Expert: Clive Heath - 9/22/2009

Question
I am troubled with this because the fourth comanedment states clearly states that we should remember the sabbath day. which is saturday. some say when Paul broke the bread it changed to sunday because some think it was communion or worship service. This is not true. in Luke 24:13-31 Jesus broke bread at supper time with his disciples after walking more than seven miles to Emmaus with them on th first day of the week.We know that Jesus broke bread on Thursday night with his disiples at passover and on the road to Emmaus experience happened Sunday evening just as Monday was beginning. some say the day Jesus a rose from the dead was on sunday. BUT that would not mean that was the reason saturday changed to sunday. AS A BAPTIST WE PRATICE BAPTIZM WHICH SHOW THE DEATH AND RISING OF jesus. this is a way we show our faith to others is  this not correct. YES Jesus rose from th dead on Sunday and the resurrection is very important, but the bible provides a celebration of the resurrection and it is not sunday. IT IS baptism. I do not understand why we can break a law that God made and see it as being ok. If you break one law you broke all. At no time in the bible does God say just follow 9 out of ten law I made a mistake in number four. I see no where in the bible where God, Jesus said anything about forgeting the forth comandments. my understanding is God is the only ome that can tell us to forget the fourth. Only keep the other 9. And some say the ten where nailed to the cross then in the new testment we have no law from God if that is the case. in the new testamen in  HEBREW 4;9,10 states believers will rest as God did. Jesus Himself, called attention to the fact that the seventh day Sabbath would remain sacred long after His ascension! Mathew 24;20 so can you help me in this matter because I do not want to break any of our Gods laws. May the Good Lord bless you in your help. Thank you Robert

Answer
Hi Robert,

I hope you are well, this is a question often asked, regarding the fourth commandment.

"And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made". [Genisis 2:2-3]

The original Sabbath as you are correct in saying is a Saturday, this being the last day of the week, and " The Sabbeth was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath"
It was from Sunset on Friday until Sunset on Saturday.

You are right as it says in Exodus 20:8-10 " Remember the the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is Sabbath of the Lord your God".

Now, you can search through the Bible but you will find no authority to change the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday, yet most denominations hold the Sabbath on Sunday.

The change came long after the Writing of the New Testament, one theory is that it solidified during the reign of Emperor Hadrian [AD 117 - 135]as he harshly persecuted Jews through out the Roman empire. Hadrian specifically prohibited observance of the seventh day Sabbath. This influenced many early Christians to abandon the Seventh day and turn to Sunday, which was always a Holy day for the Romans as veneration to the sun. Within a few centuries of this Christians virtually replaced the Saturday with Sunday as the Sabbath.

My own view is that it does not really matter which of the two days we see as the Sabbeth as long as we have the Sabbath for what it was intended by our Lord. I believe the Lord does not have an issue with this, as he could see it as the start of a new week and new life.

Also remember that Jesus did not come to break any of Gods commandments but to fulfil them.

I hope this helps, please come back to me if you feel you need.

God Bless you my Friend

Clive Heath