Adventists are the exception. Who decided to change the instructions in the bible to have the seventh day as the sabbath? Sunday is the first day of the week. Seems to be a direct repudiation of God's specific instruction.
2006-09-09 06:15:37 · 32 answers · asked by JB 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I'm looking for serious answers, preferably from churchgoers.
From wikipedia:
". . .the three monotheist religions are in agreement that Sunday is the first day of the week."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Week#Days_of_the_week
2006-09-09 06:27:27 · update #1
I am an Adventist Who worships on the Sabbath(Saturday)
"Why do Christians worship on Sunday"
There are 12 main reasons why. I will address them below using the Bible.
1) "Sunday is the New Sabbath."
There is NO scripture that calls Sunday the New Sabbath. The only Sabbath Day is Saturday Exodus 20:8
2)"The Sabbath was made for the Jews, it is only part of their law"
The Sabbath was made more than 2000 yrs before the Jews, it was part of creation Genesis 2:1-3
3)"We don't worship on the Sabbath we worship on the "Lord's Day"... Sunday"
The ONLY day called the Lord's day in the Bible is the Sabbath Day(Saturday) Exodus 20:8, Isa 58:13,14. Please produce the verse that calls Sunday the Lord's Day.
4)"The early church changed it."
People usually then quote Acts 20:7 because it says they "broke bread" on the first day... meaning communion. But if they read Acts chapter 2 it says they broke bread everyday, breaking bread means eating. I can produce 7 verses where Jesus kept the Sabbath, 6 obvious verses where the early church (Apostles, Jews AND the GENTILES) met on Sabbath to worship compared to only one ambiguous text for Sunday. The weight of the evidence is for Sabbath(Saturday) worship.
5)"Jesus did away with they law on the cross."
Many things are wrong wtih this
A)There are 2 laws, Moral and Ceremonial. The Sabbath is part of the moral law.
B)Jesus says in Matthew 5 that he did not come to destroy the law.
C)They keep the others the ONLY commandment ignored and discarded starts with "REMEMBER", maybe God knew people would forget it.
D)The ONLY laws done away with were the levitical(ceremonial laws). Col 2:14. The Sabbath day is not part of the ceremonial law... it is part of the moral law.
E)"Sin is the transgression of the law" - 1 John 3:4
"Where there is no law there is no sin" Romans 4:15
If there is no sin then Jesus didn't die for you, because you did not sin.
F) since the law is gone can we now kill and steal and commit adultery, and worship other gods, can we disrespect our parents, or worship idols? No? then why are you trying to do away with the only one that starts off with "REMEMBER".
G) Paul in Romans says we are to uphold the Law
6)"It doesn't matter" or "We can't tell which day is the Sabbath
The commandment doesn't say pick a 7th day it says THE 7th Day is the Sabbath. The Jews in Edodus 16 said it doesnt "matter which day" and God told them it does matter, and we know which day is the Sabbath the Jews have kept it for thousands of years.
7)"We are under the New covenant"
Hebrews 8:7-12 says
For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the PEOPLE and said "The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because THEY DID NOT REMAIN FAITHFUL TO MY COVENANT, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.
The Old Covenant- the people failed to keep the 10 commandments “They said we will do it” Exodus 19:8 and they failed
The problem with the Old covenant was the people failed to keep the law. There was NOTHING wrong with the law.
New Covenant - written on the heart. It says nothing about new laws it is the SAME law written on the heart
The Old Covenant was based on the people, God says “If you will...then I will” Exodus 19:5
The New Covenant is based on God, God says “I will and I will”
The New covenant is the SAME law
8)"We don't have to keep the law anymore we are under grace"
A)Jesus says "If you love me KEEP my commandments" John 14:15
B)"Do we make void the law through faith, God forbid! we establish the law." Romans 3:31
C)Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which KEEP the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that KEEP the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that DO his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
The people in Heaven keep the commandments of God
9)"Jesus broke the Sabbath"
If this is so then Jesus sinned 1John 3:4, but Jesus kept the commandments John 17:10
Jesus did not break the Sabbath, He broke the man-made traditions the Pharisees, NOT GOD, put on the Sabbath.
