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Part 2

The Seventh Day Sabbath in the New Testament

Jesus Christ's Teaching On The Commandments Of God

The most important key to understand, in order to understand the Bible, Old Testament and New Testament, is to know who Jesus Christ was before He was conceived in the virgin Mary and born in the flesh.  This has a great bearing on the person and authority of Jesus Christ.

Here is what the Gospel of John reveals about Jesus Christ.  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by Him, and without Him not anything was made that was made " (John 1:1-3).

What is this plainly telling us?  Let's examine it in the light of what we already know.  We have seen that IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED ALL THINGS, AND THE ONE WHO DID THE CREATING WAS THE ONE WHO BECAME JESUS CHRIST.

This knowledge is of the utmost significance because it means that Jesus Christ is the Creator of the seventh-day Sabbath.   He was the one Who blessed it, sancitified it, made it holy, and commanded that it be kept forever.  Furthermore, the apostle John is telling us that the Lord God of the Old Testament, who became Jesus Christ of the New Testament, was, in fact, the one Who gave the Ten Commandments and all of the laws, commandments, statutes and judgments to ancient Israel at Mt. Sinai.

God has told us that these laws, commandments, statutes and judgments are holy, righteous and good.  God gave these to us for our well-being and for our good that He might bless us in everything, because God loves us.  (See Deut. 4:1,37-40; 5:29-33; 6:1-6,17-18,24-25; 7:6-15; 10:12-15; 11:1-28—Please read all these Scriptures before you go on.  It is extremely important, so that you will understand the full impact of Jesus' teachings in the New Testament).

When Jesus Christ began His ministry, He set the record straight, as to where He stood in relationship to God's laws. These were the very laws and commandments, which He, as the Lord God of the Old Testament created and commanded to be kept forever!

Jesus Christ Did Not Abolish The Law or The Prophets

When Jesus Christ began His ministry He clearly set the record straight concerning the commandments and laws of God--as well as the prophets.  He did not want anyone to be in doubt! Here is what He said, "Do not think [which means do not even let it enter your mind] that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill" (Mat. 5:17, AT).

Yet, it is claimed by the majority of professing Christian ministers that Jesus Christ came to do away with the laws and commandments of God, when Jesus Christ explicitly made it absolutely clear that He did not come for that purpose!

Now you need to judge your beliefs in relationship to the teachings of Jesus Christ.  Ask yourself this question: "Will I believe God, the Word of God, Jesus Christ and His teachings, or will I believe the teachings and doctrines of men?”

With this in mind, read this next verse: "For truly I say unto you, until heaven and earth shall pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no way pass from the law until everything has been fulfilled " (verse 17, AT).

Do heaven and earth still exist?  The answer is a resoundingly, YES!  They still exist. What does that mean?  The heaven and earth are a witness that the laws and commandments of God are still in full force and effect.

Furthermore, how does Jesus Christ look at commandment-keeping?  Does He curse the commandment-keeper, as so many religious leaders and pastors allege, or does He say there is a blessing for commandment-keeping?  What does He say about commandment-breakers?

LISTEN TO THE WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST!  IF YOU BELIEVE HIM TO BE YOUR SAVIOR, ARE YOU WILLING TO BELIEVE HIS WORDS?  ARE YOU WILLING TO OBEY HIS TEACHINGS?  ARE YOU WILLING TO FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE?

Your eternal salvation is at stake!

Jesus clarified which laws and commandments He was talking about!  "Therefore, whoever shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven, [which means that he will never attain the kingdom of God and never receive salvation]; but whoever shall practice and teach them, this one shall be called great in the kingdom of God " (verse 19, AT).  Jesus Christ Himself said that we are blessed, not cursed, if we do and teach even one of the least of the commandments.

Furthermore, when asked what a person must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus gave this answer:  "...If you desire to enter into life keep [Greek: poiaoo--means to be practicing] the commandments" (Mat. 19:17, AT).  Then the young, rich man responded by saying that he had kept the commandments from his childhood up.  Jesus answered, that he should sell all that he owned, because commandment-keeping, while required to enter into life, is not enough by itself.

This is exactly what early New Testament Christians were taught.  In the 90’s AD, the apostle John made it clear that Christians were to keep the commandments of God.  Notice: “And whatever we may ask we receive from Him, because we are keeping His commandments and are practicing those things that are pleasing in His sight….And the one who is keeping His commandments dwells in Him, and He in him; and by this we know that He is dwelling in us: by the Spirit which He gave to us” (I John 3:22, 24, AT).

