The question of whether the Sabbath is on Saturday or Sunday has been debated amongst Christians for centuries. The seventh day, Saturday, has traditionally been considered the Sabbath day of rest in Judaism since biblical times. However, most modern Christians worship corporately on Sundays rather than Saturdays. So what does the Bible say about this topic? Let’s take a comprehensive look.
Old Testament Foundations
In the creation account in Genesis 2:2-3, we read that “on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” This establishes the pattern of the seventh day as a day of rest and holiness.
When God gave the Ten Commandments, the fourth commandment specifically instructs keeping the Sabbath day holy: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work…” (Exodus 20:8-10). The punishment for breaking the Sabbath was death (Exodus 31:14-15, 35:2).
Throughout the Old Testament, the Sabbath is spoken of as a special covenant sign between God and the Israelites. Keeping the Sabbath set the Israelites apart from the surrounding nations. Violating the Sabbath was seen as a serious offense against God (see Nehemiah 13:15-22, Jeremiah 17:19-27, and Ezekiel 20:12-24).
In Jesus’ day, faithful Jews continued honoring the seventh-day Sabbath as commanded in the Torah. Synagogue services were held on the Sabbath where the Scriptures were read and discussed (Luke 4:16-21, Acts 13:13-15, 15:19-21). The example of Jesus and the early church shows Sabbath observance on Saturday.
Jesus and the Sabbath
Did Jesus change the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday? A careful study of the gospels shows He did not. While Jesus was accused of breaking the Sabbath for healing the sick (e.g. Mark 3:1-6, Luke 6:6-11, 13:10-17, John 5:1-18), He never attempted to change the Sabbath itself. Rather, Jesus affirmed the sacredness of the Sabbath and taught that it was lawful to do good deeds on the Sabbath, in line with God’s purpose for the Sabbath (Matthew 12:9-14, Mark 2:23-28, Luke 6:1-11).
Nowhere in the gospels do we find Jesus instituting Sunday worship in place of the established seventh-day Sabbath. In fact, according to the gospel accounts, Jesus faithfully observed the Sabbath even in death. After dying on Friday afternoon, Jesus rested in the tomb on the Sabbath (Saturday) to fulfill its symbolism (Luke 23:53-24:1). Then He rose again on Sunday, the first day of the week.
The Apostles and the Sabbath
What about the apostles, did they change the Sabbath to Sunday? Again, we find no such teaching in the New Testament. The book of Acts shows the apostles like Paul continuing to observe the seventh-day Sabbath on their missionary journeys (Acts 13:13-15, 16:12-13, 17:1-2, 18:3-4). Paul instructed both Jewish and Gentile Christians not to judge one another regarding keeping Sabbath days (Colossians 2:16).
While Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday, and the early Christians began meeting on Sundays (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2), this was not done in place of the Sabbath but rather alongside it. The Jerusalem council gave no command to change the Sabbath, only prohibiting certain pagan practices (Acts 15). We find reference to both Sabbath and Sunday observance occurring together (Matthew 28:1, Acts 13:13-14, 16:13, Hebrews 4:9).
The Sabbath in Hebrews and Revelation
The New Testament book of Hebrews discusses the spiritual meaning of the Sabbath at length. It teaches that New Covenant believers can find true, eternal rest in Christ (Hebrews 4:1-11). However, it does not declare that the seventh-day Sabbath has been abolished.
In fact, the book of Hebrews was likely written before the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in AD 70, at which time both Sabbath and Sunday observance would still have been occurring together in the early church. Hebrews is therefore best understood as instructing Jewish Christians not to place their ultimate hope in rituals like Sabbath-keeping but rather to trust completely in Christ alone.
Finally, in Revelation 1:10 the apostle John describes himself as “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.” Some believe this refers to Sunday being instituted as the new Lord’s Day, but there is no solid evidence for this. The phrase “Lord’s day” also appears in secular Greek sources referring to the seventh-day. So while Sunday was significant in the early church, exclusive Sunday observance as the Sabbath was simply not taught by Jesus, the apostles, or the early church.
Did the Roman Catholic Church Change the Sabbath?
Christian history shows that Sunday did not officially replace the seventh-day Sabbath until hundreds of years after the book of Revelation was written. Early church leaders like Ignatius, Justin Martyr, and Tertullian indicate that the majority of Christians still observed the seventh-day Sabbath during the 2nd-3rd century AD. However, anti-Semitic sentiments and pagan sun worship influenced some church leaders to move exclusively to Sunday worship.
Several early church councils such as the Council of Laodicea (364 AD) legislated the observance of Sunday in place of the Sabbath. However, this controversial shift did not become widespread until the 6th-7th centuries. By the time of the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church actively suppressed Sabbath observance and forced adoption of Sunday worship instead, influencing later Protestant practice.
Perspectives of Sabbatarian Christians
Throughout history, groups of Christians such as Seventh-day Adventists, Seventh Day Baptists, and Messianic Jews have maintained observance of the seventh-day Sabbath based on the Bible. They emphasize how the Sabbath was established at Creation, codified in the Ten Commandments, practiced by Jesus, and never abolished in the New Testament.
These “Sabbatarian” Christians observe Sundays as a day of Christian worship and fellowship, but they continue to treat Saturday as the true Sabbath set apart by God. They cite Hebrews 4:9 which states, “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”
Perspectives of Sunday-Observing Christians
On the other hand, the majority of modern Protestant Christians worship on Sundays rather than Saturdays, following Roman Catholic tradition. They believe the Sabbath shifted to Sundays based on Jesus’ resurrection on that day and the practice of the apostles.
These Christians argue that while the moral principles behind Sabbath-keeping remain relevant, Old Testament laws like literal seventh-day observance were fulfilled in Christ (Romans 10:4). They emphasize freedom in Christ regarding holy days (Colossians 2:16-17) and believe corporate Sunday worship expresses the new covenant relationship.
Practical Considerations
While differences in Sabbath observance remain, all Christians agree on the importance of rest, worship, and doing good on special holy days (Exodus 20:8-11, Hebrews 4:9-10). So whether a church meets on Saturday or Sunday, the principles of Sabbath-keeping can still be applied. Special times set aside for spiritual rejuvenation are vital for the health of individual believers and Christian communities.
Additionally, Christians should be tolerant of differences on this issue that are rooted in earnest biblical study. Whether Christians worship on Saturday, Sunday, or both, our priority should be on loving God, loving our neighbor, and finding true rest in Jesus Christ every day of the week (Mark 12:28-31, Matthew 11:28-30).
In conclusion, while the long history of debate over Sabbath observance will likely continue, focusing on the big picture of God’s love and rest in Christ unifies Christians. Seeking spiritual rest regularly, as modeled in Scripture, honors God and refreshes us no matter which specific day is observed as the Sabbath.
