How Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Spend Their Weekends?

Isn’t the weekend a wonderful gift? A time for family, for rest, maybe for catching up on things. But have you ever wondered how different people of faith approach these special days? Sometimes questions come up, especially when we see neighbors or coworkers living out their faith in ways that might seem different from our own.

One question that often pops up is about our neighbors, Jehovah’s Witnesses. Do they have special rules about working on Saturdays or Sundays? Can Jehovah’s Witnesses work on the weekend? It’s a great question, born out of curiosity and a desire to understand.

We’re going to explore this together with open hearts and minds, looking at what Jehovah’s Witnesses believe based on their understanding of the Bible. It’s not about judgment about gaining clarity and appreciating the diverse ways people seek to honor God.¹ Get ready! We’re going to walk through 10 key questions that get right to the heart of the matter, helping us understand their perspective on the Sabbath, weekend work, and living out their faith every day.

What exactly was the Sabbath, and was it a command for everyone right from the start?

Let’s start at the beginning, like building a strong foundation. What exactly was this Sabbath day we read about in the Bible?

Well, the word “Sabbath” comes from the Hebrew sha·vathʹ, which simply means “to rest, cease, or desist”.¹ It was a special day set aside for resting from everyday work.⁴ For the ancient Israelites, living under the Law God gave through Moses, the weekly Sabbath was the seventh day of their week. Think of it as running from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday.¹ And obeying this command was a big deal under that Law! It meant stopping all work – no lighting fires, gathering wood, or even carrying things.² Ignoring the Sabbath was seen as going against God, and the consequence could even be death.²

But was this rule for everyone, right from the very beginning? Jehovah’s Witnesses explain that even though Genesis tells us God rested on the seventh “day” after creating the earth 1, it doesn’t mean He told Adam and Eve, or anyone back then, to take a 24-hour break every week.⁵ They see a difference between God resting and God commanding people to rest at that point.⁵ They point out that the Bible doesn’t mention folks like Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob taking a weekly Sabbath before Moses came along.⁴ The fact that there was no command to Adam or those early figures is seen as important proof that the Sabbath wasn’t a universal rule from creation.¹

Instead, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe the first clear instruction about a weekly Sabbath rest came after the Israelites left Egypt. Remember when God provided manna in the wilderness? He told them not to gather it on the seventh day because it was a day of rest.¹ That moment, in Exodus chapter 16, is seen as the real starting point for people observing the Sabbath under God’s direction.² This view separates the Sabbath command from the creation story, making it something specific for the Israelites and their special relationship with God.

And think about why God gave Israel the Sabbath. Deuteronomy 5:15 connects it directly to their rescue from slavery in Egypt: “You must remember that you became a slave in the land of Egypt and Jehovah your God proceeded to bring you out from there… That is why Jehovah your God commanded you to carry on the sabbath day”.¹ By linking the Sabbath to this specific rescue mission for Israel, rather than just creation, it highlights the belief that the command was mainly for the nation that experienced that freedom, not for everybody from the start.¹

Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses believe the Sabbath was a special sign just for ancient Israel?

You know how sometimes a special agreement needs a sign, like a ring signifies marriage? Jehovah’s Witnesses see the Sabbath playing a similar role long ago, acting as a unique identifier between God and the nation of Israel.

Their belief really focuses on scriptures like Exodus 31:16-17. This passage says: “The sons of Israel must keep the sabbath… It is a covenant to time indefinite. Between me and the sons of Israel it is a sign to time indefinite”.¹ Notice the emphasis? The Sabbath is a “sign” specifically “between me Jehovah(#) and the sons of Israel”.² The thinking is, if the Sabbath was for everyone, it wouldn’t really work as a special sign marking God’s unique agreement just with Israel, would it?¹

