Sabbath, Sunday, and the New Covenant
Letting Scripture Interpret Scripture
Sabbath vs Sunday in the New Covenant is a question many sincere Christians are asking as they seek to honor Scripture faithfully.
In recent years, many sincere believers have been told that attending church on Sunday is evidence of deception, compromise, or lawlessness…and that true obedience requires observing the seventh-day Sabbath as a binding command for Christians today.
These claims are often presented with passion, historical references, and Scripture citations. But passion does not equal accuracy, and quoting Scripture does not automatically mean Scripture is being handled rightly.
This post is not written to attack people. It is written to test teachings—because Scripture commands us to do so (Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1). Our goal is not to defend tradition, but to submit fully to the authority of God’s Word, rightly divided.
The Core Question We Must Ask
Does the New Testament require Christians to keep the seventh-day Sabbath as a covenant obligation?
If the answer is yes, then Sabbath-keeping must be taught clearly, consistently, and universally by Christ and the apostles.
If the answer is no, then any teaching that binds the conscience of believers to Sabbath observance goes beyond Scripture, and risks rebuilding what Christ fulfilled.
Understanding the Sabbath Biblically
The Sabbath command is holy, good, and God-given. It appears in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11). But Scripture also tells us what kind of command it is.
“The Israelites must observe the Sabbath… It is a sign forever between Me and the Israelites.”
— Exodus 31:16-17
“I gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them…”
— Ezekiel 20:12
The Sabbath is repeatedly described as a covenant sign given to Israel. A covenant sign can be righteous and meaningful without being universally binding across every covenant administration.
The question is not whether the Sabbath mattered.
The question is how the New Covenant treats it.
What the New Testament Actually Teaches
1. Christians Are Not to Be Judged Over Sabbaths
This is not implied. It is stated plainly.
“Therefore, don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival, a new moon, or sabbaths. These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is Christ.”
— Colossians 2:16-17
Paul does not command Sabbath observance.
He forbids judging believers over it.
The Sabbath is identified as a shadow. Christ is the substance.
2. Observance of Days Is a Matter of Conscience, Not Command
“One person judges one day to be more important than another day. Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind.”
— Romans 14:5
If Sabbath-keeping were required for faithfulness, Paul would not treat “days” as a disputable matter. Instead, he allows freedom…so long as devotion is unto the Lord.
3. Returning to Calendar-Based Obligation Is a Spiritual Danger
“You are observing special days, months, seasons, and years. I am fearful for you, that perhaps my labor for you has been wasted.”
— Galatians 4:10-11
Paul’s concern is not that believers love God too much, but that they are returning to obligation as a marker of righteousness.
This is the same warning repeated throughout Galatians:
Do not rebuild what Christ fulfilled.
The Jerusalem Council Settled This Question
In Acts 15, the early church faced its greatest controversy:
What must Gentile believers keep?
If Sabbath observance were required under the New Covenant, this was the moment to say so. Yet the apostles—under the guidance of the Holy Spirit—did not impose Sabbath-keeping on Gentiles.
“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these requirements…”
— Acts 15:28
The Sabbath is notably absent.
Peter’s final decision is worthy of special notice. He expressed the deep conviction that through the grace of the Lord Jesus (and not through law-keeping) we (the Jews) shall be saved in the same manner as they (the Gentiles). One would have expected Peter, as a Jew, to say that the Gentiles would be saved the same as the Jews. But grace is here seen triumphing over ethnic distinctions.
William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1628.
Sunday Worship Is Not “Changing the Sabbath”
Scripture never says, “The Sabbath has been moved to Sunday.”
What Scripture does show is that early believers often gathered on the first day of the week, especially in light of Christ’s resurrection (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2).
This is not a replacement command.
It is freedom in worship rhythm.
Gathering on Sunday does not mean the Sabbath was changed.
It means the New Covenant does not bind worship to one day.
Hebrews 4: The True Rest the Sabbath Pointed To
Hebrews does not argue for stricter Sabbath observance. It argues for deeper rest.
“We who have believed enter the rest…”
— Hebrews 4:3
“There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”
— Hebrews 4:9
That rest is not found in a calendar. It is found in Christ Himself.
This is why Jesus says:
“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
— Matthew 11:28
Christ does not abolish rest. He fulfills it.
What About Isaiah 56 and the Nations?
Isaiah 56 celebrates God’s heart for the nations…and rightly so. But it must be read through the lens the apostles themselves give us.
Gentile inclusion is not accomplished by adopting Israel’s covenant signs, but by union with Christ.
“For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.”
— Ephesians 2:18
The New Covenant does not re-erect the dividing wall of ceremonial markers. It removes it.
The Real Issue: Binding Where Christ Set Free
The most serious concern with modern Sabbath-binding teaching is not historical—it is spiritual.
When Sabbath observance becomes:
- a test of obedience
- a marker of “true believers”
- or a reason to judge other Christians
…it begins to function exactly like the error Paul confronts in Galatians.
“For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
— Galatians 5:1
Christ is Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28).
He does not use it to enslave His people.
A Biblical, Balanced Conclusion
- Christians are free to honor a day unto the Lord.
- Christians must not be judged over Sabbaths.
- The New Covenant people of God are identified by faith in Christ, not calendar observance.
- Gathering on Sunday does not violate Scripture.
- Sabbath-keeping may be practiced devotionally, but must never be imposed as a requirement for righteousness or salvation.
True obedience flows from resting in Christ, not striving to complete what He has already finished.
Closing Prayer
Lord,
Guard our hearts from adding to Your gospel.
Teach us to love Your Word without misusing it.
Help us walk in freedom, humility, and truth…
resting fully in the finished work of Christ.
Amen.
