Expert: Cooper P. Abrams III - 2/8/2008

Question
QUESTION: then why did Jesus worship on the sabbath?

ANSWER: Hi Patley,
  Lots of people ask this question and there is a great deal of misunderstanding concerning the Sabbath.
  Jesus worshiped on Sabbath because He was a Jew.   The Sabbath was given by God to Israel as a special sign as Exodus 31:17 states, "It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed." (Exodus 31:17)
   The Sabbath was given to Israel alone as a special sign of them being God's chosen nation. It was not given to Christians in this dispensation as that would negate its special significance as being a sign between God and Israel. Prior to Exodus 16:23 there is no mention of anyone keeping a Sabbath day.

    Sabbath worship was part of the law give to the nation of Israel.   However, repeatedly the New Testament explains to Christians that they are not the nation of Israel and not under its law.  Christians worship and serve the Lord out of love and thanksgiving to Him for their salvation.  God has not forced us to keep laws, but gives us the freedom to willingly and in love obey the Lord.

    There were no churches until after Jesus was resurrected and fifty days late as Acts 2 records instituted the assembly (ekklesia) translated in our English Bibles "church."

    Christians observe the biblical principle of one day of rest and worship.  They worship God on Sunday the day the Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected.

     Israel rejected the Savior and His resurrection. The early Christians came together on Sunday to mark the day as a day to honor the Lord, worship Him and rest, because it was the day of His resurrection. (See Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 16:2)

    Thank you for your question.     If you have further questions or comments please write.

Cooper Abrams
http://bible-truth.org


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: if we are not under the law, then why do we follow any of those laws given in the old testament?why do we follow nine and say that we are not under the law? It was one of the commandments written in stone, that says something to me, it must be important. And Jesus mentioned that if we break one commandment, we are guilty of all.

ANSWER: Hi Patley,
    Christians are not under the law but we follow the principles that the laws were based on.  The Law was more than just the Ten Commandments.  It was actually hundreds of laws given in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy to the nation of Israel.  For example, Honoring father and mother.   Even the Jews should not have needed a law to follow,  in order to honor their parents.   But the law was given for the few who didn't.  It protected the parents legally and required the son or daughter to take care of their parents. The law imposed penalties for law breakers.  Therefore the Law given to Israel addressed mostly civic matters.  A spiritual Jew would honor the Lord and also honor their parents without it being required.

   Note what Paul stated,  "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." (Romans 6:14-15)

   It would be sinful not to take care of one's parents.  Paul statement is saying Christians are under grace, but not being under the law does not free us to sin.  Therefore the Christian is to follow the principle of the law, but are not required to keep the letter.  

   This principle in which the law was based on,  of honoring one's parents is universal and not just to the Jews, therefore like this commandment we keep the other commandments in principle as well. We keep all ten of them in principle.   

   However, the commandment to keep the Sabbath was required of the Jews because God gave Sabbath keeping to them as a special sign between them and God as Exodus 31:17 clearly states.  It was never required of non Jews.
    
   The Law said a person "Shall not kill."   Think...am I made spiritual because I do not kill people?   No, I am saved, forgiven and born again Christian...I do not kill people because it is not in my heart to harm others.  I do not need a law to tell me not to kill someone....I love the Lord and "love my neighbor as myself."   Every one of the Ten Commandments is based on a principle of God and we keep these principles because we believe God and obey Him in love, not because we are forced too.

   Christians are not under the law of the Sabbath, but we follow the higher principle of worshiping the Lord and setting aside one day of rest.   "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." (Romans 7:6) The letter of the Law told the Jews to worship on Saturday.  But Christians not being under the Law, but under grace,  worship the Lord, gathering on Sunday the day of the Lord's resurrection.  The earlier Christians in the first Century worshiped on Sunday because they understood this truth.  

   God is not interested in what day we worship.   One day is like another except that Sunday worship honors the Lord's resurrection. What He is interested in is that we do worship Him and have a special day set aside to honor Him.

   Christians follow the New Testament teachings...all of it...and note what Paul stated,   "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:   Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." (Colossians 2:16-17)  The question to the Gentile Sabbath keeping churches is....do you believe the Bible God's word?  If the answer is yes,....then why not accept that Christians are not under the Law? That is what God plainly and repeatedly stated?

