Your earnest and thoughtful study is invited as together we examine Scriptures of Jehovah which show that He has abolished the Sabbath; that said day is no part of God's system under the gospel of grace as given in the New Testament; and, consequently, that those observing that day the seventh day of the week -- as a holy day of worship, do so in utter disregard of the gospel's provisions at this point, regardless of how sincere they may be. To these sincere seekers after God's revealed truth we address this brief tract. Let us lay the Sabbath theory by the side of the Book's divine pattern: and see if it fits.
Please consider four propositions in support of this affirmation.
1. The Sabbath Was Made a Part of the Ten Commandments. You will find it in Exodus 20:8, the fourth commandment. You will also find that in giving the people orders for gathering the manna (Exodus 16: 5, 26) God forbade them gathering it on the Sabbath - the story there recorded indicating that it had not been a day of worship and was new to them at the time. Then, Nehemiah 9: 13, 14 proves that the Sabbath as a special, established holy day was "made known unto them" when God gave the law to Moses from Sinai. Here is when it became by law a set day of worship.
2. The Ten Commandments Constituted a Part of the Law of Moses. The law of Moses was that law given by Jehovah to Israel through Moses. The ten commandments were included in that law. Sabbatarians claim that the ten commandments were a law separate from the law of Moses, or the old covenant. As a matter of fact, we read (Exodus 34:28): "And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments." The same teaching is also given in Deuteronomy 4:13 and 9:9. Hence, reference in the Bible to that covenant includes both the entire covenant as given in the books of Exodus. Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and also the ten commandments as originally given in Exodus 20:1-17.
3. The Law, or Covenant, of Moses Was Abolished in Favor of the Gospel of Grace. We are told: "For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law" (Hebrews 7:11, 12). Again: "So that the law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith is come, we are no longer under a tutor" (the law of Moses) (Galatians 3:24, 25). The law was abolished by Christ on the cross (Colossians 2:14), and "ye are not under law but under grace'' (Romans 6:14). Salvation was then no longer through the law, but revealed in the gospel (II Timothy 1:10), as preached by the apostles (Mark 16:15).
4. The Ten Commandments Were, Therefore, Abolished. That conclusion is necessary, in view of the foregoing propositions. If the ten commandments were included in the law and the law was abolished, necessarily the ten commandments were abolished. Right here Sabbatarians strive mightily to prove the ten commandments as one law separate and distinct from the law, or covenant, of Moses. But Scriptures in the second proposition stated the ten commandments as in the old covenant. Here are some additional scriptures proving that, and, therefore, this proposition. Read I Kings 8:9, 21: "There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone...." and "there have I set a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of Jehovah...." But in Jeremiah 31:31 He prophesied that He would "make a new covenant" with His people, and Hebrews 8:6-13 quotes that prophecy as fulfilled in the new covenant, or gospel. Concerning the same principle Hebrews 10:9 says: "He taketh away the first that He may establish the second." Hence, with the commandments in the old covenant, and that covenant abolished in favor of the new one, you find the ten commandments automatically abolished.
Now, consider the scriptural conclusion from these propositions. (1) The Sabbath a part of the ten commandments; (2) The ten commandments a part of the law, or covenant, of Moses; (3) The law, or covenant, of Moses abolished; (4) The ten commandments necessarily abolished with the whole law, of which they were a part; therefore (5) the Sabbath was automatically abolished. There is no escape from that conclusion. If God placed the Sabbath in the old covenant then abolished that covenant, certainly He abolished that which was in the covenant - the Sabbath.
Christ authorized the apostles to preach the gospel to the world (Mark 16:15), beginning in Jerusalem when they received the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:46-49). They did so, beginning with Acts 2, being guided into all truth by the Holy Spirit (John 16:13). Their gospel was the last will and testament of Christ (Hebrews 9:15-18), and they, therefore, could preach only what that document specified. In preaching that whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) Paul ordered the church to observe the Lord's Supper (I Corinthians 11:23-26), as had been instituted and authorized by Christ (Matthew 26:26-28). However, neither of them specified the day. But the church, Paul, and the Holy Spirit left us an inspired example, namely, that they came together on the first day of the week "to break bread" (Acts 20:7). Paul again shows that the first day of the week was the day of regular worship, giving orders that also "upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store ... " (I Corinthians 16:1, 2). If this isn't the day for the assembly worship, including the Lord's Supper, there is certainly no place or day for the observance of the Supper in Sabbatarian doctrine. There is not one example of the primitive church observing the Lord's Supper on the Sabbath.
In addition to the scriptural proof of the first day of the week being the Lord's Day of Revelation 1:10, there is abundant testimony from reliable documents of well-known writers during the first three centuries. Here are a few.
Barnabas wrote an epistle which was highly regarded in the earliest days of the primitive church. The highest authorities, such as Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia, the Britannica, Smith's Bible Dictionary, credit this letter to have been written between 107-126 A. D. Even Elder Andrews, Seventh Day Adventist Sabbath historian, admits that the epistle "was in existence as early as the middle of the second century, and ... is of value to us in that it gives some clue to the opinions which prevailed in the region where the writer lived." (Testimony of the Fathers, page 21.)Now, note what Barnabas writes: "Incense is an abomination unto me, and your new moons and Sabbaths I cannot endure. He has, therefore, abolished these things" Chapter 2). "Wherefore, also, we keep the eighth day with joyfulness, the day also, on which Jesus rose again from the dead" (Chapter 15). The eighth day is an old way of referring to the first day, and this noted second century historian here reveals the practice of the early church in keeping the first day of the week, and considering the Sabbath (seventh day) abolished.
