Does God require Sabbath-keeping of Christians?

The Apostle Paul on Sabbath Days and Christian Freedom

Does God require Sabbath-keeping of Christians? We're going to answer that question. The Apostle Paul declares, Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a new moon celebration, or a Sabbath day.

These are a shadow of the things that were to come. The reality, however, is found in Christ. One man considers one day more sacred than another. Another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

These scriptures make it clear that for the Christian, Sabbath-keeping is a matter of spiritual freedom, not a command from God. In the early chapters of the Book of Acts, the first Christians were predominantly Jews.

The Jerusalem Council and the Gentile Believers

When Gentiles began to receive salvation through Jesus Christ, the Jewish Christians had a dilemma. What aspects of the Mosaic Law and Jewish tradition should Gentile Christians be instructed to obey?

The Apostles met and discussed the issue in the Jerusalem Council. The decision was, It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who were turning to God. Instead, we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.

It is inconceivable that the Apostles would neglect to include Sabbath-keeping if it was God's command for Christians to observe the Sabbath day. A common error in the Sabbath-keeping debate is the concept that the Sabbath was the day of worship.

What the Sabbath Command Actually Required

That is not what the Sabbath command was. Yes, Jews in Old Testament, New Testament, and modern times use Saturday as the day of worship, but that is not the essence of the Sabbath command. The Sabbath command was to do no work on the Sabbath day.

When did the early Christians meet? Every day, they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people, and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

If there was a day that Christians met regularly, it was the first day of the week, our Sunday, not the Sabbath day, our Saturday. In honor of Christ's resurrection on Sunday, the early Christians observed Sunday not as the Christian Sabbath, but as a day to especially worship Jesus Christ.

Christian Liberty in Worship and Sabbath Rest

Is there anything wrong with worshiping on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath? Absolutely not. We should worship God every day, not just on Saturday or Sunday. Many churches today have services on both Saturday and Sunday.

A main point to remember is this, whether or not a believer feels led to practice Sabbath rest or to engage in corporate worship on a particular day, he should remain respectful of those who do not share his conviction and not be a stumbling block to others.

There is freedom in Christ. That answers the question, does God require Sabbath keeping of Christians? Research this question further on our website, gotquestions .org. Give a thumbs up and be sure to click subscribe.

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