SEVENTH DAY SABBATH AND THE OLD LAW;

SEVENTH DAY SABBATH AND THE OLD LAW;

Should we observe Old Testament laws of Moses (seventh-day Sabbath,
circumcision, Ten Commands)? Or did Jesus remove or abolish that law
so we should keep and obey the New Testament?
Seventh Day Sabbath & the Old Law: Keeping Holy Days Today?

Old Testament
Laws:
Must We Observe the Law of
Moses and the Sabbath Today?

Should we observe Old Testament laws of Moses (seventh-day Sabbath,
circumcision, Ten Commands)? Or did Jesus remove or abolish that law
so we should keep and obey the New Testament?

Should Christians today keep Old Testament laws, such as the seventh-day
Sabbath, circumcision, animal sacrifices, and holy days, or did Jesus remove or
abolish
that law so that we should only obey New
Testament commands? What is the difference between moral and ceremonial laws,
the Law of Moses and the Law of God? What day is the "Christian Sabbath"
according to the gospel of Christ?
Are the Law of Moses and the Ten Commands abrogated or still in
effect? What law should we
observe today? Should we today "remember the Sabbath day to keep it
holy?"

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Introduction:

The Old Testament includes many commands not found in the New
Testament, such as the Sabbath (seventh day), animal sacrifices,
the Levitical priesthood, circumcision, special holy days,
burning incense, tithing, instrumental music, and dancing in
worship. Many people wonder whether we today should observe these
commands.

A few people try to keep all Old Testament laws. Others keep
only New Testament laws. Still others try to keep the Ten
Commands, the Sabbath on the seventh day, or parts of the Law of
Moses, but disregard other laws. To please God and to be united
religiously we must determine which Old Testament laws, if any,
apply to us today. The purpose of this study is to address these
issues.

Consider some introductory questions:

A. Does God Intend for People Today to Obey
Every Command God Has Ever Given?

People sometimes talk as if they believe that we today must
observe every command God ever gave and must keep "holy"
everything God ever told people to keep holy. But consider a few
Bible examples:

Noah's ark (Gen. 6:13-7:5) - With Noah God made
a covenant (6:18) which involved commands Noah had to obey (6:22;
7:5). After the flood, God promised He would never again destroy
all flesh by a flood (9:11-17). Must we today still build arks? (Cf.
Gen. 22:1-19.)

Circumcision (Gen. 17:9-14) - Circumcision was
both a covenant and a command given by God to Abraham and his
descendants (cf. 21:1-4; Lev. 12:3). God now says this command no
longer applies (I Cor. 7:18-20; Gal. 5:1-8; 6:12-16; Acts 15:1-29).

Levitical priesthood (Ex. 40:12-16; 29:1-9) -
Under the covenant made at Mt. Sinai, only Aaron and his
descendants could serve as priests (Num. 3:10; 18:1-7; 16:40).
But today Jesus is High Priest, though He was not a descendant of
Aaron. This proves there has been a change in the law (Heb.
7:11-18; cf. I Pet. 2:5,9).

Animal sacrifices (Num. 15:1-6) - Throughout the
Old Testament God commanded people to offer animal sacrifices (cf.
Gen. 4:1-5; Lev. chap. 1-7). But today animal sacrifices have
ceased to be offered because Jesus is our perfect sacrifice (Heb.
10:1-18).

Holy days (Ex. 12:1-28; 13:3-10; Lev. chap. 23)
- God commanded Israel to keep various holy days, but we today
should not keep them (Col. 2:14-17; Gal. 4:10,11). Note that,
when God commands a certain day to be a holy day of rest, He can
later change and no longer require men to keep it.

Undeniably, God has given different laws to different people
at different times. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever
(Heb. 13:8), but this refers to God's character and nature, not
to His laws for men. The above Scriptures clearly prove that God
Himself has made changes in the laws He has commanded people to
keep.

B. Why Are These Commands No Longer Binding?

There are at least two possible reasons why we may not be
required to obey a command given by God:

1. God gave some commands to specific people,
never intending them to apply to all people everywhere. Obvious
examples are the command to Noah to build the ark and
circumcision for all male descendants of Abraham. If God intended
certain commands to be limited to certain people, but we teach
other people they must also obey those commands, then we are not
demonstrating faithfulness to God. Rather, we are perverting His
will. (Cf. Rom. 3:19.)

2. God intended some commands to be temporary.When they fulfilled
their purpose, they were no longer needed
so God removed them. This is true of all the examples listed
above.

