Study On Sabbat –THE BEST YET

The Sabbath to Sunday Change – Who Changed the Sabbath?

Many are asking what day is the Sabbath or who changed the Sabbath. How often do you hear that the

Sabbath was changed to Sunday based upon Acts 20:7 despite what history reveals? You are about to

discover beyond all doubt that this meeting was not even on Sunday and that breaking bread was not

communion here. You may also hear some say that Constantine was not responsible for the change of the

Sabbath to Sunday. This is also incorrect as the final change did in fact begin with his first Sunday law. Read

on for the rest of the real story that the proponents do not want you to hear.

Paul exhorts in the following verse that Circumcision is nothing in comparison to the Ten Commandments.

“Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the Commandments of God.” 1

Corinthians 7:19. Since there are more than forty verses and up to ten verses at a time clearly stating that

Circumcision of the flesh is a yoke of bondage and abolished, how many scriptures would you expect stating

the Sabbath was abolished or changed to Sunday? Perhaps seventy or more?

The fact is there is not even one verse that says, “The Sabbath is abolished or is now Sunday.” The Ten

Commandments are the only thing that God personally spoke in such inconceivable fiery majesty, thundering

His voice from the mountain top while everyone trembled in fear below, and then personally etched this

magnificent law into stone tablets with His own finger. Yet there is not one clear scripture! Just a couple of

erroneous assumptions. One of God's Commandments supposedly changes or is abolished and we do not

have even one clear verse. Why not? The answer is simple. It was never abolished or changed to Sunday by

the authority of God so no such scripture exists. It was changed to Sunday by Satan through idolatrous sun

worship, hence the name SUN-day. Sunday - Dies solis (Latin) which means “day of the sun” from which we

get Sunday. The English names for the days of the week are pagan names. In over 100 other languages

around the world, Saturday is still called the Sabbath just as God named it at creation. This can be dated as

far back as Babel in Genesis 11 where Saturday was recognized as the Sabbath day and was incorporated

into the very name of the day. See the table below and note the names of the week days for the older

languages. This is also very relevant for the argument that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday in the Bible.

1. In the majority of the principal languages, the last or seventh day of the week is designated as “Sabbath.”

2. There is not even one language which designates another day as the “day of rest.”

The proponents that state the Sabbath was changed to Sunday in the Bible are looking for something that

does not exist and something that would contradict the words of Jesus if it did. Since History is also so clear
on how the day was changed, then these proponents can only be doing one thing. If they admit the Sabbath

was changed by persecution and force then they have to admit that they are worshipping on the wrong day.

However, this group does not want to do that so they search the scriptures for some verse that they can

make an assumption on to try and say that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday in the Bible. Of course you

also get the other groups that will tell you the fourth Commandment was abolished using one of hundreds of

different reasons. Then there is another group that found that they could not prove from the Bible that the

fourth Commandment was abolished and so they attempt to prove that ALL Ten Commandments were

abolished. When you have the inconsistency of Christians teaching that it is either Ten, Nine or Zero

Commandments or the day was changed, you know something is definitely very wrong and God's law is under

attack. Daniel 7:25 also tells us that the little horn would change God's law and persecute the Christian

saints, and of course they did both just as we are told. This also seems to be conveniently ignored or

misunderstood. Watch a true story on the death of a Sabbath keeper.

Sunday cannot be the Sabbath

Before covering the real truth on the Sabbath to Sunday change, let's look further at the Bible weekly day

names. In Biblical times, the days of the week were basically called 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th or Preparation

and Sabbath. The numbering of the days actually revolved around the Sabbath as shown in the above table.

The verses translated “first day of the week” are actually saying first day after the Sabbath. This in itself

says that these days were NOT the Seventh day Sabbath! The phrase “first day of the week” in the King

James Version uses the Greek words “mia” (first) “ho he to” (of the) “sabbaton” (Sabbath). The word day is

an added word and does not exist in the Greek. So the phrase more correctly reads “first [day] of the

sabbath” which for clarity could be translated as first day after the Sabbath or first day of the week. John

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible (1690-1771) commenting on Matthew 28:1 on the phrase first day of the

week says: “towards the first day of the week, or “sabbaths”; so the Jews used to call the days of the week,

the first day of the sabbath, the second day of the sabbath, &c. take an instance or two (z).” There would not

be many people today who would understand the meaning of the phrase first of the Sabbath or second of the

Sabbath etc, and so it is typically translated as first day of the week. Thus Luke in this case is saying that

this day is the first day AFTER the Sabbath and hence is also saying that this day is NOT the Sabbath. It is in

fact NOT possible to say that the Sabbath is Sunday due to the very names of the days of the week since they

are actually named around the Sabbath and so the first day of the week can NEVER be the Sabbath. This

blows both “first day of the week” arguments right out of the water before we even start.

Satan's typical perpetuated excuse for the above facts is, “Yes, the Sabbath is still Saturday but we worship

on Sunday now!” Were does the foolishness end? To begin with, the Sabbath cannot be so called when what

makes it the Sabbath is done on another day now can it? While those taking this path may feel comfortable

with this foolish reasoning, don't they realize that God will not accept such nonsense?
The image here is the upper portion of the Nestorian Stone (Hsian monument), discovered by Jesuit

missionaries in 1625 AD in the province of Shensi in China. The title of the stone reads, “A monument

commemorating the propagation of the Ta-Chin luminous religion (Christianity) in the middle kingdom.” The

day of the stone's erection was called, “ta vao shen wan ji” meaning, “the great first of the Sabbath day.”

The use of Jewish terms for the days of the week in the heart of China indicates the powerful influence of the

Nestorian Church in Asia.

Would God tell us if He changed the Sabbath to Sunday?

