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Note : This study is for the groups which are confused about the biblical teachings on the sabbath. Remember when doing this study that this is not a heaven and hell issue. In other words, someone can believe the wrong thing about the sabbath and still go to heaven if he is a true Christian.
A. Keeping the sabbath is not essential for salvation
1. Exodus 24:8
Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words."
God's covenant was confirmed through Moses at Mount Sinai.
2. Deuteronomy 4:13
He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets.
Exodus 34:28
Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant--the Ten Commandments.
God's covenant included the Ten Commandments, of which keeping the sabbath day holy was one.
3. Hebrews 8:13
By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.
Hebrews 9:15
For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
The old covenant has been made obsolete. Christ is the mediator of a new covenant.
4. Colossians 2:13-17
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
16 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.
17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
a. By dying on the cross, Jesus freed us from the condemnation of the law (Mosaic law, including the Ten Commandments (v13-14).
b. The sabbath was just a shodow of things to come, that is, the new covenant in Christ.
c. In Numbers 28 and 29 which list the "ordinances" referred to in Colossians 2:16, the sabbath is grouped with burnt offering and new moons (Numbers 28:1-15).
Numbers 28:1-15
1 The LORD said to Moses,
2 "Give this command to the Israelites and say to them: 'See that you present to me at the appointed time the food for my offerings made by fire, as an aroma pleasing to me.'
3 Say to them: 'This is the offering made by fire that you are to present to the LORD: two lambs a year old without defect, as a regular burnt offering each day.
4 Prepare one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight,
5 together with a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives.
6 This is the regular burnt offering instituted at Mount Sinai as a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire.
7 The accompanying drink offering is to be a quarter of a hin of fermented drink with each lamb. Pour out the drink offering to the LORD at the sanctuary.
8 Prepare the second lamb at twilight, along with the same kind of grain offering and drink offering that you prepare in the morning. This is an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
9 "'On the Sabbath day, make an offering of two lambs a year old without defect, together with its drink offering and a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil.
10 This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.
11 "'On the first of every month, present to the LORD a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect.
12 With each bull there is to be a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with the ram, a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil;
13 and with each lamb, a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil. This is for a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire.
14 With each bull there is to be a drink offering of half a hin of wine; with the ram, a third of a hin ; and with each lamb, a quarter of a hin. This is the monthly burnt offering to be made at each new moon during the year.
15 Besides the regular burnt offering with its drink offering, one male goat is to be presented to the LORD as a sin offering.
Since these offerings and feasts have passed away as the shadow fulfilled in the substance of the cross of Christ, how can the seventh day sabbath can be retained?
5. Galatians 4:9-11
9 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?
10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!
11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
a. There is a strong warning here not to become enslaved by observating special days, months, seasons and years.
b. Numbers 28 and 29 again refute the beliefs by different groups that Paul meant ceremonial feasts and yearls sabbaths, not the weekly sabbath.
6. Romans 13:8-10
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
a. This passage expresses twice that love fulfills the law.
b. "And whatever commandment there may be..." refers to the entire Ten Commandments and not just nine of them, exclusive of the sabbath.
7. Romans 14:4-6, 10-13
4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 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.
6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.
11 It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'"
12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
a. We cannot bind a day as sacred on other people.
b. We should not put a stumbling block in front of others.
B. The First Century Christians met together regularly on the first day of the week, Sunday
a. In the New Testament, Sunday was regarded as the first day of the week.
Matthew 28:1
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
b. They met on the first day of the week to break bread and worship together.
Acts 20:7
On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.
c. Collections were taken for the poor saints on the first day of the week.
1 Corinthians 16:2
On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
d. Historic evidence establishes that the first day of the week was when the Lord's church met.
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