1. What Sabbatarianism Teaches
Sabbatarianism is the doctrine that the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday) as commanded in the Ten Commandments remains binding on Christians today. Some Sabbatarians (such as Seventh-day Adventists) teach that Sunday worship is the mark of the beast and that those who worship on Sunday have received the mark of apostasy. Others teach that while Sunday worship is acceptable, the seventh day remains the commanded day of rest and worship. All Sabbatarians argue that the fourth commandment has never been abrogated and that Christians are obligated to keep it exactly as Israel was commanded.
2. Why Sabbatarianism Is False: The Sabbath Was a Sign of the Mosaic Covenant
The Lord declared to Israel, "Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you." The Sabbath was given specifically to Israel as a sign of the Mosaic Covenant. It was not given to Adam, Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. There is no command to keep the Sabbath in the book of Genesis. Nehemiah confirmed, "You made known to them Your holy Sabbath." The Sabbath was given through Moses to the nation of Israel. The Mosaic Covenant, including the Sabbath, was temporary and has been fulfilled in Christ.
3. The New Testament Never Commands Christians to Keep the Sabbath
In the entire New Testament, there is no command for Christians to keep the seventh-day Sabbath. When the apostles addressed the issue of observing days in the church, they explicitly stated that such observances are a matter of personal conviction, not divine command. Paul wrote, "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind." He warned the Colossians not to let anyone judge them "in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ."
4. The Apostles and the Early Church Worshipped on the First Day of the Week
The New Testament consistently shows Christians gathering on the first day of the week (Sunday). The disciples came together to break bread on the first day of the week. Paul instructed the Corinthians to set aside their offerings on the first day of the week. John was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day. The Lord's Day is the first day of the week, the day of Christ's resurrection. The early church did not gather on the Sabbath as a day of worship; they gathered on the first day, commemorating the resurrection of Christ. This practice is consistent throughout the New Testament.
5. The Sabbath Was a Shadow; Christ Is the Substance
Paul explicitly taught that the Sabbath was a shadow of things to come, and the substance is Christ. The Sabbath pointed forward to the rest that believers have in Christ. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." The true Sabbath rest is not a day of the week but a person: Jesus Christ. Believers enter into God's rest not by observing a day but by ceasing from their own works of righteousness and trusting in the finished work of Christ. The Sabbath was a shadow; Christ is the reality.
6. The Fourth Commandment Is Not Repeated in the New Covenant
Nine of the Ten Commandments are reaffirmed in the New Testament for believers. Murder, adultery, theft, lying, coveting, dishonoring parents, idolatry, blasphemy, and false worship are all forbidden. But the command to keep the seventh-day Sabbath is never repeated as a binding obligation for Christians. Instead, the New Testament emphasizes the Lord's Day (Sunday) as the day of Christian assembly. This is a significant omission if the Sabbath were meant to be binding. The silence of the New Testament is deafening against Sabbatarianism.
7. The Council of Jerusalem Did Not Impose Sabbath Keeping
When the apostles and elders gathered in Jerusalem to determine what was required of Gentile believers, they did not impose the Sabbath. They required abstinence from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. They did not require circumcision, and they did not require Sabbath observance. If the Sabbath were a moral commandment binding on all people for all time, surely the Jerusalem Council would have mentioned it. They did not. The Sabbath was part of the law of Moses, which the apostles declared was not binding on Gentiles.
8. How to Correct One Who Believes Sabbatarianism
First, take the person to Colossians 2:16-17. Ask: What does Paul say about sabbaths? He says they are a shadow; the substance is Christ. Second, read Romans 14:5-6. Ask: Does Paul command Sabbath observance or permit freedom? He permits freedom. Third, read Acts 20:7. Ask: On what day did the disciples gather to break bread? The first day of the week. Fourth, read 1 Corinthians 16:2. Ask: On what day did Paul instruct the Corinthians to set aside offerings? The first day of the week. Fifth, read Exodus 31:13 and 31:17. Ask: To whom was the Sabbath given as a sign? To Israel, specifically. Finally, pray that they would understand that Christ is their Sabbath rest and that they would not judge others regarding the observance of days.
9. The Danger of Sabbatarianism for the Believer's Heart
Sabbatarianism leads to legalism, binding consciences where Christ has set them free. It distracts believers from the true rest found in Christ and focuses them on external observance. It can lead to judging other believers who worship on Sunday. The most extreme forms of Sabbatarianism teach that Sunday worship is the mark of the beast, a false and dangerous teaching that divides the church and creates fear where there should be freedom. Sabbatarianism adds to the gospel and imposes on believers a yoke that neither the apostles nor the early church imposed.
10. The Biblical Teaching: The Lord's Day and Christian Freedom
The Bible teaches that the seventh-day Sabbath was a sign of the Mosaic Covenant, given to Israel, and fulfilled in Christ. Christians are not bound to observe it. The New Testament church gathered on the first day of the week, called the Lord's Day, in commemoration of Christ's resurrection. Believers have freedom regarding the observance of days. One may esteem one day above another, or esteem every day alike. What matters is that whatever we do, we do it to the Lord. The true Sabbath rest is found in Christ alone. Let every believer cease from their own works and rest in Him.
Conclusion
Sabbatarianism is a false teaching that binds Christians to the seventh-day Sabbath, a commandment given specifically to Israel under the Mosaic Covenant. The New Testament never commands Sabbath observance for Christians. Instead, it teaches that the Sabbath was a shadow fulfilled in Christ, that believers have freedom regarding days, and that the early church gathered on the first day of the week. Correct this error with the Word of God. Point believers to Christ as their true Sabbath rest. And protect the church from legalistic bondage to days that are no longer required.