God's Ten Commandments do not change on assumptions. If I told you that the sixth Commandment that says

“thou shalt not murder” was changed because I saw in the Bible where one Christian killed another and no

one said anything, would you believe me? Not a chance! And why not? Because this would be absurd

reasoning and a ridiculous assumption! If we see the mention of what we think is a Sunday meeting in the

Bible and say the Sabbath is now Sunday, what do we call that? The very same thing! Besides the witness of

history, the names of the days, and the fact that Jesus said that not even a jot or a tittle was going to pass

from the law, do we really think we have to make assumptions to decide if one of the Ten Commandments of

God has changed? Of course not! There is no way that any of the Ten Commandments that define sin would

change without the Bible absolutely SCREAMING the change at us so loudly the Earth would move! See also

misunderstandings on Jesus fulfilling the law.

So what about those wrong conclusions or assumptions from the proponents who apparently did not

understand or examine Acts 20:7 to closely or never intended to? Apart from Acts 20:7, there is also one

other verse that says “first day of the week” that is less commonly used as supposed proof that the Sabbath

was changed to Sunday in the Bible. This is the worst of the two assumptions that one can only describe as

an absolute abuse of scripture. The expression “lay by him in store” in 1 Corinthians 16:2 means putting

aside at home or to store goods away. It would be a rather strange expression for passing around an offering

plate don't you think? The needs at the time were clothing and food etc, which would be taken from the field

or storage. Famine conditions and the need for clothing were not unusual in areas of the Middle East, as Luke

reminds us in Acts 11:28-30. This explains Paul's counsel to the Corinthians to do their work on the first day

of the week, “so that there be no gatherings when I come.” Such work as gathering and storing up produce

from the field would certainly not be appropriate on the Sabbath. The request would have been made during

the previous Sabbath meeting and the first opportunity would be the first day of the week or should we say

the first day after the Sabbath.

With Acts 20:7 it is claimed that the Sabbath must have been changed to Sunday because the verse says they

are breaking bread on the first day if the week. You frequently hear statements like, “It is well documented
that the early church adopted Sunday as their day of worship based on Acts 20:7.” But how often do you also

hear Acts 2:46 quoted when Acts 20:7 is used as the supposed conclusive proof that the Sabbath was

changed to Sunday in the Bible? Those who study their Bible will have also read Acts 2:46 that says they did

this every day of the week! I also know of several large Churches that hold worship services on Sabbath and

Sunday and both include communion. Can we hold a Church meeting on any day of the week? Can we partake

of communion everyday of the week? The answer as you already know is yes to both. So on that premise

alone, how could one say this proves the Sabbath was changed to Sunday? We cannot. It is a very bad

assumption that gives God no credit for wisdom, intelligence or being fair. My God would tell me if He

changed one of His Commandments that defines what sin is. He would not leave me to play guessing games

on something that affects my salvation. What sort of a God would do that? So why is it that the proponents

find Acts 20:7 but miss Acts 2:46? The answer is simple. Most people hate change and especially major

changes to their lifestyle. This makes it easier for our adversary to push the majority away from the truth. So

is the Seventh day Saturday or every day of the week? We can certainly worship God everyday but if we kept

the Sabbath everyday, we would not be Holy, we would be LAZY. God said to keep the Seventh day and He

has NEVER told us to the contrary and until such time that He does, that is what we should be doing. It is SIN

not to do so and wilful, unrepented sin can have no forgiveness. See Hebrews 10:26-29.

Acts 20:7 Breaking Bread or a Fellowship Meal and was it Sunday or Saturday Night?

In Biblical days, the first day of the week did not start at midnight but at sunset. All Bible days begin and end

at sunset. This meeting was after sunset and before midnight on the first day of the week. This meeting was

in fact on what we would call Saturday night or Saturday evening. So much for a Sunday meeting anyway!

Paul was about to depart the next day and so this was a Sabbath meeting that had been extended very late

into the night. So much so that Eutychus fell asleep (Acts 20:9) while listening to Paul’s long hours of

preaching, and fell out the window. The Greek word parateino translated continued in Acts 20:7 means to (to

stretch); to extend along, that is, prolong (in point of time).

Because so many are familiar with the term “breaking bread” being used with communion, it has become a

mind set to associate this term with communion. But this is another wrong assumption. Breaking of bread

was actually done at every meal. When bread was eaten at a meal, one would take the bread from the table

and break of a piece. The last supper with Christ was also a meal and the bread was broken just as it would

have at any other meal. The only difference was that Jesus used the bread and the wine as an analogy at the

same time. The following two verses demonstrate this well. In the first verse Jesus breaks bread and feeds

the multitudes and the second is the Lord's Supper. Both involved giving thanks and breaking the bread. One

was communion and one was not. There is a lot of confusion over this issue among Christians and even some

theologians. In any case, this took place on Saturday night and this is something that many have failed to

notice. The Greek word used in both instances is also the same.
Matthew 15:36 “And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to

his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.”

1 Corinthians 11:24 “And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which

is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.”

Note how the Good News Bible translates the breaking of bread to the “fellowship meal” and note also how

this Bible translates “first day of the week” to “Saturday evening” to avoid confusion for the reader. It is

good to see someone was observant and got this right.

Acts 20:7 KJV “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul

preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.”

Acts 20:7 GNB “On Saturday evening we gathered together for the fellowship meal. Paul spoke to the people

and kept on speaking until midnight, since he was going to leave the next day.”

Acts 2:46 KJV “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to

house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,”

Acts 2:46 GNB “Day after day they met as a group in the Temple, and they had their meals together in their

homes, eating with glad and humble hearts,”

After Eutychus fell asleep and fell out the window, Paul went downstairs, prayed over him and the Lord

restored his life. Paul then went back up stairs and preached ALL night as he was leaving them first thing in

the morning. Paul was hungry and no doubt so were those who were listening. Would they have had bread

and refreshments to get them through the night? Of course. Paul says that if we take of the Lord's Supper to

satisfy our hunger we take it to our condemnation (1 Corinthians 11:34). The context of the verse is that this

was done for sustenance to get through a long night of preaching and was not done in reverence. In any

case, this was a Saturday meeting that extended right through the night to Sunday morning and so it is not

really relevant if this were communion or not but it seems more likely that it was just a meal.

