SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS ANSWERED VERSE-BY-VERSE ON LUKE 23:56 "ON THE SABBATH THEY RESTED ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT."

 

Luke 23:56 (ESV)

"Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment."

SDA Argument: 

1.) “Christians who claim that Christ ended the Sabbath through His death on the cross are mistaken because according to Luke 23:56, Christ’s disciples still observed the Sabbath after Christ had died on the cross and was buried.”

2.) "Luke attests to the fact that the Sabbath remained a commandment for Christians during his time, as he refers to it as “according to the commandment,” indicating his belief that observing the Sabbath continues to be a valid day of worship for Christians."

ANSWER:

#1.) Of the four Gospel writers, Luke is the only one to use the phrase “On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.”

The assertion made by Seventh-day Adventists that Luke 23:56 firmly supports the idea that Christians are required to observe the weekly Sabbath today seems premature, as it does not consider the broader context of Scripture, particularly the teachings in the four gospels.

An examination of the four Gospels reveals that only the Gospel of Luke uses the statement “On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.” By contrast, neither Matthew, Mark, nor John mention this. This suggests that if observing the weekly Sabbath were as critical as the Seventh-day Adventists (SDAs) assert, it would likely be referenced in all four Gospels.The four gospel writers' perspectives on the events that followed Christ's crucifixion are illustrated in the following verses:

Matthew 27:57-61 (ESV) "When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.  And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb."

Mark 15:46-47 (ESV) "And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid."

Luke 23:50-56 (ESV) "Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment."

John 19:38-42 (ESV) "After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there."

Why did Luke find it necessary to include this statement? It’s because his Gospel was directed towards the Gentile community. Luke highlighted “On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment” to the Gentiles because many were not acquainted with the Jewish Sabbath customs when he composed his Gospel. Hence, he needed to clarify why the women disciples had to go back home after visiting Jesus’ tomb. Furthermore, not a single Gentile was among the Jewish disciples who first returned home to prepare spices and ointments which evidently is a Jewish custom and keep the Sabbath as commanded.

#2.) Since the disciples had not yet fully understood the implications of Jesus' death, they continued to observe the Sabbath even after His crucifixion and burial. They were in a transitional phase, still coming to terms with the meaning of His death.

It's not appropriate to establish doctrines based on a time when the disciples were still immature in faith and confused about the significance of Jesus' death. They were in a transitional phase, seeking clarity, and should not be relied upon for definitive guidance in such uncertain times.

The following passages indicate that the disciples initially doubted Jesus' resurrection, leading to Jesus rebuking them for their disbelief and stubbornness:

Mark 16:9-11 (ESV) "Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it."

Mark 16:14 (ESV) "Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen."

John 20:25 (ESV) "So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Thus, Luke 23:56 is simply a description of the customary practices of Jesus’ Jewish disciples. It is not a command but rather a descriptive account. Later, as the disciples grew in their understanding of Jesus' mission, crucifixion, and resurrection, their faith evolved under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The early Christians' understanding of the connection between the Old Covenant laws and Christ's death on the cross became clearer and more significant. They came to recognize that the Law of Moses—including the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath, and even dietary restrictions—was temporary and had its end with Christ's death on the cross. This concept is reflected in Paul's epistles:

Ephesians 2:14-16 (The Living Bible) "For Christ himself is our way of peace. He has made peace between us Jews and you Gentiles by making us all one family, breaking down the wall of contempt that used to separate us. By his death he ended the angry resentment between us, caused by the Jewish laws that favored the Jews and excluded the Gentiles, for he died to annul that whole system of Jewish laws. Then he took the two groups that had been opposed to each other and made them parts of himself; thus he fused us together to become one new person, and at last there was peace. As parts of the same body, our anger against each other has disappeared, for both of us have been reconciled to God. And so the feud ended at last at the cross."

Here's another instance from Paul's letter to the church in Colossae, where he clarifies the limitations of Jewish laws, describing them as a shadow of what was to come, with Christ as the ultimate fulfillment: 

Colossians 2:14, 16-17 (The Living Bible) "And blotted out the charges proved against you, the list of his commandments which you had not obeyed. He took this list of sins and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross. So don’t let anyone criticize you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating Jewish holidays and feasts or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths.  For these were only temporary rules that ended when Christ came. They were only shadows of the real thing—of Christ himself.

(Romans 10:4, Good News Bible) “For Christ has brought the Law to an end, so that everyone who believes is put right with God.” 

The passages referenced above demonstrate that as the early disciples of Christ transitioned from being Sabbath observers—initially because of their incomplete understanding—toward a deeper comprehension of Jesus' teachings, they recognized that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament law and the Sabbath's symbolic meaning. As their faith matured, they realized they no longer needed to adhere to the law's requirements, having been saved by God's grace. 

