Why Sunday??

Question

Christians hold that Sunday is the Sabbath. Allegedly God created the heavens and the Earth in six days, resting on the seventh. The connection between creation and Sabbath is a clear one. HOWEVER, how does one know that God started His work on a Monday?

What if he started on a Thursday? Does that mean that the Sabbath would be a Wednesday?

How does any Christian know - with any great certainty - on what day of the week that Sabbath should fall?

This is a serious question (for those who would bash me for asking such a question).

Thanks in advance for your serious responses.

Many of you whom have already responded are missing the point:

1). The bible is subject to interpretation. Although many of you have ATTEMPTED to cite Sunday as the sabbath, your assertions are incorrect because it could not have possibly named "Sunday" as THE day.
2). Is there any DEFINITITVE proof of Sunday as a Sabbath? Or even Saturday for that matter?

So far, I think only "justwondering" has understood the question.

Answer 1

Just pick one day out of seven, doesn't matter which one.

Answer 2

Is there any DEFINITITVE proof of Sunday as a Sabbath? Or even Saturday for that matter? No, there is no DEFINITITVE proof of ANY day of the Western week being the Jewish Sabbath (see below). Paul taught that it doesn't matter (also below).

Actually, the Jewish Sabbath does not fall on any fixed day of the week. The Jews go by a lunar calendar, while the Romans (Westerners) go by a solar calendar. So the Jewish Sabbath moves around (some months it is on a Tuesday, some months it is on a Friday, etc.). Since most Jews normally live in a Western country that goes by the Gregorian calendar, then they assume that the Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday night (our calendar) and ends at sundown Saturday, for convenience (so that Sabbath observance does not interfere with work).

The Apostle Paul taught that calling any day of the week the Sabbath is fine (See Romans chapter 14, for example). Churches actually meet on the FIRST day of the Gregorian week (Sunday) because Jesus rose from the dead on the FIRST day of the week.

See Romans 14:5-23; Colossians 2:16-22; and Galatians 4:9-11, for examples of Paul's teaching that it does not matter what day that you call the "Sabbath".

Answer 3

Excellent question for I myself also pondered the exact same subject of the Sabbath. If you do your research you will find that the ancient Jews considered and observed Saturday as the Sabbath. If you are struggling with history and the question of what day was the Sabbath consider this, our modern calendar says that Saturday is the last day of the week and according to God's word we should rest and keep the "last day of the week" holy for it is one of the ten commandments. Most modern day Christians worship on Sunday because it is the day Christ was resurrected, but the Bible makes no mention that the Sabbath changed to the first day of the week. The Bible clearly establishes that the Sabbath is the last day of the week and for those in doubt of this just read Hebrews 4. I am truly convicted that Saturday being the last day of the week, is the true day of the Sabbath and we are still to observe it just as the Lord commanded. I hope this helped you brother.

Answer 4

It seems like everybody is adding a little bit to the puzzle. I guess you would first need to determine at what point in the Ancient Near East was a calendar of a year determined and how was that calendar divided. Then you would have to study and see how accurate that calendar was. In scripture. The Sabbath Day was the seventh day of the week which at that time was pretty well established as what we would call "Saturday" because of the Greco-Roman calendar which we use even now. Jews continued the practice of worship on Saturday and so did the earliest Christians who were Jews. It would be natural to continue their practice. However, within the writing of the book of Acts and 1 Cor. both dating within the first century it is clear that Christians began meeting on Sunday. This was to commemorate the resurrection and to possibly avoid conflict with worshipping in their synagogues on Friday and Saturday mornings. Extrabiblical writings such as the Roman letter of Pliny also suggest that early Christians met to break bread and worship on a fixed day. So, Christians do seem to have assembled on Sunday from an early period. This does not mean Sunday HAS to be the day, I mean, a group of believers can worship whenever it desires, but Sunday has special significance and is a carry over from the Jewish Practice of the Sabbath.

Answer 5

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 2:2-3

Which day is the Sabbath?
"The seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God." Exodus 20:10. "And when the sabbath was past, ...very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre." Mark 16:1,2.

The Sabbath is not the first day of the week (Sunday), as many believe, but the seventh day (Saturday). Notice from the above Scripture that the Sabbath is the day that comes just before the first day of the week.

From that day to the present, the knowledge of God's law has been preserved in the earth, and the Sabbath of the fourth commandment has been kept. Though the "man of sin" succeeded in trampling under foot God's holy day, yet even in the period of his supremacy there were, hidden in secret places, faithful souls who paid it honor. Since the Reformation, there have been some in every generation to maintain its observance. Though often in the midst of reproach and persecution, a constant testimony has been borne to the perpetuity of the law of God, and the sacred obligation of the creation Sabbath.

Answer 6

Most Christians and Jews believe the sabbath is saturday. The latin languages even get the name for saturday from the same root word as sabbath. The important thing is that you have 1 day of rest every seven and REMEMBER the sabbath. the rest is just legality

Answer 7

Moses spoke face to face with God for 40 years, God would straighten the poor guy out if he was wrong and if it was important to stick with Saturday as the day of Creation

In any case Christians do not claim Sunday is the day of creation, but the day of re-creation

some Christians meet on Saturday and I do not consider it an essential whichever way a person should try and live up teir their best concience

The arguments for Sunday celebration meeting are fairly strong

-Jesus was seen resurected on Sunday
-Jesus appeared a week later on Sunday
-The Holy Spirit came on Sunday
-by example Apostels took offerings on Sunday
-by example Paul spoke on a Sunday, in Acts when Eutichus fell outta the window
Revelation the last word in the Bible given on Sunday

so Sunday was not arbitrarily chosen
but in my view not an essential, God looks on the heart moreso than the calender

Answer 8

The Jewish Holy Days are from Friday at sundown to Saturday evening. The Christians hold Sunday holy. So what IS the importance of a holy day? In Christian based countries, Sunday is expected to be the holy day but workers have not become a 24/7 activity...so does it make any difference at all? I grew up where everything was closed on Sunday...not any more.

Answer 9

Well, throughout the Bible the Sabbath was a Saturday - the day Jesus died, they hurried to get his body off the cross so they could prepare for the Sabbath that was starting at sundown.

Christians have come to worship and rest on Sunday because of its significance to their faith. Sunday was, after all, resurrection day - the day Christ came back from the dead. And what better day to worship God and to give thanks for the sacrifice of his Son than on resurrection day?

Answer 10

Even some Christians consider Saturday the Sabbath day. What is important is that God is honored to commemorate the day that God rested.

Answer 11

The switch to Sunday from Saturday came shortly after Jesus' resurrection. His followers began to observe the "first day of the week" (the first day after the seventh day sabbath) because that was the day of resurrection. Technically, the sabbath remains Saturday--it is the "seventh day." Christianity honors the "first day."