Why do Christians worship on Sunday when the seventh day of the week is Saturday?

Question

One of the 10 commandments is honor the Sabbath which was established from Genesis as the seventh day after God had created the Earth. So why do Christians worship on the first day of the week?

So Pete..Human have decided to change God's laws on their own. Show me anything written where this is what God wanted. Throughout the Bible it is stated to honor the Sabbath and clearly tells what the Sabbath is.

Fuzzy...Why should it matter? Did not God tell you what day to keep? He seemed to matter when Adam and Eve picked the apple.

It is good to hear that people believe they think they can do what they want because they are saved by grace. Sounds like more of a get out of jail free card.

Lazar.. I just asked a question, but I have to say how Christian of you. Would you talk to Jesus like that?

Answer 1

The Bible is the inspired word of God, but the Commandments were written by God Himself!

Exodus 31:18 “When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God”

The 10 Commandments can be found at Exodus 20: 2-17 but today we will only be looking at the fourth Commandment.

Exodus 20:8-11 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it Holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it Holy.” (Please note that the seventh day is a Saturday and that God made it Holy) (Also note that this is the ONLY Commandment that tells us to ‘Remember’. God knew people would forget or he would not have used that word.)

Many people believe the law or commandments were nailed to the cross with Jesus and they no longer apply to us. Let’s look at what Jesus Himself says about this.

Matthew 5:17-19 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen; will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Many people also believe they celebrate “The Lords Day” by going to church on Sunday. This is what Jesus says about which day is His day.

Matthew 12:8 “For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
Mark 2:28 “So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
Luke 6:5 “Then Jesus said to them “the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.””

Jesus knew false teachings would rise up in Christianity and warned His followers so they would not be deceived.

Matthew 24:4-5 “Jesus answered; “watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ’ and will deceive many”

Mark 13:5-6 “Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am He’, and will deceive many.”
The Apostle Paul warned early Christians that false teachings would rise up from inside the original group of believers.

Acts 20: 28-31 “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the Church of God, which He bought with His own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the Truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on guard! Remember that for 3 years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.”

The Prophet Daniel predicted that there would be an attempt to change God’s law. By attempt, I mean that the Holy day is not changed just because many people believe it has been. Saturday is still God’s Holy day.

Daniel 7:25 “he will speak against the Most High and oppress His saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.” (Note: The Pope claims responsibility for changing the Christian day of worship to Sunday. The Catholic religion was also responsible for the slaughter of non-Catholic Christians during the dark ages. Due to the historical evidence, we believe Daniel is speaking about the Pope and Catholicism. Also note that the 4th commandment is the only law dealing with a set time.)

During His life, Jesus kept Sabbath. After his death the apostle Paul also kept Sabbath.

Luke 4:16 “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.”
Acts 13:42-44 “As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.”

Some people think it is right to worship on Sunday because most of the “Christian” world does. If everyone is doing it, doesn’t it have to be right? I mean how can so many people be wrong?

Luke 13:24-28 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door. Because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ’sir, open the door for us.’
But He will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
But He will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from, away from me, all you evildoers.’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.”

Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.”
Matthew 7:21-23 “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of my father who is in Heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

The last excuse people use for not accepting Sabbath is that they live by faith. For those of you who live by faith, I must ask you a few questions. Where do you place your faith? Do you have faith in your ‘Religion’ or is your faith in God? If your faith is in God, then you should believe the Bible above all else. ‘Religion’ can’t save you, only belief in God can. To believe in God, one must take the time to get to know Him and the only way to do this is to study your Bible. Never quit studying because you can never know God too well, there is always more to learn.

Answer 2

I celebrate Christ's resurrection on Sunday. I rest on the Sabbath, as is the law. I am not an Adventist.

Just curious, though, why do you say the "7th Day" is Saturday? Where in the Bible does it say that God created Sunday as the 1st Day? Time in that fashion is man's creation. It was a man-made tradition making what we now call Saturday to be the 7th day.