Please note that people have no right to annul God's
laws on their own authority. Only God can decide this. If
He intends a law to apply to us, we are unfaithful if we do not
obey it. But we are equally unfaithful if we condemn people for
not following a law, when God Himself does not require those
people to follow that law.

The question before us then is what is God's intent regarding
the Old Testament commands in general.

Did God Intend for Old Testament Laws
to Be Binding Today?

The laws revealed in the Old Testament were unquestionably
decreed by God Himself. He alone has the right to determine who
must obey those laws and how long they should remain in effect.
What was His intent regarding these Old Testament laws?

A. God Intended the Laws Given through Moses
to Be Binding Only for the Nation of Israel.

The Ten Commands were given only to Israel.

Deuteronomy 4:1,44,45 - The Ten Commands were given to the
children of Israel after they came out of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 5:1,6 - Moses spoke to Israel and gave them the
Ten Commands to observe. God brought them out of the land of
Egypt.

Exodus 34:27,28 - The Lord made a covenant with Israel writing
on tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

1 Kings 8:9,21 - The two tablets of stone contain the covenant
the Lord made with Israel, when they came out of the land of
Egypt.

Deuteronomy 4:7-13 - No other nation had such a great law as
the Ten Commandments.

The Sabbath was given only to Israel.

Deuteronomy 5:15 - Israel (v1) was a slave in the land of
Egypt, God brought them out and commanded them to keep the
Sabbath day.

Exodus 31:13,16,17 - The Sabbath was a sign between God and
Israel like circumcision was (Gen. 17; Rom. 4:11). How could it
have been a sign between God and Israel if He had given the same
law to other nations too? Would a ring be a sign of a man's
special relationship with his wife, if he gave similar rings to
many other women?

Today people need not keep the commands revealed through
Moses, including the Ten Commands and the Sabbath, for the same
reason we do not need to build arks like Noah or sacrifice sons
like Abraham. God did not address these commands to us.

B. God Removed the Old Testament Laws Because
They Fulfilled Their Purpose.

These laws were in effect throughout Israel's
generations

God repeatedly told Israel that various provisions of the law
were to last "throughout their generations." This is
said regarding:

Genesis 17:9,10 - Circumcision

Exodus 12:14; Leviticus 23:21,31,41 - Holy feast days

Exodus 29:42; 30:10 - Animal sacrifices

Exodus 30:8 - Incense

Exodus 30:31 - Holy anointing oil

Exodus 31:13-17 - Sabbath observance

Exodus 40:15; Numbers 18:23 - Levitical priests in the tabernacle.

[Cf. Num. 15:38; Ex. 30:21; Lev. 7:36; Num. 10:8; 35:29]

All these practices were to endure for the same length of time
- throughout Israel's generations. If any of them has ceased,
then they must have all ceased since they were all to endure the
same length of time. But we have already proved that many of them
have ceased, therefore they must have all ceased.

These all continued as long as Israel's special relationship
to God continued, and all would end when that special relation
ended. That special relationship ended when the gospel came into
effect. There is no more Jew or Gentile in God's plan (Gal. 3:28).
[Cf. Eph. 2:11-18; Acts 10:34,35; 15:7-11; Rom. 10:12; Col. 3:11]

Hebrews chapters 7-10

7:11-14,18 - The law allowed priests only of the tribe of
Levi, but it predicted a time when Christ would be a priest of
the tribe of Judah. This meant the law would be changed (v12),
disannulled (v18).

8:6-13 - These verses quote Jeremiah 31:31-34 which predicted
God would make a new covenant different from the one He made with
Israel when He led them out of Egypt. Christ has now enacted this
new covenant, hence the first one is made old and is vanishing
away (v13). Again, this fulfills God's word in the Old Testament.

10:1-18 - Animal sacrifices offered under the first covenant
could not completely remove sin. Jesus' death is the sacrifice of
the new covenant which can completely forgive. So Christ took
away the first will (covenant) and established the second. This
was done in harmony with God's will, not contrary to it (v9,10).

The law was "weak and unprofitable" in that it told
men they were sinners but could not permanently forgive them (7:11,18;
8:6,7). This does not mean God made a mistake in giving the law.
It had a purpose, but that purpose was temporary. When the new
law came, the old had accomplished its purpose so it was removed.

2 Corinthians 3:6-11

As in Hebrews, the Old Covenant (v14) is contrasted with the
New (v6). The old was a ministration of death because it proved
men deserved death. Yet it came with glory. The new covenant is a
ministration of righteousness and is more glorious (v9).

