I went to a church service that was held on Saturday instead of Sunday and was told that was when we should worship God. What does the Bible say about this topic?
Today the people of God comprise the church, which is made up of all true Christians. As the church commenced on the day of Pentecost, the part of the Bible that is specifically addressed to the church are the books from Acts to Revelation. Prior to this time (Genesis 12 to John); the Jews were God’s people on earth. Therefore, the answer to this question must be found between Acts and Revelation of the Bible.
The first mention in the Bible of a day of rest is when God rested at the end of the six days of creation (Gen. 2:2-3). But on this occasion God rested and there is no mention of humanity resting. The first mention of people resting on the seventh day occurs in the days of Moses, which is after people had been on earth for about 2,500 years (Ex. 12:16; 16:22-30). So there is no evidence that this practice was given at the creation of the world.
The distinctive day of the week for the Jews was Saturday, the Sabbath, the last day of the week. It was given to them when God provided manna in the desert and was an important requirement being included in the ten commandments (Ex. 16:22-30; 20:8-11). The Sabbath was given to the Jewish nation only and no Gentile was ever commanded to keep it (Ex. 31:13). It provided an opportunity to rest and focus on God (Mk. 2:27). In the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), the Sabbath is associated with the annual Jewish festivals (Ex. 23; Lev. 27; Num. 28-29). The penalty for breaking the Sabbath was death (Ex.31:14-15; 35:2; Num. 15:32-36).
The Sabbath day was given to the Israelites as a sign to remind them of their special relationship with God (Ex. 31:13, 17). God called them “my treasured possession” (Ex. 19:5). The Sabbath day is a symbol of the covenant given to the nation of Israel at Mt Sinai. It distinguished them from other nations. The original form of the Mosaic covenant is Exodus 20-23, which was written on a scroll (Ex. 24:7-8). Then more laws were progressively added to the covenant. In Exodus 25-30, regulations are added about the building and ceremonies of the tabernacle. After this, God repeats the fourth commandment before He hands Moses the tablets of the covenant law (Ex. 31:12-18). The reason given is that the Sabbath day was a sign for the Israelites who left Egypt and their descendants. It symbolised God’s covenant with them. This covenant, described in Exodus to Deuteronomy (along with the circumcision law of Genesis), was for the Israelites and their descendants (Dt. 29:12-15).
As Jesus lived under this Jewish covenant, He kept the Sabbath day. But He implied that things would change in future; the kingdom of God would be taken away from the Jews and “given to a people who will produce its fruit” (Mt. 21:43). These people would worship in spirit and truth instead of at the temple (Jn. 4:21-24). They are Christians who live under a different covenant. This new covenant included Gentiles (Acts 10:9-15) and excluded the law of Moses (Acts 15:1-35). It didn’t even include a single old covenant law such as circumcision or the Sabbath day, because then one is “obligated to obey the whole law” (Gal. 5:3).
As the old covenant of the Israelite law is now obsolete, its practices are also now obsolete (2 Cor. 3:14; Heb. 8:13). Instead Christians follow the instructions given to the church in the New Testament. The sign of the spiritual blessings that Christians have under the new covenant is the Lord’s Supper (Lk. 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25). However, the Sabbath day will be re-established as a symbol of the Jews special relationship with the Lord when they are revived as God’s people in the millennium (Is. 56:4-6; 66:23; Ezek. 46:1, 3).
On the Sabbath the Jews were commemorating the end of God’s work of creation (Ex. 20:11) and the end of their deliverance from slavery in Egypt (Dt. 5:15) and they offered animal sacrifices (Num. 28:9-10). There is no instruction addressed to the church in Scripture for believers to continue this practice today. However, in the Lord’s Supper they commemorate their deliverance from being slaves to sin.
The distinctive day of the week for Christians was Sunday (the first day of the week):
- On Sunday, Christ rose from the dead, which proved that His work of redemption was completed (Jn. 20:1)
- On Sunday, Christ met with the disciples between the resurrection and ascension (Jn. 20:19, 26)
- On Sunday, the church commenced when the Holy Spirit was given on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1; Lev. 23:15,16).
- On Sunday, the early Christians met to celebrate the Lord’s Supper – Paul seems to have waited in Troas for seven days so he could be there for the Lord’s Supper (breaking of bread) on the first day of the week (Acts 20:6-7). Although there were missionary visits to Jewish synagogues (Acts 13:14-48; 16:13-15; 17:1-4; 18:4), there is no example in Scripture of a church meeting on the Sabbath.
- The early Christians were told to set aside money for the Lord’s work on Sunday; presumably via a collection at a church meeting (1 Cor. 16:1-2).
Christians are not under the Old Testament law, which includes the ten commandments, but under God’s grace (Rom. 6:14-15) – see separate post on this topic. We have been “released from the law” (Rom. 7:6). The law of Moses has been replaced by the law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:21; 2 Cor. 3:7-11). Therefore, the Bible places no limits on when Christians can meet together. They can praise and celebrate the Lord’s Supper any day of week (1 Cor. 11:26). Although some early Jewish believers wanted to keep the Sabbath, this was not considered to be a matter of importance, but one of the individual conscience (Rom. 14:5-6).
As Christians have been released from the Old Testament law, they are not bound by regulations such as those saying that a person must keep the Sabbath in order to please God. When the Galatians were trying to earn God’s favor by observing certain days like the Sabbath and by promoting circumcision, Paul said that they had been freed from being subject to such laws (Gal. 4:4-11; 5:1-2). Paul also prohibits Christians being condemned for not following particular food or drink regulations and for not observing particular religious activities that are held on an annual, monthly or weekly basis: “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. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ” (Col 2:16-17NIV). In this passage, the religious festivals were the annual Jewish festivals and the Sabbath day was the weekly Jewish Sabbath.
It should be noted that the “Sabbath-rest” in Hebrews 4:1-11, is different to the Sabbath day. This rest is entered by faith in Christ (Heb. 11:2-3). The old covenant laws are now symbols and metaphors for us. As God rested after His work of creation, Christians rest in the completed work of Christ (Mt. 11:28-30). In this sense, the physical Sabbath-rest is likened to our spiritual rest of salvation. The weekly Sabbath pictured our final salvation. Just as Moses was appointed by God to lead the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to the promised land of Canaan, Christ was appointed by God to lead people from bondage to sin to the eternal Sabbath-rest of heaven. As most of the Jews died before reaching the “rest” of the promised land because of unbelief, so unbelief excludes people from God’s gift of salvation.
So the teaching that Christians should worship God collectively on Saturday is contrary to Scripture.
Written, October 2011; Revised February 2014
Also see: What about keeping the Sabbath day?
What does the New Testament say about the Sabbath?
I’ve been told that Christians should keep the ten commandments as they were God’s law and not the law of Moses. Is this true?
The Sabbath day difference between Jesus and Paul
Why the new covenant is better
Is insistence on Sabbath-keeping legalism?
George's Journal 
I find your article informative and am reading Scriptures you have referenced as this is becoming a question at our growing small church. When is it OK to add another service for those who may be more apt to attend on a different day or night? Although, I cannot find a particular Scripture referenced above about the ability to praise and worship the Lord’s supper any day of the week. It is described as (1 Cor 11:36) but that Scripture does not exist. Please let me know if I am just looking in the wrong place. We could certainly use this in our discussion as some of our members have asked for a Saturday evening Service.
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January 3, 2013 at 3:12 am
Thanks for pointing out a typographic error in my post Mark. The reference should be 1 Cor. 11:26 which says, “Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes”. Clearly, the Lord’s Supper should be held periodically, but there is no explicit instruction as to how often or on what day of the week. Instead, the Bible allows it to be celebrated “whenever”. I believe the early church practice was weekly on a Sunday, but this doesn’t preclude an alternative practice that meets the need of a local congregation. A Saturday evening Service could be acceptable, provided it was not taught that according to Scripture this was the most appropriate day of the week for a church to worship the Lord.
You asked, “When is it OK to add another service for those who may be more apt to attend on a different day or night”? As the Bible allows liberty in this area, it is a decision to be made by the members of the local church after they have considered all the advantages and disadvantages, prayed about it and have come to peace and unity with regard to the decision.
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January 3, 2013 at 2:29 pm
Worship in Spirit and in truth. That means all the time not just one day or another, however if any man hold a certain day to be holy respect that unto him. If a man count every day to be holy, respect that unto him as well. No argument need exist.
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May 19, 2013 at 11:13 am
Thanks for the comment Trent. By the way I was addressing the situation where someone was told that they should go to church on Saturdays and not on Sundays.
Jesus said that His followers should “worship the Father in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:23-24). Worship is different under the New Covenant. The location isn’t important anymore (it had to be done in Jerusalem under the Old Covenant). But who and how Christians worship is important. They worship the Father for sending the Son and Jesus for carrying out God’s plan of salvation. It’s God centered. One’s attitude needs to be right (in spirit; engaging our hearts). And it needs to be consistent with Scripture and the kind of God we worship (in truth; engaging our minds).
