Dear,
Thank you for your
reply. It will take me some time to digest all of the material.
Cool. No issues.
In the mean time I would like for you to please consider the following:
Sunday is the Christian day of
worship.
So said Sir Buddy.
Please kindly do quote me a simple and succinct scripture from the New Testament where in either the Creator God Yahweh or his Son Yahshua or the first Apostles make such a daring direct statement as made by you. Since Sunday is such an important day for Christian worship, then why one scripture, there could be many scriptures stating this fact of the matter.
A careful study of the Bible shows: (1) that the seventh day Sabbath was given only to the Hebrews (Deuteronomy 5:2-15). It was given about 1500 B.C. When God delivered them from Egypt.
Many people,
Christians and non-Christians alike, refer to the seventh-day
Sabbath—the only biblical Sabbath—as the “Jewish Sabbath.” But is this an
accurate label?
We know that devout Jewish people have kept the
seventh day of the week as the Sabbath for many centuries. But is there more to
the story? Did God intend the Sabbath to be kept only by Jews?
To find the answer, we need to go back in time—to
a time long before a Jewish nation existed. In fact, we need to go back to the
very beginning of life on Earth. Let’s take a close look at Genesis
2:1–3: “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were
finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He
rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed
the seventh day and sanctified it.”
The Bible is telling us that right after God
finished creating life on this earth, He ceased His work, rested, and blessed
and sanctified the seventh day. It’s pretty obvious what “blessed” means, but
what is “sanctified”? What did God do to the seventh day that made it different
from the other six days of the week?
In this
context, to sanctify something means to declare it holy, to set it apart for a
divine purpose, to make it sacred.
God set an example for us in resting on the seventh day. The Sabbath was to be,
from that time forward, a sacred day of rest and special communion with the
Creator. Because of the timing—at the end of creation week—it’s obvious that
the Sabbath was meant for all mankind down through the ages.
In fact,
Jesus confirmed this when He said,
“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).
Later, when
the Ten Commandments were given to the Jewish nation, God specifically stated,
in the fourth commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus
20:8, emphasis added). Why would God tell them to “remember” unless they had
forgotten about it? The Hebrews who had just been rescued from Egyptian
captivity had, while in bondage, forgotten about the long-established Sabbath
of the Lord.
In fact,
mankind was aware of God’s laws long before they were given on Sinai. For example, Joseph refused to give in to Potiphar’s
wife, adulterous and sexual advances saying, “How then can I do this great
wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). Joseph was aware that God had
forbidden adultery long before the Ten Commandments were given.
Finally,
the Sabbath will be kept in the new earth. Isaiah 66:22, 23 says: “For as the new heavens and the new earth which I
will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord, … “from one Sabbath to
another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me.”
The
Sabbath is a special gift from God to all humankind. It’s meant as an eternal blessing for those created
in His image.
(2). The Sabbath was part of the Ten Commandments of the Law of Moses. The New Testament tells us the Law of Moses with its Ten Commandments was abolished by Christ death (Ephesians 2:14-15; Colossians 2:14-16).
Have the Ten Commandments Passed Away?
Many
denominations teach that the Ten Commandments and the entire Old Testament are
now obsolete, and its adherents use only the New Testament. They use some
verses in II Corinthians 3 to try to prove that the Ten Commandments are a
thing of the past.
The argument goes
on something like this: In II Corinthians 3:7,
Paul speaks about "the ministry of death, written and engraved on
stones." He states that this ministry of death "was glorious, so that
the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because
of the glory of his countenance." But, Paul continues, this "glory
was passing away."
The shining of Moses' face refers to Exodus 34:29-35, which describes Moses coming down
from the mountain the second time with the Ten Commandments, and because of his
close contact with God there, his face shone. From this, they
concluded that the ministry of death is the Ten Commandments, which are
"passing away." To emphasize this further, Paul repeats that this
ministry of death is passing away in verses 11 and 13. This reasoning then led
them to claim that the Ten Commandments and the whole Old Testament are now
obsolete!
What is Paul
talking about in these verses? What is this
ministry of death? What is it that is passing away? Could the law of God—which
Paul declares to be "spiritual" (Romans 7:14)
and "holy, just and good" (verse 12)—have passed away and become
obsolete? If he is not saying this, why does he mention Moses receiving the Ten
Commandments and his face shining? What do these scriptures REALLY mean?