When the apostles were called into question about their preaching and Christian practices, notice they said: “But Peter and the apostles answered and said, ‘We are obligated to obey God rather than men…And we are His witnesses of these things, and also the Holy Spirit, which God has given to those who obey Him’ " (Acts 5:29,32).  There is no question that we are still obligated to obey God, rather than men.  We must be willing to forsake the teachings of men.  If we do not we will never receive the Holy Spirit or ever receive eternal life.

All Of God's Laws Are Based On Love

Jesus Christ taught that the whole foundation for the laws and commandments of God is the love of God. A lawyer questioned Jesus about the law, saying, “Master, which commandment is the great commandment in the law?” Notice Jesus’ answer: “And Jesus said to him,  ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment; and the second one is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." (Mat. 22:37-40, AT).

Jesus expanded the meaning of these two great commandments even more as recorded in the Gospel of John.  Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments…. The one who has My commandments and is keeping them, that is the one who loves Me; and the one who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him…If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.  The one who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word that you hear is not Mine, but the Father's, Who sent Me” (John 14:15-24, AT).

Nothing could be more clear!  If we love Jesus Christ, we will be keeping His commandments.  As this precise translation of the Greek shows, if anyone loves God the Father and Jesus Christ, that love is active and on-going.  There is no doubt whatsoever that Jesus Christ means that we are to keep His commandments, but also sayings and words.  Moreover, those commandments are the words and sayings of God the Father!  Does God want you to keep the Sabbath?  Absolutely!  No doubt about it.

Keeping the commandments of God, which includes the seventh-day weekly Sabbath, is the standard by which we know that we love God: “By this standard we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and are keeping His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we should keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome” (I John 5:2-3).  Furthermore, commandment-keeping is a key to answered prayer. “And whatever we may ask [in prayer] we receive from Him, because we are keeping His commandments and are practicing those things that are pleasing in His sight" (I John 3:22, AT).

Surely, keeping the Sabbath in a loving, godly way, and worshipping God "in spirit and truth" is pleasing to Him.  This is all a part of loving God.  One cannot truly love God, if he or she is transgressing the commandments of God! With these things in mind, we can now completely understand Jesus Christ's teaching and example concerning the Sabbath and the inspired teachings of the New Testament.

Jesus' Teaching And Example Concerning The Sabbath

Jesus Christ Kept The Sabbath

Jesus Christ observed the weekly seventh-day Sabbath as a custom; it was something that He always did.  We find this account preserved for us in the Fourth Chapter of the Gospel of Luke. This event is extremely significant because the occasion was when Jesus began preaching the Gospel in Galilee: “And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and according to His custom, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read.” (Luke 4:16, AT).

After Jesus left Nazareth, He continued throughout all Galilee and was teaching the people on the Sabbath days.  He did not proclaim that He had come to do away with the Sabbath commandment.  Notice!  “Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and TAUGHT THEM ON THE SABBATH DAYS.  And they were astonished at His teaching: for His word was with power" (Luke 4:31-32, AT).

Jesus preached on many consecutive Sabbaths.  The Sabbath as we have previously learned was made to be a blessing for all mankind.  Jesus used the Sabbath to preach, teach and extend the blessings of God through healing and casting out demons.  Jesus Christ used the Sabbath to release people from sin--NOT TO LEAD THEM INTO SIN!  Hence, the Sabbath day is a day of redemption and salvation--a day of blessing!

Jesus Healed On The Sabbath Day To Set An Example Of Doing Good

Mark also recorded that Jesus healed people on the Sabbath day. Notice: “And again He went into the synagogue, and a man who had a withered hand was there.  And they were watching Him, to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, in order that they might accuse Him [notice the picky, hateful, unmerciful attitude of the Jewish religious leaders].  Then He said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Stand up here in the center.’  And He said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbaths, or to do evil?  To save life, or to kill?’  But they were silent.  And after looking around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’  And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as sound as the other one.  Then the Pharisees left and immediately took counsel with the Herodians as to how they might destroy Him. (Mark 3:1-6, AT).