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January 10, 2018 at 11:41 am
The question that still come is why Christians keep the SunDay, or the 1st day. Yes the first believers were all Jews and took care of businesses after the Shabbat was over, that is the 1st day. Jesus would never break the Shabbat and would only visit them after Shabbat. In the Ark of the Covenant, 3 objects symbolized the Living Word, that is Jesus Himself, the New sets of the 10 commandments NOW JESUS IS THE LIVING COMMANDMENTS – The Manna – JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE – Aron’s Rod that blossom – JESUS ROD ALIVE AND RULING WITH HIS ROD OVER ALL CREATION.
Note: Keeping the 1st day is NOT a part of the center of the Holy of Holies that was the shadow on earth and is NOW in Heaven Rev 11:19
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
We are Not Constantine christians from 313 , we are true Christians from creation
In YHWH – and His Son YH HalleluYaH
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November 9, 2013 at 5:29 am
Thanks for the comment Justice. I’m not sure what you mean by “we are true Christians from creation”. The Bible says that the word “Christian” was used first in Antioch (Acts 11:26) after Stephen was martyred in about 35 AD, which is thousands of years after the creation.
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November 9, 2013 at 3:19 pm
The keeping of the Sabbath on Saturday is not a “law.” It was made in Creation. When God spoke the commandments, he said “Remember” it. To remember means to recall. It was already. It does matter that we keep it.
You should visit: www dot SabbathTruth dot com
You really should take time to study it, because you are teaching against something that is right to do and must be kept. God himself honored it and we follow him not an opinion of man. Read the word. The answer is clear. Are you willing to accept it or debate it?
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November 23, 2013 at 11:54 pm
Thanks for your comments Candice.
According to the Bible:
– After creation, “By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done” (Gen. 2:2-3). So God rested on the seventh day, but there is no mention of humanity resting. There is no command in Genesis to observe this day, and there is no record of Adam, Noah, or Abraham , or anyone else before Moses doing so.
– The word “Sabbath” is first mentioned in Exodus 16:24-30. On this day the Israelites were to rest and not gather manna.
– At Mount Sinai, the Israelites were commanded to “observe” the Sabbath laws (Dt. 5:12-15). From this time onwards, the keeping of the Sabbath was a law for the Israelites. As the penalty for breaking the Sabbath was death, it seems like a law to me – “Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death” (Ex. 31:14-15; 35:2; Num. 15:32-36).
– The Sabbath observance was a sign of God’s covenant with Israel (Ex. 31:12-17).
– The Sabbath observance was “a shadow of things to come” (Col. 2:13-17). It was fulfilled by Christ, “the reality, however, is found in Christ”. As the reality has now replaced the shadow, since Christ’s death the Sabbath observance is no longer necessary.
According to Vine’s dictionary, the primitive root of the Hebrew word for “remember” (Strongs #2142) in Exodus 20:8 is “to mark so as to be recognized”. According to the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, it means to “remember a day to observe and commemorate it”, like the day of the exodus (Ex. 13:3; Dt. 16:3). The word is also used to “remember the commandments so as to do them” (Num. 15:39-40). A synonym is used in the other list of the 10 commandments in Dt. 5:12 (Strongs #8104), which is translated as “observe” or “keep” (Ex. 31:13; Lev. 19:3,30; 26:2). As the commandments were to apply from that time onwards, the Israelites were to remember the command that was given at Mount Sinai.
Jesus kept the Sabbath because He was a Jew who lived under the old covenant before the church commenced. However, we don’t read of Christians “keeping” the Sabbath in the early church.
Unfortunately, there is erroneous interpretation of Scripture on the website mentioned in the previous comment. Here is one example, “Luke was a Gentile who kept the Sabbath (Acts 16:13)” (Advanced topics). The context is Paul’s second missionary journey. It was Paul’s practice to preach the gospel message to Jews because they already knew the Old Testament. The best way to do this was to attend their Sabbath meetings, which were usually at a synagogue (Acts 13:14-48; 14:1-2; 16:13-15; 17:1-4, 10, 17; 18:4, 19-20). On this occasion they went outside the city gate to the river, presumably because there was no synagogue inside the city. After they preached, Lydia converted to Christianity and was baptised. So on this occasion, Paul and Luke were not keeping the Sabbath. Instead they were preaching to Jews and proselytes (converts to Judaism) on Saturday.
The website also claims “Not one instance of Sunday observance has been found in the recorded Scriptures” (FAQ). However, Luke wrote that at Troas “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread” and Paul taught until midnight and daybreak (Acts 20:7,11). This is an account of corporate worship and teaching on Sunday.
Because Christians relate to God via Jesus Christ and not through keeping Jewish laws, they are under no obligation to keep the Sabbath day commandment. Instead, they seek to please the Lord by obeying the teachings of Christ and the apostles.
Although the distinctive day of the week for Christians was Sunday (the first day of the week), the Bible places no limits on when Christians can meet together. They can praise and celebrate the Lord’s Supper any day of week (1 Cor. 11:26).
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November 26, 2013 at 8:50 pm
AMEN SISTER, SABBATH WAS CREATED IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN AND IS THE 4TH COMMANDMENT. AND CHRIST IS OUR FOREVER EXAMPLE! AND AS STATED ABOVE NOT ONE LETTER OR WORD WILL EVER PASS AWAY… the Pope admitted to changing God’s Sabbath took his Sunday and he said he became Christ incarnate, very blasphemous.. Man made Sunday the day of rest. How do people get rid of that which Good told all took keep in the garden of Eden before there was Jews…
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February 25, 2017 at 5:16 pm
Thanks for the comment Li.
There is no command in Genesis to observe this day, and there is no record of Adam, Noah, or Abraham , or anyone else before Moses doing so. Therefore, the Sabbath wasn’t created in the Garden of Eden.
Also, Christians stopped keeping the Sabbath in the first century, long before any Pope’s existed. For example, Paul didn’t teach Sabbath keeping.
See: The Sabbath day difference between Jesus and Paul.
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February 25, 2017 at 9:12 pm
Amen, it sounds as if they can not merge the two, when they are of One. Not one time did this writer point this out. He is talking as if we should separate the meaning and in my heart I feel he is wrong. God words in the beginning is the law, Jesus birth only allowed one important act is dying for our sins and to be forgiven. I feel as if the writer feel repenting is a joke.
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January 7, 2018 at 9:22 pm
Thanks for the comment LadyDay 777. However, I find it difficult to understand as it is written.
According to the Bible the Israelites were to live under the old covenant (the law of Moses). When Jesus came into history, He offered them the new covenant but they rejected it. So, from the Day of Pentecost after Christ’s death, resurrection and ascent into heaven; the new covenant is available to all who trust in Christ’s work of salvation. Those who follow Jesus (Christians) are to live under the new covenant and not the old one. So the practices of biblical Christianity are different to those of Judaism.
I don’t know why “repenting” is mentioned here because it’s not mentioned in my post.
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January 10, 2018 at 12:00 pm
I would like to mention the fact that JESUS himself entered into the synagogue on the Sabbath and it also states that it was His custom to do that, states the scripture in Luke chapter four of the KJV and to be a Christian is to live Christ like and to follow Him not man. GOD BLESS us all!
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March 12, 2014 at 7:25 pm
Thanks for the comment. You are correct, Jesus kept the Sabbath and the Old Testament festivals and sacrifices because He lived under the covenant given to Moses at Mount Sinai. He was “born under the law” (Gal. 4:4). The Sabbath observance was a sign/symbol of God’s covenant with Israel (Ex. 31:12-17). Although Christians are to follow the spiritual principles that Jesus taught, they live under the new covenant that commenced after His death (Lk. 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25). This new covenant excluded the law of Moses (Acts 15:1-35). As the old covenant of the Israelite law is now obsolete, its practices are also now obsolete (Heb. 8:13). This includes it’s sign/symbol, the Sabbath observance. That’s why Christians don’t keep the Old Testament festivals and sacrifices like Jesus did.
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March 12, 2014 at 9:16 pm
So the law of Moses, 10 commandments are obsolete we can then murder, commit adultery, lie,steal, etc. Etc.? Because God all brought new testament tells us that lying is wrong, and it’s abomination, and not keeping the commandments is against what He says, and He also states of we break one we’ve broken them all , so why is this even started on new testament of the 10 commandments are null and void??
George: Thanks for the comment Li.
9 of the 10 commandments are repeated in the New Testament, but the 4th one about keeping the Sabbath is not mentioned in the New Testament.
See: I’ve been told that Christians should keep the ten commandments as they were God’s law and not the law of Moses. Is this true?
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February 25, 2017 at 5:21 pm
When I read and research what Jesus states in Matthew 5 & 7 about “the law” (Torah/God’s teaching), and how the Roman Constantine and others have changed what Jesus wanted, it encourages the pursuit of opening the eyes of the church to the blessing of obedience. Obedience as Jesus lived and acted at the time. Though at times I feel a bit like Micaiah in 1 Kings 22.
