----------------------
A Response to Exadventist.com


This is a response to Pastor J. Mark Martin’s attack on the Sabbath at Ex-Adventist.com.

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.exadventist.com/Home/Sabbath/tabid/53/Default.aspx


[WHEN THE COUNSEL OF ACTS 15 CONVENED to determine what Gentile Christians must observe, SABBATH KEEPING IS CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT. Peter exhorts the leadership of the Church not to place the Gentiles under the Law (Acts 15:10-11). The Holy Spirit told them NOT to lay upon the Gentiles (Acts 15:28-29) any greater burden than THOSE ESSENTIALS. OBVIOUSLY THE HOLY SPIRIT DID NOT THINK SABBATH KEEPING WAS AN ESSENTIAL THING ANYMORE!”]



Pastor Mark Martin commences by repeating an old argument which states that “Sabbath keeping is CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT and part of THOSE non ESSENTIALS”. But where in the text (Acts 15) does it say that Sabbath keeping was not part of “those essentials” that Gentiles were not to keep? Sabbath keeping is absent clearly because it was not an issue.

Note that “the Gentiles the Council had in mind were mostly, if not all, God-fearers who had been instructed in the Jewish faith in general and on Sabbathkeeping in particular (Acts 10:2; 13:42-44; 14:1). In fact the custom of Sabbathkeeping had been accepted not only by Gentile God-fearers but also by pagan Gentiles who had no interest in becoming Jews.

If the Gentiles were instructed by the Council to abstain from ritual acts such as eating food offered to idols, in order not to offend Jewish Christians, they could hardly have been instructed to ignore Sabbathkeeping which would have been even a greater offense to Jewish Christians. It is only the fact that Gentile Christians were already observing the Sabbath that made it unnecessary for the Jerusalem Council even to discuss it. In the light of these considerations the Jerusalem Council could hardly have considered exempting Gentile Christians from Sabbathkeeping”. (From the website: biblicalperspectives.com).

Pastor Martin also states that “The Holy Spirit told them NOT to lay upon the Gentiles (Acts 15:28-29) any greater burden”, hence categorizing the Sabbath as a burden. But where in scripture does it say that Sabbath is a “burden”? Is Mark Martin wanting us to believe that when God took the Israelites out of bondage (Ex. 20:2); He was to burden them with more bondage when spelling out the law and giving them the Sabbath at Mt. Sinai? The Holy Spirit who inspired the pages of scripture calls the Sabbath a “delight” (Isaiah 58:13). The same Holy Spirit in Acts 15:18-29 would hardly categorize a “sanctified”, “blessed” institution a burden, which God established at creation (Mark 2:27; Gen 2:2, Ex.20:9), and then restated in the New Testament.


[The 7 post-resurrection appearances of Christ show that Jesus purposefully chose the first day of the week to meet with His disciples to encourage and exhort them. Pentecost happened on the first day of the week! The Church was born on the first day of the week! That doesn't make Sunday the Sabbath, it just tells you that after the resurrection of Jesus, the Sabbath is not emphasized.]

The argument that Sabbath is not emphasized after the resurrection of Jesus does not hold water. Hebrews 4:9 is just one place where scripture confirms that, “Sabbath keeping” is “remaining” for the people of God just “as God did” rest on the first seventh day of the creation week. But more on this later.

Now let see some scripture facts about the first day of the week; 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.). Six of these texts refer to the same first day of the week. 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. (Acts 20:5-12.). The Bible nowhere says that the first day of the week commemorates the resurrection of Christ. This is a tradition of men, which contradicts the law of God. (Matthew 15:1-9.) Baptism commemorates the burial and resurrection of Jesus (Romans 6:3-5.).

Then Pastor Mark Martin’s assertion that the Pentecost happens always on the first day of the week is also faulty. Our friends at the Adventist Defense League respond to Mark Martin:

“Now we want to ask our readers, does the feast always land on Sunday as J. Mark Martin claims it does?

If it does, it would ruin the fact that Pentecost was always to occur three days later. It would go from three days to four days to five days, etc. Yet Jesus was raised to life the third day! If the Jewish calendar was reckoned the way Mark Martin reckons it, how could it prefigure the Messiah who would die and rise the third day?

