Rod McNair

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

God’s Holy Days: Feast of Unleavened Bread Explained

There’s a springtime biblical feast that is often overlooked by many today, even in the professing Christian world. What am I talking about? It’s called the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Believe it or not, the early New Testament Church kept this observance. It’s plainly laid out in the pages of your Bible.

What is this Feast of Unleavened Bread all about?

It may surprise you to find out how relevant it is to the life of a Christian—in particular, to what we do after we’ve been forgiven by God.

What is expected of us after we’ve come under the shed blood of our Savior Jesus Christ and been baptized? Does living under grace mean we are once saved, always saved? Or is there something else we must do?

The Feast of Unleavened Bread provides the answers.

What Is the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the Bible?

A growing number of Christians are discovering the biblical Feast days. For many, this is a surprise. It might be for you, especially if you were brought up on the popular holidays of Christmas and all its trappings; Easter and the sunrise service; and even the bizarre and morbid customs of Halloween.

When you look in the Bible, you won’t find instructions by God to keep these days. What you will find are God’s Holy Days, including the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread actually comprises a seven-day period—one whole week—and it occurs each spring in late March or April.

Some think these days were done away with by the death of Jesus Christ, but the New Testament says otherwise. What we find is that these days were kept by the New Testament Church. And the Feast of Unleavened Bread has one of the clearest, most obvious explanations in the New Testament of all the Holy Days. It’s found in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.

Passover and Unleavened Bread Point to Repentance

Paul addresses both the Christian Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread in this letter. We find it in chapter 5. The context is that Paul was addressing an on-going sin in the Corinthian church. One of the members was actually committing adultery with his father’s wife—perhaps his stepmother. We pick up the account in 1 Corinthians 5:1.

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! … For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed (1 Corinthians 5:1–3).

Paul told the congregation that this problem was not to be ignored. They weren’t to turn a blind eye to it. He told them this man must be put out of the Church.

The good news is, in the second book of Corinthians we find that this man learned his lesson. He repented. He changed. He stopped that adulterous relationship. And Paul welcomed him back—and he encouraged the members to do the same.

So that was the context. Notice what Paul said next in 1 Corinthians 5:6.

Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened.

Again, what was happening? Well, the Corinthian members had put up with this man staying in the Church, even while he engaged in a blatant and obvious pattern of adultery. Actually, they were even sort of proud of their so-called “love” and “mercy” in overlooking his actions.

This Is Why Jesus Said Go and Sin No More

But Paul reminded them that condoning sin is not real love or mercy. It’s just the opposite. Breaking God’s law hurts, it destroys, it tears apart relationships, it corrodes character, and it leads to death.

God knows that it hurts the person who’s sinning the most. And that is why He takes it so seriously.

Frankly, that should be a lesson for our day. Too many people in the name of “love” and “mercy” encourage and condone behavior that ultimately causes only pain and suffering for those who engage in it.

Now let’s be clear. We’re all sinners. We have all broken God’s perfect law. Paul makes that clear in Romans 3:23. But we are to repent of sin. We are to come out of it. We are to be washed and cleaned up by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. And then we are told to, as Christ said to the woman taken in adultery in John 8:11, “Go and sin no more.”

Christian Passover Explained: Forgiveness of Sins

Notice 1 Corinthians 5:7. Paul explained:

For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

You see, Jesus Christ was the perfect fulfillment of the Passover lambs sacrificed by the Israelites year by year. Those Passover lambs were symbolic of what Christ would do when He gave His life for our sins. Now we don’t sacrifice lambs each spring, but Christians are to acknowledge the ultimate Passover Lamb, our Elder Brother, for what He did for us. And we do that by keeping the annual observance of the Christian Passover.

In fact, later in the book Paul actually walked through how to keep it. That’s found in 1 Corinthians 11:23.

“For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes (1 Corinthians 11:23–26).

So, Paul taught the Corinthians to keep the New Testament Passover, including the symbols that Jesus introduced, the bread and the wine.

Keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread | 1 Corinthians 5:7 Explained

Continuing in 1 Corinthians 5:7.

For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast… (1 Corinthians 5:7–8).

What feast was Paul talking about? Well, let’s just read on (1 Corinthians 5:8).

Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Stop Sinning: The Feast of Unleavened Bread’s Spiritual Meaning

The apostle Paul taught the brethren in Corinth to keep the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. But what did these Feast days represent?

As already explained, Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb. And when we observe the Christian Passover, we are acknowledging our need for His loving sacrifice to cover our sins.

But after we have been forgiven of sin, what do we do? Do we go right on sinning? Too many people have basically concluded the answer is, “Yes. We can just keep living our life however we want even after we accept Christ.”

Well, that’s not what your Bible says.

During This Feast, Leaven Represents Sin

You see, there’s another step to take after we’ve been forgiven of sin. And the Feast of Unleavened Bread teaches us that. Let’s read it again in 1 Corinthians 5:7.

For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:7–8).

When we speak of leaven, we’re talking about leavening agents in bread, such as baking soda, baking powder, or yeast. It’s the ingredient that produces air pockets of carbon dioxide in the dough. It actually makes it light and fluffy—it makes it taste good.

But the Bible compares leaven to sin.