If the context for reading the Word of God is” the Lord doesn’t change” (Malichi 3:6) and “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) and it seems Jesus wanted us to take it as a child (Mark 10:15) . Then the following may be cause for seeking to further understand God’s heart and guidance for the church.
Yes, through Jesus Christ (Y’shua – YHWH Saves) we are all saved which is fantastic! Once saved, we are to turn from our lawlessness (non Torah living) and live righteously guided by the spirit because Torah/God’s Teaching (the law) is written in our heart (Hebrews 10:16,17) ….. (see link below)
George: As this was a long comment, it has been moved to a post: What about keeping the Sabbath day?
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June 30, 2014 at 3:32 am
I am so disturbed to learn that we as Christians have decided that the Sabbath which was commanded by God can be dealt away with. There is nowhere in scripture we are told to change that. In face Jesus says if you love me follow my commandments. There was no new commandment set by Jesus to abandon the sabbath. He said I came to do my fathers will. Sunday worship comes from Rome and the worship of Roman gods. The same goes for Christmas and Easter. All these are pagan celebrations which has infiltrated the church. The true Christians under Paul and Peter never celebrated anything besides preaching on the Sabath. In the book of Revelation, John declares he saw seven golden candle sticks, a symbol from the old testament and Christ was in the midst of this. The God, Yahweh has never changed and will never changed. His laws remains the same till the end of time. I truly believe its satan worship if we tell Christains to worship on Sunday’s and don’t follow the laws of God. That’s against everything God stands for, if you love me keep my commandments. Which commandments? We still obey the laws because we Gentiles are the spiritual Israelites, but our path way salvation is Christ not just obeying the Law. I dont understand why anyone will teach this to the Christian world that you can disobey the Creator because of what man has decided it’s the new religion. Wake up and come out of Babylon, we are called by God and not by man. There if God says 7th day is the week is the day of worship, nothing changes because Yahweh doesn’t change. The first day of the week is the worship of the Sun God, do some research and you will know Constantine started this with the Roman Church. You cannot change God’s Law or command. Jesus said I came to fulfill, not to change. Jesus said I came to do my fathers will. So there is no where Sunday worship was instituted and declared the Holy Day of the Lord. Brother George ask the Holy Spirit for deep teaching and insight so you don’t deceive his children. Shalom
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July 18, 2015 at 11:14 pm
Thanks for the comment Vera.
Here’s a link to my reply:
Also:
– The Sabbath was commanded under the Old Covenant
– The Sabbath wasn’t commanded specifically by Jesus
– Once Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant symbols, including the sacrifices, male circumcision, and the Sabbath rest, we now please Him by living according to the New Covenant and not the old one.
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September 13, 2015 at 3:05 am
Amen Vera!!!!
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February 25, 2017 at 5:26 pm
Thank you for the feeling that stir in my heart for the love of the Lord, sweet Jesus, I agree, when I read this in the Bible and other verses. I felt so much pain that the churches I had visit lied to me. I will never celebrated a holiday but the day I am suppose to celebrate, I know my seeds are from Israel and I am truly Bless in the eyes of my father whom states keep my COMMANDMENTS AND READ MY LAWS AND VERSE AND APPLY THEM TO YOUR LIFE AND SHARE AS YOU GO ALONG. MY COMMENT IS FROM DIFFERENT VERSE AND FROM THE HEART. THANK YOU. AS OF NOW I AM LOOKING FOR A CHURCH TO ATTEND ON SATURDAY AND NOT SUNDAY. I WILL WORSHIP IN MY HOME. I HAVE BEEN GIVING CHURCHES MY MONEY AND MORE AND I HAVE BEEN LIED TO, EVEN WHEN I QUESTION THE PASTOR THEY WANTED ME TO FEEL LIKE A FOOL. EVEN WHEN I TOLD THE PASTOR THAT THE LORD AND JESUS IS ONE HE TOLD ME THEIR ARE TWO I WAS SHOCKED. I LFFT THAT CHURCH AND FOUND ANOTHER AND HAD TO LEAVE THAT ONE. I AM STILL SEARCHING AND I READ MY BIBLE AT HOME AND STUDY GODS WORDS. I WANT TO VISIT A CHURCH ON SATURDAY AND I HAVE FAITH GOD WILL SHOW ME AS MY EYES AND MIND CONTINUE TO OPEN UP. SHALOM
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January 7, 2018 at 9:32 pm
Sabbath V sunday, lets look at it as to kill or not to kill, god commanded us not to kill and not to lie and to not to have unfaithful sexual relations and to not lie, instead of saying is Sabbath done away and abolished ( even though he did say not to think that he came to abolish, the very nature of having done away with the law means it is abolished, yet he said to not even think that it is done away with, so that contradicts that notion of it being done away with ) but putting that aside for a moment, lets focus as if the 4th commandment is any of the other commandments, to argue away in one way or another, to keep or not to keep the law, lets look at it the same way as if your for keeping Sabbath then argue to keep the 5th and 6th and 7th commandment as well, and if you are for having abolished the 4th commandment, then also argue to abolish the 5th and 6th and 7th commandment as well, in that way it is also legal to totally disrespect our heavenly and earthly parents, we are allowed to have extra marital affairs with anyone and everyone we want, and we are allowed to kill anyone we want whenever we want, so if obeying the 4th commandment is done away with, then so is the other commandments as well, argue to disobey them too and argue to also by the same measure do away with the first commandment of we should not have any other gods before him,
so if the 4th commandment is no longer in any effect and is done away with, then so is the first commandment, thereby we are allowed to worship anything we want and still be right with god and do not need to follow jesus or the bible or anything, that is – if the commandment or commandments have been done away with
remember, to do away with the 4th commandment of keeping the Sabbath day is also to do away with the 1st commandment of having no other gods and the doing away of the not committing adultery and so forth
also if you are to want to keep the 4th commandment, then you are to also keep the 1st commandment also of having no other gods before you and the 7th by not having adulterous relationships
you lawless people and you law abiding people you both cant have it both ways
choose this day who you will serve,
if it is the god of the bible, then keep the 4th commandment as well as all the other 9 commandments
if you do not want to keep the 4th commandment, and you want to reject the 4th commandment, then you must also reject the other 9 commandments as well as the entire bible,
the law is the tutor which leads you to sin which leads you to jesus,
if there is no law then there is no sin, if there is no sin then you don’t need a saviour, since you don’t need a saviour because there is no sin because there is no law to show what sin is, then you do not need jesus and your bible and your faith in it and in jesus are in vain and pointless,
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September 26, 2015 at 4:10 pm
Thanks for your comments.
The 4th commandment is different to the rest – it isn’t repeated in the New Testament for Christians. See my posts on this topic:
– What does the New Testament say about the Sabbath?
– I’ve been told that Christians should keep the ten commandments as they were God’s law and not the law of Moses is this true?
You quote from Galatians 3:24. In this chapter Paul describes the purpose of the law of Moses, “Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise (given to Abraham) to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised” (Gal. 3:19NLT). So the mosaic law was a temporary measure to show humanity’s (Israelites in particular) sinfulness until the coming of Christ.
Furthermore, “Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian” (Gal. 3:23-2NLT). As the word “we” refers to Jews, this means they were under the law until Christ came about 2,000 years ago.
Your claim, “if there is no law then there is no sin” is incorrect. Sin existed before the law of Moses. And sin existed in other nations – the law of Moses (Mosaic covenant) was given for Israelites living in Canaan. The correct statement is, if there is no law then there is no transgression (Rom. 4:15). The law revealed Israelite sin because they couldn’t obey all of God’s commands (Rom. 7:7).
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September 29, 2015 at 5:50 am
Amen!! I love Jesus and HIS SABBATH, AND HIS EXAMPLE. JESUS SAME AS YESTERDAY, TODAY, SND FOREVERMORE, NEVER TO CHANGE. OUR ETERNAL EXAMPLE!!!
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February 25, 2017 at 5:29 pm
Thanks for the comment Li.
Jesus kept the Sabbath because He lived under the Old Covenant. But we who live under the New Covenant should follow Paul, who didn’t teach Sabbath keeping.
See: The Sabbath day difference between Jesus and Paul.
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February 26, 2017 at 5:04 am
you are wrong on all accounts. there are 2 sabboths when he died. 1st was Passover he died. 2nd was unleaved bread when rose 3 jewish days later sunrise/sunset. I could go on but you wont change your mind read the literal translation of the bible and use jewish time not roman. also romans worshipped pagan sun god on sunday so the catholics adopted it to suit their needs.
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March 29, 2016 at 11:36 pm
Thanks for the comment Robert.
I see that the first day of the Festival of Unleaven Bread is called a Sabbath (Lev. 23:11) presumably because they weren’t to do “regular (or ordinary or daily) work” on this day (Ex. 12:16; Lev. 23:7; Num. 28:18). According to the NET Bible, this means that occupational work was prohibited.
According to John 19:31 the day after Christ died was a “special Sabbath” (or a high day or a special day). According to the NET Bible, this is a parenthetical note by the author. According to the NIV Zondervan Study Bible, this was a special Sabbath because it was also the first day of the Festival of Unleaven Bread.
