For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Larry Truelove
There is no command in Genesis to keep the Saturday/Sabbath by refraining from work (nor in anywhere else except those parts endorsing the Mosaic Covenant).
Hebrews chapter 4 treats "the Sabbath Rest" as a type or metaphor for the New Covenant in Christ, not as a literal command to continue keeping the Saturday/Sabbath.
In fact, the entire book of Hebrews wrote that the Old Covenant (including Sabbath keeping) was fading and yielding to an entirely new one in Christ ( Hebrews chapters 8 and 10).
James Kirven
Not only does New Testament refer to the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament but Jesus made it clear it was necessary for salvation when the rich young ruler asked what must I do to be saved, he spoke and told him you already know the commandments but then showed him that he lacked faith. This is why Rev 14 v 12 says that the saints do 2 things:(have the faith or believe in Jesus and keep his commandments) not just believe. The bible says that even the devil believes in James 2, yet he is unable to obey.
Larry Truelove
Actually, Jesus never mentioned the RYR's faith or even its lack thereof. What Jesus said the RYR lacked was giving away all of his material goods. That was never a requirement of the law, but Jesus told him if he gave away everything, he would have life.
Larry Truelove
Furthermore, why was the RYR's omission of Sabbath keeping never corrected by Jesus?
James Kirven
Yes sir. That is true. I was only saying that when Jesus made that request to sell everything, that it exposed his lack of faith because he didn't believe Jesus. Jesus told him his treasures would be in heaven but he loved his earthly possessions more than Jesus. If he truly believed Jesus he wouldn't have had a problem selling those things. Basically he reminds me of the parable Jesus spoke about. The one that says a person will immediately become excited about the word but be choked out by the cares of this world.
James Kirven
My question about the Sabbath would be - what scripture supports worship on the first day of the week?
Larry Truelove
James, The "take-away" from his encounter was not lack of faith, but materialism based idolatry. For several verses, Jesus elaborates on the problems of the wealthy entering the Kingdom of God.
Jennifer Rothnie
James, worship on Sunday is allowed in scripture just as worship on any day of the week is allowed (Acts 2:42-47, Acts 5:42). Our whole lives should be an act of worship (Rom 12:1).
[That doesn't mean Sunday 'replaced' the Sabbath though. Our true Sabbath rest is in God and is every day (Heb 4:9-11). However, as the true Sabbath has the physical Sabbath as its type; that is, knowing how God set up the Sabbath and why helps us understand the true Sabbath; then trying to treat Sunday as the "Sabbath" will play havoc with our understanding our rest in God. Plus, if anyone were to actually think Sunday worship 'required', or demand people keep Sunday as a Sabbath, would be attempting to set up a system of salvation via man's laws].
Larry Truelove
I agree with Jennifer. The church worships on Sunday more out of tradition to honor Jesus' resurrection. Under the new covenant, there is no command to hold any single day above another. We are permitted to honor days but never commanded to and never to compel other believers to keep the day we think they have to.
Chris Jones
Well said, Jennifer and Larry. Agree with both of you.
James Kirven
I'm not seeing how when referencing Hebrews 4v9-11 that infers any day. It says in the KJV that there remains a day. In order for anything to remain it must first be in existance. Then it goes on to say it must be done as he did which is even more specific. It wasn't any day then. Even when man changed the day, they were commanded to rest the way they did on the seventh day. We eventually got away from that too.
In all fairness, I do understand why there is so much confusion about this topic. We all see anything Moses was involved in as 'Moses' law but that's not so. There were two covenants that existed and one stopped at the cross. Both had sabbath days in them. Why we suggest any day, I'm not sure, when across the world it is either the first day or seventh day, because these are the days we can say we see God's people coming together for the purpose of worship by command.
I'm not saying that is what Acts 20 v 7 is saying, but I do understand why people use this scripture to suggest the day must have changed.
My question is, if we could choose a day are we to keep that day Holy?
We can't keep every day Holy according to the Scriptures, but we can live Holy every day - yet they are not the same thing.
Larry Truelove
The "day" spoken of in Hebrews 4 was not a literal day, it was a type of the new covenant in Christ Jesus. The surrounding verses discuss the new covenant that the Jews were liable to reject through unbelief just as the Israelites of Moses' time were prone to reject the old covenant coming in during Exodus through Deuteronomy.