The
Seventh Day Sabbath Discussion - 1
During the
course of this
I would
like to clarify that although I strongly believe in the observance of the Seventh Day
Sabbath, but I am absolutely certain God will accept our worship any time on any day as long as we
worship Him in Spirit and truth (Jn. 4:23-24). This does not mean that we can completely neglect or ignore the Seventh Day Sabbath. It is God’s Commandment therefore we shall be
accountable to Him on Judgment Day (Ecc.
Objection # 1
The next major covenant we
run into in the Old Testament is the Law of Moses; a covenant between God and
the people of
Response # 1:
It is a
great fallacy to think that the Seventh Day Sabbath is not to be observed by
Christians because of the following reasons:
1. It is in the Old Testament Our Lord Jesus Christ said, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think
you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” (Jn. 5:39) The
Scriptures that Jesus referred to are in the Old Testament. The New Testament had not been written at
that time. All the Scriptures that the
apostles and Christians in the
2. It is the Law of Moses We need to make a clear
distinction between the Law of God and the Law of Moses. The Seventh Day Sabbath is the Law of God and it is
definitely not the Law of Moses which Christians do not have to observe. Here are
the basic differences.
Law of God |
Law of Moses |
Given to mankind (Ecc. |
Given mainly to |
Spoken directly by God (Deut. 5:1-22) |
Spoken by Moses (Ex. 24:3’Lev. 1:2) |
Written by God (Ex. 24:12; 31:18; 34:1) |
Written by Moses (Dt. 31:9; 2 Chr. 35:12) |
Fulfilled by Jesus Christ (Mt. |
Not for Gentile Christians (Acts |
Seventh Day Sabbath was established by God at the time of
Creation (Gen. 2:1-3) |
The Feasts of the LORD are also called “Sabbaths”
(Leviticus chapter 23) |
Seventh Day Sabbath is the Fourth Commandment (Ex.
20:8-11; |
The penalty for breaking the Sabbath law is death (Ex.
31:14. This law was abolished) |
The Law of
God is given to mankind and it is the basis of God’s judgment, whereas the Law
of Moses is given mainly to the Children of
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Objection # 2
Now, this is a very
important, and often overlooked, concept. The requirement to observe the
seventh day of the week was a sign of the covenant between God and the children
of
Response # 2
Although
the Seventh Day Sabbath was “a sign of the covenant between God and the
children of
“Also the sons of
foreigner who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, and to love the name
of the LORD, to be His servants – Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
and holds fast My covenant – Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and
make them joyful in My House of Prayer. Their burnt offerings and their
sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, For My House shall be called a House
of Prayer for all nations.” (Isa. 56:6-7)
This
prophecy has already been fulfilled for decades even up to our present time. God had the original intention that Gentile
Christians - “sons of foreigner who
join themselves to the LORD“ - would observe the
Seventh Day Sabbath and hold fast to God’s covenant. This is the evidence that God’s Church is
definitely a
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Objection # 3
"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." (Col. 2:16-17)
Response # 3
Opponents
of the Seventh Day Sabbath often use Colossians 2:16-17 to point out that the
Sabbath is no longer binding on the Gentile Christians. In actual fact there is nothing in the verses
that suggests such a situation. The
apostle Paul could not have written that the Seventh Day Sabbath had been
abolished because it would be a direct contradiction to his beliefs and personal Sabbath observance.
We must
understand that the apostle Paul kept the Seventh Day Sabbath regularly. “Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them,
and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures.” (Acts 17:2). The phrase “as his custom was” indicates Paul observed the Seventh Day Sabbath regularly,
just as our Lord Jesus Christ attended Sabbath services regularly from
childhood. “So He came to
Here in
Colossians 2:16-17 the apostle Paul was not referring to the Seventh Day
Sabbath but to the “meat, or in drink, or in respect of an
holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:”
If you study the
twenty third chapter of Leviticus you will find the Feasts of the LORD were
also called “Sabbaths” (Lev. 23:24, 32,38). Those
feasts required offerings and sacrifices consisting of animals and drinks that
have been abolished in the New Testament (Lev. 23:8, 10-14, 15-20, 36-39; Heb.
9:9-10) That is what Paul was writing
about.
How can we
be sure that the apostle Paul was not writing about the Seventh Day Sabbath. If Paul had
meant in Colossians
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Objection # 4
"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." (Col. 2:16-17)
In other words, the Sabbath pointed toward the
arrival of Christ, in whom we would all rest from our works and trust in His
finished work for our full and complete redemption. Now that Christ has
come there is no point or purpose to the shadow. We follow and worship
the substance that cast the shadow.
Response # 4
There are two parts of the Sabbath law. The first part is the Fourth Commandment that is given directly by God to mankind (Ex. 20:8-11; 24:12; Ecc. 12:13-14; Mk. 2:27-28). This part is permanent and it is fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ (Mt. 5:17-18; Lk. 4:16). Then there is a second part of the Sabbath law that is called the ordinances (Ex. 31:14-15). This part is temporary and given only to the Children of Israel in the Old Testament time. This ordinance has been abolished when Christ died on the Cross (Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14-17).
