What day is the Sabbath, Saturday or Sunday?

What day is the Sabbath, and do Christians have to observe the Sabbath day? We're going to answer that question. It is often claimed that God instituted the Sabbath in Eden. However, there is no biblical record of the Sabbath before the children of Israel left the land of Egypt.

The Sabbath as a Sign Between God and Israel

Nowhere in scripture is there any hint that Sabbath-keeping was practiced from Adam to Moses. The Word of God makes it quite clear that the Sabbath observance was a special sign between God and Israel.

The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and in the seventh day he abstained from work and rested.

In Deuteronomy chapter 5, Moses restates the Ten Commandments to the next generation of Israelites. After doing so, he lets them know the reason the Sabbath was given to the nation Israel. Remember, you were slaves in Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.

Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. God's intent for giving the Sabbath to Israel was that they would remember their Egyptian slavery and the Lord's deliverance. Note the requirements for Sabbath-keeping.

A person placed under the Sabbath law could not leave his or her home on the Sabbath. He or she could not build a fire. He or she could not cause anyone else to work. And a person breaking the Sabbath law was to be put to death.

The Sabbath in the New Testament

An examination of New Testament passages shows us four important points. Whenever Christ appears in his resurrected form and the day is mentioned, it is always the first day of the week. The only time the Sabbath is mentioned between Acts and Revelation is for evangelistic purposes to the Jews.

And the setting is typically in a synagogue. Paul did not go to the synagogue to fellowship and edify the saints, but to convict and save the lost. Once, Paul states, from now on I will go to the Gentiles.

The Sabbath is never again mentioned. And instead of suggesting adherence to the Sabbath day, the remainder of the New Testament implies the opposite. Close study will reveal that there is no obligation for the New Testament believer to keep the Sabbath.

And will also show that the idea of a Sunday Christian Sabbath is also unscriptural. There is one time the Sabbath is mentioned after Paul began to focus on the Gentiles. 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. The Jewish Sabbath was abolished at the cross, where Christ cancelled the written code with its regulations.

Christian Freedom Concerning Sacred Days

This idea is repeated more than once in the New Testament. 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.

He who regards one day as special does so to the Lord. But now that you know God, or rather, are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

You are observing special days and months and seasons and years. But some claim that a mandate by Constantine in the year 321 A .D. changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. So which day is it? Scripture never mentions any Sabbath, Saturday, gatherings by believers for fellowship or worship.

However, there are passages that clearly mention the first day of the week. Historically speaking, Sunday, not Saturday, was the normal meeting day for Christians, and this dates back to the first century.

The Sabbath and the Christian Life

The Sabbath was given to Israel, not the church. The Sabbath is still Saturday, not Sunday, and has never been changed. But the Sabbath is part of the Old Testament law, and Christians are free from the bondage of the law.

We are not obligated to follow the Mosaic Sabbath, resting. But we are now free to follow the risen Christ, serving. The Apostle Paul said that each individual Christian should decide whether to observe a Sabbath rest.

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. We are to worship God every day, not just on a Saturday or Sunday.

That answers the question, what day is the Sabbath? Saturday or Sunday? And do Christians have to observe the Sabbath day? Research this question further on our website, GuyQuestions .org. Be sure to click subscribe and check out these other questions.