God never made the Sabbath day a burden for people.  However, the Jewish religious leaders legislated hundreds and hundreds of "letter of the law" do's and don’ts, which in fact, overburdened the Sabbath with rigorous harsh restrictions.  This made it impossible to truly keep the Sabbath as God intended for a day of rest, rejoicing and worshiping God in spirit and truth.

The Sabbath day was created as a day of release from our labors and physical work.  It was intended to be a day of loving God, drawing close to Him and fellowshipping with Him (I John 1:3-4).  Just as the Sabbath is a blessing to us, as a day of rest from our labors, so it also should be used as a day of release from our sins.

This is why Jesus continually healed on the Sabbath day.  In the account in the Fifth Chapter of John, we again find the loving, forgiving, healing attitude and acts of Jesus contrasted with the hypocritical, super self-righteousness of the Pharisees.  So much so, that in the minds of the Pharisees, Jesus' act of healing on the Sabbath, constituted what they claimed to be Sabbath-breaking.

In reality, Jesus' act of healing was an extension of God's loving kindness, which was a most appropriate expression of the meaning and intent of the Sabbath day.  God created the Sabbath so mankind could be in contact with the True God and receive His blessings.  What greater blessing could a crippled man receive from God, than to be healed on the Sabbath-day?

Let's examine this account more closely:  “Now a certain man was there who had been suffering with an infirmity for thirty-eight years.  Jesus saw him lying there, and, knowing that he had been there a long time, said to him, ‘Do you desire to be made whole?’ And the infirm man answered Him, ‘Sir, I do not  have anyone to put me in the pool after the water has been agitated.  But while I am coming, another one steps down before me.’  Jesus said to him, ‘Arise, take up your bedroll and walk.’  And immediately the manwas made whole; and he took up his bedroll and walked.  Now that day was a Sabbath.

“For this reason, the Jews said to the man who had been healed, ‘It is the Sabbath day.  It is not lawful for you to take up your bedroll.’ [This was in reference to a traditional law that the Jews added, because Jesus healed him and told him to carry it, Jesus would not command anyone to sin.]  He answered them, ‘The one Who made me whole, He said to me, “Take up your bedroll and walk.” Then they asked him, ‘Who is the one Who said to you, “Take up your bedroll and walk”? ’  But the man who had been healed did not know Who it was, for Jesus had moved away, and a crowd was in the place.

“After these things, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, ‘Behold, you have made whole.  Sin no more, so that something worse does not come upon you’ ”  (John 5:5-15, AT).

How did the Jews react?  Were they happy that Jesus had healed a man? No!  Did they desire to follow Him as the Son of God? Decidedly not! Notice their reaction: “And for this cause, the Jews persecuted Jesus and sought to kill Him, because He had done those things on a Sabbath.  But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is working until now, and I work.’ So then, on account of this saying, the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, not only because He had loosed the Sabbath, but also because He had called God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.  Therefore, Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, the Son has no power to do anything of Himself, but only what He sees the Father do.  For whatever He does, these things the Son also does in the same manner.’ And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath day” (Verses 16-19, AT)

The Jews did not understand that spiritual work such as healing, helping the poor and destitute, on the Sabbath day glorifies God and that doing good such as this is a part of the good works of the Sabbath day.  It is not a work of labor for gain.

Jesus Christ Is Lord Of The Sabbath

He Is Not Lord Of Sunday!

After another dispute about Sabbath-keeping, because the disciples plucked ears of grain to eat, Jesus made it absolutely clear that He was Lord of the Sabbath day!

"And He said unto them, THE SABBATH WAS MADE FOR MAN, NOT MAN FOR THE SABBATH [Jesus ought to have known, because He created it!] THEREFORE THE SON OF MAN IS LORD EVEN OF THE SABBATH” (Mark 2:27-28, AT). Nothing could be more true—Jesus Christ as Creator of the Sabbath owns it.

READ THESE SCRIPTURES AGAIN!  WHAT DAY DID JESUS SAY WAS THE LORD'S DAY, HIS DAY?  WAS IT SUNDAY?  Absolutely not!

The Lord’s day is not Sunday, as most professing Christians have been taught, Jesus said that the Lord’s day was the Sabbath day. He is Lord of that day!  The Sabbath Day is the seventh day of the week, known as Saturday.  It is not Sunday, known as the first day of the week. Therefore, the true Lord’s day of the New Testament is the seventh day weekly Sabbath.

