Is Sunday or Saturday the Sabbath Today?

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How Is It To Be Observed?
Facts regarding the Sabbath:

  • No work: “...the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord our God. In it you shall do no work...” (Exodus 20:9). “...the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord, Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death” (Exodus 35:2).

  • No buying or selling: “...I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions...brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath...'What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day?...'”(Nehemiah 13:15-16,17-18,19-20).

  • Could not light a fire: “You shall kindle no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath day” (Exodus 35:3).

  • No gathering of sticks: “Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath...The Lord said to Moses, 'The man must surely be put to death'...” (Numbers 15:32-33,34-35).

  • No cooking of food: “...Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning” (Exodus 16:23).

  • No going out and buying food: “If the people of the land brought wares or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath..” (Nehemiah 10:31)

  • No one can do their own pleasure or speak their own words: “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day...not doing your own ways. Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord..” (Isaiah 58:13-14).

  • You can not carry any burden: “Thus says the Lord, 'Take heed to yourselves...bear no burden on the Sabbath day...nor carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day...'”(Jeremiah 17:21-22).

  • The Sabbath as a command was not required until the time of Moses: “Then he[Moses] said to them, This is what the Lord has said, Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord...” (Exodus 16: 23); “You came down also on Mount Sinai, And spoke with them from heaven, And gave them just ordinances and true laws, Good statutes and commandments. You made known to them Your holy Sabbath...” (Nehemiah 9:13-14); “Therefore I made them go out the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness...Moreover, I also gave them My Sabbaths...” (Ezekiel 20:10-11,12).

  • The Sabbaths were to be a sign “throughout their generations” and a “perpetual covenant”: “And God said to Abraham: 'As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout your generations...Every male child among you shall be circumcised...My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant” (Genesis 17:9-10,11-12,13).

Note: The Sabbath and circumcision were to be kept perpetual throughout their generations as long as the Old Covenant was in force. The NEW COVENANT came into effect after the Christ death (Hebrews 9:15-17). The ministration of death, written and engraved in stone (Deuteronomy 5:7-22) was to be done away by the New Covenant (II Corinthians 3:6,7). There was to be an end of the law of Moses (II Corinthians 3:13); in Christ, the veil [a covering to hide the end of the law of Moses (v 13) is done away (II Cor. 3: 14,16). Circumcision has been done away (Acts 15:23-24,28-29; Galatians 5:1-2).


Examples of the Sabbath Being Broken:

  • Christ and His disciples plucked corn on the Sabbath and the Pharisees told them they were breaking the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-2). According to Exodus 16:27-28,29- 30, the Pharisees were telling the truth. Christ answered the Pharisees by telling that telling them about David who unlawful ate showbread meant of the priests meant for the priests (Matthew 12:3-4).

  • Christ said the priests profane [broke] the Sabbath and are blameless (Matthew 5:5). The priests had to work had to work more on the Sabbath than on ordinary weekdays because their sacrifices were doubled on those days (Numbers 28:9-10).

  • Christ showed that people could violate temple laws, Sabbath laws and sacrifice laws in order to show the higher virtue of mercy (Matthew 12:7). “For the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8 [This means He could do with the Sabbath as He pleased]). “Having canceled the written code with its regulations that was against us and the stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14).

  • Christ healed a lame man and told him to pickup his bed and carry it on the Sabbath (John 5:8-9,10), which was a breaking of the Old Testament law (Jeremiah 17:22). John said Jesus had broken the Sabbath (John 5:18 [John said nothing of quoting anyone; this was John's own belief]). “Broken” means to 'loose' – break (up), destroy, dissolve, (un) loose, melt, put off [Abingdon's Strong Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible].


Sabbath Condemned?

  • “So don't let anyone condemn you...for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths” (Colossians 2:16 NLT).

  • Let everyone decide for themselves whether to keep the Sabbath or not: “One man esteems one day above another: another esteems everyday alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regards the day, regards it unto the Lord; and he that regards not the day, to the Lord he does not regard it” (Romans 14:5-6).


Spiritual Factors Can Be Performed Everyday ~ Not Just on the Sabbath

  • Pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17).

  • Study God's Word daily (Acts 17:11).

  • Fellowship/exhort one another daily [visiting or over the phone] (Hebrews 3:13).

But we are not to neglect assembling ourselves together in a more formal fellowship (Hebrews 10:25).


The Christian Today Isn't Commanded To Keep the Sabbath, But His Sabbath Rest Is a Spiritual One Daily– Not Once a Week. Christians have already 'entered into His rest' (Hebrews 4:3, 10), a spiritual Sabbath rest. They have stopped doing physical works (Sabbath keeping, holy days, etc.). Our works should be directed toward man only. Man cannot change the Sabbath (Saturday) to Sunday, but God does honor any day or time of the week set aside to honor Him.