Note v11 - That which was with glory (the old
covenant - v7) was done away so that which has more glory
(the new covenant) may remain. It is not just the

glory
that was done away, but that which was glorious - the Old
Testament itself - was done away.

Galatians chapters 3-5

As in Hebrews, the law resulted in man's being under a curse
because it showed men were sinners, but it could not completely
remove the guilt (3:10; 2:16). This is contrasted with salvation
by faith in Christ under the gospel (1:11,12; 3:26-28).

3:24,25 - The law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.
Now faith has come, so we are no longer under the schoolmaster

.

To be "under" a law means to be subject to it or
under obligation to obey it - note 4:4,21 (cf. I Cor. 9:20,21;
Matt. 8:9; Rom. 3:19.) We are not just freed from condemnation of
the law, but we are free from the law itself, which was the
schoolmaster. [Cf. 3:16,19]

5:1-6 - Since we are no longer under the law (5:18),
circumcision no longer matters. Those who follow the old law are
entangled in a yoke of bondage. Christ profits them nothing and
is of no effect to them. They are fallen from grace.

Romans 7:1-6

Again the gospel is contrasted with the Old Testament ("the
law"). The law showed men they were guilty of sin (3:20,23).
This brought condemnation of death (5:12; 6:23), but the law
could not permanently remove that guilt. (This does not prove the
law was bad, but only that the people were bad - 7:7-24; cf. 7:5.)
Nevertheless, God did not want all men lost, so He offered the
gospel (1:16).

7:2,3 - Illustration: a woman is bound to her husband as long
as he lives. If she marries another man she is an adulteress. She
may remarry only if her husband has died.

7:4-6 - Likewise, we are dead to the law and delivered from
it, just as the woman was released from the law of the first
husband (v2). Note that we are not just free from the
condemnation of the law or traditions about it, but we are free
from the law itself. [cf. 6:14]

Just as the woman could then be joined to a different man, we
are now joined to Christ. We are not to follow both the Old
Testament and the law of Christ at the same time. To do so would
be spiritual adultery like the woman having two husbands at once!

We have a different law, just as the woman has "another man."

Ephesians 2:12-16

Gentiles had formerly been separated from the covenant
relationship enjoyed by the Israelites. By His death, Jesus made
peace between Jew and Gentile. To achieve this, He had to

abolish
the law of commandments that was a wall of partition between
Jew and Gentile. It had been given only to the Jews and thus
signified their favored position. To grant favor to men of every
nation, God had to remove that law (cf. Gal. 3:28; Acts 10:34,35;
Matt. 28:19; etc.).

If we bind the Old Testament today, we are rebuilding the wall
of partition Jesus died to destroy. That would defeat Jesus'
death!

Colossians 2:13-17

This is a parallel to Ephesians 2. Christ blotted out
the handwriting of ordinances and took it out of the way,
nailing it to His cross

. So we should not allow people to
condemn us for not keeping the Old Law (v16). (Again the law was
"against" men in the sense that it showed they were
guilty of sin but could not forgive them.)

Matthew 5:17,18

Some say this passage proves the old law is still binding
since Jesus did not come to destroy it, but it would stand till
heaven and earth pass away. If so, then the whole law still
stands since not one jot or tittle would pass away. This includes
the law and prophets (v17), even the least commandments (v19) (animal
sacrifices, circumcision, etc.). Yet we have earlier proved that
many things were removed. Hence this passage cannot prove the law
is still in effect.

The parallel in Luke 16:17 shows that "till heaven and
earth pass away" means "it is easier for heaven and
earth to pass away." So it would be easier for heaven and
earth to pass away than for the law to pass away "

till
all be fulfilled

" (v18). But Jesus came to fulfill
it! So the law passed away when Jesus fulfilled it. (Cf. Matt. 24:34).

A contract can be rendered void in one of two ways: illegally
by destroying it (as by tearing it up), or legally by fulfilling
it. For example, if you hire me to build a house for a price, it
would be illegal for you or me to destroy the contract. But if we
fulfilled the contract (I build the house and you pay me), it
would no longer be binding.

Likewise, Jesus did not come to destroy the law (remove it
contrary to its provisions). But He did come to fulfill it and
replace it, completely in harmony with the provisions of the law
itself. He did fulfill the law (Luke 24:44-47; Acts 13:29).
Therefore, it passed away!

All Old Testament laws passed away for the same reason animal
sacrifices, circumcision, etc., passed away. God gave them to
accomplish a purpose for the nation of Israel. They accomplished
that purpose, so God removed them.

