Ask FGBC #27: Why the shift from Saturday to Sunday worship?

Jim Butler

Why did Christian worship shift from the seventh day to the first day of the week? This Q&A response argues that Sunday observance is not an abolition of the fourth commandment but its new-covenant fulfillment, grounded in Christ's resurrection as the inauguration of new creation. The moral principle embedded in the fourth commandment — one day in seven set apart for the worship of God — transcends any particular covenant, while the positive element specifying which day shifts from Saturday to Sunday in light of Christ's finished work and rest. Drawing on Hebrews 4, the eighth-day Sabbath typology of the Old Testament, and the 1689 LBCF's treatment of the Lord's Day, the speaker urges believers to receive Sunday worship not as a burden but as the highest delight and privilege available to the people of God.