The Apostles Kept The Sabbath

Jesus Christ's last command before ascending into heaven was very clear.  Notice what He commissioned the apostles to do and teach: "And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, ‘All authority in heaven and in earth has been given to Me.  Therefore, go and make disciples in all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS THAT I HAVE COMMANDED YOU: and lo, I am with you always, even until the completion of the age” (Mat. 28:18-20, AT).

Let's understand from the very words of Jesus Christ, that the apostles were to teach and do only those things they had learned from Jesus.  THEY DID NOT LEARN ANYTHING ABOUT SUNDAY AS A DAY OF WORSHIP.  We can be sure that because the original apostles never taught it.  In fact, history shows that it was almost 300 years before Constantine imposed Sunday as a day of worship. It is abundantly clear from Scripture that Constantine did not have any authority to change the Sabbath commandment of God.

In the book of Acts we find that the apostle Paul taught the people on the Sabbath.  In fact, when Paul first began preaching in Greece proper, he observed the Sabbath.  Because there were not any synagogues in the area, he sought out a place of prayer where people were keeping the Sabbath.

Here is what Luke records for us:  "And from there [we went] to Philippi, which is the third city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.  And on the Sabbath, we went out of the city by a riverside, where prayer was known to be made; and we sat down, and spoke to the women which resorted there" (Acts 16:12-13).

Paul was preaching to the Gentiles in this part of Greece.  More importantly, we see that the Gentiles were keeping the Sabbath before Paul preached to them.  This is quite the opposite of what theologians claim.  Because they despise God's laws, they teach that the Sabbath is for the Jews, and Sunday, is for the Gentiles!  That is completely false!  Paul taught Gentiles on the Sabbath and taught them to keep the Sabbath!

It would have been a perfect time for Paul to begin teaching the Gentiles that they did not have to observe the seventh-day Sabbath, wouldn't it!  But did he?  NO, HE DID NOT!

Let's see some more examples of Paul's teachings and practices.  "And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures" (Acts 17:2).

Paul Taught the Gentiles On the Sabbath Day

If Paul wanted to proclaim that the day of worship had, in fact, been changed from the seventh-day to the first-day of the week, he most certainly would have done so on this following occasion.  The account in the book of Acts disproves the allegation that the Sabbath was for the Jews only and Sunday was supposedly the new day of worship for the Gentiles: “...They came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day" (Acts 13:15, AT).  After preaching Jesus Christ to them, many of the Jews were offended.   However, some of the Jews and most of the Gentiles wanted to hear more about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Notice: “Then after departing from the synagogue of the Jews, the Gentiles entreated him that these words be spoken to them the Sabbath between.  Now after the synagogue was dismissed, many of the Jews and the worshiping proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. Then on the coming Sabbath, almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God” (Acts 13:42-45, AT).

If it were true, as taught by theologians and believed by millions of churchgoers, that Sunday was for the Gentiles, Paul certainly missed a golden opportunity to teach them about Sunday.  He could have instructed them to come back the very next day, the first day of the week, and to begin holding Sunday services instead of Sabbath services—but he didn’t!

Grace and Sabbath-keeping Go Hand-in-Hand

Grace Does Not Eliminate Sabbath-keeping

The apostle Paul and Barnabas did not teach the Gentiles that grace eliminated the need to obey the Fourth Commandment.  Rather, they were told to continue in the grace of God with Sabbath-keeping!  Because this is such an important matter, and the Scriptures clearly reveal that Paul did not teach Sunday-keeping, it needs to be repeated: “Now after the synagogue was dismissed, many of the Jews and the worshiping proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. Then on the coming Sabbath [not the next day Sunday--but the next Sabbath], almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God” came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God" (verses 43-45, AT).

This is amazing, because Mainstream Christianity teaches that if one keeps the holy Sabbath of God that he or she has fallen from the grace of God.  But nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, from these scriptures we can see that Paul taught that grace and Sabbath-keeping go hand in hand!  Grace does not give anyone license to reject God's seventh day weekly Sabbath and replace it with Sunday!  However, most Sunday-keeping ministers make the false claim that it is through the grace of God that they have the authority to reject the Sabbath and proclaim Sunday as the Lord's day! That is an outright lie!  The true teachings of the apostle Paul were that in order to remain within the grace of God, the Gentiles were to keep the Sabbath--not Sunday!

