Why we don't observe the Sabbath?

Exodus 20:8; 31: 12-17; Acts 20:7

Each seventh day belonged to the Lord and would not be work day but one set apart (i.e. holy) for rest and for time devoted to the worship of Yahweh. The term "Sabbath" is derived from "to rest or cease from work." The historical precedent for such a special observance was the creation week; a span of time equal to what man copied in practice. Each Sabbath day should have reminded the worshipper that God whom he praised had indeed made everything in both realms of existence in 6 twenty-four hour days. The Sabbath would also stand, therefore, as a counter to evolutionary ideas prevalent in false religion. Moses, in the review of the Decalogue, also linked the observance of the Sabbath with Israel's exodus from Egypt and specified that this was why Israel was to keep it (Deut.5:12-15).

Significantly, the command for the Sabbath is not repeated in the NT, whereas the other 9 are. In fact, it is nullified (Col.2:16,17). Belonging especially to Israel under the Mosaic economy, the Sabbath could not apply to the believer of the Church age, for he is living in a new economy.

Acts 20:7, "Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight."

Sunday, the day the Church gathered for worship, because it was the day of Christ's resurrection (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16: 2,9; Luke 24: 1; John 20:1,19; 1Cor.16:2). The writings of the early Church fathers confirm that the Church continued to meet on Sunday after the close of the NT period.

Scripture does not require Christians to observe the Saturday Sabbath:

1. the Sabbath was the sign of the Mosaic Covenant- Ex. 31:16,17; Neh.9: 14;Ezek. 20: 12. Whereas Christians are under the New Covenant- 2 Cor. 3; Heb. 8.

2. there is NO NT command to keep the Sabbath ;

3. the first command to keep the Sabbath was not until the time of Moses- Ex. 20: 8.

4. the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) did not order Gentile believers to keep the Sabbath;

5. Paul never cautioned Christians about breaking the Sabbath; and

6. the NT explicitly teaches that the Sabbath keeping was not a requirement- Rom. 14:5; Gal. 4:10,11; Col. 2:16,17.

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days; Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Colossians 2:16.