Here is an exchange with ChatGPT. I posed the question: If ChatGPT was a practicing Christian, what day of week would you keep the Sabbath? Given that Artificial Intelligence used for large language models are programmed to give atheistic and politically correct responses, these responses may surprise you.
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?
A:
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.
Then I asked:
Do you see biblical justification for keeping Sunday?
ChatGPT said:
There is no explicit biblical command to transfer Sabbath observance from the seventh day (Saturday) to the first day of the week (Sunday). However, those who keep Sunday as a day of worship often cite certain passages to justify the practice. Let’s examine these references and see if they provide a strong biblical basis for Sunday observance:
Common Arguments for Sunday Worship
Jesus’ Resurrection on the First Day
Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1-2, Luke 24:1, John 20:1 mention that Jesus rose on the first day of the week.
Some argue that since Christ’s resurrection happened on Sunday, it became a new day of worship.
Counterpoint: While the resurrection is significant, there is no direct command in Scripture to change the Sabbath to Sunday. The New Testament never calls Sunday the "Lord’s Day" in connection with the resurrection.
Jesus Appearing to His Disciples on the First Day
John 20:19 states that Jesus appeared to His disciples on the evening of the first day of the week.
Some take this as evidence that the disciples began gathering for worship on Sunday.
Counterpoint: The text indicates they were gathered in fear of the Jews, not necessarily for a worship service.
The Early Church Gathered on the First Day
Acts 20:7: "On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight."
Some believe this verse shows that the early Christians held worship services on Sunday.
Counterpoint:
The meeting was at night (Saturday night by Jewish reckoning, since a day begins at sunset).
Paul was departing the next day, suggesting this was a special farewell meeting, not a regular Sunday gathering.
"Breaking bread" does not necessarily indicate a formal Sunday service; Acts 2:46 shows that they broke bread daily.
Paul Instructed Offerings on the First Day
1 Corinthians 16:2: "On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made."
Some interpret this as Sunday church gatherings where offerings were collected.
Counterpoint:
The verse does not mention a worship service; it simply instructs believers to set aside money privately at home for later collection.
Revelation 1:10 – "The Lord’s Day"
John states, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day."
Some equate "the Lord’s Day" with Sunday.
Counterpoint:
The Bible never calls Sunday "the Lord’s Day."
The only day explicitly called the Lord’s day in Scripture is the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10, Isaiah 58:13, Mark 2:28).
Some scholars argue "the Lord’s Day" in Revelation could refer to the Sabbath or even a prophetic reference to the Day of the Lord (judgment day).Conclusion
The New Testament does not provide a direct command to change the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. The early church’s shift to Sunday worship developed gradually, largely influenced by Roman culture, anti-Jewish sentiment, and later church decrees—not by explicit biblical mandate.
If one chooses to worship on Sunday to honor Christ’s resurrection, that is a personal or denominational choice, but it is not a biblical replacement for the seventh-day Sabbath.
Then I said:
So Paul preached throughout the sabbath and broke bread on parting on the first day
ChatGPT said:
Yes, that’s correct! When we examine Acts 20:7-11, it becomes clear that Paul preached on the Sabbath and later had a farewell meeting that extended into the first day of the week. Let’s break it down:
Paul’s Sabbath Preaching & First-Day Gathering
Paul regularly preached on the Sabbath
Acts 13:42-44 – Paul preached on the Sabbath, and both Jews and Gentiles came to hear him.
Acts 17:2 – Paul’s custom was to reason in the synagogue every Sabbath.
Acts 18:4 – Paul persuaded both Jews and Greeks every Sabbath in Corinth.
There’s no indication that Paul abandoned the Sabbath for Sunday worship.
Acts 20:7-11 – The First-Day Gathering
"On the first day of the week, we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight."
This meeting was at night (since it mentions "many lamps" in the room – Acts 20:8).
The biblical day starts at sundown (Genesis 1:5, Leviticus 23:32), meaning this gathering likely took place on Saturday night (the start of the "first day" by Jewish reckoning).
Paul spoke until midnight, Eutychus fell from the window, Paul revived him, and then he broke bread and continued speaking until dawn.
What This Means
The gathering was not a Sunday morning worship service but a farewell meeting that began on Saturday night and lasted into early Sunday morning.
"Breaking bread" was common among early Christians and wasn’t necessarily tied to a formal Sunday worship service (Acts 2:46 – they broke bread daily).
Paul left for his journey on Sunday morning, meaning he did not treat it as a sacred rest day.Final Thought
Paul’s practice was to preach on the Sabbath and meet with believers in the evening when necessary, but he did not establish Sunday as a replacement for the Sabbath. This passage actually reinforces that the early church was still observing the seventh-day Sabbath while also gathering for additional fellowship when needed.
You said:
am i correct that the first hour after end of the sabbath was counted as Sunday?
ChatGPT said:
Yes, you are correct! In biblical timekeeping, days begin and end at sunset (Genesis 1:5, Leviticus 23:32). This means that as soon as the Sabbath (Saturday) ended at sunset, the first hour after that would be counted as the first day of the week (Sunday) by Jewish reckoning.
How This Applies to Acts 20:7-11
The believers gathered in the evening after the Sabbath ended (Saturday night by modern reckoning, but technically the start of Sunday in biblical terms).
Paul preached until midnight, and after Eutychus was revived, they broke bread and continued talking until dawn (Acts 20:11).
On Sunday morning, Paul departed on his journey, showing that Sunday was treated as a travel day, not a day of rest or formal worship.Conclusion
Yes, the first part of Sunday in the Jewish system started immediately after sundown on Saturday, meaning that the meeting in Acts 20:7 took place on Saturday night, not Sunday morning.
