How many times the Sabbath is mentioned and is still called the Sabbath are such weak arguments they are not worth bothering to mention, and I already said that Jesus taught the Jews not to break the least of the commandments, because he wanted to observe and it until the OT was fulfilled or completed via his sacrificial atonement and therefore superseded per his inspiration of Paul and HB, specifically 7:18-10:1, which is very sound doctrine, no matter how long you kick against its goads.
The Teachings of Jesus (TOJ)
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God personally naming something that is sacred to Him and told us to remember and be sacred for us too, I do not believe is a weak argument.
The sacrificial laws that was a prescription for sin until Jesus, that were contained in ordinances per scripture Col 2:14, Heb 9:15-10 Eph 2:15 did end, but God’s Ten Commandments which is what defines what sin is when breaking 1 John 3:4 Rom 7:7 , it’s like a mirror, Rom 3:20 James 1:22-25 so we know what is right and wrong according to God, did not end hence
Mat 5:19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven
I am pretty sure the beatitudes where this was part of the sermon was not only for Jews. Whoever means everyone.
The sacrificial laws that was a prescription for sin until Jesus, that were contained in ordinances per scripture Col 2:14, Heb 9:15-10 Eph 2:15 did end, but God’s Ten Commandments which is what defines what sin is when breaking 1 John 3:4 Rom 7:7 , it’s like a mirror, Rom 3:20 James 1:22-25 so we know what is right and wrong according to God, did not end hence
Mat 5:19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven
I am pretty sure the beatitudes where this was part of the sermon was not only for Jews. Whoever means everyone.
Re "God personally naming something that is sacred to Him and told us to remember and be sacred for us too, I do not believe is a weak argument.": I know, because as an apparent Judaizer you seem to believe the Ten Commandments supersede the Commands of Christ.
You agree that the sacrificial laws ended, but not that Christ inspired Paul to teach that the entire Law fulfilled its purpose of defining sins and leading sinners to have faith/hope in His atonement for salvation, NOT by trying to obey the Law perfectly.
Although Paul affirms the other Nine Commandments as fruit of the HS that should follow or manifest saving faith, you do not agree with him saying that the Sabbath law is in the optional/sacrificial category rather than in the moral category.
We hope your disagreement with Paul is acceptable to Christ, but I guess we won't find out until Judgment Day.
You agree that the sacrificial laws ended, but not that Christ inspired Paul to teach that the entire Law fulfilled its purpose of defining sins and leading sinners to have faith/hope in His atonement for salvation, NOT by trying to obey the Law perfectly.
Although Paul affirms the other Nine Commandments as fruit of the HS that should follow or manifest saving faith, you do not agree with him saying that the Sabbath law is in the optional/sacrificial category rather than in the moral category.
We hope your disagreement with Paul is acceptable to Christ, but I guess we won't find out until Judgment Day.
We don’t obey God to save us, it’s because we love Him so much John 14:15 and through our love and faith He changes our heart which enables us to keep His commandments. John 14:15-18
You claiming God’s Sabbath is not moral is your words, not God’s. All God’s commandments are Truth Psa 119:151 all of God’s commandments are righteous Psa 119:172 including the Sabbath Isa 56:1-6 (in His own Words) and His righteous is everlasting Psa 119:142 meaning they are eternally moral Hence Mat 5:18-30. God blessed, man cannot reverse Num 23:20 not even Paul, because Paul is not God, he was a servant Rom 1:1 and a servant is not greater than their master John 13:16
That said of course Paul confirmed the Sabbath commandment, he did so in words and by action. I am pretty sure he wrote Hebrews.
Heb 4: 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
The rest in the verse literally translates into Sabbath-keeping
Strong's Lexicon
sabbatismos: Sabbath rest
Original Word: σαββατισμός
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: sabbatismos
Pronunciation: sab-bat-is-mos'
Phonetic Spelling: (sab-bat-is-mos')
Definition: Sabbath rest
Meaning: a keeping of the Sabbath, a Sabbath rest.
Why he also kept every Sabbath Acts 5:21 Acts 18:4 because thats what a Christian means, to follow Christ.
Paul would never countermand a commandment of God, something Jesus is Lord of, meaning Christ owns starting at Creation Exo 20:11, not Paul, so one would need a thus saith the Lord and with the warning we have of Paul’s writings 2 Peter 3:16- we need to reconcile his writings to Christ, not the other way around because it will be Christ who will be at the gates of heaven, who will say these words, not Paul
Rev 22:14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
Why we are told to follow Jesus if we abide in Him
John 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
1 John 2:6 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
Jesus always led by example starting at Creation. He is Lord of the Sabbath and He blessed it, so only He can take it away. Instead He kept it and told us to also keep if we love Him and said follow Me.
Guess we will find out soon enough.
Thanks for the chat.
