The Sabbath is Outlawed??

Theme: Courtroom - Sabbath versus Sunday Defence 

Hear ye! Hear ye! The Seventh-day Adventist A. Y. Society Superior Court is now in session; The Honourable Judge is presiding. The court is called to order. 

Judge: Before we begin, I will ask the Court Deputy Sheriff to administer the oath to the Jurors. 

Deputy Sheriff: Do you solemnly promise that the answers you shall give to the questions asked by the court, touching upon your qualifications to act as Jurors in the case now before the court, shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. 

Jurors- I do 

Clerk of the Court: Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury, this case file # 7 of the state versus Seventh-Day Adventist young people states that: in defence, that man has breached God's intention for the Sabbath. The young people also informed the court that they can prove from the Bible that the Seventh-Day Sabbath was before Mount Sinai and that the Sabbath is still binding. 

Young person #1: Imagine! This Sabbath, sabbath, what is that? That was from a long, long, time ago; they never heard that the Sabbath was nailed to the cross? Where is the proof that man had ever before kept the Sabbath, except by particular commandment, before the proclamation of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai? (laughing out loud: 

Judge: Order! Order in the court! (bang, bang) 

Judge: We will take a 5-minute recess

Scripture reading and Prayer: 

Isiah 58:13

 "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath

    and from doing as you please on my holy day,

if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord's holy day honourable by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord,

and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Judge: Let us resume

Young person #2: According to the law, particularly the ten commandments of God, section 8 and 10 of Exodus 20 encourages us to "Remember the Sabbath-Day to keep it holy". and that the Seventh-Day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, in it thou shall not do any work. 

Judge: Jurors, it is your duty to weigh the evidence, to stand on the side of truth, to give a verdict. We will call the first defendant:

Bailiff: Do you promise to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth? 

Young Person: I do

Defendant: what do you have to say 

Defendant: I am clearly standing by the word of God. We have God's law proclaimed in Exodus 20. Exodus is a book of law. The Sabbath was binding in Eden, and it has existed ever since. This fourth commandment begins with the word "remember", showing that the Sabbath already existed when God wrote the law on the table of stone at Sinai. How can men claim that this one commandment has been done away with when they will admit that the other nine are still binding. 

Defendant: According to the 16th chapter of Exodus, when Israel was relieved from the slavery in Egypt, one of the first things done was to restore to them the Sabbath, spoken of not as a new institution, but as a well-known institution. The Bible said to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." 

Judge: The prosecutor and defence counsel will now move to make their opening statement.

Prosecutor 1: Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury, a publication of a Christian paper stated that the Sabbath was changed. I found the statement given: "First by the authority of the apostles, delegated them by the Lord in Matt. 16: 19. 

They kept the first day of the week. Acts 20: 7; 

1 Cor. 16: 1, 2., 'The apostles rejected the Sabbath to avoid the risk of mingling Judaism and Christianity.'

And also secondly, because on that day, Christ rose from the dead and appeared no less than five times to His followers. 3. The outpouring of the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost occurred on Sunday." 

Defence 1: Regarding these statements, there is nothing in Matt. 16:19 to show that the apostles were delegated to do anything else than to teach the Word of God. That text itself ought to be explained by the great commission given in Matthew 28, in which Jesus told His disciples to teach all things He had commanded them; but He never commanded any change of the Sabbath, and on the contrary, He declared that not "one jot or one tittle" of the law could be changed. Matt.5:17-20; Luke 16: 57.  Jeremiah was set over the nations "to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant" (chapter 1 :); but he did this by proclaiming God's Word concerning those nations (chapter 18: 7-10). 

Defence 1: The council requests your honour, that Luke 4: 16 and Mark 16:1, 2 be read. Then read Luke 4: 16, Mark 16: 1-2 

Judge Rachel: The court will now have five minutes recess. 

Special Music

Judge: This court session now resumes. Is the prosecution ready to present its case? 

Prosecutor 1: Thank you, your honour. The prosecutor would like to call the first witness to the stand (get a witness).

 Courtroom Bailiff: Do you promise that the testimony you are about to give is the truth and nothing but the truth? 

Witness: I do 

Prosecutor 1: Tell the court in detail about the change of the Sabbath and who did it. 

Witness: It is no secret! The Catholic Church claims to have transferred the sacredness of the seventh-day Saturday Sabbath to Sunday. The Catholics do not accept the Bible as the only rule of faith. Besides the Bible we have the living Church, as a guide.

We say, this Church instituted by Christ, to teach and to guide men through life, has the right to change the Ceremonial laws of the Old Testament and hence, we accept her change of the Sabbath to Sunday. We frankly say, "yes," the Church made this change, made this law, as she made many other laws, for example; the unmarried priesthood, the law concerning mixed marriages, the regulation of Catholics marriages and a thousand other laws. By the way what difference does it make? At least I am taking a day to worship the Lord. 

Public outburst (a member of the court): The Sabbath is done away with, that was Old Testament time.

 Public outburst: The Sabbath is from the past, we have a new commandment 

Judge: Order in the Court, Order!

Prosecutor 1: What more evidence do you want? Your honour the Sabbath is done away. 

Judge: Prosecutor, if you have any more outbursts, you will be charged. 

Judge: The court will now have a short break. 

Special Item of Music 

Judge: This court is now resumed court case file # 7 of the state versus The SDA young people…..The court will now have the defence.