In the same way that leaven enters the dough, expands, and permeates the whole loaf, so does sin. It will deepen and spread if not gotten rid of. Our conscience may at first be pricked, but over time we will become hardened to it. It becomes harder to stop.

One sin can lead to another. If we’re caught in a lie, the temptation is to tell another lie to cover up the first. And on and on it goes. Sin spreads like leaven.

The same was true, as Paul explained, in the congregation as a whole in Corinth. He knew if the person who was living in adultery would not be dealt with, others would drift into being careless about their behavior as well. Sin would spread more and more in the congregation.

Replace Sin With Righteousness (Unleavened Bread)

So Passover symbolizes our sins being forgiven by Christ’s sacrifice. But after Passover, we must keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. During those seven days, we eat no leavened bread or bread products—like crackers, cakes or cookies.

In fact, we actually remove and dispose of any of these items from our homes beforehand, and remove any leavening agents. We get it all out.

The avoiding of leaven for seven days symbolizes the fact that after Christ has died for our sins, we must now live a new life in obedience to God. The Bible is full of references to this.

Turn to Romans 6:1.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (Romans 6:1–4).

Keeping This Feast Shows How to Stop Sinning

We can’t persist in our old sins.

• If you have a problem with lying, for example, you must begin to speak the truth.
• If you’re addicted to porn, you’ve got to learn not to yield to lust.
• If you fall into anger and rage habitually, you need to learn how to break that habit.

As Paul said, we give up “malice and wickedness,” and we walk in “sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8). Our life changes. That’s what the Feast of Unleavened Bread is all about.

But don’t think you can do it on your own. Personal change is hard. You can’t do it by yourself. But keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread helps us understand this.

You see, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is not the “Feast of No Bread.” We are not just to avoid leaven, but we are to put something else in its place. We are to eat unleavened bread. It can be unleavened bread that is commercially available, or it might be unleavened bread we make ourselves. (Do a Google search for “unleavened bread recipes” and you’ll find all sorts of ideas.)

Jesus Is the Bread of Life | Unleavened Bread Explained

Eating literal unleavened bread for seven days is a powerful daily reminder that we must feed on the bread of life, Jesus Christ.

Notice John 6:35.

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”

Jesus is the Bread of Life. And we must figuratively feed on Him daily. Notice what else He said in John 6:57.

“As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:57–58).

In other words, we read THIS BOOK daily. We feed on it and fill our mind with it. The Bible is the mind of God in print. Let it teach you. Let it guide you and even correct you, as Paul also wrote in Hebrews 4:12.

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12–13).

This is what the Feast of Unleavened Bread is all about—personal change, becoming more like Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven day by day.

We can’t do it on our own. Notice John 15:5.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

The apostle Paul also said (in Philippians 4:13):

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

So with God’s help, we can overcome—no matter how difficult it may seem. That’s what the Feast of Unleavened Bread teaches us.

God’s Law Helps Us Identify and Remove Sin

But some will say, Christ came to do away with all those Old Testament laws. And some may even point to Scriptures which have supposedly been used to debunk the biblical Holy Days.

Let’s look at a Scripture that is often used this way, and see what it really says.

Colossians 2:11-14 Explained

The context was Paul’s writing to the Colossians. Let’s pick it up in Colossians 2:11.

In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead (Colossians 2:11–12).

Again, if we accept Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf, we’re buried with Him in baptism. And then we come out of that watery grave and walk in newness of life. We stop sinning. Going on in Colossians 2:13.

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross (Colossians 2:12–14).

God’s Law Is God’s Protection for Us

Now some people will say the Law of God—the Ten Commandments—was nailed to the cross. But does the Bible say the Ten Commandments are “against us”? Not at all. The Ten Commandments protect us.

The law against murder, even in our civil society, protects us and is good for all of us. What about the law against adultery? Is that against us? Who doesn’t want to be protected from the pain and suffering caused by an unfaithful spouse? Clearly, the law against adultery in the Ten Commandments is not against us, but it is for us. It protects us.

So what is against us? What was Paul talking about?

Well, what is against us is the penalty for breaking God’s law. You see, every one of us has earned the death penalty by our own personal sins. Death and the death penalty—for our sins—is what’s against us. And Christ took that penalty away—not the law—when He died on the stake.

Explanation of Colossians 2:16 | “The Body of Christ” Is the Church

Going on in Colossians 2:16, I’ll read in the King James Version.

Let 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: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [is] of Christ (Colossians 2:16–17, KJV).

Some read this as if you shouldn’t keep the biblical Holy Days, but that’s not what it says. It says don’t let anyone judge you in regard to what you eat, what you drink, or how you keep one of God’s Holy Days.

In other words, if you are faithfully keeping God’s biblical Holy Days, don’t be intimidated by what your neighbor thinks. Don’t worry about what a friend or relative might think. Serve Christ and worry about what He thinks.

Actually, there’s even a phrase at the end that gives it better clarity. At the end of verse 17, Colossians 2, the New King James Version says:

But the substance is of Christ.

So some will say, “See, get rid of all the Holy Days, and just focus on Christ.” That’s not what this verse says either. It is more accurately translated in the King James Version in Colossians 2:17.

But the body (is) of Christ.

And “is” is in italics. That means it’s not in the original Greek. So it really says, in Colossians 2:17 (KJV):

But the body of Christ.