You claiming God’s Sabbath is not moral is your words, not God’s. All God’s commandments are Truth Psa 119:151 all of God’s commandments are righteous Psa 119:172 including the Sabbath Isa 56:1-6 (in His own Words) and His righteous is everlasting Psa 119:142 meaning they are eternally moral Hence Mat 5:18-30. God blessed, man cannot reverse Num 23:20 not even Paul, because Paul is not God, he was a servant Rom 1:1 and a servant is not greater than their master John 13:16
That said of course Paul confirmed the Sabbath commandment, he did so in words and by action. I am pretty sure he wrote Hebrews.
Heb 4: 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
The rest in the verse literally translates into Sabbath-keeping
Strong's Lexicon
sabbatismos: Sabbath rest
Original Word: σαββατισμός
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: sabbatismos
Pronunciation: sab-bat-is-mos'
Phonetic Spelling: (sab-bat-is-mos')
Definition: Sabbath rest
Meaning: a keeping of the Sabbath, a Sabbath rest.
Why he also kept every Sabbath Acts 5:21 Acts 18:4 because thats what a Christian means, to follow Christ.
Paul would never countermand a commandment of God, something Jesus is Lord of, meaning Christ owns starting at Creation Exo 20:11, not Paul, so one would need a thus saith the Lord and with the warning we have of Paul’s writings 2 Peter 3:16- we need to reconcile his writings to Christ, not the other way around because it will be Christ who will be at the gates of heaven, who will say these words, not Paul
Rev 22:14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
Why we are told to follow Jesus if we abide in Him
John 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
1 John 2:6 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
Jesus always led by example starting at Creation. He is Lord of the Sabbath and He blessed it, so only He can take it away. Instead He kept it and told us to also keep if we love Him and said follow Me.
Guess we will find out soon enough.
Thanks for the chat.
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The argument that Paul only affirmed nine commandments (as if Paul is God) , and reduce it to an unbiblical number, when God wrote Ten Deut 4:13 Exo 34:28 by design, the only law He numbered and we are to forget the only commandment that God said Remember, that uses the words holy and blessed by God, sound similar to how Adam and Eve were deceived in the garden saying the opposite of what God said. Sad this trick is still working, but we were told the whole world would be deceived. Why we need to place our faith in God- God blessed man cannot reverse and if you can’t find a thus saith the Lord, its not coming from God.
We don’t obey God to save us, it’s because we love Him so much John 14:15 and through our love and faith He changes our heart which enables us to keep His commandments. John 14:15-18
You claiming God’s Sabbath is not moral is your words, not God’s. All God’s commandments are Truth Psa 119:151 all of God’s commandments are righteous Psa 119:172 including the Sabbath Isa 56:1-6 (in His own Words) and His righteous is everlasting Psa 119:142 meaning they are eternally moral Hence Mat 5:18-30. God blessed, man cannot reverse Num 23:20 not even Paul, because Paul is not God, he was a servant Rom 1:1 and a servant is not greater than their master John 13:16
That said of course Paul confirmed the Sabbath commandment, he did so in words and by action. I am pretty sure he wrote Hebrews.
Heb 4: 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
The rest in the verse literally translates into Sabbath-keeping
Strong's Lexicon
sabbatismos: Sabbath rest
Original Word: σαββατισμός
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: sabbatismos
Pronunciation: sab-bat-is-mos'
Phonetic Spelling: (sab-bat-is-mos')
Definition: Sabbath rest
Meaning: a keeping of the Sabbath, a Sabbath rest.
Why he also kept every Sabbath Acts 5:21 Acts 18:4 because thats what a Christian means, to follow Christ.
Paul would never countermand a commandment of God, something Jesus is Lord of, meaning Christ owns starting at Creation Exo 20:11, not Paul, so one would need a thus saith the Lord and with the warning we have of Paul’s writings 2 Peter 3:16- we need to reconcile his writings to Christ, not the other way around because it will be Christ who will be at the gates of heaven, who will say these words, not Paul
Rev 22:14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
Why we are told to follow Jesus if we abide in Him
John 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
1 John 2:6 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
Jesus always led by example starting at Creation. He is Lord of the Sabbath and He blessed it, so only He can take it away. Instead He kept it and told us to also keep if we love Him and said follow Me.
Guess we will find out soon enough.
Thanks for the chat.
You claiming God’s Sabbath is not moral is your words, not God’s. All God’s commandments are Truth Psa 119:151 all of God’s commandments are righteous Psa 119:172 including the Sabbath Isa 56:1-6 (in His own Words) and His righteous is everlasting Psa 119:142 meaning they are eternally moral Hence Mat 5:18-30. God blessed, man cannot reverse Num 23:20 not even Paul, because Paul is not God, he was a servant Rom 1:1 and a servant is not greater than their master John 13:16
That said of course Paul confirmed the Sabbath commandment, he did so in words and by action. I am pretty sure he wrote Hebrews.
Heb 4: 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
The rest in the verse literally translates into Sabbath-keeping
Strong's Lexicon
sabbatismos: Sabbath rest
Original Word: σαββατισμός
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: sabbatismos
Pronunciation: sab-bat-is-mos'
Phonetic Spelling: (sab-bat-is-mos')
Definition: Sabbath rest
Meaning: a keeping of the Sabbath, a Sabbath rest.