Some say there is a contradiction between Mark 16:1 and Luke 23:56. But what it says is that the women prepared spices and perfumes before the Sabbath day and then more were purchased after the Sabbath day. There is no need to postulate two Sabbaths. Instead the spices were prepared before the Sabbath commenced at sunset on Friday, and because more were needed these were purchased after sunset on Saturday when the Sabbath had finished.
What about “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Mt 12:40)? The Bible says that Jesus was resurrected on “the third day” after His death and burial (Mt. 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; Mk. 9:31; 10:34; Lk. 9:22; 18:33; Jn. 2:19; Acts 10:40; 1 Cor. 15:4). The third day means the day after tomorrow (Lk. 13-31-33). Apparently the Jews counted parts of days as whole days. An example of this is saying “after eight days” when they mean from one Sunday to the next (i.e. “a week later”), which is 6 full days and 2 part days (Jn. 20:26). This inclusive reckoning of time is also in the Old Testament (1 Ki. 12:5, 12; 2 Chr. 10:5, 12; Est. 4:16 – 5:1). If it was three 24 hour periods (72 hours), then He would have risen on the fourth day. Note that the events of the three days seem to begin with the arrest and trial of Jesus, not with His burial (Lk. 24:18 – 21). So the three days were part Friday, all Saturday and part Sunday (according to Jewish timing).
Conclusion: Jesus died at 3pm on Good Friday (the Jewish Passover) and rose again on Sunday morning (the Jewish Firstfruits). The day between these was Saturday (the Jewish Sabbath and the first day of the Jewish Unleavened Bread).
Also see “Was Jesus crucified on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday?”, which uses Jewish timing.
By the way, Paul was celebrating the Lord’s Supper on Sunday at Troas in about AD 55 (Acts 20:6-7), hundreds of years before Christianity was adopted as the religion of the Roman Empire by Emperor Theodosius in AD 380. It seems that Paul stayed there for seven days in order to meet with the local church for this purpose. This means that by the middle of the first century AD, it was already the regular practice of the church to meet together on the first day of the week. At the same time (AD 55), the Christians at Corinth were told to set aside money for the Lord’s work on Sunday; presumably via a collection at a church meeting (1 Cor. 16:1-2).
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March 30, 2016 at 7:45 am
Yes you are correct that the old laws of the old testament were no longer needed once Jesus was crucified, but the laws they are speaking of are the sacrifices and feast days, the ten comandments have never been abolished we are to follow them until the new earth and the kingdom of God are here.Otherwise you could go out and sleep with a married woman and then kill her, do you honestly think this is ok?I certainly hope not.
Wow I’ve been reading your other posts and replies, you certainly are a servant of Satan, for satan also knows the Bible backwards and forward.I’ll pray for you.
Reply by George:
Please see my post on I’ve been told that Christians should keep the ten commandments as they were God’s law and not the law of Moses? Is this true?
Nine of the ten commandments are given between Acts to Revelation as God’s principles for holy living for Christians. But the 4th commandment (Keep the Sabbath day) is not mentioned in Acts to Revelation, and Christians shouldn’t be condemned for failing to keep it (Col. 2:16).
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May 8, 2017 at 10:44 am
This is for those of you who thinks the Old Testament is obsolete and we are no longer under the law but grace… and of course the one who wrote the initial post that everyone is responding to here.
Who are you worshipping or serving?
Who are you following, Christ; the Messiah or the Christian church of today and their teachings?
With that being said, IT IS MISLEADING TO TELL ANYONE THAT THE OLD TESTAMENT (FIRST TESTAMENT) AND THE LAWS ARE OBSOLETE. It is therefore false preaching and interpretation of the word of the Most High and the Messiah (the one you call Jesus).
Hear me now those of you who are seeking the truth, let heaven and earth be my witness as you will not hear this from your pastor or the christian church of this age – THE TRUTH. And tell you the truth so tomorrow you’ll be without excuse – saying that you didn’t know.
I don’t need to run through hundreds of scripture to explain this, those who have ears will hear and those who don’t will not hear, but continue in the same way they have always been – worshipping idols.
Lets start with Revelation 12:9 -(And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him)
The deceiver of the whole world was cast into the earth and brethren I tell you this, he has been at work while you sleep and go about your smooth day …. (see link below)
George: As this was a long comment, it has been moved to a post: The Sabbath day difference between Jesus and Paul
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June 5, 2016 at 5:57 am
Genesis 2:2-3: “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”
Matthew 5:17-18: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished”.
For me, Sabbath is on Saturday… God bless all.
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September 13, 2016 at 6:43 am
Thanks for the comment.
Yes after creating the universe in six days, God rested on the seventh day. But there is no mention of humanity resting on the seventh day of the week at this time! The first mention of the Sabbath was during the Israelite migration from Egypt to Canaan (Ex. 16:21-30; Neh. 9:13-14).
Jesus said, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved” (Mt. 5:17-18NLT). “The Law or the Prophets” and “the writings of the prophets” means the whole Old Testament (Mt. 7:12). Jesus is saying that the Old Testament will be remain unchanged until its purpose is achieved (or fulfilled). The implication is that after the Old Testament has been fulfilled, it would be set aside.
When the Lord walked to Emmaus with two men after His resurrection: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures (Old Testament) concerning Himself” … He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” (Lk. 24:27, 44). The Greek word translated “fulfilled” in verse 44 (pleroo, Strongs #4137) also occurs in Matthew 5:17. Clearly Luke 24:44 describes the fulfilment of Matthew 5:17-18.
So the explanation of Matthew 5:17-18 is that at the beginning of His ministry Jesus says that He hasn’t come to abolish (or destroy, Mt. 24:2; 26:61; 27:40) their religion or customs but to fulfil and accomplish what was in their scripture (the Old Testament). Many aspects of the Old Testament, such as the sacrifices and predictions of a coming Messiah were fulfilled by Christ’s life, sufferings and death. So Jesus came to fulfil the Old Testament. And it was fulfilled after Christ’s death and resurrection. This is consistent with Paul saying that Jesus set aside “the law with its commands and regulations” (Eph. 2:15).
Yes, I agree that the Sabbath has always been on Saturday. But this was one of the Old Testament laws that was set aside after Christ’s death and resurrection.
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November 16, 2016 at 9:54 pm
The Sabbath was created in the garden of Eden with two humans which kept the Sabbath with God. Before Jews were thought of.. Genesis!!!
George: Thanks for the comment Li.
There is no command in Genesis to observe this day, and there is no record of Adam, Noah, or Abraham , or anyone else before Moses doing so. Therefore, the Sabbath was NOT created in the garden of Eden; it came much later in history.
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February 25, 2017 at 5:34 pm
We have been “released from the law” (Gal. 7:6) doesn’t exist.
They can praise and celebrate the Lord’s Supper any day of week (1 Cor. 11:36) doesn’t exist.
The law of Moses has been replaced by the law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:21; 2 Cor. 3:7-11) doesn’t replace.
I stopped reading because of your flagrant deception. You should fix the multiple errors as to not mislead readers looking for answers. Thank you.
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November 8, 2016 at 2:23 pm
Thanks for checking my Bible references Steven. I have now corrected these (see below).
We have been “released from the law” (Rom. 7:6).
“by dying to what once bound us, we (Christians) have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code” (Rom. 7:6).
Also see: “Christ redeemed (like being released from slavery) us (Christians) from the curse of the law” (Gal. 3:13).
“God sent His Son (Jesus) … to redeem (like releasing from slavery) those under the law” (Gal. 4:4-5).
“So you (Christians) are no longer a slave, but God’s child” (Gal. 6:7).
They can praise and celebrate the Lord’s Supper any day of week (1 Cor. 11:26).
“For whenever (any time of day on any day of the week) you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26).
With regard to your claim that the law of Moses hasn’t been replaced, see my post:
Why the new covenant is better
It concludes:
“For believers, the old covenant (including the Sabbath day) is obsolete and has been superseded by the new one. But for non-believers, the old covenant (except the Sabbath day) can produce the knowledge of sin and so lead to repentance. So in both cases, the Sabbath day is now obsolete”.
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November 9, 2016 at 7:31 pm
George the problem seems you are reading all these different Bibles of man which has been changed by 33% in the last 400 yrs. Since King James was published all biblesvwritten since have had to be changed at least 33% to be published therefore anything since 1611 is not accurate. 33% of deletions, additions etc is bad, God says in new testament what happens to those who as, delete, or game HIS WORD!!!
George: Thanks for the comment Li.
We can trust our Bibles. Where did you get this information from? If older manuscripts of the Bible (which are closer to the original autographs) have been discovered since 1611, how can the KJV be more accurate?
Please see: Can we trust our Bibles?
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February 25, 2017 at 5:40 pm
So if the law was done away with and it’s ok not to observe the seventh day sabbath, then it must also be ok to murder too right?
The Ten Commandments were not done away with but fulfilled in the life and death of Christ.