A Contrast in Covenants
As in all cases where scriptures are
difficult to understand, we must read them in context. At the beginning of
chapter 3, Paul praises the Corinthians for the joy, satisfaction
and affection he felt in seeing the growth and accomplishments of this congregation
of the church of God.
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do
we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation
from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men.
(II Corinthians 3:1-2)
Paul boasts that the church at Corinth
displayed such a fine example that their behaviour worked like a letter of
commendation for him, the apostle who started the congregation and served it.
In verse 3, Paul uses this metaphor of a letter of
commendation to lead into a discussion comparing the Old and New Covenants.
"You are manifestly an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not
with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on
tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart." When God made the Old Covenant with
ancient Israel, Moses wrote the commandments, statutes and judgments that God
had given to him in a book with "ink" (Exodus
24:4). God wrote the Ten Commandments with His own finger on two
tablets of stone (Exodus 31:18; 32:15-16). However,
Paul points out, under the New Covenant, God has given us His Spirit,
enabling us to keep His laws in their spiritual intent. He is now writing His
Ten Commandments on our hearts (Hebrews 8:10)!
In verses 4-5, Paul gives all the credit to God and Christ for
the knowledge that he and other ministers transmitted to the Corinthians. In
verse 6, he returns to the two covenants, declaring that he and his colleagues
were ministers of the New Covenant: "[God] also made us sufficient as
ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit." Under
the Old Covenant, God never gave the people the Holy Spirit. He required them
to keep the law only in the "letter" and not in its spiritual intent
and purpose as Jesus Christ later magnified it.
For example, the
sixth commandment forbids murder. As long as one
does not actually take someone's life, he has kept the commandment in the
letter. However, Jesus taught that anyone who is angry with his brother without
a cause or even insults someone else is in danger of breaking this law (Matthew 5:21-22). Because we have God's Spirit under the New Covenant, we can keep His
laws not only in the letter but also in their spiritual intent.
The apostle then writes, "for the letter
kills, but the Spirit gives life" (II Corinthians 3:6).
This statement is a key to understanding
the rest of the chapter. "The letter kills" means that, in
agreeing to the terms of the Old Covenant and accepting God's law, the carnal
nation of Israel fell under the condemnation of the law because the people
could not keep it. When law is broken, a penalty results, and the penalty for
breaking God's law is death. Thus, without the ability to keep it properly, the
Israelites incurred the death penalty.
Paul explains
this as it occurred to him personally in Romans 7:9-11:
I was alive once without the law, but when
the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the
commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking
occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.
A Better Covenant
The Old Covenant had a fault: The people
under it were unable or unwilling to obey God's law. The author of Hebrews
mentions this in his discussion of the New Covenant's superiority over the Old:
For if that first [Old] covenant had been
faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second [New Covenant].
Because finding fault with them [the Israelites], He says: "Behold, the
days are coming," says the LORD,
"when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the
house of Judah." (Hebrews 8:7-8)
Since the Spirit of God was not generally
available under the Old Covenant, the carnal Israelites could not obey the law
even in the letter. They broke the covenant that they had made with God, so a
New Covenant was necessary.
Under the New Covenant, God gives us His Holy
Spirit upon repentance and baptism. This enables
us to keep God's law even in its spiritual intent. Furthermore, under the New
Covenant, God provides a means for repentant sinners to receive pardon for
their sins and have Christ's righteousness imputed to them. These people are no
longer under the condemnation of the law (Romans 6:14),
and the way is open for them to inherit eternal life. This is what Paul means
when He says, "the Spirit gives life" (II
Corinthians 3:6).
We now have the background to understand that
when Paul speaks of "the ministry of death" (verse 7), he refers to
the administration of the Old Covenant. The Levitical priesthood, a carnal
priesthood based on physical descent from Levi, administered the Old Covenant.
This covenant provided no promise of eternal life and no means for sinners to
receive forgiveness because "it is not possible that the blood of bulls
and goats could take away sins" (Hebrews 10:4).
