SABBATH OR THE LORD’S DAY?
-A. Ralph Johnson
Under the Old Testament God’s people were required
to observe the seventh day Sabbath (Saturday) as a day of rest and worship in
remembrance of His completion of creation (Ex. 20:11) and their deliverance
from Egypt (Deut. 5:15). Anyone who so much as gathered sticks or built a fire
on that day was to be stoned to death (Num. 15:32-36; Ex. 16:23; 35:3).
When Jesus died upon the cross he established a “New
Covenant” (or “Testament”—the Greek word in the original is the same) and
abolished the Old (Heb. 8:13; 9:15-17; Col. 2:14). Therefore, we are no longer
to be judged by the laws of the Old Covenant.
However, some insist that we must keep Saturday as
our day of worship. They maintain that God had two sets of laws, one
ceremonial, which passed away, and the other, moral, (the Ten Commandments)
which remain. The Sabbath, being a part of the Ten Commandments, is considered
to be “moral” and therefore still binding. This paper is to set forth the evidence
that we are not bound by the Sabbath law.
I.
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THE
SABBATH WAS INTENDED FOR CHRISTIANS.
Where there is no law, there
is no transgression (Rom. 4:15; 5:13). “To whom spoken” is an essential factor
in establishing responsibility (Gal. 3:16, 17). The New Testament nowhere tells
Christians to keep the Sabbath.
We are a new nation, free
from the body of laws of the old. In the past we “were no people but now are the people of God” (Gal. 3:10, 23-28;
Eph. 2:11-19; 1Pet. 2:9-I0). We are not obligated to the old.
ILLUSTRATION: California was once a part
of Mexico. Mexico had laws against stealing and killing along with laws concerning
holidays. California is now a part of the United States. We are not bound by
any of the laws of Mexico, yet in our nation it is also a crime to kill or
steal. These are not a continuation of Mexican laws but laws of the United
States. The new nation has some laws like the old but any not passed under this
government are not binding on this people. Likewise, unless the law concerning
the Sabbath was re-enacted under the new constitution, it would not be
binding.[1]
OBJECTION: Christians are the true “ISRAEL OF GOD”
(Rom. 9:6; Gal. 6:16).
ANSWER:
The “Israel” spoken to in
Exodus is of the “flesh” (Rom 9:3-5, 31; 1Cor. 10:18). The New Covenant replaced theirs because of
disobedience (Heb. 8:8-9).
OBJECTION: “All of God’s commands are established forever.
(Ps. 111:7, 8)
ANSWER:
The Hebrew word here for
“commands” [2] cannot be
shown to exclusively mean the Ten Commandments. It is only found in the Psalms
and is nowhere clearly used for the Ten Commandments.
Furthermore, the words
translated, “for ever and ever” (“ad”[3]
and #5769, “olam”[4])
do not necessarily indicate that it could not be abolished. God plainly says
he abolished the law (Col. 2:14, 16, 17; Rom. 7:1-6 etc.).
The word, “ad,” means, “long or indefinite time,
eternity”[5]
Example: Amos 1:11 “...his
anger keeps tearing away forever (“ad”).
This is speaking of Edom but
Edom no longer exists.
Likewise, “Olam” means “concealed, i.e. to the
vanishing point...”[6]
·
It
is used of the time slaves served masters (Ex. 21:6).
·
Lamps
burning in the Tabernacle (Ex. 27: 21).
·
Offering
of the wave breast (Ex. 29:28).
OBJECTION: “The Sabbath is
to last forever” (Ex. 31:17, 13).
ANSWER:
The time is limited to “throughout your generations.” It also
limits it as being a sign between God and “the
children of Israel.” This statement was to the fleshly generations, not to
spiritual Israel. Christians are a new
nation (1Pet. 2:9-10) that is “neither
Jew nor Greek” (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11).
Here again, the use of
“forever” is the same as elsewhere said of other things in the law of Moses
(Lev. 16:29-31, 34; 23:21, 31, 32; 2Chr. 2:4; Ex. 21:6; 12:14 etc.). The Hebrew is, “olam,”[7] “beyond
sight,” but not beyond God’s ability to change in making a new covenant (Heb
8).
OBJECTION: “God will not alter what he has spoken”
(Ps. 89:34).
ANSWER:
The “covenant” here
mentioned is with David concerning his throne (v. 36). The passage says nothing
about the Sabbath. This cannot be
forced against scriptures like Heb. 8:7-13 which teach that the old was to pass
away.
OBJECTION : “God does not change.” (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8)
ANSWER:
The text tells us in what
He does not change. This can not be used against the teaching that when the
purpose of the law was completed it was “changed” (Heb. 7:12).
OBJECTION: “The Sabbath will
be kept even in heaven.” (Isa. 66:22-23)
ANSWER:
It includes “new moons” along with Sabbaths. Must we
keep the new moons?
Since Sabbaths are counted by evenings and mornings,
and in the new earth there will be “no
night there” (Rev. 21:23, 25; 22:5), it would appear that Isaiah was using
his usual poetic style, as when he speaks of the mountains singing (Isa. 44:23;
49:13) etc. This is no discrepancy.
Even if it were to be kept
in heaven, we are not to be judged here and now concerning these things (Col.
2:16). The passages say nothing about us being required to keep these days,
much less establish rules defining how they are to be kept.
OBJECTION : “The
Sabbath was made for man” (Mk. 2:25-28).
ANSWER:
Yes, the Sabbath was made
for man. So were the other six days of the week. Jesus chides the critics as
acting like they thought man was made for the Sabbath. They had their
priorities reversed.
This was before Christ died
and abolished the Old Covenant that contained the Sabbath (Heb. 9:15-17; 8:6, 13).
It says nothing about the Sabbath being required under the New Testament.
OBJECTION: “The Sabbath was
hallowed at creation, long before the giving of the Law.” (Gen. 2:3; Ex.
20:11).
ANSWER:
That is questionable. The
statement appears to be what is called a literary
prolepsis. The statement was written by Moses, as commentary concerning God’s
hallowing of the day following their departure from Egypt.
The same reason was give in
Exodus 20:11 at the time of giving the Ten Commandments.
Ex. 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor,
and do all your work; 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God;
in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your
manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within
your gates; 11 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 hallowed it. (Compare Ex. 31:17)
Deut. 5:15 gives a different reason for God commanding them to keep the Sabbath.
Deut. 5:15 You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out thence with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
Since God commanded them to
keep the Sabbath because He had brought them out of Egypt, that places the time
of giving the command AFTER that event.
Moses uses this same
grammatical feature elsewhere in Genesis.
Gen. 2:13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which flows
around the whole land of Cush. 14
And the name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the
Euphrates.
Cush,
the son of Ham, was not born until after the flood, at least 1600 years later
(Gen. 10:6). Likewise, Assyria did not become a country until after the flood
when the nations were formed (Gen. 10:11).
Nehemiah 9:13-14 says the
Sabbath was “made known” at Sinai (cf. Ezek. 20:10-12).
Furthermore, Genesis 1:3
says that God rested. Nothing is said of Adam or his descendants
keeping it.
Even if we assume that God
intended for man to keep the Sabbath in Eden, that doesn’t mean that He
intended for Christians to keep it. Sacrifice
of animals also started in Genesis (Gen. 4:4; 8:20; 22:1-13; 31:54).
The
first recorded command to keep a seventh day was concerning the Passover that
began the exodus from Egypt. (Ex. 12:15-16. cf. 13:6).
Exodus 16:23-30 is the first specific observance of the
seventh day as the “holy Sabbath.”
23 And he said unto them, This is that which Jehovah hath
spoken, Tomorrow is a solemn rest, a holy sabbath unto Jehovah: bake
that which ye will bake, and boil that which ye will boil; and all that remaineth
over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. 24 And they laid it up till
the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not become foul, neither was there any
worm therein. 25 And Moses said, Eat that to-day; for to-day is a sabbath unto
Jehovah: to-day ye shall not find it in the field. 26 Six days ye shall gather
it; but on the seventh day is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. 27 And it
came to pass on the seventh day, that there went out some of the people to
gather, and they found none. 28 And Jehovah said unto Moses, How long refuse ye
to keep my commandments and my laws? 29 See, for that Jehovah hath given you
the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days;
abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh
day. 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
OBJECTION: God wrote the Ten
Commandments on stone, indicating they would not pass away.
ANSWER:
God wrote the old covenant upon cold hard stones. This was
like their stony hearts (Ezek. 11:19; 36:26). Now God writes upon hearts of
flesh (2Cor. 3:3; Heb. 8:10).
II.
THE COVENANT CONTAINING THE
SABBATH WAS DONE AWAY IN CHRIST.
The Ten
Commandments are specifically called, “the
Covenant.”
