What is the difference between the Jewish Sabbath and the Christian Sabbath?

Answer 1

Christian AnswerBased on the Old Testament, the Israelites were told to keep the Sabbath holy. Traditionally this is from just before sunset on a Friday to about an hour after sunset on Saturday, this was in line with the old covenant with God, thus the "Jewish Sabbath" is a Saturday.

As a Christian however, there is no biblical evidence in the New Testament that states that a Sabbath day should be maintained. However, it is TRADITION that we keep at least one day for God and was made to be Sunday as it is known as the "first day of the week" which also represents the day of Jesus' resurrection.

Furthermore, as a Catholic Christian, you are obligated to attend mass on a Sunday which by canon law has been chosen to be the Sabbath. No where in The Bible does it mention Sunday, the first day of the week as the Sabbath. The Ten Commandments were and will NEVER be changed!

Christian AnswerThe main difference of the Sabbath today between Jews and Christians is when is the Sabbath? The Jewish Sabbath is traditionally from Friday night to Saturday night. The Christian Sabbath traditionally is Sunday. However, Sabbath literally refers to a "Day of Rest". For the Jews and Christians, taking a Sabbath is a "lost art." There is only ONE Sabbath for everyone. The 7th day of the week is Sabbath. (Saturday) Christian AnswerThere is not a Jewish, nor a Christian Sabbath! All of mankind should be keeping the Sabbath, which is Saturday! Sabbath was made at creation, years and years before any Jews came about. [though Jews do not believe that non-Jews are obligated to celebrate it].

On the 7th day God ceased from all of His work, as recorded in Genesis (2:2-3). This is the only day that God set aside and made Holy, and which he blessed. "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made."

In the 4th commandment (Exodus 20:8-11) we are clearly informed:

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Mark 2:27 says, ".....The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Hebrew 4:4-10 says, (4) "For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all His works. (5) And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. (6) Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: (7) Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. (8) For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. (9) There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. (10) For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His.

Christian AnswerActually there is a difference. A Jew takes there day of rest on the Saturday because they don't believe in the New Testament, but in the New Testament Jesus changed the day, because He rose again on the third day, a Sunday, and that's when God changed that we worship to a Sunday.

Jewish Answer

The Commandment in the Torah to keep Shabbat is only binding on Jews, and those who dwell within the Jewish community. Jews believe that Christians and other non-Jews have no obligation to keep Shabbat.

It is a day of bounty, festive food, rest. prayer, and study. Traditional Jews do not engage in 39 tasks (The Jewish definition of work).

Non-Traditional Jews may not follow the same laws, but they honor Shabbat in different ways, such as making time for family, and avoiding stressful situations.

Most practicing Jews, Orthodox or not, go to synagogue on Shabbat, either on Friday night, Saturday morning/afternoon, or both. Orthodox Jews may also go again in the evening, or they may do the evening prayers at home.

Shabbat is a palace in time.

Shabbat is a taste of the World to Come.

Shabbat ends with a short, beautiful ceremony on Saturday at sunset, called Havdalah (הבדלה) which involves a braided candle, a cup of wine, and a box of sweet smelling spices. At the end of the Ceremony we wish each other Shavua Tov! (a good week!).

Answer 2

The Jewish Sabbath is the day of the week that Israel observed as commanded in the Ten Commandments ("Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy"). This day was chosen based on the idea that God rested on the last day of the week - Saturday - and Jews celebrate this day by resting and worshiping.

The "Lord's Day" can refer to the day that Jesus Christ was resurrected, which the New Testament states occurred on the first day of the week (and Christians decided that meant Sunday). In the latter half of the second century, the "Acts of Peter" identifies the Day of the Lord as being the day after Sabbath, i.e. the Day of the Lord is Sunday and the Sabbath is Saturday.

The Day of the Lord can also refer to Judgment Day or the end of the world according to the Old Testament.

The basic difference, then, is that Jewish religion celebrates the day of the week that God rested after his labors and Christian religion celebrates the day of the week that Christ was resurrected.