He took away the penalty for sin. Not that we should be able to sin without consequence, but that we are no longer subject to death for sin, if we accept Him as Savior, and follow His ways.
The observance or honoring of the Sabbath Day, based on the Ten Commandments, had the same penalty of Death, before the life/Death, and Resurrection of Christ.
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December 3, 2016 at 2:19 am
Thanks for the comment.
The book of James was written to Jewish Christians who had been scattered from Jerusalem by persecution (Acts 8:1; 11:19; Jas. 1:1). James 2:11 says ‘For He who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker’. So the command to not commit murder is repeated to these Christians. This means that it is not OK for Christians to murder. However, the 4th commandment about the Sabbath isn’t repeated in the Bible for Christians. See, “I’ve been told that Christians should keep the ten commandments as they were God’s law and not the law of Moses. Is this true?” In fact, Sabbath observance isn’t commanded, modelled, or reported in the Bible for the church; see “What the New Testament says about the Sabbath“.
The Bible says that Christians “are not under the law, but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). “We have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code (the law of Moses)” (Rom. 7:6). We “died to the law through the body of Christ” (Rom. 7:4). The ten commandments were “transitory” and Christians are now under the new covenant and not the old one (2 Cor. 3:11).
The new covenant is superior to the old one. For believers, the old covenant (including the Sabbath day) is obsolete and has been superseded by the new one. But for non-believers, the old covenant (except the Sabbath day) can produce the knowledge of sin and so lead to repentance. So in both cases, the Sabbath day is now obsolete. See: “Why the new covenant is better“.
Furthermore, MacDonald (Believer’s Bible Commentary, 1995) says:
“Christians are not under the law as a rule of life. Christ, not the law is the believer’s pattern”.
“Those who are in Christ are delivered from the law and its penalty”.
“But certain principles of the law are of abiding value”. But those mentioned in the Bible for Christians “are not given as law but as instruction in righteousness for God’s people”.
“The teachings of Jesus call for a higher standard of conduct than the law required”.
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December 3, 2016 at 3:50 am
I cannot believe just how lost you so called Christians are.Did you know it was the Catholic Church who changed the Sabbath from a Saturday to a Sunday and murdered Christians who refused to worship on Sunday?!go read the about who the Catholic church really is and take off your blinders.
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March 9, 2017 at 10:19 am
Thanks for the comment.
Can you quote one reliable source for your claim?
Paul attended church meetings on a Sunday, hundreds of years before the Roman Catholic Church came into existence (Acts 20:7). Only Jews kept the Sabbath and not Gentiles. Because the church comprised both Jews and Gentiles, Christians in the first century were not required to follow Jewish practices such as Sabbath keeping. Jesus nullified the law of Moses, including the command that the Israelites keep the sabbath (Eph. 2:15NET).
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March 9, 2017 at 7:44 pm
Ok,my friend.About 100 years before Christianity the Egyptian Mithraists introduced the festival of Sunday.Dedicated to worshipping the sun.As Christianity grew church leaders wishing to make the churches more attractive to non Christians began adopting pagan customs in the church.Constantine a former sun worshipper converted to christianity and named himself bishop of the Catholic church.He then enacted the first civil law of Sunday observance.The Israelites recieved two laws from moses.The law of moses and the law of god which is the 10 commandments.Psalm 89.34 states”my convenant will I not break,nor alter the thing that has gone out of my lips”.The law of moses and law of god are two different things.God will judge us both accordingly.However you will not be able to lie to god on judgement day and say “you didn’t know or no one told you”.I suggest you do you research befor you rebuke me.
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March 10, 2017 at 10:31 am
i agree to peoplewakeup about the Sabbath if God did not think it important to rest on the Sabbath and keep it Holy, I dont think he needed the rest, nor, what was the significant of it being mentioned at all. Being a Christian is someone who is Christ like. The Bible is about us” Striving to be ye therefore perfect like your Father in Heaven”. Christ went to the Synogogue on Sabbath, Sabbado, Saturday ,.
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March 26, 2017 at 5:41 am
Thanks for the comment Joanne.
Jesus also went to the temple three times a year for the festival of the Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles, when many animals were sacrificed? Do you also do this because Jesus did it (Ex. 23:14-17; 34:18-23; Dt. 16:16)?
Read The Sabbath day difference between Jesus and Paul.
Christians should follow Paul more than Jesus because they lived in different eras. Jesus lived under the Mosaic covenant, while Paul lived in the church era. This means that Jesus advocated keeping the Mosaic law which includes animal sacrifices at the temple, male circumcision and keeping the Sabbath; while Paul didn’t advocate animal sacrifices at the temple, male circumcision and keeping the Sabbath.
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March 26, 2017 at 6:07 pm
Read: “Sunday is not the Sabbath day”: at
http://www.pacinst.com/nslaw/chapter1/sunday dot html
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March 11, 2017 at 2:52 pm
Thanks for the comment “peoplewakeup”.
Please see: I’ve been told that Christians should keep the ten commandments as they were God’s law and not the law of Moses. Is this true? This shows that:
– all the commandments in the Pentateuch came from God.
– Before the Israelites entered Canaan, Moses reminded them to “keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you” (Dt. 4:2). They were especially instructed to remember the giving of the ten commandments (Dt. 4:9-13). Then in between two references to the ten commandments (Dt. 4:10-13; 5:1-22), the Bible says “This is the law Moses set before the Israelites” (Dt. 4:44). So the ten commandments are part of the law of Moses: Moses communicated the ten commandments to the Israelites (Dt. 5:4-5) and he recorded them in the Pentateuch!
– The ten commandments give the basic principles of Jewish law whereas their application to particular situations is given in the detailed laws in the Pentateuch.
– Christians seek to live holy lives, not by following the ten commandments, but by allowing Christ to live through them (Gal. 2:19-20). They seek to please the Lord Jesus by following His teachings and those of the apostles (1 Cor. 9:21).
– Paul doesn’t distinguish between the ten commandments and the other laws that were given to Moses: he says that the ten commandments, “which was engraved in letters on stone”, were transitory like the other laws (2 Cor. 3:7-11).
I am aware of the hypothesis of how the pagan sun cult of Mithraism (Mithra was a sun-god) affected Christianity. It seems as though Constantine incorporated some pagan beliefs and practices into the Roman Catholic church. For example, the idea that Sunday was to be a day of rest, a holy day, or a sacred day. However, there is no evidence of Mithraism or these ideas in the New Testament. For the Greeks and Romans, every day of the week was sacred to some god (Sunday – the sun; Monday – the moon; Tuesday to Friday – the Norse versions of Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and Venus; and Saturday – Saturn). So, it could be claimed that the early Christians were following a pagan practice, whatever day of the week they worshipped!
By the way, the context of Psalm 89:34 is God’s covenant with David, and not His covenant with Moses.
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March 12, 2017 at 5:12 am
I have heard that the sign of the best will be imposed by the Catholic church, which will order Sunday worship. Sunday worship originates from deep rooted pagan worship and was an effort made by Constantine to combine the pagans and Christians in the “new” Roman empire. God commanded us to keep the Sabbath day Holy. Man made Sunday holy. Who should we follow then? How can I find a Bible believing church, that keeps the true Sabbath day Holy? In a time when almost all churches follow the script of Constantine and honour a pagan belief. I am resistant to join any cult. I do want to follow the Word of God if it’s in my power to do so.
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March 21, 2017 at 2:21 pm
Thanks for the comment Mary-Anne.
God didn’t command us to keep the Sabbath, but He did command the Israelites to observe it. Today true believers are God’s people, while the the nation of Israel has been set aside.
We are not to keep holy days (like the Sabbath or Sunday) anymore, as they were fulfilled by Jesus (Col. 2:16-17). In AD 57, these were matters of secondary importance (Rom. 14:1-23).
If you want to know what God tells Christians on this topic, read the parts of the Bible that were written to Christians:
What does the New Testament say about the Sabbath?
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March 21, 2017 at 7:14 pm
What I don’t know what Bible you are reading, and I don’t want to know. If I have accepted Jesus Christ into my heart John 3:16. I’ve been adopted into his family we all continue to unite together and keep the sabbath holy and honor thy Father and Mother, keep the commandments. Greatest commandment Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself. It takes diligence, self control,discipline. A lot of time with the WORD, Prayer. If not keeping the sabbath was not important then why would bible say Not To Forsaketh the assembling of yourselves as the matter of some so much more as you see the last days approaching.Which makes a lot of sense considering we all need one another
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March 26, 2017 at 6:06 am
Thanks for the comment Joanne.
Hebrews 10:24-25 says “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
As this letter was written to Jews who had converted to Christianity, their regular meetings together were more likely to be on Sunday than on Saturday (Acts 20:6-7).
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March 26, 2017 at 6:21 pm
Greetings,
I’m sorry to see this misinformed article on the web. May God give you new revelation into His Word, which comes from one book, not a divided two.
