The Sabbath functioned as the sign, seal, and token of the Mosaic Covenant. As long as that covenant remained in effect, the Sabbath law was obligatory for Israel. However, since the Law of Moses has been rendered inoperative through the work of Christ, the Sabbath command is no longer binding. This view acknowledges that the entire Mosaic system, including its covenantal signs, has been set aside.

Despite this, Covenant Theologians continue to insist that the Law of Moses remains in effect and, therefore, maintain that the Sabbath law must still be observed. (This is the view of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but they maintain Sabbath observance on Saturday) However, this application of the Sabbath is inconsistent with what the Mosaic Law actually prescribes. While the Law of Moses mandates Sabbath observance on the seventh day of the weekly cycle, most within Covenant Theology shift the observance to Sunday, a change that the Mosaic Law does not permit. This alteration highlights the inconsistency of their approach—insisting on the ongoing authority of the law while simultaneously modifying its requirements to fit their theological system.

Similarly, some Jewish believers, as well as the Seventh-day Adventist Church, argue that Sabbath observance is still mandatory. However, unlike Covenant Theologians, they at least retain its observance on the proper day—Saturday, the seventh day of the week cycle. (This article doesn’t engage in the calendar issues of maintaining that the Greco-Roman calendar day Saturday is the same day of the Sabbath in the Lunar Calendar system the Israelite nation followed.  For a detailed look at this, please check out the Sabbath Research Center Blog) Yet even their reasoning is flawed, as it is often based on the premise that the Law of Moses is still in effect for Jewish believers, a claim that lacks biblical support.

One of the most telling aspects of the argument for mandatory Sabbath observance is its heavy reliance on Old Testament passages. The reason for this is simple—there is no New Testament command that requires believers, whether Jewish or Gentile, to keep the Sabbath. Nowhere in the New Covenant Scriptures is Sabbath observance reaffirmed as a requirement for believers. On the contrary, the New Testament actually teaches the opposite. Paul explicitly states in Colossians 2:16–17,

“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Colossians 2:16–17, ESV)

This passage clarifies that the Sabbath was a shadow, a temporary element of the Mosaic system that pointed forward to Christ. Now that Christ has come, the Sabbath is no longer a binding command.

The issue of the Sabbath is particularly relevant within the study of Israelology, as it directly relates to the status of Israel in the present age. To address this topic thoroughly, Fruchtenbaum ^[1] references scholarly research found in From Sabbath to Lord’s Day: A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Investigation, a detailed academic study on the transition from the Jewish Sabbath to Christian worship on the first day of the week. ^[2] This academic work was the primary book that started my honest study of the Sabbath topic.  It is a must-read for anyone serious about understanding the Sabbath topic alongside the history of the Christian church. Anyone who is concerned that this conclusion is Dispensational and, therefore, ‘wrong’ should note that while the scholars who contributed to this work do not identify as Dispensationalists, their conclusions often align with Dispensationalist teachings. This further demonstrates that the idea of Sabbath observance being non-binding for believers is not merely a theological construct of Dispensationalism but is supported by careful biblical exegesis.

Ultimately, the New Testament does not command Sabbath observance for the Church. While believers are free to observe a Sabbath if they choose (Romans 14:5–6), it is not a requirement under the Law of Christ. Attempts to impose Sabbath observance as a binding rule rely on an outdated covenant that has been set aside in favor of the New Covenant established by Christ.

In Christian Love,

^[1] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, Rev. ed. (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 1994), i.

^[2] D. A. Carson, ed., From Sabbath to Lord’s Day: A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Investigation (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 1999), 3.