WHY CHRISTIANS DON'T KEEP THE SABBATH?
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Why Christians don't keep the Sabbath?
a) Early Christians
i) The first Christians came from among the Jews. They continued to worship as Jews and continued to observe the Sabbath (Acts 13:14, 17:1-2, 18:1-4). But because Jesus arose from the dead on the first day of the week, Sunday, those early Christians called it the "Lord's Day" (Revelation 1:10), and also regularly met for their Christian worship on Sunday (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2).
b) The Council of Jerusalem
i) When Gentiles (non-Jews) began to convert to Christianity, disputes arose about whether the Gentile Christians had to observe the Jewish laws about circumcision, dietary restrictions, Sabbath observance, etc. In about 49 A.D., Paul, Peter, James and other Church leaders met at the "Council of Jerusalem" and decided, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that it was not necessary for Christians to observe the Sabbath rules and other aspects of Jewish law (Acts 15:28-29, Romans 14:5-6, Colossians 2:16).
c) Political and Religious Factors
i) In the early centuries of Christianity, all the Christian communities of the world were under control of the Roman Empire. Constantine was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. In 321 A.D. he proclaimed Sunday a legal day of rest and ordered all judges, city-people and craftsmen to rest. By this time, the Christian Church had lost contact with its Jewish roots, and there was much hostility between Christians and Jews. Jewish Christians had been expelled from the synagogues as heretics (John 9:22, 16:2, 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16). This hostility may have influenced Christians to abandon Sabbath observances. In about 363 A.D., a regional Church council in Asia Minor, the Council of Laodicea, declared that Christians must not rest on the Sabbath (Saturday), but must work on that day, rather honoring the Lord's Day (Sunday).
d) Traditions
i) Today, most Christians follow the tradition of holding worship services on Sunday. But some believe that Saturday, the original Sabbath day, is the proper day for rest and worship. Many Christians consider Sunday to be the new Sabbath day, and they believe the Old Testament rules against working on the Sabbath apply to Sunday. However, there is nothing in the Bible which prohibits doing work on Sunday.
2. Summary
a) The Biblical Sabbath day is Saturday, the seventh day of the week. The Ten Commandments prohibit doing any work on the Sabbath. The first Christians were Jews who continued to worship as Jews, but they also worshipped on Sunday, the day Jesus rose from the dead. When Gentiles began to convert to Christianity, disputes arose about whether the Gentile Christians had to observe the Jewish laws. The Church "Council of Jerusalem" decided, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that it was not necessary for Christians to observe rules about circumcision, dietary restrictions, Sabbath observance and other aspects of Jewish law. Today, most Christians follow the tradition of Sunday worship.
The End ...
1. Why Christians don't keep the Sabbath?a) Early Christians
i) The first Christians came from among the Jews. They continued to worship as Jews and continued to observe the Sabbath (Acts 13:14, 17:1-2, 18:1-4). But because Jesus arose from the dead on the first day of the week, Sunday, those early Christians called it the "Lord's Day" (Revelation 1:10), and also regularly met for their Christian worship on Sunday (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2).
b) The Council of Jerusalem
i) When Gentiles (non-Jews) began to convert to Christianity, disputes arose about whether the Gentile Christians had to observe the Jewish laws about circumcision, dietary restrictions, Sabbath observance, etc. In about 49 A.D., Paul, Peter, James and other Church leaders met at the "Council of Jerusalem" and decided, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that it was not necessary for Christians to observe the Sabbath rules and other aspects of Jewish law (Acts 15:28-29, Romans 14:5-6, Colossians 2:16).
c) Political and Religious Factors
i) In the early centuries of Christianity, all the Christian communities of the world were under control of the Roman Empire. Constantine was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. In 321 A.D. he proclaimed Sunday a legal day of rest and ordered all judges, city-people and craftsmen to rest. By this time, the Christian Church had lost contact with its Jewish roots, and there was much hostility between Christians and Jews. Jewish Christians had been expelled from the synagogues as heretics (John 9:22, 16:2, 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16). This hostility may have influenced Christians to abandon Sabbath observances. In about 363 A.D., a regional Church council in Asia Minor, the Council of Laodicea, declared that Christians must not rest on the Sabbath (Saturday), but must work on that day, rather honoring the Lord's Day (Sunday).
d) Traditions
i) Today, most Christians follow the tradition of holding worship services on Sunday. But some believe that Saturday, the original Sabbath day, is the proper day for rest and worship. Many Christians consider Sunday to be the new Sabbath day, and they believe the Old Testament rules against working on the Sabbath apply to Sunday. However, there is nothing in the Bible which prohibits doing work on Sunday.
2. Summary
a) The Biblical Sabbath day is Saturday, the seventh day of the week. The Ten Commandments prohibit doing any work on the Sabbath. The first Christians were Jews who continued to worship as Jews, but they also worshipped on Sunday, the day Jesus rose from the dead. When Gentiles began to convert to Christianity, disputes arose about whether the Gentile Christians had to observe the Jewish laws. The Church "Council of Jerusalem" decided, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that it was not necessary for Christians to observe rules about circumcision, dietary restrictions, Sabbath observance and other aspects of Jewish law. Today, most Christians follow the tradition of Sunday worship.
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