Would the little horn actually change God's
times and laws? Daniel 7:25
And
NOTE: He doesn't do it; he only tries but
thinks he has.
What happened on the first day of the week? Matthew 28:1, 2; Mark 16:1, 2, 9; Luke 23:56; John 20:1
rose
early on the
NOTE: These are the first five texts of the New
Testament that mention the first day of the week. Each of them simply
state the historical truth that Jesus rose on the first day of the
week. There is no hint that we are to keep this day now in honor of the
resurrection.
What day is mentioned as coming before the
first day of the week? Matthew 28:1, 2; Mark 16:1, 2; Luke 23:56, 24: 1
The
NOTE: In most of the texts that mention the
first day of the week, the writers make it clear that the Sabbath was
the day before the resurrection, and not the day of the resurrection.
What is the Biblical memorial of the death,
burial and resurrection of Christ? Romans 6:3-6
NOTE: God has already given us a memorial of
the crucifixion and resurrection -- baptism. God never gave people
authority to institute another memorial which would countermand the
Sabbath memorial that He gave at creation.
Why were the disciples assembled on the first
day of the week? John 20:19
for
NOTE: The disciples were not holding a meeting
to honor the resurrection. They did not even believe in the
resurrection at this time. Instead, they were hiding behind locked
doors for fear that what happened to Jesus would also happen to them.
They were afraid for their lives. Nothing here indicates a change in
the day or worship.
What did Paul ask the Corinthian Christians
to do on the first day of the week? 1 Corinthians 16:2
On the first day of every week, each one of you
should
NOTE: The "New Testament in the Language of
Today" says: "Each of you should at home lay aside money he makes and
save it." Paul was requesting money for the Jerusalem Christians who
were suffering from famine ( Acts 11:27-30; Romans 15:26 ). He was instructing
the Corinthian Christians to prepare by laying aside at home a certain
amount of money each week for this special gift. This was an individual
laying aside, and not collective laying aside at a church meeting.
There is nothing in this text to indicate there was a collection
occurring in the church on the first day of the week. They were simply
putting aside money that would be given to Paul later when he arrived.
This way they would have more to give and avoid last minute scrambling.
Does Acts 20:7-11 indicate
that the first day was the regular meeting day of the early church?
NOTE: This meeting took place on the evening of
the first day of the week. In Biblical times the day was reckoned from
sunset to sunset ( Genesis 1:5; Mark 1:32 ). This means that the
dark part of the first day of the week in Biblical reckoning would be
what we call Saturday night. The New English Bible translates this
verse: "On the Saturday night, in our assembly for the breaking of
bread..." The meeting started on our Saturday night and ended sometime
after daybreak Sunday morning. Paul was having a farewell meeting for
the church members. He was about to leave them; he knew he might never
see them again. He was anxious to impart all of the counsel of God that
he could. And so he spent the entire night, from sundown to sunup,
preaching to them.
According to verse 11 , on Sunday morning the
apostle Paul and his company departed on their journey. Why didn't they
stay for Sunday morning worship if they were in fact keeping Sunday?
Some have cited this text to show the regular
custom of the early church was to meet on the first day of the week.
But the text says nothing about it being the regular custom of the
early church. Just because Paul preached and broke bread on this day
does not make the day sacred. The early church broke bread daily ( Acts 2:46 ), as well as preached
daily.
Amazingly, we have looked at every New
Testament text that mentions the first day of the week. We have not
found the slightest indication of any change in the day or worship.
WAS THE
SABBATH ABOLISHED? Certain texts in the New Testament have
indicated that certain Sabbaths are no longer kept in the New Testament
church. This has confused people into thinking that the New Testament
was not concerned about the seventh-day Sabbath. However, there are two
kinds of Sabbaths mentioned in the Bible -- the ceremonial feast days
and the seventh-day Sabbath.
What were the ceremonial feast days called? Leviticus 23:8, 21, 25, 31, 32
A
NOTE: The seventh-day weekly Sabbath of
Creation originated in the Garden of Eden. The ceremonial feast days --
Feast of Unleavened Bread, Passover, Feast of Firstfruits, Pentecost,
Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23) --
originated in Sinai. The seventh-day Sabbath points back to creation
and our need for a relationship with God. The ceremonial Sabbaths
pointed forward to the cross and the second coming. They were shadows
of the reality that was to come in Jesus as the Messiah and Judge.
The ceremonial Sabbaths were besides what
other Sabbaths? Leviticus 23:37, 38
These are the Lord's appointed
NOTE: The Old Testament makes a clear
distinction between the ceremonial feast days that were Sabbaths and
the seventh-day Sabbath. The seventh-day Sabbath was besides all the
other feast days.