Why he also kept every Sabbath Acts 5:21 Acts 18:4 because thats what a Christian means, to follow Christ.
Paul would never countermand a commandment of God, something Jesus is Lord of, meaning Christ owns starting at Creation Exo 20:11, not Paul, so one would need a thus saith the Lord and with the warning we have of Paul’s writings 2 Peter 3:16- we need to reconcile his writings to Christ, not the other way around because it will be Christ who will be at the gates of heaven, who will say these words, not Paul
Rev 22:14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
Why we are told to follow Jesus if we abide in Him
John 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
1 John 2:6 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
Jesus always led by example starting at Creation. He is Lord of the Sabbath and He blessed it, so only He can take it away. Instead He kept it and told us to also keep if we love Him and said follow Me.
Guess we will find out soon enough.
Thanks for the chat.
I guess we also agree that we will find out whose claim regarding the Sabbath law is correct on Judgment Day, but I would not want to demean Paul's inspiration by Christ.
I agree that Paul probably wrote HB, in which he did NOT confirm the Sabbath commandment, but rather amended it to teach that we should not depend on works for salvation--even the work of observing the OT Sabbath law. He kept the Sabbath in order to persuade Jews to repent of their obstinacy and accept the truth that God ordained Messiah and Christ appointed Paul to institute a new covenant in which folks are saved because of their cooperative relationship with the HS of Christ rather than by obedience of the OT law--any part of it. If Paul was wrong for teaching this as truth, then Jesus was tricky for allowing Paul's false doctrine to be a major part of the NT canon.
TTYL
God’s holy Sabbath commandment is not a false doctrine, saying we can forget what God said Remember is. Otherwise everyone we are to follow who kept the Sabbath, God, Jesus, Christ’s close followers and the apostles all taught and followed false doctrine.
We are told what is false doctrine is and it is not living by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God or following the example of Jesus.
Isa 8:20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there[a] is no light in them.
We are told what is false doctrine is and it is not living by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God or following the example of Jesus.
Isa 8:20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there[a] is no light in them.
Jesus said If you love Me keep My commandments. John 14:15
The Sabbath is still a commandment of God in the NT
Luke 23:56 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.
Jesus told the apostles to observe everything He commanded Mat 28:18-20 why they faithfully observed every Sabbath peaching the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles decades after the Cross.
Why the Gentiles begged the apostles for more gospel preaching the next Sabbath
Act 13:42 So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.
The whole city both Jews and Gentiles came together on the Sabbath to hear His Word
Acts 13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.
Why they kept every Sabbath faithful because that's what someone who loves Jesus does- keep His commandants and follow in His footsteps.
Acts 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.
You can keep saying the Sabbath ended in the OC, but its not being honest with what God's Word teaches in the NT.
God's people keep God's commandments until the end of time, not to be saved, but its how the save live, faith of Jesus living by His every Word, not just being a hearer, but a doer. James 1:22 Rev 14:12
Rev 22:14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
I guess we will find out soon enough. May the Lord bless us in finding Truth to His Word.
The Sabbath is still a commandment of God in the NT
Luke 23:56 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.
Jesus told the apostles to observe everything He commanded Mat 28:18-20 why they faithfully observed every Sabbath peaching the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles decades after the Cross.
Why the Gentiles begged the apostles for more gospel preaching the next Sabbath
Act 13:42 So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.
The whole city both Jews and Gentiles came together on the Sabbath to hear His Word
Acts 13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.
Why they kept every Sabbath faithful because that's what someone who loves Jesus does- keep His commandants and follow in His footsteps.
Acts 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.
You can keep saying the Sabbath ended in the OC, but its not being honest with what God's Word teaches in the NT.
God's people keep God's commandments until the end of time, not to be saved, but its how the save live, faith of Jesus living by His every Word, not just being a hearer, but a doer. James 1:22 Rev 14:12
Rev 22:14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
I guess we will find out soon enough. May the Lord bless us in finding Truth to His Word.
Jesus said that His commandment is for us to love one another, including enemies. (JN 13:34-35, MT 5:44, 22:37-40)
Jesus did NOT command us do no work on the Sabbath, but rather he amended and superseded Sabbath law by saying it is lawful to do good works on that day, just like any other day of the week (MT 12:12).
Jesus DID inspire Paul to teach that observing the Sabbath is optional for Christians (CL 2:16, GL 4:10).
Jesus and Paul attended the synagogue until Jesus was crucified by the teachers of the Sabbath law (MT 26:57&27:1) and Paul founded churches to supersede them (ACTS 20:17), warning against wolves among them who would distort the Gospel as you do (ACTS 20:29-30).
Hopefully your heart will become unhardened rather than continue to be calloused (MT 13:14-15), ACTS 28:26-27).
(praying hands :^)
Jesus did NOT command us do no work on the Sabbath, but rather he amended and superseded Sabbath law by saying it is lawful to do good works on that day, just like any other day of the week (MT 12:12).
