Question 1

Who gave us the sabbath?

Accepted Answer

God. For we read in Genesis 2: 1-3 that He rested from the work of Creation and ordained it. ("Blessed and sanctified").

Question 2

For whose benefit was it given?

Accepted Answer

For all mankind, for the Saviour tells us that the Sabbath was made for man. Mark 2:27

Question 3

How should it be used?

Accepted Answer

We are told in the Fourth Commandment to keep it holy and to do no manner of work. Exodus 20: 8 - 11

Question 4

But is that not a command for the Jews only?

Accepted Answer

Not so! It is part of God's moral law and applies to all people everywhere.

Question 5

May not a part of the Sabbath Day be spent in worship, and then the remainder of the day left free for personal pleasure?

Accepted Answer

No, God's command is that the day should be kept holy.

Question 6

Are there any positive benefits in keeping the Sabbath in that way?

Accepted Answer

Of course. Rest is gained for the body so that health is maintained. There is repose for the mind and relief from everyday cares. There is renewal for the spiritual life through private and public worship.

Question 7

Is there any instruction to the disciples about the first day of the week?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Paul directed the disciples to set aside their portions towards the collection for the poor on that day. 1 Corinthians 16:2.

Question 8

Is the term the "Lord's Day" found in the Bible?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In Revelation 1:10 John tells us that he was "in the spirit on the Lord's Day" and that special revelation was given to him.

Question 9

How ought we to observe the Christian Sabbath Day?

Accepted Answer

By regular attendance at the House of God (church); by joining with His people in praise and prayer; by reading and hearing God's Holy Word; and by partaking of the Lord's Supper.

Question 10

Is there anything else that we can do on that day?

Accepted Answer

We can attend, or teach in, Sunday School or Bible Class; or we may visit sick people and try to cheer them; and in many other ways we can make known the glad tidings of the Saviours love.

Question 11

What ought we to avoid doing on the Lord's Day - or Sunday as it is called?

Accepted Answer

We should avoid doing work which can be done on a weekday, all shopping, needless travel, and amusements and pastimes which are not worthy of God's Holy Day.

Question 12

Would obedience to God's Law bring blessing?

Accepted Answer

Undoubtedly. In Isaiah 58: 13-14 we are told that those who obey will delight themselves in the Lord - which means that they shall be very happy; that they shall ride upon the high places of the earth - which means they will be held in great honour: and that He will feed them with the heritage of Jacob - which means that God will prosper and keep them.

Question 13

But what did Christ do and say about the restrictions of the Law and especially about the Sabbath?

Accepted Answer

He kept the Law, but spoke against the petty regulations which had been added to it by the Pharisees. He said that He was Lord of the Sabbath and He regularely attended worship on that day. See Mark 2:28 and Luke 4:16.

Question 14

Did He do anything else on the Sabbath?

Accepted Answer

Yes. He did many works of healing - see Mark 2:23 and 3:1-5 - and He walked quietly through the cornfields with His disciples.

Question 15

How does that affect us?

Accepted Answer

In several ways. It shows that the works of mercy may be done on the Sabbath, and that the keeping of the Sabbath does not mean conforming to the petty rules of the Pharisees, but primarily involves our devotion to God and then our regard for the welfare of others.

Question 16

But is not the Sabbath a Saturday? Why do you term the first day of the wek, the Lord's Day, a Sabbath?

Accepted Answer

Sabbath means "rest", and God requires that one-seventh of man's time belongs to Him: He has not labelled the days, because it is the rhythm that is so important - one day for God and six days for man. The Lord's Day maintains that rhythm.

Question 17

How did the first day of the week come to be the Lord's Day?

Accepted Answer

Because after His death for sinners and His burial, our Saviour rose from the dead on that day.

Question 18

But why the FIRST day instead of the seventh day?

Accepted Answer

Because the Jewish order of things came to an end with the death of Christ, since He was the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy. He began the new order of things when He rose from the dead on that first Lord's Day.

Question 19

How? Did He mark that day out in any special way?

Accepted Answer

Definitely. We read in John 20 of many who had the privilege of meeting the Risen Saviour on that day. He conferred on them the gift of the Holy Spirit and commissioned them to preach the Gospel.

Question 20

But may it not have been an accident that these things came to pass on that particular day?

Accepted Answer

No, because exactly one week later He met many of the disciples again in very similar circumstances.

Question 21

But what happened later?

Accepted Answer

We read in Acts 2 that He sent the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost - and that was the first day of the week.

Question 22

What place did the first day of the week have in the lives of the early Christians?

Accepted Answer

In Acts 20: 6-7, Luke tells us that the disciples at Troas met together to break bread on the first day of the week, and that Paul preached to them.

Question 23

Will not Sunday then be a day of gloom?

Accepted Answer

Not at all! It can be, and should be and will be the happiest of all days of the week if we know the Lord Jesus as our Risen Saviour and Lord. We shall then spend the day with Him and with His people, and we shall echo the words of the Psalmist: "THIS IS THE DAY WHICH THE LORD HATH MADE; WE WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT." Psalm 118:24.

Question 24

May we use the internet on the Lord’s day? (Submitted question)

Accepted Answer

Thank you to the website visitor for their submission. This is a very relevant question, and it deserves a careful answer rather than a rigid rule. There is no simple black-and-white command about using the internet on the Sabbath; instead, it calls for prayerful discernment, and it is usually wise to err on the side of caution. In this sense, it can serve the same kind of lawful necessity Christ acknowledged when His disciples plucked grain on the Sabbath (Luke 6:1–5). The command is not mere rule-keeping, but “to keep the Sabbath holy.” The internet can be appropriate for works of necessity or mercy—such as caring for people or animals—or for holy purposes like joining worship when attendance is truly impossible. Yet if its use becomes a source of distraction, unnecessary work, or entertainment that pulls the heart away from worship, rest, and communion with God, then it is better to set it aside. Because the internet so easily tempts and diverts us, especially on the Lord’s Day, many families and individuals have found great benefit in turning it off entirely. When public worship is available, it is wise not to tempt ourselves with devices that draw the mind elsewhere; and when it is not, preparing in advance with Scripture, printed sermons, or downloaded sermons can help keep the Lord’s Day holy. Above all, the goal is not rule-keeping for its own sake, but a sincere desire to worship God, seeking communion with Him, and using the Sabbath as a gift for spiritual refreshment and bodily rest. “And whatever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” (Colossians 3:23)

Questions & Answers About the Lord's Day

The Sabbath is the oldest institution in the world. It is the weekly day of rest. View the questions and their answers below to learn more about the Sabbath day.