Should Christians Go To Church On The Sabbath Or Sunday?

Does It Matter Which Day Christians Rest Or Worship?

Is It Even About “Going To Church” At All, Or Is It Just About A Day Of Rest?

Note: All Bible verses in this study are from modern Christian translations. The verses used in the main studies you will be directed to for more details use traditional Bible translations. This is necessary for purely technical reasons to avoid a "duplicate content" penalty from search engines since I'm linking so many identical verses between my other web pages. I encourage you to look up any verses in the translation of your choice.

Introduction: Originally the Word of God was not divided into Old and New Testaments. There wasn't one part for Jews and another part for Christians. Every word inspired by God from Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:21 was written for ALL men by God, for spiritual edification. The division of the Bible into Old and New Testaments was a process that took shape in the late second century A.D. by Christian theologians and was driven by uninspired early Christian leaders responding to THEIR perceived Christian theological and practical needs. This is not what God intended for Christians! From God’s perspective there is no Old and New Testament intended for Jews and Christians at different times in history. It is all, 100% the Word of God for all men for all times.

The question asked in this study is about when a Christian should go to church, on Sunday or on the Sabbath. Which is the day of rest for Christians? You will see the views for both Christian Sabbath rest and Sunday rest here. God's law pertaining to the Day of Rest is the perfect example to support my point about the entire Bible being for all people at all times. There actually should not be a Sabbath or Sunday "going to church" or rest question for Christians.

The church argues that Sunday is the day of rest for Christians, the 1st day of the week, since the resurrection of Jesus 2,000 years ago. Jews believe Saturday, the Sabbath, is the day of rest since it was codified in the 10 commandments given to Moses for them by God in 1446 BC. Well, here is an interesting fact. God actually created the Sabbath day rest at creation 2558 years earlier, long before Moses codified it and gave it to the Jews. God sanctified the 7th day rest, not the 1st day, at creation, making the 7th day, not the 1st day, a holy time of rest for Himself and all men who walked the earth from creation, to Moses in 1446 BC, to Christians and ALL people on the earth today. The Sabbath rest created by God has been around for 6,000 years for all mankind! This study will explain it all!

If you are looking for the truth for any doctrine or teaching always remember the words of Timothy. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness". (2 Timothy 3:16). For Christians this would include what we call the Old Testament. The original Greek word used is theopneustos, meaning "God-breathed," indicating that Scripture originates from God Himself.

God plainly says His…. "desire is that all men may have salvation and come to knowledge of what is true," (1 Timothy 2:4)

This clearly shows God's WILL throughout history for everyone, not just Christians, to receive His truth regardless of who they are or what their religious tradition may have been. God makes no distinction between Jew and Christian or any other people of any religious tradition on the earth concerning His WIll and the path to salvation and eternal life. The principles of God's Word for salvation taught in the entire Bible are intended for everyone

Romans states this."For I have no feeling of shame about the good news, because it is the power of God giving salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and then to the Greek." (Romans 1:16). This underlines its universal scope desired by God for ALL men. My studies all reflect this simple truth.

The question we think we want answered is this. Should Christians Go To Church On Sabbath Or Sunday, but is this even the question we should be asking? Christians have been going to church on Sunday for worship for 1,800 years. Christians doing worship at church on Sunday has been a tradition for so long that it is no longer even questioned. Is it really about Christians going to church, or even about a time of church worship? No. The 4th commandment is not about worship or a Christian attending a church service. It’s about the time of Sabbath “REST” commanded by God for everyone, including Christians and doesn't have anything to do with attending a church on Sunday morning for worship. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Sunday worship for Christians as long as you rest on the Sabbath! What does God actually want a Christian to do and when does He want us to do it, to be in total harmony and alignment with His WILL? You have two choices. If you are only curious about when the Bible says a Christian should go to church to worship, (if at all), and don't really care if it's the Sabbath or Sunday when you actually "rest" from your work, not intending to change your opinion either way, then this basic Bible Study will provide you with all the relevant scriptures that will show you plainly and clearly what the Bible actually says about the time of Sabbath or Sunday rest for Christians. It will do so without any interpretation, spin, or denominational bias, but also without detailed explanation of these scriptures and how they apply to Christians. If you are seriously interested in the details, specifics, and reasons these Bible verses point to an undeniable truth about a Sabbath rest for Christians, then you may want to go to my in-depth Bible Studies that explain more about these verses about the Sabbath and how they apply to Christians today.

