The Search for the Missing Sunday Text How strange it is that tradition often displaces authoritative truth in the minds of multitudes of sincere people. Statements that have been repeated for years finally are approved simply because the repetition has given a stamp of authority. This is especially true in the field of religion. The average Christian, unfortunately, does very little study of the Bible for himself. His convictions have been formed by listening to his pastor explain religion. Now there’s nothing wrong in giving attention to the preacher, but friends, we should put his preaching to the acid test of the Bible. This matter of eternal life is too important to trust to the interpretations of any other person. We’re admonished to search the Scriptures and try the spirits. Notice this text in 1 Peter 3:15. “... be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” Put with that another text in Isaiah 8:20. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” A truly spiritual pastor will urge his flock to study the Bible to test his message. No man’s opinion is worth very much, not even the very best preacher’s. The fact is that leading theologians are drifting farther and farther from the anchor of Bible truth. Thousands of men who occupy leading pulpits today have lost their faith in the historic Scriptures. For this reason, if for no other, the individual Christian should seek to know the Bible truth for himself, letting the Bible explain and interpret itself. He must be able to give an answer for his beliefs and practices. The average church member can only defend his faith by saying, “Well, my preacher said it,” or, “My church teaches that way.” It’s amazing how much religion is taken for granted. Repeated practice through the generations has ingrained some traditions, making them seem like inviolate truth. Some very common religious practices are not even found in the Bible at all. Oh, most people think they are. They’ve heard misquoted texts and vague references, but the Bible statement itself is missing. One of the strangest cases of this is in the observance of Sunday by millions. The missing text for observing the first day of the week has been the object of long search and study. It is now acknowledged by leading churchmen that no biblical authority exists for the practice. The familiar ten commandments do indeed set aside a day for worship and rest; but, that day is Saturday, the seventh day of the week, not Sunday, the first. Listen to the wording of that law, friends, in Exodus 20:8-11. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou 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. ...” Notice, it says plainly “the seventh day is the sabbath.” I’m sure that every listener agrees that Saturday is indeed the day specified here. The calendar on your wall confirms this fact. Saturday is the seventh day of the week. How strange then that so many are keeping a different day than God specified. What is the explanation? Friends, here’s a perfect example of church members taking tradition without searching the Bible for themselves.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 00:09:20 +0000
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