Why Do Some Denominations Worship on Saturday?
Rediscovering the biblical Sabbath and the convictions that separate Saturday-keeping Christians from the rest of the Church
Why do some Christians go to church on Saturday while most others worship on Sunday? Is it simply a matter of preference or tradition — or is there something deeper at stake?
This question opens a window into one of the most persistent debates in Christian history: the day of worship. While Sunday has long been the dominant Christian day of gathering, a growing number of believers insist that the biblical Sabbath was never changed, and that true obedience to God requires worshiping on the seventh day — Saturday.
This isn’t just about calendars. It’s about authority, Scripture, the commandments of God, and the legacy of the early Church. Is Saturday still the Sabbath that God sanctified? And if so, why did the Church switch to Sunday? More importantly: what does God expect of His people today?
To answer, we must journey through centuries of Church history, explore Scripture, and discern the spiritual heart of Sabbath rest.
📜 The Biblical Foundation of the Sabbath
Before denominations even existed, the Sabbath was already deeply rooted in the biblical narrative. It is one of the earliest divine institutions, predating both Israel and the Mosaic Law.
Creation: The First Sabbath
In Genesis 2:2–3, after six days of creating the heavens and the earth, God rested on the seventh day and blessed and sanctified it. This divine act wasn’t because God was tired, but to establish a rhythm of rest, worship, and holiness — woven into creation itself.
The Ten Commandments: Sabbath Codified
The Sabbath was later codified in Exodus 20:8–11, the fourth commandment:
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy… the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.”
This wasn’t a cultural custom — it was a command directly from God, with no expiration date mentioned.
A Sign Between God and His People
In Exodus 31:13, God called the Sabbath a sign of His covenant:
“Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep… It is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations.”
For the Jewish people, the seventh-day Sabbath was not optional. It was an act of obedience, identity, and worship.
📖 Jesus and the Sabbath: Fulfillment, Not Abolition
Some argue that Jesus abolished the Sabbath. But the Gospels reveal something different.
Jesus kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16), but He also challenged the Pharisaic distortions of it. He healed on the Sabbath, allowed His disciples to pick grain, and declared:
“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath… so the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27–28).
Rather than discarding it, Jesus restored the Sabbath’s purpose — mercy, rest, and communion with God.
Nowhere did He command a change from Saturday to Sunday.
🧭 From Sabbath to Sunday: The Historical Shift
If the Bible consistently upholds the seventh-day Sabbath, why do most Christians worship on Sunday today?
The shift didn’t happen overnight. It was gradual, complex, and influenced more by culture and politics than by divine command.
The Early Church: Sabbath and Sunday Together
In the first century, Jewish believers in Jesus (including the apostles) continued to observe the Sabbath. Acts 13:42, 17:2, and 18:4 show Paul preaching in synagogues on the Sabbath.
At the same time, early Christians also gathered on “the first day of the week” (Sunday) to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2). But these gatherings did not replace the Sabbath — they were distinct.
The Rise of Anti-Judaism in Rome
As Christianity spread into Gentile regions, especially in the Roman Empire, tensions grew between Christians and Jews. After the destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70) and the Bar Kokhba revolt (AD 135), Roman hostility toward Jews increased — and so did the Church’s desire to distance itself from Jewish customs, including Sabbath observance.
Constantine and the Legalization of Sunday
A pivotal moment came in AD 321, when Emperor Constantine — the first Roman emperor to claim conversion to Christianity — legally established Sunday as a day of rest:
“On the venerable day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest…”
Though Constantine was blending Christianity with pagan sun worship, this law influenced the Church’s practice. Sunday rest became civil law, and by the 4th century, Church councils like Laodicea (AD 364) condemned Sabbath-keeping, labeling it “Judaizing.”
Thus, the shift from Sabbath to Sunday was not commanded by Christ or the apostles, but gradually enforced by Church and state authority.
✝️ Reformation and Restoration: The Sabbath Rediscovered
The Protestant Reformation (16th century) reclaimed Scripture as the highest authority, but most Reformers retained Sunday worship, partly because the Sabbath issue was not central in their conflicts with Catholicism.
However, later believers began re-examining this tradition.
The Seventh Day Baptists (1600s)
In 17th-century England, a group known as the Seventh Day Baptists emerged. They believed that Scripture alone should determine worship practices — and saw no biblical support for Sunday worship.
They began meeting on Saturday, holding to Baptist theology while restoring the seventh-day Sabbath.
The Rise of Seventh-day Adventism (1800s)
In the 19th century, following the Second Great Awakening, a movement of Christians became convicted that the Fourth Commandment was still binding — and that the Church had neglected God’s holy day.
From this revival emerged the Seventh-day Adventist Church (formally organized in 1863). They taught:
- The Sabbath is part of God’s eternal law.
- The change to Sunday was man-made.
- Sabbath observance will be a test of faithfulness in the last days (Revelation 14:12).
Their movement spread rapidly and became the largest Saturday-keeping Christian denomination in the world today.
🧠 Doctrinal Discernment: What Does the Bible Say?
Is Sabbath-keeping required for salvation?
No. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone (Eph. 2:8–9). But that doesn’t mean obedience is irrelevant. Jesus said,
“If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
So the real question is: Are we free to change God’s commandments — or are we called to obey them in love and truth?
Is the Sabbath still binding?
The moral law (Ten Commandments) reflects God’s unchanging character. There is no indication in Scripture that the Fourth Commandment was revoked. In fact, Jesus and His apostles kept the Sabbath, and the new earth will too (Isaiah 66:23).
Paul’s writings about freedom from “days” (e.g., Col. 2:16, Rom. 14:5) refer to ceremonial days — not the moral Sabbath. Interpreting them otherwise requires inserting assumptions not stated in the text.
What about Sunday resurrection gatherings?
While early Christians celebrated Christ’s resurrection on Sunday, there is no command to treat it as a new Sabbath. Sunday is never called the “Lord’s Day” in the New Testament — that phrase appears only once (Revelation 1:10) and is contextually ambiguous.
🌍 Lasting Impact: A Divided Church or a Faithful Remnant?
Today, millions of Christians observe Sunday, while a growing number worship on Saturday. This division isn’t trivial — it reflects two different views:
| View | Summary | Source of Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday Worship | Honors resurrection; a tradition of the early Church and Christian history | Church fathers, Constantine, ecclesiastical councils |
| Saturday Worship | Upholds the original Sabbath as commanded by God | Scripture alone (Genesis–Revelation) |
The question is not just about a day — it’s about who has the authority to define worship: God or man?
🪞 Reflection: What Should We Learn or Repent Of?
- Have we elevated tradition above Scripture?
- Do we justify disobedience in the name of Christian liberty?
- Have we truly honored the rhythm of rest and worship God designed for us?
In a hurried, distracted world, the Sabbath is a gift — a time to cease from labor and delight in the Creator. Whether we keep it on Saturday or Sunday, we must not neglect God’s call to rest, worship, and obedience.
But we must also recognize that obedience matters, and not all traditions are equal. If God never changed the Sabbath, then the Church must humbly reevaluate its practice in light of His Word.
📣 Why This Still Matters
This issue is not about legalism — it’s about Lordship.
Jesus said, “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28). That means the Sabbath belongs to Him. If He sanctified the seventh day, and never changed it, who are we to declare another day holy?
Whether you worship on Saturday or Sunday, let your conscience be shaped by Scripture, not convenience. Let your rest reflect trust in Christ, not tradition.
The Sabbath was made for man — but it was made by God. And in these last days, as deception grows, the Church must once again ask:
Whose voice are we following — the Shepherd’s, or the crowd’s?