Expert: Cooper P. Abrams III - 7/7/2006

Question
could u explain the 4th commandment 2 me found in exodus the 20th chapter verses 8-12 that reads rememer the sabbath day to keep it holy six days shall thy labor and do all thy work but the seveth day is the sabbath of the Lord our God: i it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy son nor thy man servant nor thy maidservant nor thy cattle or thy stranger that is withi thy gates six days the Lord made heaven ad earth the sea and all that in them is ad rested the seveth day wherefor the Lord blessed the Sabbath day ad hollowed it.  Isn't the 7th day Saturday? The Lord keeps the 7th day holy why should't I? He said rememer that means not to forget?why is the rest of the 10 commandmets honored but not this one? Please help I Am so cofused!

Answer
Hi Shyion,

     Many people wonder about the Christians keeping the Sabbath. The Sabbath Day is the last day of the week and Saturday. God first gave the Sabbath as a duty to man in the book of Exodus. It is true that the Sabbath originated at the completion of the creation (Gen. 2:1-3), but that was God's rest, not man's. There is no record in Genesis that God gave the Sabbath to man, and there is no record of men keeping the Sabbath before Israel was in the wilderness after God delivered them from Egypt and made them a nation.

          Nehemiah 9:13,14 plainly states that the Sabbath was first given to Israel. Seventh-day Adventists and some other teach that men kept the Sabbath from the days of Adam onward, but this is contrary to the Bible's own record. There is not mention of men keeping the Sabbath before God made Israel a nation.

          Exodus 31:12-18 says the Sabbath was a special sign between God and Israel. An important fact is that if mankind in general had been given the Sabbath following creation, it could not have been a special sign for Israel.

          The fact is that the Sabbath belongs to the nation Israel and not to any other people. Today believers are in the Church Age and we are the Body of Christ. We are not Israel nor are we a nation. It is also important to note that God says the Sabbath will be an eternal possession of Israel (Exodus 31:16). This sign will never be annulled or transferred to another people. This explains why the prophets foretell that Israel will keep the Sabbath even after the kingdom of Christ is established on earth (Isa. 66:23) after the Seven Year Tribulation and Christ's Second Coming. It also explains why Jesus Christ mentioned the Sabbath in His prophecies of the Tribulation In Matthew 24:20. Israelites in the land of Palestine still keep the Sabbath today.

          In their writings to the churches, the Apostles only mentioned the Sabbath three times. The early church met on Sunday, which is the first day of the week and that day the Lord Jesus was resurrected. Christians have met on Sunday since.

     (1) The Sabbath is a symbol of salvation rest in Christ (Hebrew 4).

     (2) The N.T. believer is not bound to keep the Sabbath (Col. 2:9-17).

     (3) The N.T. believer has liberty in the matter of holy days (Rom. 14). Those who teach that the Sabbath is binding upon the Christian, are going contrary to what the Apostles taught.

                Why, then, did Jesus keep the Sabbath? He kept the Sabbath for the same reason He kept all the other Mosaic laws. He also observed the feasts. Jesus did these things because He was born a Jew, born under the law, that He might fulfill it and redeem His people from its penalty and bondage (Ga. 4:4; Ro. 9:5).

                Hope this helps. When we read passages in the Bible we must be careful to understand the whole issue and all the Bible, both OT and NT says about the matter. We also must apply the teachings to who they were addressed to. God gave Israel their Law, which was in fact their Constitution and set of Law, both spiritual and civil But believers today are not a nation, we are the Body of Christ scatter all over the world. We assemble in churches and govern ourselves under the examples and teaching of the New Testament. Paul in his Epistles made it plain and clear that Christians are not under the OT Law.

    The first day of the week. Christians worship the Lord on this day because of the following Bible facts:

   I thought I would also include the following information about what the Bible says about Christians keeping the Sabbath.

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 (Ac. 20:6,7; 1 Co. 16:2). Sunday is "the Lord's Day" (Re. 1:10) (D.M. Canright, Seventh-day Adventism Renounced).

Since those days, the vast majority of 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 (Ge. 2:2). Sunday is the first day of the new creation.

HISTORICAL EVIDENCE THAT EARLY CHRISTIANS WORSHIPED ON SUNDAY.

The Epistle of Barnabas (about A.D. 100). "Wherefore, also we keep the eighth day with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead."

The Epistle of Ignatius (about A.D. 107). "Be not deceived with strange doctrines, nor with old fables, which are unprofitable. For if we still live according to the Jewish Law, we acknowledge that we have not received grace ... 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 sprung up again by Him and by His death."

Justin Martyr (about A.D. 140). "And on the day called Sunday all who live in cities or in the country gather together in one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read. ... But Sunday is the day on which we all hold a common assembly, because it is the First day of the week on which God ... made the world; and Jesus Christ our Savior on the same day rose from the dead."

Bardesanes, Edessa (A.D. 180). "On one day the first of the week, we assemble ourselves together."

Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 194). "He, in fulfillment of the precept, according to the gospel, keeps the Lord's Day ... glorifying the Lord's resurrection in himself."

Tertullian (A.D. 200). "We solemnize the day after Saturday in contradiction to those who call this day their sabbath."

Irenaeus (about A.D. 155-202). "The Mystery of the Lord's Resurrection may not be celebrated on any other day than the Lord's Day, and on this alone should we observe the breaking off of the Paschal Feast."

Cyprian (A.D. 250). "The eighth day, that is, the first day after the sabbath, and the Lord's Day."

Apostolic Constitutions (A.D. 250). "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."

Anatolius (A.D. 270). "Our regard for the Lord's resurrection which took place on the Lord's Day will lead us to celebrate it."

Peter, Bishop of Alexandria (A.D. 306). "But the Lord's Day we celebrate as a day of joy, because on it, he rose again."

If you have further comments or questions Please write...

Cooper Abrams