Jesus DID inspire Paul to teach that observing the Sabbath is optional for Christians (CL 2:16, GL 4:10).
Jesus and Paul attended the synagogue until Jesus was crucified by the teachers of the Sabbath law (MT 26:57&27:1) and Paul founded churches to supersede them (ACTS 20:17), warning against wolves among them who would distort the Gospel as you do (ACTS 20:29-30).
Hopefully your heart will become unhardened rather than continue to be calloused (MT 13:14-15), ACTS 28:26-27).
(praying hands :^)
Where is there a command we could never do good works on the Sabbath? Doing good works is doing the ways of the Lord Isa 58:13, doing secular works and labors is a sin Exo 20:8-11 Basically what you are saying is the Pharisees were right Jesus broke the Sabbath but He amended the commandment to accommodate for Him and His apostles to break it, yet condemned the Pharisees for breaking the commandments of God from this same unit. Mat 15:1-14. Basically this teachings paints Jesus as a hypocrite which He is not. There was never a time in the Sabbath commandment people couldn't help the sick or an animal on the Sabbath, so no the commandment was not amended. The Sabbath rest is still according to the commandment Luke 23:56 and the apostles were keeping every Sabbath Acts 15:21 Acts 18:4 30+ years after the Cross. The wolves that came in are those who changed God's times and laws just as it was predicted and were warned Dan 7:25 this happened in the 3rd century from Pagan sun worship that became Sunday worship, that sadly the world has wandered after instead of being faithful to God and what He said.
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How The Sabbath Was Changed | Sabbath Truth
No Change Documented in the Bible
In both Old and New Testament there is not a shadow of variation in the doctrine of the Sabbath. The seventh day, Saturday, is the only day ever designated by the term Sabbath in the entire Bible. Not only was Jesus a perfect example in observing the weekly seventh-day Sabbath, but all His disciples followed the same pattern after Jesus had gone back to heaven. Yet no intimation of any change of the day is made. The apostle Paul, who wrote pages of counsel about lesser issues of Jewish and Gentile conflicts, had not one word to say about any controversy over the day of worship. Circumcision, foods offered to idols, and other Jewish customs were readily challenged by early Gentile Christians in the church, but the weightier matter of weekly worship never was an issue. Why? For the simple reason that no change was made from the historic seventh day of Old Testament times, and from creation itself. Had there been a switch from the Sabbath to the first day of the week, you can be sure the controversy would have been more explosive than any other to those Jewish Christians.
History Gives Some Clues
If the change did not take place in the Scriptures or through the influence of the apostles, when and how did it happen? In order to understand this, we must understand what happened in that early church soon after the apostles passed off the stage of action. Paul had prophesied that apostasy would take place soon after his departure. He said there would be a falling away from the truth. One doesn’t have to read very far in early church history to see just how that prophecy was fulfilled. Gnosticism began to rise up under the influence of philosophers who sought to reconcile Christianity with Paganism. At the same time, a strong anti-Jewish sentiment became more widespread. Very speculative interpretations began to appear regarding some of the great doctrines of Christ and the apostles.
The Conversion of Constantine
By the time Constantine was established as the emperor of Rome in the early fourth century, there was a decided division in the church as a result of all these factors. I think most of you know that Constantine was the first so-called Christian emperor of the Roman Empire. The story of his conversion has become very well known to students of ancient history. He was marching forth to fight the battle of Milvian Bridge when he had some kind of vision, and saw a flaming cross in the sky. Underneath the cross were the Latin words meaning “In this sign conquer.” Constantine took this as an omen that he should be a Christian, and his army as well. He declared all his pagan soldiers to be Christians, and became very zealous to build up the power and prestige of the church. Through his influence great blocks of pagans were taken into the Christian ranks. But, friends, they were still pagan at heart, and they brought in much of the paraphernalia of sun-worship to which they continued to be devoted. We mentioned in a previous broadcast about the adoption of Christmas and Easter into the church. At the same time, many other customs were Christianized and appropriated into the practice of the church as well.
Sun Worship
You see, at that time the cult of Mithraism or sun-worship was the official religion of the Roman Empire. It stood as the greatest competitor to the new Christian religion. It had its own organization, temples, priesthood, robes—everything. It also had an official worship day on which special homage was given to the sun. That day was called “The Venerable Day of the Sun.” It was the first day of the week, and from it we get our name Sunday. When Constantine pressed his pagan hordes into the church they were observing the day of the sun for their adoration of the sun god. It was their special holy day. In order to make it more convenient for them to make the change to the new religion, Constantine accepted their day of worship, Sunday, instead of the Christian Sabbath which had been observed by Jesus and His disciples. Remember that the way had been prepared for this already by the increasing anti-Jewish feelings against those who were accused of putting Jesus to death. Those feelings would naturally condition many Christians to swing away from something which was held religiously by the Jews. It is therefore easier to understand how the change was imposed on Christianity through a strong civil law issued by Constantine as the Emperor of Rome. The very wording of that law, by the way, can be found in any reliable encyclopedia. Those early Christians, feeling that the Jews should not be followed any more than necessary, were ready to swing away from the Sabbath which was kept by the Jews.
