Saturday sabbath or Sunday-does it matter?

[Ken]

As to the question, however, I do not see any Biblical evidence of an early switch to the first day of the week (our Sunday), as opposed to the 7th day, the Sabbath. But it is what it is, and I'm fine with it being Sunday.

That is because worshiping on Sunday became institutionalized centuries after the New Testament was written.

It is interesting how entrenched Sunday worship has become for most Christians considering the lack of Biblical evidence that Neto speaks of. However, many other things likewise became Christian tradition without such evidence. Infant baptism and a lot of the other traditions of the Catholic and Orthodox churches. But Sunday worship stuck not only for those churches but for most of those who derived from them, down to this day with few exceptions. Observance of restrictive Sunday lifestyle rules has largely faded out, with some exceptions, but Sunday worship seems like it's here to stay.

I also feel like it's fine to worship on Sunday, no problem there, it's just interesting; and there really is no basis in Christianity for 'Judaizing' Sunday either.

I think it is fine to worship on any day.

The bigger question is which day (if any) do you also set aside for a day of rest.

[barnhart]

I also feel like it's fine to worship on Sunday, no problem there, it's just interesting; and there really is no basis in Christianity for 'Judaizing' Sunday either.

I don't like this either. The primary reason being I think The Lord's Day is a more powerful and more meaningful observation, calling it a Sabbath is a downgrade from my perspective.

[mike]

That is because worshiping on Sunday became institutionalized centuries after the New Testament was written.

It is interesting how entrenched Sunday worship has become for most Christians considering the lack of Biblical evidence that Neto speaks of. However, many other things likewise became Christian tradition without such evidence. Infant baptism and a lot of the other traditions of the Catholic and Orthodox churches. But Sunday worship stuck not only for those churches but for most of those who derived from them, down to this day with few exceptions. Observance of restrictive Sunday lifestyle rules has largely faded out, with some exceptions, but Sunday worship seems like it's here to stay.

I also feel like it's fine to worship on Sunday, no problem there, it's just interesting; and there really is no basis in Christianity for 'Judaizing' Sunday either.

I think it is fine to worship on any day.

The bigger question is which day (if any) do you also set aside for a day of rest.

Yes. Worship, rest, all of that. The particular day we choose to do that simply doesn't matter. Many people in my church, which is a little bit restrictive about what should be done on a Sunday, don't rest entirely on Sundays - they have animals to feed and milk, emergency service calls to make, sermons to preach, meals to prepare, and so forth.

[Neto]

As to the question, however, I do not see any Biblical evidence of an early switch to the first day of the week (our Sunday), as opposed to the 7th day, the Sabbath. But it is what it is, and I'm fine with it being Sunday.

I see some evidence:

• Acts 20:7: “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread.”
  This shows gathering for worship, teaching, and communion on Sunday.
• 1 Corinthians 16:2: Paul instructs believers to set aside offerings “on the first day of every week.”
  This implies regular gatherings on Sunday when collections could be taken.
• Revelation 1:10: John says, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.”
  This is the only direct NT reference to “the Lord’s Day.” Most early Christian writers identify this as Sunday, the day of Jesus’ resurrection.

Jewish believers continued to attend synagogue on the Sabbath (Acts 13:14; Acts 17:2), but the distinct Christian practice centered on the first day as a celebration of the new creation in Christ.

I also see Paul telling Gentiles not to be compelled to observe the Sabbath (e.g. Colossians 2:16–17).

re: Acts 20:7 ff
I do not see clear evidence that every instance of "breaking bread together" is more than the common Jewish custom of breaking bread as a sign of peace & fellowship. This is a record of a meeting that was "called" because Paul was in town, and planning to continue his travels soon (apparently the next day). Also, it was after midnight when they went back up stairs after Eutychus was raised back to life, and THEN "broke bread". So if they 'came together' on Sunday, they actually 'broke bread' on Monday.

re: I Cor 16:2
The way I understand Paul's instructions here is that they should set funds aside on the first day of the week "saving it up" (as the NIV translates) for when he came through there again. There is the possibility that this was to be "saved up" collectively, or, individually.

re: Revelation 1:10
This I DO consider to almost certainly a reference to a Sunday. But the experiences John had on that day were not common, or repeated every Sunday. It's a time reference to a certain day, a Sunday, One can infer that the precise day is mentioned because Sunday was to be the day for special spiritual experiences, but does that sound right? Does God hold spiritual revelations or experiences for a certain day of the week?

All in all I do not find these passages to be clear evidence that Sunday was henceforth to be the special day of gathering & worship. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I have not been heavily involved in ministry with Jews in recent years or for any extended period of time, but the Christian choice of Sunday is one of the sort of 'smoke-screen' objections they raise when confronted with the Gospel. (I THINK it is a 'smoke-screen', but maybe it goes deeper than that. I do not know for sure either way. It seems, however, to be an unnecessary 'stumbling block' that prevents the 'stumbling block of the cross' to have its full intended effect.)

