Over the years there has been a great controversy regarding the Sabbath Day. When does this rest day occur? Is there biblical justification for the change from the Seventh day Sabbath to observing the first day of the week also known as Sunday? Does God change? Or has man attempted to or “Thought to change the creators 4th commandment”? What is the reason for this change? Is there something about the Sabbath that will show people the truth about the Devil and God? Does the devil not want us to see this?
- Was the Sabbath made “only” for the Jews?
“And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for MAN, and not man for the sabbath:” (Mark 2:27)
Answer: The Sabbath was made for all mankind. Not just Jews.
2. When was the Sabbath made for man and by whom?
“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.” (Genesis 2:3)
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ALL THINGS were made by him; and WITHOUT him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1, 3)
“For by him[Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: ALL things were created by him, and for him:” (Colossians 1:16)
Answer: Jesus created the Sabbath because everything was made by him. It was “made” at the creation of the world. It was set aside [sanctified] and blessed. Jesus said he was Lord also of the Sabbath. [Mark 2:28]
- Will the Sabbath be kept in the New heaven and earth?
“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, and was refreshed.” (Exodus 31:17)
“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. 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.” (Isaiah 66:22, 23)
Answer: Yes, when we get to heaven, we will not forsake assembling together from Sabbath to Sabbath, and from New Moon to New Moon.
4. When Jesus said “fulfill the law”. Did that mean that the Sabbath was changed or done away with?
“THINK NOT that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to DESTROY, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall IN NO WISE PASS from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:17, 18)
“Not forsaking the ASSEMBLING of ourselves TOGETHER, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)
“There remaineth therefore a REST to the people of God.” (Hebrews 4:9)
(GNB) As it is, however, there still remains for God’s people a rest like God’s resting on the seventh day. (ISV) There remains, therefore, a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
Answer: The greek word for “rest” in Hebrews 4:9 is actually the word “Sabbatismos” which literally means Sabbath Keeping.
5. Why does the Sabbath remain now?
“Jesus Christ the same YESTERDAY, and TO DAY, andFOREVER.” (Hebrews 13:8)
“For I amthe LORD, I change NOT; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6)
Answer: The God of the bible does not change.
- What was Jesus custom concerning the Sabbath?
“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.” (Luke 4:16)
7. Did Jesus expect his people to be keeping it after he died?
“But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the SABBATH day:” (Matthew 24:20)
Answer: Yes. This event was prophesied by Daniel. Jesus did not have a different law for Jews and Gentiles. {Acts 10:34, Galatians 3:28, 29}
7. Did the apostles keep the Sabbath?
“But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the SABBATH day, and sat down. And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the GENTILES besought that these words might be preached to them the next SABBATH. And the next SABBATH day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.” (Acts 13:14, 42, 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)
“After these things Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth; And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; because that (Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. And he reasoned in the synagogue EVERY sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the GREEKS. And he continued there a YEAR and SIX months, teaching the word of God among them.” (Acts 18:1-4, 11)
Answer: Yes. Paul kept the Sabbath, it was his “Custom” as also, well after the cross and he also taught the Gentiles on that day. There is no scriptural authority for a change of the Sabbath in the Bible. Paul was noted for keeping the Sabbath. There is a record of Paul keeping 84 Sabbaths straight in these chapters in Acts.
8. What is the Lord’s day? John said he was in the Spirit on the Lords day in Revelation 1:10.
“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, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words.” (Isaiah 58:13)
“But the SEVENTH day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God:” (Exodus 20:10)
Answer: The Sabbath is the seventh day, John was on the Isle of patmos [Rev 1:9] on the Lords Day. Jesus said he is Lord also of the Sabbath [Mark 2:28] and there is no warrant for a change in this law anywhere in scripture.
The bible knows One God , one mediator between God and man, one Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, one body, one spirit, one hope, one faith, one baptism and one Sabbath. [Jer 10:10-12, Rev 14:6, 7, 1 Tim 2:5. Eph 4:4-6, Exodus 20:8-11]. There is no place in scripture where the Lord declares the first day to be his day. John therefore must have been in the spirit on the Sabbath.
9. How did it change? Who authorized this change? Here are some quotes from Catholic publications.
“Sunday is a Catholic institution, and its claims to observance can be defended only on Catholic principles…..From the beginning to the 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, Sydney, Australia.
“Protestantism, in discarding the authority of the ( Roman Catholic ) Church, has no good reasons for its Sunday theory, and aught logically to keep Saturday as the Sabbath ” ……. John Gilmary Shea, in the American Catholic Quarterly Review.