EDIT:
Folks, the NT does not set aside the OT. Christ fulfilled the law, but did not set it aside (except sacrifice - He did that once and for all). Even Jewish 'worship' happened either before or after the Sabbath. The Sabbath was a time for rest and reflection. Yes they went to the Temple, but not to worship. Worship happened either before sundown on Friday or after sundown on Saturday. Thier worship services were truely celebrations. The early Christian church just standardized the "worship" time to Sunday morning to coincide with the Resurrection. They still rested on the 7th Day. That is what Sabbath was and is - a day of rest.

Answer 3

Because Jesus fulfilled and set aside ALL the old law, and then he gave us a new and better covenant, based on grace, and solely governed by the only church Jesus ever founded, for the purpose of our salvation.

Jesus gave awesome and widespead power to his church ... the power to bind and loose anything, on earth or in heaven.

One of the first things his church did was initiate a whole new sabbath observance, based on Jesus, his perfect new covenant sacrifice, and his resurrection.

The church rightly decided that instead of putting God in last place, as the Jew's saturday sabbath most certainly did, they would put God first.

So the Christian church settled on Sunday, Resurrection Day, as their sabbath day.

They made Sunday the universal feast day of the new covenant church, and they've consistently celebrated Christ's life, death, and resurrection on Sunday, ever since.

It's simple.

OLD Covenant = Temporary. Symbolic. Non-Salvific. Perfectly fulfilled by Christ, then set aside.

NEW Covenant = Permanent. Real. Salvific. Governed by the authentic church. Won't be complete until Jesus comes again.

Answer 4

Not a Christian, are you?!
The Law Covenant doesn't apply to Christians. Why should it matter what day of the week you do your worship?

If you think differently -- try reading these two pages on my web site. It is all supported by the scriptures!

"Jesus the Man" and "Law Covenant and Christians"

-- the homepage may be found from my profile.

If you want to honor the Sabbath as the Law Covenant demands, then why don't you also follow the laws regarding animal sacrifices. Don't you know that if you break even just one law of the Law covenant, you break them all?

Answer 5

CCC 2174 - Jesus rose from the dead "on the first day of the week." Because it is the "first day," the day of Christ's Resurrection recalls the first creation. Because it is the "eighth day" following the sabbath, it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ's Resurrection. For Christians it has become the first of all days, the first of all feasts, the Lord's Day (he kuriake hemera, dies dominica)—Sunday:

Sunday—fulfillment of the sabbath

CCC 2175 - Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ's Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man's eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of Christ:
Those who lived according to the old order of things have come to a new hope, no longer keeping the sabbath, but the Lord's Day, in which our life is blessed by him and by his death.

CCC 2176 - The celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship "as a sign of his universal beneficence to all." Sunday worship fulfills the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up its rhythm and spirit in the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of his people

Answer 6

Young Whaler,
Read Lion of Judah's answer a couple of times. He does such a wonderful job in this answer that I will not add much to it. We are expected to follow the examples that are given in the Biblical Scriptures and I believe his last two references should be enough. Acts 20:7, and 1 Corinthians 16:1-2. Have a wonderful weekend and a glorious LORD'S DAY!
Thanks,
Eds



.

Answer 7

Sun Day was the day of the Sun God, with whom Christianity was in constant competition early in it's life in Rome. So, they chose to move the Sabbat to Sunday to better compete and keep their members from going to both services. (Even today most Christians celebrate some of their ancestral Pagan Holidays and Traditions: From May poles and Bunnys who lay Eggs, to the Holly King coming down the Chimney)

Answer 8

The Sabbath was made for man... not man for the Sabbath... Can't you take a hint from Jesus Christ himself!!! You can worship any day you like as long as you pay your tithes and offerings on time!

Answer 9

In bible is written about the Sabath of Sabath...

That was happend at Jesus Christ Arise. In Sunday. The next day after sabath.

It is so called the true 7 th day of sabath days

Answer 10

Because these "Christians" you speak of were long before the US. The US selected to start the week on Sunday. Other places like Italy start it on Monday.



--- THE QUESTION ASKED WHY THEY WORSHIP ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK (SUNDAY)... basically why on the first day not the seventh (SAT)...


NOT why do they worship on SUNDAY

Answer 11

Why do we worship on Sunday
instead of Saturday?