Part II: Is Any Part of the
Old Testament Law Binding Today?

Some people agree that many Old Testament laws are no longer
in effect, but they still bind some of these laws such as the Sabbath,
tithing, or instrumental music. Let us consider this
approach.

A. Consider Some Possible Rules for
Distinguishing What Is Binding from What Is Not.

We have learned that the Old Covenant has ceased to be binding.
That should include all Old Testament practices unless it can be
shown by the Scriptures that God intended for certain laws to
continue. So people have offered some rules for proving that
certain laws are still in effect but others are not. Let us
consider these rules.

"Law of God" vs. "Law of Moses";
"Moral law" vs. "Ceremonial"

Some say the Ten Commands (including the Sabbath) are the
"Law of God," the "Moral law" (or "spiritual
law"), and this is still binding. But the other Old
Testament commands are the "Law of Moses," or the
"Ceremonial law," and these were removed.

However: What Scriptural proof is there that
these distinctions in laws are valid? How do we know that what
was done away includes only the law of Moses or ceremonial law,
but not the law of God, etc.? How do we know what laws are
included in the law of God (moral law) and what laws are not? (Note
that the terms "moral law" and "ceremonial law"
are nowhere mentioned in the Bible.)

Some say the Sabbath must continue today because it was one of
the Ten Commands, the "moral" "Law of God."
But the Sabbath is also repeated in parts of the Old Testament
other than the Ten Commands (Ex. 31:13ff, etc.), and it is listed
with laws and feast days that have been done away (see Lev. 23:1-44;
19:3&30). Why doesn't this prove the Sabbath was done away as
part of the "ceremonial" "Law of Moses"?
Wherein is the Sabbath any less "ceremonial" than these
other feasts and Sabbath rests?

Further, modern Sabbath-keepers usually also practice Old
Testament tithing, instrumental music, and even dietary laws.
These laws are not in the Ten Commands, nor are they any more
"moral" in nature than other "ceremonial"
laws that have been done away. Hence, these folks violate their
own rule and contradict themselves.

Actually, the Bible shows that the law of God and the law of
Moses are just different terms for the same law. Further,
the law of God included things that have clearly been done away.
For example:

Nehemiah 8 refers to the "book of the law," and
calls it the book of the law of Moses (v1) and the book of the
law of God (v8,18). God commanded it by Moses (v14), so both
terms refer to the same law.

Luke 2:21-24,39 - The law of Moses (v22) is called the law of
the Lord (v23,24,39). This law included a purification rite and
animal sacrifices. These were clearly done away (cf. Lev. 12:2-8).
Hence, the law of the Lord is the same as the Law of Moses, and
it contains things that were done away.

In 2 Chron. 31:2-4 the law of God included animal sacrifices,
new moons, and feast days, which we know were done away.

There is no distinction between the law of God and the law of
Moses. It was both God's law because He originated it, and Moses'
law because he revealed it (Neh. 10:29). This whole distinction
is a man-made rule having no Divine sanction (Matt. 15:9; 2 John
9-11).

Laws given before Sinai vs. laws given at Sinai

Some say Jesus abolished the laws that were given at Sinai,
but laws given before Sinai were never abolished (including the
Sabbath, which they say was given at creation - Gen. 2:2,3).

Again, where does the Bible say that laws given before Sinai
are still binding? There are many commands that were first given
before Sinai but are not now binding. This includes animal
sacrifices (Gen. 4:4; 8:20; etc.), circumcision (Gen. 17:9-14),
the Passover (Ex. 12), and unclean animals (Gen. 7:2).

Further, there is no proof that God bound the Sabbath on men
from creation. No passage mentions Noah, Abraham, Jacob, or any
patriarch keeping the Sabbath. Ezek. 20:10-12 says God gave
Israel the Sabbath as a sign between Him and them when He led
them out of Egypt, and Deut. 5:15 says it was a memorial of that
event (cf. Neh. 9:13,14; Ex. 31:13-17). How could it be a sign
between Him and one nation if everyone since creation had the
same sign? How could it be a memorial of an event before that
event occurred?

Gen. 2:3 says only that God Himself rested on the seventh day,
then it says that is why He blessed and sanctified it. But
it does not tell

when He began to require men to
keep it, nor who was required to keep it. Remember this
was written by Moses many years after Israel left Egypt and had
been given the Sabbath. He mentions the Sabbath in connection
with Creation so men would see the

purpose of it, not
necessarily to explain when people began to keep it.
Similar language is found in Gen. 3:20 and Matt. 10:4.

