Bible Verses About Sabbath

Bible passages about the Sabbath day, rest, and whether Christians are obligated to observe a specific day of worship.

King James Version
8Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exodus 20:8
27And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 28Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Mark 2:27-28
5One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
Romans 14:5-6
16Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Colossians 2:16
7And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
Acts 20:7
9There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Hebrews 4:9-10
13If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: 14Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Isaiah 58:13-14
8For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Matthew 12:8
9But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 10Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Galatians 4:9-10
2And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Genesis 2:2-3

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are Christians required to keep the Sabbath?

Christians hold different views. Seventh-day traditions (Adventists, some Baptists) maintain Saturday Sabbath observance as a perpetual commandment rooted in creation (Genesis 2:2-3). Most Protestant and Catholic traditions worship on Sunday, seeing it as the Lord's Day commemorating the resurrection. Others cite Romans 14:5 and Colossians 2:16 to argue that no specific day is mandated under the new covenant.

Why do most Christians worship on Sunday instead of Saturday?

The early church began gathering on 'the first day of the week' (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2) to celebrate Christ's resurrection, which occurred on Sunday. By the second century, Sunday worship was widespread. Some argue this represents apostolic authority to shift the day, while others see it as an unauthorized departure from the fourth commandment.

What is the principle of Sabbath rest?

Beyond the day debate, most Christians agree on the principle of regular rest as God's design. Genesis 2:2-3 shows God resting after creation. Mark 2:27 says the Sabbath was made for man's benefit. Hebrews 4:9-10 speaks of a spiritual rest believers enter through faith. The Sabbath principle points to trusting God rather than relying solely on our own labor.