“It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and all other Christians, that the Bible does not support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday. Sunday is an institution of the Roman Catholic Church, and those who observe the day observe a Commandment of the Catholic Church” -Priest Brady, in an address, reported in the Elizabeth N.J. “News”
“Reason and common 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. ” The Catholic Mirror ”
“God simply gave His (Catholic) Church the power to set aside whatever day or days, she would deem suitable as Holy Days. The Church chose Sunday, the first day of the week, and in the course of time added other days, as holy days” – Vincent J. Kelly, “Forbidden Sunday and Feast -Day Occupations page 2.”
“Not the Creator of the Universe, in Genesis 2: 1 – 3 – but the Catholic Church can claim the honour of having granted man a pause to his work every seven days.” – S.D. Monsa, “Storia della Domenica” 1969. Pages 366-367
“If Protestants would follow the Bible, they should worship God on the Sabbath Day. In keeping the Sunday they are following a Law of the Catholic Church” -Albert Smith, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, replying for the Cardinal, in a letter dated February 10th. 1920.
” It was the Catholic Church which, by the authority of Jesus Christ, has transferred this rest (from the Bible Sabbath) to the Sunday….. Thus the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the (Catholic) Church.” – Monsignor Louis Segur, “Plain Talk about the Protestantism of Today ” page 213.
“We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday. ” – Peter Geiermann,CSSR,” A Doctrinal Catechism ” 1957 edition .page 50.
Answer: It is quite evident that the Catholic Church has changed the day, and this change is well documented in history, and it happened between the first and third century. This was also documented and predicted in the Bible in the book of Daniel chapter 7 and verse 25 “He thinks to change times and laws”.
10. Why does Satan want the Sabbath changed or not “Remembered” when the very first word of the commandment is “Remember”?
“Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a SIGN between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth SANCTIFY you.” (Exodus 31:13)
Answer: The Sabbath is the Sign of creation. Also a sign of sanctification. Not of Works but rest. The devil wants you to believe it is works to keep the Sabbath. But God said “Blessed be the man that layeth hold on it” Isaiah 56:2 and 58:13,14. The devil has deceived many great worldly leaders throughout history into believing lies. As we can see the greatest religious power in the world has led many down that same path.
11. What are two elements of Sabbath Keeping?
“Six days shalt thou LABOUR and do all thy work:” (Exodus 20:9)
“And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, Tomorrow is the REST of the holy sabbath unto the LORD:” (Exodus 16:23)
Answer: Labor and rest are two important parts of Sabbath Keeping. We will learn more about this Sabbath in future studies. The scripture says the Seventh Day and those that are Christs 
don’t only keep the letter but also the spirit of Sabbath. “Yea, saith the Spirit that they may rest from there labors and there works do follow them.” “But the wicked have no rest” Revelation 14:11, 13.
12. Can you have rest if you do not obey the commandments of God?
“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have NO REST day nor night, who worship the BEAST and his IMAGE, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that KEEP the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the SPIRIT, that they may REST from their LABOURS and their WORKS do follow them.” Revelation 14:9-13)
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of YOURSELVES: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, CREATED in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath BEFORE ordained that we should WALK IN them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Answer: God ordained laws before that we should “WALK IN” (Lev 26:2, 3, Deu 26:17, 30:16)The Sabbath was established at creation. And is also a sign of our sanctifictation and becoming a new creation, created to do good works. Not our own self righteous works but RESTING from those and doing the works of Christ who fulfilled the law (Matt 5:17) and also gave us power to fulfill the law. [Romans 8:4]
13. What did Paul say about this law after the cross? And about the past examples of Sabbath Keeping set by the Israelites?
“For he spake in a certain place of the seventh DAY on this wise, And God did rest the seventh DAY from all his works. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another DAY . There remaineth therefore a rest [Sabbath keeping] to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his OWN works, as God did from his. Let us LABOUR therefore to enter into that REST , lest any man fall after the same EXAMPLE of UNBELIEF.” (Hebrews 4:4,8-11)
Answer: Paul says the day remains just as it was there for the Israelites in the wilderness, it seems that the same example of UNBELIEF that was manifest by them, is being manifest by most of the modern Christian world. Faith in the word of God is hardly found today. (Rom 10:17, Luke 18:8)
14. But isn’t it dangerous to tamper with God’s law?
“Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you” (Deuteronomy 4:2)
“Every word of God is pure. …Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee and thou be found a liar” (Proverbs 30:5, 6)
Answer: God has forbidden people to change His law, either by deletions or additions. Tampering with God’s law is one of the most dangerous things a person can do, because God’s law is perfect and is designed to protect us from evil.
15. How does God feel about religious leaders ignoring the Sabbath?
“Her priests have violated My law and have profaned mine holy things; they have put no difference between the holy and the profane … and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. … Therefore I have poured out mine indignation on them” (Ezekiel 22:26, 31).