Other verses seem to back this up. In Deuteronomy 5:2-3, Moses says, “It was not with our forefathers that Jehovah concluded this covenant with us, all those of us alive here today.” This connects the agreement, including the Sabbath rule, directly to the generation at Mount Sinai.⁴ And Ezekiel 20:10-12 mentions God giving His laws to the Israelites after Egypt, adding, “Also my sabbaths I gave to them, to become a sign between me and them”.⁵ These verses are seen as showing the Sabbath agreement was specifically for ancient Israel.⁵ Seeing the Sabbath as a “sign for Israel” is key. It acknowledges the command came from God in the Hebrew Scriptures but frees those not part of that specific agreement – like Christians – from having to follow it. It draws a clear line between the Old Covenant for Israel and the New Covenant for Christians.

What about those words like “perpetual” or “forever” used with the Sabbath agreement, like in Exodus 31:17?¹ Jehovah’s Witnesses explain that the Hebrew word ‛oh·lamʹ used there basically means a long, indefinite time from the perspective back then not necessarily strictly eternal or without end.¹ They point to other times ‛oh·lamʹ is used for things God later ended, like the priesthood of Aaron mentioned in Exodus 40:15.⁵ Understanding ‛oh·lamʹ as “to time indefinite” instead of “forever” is really important for their view. It means the Sabbath agreement, though long-lasting, was meant to be temporary and could end, which they believe happened when Christianity began.¹ This understanding of the word helps reconcile the Bible’s language with their belief that the Sabbath rule isn’t active anymore.

Do Jehovah’s Witnesses see the Ten Commandments, including the Sabbath, as rules for Christians today?

We all know the Ten Commandments – powerful words from God! But how do Jehovah’s Witnesses view their place in a Christian’s life today? Is the whole list still the rulebook?

Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that the entire agreement God made through Moses, often called the Mosaic Law, came to its fulfillment and end when Jesus Christ arrived. And yes, that includes the Ten Commandments, which were the very foundation of that Law agreement.¹ They don’t agree with the idea some other Christians have, separating a “ceremonial law” (seen as ended) from a “moral law” like the Ten Commandments (seen as always binding, maybe except for the Sabbath day itself).¹â° Instead, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe the Bible presents the Law as one complete package, and that this entire package was fulfilled and set aside through Christ.⁶ Their view is simple: either the whole Law agreement is still in effect, or the whole thing is replaced. They believe it was replaced.⁸

Several scriptures are really key to this understanding. Romans 7:6-7 is often mentioned. Here, the apostle Paul says believers “have been discharged from the Law.” And right after that, Paul uses the Tenth Commandment (“You must not covet”) as an example from that very Law!3 For Jehovah’s Witnesses, this clearly shows the Ten Commandments were part of the Law Christians were released from.¹ Another important passage is 2 Corinthians 3:7-11. It talks about the “code which delivers death and which was engraved in letters in stones” – that’s the Ten Commandments given to Moses! This passage calls that code glorious also clearly says it was “to be done away with”.¹ And Colossians 2:13-14 describes God “blotting out the handwritten document against us, which consisted of decrees” and nailing it to Christ’s torture stake. Jehovah’s Witnesses understand this “handwritten document” to be the Mosaic Law agreement, including its main commandments.¹

Does this mean Christians have no rules or moral compass? Absolutely not! Although the Mosaic Law code as a binding agreement is finished, Jehovah’s Witnesses strongly believe the moral principles within it are still vital. Principles like avoiding idol worship, murder, adultery, theft, and lying, plus honoring parents, are repeated and even expanded on in the Christian Greek Scriptures (the New Testament).⁶ Christians are definitely expected to live by these principles, which are part of what’s called “the law of the Christ”.⁵ But here’s the crucial difference: the specific command to observe a weekly Sabbath day is noticeably missing from the commands given to Christians in the New Testament.⁶ In their view, where Christian duty comes from New Testament commands, this absence is strong proof that weekly Sabbath-keeping isn’t part of “the law of the Christ.” So, Christian morality comes not directly from the list of ten given at Sinai from the teachings of Jesus and his apostles.

