Sabbath Defined in Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual
Pa'u Fereti Puni
This week I was referred to the Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual, a voted document of the Church; this is one document that the General Conference in Session votes on and amends every five years. It is the official document of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which clearly states which day is the Sabbath.
Church Manual Revised 2010 (18th Edition), p. 138. “The Sabbath holds a special place in our lives. The seventh day of the week, from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday (Lev. 23:32), is a gift from God, a sign of His grace in time.”
In addition to the Church Manual is Seventh-day Adventists Believe (An exposition of the fundamental beliefs of the SDA Church), 2005 Edition, pp. 296, 297 state: “The Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday evening and ends at sunset Saturday evening (see Gen 3:15; cf. Mark 1:32). Scripture calls the day before the Sabbath (Friday) the preparation day (Mark 15:42) – a day to prepare for the Sabbath so that nothing will spoil its sacredness. Similarly, they should mark its close by uniting in worship towards the close of the Sabbath on Saturday evening, requesting God’s presence and guidance through the ensuring week.”
These are powerful statements of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and our view and support for Samoa (or any country in the world) to worship on the seventh day of the week, Saturday, is supported by the official position of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
very clear we like the sabbath
Dear Brother Fereti Puni,
The Church Manual was revised in the year 2005. This issue about the sabbath and the changing of the IDL happened in 2011-2012 in Samoa. The word of God (Bible) is not infallible and doesn’t need to be revised. Therefore, if the word Saturday or Sunday was in the Bible I would follow what you are saying, but it only mentioned first, second, third, and so on. We have to understand the history to actually understand why our people in Samoa keep the Seventh Day Sabbath. I encourage everyone on this site to read the article by Pastor David Hay on adventist.org.au……. It will help you, even myself to understand why Samoans keep the Seventh Day Sabbath on Sunday….
Your Brother In Christ,
King Brown.