For the first 300 years of the Faith once delivered to the saints, that “religion” was illegal. During the apostolic era, true believers, who were then in the minority, found it convenient to let the Roman authorities think of them as Jews especially in regards to displaying the highly visible practice of Sabbath observance. This helped the believers to be identified with Judaism and allowed them to gain legitimacy with the Roman government.
The Bible says in Exodus 20:8-11 TS2009 “Remember the Sabbath day, to set it apart. Six days you labour, and shall do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of יהוה (YHVH – Yehovah) your Elohim. You do not do any work – you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days יהוה made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore יהוה blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart.”
Sunday keeping is never supported in scripture. The pagans at the time of the early congregation were the majority and observed the first day of the week in honor of their sun god. By switching to observing the first day of the week, instead of the seventh, the early accomplished two things: they distanced themselves from Judaism, and they made it more appealing for pagans to become fellow believers.
This change to observing the Sabbath on Sunday, the first day of the week, had absolutely no biblical support. But, in time, the believers began growing from a minority religion to the majority. The evolution of worship happened over time as not all believers immediately began worshiping on the first day of the week.
The Jews then rebelled against the Roman Empire and the Romans put down the rebellion by destroying Jerusalem in 70 AD and again in 135 AD. The Roman government’s suppression of the Jews made it increasingly difficult for the people who called themselves Christians to be associated with the Jews. Therefore, some Christians in the early second century tried to distance themselves from Judaism by observing Sunday.
The word of Elohim (God) is our only source of truth. Yeshua said, “Set them apart in Your truth – Your Word is truth.” (John 17:17 TS2009). Isaiah wrote many years earlier, “To the Torah and to the witness! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because they have no daybreak.” (Isaiah 8:20 TS2009). The word of Elohim is the only yardstick by which we should measure the truth.
True believers keep the faith of Yeshua the Messiah and the commandments of Elohim.
Here is the endurance of the set-apart ones, here are those guarding the commands of Elohim and the belief of יהושע (Yeshua). Revelation 14:12 TS2009
Sabbath keeping is the 4th commandment and has never been abolished.
Matthew 5:17-20 TS2009 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete. For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one yod or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done. Whoever, then, breaks one of the least of these commands, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the reign of the heavens; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall by no means enter into the reign of the heavens.
John 14:15 TS2009 “If you love Me, you shall guard My commands.”
Luke 4:16 TS2009 “And He came to Natsareth, where He had been brought up. And according to His practice, He went into the congregation on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.”
Ezekiel 20:12 TS2009 “And I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, to know that I am יהוה who sets them apart.”
Sabbath will be kept in eternity.
Isaiah 66:22-23 TS2009 “For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make stand before Me,” declares יהוה, “so your seed and your name shall stand. And it shall be that from New moon to New moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, declares יהוה.”
Remember, Sunday was kept to worship the pagan Sun god. As followers of Yeshua the Messiah, we serve Elohim and we do not follow or worship the Sun god. When we follow the truth, we will practice the truth. One clear way is to keep the Sabbath as God commands. If we don’t do that are we not disobedient?
But when we obey God we are then set apart (Holy). Without holiness we won’t see God.
Hebrews 12:14 TLV “Pursue shalom with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
Matthew 5:19 TLV “Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps and teaches them, this one shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”