Seventh-Day Sabbath Worship or Eighth-Day Sunday Worship? What Does the Bible Say?

Written into stone millennia ago, God’s fourth commandment is well known:

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:8–11)

Today, Christians still teach the importance of following the Ten Commandments . . . so why do so many worship on the eighth-day Sunday instead of the seventh-day Sabbath? Does the day really matter? What does the Bible say?

If you’re wrestling with these questions, this article can help you begin to understand the history and philosophies surrounding:

• The biblical Sabbath
• Christianity’s “eighth day”
• Why God desires humanity to keep His Sabbath

What Does the Bible Say About Sabbath?

When the Bible talks about the “Sabbath day,” it is referencing Saturday, the seventh day of the week. God established the seventh-day Sabbath day at creation (Genesis 2:2–3) and reemphasized it as a day of rest and “sacred assembly” for His people, the nation of Israel, as He led them to the promised land (Leviticus 23:2–3). Old Testament law prohibited Israelites from doing any work on the Sabbath, and one could even receive the death penalty for breaking this law (Numbers 15:32–36).

For thousands of years, Jewish tradition has observed the seventh-day Sabbath from Friday evening to Saturday evening, following the practice of reckoning sacred days from evening to evening, as reflected in Torah (Leviticus 23:32). Today, observant Jews continue to celebrate the Sabbath (Shabbat in Hebrew) as a holy day of rest, beginning at sunset on Friday and ending at nightfall on Saturday.

Jesus observed the Sabbath (Luke 4:16) and never suggested a change to Sunday. He did, however, reject a strict, legalistic interpretation of the Old Testament commandment. Jesus declared that Sabbath observance was not a duty that mankind owed to God; rather, God made the Sabbath as a day of rest for mankind’s benefit.

“Then he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.’ ” (Mark 2:27)

Jesus and His disciples did not observe the strict Jewish rules against doing any work on the Sabbath. Jesus Himself often expressed that He, the “Son of Man,” was Lord of the Sabbath and that it is not only lawful but also logical to help others on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1–14; Mark 2:23–28, 3:1-6; Luke 6:1–11, 13:10–17, 14:1–6). When religious leaders angrily confronted Jesus after He healed a man on Sabbath, Jesus simply replied: “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” Of course, this made them much angrier (John 5:1–18).

Why Keep the Sabbath?

The biblical seventh-day Sabbath portrays God as the Creator of the universe and the Great Deliverer, the Liberator, the Redeemer of those facing temptation and sin. The Sabbath does not point to our accomplishments. Instead, it points to what God has done. It acts as a weekly reminder of God’s willingness to be personally involved with our struggles and our salvation. 

Every week, God wishes us to recall His promises of salvation and friendship.  Every week, God wants to remind us that:

• We are not alone.
• He takes personal interest in our lives.
• He acts for us. 

Sabbath is not a day of bondage. It’s the exact opposite. The biblical Sabbath is a day of joy and jubilation, a day to remember that we worship a God who saves, who frees, and who fellowships with mortals such as we are (for now). That is why God created the Sabbath and why we should continue to keep it. This sacred day reminds us that God is not only alive—He is willing to set us free.

Why Do So Many Christians Worship on the Eighth-Day Sunday?

Rev. Dr. Demetrios E. Tonias, dean of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral of New England, partly answers this question in his article “Sunday as a Mark of Christian Unity” (Sunday Magazine, Spring 2015). He explains that Christians have often bickered about commemoration dates, including Easter (Pascha) and Christmas. But Sunday, the “Lord’s Day,” has “never been in question,” he states.

“The commemoration of the Lord’s Day is an historical reality that bears witness to the centrality of the Resurrection and all that this event meant and signifies for the cosmos. Therefore, what better marker of Christian unity can we have? Indeed, what stronger case can one make for the significance of Sunday as a hallmark of Christian unity than the understanding that Christians throughout the centuries have conceived of this day as a day of new creation, an eighth day set apart from all others?”

Some early Christians did begin worshiping on Sunday to commemorate Jesus’ resurrection, which occurred on the first day of the week (John 20:1). However, the practice of Sunday worship also grew from a desire among early Christians to distance themselves from Judaism. Roman culture surrounding Sunday—including its association with pagan religious practices—helped encourage the change. By the second century, Sunday gatherings were well established in Rome. Constantine’s Sunday rest law in A.D. 321 helped institutionalize the practice. 

