Why Do Most Christians Consider Sunday As The Sabbath Instead of Saturday?

Question

The bible explains that the sabbath is the seventh day. The seventh day is Saturday. How, when and why did this change to Sunday?

RECOGNIZING THE PROPER DAY AS THE SABBATH HAS GOT TO BE IMPORTANT SINCE GOD DID MAKE IT A COMMANDMENT.

Answer 1

There are 12 reasons why people worship on Sunday but NONE are Biblical. Below I will describe them It may be a little long.

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.

The first person to say "It doesn't matter how we worship God" is Cain. Cain said "it doesn't matter how we worship God as long as we give something." Was he right?

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) 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.

H) "Jesus fulfilled the Law so it was moved out of the way." lets read Matthew 5:17 "Do not think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I came, not to destroy, but to Move them out of the Way." that is the same thig as destroy.

When John did not feel worthy to baptize Jesus, Jesus told him "suffer it to be so that we may fullfill all righteousness". So what Jesus meant is suffer it to be so that we may "move all righteousnes out of the way."

It does not add up especially since the very first words out of Jesus Mouth are "DO NOT THINK THAT I HAVE COME TO DESTROY THE LAW."

"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we ESTABLISH the law." Romans 3:31

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 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 Romans 14 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,


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http://www.mostamazingprophecies.com/portals/6/mapmedia/map_.asx

Answer 2

It was changed after Christ was resurrected on a Sunday. As Christianity grew, it was originally considered just a sect of Judaism, not it's own religion. However, as Christians began to experience more and more "flak" from non-messianic Jews, they could no longer meet on Saturdays in synagogues, as they had been in the habit of doing early on.

So, Believers began to meet EVERY SINGLE day! As this practice tapered off, they realised they needed to focus on one specific day when an entire group could meet at the same time.

During this time, there was a very large division that almost split and killed the Christian faith. About half the Christians of the day started teaching that new converts had to become Jews (be circumcised, keep dietary laws, holy days, etc), with the other half saying that was not necessary. The church eventually sided with the second group, and as a further way to demonstrate their beliefs that Christians did not have to become Jews, they began to meet on Sundays, rather than Saturdays.
^(This entire controversy can be read about in the book of Acts)^

Christians believe that a Sabbath should be kept, but that it doesn't matter what day of the week it is. It could Tuesday if someone wanted it to be. The important thing is to practice the principles of shabbat one day a week.

Answer 3

The Sabbath Law is not binding upon Christians. Colossians 2:16,17: "Let no man judge you in eating and drinking or in respect of a festival or an observance of the new moon or of a sabbath; for those things are a shadow of the things to come, but the reality belongs to the Christ." Jesus fulfilled the Law so it was moved out of the way. Matthew 5:17 states: "Do not think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I came, not to destroy, but to fulfill." Romans 10:4 says: "Christ is the end of the Law." Also, read Galatians 5:13,14.

Answer 4

Unsure. But you have to keep in mind that the modern world switched over to the Julien calender I believe after the time of christ. It shouldn't really matter what day as long as you set a side a day dedicated to the lord. In the new testament, Jesus said that the sabbath was made for man, not the man for the sabbath.

Answer 5

Many call Sunday the Sabbath because Jesus arose from the dead on that day.

Other people still call Saturday the Sabbath and Sunday they say it the Lord's Day.

Answer 6

I'm a christian and at my church we consider sunday as the 1st day of the week and Saturday as the Sabbath.

Answer 7

Sunday became the official Christian day of rest and worship by the authority of the universal new covenant church, which Jesus personally founded, and to which he gave virtually unlimited authority and power.

The new realities of the new covenant changed everything, and since the old law never saved anyone, why be concerned with its' passing?

Answer 8

Because every since the begining of religion everyone has change what the bible(s) actually said and now everything is all turned *** backwards and no one knows what religion is actually true. Thats just humans for you.

Answer 9

It not the Sabbath its the day chosen in which we worship the King ...Which can and should be done every day

Answer 10

Probably has some kind of historical signifigance by trying to do things differently then the Jews when Chrisianity first started.

Answer 11

Because the priest told them that lie.