How do Jehovah’s Witnesses understand the Bible verse saying Christ is the “end of the Law”?

The Bible tells us in Romans 10:4 that “Christ is the end of the Law.” That sounds pretty final! But what does that really mean for how we live our faith today, according to Jehovah’s Witnesses?

Their understanding of the word “end” (from the Greek telos) in Romans 10:4 means more than just stopping; it means fulfillment, completion, or reaching the ultimate goal.¹ Jesus Christ, through his perfect life and his sacrifice, perfectly met every requirement and foreshadowing in the Mosaic Law.⁶ He brought the Law to its intended conclusion.³ Think of it like a builder finishing a building according to the contract. Once the building is done, the contract’s purpose is achieved, and it’s no longer the main document for ongoing work. In the same way, Christ’s fulfillment of the Law meant the Law “contract” with ancient Israel was completed and no longer binding.³ This fits with what Jesus himself said in Matthew 5:17 – that he came “not to destroy to fulfill” the Law.⁶

Romans 10:4 also tells us the result of Christ being the end of the Law: “…so that everyone exercising faith may have righteousness”.¹ This is understood to mean that being right with God no longer comes from trying to follow the Mosaic Law’s rules, including the Sabbath. Instead, righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ and accepting the value of his sacrifice.¹ This puts Christ right at the center – he didn’t just teach under the Law, he brought that whole legal agreement to its planned end, starting a new way to have a relationship with God.

So, since keeping the weekly Sabbath was a key part of the Law that Christ fulfilled and ended, the requirement for God’s worshippers to keep the Sabbath stopped along with the rest of the Law agreement.¹ This understanding deeply affects how salvation is viewed. It firmly bases righteousness on faith in Christ’s saving work, clearly ruling out following the works of the Law (like Sabbath-keeping) as a way to earn God’s favor. From this perspective, continuing to keep the Sabbath as a requirement would show a misunderstanding of how God grants righteousness in the Christian era.⁶

What can we learn from how Jesus himself treated the Sabbath day?

Jesus is our ultimate example, isn’t He? Looking at how He lived and what He taught about the Sabbath can shine so much light on this topic!

Jehovah’s Witnesses fully acknowledge that Jesus, born a Jew under the Mosaic Law (as Galatians 4:4 notes), did keep the Sabbath during his life on earth.⁵ He respected God’s command as it was given.

But the Gospels often show Jesus clashing with the Jewish religious leaders of his time, especially the Pharisees and scribes, about the Sabbath.¹² These disagreements happened not because Jesus ignored the Sabbath law itself because he challenged the leaders’ super strict, burdensome, and often man-made rules about what counted as forbidden work on that day.² For instance, when his disciples picked some grain to eat while walking through a field on the Sabbath, the Pharisees accused them of illegal harvesting.¹³ And when Jesus healed people on the Sabbath, like the man with the withered hand, the leaders thought it was forbidden work unless someone’s life was in immediate danger.¹²

In response, Jesus consistently argued that it was “lawful to do a fine thing on the sabbath” (Matthew 12:12).⁸ He stressed mercy, compassion, and meeting real human needs over rigidly sticking to man-made restrictions.¹³ He pointed to examples from scripture, like King David eating the special bread usually reserved for priests when he was hungry, and the priests themselves doing necessary tasks in the temple on the Sabbath without being guilty.¹³ He also used common sense, asking if they wouldn’t rescue a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, showing that acts of necessity and kindness were allowed.¹² His actions and teachings aimed to bring the Sabbath back to its true purpose – a blessing and refreshment for people, not a heavy burden.¹³

Most importantly, Jesus declared, “The Sabbath came into existence for the sake of man, and not man for the sake of the Sabbath; hence the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28).¹ Jehovah’s Witnesses understand this to mean Jesus had God-given authority over the Sabbath law. He knew its real spirit and purpose and had the right to interpret and apply it correctly.¹ His lordship over the Sabbath showed his authority to act mercifully and pointed toward the eventual fulfillment and end of the Law agreement through his ministry, death, and resurrection.⁸ It’s believed Jesus’s Sabbath actions weren’t about ending the law early during his ministry about correcting wrong interpretations and revealing its true, merciful heart, preparing the way for its fulfillment.¹²