Ex. 34:28 “...And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten
commandments.”
Deut. 4:13 “And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you
to perform, even the ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables
of stone.”
1Kings 8:9, 21 “There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone... 21 And
there have I set a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of Jehovah...”
The old covenant (3:14 cf. 3:6)
Written (with ink -3:3)
…and engraven on stones (3:3, 7)
…was glorious (3:7-14, cf. Ex. 34:28-33; Deut. 4:13; 5:22, 24, 2; 10:1-4).
…but caused death (3:7-14, cf. Rom. 7:10, 11; 5:20,
21; Gal. 3:10-12; Num. 15:32-36)
…was done away (3:7, 11, 13, 14)
…and replaced by a “new” and “more glorious” covenant (3:6, 8-11).
This passage clearly has
reference to Ex. 34:28-33, which speaks of Moses bringing the Ten Commandments
down from Mount Sinai the second time. His face glowed, so he covered it. He
contrasts the temporary glory of the Old Covenant in Moses’ face to the
superior and everlasting glory under the new.
This passage refers to the Ten Commandments (“engraven on stones”) as being the “old covenant” and defines them as being the “words of the covenant.” He says they were glorious but they were
passing away.
OBJECTION: “It was the glory, not the Ten
Commandments, that was passing away.”
ANSWER:
Verse 7 says that which was written on the stones
“was glorious.” The Ten Commandments
were on the stones.
Verse 11 says, that which was passing away “was glorious.”
Therefore, the Ten Commandments, which were “glorious” were passing away.
It also includes what was “written.” That includes more than just the Ten Commandments.
OBJECTION: “Only the penalty
of death was done away.”
ANSWER:
Nothing on the stones says
anything about the penalty of death. Nor does 2Cor. 3 say anything about
abolishing the death penalty.
The Old Covenant was on the
stones. The Ten Commandments were called the Old Covenant (Ex. 34:28; Deut.
4:13). The Sabbath itself is
specifically spoken of as included in the covenant (Ex. 31:16). That which was passing away was “glorious.” Death was not glorious.
OBJECTION: “The agreement,
not the Ten Commandments, was what was done away.”
ANSWER:
The Ten Commandments were
the words of the agreement (Ex. 34:28).
The agreement to keep them was done away. Christians have a new
agreement in which the Sabbath was not included.
The “law” or “covenant” is
like a “schoolmaster” that Paul says
brought them to Christ. Now that we
have Christ we are no longer under the
schoolmaster. The covenant from Mount Sinai (4:24) is to be “cast out” (4:30). We do not come to a
mountain (Sinai) that shook. (Heb. 12:18-22)
The Old Covenant (8:13) or “first covenant” (8:7, 9; 9:15) from
Mount Sinai (12:18-27) is vanishing
away (8:13). Establishing a New
Covenant, makes the first “old.”
OBJECTIONS:
“The old covenant agreement was done away but God’s Sabbath law is now written
on our hearts” (Heb. 8:10).
ANSWER:
It says nothing about the
Sabbath or the Ten Commandments being written on our hearts. The laws of the “New Covenant” are written on our hearts.
OBJECTION: “There are two laws, one moral and the other, ceremonial.
The ceremonial is done away. The moral
remains.”
ANSWER:
Neither term is found in the
Bible. The weekly Sabbath is no less
“ceremonial” than the yearly feast days or new moons. They are all a “shadow of
things to come” (Col. 2: 16, 17 Heb. 4:1-11).
Scriptural
terminology makes no distinction.
·
They
are all called “The law” (Gal. 3:10,
23-25; 4:10, 11, 21-31; 5:14, 18)
·
The
teachings of Moses are called the “Law of
God” (Josh. 24:26).
·
They
are called the “Law of the Lord” (Lk.
2:23-24, 39)
·
They
are called (in Hebrew) the “Law of
Jehovah” (2Chron. 31:3; 1Chron. 16:40)
·
They
are called “commandments” (Lev.
27:34; Mk. 12:28-31. See Deut. 6:4, 5; Lev. 19:8)
·
They
are all “forever” (Ex. 27:21; 9:28;
30:21; Lev. 6:18; 16:29, 31 etc.)
·
They
were all given by Moses” (Jn. 1:17; 7:19 “kill”;
Mk. 7:10; Josh. 8: 32)
·
They
were all written in the book by Moses.
There are many moral laws,
scattered through the writings of Moses. The following are some examples. Must we obey these?
Deut. 23:19, 20. Laws concerning taking usury.
Deut. 23:15, 16; Ex. 21:2-11; Deut. 15:12-18. Laws
concerning slaves.
Num. 35:9-24. Laws concerning cities of refuge for
murders to escape.
Deut. 25:5-10. Levirate marriage. Taking brother’s
widowed wife.
Ex. 25:2-7. Laws concerning letting the land rest.
Deut. 15:1-3. Laws concerning debts.
Lev. 18:6-18; 20:11. Marriage to near relatives
Deut. 22:1-5. Returning an animal that has strayed.
Deut. 22:5. Wearing garments of the opposite sex.
Deut. 22:9-11. Two kinds of animals, seed etc. being
mingled.
Deut. 14:21. Eating a thing that dies of itself;
Boiling a kid in it’s mother’s milk.
The Ten commandments, or
“Decalogue” serve as a rough summary of all, including the ceremonial aspects.
When the people heard God
speak they fled and begged that the rest be given through Moses.
Exodus 20:19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with
us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
So, the rest of the laws
were given through Moses. He stood
between them and God to show them His word (Deut. 5:5). He brought the Ten Commandments on the
stones to them. He recorded them in the
book and prepared the second set of stones (Deut. 5: 2-5, 22-33) which he then
delivered to them. Without Moses
recording and delivering them we would not even know what was on the stones.
Jesus said that Moses gave
them “the law.” He specified that this included the law
against murder (Jn. 1:17; 7:19. See Deut. 5:22-28; Ex. 34:28-33).
The Ten Commandments are the
introduction to the Law. The full
understanding and elaboration upon those ten principles is contained in the
rest of the writings of Moses. All that Moses gave was from Jehovah God. Moses was told how to keep the Sabbath
holy. If they refused to obey what
Moses said about how it was to be kept, they were disobeying God --including
death for picking up sticks (Num. 15:32-36).
OBJECTION: “Rev. 12:17;
14:12; 22:14 identify Christians as those who keep the commandments of God.”
ANSWER:
As shown above, God’s “commandments” do not necessarily refer
to the Ten. The yearly feasts are also commandments of God yet they have been
removed (Col. 2:16), just as the sacrifices. The “commandments” in Revelation would be those we are under. The
Sabbath was not binding in the New Testament. In 19:10 the “testimony of Jesus” is defined as “the spirit of prophecy.”
Ex. 23:15. The Feast of Unleavened
Bread was “commanded” by Jehovah.
Ex. 27:20. Using pure olive oil in
the lamps of the tabernacle was commanded.
Lev. 7:36-38. God commanded the sacrificial offering. (Also, Lev. 8:17-21)
Lev. 8:9-13. The garments of the
priests were commanded by
Jehovah
Lev. 16:34. Sacrifices on the Day of
Atonement were commanded as an
everlasting statute.
Num. 19:2. Sacrificing a red heifer
was commanded by Jehovah as a
statute of the Law.
Num. 27:11. The law of inheritance was
a statute and an ordinance as Jehovah commanded.
Num. 30:1-16. The law of vows was commanded by Jehovah.
1Cor. 7:19. Circumcision was included in the “commandments of God.”
Heb. 7:5. The sons
of Levi were commanded to take
tithes.
On
the other hand, the New Testament also included commandments of God, not only
the Ten but also others.
John
13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That
ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another
1Cor.
7:10. And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her
husband:
1Cor.
14:34. Let your women keep silence in the churches:
for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
14:7 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him
acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
1John
3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on
the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1John
4:21 And this commandment
have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
OBJECTION: “The Ten
Commandments were IN the Ark. The writings of Moses were BESIDE it. This
indicates superiority of the Ten Commandments.”
ANSWER:
Such analogies prove
nothing. When Moses finished writing
the book he placed it beside the ark (Deut. 31:24-26). All of God’s laws were
in the book, including the Ten Commandments.
They were BOTH in the Most Holy Place, a type of heaven itself. Both were commanded by God, and both were
prepared and delivered to the people by Moses.
Note that the rod of Aaron
was also in the ark. Does that mean that the priesthood of Levi is still
binding? (Heb. 7:12) While we are speculating, perhaps we should note that the
tabernacle, the ark and tables of stones have long since disappeared. Only the
book of the law written by Moses remains. Without it we would have no record of
the Ten Commandments.
