“Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:19
In previous posts, we have seen that the law of God is immutable. It cannot be changed, not even one jot or tittle. The law is like God himself. He does not change and his word or law does not change.
“For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Malachi 3:6
We also learned there was a School Master whose job was finished when Jesus died on the cross. This was the laws contained in ordinances i.e., the ceremonial and sacrificial laws that pointed forward to Jesus in types and shadows.
In the series “Is Obedience only for the Legalistic?” it was demonstrated that obedience is not legalistic as long as you do not try to obtain salvation or favor from God through it.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
This verse does not make void the law. The same writer (Paul) asked the following question and then quickly answered it just to make sure no one came to the wrong conclusion regarding faith and the law:
“Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.”
Romans 3:31
James asks the believers a similar question to make sure we don’t miss the point of faith either. The point is, true faith will have works including obedience.
“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? “
James 2:14
The answer is this:
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
James 2:18
No obedience and no good deeds = No evidence of faith. This is an example of legalism. Trying to save yourself on your own terms without trust in God or His word.
Faith in Jesus = Obedience and good deeds (Trusts and Obeys). We obey because we are saved and born-again. We do not obey in order to be saved. This is impossible.
Obedience is part of the Christian experience. James says it plainly:
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
James 1:22
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Obedience to the law is a natural response from a transformed heart. The born-again follower desires to live by the principal of the law which is summarized by the two tables of the law: Love God and Love man. The 10 Commandments fit under one of these two headings. But obedience is more than the letter. It begins in the heart but expresses itself in the letter. Example: Jesus taught us that adultery begins in the heart, but that does not mean that the act (the letter) is not sin because it is. The act demonstrates how uncontrollable the un-redeemed heart can be.
In a look at the new covenant we found that the law is not changed or eliminated rather God writes it on the heart. This is where obedience starts just as does sin.
Without this “born-again” experience, obedience becomes burdensome and religiously legalistic because it attempts to do something it is not equipped by God to do. Any good deeds from the human unredeemed heart is for self glory and is not a love response to God and His glory.
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Despite the immutability of the law, there have been attempts to change it. The most blatant and obvious are from the Roman Catholic church leadership. They eliminated the 2nd commandment. Split the last one into two commandments and then changed the interpretation of a very plain 4th commandment. Most of the world has accepted these changes and gone about their business.
But followers of Jesus follow His word and those inspired by God who were writers of the Bible.
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Below, are the typical reasons given for modifying the 4th commandment are discussed. Today, the 4th commandment is believed to read as follows:
Remember the 1st Day of the week and go to church because Jesus was resurrected on the 1st Day of the week and the Disciples kept the 1st day of the week. Do not work on Sunday from the time you get up in the morning until after church or about 1:00 PM.
Here are God’s exact words:
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
Exodus 20: 8-11
The differences are obvious:
|
God |
Man & Tradition |
| 7th Day Holy (Saturday) | 7th Day is not holy-Jesus and disciples changed the day of worship to the 1st day of the week. (Sunday) |
| Should not work for 24 hours | Should not work until after church |
| Reason for commandment: God is Creator | Reason for change: Jesus was resurrected on the first day of the week |
| The Lord blessed the day | Jesus and Disciples example make it holy. |
The reasons for the variance are typically expressed as follows:
1.) We worship on Sunday because this is the day Jesus arose.
2.) We worship on Sunday because the disciples worshiped on Sunday after the resurrection.
3.) There is no evidence the disciples worshiped or honored the Sabbath after Jesus was resurrected. The 4th commandment is not repeated in the New Testament.
4.) The disciples broke bread and took up an offering on the 1st Day of the week-This proves they were worshiping on the 1st day of the week.
5.) The Sabbath is for the Jews only.
6.) If you honor the Sabbath, you are legalistic and are trying to save yourself.
7) The calendar was changed. We don’t know which day is the 7th Day.
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Let’s take these one by one and see if there is biblical evidence to support any of these statements;
1.) We worship on Sunday because this is the day Jesus arose.
Reread the 4th commandment and you will see that there is nothing in the commandment about which day to worship. It does not say to Remember the 7th Day to worship……Worship can occur on any day. It is not limited to only one day a week.