Acts 20:11 “When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long

while, even till break of day, so he departed.”

Here is one more circumstance where food was required for strength and is definitely not communion but

here we have Paul giving thanks and breaking bread again. This was a meal for strength and survival.
Acts 27:34-36 “Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair

from his head. 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he

broke it and began to eat. 36 They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves.”

Why are the proponents so desperate to prove a lie?

The proponents of the Sabbath to Sunday change are so desperate to justify why they can keep Sunday as

the Sabbath, that many are now looking for any event that they think may have occurred on a Sunday and

saying this is their so called proof. It grieves me how Satan always manages to find someone he can use to

do his bidding and attack God's Commandments. The latest supposed proof that the Sabbath was changed to

Sunday in the Bible is based on Pentecost being a Sunday, and so they now quote a variety of verses from

Acts chapter 2. This chapter in fact does not mention the first day of the week even once. Pentecost falls on

the 50th day after Passover each year, but the fact is that Passover falls on a different day every year and

hence so does Pentecost. Just because it or any other event happens to fall on a Sunday sometimes does not

make it a new day of worship. Pentecost fell on different days every year prior to that in both the Old and

New Testament, but the Sabbath still remained on the Seventh Day!

These deceived Christians have gone as far as to say that the early Church met habitually on the first day of

the week based on scriptures such as Acts chapter 2, Acts 20:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:2 and as we have seen

so far, every argument has been a desperate attempt at proving a lie. Their argument is also that if the early

Church did meet habitually on the first day of the week then the real truth on how the day was changed must

be wrong. It grieves me to have to answer one more fallacy but the truth must be triumphant and Satan's lies

exposed. Those who believe that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday in honour of the resurrection also

typically cite John 20:19, which is the upper room meeting of the disciples on the same day Jesus arose from

the grave. They say this gathering on the first day of the week was to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. But

when we read the Bible record of the event, we discover that the circumstances were quite different. Luke

tells us that, even though the disciples were confronted with the eyewitness story of Mary Magdalene, they

“believed not.” Mark 16:12-14 states, “After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they

walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.

Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and

hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.” None of these

disciples believed Jesus was raised so how could they have been joyously celebrating His resurrection? This is

yet another shameful attempt at proving the Sabbath had changed. God's law does not change on

assumptions, though this one is an outright deception! John explains their reason for being together, “…the

doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews…” John 20:19.

What day is the Sabbath according to Paul?

Did Paul keep the Sabbath and if so on what day? Note that we are going to use real Sabbath meeting

scriptures and none will be assumptions! Acts 13:42 says “And when the Jews were gone out of the

synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.” Paul had

just finished preaching on the Sabbath and the Gentiles (NOT the Jews) asked him to preach to them again

the next Sabbath. If the Sabbath was abolished or changed to Sunday, then why didn't they ask Paul to

preach to them another day? The very next day was Sunday, the first day of the week. Why didn't they ask

Paul to preach then if Sunday was supposed to be the new Sabbath? But not so, they asked him to come to

them the next Sabbath where we see that nearly the whole city came, both Jews and Gentiles. This also

shows that the Sabbath was a day of worship and that this Sabbath worship was only done on this one

special day. Acts 13:44 “And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of

God.”

So what day was Paul keeping as the Sabbath? We also know the answer by the names of the days of the

week but let's look at this anyway. Paul was a Pharisee and hence a Jew and followed the Jewish ways to the

strictest letter. Acts 26:4-5 “The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the

beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. They have known me for a long time and can

testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.” Now

notice in the following verse that this is a Jewish synagogue and Jews have all through history, without

change, worshipped on Saturday as they still do today. Note that Paul is only seen preaching in the

synagogue on Sabbath days and not on any other day. Three consecutive ones here for an example. Acts 17:2

“…they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As his CUSTOM was, Paul went into the

synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures.” It was not only Paul's

custom and example to keep the Seventh-day Sabbath in establishing the early Church but that of Jesus also

and He is our perfect example. Luke 4:16. There are many such scriptures of Jesus and Paul preaching in the

synagogue on the Sabbath but not one single verse exists where anyone preached in the synagogue on the

first day of the week!

The Pharisees falsely accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath and are found numerous times being extremely

loud over the issue of Sabbath keeping to the point of making the day a burden instead of a blessing. We find

Jesus correcting them on this numerous times as a result. If Paul had ever kept any other day than Saturday,

the Pharisees would have condemned Paul in an instance. Did this ever happen?

After they arrested Paul and put him on trial before the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees said, “we find no evil in this

man” Acts 23:9. Paul stated before Felix, “so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are

written in the law and in the prophets.” Acts 24:14. To Festus Paul declared, “Neither against the law of the

Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all ... to the Jews have I
done no wrong.” Acts 25:8, 10. And to Agrippa Paul said, “I continue unto this day ... saying none other

things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come.” Acts 26:22. Did the prophets or

Moses say that “Sunday keeping should come.” No! Paul finally spoke to the Jews in Rome, “persuading them

concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.” Acts

28:23. During all of Paul's trials, the Jews not so much as once accused Paul of breaking the Sabbath. Why?

Because Paul never did! Paul was a Pharisee since childhood and so there can be no doubt that Saturday is

the only day Paul ever kept!