Here is an exchange with ChatGPT. I posed the question: If ChatGPT was a practicing Christian, what day of week would you keep the Sabbath? Given that Artificial Intelligence used for large language models are programmed to give atheistic and politically correct responses, these responses may surprise you.
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?
A:
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.
Then I asked:
Do you see biblical justification for keeping Sunday?
ChatGPT said:
There is no explicit biblical command to transfer Sabbath observance from the seventh day (Saturday) to the first day of the week (Sunday). However, those who keep Sunday as a day of worship often cite certain passages to justify the practice. Let’s examine these references and see if they provide a strong biblical basis for Sunday observance:
Common Arguments for Sunday Worship
Jesus’ Resurrection on the First Day
Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1-2, Luke 24:1, John 20:1 mention that Jesus rose on the first day of the week.
Some argue that since Christ’s resurrection happened on Sunday, it became a new day of worship.
Counterpoint: While the resurrection is significant, there is no direct command in Scripture to change the Sabbath to Sunday. The New Testament never calls Sunday the "Lord’s Day" in connection with the resurrection.
Jesus Appearing to His Disciples on the First Day
John 20:19 states that Jesus appeared to His disciples on the evening of the first day of the week.
Some take this as evidence that the disciples began gathering for worship on Sunday.
Counterpoint: The text indicates they were gathered in fear of the Jews, not necessarily for a worship service.
The Early Church Gathered on the First Day
Acts 20:7: "On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight."
Some believe this verse shows that the early Christians held worship services on Sunday.
Counterpoint:
The meeting was at night (Saturday night by Jewish reckoning, since a day begins at sunset).
Paul was departing the next day, suggesting this was a special farewell meeting, not a regular Sunday gathering.
"Breaking bread" does not necessarily indicate a formal Sunday service; Acts 2:46 shows that they broke bread daily.
Paul Instructed Offerings on the First Day
1 Corinthians 16:2: "On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made."
Some interpret this as Sunday church gatherings where offerings were collected.
Counterpoint:
The verse does not mention a worship service; it simply instructs believers to set aside money privately at home for later collection.
Revelation 1:10 – "The Lord’s Day"
John states, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day."
Some equate "the Lord’s Day" with Sunday.
Counterpoint:
The Bible never calls Sunday "the Lord’s Day."
The only day explicitly called the Lord’s day in Scripture is the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10, Isaiah 58:13, Mark 2:28).
Some scholars argue "the Lord’s Day" in Revelation could refer to the Sabbath or even a prophetic reference to the Day of the Lord (judgment day).Conclusion
The New Testament does not provide a direct command to change the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. The early church’s shift to Sunday worship developed gradually, largely influenced by Roman culture, anti-Jewish sentiment, and later church decrees—not by explicit biblical mandate.
If one chooses to worship on Sunday to honor Christ’s resurrection, that is a personal or denominational choice, but it is not a biblical replacement for the seventh-day Sabbath.
Then I said:
So Paul preached throughout the sabbath and broke bread on parting on the first day
ChatGPT said:
Yes, that’s correct! When we examine Acts 20:7-11, it becomes clear that Paul preached on the Sabbath and later had a farewell meeting that extended into the first day of the week. Let’s break it down:
Paul’s Sabbath Preaching & First-Day Gathering
Paul regularly preached on the Sabbath
Acts 13:42-44 – Paul preached on the Sabbath, and both Jews and Gentiles came to hear him.
Acts 17:2 – Paul’s custom was to reason in the synagogue every Sabbath.
Acts 18:4 – Paul persuaded both Jews and Greeks every Sabbath in Corinth.
There’s no indication that Paul abandoned the Sabbath for Sunday worship.
Acts 20:7-11 – The First-Day Gathering
"On the first day of the week, we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight."
This meeting was at night (since it mentions "many lamps" in the room – Acts 20:8).
The biblical day starts at sundown (Genesis 1:5, Leviticus 23:32), meaning this gathering likely took place on Saturday night (the start of the "first day" by Jewish reckoning).
Paul spoke until midnight, Eutychus fell from the window, Paul revived him, and then he broke bread and continued speaking until dawn.
What This Means
The gathering was not a Sunday morning worship service but a farewell meeting that began on Saturday night and lasted into early Sunday morning.
"Breaking bread" was common among early Christians and wasn’t necessarily tied to a formal Sunday worship service (Acts 2:46 – they broke bread daily).
Paul left for his journey on Sunday morning, meaning he did not treat it as a sacred rest day.Final Thought
Paul’s practice was to preach on the Sabbath and meet with believers in the evening when necessary, but he did not establish Sunday as a replacement for the Sabbath. This passage actually reinforces that the early church was still observing the seventh-day Sabbath while also gathering for additional fellowship when needed.
You said:
am i correct that the first hour after end of the sabbath was counted as Sunday?
ChatGPT said:
Yes, you are correct! In biblical timekeeping, days begin and end at sunset (Genesis 1:5, Leviticus 23:32). This means that as soon as the Sabbath (Saturday) ended at sunset, the first hour after that would be counted as the first day of the week (Sunday) by Jewish reckoning.
How This Applies to Acts 20:7-11
The believers gathered in the evening after the Sabbath ended (Saturday night by modern reckoning, but technically the start of Sunday in biblical terms).
Paul preached until midnight, and after Eutychus was revived, they broke bread and continued talking until dawn (Acts 20:11).
On Sunday morning, Paul departed on his journey, showing that Sunday was treated as a travel day, not a day of rest or formal worship.Conclusion
Yes, the first part of Sunday in the Jewish system started immediately after sundown on Saturday, meaning that the meeting in Acts 20:7 took place on Saturday night, not Sunday morning.