Mark forgot that the Jewish calendar was reckoned by the New Moon, which means that Passover would ALWAYS land on the “fourteenth day of the first month…” -Leviticus 23:5, but not always on a set day of the week, because that was dependent on when the first new moon appeared. In other words, says Michael Scheifler of biblelight.net, “since the Jewish Calendar is based on observance of New Moons, the festival days will change the day of the week they fall on, from one year to the next”. (See the entire article: Adventist-defense-league:critic:mark-martin)

The following is a deeper analysis of this by Michael Scheifler:
- http://www.biblelight.net/pentecost.htm


[ THE NINE "MORAL" COMMANDS OF THE 10 COMMANDMENTS ARE REITERATED in the New Testament: Why is it that the duty to keep the Seventh day as Sabbath is not mentioned ONCE in the New Testament?]

Not a word is said anywhere in the New Testament about the Sabbath being abolished, done away, changed, or anything of that kind. What is not mentioned in the NT is the duty to keep the Sabbath on any other day or every day. Sabbath is clearly restated in the NT contrary to the false emphasis that it is not:

Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest [sabbthismos=sabbath keeping] to the people of God. 10For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

There are three rests, mentioned in all of Hebrews 3 and 4:-1:

1: A rest found in Jesus Christ, that we receive when we invite him “Today” to enter into our hearts.

2: A rest we long to enter into one day when the Lord Jesus comes to take us home, the heavens above, the New Jerusalem (John 14:2-3, Rev. 21:10)

3. The rest of the Seventh day Sabbath, upon which every week we are reminded again of the fact that, if we continue “daily” in him, we will enter into the true Canaan; Heaven itself.

Since Hebrews 4:9-10 is speaking of a rest, the above are the only three possible rests he could be speaking about.

Now, in Jesus, we find rest from Sin, and from guilt of Sin, because he cleanses us “of all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). If this rest being spoken of here is the rest from Sin found in Jesus, does God also rest from Sin and Guilt of Sin? NO

The second rest we find in Heb 3& 4 is the rest we will one day in the future experience, the Rest of Heaven/new Earth. Is this the rest Paul now speaking of in verse 10? Remember, it specifically says, “as God did from his.” Therefore, whatever rest this is, is the rest God experienced as well. Does God need to be given the rest of Heaven as we do? No, for he already abides in heaven!

Hence, It must be the rest of the Seventh day Sabbath verse 9-10 explains since it specifically says we are to rest, “as God did”.


[WHEN THE NEW TESTAMENT LISTS SINS, SABBATH BREAKING IS CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT: In 2 Timothy 3:1-4 there's a list of 18 sins, but not once is Sabbath breaking mentioned!]

Sabbath breaking is clearly implied for instance in 2 Tim 3:1-4. The principle behind God’s law (10 commandments) is love (Matt. 22:37,39 cf. 2 Tim 3:2,4). Love toward God is detailed out in the first four commandments which include the Sabbath rest. Sabbath breaking is implied when 2 Tim 3:4 says, men shall be “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God”. How do men become lovers of pleasures? One way is “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day” (Isaiah 58:13).


[Sabbath keepers argue that it is the example of Jesus that gives us the reason for keeping the Sabbath. "He kept the Sabbath, so I must keep the Sabbath. Jesus is my example," they say. Well this kind of reasoning is flawed because it only chooses Jesus' Sabbath keeping and rejects the rest of His Jewish lifestyle.]



Jesus is our example in all things established (1 Peter 2:21). There is a law that is established (Rom 3:31) which includes the Sabbath that was made for man; Sabbath is “for” us (Mark 2:27). There is a law that was “against us” which is now abolished (Ephesians 2:14; Colossians 2:14). We don’t advocate we must follow him in all things, for that would mean we should all be carpenters. Jesus said, if you LOVE me keep my commandments (John 14:15). Sabbath rest is one of his commandments (Luke 23:56).


[JESUS WAS ALSO ACCUSED OF SABBATH BREAKING. Why, if He wanted to be our "example" in Sabbath keeping didn't He make it clear that He was not breaking the Sabbath? Instead He clearly admits to it. He also admits that His disciples were breaking the Sabbath and He defends them. Read Matthew 12:1- 14 carefully. Jesus is clearly saying that His disciples are like the priests who may work in the temple every Sabbath and be innocent of breaking the Sabbath. When Jesus says that He is "Lord of the Sabbath" He is declaring that He is above the Sabbath. He may do what He wishes on the Sabbath and therefore His disciples may do whatever they wish as well.]



