Can the Majority Be Wrong?

In guide 16 we discovered that experiencing Sabbath rest is an important antidote to today’s stressful living. Since God understands our every need, He established each seventh day for our physical rest and our spiritual refreshment. After creating our world in six days, He “rested” on the seventh day, “blessed it,” and “made it holy” (Genesis 2:1-3). (Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptural texts in the DISCOVER guides are from the New International Version of the Bible [NIV].)

When God gave the Ten Commandments to His people, Israel, He placed the commandment to observe the seventh day Sabbath at the heart of His law (Exodus 20:8-11). According to this commandment, the Sabbath is a memorial of God’s creative power, a day to pause and think about the beauties and wonders of His created works, a day to relax and come close to our Creator, a day to explore in greater depth our relationship with Him.

During Jesus’ human life on earth, He too kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16) and endorsed it as a day that benefits Christians (Mark 2:27, 28). Several texts in the book of Acts make it clear that Christ’s disciples worshiped on the Sabbath after His resurrection (Acts 13:14; 16:13; 17:2; 18:1-4, 11).