As part of His messianic mission, Jesus came to see that the principles established by the Old Testament Scriptures (the laws governing Old Covenant Judaism) are faithfully obeyed (Isa 2:1-3; Mic 4:1-3; Mat 5:17-20) according to their transformation as a result of His ministry (i.e., their application in New Covenant Judaism; e.g., Isa 66:21 [Exo 28:1,40-43; Num 3:1-3] w/Heb 7:11-22, 28). This includes those principles established by the various Sabbath commands (days, harvest season festivals and years): 1) Hardship relief (Exo 20:8-11 and Lev 25:1-55 w/Heb 4:9-11 and Mat 12:12). 2) Holy convocation w/rejoicing (Lev 23:1, 7-8, 21, 24, 27, 35-37 w/Heb 10:25; Psa 92 w/Col 3:16). 3) Reciprocation (Exo 23:14-19 w/Heb 7:1-10; 1Co 16:1-2). 4) Covenant renewal (Lev 23:1-44 w/Luk 22:19-20).

That being said, what changes have been made to the Sabbath under New Covenant Judaism? And why the change?

1. What? Our observance of the Sabbath principles are no longer tied to the day of Saturday, the festivals of Passover, Pentecost and Yom Kippur or the 7th and 50th year of Jubilee. 

1.1. (Gal 4:9-11 “elemental things”) = Superficial forms of discipline able to teach but not transform (see v1-3; 1Ti 4:8). Paul’s mention of more than just days indicate his prohibition to include all the various Sabbatical times and dates in Scripture (“days [Saturdays] and months and seasons [months associated w/harvest season festivals: 1st of the month for Passover or Spring harvest; 3rd month for Pentecost or Summer harvest; 7th month for Yom Kippur or Fall harvest] and years [7th and 50th Jubilee]).

1.2. (Col 2:16-17) “act as your judge” = Condemn you; “shadow” = In form only [it was superficial] without the real power or substance [of its spiritual reality]; Hence 2:23). Paul’s encouragement to essentially ignore condemnation for things including the Sabbath only becomes relevant if the Colossians were not observing such commands according to their OC applications (Saturdays, Passover, Pentecost and Yom Kippur, 7th and 50th year jubilees).

1.3. PNTM: Though the Sabbath commands remain intact (Mat 5:17-18), Paul not only views them as no longer tied to Saturday, the Festivals or Jubilee, but strongly warns against finding any soteriological value in their former application (Gal 4:11; Col 2:23).

2. Why? Because the locus of our Savior God’s identity is no longer the original or old Creation.

2.1. The main reason God makes Israel observe the seventh day Sabbath was to make sure they remembered that their deliverance from their slavery not only to the Egyptians but more importantly, their false gods (whom they were guilty of serving – Jos 24:15) was because He and He alone was the true Creator of the universe (Deu 5:15) = The phrase “by an outstretched arm” (in Deu 5:15) is believed to be a reference to the ten plagues (Exo 7:5, 15:12) – which according to scholars, served a dual – yet related purpose: 1) to reveal Yhwh as the true and only Creator God of the universe, 2) to expose Egypt’s creator gods as demonic frauds (Exo 7:4-5, 14:31). For example:

1) As a demonstration of God’s sovereignty (or ownership over Creation), the first eight plagues function as a sort of reversal of those things created on the six days of Creation (1st plague w/Gen 1:10 -bodies of water filled with life; 2nd, 3rd and 4th plagues w/Gen 1:20, 22, 24 w/28 – the animals of the sea, the land and the air wb ruled by man; 5th plague w/Gen 2:18-20 – domestic animals to help man; 6th plague w/Gen 1:28 man blessed w/good health; 7th and 8th plague w/Gen 1:12, 29 – an abundance of fruits and veggies for food).

2) The ninth plague (darkness you can feel – Exo 10:21) communicated what (then) remains – or may be claimed as home by those choosing false gods, the darkness of de-creation and chaos that existed before Yhwh’s ordering presence and power (Gen 1:2).

3) The tenth plague (death of the firstborn) includes also “first-born gods” – a term used by the Egyptians to refer to their creator gods - Atum-Ra and his 8 children, the Ennead (e.g., Egyptian coffin texts and the Cannibal Hymn, “It is the king who will be judged with Him-whose-name-is-hidden on that day of slaying the first born [gods]” [The Priests of Ancient Egypt]).