Everlasting laws vs. other laws.

Some say the Sabbath is still in effect because Ex. 31:16,17
says it was to be kept "forever," "everlasting,"
"perpetual."

But this passage also says the Sabbath was a sign only between
God and Israel, so why bind it today on other people? And this
"everlasting" law required people to be killed for
violating it. If the law is still in effect today, the punishment
must also be in effect. To fail to keep any part of the law is to
admit the law is not binding.

The Hebrew terms "forever," "everlasting,"
etc., do not necessarily mean a thing has no end. This is proved
by many other practices which God said were "forever,"
but which definitely have ceased.

Examples are: the Passover (Ex. 12:14); incense (Ex. 30:8);
feast days (Lev. 23:14,21,31,41); animal sacrifices (Lev. 16:29-34;
6:19-23; 2 Chron. 2:4); Levitical priesthood (Ex. 40:15; 29:9,26-28;
28:40-43; Num. 25:13; Deut. 18:5); tabernacle worship (Ex. 27:21;
30:8,17-21; Lev. 24:5-9); circumcision (Gen. 17:9-14); all God's
commands (Psa. 111:7; 119:151,152,160). If these practices could
cease though they were "forever," why cannot the Sabbath have ceased?

"Forever" in these passages means something would
last an indefinite period of time - "age lasting." The
context of Ex. 31:13,16 defines this further to mean "throughout
Israel's generations." This expression proves these
practices, including the Sabbath, have all ceased because
Israel's generations as God's chosen nation have ceased (see
notes above).

All attempts to bind parts of the Old Testament today are
doomed to fail. We will confirm this conclusion as we proceed.

B. The Verses Already Studied Prove that All
the Law Was Removed, Including the Ten Commands.

Let us review the passages we used earlier to show the Old
Testament was removed. We will show how each one proves that even
the Ten Commands and the Sabbath were removed.

Hebrews chapters 7-10

Jesus took away the covenant which God made with Israel when
He led them out of Egypt (8:9; 10:9,10). This covenant is viewed
as

one covenant, the first covenant (8:7,13; 9:1,15,18; 10:9).
It was not two covenants, one removed and the other remaining.
What did this first covenant include?

Hebrews 9:18-20 - The first covenant was dedicated by blood
and included every command spoken by Moses. Ex. 24:3-8
explains more fully and shows this included

all the words
the Lord spoke (v3,4,7), including the Ten Commands given in Ex.
20:3-17.

Hebrews 9:1-4 - The covenant which was removed included the tables
of the covenant inside the ark of the covenant. This clearly
means the Ten Commands - Ex. 34:27,28; Deut. 4:13; 5:2,22; 9:9,11.

2 Corinthians 3:6-11

The old covenant would "pass away," in contrast to
the new covenant that would "remain." The covenant that
would pass away was written and engraved on stones (v7). But this
means the Ten Commands, as shown in the verses above.

Further, Moses' face shone so he had to wear a veil when he
delivered this law (v7,13). But Ex. 34:27-35 shows this happened
when he delivered the Ten Commands. So the old covenant that
passed away included the Ten Commands.

Galatians chapters 3-5

The law brought men to Christ, but we are no longer under that
law (3:24,25; 5:4). Which law? The one given 430 years after the
promise to Abraham (3:17). Ex. 12:41 shows this was when Israel
left Egypt. Hence, this is the

one

covenant given at Mt.
Sinai (Gal. 4:24), which we have already proved includes the Ten
Commands.

The law removed includes "all things written in the book
of the Law" (3:10). But Hebrews 9:18-20 and Ex. 24:3-8
showed that this included the Ten Commands.

If we bind part of the law, we are debtors to keep the whole
law (5:3). The law is a whole. You cannot take part and leave
part. You must take it all or none. If we take it, we fall from
grace (5:2,3,4).

Romans 7:1-7

We are discharged from the law like a woman is freed from a
dead husband. So it is spiritual adultery to try to practice both
the old law and the law of Christ. From what law are we freed?
The one that commands "Thou shalt not covet" (v7). But
this is one of the Ten Commands. Hence, we are free from the Ten
Commands.

Ephesians 2:11-18

Jesus abolished the law that was a wall of partition between
Jew and Gentile. We already showed that this law included the Ten
Commands, which were a wall between Jew and Gentile because God
gave them to the Jews but not the Gentiles. Likewise, the Sabbath was
a sign of God's special relation with Israel (Ex. 31:13-17).