OBJECTION: “Nehemiah 9:13-14
makes a distinction between what was given through Moses and what was given by
God.
ANSWER:
All of these things are said
to have been by Moses. There is no distinction here that indicates some are
temporary and others eternal.
We cannot be joined to both the Old and the NEW. We
must be “free from the Law” (7:2), “loosed from the law” (7:3), “dead to the law” (7:4) and “delivered from the Law” (7:6) to become
part of the bride of Christ. Being joined to Christ while still under the law
is spiritual adultery (6:14; 3:21, 27, 28).
OBJECTION: “This is the ceremonial law”
ANSWER:
Romans 7:8 is speaking of
“the commandment” and verse 7 specifies it is the one about coveting
--one of the Ten (Ex. 20:17).
OBJECTION: Rom.
7:12, 14 says the law was good.
ANSWER:
The Law was good. It was not evil, but since mankind seems to be attracted to what
is prohibited (as Eve was in the garden), coveting increases. Without law there
is no transgression, but with law comes transgression (Rom 4:15). Without law
there is no knowledge of sin, but with law comes the knowledge and
accountability (Rom. 7:5). Gal. 3:23-25; 4:21-31 shows we are not under the
Law.
OBJECTION: “This means that
when we do what the Law says we are not under its condemnation. cf. Rom.
8:1.”
ANSWER:
The passage clearly says
that marriage to a second husband while the first is living is adultery (Rom.
7:3). It says that the person must be
dead to the law in order to be married to Christ. It shows that it is the authority of the law that included the
ten that ceased (7:2, 3, 4, 6 -cf. 6:14-15; 3:21 etc.).
OBJECTION: “Did not Paul keep the law?” (Rom. 7:5; 8:4)
ANSWER:
Indeed, Paul kept the law.
He kept not only the ten commandments but also the ceremonial teaching (Ac.
2l:17-27). When he went in and was at charges for the men giving offerings in
the temple he was keeping the requirements of Num. 6:9-12. He did this that he
might save the Jews (1Cor. 9:20-22). He also kept the law concerning
circumcision in the case of Timothy (Ac. 16:3), but he refused to circumcise
Titus (Gal. 3:3).
Christ did not just patch up
the Old Covenant. He gave us a new covenant. Nothing passed from the law and the prophets until it was
ALL fulfilled (Matt. 5:17-18). Christ came to do just that. Now it is fulfilled
and has passed away.
III.
THE SABBATH IS SPECIFICALLY
CITED AS NO LONGER BINDING.
Col. 2:14-17,
20, 21[8] says we are not judged by
the Law.
It says, that
the bond written in ordinances[9]
that was against us, he had “taken out
of the way, nailing it to the cross.”
Verse 16 says, “Let no man
therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day
or a new moon or a Sabbath day: which are a shadow of things to
come... “
Here we have the three-fold list of sacred
observances:
1.
“Feast days” (Greek. “heorte”
27 times in the NT, always of the yearly feasts. (Lk. 2:41; 22:1; Jn.
7:2; Ac. 18:21).
2.
“New moons”—clearly the monthly holy days
(cf. Num. 10:10)
2Chron 8:13 Even after a certain rate every day,
offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new
moons, and on the solemn feasts,
three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread,
and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.
Note that the three solemn feasts are The Feast of
Unleavened Bread (Passover), the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and the Feast of
Tabernacles. They are not called “sabbaths.” They are clearly distinguished.
3.
“Sabbaths” (sabbatoon) is the weekly observances.
OBJECTION: “The word is
plural, ‘Sabbaths,’ indicating the
yearly Sabbaths. When speaking of the
weekly Sabbath, it is never used in the plural.”
ANSWER:
a. Nowhere in the, New Testament is any form of the word “sabbath” (singular or plural) used of any yearly feast.
b.
The
fact that it is plural in no way indicates it is not speaking of the weekly
Sabbaths. If anything, the plural would
include all Sabbaths. We find the
plural “Sabbath days” is used eight
other times (Mat. 12:5, 10, 12; Mark 3:4; Luke 4:31; 6:2, 9; Acts 17:2) for the
weekly rest in the King James version of the New Testament. Besides that, “sabbatoon” (plural) is used of the weekly rest four times in the same
identical form. (Matt 28:1; Luke 4:16; Acts 13:14; 16:13)
c.
In
the Greek translation of the Old Testament (Septuagint) we find the plural
commonly used of weekly Sabbath --even right in the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:8;
Deut. 5:12, 15. cf. Lev. 23:15, 38).
a.
On
the other hand, it is rare to find the yearly feast days called “Sabbaths.”
Lev. 16:31 [#7676] shabbat [#7677] shabaatown, translated, “Sabbath rest” defined by Strong as “a sabbatism or special holiday.” --Day of
Atonement, 10th day of the seventh month.
Lev. 23:24 [#7677] “shabaatown,” which
Strong defines as “a sabbatism or
special holiday.” --Speaking of the Feast of Trumpets, first day of 7th
month.
Lev. 23:32 [#7676] shabbath [#7677] shabbathown, translated, “Sabbath rest,”
defined as “a sabbatism or special
holiday.” --Day of Atonement, 10th day of 7th month.
Lev. 23:39 [#7677] shabbathown “a sabbatism or special holiday.”
This was on the fifteenth
day of the 7th month, 8 days later (one week, which again falls on
the Sabbath)
Note that #7677, which we
find in Exodus 8 for the weekly Sabbath is only used in Lev. 16:31 and
23:32. In both those cases it is
accompanied with the explanatory word #7677, indicating it was a rest like the
Sabbath.
This is distinctively
designated as, “sabbata sabbaton,” unlike Col. 2:16, which only
uses the word, “sabbaton.” Nowhere else is any form of this word used
with reference to the yearly feasts. Interestingly, even in this chapter we
find the yearly observances 8 times called “feasts”
(Lev. 34:2, 4, 6, 34, 37, 39, 41, 44).
This was the common way of designating the yearly feasts throughout both
the Old and New Testaments.
In addition to these cases
where yearly feast days are called Sabbaths,
we find that every seventh year is also called a “Sabbath,” for the land to rest (Lev. 25:2, 4; 26:34-35; 2Chron.
36:21)
The three-fold grouping of
yearly, monthly and weekly observances appears several times in the Bible
though some of these are in a different order (1Chron. 23:31; 2Chron. 2:4;
8:13; 31:3; Neh.10:33).
Ezek. 45:17 and Hos. 2:11
have the same order as Col. 2. Note the
following comparison:
Ezek. 45:17 (Septuagint)
|
In |
the |
feasts |
and |
at |
the |
new moons |
and |
on |
the |
Sabbaths |
|
En |
tais |
heortais |
kai |
en |
tais |
noumeniais |
kai |
en |
tois |
sabbatois |
Col. 2:16
|
In |
respect |
of a feast |
or the |
new moon |
or of the |
Sabbaths |
|
En |
merei |
heortees |
hee |
neomeenias |
hee |
sabbatoon |
In Gal. 4:10, speaking of
their return to the Law (3:10, 12, 23-25; 4:4, 5, 21-30), he uses this order,
“Ye observe days, and months, and seasons, and years...”
OBJECTION: “The Sabbath was not a ‘hand-written ordinance’.”
ANSWER:
God wrote on the stones with
His hand. (Ex. 31:18; 32:16; 34:1; Deut. 10:1-4; 9:10; 4:13; 5:22; 2Kings
17:37).
Moses wrote it in the book
with his hand (Ex. 34:21-28; 24:4. cf. Ex. 20).
The Greek word for “ordinance” is “dogma” and means
“decree.” (cf. Ac. 16:4; 15:28, 29).
Note: “fornication” is one of the Ten.)
OBJECTION: “Stones could not be ‘nailed’.”
ANSWER:
-Nor was the book “nailed.” Christ was nailed and in
so doing he symbolically carried the old covenant to the cross with him (Heb.
9:15-17), both were “written and engraven”
(2Cor. 3:3, 7).
OBJECTION: “The Sabbath was FOR man, not against him.”
ANSWER:
All of the law was intended for man’s good
Lev. 16:30; 23:28. The Atonement was “for” them.
Lev. 23:11. The wave sheaf sacrifice was “for” them.
Num. 35:11. The cities of refuge were “for” them.
However, through human
weakness, the commandment which was unto life, was found to be unto death (Rom.
7:I0; Gal. 3:10-13, 22, 23; 4:3, 5, 25; 5:3; Heb. 7:18, 19; 8:7, 8; 2Co.
3:7). Thus, the old localized concept
of Sabbath was replaced by the universal concept of commemorating the
resurrection of Christ.
OBJECTION: “The Sabbath was
a memorial, looking backwards to creation, not a shadow of things to come.”