Jesus and the disciples broke the Sabbath rules of the Pharisees which God did not command. “The argument Jesus is bringing forth is seen right after He explains himself, where he says “it is lawful to do well (or good) on the sabbath days.” –Matthew 12:12. David was doing “well.” The priests were in the service of God and were therefore also doing “well.” The healing of the man’s hand was a good deed; it was also “well” to do this. The disciples were doing “missionary work” with Jesus in Mark 2:23, how could they continue doing this good or “well” deed, if they did not reenergize themselves with some food?”

Moreover, Jesus said, “I have kept my Father’s commandments” (John 15:9). How can Jesus say that He kept His Father’s commandments if He broke the Sabbath? If Jesus broke the commands of God, then Jesus too becomes a sinner and will be disqualified to be our perfect substitute.


[EVERY MENTION OF THE SABBATH IN THE BOOK OF ACTS without a single exception is in connection with Jewish worship on that day and not Christian celebration. Paul's evangelistic strategy was to go to the Jews first in a community and share the Gospel with them. Sabbath is the day when he knew he would find the most Jews gathering for worship. He knew he would have his best opportunity of sharing the good news of the Messiah to the Jews on Sabbath. It was not because he was meeting with a group of believing Christians. He was meeting with non-Christian Jews.]



False. Paul was a minister of the gentiles (Rom. 15:16, Eph. 3:1) not of the Jews. We also read of Paul observing the Sabbath by a river side, were there was preaching and baptism (Acts 16:13-15). This Sabbath meeting at Act 16:12-14 did not occur in the synagogues as we find elsewhere in the book of Acts. Rather it took place outside “the city by a river side.” 1) A meeting: This is evident by the use of such words as “we went” and “sat down.” 2) Prayer: The verse says, “where prayer was wont to be meet…” 3) Preaching: Verse 14 says, “… she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.”, 5) Baptism: Verse 15 says, “And when she was baptized, and her household…”. There is no indication here that Paul was “persuading” the Jews or the Greeks.”

And when Paul attended the synagogue on the Sabbath in Acts 13:15-16, there is no evidence that he went there specifically to preach to the Jews. He only spoke when the teachers invited the people to speak. And if you argue that he was there because he was still a Jew, consider the fact that when the followers of Jesus were first called Christians in Acts 11:26, Paul was present (Acts 11:30). He had already experienced the vision that convicted him he needed Jesus (Acts 9)”. See: http://adventist-defense-league.blogspot.com/2007/11/did-paul-really-keep-sabbath.html


[IS THE TEN COMMANDMENT LAW ETERNAL? No, the Law is not eternal. Galatians 3:19 gives the purpose of the Law. It says: "What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come."]



See Added Law in Galatians


[The law was given 430 years after Abraham (Galatians 3:17-18). The Law had a definite beginning time (430 years after Abraham) and a definite ending time, --When the promised Seed (Christ, vs. 16) came.]



Law was given (spelled out) 430 after Abraham at Mt. Sinai. However, the law of love existed from creation since there simply cannot be transgressions without a law (Romans 4:14).


[Other Scriptures such as Romans 5:12-14 indicate that there can be sin in the world, even BEFORE the Law was given]



Romans chapter 5:14 is simply saying the sin was in the world even before the law was written down at Sinai and a person is not charged with sin if he doesn’t know the law. The fact that Law existed is made plain by the fact that Abraham, Joseph and others kept the commandments of God and overcame sin (Gen 26:5; Genesis 39:9; Genesis 4:7).


[CREATION & THE SABBATH: The Scriptures are very clear that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment was not given before Moses: The Ten Commandments was not made with the fathers. Deuteronomy 5:2-3 says "The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today."]

Our fathers" here is not speaking about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. If so, it will contradict 1 Chronicles 16:15-17 & Psalms 105:8-10. Moses was referring to the fathers of those Israelites who were under slavery in Egypt! Don’t forget that the Israelites were in Egyptian bondage for 400 years (Genesis 15:13). Therefore if a bible generation in that time was 100 years long, this means at least 4 generations of "fathers" did not experience the covenant!