Answer 3

In scripture, there is none,because only one day is ever mentioned as the Lord's Day and that is the Sabbath,which the scriptures only ever point to as the seventh day of the week.

Mt:12:8: For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

Gen:2:2: And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

Gen:2:3: And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Ex:16:26: Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.

Ex:20:8-11:

8: Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9: Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Luke:23:50-5;24:1-7:

50: And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just:

51: (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.

52: This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.

53: And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.

54: And that day was the preparation(Good Friday), and the sabbath(Saturday) drew on.

55: And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.

56: And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.

1: Now upon the first day(Easter Sunday) of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

2: And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

3: And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

4: And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

5: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

6: He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

7: Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

But wasn't it changed after the resurrection to Sunday?

There are no scriptures that suggest any such thing.In fact, Jesus predicted the Sabbath would be in effect long after his departure.

Mt:24:20: But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

So there are no changes to the Sabbath day?

Mt:5:18: For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Lk:16:17: And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

In fact, many years after Jesus ascension the disciples still kept the Sabbath.

Acts:13:27: For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.

Isn't the Sabbath for Jewish people only?

NO.

Mk:2:27: And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

It was established at creation,when there was as of yet no such tribal distinctions.

Gen:2:2: And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

Gen:2:3: And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

In fact, many newly converted Gentile believers kept the Sabbath.

Acts:13:42: And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

Acts:13:44: And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God

Acts:18:4: And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

But what about that verse that says the following:

Colossians:2:16:

16: Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

Read the next verse.

17: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come!?

Gen:2:2: And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

Gen:2:3: And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Again, the seventh day Sabbath was made at Creation, before sin entered the world,which means it couldn't be a shadow, or type, of Christ to come(like sacrifices)because it was introduced before sin.All the types,symbols,and shadows of the coming lamb of God were introduced later because of sin.

So to what Sabbaths is the verse referring?

There were many yearly,and other Sabbaths introduced later.

Lev:23:24: Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.

Lev:23:39: Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.

Lev:25:4: But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

All of these Sabbaths were introduced later and were figures or types of the things to come.

Does it really matter which day is the Sabbath?I mean as long as I show up one day a week that fine--right?

Jn:14:15: If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Jn:14:21: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

1Jn:3:4: Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

What about that verse in Romans:14:5-6:

5: One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

6: He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

We must be careful not to twist Paul's writing to suit our own whims like Peter warns:

2Pt:3:16: As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Paul is clearly talking about judging one other(just read a little further down and it becomes evident)

Rom:14:4: Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be Holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

Rom:14:10: But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

Rom:14:13: Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

In conclusion,let us rest from our study with this thought--if God wanted to change a commandment that he personally wrote on the tables of stone,that He and his disciples(Jewish and Gentile) kept,and that He said would be kept in heaven(see verses below)wouldn't He have made a direct command for such a change? Why wouldn't He leave clear words saying:"I changed the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day."Why would he repeat several times that the commandments would not change.

Mt:5:18: For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

"For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord." Isaiah 66:22, 23.

Answer:If you read the Bible, the whole system of the Law of Moses was to the Jew. There is nothing written that requires the Gentiles to observe any of the Law unless they wish to become a Jew or unless they live in the house of a Jew. Even after the Holy Spirit was given, some of the believers which were Jewish, told the Gentiles they were required to follow the Moses Law but Peter and the others said the Gentiles should not be burdened with something no one had been able to live with (the Law) and only required them to abstain from fornication, offerings to idols, things strangled and blood. There were no other expectations placed upon the Gentiles in regard to the Law. There can be no doubt that someone will say " if you do not have the law then does that mean you can murder, steal, commit adultery and etc?" The answer is simple:believers have the spirit of Christ within them and it is written that a person's actions come from the abundance of the heart, so with the spirit of Christ in your heart you will not do those evil deeds because Christ would not do those things. There is much which could be written here concerning the passing of the covenant God made with Israel and the establishment of the new covenant but this reply is just to show a difference between the Jewish Sabbath and the Christian gathering on Sunday.