Some say that the Sabbath is not a day of worship but scripture definitely shows otherwise. What day was

the custom of Jesus and Paul to preach and worship on? Many Churches today hold worship services on any

day of the week but in the beginning it is perfectly clear that they only did this on the Seventh day Sabbath. I

am not saying that we cannot worship on other week days but just want you to note that in the days of the

early Church, they only held worship services on the Sabbath day. You can consider what this means for

yourself but you may like to consider if any of the scriptures we are quoting are assumptions. Are Acts

chapter 2, Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2 and John 20:19 assumptions? Do any of these scriptures say, “Paul

was preaching in the synagogue on the NEW Sabbath that is now Sunday.” or “Paul was preaching in the

synagogue on the first day of the week which is the NEW Sabbath.” or “Jesus changed His mind and now He

is going to change His law by more than a jot or a tittle and has changed the Sabbath to Sunday?” If the

Sabbath was changed to Sunday in the Bible and the early Church was worshipping habitually on the first day

of the week as those deceived try and tell us, there would certainly be no shortage of scriptures showing

someone worshipping in the Synagogue (Church) on the first day of the week. However, did you know that

there is not one single verse or one single person found worshipping in the Synagogue on the first day of the

week anywhere in the Bible? There are however heaps of scriptures that show it was only the Sabbath the

early Church habitually worshipped on. Unlike those trying to prove a fallacy, you will note that these

scriptures are not assumptions: Mark 1:21, Mark 6:2, Luke 4:16, Luke 6:6, Luke 13:10, Acts 13:14, Acts 13:27,

Acts 13:42, 44, Acts 15:21, Acts 17:1-2 and Acts 18:4.

The Sabbath and the New Covenant

The following story also reveals what many do not understand and further proves that a Sabbath to Sunday

change in the Bible is absolutely impossible.

I had just finished preaching on the subject of the Sabbath in one of my evangelistic crusades. As I stepped

off the platform to greet people as they left, three young men blocked my way in the aisle. One of them

addressed me in quite a loud voice… loud enough to cause about fifty people near the front of the auditorium

to stop and listen. “Dear brother” he said, “we were disappointed tonight with the way you put us back

under the Old Covenant. Don’t you realize that we are living under the New Covenant now, and should keep
Sunday instead of the Sabbath?” Although most of the congregation were leaving the Church, the group near

the front gathered closer to hear all that the young men were saying. It was obvious that I would have to

take the time to answer this trio's challenging question. As I suspected, they turned out to be young

seminarians in training at a local Bible college. Eagerly they held their Bibles in their hands and waited

triumphantly for me to answer. Usually, I do not like to debate controversial matters in a public forum for

fear of stirring combative natures, but there seemed no way to avoid dealing with these ministerial students.

Anyway, they had my path completely blocked and the circle of listeners looked at me expectantly for some

explanation. “Well, it seems as though you have studied the subject of the covenants quite deeply,” I

suggested. “Oh, yes,” they affirmed, “we know all about the covenants.” “Good,” I replied. “You

undoubtedly know when the Old Covenant was instituted.” One of them spoke up quickly, “It was instituted

at Mt. Sinai.” “And how was it ratified?” I asked. Without a moment’s hesitation one of them answered, “By

the sprinkling of the blood of an ox.” “Very good,” I commented, “and how was the New Covenant ratified?”

All three chorused the answer, “By the blood of Jesus on the cross.” I commended the young men for their

knowledge of the Scriptures and asked them to read me two verses out of their own Bibles. Galatians 3:15

and Hebrews 9:16-17. They responded eagerly to the invitation, and read the verses, commenting on each

one after reading. “We agree that the New Covenant did not go into effect until after Christ died, and nothing

can be added or taken away after He ratified it on he cross,” the spokesman for the group asserted. All three

nodded their heads emphatically over this point. I said, “Now you must answer two more questions for me.

Here is the first one, and you must think carefully to give me the correct answer: When did Sunday-keeping

begin?” There was a moment of shocked silence, and then another, and another. The boys looked at each

other, and then down at their feet, and then back at me. I gently prodded them for the answer, “Surely you

can tell me the answer to this question. You have known all the others, and have answered correctly. When

and why do you think people began keeping Sunday?” Finally, one of them said, “We keep Sunday in honour

of the resurrection of Jesus.” I said, “Then I must ask you my last question. How could Sunday keeping be a

part of the New Covenant? You just stated that nothing could be added after the death of Christ. He died on

Friday and was resurrected on Sunday. If Sunday was added after Jesus died, it could never be a part of the

New Covenant could it?” The three young men shuffled their feet, looked helplessly around, and one of them

said, “We will study into that and talk to you later.” They then fled from that auditorium as fast as they could

go and I can assure you that they never returned to talk further about the covenants.

Besides the witness of history and how many died for keeping the Seventh day Sabbath because of the real

truth on how the day was changed, there can be no doubt that those who say the Sabbath was changed from

Saturday to Sunday based on Acts 20:7 are deceived and are either deliberately trying to avoid the fourth

Commandment or just did not bother to study scripture and history. The last thing we need is people

assisting Satan in disobeying God's Ten Commandments. My apologies for being direct but it really grieves

me to see Christians that claim to love God with all their heart, soul and might, but fight with all their heart,
soul and might to bury one of the Ten Commandments of God that is a SIGN that He is our God that we love

and worship and God that sanctifies us making us Holy when we keep His Sabbath Holy. Does one really

believe we have to try and establish if one of the Ten Commandments changed by going, “Hey! That looks

like a Sunday meeting. God must have changed the day,” and how could this be when Jesus said that not one

jot or tittle of the law is changing? The fourth is the biggest of the Ten Commandments and a jot or tittle is

equivalent to crossing your “T's” and dotting your “I's.”

If God said to you, “I added an extra day of the week at creation just so you can rest and spend really good

quality time with me, so will you please put all work to one side on this day and devote it entirely to me?”

