There are several views among Christians; some believe that the Sabbath must be celebrated every Saturday, some believe in circumcision, some believe that certain foods are unclean, and so forth, which are still found in the Law of Moses.
Although not everything written in the Law of Moses is practiced by this group, this has become a subject of debate from the era of the Early Church until now in this modern age.
Therefore, I invite you to see what the Apostle Paul teaches in the Bible about the Sabbath and the Law of Moses, so that you can know what was officially practiced by the Early Church, which means the correct doctrine taught by the Apostles.
1. Christ's Death Becomes in Vain
Galatians 2:21 (NET) - “I do not set aside God’s grace, for if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!”
Paul writes this verse very firmly, which means that if we feel we can become "righteous" or "saved" before God by perfectly obeying the Law of Moses, then Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is no longer of any use. Why did Jesus have to die if humans could save themselves through obedience to the law?
2. Severed from Christ (Fallen Away from Grace)
For those who insist that keeping the law (such as circumcision or certain Sabbath regulations) is an absolute prerequisite to be accepted by God, Paul gives a stern warning:
Galatians 5:4 (NET) - “You who are trying to be justified by the law have been cut off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.”
Trying to be justified by the law means we are trying to "pay" for our own salvation, and that automatically rejects the free gift (grace) given through Jesus.
3. The Law of Moses as a "Guardian", Not a Savior
Paul explains that the Law of Moses still has value, but its function is not to save.
Galatians 3:24-25 (NET) - “So the law became our guardian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.”
The Law of Moses is like a mirror that shows that we are sinners and unable to save ourselves, so we realize that we need a Savior (Jesus). After we have Christ, we are no longer under the supervision of a guardian (verse 25).
How about the Sabbath for Paul?
In Paul's view, specific days (such as the Sabbath or Jewish festivals) must not be used as a tool to judge one another or as a condition for salvation:
Colossians 2:16-17 (NET) - “Therefore do not let anyone judge you with regard to food or drink or concerning a religious festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. These are only a shadow of things to come, but the reality is Christ.”
Paul does not forbid people from resting on Saturday or worshiping on Sunday. What he strongly opposes is Legalism: the belief that if you do not observe the Sabbath, then you are sinning and losing your salvation. For Paul, we do good deeds (including worshiping) not in order to be saved, but because we have already been saved by faith in Jesus.
Paul's Rebuke to Peter
There was an event where Paul once rebuked Peter firmly in front of the congregation, and this was related to customs from the Law of Moses. This event is often referred to as the "Antioch Incident" recorded by Paul in Galatians 2:11-14.
Galatians 2:11-14 (NET) - “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he had clearly done wrong. For before certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles, but when they arrived, he began to withdraw and separate himself, because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews also joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, 'If you, although you are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to force the Gentiles to live like Jews?'”
The following are the details regarding the debate and why it was so important:
1. Background: Eating Together (Inclusive Community)
In Antioch, the Christian congregation consisted of Jews and non-Jews. Initially, Peter (Cephas) gladly ate together with the non-Jewish congregation. This was a revolutionary act because, in Jewish tradition, eating together with uncircumcised people was considered a violation of the laws of purity.
2. Trigger of Conflict: The Arrival of James' Group
The problem arose when several Jewish men from Jerusalem (a group close to James) came to Antioch. They were adherents of "Judaism" who believed that Christians must still strictly observe the Law of Moses (such as circumcision and dietary rules).
- Peter's Attitude: Fearing criticism from that circumcised group, Peter suddenly withdrew and refused to eat with the non-Jewish congregation any longer.
- Impact: Peter's action was followed by the other Jews, so that even Barnabas (Paul's ministry partner) was also influenced by their hypocrisy.
3. Paul's Sharp Rebuke
Seeing this, Paul rebuked Peter openly in public. Paul did not attack Peter personally, but rather attacked his hypocrisy. Paul's argument was:
"If you, although you are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to force the Gentiles to live like Jews?" (Galatians 2:14)
4. The Core of the Debate: What Saves Man?
For Paul, Peter's action was not merely a matter of dining etiquette, but a matter of the Truth of the Gospel.
- Paul's Logic: If we obligate non-Jews to carry out the Law of Moses (such as circumcision or the Sabbath) in order to be considered a "valid Christian" or "saved," then we are saying that faith in Jesus alone is not enough.
- The Risk: If salvation requires Jesus + the Law of Moses, then Jesus actually did not save completely. This is why Paul said that if this were true, then "Christ died for nothing" (Galatians 2:21).
- Final Outcome: The Council of Jerusalem
Acts 15:1-2 (NET) - “Now some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers, 'Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.' When Paul and Barnabas had a major argument and debate with them, the church appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.”
But Paul and Barnabas vigorously opposed and argued against their opinion. Finally, it was decided that Paul and Barnabas and some others from the congregation should go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem to discuss this matter.
Although there was tension in Antioch, the apostles eventually reached an agreement in the Council of Jerusalem (Please read the full account in Acts 15).
- Decision: Peter himself eventually defended Paul by stating that God makes no distinction between Jews and non-Jews (Acts 15:7-11).
- Requirements: The non-Jewish congregation is not obligated to be circumcised or bear the burden of the Law of Moses (including ceremonial Sabbath obligations), except for a few practical things to maintain harmony (such as abstaining from food offered to idols, sexual immorality, meat from strangled animals, and from blood).
Acts 15:19-20 (NET) - “Therefore I conclude that we should not cause additional difficulty for those among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from what has been strangled, and from blood.”
Acts 15:28-29 (NET) - “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place on you any burden greater than these necessary requirements: that you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these things, you will do well. Farewell.”
In verses 19-20 and 29, it also clearly does not obligate the Sabbath Day, circumcision, unclean-clean food and drink laws (e.g., pork, scaleless fish, wine), as well as other things commonly found in the Law of Moses.
The outcome of this Council ensured that Christianity did not become merely a "Jewish sect," but rather a universal message of salvation for all nations based on grace, not on the effort to obey the law.
So it is clear, right? That we, disciples of Jesus, are not required to worship on the Sabbath Day or Saturday, nor are we obligated to follow several other customs of the Law of Moses, such as circumcision, or food and drink restrictions (pork, scaleless fish, shrimp, wine, etc.).
Awan (Andreas Hermawan)