SABBATH DAY: Saturday or Sunday?

One day, we were having night devotion in the house. We read from the book of Nehemiah where I needed to mention that Sabbath was a Saturday. I had barely said it when someone blurted out: “is Sabbath not on Sunday?”, another also said: “yes, Sabbath is Sunday”. I was about to explain when I got another objection: “if Sabbath was Saturday then we should go to Church on Saturdays and the ‘7th day Adventist’ should be the right ones.” After saying that, they had exhausted their points and awaited me to respond.

I explained:

1. Sabbath day was Saturday. Sunday is the Lord’s Day. Some call it Resurrection Day or the Christian Sabbath.

Mark 16:1: Sat­urday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magda­lene, Mary the moth­er of James, and Sa­lome went out and pur­chased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body.

2.Rev.1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.

Just as the Holy Communion replaced the Passover, the Lord’s day replaced the Sabbath day. Jesus declared that He is the Lord of the Sabbath that means, the Lord’s day supersedes the Sabbath day.

Luk 6:5 And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

The next question, therefore, is that if observing services on Saturday as against Sunday is a sin. Aside from other doctrinal issues that may be associated with those who prefer to worship on Saturdays, there’s absolutely nothing wrong in worshipping on a Saturday or Friday or whichever day and the Bible established this.

Colossians 2:16: 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

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying going to Church on Sunday is not compulsory. What I am saying is that if a denomination chooses Saturday or Friday for worship, they are still Biblically right provided they aren’t filled with other heresies. I’m not sorry to say, some denominations who chooses other days of worship have other heretic issues. However, some of those who do services on Sunday also have heretic issues. What am trying to say is that, the day is not actually the problem.

Meanwhile, it is wise that a church worships on Sundays given the fact that Sunday is a work-free day in the world culture. I also learnt that some countries declared Friday as a work-free day while Sunday is a work full day. If a missionary is in such a place, it’s just wise he fixes Fridays for his services.

Ife Adetona
SADOZ President W/W
©SADOZ, July 2021