Is Sunday the Sabbath Catholic?

There is only one true Sabbath in the Bible. It is the seventh day of the week, Saturday.

The Bible does not support nor endorse the worshipping on Sunday.

God did not change His Holy Law, but man has done it.

There is no blessing from God to worship on Sunday.

It is a normal day like the others, and there is nothing special about it no matter how much people try to uplift it.

Table of Contents

Does the Bible say that Sunday is the Sabbath?

Nowhere in the Bible do we find any verse stating Sunday as being the Sabbath. In the New Testament, the first day of the week, Sunday is mentioned only 8 times.

Five of those times refers to the scene when the women went to the tomb to see Jesus. (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2,9, Luke 24:1, John 20:1)

And the other three do not say anything about the Sabbath being changed to Sunday.

John 20:19 speaks about the apostles hiding because of fear of the Jews, and not for a worship service.

Acts 20:7 is what we call today Saturday evening. Back in those times, the day was counted from evening to evening or sunset to sunset.

Not only that, but Paul was getting ready to depart or travel the next day. Something you would not do on a holy day.

And thus it does not prove the Sabbath being changed.

1 Corinthians 16:2 is the last verse in the New Testament where it speaks about the first day of the week.

On that day they were to gather goods for some other Christians which Paul was to pick up on his way to Jerusalem. He was in a rush, and he told this action was to not take place when he came.

And that is it! If the Bible were to say that Sunday is now the “new Sabbath”, wouldn’t we have found it all over the New Testament?

Instead, we do not find anything about the first day of the week being holy.

But the Sabbath is mentioned in 55 verses in the New Testament. That should prove something – that it did not change.

When did Catholics start worshipping on Sunday?

In the year 321 AD, the Emperor of Rome – Constantine enacted the first Sunday law.

According to him, everyone had to leave their work apart from those engaged in agriculture.

The rest had to give honour to Sunday on the “venerable day of the Sun”.

Later on, around 363 AD, the Catholic Church strengthened this trend by declaring that “Christians shall not Judaize [keep Sabbath] and be idle on Saturday…but shall work that day; but the Lord’s day shall they, especially honor, and, as being Christians, shall if possible, do no work on that day.”

Nowhere in the Bible are we taught the Lord’s day being Sunday. The Bible is clear about the Lord’s day – it is the Sabbath.

Isaiah 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day;

Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

Exo 20:10 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:

Mar 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

There are not two separate things like – Sabbath and Lord’s Day. They are the same contrary to what the Catholic Church is teaching.

If we believe the Bible, we can see this term is being used for the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, and the day of the Lord refers to His second coming.

But there is nothing in the Bible pointing to the first day of the week as being the Lord’s day.

This teaching is not biblical.

Why do we worship on Sunday instead of Saturday?

Unfortunately, the majority of Christians worship on Sunday because they’ve been told that the Sabbath was changed which is not true.

They try to find all sorts of explanations like this is because Jesus rose from the dead on that day.

But the Bible says nothing about the Sabbath being changed in honour of that day. Instead, Christ established baptism as a memorial of His death, burial and resurrection. (Romans 6:3-4)

Nowhere in the Scriptures are we taught to give honour to Sunday due to resurrection. This is the tradition of man and has nothing to do with God and His Laws.

Who declared Sunday as a day of worship?

The Catholic Church declared Sunday as a day of worship. They do not shy away from acknowledging this fact.

Q: “Which is the Sabbath day?

A: Saturday is the Sabbath day.

Q: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?

A: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday”.
(The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine – 1957, p. 50)

“If Protestants would follow the Bible, they would worship God on the Sabbath day. In keeping Sunday they are following a law of the Catholic Church.”
(Albert Smith, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, replying for the Cardinal in a letter dated February 10, 1920.)

What day is the true Sabbath?

The true Sabbath is on Saturday, the seventh day of the week. (Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 20:8-11).

It was always on the seventh day, and it will always be. Those who will be saved for eternity in the kingdom of God will keep it also there and then forever.

And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
Isaiah 66:23

Conclusion

Is Sunday the catholic Sabbath? The Bible does not teach anything like that. There is only one true Sabbath – Saturday the seventh day of the week.

The Catholic Church is known for changing God’s holy Law. And not only the fourth, the Sabbath.

They’ve also taken out the second commandment that forbids bowing down to idols, statues, and images.

They’ve divided the ten commandment into two to make it appear like they are ten.

This Church is full of confusion and unbiblical teachings. That’s why is called Babylon in Revelation 17 and 18.

God has many of His faithful children in this Church, and He is doing all He can to warn them about its errors and to come out of her.

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Revelation 18:4 KJV

Perhaps you are one of them. If you are confused and want to study the Bible more in-depth to build your faith, we recommend the Bible studies below.

May God help you in your journey to everlasting life and reconciliation with our loving Father, the Creator.

References

History of the Christian Church, 1902 ed., vol. 3, p. 380

A History of the Councils of the Church, vol. 2, p. 252

My Letter To A Sunday Keeper – Sabbath Documentary