ANSWER:
The Passover looked back to
the deliverance from Egypt and also forward to deliverance through the blood of
Christ.” Likewise, the Sabbath looks
backwards to both Egypt and creation. (Ex. 20:11; Deut. 5:15), and forward to
our entrance into God’s rest (Heb. 4:1-11).
The Jews kept the Sabbath yet they never entered that rest. We are told
to labor to enter into it.
OBJECTION: The Sabbath is the greatest commandment
Ellen G. White said,
The pope has changed the day of rest from the seventh to the first day. He has thought to change the very commandment that was given to cause man to remember his Creator. He has thought to change the greatest commandment in the decalogue and thus make himself equal with God, or even exalt himself above God --Early Writings, p. 65.
ANSWER:
The Bible nowhere says that
the Sabbath Commandment is the greatest.
When Jesus was asked which was the great commandment, he cited none of
the ten. Instead he cited Deut.
6:5, “And thou shalt love the LORD thy
God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” He said, (38)
This is the first and great
commandment.” In fact, Jesus did
not even give the Sabbath second place.
Instead, he cited Lev. 19:18, “Thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thy self.”
To this it is argued that
the first four Commandments represent love of God. The next six cover love of neighbor. However, while the two that Jesus cited do cover the ten, they
also cover all responsibility to God, including what Adventists like to call
the “ceremonial laws.” How could one
love God and not obey Him when He told them to sacrifice, circumcise or keep the
Passover?
The Ten Commandments do not
actually teach love for God or for neighbor.
Love is not mentioned in any of them.
All of the Commandments could be kept without actually loving one’s
neighbor.
IV.
THERE IS NO NEW TESTAMENT
TEACHING THAT CHRISTIANS MUST KEEP THE SABBATH.
OBJECTION: “Jesus indicated
the Sabbath would still be observed at the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD (Matt.
24:20). They were told to pray that their
flight be not on the Sabbath day.”
ANSWER:
Fleeing on the Sabbath was
no more evil than fleeing in winter --also mentioned. It was no sin to save life on the Sabbath. The problem was not
that it was sinful to flee but that Jerusalem would be dominated by
Sabbath-keeping Jews who would have the city gates closed and restrict travel (cf.
Neh. 13:19). These things would add to
the “great tribulation” (Matt. 24:21).
OBJECTION: “Jesus
customarily kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16).
We are to follow in his steps” (1Pe. 2:21).
ANSWER:
Jesus lived under the Law of
Moses. He kept it perfectly (Gal. 4:4;
5:3; 3:10). He kept not only the
Sabbath but also the New Moons, feast days and sacrifices. He did not marry and had a “custom” of going
to the Mount of olives to pray (Lk. 22:39).
Must we follow all these customs?
The steps of Jesus specified in the passage that we are to follow is
accepting suffering without complaining (1Pe. 2:2l, 22). It is not speaking of keeping the Sabbath.
We live under the New
Testament, not the Old (Heb 9:15-17). As Jesus faithfully kept the laws under
which He lived, we must faithfully keep the laws under which we live.
OBJECTION: “Did not John
keep the Sabbath when he was in the Spirit on the ‘lord’s day’ (Rev. 1:10)?
Jesus said he was lord of the Sabbath.
(Mk. 2:24-28)”
ANSWER:
The two passages are speaking
of entirely different things. In Mark 2:28 Jesus is affirming that he is lord “ALSO” of the Sabbath. They criticized
his permitting the disciples to husk grain to eat on the Sabbath. They acted
like they thought man was created for the Sabbath.
The parallel passages show
that they opposed his using the Sabbath to heal and exercise of the power of
God. He informed them that they were intruding on the province of God. He can
heal or eat grain any day he pleases. He does not say the Sabbath is the Lord’s
day. He says the son of man is lord also of the Sabbath.
Under the Old Testament the
Sabbath was God’s holy day (Ex. 20:10; Isa. 58:13). When Jesus died, a new
covenant came into force (Heb. 9:15-17). Jesus was given all authority (Mtt.
28:18). He triumphed over death on that day (Mk. 16:9; Lk. 24:1; Mtt. 28:1).
The day of his triumph is the Lord’s day just as surely as when it speaks of
“Lord’s death” (1Cor. 11:26), “the cup of the Lord” (1Cor. 11:27), “the Lord’s
body” (1Cor. 11:29), “the table of the Lord” (1Cor. 10:21), and the “lord’s
supper” (1Cor. 11:20).
In succeeding centuries they
called the first day “the Lord’s day” and distinguished that from the Sabbath.
(See VII. HISTORICAL RECORD at the conclusion).
OBJECTION: “Does not Heb. 4:4, 9, 10 teach that the
Sabbath remains in force?”
ANSWER:
The “rest” which “remains”
is not the Sabbath day but God’s eternal rest of which the Sabbath was a type,
or shadow.
The subject is raised in
Heb. 3:7 it quotes God in Ps. 95:11 as saying that because of their
disobedience, “...they shall not enter into my rest” (cf. Heb. 3:11, 18; 4:3,
4).
When they left Egypt, God
had promised them rest (Ex. 33:14; Deut. 3:20; 12:10; 25:19). When they entered
the Promised Land, Joshua said they received rest (1:15; 21:44; 22:4; 23:1).
However, many years later,
in Psalms 95:11, David quoted God as speaking of their “rest” as still
future. Hebrews argues that if Joshua
had given them the rest that God promised, David, many years later, would not have
said it was still future. Thus, Jesus is better than Joshua because he provides
a better rest.
The “rest” they entered at the time of Joshua was
only a type of the rest that God entered from the foundation of the world when
He rested from his works.
Unfortunately, the old King
James Version translated this, “If Jesus had given them rest.”
The problem is that in Greek, “Jesus” and “Joshua” are spelled the same. In
their desire to bind the Sabbath, Sabbatarians have added a question mark to
the sentence to make it sound like it is denying that Jesus gave us another
day. This seriously distorts the intent of the text. Verse 9 is the major point
of issue. Some translations render it, “There
remaineth therefore a Sabbath rest...” However the Greek word here is not
“sabbaton” (#4521) as elsewhere used of the seventh day, but “sabbatismos”
(#4520),” which indicates a likeness to the Sabbath.
It clearly is not speaking
of the weekly Sabbath, as may be seen by the fact that no one had entered this
rest, although they had been keeping the Sabbath for 1400 years. This “sabbatismos,”
is future. We are to labor to enter it (Heb. 4:11).
OBJECTION: “Did not James teach that we must keep the Ten Commandments?” (James
2:9-11)
ANSWER:
James was citing a
principle, that when one command is broken, the whole law is violated. This is
the same concept as found in Gal. 3:10; 5:3.
A couple of the Ten Commandments are used by way of illustration.
However, his focus is not on the Ten Commandments but on the “royal law”—loving
one’s neighbor as himself, which is not one of the Ten, but appears in the book
of Moses (Lev. 19:18).
He clearly distinguishes the
law we are under from the Old by identifying it as a “law of liberty.” The Old
Covenant produced bondage (Gal. 4:24-30, 3). While the two commandments cited
(adultery and killing) were incorporated into the New Covenant. The Sabbath was neither mentioned nor
anywhere enjoined in the New Testament.
OBJECTION: “Did
not Jesus say to keep the commandments?” (Matt. 19:17)
ANSWER:
Yes, Jesus was “born under
The Law” (Gal. 4:4) and told a man who was living under The Law to obey the
commandments of that law. The New Testament did not come into force until after
Jesus died (Heb. 9:15- 17). He also told another man to obey things in the Law
of Moses (Matt. 8:4).
The two commands that Jesus
selected in Matt. 19, are not stated in the Ten Commandments. They are commands
in the Law of Moses (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18). “Commandments” is not necessarily
speaking of the Ten.
OBJECTION: “Several scriptures in the New Testament
admonish us to keep God’s commandments (Rev. 12:17; 14:12; 22:14; 1Jn. 2:3-4
etc.).”
ANSWER:
Yes, but it is presumptuous
to maintain that these include the Sabbath. Many times it is speaking of other
commandments than the Ten. (Matt. 22:40; 1Cor. 14:37; Jn. 13:34; 15:12; Tit.
1:3; Heb. 7:5, 14-18; 1Jn. 2:7, 8; 3:23 etc.) He plainly teaches that the
commandments under the law are no longer binding (Eph. 2:15; Heb. 7:18).
OBJECTION: “Jesus said that
the Law would not pass away until heaven and earth passed away (Mat. 5:18).”
ANSWER:
No, Jesus said it would not
pass until it was “fulfilled” (5:17). Jesus did not come to destroy it but to
complete its fulfillment. By “law” he did not mean the Ten Commandments. “Law and the prophets” had reference to the
prophecies in the five books of Moses, and those in the prophetic books (Mat.
