The Sabbath Day

The Sabbath Day

9-Jul-09

For the Jews of the pre Christian era, the sabbath was to be strictly adhered to. For the Christian, it seems to me that the sabbath is now for all other souls, and I as a believer, must hold all days Holy. However, not every Christian is in agreement on this matter. Of course, our conscience should not accuse us of sin, but the church should be in agreement on all matters, not just something so petty as this. However, with all the divisions under the umbrella of Christianity, it seems highly unlikely that the Christians will be of one mind, unless these walls of division are demolished and a common office of information be established for all Christians.

Legend: My words are in bold blue, [my entries], Christ' words are in red, Words in black are text lifted from reference material. Caps, boldfaced type and/or underlining are my personal added emphasis. Numbers preceded with the letters "H" or "G" represent the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance reference numbers. The arguments surrounding the Sabbath day, even in our time, should indicate just how strong Christianity really is. It appears that we can not even agree as to whether or not we are obliged to observe it or not. I suppose if you were to ask the average Christian on the street whether they are to keep it holy, most would probably answer "Yes"; so not all is lost. But it would seem only natural for me to think that after nearly 2000 years, the "Church" would not be further divided on such an issue as "The Sabbath". Obviously the fault is not to be laid on the "Church" but on Christian men who continue to allow division within the church. In other words, it’s our own fault. However, it should be the goal of most Christians to somehow work together to close the gaps that exist when they become aware of them. So, this Sabbath argument is just one of many topics that should be studied in order to put to rest and heal the wound caused by this dividing force which can not be from God. Here then is my humble opinion: Acts 13:14 Says: "But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down." Judging from the context of the preceding verses, it seems quite clear that this was a typical Sabbath meeting, so we can safely say that Paul observed the Jewish Sabbath. In that most of the initial Christians of the first century came from the Jews whether inside out outside of Palestine, there is no reason to assume that the

early Christians did not observe that same day as the Lord's Holy Day. Therefore, it would only seem natural that Paul or any of the others would work through the synagogues to preach God’s good News seeing that this message was initially for the "Lost Sheep of Israel". It was only afterwards that they turned after the Gentiles. Ref Acts 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you [the Jews], and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. We aslo read that Jesus must have intended for his followers to observe a sabbath for he makes this remark concerning the time towards the end: Mat 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: [What ever these reasons were for him to say this is not mentioned but it could easily have meant that having to contend with violating the sabbath in some way while trying to take cover from potential/eminent disaster. Jesus also makes this remark: Mat 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? [It would seem that a true Christian, being in the service of God would be also "blameless" as the Priests for working on the day of rest. However, it should be understood that as Christians, we are working in the service to God seven days a week.] In Rev 1:10 we read: "I was in the Spirit on "the Lord's day", and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet," [This is the only place this combination is used in the KJV and could be referred to as the Lord Jesus' day or the Lord YHWH's day. But in any case it was most likely referring to the weekly sabbath. To conclude that John was projected into the future to the Lord's rest, is stretching things a bit.] In Isa 58:13-14 we read concerning "my Holy Day", spoken by YHWH, it is the sabbath: If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of

the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. [I am therefore led to believe that there is in fact a reason behind this "Gift" that God has given us. So to me to treat it any other way than Holy, would be in a way, showing contempt. Even if it is not law, it would only seem right to honor it even if we don't fully understand it.] When we read that the land also must have it's sabbath rest, it makes sense that we too would function better if we charged our battery periodically, say, once a week. Ref Lev 26:34 Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. We also read that even the Gentiles were willing to observed this sabbath along with the Jews. Ref Acts 13:42-45 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Acts 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Acts 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. This next verse indicates that Jesus never taught that the sabbath was no longer to be observed for those women closest to him kept it according to the commandment.. Ref: Luke 23:56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Jesus simply has this to say: Mark 2:27-28 & Lk 6:5 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