The commandment is to “keep it holy” or set apart from the other days. You honor it by refraining from your normal activities of work. Of course worship is a good thing to do on the Sabbath.
We honor it because it signifies that God is the Creator.
It is true that Jesus arose on the first day of the week. But there is no evidence from Jesus that he commanded his disciples or anyone to re-write the 4th commandment. As our opening verse states, we are not to think that Jesus can to change the law. Not even the smallest letter of the law can be changed. Anyone who teaches otherwise is not in God’s will.
Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
1 John 2:7
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2.) We worship on Sunday because the disciples worshiped on Sunday after the resurrection.
Let’s start with the first Sunday after the resurrection. Were the disciples gathered together to worship because Jesus arose? No! They were together (except for Thomas), but it was because they were afraid of what the Jews might do to them. Also, they did not believe that Jesus had arose until the evening. Thomas didn’t believe Jesus had arose until 8 days later:
Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled,for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
John 20: 19
This was not a worship service. It was a fear service. Notice it was at night not an 11:00 AM worship service.
And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
John 20: 26-28
After 8 days. This would have been on what we call a Monday, the disciples were again inside. But this time they were believers. They told Thomas that they had seen the Lord! John 20:24. It was not until Thomas could see and touch the Lord himself that he would believe. When he did, he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!”
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3.) There is no evidence the disciples worshiped or honored the Sabbath after Jesus was resurrected. The 4th commandment is not repeated in the New Testament.
“But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.”
Acts 13:14
Paul and his party went to the synagogue and was asked to speak. In verse 16, Paul stood up and gave a quick sermon to both the “men of Israel” (Jews) and “those who fear God” (Gentile converts). The sermon was about how God had led his people and how the prophets wrote about Jesus, but the Jews who read the prophets every Sabbath crucified him (Verse 27, 28)
Many think that Paul only went to the synagogues on the Sabbath because this is where the Jews were and He could reach more of them. But remember, Paul considered, at least, a part of his calling was to be a teacher to gentiles:
“to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.”
2 Timothy 1:11
Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first (Jews); but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
Acts 13:46
When the service was over (As described above in Acts 13), the Gentiles wanted to hear more (Verse 42). In fact, they begged to hear more. It would have been very appropriate had the disciples been meeting on the 1st day of the week to simply ask them to meet with them the very next day. A response from a Sunday observing Paul would have went like this, “We now meet on the 1st day of the week in honor of the resurrection of Jesus. We are meeting tomorrow. Come to our worship service and we will talk and worship more then.”
That never happened. In fact, Here is what happened:
“Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.”
Acts 13: 43-44
Paul persuaded this “on-fire” group of non-Jewish (Gentile) audience to wait until the next Sabbath instead of the next day! This was written a long time after the resurrection of Jesus (Between 30 to 40 years). This was plenty of time for the disciples to set up a new day to honor in place of the Sabbath, but there is no indication at this point that a change had been instituted. Paul was still honoring the 4th commandment.
In another place we see Paul seeking a quite spot to pray on the Sabbath. He met with some of the women who were also meeting for prayer by the river. This is more inline with the purpose of the Sabbath i.e., to rest and seek God through prayer.
“And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.”
It was the habit of these women to meet at the river for prayer on the Sabbath. There is no indication Paul promoted a new day of worship or honor. In fact, he participated in the blessing of the Sabbath by seeking a quite spot to commune with God and pray with other believers.
Paul met Lydia who “worshiped God” and she received what Paul had to say about Jesus and was baptized. Again, no indication that Paul said the new day of worship and prayer was the 1st Day of the week.
Acts 16:13
Paul ministered to both Jews and Greeks on the Sabbath in the Synagogues:
It is important to know that both Jews and Gentiles who worshiped God also attended the synagogue on the Sabbath.
“And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.”
Acts 18: 4
There is no indication from the 9 verses mentioned in Acts that Paul or any of the disciples either worshiped on Sunday or encouraged new Christians to do so.
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4.) The disciples broke bread and took up an offering on the 1st Day of the week-This proves they were worshiping on the 1st day of the week
“Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.”
Acts 20:7
In this passage we find the only verse in Acts using the term “first day of the week.” It appears to be a worship service where the Lord’s supper is being taken.