So let’s put the whole verse back together now. Again, reading in the King James Version without the word “is” incorrectly inserted by the translators (Colossians 2:16–17).

Let 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: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body of Christ.

Paul was saying, “Don’t let outsiders judge you for keeping the biblical Holy Days. Rather, let yourself be guided and taught by the body of Christ.” The body of Christ is the Church. That’s found in numerous scriptures.

So contrary to doing away with the Holy Days, Colossians 2:16–17 actually reinforce their importance. And they indicate that the Church Christ built will be keeping them and should teach us how to keep them.

What a difference from what is often being taught today. The Holy Days should be kept, not swept away. And the Church should be keeping them and teaching them. That’s what the Apostle Paul said.

The Feasts of the Lord—God’s Holy Days | Leviticus 23

We find further information about these Feasts back in Leviticus 23. What it reveals is that these days were times for God’s people to gather together to worship Him. We can find this [in] Leviticus 23:1.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: “The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts” (Leviticus 23:1–2).

Notice whose feasts these are. These are God’s feasts. And when you further understand that it was the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, the Word, who was working with these Israelites—you realize, there’s no way that these are done away, because this was the One who became Jesus Christ teaching them in the first place. Notice again Leviticus 23:4.

These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it…. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it (Leviticus 23:4–7).

The Feast of Unleavened Bread Represents Our Journey Out of Sin

But did you know, the children of Israel came out of Egypt during this Feast as well. You can read about that in Exodus 13:3.

And Moses said to the people: “Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. On this day you are going out…. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters. And you shall tell your son… saying, ‘This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt’” (Exodus 13:3–8).

Remember God’s Holy Days—and Teach Your Children About Them

Moses told the Israelites: Don’t forget this day that you’re coming out of the land of Egypt. As Christians, God is calling us out of this world. He’s calling us to forsake our sins and our spiritual Egypt. The Feast of Unleavened Bread can be a powerful annual reminder for us about our journey out of sin and the suffering it causes.

As we forsake our old habits, feed on Christ, and ask Him to change us, we will begin to enjoy the fruits of living God’s way and really walking in His grace and in His love. And what a joyous life that is.

Thank you for watching. If you found this video helpful, check out more of our content, or hit subscribe to stay connected. And if you want a free study guide related to this topic, just click the link. See you next time!

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

The Sabbath Is Saturday

The Bible teaches that Christians should keep the Sabbath. But what day is it?

The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week. Just look for the seventh day on your calendar. That’s the Sabbath.

Today, we call the seventh day Saturday. But in the Bible, it’s called the Sabbath.

• It’s a day of rest.
• It’s a day to cease from our normal labors.
• And it’s a day to worship God, to assemble with other Christians.
• It’s holy time, made holy by God.

Jesus Christ kept the Sabbath. He taught His followers to keep it with the other Commandments. The Apostles also kept it, and taught its observance.

The Bible never says that Sunday is holy. The Bible never tells us to worship God on Sunday. And yet, most mainstream Christians do just that.

So if Jesus and the apostles kept the Sabbath on the seventh day, why don’t most people keep it today? What happened? Who changed the Sabbath?

This is an important question that strikes at the very heart of the worship of God. It’s something we need to know the answer to.

From time to time, viewers ask us, “If the Bible says the seventh day is holy, why don’t most churches keep it?”

You might be wondering, too. Maybe you’ve asked your pastor or your priest. It’s a really good question, and it deserves an answer, not just an “oh, you know, Christ came and did everything for us,” but a real answer from the Bible and from documented history.

And as we always say on Tomorrow’s World, don’t believe us. Open your Bible and believe what you see written in the pages of that Bible.

You see, after the death of the original apostles, the church underwent radical changes. What happened?

The late pastor and evangelist John Ogwyn summed it up this way in the study guide we’re offering today, God’s Church Through the Ages. On page 2, he writes:

When we look at the story of the mainstream, professing Christian church throughout the centuries, it appears to be a vastly different church from the one described in the pages of your New Testament. In the book of Acts we find that God’s Church celebrated “Jewish” holy days…. Yet less than 300 years later, we find a church claiming Apostolic origin but observing the “venerable day of the Sun” instead of the seventh-day Sabbath…. How could such an amazing transformation have taken place? What happened?” (Ogwyn, J.; p. 2; God's Church Through the Ages).

How do you go from a Church keeping the Sabbath to worshiping on an entirely different day? Does it make sense that Christ would lead His Church to observe one day, and then a few years later direct that an entirely different day is to be kept? After all, as Paul said (in Hebrews 13:8):

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Sunday Is Not the Lord’s Day in the Bible

It’s important to note that Jesus Christ taught and kept the Sabbath. In fact, in Luke 6:5, He said:

“The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

So when we speak of the Day of the Lord, the Day of the Lord is not Sunday. By Jesus’ own testimony, the Day of the Lord—the Day He is the Lord of—is the seventh day, the Sabbath.

Another important key to keep in mind is we have a record of Christ’s Church keeping the seventh-day Sabbath years after His death and resurrection.

In Acts 13, we read about Paul teaching the Jews in Antioch, in Pisidia, on the Sabbath day. But notice what happened at the conclusion of His teaching. This is found in Acts 13:42.

So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.