In his epistle to the Romans, the apostle Paul taught that grace establishes the law.  Notice:  “Since, indeed, it is one God who will justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith.  Are we, then, abolishing law through faith?  MAY IT NEVER BE!  On the contrary, we are establishing law!” (Rom. 3:30-31, AT).

Again, Paul makes it absolutely clear that a Christian cannot continue in sin, transgressing the commandments of God—including the Fourth Commandment.  He leaves no doubt whatsoever.  Notice: “What then shall we say?  Shall we continue in sin, so that grace may abound?  MAY IT NEVER BE!  We who died to sin, how shall we live any longer therein?  Or are you ignorant that we, as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus, were baptized into His death?

“Therefore, we were co-buried with Him by the baptism into the death; so that, just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, that in the same way, we also should walk in newness of life.  For if we have become co-joined together in the likeness of His death, so also shall we be in the likeness of His resurrection.  Knowing this, that our old man was co-crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we should no longer be enslaved to sin; because the one who has died to sin [through the operation of baptism] has been justified from sin” (Rom. 6:1-7, AT).

When we fully understand the New Testament Scriptures, there was not one hint that the apostles of Jesus Christ, including Paul, who was the apostle to the Gentiles, ever taught Sunday observance.  Never at any time did they teach that Sunday would replace the seventh day Sabbath.  All the way through the book of Acts, and in the writings of all the apostles, the Sabbath is upheld as the day of worship.

When the apostle Paul came to Corinth, he taught every Sabbath for a year and one-half.  “And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.  But when both Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was stirred in the spirit, earnestly testifying to the Jews, that Jesus was the Christ.  But as they set themselves in opposition and were blaspheming, Paul shook his garments and said to them, ‘Your blood be upon your heads.  I am clean.  From this time forward I will go to the Gentiles.’

“And after departing from there, he came into the house of a certain one named Justus, who worshipped God, whose house was adjoining the synagogue.  But Cripus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with his whole house; and many Corinthians who heard, believed and were baptized. And the Lord said to Paul in a vision in the night, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; because I am with you, and no one shall set upon you to treat you badly, because there are many people for Me in this city.’ And he remained a year and six months teaching the Word of God among them” (Acts 18:1-11, AT).

Again we see that when Paul turned to the Gentiles, He did not institute Sunday-keeping.  Neither did he ever teach that Sunday was the weekly day of worship for the Gentiles.

If One Transgresses One of the Commandments,

He is Guilty of Breaking Them All

The major commandment that is rejected by mainstream Christianity today, is the Fourth Commandment.  Yet, as strange as it may seem, those who reject this commandment will profess to keep the other commandments and claim that they are doing the will of God.  But the apostle James declares that breaking even one of the commandments of God is sin, and brings the same condemnation as breaking them all.

In his epistle, James shows that Jesus’ teachings concerning the spirit of the law did not eliminate the need to obey the letter of the law.  James explains Jesus’ command to “love your neighbor as yourself” requires obedience to the commandments of God.  James specifically refers to the Sixth and Seventh commandments, and makes it very clear that to break any of God’s commandments is sin : “If you are truly keeping the Royal Law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well.  But if you have respect of persons, you are committing sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors; because whoever shall keep the whole law, but sin in one aspect, becomes guilty of all.  For He Who said, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘You shall not commit murder.’  Now if you do not commit adultery, but you commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.  In this manner speak and in this manner behave: as those who are about to be judged by the law of freedom” (James 2:8-12, AT).

The same standard also applies to the Sabbath commandment of God, to keep the seventh day Sabbath holy.  Let us examine God’s Word: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it" (Ex. 20:8-11, KJV).

Nowhere in the entire Bible, do we find a single Scripture that changes the day of rest and worship from, the seventh day of the week, Saturday, to the first day of the week, Sunday.  There are some Scriptures that have been misinterpreted to make it appear that Sunday is the day on which Christians should worship.  However, when those Scriptures are properly understood and interpreted, it is clear that Jesus Christ did not change the Sabbath day from the seventh day of the week to the first day of the week.

Contrary to the teachings of mainstream theologians, God did not command Sabbath keeping for the Jews only.  In the beginning, God created the Sabbath day, hallowing the seventh day as the weekly day of worship, when there was not a single Jew on earth.  The only humans at that time were Adam and Eve: the progenitors of all mankind.  It was for all humanity that God blessed and sanctified the seventh day, making it holy: "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.  And on the seventh day [original reading of the Hebrew text: “the sixth day”] God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.  And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made" (Gen. 2:1-3, KJV).

