WHAT DOES THE WORD OF GOD SAY ABOUT THE SABBATH? (PART ONE)

 Wednesday, October 19, 2016

WHAT DOES THE WORD OF GOD SAY ABOUT THE SABBATH? (PART ONE)

Which day is the Sabbath, Saturday or Sunday? Should Christians observe this day?

Sabbath (in Hebrew: שבת, shabbāt, meaning rest in Swahili) is the weekly day of rest in Judaism in general, especially in the land of Israel.

There have been many questions from different faiths about this Saturday. Followers of religions and beliefs that observe the Torah ask themselves about the Sabbath: does Almighty God only accept Saturday as the day of worship? In the New Testament, we learn that Sunday is called the first day of the week, and the believers gathered on this day, Sunday.

Acts 20:7 – On the first day of the week, we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people, and because he intended to leave the next day, he kept on talking until midnight.

The first day of the week is Sunday, and this is the day on which believers in Jesus gathered and worshiped. This is visible evidence that Christians have worshiped on Sunday since the first century.

Matthew 28:1 – After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
Mark 16:9 – When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week…

The Lord Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. Furthermore, we read in the letters of the Apostle Paul that the first Christians gathered on the first day of the week, which is Sunday.

Acts 20:7 – On the first day of the week, we came together to break bread, Paul spoke to them…
1 Corinthians 16:2 – On the first day of the week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

Moreover, we do not read, nor is there any command in the New Testament, that believers, i.e., Christians, must gather on this first day of the week, “Sunday.” But we do have the example of the first Christians, “the Early Church during Pentecost,” and that tradition of worshiping on Sunday continues to this day. If you carefully read the New Testament, you will notice that THE FIRST CHRISTIANS DID NOT GATHER ON THE SABBATH. That is, there is no verse that directly says Christians gathered on the Sabbath, nor was there a tradition, custom, or law requiring them to do so.

However, some claim that Emperor Constantine’s decree in A.D. 321 changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. Which day did the early church meet for worship? The Bible does not mention any Christian assembly for worship on the Sabbath (Saturday). Instead, there are clear references to the first day of the week. For example:

• Acts 20:7 – On the first day of the week, we came together to break bread.

• 1 Corinthians 16:2 – On the first day of the week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income.

Paul even calls these offerings a “service” in 2 Corinthians 9:12, meaning these contributions were part of the Christian Sunday worship. Historically, Sunday, not Saturday, became the recognized day of worship in the church, and this can be traced back to the time of the early church.

Critics of Christianity and other religions, like Muslims, associate Sunday with sun-worship by interpreting the English word “Sunday” as “SUN + DAY.” They claim that those who worship on Sunday worship the sun god. However, we have sufficient evidence that the first Christians worshiped Jesus, who died for our sins, not a sun god as they allege.

To understand why the days of the week exist and their meaning, it is important to examine their origins. For example: Saturday in English is derived from the planet Saturn (dies Saturni) because the Romans honored that planet. If we use the same logic of associating days with gods or planets, does that mean Seventh-Day Adventists (SDA), who worship on Saturday, are worshipers of the planet Saturn?

Dear reader, I decided to teach this lesson to respond to the many questions raised by Adventists about why we worship on Sunday and their accusations that we are breaking the Mosaic Law.

Therefore, I leave you with this reminder: the first Christians worshiped on Sunday, and there is no verse in the Bible that explicitly says CHRISTIANS GATHERED ON SATURDAY.

Now, read these verses carefully:

Romans 14:5–6 – One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

Brothers and sisters, according to Romans 14, we have been set free to choose any day to worship, and what to eat or not to eat, all as unto the Lord. Therefore, there is no sin if someone worships on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, or any other day of the week. Our God is present every day, for He created all days.

Acts 2:46 – Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.

Do you see what that verse says? Was Monday missing? What about Tuesday? That is why I said we are free from the curse of the Law, and now we are free to worship God on any day. God is not only for Saturday, or Sunday, or Friday. God is for every day.

WHY DO YOU LOVE WEAK TEACHINGS?

Galatians 4:8–10 – Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!

The Apostle Paul reminds us that the teachings we followed before being redeemed by Jesus were weak. Now we are filled with the Holy Spirit, who is our greatest Teacher. Therefore, let us cling to Him and learn from Him.

DO NOT MISS PART TWO …
“Why did the Lord Jesus enter the Synagogue on Saturday, the ‘SABBATH’?”

It is I, Max Shimba, servant of Jesus Christ.

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