Wouldn’t this have been a beautiful opportunity for Paul to tell those Gentiles the Sabbath wasn’t required for them? But he didn’t. Instead, notice in Acts 13:44:

On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.

3 Reasons People Worship on Sunday (Erroneously)

Now we’re not going to go into all the proofs of the Sabbath on this program. That’s covered in other telecasts and articles on Tomorrowsworld.org. Just type in the word “Sabbath” in the search bar. Or you can go on our Tomorrow’s World YouTube channel.

So again—how did the Church go from keeping the seventh-day Sabbath, to keeping Sunday only three centuries later?

To understand what happened, we’ll examine three basic points. These three points describe what was happening in the first few centuries after Christ. Let me share them with you now. And then we’ll discuss each one of them, one by one.

What happened to the church from the first century to the fourth century?

• #1: False teachers introduced heresies against the Laws of God.
• #2: Anti-Jewish sentiment grew, leading many to abandon the Sabbath.
• #3: Sunday keepers became the majority; Sabbath-keepers the minority.

1. False Teachers and Heresy Against the Ten Commandments

So, let’s take these points one by one, and see what we can find from the Bible and the record of history.

1. False teachers introduced heresies against the laws of God.

Jesus warned of false teachers when He was yet alive. He said in Matthew 7:15–16,

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits….”

That warning was repeated by the last living apostles as well. In fact, in some instances, they warned that false teachers were already beginning to infiltrate the Church. Notice what the Apostle Jude wrote in Jude 1:3–4:

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jude said false teachers were already introducing the idea that grace meant you don’t have to keep the law. But God does require us to keep His Law.

In Romans 7:12 the Apostle Paul said:

The law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

That law defines how to love, but what we’re seeing is even in the first century, there were men who were trying to do away with that law.

The Apostle John was the last living apostle of the original Church. He died in the 90s AD. But before his death, he also warned against false teachers claiming to be followers of Christ. Notice what he said in 1 John 2:4.

He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

So toward the end of John’s life, false teachers were already infiltrating the Church. And John called them liars. If this was already happening during the lifetime of John, imagine what would happen after his death.

2. Antisemitic Push to Quit Keeping the Sabbath

But other forces were also at work that were going to lead many to compromise on keeping the Sabbath. So how did that happen? That brings us to our next point.

Over time, after the death of the original apostles:

2. Anti-Jewish sentiment grew, leading many to abandon the Sabbath.

The first century AD was a tumultuous time for Jews under the Roman rule. Multiple uprisings against the Romans had occurred. One of them, from 66 to 70 AD, resulted in the temple being destroyed and Jerusalem overrun. But that was not the end of it. As the website christianhistoryinstitute.org points out,

[a]fter the Jewish War (66–70), progressively more disastrous uprisings followed: the Kitos War of 115–117 and the Bar Kochba revolt 20 years later. After each conflict Rome leveled punitive taxes and other restrictions on Jews, regardless of whether they had supported the revolts (many had not) (“Faith divided,” Christian History Magazine. 2020).

These restrictions grew more severe, until in 135 AD, in exasperation the Romans expelled all Jews from Jerusalem on pain of death.

This had a huge impact on the church. Many Christians in Jerusalem completely stopped keeping the seventh-day Sabbath. Why? Because they didn’t want to be mistaken for Jews in the eyes of the Roman authorities. As the article concludes:

Non-Jewish Christians now had reason to avoid calling attention to their relationship with this potentially seditious sect….

The renowned historian Edward Gibbon describes how the Jerusalem church changed dramatically under the leadership of their new Latin bishop Marcus after 135 AD. This is detailed in his famous work The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

At his persuasion the most considerable part of the congregation renounced the Mosaic law, in the practice of which they had persevered above a century. By this sacrifice of their habits and prejudices, they purchased a free admission into the colony of Hadrian, and more firmly cemented their union with the Catholic church (1862, p. 94).

Understand, when it says they “renounced the Mosaic law,” they’re talking about the Ten Commandments. They’re talking about the keeping of the Sabbath.

Gibbon continues:

The crimes of heresy and schism were imputed to the obscure remnant of the Nazarenes which refused to accompany their Latin bishop.… In a few years after the return of the church of Jerusalem, it became a matter of doubt and controversy whether a man who sincerely acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, but who still continued to observe the law of Moses, could possibly hope for salvation (ibid.).

Wow. The bulk of these church-goers turned their back on the law of Moses. And that includes the Ten Commandments, which includes the seventh-day Sabbath. And why? Because they didn’t want to be mistaken for Jews.

This was not the only time Jews were expelled from their homes in the Roman empire. In Acts 18:1, we find a record of it happening in Rome.

After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome).

So we see tensions between the Jews and Roman authorities were flaring up again and again throughout the Roman empire during this time. And that had an impact on the church, in creating a desire to distance themselves from the Jews. Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi explains this in his book From Sabbath to Sunday.

The adoption of this negative attitude toward the Jews can be explained (but not necessarily justified!) by several circumstances existing particularly at the time of Hadrian. First, the relationship between Rome and the Jews was extremely tense…. Such circumstances invited Christians to develop a new identity, not only characterized by a negative attitude toward Jews, but also by the substitution of characteristic Jewish religious customs for new ones (pp. 182–183).