The seventh-day was sanctified at the creation of the world.  God established that day as a time for rest and the day of worship from the beginning.  He sanctified it, and blessed it, and rested on it, setting the example for mankind.  Down through the ages, the record of this act of God has been preserved in the book of Genesis, one of the books of the Law. Remember what Jesus Christ declared concerning the Law: “For truly I say to you, until the heaven and the earth shall pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no way pass from the Law until everything has been fulfilled” (Matt. 5:17).

God created time. On earth time is measured by the movement of the earth in relationship to the heavens and earth.  As long as the heavens and earth exist, the seventh-day Sabbath will not pass from the Law.  Consequently, the Fourth Commandment is still in force and remains binding on all mankind.

Contrary to what mainstream Christianity may teach or what people may practice, Sunday has never been nor will ever be the Lord’s day.  The seventh day of the week, called Saturday today, is the Lord’s Sabbath day.  Jesus Christ emphatically declared that He is Lord of the Sabbath day: “And He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath; therefore, the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28, AT). Jesus Himself declared that He is Lord of the Sabbath—the seventh day of the week.  Therefore, the Sabbath day is the Lord’s day—not Sunday.

Some Scholars Understand that the Sabbath is to be Kept

Many theologians have misconstrued Jesus’ declaration that He is Lord of the Sabbath as signifying that He was abolishing the Sabbath by His authority. This interpretation of Jesus’ words is completely unfounded.  Among the scholars who understand the true meaning of these scriptures, are writers of The Anchor Bible Dictionary.  Notice what they have written about these critical verses: “At times Jesus is interpreted to have abrogated or suspended the sabbath commandment on the basis of the controversies brought about by sabbath healings and other acts.  Careful analysis of the respective passages does not seem to give credence to this interpretation.  The action of plucking the ears of grain on the sabbath by the disciples is particularly important in this matter.  Jesus makes a foundational pronouncement at that time in a chiastically structured statement of antithetic parallelism: ‘The sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath’ (Mark 2:27).  The disciples’ act of plucking the grain infringed against the rabbinic halakhah of minute causistry in which it was forbidden to reap, thresh, winnow, and grind on the sabbath (Sabb. 7.2).  Here again rabbinic sabbath halakhah is rejected, as in other sabbath conflicts.  Jesus reforms the sabbath and restores its rightful place as designed in creation, where sabbath is made for all mankind and not specifically for Israel, as claimed by normative Judaism (cf. Jub. 2:19-20, see D.3).  The subsequent logion, “The Son of Man is Lord even of the sabbath” (Mark 2:28; Matt. 12:8; Luke 6:5), indicates that man-made sabbath halakhah does not rule the sabbath, but that the Son of Man as Lord determines the true meaning of the sabbath.  The sabbath activities of Jesus are neither hurtful provocations nor mere protests against rabbinic legal restrictions, but are part of Jesus’ essential proclamation of the inbreaking of the kingdom of God in which man is taught the original meaning of the sabbath as the recurring weekly proleptic ‘day of the Lord’ in which God manifests his healing and saving rulership over man” (The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol. 5, pp. 854-55).

There Remains Sabbath-keeping For the People of God

As these scholars show, the Gospel accounts do not support the widespread belief that Jesus abolished the Sabbath day.  Rather, as the Lord of the Sabbath, He taught the true meaning of the Sabbath day and set the example for its proper observance.  His apostles continued to keep the Sabbath and to teach the early believers to keep it, as Paul’s epistle to the Hebrews clearly demonstrates.  The apostle Paul wrote this epistle between 62 and 65 AD, more than thirty years after the beginning of the New Testament Church. In his epistle, Paul makes it absolutely clear the seventh-day Sabbath had not been abolished. At that time, there were false ministers who were teaching that Sunday, the first day of the week, had replaced the Sabbath.  To counter these false teachings, Paul gave the brethren a sober warning that to reject the Sabbath and accept Sunday was sin, just as the children of Israel rebelled against God in the wilderness.