In the Old Testament, God stated, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you," (Exodus 20:8-10, NASB). It was the custom of the Jews to come together on the Sabbath, which is Saturday, cease work, and worship God. Jesus went to the synagogue on Saturday to teach (Matt. 12:9, John 18:20) as did the apostle Paul (Acts 17:2; 18:4; ). So, if in the Old Testament we are commanded to keep the Sabbath and in the New Testament we see Jews, Jesus, and the apostles doing the same thing, then why do we worship on Sunday?
First of all, of the 10 commandments listed in Exodus 20:1-17, only 9 of them were reinstituted by in the New Testament: (six in Matt. 19:18, murder, adultery, stealing, false witness, honor parents, and worshiping God; Rom. 13:9, coveting. Worshiping God properly covers the first three commandments) The one that was not reaffirmed was the one about the Sabbath. Instead, Jesus said that He is the Lord of the Sabbath (Matt. 12:8).
In creation God rested on the seventh day. But, since God is all powerful, He doesn’t get tired. He doesn’t need to take a break and rest. So, why did does it say that He rested? The reason is simple: Mark 2:27 says, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." In other words, God established the Sabbath as a rest for His people, not because He needed a break, but because we are mortal and need a time of rest, of focus on God. In this, our spirits and bodies are both renewed.
The Old Testament system of Law required keeping the Sabbath as part of the overall moral, legal, and sacrificial system by which the Jewish people satisfied God’s requirements for behavior, government, and forgiveness of sins. The Sabbath was part of the Law in that sense. In order to "remain" in favor with God, you had to also keep the Sabbath. If it was not kept, then the person was in sin and would often be punished (Ezekiel 18:4; Rom. 6:23; Deut. 13:1-9; Num. 35:31; Lev. 20:2, etc.).
But with Jesus’ atonement, we no longer are required to keep the Law. We are not under Law, but grace (Rom. 6:14-15). The Sabbath is fulfilled in Jesus. He is our rest. We are not under obligation, by Law, to keep it and this goes for the Sabbath as well. It is not a requirement that we keep the Sabbath. If it were, then we would still be under the Law. But, we are not.

Evidence of the Change of Days can be Seen in the NT

Within the New Testament is ample evidence that the seventh day Sabbath is no longer a requirement.

Rom. 14:5-6, "One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God."
The entire section of Rom. 14:1-12 is worth careful study. Nevertheless, the instructions here are that individuals must be convinced in their own minds about which day they observe for the Lord. If the seventh day Sabbath were a requirement, then the choice would not be mans’, but God’s.

Col. 2:16-17, "Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ."
Notice here that time sequence mentioned. A festival is yearly. A new moon is monthly. A Sabbath is weekly. No one is to judge in regard to this. The Sabbath is defined as a shadow, the reality is Jesus. Jesus is our Sabbath.

Acts 20:7, "And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight."
The first day of the week is Sunday and this is the day the people gathered. This passage can easily be seen as the church meeting on Sunday. It has two important church functions within it: breaking bread (communion) and a message (preaching). Additionally, Luke did not use the Jewish system of counting days: sundown to sundown. He used the Roman system: midnight to midnight. This is a subtle point that shows the Jewish Sabbath system was not the one utilized by Luke.

1 Cor. 16:1-2, "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. 2 On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come."
Notice here that Paul is directing the churches to meet on the first day of each week and put money aside. It would seem that this is tithing. So, the instructed time for the church to meet is Sunday. Is this an official worship day set up by the church? You decide.

Rev. 1:10-11, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, 11saying, "Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."
The New Bible Dictionary says regarding the term, ‘The Lord’s Day’ in Revelation 1:10: "This is the first extant occurrence in Christian literature of heµ kyriakeµ heµmera. The adjectival construction suggests that it was a formal designation of the church’s worship day. As such it certainly appears early in the 2nd century (Ignatius, Epistle to the Magnesians, 1. 67).
In many churches today, the term "The Lord’s Day" is used to designate Sunday, the same as it was in the second century.

I hope this is evidence enough to show you that the Bible does not require that we worship on Saturday. If anything, we have the freedom (Rom. 14:1-12) to worship on the day that we believe we should. And, we no one should judge us in regard to the day we keep. We are free in Christ, not under law (Rom. 6:14).