11:13; 22:40; Lk. 16:16; John 1:45).
Luke
24:44 And he said unto them,
These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all
things must be fulfilled, which were
written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning
me.
Jesus fulfilled the
prophecies of the law (Deut. 18:15-19; Acts 3:22; 7:37). Having done so, as he
said, it passed away and was superseded by the New which could provide true
righteousness by faith (Rom. 3:23).
Jesus did not say he was
speaking of the “moral law.” He
included things other than the Ten Commandments. These were given in the Law of
Moses.
Mat. 5:31 Divorce comes from Deut. 24:1, 3.
Mat. 5:33 Swearing comes from Lev. 19:12; Num. 30:2;
Deut. 23:21.
Mat. 5:38 “Eye for an eye” comes from Ex. 21:24.
Mat. 5:43 “Love your neighbor” is from Lev. 19:18.
Other scriptures also
indicate that “the law” was not exclusively the Ten Commandments”
James 2:8 (cf. Lev. 19:18) speaks of loving your neighbor as
fulfilling the “royal law.”
Gal. 4:21-22. The “law”
included the account of Abraham’s two marriages.
1Cor. 14:34. Seems to
refer to Gen 3:16 (cf. 1Tim. 2:11-14).
Furthermore, notice that
Jesus said he did not come to destroy the law, or the prophets (Mt. 5:17). Is everything in the portion of the Old
Testament which the Jews called “the Prophets” still binding because the
prophets were not destroyed?
We cannot pick and choose.
To be bound by part of the law is to be bound by all. “For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is
written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in ALL things which are
written in the book of the law to do them” (Gal. 3:10-12; 23-25; 5:1-4;
Rom. 10:4-5).
OBJECTION: “Paul said the
law was not void (Rom. 3:31). It is holy,
just and good (Rom. 7:12). It is ‘spiritual’ (Rom. 7:14). It is not against the promises of God (Gal.
3:21).”
ANSWER:
No problem, if we stick with
the context. Rom. 3:31, in the Greek, says, “Do we then make void law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish
law.” “The,” is not in the Greek.
We are under law to Christ (1Co. 9:21) --not to the old law.
Indeed, the law, including
all given by God not listed in the Ten Commandments, is “holy, just and good.” It is also “spiritual.” How could God
give anything that was not just and good? The fault lay not in the law but with
their failure to keep it perfectly. Because of this it became a curse to them
(Heb. 8:8; Gal. 3:10-12; 5:1-4; Rom. 10:4-5).
Those laws were good in
themselves. Those who kept them would be benefited. If there were a law which
could have given life, “verily
righteousness would have been through the law” (Gal. 3:21).
V.
THERE IS NO EXAMPLE OF A
CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY FOR WORSHIP ON THE SABBATH.
OBJECTION: “They continued to keep the Sabbath in
Lk. 23:54-56.”
ANSWER:
It is not wrong to rest on
the Sabbath any more than to keep the other Old Testament practices (Ac. 16:3;
21:23-26). That does not mean they were required to do so. They did not even
have the Holy Spirit to guide them until Pentecost, 50 days later (Ac. 2). They
were certainly not gathered to eat the Lord’s supper as in Ac. 20:7; 1Cor.
11:17- 34.
OBJECTION: “It was Paul’s
CUSTOM to worship in the synagogue or some place of prayer on the Sabbath.”
(Ac. 13:14, 27, 42-44; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4, 11)
ANSWER:
With the Jews, Paul behaved
as a Jew (1Cor. 9:20; Rom. 13:7; Ac. 16:3; 21:23-26) that by some means he
might save some. However, he would not permit these things to be bound on the
church (Gal. 2:3-5). The time and place to speak to Jews was on the Sabbath
when they met.
Acts 13:14. In Antioch of Pisidia Paul and Barnabas taught in the Synagogue.
This was a Jewish meeting, not a meeting of the church.
Acts 13:42-44. Almost the whole city of Gentiles assembled to listen to Paul on two
Sabbaths. This was in accord with the commission, “to the Jew first and then to
the Greek (Acts 13:46; Rom. 1:16; 2:9). They were accustomed to meeting on the
Sabbath. The Sabbath was a holiday. That was the logical time to meet with
them. This was an opportunity to preach to pagans, not an assembly of the
Christian Church.
Acts 16:13. As for the “place of prayer” (Ac. 16:13), such places were provided
by the Jews when there were not enough men (10) to establish a synagogue. This
obviously was no Christian church meeting.
Acts 17:2. As his manner was, Paul went in and preached to the Jews in the
synagogue at Thessalonica. This lasted three Sabbaths until the Jews rejected.
Again, he went to the Jews at the time they met.
Acts 18:4 He reasoned in the Synagogue every Sabbath. We do not know how long
this continued but we do know that because of opposition of the Jews they left
the Synagogue and went to the house of Justus next door. Some attempt to use
18:11 to prove they continued this on the Sabbath day for a year and six
months. However, there is no evidence as to which day they met after they left
the synagogue.
Sabbatarians expend great
effort trying to draw inference from the number of times the Sabbath was
mentioned. However, they can not cite a single occasion on which a meeting of
the church for worship ever took place.
If the number of occasions
of some significant event on a certain day is important then note the number of
times things relating to the followers of Christ that took place on the first
day of the week.
1.
The
most important event of history, the resurrection of Jesus, took place on the
first day of the week. (Mark 16:9)
2.
Jesus
first appeared to his disciples after his resurrection on that day (Mt. 28:6-9;
Lk. 24:36; Jn. 20:19)
3.
He
appeared to them the next first day. (Jn. 20:26)
4.
He
sent the Holy Spirit and established the church on that day (Acts 2)
Note: “Pentecost” means “fiftieth.” From the Sabbath
following the Passover they counted seven weeks (49 days) and the next day
after the seventh Sabbath was Pentecost (the first day of the week).
Lev. 23:15.
And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day
that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be
complete: 16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number
fifty days.
5.
The
church at Troas came together to break bread (the Lord’s Supper) on the first
day of the week (Acts 20:7)
6.
The
church at Corinth was told to lay by their offerings on the first day of the
week (1Cor. 16:2)
VI.
WE HAVE SPECIFIC SCRIPTURAL
AUTHORITY FOR CHRISTIANS TO ASSEMBLE FOR WORSHIP ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK.
Ac. 20:7-11. “Upon the first day of the week
when they gathered together to break bread, Paul preached unto them until
midnight...”
There is a question whether
this was on what we would call Saturday evening, or Sunday evening but it
clearly defines it as “Upon the first day of the week.”
1.
The
evidence for it being Saturday night.
It is called, “mia toon sabbatoon,” “first of the
Sabbaths,” which is a Jewish description of time. That begins the new day at
sundown (Gen. 1:5; Lev. 23:32).
If it were Roman time, it
would begin at midnight and would be called, “Sunday.”
Adventists favor it being
Saturday night as supporting their claim that Paul had kept the Sabbath, and
after the Sabbath was past, on the first day they had an ordinary meal with the
church. Then, on the first day of the
week he walked to the ship. Thus he was not observing the first day as a day of
rest.
The first problem with this
sort of thinking is that it depends upon unscriptural Jewish tradition to
define how far a person could walk on the Sabbath. Adventists themselves do not accept those restrictions.
The claim fails at a very
key point. It assumes that Christians were to observe Sunday in the same way as
required of the Sabbath. The New Testament says nothing of it being a day of
rest or of the Sabbath laws applying.
The first day was the day they gathered to honor Christ in eating of the
Lord’s table.
Until the time of
Constantine the first day of the week continued to be a regular workday. Both
the Bible and history show they met at night when they were off work. Can it be
shown that all the rules for keeping the Sabbath, designed for a localized situation,
were transmitted into the New Covenant and bound upon those carrying the Gospel
designed for “all the world”?
2.
Most
commentators favor this as being Roman time, with Paul meeting Sunday evening.
One evidence for this is
that Jn. 20:19 appears to be employing Roman time. “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week.” If
John, a Jew, followed Roman time, how much more likely would Luke, a Gentile,
writing to Theophilus, a Gentile, do the same?
Furthermore, Troas was a
Gentile city and Roman Colony. Would he not have used Gentile time?
Another argument is that
Acts 20:7 says Paul was intending to depart on the “morrow.” The Greek word
here (1887 epaurion), commonly is translated, “next day” or clearly meaning
that. May it mean simply, “in the
morning of the same day? “Morrow” would
seem to be another day, the second day of the week, Roman time. He met with
them Sunday evening and planned to depart on Monday.