Which Sabbaths does the Apostle Paul say New
Testament believers are not to be judged on? Colossians 2:16, 17
...or a Sabbath day. These are a
NOTE: Paul makes it very clear which Sabbath
days he's talking about. Remember, there were two kinds of Sabbaths in
the Old Testament: the seventh-day Sabbath pointing backward to
creaton, and the ceremonial Sabbaths that were a shadow pointing
forward to the cross. Paul clearly states that it is the Sabbaths which
are a shadow of things to come that the Christian is no longer to be
judged on. He is not talking about the seventh-day Sabbath. Instead, he
is talking about the ceremonial Sabbaths, such as Passover, Feast of
Tabernacles, and Day of Atonement.
Does Romans 14:1-6 indicate
that it makes no difference which day is kept as the Sabbath?
NOTE: Please read this text very carefully. The
Sabbath is not even mentioned. The context of this passage indicates
that some Christians were concerned about eating on a certain day,
others were not concerned about it at all. In the early centuries,
Christians were disputing whether they should keep Wednesday or Friday
as fast days. This may be what the apostle Paul was talking about here.
Some were eating on this or that day, others were fasting. Paul said
"let everybody be fully persuaded in his own mind" ( verse 5 ). What day is kept as a
fast-day is not important. There is absolutely nothing here to indicate
that the Sabbath is being talked about.
THE SABBATH On what day did Paul and his company go into
the synagogue at Antioch? Acts 13:14 When the Jews left the synagogue, what did
the people ask? Acts 13:42 What happened on the next Sabbath? Acts 13:44
Almost the whole
NOTE: Paul was attempting to reach not only the
Jews, but the Gentiles also heard Paul preach on the Sabbath. Evidently
they recognized Paul's custom to keep the Sabbath.
Where did Paul meet for Sabbath worship at
Philippi? Acts 16:13
Outside the city gate to the
NOTE: At Philippi there was no Jewish synagogue
for Paul to attend on Sabbath. Instead he met with believers by the
river. Even though there was no Jewish place of worship, Paul still met
on the Sabbath for Christian worship.
How many Sabbaths did Paul explain that the
Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead? Acts 17:1-4 How often did Paul preach to the Jews and
Greeks at Corenth? Acts 18:4 How long was Paul at Corinth? Acts 18:11
A
NOTE: Paul preached for 78 Sabbaths in a row.
Surely, in the year and a half that he was in Corinth, Paul could have
introduced Sunday-keeping to the new believers if there had actually
been a change. But there is an absence of any such instruction.
Instead, we find Paul constantly keeping the Sabbath every week for the
year and a half that he lived in Corinth.
What does the writer of the letter to the
Hebrews give as an example of the rest that we have in Jesus Christ? Hebrews 4:4
And on the
NOTE: In discussing the rest that the Christian
finds in Jesus, there is no better example than the seventh-day
Sabbath. The seventh-day Sabbath is God's symbol of the rest the
believer has in Jesus, because the Sabbath is a symbol of the
relationship that a Christian has with his God.
THE SABBATH
ISSUE The issue is clear. There is absolutely not the
slightest bit of evidence in the Bible of a change in the day of
worship from Saturday to Sunday. However, the real issue is not keeping
Saturday or keeping Sunday. The real issue is, does the little horn
have the authority to change God's law? Notice this amazing statement
from a Roman Catholic source:
"It was the Catholic Church which...transferred
the rest to the Sunday..... Thus the observance of Sunday by the
Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the
authority of the [Catholic] church." Monsignour Louise Segur, "Plain
Truth About Protestantism of Today." p. 213.
What an amazing admission! The Roman Church
claims that when a person keeps Sunday, he acknowledges the authority
of the Roman Church! To keep God's seventh-day Sabbath is to say very
clearly that no person has the authority to change God's law. Make no
mistake about it, the issue in the Sabbath-Sunday controversy is the
issue of authority. The "Sabbath" we keep reveals whom we recognize as
supreme authority in our religious life. No wonder God said that the
Sabbath is a sign that we KNOW the LORD ( Ezekiel 20:20 ).
Is it all right to worship by tradition,
instead of by the commandments of God? Mark 7:7, 9, 13 Whom did Peter say we should obey? Acts 5:29 Why should the Christian obey Jesus? John 14:15
If you
NOTE: We cannot forget that our motive in
obeying our Heaven Father is love. Christians do not obey because they
have to out of fear or obligation, but solely because they love Jesus
for saving them from sin.
Does the Sabbath sound like the time you need
to develop a deeper relationship with the one you love -- Jesus?
