day (Saturday) which is that God rested on the seventh day. "Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy" (verse 11).
The Jews have always observed the Sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. They had and have strict rules about what can and can't be done during that time. This is when they go to the synagogue to worship God. Christians should also remember that Jesus, the disciples, and most of the first followers of Christ were Jewish and observed the Friday to Saturday Sabbath. Today, the Seventh-day Adventists and some Church of God churches still observe this time-frame as the Sabbath. Never put these good and faithful Christians down for not observing the Sabbath on Sunday. They're not doing anything wrong. They're simply observing the original Sabbath and at least they keep one day to rest and worship God.
There are no verses in the Bible stating the Sabbath was ever changed to Sunday, although some people will quote verses and insist they show the Sabbath was changed to Sunday by the earliest Christians. Acts 20:7 states the people gathered on the first day of the week to break bread and Paul and Peter spoke to the people. One must only assume this was a church service to say it indicates the people were observing the Sabbath on Sunday. Another supposed proof text for a Sunday Sabbath states, "On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money . . ." (1 Corinthians 16:2). Setting aside a sum of money on Sunday doesn't prove an observance of the Sabbath on Sunday. Just because later Christians gave their tithes during their Sunday church service doesn't mean the people being addressed in this verse were doing the same. When it comes to studying the Bible, never assume the people were doing something a certain way simply because it's the way people were doing it at a later date.
The original Saturday Sabbath observed by the Jews and now observed by a couple of denominations is because the explanation given for the Sabbath is that God created for six days and rested on the seventh and that's what people are also to do. Looking at the calendar, that day is Saturday. It wasn't until AD 321 that Sunday became the Christian day of worship. That year Constantine issued a decree for Sunday being a day of worship and people didn't have to work. Yes, it can be said it's still one day in seven to rest and keep the day holy, but it's not the right day according to the third commandment. Most scholars will agree Sunday was chosen as the new Christian Sabbath because it's the day Jesus' tomb was found empty. Is this a good enough reason to change God's commandment? This is one of the parts of the commandment that has been debated since around AD 321 and will continue to be debated until the Second Coming of Christ.
If Christians want to strictly follow the commandment, they'll observe the Sabbath on Saturday. If they want observe the Sabbath on Sunday, that's still one day in seven for rest and worship and, perhaps, we should believe God accepts the day of the resurrection as a good day for it. Whether people choose one or the other is their choice for their own reasons and neither group should berate the other for their choice. There are also Christians who can't observe either day because their jobs are essential to health and safety and they must work. These include people who work in the medical field, law enforcement officers, and people in the military. Jesus healed on the Sabbath, so why would he have a problem with health care workers working on that day? He also pointed out the Pharisees would pull one of their sheep out of a pit on the Sabbath. The details of the conversation is found in Matthew 12:9-13. Doing good for someone on the Sabbath even if it's a form of work isn't forbidden.
Some people may ask what they should do if they can't observe either day as the Sabbath. Choose at least one day of the week to serve as your Sabbath. Even if you only have one day off from your employment, that should be the day you use to rest and worship God. Don't use it as a day to catch up on the house or yard work you didn't get to the other days of the week. God commanded that a day for the Sabbath was to be observed. I guess it can be said that someone can bend the rule a bit, but it shouldn't be completely done away with. It should also be pointed out that Christians shouldn't be hypocrites when it comes to the Sabbath. If you always do your grocery shopping or stop at a restaurant after church, you're creating the situation in which other Christians may be forced by their employer to work on the Sabbath. If you insist everyone should be going to church on Saturday or Sunday because it's the Sabbath and then look down on the people who you're forcing to work on that day makes you a hypocrite.
When we die or Jesus returns, whichever comes first, he'll explain which day was the correct day for the observance of the Sabbath. Until then, I don't want to lead anyone astray. Your choice is your choice and is between you and God. Observe at least one day in seven as a true Sabbath of rest and worship on Saturday or Sunday if possible. If neither day can be used, choose at least one day of the week for the observance.
* All quotes are from the New International Version of the Bible.
