The Sabbath Law Does Not Apply to Christians

  1. The Sabbath law applied only to the Israelites. See Ex. 31:13-17 and Ez. 20:10-12. It is never stated in Scripture that people of other nations were to keep the Sabbath unless they were living as foreigners in the land of Israel (Exodus 20:10).
  2. The Sabbath law was not given until after the exodus (Deut. 5:15).
  3. Christ is Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28). Jesus kept the Sabbath because he still lived under the Old Covenant. The New Covenant only took effect after his death (Heb. 9:15,16).
  4. Christians are not obligated to keep the Sabbath (Col. 2:16-19). The Sabbath and other institutions of the Old Covenant were according to this text just a shadow of the New Covenant. Now that Christ has come, these shadows are no longer applicable. See also Gal. 3:23-25.
  5. Christians are not under the ten commandments (2 Cor. 3:4-11). According to this text the law of the ten commandments was a dispensation of death. The old law had to disappear to make room for a new spiritual dispensation of Christ. Read Hebrews chapter eight and notice verse 13. Jesus did not come to destroy the law (according to Mat. 5:17) but he did come to fulfill the law. When He fulfilled all things, when all had been finished (see verse 18) the old law became obsolete. Jesus established a new covenant that is better. Read the sermon on the mount in Matthew five to see how the commandments of Jesus exceed the old law.
  6. Paul attended Jewish meetings on the Sabbath to have an opportunity to preach Christ to them (Acts 1314; 16:13; 18:4). But in the New Testament one never reads of a Christian assembly on the Sabbath.
  7. Christians come together on the first day of the week (John 20:19,26; Acts 20:6,7; 1 Cor. 16:2).
  8. God has replaced the Sabbath of the Old Covenant with a new Sabbath (which means 'rest'). Read Hebrews 4:1-11 and notice verse seven. The heavenly Sabbath (rest) after this life is the true Sabbath. The old Sabbath of the Jews was just a passing shadow (Col. 2:16) and does not apply for Christians.

Roy Davison

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)