4) Just as God created the universe by uttering 10 blessings (Gen 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 28, 29) so He also destroys the “universe of Egypt” (her gods, people, animals, resources, etc) by uttering curses/plagues.

“At the end of the narrative in Exodus, Israel looks back over the stilled water of the Sea at a land with no people, no animals, no vegetation, a land in which creation has been undone. Israel is convinced that her redeemer is the Lord of all creation. He who had just reduced order to chaos was the same as he who had previously ordered the chaos.” – Ziony Zevit (“Three Ways To Look At The Ten Plagues”)[1]

2.2. What (then) was being communicated through OC Israel’s observance of the seventh-day Sabbath as a holiday (i.e., a day off from work to rest, convocate, reciprocate and renew the covenant): Israel’s Savior from slavery to false gods (the creator gods of Egypt – Jos 24:15; Exo 12:16; Num 33:1-4) is Yhwh, the (true and only) God of Creation.

2.3. For NC Israel however it is different. Though Yhwh is still our Savior from slavery to false gods (Jesus is the Yhwh Who led OC Israel out of Egypt – Jud 1:5), His locus of identity is no longer the original (or old) Creation – but the New Creation:

1) Another important part of Jesus’ messianic mission was to usher in the new Creation (i.e., the new heavens and the new earth) (Isa 11:1 w/6-10 = Language related to the new heavens and earth [Isa 65:17-25]).

2) Delivering people into the new Creation was the goal of Jesus’ salvific ministry (Joh 10:9-11) “life abundantly” = Life as a new creation (Tit 3:5-6 “He saved us…by the washing of regeneration” = Propitiation resulting in new creation (Mat 19:28 “In the regeneration” = The new Creation) = Salvation means that our spirits have not only been cleansed but replaced with those fit for the coming new heavens and earth (Rev 21-22). IOW: we have become a new creation for the new Creation – the ultimate goal of our salvation! This is also what Jesus is getting at when He speaks about the new birth (Joh 3:3) = We must be born a new creation to enter the new Creation to come.

3) Accordingly, those saved under the New Covenant exist as the evidence that the new Creation has already begun - and likewise, that the old Creation is passing away (i.e., it is in its final stage or “last days” ; Act 2:17; Heb 1:2 = Last days of the old Creation) (2Co 5:17; Rom 8:18-21 = The “revealing of the sons of God” [those saved under the NC] marks the beginning of the New Creation [“the glory of the children of God”])

4) For this reason also, Jesus’ resurrection is considered the “first fruits” or beginning of this new Creation age (1Co 15:20) “first fruits of those asleep” = The beginning of the resurrection age – the consummation and fully realized new Creation – the new heavens and the new earth (again Mat 22:30 and Rev 21-22).[2]

2.4. PNTM: Jesus (Yhwh) our Savior – or the salvation He offers to us (NC Israel) is associated with the new Creation (and no longer the old). As such, our Sabbath day commemoration should not take place on the seventh day - the day commemorating the old Creation, but the first day - the day commemorating the beginning of a new Creation (Gen 1:2) and the reason Christ rose on Sunday.

2.5. That observing the Sabbath associated with the new Creation (i.e., Sunday) is now what matters to God and our salvation is confirmed by Paul in (Gal 6:14-16) What Paul is saying: those things (“circumcision”) associated with Old Covenant Israel – and the old Creation (“the world” [this old Creation]), no longer benefit us with respect to salvation – or the message about the God we serve. Therefore, “in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (or, thru the salvation of Yhwh under the New Covenant)…the world (the old Creation associated w/OC Israel) has been crucified to me, and I to [that] world.” IOW: my association to OC Israel/old Creation no longer matters to God. What now matters is the “new creation” (i.e., what was ushered in thru the salvation of Jesus) because this (the new creation) is the new identity of “the Israel of God.”

“It [is] clearly only a short theological step to point out that just as the Sabbath commemorated creation (Exo 20:11), so the first day of the week, through its association with the Resurrection, could be seen as a memorial of the new creation.” – A.T. Lincoln (Form Sabbath To Lord’s Day)

2.6. Though condemned by OC Jews as completely novel, OT precedent does exist for observing the Sabbath on the first day (Sunday) (Exo 12:16).