Luke was aware of the issues that the early church faced during the Jerusalem Council, particularly with some Jewish Christians insisting that Gentile converts must undergo circumcision and follow the Law of Moses, including Sabbath observance, to be fully saved. This was a significant topic that the Jerusalem Council addressed (Acts 15:1-29).

Acts 15:9-11, 28-29 outlines the church's final stance on its relationship with Old Testament law:

Acts 15:9-11, 28-29 (Int'l English ERV) "To God, those people are not different from us. When they believed, God made their hearts pure. So now, why are you putting a heavy burden around the necks of the non-Jewish followers of Jesus? Are you trying to make God angry? We and our fathers were not able to carry that burden. No, we believe that we and these people will be saved the same way—by the grace of the Lord Jesus. We agree with the Holy Spirit that you should have no more burdens, except for these necessary things: Don’t eat food that has been given to idols. Don’t eat meat from animals that have been strangled or any meat that still has the blood in it. Don’t be involved in sexual sin. If you stay away from these, you will do well. We say goodbye now."

Therefore, it's wrong for SDAs to claim that Luke continued to encourage his fellow Christians to observe the Sabbath of the Old Covenant. Christians should honor the position taken by the Jerusalem Council concerning the relationship with Old Testament laws, including Sabbath observance. Sabbath-keeping has not been a requirement for Christians since the Jerusalem Council in 50 AD, and that stance remains unchanged to this day.

#3. Luke, also known for writing the book of Acts of the Apostles, mentions that early Jewish Christians continued to observe the weekly Sabbath in Jewish synagogues, not in Christian church gatherings.

To grasp the meaning of Luke 23:56 and its relevance for believers, the best approach for a Bible researcher is to examine another work by Luke, which is the book of Acts, considered a continuation or sequel to the Gospel of Luke. According to Bible scholars, the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts form a unified literary work, essentially a two-volume narrative. The similarities between the Gospel of Luke and Acts illustrate this continuity. Acts records certain actions by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke that are mirrored by those of Peter, Paul, and other individuals in the book of Acts. 

Given this, we can readily address the Seventh-day Adventists' misinterpretation of Luke 23:56, as the true context of Luke's writing becomes clear when examining the book of Acts.

The book of Acts details the history of the early followers of Christ. While the Gospel of Luke is known for documenting Jesus' teachings to His disciples before His ascension, instructing them to spread His message from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, the book of Acts records how this mission was accomplished, capturing the spread of the gospel across the world as chronicled by Luke.

How can the book of Acts help us understand the early disciples' observance of the weekly Sabbath? Does it support the Seventh-day Adventists' interpretation of Luke 23:56, suggesting that Christ's disciples continued to observe the Sabbath even after His crucifixion and burial? Moreover, does it lend credibility to the SDA belief that Luke endorsed Sabbath observance as a valid day of worship for Christians?

Unfortunately, the book of Acts does not support the interpretations held by the SDAs; in fact, Luke's accounts contradict their beliefs.

Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi, a Seventh-day Adventist scholar, conducted extensive research on the topic of Sabbath-keeping in early Christianity. 

His book "Sabbath Under Crossfire" page 162 provides an accurate account of how the early Church observed the Sabbath and its connection to the Jewish synagogue:

"How did New Testament believers observe the Sabbath in the light of its expanded redemptive meaning derived from Christ’s ministry? Initially, most Christians attended Sabbath services at the Jewish synagogue (Acts 13:14, 43, 44; 17:2; 18:4). Gradually, however, Christians established their own places of worship. Matthew suggests that the process of separation had already begun at the time of his writing, because he speaks of Christ entering “their synagogue” (Matt 12:9). The pronoun “their” suggests that the Matthean community as a whole no longer shared in Sabbath services at the Jewish synagogue by the time the Gospel was written. Presumably, they had organized their own meeting places of worship by then."

Dr. Bacchiocchi offers many valuable and significant insights that would benefit the SDAs, especially since he is a renowned SDA scholar. It would be worthwhile for the SDA community to take his perspectives into account.

a.) "Initially, most Christians attended Sabbath services at the Jewish synagogue"

This contradicts the interpretation of many SDAs that Luke 23:56 is evidence that Sabbath observance continued even after Christ was crucified and died on the cross even today. As an SDA church historian, Dr. Bacchiocchi refuted this by pointing out that Christians "initially" worshiped on the Sabbath, meaning it was only in the beginning and not a permanent practice. According to Dr. Bacchiocchi, there came a time when they separated from the Jewish synagogue and established "their own meeting place for worship.

b.) "Presumably, they had organized their own meeting places of worship by then."

