What does the Bible say about working on Sunday? Is it a sin?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible does not label working on Sunday as a sin. This misconception arises from the misapplication of Old Testament Sabbath laws to Christians today. The Sabbath, commanded on the seventh day, was based on God’s rest after creation (Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15) and was meant to remind Israel of her relationship with God (Exodus 31:13-17).

Jesus later explained that the Sabbath was a gift for people (Mark 2:27), not a burden, and that acts of mercy and meeting basic needs, such as eating, were acceptable works on that day (Mark 2:27-28; Matthew 12:1-12). After His resurrection, believers began gathering on the first day of the week (Sunday) to break bread and offer gifts, symbolizing the new creation, since Jesus rose that day. However, the Bible does not establish Sunday as a new Sabbath or command a universal day of rest (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2; Revelation 1:10). In fact, rather than commanding Christians follow the old law, Scripture teaches believers not to judge one another over observance of days, viewing such matters as personal choices (Romans 14:5-6; Colossians 2:16-17). Consequently, Christians may work or rest on Sunday, as long as their decision honors the Lord (Romans 14:23).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• From the beginning, rest was God’s gift to mankind. It was not intended to be a burden. Moses wrote, “God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation” (Genesis 2:3). Later, when God formed Israel as a nation, He built that pattern into their weekly life as a day set apart to stop ordinary labor and honor Him. This idea was rooted in God’s character and kindness, showing that people need regular rest and renewal.
• When God gave the Ten Commandments, He said, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). He also added, “the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work” (Exodus 20:10). On Israel’s calendar, that seventh day was the last day of the week—what we call Saturday.
• The Sabbath rest was a reminder of Israel’s unique relationship to God, who called it “a sign forever ... between me and the people of Israel” (Exodus 31:13-17). Because of this, violations were taken seriously, and leaders opposed commerce and ordinary work on the seventh day (Nehemiah 13:15-22). The purpose was to keep the nation’s worship and identity centered on God’s provision.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Jesus taught that “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28). At that time in history, the Sabbath had become so weighted down by extra-biblical laws that to do anything on a Saturday was sin. Jesus reminded the people why God created the Sabbath: it was to put human well-being and God’s lordship at the center of life. The day was never meant to be a burden on consciences but to serve human need and worship.
• While the Jewish leaders tried to stop even acts of mercy on the Sabbath, Jesus showed that they were fitting uses for the day God gave to display His mercy for mankind. When He healed on the Sabbath and defended His disciples for picking grain so they could eat, He concluded, “So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:12). If compassionate or necessary labor was appropriate even on Israel’s Saturday, then that principle certainly does not make ordinary work on Sunday a sin.
• After the resurrection, believers commonly gathered on the first day for worship and fellowship. Luke described a meeting “on the first day of the week” to break bread in Troas (Acts 20:7), and Paul directed the Corinthians to set aside gifts “on the first day of every week” as they assembled (1 Corinthians 16:2). John later mentioned being “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” (Revelation 1:10). Each of these indicate that the early Christian church placed a high significance on Sunday, but without imposing a command to rest.
• The apostles also protected Christian freedom in matters of religious calendars. Paul said, “Let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17). In other words, special days like the Sabbath were intended to point forward to Jesus.
• Paul also addressed differing convictions about specific days, writing, “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:5). He added that our actions must come from faith, because “whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). So, if you rest on Sunday to honor the Lord, do so in faith; if you work that day while seeking to honor Him, do that in faith as well.
• Taken together, the New Testament never calls Sunday the Sabbath, and it never says that working on Sunday is sin. It encourages meeting regularly with the church for worship and mutual care (Hebrews 10:25), but it leaves the question of Sunday work to one’s wisdom and conscience.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

If your schedule requires you to work on Sunday, the work itself is not a sin. God does not judge you a sinner for working that day but by whether you live before Him with a clear conscience, loving Him and your neighbor in the situation He has given you (Romans 14:5-6). When you can rest and worship on Sunday, receive that time as a gift. When you cannot, make it a priority to join in corporate worship as much as possible, and leave room in your week to rest your body and renew your soul (Hebrews 10:25).

Your goal should never be to observe a rule about a specific day strictly but to honor the Lord through all aspects of your life. Work honestly and kindly, care for those around you, and pursue wise patterns of worship and rest. In this way, you can serve faithfully, whatever your work schedule, with a clear conscience before God and love for your neighbor at the center of your life.

UNDERSTAND

• Working on Sunday is not a sin.
• Christians have freedom of conscience about days of work or rest.
• We are called to honor and worship God with both our work or rest.

REFLECT

• How do you balance work and rest in a way that honors God in the priorities of your life?
• If you work on Sunday, how can you use your work to glorify God and how can you prioritize worship of Him both individually and corporately?
• How does understanding Christian freedom regarding days of rest affect your approach to Sunday?

ENGAGE

• How can we encourage one another to honor God in our work and rest, regardless of the days in which we do both?
• Why should we ensure that fellowship with believers and worship of God remains a priority, even for those who work on Sunday?
• How does the principle of acting “in faith” (Romans 14:23) shape our decisions about working or resting on any day?