Saturday vs. Sunday

stormy

New Member
So?

Why do we even go to church on Sunday? The early church never did that. Who said "Okay...new sabbath...maybe....well, if it's convenient."?

Why aren't we following the Bible's course as far as our schedules of worship and learning go?
 
Uhh i dunno...

My first thought would be that since in the very first few years of the church, when it was first legalised by Constantine.. In that time the emporers word was go. If he was a christian, then you pretty much had to be a christian too. The legalisation of christianity to become a proper religion took a lot of the spark out of it and also introduced a lot of the traditions we see today.

My guess would be he just decided to hold meetings on sunday and it stuck..

There is probably a good theological reason though and im just spouting fluff.
 
Why do we say its a new day at 12:00am when the bible clearly states its at sundown. So the sabbath starts at sundown Friday.

And, going to Church is not the same as Sabbath.
 
The Sabbath was sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. This was what the Israelites followed.
The Sabbath, though, doesn't really have to do with church. It's literally a time of rest. There are actually many other types of Sabbath's in the bible. Every 7 seven years the Israelites were to give their land a rest (sabbath). At certain festival times, there was a special Sabbath. I think each new moon was a Sabbath.

To me, God knows best. As humans, we can't go go go. We get weary and need some downtime. We are called to do that once a week. It is a way to honor God.

This is one of the whole points Jesus brought up to the Pharisees. The Pharisees discussed and fought and discussed some more about "what is work"? Can you pick up a chair? Can you bake bread? Can you open a door? They were taking it too far and Jesus was pointing this out.
 
It is true that going to church and  the sabath are not the same. So who's to say that we all must recognize the sabath on the same day? Pastors dont have a day of rest on Sunday's, so many of them take a Friday or Monday off for rest.

I dont understand how some people or churches make this into a huge leagalistic debate that seperate them from others.

The issue of attending church aside, if a man decides to observe God's word and take a day off on a different day of the week, who's to says he's wrong? It is between God and the individual.
 
Oh, whoops!  I forgot to mention I go to church on Saturday night.  Demon Hunter's point is right.  The day doesn't matter.
 
actually the Sabbath is the only commandment that Christ left off during his discussion of the Ten Commandments. Likewise, none of the apostles talked about observing the Sabbath, if anything they would have been against it, just as they were against such things as mandatory circumcision.

The point is that Christ is our Sabbath. He is our rest, what need do we have for a radom day of rest when we have Christ?
 
Some examples of Christ making a "work on the Sabbath" point is when he heals some guy and when he asks the Pharisees if they would retrieve a sheep.

Perhaps you are saying He never specifically stated we need a day of rest.  Hmmm, you bring up an interesting point (as you often do).  I guess I am of the belief God's day of rest in Creation is an example for us to follow.  I have also found having a day of rest to truly be a wonderful and rujevnating experience.  It's hard once you have kids, but we still sometimes just hang around the house on a Saturday or Sunday.  Not that I'm resting, I might be weeding or something like that.  But they are refreshing and help slow you down for a day.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (SSquared @ Aug. 08 2003,6:31)]It's hard once you have kids, but we still sometimes just hang around the house on a Saturday or Sunday.  
roger, kids take the rest out of most things.
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Since I asked the question, I should probably add in my two cents.

Actually, you all brought up good points, across the board.

Starting with Rizz, it's true that the Sunday tradition started with Constantine, right down to the fact that once the emperor said "Be a Christian and do it this way"...ya kinda just did it or became a roadside spectacle.

FYI, the reason Constantine instituted the Sunday stuff is kinda interesting. The reigning religion in the empire, up til this point, was the worship of...(drum roll), the sun god (I can't remember his roman name) which was named Christos in the region over kinda near Egypt. In order to include as many people as was possible into the new state religion, Constantine outlawed Judaism and adapted the sungod worship to create a new "christianity."

Anyhow...it was Jesus that said "man was not made for the Sabbath, but the sabbath was made for man." In the "law," the commandment says "keep my Sabbath holy." which literally means..."continue to set apart those days that I have instituted as days of rest from your labors."

We've kinda made it out like the sabbath is a bad thing, all legalistic, and us not being able to do the dishes or whatever. But, before the Pharisees had their way with God's instructions..the sabbath was party day. It was a day when you got to chill with your people and discuss how God'd been working and teaching and all. It was..and is...cool.

That said, no place in scripture does it say that worshipping on Sunday is bad. In fact, the early church was said to continue in worship and teaching of the Word and the whole nine every day of the week.

I like that idea.
 
oh yes,don't get me wrong.  we all need our day of rest, otherwise we fail in the concept of moderation in what we do.  But at the same time, our spiritual rest is found in Christ.  We're not required to spend a day at the Temple doing the various weekly sacrifice, because our high priest walks with us on a Daily basis, constantly and consistently interceding on our behave, ready to wash us clean, and saving us from the judgement that we are due from our actions by His grace.

Also a note, it was said in the NT (I believe it's in Acts, but I'm not sure of that) that the church met on the first day of the week (the day after the Sabbath) for services.

I've worked quite often on the Sabbath (while working at Wal-MArt or various fast food rests. there were times when I've pulled 12 days straight).  Did that make me less of a Christian due to my not setting aside a day as holy?  No.  For my day of rest is Christ.

ssquared -- You're  catching on.  Yes God took the day off as an example to us (see Stormy's post from what Christ said) but does this mean we're to work 6 days as God did?  No.  It's an example.  We're to never become so busy with what we do, that we don't take time off for ourself, our family and our Saviour.
 
Yes, Jesus is our rest and He has freed us from the condemnation of the law. So now the law isnt something we must follow because of fear, but it is our privilage to take heed to it. We get to do those things and glorify our God, we dont have to.
 
personally could carless what day the sabbath is, because i think its a day of rest, any day of the week that you set aside to just rest, and spend time with God, because i work 24/7, "self imployed", i usually will set sunday aside because that is the most convenient for me, i go to church, lunch, the hang out with people from church and enjoy good Christian fellowship, and i think that is what God wants, I think He WANTS us to have fun, and enjoy life, so go out have fun, but keep it pure and holy, that is what the sabbath is to me, now lets see how many F's this earns me in school
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*laughs hard at the F comment.

Nice, LoJ, lol.

It's cool to see what y'all think. I'm of the mind that if I can get two days off, Saturday to chill and reflect, and Sunday to do some hardcore worship with my brothers and sisters, that's some awesome stuff.

But then I get some hardcore worship throughout the week tho too, so who's to say. Saturday tho...chillin' on a Saturday is the bestest, whether it's out with friends or in watching Fellowship of the Ring for the...hmmmm....something hundredth time.
 
hey .. whats cooller than to sit on a sunday morning and read all the wonderful peoples comments on the forums ;) with some cool praise tunes blasting away ... i usually go to the evening service so sunday morning is really my only "rest" time in the week .... physical layabout time .... and just "power up with praise" !!!
 
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