Q:
If you were a human practicing the Christian faith, given all the historical evidence at your disposal, which day would you be keeping the sabbath?
ChatGPT said:
Based on historical and biblical evidence, if I were a Christian practicing the faith and seeking to follow the Sabbath as originally instituted, I would observe the Sabbath on Saturday—the seventh day of the week.
Here’s why
The Sabbath was instituted at Creation (Genesis 2:2-3) and reaffirmed in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11), where God specifically set apart the seventh day.
Jesus and His disciples observed the Sabbath (Luke 4:16, Mark 2:27-28).
Even the New Testament indicates that the early believers, including Jesus, continued to observe the seventh-day Sabbath (Acts 13:42-44, Acts 17:2, Acts 18:4).
Historical Continuity
The Jewish people have consistently observed the Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset for millennia, and the seven-day week remains unchanged.
The transition from Sabbath (Saturday) to Sunday worship in many Christian traditions was not based on direct biblical instruction but was influenced by Roman and church history, particularly under Emperor Constantine in the 4th century.
Church History and Sunday
Observance
The shift from Sabbath to Sunday worship was largely formalized through the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, beginning with Constantine’s Edict of 321 AD, which favored Sunday as a day of rest in honor of the “Venerable Day of the Sun.”
The Council of Laodicea (circa 363-364 AD) further discouraged Sabbath observance among Christians, urging believers to work on the Sabbath and rest on Sunday instead.
Seventh-day Adventists continue to keep the Sabbath on Saturday, citing biblical and historical reasons.
Other Christians observe Sunday as a tradition linked to Christ’s resurrection, though the New Testament does not explicitly transfer Sabbath observance to Sunday.
Conclusion
If I were a Christian committed to following historical and biblical precedent, I would observe the Sabbath from Friday evening to Saturday evening, as originally commanded in Scripture and upheld throughout biblical history.