 Believe it or not, the New Testament shows that Sabbath-keeping and entering into the Kingdom of God go hand-in-hand.  The comparison between the Israelites not entering the promised land--a physical type of the coming Kingdom of God--because of their Sabbath-breaking, is drawn between professing Christians who will not enter into the Kingdom of God because of their unbelief and Sabbath-breaking.  Notice:

“For He spoke in a certain place about the seventh day in this manner: ‘And God rested on the seventh day from all His works’; and again concerning this: ‘If they shall enter into My rest.’  Consequently, since it remains for some to enter into it, and those who had previously heard the gospel did not enter in because of disobedience, again He marks out a certain day, ‘Today,’ saying in David after so long a time (exactly as it has been quoted above), ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.’ For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken long afterwards of another day. Therefore, there remains Sabbath-keeping for the people of God” (Heb. 4:4-9, AT).

Paul does not say, “There remains Sabbath-keeping for the Jews.  He clearly declared, “There remains Sabbath-keeping for the people of God." The people of God include the Gentiles as well as the Jews (I Pet. 2:10 and Eph. 2:11-13).

Many ministers and theologians have applied the opposite meaning to Hebrews 4:9.  They have completely misinterpreted the King James Version of this verse, which reads, “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.”  They teach that Christians are no longer required to observe the Sabbath because Jesus Christ has given them “rest” by releasing them from commandment keeping and thereby He “fulfilled the law” for them.  As a result, they are told that he or she has entered into a spiritual “rest” from sin and does not have to keep the commandments of God.  Such reasoning is completely false.  Jesus Himself said that He did not come to abolish or “do away with” the laws and commandments of God, but to fulfill them.  Neither did Jesus Christ fulfill any commandment for anyone in order to release him or her from the obligation to keep them.   He set the example for us—not to force us but to free us from committing sin (I Pet. 2:21-22, I John 3:4).

When we understand the meaning of the Greek text, there is no question that the New Testament upholds the authority of the Fourth Commandment for Christians today.  The Greek word that is used in Hebrews 4:9,sabbatismoV, pronounced sabbatismos, which means “Sabbath rest, Sabbath observance” (Arndt and Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament).

This definition of the Greek word sabbatismoV sabbatismos is confirmed by other historical works: “The words ‘sabbath rest’ is translated from the GK noun sabbatismos, [and is] a unique word in the NT.  This term appears also in Plutarch (Superset. 3 [Moralia 166a]) for sabbath observance, and in four post-canonical Christian writings which are not dependent on Heb. 4:9” (The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol. 5, p. 856).

The Greek word, sabbatismoV sabbatismos, is a noun. The verb form of the word is sabbatizw sabbatizo, which means “to keep the Sabbath” (Arndt and Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament).

This definition of sabbatizw Sabbatizo is confirmed by its use in the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament which dates from third century BC.  It is called the Septuagint, meaning “Seventy” because the first five books were translated by seventy scholars who were Greek-speaking Jews in Alexandria, Egypt.  Jews used the Septuagint in synagogues throughout the Roman empire, and by the Greek-speaking Jewish and Gentile coverts in the early New Testament church. The apostle Paul, quotes extensively from the Septuagint in his epistle to the Hebrews.  When Paul used the Greek word sabbatismoV sabbatismos in Hebrews 4:9, he knew that the meaning of this word was well known to the Greek-speaking believers of that day.  The verb form sabbatizw, sabbatizo was used in the Septuagint which was as familiar to the Greek-speaking Jews and Gentiles of New Testament times as the King James Bible is to Christians today.

The use of the verb sabbatizw sabbatizo in Leviticus 23:32 in the Septuagint leaves no room to mistake its meaning. The Greek English Lexicon of the Septuagint defines sabbatizw sabbatizo as “to keep sabbath, to rest” (Lust, Eynikel, Hauspie). The English translation of this verse in the Septuagint reads: “It [the Day of Atonement] shall be a holy sabbath [literally, ‘a Sabbath of Sabbaths’] to you; and ye shall humble your souls, from the ninth day of the month: from evening to evening shall ye keep your sabbaths” (The Septuagint With the Apocrypha, Brenton).