God’s Word changes not. Man conviently changes the Word of God to please himself. Man divided God’s Word, His instruction for our lives. Even the end of Revelation, verses 18-19, God warns of changing His Word.
To do away w/the foundation, is the beginning of destruction for the whole house. You are deceived into thinking you do not need foundational instruction. To do away w/Gods commandments is heresy !
Eph 2:11-22 We are no longer gentiles, estranged from Israel, foreigners of the Covenants, but made into one. Fellow citizens w/Gods people(Jews) & members of Gods family. A foundation built by Gods emissaries & His prophets, w/ the cornerstone being Yeshua(Jesus), our Messiah. We are all being held together by Him, to grow into a Holy Temple, a spiritual dwelling place, for God.
May God open your blind selfish heart, mind & eyes. Grow in unity.
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May 20, 2017 at 8:10 pm
Thanks for the comment Teresa.
When they become Christians, members of the Jewish and Gentile races are reconciled through Jesus Christ, not through the law of Moses or the ten commandments (Eph. 2:11-22). Jesus has “made the two groups into one” (v.14), which is the church, not the old covenant. Jesus set aside “the law with its commands and regulations” (v.15). The church is built on Jesus, not on the law of Moses or the ten commandments (v.20).
Truth is revealed progressively throughout the Bible. And the parts that are specifically addressed to the church are Acts to Revelation.
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June 30, 2017 at 4:36 pm
Really??? You’re expecting people to see you as correct with all your New Age infinite wisdom? Wow, then as Satan he also twists words to make things against God appealing. That shiney little trinket you want others to see you dangling you call “knowledge”… If people would do their own research in to the past, they would see that the Sabbath Day was Saturday, not Sunday. Only something Satanic would want God’s people to go worship Him on a Sunday. The Pope changed Christianity worship from Saturday to Sunday. Because the Romans worshipped their Sun God on a Sunday, so to really mock God, the pope changed it to make all loyal religions follow after and worship the same day as the Catholic church worshipped their god. So we aren’t Jewish, and even as God said keep the Sabbath Holy, he meant everyone, not just His chosen people. We are ALL God’s people, Gentile and Jewish alike. We may not be under the same laws as the Jews, but we should still keep same day Holy.
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May 26, 2017 at 2:00 am
Thanks for the comment Patrick.
I agree that the Jewish “Sabbath Day was Saturday, not Sunday”.
However, in about AD 55 Paul and the Christians at Corinth worshiped God on Sunday (Acts 20:6-7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2). This was about 260 years before Constantine made Sunday the official day of rest for the Roman Empire. So Sunday worship by Christians commenced well before any changes made by a Roman Emperor or Pope.
Please note that the laws of Moses were:
– Given to the Israelites – “These are the decrees, the laws and the regulations that the Lord established at Mount Sinai between Himself and the Israelites through Moses” (Lev. 26:46).
– To be observed while living in Canaan – “These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess” (Dt. 6:1).
– Obedience would bring peace and prosperity in Canaan (Lev. 26:1-13; Dt. 5:32-33)
– Disobedience would bring exile from Canaan and scattering among the nations (Lev. 26:31-39)
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June 30, 2017 at 5:19 pm
This information is not totally true. Adam and Eve were required to worship God from the beginning. Cain killed Abel because he was jealous of Able, Because God was more pleased with Able’s sacrifices. Therefore the sacrifices did not begin when Moses received the Ten Commandments, worshipping & sacrifices began at the beginning. Moses received the Ten Commandments so His people would have a visual expectation.
In the New Testament the first four of the Ten Commandments referred to God so that new commandment that Jesus was talking about referred to God. So the fourth Commandment is still considered important. The second commandment that was given referred to the last six of the Ten Commandments which had to do with loving your neighbor (mankind).
Even though we are not under the law if you love God you would keep his Commandments.
Also Constantine is the person who started worshipping on Sundays. This information is published in books all over.. The Library is FULL of information…
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May 27, 2017 at 7:40 am
Thanks for the comment.
As my post is about Sabbath observance and not about sacrifices, I’m not sure what you mean by “This information is not totally true”. I don’t think I said that sacrifices commenced in the time of Moses.
With regard to commandments in the New Testament, please see my post on I’ve been told that Christians should keep the ten commandments as they were God’s law and not the law of Moses? Is this true? This shows that nine of the ten commandments are given between Acts to Revelation as God’s principles for holy living for Christians. But the 4th commandment (Keep the Sabbath day) is not mentioned in Acts to Revelation, and Christians shouldn’t be condemned for failing to keep it (Col. 2:16). So your statement, “Even though we are not under the law if you love God you would keep his Commandments” is true for nine of the commandments, but not for the 4th commandment.
In about AD 55 Paul and the Christians at Corinth worshiped God on Sunday (Acts 20:6-7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2). This was about 260 years before Constantine made Sunday the official day of rest for the Roman Empire. So Sunday worship by Christians commenced well before any changes made by a Roman Emperor.
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June 30, 2017 at 6:47 pm
Imagine that, the ten commandments, no longer need to be followed simply because its old law? But thats where the answer to this question lies, not in all the hodge podge written above. Just read the commandments. And remember, the beast is everwhere, it will pose as a preacher, a doctor, or a government, evan a website, it just gives me shivers thinking of it, everyone knows the catholic church made the sunday worship change, just read your commandments and your bible, its there. But don’t believe just any website you pop up?
Buy the way, whats wrong with old testament, seems to me , many just fear cold hard biblical facts.
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June 18, 2017 at 10:02 am
Thanks for the comment Floyd.
With regard to commandments in the New Testament, please see my post on I’ve been told that Christians should keep the ten commandments as they were God’s law and not the law of Moses? Is this true? This shows that nine of the ten commandments are given between Acts to Revelation as God’s principles for holy living for Christians. But the 4th commandment (Keep the Sabbath day) is not mentioned in Acts to Revelation, and Christians shouldn’t be condemned for failing to keep it (Col. 2:16). So your statement, “Imagine that, the ten commandments, no longer need to be followed simply because its old law” is false.
The Sunday worship change happened when the church commenced in the 1st century AD, centuries before the Roman Catholic Church commenced (Acts 20:6-7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2).
I’m concerned about the approach to applying the Biblical text directly to our situations today (“just read the Bible”, “what’s wrong with the Old Testament?”, “many just fear cold hard biblical facts”) without using the context to understand what it meant originally and then looking at what has changed since then before drawing applications. For example, do you offer animal sacrifices to God? It’s in the Bible!
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June 30, 2017 at 8:45 pm
So should we say now “The Nine Commandments”?
Who told the church that it was alright to change the sabbath EVEN if jesus rose on it?
Since when is breaking bread a church service? I broke bread (ate) with my daughter this morning. It is Monday….Did we just have church service?
Isaiah 66:23 says,” From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the LORD.” Does all mankind REALLY mean just Jews?
Is not sin transgression of the law acoording to first John, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” Therefore, laws must still exist.
The bible tells you that ceremonial and sacrificials laws were changed because that were types of Christ. It’s in there!
I say this last thing out of love because I can tell that you are sincere. Stop trying to defend these postings and start praying about them. Perhaps these are messages are inspired by God especially for you.
Peace, love, and blessings to you and yours!
Aaron
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July 25, 2017 at 6:08 am
Thanks for the comment Aaron.
Christians are those whose lives are characterized by obedience to the commands of Christ, including the command to “love one another” (Jn. 13:34-35; 1 Jn. 2:3-11). There is no mention in the New Testament of a specific number of commandments.
The church didn’t “change the Sabbath”; the Sabbath remains the Jewish word for Saturday. What changed is that Christians were not required to keep the Sabbath laws of the Old Testament.
According to Thayer’s Greek Lexion, in Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2, 9; Luke 18:12; 24:1; John 20:1, 19; and Acts 20:7, the Greek noun Sabbaton (Strongs #4521) means a week (seven days) and not the Sabbath day. So, Christ rose from the dead on the first day of the week (Sunday), not the Sabbath day. Also see my post on this topic.
The phrase “breaking of bread” is used in the New Testament to refer both to the Lord’s Supper and to eating an ordinary meal. The meaning in a particular case should be determined from the context. See my post on this topic.
Isaiah 66:23 mentions the New Moon and the Sabbath. These were times when the Israelites offered burnt offerings to God (1 Chr. 23:31). The New Moon marked the beginning of the month and the Sabbath marked the end of the week. In this context it means that at this future time (the Millennial kingdom) all mankind (not just Jews) will worship God on a regular basis (or continually), maybe at New Moons and Sabbaths. But this passage was not written for the present era because Paul says, “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. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ” (Col, 2:16-17).
You say that “The bible tells you that ceremonial and sacrificials laws were changed because that were types of Christ”. But the division of the Jewish law into different categories is a human construct and is not given in the Bible. Instead, the Bible says, “Christ is the culmination of the law” (Rom. 10:4). The purpose of the law is to reveal sin and to convict sinners (Rom. 3:19-20). The penalty of the lawbreaking is death. In His death, Christ paid this penalty. When a sinner receives the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, the law has nothing more to say to them. They have died to the law (Gal. 2:19). It has been set aside (Eph. 2:15). It is futile to attempt to achieve righteousness through keeping the law. If believing Jews are no longer under the law, then believing Gentiles are also not under the law (Gal. 3:23-25).
