Why Sabbath Confusion?
by Ed Stevens
For those who have "ears to hear", a few simple statements of facts from the Bible "rightly dividing the Word of truth" (II Tim. 2:15), will sufficiently clear away the prevailing confusion regarding SABBATH KEEPING. Some employees won't work on Saturday, some not on Sunday, and men are falsely led to believe by a certain woman's visions that Sabbath breakers "would shut the gates of the Holy City against themselves as sure as there is a God that rules in heaven above" (P. 19, "A Word to the Little Flock", 1847, by Mrs. E. G. White). See I Tim. 2:12.
The Saturday Sabbath was still observed by JEWISH Christians and proselytes after the cross, during the Acts period of thirty-odd years because God had not yet told them to cease Mosaic law-keeping. "The LAW came BY MOSES" (John 1:17) in a "covenant" God made WITH ISRAEL "which He commanded YOU [Israel] to perform, even TEN COMMANDMENTS; and He wrote them upon two tables of stone". Deut. 4:13. That they might remember they were slaves in Egypt "therefore the Lord thy God commanded THEE [Israel] to keep the Sabbath day". Deut. 5:15. "I gave THEM my Sabbaths to be a sign between me and them". Ezek. 20:12. "And made known unto THEM thy holy Sabbath." Neh. 9:14.
Before Israel was set aside, Gentiles became Christians, beginning with Cornelius. God takes "out of THEM a people for His name". Acts 15:14. The Pharisees said "that it was needful to circumcise them and to command them to keep THE LAW OF MOSES", Verse 5. The negative decision was: "It seemed good to the HOLY GHOST and to us [the apostles] to lay upon you [Gentile believers] NO greater burden than these necessary things" (four abstainings to give no offense to Christian Jews at that time). Acts 15:28, 29, 21. Thus, as to keeping "the law", Paul, "THE apostle to the Gentiles" (Rom. 15:16; 11:13) declared: "As touching the GENTILES which believe, we have written and concluded that THEY OBSERVE NO SUCH THING." Acts 21:24, 25. Please read Galatians 4:10, 11, "Ye observe days .. .".
God chose PAUL to be THE "teacher of the Gentiles". Acts 26:17; I Tim. 2:7. Paul wrote: "The things THAT I WRITE unto you are THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD." I Cor. 14:37. He gave the gist of the Mosaic ten commandments but OMITTED THE FOURTH, as to Saturday Sabbath keeping. In none of his epistles did Paul say a Sabbath must be observed. Rather: "Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of AN HOLY DAY, or of the new moon, or of the SABBATH DAYS." Colossians 2:14. These were "a SHADOW of things to come", V. 17. Thus EVERY DAY is a Christian's SPIRITUAL SABBATH, as explained in Hebrews 4:9-11, "there remaineth therefore A REST [in salvation] to the people of God. For he that is entered into HIS REST, he also hath ceased from his own works [to get saved thereby] as God did from His [in creation]. Let us labour therefore to enter into THAT REST lest any man fall after the same example of UNBELIEF."
The teaching that Christians are so-called "spiritual Israel" and that SUNDAY has replaced the Saturday Sabbath and must be observed similarly, is mere "tradition of men" and is no where stated in the Bible! Christians can happily find it convenient to have meetings on our CIVIL HOLIDAY, Sunday, and thank God for it.