The title “Lord of the Sabbath” is seen as having a bigger meaning, pointing to Jesus’s future role as the Messianic King. In that role, he will oversee a great, thousand-year “sabbath” rest for humanity, a time of peace and freedom from the struggles caused by sin and Satan’s influence.¹³ So, his claim to be Lord over the weekly Sabbath foreshadowed his authority to bring in this ultimate, future rest for all obedient people.¹

If they don’t keep the Sabbath, do Jehovah’s Witnesses treat Sunday as a special holy day instead?

That’s a great follow-up question! If Saturday isn’t the required day of rest, did Christians just switch it over to Sunday? What’s the Jehovah’s Witness perspective on the first day of the week?

The clear teaching of Jehovah’s Witnesses is that the Bible gives no command for Christians to set aside Sunday, or any other specific day, as a mandatory holy day of rest and worship to replace the Jewish Sabbath.¹ They emphasize that the Christian way is about worshipping and serving God every single day, not just packing religious activities into one 24-hour period each week.³

Looking at how the very first Christians lived, as described in the New Testament, Jehovah’s Witnesses note that Sunday seems to have been just a regular workday in the Roman world back then.⁵ Yes, there were times apostles met with fellow believers on the first day of the week – like Paul sharing a meal in Troas before leaving (Acts 20:7) or telling the Corinthians to privately put aside money on the first day for a collection (1 Corinthians 16:2). But these aren’t seen as setting up Sunday as a new, required “Christian Sabbath” for everyone.⁵ Instead, these events are viewed as happening because of specific situations (like Paul’s travel plans) or as practical suggestions, not commands for weekly group worship or rest.⁵

Instead of a required holy day, Jehovah’s Witnesses point to the principle of Christian freedom in these matters. They often quote Romans 14:5: “One person decides that one day is holier than another; another judges every day the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind”.³ This scripture is understood to mean that deciding whether to set aside a particular day for rest or extra spiritual focus is up to each Christian’s own conscience, not something dictated by God’s law.⁵

They also note that Sunday becoming the main day for Christian worship and rest happened gradually over the centuries after the apostles. It was influenced by things like wanting to remember the resurrection day and, importantly, by decrees from the Roman government, like those from Emperor Constantine in the 4th century.¹⁴ Jehovah’s Witnesses see this historical shift as moving away from the original pattern of worship found in the Bible, which they aim to follow.¹¹ Their rejection of mandatory Sunday observance comes directly from their core belief: specific day requirements ended with the Mosaic Law. Christians are guided by the principles and clear commands in the New Testament, which don’t make any particular day of the week holy.⁵ This position clearly separates them from both Saturday Sabbatarians and most Christian traditions that observe Sunday.

So, is it okay for Jehovah’s Witnesses to have jobs that require working on Saturday or Sunday? What do their weekends usually look like?

Okay, let’s get practical! Since they don’t see Saturday or Sunday as a mandatory day off, does that mean Jehovah’s Witnesses can work weekend jobs? What do they typically do on weekends?

Based on their core belief that Christians aren’t bound by the Mosaic Sabbath law and that no other day is commanded as a required rest day, Jehovah’s Witnesses find it perfectly acceptable to have secular jobs that involve working on Saturdays or Sundays.⁶ There’s no religious rule against it.¹⁶ The decision about weekend work often comes down to practical things, like needing to provide for themselves and their families, being responsible citizens.¹⁷

But while weekend work is theologically okay, weekends are incredibly important for the spiritual life and activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses.¹⁴ A big chunk of their weekend time is usually dedicated to activities central to their faith:

