Did God Change The Sabbath?

The question of whether God changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday has sparked centuries of debate among theologians, historians, and Christian denominations.

God did not change the Sabbath, because He does not change. (Malachi 3:6)

He wrote His Ten Commandments in stone for a reason – to prove that they are unchangeable. (Exodus 31:18)

The answer is always found in the Bible. While people may contradict themselves and generate confusion about this subject, the Bible is always clear about everything.

Table of Contents

Biblical Foundations of the Sabbath

The Sabbath originates in the Old Testament, where God blessed and sanctified the seventh day as the day of rest following Creation (Genesis 2:2-3).

The Fourth Commandment explicitly commands observance of the seventh day (Saturday) as holy, emphasizing rest and worship (Exodus 20:8-11).

The apostles and early Jewish Christians maintained this practice, gathering in synagogues on Saturdays or the Sabbath. (Acts 13:42,44, 16:13, 17:2, 18:4)

Jesus Himself observed the Sabbath, attending synagogue services and affirming its purpose as a blessing for humanity (Mark 2:27-28), (Luke 4:16)

The New Testament records no explicit instruction from Jesus or the apostles to abandon Saturday/Sabbath observance.

The Shift to Sunday: Historical Influences

The transition from Saturday to Sunday as the primary day of Christian worship was gradual, influenced by theological, cultural, and political factors:

1. Commemoration of the Resurrection: Sunday gained significance as the “Lord’s Day” due to its association with Jesus’ resurrection. Early Christians began gathering on Sundays to celebrate this event, though many still observed the Sabbath on Saturday.

However, the Bible does not say anything about commemorating the resurrection on the first day of the week. This is pure tradition!

Friday would be equally important because it is the day when our Lord died on the cross.

Yet, He established baptism in commemoration of these events. (Romans 6:3-4)

2. Distancing from Judaism: As Christianity spread among Gentiles, leaders sought to differentiate themselves from the Jewish people due to persecution. Sunday worship became a marker of Christian identity, aligning with Roman cultural norms.

However, no biblical support exists for Sunday worship.

3. Roman Influence: Emperor Constantine’s 321 AD edict declared Sunday a public holiday, blending Christian and pagan traditions (Sunday was already linked to sun worship in Roman culture). This legal endorsement accelerated Sunday’s adoption.

4. Church Councils: The Council of Laodicea (364 AD) discouraged Sabbath rest, urging Christians to honor Sunday instead. This formalized the shift, though resistance persisted in Eastern churches.

God prophesied about a little horn power that would change His Laws! (Daniel 7:25)

Controversies on the day of the Sabbath

The debate hinges on differing views of biblical authority and the nature of Old Testament laws:

– Seventh-day Observers: Seventh-day Adventists declare the Sabbath remains unchanged, citing the Ten Commandments as eternal moral law. They attribute the shift to Sunday worship to human tradition rather than divine mandate. There is no Bible verse commanding worshipping on the first day of the week.

– Sunday Observers: Many mainstream denominations, including the Catholic Church, justify Sunday worship as a celebration of Christ’s resurrection.

Yet, they cannot give any biblical support for this practice.

Conclusion – Did God change the Sabbath

The shift from Saturday to Sunday was not a divine decree but a historical development shaped by early church leaders, cultural integration, and political pragmatism.

While Scripture does not explicitly authorize the change, Sunday observance emerged as a theological reinterpretation of Christ’s resurrection.

The Bible is clear – the Sabbath never changed! It was and will always be on the seventh day of the week – Saturday as God declared it to be! (Exodus 20:8-11, Matthew 5:17-19).

At the end of times the remnant Church of God will have some characteristics:

Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

They keep the commandments of God, including the fourth – the Sabbath.

My Letter To A Sunday Keeper – Sabbath Documentary