The following is submitted for your consideration to offer support from an historic and not scriptural standpoint. Caution here. I can not validate this following info but it is in line with what I have read in The Encarta Ency. offered by Microsoft. "The keeping of the first day as the Sabbath by Christians can be traced to Constantine, a sun-worshipping emperor of Rome, who gave an edict that changed the Sabbath to SUNday. When you read his proclamation, please notice how it honors the sun-god instead of The Creator: "On the Venerable day of the SUN let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country, however, persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits; because it often happens that another day is not so suitable for grain-sowing or for vine-planting; lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost. Given the seventh day of March [AD 321] Crispus and Constantine being consuls each of them for the second time." Reference: The First Sunday Law of Constantine 1, in "Codex Justinianus" translated in Philip Schaff's, History of the Christian Church, Vol 3 p.380. A comment by the provider of the above info: With the Sunday Law, Constantine tried to unite the Mithra (Sun God) worshipping pagans and his new-found friends, the Christians. Those who honor SUNday unknowingly honor the god of the sun - not the God of creation who said: Keep Holy the Sabbath etc."

The commandment goes like this: Deu 5:12-14 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 ass, 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: Exo 20:8-10.] This commandment was part of the Mosaic Law and is thought to be no longer binding to the Christian as it was for the Jew. Probably due to the fact that Jesus,

nor any of his immediate followers specifies or expresses it as a command from our Lord Jesus, there is no reason to oblige Christians to adhere to it. Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. Christ's instructions were these: Mat 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. When one looks at the Ten Commandments as they appear in Deut 5, we can see that the first three are dedicated to God, the next one to man (keep holy the sabbath), and the last six to one's neighbor. With Christianity, Jesus boils it all down to just two; Loving God and Loving neighbor. In that the Christian is a twenty four hour a day, seven days a week person, their can not be a separate day for worshiping God different from any other. Therefore, a law for Sabbath observance for the Christian is not warranted by NT scripture, IMHO. But the Sabbath law should be respected and allowed for all other persons and beasts as a day of rest. Moreover, YHWH Himself kept the Sabbath, in the strictest sense, so it would seem to be good advice to follow his example. It is a gift from God, and should be enjoyed by all of mankind. Here's something that I got from the internet: Attention  The Lord's Day, Sunday, was celebrated much earlier than Constantine. Ignatius of Antioch (died approx 115 a.d.) said: ... those who were brought up in the ancient order of things have come to the possession of a new hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord's Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death. (Ep. Magnesians, IX) You can read the whole document at: http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-01/anf01-17.htm#P1527_267641 [Chapter IX.-Let Us Live with Christ.] Ignatius was the leader of the church at Antioch, where they were first called Christians.

It's more than likely that the Christians began to celebrate the day after the Jewish sabbath as the Lord's Day in honor of his resurrection on that day or Jesus' first appearance with his desciples on the day after the Jewish Sabbath. However this gesture was most probably done through a Church Leader and then passed on by tradition. The “Seventh Day rest” is the Lord’s but this is not IMO, addressing the weekly sabbath. Heb 4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. [These words come from Psa 95:11 and were spoken by YHWH.] It appears however, that Paul began to hold his church meetings on the first day of the week with this verse: 1 Cor 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. [Therefore it seems reasonable to conclude that maybe from the early beginning of Christianity this became a church tradition.] Paul kind of gives definition to this case in the following verse: Rom 14:4-8 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. To conclude, I am convinced that a Christian is not obliged to observe this sabbath, however, I personally want to observe it in honor of YHWH for giving me this day of rest. 1 Tim 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: I also observe it as a means to strengthen my faith in this sense: I used to study his words seven days a week thinking that it was necessary if I wanted to arrive at a

higher level of understanding. Now I think that if God wants to give me a better understanding, he will do it because of our closeness and not my exerted efforts. So I praise him and thank him for his sabbath while I struggle trying to keep it. One final thought: God has given much of the world two days off from each week, one from the Jews and one from the Christians. How much nicer it is than having no sabbaths at all. Some people need a break after a week on the job. I did. God really does bless us, so we should thank him for his sabbath. Not necessarily for our benefits, but for the benefit of all others; animals included. May God bless you. -simply "Christian"