How do I explain why we celebrate Sunday as opposed to Saturday Sabbath

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Katie1723

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How can I answer someone’s “You Catholics changed everything when you celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday as opposed to the real Sabbath which is Saturday”. I am not sure myself why and I want to be able to give an intelligent answer. By the way, this person is SDA.
 
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digitonomy:
Here’s an article by Jimmy Akin on this subject:
Changing the Sabbath

Who knew Jimmy was working for CA way back in 1993?
Click to expand...
Maybe the Jews who followed Christ simply kept Sabbath and then, in the evening/Sunday morning celebrated the Eucharist. As more Greeks entered the Church, the celebration of the mass ( scripture+ Eucharist) simply superceded the old Synagogue service.
 
We know that Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday - the first day of the week; this is the basis - with that the Church changed the sabbath to sunday to signify the new covenant and the new creation as the sabbath was originally the sign of the covenant made with Adam & Eve. Also, being the 8th day starting from the previous day, 8 in scripture signifies the same thing - a new beginning having completed 7 which is also one meaning for fullness; this is the same first day at a newer level. Hope that helps.
 
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RobbyS:
Maybe the Jews who followed Christ simply kept Sabbath and then, in the evening/Sunday morning celebrated the Eucharist. As more Greeks entered the Church, the celebration of the mass ( scripture+ Eucharist) simply superceded the old Synagogue service.
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Correct, the early Catholics did continue to keep the Sabbath by going to Synagogue on Saturday, then on Sundays they celebrated the Eucharist. After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem the Jewish leaders were trying to figure out why God had punished them (remember they thought that anytime something bad happened God must be punishing them) they reasoned that the Catholic presence was an affront to God, so they forbade the Catholics from attending Synagogue, they also blamed the Greek influence. Since the Catholics used the Septuagint (the Greek translation) as their version of Scripture they (Jews) rejected it. The Jews in Alexandria continued to follow the Septuagint they constitute the Alexandrian tradition, the Jews that reject the Septuagint follow the Palestinian tradition.
 
FYI, the Catechism has an excellent discussion of the Sabbath/Sunday issue. (in the index under Sabbath as I recall).
 
First, affirm with a smile that “Yes”, properly speaking, the “Sabbath” IS Saturday, the seventh day of the week. Make sure your friend understands that you don’t naively believe that Sunday is the seventh day of the week or that time has “been lost”.

The early church, rather than continuing strict Sabbath observance began “Celebrating” the “Lord’s Day” (resurrection - Sunday). This does get rather technical, especially when you factor in the Eastern Church which continued to keep both days. But when dealing with an SDA, keeping it simple is best…

John Paul II’s Papal Encyclical, “Dies Domini” is a beautiful and profound treatment of the Lord’s Day (although it may not arm you with the type of “proof text” arguments that would persuade an SDA).

For some “Bible Arguments”, check out the following:

Romans 14 (especially verses 5-6 and 10-12)

Hebrews 4:9 hint: Why would the author need to address the sense in which “there remains a sabbath rest” if nothing had changed?

Matthew 11:28-30 (Jesus is our ultimate “rest”)

Acts 15 “The Circumcision Controversy” - Notice that the Sabbath is strangely missing from the items in verses 28-29.

Now your friend has certainly heard all these before and probably has an answer ready for them. But as a former Sabbatarian I can tell you that while, yes, we had an “answer” for these passages, it was not always the most convincing answer, even to the Sabbatarian mind.

You can hit him with Colossians 2:16-17, but I “know” he has an answer ready for “that one”… I think the SDA take on it is that it is referring to the Holy Days of Leviticus 23. BUT, call him on that too! “Why does SDA keep the Weekly Sabbath but not the 7 Annual Sabbaths?”

Now these may not be the “most sophisticated” arguments, but I think it is a good start in dialoguing with an SDA…

Also I WOULDN’T use Revelation 1:10!!! SDA has this one covered and you will just sound silly (not that the verse isn’t valid, I just know how an SDA would take it)… Wait till you work your way into the Early Fathers before you use this one…

Good luck, Katie!

Grace & Peace,

quaysman
 
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digitonomy:
Here’s an article by Jimmy Akin on this subject:
Changing the Sabbath

Who knew Jimmy was working for CA way back in 1993?
Click to expand...
Great article, thanks for pointing it out… with the exception of a couple minor detials that are not quite accurate regarding SDA’s, he did a great job!!!

Brandon
 
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Katie1723:
How can I answer someone’s “You Catholics changed everything when you celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday as opposed to the real Sabbath which is Saturday”. I am not sure myself why and I want to be able to give an intelligent answer. By the way, this person is SDA.
Click to expand...
Here is a little different approach…

Tell your SDA friend that you do not keep Saturday for two main reasons…

First, because you are not Jewish and the 7th day Sabbath was a Sabbath given as a sign between himself and Israel, not between himself and Israel and us Gentiles. “Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them. Ezekiel 20:12”

Second, You keep the Lords day because of scriptures command to view the church as the “foundation and pillar of all truth” 1 Tim. 3:15, and your desire to follow God’s word and will. If our understanding of the Sabbath is in opposition to the church’s then we must realize that only the church was held up as the pillar and foundation of truth, not ourselves or anyone else.

There is not one command for Christians (i.e. after the deat of Christ) to keep the 7th day Jewish sabbath. In fact, as other posters have shown, we are specifically told that it was done away with. As if that were not enough, the church, as the pillar and foundation of all truth, has also confirmed that this is the correct understanding of the Sabbath issue by telling us that we are not bound to keep the Jewish Sabbath. Finally, the third and final witness is the sacred tradition of the Church which from the 1st century has been showing us that we are not obligated to keep the Jewish Sabbath.

So, start with scripture telling us to look to the Church for truth, combine that with scripture’s lack of a command or instruction for Christians to keep the Sabbath, combined again with scripture’s several references to the sabbath being abolished, and finally, add the witness of the Holy Tradition and writings of the Church Fathers and you have the reason that we as Catholics do not observe the Jewish Sabbath.

Brandon
 
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