Historical Accounts
Some of you may be greatly surprised by the explanation I’ve just made, and I’m not going to ask you to believe it blindly. I have before me a multitude of authorities to verify what has been said. Here are historians, Catholics and Protestants, speaking in harmony about what actually took place in the fourth century. After Constantine made the initial pronouncement and legal decree about the change, the Catholic Church reinforced that act in one church council after another. For this reason, many, many official statements from Catholic sources are made, claiming that the church made the change from Saturday to Sunday. But before I read those statements I shall refer to one from the Encyclopedia Britannica under the article, Sunday. Notice: “It was Constantine who first made a law for the proper observance of Sunday and who appointed that it should be regularly celebrated throughout the Roman empire.” Now you can check these statements in your own encyclopedias or go to the library and look into other historical sources.
Here is a statement from Dr. Gilbert Murray, M.A., D.Litt., LLD, FBA, Professor of Greek at Oxford University, who certainly had no ax to grind concerning Christian thought on the Sabbath question. He wrote: “Now since Mithras was the sun, the Unconquered, and the sun was the Royal Star, the religion looked for a king whom it could serve as a representative of Mithras upon earth. The Roman Emperor seemed to be clearly indicated as the true king. In sharp contrast to Christianity, Mithraism recognized Caesar as the bearer of divine grace. It had so much acceptance that it was able to impose on the Christian world its own sun-day in place of the Sabbath; its sun’s birthday, the 25th of December, as the birthday of Jesus.” History of Christianity in the Light of Modern Knowledge.
Looking a bit further into historical statements, Dr. William Frederick says: “The Gentiles were an idolatrous people who worshipped the sun, and Sunday was their most sacred day. Now in order to reach the people in this new field, it seems but natural as well as necessary to make Sunday the rest day of the church. At this time it was necessary for the church to either adopt the Gentile’s day or else have the Gentiles change their day. To change the Gentiles day would have been an offense and stumbling block to them. The church could naturally reach them better by keeping their day.” There it is, friends, a clear explanation by Dr. Frederick as to how this change happened. Another statement very parallel to this one is found in the North British Review.
But let’s move on to a statement from the Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 153. “The church after changing the day of rest from the Jewish Sabbath or seventh-day of the week to the first, made the third commandment refer to Sunday as the day to be kept holy as the Lord’s day.”
No Change Documented in the Bible
In both Old and New Testament there is not a shadow of variation in the doctrine of the Sabbath. The seventh day, Saturday, is the only day ever designated by the term Sabbath in the entire Bible. Not only was Jesus a perfect example in observing the weekly seventh-day Sabbath, but all His disciples followed the same pattern after Jesus had gone back to heaven. Yet no intimation of any change of the day is made. The apostle Paul, who wrote pages of counsel about lesser issues of Jewish and Gentile conflicts, had not one word to say about any controversy over the day of worship. Circumcision, foods offered to idols, and other Jewish customs were readily challenged by early Gentile Christians in the church, but the weightier matter of weekly worship never was an issue. Why? For the simple reason that no change was made from the historic seventh day of Old Testament times, and from creation itself. Had there been a switch from the Sabbath to the first day of the week, you can be sure the controversy would have been more explosive than any other to those Jewish Christians.
History Gives Some Clues
If the change did not take place in the Scriptures or through the influence of the apostles, when and how did it happen? In order to understand this, we must understand what happened in that early church soon after the apostles passed off the stage of action. Paul had prophesied that apostasy would take place soon after his departure. He said there would be a falling away from the truth. One doesn’t have to read very far in early church history to see just how that prophecy was fulfilled. Gnosticism began to rise up under the influence of philosophers who sought to reconcile Christianity with Paganism. At the same time, a strong anti-Jewish sentiment became more widespread. Very speculative interpretations began to appear regarding some of the great doctrines of Christ and the apostles.
The Conversion of Constantine
Sun Worship
You see, at that time the cult of Mithraism or sun-worship was the official religion of the Roman Empire. It stood as the greatest competitor to the new Christian religion. It had its own organization, temples, priesthood, robes—everything. It also had an official worship day on which special homage was given to the sun. That day was called “The Venerable Day of the Sun.” It was the first day of the week, and from it we get our name Sunday. When Constantine pressed his pagan hordes into the church they were observing the day of the sun for their adoration of the sun god. It was their special holy day. In order to make it more convenient for them to make the change to the new religion, Constantine accepted their day of worship, Sunday, instead of the Christian Sabbath which had been observed by Jesus and His disciples. Remember that the way had been prepared for this already by the increasing anti-Jewish feelings against those who were accused of putting Jesus to death. Those feelings would naturally condition many Christians to swing away from something which was held religiously by the Jews. It is therefore easier to understand how the change was imposed on Christianity through a strong civil law issued by Constantine as the Emperor of Rome. The very wording of that law, by the way, can be found in any reliable encyclopedia. Those early Christians, feeling that the Jews should not be followed any more than necessary, were ready to swing away from the Sabbath which was kept by the Jews.