Defence 1: Members of the Jury, we have no record that the apostles ever kept the first day of the week as a holy day. Acts 20:7 records a night meeting held at the beginning of the first day of the week, the rest of the day was spent in regular secular labour.

1 Cor. 16: 2 does not indicate a gathering, but that each man should lay by himself at home, on the first day of the week, as God had prospered him, the money he would send to the needy in Judea so that it could be gathered when the apostle came. 

Prosecutor 1: Objection your honour, that is taken out of context! 

Judge: Overruled! Defence are there any further statements?

Defence 1: Yes your honour if you think about it, isn't it funny that Protestants, who profess to go by the Bible and the Bible only, are demanding Sunday observance and trying to prop up Sunday laws? Catholics find it "laughable," because there is no scriptural support for this stance. The components missing from their reasoning is that God blessed and sanctified the day not the rest. God's definition of keeping a day holy is to cease all secular work (Exodus 20 8-1, refrain from buying and selling (Neh. 10:31, 13: 15-22), and to focus on Him as our delight, rather than worldly pleasures (Is. 58: 13-14)

 The prosecution would like to call our first witness to the stand. 

Bailiff: Do you promise to tell the truth 

Witness: I do 

Prosecutor 2: Witness on which day do you see most people all over the world worship?

Witness: Sunday 

Prosecutor: Can you recall any major business places opening on Sunday? 

Witness: No 

Prosecutor 2: No further question your honour 

Defence 2: Witness are you a Seventh-Day Adventist?

Witness: I used to be, but now I have a new study that the Sabbath was nailed to the cross and that Pope Constantine changed the Sabbath to Sunday.

Defence 2: Can you prove that from the Bible that the day of worship was changed from Sabbath to Sunday? 

Witness: Hmmmmm. no 

Defence 2: Your honour, ladies and gentlemen of the Jury there is but one Bible Sabbath, that instituted and commanded of God and observed by our Lord Jesus Christ. Your honour we would like to submit from the Bible as our evidence that Saturday Sabbath is the day of worship and not Sunday, also for all those who are present to note the evidence from the following texts Ex. 31 13, Luke 4:16, Mark 2:27&28, Luke 23:52 -56 Ez. Matt. 28:1, Mark 16: 1-2 & 9, Mark 15:42 and we could go on. It is interesting to note that after the crucifixion, these devoted disciples of Christ first "rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment" Luke 23:57, although they were anxious to anoint Jesus's dead body with spices and fragrant oils, they waited from late Friday afternoon to early Sunday morning to return to His grave. 

They knew the Sabbath commandment wasn't abolished at the cross. 

Witness: I can't believe it! Are these texts in the Bible? It's the first these texts are revealed to me and not to mention that the Catholics have changed the day of worship for their purpose.

 Prosecutor: No further inquiries your honour. 

Defence: The defence has no further questions your honour. 

(Sudden outburst): If I may your honour, I would like to say something \

Judge: Order in the court. 

Defence: your honour the defence would like to admit another witness to the stand. 

Prosecution: Objection your honour! we did not have enough time to prepare for the witness. 

Judge: Overruled! another witness may be admitted to the stand

 Bailiff: do you promise to tell the truth. 

Witness: I Do 

Defence 2: So tell us your take on the matter that is now before the court. (tell the story) 

Defence: No further questions, your honour. 

Prosecutor: No questions from the prosecution your honour 

Judge: Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury, I am now going to read to you the law that you must follow in deciding this case. To prove that the Seventh Day Sabbath is the true day of worship and not Sunday. The Catholic Extension Magazine 180 Wabash Ave., Chicago, Illinois (under the blessing of Pope Pius XII) and it reads 

Dear Sir,

Regarding the change from the observance of the Jewish Sabbath to the Christian Sunday, I wish to draw your attention to the facts:  

(1) that protestants, who accept the Bible as the only rule of faith and religion, should by all means go back to the observance of the Sabbath. The fact that they do not, but on the contrary observe Sunday, stultifies them in the eyes of every thinking man. 

(2) We also say that of all protestants, the Seventh-Day Adventists are the only group that reason correctly and are consistent with their teachings. It is always somewhat laughable to see the Protestant Churches, in the pulpit and legislature, demand the observance of Sunday of which there is nothing in the Bible. 

Best wishes 

Peter R. Tramer, 

Editor. 

Chapters 8 & 10 of Exodus 20 encourages us to Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, and the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work. 

Judge: Both the prosecution and the defence have now rested their cases. The attorneys will now present their final arguments. Prosecution you may begin. 

Prosecution: Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury, what difference does it make at least we are worshipping God. The Bible says one Lord, one faith one baptism. 

Defence: I could provide quotes from the historical literature of nearly all Sunday-keeping Protestant organizations that confess there is no scripture to support Sunday observance. Bible scholars of every denomination who studied the Sabbath issue agreed to the sacred name of the Seventh-day is Sabbath. This fact is clear and requires no argument.

Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury, after all the evidence and statements, admitted you must make your decision. 

Judge: The Jurors have deliberated. Have you reached the verdict?

Head Juror: yes your honour 

Judge: The verdict by unanimous decision is the Seventh Day Sabbath is truly the Bible Sabbath. Which is still binding and that the Catholics have changed the day of worship to Sunday. 

Judge: We thank the Jury for their hard work and all the participants in the program. I implore all of us to continue to study God's words and know the truth for yourself that when the National Sunday Law shall pass we will remain loyal to our God, as we stand firmly upon his words though the heaven falls.