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What Does the Bible Say About

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Posted by: JChappy11

What Does the Bible Say About . . . .
SABBATH & THE LORD'S DAY
INTRODUCTION
The Sabbath has always been a intriguing and uplifting source of Bible study to many. The Sabbath day was initiated by God on the seventh day of Creation as a memorial of His creative powers. He reinforced it to His people by its inclusion in the Ten Commandments. The Sabbath day is a day of rest and worship that will continue to be observed in Heaven (see Isaiah 66:22 and 23).

Yet there has been some controversy as to whether the requirement to observe the Sabbath day as a day of rest is still relevant given that many feel that the Ten Commandments were done away with at the cross. A similar viewpoint was that grace did away with the commandments, i.e. the law. Others argue that the Sabbath was just for the Jewish people and doesn't apply to Gentiles. Are any of these arguments valid? If not, then how and when did most Christianity begin worshipping on Sunday rather than on Sabbath?

In the search for truth regarding this important topic, I compiled all the texts in the Bible related to the subject by using a computer to search for words that I felt are relevant or of interest to the genuine seeker for truth. These words or terms are listed below.

Two items should be noted. First, the term "Sabbath" is used for more than just the seventh day of the week. It also refers to:

1) special days within an appointed festival,
2) the seventh year of a seven year cycle,
3) the Jubilee year (50th year at the end of a 49 year cycle).



The general term "Sabbath" meant a God-designated time of rest, a cessation of regular work.

Secondly, in the Bible, a day was considered as extending from evening to evening. This was instituted at Creation. In the Genesis account, we find the terms "And there was evening, and there was morning, the (first, second, third, etc.) day." (See Genesis chapter 1).

The texts found in Colossians 2:13-17 have been used by many Christians to proclaim that the Ten Commandments as God thundered them from Mt. Sinai, and inscribed them in stone with His finger, are no longer binding on God's people. And as a consequence, no longer are His people commanded to worship on the seventh day of the week. They claim that any day, be it Friday the sixth day or Sunday the first day, is just as acceptable as Sabbath the seventh day. But is that what Paul the writer of Colossians had in mind when he wrote the original Greek? Let's compare the NIV translation and a literal translation of the Greek. The translation that I used is The Interlinear Bible, (TIB) by J. P. Green, Sr., Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, MA, 1985. (This resource has both the complete Greek and Hebrew texts as well as Strong's reference numbers by each word.)

The New International Version (NIV)



Col. 2:13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

16Therefore 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. 17These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
The Interlinear Bible (TIB)



Col. 2:13 And you, being dead in the offenses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all the offenses; 14blotting out the handwriting in the ordinances against us, which were contrary to us, even He has taken it out of the midst, nailing it to the cross; 15having stripped the rulers and the authorities, He made a show of them in public, triumphing over them in it.

16Then do not let anyone judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a feast, or the new moon, or of sabbaths, which are a shadow of coming things; but the body is of Christ



(edited by jerry to long)


Posted by: MamaCat

That's lots and lots and lots of information!

Personally, however, I'm not concerned about a specific day for worship or when it is to be observed. I just worship God every day!


Posted by: JG

Oh my friend I love your energy and passion
But as a converted Jew who has found his Messiah
I am saved by Grace not the Law.

My brother fought this war 2000 years ago.
God had to destroy the temple so we would not make a religion out of it.

ACS 21:21 And they are informed of thee,
that thou teachest all the Jews
which are among the Gentiles
to forsake Moses,
saying that they ought not to circumcise [their] children,
neither to walk after the customs.

ACS 21:25 As touching the Gentiles which believe,
we have written [and] concluded that they
observe no such thing,
save only
that they keep themselves from [things] offered to idols,
and from blood,
and from strangled,
and from fornication.

FOUR: Mark 2:27-28 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Unlike all the other commandments this is the only one that does not have a command to observe. But in contrast Paul said.

Col. 2:16-17, "Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ."

Notice the sequence mentioned.
A festival is yearly event.
A new moon is monthly event.
A Sabbath is weekly event.
The word said do not let anyone judge in regard to this. The reality of the Sabbath is Jesus. Jesus is our Sabbath

The Ten Commandments
in the New Testament

     All of The Ten Commandments can be found in the New Testament in both the Gospels and in the writings of Paul. Except keep the sabbath. The charts below compares the Law of God in the Old and New Testaments. Before comparing these charts, let's compare Paul and Jesus. Below we have reproduced Romans 13:9-10 and Matthew 19:18-19.

Jesus

  1. Matthew 19:16-19 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
  2. 17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is], God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
  3. 18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
  4. 19 Honour thy father and [thy] mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Paul

  1. Romans 13:8-10 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
  2. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if [there be] any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
  3. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love [is] the fulfilling of the law.