   The Law taught the Jews to worship and honor the Lord on one day of the week. This is noted in Galatians 3,

   "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:24-26)

   Christians are not Jews, nor is a church a nation under Old Testament Jewish civil laws.  

    Further the New Testament plainly tells us Christians after the institution of the local church was begun met on Sunday.

    BIBLE EVIDENCE THAT EARLY CHRISTIANS WORSHIPPED ON SUNDAY:

1. On the first day Jesus rose from the dead (Mk. 16:9).

2. On the first day Jesus first appeared to his disciples (Mk. 16:9).

3. On the first day Jesus met with the disciples at different places and repeatedly (Mk. 16:9-11; Mt. 28:8-10; Lk. 24:34; Mk. 16:12-13; Jn. 20:19-23).

4. 4. On the first day Jesus blessed the disciples (Jn. 20:19).

5. On the first day Jesus imparted to the disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 20:22).

6. On the first day Jesus commissioned the disciples to preach the gospel to all the world (Jn. 20:21; with Mk. 16:9-15).

7. On the first day Jesus ascended to Heaven, was seated at the right hand of the Father and was made Head of all (Jn. 20:17; Ep. 1:20).

8. On the first day many of the dead saints arose from the grave (Mt. 27:52-53).

9. The first day became the day of joy and rejoicing to the disciples (Jn. 20:20; Lk. 24:41).

10. On the first day the gospel of the risen Christ was first preached (Lk. 24:34).

11. On the first day Jesus explained the Scriptures to the disciples (Lk. 24:27,45).

12. On the first day the purchase of our redemption was completed (Ro. 4:25).

13. On the first day the Holy Spirit descended (Ac. 2:1). Pentecost was on the 50th day after the sabbath following the wave offering (Le. 23:15,16). Thus Pentecost was always on a Sunday.

14. The Christians met to worship on the first day (Acts 20:6,7; 1 Cor. 16:2). Sunday is "the Lord's Day" (Rev. 1:10).

    Since the early days, Christians have always met to worship on the Lord's day. They do this in honor of the resurrection of their Savior. Christ was in the tomb during the sabbath, and rose as the firstborn from the dead on the first day. The sabbath signifies the last day of the old creation (Gen. 2:2). Sunday is the first day of the new creation.

   I hope this helps you understand this.   It is sad that so many individuals and even churches do not understand this truth.  They ignore God's word that plainly says we are not under the Law and put their people back under the Law.  The Law never saved anyone.

   The Lord wants us to serve and worship Him out of love and thanksgiving....not because He forces us to worship or serve him on a particular day.   He wants to worship Him because we want too.  

   What is so wrong about worshiping on the day that Jesus arose, which was the most important day that happened in the world?   What is wrong in coming together and remembering the event that conquered day and sin which was the first resurrection...the resurrection of Jesus Christ.   It if was wrong...why did the first Christians worship on Sunday the first day of the week?   If it was wrong why did not God tell us that in the New Testament when the first Christians began to meet on Sunday?  Why does not the New Testament teach Sabbath keeping if it was a requirement of God.

  Thank you for your question.  There is so much confusion about this because men understand that Christians are in a new dispensation of time in which we are under God's grace...not under the letter of the law.

  If you have further questions or comments please write.

Cooper Abrams

  

   



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I do not believe that it is wrong to worship on Sunday, it is not wrong to worship on Wednesday either if you get What i mean. so we could all worship every day. its just that it seemed from my reading that the seventh day is of some importance to god, the fact that in the beginning, he hallowed it, and set it aside, even before sin.So does this mean that any day i choose to be my sabbath will be accepted?

Answer
Hi Patley,
  The answer is no.   The Sabbath or Saturday was hallowed by the Lord as being the last day of the old Creation. However, Saturday was not called the Sabbath and was never used as a day of worship until God gave it to the nation of Israel as a special sign between God and the nation.  The pagan nations around Israel did not worship on the Sabbath and that made Israel separate and stand out as God's people to the other nations who did not worship God, but idols.

   Christians should worship on Sunday the first day of the week was the day of the new beginning...that being that sin and death had been conquered in the first resurrection by Jesus Christ. The early Christians understood this and worshiped on Sunday...not just any day their choose.  Sunday worship represents the new dispensation of Grace and the special relationship that Christians, who are the body of Christ have with the Lord Jesus.  

   However, we are to worship the Lord continually each day and formally gather on Sunday.

Cooper Abrams