Collier said:
The fact is, there is WAY more evidence and command in the scripture to show the validity of the Sabbath and not first day observance.
OK, show me where the NT church worshipped on the sabbath?
- Also, why is the sabbath commandment the only one not commanded in the NT? Ya'll post verses like "if ye love me keep my commandments" which I agree with but show me where Christ commanded me to keep the sabbath?
your problem here is that you insist their needs to be a specific commandment to worship on Sabbath. The onus falls on you to prove that with Sunday. The Sabbath was accepted as truth and binding. There was no need for a NT reiteration to command it. The fact is, Christ made no mention to NOT to keep it, but rather kept himself and made it more meaningful "It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath". The majority of Christ's healings took place on the Sabbath to show the importance of it in the lives of people, not to break it. He came to do away with the legalism of the Pharisees who made the Sabbath a burden, not a delight. He came to show that man wasn't made for the Sabbath, but the other way around. The Sabbath came first for the betterment of all mankind, not for man to come and make legalistic rules to burden the people with.
And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on..And the returned and prepared spices and ointments and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment - Luke 2:54, 56
Strange thing for Christ's followers to do when He OBVIOUSLY told them the Sabbath was to be done away with and Sunday instituted in its place.
But when they (Paul and his company) deaprated from Perga, they came to Anitoch in Pisidia and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down - Acts 13:14
Perfect time to set the Jews straight. Afterall, Paul had no qualms clashing over circumcision, why not the Sabbath? But no, Paul goes on to preach to the Jews about other things like the baptism of repentance, and the resurrection of Christ! Perfect time to say that the resurrection of Christ instituted Sunday as the new day. However, there is not one mention, nor any hint of Sabbath controversy here.
Notice verse 42 and 44
And after the Jews were gone out of the synagoguethe Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath...and the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God
Perfect time for Paul to set the Gentiles straight! The Jews were gone! Why didn't Paul let them know that this Jewish observance of Sabbath doesn't apply to them. Instead, we see the pagan, sun-worshipping Gentiles appealing for Paul to preach to them next Sabbath! Did Paul honestly need the Jewish synagogue and the seventh day to preach to the pagans? Highly unlikely. Rather, no matter where he went it was a part of his custom. Why? Because he obviously observed it.
And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures - Acts 17:2
Again, is the Sabbath's obliteration preached to these wayward Jews? Nope. Rather Christ's suffering death and resurrection (an act that supposedly abolished the Sabbath) is preached and nothing else. And if you want to say, "Well of course, because if he wanted to preach to the Jews, he'd have to go to the synagogue on Sabbath" Again, see Acts 13. Look at Acts 16 too.
And from there, to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia and a colony and we were in that city abiding certain days. And of the sabbath we went out of the city by a rivers ide where prayer was wont to be made and we sat down and spake unto the women which resorted thither - Acts 16:12, 13
Strange. Preaching in a pagan land to most likely pagan women on the Sabbath. Where are all the sermons considering the importance of doing away with a 4000 year old, God given law and instituting a new day of worship?
We have chapter after chapter of the Jews freaking out over Paul's doing away with circumcision, and yet NO verses directly disputing the Sabbath, no controversy from the Jews concerning the Sabbath, much more important than circumcision. This is obvious because the Sabbath was already taken for granted in the NT.
Christ and Paul's example of Sabbath observance should be enough, especially with NO hint of worship, command or observation of the first day of the week.
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