Would you reply, “no way God, forget it! I have other things to do. It is legalism, I don't have to do that. That

day is not convenient for me but I will spend some time with you on Sunday if you like.” Is this how most

would really respond to God? Apparently so, because this is what many Christians are doing when they try to

make God's Ten Commandments into nine or even none. The majority are doing this, however, there are

many doing this in ignorance because people have deceived them with wrong information that are also

deceived or would like others to join them so they feel more comfortable in their act of disobedience. These

people spend their time putting up web sites condemning and attacking those who love God and find this day

a delight. There is no doubt what spirit is behind this. Acts 20:7 is just one example and you can see just how

wrong they are. Below are a few of the other common excuses in brief detail that people come up with to try

and avoid the fourth Commandment.

Common Sabbath Day misunderstandings

The Sabbath of the Lord is not a ceremonial sabbath that was practised because of sin. Breaking it or any of

the Ten Commandments is sin. The ceremonial law was written in a book and why it was also called the “Book

of the Covenant.” This is where God would have written it if it was for Israel only but God wrote it in stone

with the other nine Commandments. Have you ever heard the expression it is not written in stone? Written in

stone means forever. On paper and in a book is temporary. So put very simply, God had two main laws. One

was temporary and only for the Jews and was nailed to the cross. The other was written in stone and was

eternal and for everyone. If the Sabbath of the Lord was temporary and only for the Jews, which law would

you place it in? Would you place it in the temporary law or the eternal law? So did God place it in the

temporary law that was only for the Jews? No! God placed it in the law that was eternal and for everyone! So

unless God is a fool and the author of confusion, then this alone reveals the truth. God makes a distinction

between His Sabbath and the ceremonial sabbaths in the Ten Commandments by exhorting, “But the seventh

day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God:” (Exodus 20:10, Deuteronomy 5:14). It is the Lord's Sabbath! It did

not belong to Israel. God further demonstrates this by calling His Sabbath, “My Sabbaths,” as in His weekly

Sabbaths, (Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:20) while calling the ceremonial sabbaths that were only for Israel, “Her

Sabbaths.” (Hosea 2:11, Lamentations 1:7) Loving God with all your heart and your neighbour as yourself
does not turn the Ten Commandments into nine or none. (Matthew 22:35) Jesus said ALL the law hang on

these two Commandments as He quoted Deuteronomy 6:5, which is 17 verses after the second reading of the

Ten Commandments when no one can argue the fourth Commandment was being kept. The Sabbath has

existed since creation (only reason we have a seven day week) before sin and Jews and God asked us to

“remember” the day when He personally gave His law and all flesh keep the Sabbath forever in the new

Heaven and Earth. (Isaiah 66:22-23) Luke 23:56 says they “rested the Sabbath day according to the

Commandment.” and Luke was written 30 to 50 years after the cross. Jesus confirmed the Sabbath would still

be kept when the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. (Matthew 24:20) and yet another proof of Sabbath

keeping in the New Testament. Leading historians say the Sabbath was kept by everyone until around 90-120

A.D. where persecution for Judaism became so intense that some began keeping Sunday saying it was in

honour of the resurrection to avoid persecution. Baptism is the memorial of the resurrection commanded in

the Bible. God attested the correct day matters when he tested His children to see if they would keep His

Commandments by testing if they would keep THE seventh day. (Exodus 16:4-30) We worship God everyday

but if we kept the Sabbath everyday, we would not be Holy, we would be lazy. We should not mock God when

He says the Seventh Day by telling Him He is wrong saying we can keep any day or the day does not matter.

It is not the Sabbath of the Jews. There were no Jews at creation or when the Ten Commandments were

given, and God is not a God of confusion or some fool that mixes temporary laws with eternal laws. The Ten

Commandments are love and for everyone. This should be obvious to anyone who truly loves God with all

their heart! The Ten Commandments or Sabbath were not nailed to the cross according to Colossians 2:16.

Paul speaks of the ordinances (ceremonial law) which had yearly ceremonial sabbaths that were nailed to the

cross. Galatians 4:10 does not say that we can observe any day or that the Sabbath was bondage. Paul refers

to the ceremonial law here also that he called bondage, which it was, and this law did include Days, Times,

Months and Years. We cannot decide to keep or not keep the Sabbath based on Romans 14:5, which is about

Jews and Gentiles judging one another and was over the yearly feast days of the ceremonial law. Note the

following Commentary on Romans 14:5 and how it associates all three of these passages and with the

ceremonial law. See also confusion between the ceremonial law and the Ten Commandments.

People's New Testament by B. W. Johnson. One man esteemeth one day above another. A second difference

of opinion is now cited. Some, Jewish converts or Gentiles who did not understand that the old covenant was

ended, believed that the Jewish [ceremonial] Sabbaths and new moons should be kept sacred. Compare Col

2:16, and Gal 4:10.

While comparing these two passages, note that the ceremonial law (Mosaic Law, Ordinances, Law of Moses

etc) had meat and drink offerings, Holy feast (days), new moons (months) and sabbaths (yearly) that were

only for the Jews and ended at the cross. See also Adam Clarke and Albert Barnes Commentaries on
Colossians 2:14-16 and Albert Barnes and People's New Testament Commentaries on Galatians 4:10 and in

addition to People's New Testament above see Adam Clarke's Commentary on Romans 14:5.

When it comes to the fourth Commandment, there seems to be three basic groups of people. Group 1 know

the truth and keep all Ten Commandments and state that the fourth Commandment is a blessing and their

favourite day of the week. (Isaiah 58:13-14) Group 2, which is comprised of most Churches have one of a 101

different excuses. Group 3 is the Catholic Church and they have only one excuse: “We can change the law of

God.” The crazy thing is that group 2 with all their different excuses very rarely know that group 3 changed

the Commandment and is why they worship on Sunday. Satan really has this one all wrapped up and claps his

hands with glee with the victory he has achieved over this one very special Commandment that is not just

about resting but defines who we worship.