Historical Accounts
Some of you may be greatly surprised by the explanation I’ve just made, and I’m not going to ask you to believe it blindly. I have before me a multitude of authorities to verify what has been said. Here are historians, Catholics and Protestants, speaking in harmony about what actually took place in the fourth century. After Constantine made the initial pronouncement and legal decree about the change, the Catholic Church reinforced that act in one church council after another. For this reason, many, many official statements from Catholic sources are made, claiming that the church made the change from Saturday to Sunday. But before I read those statements I shall refer to one from the Encyclopedia Britannica under the article, Sunday. Notice: “It was Constantine who first made a law for the proper observance of Sunday and who appointed that it should be regularly celebrated throughout the Roman empire.” Now you can check these statements in your own encyclopedias or go to the library and look into other historical sources.
Here is a statement from Dr. Gilbert Murray, M.A., D.Litt., LLD, FBA, Professor of Greek at Oxford University, who certainly had no ax to grind concerning Christian thought on the Sabbath question. He wrote: “Now since Mithras was the sun, the Unconquered, and the sun was the Royal Star, the religion looked for a king whom it could serve as a representative of Mithras upon earth. The Roman Emperor seemed to be clearly indicated as the true king. In sharp contrast to Christianity, Mithraism recognized Caesar as the bearer of divine grace. It had so much acceptance that it was able to impose on the Christian world its own sun-day in place of the Sabbath; its sun’s birthday, the 25th of December, as the birthday of Jesus.” History of Christianity in the Light of Modern Knowledge.
Looking a bit further into historical statements, Dr. William Frederick says: “The Gentiles were an idolatrous people who worshipped the sun, and Sunday was their most sacred day. Now in order to reach the people in this new field, it seems but natural as well as necessary to make Sunday the rest day of the church. At this time it was necessary for the church to either adopt the Gentile’s day or else have the Gentiles change their day. To change the Gentiles day would have been an offense and stumbling block to them. The church could naturally reach them better by keeping their day.” There it is, friends, a clear explanation by Dr. Frederick as to how this change happened. Another statement very parallel to this one is found in the North British Review.
But let’s move on to a statement from the Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 153. “The church after changing the day of rest from the Jewish Sabbath or seventh-day of the week to the first, made the third commandment refer to Sunday as the day to be kept holy as the Lord’s day.”
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Catholicism Takes Credit for the Change
Now a quote from the Catholic Press newspaper in Sidney, Australia. “Sunday is a Catholic institution and its claims to observance can be defended only on Catholic principles. From the beginning to end of Scripture there is not a single passage that warrants the transfer of weekly public worship from the last day of the week to the first.”
The Catholic Mirror of September 23, 1894, puts it this way: “The Catholic Church for over one thousand years before the existence of a Protestant by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday.”
To point up the claims we’re talking about, I want to read from two Catechisms. First, from the Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine by Reverend Peter Giermann. “Question: Which is the Sabbath day? Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day. Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church in the Council of Laodicea transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.”
Second, from Reverend Steven Keenan’s Doctrinal Catechism we read this: “Question: Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept? Answer: Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her; she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day; a change for which there is no Scriptural authority.”
Then from Cardinal Gibbons’ book, The Question Box, p.179, “If the Bible is the only guide for the Christian, then the Seventh-day Adventist is right in observing Saturday with the Jew. Is it not strange that those who make the Bible their only teacher should inconsistently follow in this matter the tradition of the Catholic Church?”
One more statement taken from the book, The Faith of Millions, p. 473. “But since Saturday, not Sunday, is specified in the Bible, isn’t it curious that non-Catholics who profess to take their religion directly from the Bible and not from the Church, observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Yes, of course, it is inconsistency but this change was made about fifteen centuries before Protestantism was born, and by that time the custom was universally observed. They have continued the custom even though it rests upon the authority of the Catholic Church and not upon an explicit text from the Bible. That observance remains as a reminder of the Mother Church from which the non-Catholic sects broke away like a boy running away from home but still carrying in his pocket a picture of his mother or a lock of her hair.”
That is a most interesting statement, is it not, friends? And it is a very true statement. There is some inconsistency somewhere along the line, because we have examined the statements of history, and you can check them for yourself in any library. I’m not reading anything one-sided here at all. I’ve tried to give you an unbiased picture. Although we have seen the claims made by the Catholic Church in their publications, we are not reading them to cast any reflection upon anyone, by any means. We are simply bringing you a recital of what has been written and what claims have been made.
The Catholic Mirror of September 23, 1894, puts it this way: “The Catholic Church for over one thousand years before the existence of a Protestant by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday.”
To point up the claims we’re talking about, I want to read from two Catechisms. First, from the Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine by Reverend Peter Giermann. “Question: Which is the Sabbath day? Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day. Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church in the Council of Laodicea transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.”