Not only was Sunday worship urged there, but concrete measures were also taken to wean Christians away from any veneration of the Sabbath (1977, p. 186).

But Jesus Said Enter Through the Narrow Gate—Few Find It

Think about it. How powerful is peer pressure? And how difficult it is to do the right thing in the face of persecution? But what did Jesus say? In Matthew 7:13–14:

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

What did the Apostle Paul teach the disciples, after he had been stoned for the Gospel of Christ? We read that in Acts 14:22.

We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.

Sunday Worship Began with Compromise

So what we’re seeing is the beginning of Sunday worship—compromise in an attempt to avoid persecution.

But God has not called us to compromise. God has called us to believe what’s written in His Word, and follow the truth no matter what. With God’s help, if we ask for His help, we can give our lives to Him, and obey this book.

So again, many of the Christians in the early decades of the second century were intimidated into compromising on the Sabbath. And they were deceived by teachers teaching contrary to Scripture. Dr. Bacchiocchi refers to church leaders who urged members to abandon the Sabbath on page 186.

While prior to him [that is, Justin Martyr] Ignatius in Asia Minor (ca. A.D. 110) and Barnabas in Alexandria (ca. A.D. 135) explicitly upbraided Sabbath-keeping, it is Justin who provides the most devastating and systematic condemnation of the Sabbath and the first explicit account of Christian Sunday worship (ibid.).

What a remarkable transformation from the teaching of Paul to the Gentiles on the Sabbath, to Christians being questioned as to whether they could even be saved if they keep the Sabbath.

3. Sunday Worship Popularity vs. Keeping the Sabbath

By the end of the second century, Sunday-keeping was even more entrenched among the mainstream visible Christian church. And soon it would become the enforced doctrine in the official religion of the entire Roman Empire. And that brings us to our next point.

3. Sunday-keepers became the majority; Sabbath-keepers the minority.

Tertullian was an author and theologian from Carthage, who wrote in the late second century and early third century. He was one of the primary defenders of mainstream Christianity in his day. In one of his works, Ad Nationes (ch. 13), he defends Sunday worship against an unlikely foe—the pagans. Notice what he wrote.

Others… suppose that the sun is the god of the Christians, because it is a well-known fact that we pray towards the east, or because we make Sunday a day of festivity (Tertullian, “The Charge of Worshipping the Sun Met By a Retort,” Ad Nationes).

Now, stop and think for a moment. Why would worldly, idol-worshipping pagans get confused that Christians were actually sun-worshippers? Well, because those Christians were worshipping on a day set aside by the pagans to honor and give deference to their sun-god. Now, these Christians were undoubtedly keeping Sunday in their minds to honor Christ’s resurrection.

But by the way, Jesus wasn’t resurrected on Sunday. He was actually resurrected toward the end of the previous day, on the Sabbath. But that’s a different story. If you’d like to explore that topic, go to our Tomorrowsworld.org website, and in the search bar type in “Easter.”

But back to Tertullian. What we see is that mainstream Christianity was distancing itself from the Jews. And at the same time, it was moving closer to the pagans and their traditions, including keeping Sunday.

This point is even more bluntly made by respected historians such as Will Durant. In The Story of Civilization, Vol. 3 he writes:

Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it…. Christianity became the last and greatest of the mystery religions (Will Durant, The Story of Civilization, vol. 3. 1944, pp. 595, 600).

Is it any wonder then, a century later, when Constantine wanted to unify the empire, he astutely chose Christianity as his new religion? He saw some Christians worshipping on the day set aside by the pagans to honor the sun. And so it fit well for him to even issue an edict for all Christians to honor the “venerable day of the Sun.”

Notice what Paul Johnson, a devout Catholic, said about this.

Many Christians did not make a clear distinction between this sun cult and their own. They referred to Christ “driving his chariot across the sky”; they held their services on Sunday, knelt towards the East and had their nativity-feast on 25 December, the birthday of the sun at the winter solstice… Constantine never abandoned sun-worship and kept the sun on his coins. He made Sunday into a day of rest (A History of Christianity, 1976, p. 67–68).

Wow.

Roman Empire Fulfills Prophecy in Daniel 7:25

From the Sabbath being kept and taught by Christ and the apostles, to a pagan, sun-worshipping, political emperor embracing Christianity as his own—what a profound change in only three centuries, and now with the stamp of approval of the mighty Roman Empire.

In fact, this was prophesied in Daniel 7. In a vision, Daniel saw a prophecy of four successive world-ruling kingdoms. But notice what he saw regarding the final kingdom, identified as the Roman Empire, in Daniel 7:25.

He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law.

The Roman Empire was prophesied to be part of a system intending to change times and law. What “time” is included in a law of God? Well, the Sabbath.

Who Changed the Sabbath Day to Sunday? No One.

But did Constantine’s decree really change the Sabbath? Did the Roman Empire, in concert with the mainstream church, really change the day to worship God? No.

No one can change it. You can’t change something that God has ordained.

Exodus 20 outlines the Ten Commandments given at Mount Sinai. One of those commandments, the fourth, is the command to remember and observe the Sabbath. Notice in Exodus 20:8–10.

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work…

But how and when was the Sabbath instituted? Read on in Exodus 20:11.

For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

God hallowed the seventh day by resting Himself. He made it holy. All the councils and all the canons of man cannot change what God purposed.