Note: Satan has always had a long term plan in attacking the law of God, which should be blatantly obvious

to us, and is desperate to keep Christians from discovering the real truth on the fourth Commandment. As a

result you will find that he has had no trouble in finding those that he can bring against the truth. The

deceived however are fairly easy to spot as they claim the early Church worshipped habitually on the first

day of the week based on those few scriptures that we covered and have proven to be nothing but deliberate

attempts at proving a lie. They also often attack the issue of sun worship, Constantine and the Catholic

Church saying that people quoting the truth cannot make up their mind who made the Sabbath to Sunday

change or they even claim that none were involved and deny all the historical quotes while giving some of

their own quotes from those who did yield to temptation and began keeping Sunday in honour of the

resurrection against God's will. The truth that they usually avoid is that all three played a part in the Sabbath

to Sunday change. Also typically quoted are Colossians 2:16, Galatians 4:10 and Romans 14:5. These as you

have seen are also quoted in ignorance and if you understand these passages you will be able to easily

identify those deceived by those quoting them which thereby demonstrates they have no idea what the truth

is. See Colossians 2:16 for very detailed information on this passage as well as Galatians 4:10 and Romans

14:5. See also Galatians and the law for truth on a very abused and misunderstood book.

The Sabbath to Sunday change

We now know that the change of the Sabbath to Sunday did not occur in the Bible and the real truth will

permanently seal the death of this fallacy. Leading historians say the Sabbath was kept by the majority until

at approximately 90-120 A.D. where persecution for Judaism became so intense that some began keeping

Sunday saying it was in honour of the resurrection to avoid persecution and death. The first areas where

Sunday keeping began was Rome and Alexandria but the exact year is not known. While some of the facts

may be somewhat sketchy, there are plenty of solid facts that make it perfectly clear how the day was

changed. What is also abundantly clear is that Judaism had become much hated and why some Christians had
changed to Sunday in fear of persecution and their lives. Constantine also knew this and with sun worship

now being so popular throughout the Roman Empire realized he would not get much opposition to a Sunday

change. So here is a brief exegesis on how the Sabbath was changed from Saturday to Sunday. See the origin

of Babylon and Sun worship first for a much better understanding of this topic and the real origin of the

sabbath to Sunday change.

In Matthew 24:1-2, Jesus predicted that every stone of the Jewish Temple would be “thrown down.” This

occurred when the temple was destroyed by the Romans during “The First Jewish War” in 70 A.D. When the

Romans made war again with the Jews from 132-135 A.D., the Roman Emperor Hadrian banished all Jews from

Palestine. These Jewish Wars took place after the book of Acts was written and resulted in great pressure

upon the early Christian Church to move away from anything that “appeared Jewish,” including the Sabbath.

Since Sunday was already popular throughout the Roman Empire as a day for sun worship, some Christian

leaders (now called the early “Church Fathers”) yielded to temptation and began shifting from “Sabbath to

Sunday.” “Jesus Christ rose on Sunday!” became their rationalizing cry. Thus they used the resurrection of

Jesus Christ, who “died for our sins” of which sin is the breaking of God's Law (1 John 3:4), as an excuse to

break one of the Ten Commandments. Because these early “Church Fathers” yielded to temptation and

began keeping Sunday in honour of the resurrection, this also eventually resulted in Sunday being called the

Lord's day but it was not and is not the Lord's day as so designated in the Bible. Just like today, these people

chose tradition and their own ideas rather then the Commandment of God. (Mark 7:6-9)

Before the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., a strong Christian Church was planted inside the city of Rome

itself in the heart of the Roman Empire. Paul wrote his letter, “The Epistle of Paul to the Romans,” to those

early believers “in Rome.” Romans 1:7. But because it was surrounded by paganism inside the world's

mightiest capital, this Church soon experienced a “falling away” (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3) from the purity of

the gospel and meta morphed into the wealthy and powerful Roman Catholic Church. This transition

especially took place during the time of the Emperor Constantine in the 4th century who favoured the Roman

Catholic Church above all other Churches.

In 312 A.D., prior to his pivotal victory over his rival Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge, Constantine

became a “Christian” after claiming to see in broad daylight a vision of “a cross above the sun” with these

words emblazoned, “in hoc signo vinces” (by this sign conquer”). After defeating his enemies and becoming

Emperor of Rome, Constantine presided in full royal pomp over the “First Council of Nicea” in 325 A.D.

As a shrewd political genius, his scheme was to unite Christianity and paganism in an effort to strengthen his

disintegrating empire. Constantine knew that pagans throughout the empire worshiped the sun on “the first

day of the week,” and he discovered that many Christians and especially in Rome and Alexandria also kept
Sunday because Christ rose from the dead on that day. So Constantine developed a plan to unite both groups

on the common platform of Sunday keeping. On March 7, 321 A.D., he passed his famous national Sunday

law:

First Sunday Law enacted by Emperor Constantine - March, 321 A.D.

“On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops

be closed. In the country, however, persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their

pursuits; because it often happens that another day is not so suitable for grain-sowing or for vine-planting;

lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost. (Given the 7th

day of March, Crispus and Constantine being consuls each of them for the second time [A.D. 321].)” Source:

Codex Justinianus, lib. 3, tit. 12, 3; trans. in Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol.3 (5th ed.; New

York: Scribner, 1902), p.380, note 1.

Now a professed Christian, Constantine nevertheless remained a devout sun worshipper. “The sun was

universally celebrated as the invincible guide and protector of Constantine,” notes Edward Gibbon in his

classic Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, ch. xx, par. 3.

Constantine even printed coins which “bore on the one side the letters of the name of Christ, on the other

the figure of the sun god.” Arthur P. Stanley, History of the Eastern Church, lect. vi, par. 14.

