Witnesses of Jehovah, can you help me on the matter of the sabbath?

Question

I think the Seventh Day Adventists follow this commandment, but I don't understand some of their other beliefs. I have studied with Witnesses, and I understand most of it, but why is the sabbath not kept? The Bible doesn't say anything about it being OK not to keep it, or to change it to Sunday.

Answer 1

We find the first Scriptural mention of a sabbath in the book of Exodus. While the Israelites were in the desert, they received manna, a miraculous food, from Jehovah. Each sixth day of the week, they were to gather a double portion because the seventh day was to be “a sabbath to Jehovah,” during which all work was forbidden.—Exodus 16:4, 5, 22-25.

Moreover, Israelites were given the Sabbath to remind them that they had been slaves in the land of Egypt. This reminder would have been of little significance if they had previously respected such a law. Therefore, the regulations governing the Sabbath were given to Israel alone.—Deuteronomy 5:2, 3, 12-15.

Many of these man-made restrictions were in force in Jesus’ day. Thus, religious leaders reproached his disciples for having plucked heads of grain to eat as they were passing through grainfields. They were accused of breaking the Sabbath—plucking grain was considered reaping, and rubbing it was viewed as milling or grinding. Jesus denounced their extreme views on several occasions, for they misrepresented the spirit of Jehovah’s law.—Matthew 12:1-8; Luke 13:10-17; 14:1-6; John 5:1-16; 9:1-16.

Centuries after, several Church Fathers, and Augustine in particular, rightly declared that the Sabbath was a temporary arrangement reserved for the Jews. So doing, those Church Fathers simply adopted what the Christian Greek Scriptures explain, namely, that the Sabbath is an integral part of the Law covenant that was abolished by Jesus’ sacrifice.—Romans 6:14; 7:6; 10:4; Galatians 3:10-14, 24, 25.

In the contemporary Vocabulaire biblique, Protestant theologian Oscar Cullmann is quoted as admitting that “because Jesus came, died, and was resurrected, O[ld] T[estament] festivals have now been fulfilled, and to maintain them ‘means reverting back to the old covenant, as if Christ had never come.’” Having considered this valid point, is it possible to justify compulsory Sabbath observance?

.Rom. 7:6, 7: “Now we have been discharged from the Law, because we have died to that by which we were being held fast . . . What, then, shall we say? Is the Law sin? Never may that become so! Really I would not have come to know sin if it had not been for the Law; and, for example, I would not have known covetousness if the Law had not said: ‘You must not covet.’”
(Here, immediately after writing that Jewish Christians had been “discharged from the Law,” what example from the Law does Paul cite? The Tenth Commandment, thus showing that it was included in the Law from which they had been discharged.)

Ciao

Answer 2

The death of Christ brought an end to the Law covenant. Many of the apostle Paul's letters deal with the issue of whether Christians should keep the Law and the Sabbath. Paul showed that Christians were not required to observe the Sabbath.

But, in the 15th chapter of Acts the older men of the congregation held a counsel to discuss the issue, and they ruled that certain features of the Law were still binding; namely, avoiding fornication, idolatry, and abstaining from blood.

Nowhere did the Jerusalem counsel advise that Christians should observe the weekly Sabbath.

Answer 3

The SDA are a cult that taught much of the Watchtower teaching to them. Let me tell you that I am a witness of Jesus and not of Jehovah.
The Sabbath is a whole big topic. Suffice it to say that the SDA tell you that sunday worship is "the mark of of the Beast" and is enough to get you not saved. Of course, this is not true that Sunday worship is a mark of the beast. That doesn't stop the SDA from saying it.
If you prefer something in print, then have a look at "BEWARE THIS CULT" by a doctor in Oshawa. It is an eye opening book!
There is information about the SDA and the "Sunday Law" out there. Go to www.firefighters.org and get the sermons from Mark Easton and Wallace Slattery. They will help you to understand this group.

Answer 4

The bible does not say whether the sabbath is Saturday or Sunday. The sabbath is the seventh day and if you want to know which day is the seventh you'd have to know which was the first. We'd don't.

Answer 5

Keeping the Sabbath (Saturday to be holy) was part of the law, which was nailed to the torture stake along with the rest of the written laws.

Hebrews chapter 4 talks about Christians entering into Jehovah's Sabbath (the 7th creation day of rest).

This Sabbath is the rest from having to earn Salvation.
The Jew's hope of salvation was based on living and keeping all the laws Moses handed down.

As Christians we are under undeserved kindness and not law.

Heb 4: 3 For we who have exercised faith do enter into the rest, just as he has said: “So I swore in my anger, ‘They shall not enter into my rest,’” although his works were finished from the founding of the world. 4 For in one place he has said of the seventh day as follows: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works,” 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter into my rest.” 6 Since, therefore, it remains for some to enter into it, and those to whom the good news was first declared did not enter in because of disobedience, 7 he again marks off a certain day by saying after so long a time in David’s [psalm] “Today”; just as it has been said above: “Today if YOU people listen to his own voice, do not harden YOUR hearts.” 8 For if Joshua had led them into a place of rest, [God] would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 So there remains a sabbath resting for the people of God. 10 For the man that has entered into [God’s] rest has also himself rested from his own works, just as God did from his own.

11 Let us therefore do our utmost to enter into that rest, for fear anyone should fall in the same pattern of disobedience.

Answer 6

There are no scriptures in the Bible that mandate moving the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. There are those who state that it was done because Christians were forced to under penalty of death during Roman times. I haven't found any historical evidence for this. I have found a voluntary coming together the first day of the week after the resurrection. I also see that this should not be a point on which Christians argue, but that we worship God every day of our lives.
I. To celebrate Jesus' victory over death: Matthew 28:1-7 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

It was the first day of the week when Jesus appeared to his disciples: Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, Mark 16:9, Luke 24:1, notice they were gathered together out of fear of the Jews not Romans. The whole book of Acts point to a liberty that Christians enjoyed even though they did face persecution from time to time.

II. It was the practice of the disciples: Acts 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. When the disciples came together to break bread seems to point to it being a regular practice of the disciples not just a one time meeting.

Rev. 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, The Lord's day refers to Jesus' day of victory over death. Sunday.

A note on the term "The Lord's day." The Lord's day and Day of the Lord occurs 25 times in the Old and New Testaments. It refers to the period of God's judgment known as the Great Tribulation and Good Friday when God poured his wrath out on his Son for our sins. It also refers to the triumphant Sunday morning when Jesus rose victorious over death.



III. The day itself is not the most important thing:

Rom 14:4-8 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 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. Rom 14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. Rom 14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

Colossians 2:16&17 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.



There is a great movement in the church world today to get you worship on Saturday rather than on Sunday. The truth is that Jesus is to be worshiped everyday and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ is to take place on a daily bases. Don't get caught up in law keeping my friend for the end thereof is death.

IV. Seek after Christ and not the rules of men



Colossians 2:20-3:1

Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

V. Salvation doesn't come through keeping the law. Romans 4:13-15 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.



VI. Christ makes you free from the law. Galatians 5:1-6 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.



Remember that circumcision is just part of the law, just like keeping Saturday as the Sabbath. Jesus doesn't want you to worship a day. He wants you to worship him.



Matthew 12:12:1-8 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.