The phrase “shall ye keep your sabbaths” is translated from the Greek phrase sabbatieite ta sabbata sabbatieite ta sabbata, which literally means, “You shall sabbathize the Sabbaths.”  The form of the Greek verb sabbatizw sabbatizo is the second person plural sabbatieite sabbatieite, which means, “ye shall keep.”  Since the verb sabbathize, means “to keep the Sabbath,” this verb is a special verb that also relates to and defines “Sabbath-keeping,” for God’s command for the land Sabbath every seven years.  In the entire Septuagint, the verb sabbatizw sabbatizo is never used to define the “keeping” of anything else. Rather, it is always used in relation to “Sabbath-keeping” and “Sabbath-keeping” only.  In keeping with this definition, the KJV translates sabbatieite sabbatieite, this way: “shall ye celebrate your sabbath.”

There is no question that the Greek verb sabbatizw sabbatizo in Leviticus 23:32 is specifically referring to Sabbath observance.  This meaning applies equally to the noun form sabbatismoV sabbatismos, which we find in Paul’s epistle to Hebrews.  The fact that Paul used the Septuagint translation in this epistle confirms that the meaning word sabbatismoV sabbatismos, in Hebrews 4:9, is in complete accord with the meaning of sabbatieite ta sabbata sabbatieite ta sabbata, in Leviticus 23:32. Clearly Paul is upholding the observance of the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week.

The use of the Greek word sabbatismoV sabbatismos in Hebrews 4:9 contradicts the teachings that the Fourth Commandment has been abolished.  As the context of this verse shows, the observance of the seventh day as a day of rest and worship is as binding for the people of God today, as it was for Israel of old. In addition to the weekly Sabbath, the annual holy days that God commanded, which are also called Sabbaths, are included in the Fourth Commandment. In the same manner as true believers are commanded to keep the seventh-day Sabbath, they are also commanded to observe the annual holy days of God.  The early New Testament church kept the holy days of God, as determined by the calculated Hebrew Calendar.  The apostle Paul kept the holy days and commanded Gentile converts to keep them (I Cor. 5:7-8).  None of the apostles or the early converts to Christianity observed the pagan holidays that are now called Christmas or Easter.  These holidays, which originated in sun worship, were later adopted into Christianity, through the influence of the Roman church.  They became false substitutes for the annual holy days that are commanded by God, just as Sunday has become a false substitute for the weekly Sabbath.

Paul carries his instruction even further, showing that we have to keep the Sabbath or lose salvation.  "For he that is entered into His rest [keeping the Sabbath], He also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His [when He created the Sabbath day]”

"We should be diligent therefore to enter into that rest [Sabbath-keeping, as well as striving to enter into the Kingdom of God], lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience. For the Word of God is living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is able to judge the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:10-12, AT).

What could be more clear?  God's Holy Word reveals that if we want to be true Christians, we must be loving God the Father and Jesus Christ.  We must be living by every word of God, keeping His commandments.  This is how we are to follow Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Bible.  There is no question that we should be observing the seventh-day weekly Sabbath as the day of worship and fellowship.

Summary

We have seen from God's Word these following truths about the holy seventh day Sabbath of God:

1. God created the seventh-day Sabbath as a day of rest for all of mankind from the beginning of the creation.

2. Abraham kept the Sabbath

3. The Sabbath commandment was given to the Israelites before Mt. Sinai.

4. The Sabbath commandment is the fourth of the Ten Commandments and we are commanded to remember and to keep holy the seventh-day Sabbath.

5. God owns the Sabbath--it is His.

6. Jesus Christ was the Creator of the Sabbath.

7. Jesus Christ is Lord of the Sabbath day, which means that the Lord's day is Sabbath, not Sunday.

8. Jesus Christ observed the Sabbath and taught and healed on the Sabbath.

9. The apostles never changed the day of worship to the first-day of the week.

10. The apostle Paul taught the Gentiles to observe the Sabbath.

11. The apostle Paul taught that grace and Sabbath-keeping go hand-in-hand.

12. The Bible nowhere teaches that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday.

13. In the New Testament, Heb. 4:9, is a direct command for Christians to keep the Sabbath today.

14. Sabbath-keeping is essential for salvation and is a sign that we love God and keep His commandments

Now that you know the Biblical Truth about the seventh-day weekly Sabbath what will you do?  Will you repent of your sin of Sabbath-breaking and truly follow God's way or not?  Will you show your love for God the Father and Jesus Christ by observing the Sabbath?  The decision is yours!

Listen to The Holy Sabbath audio sermons for further study.

Be sure to Read or Download - Rome's Challenge: Why Do the Protestants Keep Sunday?

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