Catholics Argue that Adventist Teachings are Incorrect and that Sunday Should be Protected by Public Authorities Since it is the Day of Rest

Catholic Answers, a media ministry dedicated to defending Catholic teachings, stated on July 21, 2024, that Seventh-day Adventists are wrong to observe Saturday as the day of rest. They stated in a published article that Adventist doctrine is false according to the Bible. Going a step further, Catholic Answers cites the Catholic Catechism to support its claim that, although the Fourth Commandment is no longer legally binding, we must continue to observe Sunday as the Lord’s Day.

Catholic Answers published the following, attempting to pass on error as biblical truth:

• “Seventh-day Adventists claim that we as Christians are still bound to keep the Sabbath—that’s to say, we must worship God on Saturday. But Paul’s teaching in our second reading proves otherwise.” [1]

• “Paul teaches this elsewhere. Consider, for example, Colossians 2:16. There Paul writes, “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or sabbaths.” [1]

• “This means that Christians are no longer bound to hold to the Sabbath law just as they are no longer bound to hold fast to Mosaic law’s precepts governing these other things.” [1]

• “So, the Seventh-day Adventist claim is falsified by Paul’s teaching.” [1]

• “Even though we’re no longer bound to observe the Sabbath, the idea of rest does carry over to our celebration of Sunday, the Lord’s Day.” [1]

• “Sanctifying Sundays and holy days requires a common effort. Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord’s Day.” [1]

• “In spite of economic constraints, public authorities should ensure citizens a time intended for rest and divine worship. Employers have a similar obligation toward their employees.” [1]

• “The Catechism affirms the good of Sunday rest and leisure for society, stating: In respecting religious liberty and the common good of all, Christians should seek recognition of Sundays and the Church’s holy days as legal holidays. They have to give everyone a public example of prayer, respect, and joy and defend their traditions as a precious contribution to the spiritual life of society.” [1]

Colossians 2:16 is a Bible verse that is often used to try to show that Sabbath observance is no longer necessary. However, we must know that any doctrine or teaching should be established or rejected only after careful study of everything the Bible teaches on a given subject and not by quoting Bible verses out of context. Context is crucial when making interpretations. Many words have more than one meaning, and context helps clarify what the meaning is.

To address the objection raised by those who claim that Colossians 2:16 proves that the seventh-day Sabbath was abolished at the cross, one must show by the context and from other scriptures that the “handwriting of ordinances that was against us” (Col. 2:14) is not the Decalogue, and further, that the weekly seventh day Sabbath is not a “shadow of things to come” (Col. 2:17).

The festivals, new moons, and annual Sabbaths (Day of Atonement, Passover, and Feasts of Tabernacles), including the meat and drink offerings celebrated on those days, are the ones referred to in Colossians 2:16. In fact, God’s word expressly distinguishes the annual Jewish festivals from the weekly seventh-day Sabbaths, or the Sabbaths of the Lord:

“These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: Beside the sabbaths of the LORD.” Leviticus 23:37, 38.

Unlike the other feasts, which were instituted after sin entered the world, the weekly day of rest was established before sin, at the very creation of our world. It was sanctified by God on the seventh day of creation, serving as a perpetual reminder of His creative power. Enshrined in the Ten Commandments, the weekly Sabbath is given a place of special prominence, with the Fourth Commandment calling on all people to “remember” and keep it holy. Thus, the weekly Sabbath not only predates sin and human history but also serves as an enduring symbol reminding us that God is our Creator.

The weekly Sabbath is not a shadow or symbol of something that was to come, but rather it serves as a reminder of what has already been. Unlike other ceremonial practices that foreshadowed future events, such as the sacrificial system pointing to the Messiah, the Sabbath directs our attention backward to the origin of our creation. According to the biblical account in Genesis, after six days of creating the heavens, the earth, and all living beings, God rested on the seventh day. This rest was not due to fatigue but was an intentional act to sanctify and bless the seventh day, setting it apart from all others as holy. The weekly Sabbath is a timeless institution, not tied to some future fulfillment but firmly rooted in the past.

The weekly Sabbath is also portrayed in the Bible as an eternal institution, one that transcends time and extends into the new earth. Established at Creation and reaffirmed in the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath is not a temporary observance but a perpetual covenant between God and His people. In Isaiah 66:22–23, God reveals that from one Sabbath to another, all flesh will come to worship before Him in the new earth, indicating that the Sabbath will continue to be honored even in eternity. This continuity emphasizes the Sabbath’s enduring significance as a symbol of God’s creative and redemptive work, offering a timeless rhythm of rest and worship that will be joyfully observed in the renewed creation, where peace, harmony, and communion with God are fully restored.

Tragically, Catholic Answers provides no real Bible to validate the keeping of Sunday. They simply quote from the Catholic Catechism. Establishing doctrines based on man-made traditions rather than Scripture is not biblical and contradicts the teachings of Jesus. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus consistently rebukes the religious leaders of His time for placing human traditions above the commandments of God. In Matthew 15:9, Jesus clearly states, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men,” highlighting the danger of allowing man-made teachings to overshadow divine revelation. True doctrine must be grounded in the Word of God, as Scripture alone is the authoritative and inspired guide for faith and practice.

Sources

[1] https://www.catholic.com/audio/scw/the-evidence-for-the-sunday-sabbath