Topic(s): God's Will, Worship

Todd Clippard

It is one thing to say God does not change, and a different thing altogether to say God's law doesn't change. The Mosaic Law and prophets foretold of the demise of the Law. Consider the following texts:

Deut 18:15-19 -- a new prophet and a new word is coming. Peter quoted this text and applied it to Jesus (Acts 3:20-26).

Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Jehovah promises to establish a new covenant
(cf Hebrews 8:1-13)

Isaiah 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-2; Daniel 2:31-45 -- all prophesy of a new kingdom and new law.

Therefore, the ushering in of a new law is the fulfillment of the old. When the new came into effect, the old was done away with (Colossians 2:14; Ephesians 2:13-16; Romans 7:1-4).

Regarding the Sabbath - no one was ever commanded to keep the Sabbath until Exodus 20. Neither Adam, nor Noah, nor Abraham, nor any of the patriarchs is ever recorded as keeping the Sabbath. The command to keep the Sabbath was given only to the Jews (Deuteronomy 5:1-3) as a reminder of their days in Egypt when they had no rest (Deuteronomy 5:11-15).

The Gentiles were condemned by God in many Old Testament passages. But one thing for which they were never condemned was failing to keep the Sabbath. Not because they were faithful keepers of the Sabbath, but because they were not commanded to keep the Sabbath.

No one in the New Testament church, established in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost, was ever commanded to keep the Sabbath. Jesus was raised from the dead on the first day of the week (Matt 28:1). The church was established on the first day of the week (Acts 2). The early church thereafter met for worship on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).