Who Actually Made The Sabbath Day And For What Purpose?

Who Is The Sabbath Day For? Jews, Christians, Or Everyone?

The first and most important questions for a Christian about a Sabbath day rest has nothing to do with church or worship. It involves who actually made the Sabbath holy time and for what purpose. Who actually created the Sabbath rest and when was it created? Was it just some ancient people, religion, or church in Moses time?

"And on the seventh day God came to the end of all his work; and on the seventh day he took his rest from all the work which he had done. And God gave his blessing to the seventh day and made it holy, because on that day he took his rest from all the work which he had made and done.". (Genesis 2:2-3)

"Keep in memory the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. On six days do all your work: But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God: on it you may not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your man-servant or your woman-servant, or your cattle, or the man from a strange country who is living among you. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea, and everything in them, and he took his rest on the seventh day: for this reason the Lord has given his blessing to the seventh day and made it holy." (Exodus 20:8-11)."

Without any interpretation the Bible, not any Christian church, plainly says "the seventh day" is the Sabbath time of holy rest, not church attendance, or worship. So we see God Himself created this time, (not some Christian church), made it holy, (hallowed), and it’s purpose is for “rest”, not worship. The Bible actually says, "THE" seventh day, is "THE" day of Sabbath rest, not "A" day of rest. It is "THE" Sabbath, not "A" Sabbath, and not "A" Sunday day of rest. This is what the Bible plainly says. It says nothing about the first day of the week for rest or worship or going to church on Sunday for Christians.

The next question is who does God say this holy time of rest was made for? Is it just for the Jews? Does it include Christians? Does it include all people in the entire world regardless of their religious tradition?

Who does God himself say it was made for? The Sabbath rest wasn’t made for just the Jews according to what the Bible plainly says. God Himself says it was made for "man", (for all people), but does this include Christians saved by grace?

Do Christians Need To Keep The 4th Commandment?

Does the Sabbath Commandment Apply To Christians Today?

The Sabbath commandment mentioned above in Exodus 20:8-10 was given by God to the Jews. What does that have to do with Christians keeping it, and not Sunday? Do Christians saved by grace and acceptance of Jesus’ shed blood need to keep the 4th commandment Sabbath after they already have received salvation? Do Christians need to keep any of the law or commandments in the first place? What does the our Savior, Jesus Himself say to Christians who love the Lord?

"He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who has love for me: and he who has love for me will be loved by my Father, and I will have love for him and will let myself be seen clearly by him." (John 14:21)

Christians LOVE JESUS so should we do what He just said and keep the commandments? Just because Jesus added a new commandment to "love one another just as I have loved you", in John 13:34–35, doesn't mean Christians don't need to keep the rest of the commandments anymore. But aren’t God’s other 10 commandments for the Jews different than Jesus’ commandments for Christians? What does the Bible say?

If Jesus and the Father are ONE, then their commandments are also ONE, for Jews and Christians alike. There can’t be one set of 10 commandments with the 4th commandment rest being the Sabbath for Jews and another 10 commandments with the 4th commandment rest being on Sunday for Christians. That would break Scripture because it would mean the Father and Jesus are not "ONE", and Jesus clearly said, "….the Scriptures may not be broken," in John 10:35. There are no loopholes for Christians to use to say we don't need to keep all of the original 10 commandments, including #4 to rest of the Sabbath, not Sunday, because the commandments given by God to the Jews are different than the ones given by Jesus to Christians. Scripture cannot be broken!

Further more, we see John telling the Christian church this. "And by this we may be certain that we have knowledge of him, if we keep his laws. The man who says, I have knowledge of him, and does not keep his laws, is false, and the truth is not in him:"(1 John 2:3-4)

If we say we are Christians who ”Know the Lord”, but don’t keep the commandments of Jesus and His Father, God says we are false liars and the truth is not in us. This is serious stuff if you claim to be a Christian!

"Truly I say to you, Till heaven and earth come to an end, not the smallest letter or part of a letter will be dropped from the law, till all things are done." (Matt 5:18)

Jesus Himself said this to His followers, and that's us Christians today! Heaven is still here. The earth is still here. All of the 10 commandments are still here. The Sabbath is still here. Is the truth in Christians today? Are we showing love for Jesus by keeping the commandments and His Sabbath as actually written? Do we believe and live ALL Scripture? Will we allow God to instruct us and correct us with His Word, the Bible? Does your Christian church teach Sabbath rest to you or the Sunday is the Lord's Day lie?