True Christians Still Keep the Sabbath

So, who changed the Sabbath? Nobody.

And in fact, even after Constantine’s edict, there were faithful Christians still adhering to the true Sabbath, the seventh day. So much so that forty years later, the Council of Laodicea was convened to address, among other questions, the keeping of the Sabbath (Canon 29 of the Council of Laodicea).

… Forbids Christians from Judaizing and resting on the Sabbath day, and actually enjoins them to work on that day (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition, vol. 26. 1911, p. 95).

Why was that canon published? Because true followers of Christ were still keeping the Sabbath. They were harassed, they were persecuted, and they often had to flee to the outer parts of the empire, but they were faithful.

Evangelist John Ogwyn explains this in the study guide God’s Church Through the Ages.

After Constantine began the systematic enforcement of compliance with Roman theology in 325 AD, the remnants of the true Church were in large part forced to flee the bounds of the Roman Empire into the mountains of Armenia, and later into the Balkan areas of Europe. They were few in number, utterly lacking in prestige or wealth, and labeled as enemies of the state by a supposedly “Christian” Roman Empire (p. 24).

And over the next 1,000 years, we have faint historical traces of Christians who obediently followed God, keeping His Sabbath, in spite of persecution. As Mr. Ogwyn continues:

In God’s sight… they were precious. It was not God’s purpose that His true Church grow into a great, powerful organization that would “Christianize” the world…. Its continuity would be measured not by a succession of proud, powerful, presiding bishops in a particular city… but by a succession of faithful, converted people—who, though scattered and persecuted, continued to worship the Father in spirit and in truth (ibid.).

In a book entitled Faith of Our Fathers, first published in 1876, James Cardinal Gibbons made this remarkable admission:

You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday (The Faith of Our Fathers, 1917, p. 97).

So who changed the Sabbath? No one. The Scriptures reveal the Sabbath as the seventh day, and all the councils and canons of man cannot change what God purposed. When we observe the Sabbath each week, we are honoring and remembering God’s work at Creation. And we are recognizing His loving guidance in our lives.

Thank you for watching. If you found this video helpful, check out more of our content or hit subscribe to stay connected. And if you want a free study guide relating to this topic, just click the link in the description. See you next time.

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

How to Save Your Marriage

Is your marriage on the rocks? Do you find you and your spouse constantly arguing and bickering? Do even the smallest issues seem to blow up into major disputes?

Many silently suffer in a marriage fraught with conflict and pain. You might be one of them. You might feel it’s hopeless, there’s nothing that can be done. Well, before you give up, keep listening.

What if you have a decent marriage? What if you and your spouse get along, but you sense you could be closer. If you’d like a breakthrough, then this program is for you, too.

What if you describe your marriage as close and fulfilling? Could it be better? I think we’d all agree even great marriages, between flawed people, can always improve.

What if you’re not married, will never marry, or have zero interest in marriage? Well, if that’s the case, don’t turn off this program yet, because believe it or not, what we’re going to cover still applies to you.
The issue of marriage is something that concerns all of us. No matter what time of life we’re in, regardless of our age, or the state of our marriage, or even if we’re not married at all.

Marriage is in crisis. Never it seems has it been so misunderstood, misapplied, and even ridiculed. The institution itself is going through a dramatic transformation before our eyes, in the modern world. Consider what the website ourworldindata.org has to say.

Within the last decades the institution of marriage has changed more than in the thousands of years before… The proportion of people who are getting married is going down in many countries across the world (“Marriages and Divorces,” February 2025).

And truly, when we look at the drop in marriage rates all over the world, it is a shocking and disturbing trend. And extremely worrisome, because marriage is one of the basic building blocks of society. But where did marriage come from?

Some see marriage as a man-made construct—something that our ancestors millions of years ago figured would be a good idea. You know, the picture of marriage beginning when a caveman dragged his chosen female mate back to his cave to be his wife. And the rest is history.

Is that how marriage began?

No. The truth is, marriage was invented by God Himself. We find that in Genesis 2:20.

So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man (Genesis 2:20-22).

These were the first humans, not some imaginary Neanderthals dragging their mates around by the hair. And marriage was designed to create a bond of trust and loyalty between a man and a woman who’ve committed their lives to each other. It thrives in a state of godly character, honesty, and transparency. And it was intended to become the launching pad for children who grow up learning respect and decency from their parents.

Imagine a society where thousands and even millions of family units are built on this type of stable and solid foundation. Think about the far-reaching positive benefits for society at large. Mature, well-adjusted, and honest adults who function dependably in the workplace and in the community. And where did they learn those traits? In a godly Christian home, from parents who had built a strong marriage together.

Tips for Fixing Your Marriage

You see, everything starts in the home. And the home environment is built on marriage. And marriage was established by God.

So if you want to build a better marriage yourself, you have to start at the beginning. And that beginning is our first key today.

Know God Created Marriage—and Why

1. Acknowledge that marriage comes from God.

This might seem like a simple point. But it actually has far-reaching consequences. If we acknowledge that God is the author of marriage, that means He can define what it is.

No, it’s not any arrangement of two people who love each other, however love is defined. It’s not a man in a union with another man, or a woman with another woman. No, God defines marriage as a special covenant for life, between a man and a woman.

