Foundation Institute Center for Biblical Education Fundamental Beliefs Church of God, a Worldwide Association The Sabbath Handouts/Study Material 2012 Church of God, a Worldwide Association
Summary of the Sabbath Church of God, a Worldwide Association T he seventh day of the week is the Sabbath of the Lord our God, and on this day humans are commanded to rest from their labors and worship Him. Established and blessed by God at creation, the seventh day of the week begins at sunset on Friday and continues until sunset on Saturday. The Sabbath is an identifying sign and a perpetual covenant between God and His people. True Christians follow the example of Jesus Christ, the apostles and the New Testament Church in observing the seventh-day Sabbath. Scriptural support: Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11; 31:13-17; Leviticus 23:3; Isaiah 58:13; Hebrews 4:4-10; Mark 1:21; 2:27-28; 6:2; Acts 13:42-44; 17:2; 18:4; Luke 4:31; 1 John 2:4-6. Summary: The seventh day of the week was made and set apart by God as a day of rest. God blessed the seventh day, and on it He rested from all His works. The Sabbath followed the creation of the first human, an ordained time for man to focus on a close personal relationship with his Maker (Genesis 2:2-3). The Sabbath was made at creation and directly benefits our lives. Jesus Christ declared Himself to be Lord of the Sabbath, thereby forever linking Himself with this holy time (Mark 2:27-28). It is a very special time that should be used to deepen and broaden man s devotion to and relationship with God. By turning away from our own way, we find pleasure in that which pleases God (Isaiah 58:13-14). Exodus 20:8-10 provides instruction from God for observing the Sabbath. Man is to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Man remembers and hallows the Sabbath command by worshipping and resting each and every seventh day. By following this pattern, Christians are following the example of their Creator and are reminded of the one who brought them into being. God re-emphasizes the need to keep the Sabbath in Deuteronomy 5:12-15. He mentions that the Sabbath is to be a reminder not only of the Creator, but also that He is the one who frees from bondage (see also Luke 4:18-19). Exodus 31:13-17 points to the Sabbath as a sign between God and His people which constitutes a perpetual covenant. This is in addition to the instruction given at creation and in the 10 commandments. It is to be kept holy and is a reminder to those called of God that He is the One who sets them apart and that they are the children of God. The Sabbath will be regularly kept as a means of worshipping and serving God when Jesus returns to earth and establishes His government on the earth (Isaiah 66:23). The truth that a Sabbath rest remains for mankind (Hebrews 4:9) is confirmed through the living example of Jesus Christ (Luke 4:31) and His followers after His death and resurrection. Paul taught the Gentiles on the Sabbath (Acts 13:42-44) following both the law of God and the example of Christ. Wherever he went he taught on the Sabbath as was his custom and established churches that kept the Sabbath (Acts 17:2; 18:4). Page 1
Summary of the Sabbath Church of God, a Worldwide Association There is nothing in the writings of the apostles or the practice of the New Testament Church that shows any hint of change in the example and teaching they received from Christ. The Sabbath looks back to creation and reminds man of his Creator. For us today, it recalls that God is the one who has redeemed us from sin. Finally, the Sabbath looks forward to the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His government when there will be true rest for all humanity (Hebrews 4:4-10). Page 2
The Sabbath Question Facts from the Bible The Seventh Day and the Bible 1. God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:1-3) 2. This event stamped the seventh day as God s Day of rest. When a person is born on a certain day that becomes his birthday. No one can change God s day of rest but God. Can you change your birthday? 3. The Creator blessed the seventh day (Genesis 2:3). 4. He sanctified the seventh day (Exodus 20:11). 5. He made it the Sabbath day (Genesis 2:1-3). 6. Jesus said it was made for man, that is for mankind and not just the Jews (Mark 2:27). 7. It is a memorial of creation (Exodus 20:11; 31:17). 8. Through Adam the Sabbath was given to all nations (Acts 17:26). 9. It is not a Jewish institution, for it was made 2300 years before the first Jew. 10. The Bible never calls it Jewish, but always the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. 11. It was a part of God s law before Sinai (Exodus 16:4, 27-29). 12. God placed it in the heart of His law (Exodus 20:1-17). 13. The seventh-day Sabbath was commanded by the voice of God (Deuteronomy 4:12-13). 14. God wrote the commandments with His own finger (Exodus 31:18). He engraved it in stone, showing its enduring character (Deuteronomy 5:22). 15. It was preserved in the ark of the covenant. 16. God forbade work on the Sabbath, even in the busiest times of the year (Exodus 34:21). 17. God punished the Israelites for profaning the Sabbath (Ezekiel 20:12-13). 18. It is the sign of the true God (Ezekiel 20:20). 19. God promised that Jerusalem should stand forever if the Jews would keep the Sabbath (Jeremiah 17:24-25). 20. He sent them into the Babylonian captivity for breaking it (Nehemiah 13:18). 21. He destroyed Jerusalem for violating the Sabbath (Jeremiah 17:27). 22. God has promised a special blessing on all the Gentiles who will keep it (Isaiah 56:6-7). 23. This is a prophecy of the Christians in the future (Isaiah 56). God promises to bless all who keep the Sabbath (Isaiah 56:2). 24. The Lord requires us to call it honorable (Isaiah 58:13). 