Although history shows a human-prompted switch to the eighth-day Sunday, the Bible shows us that early Christians did not abandon the seventh-day Sabbath nor consider the fourth commandment void. In fact, the apostles and other early church members consistently observed the Sabbath (Luke 23:56; Acts 13:14, 42–44; 16:13; 17:2, 4; 18:4, 11; 19:8). Interestingly, the New Testament records no dispute whatsoever between Jews and Christians over which day to keep. And it never calls the seventh day “the Jewish Sabbath”; Saturday is always referred to as “the Sabbath.”

Tonias doesn’t refute this evidence; he redirects the discussion. He states that the longstanding tradition of Sunday worship informs the “Orthodox Christian mind” about the true meaning of “Christian unity.”

“It is a communion of all believers, at all times. Put simply, nothing in the calendar unites us like Sunday. It is a day that changed the world on the very first Sunday and, I would argue, every Sunday after the first. The world was transfigured through a myriad of Sundays when Christians gathered in communion and heard the Gospel message. . . . 

“It is human nature to think parochially—in terms of our own family, our own exclusive church, our own unique religious entity. In this historical light, however, Sunday takes on a new meaning. Sunday worship is something more than simply what our parents and grandparents did. Sunday worship is even more than what our local faith community has done. Sunday worship is something that all Christians, at all times have celebrated. When we gather on Sunday the unity we achieve takes us back in time, across the ages to the earliest believer; it also moves us forward in time to embrace generations not yet born. In this way, the spiritual unity we have thus achieved possesses an eschatological character. The unity to which we bear witness and which we embody is a manifestation of the kingdom to which we all aspire.”

Early believers fellowshipped often, even daily (Acts 2:46)—including on Sundays (Acts 20:7)—to socialize, hear the Gospel preached, and grow closer to one another. Does that justify a change to God’s command to “remember the seventh day”? 

Let’s go further. Should the pursuit of unity outweigh the pursuit of obedience to God’s commands? Does the new covenant do away with the seventh day, paving the way for the eighth-day Sunday? It’s okay to wrestle with these questions. 

Tonias continues:

“In order to fully appreciate Sunday as a mark of Christian unity we must expand our definition of unity. We must all strive for a Christian community—one throughout the ages—for such a transcendent unity yields many fruits. If we are in union with the earliest Christians then we will share in their zeal. If we are in unity with the martyrs then we partake of their devotion. If we are in unity with those compassionate Christians then we feel and can bestow their healing touch. When we assemble in faith on Sundays, we gather not simply with other parishioners in a local place of worship, but with Christians throughout every land and all the ages—and there is no greater evidence of unity than this. In our century, as with its predecessors, challenges large and small threaten Sunday. However, when we stand in faith, as members of a Church beyond all churches, we reclaim Sunday for the God who gave it to us.”

To observe the eighth-day Sunday in no way forfeits salvation. We are saved by grace through faith, not works! But every Christian should carefully and prayerfully consider what the Bible says about the Sabbath and obedience. We should ask ourselves, “What does God’s Word tell us about truth and unity? Jesus words’ can help us:

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)

Before his death on the cross, Jesus prayed to His Father for all believers, present and future, to be unified so that “the world may know that You have sent Me” (John 17:20–23). But notice what Jesus prays just before this:

“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” (John 17:17)

Saturday vs. Sunday Worship

The Bible says clearly that God created and set apart the seventh-day Sabbath as a holy day, a gift of rest and remembrance for humankind. 

History shows us that humankind conceived the eighth-day Sunday; it is a day supported only by human reasoning. 

To learn more about the eternal importance of the fourth commandment, visit SabbathTruth.com or explore our resources. The Sabbath is not arbitrary. It is a sign of God’s children here on Earth. What’s more, a great conflict over full obedience to God’s law will preclude the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (see Revelation 12:17; Daniel 7:25 and Revelation 13:4–8; Exodus 20:11 and Revelation 14:6–7).

Whether you feel more assured, confused, curious, or contentious at the end of this read, the best next step is to continue studying God’s Word and asking Him for guidance.

Related Articles:

Ten Biblical Arguments: Seventh-day Sabbath vs. First Day Sunday

Why Sunday, Why Now?

Why Do Christians Worship on Sunday? Understanding the Tradition

To learn more about what the Bible says concerning God’s commandments, God’s grace, and how they work together, check out our study guides, videos, podcasts, and more!  

Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.