Acknowledging that marriage comes from God also defines what constitutes appropriate behavior in that relationship. Just as God created marriage, God created sex. And God designed sex to be exclusively limited to a man and wife within the marriage relationship. Notice what Jesus said in Matthew 5:31-32.

“It has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.”

The phrase “sexual immorality” comes from the Greek root word pornea. Pornea would include repeated adultery, a lifestyle of being unfaithful. And pornea—from which we get the word “pornography”—could also certainly include an addiction to pornography if one is resistant to giving it up.

You see, acknowledging that God created marriage changes everything. It means that we look to Him to know how to conduct our lives, even in our closest relationship.

It means we even seek His perspective on divorce, as Malachi 2:16 notes.

“For the LORD God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence,” says the LORD of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”

God hates divorce because He knows how much damage it does to the family. And He wants to help us avoid that.

So if you want to build a better marriage, you’ve got to know where to start. Whether you’re in a troubled marriage, or whether your marriage is generally happy but could be better, we have a map for making improvements. And it all starts with acknowledging God as the Creator. He designed it. He knows how to make it work best.

What’s the next key?

Don’t Have an Exit Strategy

2. Commit to your spouse.

There was a time, even in the recent past, when marriage was assumed to be for life. Where did that idea come from? Well, from the Bible—Romans 7:2 says this.

For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband.

You see, this wasn’t a man-made idea. God defined marriage as a lifelong commitment. A sacred covenant.

When Jesus was on this earth, the Jews asked Him about marriage—specifically about divorce. Notice His response in Mark 10:6-9.

“From the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’… Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

But today we see very different expectations. The mentality all too often is “I’ll love you as long as you love me.” Or “I’ll stay with you as long as my needs are met.” Some seek to be free of a marriage if they feel they no longer love the person they married.

But can you see the flaws in each of these mindsets? They are setting a limit on the commitment they are willing to make.

Now, before going on any further, let me explain. Christ did say that there are times when a marriage relationship had been broken beyond repair. The damage is done and is very difficult to be undone. As noted already, one of those times is when a partner has fallen into a lifestyle of sexual immorality and is unrepentant. That’s a valid reason for divorce.

Another example is found in the writings of the Apostle Paul. He’s talking to Christians who are married to unbelievers, and says in 1 Corinthians 7:15,

But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.

In other words, there are times when the other person has made it clear that he or she no longer intends to fulfill the marriage contract. Even with time, and counseling, and perseverance of the committed partner, the other person is done. Maybe they abandon their mate. Or perhaps they are terribly abusive. At times such as this, as Paul explains, it is appropriate to dissolve the marriage.

But truthfully, in our day, too many marriages are wrecked simply because two people just can’t get along. In many cases it could be salvaged—and even improved—with a little more patience and perseverance.

There was a fascinating study conducted in the United Kingdom that was referred to by the Marriage Foundation in February 2017. The Marriage Foundation is an organization in Britain that advocates for policies that support marriage and the family. Here is what they found.

It is widely presumed that “staying together in an unhappy marriage” condemns couples to a life of misery (“Couples on the Brink,” marriagefoundation.org.uk).

This is the common assumption, but the study found that in most cases, that’s simply not true. The study followed a group of 10,000 parents with newborn children, focusing on a small subset of that group who described their marriages as “unhappy.” What was the result of the study?

Of this small minority, 30% split up within ten years. Of those who stayed together, two thirds reported that they were now happy and only 7% still unhappy.

Did you catch that? In other words, even if you’re struggling in your marriage, even if you feel unhappy, don’t give up. Sometimes you’ll go through a time of high stress and difficulty. The solution is generally not to bail out, but to work on it together, learn what you can learn, and try to figure out what you may be doing wrong, personally. And to persevere. In most cases, it will get better.

Which brings us back to the point of this section: Commit to your spouse. If we go into marriage with a Plan B, so to speak—if divorce is an option if things get too hard—then it’s more likely that some day we’ll take that option.

On the other hand, if we go into marriage with the mindset, “I am committed to this marriage until death. I will do everything I possibly can to make it work. Even if times get rough, I’m not going to see divorce as an escape hatch.” That will change our perspective dramatically. When we hit the storms of life, we’re going to pull out all the stops to make it work. We’re going to redouble our efforts. We’re going to seek counseling. We’re going to humble ourselves and try to figure it out, together.

My wife and I were blessed to have parents with intact marriages, who were faithful to each other for decades. They gave us good examples. But we also have many friends who were not blessed in the same way. Yet I know some of our friends, in their own marriages, have made it a specific and determined goal to not follow the same path as their parents. They don’t want divorce to even be an option.

Again, please understand. God is not condoning you staying in a relationship that is physically abusive or where the other person has no intention of fulfilling his or her portion of the marriage contract. But in our experience, many people split up when they could have made it work with a little more persistence, a little more patience, and a little more commitment.

I know what I’m saying is not easy. Even a good marriage will be tested. We are all human. We all make mistakes. We say and do things we ought not. But we’ve got to understand, we’re living in a generation that undermines the importance of commitment. It’s a sign of our times.

Commitment is so important in our relationships. Not just marriage, but all of our relationships. Lack of commitment to treat one another with integrity and respect is one thing that is tearing society apart. Notice what the Apostle Paul prophesied in 2 Timothy 3:1–4.