Had Jesus left the Ten Commands or the Sabbath in effect, He
would have left a barrier between Jew and Gentile. To accomplish
His purpose, He had to remove the Sabbath and the Ten Commands.

Colossians 2:13-17

Jesus removed the ordinances, so we need not keep the laws
regarding foods, holy days, or the Sabbath (2:16). But the Sabbath was
one of the Ten Commands. Hence, all the Old Testament
laws were removed, including the Ten Commands and the Sabbath.

Some claim "Sabbath" here refers only to the annual
feast days because the Greek word is plural. However "Sabbath"
in the plural often refers to the seventh day: Ex. 31:13; Luke 4:16;
23:54; Acts 13:14; 16:13; Matt. 24:20; etc. In Matt. 12:1-14 and
Luke 13:10-17, the plural and singular forms are used
interchangeably referring to the seventh day. The Greek
Septuagint uses the plural in the Ten Commands in Ex. 20:8 and
Deut. 5:12 just like Col. 2:16.

The New Testament refers to the Sabbath 59 times. Not one of
these instances can be shown to exclude the seventh-day Sabbath.

In fact, Col. 2:16 lists the Sabbath separately from the new
moons and the feast days purposely to specify the seventh day in

addition
to the feast days. This is exactly like the Old Testament verses
1 Chron. 23:31; 2 Chron. 2:4; 8:13; 31:3; Neh. 10:33; and Ezek.
45:17.

Col. 2:14-16 specifically identifies the Sabbath as a practice
that has been blotted out. People today must not require us to
keep the dietary laws, the holy days, or the seventh-day Sabbath.

Matthew 5:17,18

Jesus fulfilled the law so that it passed away. What did this
include? It included the law and the prophets, every jot and
tittle. Clearly that includes the Ten Commands and the Sabbath.

There is no proof that any part of the law is binding now. The
law was a unit and could not be partly removed. Jesus had to
remove it all. We cannot go to the Old Law to authorize any
practice now.

Part III: What Law Should We Obey Now?

Some people ask, "If the 10 Commands were removed,
wouldn't that make it all right to steal, lie, murder, etc.?"
So consider what the Bible says about the law we today should
follow.

A. Today We Must Obey the New Testament.

The reason the Old Covenant is not needed now is that
Jesus replaced it with a different covenant, the gospel.

Hebrews 10:9,10 - Jesus took away the first will that He
might establish the second. (cf. Heb. 8:6-9; 7:22; 2 Cor. 3:6)

Romans 7:4 - We are freed from the law to be joined to
Christ.

Galatians 3:24-27 - We are not under the schoolmaster (old law)
because now the gospel faith has come (cf. 1:11,12).

An illustration: The area we now call the United States was
once ruled by Britain, then it was under the Articles of
Confederation, and now we are under the Constitution. Likewise
God provided for man first the patriarchal rule, then the laws at
Sinai, and now the gospel or New Testament. We are no more
subject to the Old Testament laws than we are to the Articles of
Confederation.

This change occurred as a result of the death of Jesus.

Colossians 2:14 - He nailed the first ordinances to His cross.

Ephesians 2:13-16 - He abolished the old law by His blood.

Hebrews 9:16,17 - As with any will or testament, Jesus had to
die to bring His testament into force. The old law was in effect
until Jesus died, then it was replaced by the gospel. (Cf. Gal. 3:13;
Rom. 7:4)

This New Testament contains commands we must obey.

Matthew 28:18-20 - Jesus possesses all authority so we must
obey all His commands.

1 Corinthians 14:37 - The gospel contains the commands of the
Lord.

1 Corinthians 9:20,21 - Though Paul was not under the law of
the Jews, he was not without law but was under law to Christ.

James 1:18,25 - The gospel is the perfect law of liberty, by
which we will be judged (John 12:48; cf. 1 Pet. 1:22-25; Rom. 6:17,18;
Acts 3:20-23; Isa. 2:1-4).

God did not remove the old law so that we might be without law
but so that we would serve Him under the terms of the New
Testament. There are commands for us to obey, but these are the
commands of the New Testament, not those of the Old Testament.

The New Testament will never be replaced by any law on
earth.

Even while the Old Testament was in effect, God planned
eventually to replace it. Will the New Testament also be replaced
by some other system of commands for men on earth?

2 Corinthians 3:6-11 - The first covenant passed away so that
it could be replaced by that which remains (does not pass
away).

Hebrews 12:27,28 (cf. v18-29) - The law given at Sinai was
shaken (removed) that it might be replaced by another (the New
Testament) which will never be shaken but will remain.

