5 REASONS WHY THE SEVENTHDAY SABBATH SHOULD BE KEPT

REASONS WHY THE SEVENTHDAY SABBATH SHOULD BE KEPT

THE KEEPING OF THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK as a day of worship is a question much disscussed. Although it is a day observed by the majority of the Christian world, most leaders of Christianity admit that the observance of the day came into use gradually during the second and third centuries after Christ. Yet, they claim divine Authority for Sunday as a sacred day.

 The commentaries of all denominations admit that there is no command in either the Old or New Testament Against or for keeping the first day as the Sabbath; therefore they give reasons for keeping it as a substitute for the seventh day saying; 

(1) "we keep the first day of the week because it is the Lord's day"

(2) "Because it is the day for communion"

(3) "Because it is the day to take up general offering of the Church"

(4) "Because Christ met with the disciples on that day"

(5) "Because Christ arose from Death on the first day of the week"

   

  It is the honest opinion of the writer that these give claims are false and have no foundation in the world of God. Hence we proceed to refute them by the word.

1: THE FIRST DAY

It is claimed by first day observers that the first day of the week is the Lord's day, and Revelation 1:10 is the proof text offered in this claim. The scripture reads, "I was in the spirit of the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as a trumpet." The first day of the week is not mentioned in the text; neither is it mentioned in the book of Revelation, and there is certainly no text in the New Testament that calls the first day of the week the Lord's day. The claim that the first day of the week is referred to here is nothing but assumption, and we should not risk our soul salvation on an assumption when one of the commandments of God is involved.

     In as much as no specific day is called here but only says the Lord's day, we must consult the word of God and find out which day is the Lord's day.

    "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it: Because that in it he had rested from all his work which He created and made," (Genesis 2:2,3).

"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within the gates: for in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day, and Hallowed it." (Exodus 20:8-11).

Isaiah 58:13-14

"If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it".

Mark 2:27-28

And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath."

The Sabbath day is the day before the first day of the week as we are told in::

     Matthew 28:1

"In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre."

Therefore the seventh day is the Lord's day. If a man owns a land he is called a Landlord. The land is the Lord's Land. Then Jesus being Lord of the Sabbath, it means that it is His day. we must conclude that Saturday, the seventh day of the week, is the Lord's day instead of Sunday, the first, when we read these statements from the inspired word of God.

2: THE FIRST DAY MEETING WITH THE APOSTLES.

  It is claimed that because Christ met with the apostles on the first day of the week we should all keep it. The first question that arises in our mind is: no inspired writer ever said to keep the first day of the week for any purpose so we proceed to refute this claim. It is true that Jesus met with his apostles on the first day of the week (John 20:19), but it is only assumed that we are to do the same. The 26th verse says: ( John 20:26) and it reads:

"And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you."

     Here was another meeting of Jesus with his apostles, but not on the first day of the week. He met them on the first day, then after eight days He met them again, which could not have been on on the first day. You could begin to count with Monday, the second day of the week, making eight days brings you to Monday again, and after eight days would have to be Tuesday. If we are to assume that we are to keep the first day because Christ met with the Apostles, we must assume that we are to keep Tuesday for same reason. The next meeting of Christ with his Disciples was on a fishing trip at the sea of Tiberias. 

   John 21:1

"After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself." 

John 21:4

"But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus."

This is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples after his resurrection from death. He was on Earth forty days and nights after His resurrection. Then for the same reason we would have to keep three days every forty days, namely: the first day of the week, then Tuesday, Then the last day of every forty days to go on a fishing trip. So if we should keep Sunday as the Sabbath Because Christ met with the Apostles on that day we should also keep Tuesday for Same reasons?

3: FIRST DAY COLLECTIONS

  It is claimed that we should meet together on the first day of the week, and take an offering from the church members as God has prospered him, and for this reason it is a sacred day. They give as their proof text:

1 Corinthians 16:1-4

"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.

Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.

And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me."

   Paul says " let everyone of you lay by him in store " which means by oneself at home, "that there be no gatherings when I come". This gave them to understand that this gathering was to be completed before Paul arrived. This was not a matter of money gathering, but of foodstuffs and things for people suffering from famine.

    Acts 11:27-30

"[27]And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.

[28]And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.

[29]Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:

[30]Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul."

Receiving a charge like this from Paul they would go out on the first day of the week and gather figs, dates, or any other foodstuffs they could spare. By this scripture you see Paul commanded work on the first day, and when we work we give a tenth of our increase to the cause of the Gospel, and offerings according as God has prospered us or as we purpose in our hearts. there's nothing said of the first day being sacred or holy in 1CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 16.

4: FIRST DAY COMMUNION

It is claimed that the Apostles held communion or the Lord's supper on the first day of the week and that is why we should keep it. Yet, these same people admit that Christ did not die on Sunday. They give Proof as text Acts 20:7 which reads:

    "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight."

please read through Acts 20:3-14 to check if there were any proof to this claim.   Today we would call this a Saturday night meeting held by Apostle Paul, though it would be Sunday night bible time. They came together on the first day of the week to break bread. Paul preached till midnight. Eutychus was raised from the dead. Then when they had broken bread and eaten, which was after midnight, Paul talked on till the break of day, then walked eighteen miles across the cape of Assos on the light part of the first day. If the day begins at midnight as some claim, it would place the bread breaking on the second day of the week but the Bible day begins with the going down of the Sun, and from sun down to sundown is the Bible day. (see Gen. 1:1-5; Lev. 23:32,). The fruit of the vine or the cup is not mentioned in this chapter.