But, let’s look closely at the purpose of this meeting and why it occurred on the first day of the week. Also, let’s examine the breaking of the bread.
Paul had a long journey to Miletus. The first part of the trip was a walk to where the ship would depart. He would leave, therefore, when the sun was up. Paul spoke until midnight.
Notice that they met at night
“There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together.”
Acts 20: 8
Since there were many lights in the upper room, we can deduct it was night time. Was it Sunday (1st-Day) night or Saturday night (7th Day)? It was the dark part of the First Day of the Week (Sunday), but it is what we would call Saturday night today.
Some versions of the Bible understand this and call it a Saturday night service so the reader will translate the time to how we understand the changing of the day:
On Saturday evening we gathered together for the fellowship meal. Paul spoke to the people and kept on speaking until midnight, since he was going to leave the next day.
Acts 20:7 (Good News Translation)
A young man sitting in the window fell asleep and fell out of the window and died! But, Paul went down and brought him back to life fully healed. They then went back upstairs and ate and talked until day break.
At day break, he began his travels by foot (verse 11). If Sunday morning was the time the Christians set apart for worship, Paul must have skipped church.
Instead, Paul rested the entire Sabbath and then he talked with the disciples for a long time knowing it would be some time before they saw each other again. He left when the sun came up on a Sunday morning for his trip.
Was the breaking of the bread the Lord’s supper? There is no indication that it is. The breaking of bread can simply mean eating together:
So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
Acts 2:46
There are no directions from example or teaching that the Lord’s Supper was to be done only on the 1st Day of the Week. It can be taken any time as indicated by Paul’s statement:
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”
1 Corinthians 11:26
In conclusion, this was not a Sunday morning worship service with the Lord’s supper. It was simply the disciples getting together on what we call Saturday night (after the Sabbath had ended and they had rested) before Paul took his journey.
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Often, people will use the following verse to attempt to show that the disciples took up an offering at a church service on the first day of the week, therefore they are worshiping and honoring the 1st day of the week. Let’s read it carefully.
“Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.”
1 Corinthians 16: 1-4
“This collection for the saints” was for those who were experiencing tough times in Jerusalem. Paul’s “orders” were simple. If you were a believer at that time and wanted to follow Paul’s instructions, you would do the following:
1.) Determine how God had prospered you and decided what you were going to give to the saints.
2.) Once you have determined what you are going to give i.e., clothes, food, sheep, etc. you would “lay it aside” and “store it.” Where were you to store it? It was to be “by him” or at the home.
3.) The reason to determine what, how much, and then set it aside was for the purpose of efficiency so that there would not be running around to gather the offerings that would create confusion when Paul came to take it back with him (or send it by someone else)….“that there be no gatherings when I come.”
So, this was not a passing around of the offering plate in a Sunday worship service. In fact, there is no hint of a worship service at all in this verse.
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5.) The Sabbath is for the Jews only.
Abraham is the father of the Jews. He was born many generations after creation. It was at creation (long before there was ever a Jew) when God instituted the Sabbath. Adam and Eve (non-Jews) were blessed to spend their first full day with God enjoying communion with Him and admiring the works of His hands.
This is a wonderful way to honor God’s 4th commandment. Cease from the usual activities and spend it with God at church and in communion with Him. Also, admiring the works of his hands in nature with other people who worship the great Creator.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”
Genesis 2: 1-3
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Jesus created the Sabbath and proclaims himself to be Lord of the Sabbath. He made it for man (not just the Jews)
“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
John 1:3
“And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath”
Mark 2:27
The Sabbath was designed to bless man and help him recover from the work of the previous 6 days. The religious leaders of Jesus day had turned the Sabbath into a burden. Jesus tells them that they are not servants to the man-made laws about the Sabbath. It is a day He made to bless man.
“Then Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.’”
Luke 6:5
This is the “Lord’s Day” a term often used for Sunday. But if Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, which day is the Lord’s day? The Sabbath! How can it be read any other way?
This blessing of the Lord’s Day continues for a full day, not just a few hours at church.
“…from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath.
Leviticus 23:32
We know that the Sabbath begins at the going down of the sun from this verse, but also from the account of creation where we hear this term over and over as God goes about of his work of creation:
“”And the evening and the morning were the…” first day, second day, third day, etc. (See Genesis 1 : 5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31)
The setting of the sun for the evening comes first. Then the sun comes up and the day continues until the sun sets and then the daily cycle begins again.
