 The Bible Sabbath: Seventh Day or
First Day?
Nearly all Christians observe one day of the
week as some sort of Sabbath. The vast majority worship
on Sunday, the first day of the week, but some keep the
seventh day (Saturday). Which day is correct? Does it
really matter.?
As you read the paragraphs which follow, we
invite you to study the Bible references- to see for
yourself what the Word of God says on this important
subject.
What the Bible
Says about the Seventh Day!
The seventh day of the week was ordained as
the Sabbath at Creation-by God's very own example
(Genesis 2:2,3; Exodus 20: 11). The nation of Israel was
instructed to keep it and chided for not doing so- even
before the Law was given on Mount Sinai (Exodus
16:23-30). The Fourth Commandment, which specifies the
seventh day as the Sabbath, was so important that God
chose to place it at the very heart of the Ten
Commandments; it is intimately associated with nine other
moral precepts- which were given by the voice and finger
of Yahweh Himself and which are appropriate for all
humans throughout all generations (Ex. 20:8-1 1).
Jesus reinforced the Fourth Commandment when
he said, -Me Sabbath was made for man" (Mark 2:27).
His point was that the Sabbath was made as a blessing for
the benefit of mankind- not as an oppressive legal yoke.
It was made for man- not just the Jews. Jesus also
proclaimed Himself Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28) and
observed it regularly (Mark 1:2 1; Luke 4:16-22). Though
He frequently denounced the Pharisees for their manmade
rules, Jesus always upheld the Sabbath and showed by His
positive example how it should be observed as a day of
rest, worship, freedom, and joy (Mark 3:4; Luke 13:15-16;
Matthew 12:10-12). During His Olivet Prophecy, Jesus
urged His disciples to pray that their flight (years in
the future) would not be on the Sabbath (Matt. 24:20).
The disciples rested on the Sabbath while
Christ lay in the grave; according to Luke, who recorded
the fact many years later, they did so "...according
to the commandment" (Luke 23:56). Matthew and Mark,
who also wrote long after the crucifixion and
resurrection of Christ, spoke familiarly of the Sabbath
as an existing institution (Matthew 24:20; 28:1; Mark
16:1).
It was Paul's custom to use the Sabbath for
preaching (Acts 17:2). He did so in synagogues and
elsewhere (Acts 13:14-15; 16:13). Gentile believers
observed the Sabbath (Acts 13:42, 44). For a year and a
half in Corinth, Paul worked during the week and reasoned
in the synagogue every Sabbath, teaching the Word of God
(Acts 18:4, 11). James and Paul, along with Jesus, spoke
very positively about the importance of the Ten
Commandments, of which the Sabbath is an integral part
(Romans 2:13, 21-22; 7:7-12, 22; James
2:8-12: Mark 10:17-19).
Finally, history reveals that early
Christians, both Jews and Gentiles, continued to
faithfully observe the seventh-day Sabbath for many
decades after the Messiah's resurrection and ascension.
And down through the centuries to our day, there have
always been faithful Christians who have accepted Jesus
as their Savior and have walked in the joy of the liberty
of God's seventh-day Sabbath.
What the Bible Says
about the First Day of the Week
The term "first day of the week" is
used only eight times in the New Testament (t he word
"Sunday' is never used). Four of these occurrences
(Matthew 28: 1; Mark 16:2; Luke 2@- I-, John 20: 1) are
simple time references to the day following Jesus'
resurrection, to the disciples' early morning discovery
of the empty tomb. Note that the women brought spices to
the grave of the Savior on the first day, something they
would not do on the Sabbath (Luke 23:56). Two other
first-day references relate to Jesus' later appearances
on that same day (Mark 16:9; John 20:19). The second of
these describes how the disciples were assembled behind
locked doors for fear of
the Jews. Certainly this cannot be construed
as some sort of Sunday 'sabbath' celebration. Jesus gave
not so much as a hint that the first day was to be kept
holy.
Paul once preached on the first day of the
week (Acts 20:7); this is generally understood to be a
Saturday night since, according to Biblical reckoning,
days began with the evening. The next morning, he
continued his journey toward Jerusalem. No hint of Sunday
observance here.
The Corinthians were commanded to take up a
collection for the poor saints of Judea on the first day
(1 Corinthians 16:2); but the phrase "lay by him in
store" indicates this was a private
inventory activity, not a public religious
activity.
The above eight texts are the only ones which
speak of the first day of the week. Carefully examined,
they prove nothing at all in favor of Sunday as a day of
worship or rest. In fact, they indicate the opposite.
History reveals that it was at least a century
or more after the death of the Savior that the first day
of the week gradually came to replace the Sabbath. This
change was in response to anti-Jewish bias in the Roman
Empire. In order to curry favor of Roman political
leaders, the Roman church moved away from the pure
religion of Jesus and the apostles; it moved to
accommodate the pagan, Roman world, of which Sunday
observance was a part. Many Catholic and some Protestant
writers cheerfully admit that it was church tradition,
not Biblical authority, which brought about the popular
acceptance of the first day of the week for worship.
Summary of the Facts
1. The seventh day was set aside for all
mankind at Creation.
2. The Fourth Commandment, embedded at the
heart of the Decalog, specifies the seventh day.
3. Christ observed the seventh-day Sabbath; He
did not so much as hint that it would ever be replaced by
Sunday.
4. The apostles faithfully observed the
Sabbath on the seventh day- never on Sunday.
5. There is not one word in the Bible in favor
of Sunday as a holy day; rather it was given to man as
the first of six days for labor.
The only thing that can be said in favor of
Sunday is postapostolic church
tradition! But one who truly loves God, who has accepted
Jesus Christ as His Savior and Lord, will push aside
tradition in order to seek his heavenly Father's will in
all things. The Scriptures- Old and New Testaments alike
- clearly reveal that God's will for all His children
includes the liberty and refreshment of the seventh-day
Sabbath.
For further information -
Additional copies of this booklet are
available for 14c each, $12 per hundred. Please add $1 to
cover postage and handling.
The Bible Sabbath Association offers a wide
variety of publications about the Sabbath; a partial list
is given below. We invite you to write for a complete
list with current prices. Sample copies of various tracts
are available free if you send a self-addressed # 10
envelope with postage for two ounces.
Books
History of the Sabbath &
Sunday by John Kiesz (64 pp.) The
Sabbath in the New Testament by Dr.
Samuele Bacchiocchi (372 pp.)
Booklets & Tracts
Why the Seventh-day Sabbath?
(1 2 pp.)
Roman Catholic and Protestant Confessions
about Sunday ( 12pp.)
Questions for Seventh Dayists Answered by
Terril Littrell (18 pp.)
Has Sabbath Time Been Lost? by
Joseph M. McGuire (10 pp.)
Search the Scriptures ( 1p.)
The Sabbath Sentinel - a monthly
magazine with information by, for, and about the
seventh-day Christian community. A free sample copy is
available on request.
The Bible Sabbath Association
RD 1 Box 222 - Fairview, OK
73737
The Bible Sabbath Association
Established 1945
Dedicated to
a) sharing the Sabbath as
one of the first of God's great
gifts to mankind;
b) promoting
communication, understanding, and cooperation among all
seventh-day Christians.
The
Elijah Messenger would be more than eager to answer any
of your questions on what you have just read. We feel it
is our obligation to explain as much as the Spirit of God
inspires us to do so. In these last days His Spirit is
urging us all to be diligent with what we know and more
importantly not stop searching for the Truth which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. May God Bless.
The
Elijah Messenger
siracus@idirect.com
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