Is the Sabbath Commanded in the New Testament?
Part 3

According to the book of Acts, the apostles continued to keep the Sabbath on the seventh day (Acts 13:13-52; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4). Luke records that it was Paul’s “custom” to worship in the synagogue on the Sabbath Acts 17:2, just like it was Messiah’s custom Luke 4:16.

Additionally, Acts 15:21 assumes that even Gentile believers would be keeping the Sabbath as they attend synagogue services to learn from the Torah:

Acts 15:21

According to scholar F. F. Bruce:

This observation was perhaps intended to calm the apprehensions of the Pharisaic party in the Jerusalem church, in whose eyes it was especially important that the whole Torah should be taught among the Gentiles; this, said James, was being attended to already in the synagogues. - F. F. Bruce, New International Commentary: Acts (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983), 312

Likewise, scholar Ajith Fernando writes:

James’s concluding point in verse 21 was probably made to reassure the Believers who had come from the Pharisees and who wanted to see the Torah taught among the Gentiles. He says that this was happening in the synagogues in every city each Sabbath. -- Ajith Fernando, The NIV Application Commentary: Acts (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998), 419

So, even though the Sabbath command is not explicitly repeated in the New Testament, it seems that it was just assumed that Believers would continue to keep it. Nothing that Messiah or the apostles did indicates that they were getting rid of Sabbath observance.

But wait! There’s more!

Peter reinforces the Sabbath when he tells his readers to be holy as YHWH is holy (1 Peter 1:13-16). Peter’s concept of holy conduct is based on Leviticus, which he quotes in 1 Peter 1:16. Leviticus 19:2. The very next verse in Leviticus explains what holy conduct involves. It says Leviticus 19:3.

The apostle James reinforces the Sabbath when he admonishes believers in James 1:22. Since James equates the “word” with “law” James 1:25 - that is, the Torah—we can see this as a direct instruction to Believers to obey the Torah, which includes the command to keep the Sabbath.

There are many places that the New Testament exhorts us to keep YHWH’s law or commandments (Matthew 19:17; John 14:15, 21; 15:10; 1 Corinthians 7:19; 1 John 2:3-4; 3:22-24; 5:2-3; Revelation 14:12). It can be reasonably assumed that all the New Testament’s general exhortations to keep YHWH’s law or commandments include the command to keep the Sabbath. Why? Paul declares in 2 Timothy 3:16. When 2 Timothy was written, the “New Testament” that we know today had not yet been canonized. So, when Paul speaks of “Scripture,” he specifically has in mind what we call the Old Testament, or the Hebrew Scriptures. To the New Testament authors, “Scripture” meant the Old Testament. That was their “Bible.” YHWH’s law/commandments would refer to those commandments in the Old Testament, which includes the Sabbath. Therefore, the command to keep the Sabbath is included in these New Testament exhortations.

In conclusion, while the Sabbath commandment is not explicitly repeated in the New Testament, that does not mean that it is done away with. There are several other commandments not repeated in the New Testament that Believers generally agree still apply. Nevertheless, the Sabbath is reinforced even if not explicitly repeated. Messiah affirmed the ongoing validity of all the Torah’s commandments in Matthew 5:17-20, which would include the Sabbath. Messiah did explicitly teach how to keep the Sabbath properly in Matthew 12. Moreover, Messiah’s and the apostles’ practices assume the Sabbath’s ongoing validity. Finally, the apostles’ affirmations of the Torah and YHWH’s commandments indirectly reinforce the Sabbath commandment.

So, is the Sabbath command done away with because it isn’t explicitly repeated in the New Testament? Not at all. YHWH’s expectation that his people keep the Sabbath has not changed.