Sunday is not the Bible Sabbath

The true Sabbath was not replaced with Sunday in one go, instead this change took time.

Satan worked through unconsecrated leaders to tamper with the Sabbath, replacing it with Sunday, a festival observed by pagans.

At first, Christians continued to observe the true Sabbath, but Satan worked subtly to bring about change.

He led the Jews to burden the Sabbath with rigorous exactions, then cast contempt on it as a Jewish institution.

The emperor Constantine issued a decree making Sunday a public festival, and the church bishops, inspired by ambition and thirst for power, promoted the observance of Sunday.

Over time, the Christian world was led to regard Sunday as sacred, while the true Sabbath was pronounced a relic of Judaism and its observers were declared accursed.

Table of Contents

Sabbath and Sunday in Early Christianity

History tells us that changing of the Sabbath into Sunday was gradual, and not at once.

In the first centuries, the true Sabbath was kept by all Christians. They were honouring God’s true day of rest and were very zealous for the truth.

However, for the attention to be drawn to Sunday, it was first celebrated as a festival in honour of the resurrection of Christ.

The Bible does not have any practice for the resurrection though. Baptism was established in honour of Christ’s death, and resurrection. (Romans 6:3-4)

Sunday was regarded as a day of recreation while the Sabbath was still sacredly observed.

Then Satan worked through the Jewish leaders to make the Sabbath a burden. They established many rules for the Sabbath which were not in the Bible.

Constantine’s Sunday Law

Then the Roman Emperor Constantine, wanting to unite pagans and Christians for his political goals, made the first Sunday law in 321 AD.

He was urged to do this by the bishops of the Church of Rome, who inspired by ambition and thirst for power, thought that if the same day were observed by both pagans and Christians, the glory and power of the Church would advance.

Persecution and Sunday

Later on, when persecution was coming, the Christians started to keep Sunday holy to distinguish themselves from the Jewish people.

They did not want to be associated with the Jewish people, and compromises were made.

Church Councils:

Later on, in the Council of Laodicea (364 AD), the council decreed that:

“Christians should not “Judaize” by resting on the Sabbath, but should work on that day and honor Sunday as the Lord’s Day.”

They incorrectly attribute Sunday to the Lord’s Day, but we will see later that the Sabbath is the Lord’s Day.

Did God change the Sabbath to Sunday?

Nowhere in the Bible do we find any verse stating that God changed the Sabbath to Sunday.

He established the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week after the six literal creation days (Genesis 2:2-3), and it remained always like that.

God does not change (Malachi 3:6). He blessed and sanctified the Sabbath, and we are told in His Word that what He blesses and sanctifies remains like that. (1 Chronicles 17:27)

Did God rest on Saturday or Sunday?

The Bible tells us that God rested on Saturday, and not on Sunday.

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.

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.
Genesis 2:2-3 KJV

The Bible tells us that the seventh day is on Saturday.

And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
Mark 16:1-2 KJV

Jesus rose on the first day of the week (Sunday), and the Sabbath was/is Saturday.

Where in the Bible does it talk about Sunday being the Sabbath?

Nowhere in the Bible are we told that Sunday is the Sabbath. This is a wrong interpretation of the verses.

Popular verses that people use to support the teaching of Sunday worship are Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2, and Revelation 1:10.

Acts 20:7

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.
Acts 20:7 KJV

This is not proof that Sunday or the first day of the week is now the new Sabbath.

This day is simply what we call today Saturday evening.

The day in the Bible starts always at sunset. (Genesis 1:5, Leviticus 23:32, Luke 23:54, Mark 1:32, Daniel 8:14.)

They were breaking bread every day. (Acts 2:46)

This verse cannot be proof that Sunday is now the new Sabbath. Unfortunately, people misinterpret it.

1 Corinthians 16:2

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.
1 Corinthians 16:2 KJV

This verse again is not proof that Sunday is now holy.

This is not talking about a worship service.

The apostle Paul here is requesting that individual Christians from the Church of Corinth lay aside some provisions at home.

He intended to pick those donations up on the way while travelling to Jerusalem to relieve the Church there. More on this is mentioned in Romans 15:25-26

Revelation 1:10

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
Revelation 1:10 KJV

This verse is cited by many as proof that John kept Sunday holy as the Sabbath because today many refer to Sunday as the Lord’s day.

But the Bible is clear on what is the Lord’s Day.

Isaiah 58:13-14 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

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

We can see from these verses that the Sabbath is the day of the Lord and not Sunday.

Did Jesus abolish the Sabbath?

Jesus did not abolish the Sabbath. Jesus kept the Sabbath and honoured it. (Luke 4:16).

He also said the following about the Sabbath and the Law.

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17-19 KJV

Conclusion

We discovered together what happened to the Sabbath in early Christianity. It was still kept holy by sincere Christians, but with time they added Sunday as well, in honour of Christ’s resurrection.

Then persecution came and wanting to differentiate themselves from the Jewish people, more emphasis was added to Sunday sacredness.

The emperor of Rome, Constantine made Sunday holy, and the Church too in their councils.

Nevertheless, the Bible is clear, the Lord’s Day is still on the seventh day of the week, Saturday, and will always be.

No matter if people try to change and abolish the holy Law of God, there will always be those who are faithful and who keep His commandments. (Revelation 14:12)

Sunday is not the Bible Sabbath.

What about you? What will your choice be when the final battle between the Law of God and the law of man will come? (Revelation 13)

Whom will you choose?

References

The Great Controversy – Ellen White, chapter 3 – An Era of Spiritual Darkness

10 Misunderstood Bible Verses about the Sabbath

My Letter To A Sunday Keeper – Sabbath Documentary