"Every holy Writing which comes from God is of profit for teaching, for training, for guiding, for education in righteousness: So that the man of God may be complete, trained and made ready for every good work.". (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Now I know this is a lot to take in for most Christians who are used to going to church on Sunday for worship, but it’s all plainly written, God’s actual words in the Bible. I also know most Christian churches makes reference to some scriptures that “appear” to negate resting on the Sabbath and keeping Sunday instead. I will briefly quote them here but you REALLY need to read the full Sabbath and Sunday studies on this subject to fully understand why these verses are not being applied in context by your Christian church. I say this with all Christian love. Please read the full studies!

What About Bible Verses That Seem To Show A Christian Church Keeping Sunday?

Did Any Christian Church In The Bible Worship Or Assemble On Sunday?

"For this reason let no man be your judge in any question of food or drink or feast days or new moons or Sabbaths". Colossians 2:16

"This man puts one day before another: to that man they are all the same. Let every man be certain in his mind.". (Romans 14:5)

These verses do not actually mean what your Christian church “interprets them” to say, and the Bible clearly proves it if you will take the time to look at what it actually says. I promise you it is really very clear when you see the context for yourself without your Christian church telling you what you are supposed to believe.

Does your Christian church incorrectly interpret Revelation 1:10 to support Sunday worship as the Lord's Day of rest. This is simply an assumption without any Scriptural support for Sunday being what this verse is about. Without biased church false interpretation the Bible simply says what it says.

"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and a great voice at my back, as of a horn, came to my ears." (Rev 1:10)

Was this a Sunday? No! The Christian church says it is, but that's a false Christian teaching. This verse is synonymous with the prophetic end-time "Day of the Lord" in Revelation, (not a Sunday), when Jesus returns to set up His Kingdom on earth. For A Christian church to teach this is a Sunday is just biblically wrong! Interestingly enough, Jesus actually said the Sabbath is the day He is Lord of, not Sunday.

Does your Christian church teach that the Jews lost track of time and don’t really know today which day was the Sabbath God gave to Moses. A detailed explanation of why this is impossible can be found in Sabbath Rest Study #2, Sabbath Or Sunday - Which Is The True Christian Day Of Rest?

Christians have been so deceived by the church but these verses below will fully explain what the Bible Actually says in this Biblke Study.

" This is the man who was among the children of Israel in the church in the waste land, with the angel who was talking to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers: he was given the living words of God." (Acts 7:38)
"How then is the Jew better off? or what profit is there in circumcision? Much in every way: first of all because the words of God were given to them." (Romans 3:1-2)

Here is another misunderstood verse about a Christian Sunday church worship service. Isn't John 20:19 about a Sunday church worship service? Where the disciples gathered together because it was the Day of Rest?

"At evening on that day, the first day of the week, the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews; Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you" (John 20:19)

This could not have been a Christian Sunday church worship service. This erroneous interpretation based upon an assumption, not fact, is all explained in Sunday Rest Study #3, What Does The Bible Really Say Is The True Lord’s Day?

Does the Bible say anything here about this being a weekly Sunday Christian church worship Service? "And on the first day of the week, when we had come together to have a meal, Paul, who was about to go away the next day, was talking to them, and went on talking till the middle of the night." (Acts 20:7)

No! This was not a Christian Sunday morning church worship service in the first place. It was a Saturday evening dinner and went until early Sunday morning. Want solid proof? See the Sunday Rest Study #3 for all the details.

Yeah, but what about 1 Coronthians 16? Isn't this an offering being made at a Sunday Christian church worship service?"On the first day of the week, let every one of you put on one side by himself a store of whatever profit he has made, so that there may be no need for collections when I come." (1 Corinthians 16:2)

What does the Bible REALLY say about this being a Christian Sunday church worship service? See Sunday Rest Study #3 to see what Greek words were translated “first day of the week” to find out what God actually inspired and what the true meaning of this verse is without biased Christian church interpretation. Could it really be a Sabbath and not a Sunday Christian church worship service? See the truth for yourself.

This basic Bible Study about the Sabbath verse Sunday rest question has given you an overview of what the Bible actually says about when a Christian should rest. If you want to know all the details you can find them in the 2 primary studies on the Sabbath or Sunday rest listed on this page. I encourage you to read them if you are really looking for the truth and sincerely want to be in a right relationship with Jesus after you are saved by Him. Worship att church on Sunday if you choose, but remember to rest on the Sabbath.