2.7. Evidence of the early church’s observance of the Sabbath on the first day (Sunday): 1) (Rev 1:10) “Lord’s day”= Day that is the property of God – i.e., the Sabbath (Exo 20:8-11). However, John’s use the Greek term kurios (Lord) more than likely refers to Christ given the context (v8 “Lord God” = Jesus Christ). Assuming this then to be John’s intended use, implies that there is a double meaning behind his words (and possibly why he says, “Lord’s day” instead of “Sabbath”). John is identifying Sunday (the day the “Lord” Jesus rose from the grave) as the new Sabbath.[3] 2) (Act 20:7-11) = There are several Sabbath principles being observed at this “first day” event that support viewing it as a Sunday Sabbath celebration: (2.1.) covenant renewal through the LT (“break bread”). (2.2.) holy convocation (those “gathered together” must be saved individuals since their purpose for doing so is the LT and teaching – both signs that this is a house church – the NC equivalent of the OC synagogue- and Paul’s typical point of contact; See e.g., 20:17-20 [Col 4:15; Phm 1:2]). Scholars agree that these Sabbath observing activities more than likely took place on Saturday evening – the beginning of Sunday or the first day (per the evening-to-evening identification of days in Genesis). Hence the reason for the “many lamps” and Paul’s message lasting until “midnight.” [4]  This (too) lends support to this being a Sunday Sabbath observance given that in the first century, Saturday remained the only day-off in the Roman Empire making Sunday mornings – at least initially, impractical[5] – or even impossible (e.g., slavery; hence Mat 11:25-30). 3) (1Co 16:1-2) = The freewill offering was typically reserved for the Sabbath festivals (Deu 12:5-6). Paul’s instruction regarding the “first day” in this respect strongly suggests he now views this day (Sunday) as the new Sabbath established for such practice. 4) (Act 2:42-47) = Observance of all four of the established Sabbath principles can be found in these verses (covenant renewal – 42, 46; holy convocation w/rejoicing – 44, 46-47; reciprocation– 45 [4:37]; hardship relief – 45). The phrase “day by day” in (v46) infers that the activities which follow extend from one day into the next. In this case, Saturday worship in the “temple” followed by Sunday evening in observance of all but one of the aforementioned Sabbath principles (hardship relief) in the various house churches (“one mind in the temple [on Saturday] and [then] breaking bread from house to house [etc., on Sunday evening].”). This understanding of “day by day” (Saturday into Sunday) finds additional support when considered in relation to (v47) = People were being “saved” (through baptism) on Saturday at temple followed by more on Sunday evening at the house churches (e.g., v41 = People were baptized [saved] immediately following Peter’s Pentecost message at the temple).

CLOSING CONTEMPLATION: 1) What did Jesus do that justified the change in application for capital crimes? 2) Why does Paul teach that it is okay to cook on the (Sunday) Sabbath?

[1] Consider also, “In ancient Israelite traditions, the Exodus narrative is not understood as being entirely distinct from the Creation story; and a strict separation between the two should not be made…They are two expressions of a single national story…the central concern is the [creation/redemption] of the people of God.” – David W. Pao (Acts and the Isaianic New Exodus)

[2] Resurrection, regeneration, new birth and new creation are near-synonyms (e.g. Mat 22:30 w/Mat 19:28). Hence why our regeneration can be spoken of as a type of resurrection (Rom 6:4; See also Eph 1:19-20 w/2:5-6).

[3] By the 2nd century, “Lord’s Day” as a reference to Sunday was its almost exclusive use among the early church Fathers and writings (e.g., Ignatius, Clement, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Didache, Epistle of Barnabas, Acts of Peter, Gospel of Peter, Acts of Paul)

[4] “Luke’s pattern regarding time periods and seasons, and his repeated use of Jewish time markers tells us this event likely happened on a Saturday night, after a day-long gathering on the Sabbath.” -  Denis Fortin (“Paul’s Observance of the Sabbath in Acts of the Apostles as a Marker of Continuity Between Judaism and Early Christianity”)

[5] The Epistles of Pliny (early 2nd c.) indicate that those wanting to worship on Sunday mornings were forced to meet before dawn due to work.