Eps 1: Saturday or Sunday the Sabbath?
— Saturday or Sunday the Sabbath
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Host
Heidi Cook
Podcast Content
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Christians consider Sunday to be the Sabbath day, a day of rest and worship. Early Jewish Christians observed Saturday as the Sabbath day. However, with the coming of Pentecost, many Christian believers began to observe Sunday as the new sabbath day. This practice was observed by first century Christians and continues today in most Christian churches worldwide. The Old Testament rules for observing the Sabbath are still observed by many Christians, while others believe that New Testament teachings supersede those found in the Old Testament. Jews also observe Saturday as their traditional sabbath day, but some Jewish Christians choose to observe both days.
Early Christians were divided in their observance of the Sabbath. Some adhered to the Jewish tradition and kept small groups together for prayer, rest, and fellowship on Saturday evenings. Others followed Constantine’s enforced Sunday worship in an attempt to unify Christianity. Early New Testament churches also held assemblies on Sunday in addition to other teachings. True Christians follow the New Testament church's example and celebrate both days, observing the seventh-day Sabbath from sunset on Saturday evening to sunset on Sunday evening, as well as the first day of worship that was established by Constantine.
The Christian Sabbath, or the day of rest, originates from the Biblical sabbath that is described in the Ten Commandments and other passages of Scripture. The influence of the early church eventually led to Sunday becoming adopted as a day of worship by most Christian churches. Although there are differing opinions within Christianity regarding the observance of Saturday or Sunday as the sabbath, most churches agree that it is important to observe a day of rest and assembly for worship. The Bible does not actually mention which day should be kept as holy, however church tradition holds that Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday and this event began being commemorated on that same day. This continuing memorial led to Sunday becoming known as "the Lord's Day" and eventually became accepted as a special day for Christians to meet for assemblies and worship services. By the fourth century AD, most Christians had begun to dissociate themselves from their Jewish neighbors who kept Saturday as their sabbath and observed only one day instead.
This new observance of Sunday as the sabbath was based on Christ's Passover, which announced the coming of eternal rest. This provided a new way for Christians to view the sabbath and how to observe it. The idea that one should give a certain day to God and to rest from work in order to fulfill spiritual truth is an important part of Christianity. Sunday became a day devoted to worship, and God's blessing was sought through fasting, prayer, and other religious activities. The practice of setting aside one day each week for worshiping God has its origins in the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses and the Israelites. In the Old Testament, it is clear that this commandment was intended for observance on the seventh day—Saturday—and not on Sunday.
This seventh day was considered the day of rest and the Sabbath, set apart to remember God's deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The subsequent covenants only strengthened this commandment by reiterating the importance of keeping a special day of rest. In the New Covenant, Jesus affirmed that Saturday is still the Sabbath, a day when we should not be doing our own pleasure or work. It signifies the seventh day which is God's Holy Day and is important as it unfolded God's plan for salvation. Christians today refer to Sunday as "the Lord's Day" because it marks Jesus' resurrection and His victory over death.
Sunday is the day on which Christians devote themselves to worship and prayer. It is a day when family gatherings are held, scripture is taught and the Eucharist is celebrated. For Christians, Sunday has become the preeminent holy day of the week because it fulfills Old Testament promises of God's new covenant with His people. The observance of Sunday as a sabbath command has replaced the seventh-day sabbath commanded in the Old Testament, which was seen as a reminder of God's salvation rest and longing for heaven's new earth and new heavens. Sunday marks a time for Christians to come together in fellowship, worship and devotion to God; it is therefore seen as an especially holy day that signals a fulfilled promise from God to all of His people.
Many Sunday keeping churches believe that Jesus and His apostles changed the seventh day Sabbath to Sunday and that this is the true day of rest for Christians. However, there is no scriptural basis for this belief. In fact, the Bible does not judge an apostle's choice to keep the seventh day Sabbath or to change it to Sunday. Apostle Paul gives three examples of how Jews and Gentiles alike should worship God, but none of them include changing the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. Jesus Christ also gave a command for Jews to keep the Sabbath , an example that was followed by His apostles and by all faithful Jews until today.
The early Church also followed Jesus' example and adopted the Sabbath as a special day of rest, prayer and worship. However, by the 4th century, some Christian theologians like Augustine of Hippo had begun to question the relevance of Saturday as a day of rest and instead declared that Sunday should be observed instead. This view was accepted by most of the major denominations in Christianity including Presbyterian and Congregationalist Confessions, Baptist Churches and more. The biblical justification for this change is based on the New Testament which refers to Jesus' resurrection on Sunday morning. The idea that Sunday should be respected as a holy day was developed further by 16th century Puritans who believed that Sunday should be kept as a special day for Christians to focus on their faith in Jesus Christ. The sabbatarian views were also accepted by Jews during this period who continued to observe Saturday as their Sabbath while also respecting Sunday due to its importance in Christianity.