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7th Day or 1st Day for Christians?
The 7th Day Adventists teach Christian’s are to keep the Sabbath Day holy. Two main arguments are:
1. God rested on the 7th day and made it holy.
2. Early Christians met in the synagogues on the Sabbath.
Both are true, but does that mean Christians must keep the 7th Day holy?
Let’s examine the first claim.
• “On the seventh day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it he rested from all his work of creation.” (CSB’17 Genesis 2:2-3)
Why are we told this? Several reasons, but one reason is “we” are not told this. Israel is told this. Moses was writing for Israel, not for Christians. When God commanded them concerning the Sabbath, one reason is God’s rest on the 7th day (Genesis 2:3). Moses writes this as the foundation for Sabbath keeping to be revealed later (Exodus 20:8-11). Notice this etiological carryover and the specific people required concerning Sabbath keeping:
• “The Israelites must observe the Sabbath, celebrating it throughout their generations as a permanent covenant. It is a sign forever between me and the Israelites, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.”” (CSB’17 Exodus 31:16-17)
Now let’s consider the second claim.
• “Now Peter and John were going up to the temple for the time of prayer at three in the afternoon.” (CSB’17 Acts 3:1)
Commonly in Acts the apostles went to worship on the Sabbath at the synagogue. Why? 1) Nothing wrong with worshipping any day, including the Sabbath; 2) They went where the crowds were to preach and teach about Jesus.
The Sabbath was a day of rest for Jesus during His entombment. The first day, our Sunday, was a day of triumph as Jesus was resurrected. We aren’t required to keep the Sabbath day Holy. We are not Old Testament Israelites. We are NT Christians living the resurrected life, which includes coming together on the 1st day (Acts 20:7) in honor of Jesus who is our Sabbath rest:
• “For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. For the person who has entered his rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from his. Let us then make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience. (CSB’17 Hebrews 4:8-11)
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