According to Dr. Bacchiocchi, the phrase "their synagogue" in Matthew 12:9 indicates that "the Matthean community as a whole no longer shared in Sabbath services at the Jewish synagogue by the time the Gospel was written." If the Gospel of Matthew was written around 50 AD, as suggested by Bible scholars, it's clear that Christians had already stopped attending Sabbath worship at the synagogue of Jewish non-believers.

SDAs often use Acts 13:14, 43, 44; 17:2; 18:4 to argue that Christians continued to observe the Sabbath, where the apostle himself is depicted observing the Sabbath along with other Christians, whether Jews or Gentiles. However, as researched by their renowned Bible scholar and church historian, Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi, Christians initially worshipped at the synagogue of Jewish unbelievers only temporarily until they separated from them and began to gather "as a church" (1 Cor. 11:18).  

When Christians separated from the synagogue, their place of worship became the homes of believers, which is why we sometimes read "the church in their house" (Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Philem. 2). 

But the question is, were they still worshiping on the seventh-day Sabbath?

It is noticeable that Luke’s record in the book of Acts does not mention that after the Christians separated from worshipping in the Synagogue of the Jews every Sabbath, they continued to observe the Sabbath in their weekly gatherings “as a church.” I have long been asking any SDAs if the early Christians were truly Sabbath keepers, to provide even just one verse that mentions the early Christians observing the Sabbath every Saturday in their Christian church gatherings, not in the Jewish synagogue. Unfortunately, none of them have been able to answer this very important question. What does this only mean? It simply means that the Bible does not teach that Christians gather every Sabbath weekly!

However, if the SDAs were to pose the question to us whether there is a passage in the history of the early church in the book of Acts that mentions Christians gathering on Sunday for worship, we have a definite answer and can show at least one verse. This is Acts 20:7, which states:

Acts 20:7 (ESV) "On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight."

To summarize this verse: 

(1) This meeting was “on the first day of the week”  that is Sunday

(2) Luke says they were “gathered together to break bread,” indicating the purpose of the meeting. 

(3) “Breaking bread” was the technical term used by the early church for the Lord’s Supper. 

(4) This was a Christian meeting "as a church" outside the Synagogue of the Jewish unbelievers. 

(5) It is the earliest strong evidence of Christians meeting on the first day of the week or Sunday.

The Andrews Study Bible, a reference Bible by the SDAs, acknowledges in its commentary on Acts 20:7 that it is the only direct mention in the New Testament of an early Christian assembly.

"This is the only explicit reference in the NT to Christians actually gathering on the first day of the week."[1]

The Message Bible captures the essence of the message of Acts 20:7 in a way that's easier to understand:

Acts 20:7 (MSG) We met on Sunday to worship and celebrate the Master’s Supper." 

The SDAs don't have a verse that can match Acts 20:7 to prove that Christians gathered every week on Saturday or the Sabbath, because they simply don't have any such reference in the New Testament!

CONCLUSION:

Therefore, the SDA's interpretation of Luke 23:56 to support their weekly Sabbath-keeping is incorrect. Their proof-texting method to study the Bible is very dangerous, used solely to back up their erroneous beliefs. Based on what we've learned, we understand that it was not Luke's intention in Luke 23:56 to support or continue observing the Sabbath up to our present time. Instead, we've learned from other parts of Scripture and from other gospel writers, especially in the companion volume to Luke's Gospel, which is the book of Acts, that:

#1.) Of the four Gospel writers, Luke is the only one to use the phrase "On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment."

#2.) Since the disciples had not yet fully understood the implications of Jesus' death, they continued to observe the Sabbath even after His crucifixion and burial. They were in a transitional phase, still coming to terms with the meaning of His death.

#3.) Luke, also known for writing the Acts of the Apostles, mentions that early Jewish Christians continued to observe the weekly Sabbath in Jewish synagogues, not in Christian church gatherings.

The conclusions drawn by Luke and those of the SDAs are vastly different and miles apart. From reliable references, we understand that for Luke, Christians in their initial transitional period began by worshipping in synagogues on the Sabbath. However, as they matured in faith and began to understand the mission and purpose of Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection from the dead with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they ceased to observe the Sabbath. Instead, they started to separate from the synagogues of Jewish unbelievers and began gathering as a church, where they could celebrate the Lord's Supper. Most importantly, as we see in Acts 20:7, they gathered on Sunday, commemorating the day of Jesus' resurrection from the dead. This is the historical reason why, even today, Christians gather for worship on Sundays to celebrate the Lord's resurrection!

Footnote:

[1] Jon L. Dybdahl, Ed., Andrews Study Bible Notes, (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2010), 1452.