Justin Martyr wrote in the second century. McClintock and Strong's Encyclopedia, article on Justin Martyr says that his writings "are the most important that have come to us from the second century." Hear him: "But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly." (The First Apology of Justin, chapter 67, 140 A.D.)
Tertullian of Africa was born 160 A.D. He was one of the outstanding early church writers, or "fathers." Hear him: "The old law is demonstrated as having been consummated at its specific times, so also the observance of the Sabbath is demonstrated to have been temporary." (Answer to the Jews, chapter 4.) Again: "We solemnize the day after Saturday in contradistinction to those who call this day their Sabbath." (Tertullian's Apology, chapter 16.)
Eusebius was born in Palestine, and wrote in the fourth century. Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia says: "As a repertory of facts and documents, his work is invaluable." Horne's Introduction, Volume 1, chapter 2, section 2, page 42: "His chief work is his Ecclesiastical History, in which he records the history of Christianity from its commencement to his own time ... He has delivered, not his own private opinion, but the opinion of the church, the sum of what he had found in the writings of the primitive Christians." Now, with that introduction, hear him: speaking of the patriarchs before the flood he says, "They did not, therefore, regard circumcision, nor observe the Sabbath neither do we; ...because such things do not belong to Christians." (Ecclesiastical History, Book 1. chapter 4, 324 A.D.) Incidentally, Eusebius wrote about 50 years before the Council of Laodicea, in which Adventists claim the Sabbath was changed to Sunday.
Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, Africa, in A.D. 250 wrote: "The eighth day, that is, the first day after the Sabbath, and the Lord's Day." (Epistle 58, Section 4.) So another writer in the third century designates the day after the Sabbath as the Lord's Day. Since the old Sabbath was on the 7th day, the day after would have to be the first day of the week - the Lord's Day.
Here are five of the most noted writers of the first 300 years of the church, giving us historical data that the early church observed the first day of the week as the Lord's Day. This evidence goes as far back as 107-126 A.D. Then, what happens to the Adventist claim that Constantine changed the Sabbath to Sunday in 321 A.D.? The honest ones among them do not know that he merely made a law ordering no work on that day because of the growing influence of the church and because Christians already were observing the first day from the evidence listed here. The tragedy is that honest Adventists do not know of the multitude of writings from early church historians showing that the early church observed the first day of the week as the Lord's Day and that they abandoned the Sabbath with the law.
1. It is urged that if the ten commandments are abolished, then we are without law and may do as we please. No, the gospel of grace prohibits all sins covered by the ten commandments, throws all necessary restraints around us, teaching us how to live holy lives (Philippians 1:27).
2. It is urged that God, in creation, "Blessed the seventh day and hallowed it" (Genesis 2:2, 3).... but that doesn't say that it was then established as a day of worship for God's people.
3. Sabbatarians say that the Sabbath was given as a sign between God and His people. True, but between God and the Israelites, or Jews, ....not Gentiles.(Exodus 31:17.)
4. It is said that "Christ and Paul observed the Sabbath so we should follow them." Right and wrong. Christ observed it, being under the law, but on the cross He abolished that law and gave us a new one. Paul preached in Jewish synagogues on the Sabbath to those Jews who, in rebellion were holding to the old law - just as we would if given the chance, on any day, to teach Jews, or others so worshiping, their error. But he broke bread "on the first day of the week" (Acts 20:7).
5. Sabbatarians insist that "perpetual" and "forever" in Exodus 31:16, 17, prove the Sabbath to be always in force. But a close study of the passage will show the reverse. The passage says they were to "observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetual covenant." While Israel exists as a race today, her law was abolished on the cross (Colossians 2:14), and Romans 2:28, 29, and Galatians 3:28, 29, teach that Israel has no special standing before God today. The Christian is the seed of Abraham. The church, then, is God's Israel. So, Israel as a nation is no different from any other nation. Her generations as a favored nation have therefore stopped. Since the Sabbath was a perpetual covenant only throughout their generations, and Israel's generations as a special people have ceased, you can see how the "perpetual" was limited and has thus no further life. God defined just how long the perpetual was to last. Since Israel's generations as a favored people stopped, so did the Sabbath covenant that was to last only that long.
Adventists don't believe their own arguments just here when applied to other matters. For example, the same kind of language is applied in the Bible to the passover (Exodus 10:8), burnt-offerings (Exodus 29: 42), the annual atonement (Exodus 30:10), the priesthood of Aaron (Exodus 40:15). All of these stopped when the Mosaic law stopped. Yet they were "perpetual" and "throughout your generations."
The church of Christ of your community simply asks you to follow the gospel, and not the old covenant, in the Lord's first-day-of-the-week worship.
Reprinted from the tract of the same title.