Again, Constantine’s promotion of Sunday observance was part of his definite strategy to combine paganism

with Christianity: “The retention of the old pagan name of dies Solis, or 'Sunday,' for the weekly Christian

festival, is in great measure owing to the union of pagan and Christian sentiment with which the first day of

the week was recommended by Constantine to his subjects, pagan and Christian alike, as the ‘venerable day

of the Sun.’” Stanley’s History of the Eastern Church, p. 184.

In spite of the rising popularity of Sunday sacredness, Church historian Socrates Scholasticus (5th century)

wrote: “For although almost all churches throughout the world celebrate the sacred mysteries [of the Lord's

Supper] on the Sabbath of every week, yet the Christians of Alexandria and at Rome, on account of some

ancient tradition, have ceased to do this.” Socrates Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical History, Book 5, ch. 22.

Another historian also confirmed this by stating, “The people of Constantinople, and almost everywhere,

assemble together on the Sabbath, as well as on the first day of the week, which custom is never observed at

Rome or at Alexandria.” Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History, Book 7, ch. 19. Thus even in the 5th century,

Sabbath keeping was universally prevalent (except in Rome and Alexandria), along with Sunday keeping.

Many Christians kept both days. But as the centuries wore on, Sunday keeping grew in prominence and

especially within Roman Catholic territories.

In 330 A.D., Constantine moved his capital from Rome to Constantinople (modern Istanbul), thus preparing

the way for the Roman Catholic Popes to reign in Rome as the successors of Constantine. As the Papal Church

grew in power, it opposed Sabbath observance in favour of Sunday sacredness and made the day change

official in the Council of Laodicea (A.D. 363-364). Constantine's change was now fully accepted by the Papal

Church and the Sabbath to Sunday change was complete. Some correctly teach that Constantine only

instituted the first Sunday law, but they very conveniently fail to acknowledge the remainder of the story.

See also did Constantine change the Sabbath and the origin of Babylon and Sun worship.

Who changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday?

In the Council of Laodicea around the year A.D. 364, the Catholic Church decreed 59 Canon laws. The

following Canon law XXIX is very clear and cannot be disputed. Did the Catholic Church outlaw Seventh day

Sabbath keeping? There can be no doubt and even they make no attempt to hide it. Note that this law also

reveals the hatred for Judaism. The Jews of course have always kept the Seventh day Sabbath very strictly

and some to the point of making it a burden rather than a blessing and this explains a lot. The Pharisees

were guilty of doing this and we find Jesus correcting them many times. Canon law number 29 is as follows:

Canon XXIX: “Christians must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather

honouring the Lord's Day; and, if they can, resting then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be

judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ.” (Percival Translation).

Sadly, there is no shortage of professed Christians teaching against the fourth Commandment but thankfully

some lose credibility straight away and prove their ignorance by calling it a Jewish Sabbath. This as we saw

previously is not only unbiblical but also impossible. Most of the proponents quote only want they want you

to see to support their fallacy and so are not likely to quote Canon law XXIX unless done dishonestly. I

especially doubt that you will ever find any of the proponents giving the quotes from the Catholic Church

shown below as they know their attack on God's law would suddenly lose all credibility. The Catholic Church

believe they are above the Word of God and can change the Ten Commandments. This of course is not true.

Below are a few quotes on what the Papal Church have to say about the Ten Commandments and being able

to change the law of God. The Catholic Church may be wrong on a lot of things but everything about these

quotes below is true. When they say they changed the Sabbath to Sunday they are not delusional and they

speak truth. See also who changed the Sabbath to Sunday or the History of Sun-Day Worship for more

detailed and enlightening information on how Sunday worship actually began 2000 years before Christ and

for the origin of 666 the number of the beast.

“The Pope is of great authority and power, that he is able to modify, declare, or interpret even divine laws.

The Pope can modify divine law, since his power is not of man, but of God, and he acts as vicegerent of God

upon earth...” — Lucius Ferraris, in “Prompta Bibliotheca Canonica, Juridica, Moralis, Theologica, Ascetica,

Polemica, Rubristica, Historica”, Volume V, article on “Papa, Article II”, titled “Concerning the extent of

Papal dignity, authority, or dominion and infallibility”, #30, published in Petit-Montrouge (Paris) by J. P.

Migne, 1858 edition.

Even those responsible for the final change of the Sabbath to Sunday know that those two first day of the

week scriptures are not a new day of worship. Note also that they know that 1 Corinthians 16:2 was laying

aside goods for charity that would not be done on Sabbath but the first day after.

“St John speaks of the Lord’s day (Rev 1:10) but he does not tell us what day of the week that was, much less

does he tell us what day was to take the place of the Sabbath ordained in the commandments. St. Luke

speaks of the disciples meeting together to break bread on the first day of the week. Acts 20:7. And St. Paul

(1 Cor 16:2) orders that on the first day of the week the Corinthians should lay in store what they designated

to bestow in charity on the faithful in Judea: but neither the one or the other tells us that this first day of the

week was to be henceforth a day of worship, and the Christian Sabbath; so that truly the best authority we

have for this ancient custom is the testimony of the church. And therefore those who pretend to be such

religious observers of Sunday, whilst they take no notice of other festivals ordained by the same church

authority, show that they act more by humor, than by religion; since Sundays and holidays all stand upon the

same foundation, namely the ordinance of the (Roman Catholic) church.” — Catholic Christian Instructed,

17th edition, p. 272-273.

Who Do We Reverence by Keeping Sunday Holy?

“It was the Catholic church which…has transferred this rest to Sunday in remembrance of the resurrection of

our Lord. Therefore the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of

themselves, to the authority of the (Catholic) church.” — Monsignor Louis Segur, Plain Talk About the

Protestantism of Today, p. 213.