• Congregation Meetings: Their main gatherings for worship and learning from the Bible usually happen on the weekend, often on a Sunday. These meetings typically include a public Bible talk and an interactive study of The Watchtower magazine.¹⁴
• Field Ministry: Sharing their faith publicly is seen as a vital part of their worship. Weekends, especially Saturdays, are key times for this, as many Witnesses work during the week, and more people are likely home or out in public. This involves visiting people at home to talk about the Bible, offering literature in public places, and conducting free home Bible studies.² Organized groups often go out together on weekends.¹⁴
• Assemblies and Conventions: Larger spiritual events, like circuit assemblies and regional conventions, which offer more in-depth Bible teaching and fellowship, are usually held over weekends.¹⁴
• Personal and Family Time: Weekends also offer chances for personal Bible study worship activities, and needed rest or recreation.¹⁴

So, the reality for many active Jehovah’s Witnesses is balancing their acceptable secular work duties, which might include weekends, with these deeply important and highly encouraged spiritual activities.¹⁶ This practical approach comes straight from their theology: freedom from a mandated rest day allows weekend work the strong focus on community worship and sharing their faith directs much of that weekend time toward religious activities.¹⁸ While they are doctrinally free, the community culture and Encouragement create a strong pull towards prioritizing weekend meetings and ministry, which might influence job choices or require careful planning for those who do work weekends.¹⁷

What did the very first Christian leaders after the apostles (the Church Fathers) teach about switching from Sabbath to Sunday worship?

History holds so many lessons! Let’s look back at the early days of Christianity, right after the apostles. What did those respected early church leaders, often called the Church Fathers, say about the Sabbath and worshipping on Sunday? Their wisdom can offer valuable perspective.

When we look at the writings of key Christian figures in the centuries right after the apostles (think late 1st to 4th centuries), we see a consistent pattern: they moved away from keeping the Saturday Sabbath like the Mosaic Law required, and instead established Sunday, called the “Lord’s Day,” as the main day for Christians to worship together.²â°

Many sources show this shift and give reasons for it:

• Remembering Christ’s Resurrection: This is the reason mentioned most often. Early writers like the author of the Didache (around 70 AD), Barnabas (around 74 AD), Ignatius of Antioch (around 110 AD), and Justin Martyr (around 155 AD) clearly connect Sunday observance to Jesus rising from the dead on the first day of the week.²â° The Letter of Barnabas calls it “the eighth day… The day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead”.²â° Justin Martyr wrote, “Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because… Jesus Christ our Savior on the same day rose from the dead”.²â°
• Symbol of New Creation: Some writers, like Justin Martyr and later Athanasius, saw Sunday as representing the start of God’s new creation through Christ, drawing a parallel to the first day of the original creation when God made light.²â°
• Setting Apart from Jewish Practices: There was often a clear effort to make Christian customs different from Jewish ones. Ignatius wrote about Christians “no longer observing the Sabbath living in the observance of the Lord’s day”.²â° Later figures like Victorinus (around 300 AD) mentioned fasting on Saturday specifically “lest we should appear to observe any Sabbath with the Jews”.²â° The Council of Laodicea (around 360 AD) explicitly told Christians not to “Judaize” by being idle on the Sabbath but to work that day, while honoring the Lord’s Day.²⁴ This distinction was probably heightened by the social and political climate, including Roman persecution that sometimes targeted Jews.²¹

How did they observe Sunday back then? Typically, it involved gathering together (“common assembly”), reading the Scriptures, praying, celebrating the Eucharist (“break bread,” “oblation”), and giving thanks.²â° Although Sunday was initially a regular workday in the Roman Empire, writings from figures like Tertullian (around 200 AD) and decrees from councils like Laodicea show a growing feeling of respecting the day and avoiding secular work if possible.²â°

What about the Jewish Sabbath itself? Many Church Fathers saw it as temporary, symbolic, or given specifically to Israel, sometimes linking it (like circumcision) to what they saw as Israel’s stubbornness.⁷ Writers like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian argued that righteous people before Moses (like Adam, Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham) didn’t keep the Sabbath, showing it wasn’t a universal rule from the beginning.⁷ They believed the Sabbath command, along with other parts of the Mosaic Law, was fulfilled or ended by Christ.²â°

It’s important to realize, though, that these early Christian writers generally did not teach that the fourth commandment was simply moved, with all its specific rules, from Saturday to Sunday. They didn’t usually call Sunday “the Christian Sabbath.” Instead, they saw the Lord’s Day observance as a new Christian practice, based mainly on Christ’s resurrection and apostolic tradition, not a direct continuation of the Old Testament Sabbath command.⁹

Comparing these early Church views with Jehovah’s Witnesses reveals something interesting. Both groups agree that the specific command to keep the Saturday Sabbath according to the Mosaic Law isn’t binding on Christians.⁵ Both might point to righteous people before Moses who didn’t keep a Sabbath.⁶ But they differ greatly on Sunday. The Church Fathers universally accepted Sunday as the set day for Christian group worship, basing this theologically on Christ’s resurrection and what they understood as apostolic practice.²â° Jehovah’s Witnesses, focusing on what they see as clear New Testament commands, find no such instruction to make Sunday special and thus reject this development as lacking direct scriptural authority.⁵ This shows a basic difference in how tradition and implied apostolic patterns are valued compared to the need for explicit Bible commands.

Here’s a simple table showing these different viewpoints:

Comparing Views on Sabbath and Weekend Observance

When the Bible talks about a “sabbath resting” in Hebrews 4, what do Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that means for Christians?

The book of Hebrews talks about a special kind of rest, a “sabbath resting” that remains for God’s people (Hebrews 4:9). If it’s not the weekly Sabbath day, what is this wonderful rest Jehovah’s Witnesses believe we can enter into?

Jehovah’s Witnesses are very clear that the “sabbath resting” mentioned in Hebrews chapter 4 does not mean keeping a literal, 24-hour Sabbath day each week.¹ Their understanding takes this idea in a spiritual direction.

They see this “rest” as mainly meaning to stop doing one’s “own works”.⁶ These “works” aren’t about secular jobs about acts of disobedience and lack of faith, especially trying to become righteous by following the Mosaic Law or other human systems, instead of relying completely on God’s provision through faith in Jesus Christ.¹ It means resting from the kind of attitude the Israelites had when they came out of Egypt. Because of their lack of faith and disobedience, that generation didn’t enter the “rest” God promised them – symbolized by the land of Canaan.⁶

So, entering this “sabbath resting” is something Christians are encouraged to do every single day.⁶ You achieve it by having genuine faith in Jesus Christ and obediently following God’s ongoing purpose.⁶ It means having a right relationship with God based on His grace received through faith, not through the pointless works of trying to justify yourself by keeping the Law.¹ This spiritual rest mirrors God’s own rest, which started after He finished His creative work on the sixth creative day (mentioned in Hebrews 4:4 from Genesis 2:2). Christians symbolically enter that same ongoing state of rest by stopping self-directed, disobedient actions and faithfully cooperating with God’s plan centered on Christ.

This interpretation essentially spiritualizes the idea of Sabbath rest found in Hebrews. It allows Jehovah’s Witnesses to give major meaning to the term “sabbath resting” in a Christian context without contradicting their strong belief against needing to keep a literal, weekly Sabbath.¹ The rest becomes internal and continuous – a state of being, not the observance of a specific day. This view strongly reinforces the theological focus on being made right by faith rather than by works of the Law. The ultimate “rest” for a Christian, in this understanding, isn’t found in carefully observing a day in the daily practice of faith, trust, and obedience toward God through Christ.¹

What’s the big picture? How can we best understand the Jehovah’s Witness view on rest, worship, and weekend work?

We’ve covered a lot of ground together! So, let’s zoom out and see the beautiful big picture. What’s the heart of the Jehovah’s Witness understanding when it comes to rest, worship, and how they approach their weekends?

In simple terms, the Jehovah’s Witness perspective comes directly from several core beliefs they find in their reading of the Bible: They emphasize the importance of God’s name, Jehovah, and reject the traditional Christian understanding of the Trinity. Additionally, their teachings highlight the imminent establishment of God’s Kingdom on Earth, which is a fundamental part of their faith. The interpretations they hold are often rooted in the King James Bible characteristics, which they believe convey a more accurate representation of biblical texts. Their unique beliefs are further shaped by the translation of the Bible they use, known as the New World Translation, which they claim reflects their understanding of the scriptures more faithfully than other versions. This translation underpins their doctrines and is a significant aspect of their teaching, particularly concerning the origin of the New World Translation. By adhering to this specific interpretation, Jehovah’s Witnesses maintain a distinct theological identity that sets them apart from mainstream Christianity.

• The weekly Sabbath command, found in the Ten Commandments, was a key part of the Mosaic Law agreement. They believe this agreement was made specifically with the nation of ancient Israel and acted as a temporary “sign” between them and God.¹
• This entire Law agreement, including the Ten Commandments as that specific set of rules, was fulfilled and ended through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.¹
• Therefore, Christians are no longer under the Mosaic Law but follow “the law of the Christ.” This higher law is based on principles of love, faith, and obedience to the commands clearly given to Christians in the New Testament.⁵
• Here’s a key point: while many moral principles from the Old Testament are repeated and still apply under the law of the Christ, the command to keep a weekly Sabbath day is not repeated for Christians.⁶
• As a result, there’s no God-given requirement for Christians to stop working on Saturday (the old Sabbath) or Sunday (the traditional Christian worship day).⁶ Having a secular job on weekends is acceptable.¹⁶

Instead of focusing on one special holy day, the emphasis for Jehovah’s Witnesses is on showing faith and devotion to God every day.³ Their worship includes consistent personal study and prayer, regularly attending congregation meetings (which often happen on weekends for practical reasons), and, very importantly, actively participating in public ministry.¹⁴ This work of sharing their beliefs with others – evangelizing – is seen as a basic Christian duty and takes up a major amount of time, especially on weekends when they have more opportunities to talk with people.²

Understanding their view means recognizing their commitment to sticking closely to what they see the Bible teaching, prioritizing clear commands in the Christian Greek Scriptures over later church traditions or interpretations.¹¹ Their stance on the Sabbath and Sunday comes directly from how they understand God’s agreements – the clear difference they see between God’s arrangement with Israel under Moses and His arrangement with Christians through Christ. This position clearly marks their distinct religious identity, separating them from Jewish, Sabbatarian, and mainstream Sunday-observing traditions. It reinforces their belief that they are practicing Christianity as it was originally meant to be. The practical outcome is a community whose beliefs allow for weekend work whose organizational focus and core mission strongly guide available weekend time toward group worship and, especially, widespread evangelism.¹⁶

Conclusion: Living a Life of Faith, Every Single Day

Understanding others helps us grow! We’ve seen that for Jehovah’s Witnesses, the journey of faith isn’t about reserving one special day about living for God every single moment.

Their careful study of the Bible leads them to the conclusion that the ancient Sabbath law, given to Israel, is not a requirement for Christians today. This belief means that working secularly on a Saturday or a Sunday is viewed as acceptable if circumstances require it.

Instead of dedicating one day as uniquely holy, their focus shifts to daily devotion and service. This includes gathering regularly for fellowship and instruction, often on weekends, and actively engaging in sharing their faith with the community – a work to which much of their weekend time is often devoted.

While beliefs about specific days and observances may differ among sincere followers of Christ, we can all find inspiration in the shared desire to live wholeheartedly for God. Let’s strive to appreciate the earnestness of others, even when their practices differ from our own, and continue to grow in our personal walk of faith, seeking to make every day count for Him.