10) "My boss wants me to work, if i don't I will lose my job"
Shadrach, Meshack & Abed-Nego's boss wanted them to break God's commands and worship an idol or they would lose their jobs AND their lives. yet they followed God and God protected them. Millions of people died because they would rather make God happy than men.
"We ought to obey God rather than men" Acts 5:29.
11) Sunday is the Seventh Day
In Luke 23-24 it says that Jesus rose the day following the Sabbath. If Sunday is the Sabbath then what you are saying is Jesus rose on Easter Monday.
12) We worship God everyday
So did Peter, James, John and Paul, Moses talked to God face to face, Daniel prayed 3 times a day EVERYDAY, but they all celebrated Sabbath every week on the seventh day ...Saturday. The argument that "We worship everyday" is a last ditch effort when people realize they have no scripture to back up disobeying God. It is an attempt to sound Holier than though while willfully disobeying God's command.
"The times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent."
Acts17:30
The following is an explanation of the Sabbath
This is a VERY IMPORTANT subject I know it is long, but PLEASE read it
A challenge, where in the Bible does it call Sunday the New Sabbath?
search the scriptures you will not find it
Was the Sabbath created by God on Mt. Sinai?
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.
Genesis 2:2,3
The Sabbath was part of creation week
What does the Bible say about the Sabbath?
“ 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
But we don’t really know which day is the seventh?
It is highly unlikely that the entire Jewish community forgot which day was their Holy day.
Which day is the seventh day?
Saturday : the seventh day of the week
-Webster’s Dictionary
Are there other examples of God emphasizing the Sabbath?
He said to them, "This is what the LORD commanded: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. Exodus 16:23
And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See, for that the LORD hath given you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day. Exodus 16:28-30
Both of these examples are before Mt. Sinai and the 10 commandments.
Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. Exodus 30:13
I am a Christian and I want to follow Christ. Did Jesus keep the Sabbath?
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. Luke 4:16
Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" Matthew 12:9,10
They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. Mark 1:21
When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. Mark 6:2
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. Luke 4:16
Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. Luke 4:31
On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues Luke 13:10
But isn’t Sunday the Lord’s day?
Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. Exodus 20:8
If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
Isa 58:14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. Isa 58:13,14
For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. Matthew 28:8
So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. Mark 1:21
Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." Luke 6:5
Did Jesus expect his followers to keep the Sabbath after he ascended into heaven?
Jesus speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D.
Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. Matthew 24:20
Did the apostles keep the Sabbath?
Acts 13:14
Acts 13:42
Acts 13:44
Acts 16:13
Acts 17:2
Acts 18:4
But Doesn’t Col 2:14 say that the Sabbath is gone?
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross
According to this theory then we can commit adultery and murder and steal and worship idols etc.
Is that what Paul means? No!
There are two laws the 10 commandments written by God placed in the Ark and the handwritten law of Moses which was placed outside the ark which “was a witness against us” Deuteronomy 31:25.
But what about I Corinthians 16:2 “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.”?
This verse says nothing about worship. What it is talking about is collecting money to distribute in Jerusalem (vs. 3)
If we look at Acts 18 Paul went to Corinth to build the Church
Acts 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
Acts 18:11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
That is 72 Sabbaths.
But I thought the Gentiles went to Church on Sunday?
Acts 13:42
Acts 17:1-4
Acts 18
Doesn’t Roman’s say we can worship any day?
Rom 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Rom 14:6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
If you look ate the book of Zechariah you see what Paul was talking about
Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying, Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? Zechariah 7:4,5
Paul is talking about observing days of Fasts
Let’s think about this is Paul telling people to violate the commandments if Paul had said Rom 14:6 He that kills, kills unto the Lord; and he that kills not, to the Lord he doth not kills.