Regardless of which is the
case it really does not change the fact that the first day was the day they met
to have the Lord’s supper. Sunday is not the Sabbath and nothing is said of the
Sabbath laws being observed on that day. It says they gathered on the first
day. Paul waited a week to meet with them at that time, and preach to them.
Since Luke did not fill his
account with a chronicle of the days they did things, it would seem have been a
matter of special importance that he did so here. God certainly would have
anticipated that these words would be understood as the day Christians were
having the Lord’s supper (cf. 1Cor. 11:17-34). This clearly points to the fact
that it was the day the church was regularly meeting for that purpose.
In fairness, had this been
specified as the Sabbath there is no doubt that Sabbatarians would press it as
prime evidence.
The significant fact that
shouts to us with it’s deafening silence, is that Paul was in town seven days
(20:6) yet this is the only mention of any church gathering. Nothing is said of
them meeting on the Sabbath. The conclusion is inescapable that this was the
day that the church gathered. This was no ordinary meal.
If they had met on the
Sabbath, Paul would have spoken to them then rather than keeping them up all
night Saturday (as they claim) – even resulting in one man falling asleep
plunging out a window to his death. If they met on Saturday, it makes no sense
to have stayed up all night when Paul and his companions, the next day had to
travel without having slept for over 24 hours. Surely they would have slept
that night and got a fresh start in the morning.
If the Sabbath was important
to the church, why was it totally ignored? There is not one peep about any
Christians gathering on Saturday to break bread.
Specification of Paul’s
preaching as, “when the disciples
gathered to break bread,” suggests a regular meeting. They did not gather
to listen to Paul before he departed. He met with them on the occasion of their
gathering.
The “breaking of bread” is
undoubtedly the Lord’s Supper. Acts
2:47 identifies four things in which the Christians continued steadfastly
after they were baptized— the apostles’
teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers. The connection
with three religious activities, indisputably a part of their gatherings, indicates
this was no common meal.
1Corinthians 11:17-34 clearly identifies the
“breaking of bread” (10:16, 17; 11:23, 24, 26, 27) for which the church (11:18,
22) was to gather (11:17, 18, 20, 22, 33, 34) as the Lord’s Supper (11:20, 23-
29), “Lord’s table” (10:21) and “communion” (10:16).
This was to be continued
until Jesus comes (1Cor. 11:26), yet there is not one single instance where
this was ever done upon the Sabbath.
Some have sought to picture
this as a common meal. Aside from the fact that they can provide no evidence
for the claim, and in addition to the evidence otherwise already presented,
they face other difficulties. Not the least of these is the fact that common
meals were not commonly dated.
OBJECTION: “Acts 2:46 says they broke bread every day
from house to house.”
ANSWER:
That is identified as their
“food” (“meat”). Paul told the Corinthians that was to be done “at home” (1Cor.
11:22, 34). Eating “food” was not something done on a specified day of the
week.
OBJECTION: “Paul was not
observing Sunday as Sabbath. When he
left the meeting he walked several miles to the ship.”
ANSWER:
New Testament Christians are
not bound by Rabbinical tradition as to how far one may travel on the Sabbath.
Anyone who views that as so important should note that Paul appears to have
also been traveling on the previous Sabbath (Ac. 20:6).
1Cor. 16:2. “Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store
as he may prosper, that no collections be made when 1 Come.”
Only one plausible reason
accounts for Paul telling them to do this on the first day of the week. As in
Acts 20, this was the day they assembled.
The claim of Sabbatarians
that this is telling them to lay money aside “at home” will not wash. This was
to be done so that no collections would be made when Paul came. If they laid
their offerings aside at home, the collections would still need to be taken.
Why specify the first day of
the week as the time to lay aside their offerings? They ordinarily received
their pay at the end of each day (Matt. 20:8-12; Lev. 19:13). One could lay it
aside any day. It makes no sense
whatever to specify the day after the Sabbath unless they met on the day after
the Sabbath.
When do Sabbatarians take
their collections? They certainly don’t have their members set them aside on
Sunday. They take their offerings when they meet on Saturday.
No doubt, Sabbatarians would
be delighted to find a passage that said, “Now upon the Sabbath let each one of
you lay by him in store that there be no collections when I come.”
By the way, where did the
church ever take up an offering on the Sabbath?
That this refers to the
weekly collections when the church assembled is evident because that is the
only fair explanation that meets the stated objective—to avoid taking
collections when he came.
OBJECTION: Some Bibles
translate this, “lay by him at home” or in some way indicate the person was to
do it privately.
ANSWER:
The overwhelming mass of
Bibles translators indicate nothing of it being a private activity. Others
indicate it was the offering at church.
Macnight renders it, “let each one of you lay somewhat by
itself...putting it into the treasury...” The word, “thesaurizoon”
(“in store”) means literally, “put into
the treasury.” The phrase, “par heauto,” (“by him”), may be taken as the
neuter reflexive pronoun and rendered, “by itself.” Paul intended that each
week when they met, the money be set aside by itself so that it would be all
collected when he came. The reason the “first day” is specified is that was the
day they met.
The natural import of these
words is that on some day known as “the Lord’s,” John had a vision. While
Sabbatarians have tried to make this out as Saturday, early Christian writers
understood this as having reference to the day upon which Jesus arose. That is
the natural import of the words.
Some would try to make this mean that John was projected in the Spirit to
some time in the future known as the day of the Lord.
That is unlikely. He was to write to the seven churches in Asia concerning
their present condition. Rev. 1:19 says, “Write the things which thou hast
seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;” This
hardly sounds like John was in some far-off time warp.
The Greek is:
Rev. 1:10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.
|
egenomeen |
en |
Pneumati |
En |
tee |
Kuriakee |
heemera |
|
I Came to be |
in |
Spirit |
on |
the |
lord’s |
day |
The construction of other passages that speak of the
day of the Lord is different.
1Thes. 5:2. The day of the Lord.
|
hee |
heemera |
Kuriou |
|
the |
day |
of [the] Lord |
2Pe. 3:10. The day of the Lord.
|
de |
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heemera |
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But |
the |
day |
of [the] Lord |
1Cor. 1:8. in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ
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Tou |
Kuriou |
heemoon |
Ieesou |
Christou |
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in |
the |
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of us |
Jesus |
Christ |
1Cor. 5:5. in the day of the Lord Jesus
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en |
tee |
heemera |
Tou |
Kuriou |
Ieesou |
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in |
the |
day |
of the |
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2Cor. 1:14. in the day of the Lord Jesus
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heemera |
Tou |
Ieesou |
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in |
the |
day |
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Just as we read of the
“Lord’s death” (1Cor. 11:26), “cup of the Lord” (1Cor. 11:27), “the Lord’s
body” (1Cor. 11:29), “Lord’s table” (1Cor. 10:21), and the “Lord’s supper”
(1Cor. 11:20), so we have the “lord’s day” commemorating his resurrection. The
early Fathers clearly used “Lord’s Day” to refer to the day of the resurrection
upon which they met.
Note: for the answers to
arguments for the “Lord’s Day” being the Sabbath, next below.
VII.
THE HISTORICAL RECORD
CONFIRMS THAT EARLY CHRISTIANS HELD THEIR ASSEMBLIES ON SUNDAY, WHICH THEY
CALLED THE “LORD’S DAY”
Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch of Syria,
about 110 AD.
SHORT VERSION: “ Epistle To Magnesians, Chap. 9
“If therefore
those who were brought up in the ancient order of things have come to the
possession of a new hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the
observance of the Lord’s day on
which also our life has sprang up again by Him and His death ...”
--Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I, p.62; (Ages Digital
Library, Version 5, p. 126)
LONG VERSION: To The Magnesians, Chap. 9
“Let us therefore no longer
keep the Sabbath after the Jewish manner, and rejoice in days of idleness...
But let every one of you keep the Sabbath after a spiritual manner... And after
the observance of the Sabbath, let every friend of Christ keep the Lord’s
Day as a festival, the resurrection-day, the queen and chief of all days
[of the week]. Looking forward to this, the prophet declared, ‘To the end, for
the eighth day,’ on which our life both sprang up again, and the victory over
death was obtained in Christ...’”
--Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I, p. 62, 63; (Ages
Digital Library, Version 5, p. 127)
Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch of Syria, about AD 110, to the Trallians, Chapter 9, p. 70
During
the Sabbath He continued under the earth in the tomb in which Joseph of Arimathaea had laid Him. At
the dawning of the Lord’s day He arose from the dead, according to what was
spoken by Himself, “As Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s
belly, so shall the Son of man also be three days and three nights in the heart
of the earth.” The day of the preparation, then, comprises the passion; the
Sabbath embraces the burial; the Lord’s Day contains the resurrection.
