This is a very important/germane argument to the question at hand However, Paul, about thirty years after the resurrection of Jesus, claimed to be observant of Jewish practice. This was Pauls personal preference/tradition.... Acts 23:9, 24:14, 25:8, 28:17 Paul may have objected to Gentile Christians adopting of Sabbath observance (See Galatians 4:9-10). 9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. The Letter to the Colossians instructed its readers that Sabbath observance was not required (See Colossians 2:16). 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: The Word of God makes it quite clear that Sabbath observance was a special sign between God and Israel: And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine (Exodus 19:3–5). “Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed” (Exodus 31:16–17). Note: It says; the children of Israel). In Deuteronomy 5, Moses restates the ten commandments to the next generation of Israelites. Here, after commanding Sabbath observance in verses 12–14, Moses gives the reason the Sabbath was given to the nation Israel: And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day (Deuteronomy 5:15). (Note: Moses tells us, the Sabbath was given to the nation of Israel). Notice the word therefore AND you (Israel). Gods intent for giving the Sabbath to Israel was not that they would remember creation, but that they would remember their Egyptian slavery and the Lords deliverance. Note the requirements for Sabbath-keeping: A person placed under that Sabbath law could not leave his home on the Sabbath (Exodus 16:29), he could not build a fire (Exodus 35:3), and he could not cause anyone else to work (Deuteronomy 5:14). A person breaking the Sabbath law was to be put to death (Exodus 31:15; Numbers 15:32–35). Jesus the Firstfruit sheaf offered, rose on a Sunday, and appeared before His disciples on the Sunday of His resurrection, He broke bread with disciples the same Sunday, He appeared to them the following Sunday. The Seal of The New Covenant, The Holy Spirit came on a Sunday. Once upon a time all Christians were Catholic. It was the Catholic church who officially changed it from the last day of the Jewish Week (Saturday) to the first day (8th day) of the Jewish Week (Sunday) by nodding agreement with the Roman Emperors 321 AD Edict. Catholic bishops later made this church dogma at the Council of Laodicea (363 A.D.) The Catholic Church say they had the authority to change the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. Protestants dont deny this -because they observe Sunday as the Sabbath. The only alternatives open to Protestants really is to plead tradition, or to revert back to required Saturday Worship; or else break a commandment each week. But shouldnt we worship God every day? See the alternative argument below. Catholics do not have this same dilemma that Protestants have. Once upon a time all Christians thought that Jesus did hand the keys to the Church to St Peter, as Catholics still believe. If so, then the Catholic Church had all the positional/judicial authority they needed to change and create feast dates (Easter, Christmas, etc) and other days like when the Sabbath would be celebrated. The keys to the church that were given by Jesus are all inclusive, including what was bound on earth is also bound in heaven--as Jesus said. Protestants do admit to the Catholic Popes authority in other ways other than adhering to Sunday vs Saturday worship. You see, it was also the Catholic Church who decided which books of the Bible are divine. It was they who canonized what we call Holy Scripture today. In Matthew 12:8 we read, For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day. So either Jesus, or only who he gave authority on earth to can/could change the Sabbath Day... So, the dilemma is--how can Protestants continue to follow Henry VIIIs lead and stay outside the Catholic Church--at the same time honoring the Sabbath as Sunday? Protestants dont believe the Pope has the right to change the Sabbath Day, yet they followed his authority here and the later Catholic dogma set at the Council of Laodicea. Or, is a Sabbath necessary at all --when we should honor God every day of the week? This certainly fulfills the requirement, and more so. If we do--then no problem. Wasnt the Sabbath given just to Israel? Did Jesus release us from this Sabbath Requirement, when He spoke the words; It is Finished? Protestants should see the alternative argument other Protestants make below - insisting in the letter of the Law. Theyve included in their argument, Matthew 5:17-19, which admonishes against teaching the breaking of any of the Laws. But, again--if Jesus did hand the keys to the Church to Peter--surely this all inclusive positional authority included the right to change a Law. Im sure, in between issuing himself divorces while he lusted after other women, old Henry would say something like Jesus did: The Sabbath was made for Man. “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27) We have made the change from the seventh day to the first day, from Saturday to Sunday, on the authority of the one holy, catholic, apostolic church of Christ.--Episcopalian Bishop Seymour said in Why We Keep Sunday. One of the clearest voices in the early church to clarify the Sabbath question was the Catholic Bishop of Jerusalem, Cyril: Cyril of Jerusalem Fall not away either into the sect of the Samaritans or into Judaism, for Jesus Christ has henceforth ransomed you. Stand aloof from all observance of Sabbaths and from calling any indifferent meats common or unclean (Catechetical Lectures 4:37 [A.D. 350]). Read about a miracle in Jerusalem during Bishop Cyrils episcopate here. Early Christians did gather on Sundays to worship. - The first Christians held strictly to the doctrines taught by the apostles. For them, this was the truth from which they ought not to deviate ... Acts 2:42, Jude 3f, 11 Timothy 2:2, Titus 1:9, Romans 6:17 Today, both Catholic and most Protestant leaders claim that Sunday observance is in honor of Christs first resurrection appearance which happened on the first day of the week. Whenever Christ appears in His resurrected form and the day is mentioned it is always the first day of the week (Matthew 28:1, 9, 10; Mark 16:9; Luke 24:1, 13, 15; John 20:19, 26).
Posted on: Sun, 08 Jun 2014 16:58:38 +0000
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