The Sabbath Day or, Any Day?

Within the ranks of Christendom, you find the common idea that Sunday is the so-called “Christian Sabbath.”

We will look to the Holy Word of God to see if there is ‘any day’ to be observed during this age of “the dispensation of the grace of God.”

Roman Catholic priest, “Father” Dale Fushek, wrote:

“When Did Sunday Become the Sabbath? The Book of Genesis says God created the universe in six days. Beginning on the first day of the week, Sunday, and ending on the last, the Saturday, on which he rested. ‘Sabbath’ comes for the Hebrew word for resting or ceasing. In Jesus’ time—and even today—there are serious restrictions among Jews concerning what can and cannot be done on the Sabbath. But, over time, Christians began celebrating on the first day of the week because Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday and it was on Sunday that the Holy Spirit descended on Pentecost.”

Note this priest never really answered the question he asked. He could not say when Sunday actually became the Sabbath. Could it be that he knows Sunday never actually became the Sabbath at all? There is no verse in the Bible, in the Protestant Bible or in the Roman Catholic Bible, that indicates Sunday ever became the Sabbath.

Can it be any clearer? Sunday never became the Sabbath! That is the figment of theologians’ imaginations!

The Bible says Jesus arose on the “first day of the week” (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). Using this standard of Sunday as the first day of the week, Saturday would be the last (or seventh) day of the week. Genesis 2:1-3 speaks of the first Sabbath, or the first Saturday:

“[1] Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. [2] And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. [3] 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.”

Many centuries later, God commanded the nation Israel through Moses in Exodus 20:8-11:

“[8] Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. [9] Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: [10] 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: [11] 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.”

Prior to the nation Israel and Moses, no one was ever commanded to keep the Sabbath Day. Nothing in the Bible indicates that Adam, Noah, or even Abraham ever observed the Saturday Sabbath.

It is true that Jews worshipped in the synagogues on the Saturday Sabbath (Matthew 12:2, 9-10; Mark 1:21; Mark 6:2; Luke 4:16; 6:6; 13:10; Acts 13:14-16; 15:21; 17:1-3). It is true that Christians usually assembled on the first day of the week, or Sunday. Acts 20:7, for example:

“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.”

And 1 Corinthians 16:1-2: “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. [2] Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”

While early Christians did meet on the first day of the week, the Bible never called this the “Sabbath Day” or the “Lord’s Day.”

During the present age of “the Dispensation of the Grace of God,” there is no prescribed day of worship. Our worship (worth-ship) is seen by our trust in Jesus Christ as our New Life and as Lord in our daily living. So, we should be worshipping God every day, not just on Sunday or any assigned day of the week.

Paul’s epistles make no reference to us keeping the Sabbath Day or that we have to go to church on Sunday. If it is convenient for us to fellowship with saints on Wednesday, or Thursday, or Tuesday, or even Monday, we can do it. The point is not to put so much emphasis on a formal schedule, but rather the doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ being clearly proclaimed and taught.

Colossians 2:16: Let no man therefore judge you in meat (foods), or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:…”

Galatians 4:9-11: “[9] But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements (of religion), whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? [10] (whereby) Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. [11] I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.”

The Mosaic Law regulated what foods the Jews were to eat, what foods not to eat, what drinks to drink, what drinks not to drink, what days to observe, and so on. Today, however, we are under no such regulations. Actually, to teach that we must abstain from certain foods in “the Dispensation of the Grace of God,” the Bible calls that a “doctrine of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1-5). We are under no kosher food laws today. We are not bound to keep any Sabbath Day. The Sabbath Day has no meaning for us as it did for the nation Israel in the Law program. Paul never instructs us to keep the Sabbath day. It may be church tradition but it is not Bible!

Furthermore, Paul said that he was “afraid” of the Galatians because they were embracing the Mosaic Law and they were hindering God’s grace from working in their lives. They were observing days, religious holidays. Paul said in Colossians 2 that Satan would use various tactics to cause us to forget our identity in Christ. We read about the traditions of man, vain deceit, philosophy, the rudiments of the world, holydays, new moons, Sabbath days, and so on (Colossians 2:8,16).

None of that has any significance today. It is Scriptural to follow the Law of Moses, but it is not dispensational. We are under “the Dispensation of the Grace of God,” not the Dispensation of Law (Romans 6:14-15).

God’s grace never tells us to set one day aside for worshiping God. We should worship God all the time. Every day should be lived to the glory of Jesus Christ, not just one day a week.

Portions of the paper were adapted from Shawn Brasseaux