Answer: While there are some religious leaders who keep Sunday sacred because they don’t know any better, those who deliberately do so profane what God has called holy. In hiding their eyes from God’s true Sabbath, many religious leaders have caused others to profane it. (Isa 9:16) Millions have been misled on this matter. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for pretending to love God while making void one of the Ten Commandments by their tradition (Mark 7:7–13).
16. Does Sabbath keeping really affect people personally?
“If you love me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
“To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14).
“He [Jesus] said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath’ ” (Mark 2:27).
Answer: Yes! The Sabbath is a gift from God, who made it for you as a respite from the world! It’s natural that the people who love Him would want to keep His Sabbath commandment. Indeed, love without commandment-keeping is really not love at all (1 John 2:4). It’s a decision we all must make, and we cannot avoid it. The good news is that choosing to keep the Sabbath will bless you profoundly!
On the Sabbath, you can feel free to cease—guilt-free!—your regular daily activities, such as work and shopping, and, instead, spend time with the Creator of the universe. Worshiping God with other believers, spending time with family, walking in nature, reading spiritually uplifting materials, and even visiting and encouraging the sick are all good ways to keep the Sabbath holy. After the stress of six days of work, God has given you the gift of the Sabbath to rest from your labors and to feed your soul. You can trust that He knows what’s best for you!
17. Why do most not keep the Sabbath as it is laid out in the Bible?
“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” (Romans 8:7)
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;” (2Timothy 4:3)
18. Would you like to honor God by keeping His seventh-day Sabbath holy?
Answer:
THOUGHT QUESTIONS
1. But isn’t the Sabbath for the Jews only?
No. Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man” (Mark 2:27). It is not for the Jews only, but for mankind—all men and women everywhere. The Jewish nation did not even exist until 2,500 years after the Sabbath was given to Adam.
2. Isn’t Acts 20:7–12 proof that the disciples kept Sunday as a holy day?
According to the Bible, each day begins at sundown and ends at the next sundown 
(Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31; Leviticus 23:32) and the dark part of the day comes first. So Sabbath begins Friday night at sundown and ends Saturday night at sundown. This meeting discussed in Acts 20 was held on the dark part of Sunday, or on what we now call Saturday night. It was a Saturday night meeting, and it lasted until midnight. Paul was on a farewell tour and knew he would not see these people again (Acts 20:25). No wonder he preached so long! (No regular weekly service would have lasted all night.) Paul was “ready to depart the next day” (Acts 20:7). The breaking of bread has no particular significance here, because they broke bread daily (Acts 2:46). There is no indication in this passage that the first day is holy, nor that these early Christians considered it so. Nor is there any evidence that the Sabbath had been changed. (Incidentally, this meeting is probably mentioned only because of the miracle of raising Eutychus back to life after he fell to his death.) In Ezekiel 46:1, God refers to Sunday as one of the six “working days.”
3. Doesn’t 1 Corinthians 16:1,2 speak of Sunday school offerings?
No. There is no reference here to a public worship meeting. The money was to be laid aside privately at home. Paul was writing to ask the churches in Asia Minor to assist their poverty-stricken brethren in Jerusalem (Romans 15:26–28). These Christians all kept Sabbath holy, so Paul suggested that on Sunday morning, after the Sabbath was over, they put aside something for their needy brethren so it would be on hand when he came. It was to be done privately—in other words, at home. There is no reference here to Sunday as a holy day.
4. But hasn’t time been lost and the days of the week changed since the time of Christ?
No. Scholars and historians agree that although the calendar has changed, the weekly 
seven-day cycle never has. Therefore, you can be certain that our seventh day is the same seventh day Jesus kept holy! The historical record only documents a change from Sabbath to Sunday.
5. Isn’t John 20:19 the record of the disciples instituting Sunday keeping in honor of the resurrection?
No. The disciples at this time did not believe that the resurrection had taken place. They had met there “for fear of the Jews.” “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.” (Mark 16:14). There is no implication that they counted Sunday as a holy day. Only eight texts in the New Testament mention the first day of the week, and none of them implies that it is holy.