The reason the Old Testament had to be replaced was that its
sacrifices could not permanently remove guilt. The New Testament
has the sacrifice of Jesus, which can remove all sins so they are
remembered no more (Heb. 10:1-18; 7:11-28; 8:6-9; 9:11-28; Rom. 1:16;
Mark 16:15,16). So there is no reason for God to remove it.

Jude 3 - The gospel faith was delivered to the saints once
("once for all" - NKJV, ASV). This word "once"
is also used for Jesus' death in contrast to animal sacrifices (Heb.
10:10-14; 7:27; 9:12,25-28). Animals had to be repeatedly offered
because they could not permanently remove guilt. Jesus offered
the perfect sacrifice that need not be replaced by anything else.
Likewise, the gospel is given to men "once." It is
God's last word to man. It is so perfect, it will never be
changed nor replaced by God while the world stands.

B. Some New Testament Commands Are Similar to
Old Testament Commands, but Others Are Not.

Nine of the Ten Commands are repeated in the New Testament.

1. No God but Jehovah - 1 Cor. 8:4; Acts 14:15

2. No graven images - Gal. 5:19-21; Rom. 1:22,23; 1 John 5:21

3. Don't take God's name in vain - James 5:12

4. Remember the Sabbath. This command is the only one of the
ten that is nowhere repeated in the New Testament. The only Sabbath
rest promised in the New Testament is eternal life (Heb.
4:9-11).

5. Honor your parents - Eph. 6:2,3

6. Do not kill - Rom. 13:8-10

7. Do not commit adultery - Rom. 13:8-10; 1 Cor. 6:9,10

8. Do not steal - Rom. 13:8-10; Eph. 4:28

9. Do not bear false witness - Rev. 21:8; 22:15; Col. 3:9

10. Do not covet - Rom. 13:8-10; Eph. 5:3.

We obey the commands that are repeated in the New Testament,
not because they were in the Old Testament, but because they are
in the New Testament.

Many New Testament practices differ from the Old Testament.

OLD
TESTAMENT NEW
TESTAMENT

Animal
sacrifices Sacrifice of
Jesus (Heb. 10:9ff)

Human high
priest Jesus is high
priest (Heb. 9:11f)

Physical
temple Spiritual
temple (1 Cor. 3:16)

Fleshly
circumcision Heart
circumcision (Rom. 2:28f)

Instrumental
music (Psa. 150) Singing (Eph.
5:19; Col. 3:16)

Tithing (Heb.
7:5) Give as
prospered (1 Cor. 16:1f)

Sabbath &
holy days First day (Acts
20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1,2)

Compare Rom. 7:2-6 - A woman is not subject to the authority
of two husbands at once. If her first husband dies, the
expectations of her second husband may be in some ways different
from, and in some ways similar to, those of her first husband. If
she does things similar to what she used to, it is because of
what the second husband wants, not because of what the first
husband wanted.

Likewise we are under the New Covenant, not the Old Covenant.
The laws are in some ways similar and in some ways different (cf.
Heb. 8:9). But none of the requirements of the First Covenant
have any power now. Wherein the laws are different, we follow the
second covenant, not the first. Wherein the laws are similar, we
obey, not because the first law said to, but because the New
Covenant says to.

C. Specifically Our Special Day of Worship Is
the First Day of the Week, Not the Seventh.

Many major gospel events occurred on the first day of the
week:

Jesus arose from the dead (Mark 16:9; Matt. 28:1,6; etc.).

Jesus first appeared to prove He had been raised (John 20:19;
Mark 16:2,9; Matt. 28:1,6-10; etc.).

The Holy Spirit came on the apostles, the gospel was first
preached, people first obeyed, and the church began, all on
Pentecost, which was a first day of the week (Acts chap. 2; cf.
Lev. 23:15,16).

All these major events occurred on the first day of the week.
What event of major New Testament significance ever occurred on
the seventh day of the week? None. It should not surprise us,
therefore, to see special significance for the first day of the
week in the New Testament church.

In the New Testament, Christians took up the collection
and met for the Lord's supper on the first day of the week.

1 Corinthians 16:1,2 - The church was commanded to take up the
collection on the first day of the week. What passage tells the
church to take up collections on the seventh day?

Acts 20:7 - The church assembled regularly to have the Lord's
supper (Acts 2:42; Heb. 10:25; 1 Cor. 11:17,18,20). When did they
do so? On the first day of the week. The

time of day is
not the issue here but rather the day of the week

. The
passage says "first day of the week," and cannot
possibly mean the "seventh day of the week."

