Who Changed The Sabbath?

Hi there and welcome to Van Life Devotions. We are in Alexandria Troas in Turkey. It was one of the major seaports in the Aegean connecting trade routes in Asia Minor to Neapolis in Macedonia by sea lines and then to Rome by road. During the Roman period, especially under the reign of Caesar and then Augustus, the city lived its heydays thanks to its busy port. In the 1st century BC Augustus built a colony of Roman soldiers at this site thus making it a Roman metropolis. The city was surrounded by an 8-9 km long wall and equipped with a fine aqueduct carrying water.

Troas is mentioned a few times in the New Testament, particular regarding Paul. It was here on his second missions’ trip that Paul had a vision of a Macedonian man pleading Paul to help them in Europe. In a previous devotion we looked at this. It was also here that a young man went to sleep during Paul’s teaching and fell from a third story window to his death. Then amazingly, through Paul, God bought this young man back to life. On his third mission’s trip, Paul and his companions were here in Troas for a week. Luke then wrote in Acts 20 verse 7, “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight” (Acts 20:7 NIV). This is the first time that we know of Christians who came together on a Sunday to remember the Lord through the elements of communion and to teach about the faith. It made me think, when and why did the Christians change the day of worship and rest from the Sabbath – Saturday to Sunday?

I mean Paul did tell the Church at Corinth that on the first day of the week they should set aside an offering for the Lord’s work (1 Corinthians 16:1) which is a strong indicating that they gathered for worship on Sundays. And when Jesus appeared to the Apostle John on the Island of Patmos and gave him revelation, it happened on a Sunday (Revelation 1:10).

Sunday worship did spread to many churches. Around A.D. 150 Apologist Justin Martyr described that on Sundays Christians gathered for worship which included readings from Scripture (particularly the Gospels), a sermon, prayer, and Communion.

And ever since many Christians believe that Sunday is the new Sabbath, the new day of worship because God commenced His creation on the first day, the church commenced on a Sunday – the Day of Pentecost and, most importantly, Jesus rose from the dead on a Sunday. Obviously, there are many Christians groups that believe that God has not changed his mind regarding the fourth commandment and therefore they worship on Saturdays.

My friends from these groups are right. God has not changed his mind. In the earliest days of the church, worship consisted of Sabbath-keeping and resurrection-celebrating both on two different days. In time, the former decreased and the latter persisted (Justo González). As the number of Gentiles followers increased and the church gradually started to worship on Sundays, tension arose. In Colossians 2:16 Paul tells the church, “So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths” (Colossians 2:16 NLT). Paul writes a similar instruction in Romans 14.

With this in mind, it is important to remember, that Sunday worship is not commanded in the Bible, and Sunday has not replaced Saturday and become the Christian Sabbath. The key point in all of this is that we are not to limit our worship to any day of the week. Whatever day, we are to commit to come together with other believers for teaching, fellowship, communion, prayer, singing, and to encourage each other (Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:24-25).

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the example of the Early Church that met for worship and encouragement. Help me to make worship with Christians a priority for my growth and encouragement to others. O God, preserve us who travel; surround us with your loving care; protect us from every danger; and bring us in safety to our journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

David Moyes