Paul’s Example
We have seen that it was Jesus’ practice to observe the Sabbath. Did the Apostle Paul—the “apostle to the Gentiles”—observe the Sabbath, or did he set an example showing that Gentile Christians need not do so? Remember, Paul was trained as a Pharisee, and knew Scripture very well. When Paul was in Greece, in the city of Thessalonica, he preached for three consecutive Sabbaths to the Jews in the synagogue. Notice that this was Paul’s custom—he regularly preached on the Sabbath. “Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ’” (Acts 17:2–3).
So, we see that Paul regularly preached to the Jews on the Sabbath. But did he also speak to the Gentiles on the Sabbath? Notice what he did in the Gentile city of Corinth, in Greece. “And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 18:4)! Yes, Paul preached to the Gentiles on the Sabbath!
If Paul expected Christians to keep a Sunday observance instead of the seventh-day Sabbath, we might expect him to speak to Christians—at the very least, to the Gentiles—on Sunday. Is that what your Bible shows he did? Notice Paul’s example in Antioch, in what is today the nation of Turkey. What happened after Paul’s usual Sabbath sermon to both Jews and Gentiles in the synagogue? “So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath” (Acts 13:42).
If Jesus or the apostles had changed the commanded day of worship to Sunday, here was a perfect opportunity for Paul to tell the Gentiles, “No, you don’t have to wait until next Saturday, we Christians now worship on Sunday. Meet with us tomorrow!” But he did not do that! What does your Bible say? “On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God” (Acts 13:44). Paul taught the Gentile Christians on the Sabbath! He also commanded the Gentile Corinthians to follow his example. Remember Paul’s instruction, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Or, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (NIV). Yes, Jesus, Paul, and the apostles set an example for all Christians in observing the Sabbath!