Some say "break bread" can refer to a common meal.
But the phrase is often used for the Lord's supper (Matt. 26:26;
Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 10:16; 11:23,24; Acts 2:42). We
know Acts 20:7 refers to the Lord's supper because the context
clearly shows this was a worship assembly. Paul, who preached on
this occasion, had already taught that only the Lord's supper,
not common meals, should be eaten in the worship assembly (1 Cor.
11:17-34).

The significance of the day is also implied by the fact Paul
waited 7 says to meet on the first day with the disciples (Acts 20:6,7).
But he was in a hurry (v16), so much so that he left at daylight
the next day even though he had been up all night with the church
(v11).

If the church had met on the seventh day of the week to break
bread, Paul could have saved all this trouble and left a day
earlier. If the seventh day is the special day for Christian
worship, and the first day has no significance, why is the first
day mentioned but the seventh day is not? And why did Paul go to
so much trouble to meet with the church on the first day?

The only day authorized for the New Testament church to have
the Lord's supper and the collection is the first day of the week.
No passage anywhere in the Bible authorizes the church to do
these things on the seventh day.

Some claim Jesus and Paul kept the Sabbath.

Jesus lived under the Old Testament law (Gal. 4:4), so of
course He kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16; etc.). As we already
learned, the law was not removed until He died.

He also was circumcised (Luke 2:21), had animals offered for
him (Luke 2:22-24), taught others to offer animals (Matt. 8:4;
Mark 1:44; Luke 2:22ff; cf. Lev. 14:1-32), observed feast days (Luke
2:41f; Matt. 26:17ff), and showed great zeal for the physical
temple (John 2:13-17). He taught others to observe all things
taught by those who sat in Moses' seat (Matt. 23:2,4). Are we
today required to do all these because He did them?

But there is no evidence that Paul or any other inspired man
observed the Sabbath as obedience to Divine commandment after
Jesus' death. The passages used to "prove" he did are
all referring to assemblies of

unconverted Jews (Acts
13:14,42,44; 15:20,21; 16:13; 17:1-3; 18:4f). Not one of these
refers to worship of

Christians like Acts 20:7 and
1 Cor. 16:1,2 refer to on the first day of the week.

The passages say Paul attended Jewish synagogues for the
purpose of teaching the Jews who had assembled (Acts
13:5,14-16ff,42,44; 14:1; 17:1-3; 18:4,5). Jews kept the Sabbath,
as they had for generations (Acts 15:20,21), because they did not
believe the Old Testament had been removed. Their assemblies
offered Paul an opportunity to teach, but no passage says he
thought he was required to observe the Sabbath. We have already
cited several verses showing Paul taught that the law, including
the Sabbath, is not binding.

Using an opportunity to teach is not the same as observing a
religious day. Apostles taught other times and places too (Acts 5:42;
17:17,22; 19:9f; 20:7,31). Does this mean we must observe these
times and places religiously? If Sabbath-keepers will allow us,
we will attend their Sabbath meetings to teach them, but we would
not be observing the Sabbath. (If they attended our assembly on
Sunday to teach us their views, would that prove they were Sunday
keepers?)

Sabbath-keepers sometimes belittle our evidence for the first
day of the week, but we can see the strength of this evidence
when we compare it to the "proof" offered for keeping
the seventh day. If Acts 20:7 and 1 Cor. 16:1,2 mentioned the
seventh day instead of the first day, you can be sure Sabbath-keepers
would consider them to be very convincing verses!

We do not say the first day of the week is the "Christian Sabbath." A
Sabbath is a day of rest and no New Testament
passage tells us to rest on any particular day. There is no
"Christian Sabbath," but the first day is a special day
on which we do acts of worship that are authorized for no other
day.

For a more detailed study regarding the first day of
the week, please go to our Bible Instruction web site at

www.gospelway.com/instruct/
and study there our free article about the day for the Lord's Supper. Or see the
links at the end of this page below.

Conclusion

The Bible teaches that the entire Old Testament law was
removed by God. None of it is binding today as authority for any
religious practice, and that includes the Sabbath and Ten
Commands.

We now live under the New Testament. Every practice for the
church must be authorized by the gospel. If no authority can be
found in the gospel for a practice, then it should be abandoned
regardless of whether or not it was practiced in the Old
Testament.

The New Covenant is a better system,
having a better hope, and built on better promises (Heb. 7:22; 8:6;
9:23; 7:19). Do not become entangled again in the bondage of the
Old Law