Second, from Reverend Steven Keenan’s Doctrinal Catechism we read this: “Question: Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept? Answer: Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her; she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day; a change for which there is no Scriptural authority.”
Then from Cardinal Gibbons’ book, The Question Box, p.179, “If the Bible is the only guide for the Christian, then the Seventh-day Adventist is right in observing Saturday with the Jew. Is it not strange that those who make the Bible their only teacher should inconsistently follow in this matter the tradition of the Catholic Church?”
One more statement taken from the book, The Faith of Millions, p. 473. “But since Saturday, not Sunday, is specified in the Bible, isn’t it curious that non-Catholics who profess to take their religion directly from the Bible and not from the Church, observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Yes, of course, it is inconsistency but this change was made about fifteen centuries before Protestantism was born, and by that time the custom was universally observed. They have continued the custom even though it rests upon the authority of the Catholic Church and not upon an explicit text from the Bible. That observance remains as a reminder of the Mother Church from which the non-Catholic sects broke away like a boy running away from home but still carrying in his pocket a picture of his mother or a lock of her hair.”
That is a most interesting statement, is it not, friends? And it is a very true statement. There is some inconsistency somewhere along the line, because we have examined the statements of history, and you can check them for yourself in any library. I’m not reading anything one-sided here at all. I’ve tried to give you an unbiased picture. Although we have seen the claims made by the Catholic Church in their publications, we are not reading them to cast any reflection upon anyone, by any means. We are simply bringing you a recital of what has been written and what claims have been made.
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Listen, the day chosen by GOD for the sabbath is the last day of the week this is what the bible teaches. it is men that changed the day. God never changed it. this is what scripture says, Honestly No one here if forcing you into anything. since this teaching of the sabbath on the last day of the week was written, chosen by God, Who are we to change the time God set for this day?
the sabbath on the last day of the week is NOT a false teaching. God did give us free will for a reason, he wants to see what we do with it.
It is clearly documented that it is men who changed the day. it is not written anywhere the the sabbath day was changed, it is written that christians broke bred on the first day as Jesus asked in remembrance of Him, Jesus never spoke of a specific day, but over time this became a custom bit is not following any perticular teaching from GOD.
Luke 22:19-20 (NKJV):
"And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is My body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' Likewise, He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.'”
No specific day was mentioned for this, by GOD, by Jesus, never.
the sabbath on the last day of the week is NOT a false teaching. God did give us free will for a reason, he wants to see what we do with it.
It is clearly documented that it is men who changed the day. it is not written anywhere the the sabbath day was changed, it is written that christians broke bred on the first day as Jesus asked in remembrance of Him, Jesus never spoke of a specific day, but over time this became a custom bit is not following any perticular teaching from GOD.
Luke 22:19-20 (NKJV):
"And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is My body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' Likewise, He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.'”
No specific day was mentioned for this, by GOD, by Jesus, never.
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I understand what you both are saying, but since I have never met a person with beliefs like SB, I have learned some things and amended my website as follows:
Sabbath Law
Because the NT does not affirm the Sabbath Law as it did the moral commands in the Ten Commandments, one needs to discern the correct doctrine for Christians by considering the following Scriptures.
1. God rested from His work and rested on the seventh day and made it holy per GN 2:2-3.
2. Moses promulgated the Sabbath law as the 4th of the Ten Commandments in EX 20:8-11, cf. LV 19:3&30, DT 5:12-15.
3. Solomon built a temple for burnt offerings on the Sabbath in 2CHR 2:4.
4. Isaiah said those are blessed who keep the Sabbath in IS 56:2-6.
5. Jeremiah commanded keeping the Sabbath holy in JR 17:21-27.
6. Ezekiel referred to the Sabbaths in EZK 20:12
7. Jesus declared he is Lord of the Sabbath and it is lawful to do good works on the Sabbath (MT 12:1-12) as on every day of the week.
8. Jesus worked/healed a crippled woman on the Sabbath in LK 13:10-16.
If Jesus thought keeping the Sabbath was an important law, he would have affirmed it on these two occasions, but he did not specifically nullify it either, which jibes/harmonizes perfectly with Paul.
9. Paul taught that a person may rest on the Sabbath or not in CL 2:16, GL 4:9-11 & RM 14:5.
10. HB encourages Christians to enter God’s Sabbath rest by persevering faith in 3:7-4:11.
The primary sin per the NT is transgression of GRFS (GL 3:1-14), and secondary sins are transgression of Christ’s law (JN 13:34), which summarizes the OT moral laws (MT 22:37-40) affirmed by the NT (MT 5:17-48) and calls them the fruit of the Spirit (GL 5:22-23), which does NOT include all 613 laws of Moses, such as those pertaining to mildew and infectious disease in LV 14.