25. The Sabbath will one day be restored to the whole earth (Isaiah 58:12-13). 26. All the holy prophets kept the seventh day. 27. When Christ came, He also kept the seventh day. (Luke 4:16; John 15:10). 28. The seventh day is the Lord s day (Mark 2:28; Isaiah 58;13; Exodus 20:10). 29. Jesus was Lord of the Sabbath 30. Christ vindicated the Sabbath as a merciful institution designed for man s good (Mark 2:23-28). 31. Instead of abolishing the Sabbath, He carefully taught how it should be observed (Matthew 12:1-13). 32. He taught the disciples that they should do nothing upon the Sabbath day but what was lawful (Matthew 12:12). 33. Christ taught us to pray that our flight not be on the Sabbath day. This means there would be a Sabbath observance in the end time (Matthew 24:20). 34. The pious women who had been with Jesus carefully kept the seventh day after His death (Luke 23:56). 35. Thirty years after Christ s resurrection, it is expressly called the Sabbath day (Acts 13:14). 36. Paul called it the Sabbath day (Acts 13:27) Page 1
The Sabbath Question Facts from the Bible 37. Luke, the inspired historian, writing as late as A.D. 62, calls it the Sabbath day (Acts 13:44). 38. The Gentile converts called it the Sabbath (Acts 13:42). 39. In Acts 15, James references this day as the Sabbath day (Acts 15:21). 40. It was customary to hold meetings on this day (Acts 15:21). 41. Paul read the scriptures in public meetings on that day (Acts 17:2-3). 42. It was his custom to preach on this day (Acts 17:2-3). 43. The Book of Acts alone gives a record of his holding eighty-four meetings upon this day. (Acts 13:14, 44; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4, 11). 44. There was never any dispute between the Christians and the Jews about the Sabbath day 45. In all the accusations made against him, Paul was never accused of breaking the Sabbath. 46. Paul expressly declares that he kept the law (Acts 25:8). 47. The Sabbath is mentioned in the New Testament 59 times. 48. No word can be found in the New Testament about the Sabbath being abolished, changed, or anything of the kind. 49. God has never given permission for any man to work upon it. 50. No Christian of the New Testament either before or after the resurrection, ever did ordinary work upon the seventh day. 51. There is no record that God has ever removed His blessing or sanctification from the seventh day. 52. The Sabbath will be observed for eternity in the new earth (Isaiah 66:22-23). 53. Christ did not come to destroy the law (Matthew 5:17). The Sabbath is a part of the Law. 54. Jesus severely condemned the Pharisees as hypocrites for pretending to love God, while at the same time they made void one of the Ten Commandments by their tradition. The keeping of Sunday is only a tradition of men. The First Day and the Bible 1. The first mention of the first day, work is being done (Genesis 1:1-5). 2. God commands men to work upon the first day of the week (Exodus 20:8-11). Is it wrong to obey God? 3. None of the patriarchs kept it. 4. None of the holy prophets ever kept it. 5. By the express command of God, His holy people used the first day of the week as a common working day for at least 4000 years. 6. God Himself calls it a working day (Ezekiel 46:1). 7. God did not rest upon it. 8. He never blessed it. 9. Christ did not rest upon it. 10. Jesus was a carpenter (Mark 6:3), and worked at His trade until He was thirty years old. He kept the Sabbath and worked six days in the week, as all admit. 11. The apostles worked on the first day. 12. The apostles never rested upon it. 13. Christ never blessed it. 14. It was never blessed by any divine authority. 15. It has never been sanctified. 16. No law was ever given to enforce the keeping of it, therefore there can be no transgression to work on it. Where there is no law there is no transgression (Romans 4:15; 1 John 3:4). 17. No blessing is promised for its observance. 18. No regulation is given as to how it ought to be observed. 19. It is never called the Sabbath. 20. It is never called the Lord s day in scripture. 21. It is never even called a day of rest. Page 2
The Sabbath Question Facts from the Bible 22. It is simply called first day of the week. 23. Jesus never mentioned it in any way. 24. Neither God, Christ, nor any inspired individual ever said one word in favor of Sunday as a holy day. 25. The first day of the week is mentioned only eight times in all the New Testament (Matthew 28;1; Mark 16:2, 9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2). 26. Six of these texts refer to the same first day of the week. 27. Paul directed the saints to look over their secular affairs on that day (1 Corinthians 16:2). 28. In all the New Testament we have a record of only one religious meeting held upon that day, and even this was a night meeting (Saturday night)(acts 20:5-12). 29. There is not even a hint that they ever held a meeting upon it before or after this incident. 30. It was not their custom to meet on that day. 31. The Bible nowhere says that the first day of the week commemorates the resurrection of Christ. This is a tradition of men, which contradicts God s Law (Matthew 15:1-9). 32. Finally, the New Testament is totally silent with regard to any change of the Sabbath day or any sacredness for the first day. Page 3
REVIEW OF FUNDAMENTAL BELIEF SABBATH 1. The Sabbath is the fourth commandment as found in the listing in the Old Testament. What two locations can one find the 10 commandments listed? 2. What requirements are given for keeping the Sabbath in the Old Testament? 3. Prove from the New Testament that the Sabbath should be kept today. 4. What does the Sabbath picture? 5. Where does the Bible mention Sunday (first day of the week) list the scriptures? Please explain these verses and their importance to Sunday worship today. 6. Please explain Colossians 2:16.