The women who were going to prepare the body of Jesus for burial “rested according to the commandment” after observing his body late on the “Preparation Day” (Friday). As the sun was going down, they rested (because the new day of the Sabbath was about to begin). They intended to come back the next day (Sunday or 1st day) when they could see, which would be early on Sunday morning
It was Preparation Day (Friday), and the Sabbath (Saturday) was about to begin.
The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.
Luke 23: 54-56
Jesus died “the ninth hour” or about 3:00 PM on Friday. So he disciples had only a few hours to take his body down from the cross and prepare spices and perfumes before the Sabbath began at sunset. They then rested “on the Sabbath n obedience to the commandment.”
The Sabbath was meant to be a time to bless man, but we have ignored it and went our own way ignoring the commandment rather than “remembering” the Sabbath.
I have honored the Sabbath and received of God’s promised blessing on this day for almost 38 years. My wife and children look forward to this time as a blessed opportunity to focus less on the world and more on community worship, reading of the Bible, and listening to music that soothes the soul. Try it sometime.
When the sun sets on Friday, turn off the TVs and turn on some soft music. Take time to rest the mind, body, and soul. You will find you have time to read the Bible and talk with your family without the interference of TV and other devices. Spend time out doors admiring the creation of God. It will change you. You relationship with God will grow! At first you might find it difficult and feel like you are wasting time, but as you make it a routine of worship, you will find you and your family drawing closer to your Creator and it will revive you physically and emotionally. You will feel better. Remember, it was made for you!
“If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath,
From doing your pleasure on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a delight,
The holy day of the Lord honorable,
And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways,
Nor finding your own pleasure,
Nor speaking your own words,
Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord;
And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 58: 13-14
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6.) If you honor the Sabbath, you are legalistic and are trying to save yourself.
As I mentioned above, I hope the series “Is Obedience Only for the Legalistic?” demonstrated that honoring the Sabbath is legalistic only if you make it so. However, the Sabbath was made to be a blessing, not a listing of things to do or not-to-do. The Scribes and The Pharisees turned it into such and made it a burden rather than a blessing. A person is not saved by honoring the Sabbath. It is done out a born-again heart of love for their Creator.
The Sabbath is like an appointed time or “date” with the Lord each week. An unconverted heart will make this time unbearable and legalistic. Of course, unbelievers will completely ignore it. But if a person who loves the Lord, they will find it to be “a delight.”
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7) The calendar was changed. We don’t know which day is the 7th Day.
The “lost day” argument is usually the the last attempt to destroy the 4th commandment.
True, the calendar has been changed, but the 7 day cycle has never been changed. The 1st day has always preceded the 2nd day and the 2nd day has always preceded the 3rd day, etc.
When the Julian calendar was changed to the Gregorian calender the number of the month was changed, but not the order or name of the week.
Wednesday, September the 2nd was followed by Thursday, September the 14th, then came Friday, September the 15th and so on.
This was done to get the calendar in sync with the the rotation timing of the earth around the sun. But the Sabbath has always been the 7th day.
In many languages the Sabbath is identified as such rather than its Pagan counter-part named after Saturn’s day i.e.,Saturday. Here are just a few:
Arabic: Sabet
Armenian: Shabat
Bosnian: Subota
Bulgarian: Sabota
Italian: Sabato
Latin: Sabbatum
Spanish: Sabado
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Just as God promises a blessing for faith tithing, he promises a blessing for honoring the day he blessed after the creation of the world. He has given you life and desires to give you good gifts even as a father would want to do so.
If you are going to church on Sunday, there is nothing wrong with that. A person can worship and go to church any time they desire. Worship is not limited to a particular day.
But, if you want to experience the blessing God has placed on His day….The Lord’s day….try honoring his commandment which is not just a commandment from God, but an invitation to be blessed. This makes this commandment so different than the others.
When the Lord makes a new heaven and a new earth, Sabbath will continue to be honored:
“…as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.
And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.“
Isaiah 66:22-23
If you want to learn more about how to honor the Sabbath, click here.