6. Doesn’t Colossians 2:14–17 do away with the seventh-day Sabbath?
Not at all. It says “don’t let man judge you in respect to how you are keeping these days.” Paul was obviously keeping them, the Sabbaths and New Moons will be kept in heaven, so therefore the Colossians were being told how to keep them. Since they will be keeping these days in the New Heavens and New earth,(Isa 66:22, 23) it is not the assemblies that Paul is saying were nailed to the cross. (Heb 10:25, 1 Cor 5:8). But rather it is the sacrifices and offerings which pointed to Christ and his work that was done on the cross. (Dan 9:27, 1 Cor 5:7, Heb 10:1-22, Col 2:14)
The word “shadow” means “symbol” and the Colossians were keeping the Sabbaths and in place of the sacrifices done at these appointed times. (Num 28:9, 10) Paul was teaching them to keep the Lord’s Supper in it’s place. As Jesus said “My flesh is MEAT, My blood is DRINK.” (Joh 6:55) It is a symbol, type or shadow of the “body of Christ”, (Col 2:16, 1 Cor 10:16) The judging that was going on had to do with the Jews judging the gentiles for not having sacrifices on Sabbaths, (Num 28:9, 10) New Moons, (Num 28:11-15) And the Feast Days. (Num 28:16-) Instead they were doing the Lord’s Supper which is a “shadow” of what we will do every “month” or “New Moon” at the tree of life. (Rev 22:1, 2, Isa 66:23)
7. According to Romans 14:5, isn’t the day we keep a matter of personal opinion?
Notice that the whole chapter is on judging one another (Romans 14:4, 10, 13) “over doubtful disputations” (Romans 14:1). The issue here is not over the seventh-day Sabbath, which is a part of the moral law, but over fasting. Romans 14:3 says “Let not him that eateth despise him 
that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.” Jewish Christians were judging Gentile Christians for not doing the fast when others had appointed days of fasting. Paul is simply saying, “Don’t judge each other” in respect to these days that they have appointed. The word of God is our judge, and the we will be “judged by the law” (Rom 2:12, James 2:12) If you want to fast or not eat, don’t judge another person for not fasting on that day with you.
8. According to Galatians 4:10 we are told not to “observe days, and months, and times and years.” What does this mean?
Galatians 4:10 is referring to witchcraft. In Galatians 3:1 the Galatians are asked “Who hath BEWITCHED you.” And then in Galatians 4:10 they are said to “observe…times”. The Bible says in Deutoronomy 18:10 that “there shall not be found among you any one… that useth divination, or an OBSERVER of TIMES, or an enchanter, or a WITCH.” This is not talking about God’s Sabbath since this was talking about the Galatians doing things they used to do when they “knew not God” (Gal 4:8, 9) They were not observing any of God’s appointed times of worship when they “knew not God”.
As when Moses gave the law concerning “observers of times”. This does not imply that it was wrong to keep the appointed times in that day. What was wrong? The practice of witchcraft.
QUIZ QUESTIONS
- Jesus kept (1)
_____ Sunday as a holy day.
_____ The seventh-day Sabbath holy.
_____ Every other day holy. - The Lord’s day is (1)
_____ Sunday, the first day of the week.
_____ Sabbath, the seventh day of the week.
_____ Any day that we dedicate to the Lord. - The Sabbath was made (1)
_____ For the Jews only.
_____ By God at Creation for all men and women everywhere for all time.
_____ Only for people who lived in the Old Testament times. - The change from Sabbath to Sunday was made by (1)
_____ Christ.
_____ The apostles.
_____ The Catholic Church. - God’s law, which includes the Sabbath commandment, (1)
_____ Is no longer in effect today.
_____ Can never change. It is still binding today.
_____ Ended at the death of Christ. - In the New Testament church the converted Gentiles and the apostles (1)
_____ Observed Sunday as a holy day.
_____ Taught that any day will suffice as a holy day if you are sincere.
_____ Observed the Sabbath. - The Sabbath (1)
_____ Ended at the cross.
_____ Will end at Jesus’ second coming.
_____ Will be kept in God’s new eternal kingdom by the redeemed of all ages. - Since the Sabbath is part of God’s law, breaking the Sabbath is (1)
_____ Nothing to be concerned about since Christ’s death.
_____ A dangerous sin because it tramples upon holy things.
_____ Of no importance today. - All who really love and follow Jesus will (1)
_____ Observe the Sabbath, as Jesus did.
_____ Keep every other day holy.
_____ Keep Sunday as a holy day. - The Sabbath is (1)
_____ Sunday, the first day of the week.
_____ Saturday, the seventh day of the week (Friday night to Saturday night).
_____ Any day we dedicate to God. - Sunday-keeping (1)
_____ Is an invention of men that was predicted in the Bible.
_____ Is God’s plan for today.
_____ Originated at Christ’s resurrection and was approved at Pentecost. - Sabbath-keeping is (1)
_____ A sign of legalism.
_____ Important only to the Jews.
_____ God’s twofold sign of Creation and redemption. - I am willing to follow Jesus’ example of Sabbath keeping.
_____ Yes.
_____ No.