--Ante-Nicene
Fathers, Vol. I, p.70, (Ages Digital
Library, Version 5, p.141)
Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch of Syria,
about AD 110 to the Philippians,
Chapter 13.
--Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, p. 119 (Ages Digital
Library, Version 5, p.231)
Barnabas, AD 100. Epistle of
Barnabas, Chap. (15) XV
“...we keep the eighth
day with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead.”
--Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol.
I, p. 147; (Ages Digital Library, Version 5, p. 273)
Didache, or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. AD 125. Chap. (14) XIV.
“But every Lord’s day do ye
gather yourselves together, and break bread”
--Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7, p. 381; (Ages Digital
Library, Version 5, p.764)
Ancient Syriac
Documents: The Teaching of the Apostles #2, AD 125.
“The apostles further
appointed: On the first day of the week let there be service, and the reading
of the Holy Scriptures, and the oblation: [communion] because on the first day of the week our Lord rose...”
--Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8, p. 668; (Ages Digital
Library, Version 5, p.1334)
Justin Martyr, AD 140. First Apology,
Weekly Worship of The Christians, Chap. 67
And we afterwards
continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help
the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are
supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through
the Holy Ghost. And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in
the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles
or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when
the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the
imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we
before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought,
and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to
his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to
each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to
those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are
well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is
deposited with the president, who succors the orphans and widows and those who,
through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds
and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are
in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly,
because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the
darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Savior on the same
day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn
(Saturday); and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun,
having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things,
which we have submitted to you also for your consideration.
--Ante Nicene Fathers, Vol. I, p. 186; (Ages Digital
Library, Version 5, p.343)
Justin Martyr, Dialog With Trypho, Chapter 10
“Is
there any other matter, my friends, in which we are blamed, than this, that we
live not after the law, and are not circumcised in the flesh as your
forefathers were, and do not observe sabbaths as you do?
--Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I, page 199 (Ages
Digital Libery, Version 5, p.374)
Clement of Alexandria, AD 153-193-217. “The Stromata, or Miscellanies,”
Book 7, Chapter 12.
“He, in fulfillment of the
precept, according to the Gospel, keeps the Lord’s day, when he abandons
an evil disposition,...glorifying the Lord’s resurrection in himself.”
--Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. II, p. 545; (Ages
Digital Library, Version 5, p. 1107)
Bardesan of Edessa, AD 180. Memoirs of Edessa “The Book of the Laws of divers Countries”
“...wherever we are, we are
all called after the one name of Christ—Christians. On one day, the first of
the week, we assemble ourselves together...”
--Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8 (VIII), p.733 Ancient Syriac Documents; (Ages
Digital Library, Version 5, p.1459)
Tertullian, AD 200. Apology, Chapter
16
…we
devote Sun-day to rejoicing, from a far different reason than Sun-worship,…
--Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 3 (III), p. 31; (Ages
Digital Library, Version 5, p. 54)
Tertullian, AD 200. PART 1, #2, On Idolatry Chapter 14, “Of Blasphemy, One of St.
Paul’s Sayings”
“The Holy Spirit upbraids
the Jews with their holy-days. ‘Your Sabbaths, and new moons, and ceremonies’
says He, ‘My soul hateth’ By us, to whom Sabbaths are strange... Not the Lord’s day, not Pentecost, even if
they had known them, even if they had known them, would they have shared with
us; for they would fear lest they should seem to be Christians
—Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 3 (III), p. 70; (Ages
Digital Library, Version 5, p. 128)
Tertullian, AD 200. PART 1, #7 An
Answer to the Jews, Chap. 2.
“In fine, let him who
contends that the Sabbath is still to be observed...teach us that righteous men
kept the Sabbath...and were thus rendered 'friends of God.'“
—Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 3 (III), p. 153; (Ages
Digital Library, Version 5, p.274)
Tertullian, AD 200. PART 1, #7 An Answer to the Jews, Chap. 4 “Of The Observance
of the Sabbath.”
“...the observance of the
Sabbath is demonstrated to have been temporary.”
--Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 3 (III), p. 155; (Ages
Digital Library, Version 5, p.278)
Tertullian, AD 200. PART III, #3 On
Prayer, Chap. 23, “Of Kneeling,”
“We, however (just as we
have received), only on day of the Lord’s resurrection ought to guard not only against kneeling, but every posture and office of
solicitude; deferring even our businesses lest we give any place to the devil....”
--Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. 3, p.689; (Ages Digital
Library, Version 5, p.1250)
Cyprian, Epistles of Cyprian 58,
Paragraph 4
For in respect of the observance of the eighth day in the Jewish
circumcision of the flesh, a sacrament was given beforehand in shadow and in usage;
but when Christ came, it was fulfilled in truth. For because the eighth day,
that is, the first day after the Sabbath, was to be that on which the Lord
should rise again, and should quicken us, and give us circumcision of the
spirit, the eighth day, that is, the first day after the Sabbath, and the Lord’s day, went before in
the figure; which figure ceased when by and by the truth came, and spiritual
circumcision was given to us.
--Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 5,
p.354 (Ages Digital Library, p.732)
Fabian, Bishop of Rome, AD 250. VI. THE DECRETALS, Decrees, “The Decrees
of the same,…” I
“On each Lord’s Day
the oblation of the altar should be made by all men and women in bread and
wine.”
-- Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8, p.641; (Ages Digital
Library, Version 5, p.1297)
Apostolical Constitutions, AD 250, Book 2, Sec. 7 “On Assembling in the
Church, Chapter 59 (LIX)
THAT EVERY CHRISTIAN OUGHT TO FREQUENT THE CHURCH DILIGENTLY BOTH MORNING AND EVENING
LIX. When thou instructest
the people, O bishop, command and exhort them to come constantly to church
morning and evening every day, and by no means to forsake it on any account,
but to assemble together continually; neither to diminish the Church by
withdrawing themselves, and causing the body of Christ to be without its
member. For it is not only spoken concerning the priests, but let every one of
the laity hearken to it as concerning himself, considering that it is said by
the Lord: “He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathereth not with
me scattereth abroad.” Do not you therefore scatter yourselves abroad, who are
the members of Christ, by not assembling together, since you have Christ your
head, according to His promise, present, and communicating to you. Be not
careless of yourselves, neither deprive your Savior of His own members, neither
divide His body nor disperse His members, neither prefer the occasions of this
life to the word of God; but assemble yourselves together every day, morning
and evening, singing psalms and praying in the Lord’s house: in the morning
saying the sixty-second Psalm, and in the evening the hundred and fortieth, but
principally on the Sabbath-day. And on the day of our Lord’s resurrection,
which is the Lord’s day, meet more diligently, sending praise to God that
made the universe by Jesus, and sent Him to us, and condescended to let Him
suffer, and raised Him from the dead. Otherwise what apology will he make to
God who does not assemble on that day to hear the saving word concerning the
resurrection, on which we pray thrice standing in memory of Him who arose in
three days, in which is performed the reading of the prophets, the preaching of
the Gospel, the oblation of the sacrifice, the gift of the holy food?
--Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7, p. 423; (Ages Digital
Library, Version 5, p.839-840)
Apostolical Constitutions, AD 250, Book 5, Section 3, chapter 20
Do you
therefore fast, and ask your petitions of God. We enjoin you to fast every
fourth day of the week, and every day of the preparation, and the surplusage of
your fast bestow upon the needy; every Sabbath-day excepting one, and every
Lord’s day, hold your solemn assemblies, and rejoice: for he will be guilty
of sin who fasts on the Lord’s day, being the day of the resurrection,
--Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7, page 449 (Ages
Digital Library, Version 5, p.892)
Apostolical
Constitutions,
AD 250, Book 7, Section 2, chapter 20
But keep the Sabbath, and the Lord’s day festival; because the former is the memorial of the creation, and the latter of the resurrection. But there is one only Sabbath to be observed by you in the whole year, which is that of our Lord’s burial, on which men ought to keep a fast, but not a festival.
--Ante-Nicene
Fathers, Vol. 7, p.469 (Ages Digital Library, Version 5, p.934)
Apostolical
Constitutions,
AD 250 Constitutions..., Book 7, Sec. 2, Chapter 30 (XXX)
“On the day of
the resurrection of the Lord, that is, the Lord’s
day, assemble yourselves together, without fail, giving thanks to God, and
praising Him for those mercies God has bestowed upon you through Christ. .
.”
--Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7, p. 471; (Ages Digital
Library, Version 5 p.937)
Victorinus,
Bishop of Petau, AD 304. Creation of the World
“On the former day (sixth)
we are accustomed to fast rigorously, that on the Lord’s day we may go
forth to our bread with giving of thanks. And let the parasceve become a
rigorous fast, lest we should appear to observe any Sabbath with the
Jews...which Sabbath He in His body abolished...”
--Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7, p. 341-342; (Ages Digital
Library p.698)
Peter, AD 306,
Bishop of Alexandria, Canon 15 (XV)
--Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 6, p. 278; (Ages Digital
Library p.512)
Eusebius, AD
324, Bishop of Caesarea. Church History, Book I, Chap. 4.
#8. “…They [Abraham and Isaac etc.] did not care about observing Sabbaths,
nor do we.”
-- Nicene &
Post Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Vol. I, p. 87 (Ages Digital Library, Version 5,
p.163)
Eusebius, AD 324, Bishop of Caesarea. Church History III, Chapter 27
“The Sabbath
and the rest of the discipline of the Jews they [the Ebionites] observed just like them [the Jews], but at the same time, like us, they
celebrated the Lord’s days as a memorial of the resurrection of the Saviour.”
--Nicene, & Post Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Vol.
I, p. 159; (Ages Digital Library, Version 5, p.240)
Eusebius, AD
324.
“I think that he (the Psalmist) describes the
morning assemblies in which we are accustomed to assemble throughout the
world.” -Sabbath Manual, (Series II, Nicene & Post Nicene Fathers, Vol. I,
p. 125)
From this it is clear that the early church had its
day of assembly each first day of the week to eat the Lord’s supper. This was
called, “The Lord’s Day” in remembrance of the day Jesus arose from the dead.
OBJECTION: “Did not
Constantine or the Pope change the Sabbath? The Catholic church claims they
did.”
ANSWER:
It is obvious from this
historical evidence that Christians were keeping Sunday long before
Constantine. Except for the Ebionite heresy, there is no evidence that they
held their services on Saturday. They did sometimes fast on Saturday but they
held their regular church gatherings on Sunday.
Constantine made
Christianity the state religion. Before that, Sunday was not a holiday. It was
a work day like the others. Christians met at night to hold their services.
Constantine made it a holiday but did not require it to be observed as the
Sabbath.
As for claims of some
obscure Catholic Catechism, the Catholic Church has made many false claims to
bolster their claim of being the only true church. They also claim that the
Bible was given by them. That does not make them right.
VIII. THE SABBATH, AS
ESTABLISHED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, WAS NOT PRACTICAL AS A UNIVERSAL LAW.
All of the Old Testament
laws were good (Rom. 7:12; Gal. 3:21) but they were designed for a specific
people (The Jews) with a temporal kingdom in a specific location (Palestine)
rather than a universal spiritual kingdom. When Jesus sent his disciples into
all the world he focused primarily on the Spirit rather than a national
religion (John 4:21-24).
Restrictions about unclean
meats, though good, were exchanged for emphasis on a clear conscience (Col.
2:16, 17). What came out of the heart was more important than what went into
the belly (Mark 7:15-23).
Physical circumcision was
replaced with circumcision of the heart (Col. 2:11).
Worshipping at a temple in
Jerusalem was replaced with worshipping in spirit and in truth (John 4:21-24).
The physical rest of the
Sabbath was changed to a spiritual rest in heaven (Hebrews 4).
The Sabbath laws are clearly
local in nature.
The laws prohibiting
lighting a fire on the Sabbath make sense in a semi-tropical area but are
completely unreasonable in severely cold areas. Keeping a day of rest worked
fine in Palestine when it was a nation but became a serious difficulty in other
nations. Abiding by the dietary laws posed a serious barrier to reaching the
gentiles (Gal. 2:11-14).
The
Sabbath was required to be strictly kept from sundown to sundown. On pain of
stoning it was forbidden to pick up sticks, build a fire or cook food (Num.
15:32-36; Ex. 16:23; 35:3). Even Adventists today can not strictly adhere to
all these rules in frigid areas of the world.
The vision of Mrs. White of
the Adventists that the Sabbath is kept in heaven is absurd. Does God’s sun run
on Jerusalem time? How would it be observed in heaven where the Bible says
there is “no night there” (Rev. 22:5). Few realize it but from the time a day
begins in Israel until the last hour has continued around the earth it takes 48
(not 24) hours. Thus, if people are scattered around the earth, those in heaven
can not be observing the Sabbath with them on a 24 hour time period. They do
not even keep the Sabbath at the same time.
How would those who travel
in space observe the Sabbath from sundown to sundown? When people are on the
moon, must they keep the Sabbath by Earth days or moon days? What about those
who live in the far north or south? They have no sunset for weeks at a time.
In fact, on a round earth,
one can travel in either direction and gain or lose a day. If they kept time by
the sun, when they arrived at the place they started they would be observing a
different day. To solve this, a purely arbitrary line has been established in
mid-Pacific, based on Greenwich time in England, known as the International
Date Line. When this is crossed, the day of the week is recalculated.
Interestingly enough, at one point in working out the line, in the effort to
get a group of islands on the same time, a rearrangement caused those who had
been observing Sunday on some islands to be changed to meeting on Saturday.
Legalism results in the most confusing difficulties.
CONCLUSION:
The Law was a schoolmaster
to bring us to Christ. It was just and good, but could make nothing perfect. It
was weak through the flesh. No man except Christ kept it perfectly, so it
became the ministration of death, a demonstration of our need for God because
we can not save ourselves by our works.
So, Christ came, and to
demonstrate the righteousness of God’s law, he fulfilled it. He then took it
out of the way and nailed it to the cross. He did not just patch up the old
(Mark 2:21, 22). He instituted a New Covenant with better promises. Under it,
Christ paid for our sins with his blood and upon our acceptance of himself he
imputed his righteousness to us. In addition God gave us the Holy Spirit to
help us to conform to the image of his son.
Does that mean there is no
law? May we sin that grace may abound? God forbid. Nay, by faith we establish
the rule of Christ over us. But now we are under a new covenant, governed by
the law of liberty.
What about those who insist on binding the Old
Covenant?
1.
They
is under a curse. “Cursed is he who continues not in ALL things” (Gal. 3:10-13;
5:3; Rom. 4:15)
2.
They
have a veil upon his face so they cannot see. (2Cor. 3:15)
3.
They
are under a ministration of death and condemnation. (2Cor. 3:7, 9; Rom. 7:9-11;
1Cor. 15:56)
4.
They
are in spiritual adultery (Rom. 7:3, 41)
5.
They
are in a spiritual prison (Gal. 3:23)
6.
They
are under a yoke of bondage (Ac. 15:10)
7.
They
are fallen from grace (Gal. 5:4; Heb. 10:25-31; 1Cor. 10:1-12)
What about those who turn from the Old to the New
Covenant?
1.
They
have a better source of guidance than the angels who gave the law. (Heb. 1:4
cf. Heb. 2:2; Gal. 3:19; Ac. 7:53; Ex. 23:20; Num. 20:16)
2.
Their
loyalty is to one who has more glory than Moses who administered the Old
Covenant (Heb. 3:3; 2Cor. 3:1-18; Ex. 34:28-35)
3.
They
are better than those who return to the law (Heb. 6:9; Gal. 5:4; 4:7)
4.
They
have a better high priest (After the order of Melchizedek) (Heb. 7:7)
5.
They
have a better hope (Heb. 7:18, 19; Rom. 8:23, 24, 31-39!)
6.
They
have a better covenant (Heb. 7:22; 8:6, 8, 13), a new one (2Co. 3:6, 14)
7.
They
have a mediator with a more excellent ministry than under Moses. (Heb. 8:6;
9:15; 12:24; 1Tim. 2:5)
8.
They
have a greater and more perfect tabernacle (Heb. 9:11, 24; 8:2)
9.
They
have a better sacrifice (Heb. 9:23; 10:1, 19)
10.
They
have a better possession and an abiding one (Heb. 10:34 cf. 10:39)
11.
They
have a better country (Heb. 11:16)
12.
They
have a better resurrection (Heb. 11:35) than mere resurrection to die again as
they sometimes did.
13.
They
have something better provided in that, apart from Christians, those under
Moses cannot be made perfect. (Heb.
11:40)
14.
They
have blood which speaks better (calls for mercy) than that of Abel (which
called for vengeance) (Heb. 12:24)
[1] Illustration from “Seventh Day Adventism Renounced by D. M. Canright
[2]#6490
-Strong's Concordance, Hebrew Lex. “pik-koo-deem”
[3]#5703
Strong's Concordance, Hebrew.
[4]#5769
Strong's Concordance, Hebrew.
[5]Davies
Lexicon p.452
[6]#5769
Strong's Concordance, Hebrew.
[7]#5769
Strong's Concordance, Hebrew.
[8]cf.
Rom.14:1-6; Gal.4:10,11; Eph.2:15.
[9]Eph.
2:14 says, “...the law of commandments contained in ordinances...”)