The Old Covenant
Sabbath ordinances have curses on them and were difficult, if not impossible, to
observe.
“Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for
it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death:
for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his
people.” (Ex. 31:14-15)
Praise and
thank God “Christ has redeemed us
from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, Cursed
is everyone who hangs on a tree’) So now
Christians are no longer under the law but under grace (Rom. 6:14).
The
Pharisees were judging the disciples of Christ for
breaking the Old Covenant Sabbath Law.
“At that time Jesus went
through the grain fields on the Sabbath.
And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to
eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they
said to Him, ‘Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the
Sabbath!” (Mt. 12:1-2)
The
Colossian Christians have also encountered similar situations in which they had
been judged by others for not keeping the Old Covenant Sabbath laws. The apostle Paul then wrote to them that by
His death Christ has “wiped out the
handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having
nailed it to the cross.” (Col. 2:14) “Therefore let no one
judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or
Sabbaths.” (Col. 2:16) It must be emphasized and fully understood
that whilst the Sabbath laws that have curses were removed by the death of
Jesus Christ, the Seventh Day Sabbath continued to be observed by Christians in
the New Covenant.
The
arrival of the Lord Jesus Christ did not do away with the Seventh Day
Sabbath. Here is the proof. “So He came to
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Objection # 5
So, the writer of Hebrews
concluded:
"There remaineth
therefore a rest (/sabbatismos/) to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also
hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." (Heb 4:9-10)
What we lose in the English translation of Hebrews 4:9 is that
the author used the word "/sabbatismos/," translated "rest."
It is a derivative of the Hebrew word "Sabbath." In other
words, despite the fact that the redeemed people who come to God through Jesus
Christ are not under the Law of Moses, we do indeed fulfill the type and shadow
of the Sabbath when we enter into Christ's rest. We cease from our work
(in this case, a reference to works of the Law, designed to accomplish our
personal justification), just as God ceased from His work on the seventh day of
creation. When we trust in Christ for our salvation, we are fulfilling
the Sabbath.
Response # 5
Many Bible
scholars think the author of the Book of Hebrews was the apostle Paul. The people he addressed were Jewish believers
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Today they are
called either Hebrew Christians or Messianic Jews. No writer in his right mind would ever think
of writing even a single line to dissuade the Hebrew Christians from keeping
the Seventh Day Sabbath. In the same way
any Gentile Christian writer who uses any portion of the fourth chapter of Hebrews
and try to show that the Seventh Day Sabbath is no longer observed by the
Jewish Christian does not know what he is writing about. His attempt will be as ineffective and futile
as a little boy trying to attack with a pea-shooter an army that consists of armored tanks.
The main
theme of Hebrews chapter 4 is the Seventh Day Sabbath and why believers must
observe it.
“For we who have believed
do enter that rest, as He has said: ‘So
I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest.’ Although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has spoken in a certain place of the
seventh day in this way: ‘And God rested on the seventh day from all His works;. and again in this place: ‘They
shall not enter My rest.’ Since
therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first
preached did not enter because of disobedience.” (Heb. 4:3-6)
In
explaining Hebrews 4:9-10 the objector's first sentence is correct. “What we lose in the English translation
of Hebrews 4:9 is that the author used the word "/sabbatismos/,"
translated "rest." It is a derivative of the Hebrew word
"Sabbath."
After that
first sentence the remainder of his explanation and interpretation is
completely out of the context. Here is
the simple and straightforward interpretation of this verse. “There remains therefore
a (Sabbath) rest for the people of God.”
“There remains” can mean “There is” or
“There exists”. The (Sabbath) rest clearly means the Seventh Day Sabbath. He admits the word “rest” that is translated from the Greek word “Sabbatismos” which is “a
derivative of the Hebrew word "Sabbath."
Some twist
the truth by misinterpreting the word “rest” by writing or saying that it is the “rest” that Christ gives to
believers in Matthew 11:28, 29. The “rest” in Matthew 11:28, 29 is translated from another Greek word – “anapausis” that has
the meaning of “cessation, refreshment”.
This word “anapausis” can be used appropriately in the context like “After a
marathon race we need a rest - “anapausis”. The Lord Jesus
Christ gives Christians “anapausis” but He
does not replace the “Sabbatismos” with it.
The objector explained: “We cease from our work (in
this case, a reference to works of the Law, designed to accomplish our personal
justification),”
This is a clear
case of a “private interpretation.” (2 Pet. 20-21).
Nowhere in Hebrews 4:9-10 does it mention “works of the Law, designed to accomplish our personal
justification”.
Let us read again. “For he (the
believer) who has entered His (God’s) rest (Greek – katapausis) has himself
also ceased from his works as God did from His.” This
verse has nothing to do with the “works of the Law”.
