Expert: Dean Gade - 3/31/2008

Question
Sir, What can you tell me concerning the change of worship from the sabbath day to Sunday? The Seventh Day Adventist say the Catholic Church or Constatine made the change and we should keep the 4th commandment even today. Thanks, Steve

Answer
I can tell you that it was neither the Roman Catholic Church nor the Emperor Constantine who made Sunday a day of worship to replace the Jewish Sabbath.

The Sabbath Law was:
Ex 31:14-17

14 "'Observe the Sabbath , because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people. 15 For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. 16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath , celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17 It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested.'"
NIV

This Sabbath is NOT followed fully by any Christians.  Jesus was constantly condemned, along with His disciples, for breaking the Sabbath Law.  He healed people on the Sabbath, had them carry their mattress on the Sabbath,  allowed His disciples to pick grain on the Sabbath, etc.   And when questioned said that He was the Lord of the Sabbath.

And that is the point.  When the fullness of time came, Jesus fulfilled the Law with its curse for those who did not do all things written in the Law.  His new covenant is one of spiritual obedience to God and not merely outward observances of the Law.

The Apostles and early disciples already observed Sunday(the first day of the week) as the day of meeting and observance of God's power in the resurrection of our savior:

Acts 20:7

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, kept on talking until midnight.
NIV

1 Cor 16:1-2
Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
NIV

Gal 4:8-11

8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 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 principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? 10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
NIV

Rom 14:5-6

5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike . Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord.
NIV

We Christians are no longer "under the Law" but are seek to please God according to the Spirit of God within us.  Living by the Law brings only condemnation to those who break it AT ANY TIME, IN ANY POINT.  It was given to reveal our sin.  Christ came to redeem us from all condemnation.

Rom 8:1-4
8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,   2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,   4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
NIV

That some choose to honor God on each day...or on any particular day is their right as long as they do it to please God and not their own flesh.  To condemn those who choose another day(s) than we do is not our right.

Mark 2:23-28

23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath ?"

25 He answered, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions."

27 Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath .  28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath ."
NIV