In place of the Old Testament Law, Christians are to obey the law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 6:2). Rather than trying to remember the over 600 individual commandments in the Old Testament Law, Christians are simply to focus on following the teachings of Christ and the apostles by loving God and loving others (Mk. 12:29-31).
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August 3, 2017 at 4:18 pm
As well as looking in scripture to see what God says, you should also research how the Catholic Church openly admits to changing the Sabbath to Sunday. The Sabbath is Friday at sunset through Saturday at sunset.
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March 10, 2018 at 9:04 am
That is why the 10 commandments say to remember the Sabbath. Because God knew it would be changed. Why did he need to put the word remember? He could have just as easily said honor the Sabbath like many of the other commandments state to “honor”. But he says to remember the Sabbath. Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. So we must remember when the Sabbath is to be able to keep it holy. Considering that you rarely find a church that keeps the Sabbath, is a very good indication that we as a whole have forgotten the Sabbath. We must honor the Sabbath day and not be fooled by men. Men and this world are waging against the followers of Jesus Christ. We must open our eyes and ask God to give us the knowledge we need. Ask him. He will show you. He promised he would in his word. So to answer your question yes the Sabbath is sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. Honor the true Sabbath.
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March 10, 2018 at 9:15 am
Thanks for the comment Hannah.
As mentioned in my post, Christians began to meet together on the first day of the week in the first century AD, well before the Roman Catholic Church came into existence (Acts 20:6-7). So, what anyone thinks the Roman Catholic Church may have done is irrelevant.
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January 6, 2019 at 8:55 pm
Thanks for the comment Hannah.
The Ten Commandments were a high level summary of the Law of Moses, which was given to the nation of Israel for them to follow on Canaan. But as we are not Jews living under the old covenant, we live under God’s commands in the New Testament, and not those in the Old Testament.
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January 9, 2019 at 2:00 pm
Is not is the apostle Paul the one that talks about the law in Romans 7? The commandment is “holy” … Also, in Rom 5 he mentioned that without the law sin has no power. In addition to this, John in 1 Jn 3,14 also talks a bit about sin and what it is (i.e., breaking the law) … just adding a balance to the discussion. Btw., whoever and whenever tries to earn points through any other means apart from Christ is legalist, full stop. You can call yourself whatever you want but you are still a legalist. That being said, do not mix legalism with obedience. As for the repetition of 9 commandments in the New Testament and leaving out the Sabbath commandment … that is a very inconsistent interpretation. Please bear in mind that Sabbath predates any other commandments (I base this on biblical chronology – not on the chronology of what books of the Bible was written first). So, it’s a package. Therefore, either throw out everything or leave everything. My suggestion only … Btw., even biblically oriented Jews were making distinction between what you call moral and ceremonial law. Namely, the tablets of the commandment were placed in the ark while all other prescriptions were place next to the ark. Atonement was made on the ark only … again, just saying this …
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May 12, 2018 at 5:04 pm
Hi folks, forgot to add Revelation 12, 17. As far as I understand it, second half of the chapter happens after Jesus’ ascension … so, it means that the commandments of God still play a role after his death…
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May 12, 2018 at 5:24 pm
Jack says that “the commandments of God still play a role after his [Christ’s] death” and quotes “Then the dragon [Satan] was enraged at the woman [Israel] and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus” (Rev. 12:17). The book of Revelation deals with John’s vision of Christ (Ch. 1), letters to seven first century churches (Ch. 2-3), and future events (Ch. 4-22) (Rev. 1:19). While the church is in heaven (Ch. 4-5), there will be a period of tribulation on earth (Ch. 6-18), which will end with the “appearing” of the Lord Jesus Christ in great power and glory (Rev. 19:11-21).
Revelation 12 deals with Satan as a key figure in the time of tribulation. Satan is depicted as a dragon (v.9). The woman represents Israel – the archangel Michael who defeats Satan (v.7-9) protects Israel and will deliver her during the tribulation (Da. 12:1; Rev. 12:13-17). Christ’s birth and ascension is described in v.4-5. The present church age is passed over between v.5 and v.6. So, v.6-17 is in the tribulation between the rapture of believers and their appearing when Christ returns to rule over the earth. During this time, Jews who believe in Jesus will be persecuted for their faith (v. 11). These are “those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus”. We are not told which of God’s commands they will keep.
Jack concludes “so, it means that the commandments of God still play a role after His death”. However, the verse he quotes doesn’t relate to the present church age. So, even if it refers to the law of Moses, it’s not applicable to today.
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January 9, 2019 at 9:53 am
Thanks for the comment Jack.
You quote: “the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good” (Rom. 7:12). Romans 7 deals with the place of the law of Moses in the believer’s life. It has three sections:
– Christians are released from the law of Moses (v. 1-6).
– When he was an unbeliever, Paul was convicted of his sin by the law of Moses (v. 7-13).
– How Paul experienced conflict between his divine and sinful natures (v. 14-25).
Before chapter 7, Paul taught that Christians “are not under the law (of Moses), but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). Romans 7 is written to Jewish believers who knew the law of Moses (v.1). But when they followed Christ, they died to the law of Moses: they “died to the law (of Moses) through the body of Christ” (v.4). By Jesus’ death on the cross, Christians died in their relationship to the law of Moses. Paul supports this with an illustration from marriage. Like a widow changes her allegiance when she remarries, such believers are now bound to Jesus Christ, and not to the law of Moses. These believers “have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code (the law of Moses)” (v.6).
After saying that the law of Moses is obsolete for Christians, Paul says that it convicted him of his sinfulness when he was an unbeliever. He was convicted of his covetousness (v.7). The law of Moses revealed and stimulated his sin (v.4, 8-10). But the law wasn’t to blame – it was caused by his sinful nature (v. 11, 13). Instead, the law of Moses was “holy, righteous and good” (v.12) because it was God-given to the Israelites. It was designed to reveal their sin. That’s what’s good about the law of Moses. It was like an X-ray that reveals a tumor but does not provide the cure. So the law of Moses was the instrument that God used to convict Paul of his sinfulness before he decided to follow Jesus. And people today are largely unaware of their sin without explicit revelation from Scripture.
So the context of the law of Moses being “holy” is not Christian living, but the conversion of Paul.
I’m not sure what verse you mean in the statement: “Also, in Rom 5 he mentioned that without the law sin has no power”. Is it “sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law” (v.13), or “God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were” (v.20NLT)? Before the time of Moses, people were not charged with sin in the sense of “breaking a command” (v.14). So, it’s addressing the past, and not the present.
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January 8, 2019 at 12:13 pm
Jack, I assume the other verse you refer to is, “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness” (1Jn. 3:4ESV). This book addresses false teaching within the church. It describes the characteristics of those in Christian fellowship which include: obedience, love, doctrine, and doing what is right. This verse is in the section dealing with doing what is right.
A NET Bible translation note says,
“The Greek word ἀνομία (anomia) is often translated “iniquity” or “lawlessness” and in the LXX refers particularly to transgression of the law of Moses. In Jewish thought the ideas of sin (ἁμαρτία, hamartia) and lawlessness or iniquity (ἀνομία) were often equated because sin involved a violation of the Mosaic law and hence lawlessness. For example, Ps 51:5 LXX sets the two in parallel, and Paul in Rom 4:7 (quoting Ps 32:1) does the same. For John, it is not violation of the Mosaic law that results in lawlessness, since he is writing to Christians. [In this context] The ‘law’ … is the law of love, as given by Jesus in the new commandment of John 13:34-35. This is the command to love one’s brother, a major theme of 1 John and the one specific sin in the entire letter which the opponents are charged with (3:17)”.
So once again the verse isn’t speaking about the law of Moses. The word “law” has many meanings in the Bible. Which one is applicable depends on the context. It’s poor exegesis to assume that “law” always means the law of Moses. This is particularly so for letters in the New Testament written specifically to Christians.
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January 8, 2019 at 3:56 pm
Jack, says “As for the repetition of 9 commandments in the New Testament and leaving out the Sabbath commandment … that is a very inconsistent interpretation”.
This is what the Bible says. Nine of the ten commandments are given between Acts to Revelation as God’s principles for holy living for Christians:
1. Don’t worship any other god except the one true God (1 Cor. 8:4-6)
2. Don’t worship idols (1 Cor. 10:7,14; 1 Jn. 5:21)
3. Don’t misuse God’s name (Jas. 2:7)
4. Keep the Sabbath day – This instruction is not mentioned in Acts to Revelation, and Christians shouldn’t be condemned for failing to keep it (Col. 2:16)
5. Honor your parents (Eph. 6:1-3)
6. Don’t murder (Jas. 2:11)
7. Don’t commit adultery (Jas. 2:11)
8. Don’t steal (Eph.4:8)
9. Don’t give false testimony (Col. 3:10)
10. Don’t covet (Eph. 5:3)
For an explanation of this see: I’ve been told that Christians should keep the ten commandments as they were God’s law and not the law of Moses. Is this true?