The believer is strongly urged to rest on the
Seventh Day Sabbath and not to work as God did during the Creation (Heb. 4:4-5;
ref. Gen. 2:1-3; Ex. 20:8-11). This is
plain and simple.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Objection # 6
Now, as to how the day of
Christian observance became Sunday (whereas the Jewish day of rest was
Saturday/ the seventh day), it appears that the early church began meeting on
first day of the week, probably because it was the day our Lord's
resurrection. The only reference we have to what day they met is this
one:
Response # 6
The Lord
Jesus Christ did not resurrect on Sunday morning as taught by many traditional
churches. Here is the proof. “On the first day of the
week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw
that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.” (Jn. 20:1) According
to the Bible the day begins at twilight in the evening when the sun has set. “So the evening and the
morning were the first day” (Gen. 1:5; 8, 13, 19,
23, 31) “. . . . from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your Sabbath.” (Lev. 23:32) The
first day of the week begins on our present Saturday evening. “On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came
to the tomb early, while it was still dark,”
When Mary Magdalene came
to the tomb the Lord Jesus Christ had already resurrected because she “saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.” From these
biblical facts one can see that those who teach the Seventh Day Sabbath has
been abolished by the crucifixion of Christ and replaced by Sunday worship because
of Jesus’ resurrection have absolutely nothing to stand on. If Christians really want to celebrate
Christ’s resurrection accurately they should do so on Saturday evening. But God has never given such a commandment at
all.
After the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ He “had given commandments
to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive
after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty
days and speaking of the things pertaining to the
After the
Lord’s ascension to heaven the disciples “returned to
Here is
another proof that the Disciples of Christ and the
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Objection # 7
Now, as to how the day of
Christian observance became Sunday (whereas the Jewish day of rest was
Saturday/ the seventh day), it appears that the early church began meeting on
first day of the week, probably because it was the day our Lord's resurrection.
The only reference we have to what day they met is this one:
"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." (Acts
20:7)
But, from that verse it is
obvious that the tradition of meeting on Sundays developed very early in the
church's history.
Response # 7
The objector is uncertain about his interpretation of this verse when he uses the words “It appears” and “probably”. “It appears that the
early church began meeting on first day of the week, probably because it
was the day our Lord's resurrection.” If the Early
Christians were celebrating the Lord’s resurrection during that meeting why did
Luke, the writer of Acts, not write about it?
As I have explained before, the biblical day begins in the evening. That meeting took place on a Saturday
evening. How do we know that? The following verse tells us, “There were many
lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together.” (Acts 20:8). It was a farewell sendoff meeting for the
apostle Paul who was “ready to depart
the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until
The objector wrote: “But,
from that verse it is obvious that the tradition of meeting on Sundays
developed very early in the church's history.” In actuality nothing is obvious
that it was a regular
The objector wrote: The
only reference we have to what day they met is this one: If
this is “the only reference” that the objector has on a
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Objection # 8
So, all in all, the argument
concerning the Sabbath, or what day is appropriate for the church to meet,
becomes a moot point. As long as we are resting in Christ, we are
fulfilling the type and shadow cast by the Sabbath. We, as Gentile
believers, are not under the Old Covenant and are not bound by its rudiments or
restrictions. And Paul wrote that holy days, new moons, and Sabbaths -
which Jews would have observed fastidiously - were not an issue for the
Response # 8
The Seventh
Day Sabbath was established by God at the time of Creation (Gen. 2:1-3). On the Seventh Day Sabbath God rested,
blessed the day and sanctified it. On
the Fourth Commandment God commanded us to “Remember the Sabbath
day, to keep it holy. . . . “ (Ex. 20:8-11) How can
anyone argue on “what
day is appropriate for the church to meet”?
It is
man’s doctrine that teaches "As long as we are resting in Christ, we
are fulfilling the type and shadow cast by the Sabbath.” Our Lord Jesus
Christ did not teach that as long as you are resting in Him you do not have to
observe the Seventh Day Sabbath. The disciples of Christ had been resting in Him and yet they
kept the Seventh Day Sabbath.
It is true
that “we, as Gentile believers,
are not under the Old Covenant and are not bound by its rudiments or
restrictions.”
But don’t forget that we still have to keep
all the Ten Commandments that include the Seventh Day Sabbath. The Lord Jesus Christ said “If you want to
enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Mt.19:16-19) We cannot choose to keep nine and leave out
one commandment.
“If you really fulfill
the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall
love your neighbor as yourself, you do well; but if you show partiality, you
commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet
stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not
murder.’ Now if you do not commit
adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.” (Jas. 2:8-11)
If you
keep all the nine commandments but break the Fourth Commandment concerning the
Seventh Day Sabbath then by God’s judgment you have broken all the Ten
Commandments. Actually it is not difficult
to keep all the Ten Commandments. “For this is the love of
God, that we keep His commandments. And
His commandments are not burdensome.” (1 Jn.
5:3) If you make a firm commitment and
determination to keep the Seventh Day Sabbath commandment, you can do that very
easily. Just do it!
May God bless
you
Link to: Sabbath Truths that are easy to understand
This article is a presentation of Paul Wong
to the ARK Forum on
Revision: Removal of personal references on 11/29/05
For
comments please write first to: arkpw@sbcglobal.net
Paul Wong is a Christian minister and the
President of ARK International. |