[Bootstrap]

I also feel like it's fine to worship on Sunday, no problem there, it's just interesting; and there really is no basis in Christianity for 'Judaizing' Sunday either.

Exactly. The New Testament does not give Sabbath-style prohibitions for the Lord’s Day. Instead, it emphasizes gathering for worship, teaching, and breaking bread (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 16:2). It's about celebrating the resurrection, not resting from work. I think you see the same emphasis in early Christian writings like the Letter to the Magnesians (9-10), the Didache, Justyn Martyr's Apology, etc.

In the second to fourth centuries, some Christian communities began to treat Sunday as a day of rest in addition to worship. By the time of Constantine’s Sunday law (321 AD), civil legislation began enforcing Sunday rest for workers (except farmers).

Of course, if you gather to worship, teach, and break bread, you aren't at work during that time. And there is wisdom in finding time to rest. But the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

[ken_sylvania]

Of course, if you gather to worship, teach, and break bread, you aren't at work during that time. And there is wisdom in finding time to rest. But the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

I find it intriguing how often this argument is used as a justification for ignoring the gift of a day of rest. This day of rest was made for man, and therefore men feel entitled to ignore it. Funny how when a man's employer makes a holiday for him, he very happily makes use of it - but when God gives man a day of rest, many people think of it as a day to work instead.

[Soloist]

Of course, if you gather to worship, teach, and break bread, you aren't at work during that time. And there is wisdom in finding time to rest. But the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

I find it intriguing how often this argument is used as a justification for ignoring the gift of a day of rest. This day of rest was made for man, and therefore men feel entitled to ignore it. Funny how when a man's employer makes a holiday for him, he very happily makes use of it - but when God gives man a day of rest, many people think of it as a day to work instead.

Yeah medical tends to either work weekends like 3 12s or do some 2 on 2 off 3 on 3 off rotation. I set my availability off on Sundays so I work every Saturday. 99% of the time the other nurse is happy with it.
I had done a job for a while doing a long term shift trade with a pagan, we both did 15 hour shifts on the Saturday Sunday. We both were scheduled and had an hour overlap. So we double shifted 1 day a week. She liked it and I liked it. When she got a dog and canceled it, I quit my steady schedule switching to prn. I did end up doing quite a few Sundays to fill the schedule but it was a temporary arrangement.
Ironically I moved just as the steady Monday through Friday day shift came available… I was fairly annoyed although I suppose it wouldn’t really have changed my moving plans.

[Bootstrap]

Of course, if you gather to worship, teach, and break bread, you aren't at work during that time. And there is wisdom in finding time to rest. But the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

I find it intriguing how often this argument is used as a justification for ignoring the gift of a day of rest. This day of rest was made for man, and therefore men feel entitled to ignore it. Funny how when a man's employer makesa holiday for him, he very happily makes use of it - but when God gives man a day of rest, many people think of it as a day to work instead.

Jesus was talking about the Jewish Sabbath, which was on Saturday. I think God gave two things:

1. The Jewish Sabbath, which is for Jews.
2. The Lord's Day, which is for Christians.

I think we should embrace the good gifts God gave us. I don't think we should turn The Lord's Day into The Sabbath, nothing in the Bible supprts that. If I got that wrong, please let me know where. I think the New Testament tells us how the disciples celebrated The Lord's Day, and so do the writings of the early church. If I got any of this wrong in what I wrote, please show me what I got wrong.

You seem to be saying that God commands a day of rest, and we need to treat it as a command. Which day? For whom? Where?

Our church has some nurses, and sometimes they work on Sundays. Do you believe they are violating God's command?

[ken_sylvania]

You seem to be saying that God commands a day of rest, and we need to treat it as a command. Which day? For whom? Where?

Really? I don't think my comment suggests anything of the sort. You said that the Sabbath was made for man. Were you meaning that God commands a day of rest? If so, which day? For whom? Where?

I was simply pointing out the absurdity of using "the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" as an excuse not to observe the Sabbath when that is clearly not what Jesus meant when he used that phrase. If the Sabbath wasn't given to us, then does that phrase even apply to us? Or if the Sabbath was given to us, why would we want to ignore the gift?

Our church has some nurses, and sometimes they work on Sundays. Do you believe they are violating God's command?

What command of God's are you referring to?

[Ken]

You seem to be saying that God commands a day of rest, and we need to treat it as a command. Which day? For whom? Where?

Really? I don't think my comment suggests anything of the sort. You said that the Sabbath was made for man. Were you meaning that God commands a day of rest? If so, which day? For whom? Where?

I was simply pointing out the absurdity of using "the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" as an excuse not to observe the Sabbath when that is clearly not what Jesus meant when he used that phrase. If the Sabbath wasn't given to us, then does that phrase even apply to us? Or if the Sabbath was given to us, why would we want to ignore the gift?

Our church has some nurses, and sometimes they work on Sundays. Do you believe they are violating God's command?

What command of God's are you referring to?

4th Commandment? "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy"