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S
This is an interesting series of questions, and my guess is that various individuals apply different contexts based on their presuppositions. In fact, I've seen some exegetes switch contexts backwards and forwards in the book in order to accommodate their presuppositions.
By the way, the Galatians church was not totally Gentile, in fact the majority may have been Jewish. I don't know. I suppose you know that. I didn't for a long time.
One of the problems of Armstrongites is that they claimed the "Gentile churches" were Gentiles because they were in Gentile cities. An example is I Corinthians 5, where they said Gentiles were observing the days of Unleavened Bread. Maybe they were, maybe they weren't. Many of the members of "Gentile churches" were Jews, even a majority as Paul evangelized in synagogues in these Gentile cities.
Jews relocated for financial opportunities or due to persecution to Gentile cities all over.
Galatia is no exception. Some of the cities in Acts 13 and 14 were in Galatia.
We know Jewish Christians continued to observe elements of the Mosaic Covenant, probably much like Messianic Jews observe these elements today..to demonstrate community solidarity and to evangelize to fellow Jews..and out of preference. Acts 21 says that Jewish Christians even continued to observe physical circumcision.
Nor do I have problems with those who observe the Sabbath and festivals as long as they don't accuse non-observers of being unsaved or less obedient.
By the way, the Galatians church was not totally Gentile, in fact the majority may have been Jewish. I don't know. I suppose you know that. I didn't for a long time.
One of the problems of Armstrongites is that they claimed the "Gentile churches" were Gentiles because they were in Gentile cities. An example is I Corinthians 5, where they said Gentiles were observing the days of Unleavened Bread. Maybe they were, maybe they weren't. Many of the members of "Gentile churches" were Jews, even a majority as Paul evangelized in synagogues in these Gentile cities.
Jews relocated for financial opportunities or due to persecution to Gentile cities all over.
Galatia is no exception. Some of the cities in Acts 13 and 14 were in Galatia.
We know Jewish Christians continued to observe elements of the Mosaic Covenant, probably much like Messianic Jews observe these elements today..to demonstrate community solidarity and to evangelize to fellow Jews..and out of preference. Acts 21 says that Jewish Christians even continued to observe physical circumcision.
Nor do I have problems with those who observe the Sabbath and festivals as long as they don't accuse non-observers of being unsaved or less obedient.
I agree that there were Jews ( some believing in Christ ) in every Gentile city.
Even on the day of Pentecost when the church was being birthed. There were Jews from all over the known world in Jerusalem then. There were 16 different languages being spoken in tongues that the visiting Jews heard the disciples speaking in tongues in their languages.
S
Matt, this is unrelated but perhaps you have some thoughts on this.
My understanding is that northern Jews (including Jesus, the disciples, and Pharisees) at the time of Christ reckoned days from sunrise to sunrise, but the southern Jews (including those in Jerusalem including the priests and Sadducees) reckoned days from sunset to sunset.
This explains why Jesus and his disciples observed Passover prior to the Jews without mentioning anything unusual (John 18:28).
Are you familiar with this?
I think the Armstrongites claimed the Jews had their date for Passover mixed up, because of their assumption that all observed Sabbath sunset to sunset. I know that the Torah indicates this is so. Apparently Josephus and the Mishna records this alternate reckoning for the northern Palestine Jews.
If you disagree, I wonder how you reconcile the fact that Christ observed Passover a day earlier. Not putting you on the hot seat, just wondering.
My understanding is that northern Jews (including Jesus, the disciples, and Pharisees) at the time of Christ reckoned days from sunrise to sunrise, but the southern Jews (including those in Jerusalem including the priests and Sadducees) reckoned days from sunset to sunset.
This explains why Jesus and his disciples observed Passover prior to the Jews without mentioning anything unusual (John 18:28).
Are you familiar with this?
I think the Armstrongites claimed the Jews had their date for Passover mixed up, because of their assumption that all observed Sabbath sunset to sunset. I know that the Torah indicates this is so. Apparently Josephus and the Mishna records this alternate reckoning for the northern Palestine Jews.
If you disagree, I wonder how you reconcile the fact that Christ observed Passover a day earlier. Not putting you on the hot seat, just wondering.
A
Not sure if it's been mentioned, but Michael Brown, himself, admits multiple times in that first episode that the Roman Catholic Church changed the Sabbath day to Sunday; and also admits that he doesn't think that was right. This fact is well known to those who have researched this topic in depth and the Catholic Church itself has publicly admitted it.
Furthermore, the answer he is demanding is locked into a box, if you will, that only allows for specific wording in just such a way that the proof he is challenging someone to produce (a specific verse from the NT that states that God commanded the Gentiles to observe the 7th Day Sabbath) does not exist. He knows it does not exist and that is why he issued the challenge on 'his' show.
Despite his efforts to thwart his listeners' ability to prove the actual point of contention (that the Saturday Sabbath 'should' still be observed by modern Christians), there were callers who proved that point very succinctly who he either cut off, spoke over, went to commercial or otherwise silenced.
At 37:00 the caller pointed out Acts 13:42-44, one of the best indicators in scripture that the Saturday Sabbath 'was' observed by the Apostle Paul and Gentiles 'after' the crucifixion. As soon as the caller made that statement, Michael Brown ridiculed him and dismissed his argument as nonsense and ended his call, effectively attacking the caller and not the caller's argument. Textbook example of someone desperately redirecting the audience's attention away from the point made and attempting to garner their support in the implication that the caller's statement was ridiculous. Michael also followed immediately with a statement claiming that Christians gathered for worship on Sunday all the way back to the early church which is completely unscriptural and only true 'after' the 3rd century when it was made law by the Roman Emperor Constantine. There is absolutely no verse in the Bible about Sunday worship. Not one.
The point the caller was making was Acts 13:42-44 where Paul was leaving the synagogue, after preaching on the Saturday Sabbath, and was begged by the 'Gentiles' to preach to them the next Sabbath. If 'any' of the Apostles or 'anyone' significant had been observing a Sunday Sabbath or a day of worship of any kind on Sunday, Paul would've simply told them to come back the very next day to hear him preach again. That is 'not' what happened. And the Bible makes very clear that "almost the whole city came together to hear the Word of God" on the following Sabbath.
This 'IS' a New Testament example.
This is Paul, widely referred to as the Apostle to the 'Gentiles', preaching on the Saturday Sabbath 'AFTER' the crucifixion of Christ.
*For all those interested, there are countless verses in scripture that prove the Saturday Sabbath. Here are just a few:
(Gen. 2:1-3) God blessed the 'Seventh Day', mentioned 'Three Times' in the first three verses of the Bible.
(Ezek. 20:12) God gave us the Sabbath as a sign 'Forever' (For all eternity) between us and Him.
(Isa. 66:23) All believers will be keeping the Sabbath for eternity in Heaven.
(Num. 23:20) God's blessings cannot be reversed.
(1 Chron. 17:27) What the Lord blesses shall be blessed forever.
(Exod. 20:8-11) God's command.
(Matt. 28:1) The only mention in Matthew of the first day of the week, in 70 A.D. about 40 years after the time of Christ, totally silent about Sunday worship.
(Mark 16:2,9,14) Only mention of first day of week in Mark, 60 A.D., nothing about Sunday worship.
(Luke 24:1) Only mention of first day of week in Luke, 80-90 A.D., nothing about Sunday worship.
(Luke 4:16) Jesus' regular custom was to stand and read scripture in the synagogue on the Saturday Sabbath.
(Matt. 24:15-22) Jesus makes clear that He expects His disciples to still be observing the Saturday Sabbath 40 years after His death and resurrection. (Note: This was 'not' spoken only to the Jews as can be seen in 24:3. Jesus is speaking to His disciples 'privately.')
(Luke 23:56) Jesus' disciples honored the Saturday Sabbath instead of finishing tending to His crucified body.
(Rev.1:10) John on the island of Patmos, 95 A.D., refers to 'The Lord's Day.' (Saturday Sabbath)
(Isa. 58:13) God, through Isaiah, calls the Sabbath "My Holy Day" thus proving through scripture that John was referring to the Saturday Sabbath in Rev. 1:10.
(Mark 2:27) The Sabbath was made for 'man,' not just for the 'Jews.'
(Matt. 12:8) Jesus is the Lord of the Seventh Day, Saturday Sabbath. (No man has the authority to ever change that.)
(Heb. 13:8) Jesus is the same yesterday, today and 'FOREVER.'
(Mal. 3:6) I am the Lord, I change not.
(Matt. 5:18) Jesus says 'none' of the Law shall pass away until Heaven & Earth are completely gone.
(Acts 18:4) Paul preached in the Corinth synagogue every Saturday Sabbath for 18 months. (New Testament, after Jesus' death and resurrection.)
*Interesting facts about the Sabbath:
-There are many languages that still use a word for Saturday that means 'Sabbath.'
-There are exactly 59 mentions of the Sabbath, by name, in the New Testament. (*Referring to Saturday.)
-Paul preached a total of 79 Sabbaths in Corinth to the Corinthians. (Paul's time as an Apostle was after the crucifixion of Jesus. *Very significant.*)
-The book of Acts, alone, records 84 separate Sabbaths that Paul & others attended as the newly formed Christian Church.
-Not once in the New Testament did the Apostles gather in worship on Sunday for the declared purpose of honoring the resurrection.
-Not once in the Gospels, nor the NT as a whole, did Jesus even mention the first day of the week, nor did He declare it the new day of rest to replace the Saturday Sabbath.
-The Sabbath is the 'only' day ever to be blessed by God. (And as such can never be changed by anyone ever created by Him after. What God blesses can never be undone.)
-God gave the Seventh Day Sabbath to Adam & Eve, 2500 years before Moses ever gave it to the 'Jews' among the 10 Commandments.
Furthermore, the answer he is demanding is locked into a box, if you will, that only allows for specific wording in just such a way that the proof he is challenging someone to produce (a specific verse from the NT that states that God commanded the Gentiles to observe the 7th Day Sabbath) does not exist. He knows it does not exist and that is why he issued the challenge on 'his' show.
Despite his efforts to thwart his listeners' ability to prove the actual point of contention (that the Saturday Sabbath 'should' still be observed by modern Christians), there were callers who proved that point very succinctly who he either cut off, spoke over, went to commercial or otherwise silenced.
At 37:00 the caller pointed out Acts 13:42-44, one of the best indicators in scripture that the Saturday Sabbath 'was' observed by the Apostle Paul and Gentiles 'after' the crucifixion. As soon as the caller made that statement, Michael Brown ridiculed him and dismissed his argument as nonsense and ended his call, effectively attacking the caller and not the caller's argument. Textbook example of someone desperately redirecting the audience's attention away from the point made and attempting to garner their support in the implication that the caller's statement was ridiculous. Michael also followed immediately with a statement claiming that Christians gathered for worship on Sunday all the way back to the early church which is completely unscriptural and only true 'after' the 3rd century when it was made law by the Roman Emperor Constantine. There is absolutely no verse in the Bible about Sunday worship. Not one.
The point the caller was making was Acts 13:42-44 where Paul was leaving the synagogue, after preaching on the Saturday Sabbath, and was begged by the 'Gentiles' to preach to them the next Sabbath. If 'any' of the Apostles or 'anyone' significant had been observing a Sunday Sabbath or a day of worship of any kind on Sunday, Paul would've simply told them to come back the very next day to hear him preach again. That is 'not' what happened. And the Bible makes very clear that "almost the whole city came together to hear the Word of God" on the following Sabbath.
This 'IS' a New Testament example.
This is Paul, widely referred to as the Apostle to the 'Gentiles', preaching on the Saturday Sabbath 'AFTER' the crucifixion of Christ.
*For all those interested, there are countless verses in scripture that prove the Saturday Sabbath. Here are just a few:
(Gen. 2:1-3) God blessed the 'Seventh Day', mentioned 'Three Times' in the first three verses of the Bible.
(Ezek. 20:12) God gave us the Sabbath as a sign 'Forever' (For all eternity) between us and Him.
(Isa. 66:23) All believers will be keeping the Sabbath for eternity in Heaven.
(Num. 23:20) God's blessings cannot be reversed.
(1 Chron. 17:27) What the Lord blesses shall be blessed forever.
(Exod. 20:8-11) God's command.
(Matt. 28:1) The only mention in Matthew of the first day of the week, in 70 A.D. about 40 years after the time of Christ, totally silent about Sunday worship.
(Mark 16:2,9,14) Only mention of first day of week in Mark, 60 A.D., nothing about Sunday worship.
(Luke 24:1) Only mention of first day of week in Luke, 80-90 A.D., nothing about Sunday worship.
(Luke 4:16) Jesus' regular custom was to stand and read scripture in the synagogue on the Saturday Sabbath.
(Matt. 24:15-22) Jesus makes clear that He expects His disciples to still be observing the Saturday Sabbath 40 years after His death and resurrection. (Note: This was 'not' spoken only to the Jews as can be seen in 24:3. Jesus is speaking to His disciples 'privately.')
(Luke 23:56) Jesus' disciples honored the Saturday Sabbath instead of finishing tending to His crucified body.
(Rev.1:10) John on the island of Patmos, 95 A.D., refers to 'The Lord's Day.' (Saturday Sabbath)
(Isa. 58:13) God, through Isaiah, calls the Sabbath "My Holy Day" thus proving through scripture that John was referring to the Saturday Sabbath in Rev. 1:10.
(Mark 2:27) The Sabbath was made for 'man,' not just for the 'Jews.'
(Matt. 12:8) Jesus is the Lord of the Seventh Day, Saturday Sabbath. (No man has the authority to ever change that.)
(Heb. 13:8) Jesus is the same yesterday, today and 'FOREVER.'
(Mal. 3:6) I am the Lord, I change not.
(Matt. 5:18) Jesus says 'none' of the Law shall pass away until Heaven & Earth are completely gone.
(Acts 18:4) Paul preached in the Corinth synagogue every Saturday Sabbath for 18 months. (New Testament, after Jesus' death and resurrection.)
*Interesting facts about the Sabbath:
-There are many languages that still use a word for Saturday that means 'Sabbath.'
-There are exactly 59 mentions of the Sabbath, by name, in the New Testament. (*Referring to Saturday.)
-Paul preached a total of 79 Sabbaths in Corinth to the Corinthians. (Paul's time as an Apostle was after the crucifixion of Jesus. *Very significant.*)
-The book of Acts, alone, records 84 separate Sabbaths that Paul & others attended as the newly formed Christian Church.
-Not once in the New Testament did the Apostles gather in worship on Sunday for the declared purpose of honoring the resurrection.
-Not once in the Gospels, nor the NT as a whole, did Jesus even mention the first day of the week, nor did He declare it the new day of rest to replace the Saturday Sabbath.
-The Sabbath is the 'only' day ever to be blessed by God. (And as such can never be changed by anyone ever created by Him after. What God blesses can never be undone.)
-God gave the Seventh Day Sabbath to Adam & Eve, 2500 years before Moses ever gave it to the 'Jews' among the 10 Commandments.
Of course the gentiles observed the sabbaths because that's when Jews met in the synagogues to read scripture. There was no requirement for them to observe the sabbath (or any other Mosaic law) as evidenced by the Jerusalem church's decision in Acts 15. So the gentiles had to meet on Saturdays because that's when worship services were conducted.
S
The Roman Catholic Church didn't change the Sabbath.
Virtually no Christians were observing the Sabbath by AD140. SDA historian Samuele Bacchiocchi, after researching this, admits that it is true.
Sabbathkeepers like to blame the Roman Catholic church for changing the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, but the truth is that there was a migration from Sabbath observance long before the Roman Catholic Church even existed.
Rome was only one bishopric of the church and did not have the power to do anything like this until about AD450. I wouldn't even acknowledge them as existing until AD600 at the earliest, when Gregory became the first pope.
Some individuals in the Roman Catholic church CLAIMED they changed the Sabbath to Sunday, but they also claim that Peter was the first pope..do you believe them?
Each of your points have a counter-point. For instance, no one denies that Jewish Christians observed the Sabbath or festivals in the early church. They observed physical circumcision as well (Acts 21). That doesn't mean that these practices were required of them, or of Gentiles.
And, the meetings you are speaking about were in the synagogues, where Paul was evangelizing unsaved people. There are no recorded church meetings on the Sabbath.
However, a lot of seekers and some Christians went to the Synagogue in order to hear the Scriptures read, and then they met on their own on Sunday to take communion and to talk about the Scriptures privately in a Christian context. There ARE several church meetings recorded on the first day of the week.
Colossians 2:16-17 says that the Sabbath and festivals don't apply..they are shadows which pointed to Christ. Christ and faith in him is the meaning behind the Sabbath..he is our spiritual rest (Matt 11:28-30, Hebrews 4:9-10, Colossians 2:16-17). The meaning in these verses are so clear that the SDAs deny that the weekly Sabbath is included, but sabbaton is plainly referring to the weekly Sabbath.
By the way I am an ex Sabbath/festival/clean and unclean person, and I am confident of my position on this. I encourage others to be confident in their position, and I respect those who keep the Sabbath and festivals as long as they don't condemn others as being spiritually inferior or unsaved. I belonged to the Armstrongites as a young man and they hold the belief that everyone else is unsaved and under the Mark of the Beast due to non-observance. Hopefully you're not involved with a cultic group like that.
I suspect, with regards to Michael Brown, that what he is talking about is the decision in AD363 at Laodicea to anathematize Judaizers. For one thing, this event was prior to the existence of the Roman Catholic church. Secondly, I suspect these Judaizers were making trouble by claiming all Christians needed to observe the Sabbath. Thirdly, I do think the decision was wrong because Messianic Jews should have had the freedom to observe elements of their faith such as Sabbbath, festivals, and clean/unclean meats.
Virtually no Christians were observing the Sabbath by AD140. SDA historian Samuele Bacchiocchi, after researching this, admits that it is true.
Sabbathkeepers like to blame the Roman Catholic church for changing the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, but the truth is that there was a migration from Sabbath observance long before the Roman Catholic Church even existed.
Rome was only one bishopric of the church and did not have the power to do anything like this until about AD450. I wouldn't even acknowledge them as existing until AD600 at the earliest, when Gregory became the first pope.
Some individuals in the Roman Catholic church CLAIMED they changed the Sabbath to Sunday, but they also claim that Peter was the first pope..do you believe them?
Each of your points have a counter-point. For instance, no one denies that Jewish Christians observed the Sabbath or festivals in the early church. They observed physical circumcision as well (Acts 21). That doesn't mean that these practices were required of them, or of Gentiles.
And, the meetings you are speaking about were in the synagogues, where Paul was evangelizing unsaved people. There are no recorded church meetings on the Sabbath.
However, a lot of seekers and some Christians went to the Synagogue in order to hear the Scriptures read, and then they met on their own on Sunday to take communion and to talk about the Scriptures privately in a Christian context. There ARE several church meetings recorded on the first day of the week.
Colossians 2:16-17 says that the Sabbath and festivals don't apply..they are shadows which pointed to Christ. Christ and faith in him is the meaning behind the Sabbath..he is our spiritual rest (Matt 11:28-30, Hebrews 4:9-10, Colossians 2:16-17). The meaning in these verses are so clear that the SDAs deny that the weekly Sabbath is included, but sabbaton is plainly referring to the weekly Sabbath.
By the way I am an ex Sabbath/festival/clean and unclean person, and I am confident of my position on this. I encourage others to be confident in their position, and I respect those who keep the Sabbath and festivals as long as they don't condemn others as being spiritually inferior or unsaved. I belonged to the Armstrongites as a young man and they hold the belief that everyone else is unsaved and under the Mark of the Beast due to non-observance. Hopefully you're not involved with a cultic group like that.
I suspect, with regards to Michael Brown, that what he is talking about is the decision in AD363 at Laodicea to anathematize Judaizers. For one thing, this event was prior to the existence of the Roman Catholic church. Secondly, I suspect these Judaizers were making trouble by claiming all Christians needed to observe the Sabbath. Thirdly, I do think the decision was wrong because Messianic Jews should have had the freedom to observe elements of their faith such as Sabbbath, festivals, and clean/unclean meats.
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Greetings AvoiceInTheWilderness,
It is important to understand that these people always met on the Sabbath day. But it wasn't for the purpose of the Sabbath that Paul gathered to teach them, as if the Sabbath was a requirement for salvation, but because that was the day that everyone went to hear the teaching of the law. Remember, these were people who were coming out from under the law into another covenant of salvation by grace through faith. Consequently, when anyone brings in some other requirement for salvation along side of Christ's sacrifice, they are not trusting in Him completely as the One who provided salvation, fully and completely, but on their own efforts. Anyone doing so, is basically saying that Christs' sacrifice was insufficient. Christ came to free us from the law that stood against us. Our only hope for salvation, is by trusting in the One who alone provided salvation for us. "But Lord, Lord, didn't we keep the Sabbath on Saturday?!" The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. If keeping the Sabbath was a requirement for salvation, I'm pretty sure that it would have been mentioned in the letters to the seven churches, yet the word Sabbath is not found anywhere at all in the book of Revelation. That being said, if keeping the Sabbath was something that was so detrimental to obtaining eternal life, you'd think that it would be mentioned at least once in regards to eternal life, yet we have no direct command from either the Lord himself nor the apostles anywhere in any of the new testament books.
"When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ."
In other words regarding the above, Paul is saying, don't let anyone who is still under the law give you a hard time about eating ham or anything else that was on the "Do not eat" list of the law. Neither let anyone bother you about not keeping the Sabbath (any Sabbath) or by not keeping a feast or a holy day. Those things were of the Law of Moses which were a shadow pointing to Christ, which was our school master until Christ came. Now that Christ has come, we are no longer under that school master of the law. Whenever we try to keep the law it brings wrath when we fail at it. Christ fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law on our behalf, satisfying God's requirement. Now, we are free in Christ, free from the law that was against us and which brought wrath. For where there is no law, there is no trespass.
"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."
It is important to understand that these people always met on the Sabbath day. But it wasn't for the purpose of the Sabbath that Paul gathered to teach them, as if the Sabbath was a requirement for salvation, but because that was the day that everyone went to hear the teaching of the law. Remember, these were people who were coming out from under the law into another covenant of salvation by grace through faith. Consequently, when anyone brings in some other requirement for salvation along side of Christ's sacrifice, they are not trusting in Him completely as the One who provided salvation, fully and completely, but on their own efforts. Anyone doing so, is basically saying that Christs' sacrifice was insufficient. Christ came to free us from the law that stood against us. Our only hope for salvation, is by trusting in the One who alone provided salvation for us. "But Lord, Lord, didn't we keep the Sabbath on Saturday?!" The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. If keeping the Sabbath was a requirement for salvation, I'm pretty sure that it would have been mentioned in the letters to the seven churches, yet the word Sabbath is not found anywhere at all in the book of Revelation. That being said, if keeping the Sabbath was something that was so detrimental to obtaining eternal life, you'd think that it would be mentioned at least once in regards to eternal life, yet we have no direct command from either the Lord himself nor the apostles anywhere in any of the new testament books.
"When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ."
In other words regarding the above, Paul is saying, don't let anyone who is still under the law give you a hard time about eating ham or anything else that was on the "Do not eat" list of the law. Neither let anyone bother you about not keeping the Sabbath (any Sabbath) or by not keeping a feast or a holy day. Those things were of the Law of Moses which were a shadow pointing to Christ, which was our school master until Christ came. Now that Christ has come, we are no longer under that school master of the law. Whenever we try to keep the law it brings wrath when we fail at it. Christ fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law on our behalf, satisfying God's requirement. Now, we are free in Christ, free from the law that was against us and which brought wrath. For where there is no law, there is no trespass.
"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."
A
I think I could sum up my response to all replies to my post like this:
I'm not sure how I'd answer if I was asked if someone could be saved/unsaved based on whether they observe the 7th Day/Saturday Sabbath or not, but I don't necessarily have a dog in that particular fight.
All debates can be simplified to the most basic element so let me just propose this simplification of the concept.
-Who blessed the 7th day of the week?
-Who commanded that it be remembered or observed as a day of worship?
-Who blessed the 1st day of the week?
-Who commanded that it be remembered or observed as a day of worship?
If we're talking about how Sunday came to be the modern, mainstream Christian day of worship using all of history, according to the Bible, as a reference, there are only two days of the week with which to choose from.
If 'Man' covers the answers for one of those days and 'God' is the answer for the other, where do 'YOU' stand?
I'm not sure how I'd answer if I was asked if someone could be saved/unsaved based on whether they observe the 7th Day/Saturday Sabbath or not, but I don't necessarily have a dog in that particular fight.
All debates can be simplified to the most basic element so let me just propose this simplification of the concept.
-Who blessed the 7th day of the week?
-Who commanded that it be remembered or observed as a day of worship?
-Who blessed the 1st day of the week?
-Who commanded that it be remembered or observed as a day of worship?
If we're talking about how Sunday came to be the modern, mainstream Christian day of worship using all of history, according to the Bible, as a reference, there are only two days of the week with which to choose from.
If 'Man' covers the answers for one of those days and 'God' is the answer for the other, where do 'YOU' stand?
As I said, if anyone trusts in anything other than Christ for salvation, they have wandered away from grace, by relying on their own efforts. Keeping the Sabbath as a requirement for salvation or any other personal effort, is by works and will have the opposite affect, keeping that person out of eternal life.
I will use your own question: Who established a new covenant? This is exactly why Jesus said that on that day many will say to him "Lord, Lord, didn't we do this, that and the other thing?" These are those who will have been trusting in their own efforts and Jesus says there will be many and that because they don't understand that salvation is a free gift which was provided by Christ completely and fully and there is nothing that a person has to do to but believe in the One who provided it. All of these people who march up there proud of keeping the Sabbath on Saturday as a means for salvation are going to be turned away!
Now to be clear, there is nothing wrong with keeping a day to the Lord, regardless of which day it is or every day. But, when it becomes a requirement for salvation, then it becomes a problem. Same thing for those who would like to celebrate the Passover or any other feast. But when it becomes a requirement for entering into eternal life, then it is a problem. That person is trying to get to heaven by the keeping of things instead of looking to the One who provided salvation.
I will use your own question: Who established a new covenant? This is exactly why Jesus said that on that day many will say to him "Lord, Lord, didn't we do this, that and the other thing?" These are those who will have been trusting in their own efforts and Jesus says there will be many and that because they don't understand that salvation is a free gift which was provided by Christ completely and fully and there is nothing that a person has to do to but believe in the One who provided it. All of these people who march up there proud of keeping the Sabbath on Saturday as a means for salvation are going to be turned away!
Now to be clear, there is nothing wrong with keeping a day to the Lord, regardless of which day it is or every day. But, when it becomes a requirement for salvation, then it becomes a problem. Same thing for those who would like to celebrate the Passover or any other feast. But when it becomes a requirement for entering into eternal life, then it is a problem. That person is trying to get to heaven by the keeping of things instead of looking to the One who provided salvation.
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