Jesus fulfilled/accomplished the 613 Mosaic laws (MT 5:17-19) and taught that righteousness must surpass/supersede that of the Pharisees (MT 5:20) including Paul (ACTS 22:3-5), to whom Jesus appeared, saying “Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you… I am sending you to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
Paul did just that when he preached to the folks (both Jews and Gentiles per ACTS 14:1-5) in Galatia (ACTS 13:49), encouraging them to remain true to the faith (ACTS 14:22), which he reiterated in his epistle, beginning “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel, which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ… But if anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” (GL 1:3-9)
Paul stated the true gospel thusly, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ [the HS] lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved he and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness [holiness] could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
Paul may also have written Hebrews, which warns against not entering God’s Sabbath rest by not holding firmly until the end the confidence/faith in Christ (HB 3:14, 4:2).
HB 7:11-10:1 begins as follows: “If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood, why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also… The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless, for the law made nothing perfect, and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. Such a high priest truly meets our need… the Son, who has been made perfect forever, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven… The ministry Jesus has received is superior to the old one [of Moses], since the NC is established on better promises… God said, ‘The days are coming when I will make a new covenant’ [JR 31:31-34]. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts… By calling this covenant ‘new’, he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.”
Thus, I hope SB's heart will become unhardened rather than continue to be calloused (MT 13:14-15), ACTS 28:26-27) by humbly considering that Jesus and Paul attended the synagogue until Jesus was crucified by the teachers of the Sabbath law (MT 26:57&27:1), and Paul founded churches to supersede them with teaching the Gospel of salvation by faith in Christ (ACTS 20:17), warning against wolves among them who would distort the Gospel as SB apparently is doing (ACTS 20:29-30) by reverting to legalism.
Sabbath Law
Because the NT does not affirm the Sabbath Law as it did the moral commands in the Ten Commandments, one needs to discern the correct doctrine for Christians by considering the following Scriptures.
1. God rested from His work and rested on the seventh day and made it holy per GN 2:2-3.
2. Moses promulgated the Sabbath law as the 4th of the Ten Commandments in EX 20:8-11, cf. LV 19:3&30, DT 5:12-15.
3. Solomon built a temple for burnt offerings on the Sabbath in 2CHR 2:4.
4. Isaiah said those are blessed who keep the Sabbath in IS 56:2-6.
5. Jeremiah commanded keeping the Sabbath holy in JR 17:21-27.
6. Ezekiel referred to the Sabbaths in EZK 20:12
7. Jesus declared he is Lord of the Sabbath and it is lawful to do good works on the Sabbath (MT 12:1-12) as on every day of the week.
8. Jesus worked/healed a crippled woman on the Sabbath in LK 13:10-16.
If Jesus thought keeping the Sabbath was an important law, he would have affirmed it on these two occasions, but he did not specifically nullify it either, which jibes/harmonizes perfectly with Paul.
9. Paul taught that a person may rest on the Sabbath or not in CL 2:16, GL 4:9-11 & RM 14:5.
10. HB encourages Christians to enter God’s Sabbath rest by persevering faith in 3:7-4:11.
The primary sin per the NT is transgression of GRFS (GL 3:1-14), and secondary sins are transgression of Christ’s law (JN 13:34), which summarizes the OT moral laws (MT 22:37-40) affirmed by the NT (MT 5:17-48) and calls them the fruit of the Spirit (GL 5:22-23), which does NOT include all 613 laws of Moses, such as those pertaining to mildew and infectious disease in LV 14.
Jesus fulfilled/accomplished the 613 Mosaic laws (MT 5:17-19) and taught that righteousness must surpass/supersede that of the Pharisees (MT 5:20) including Paul (ACTS 22:3-5), to whom Jesus appeared, saying “Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you… I am sending you to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
Paul did just that when he preached to the folks (both Jews and Gentiles per ACTS 14:1-5) in Galatia (ACTS 13:49), encouraging them to remain true to the faith (ACTS 14:22), which he reiterated in his epistle, beginning “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel, which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ… But if anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” (GL 1:3-9)
Paul stated the true gospel thusly, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ [the HS] lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved he and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness [holiness] could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
Paul may also have written Hebrews, which warns against not entering God’s Sabbath rest by not holding firmly until the end the confidence/faith in Christ (HB 3:14, 4:2).
HB 7:11-10:1 begins as follows: “If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood, why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also… The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless, for the law made nothing perfect, and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. Such a high priest truly meets our need… the Son, who has been made perfect forever, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven… The ministry Jesus has received is superior to the old one [of Moses], since the NC is established on better promises… God said, ‘The days are coming when I will make a new covenant’ [JR 31:31-34]. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts… By calling this covenant ‘new’, he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.”
Thus, I hope SB's heart will become unhardened rather than continue to be calloused (MT 13:14-15), ACTS 28:26-27) by humbly considering that Jesus and Paul attended the synagogue until Jesus was crucified by the teachers of the Sabbath law (MT 26:57&27:1), and Paul founded churches to supersede them with teaching the Gospel of salvation by faith in Christ (ACTS 20:17), warning against wolves among them who would distort the Gospel as SB apparently is doing (ACTS 20:29-30) by reverting to legalism.