“Sabbath Day's Rest”

Monday, March 28, 2016

Why do we worship on Sunday (which is the first day of the week) instead of worshipping on the seventh day of the week (which is the Sabbath), a day that we must keep holy?

Sincerely,
Weekend Wonderer

Dear Weekend Wonderer,

The Sabbath was a holy day for the Jews, not for Christians.  The Old Testament has a myriad of laws that are no longer binding in the New Testament: animal sacrifice, clean and unclean foods, and various festivals… just to name a few.  2 Cor 3 is an entire chapter devoted to explaining how the Old Law has been surpassed by the New Law.  2 Cor 3:3 especially clarifies the issue when it states that our law is “not in tables of stone”, a direct reference to the Ten Commandments that were written on stone tablets.

Gal 3:24-25 makes it clear that the Old Law was a tutor to bring mankind to Christ, but now that Christ has come, we are no longer under that tutor.  The Sabbath is a part of that Old Law.  In the New Testament, christians meet on the first day of the week to worship and take the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7).  In short: different covenants, different days.

Share