The Jews have always observed the Sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. They had and have strict rules about what can and can't be done during that time. This is when they go to the synagogue to worship God. Christians should also remember that Jesus, the disciples, and most of the first followers of Christ were Jewish and observed the Friday to Saturday Sabbath. Today, the Seventh-day Adventists and some Church of God churches still observe this time-frame as the Sabbath. Never put these good and faithful Christians down for not observing the Sabbath on Sunday. They're not doing anything wrong. They're simply observing the original Sabbath and at least they keep one day to rest and worship God.
There are no verses in the Bible stating the Sabbath was ever changed to Sunday, although some people will quote verses and insist they show the Sabbath was changed to Sunday by the earliest Christians. Acts 20:7 states the people gathered on the first day of the week to break bread and Paul and Peter spoke to the people. One must only assume this was a church service to say it indicates the people were observing the Sabbath on Sunday. Another supposed proof text for a Sunday Sabbath states, "On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money . . ." (1 Corinthians 16:2). Setting aside a sum of money on Sunday doesn't prove an observance of the Sabbath on Sunday. Just because later Christians gave their tithes during their Sunday church service doesn't mean the people being addressed in this verse were doing the same. When it comes to studying the Bible, never assume the people were doing something a certain way simply because it's the way people were doing it at a later date.
The original Saturday Sabbath observed by the Jews and now observed by a couple of denominations is because the explanation given for the Sabbath is that God created for six days and rested on the seventh and that's what people are also to do. Looking at the calendar, that day is Saturday. It wasn't until AD 321 that Sunday became the Christian day of worship. That year Constantine issued a decree for Sunday being a day of worship and people didn't have to work. Yes, it can be said it's still one day in seven to rest and keep the day holy, but it's not the right day according to the third commandment. Most scholars will agree Sunday was chosen as the new Christian Sabbath because it's the day Jesus' tomb was found empty. Is this a good enough reason to change God's commandment? This is one of the parts of the commandment that has been debated since around AD 321 and will continue to be debated until the Second Coming of Christ.
If Christians want to strictly follow the commandment, they'll observe the Sabbath on Saturday. If they want observe the Sabbath on Sunday, that's still one day in seven for rest and worship and, perhaps, we should believe God accepts the day of the resurrection as a good day for it. Whether people choose one or the other is their choice for their own reasons and neither group should berate the other for their choice. There are also Christians who can't observe either day because their jobs are essential to health and safety and they must work. These include people who work in the medical field, law enforcement officers, and people in the military. Jesus healed on the Sabbath, so why would he have a problem with health care workers working on that day? He also pointed out the Pharisees would pull one of their sheep out of a pit on the Sabbath. The details of the conversation is found in Matthew 12:9-13. Doing good for someone on the Sabbath even if it's a form of work isn't forbidden.
Some people may ask what they should do if they can't observe either day as the Sabbath. Choose at least one day of the week to serve as your Sabbath. Even if you only have one day off from your employment, that should be the day you use to rest and worship God. Don't use it as a day to catch up on the house or yard work you didn't get to the other days of the week. God commanded that a day for the Sabbath was to be observed. I guess it can be said that someone can bend the rule a bit, but it shouldn't be completely done away with. It should also be pointed out that Christians shouldn't be hypocrites when it comes to the Sabbath. If you always do your grocery shopping or stop at a restaurant after church, you're creating the situation in which other Christians may be forced by their employer to work on the Sabbath. If you insist everyone should be going to church on Saturday or Sunday because it's the Sabbath and then look down on the people who you're forcing to work on that day makes you a hypocrite.
When we die or Jesus returns, whichever comes first, he'll explain which day was the correct day for the observance of the Sabbath. Until then, I don't want to lead anyone astray. Your choice is your choice and is between you and God. Observe at least one day in seven as a true Sabbath of rest and worship on Saturday or Sunday if possible. If neither day can be used, choose at least one day of the week for the observance.
* All quotes are from the New International Version of the Bible.
Copyright © 2024 by Sheila Rae Myers