 

   Notice that Romans 13:9-10 is almost an exact quote of Jesus' words spoken 30 years earlier.

The Law Of God
Old Testament

The Law Of God
New Testament

Deuteronomy 5:6-21 I [am] the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

ONE: Thou shalt have none other gods before me.

ONE: Matthew 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written,

 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

TWO: Thou shalt not make thee [any] graven image, or any likeness of any thing that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the waters beneath the earth:

Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

TWO: 1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. 

Acts 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

THREE: Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold [him] guiltless that taketh his name in vain. THREE: 1 Timothy 6:1 ... that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.
FOUR:  Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.

Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:

But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ***, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.

And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

FOUR: Mark 2:27-28 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Unlike all the other commandments this is the only one that does not have a command to observe. But in contrast Paul said.

Col. 2:16-17, "Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ."

Notice the sequence mentioned.
A festival is yearly event.
A new moon is monthly event.
A Sabbath is weekly event.
The word said do not let anyone judge in regard to this. The reality of the Sabbath is Jesus. Jesus is our Sabbath.
FIVE: Honor thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee FIVE: Matthew 19:19 Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

SIX: Thou shalt not kill. SIX: Romans 13:9 Thou shalt not kill
SEVEN: Neither shalt thou commit adultery. SEVEN: Romans 13:9 ... Thou shalt not commit adultery.
EIGHT: Neither shalt thou steal. EIGHT: Romans 13:9 ... Thou shalt not steal.
NINE: Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour. NINE: Romans 13:9 ... Thou shalt not bear false witness.
TEN:   Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ***, or any [thing] that [is] thy neighbor's. 

These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.

TEN:  Romans 13:9 ... Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

 

Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law

Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.



Posted by: JG

Why worship on Sunday
instead of Saturday?

    The word of God said in the Old Testament:
"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six day you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you" (Exodus 20:8-10,).

It was our custom to come together on the Sabbath, which was Saturday, cease work, and worship God.

Jesus went to the synagogue on Saturday to teach (Matt. 12:9, John 18:20) as did the apostle Paul (Acts 17:2; 18:4; ). So, if in the Old Testament we are commanded to keep the Sabbath and in the New Testament we see Jews, Jesus, and the apostles doing the same thing, then why do we worship on Sunday?

     In creation God rested on the seventh day. But, since God is all powerful, He doesn’t get tired. He doesn’t need to take a break and rest. So, why did does it say that He rested? The reason is simple: Mark 2:27 says, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." In other words, God established the Sabbath as a rest for His people, not because He needed a break, but because we are mortal and need a time of rest, of focus on God. In this, our spirits and bodies are both renewed.

There is Evidence in the Bible of the Change this can be Seen in the NT

     Within the New Testament is ample evidence that the seventh day Sabbath is no longer a requirement.

     The entire section of Rom. 14:1-12 is worth careful study. Nevertheless, the instructions here are that individuals must be convinced in their own minds about which day they observe for the Lord. If the seventh day Sabbath were a requirement, then the choice would not be mans’, but God’s.

     Notice the sequence mentioned. A festival is yearly event. A new moon is monthly event. A Sabbath is weekly event. The word sayd do not let anyone judge in regard to this. The reality of the Sabbath is Jesus. Jesus is our Sabbath.

     The first day of the week is Sunday and this is the day the people gathered. This verse can easily be seen as the church meeting on Sunday. It has two important church functions within it: breaking bread which was communion and preaching. Luke used the Roman system: midnight to midnight for defining a day. This is a subtle point that shows the Jewish Sabbath system was not the one utilized by Luke.

     Notice here that Paul is asking the churches to meet on the Sunday of each week and put money aside. It would seem that this is tithing. So, the instructed time for the church to meet is Sunday.

     The New Bible Dictionary says regarding the term, ‘The Lord’s Day’ in Revelation 1:10: " This is the first extant occurrence in Christian literature of heµ kyriakeµ heµmera. The adjectival construction suggests that it was a formal designation of the church’s worship day. As such it certainly appears early in the 2nd century (Ignatius, Epistle to the Magnesians, 1. 67).
     In many churches today, the term "The Lord’s Day" is used to designate Sunday, the same as it was in the second century.

     I hope this is evidence enough to show you that the Bible does not require that we worship on Saturday. If anything, we have the freedom (Rom. 14:1-12) to worship on the day that we believe we should. And, we no one should judge us in regard to the day we keep. We are free in Christ, not under law (Rom. 16:14).



As the word says "let no man judge you" if you want to Worship on Saturday, Praise the Lord but if you want to Worship on Sunday Praise the Lord. That is between you and the Lord.