Abraham kept God’s law referred to as “my laws” in Gen 26:5. Sabbath was part of “my laws” in Ex. 16:27,28. Would God really ask the people, “how long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws” if the Law did not exist from time before?


[WAS THE SABBATH GIVEN FOR ALL MANKIND TO KEEP PERPETUALLY? No, - Though Genesis 2:1-3 says that after the Lord had ended all His work He rested on the seventh day and blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, there is not a word about it being given to Adam and Eve as a commandment. You don't hear another word about the Sabbath in the entire book of Genesis. All fifty chapters are silent about the Sabbath.]



Genesis is no book of commands. Genesis does not contain laws like Exodus, but rather a brief sketch of origins. Since no mention is made of any other giving of commandments, the silence regarding the Sabbath is not exceptional. No word about the Sabbath? The Sabbath actually is there in Genesis, with its verb cognate form in Genesis 2:2: “God rested [shabath] on the seventh day” literally means “God sabbathed on the seventh day.”


[You do not hear that the righteous Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob kept the Sabbath. There is a conspicuous silence for 2,500 years after the Fall of man. It is not until after the redemption of God's people Israel out of Egypt when they are safely on the other side of the Red Sea that you read in the Book of Exodus that the Sabbath is mentioned again. (Exodus 16:22-30). Abraham was given commandments and ordinances, but the Sabbath is never mentioned as one of them.]



The Sabbath was “MADE” for man (Mark 2:27; Gen 2:3; Ex.20:11); and Sabbath was later “GIVEN" or “made known” to the Jews (Exodus 16:29; Nehemiah 9:13-14). Notice that Sabbath was MADE, "And he said unto them, The sabbath was MADE for man, and not man for the sabbath" (Mk. 2:27). Jesus ought to know what He is talking about, since of Him it is written:

All things were MADE by him; and without him was not any thing MADE that was made (Jn. 1:3).

More than this, the Greek of Mark 2:27 says that "the Sabbath was made for the man, not the man for the Sabbath."

Since Jesus said that He made the Sabbath for "the man," He must have meant that He made it both for Adam and all his descendents, since that is precisely what "the man" means. To say that the Sabbath is Jewish is essentially to say that Christ, the Son of God, didn't know what He was talking about when He said that the Sabbath was made for the man.

Paul uses similar language when talking about the woman:

Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. (1 Cor. 11:9)

If the Sabbath that was made for the man is really Jewish, then the woman that was made for the man is really Jewish as well. Essentially, that would mean that marriage is only for the Jew, not for the Gentile.

Interestingly, Adam took but two things out of the garden with him: the Sabbath and marriage. Both are under attack today. (See: http://www.pickle-publishing.com/papers/jeremiah-films/response-to-video-185.htm)


[Then the Sabbath is given to Israel and Israel alone. The Sabbath is a covenant sign between God and the nation of Israel. (Exodus 31:12-17)]



The reality is, the Sabbath was “MADE” for man (Mark 2:27; Gen 2:3; Ex.20:11); and later “GIVEN or “made known” to the Jews (Exodus 16:29; Nehemiah 9:13-14). The Old Covenant has the law of God and so does the New Covenant (Heb. 10:16). God tells us that He altered the original covenant and made “a better covenant, which was established upon better promises” (Heb. 8:6). But it was not established on different laws.



“And who was the Old Covenant made with? If you said Israel you would be correct. If I asked were you under the Old or New Covenant what would you say? I am sure you said the New Covenant. But the final question I want to ask you is, who was the New Covenant made with? How many have actually stopped and thought about his question or even bothered to look. Go and have another read of Jeremiah 31:33 and Hebrews 8:6-10. So who was the New Covenant made with? Are you surprised to see that it was only made with Israel? So now things get interesting. If we are not Israel then we cannot be under the New Covenant and if we are Israel, then this perpetual never ending Sabbath that was “MADE” for the man, of course “GIVEN” for the Jews does apply to us”.


[Notice that the reason why the Lord links the Sabbath to creation is that He is identifying Himself to Israel as the true and living Creator God. He is separate and apart from all of the other gods of Egypt and of the Gentile world. "Keep the Sabbath, worship Me, for I AM the true, living Creator of the Universe."]

