SHOULD CHRISTIANS OBSERVE THE SABBATH? God in the OT set aside the Sabbath as the day His people should worship. God rested on the 7th day and commanded men to do likewise. The Jews observed the Sabbath from Friday 6 pm to Saturday 6 pm. Nothing in the NT explicitly teaches that any change was to occur. Why then do most Christians worship on Sundays? Is this right or wrong? Does it really make a difference which day we choose? Considering that the Sabbath is part of the 10 Commandments, should we not observe it? Seven Day Adventists (SDAs) are among the most vociferous of Sabbath keepers. Some even believe that Sunday worship will be part of the future mark of the beast. This, however, is not even worthy of comment. This article addresses the relevant scriptures addressing the question of worshiping on Sunday vs. Saturday. The 10 Commandments Adventists believe that the Sabbath was instituted in the Garden of Eden and practiced ever since, but was only made official under the Law. God did rest on the 7th day, but there is no evidence that anyone observed it as a rest day until Moses. They appeal to the word “remember” found in Ex. 20:8, claiming that God was trying to refresh the Israelites’ memory of when the Sabbath was first initiated and practiced. Exodus 20:8. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Deuteronomy 5:12. Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Observe that Deut. 5:12 which provides a parallel account of the 10 commandments, does not use the word "remember". Clearly the word “remember” is used synonymously with "keep" or “observe”. Thus God was not reminding them of what happened in the Garden of Eden, but rather appealing to them to remember to observe the Sabbath every time Saturday arrived. Christian Liberty Rom. 14:4-6 give us liberty to choose our day of worship. The NT demands none. The Sabbath laws have passed away and Christian tradition has been to gather on Sundays. However we are free to worship whenever we desire. What we ought not to do is condemn others over differences in this regard.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 17:59:21 +0000
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