People would say "That’s crazy you can’t commit murder that’s a moral law, Paul must mean something else." Many people justify breaking the Sabbath because they view all the other laws as more important, and the Sabbath as a minor law. They use this philosophy to justify outright rebellion against God and his law
Didn’t Jesus gave us new laws, Love God and love your neighbor?
These are not new laws they summarize the 10 commandments the first 4 deal with your love for God and the last 6 deal with your love for man. In addition these are not new laws
Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Leviticus 19:18 'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD
But aren’t we under Grace now?
“What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law but grace? God forbid” Romans 6:15
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. Romans7:7
Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. Romans 3:31
Is there anywhere in The Bible that says to keep Sunday Holy?
No, The scripture can not be found.
Are we saved by the Law?
NO!! Absolutely NOT!!
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8,9
“What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law but grace? God forbid” Romans 6:15
Will we keep the Sabbath in Heaven?
For 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.
Did the calendar change effect the weekly cycle?
No
Thursday, October 4, 1582 was followed by Friday October 15
Did the calendar change? Yes. Did the weekly Cycle change? NO!
Who changed the Sabbath to Sunday
“The earliest recognition of the observance of Sunday, is a constitution of Constantine in 321 A.D.” Encyclopedia Brittanica
Emperor Constantine worshiped the sun god Sol invictis (the undefeated sun) on Sunday and decided to mix pagan worship with Christianity, the question is since when did Pagan monarchs decide Bible truth?
The only commandment that people want to do away with is the only one that starts with Remember.
Is it a burden to keep Sabbath Holy?
No, it is however a burden to MAKE Sunday, which is no where in the Bible called the Sabbath, Holy.
No where in the Bible did Jesus or the Disciples instruct anyone to keep Sunday Holy.
If God created it perfect in the Garden of Eden, Moses and the Israelites kept it, If God commanded us to keep it, God says to take joy in the Sabbath, He is upset when we don’t keep it, Jesus kept it, the disciples kept and taught others to keep it, and we are going to keep it in Heaven shouldn’t we start keeping it here on Earth?
What do ministers of the different Faiths say?
Presbyterian:
“Until, therefore, it can be shown that the whole moral law has been repealed, the Sabbath will stand… The teaching of Christ confirms the perpetuity of the Sabbath” - T.C. Blake D.D. Theology Condensed
Catholic:
“You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day we never sanctify.” - James Cardinal Gibbons
Catholic:
“Perhaps the boldest thing, the most revolutionary change the Church ever did happened in the first century(actually 200yrs later). The holy day, the Sabbath , was changed from Saturday to Sunday… not from any directions noted in the Scriptures, but from the Church’s sense of its own power… People who think that the Scriptures should be the sole authority should logically become Seventh Day Adventists, and keep Saturday holy.” –Saint Catherine Catholic Church Sentinel, May 21. 1995
Baptists:
“There was and is a commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that Sabbath was not Sunday. … It will be said, however, and with some show of triumph, that the Sabbath was transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week… Where can the record of such a transaction be found? Not in the New Testament- absolutely not. There is no scriptural evidence of the change of the Sabbath institution from the seventh to the first day of the week.”- Dr. Edward T. Hiscox, Baptist Manual
Pentecostal:
“Why do we worship on Sunday? Doesn’t the Bible teach us that Saturday should be the Lord’s Day?... Apparently we will have to seek the answer from some other source than the New Testament.” David A Womack, “Is Sunday the Lord’s Day?”
Lutheran:
“The observance of the Lord’s day [Sunday] is founded not on any command of God, but on the authority of the church.” – Augsburg Confession of Faith,
check out this video
http://www.bibleuniversity.com/Video/CourseID2/NR07.asx
2006-09-09 07:25:11 · answer #1 · answered by Conundrum 4 · 5⤊ 0⤋
The roman catholics changed the day of worship to sunday around the third century. It was done to show their power on earth. This is directly from their own history and the leadership of that cult openly admits it. The popes have taught that any otherv "religions" which claim a fundamental belief in The Bible should keep the Saturday Sabbath, as The fourth commandment has never been voided by God.