Good point! Is He only the true and living creator of the Jews? If Sabbath is identified as a creation institution, this clearly means that it is for all MAN and not just for Jews. In these last days, a call goes out to the world in these words found in Revelation 14:7, “worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters”. How appropriate it is to recognize the fourth commandment which reminds us that He alone is our creator, who “made heaven and earth, the sea” (Ex. 20:11).


[Notice also that this Sabbath "SIGN" (Exodus 31:13) is between God and "the sons of Israel" (Exodus 12:15,17) and not for all of mankind.]



So is the New Covenant made with the house of Israel (Heb. 8:10). Ever wonder what covenant these critics should really fall under based on their above logic??? Sabbath was a sign to show the Israelities that God is the only one that "sanctify you" (Ex. 31:13), and above all, was established for man (Mark 2:27) before the fall. Sabbath still "remains" (Heb. 4:9) a sign to God's people since He still is the only one that can "sanctify you".


[DOESN'T THE BIBLE SAY THAT THE SABBATH WAS MADE FOR MAN? "And He was saying to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." Mark 2:27. Sabbatarians often use this verse to say that the Sabbath was made for all mankind, but the text doesn't say that. It doesn't say, "The Sabbath was made for "mankind", it says, "the Sabbath was made for man". When the Scripture is meant to be inclusive of all mankind it is clear. See Matthew 28:19; John 3:16; Acts 2:17; I Timothy 2:4; Titus 2:11. These verses clearly indicate that when God offers something to all mankind He clearly offers it to all.]



Jesus, by saying that the Sabbath was “made” directs the listening people to the creation week. Then he says that the Sabbath was made… “for man.” Well, since he is talking about creation week, who was the “man” alive during that time? That’s right, it was Adam and Eve! Jesus is saying that the Sabbath was made for mankind, because he is here speaking of our first parent.

This is further seen by Jesus’ use of the Greek word anthropos translated “man” in Mark 2:27. It literally means “man-faced” and, according to Thayer’s Greek Definitions, it is a word whose primary definition is, "a human being, whether male or female, generically, to include all human beings."


[NO "INSPIRED" WRITER MAKES ANY DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE "MORAL" LAW & THE "CEREMONIAL" LAWS.]

1 Corinthians 7:9 “ Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. ”

Circumcision: ceremonial law of Moses
Commandments of God: Ten Commandments

Luke 1:6 also demonstrates that the ordinances and the Ten Commandments are two totally different things. It states, “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the Commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” And Hebrews 9:1 says, “Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.” The first Covenant had also the ordinances as well as the Ten Commandments, but the New Covenant has only the Ten Commandments that God now writes in our hearts so it will be our hearts desire to obey Him. God said that the fault with the Old Covenant was the people would not obey it (Heb 8:8) and nowhere does God say that His law lost any Commandments.


[SOME SABBATARIANS CLAIM THAT THE SABBATH IS THE SEAL OF GOD. The Seal of God is NOT the Sabbath! The Bible tells us clearly that the Seal of God is the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer the moment he is saved (Ephesians 1:13, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22): Ephesians 4:30 warns, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." ]



The Holy Spirit is not a seal, He is the one who does the sealing; See for scriptural proof that Sabbath is a special seal at the end times: (http://dedication.www3.50megs.com/sealsabbath.html; http://everlasting-gospel.blogspot.com/2010/02/sign-of-loyalty.html)


[IS A SABBATH KEEPING CHURCH THE "REMNANT" OR COMMANDMENT KEEPING CHURCH THAT IS SPOKEN OF IN REVELATION 12:17? In the New Covenant, what are the "Commandments" of God? Does this mean Ten Commandments? NO! The Greek word used for the Ten Commandments is "NOMOS". That word is not used here. The word used here is "ENTELE" and means "teachings".]



False. Firstly, the word "entole" means "commandment." It is translated "command" or "commandment" 69 of its 71 occurrences in the KJV. It has a weak secondary meaning of "teaching regarding what to do" (and so is translated twice (out of 71 times) as "precept). Secondly, the question is does "entele" exclude the Sabbath? Scripture says otherwise.


[THE ASSERTION BY SABBATARIANS THAT AT THE COUNCIL OF LAODICEA THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH changed the Sabbath from the Seventh day to the First day is not true. The Sabbath was not changed at that Council. What did take place at that Council was an anti-semetic move to make it illegal for a Christian to worship on Saturday. But one needs to note that there were thousands of Christians already worshiping on Sunday, the first day of the week. Many in the early Church worshipped on Sunday.]