“I have repeatedly offered $1,000 to anyone who can prove to me from the Bible alone that I am bound to

keep Sunday holy. There is no such law in the Bible. It is a law of the holy Catholic Church alone. The Bible

says, ‘Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.' The Catholic Church says: ‘No. By my divine power I

abolish the Sabbath day and command you to keep holy the first day of the week.' And lo! The entire civilized

world bows down in a reverent obedience to the command of the holy Catholic Church.” — father T. Enright,

C.S.S.R. of the Redemptoral College, Kansas City, in a lecture at Hartford, Kansas, February 18, 1884, printed

in History of the Sabbath, p. 802. Hover here for a document clip or select for the full original image.
Who Made Sunday Holy?

“Perhaps the boldest thing, the most revolutionary change the Church ever did, happened in the first

century. The holy day, the Sabbath, was changed from Saturday to Sunday. ‘The day of the Lord' was chosen,

not from any direction noted in the Scriptures, but from the (Catholic) Church's sense of its own power…

People who think that the Scriptures should be the sole authority, should logically become 7th Day

Adventists, and keep Saturday holy.” — St. Catherine Church Sentinel, Algonac, Michigan, May 21, 1995.

“Question - Which is the Sabbath day?

“Answer - Saturday is the Sabbath day.

“Question - Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?

“Answer - We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea

(A.D. 364), transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.” — Peter Geiermann, C.S.S.R., The Convert's

Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, p. 50, 3rd edition, 1957.

Does the Bible support the change to Sunday?

“Is not every Christian obliged to sanctify Sunday and to abstain on that day from unnecessary servile work?

Is not the observance of this law among the most prominent of our sacred duties? But you may read the Bible

from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The

Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify.” — James Cardinal

Gibbons, The Faith of Our Fathers (1917 edition), p. 72-73 (16th Edition, p 111; 88th Edition, p. 89).

“For example, nowhere in the Bible do we find that Christ or the Apostles ordered that the Sabbath be

changed from Saturday to Sunday. We have the commandment of God given to Moses to keep holy the

Sabbath day, that is the 7th day of the week, Saturday. Today most Christians keep Sunday because it has

been revealed to us by the [Roman Catholic] church outside the Bible.” — Catholic Virginian, October 3, 1947,

p. 9, article “To Tell You the Truth.”

Whose Day of Worship is Sunday?

“It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and all other Christians, that the Bible does not

support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday. Sunday is an institution of the Roman Catholic

Church, and those who observe the day observe a commandment of the Catholic Church.” — Priest Brady, in

an address reported in The News, Elizabeth, New Jersey, March 18, 1903.

“They [the Protestants] deem it their duty to keep the Sunday holy. Why? Because the Catholic Church tells

them to do so. They have no other reason…The observance of Sunday thus comes to be an ecclesiastical law
entirely distinct from the divine law of Sabbath observance…The author of the Sunday law…is the Catholic

Church.” — Ecclesiastical Review, February 1914.

Why do we find the Catholic Church making fun of Sunday keeping Protestants in the above quotes? Because

the Catholic Church through murder and persecution became the only Church in existence for hundreds of

years known as the dark ages. As Martin Luther and others found out that the Papal Church was the first

beast of Revelation 13, the Protestant reformation got under way. But the problem was that the fourth

Commandment was nearly completely lost by the time this happened. As these Protestants discovered that

antichrist was the Roman Catholic Church, they began all these new Protestant Churches but after so many

centuries of persecution, they continued keeping the pagan day Sunday for worship in ignorance. If the

Catholic Church had not changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, we would all be worshipping on

Saturday today.

James 2:10–12 says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou

kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the

law of liberty.”

Every single person will be judged by the mighty moral code of the Ten Commandments. To break just one is

to be guilty of sin. The Bible demonstrates that the Ten Commandments are like a chain of ten links. When

one link is broken, the whole chain is broken. Those who stand in the judgment will have to meet the acid

test of the Ten Commandments. If a practicing thief should seek entrance into the kingdom, he would be

rejected. This is why Paul says thieves will not inherit the heavenly city. Furthermore, the Bible specifically

declares that idolaters, adulterers, liars and covetous men will not be in the kingdom. Why? Because the Ten

Commandments forbid those things and men will be judged finally by this law. Not one single person will be

admitted into heaven who is WILFULLY (Hebrews 10:26-29) violating any one of the Ten Commandments

because breaking anyone of the Ten Commandments is breaking them all. We find a good example of this in

Exodus 16:4-30. Just like today, these non-Jews thought that God did not mean what He said when He said

the Seventh day. So how did God respond to them? He accused them of breaking ALL His Commandments and

laws.

Some may object that this is making works the basis of entering the kingdom. Not so. This is making love the

qualifying factor. Jesus said that the greatest Commandment of all is to love God supremely. Quoting from

the second of the Ten Commandments, Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my Commandments.” John 14:15.

Those who practice any known sin are really confessing that they do not love God with all their heart, soul

and mind. So it is the lack of love that shuts them out and not the act of disobedience that exposes that lack.
Only when love is motivating the obedience does it become acceptable to God. Any other work is man's vain

attempt to earn salvation and to deny the efficacy of Christ's atoning sacrifice.

We should now realize that the Ten Commandments do not change based on assumptions. If something as

vital as the Ten Commandments that define love and sin were to change, then God would have VERY clear

scriptures saying so. We know we can rule out was the Sabbath changed to Sunday in the Bible but are there

scriptures (there should be many) that say the fourth Commandment is abolished? If the answer is no, then it

is just as much sin to not keep the Seventh day Holy as it is to murder. Those with wisdom reading this now

will also realize that Satan is behind both this change and those who attack this truth and with very good

reason. So what should we do now?

Acts 5:29 “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to
obey God rather than men.”