   This was a farewell meeting of the Apostle Paul with these brethren. They came together for a common meal. Paul's company in travel did not stay for this meeting, but travelled in a ship around the cape a distance of sixty miles while Paul did his preaching. 

      If breaking bread on the first day of the week signifies a holy day, we should keep everyday holy.( Acts 2:46)

  The Lord's Supper Should be taken on the day He suffered and died which is the 14th of Abib or Nisan. (1cor.6:7,8; 1cor. 11:23-26).

   As Christ only died once, you can show his death at one time, and this is on the night of the 14th day  Nisan. Therefore, first day communion is all assumption. it is not thought in the Bible.

5: FIRST DAY RESURRECTION

 It is claimed that Jesus arose from death on the first day of the week and therefore we are to keep it in memorial of His resurrection, thus commemorating His death on same day, which is impossible: The question arises "WHERE IN ALL THE BIBLE ARE WE TOLD TO KEEP FIRST DAY FOR THAT PURPOSE?" the answer is "NO WHERE!".  It is assumption. furthermore scriptures prove that the great event of the resurrection was on the Sabbath and not on Sunday.        Matthew 28:1-6

"[1]In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

[2]And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

[3]His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

[4]And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

[5]And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

[6]He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."    Jesus was already risen at the end of the Sabbath. also read (JOHN 20:1-16)

    Mary made a visit all alone on the dark part of the first day of the week. Jesus was gone. After she had reported it to Peter and John, they saw and believed. Mary stood without, weeping, Jesus appeared to her early on the first day while it was yet dark. So the truth is Jesus arose about sundown in the end of the Sabbath. These visits were made before midnight or early on the dark part of the first day. He was gone Everytime a visit was made on the first day of the week. Then without a command or an example of first day keeping why do people insist on keeping the first day?

  The real reasons why people keep Sunday is because the beast power thought to change the law. (Dan. 7:23-25) and also Amos 8:11-13

"[11]Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

[12]And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

[13]In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst."

Revelation 13:4-9. 

These prophecies have been fulfilled and recorded on the pages of history as can be seen from the following:

1: what Bible authority is there for changing the Sabbath day from seventh to the first day of the week?

2: who gave the Pope the authority to change the command of God?

3: If the Bible is the only guide for the Christian, then the seventh-day Adventist is right in observing the Saturday with the Jews. But Catholics learn what to believe and do from divine, infallible authority established by Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church, which in Apostolic times made Sunday the day of rest to honor our Lord's resurrection on that day, and to mark off clearly the Jew from christian. St. Justin Martyrs (Apol., c.67)  speaks of the early christians meeting for Holy sacrifice of the Mass on Sunday. is it not strange that those who make the Bible their only teacher should inconsistently follow in these manner the tradition of the Church?"- Taken from "The Question-Box, by Conway of the Paulist Fathers."

We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the council of Laodicea (A.D. 336) Transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.

    "The church substituted Sunday for Saturday by the Plenitude of that Divine power which Jesus Christ bestowed upon her." - Taken from the Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine". 

    "There is no evidence that the earliest years of Christianity there was any formal observance of Sunday as a day of rest or any general cessation from work... 

The first writer who mentioned the name of Sunday as applicable to the Lord's day is Justin Martyr; this designation of the first day of the week, which is of heathen origin had come into general use in the Roman world shortly before Justin wrote...   As long as Jewish Christian element continued to have any influence in the church, a tendency to observe Sabbath as well as Sunday naturally persisted... Irenaeus is the first of the early fathers to refer to a tendency to make Sunday a day of  rest in his mention that day.... 

There's evidence of same tendency in the opposite Canon of the council of Laodicea (363) which forbids Christians from Judaizing and resting on the Sabbath day, and preferring the Lord's day and so far as possible resting as Christians.... The earliest recognition of the observance of Sunday as a legal duty is a Constitution of Constantine in 321 A.D. enacting that all courts of Justice, inhabitants of towns, and workshops were to be at rest on Sunday with an exception in favour of those engaged in agricultural labor.... The Church itself by provincial constitutions and other means declared the sanctity of the day, and was strong enough to visit with its own censures those who failed to observe Sunday. At the Reformation it was thought necessary to enforce the observation of Sunday by the state in face of the Question mooted at the time as to the divine or merely human institution of the day as a holy day.  Sunday observance was directed by injunctions as well as by statutes of Edward VI  and Elizabeth.  The second act of Uniformity of 1551 enacted that all inhabitants of the realm were to endeavor themselves to resort to their parish Church or Chapel accustomed, or upon reasonable let thereof to some usual place where common Prayers is used every Sunday, upon pain of punishment by the censures of the Church."- Taken from encyclopedia Britannica, 1911 Edition.