While I do not go along with the Seventh Day Adventists in most of their ways. they do have valid information on this subject. They have info they give out on it but you have to watch out for the rest of their propoganda.
The Sabbath instituted by God is from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday.
When the Protestants split from the RC cult they kept the sunday business but had to make up new doctrin to justify it.
2006-09-09 06:31:09 · answer #2 · answered by IdahoMike 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I worship every day of the week, however I observe the Sabbath on the seventh day as God commanded. The arrangement of the days of the week has never been changed since at least the first century AD. The day we now call Saturday is the day that Yeshua observed as the Sabbath, so that's what I do too.
-yk, a non-adventist, Messianic believer
2006-09-09 06:21:21 · answer #3 · answered by Yaakov 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I agree with you Sunday is the first day of the week and Saturday is the true sabbath Gods day of rest. Yes we all worship god on any day we want but the Bible says the seventh day [ Saturday ] is the day God set a side for us to rest on.
The Adventists and Jews have it right and I truly belive this.
2006-09-09 06:34:42 · answer #4 · answered by Old School 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It's not a Christian agenda it is a social agenda that writes the calendar beginning with Sunday.
Compare a calendar of the US with a calendar of say...Germany. There are Christians in Germany......isn't there?
A lot of people world wide celebrate Sunday as the most important day of the week and therefore in their minds should be first. Whereas others feel that because the bible listed the day of rest (sunday) as the last day that was created it should follow the same progression and be the last day of the week.
Don't blame the Christians...blame the Romans and the Caesars, and the Kings and the inability to demand the same protocols for every publication in the world.
2006-09-09 06:19:58 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Sunday IS the last day of the week. The arrangement was changed around sometime back in the 1400's by some king (don't know the specifics). Why do you think Saturday and Sunday are called the weekEND?
2006-09-09 06:18:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
There are some Christians who continue to observe the sabbath for worship: The Seventh Day Adventists and Seventh Day Baptists. I'm sure there are some Messianic Jews who keep the sabbath although they have converted to Christianity.
The Bible says that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. Early Christians started meeting on the first day of the week to celebrate His resurrection and for the breaking of bread, fellowship and prayer.
Now that we are under the dispensation of grace and not the Law, I personally don't think it matters what day one chooses to set aside for worship. In fact, we should have an attitude of obedience and worship every day of the week.
2006-09-09 06:29:27 · answer #7 · answered by freedomnow1950 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
i worship every day.. not just sundays, which is why i think "christians" pigeonhole God...thye worship on Sundays only and act like heathens the rest of the week, or act judgemental, the rest of the week. But that has been my dealings. I have rarely met any christians that have truely followed the Bible. Most i have met do the following: (they gossip,lie,cheat,manipulate,beat their kids,molest them,judge others,give help need to underprivledged ppl only on conditions,and do alot of other stuff and still say they love God. i don't do organized religion,is my comment. In other words,I love God all days of the week,and i don't go to church,i sing at home,I love God at home,i worship,at home,and i read the Bible,u guessed it! at home.
2006-09-09 06:25:37 · answer #8 · answered by Dragonflygirl 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Being a true Xtian means to live your life everyday for your beliefs. When I was young, many many years ago, Sunday was the last day of the week and the the day everyone went to Church. "On the 7th day God rested" was the reasoning. I suspect other parts of the world consider Saturday to be the end but here in the USA it isn't.
2006-09-09 06:20:58 · answer #9 · answered by pleeks 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Who gave the days numbers anyway? Sunday per se is neither the first or the last day of the week, but the day of the SUN -- calendars still remain pagan references. The Great Spirit never sleeps and doesn't count days so go ahead and worship whenever you feel the urge.
2006-09-09 06:53:33 · answer #10 · answered by jlbackstop 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It's not the day that matters brother, it's the meaning behind it.
We love God just as much on Sunday as Jews and Adventists do on Saturday.
2006-09-09 06:18:01 · answer #11 · answered by Tofu Jesus 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