Neither Adventist nor Ellen G. White deny the fact that many in the early church worshipped on Sunday. Critics claim that some sabbatarians are mistaken about giving any credit to Constantine for helping to change the Sabbath, since some Christians were already worshipping on Sunday by then. Yet we have failed to find any evidence that any Christians were resting on Sunday as if it were the Sabbath prior to Constantine's day. Thus the change of the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday had not yet occurred by that time.

Besides, Catholic writers themselves like to credit Pope Sylvester I with making the change. This coincides with Ellen White's claim that certain bishops urged Constantine to pass the very first Sunday law. See the below links for details:

http://www.truthorfables.net/who-changed-the-sabbath-a.htm


[EVIDENCE THAT THE EARLY CHURCH WORSHIPPED ON SUNDAY FROM THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS]



The Pastor Martin then gives some quotations in an attempt to show that:

- "Christians always worshipped on the first day (Sunday)"
- "While Sabbatarians will quote 20th century authors who guess about what happened 1900 years earlier, we quote Christians whose writings are 1900 years old and spoke what they saw!"
- "The record of history, from the Resurrection of Christ, Christians have always worshipped on the first day of the week (Sunday) and never on the Sabbath (7th day)."

Yet an objective analysis of the very quotations cited leads one to several conclusions:

- Those making such claims have probably never bothered to read these quotations in the original sources.
- Whoever compiled the original list of quotations may have intentionally been attempting to deceive.
- The various web sites posting these quotations, because they incorporate identically erroneous material, have likely "plagiarized" from some other source, without giving proper credit.

See: http://www.pickle-publishing.com/papers/sunday-fraud.htm


[DO WE EVEN KNOW THE REAL SABBATH? In 1582 Gregory XIII found a miscalculation in the calendar and decreed to drop October 5-14 and to drop 3 leap years in every century. In England 11 days (September 3-13) were dropped in 1752, in addition to other changes. (See Heresies Exposed, p. 167).]



The Gregorian calendar reform did nothing to alter the weekly cycle of days, and this is easily proved. See: http://biblelight.net/notsun.htm


[NEW LIGHT ON CEREMONIAL SABBATHS AND COLOSSIANS 2:16. An unbiased reading of Colossians 2:16 will show that this is talking about not just "ceremonial Sabbaths." The words "ton sabbaton" or "sabbath days"; are the same words translated "Sabbath day" in Exodus 20:8 in the Septuagint (the Jewish translation of the Old Testament into Greek).]



The context of Colossians 2:14-17 tells us that it is not the seventh day Sabbath, for first of all verse 14 says that that which was blotted out was the “handwriting of ordinance” which was “against us.” The Sabbath commandment was not written by hand, but by the finger of God (Exodus 31:18). Secodnly, the Sabbath commandment itself is not “against us.” Instead it was instituted “for” us (Mark 2:27), that it may be for us a “delight” (Isaiah 58:13). See a detail response to the above arguement by clicking: Colossian 2:16.


[SABBATARIANS have long challenged, "Find one verse in the Bible that shows the day of worship has been changed from Sabbath to Sunday." Well, that statement is part of building a straw man. It is not the issue. The New Testament makes that a moot point because it says it doesn't matter what day you worship on (Romans 14:5)]

The commandment does not say "Remember the Sabbath day to worship God," as though worship was the primary purpose of the commandment. What the commandment does require is that God's people "remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." Worshiping God is one good way to keep the day holy, but the basic requirement is that God's people keep the day holy, and God made the day itself holy so that we would be sure to honor it in that way. Where does it say that this commandment to keep the Sabbath on the seventh day is changed? Besides, Rom 14:5 mentions nothing about the Sabbath nor worship. A careful reading of the context reveals that the discussion has to do with eating versus fasting. The fourth commandment says nothing about eating or fasting. This is a totally different issue.


[SABBATARIANS ASK FOR ONE TEXT IN THE BIBLE THAT COMMANDS SUNDAY WORSHIP, HERE IT IS: LEVITICUS 23:5-11 - Look at verse 11: "'And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.'" The day after the Sabbath is Sunday.]