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January 8, 2019 at 4:06 pm
Jack says, “Please bear in mind that Sabbath predates any other commandments (I base this on biblical chronology – not on the chronology of what books of the Bible was written first). So, it’s a package. Therefore, either throw out everything or leave everything”.
The first mention of the Sabbath as a command was early in the Hebrew exodus from Egypt (Ex. 16:21-30). When God gave them manna, they were to gather twice the usual daily amount on the sixth day because they were prohibited from going out to gather manna on the seventh day (Ex. 16:5, 29). This occurred in the Desert of Sin about one month after they left Egypt (Ex. 16:1).
The next mention of the Sabbath commandment was when the ten commandments were given at Mt Sinai (Ex. 20:8-11). This occurred about one month after they left the Desert of Sin (Ex. 19:1).
But, God’s covenant with Noah after the flood included the death penalty for murder (Gen. 9:5-6). Therefore, God had prohibited murder, which is the sixth commandment. So this commandment was announced at least 670 years before the Hebrews were commanded to keep the Sabbath. So the Sabbath law doesn’t predate the law against murder.
You may be thinking of Genesis 2:2-3, which says that God rested on the seventh day. But as this says nothing about people resting on the seventh day, it’s not the first mention of Sabbath keeping in the Bible. The Bible says that the Hebrews were informed of the Sabbath law for the first time during the exodus: “You [God] came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them [the Hebrews] from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good. You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses” (Neh. 9:13-14).
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January 8, 2019 at 5:39 pm
Jack says, “Btw., even biblically oriented Jews were making distinction between what you call moral and ceremonial law. Namely, the tablets of the commandment were placed in the ark while all other prescriptions were place next to the ark. Atonement was made on the ark only”.
The Ten Commandments were inscribed by God on stone tablets and He rewrote them on new stone tablets (Ex. 31:18; 32:15-16; 34:1, 28). “And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments” (Ex. 34:28). “He [God] declared to you His covenant, the Ten Commandments, which He commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets” (Dt 4:13). They are often called, “the tablets of the covenant law” (Ex. 25:16, 21, 22; 40:20). So the word “covenant” is associated with the Ten Commandments.
Moses was commanded by God to put the two stone tablets that had the Ten Commandments written on them in the ark of the covenant (Ex. 25:16; Dt. 10:1-5). And that is what happened (Ex. 40:20; Heb. 9:4). Because of this, it is referred to as “the ark of the covenant law” (Ex. 25:22; 26:33-34; 27:21). As the ark was located inside the tabernacle, the tabernacle was called, “the tent of the covenant law” (Num. 9:15; 17:7). So the word “covenant” is also associated with the ark and the tabernacle because they contained a copy of the Ten Commandments.
The “book of the covenant” is mentioned in Ex. 24:7. According to the NIV Study Bible its contents were Ex. 20:22-23:19 (and implying the stipulations of Ex. 20:2-17; 23:20-33), which are expansions and expositions of the Ten Commandments. And God promised rewards for obeying His commands and punishment for disobedience (Lev. 26). Disobedience is called “breaking the covenant” (Lev. 26:25, 44). So the many laws given to Moses listed in the Pentateuch are also called “the covenant”.
So the word “covenant” has more than one meaning in the Pentateuch – The Ten Commandments are called “the covenant” and the collection of laws in the old covenant are referred to as “the covenant”. Clearly the Ten Commandments are a summary of the hundreds of laws found in the Old Testament.
The laws of Moses are written in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Israelite kings were to have their own copy of the law (Dt. 17:18-20). His writings, which were called the “Book of the Law”, were to be placed beside the ark of the covenant (Dt. 31:26). Joshua called it “the Book of the Law of Moses” (Josh. 23:6). The book was lost during the time of idolatry under Manasseh and Amon, but was found in the temple during the reign of Josiah (2 Ki. 22:8). And Ezra read from the Book of the Law after the exile (Neh. 8:3). The Book of the Law contained all the commands that the king and the nation of Israel were to obey as part of their covenant with God.
Furthermore, Moses doesn’t divide the laws into moral laws, civil laws and ceremonial laws. Any such division is man-made. The Bible describes that laws as follows. “These are the decrees, the laws and the regulations that the Lord established at Mount Sinai between Himself and the Israelites through Moses” (Lev. 26:46). “take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today” (Dt. 7:11). David told Solomon, “observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to Him, and keep His decrees and commands, His laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses” (1 Ki. 2:3).
Australian legislation is in the form of Acts and regulations. An Act sets out the broad legal/policy principles while details of how the provisions of the Act are applied is given in the Regulations. The Act has broad principles and the Regulation has implementation detail. The relationship of the Ten Commandments to the whole law of Moses is a bit like the relationship between an Act of Australian law and its Regulations. But there is a difference as the Ten Commandments are a part of the law of Moses. Other illustrations of this relationship are the abstract or precis of an article or the executive summary of a report. The Ten Commandments are like an abstract, precis, and a summary of the law of Moses.
Jack claims that the ten Commandments were moral law and the rest of the decrees and commands, laws and regulations in the Book of the Law were ceremonial (or civil) law. The major social concerns of the covenant have been listed as: personhood, false accusation, women, punishment, dignity, inheritance, property, fruit of labor, fruit of the ground, rest on the Sabbath, marriage, exploitation, fair trial, social order, law, and animals. Some of these are dealt with in both the Ten Commandments and the other regulations. For example, the Sabbath, marriage and property. Moral laws are not only in the Ten Commandments, they are also in the rest of the regulations. For example, see the regulations on unlawful sexual relations in Leviticus 18; on idolatry in Deuteronomy 13 and 17, and on marriage violations in Deuteronomy 22. The difference between the Ten Commandments and the other regulations is not in their content, but in their coverage – The Ten Commandments are broad summary statements, while the details are given in the rest of the law of Moses.
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January 8, 2019 at 8:58 pm
Jesus said He came not to do away with the Law, but to enforce the Law. God the Father says to keep the Sabbath holy. Are not we all Jews in Christ? We should also beware of false prophets and their teachings. The true Sabbath is on Saturday.
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February 18, 2019 at 6:42 pm
Thanks for the comment Jim.
Jesus said “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Mt. 5:17NIV). The law of Moses was given to the Israelites to show them their sinfulness. Death was the penalty for breaking the law (Gal. 3:10). Since everyone had broken the law, they were under the punishment of death. Jesus came into the world to pay that penalty by His death. He died as a substitute for sinful humanity. In this way He met the full demands of the law. He completed the intended purpose of the Old Testament. So a person who trusts Jesus is no longer under the Old Testament law, but us under grace (Rom. 6:14). They are dead to the law though the work of Christ. In this sense the law had faded away for the Christian (2 Cor. 3:7-11). The law was a guardian until Christ came, but after salvation, this guardian is no longer needed (Gal. 3:23-25). As the law of Moses was fulfilled by Christ, it is no longer a binding legal system today. If the Law is still binding on us today, then it has not yet accomplished its purpose—it has not yet been fulfilled. Instead, Christians are under the law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 6:2). Their behavior is molded, not be fear of punishment, but by a loving desire to please their Savior.
At this time Jesus also said, “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery” (Lk. 16:16-17). The legal dispensation which began with Moses, ended with John the Baptist. And Jesus introduced a new dispensation when He preached about the kingdom of God. If people would repent, the Lord Jesus would rule over them. And Jesus fulfilled His mission, because it would be “easier” for the universe to pass away than for the law of God not to fulfill its mission. Some of the requirements of the law are repeated in the New Testament. This includes marriage, but not keeping the Sabbath.
So Jesus came to fulfill the law, not to enforce it. That’s why although Paul lived under the law of Moses until his conversion, after this he said that “we have been released from the law” because the law has been set aside (Rom. 7:6; Eph. 2:15).
The command to keep the Sabbath holy was given to the Israelites (Ex. 20:8; Dt 5:12) and is not repeated for Christians in the New Testament (contrary to the other nine commandments).
I’m not sure what you mean by “Are not we all Jews in Christ?”. Are you referring to Romans 11:13-24? This passage is about the Gentile nations and the Jewish nation – it is not addressing Christians. So in this passage “you” are the Gentile nations and “they” or “their” are the Jewish nation. In the illustration of the wild olive tree the root is like Abraham, and the truck is God’s line of privilege (not Israel) and the wild olive branch is the Gentile nations (not the church). It’s not addressed to the church or individual believers. It teaches that Gentile peoples can be removed from their present position of special privilege, like the nation of Israel was. After this there will be a future restoration of Israel at the second coming of Christ (v.25-32).
Yes, “the true Sabbath is on Saturday”, but we are not required to keep it today (Rom. 14:5; Gal. 4:8-11; Col. 2:16-17).
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February 19, 2019 at 9:33 am