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

What Paul is describing is a world where people’s greatest commitment is to themselves; satisfying the self. And that describes our world today all too often. So, we have to work that much harder to learn to be committed to our mate.

Be Willing to Give 100%

And this brings us to the next key:

3. Give 100%.

In a traditional Western culture wedding, the father gives the bride away. And it’s a touching moment when he walks the young woman he’s raised down the aisle, as she enters a new phase of her life with her husband to be. The bond between a father and a daughter is very special. And it’s a pivotal moment when he “gives her away.”

But too many people don’t understand that after the wedding, they now need to “give themselves away.” As a husband or wife, they need to go into marriage not with a selfish mindset, but rather with an attitude of giving 100% to their mate. Notice Paul’s statement quoting Jesus in Acts 20:35.

And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

When we understand this, and apply it, it creates a powerful dynamic that can revitalize even a troubled marriage. Even a marriage that has hit a rough patch. This is an antidote: Marriage is about giving 100%—not demanding our needs.

Some have described marriage as a 50/50 proposition. If you give 50% and your mate gives 50%, you’ll meet in the middle. In actual practice, this doesn’t work. What happens in a 50/50 relationship? Well, we both give up to a certain point, and then we stop. And we expect the other person to meet us. This is the problem with a 50/50 marriage. It’s like two people standing on two ends of an unfinished bridge spanning a river. The two people are standing on the edges, looking into the gulf between them, wondering why the other person isn’t doing more. And all the while, the chasm between them seems to loom larger and larger. Does this ever describe your experience?

Let me present a better model. That is each person giving 100%. That means I’m giving 100% no matter what my mate does. I’m going to give even when I don’t feel like it, and even if for the moment I feel the other person doesn’t deserve it.

The apostle Paul explained this in Ephesians 5:33.

Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Paul doesn’t say, “Husbands, love your wife if she loves you back.” And yet, all too often, that’s how we husbands act. If we don’t feel loved, why should we sacrifice more? If she is being cutting or critical, why should I try to be patient and loving? But that’s wrong thinking. Rather, we are to do what Paul said. We are to love our wife, period—especially when she isn’t especially loveable. That’s the time when our love is tested. And frankly, that’s when our wife needs our patience and love the most. And if you are willing to do that, if you are willing to cherish and treasure her, and make sure she knows you think she’s important. Not mocking or belittling or talking down to her because of her emotions. If you are willing to do that, you may be surprised at how your relationship can be revitalized and even deepen.

What about you wives? Have you noticed the same thing? Paul doesn’t say, “Wives, respect your husband if he is fulfilling your needs at that exact moment.” And yet, all too often, that’s how wives can react as well. If you don’t feel loved, you may think, why should I respect him? He’s not being very kind to me, why should I try to be supportive of him. But that’s wrong thinking as well. Rather, you are to also do what Paul said. Respect your husband, period—especially when he is out of sorts. That’s the time when your patience is tested. And that’s when he needs your respect and your support the most. Men want to be respected, not made to feel stupid or incompetent. If you will do your best to show your husband respect, and persevere in that, you also may be surprised to see his care and love for you to grow and flourish.

This dynamic is explained by the author and marriage counselor Emerson Eggerichs. As he explains it:

Often, we focus on our own needs and simply overlook the needs of the other person. The wife needs love; she is not trying to be disrespectful. The husband needs respect; he is not trying to be unloving. Once you grasp this basic principle—that the “issue” is not the real issue at all—you are on your way to cracking the communication code [between a husband and wife] (p. 32, Love and Respect; Eggerichs, Emerson).

It’s straight from the Scripture—right out of the book of Ephesians. So try it. Test it. You might be surprised at the results.

The Spiritual Meaning of Marriage

And that brings us to our final key.

4. The Church will marry Christ.

Let’s go back to Ephesians to see this. As Paul was giving instructions to husbands and wives, he explained the overall purpose of marriage. Notice Ephesians 5:31.

This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

You see, marriage was not only designed to create stable and solid relationships in the home. It actually serves as a model for us to understand our relationship with Christ.

It’s God’s purpose that we, as faithful servants of God, can become part of the Bride of Christ, to marry Him at His return. This is explained in Revelation 19:7.

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

Marriage Prepares Us for Christ’s Return

Marriage is not just about having good families in the here and now. It serves as a roadmap for us to fulfill our destiny to be in God’s Kingdom and to marry Christ. God created marriage. And not just as a physical institution but as a reflection of our relationship with our Savior. We must make a commitment to Him as our living, loving God. And we must give our lives completely to God and Christ in humble obedience.

But not only that, if we are faithful Christians in this age, we will have the chance to help rule the nations under Christ in the Millennium. At that time, countless millions of men and women will need to be taught how to live godly, fulfilling lives. The survivors of the Tribulation and the Day of the LORD who live on into that glorious time as human beings will learn, many for the first time, to really love one another—and to love their spouse. Better, stronger marriages will be the hallmark of the millennial reign of Christ. And you and I can be there to assist Christ in making it happen.

Thank you for watching. If you found this video helpful, check out more of our content or hit subscribe to stay connected. And if you want a free study guide relating to this topic, just click the link in the description.

See you next time.