(This is an archived correspondence at The Path of Truth. We have sent notification to the correspondent.)
Hi,
My 7 comments on keeping the Sabbath:
1. God rested on the seventh day and he said he consecrated it. This means he considers it Holy. However, see point no. 6 below.
2. We are not told if the Sabbath was kept by God-fearing people before the ten commandments were given (whom as you state in your teachings, have no excuse of not knowing God's law, whether it was revealed to them by then or not). At least God would have emphasized it to Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob whom he had covenants with and was interested in ensuring that the obey him.
3. The Sabbath law was given as part of the ten commandments and therefore, whatever application/interpretation should be extended to all ten commandments. You should not call yourself a Sabbath keeper, but a ten commandment keeper.
4. Jeremiah and Hebrews talked of a new covenant and that the old one was done away with. Hebrews calls it a day called “today” when we enter his rest (i.e. “rest” is “salvation”, and not failing to work on the Sabbath).
5. Ideally, my interpretation of how to apply the sabbath is as expounded by Jesus (he worked on the Sabbath and said his father is still working, he said you can still do essential work, eg rescuing a donkey or healing the sick, using the law to benefit the person and not vise versa, and finally that he was the Lord of the Sabbath. He also said that he had authority to modify or explain its application, which he did and declared that he had come, not to put it away, but to fulfil it). True worshippers worship God in Spirit and Truth, not according to a set of regulations.
6. Paul in Romans, Galatians, and Colossians talks of the Sabbath and its new application, and clearly states that no day is to be observed as more superior to the other. He says you either keep the whole law (and be judged by it, as well as be cursed) or walk by the new way he proclaimed. Gal 2:16-21, 3:14. He also talks of believers coming together on the first day of the week, and yet he went to worship in the synagogues on the Sabbath, he was also teaching daily (believers were also teaching daily in the Temple, and having daily fellowships in their houses). He concludes his explanation in Colossians by saying that the ''do's'' and ''don'ts'' were a shadow of things to come, which was Christ. All days are Holy unto the Lord.
7. When issues of transiting from the Old Covenant to the New arose in the early Church (Acts 15), they only identified a few items to be observed by the new believers, and Sabbath was not one of them.
In short,
1. The case I am making is for serving God under the grace (“free to obey the Lord” ) and NOT the observance of the law.
2. Scripture is interpreted by understanding the text, context and dispensation of application.
3. Salvation is simple: see the following three cases (Luke 23:39-43, Acts 2:21 and Acts 16:30,31).
Kindly reflect on this.
Thanks
Tom
My case against keeping the Sabbath
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Paul Cohen and Victor Hafichuk
Re: My case against keeping the Sabbath
Tom, the Scriptural content of The Sabbath section answers all your objections, but without an understanding from the Lord of His intentions, you won't see these answers, which apparently is the case now.
Here's an example of your lack of understanding the things of God. You say:
“He [Paul] says you either keep the whole law (and be judged by it, as well as be cursed) or walk by the new way he proclaimed. Gal 2:16-21, 3:14.”
James, on the other hand, says that if you break one law, you break them all:
James 2:10-12 MKJV
(10) For whoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
(11) For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." But if you do not commit adultery, yet if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the Law.
(12) So speak and do as those who shall be judged by the Law of liberty.
So if you don't keep the Sabbath, you murder, and steal, and commit adultery…. What IS the Law of liberty, Tom? It is the nature of Law-keeping within, which comes by grace through faith.
Do you see anywhere that James was encouraging anyone to not keep the Law? No. Or was he preaching salvation through keeping the Law? No. He was saying that if you believe, you'll keep the Law as the fruit of your faith.
“But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith from/by my works” (James 2:18 MKJV).
You write, “He concludes his explanation in Colossians by saying that the 'do's' and 'don'ts' were a shadow of things to come,” Wrong. He wasn't speaking of the Ten Commandments. Shadows are not pure and holy.
You write: “they only identified a few items to be observed by the new believers, and Sabbath was not one of them.”
So where are your “do's” and “don'ts” now? Are those “few items” do's and don'ts or aren't they? So now will those people be condemned because by being obligated to observe the whole Law because keeping some?
As to why the Sabbath wasn't among the specified requirements of the Gentiles, it was obvious that keeping the Sabbath day holy (one of the Ten) was as non-negotiable as were the other nine commandments. Simple enough, Tom.
We do not teach justification by the works of the Law. You have spoken hastily and presumptuously. Here's what we teach on being saved: How One Is Saved.
You err in your understanding of the Scriptures you offer. As suggested, read The Sabbath section.
Luke 23:39-43 is a false addition to the Scriptures - see The Book of Luke Corrupted - A Deathbed Conversion Tale.
As for the other Scriptures you cite, amen!
“And it shall be that everyone who shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:21 MKJV).
“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, and your household” (Acts 16:31 MKJV).
Your problem is that you believe on another Jesus of “sloppy agape” and “greasy grace,” and not on the Holy One Whom Peter and Paul preached - the One we know and preach. Him you haven't met or known.
Victor Hafichuk and Paul Cohen
Here's an example of your lack of understanding the things of God. You say:
“He [Paul] says you either keep the whole law (and be judged by it, as well as be cursed) or walk by the new way he proclaimed. Gal 2:16-21, 3:14.”
James, on the other hand, says that if you break one law, you break them all:
James 2:10-12 MKJV
(10) For whoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
(11) For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." But if you do not commit adultery, yet if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the Law.
(12) So speak and do as those who shall be judged by the Law of liberty.
So if you don't keep the Sabbath, you murder, and steal, and commit adultery…. What IS the Law of liberty, Tom? It is the nature of Law-keeping within, which comes by grace through faith.
Do you see anywhere that James was encouraging anyone to not keep the Law? No. Or was he preaching salvation through keeping the Law? No. He was saying that if you believe, you'll keep the Law as the fruit of your faith.
“But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith from/by my works” (James 2:18 MKJV).
You write, “He concludes his explanation in Colossians by saying that the 'do's' and 'don'ts' were a shadow of things to come,” Wrong. He wasn't speaking of the Ten Commandments. Shadows are not pure and holy.
You write: “they only identified a few items to be observed by the new believers, and Sabbath was not one of them.”
So where are your “do's” and “don'ts” now? Are those “few items” do's and don'ts or aren't they? So now will those people be condemned because by being obligated to observe the whole Law because keeping some?
As to why the Sabbath wasn't among the specified requirements of the Gentiles, it was obvious that keeping the Sabbath day holy (one of the Ten) was as non-negotiable as were the other nine commandments. Simple enough, Tom.
We do not teach justification by the works of the Law. You have spoken hastily and presumptuously. Here's what we teach on being saved: How One Is Saved.
You err in your understanding of the Scriptures you offer. As suggested, read The Sabbath section.
Luke 23:39-43 is a false addition to the Scriptures - see The Book of Luke Corrupted - A Deathbed Conversion Tale.
As for the other Scriptures you cite, amen!
“And it shall be that everyone who shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:21 MKJV).
“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, and your household” (Acts 16:31 MKJV).
Your problem is that you believe on another Jesus of “sloppy agape” and “greasy grace,” and not on the Holy One Whom Peter and Paul preached - the One we know and preach. Him you haven't met or known.
Victor Hafichuk and Paul Cohen