Therefore, the people lived and died under the condemnation of the law, and
"the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
Another reason why Paul refers to the Old
Covenant as "the ministry of death" is that God required the
Levitical priesthood to execute those who transgressed certain laws. God's law
mandates the death penalty for certain sins like murder and dishonouring
parents (Exodus 21:12-17), Sabbath-breaking (Exodus 31:14-15) and certain sexual sins (Leviticus 20:10-13). The priests were responsible to
enforce the death penalty by actually putting such transgressors to death in
the proscribed manner. In this sense, the Old Covenant ministry was indeed a
"ministry of death."
"Engraved on Stones"
However, why did Paul say that the
"ministry of death," the administration of the Old Covenant, was
"written and engraved on stones"? Was it not the Ten Commandments
that God wrote on two stone tablets? Even though the Ten Commandments were not
the covenant itself (a covenant is simply an agreement between two parties),
they were the terms of the covenant. Because the Ten
Commandments constituted the part of the agreement between God and Israel that
the Israelites agreed to keep, the Old Covenant became synonymous with the Ten
Commandments. In Deuteronomy 4:13 Moses
writes, "So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to
perform, that is, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tables of
stone." To put it another way, "keeping the Old Covenant" was
the same as "keeping the Ten Commandments."
A paraphrase of the first eleven words
of II Corinthians 3:7 helps to clarify what Paul means:
"But if the administration of the Old Covenant, [the terms of which were]
written and engraved on stones. . . ." The Ten Commandments undergirded
all the laws that God gave to Israel—laws that the Israelites could not keep.
The responsibility to teach these laws to Israel and enforce penalties for
disobedience, including the death penalty, fell to the priests.
Therefore, if perfection were through the
Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further
need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek,
and not be called according to the order of Aaron? (Hebrews
7:11)
When Moses went up Mount Sinai the second
time to receive the Ten Commandments, he wrote God's statutes and judgments in
a book, and God wrote the Ten Commandments on two tables of stone. This, in
essence, finalized the "contract" that God made with Israel.
Then the LORD said
to Moses, "Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words I
have made a covenant with you and with Israel." So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he
neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the
covenant, the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 34:27-28)
Verses 29-35 then describe how Moses' face
shone when he delivered the Ten Commandments and the book of the law to Israel.
So what is passing away? Hebrews 8:13 provides the answer: "In that
He says, ‘A new covenant,' He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming
obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away." The Old Covenant and
the Old Covenant ministry, the Levitical priesthood, are passing away, not the Ten Commandments!
The Glory of the Covenants
The apostle goes on to say in II Corinthians 3:7 that this "ministry of
death" was glorious as indicated by Moses' face shining when He delivered
the covenant to the Israelites. If this ministry of death was glorious, he
reasons, how much more glorious must the New Covenant
ministry, "the ministry of the Spirit," be?
For if the ministry of condemnation had
glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what
was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that
excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more
glorious. (II Corinthians 3:9-11)
In this same chapter, Paul explains that the
veil Moses wore to hide his shining face (Exodus 34:33-35)
symbolizes Israel's' failure to understand the truths of the New Covenant.
But their minds were hardened. For until this
day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because
the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a
veil lies on their heart. (II Corinthians 3:14-15)
As most of us have experienced, the knowledge
of God's truth has to be miraculously revealed to an individual through the
calling of God. Understanding opens to us like the lifting of a veil that had
been covering our eyes. "Nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the
veil is taken away" (verse 16).
Paul ends his discussion by showing what marvellous
blessings God has bestowed upon us in allowing us to enter the New Covenant:
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the
Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by
the Spirit of the Lord" (verse 18).
We who have been called and ordained of God
to understand His marvellous truths are now having God's Ten Commandments
written on our hearts by His Spirit dwelling within us (Hebrews
8:10). We now have no hindrance to learning and applying the Word of
God in our lives, which sanctifies and cleanses us (Ephesians
5:26). Through this process, we are being transformed into the glorious
image of our Elder Brother, Jesus Christ, the One who kept God's Ten
Commandments perfectly.
What a blessing and privilege to be participants in the New Covenant!
The above 2 Scriptures are often quoted by people like you, who believe that the Sabbath observances went the way of the Old Testament Law.
I approach your teaching just like the ancient Bereans did.
According to the Book of Acts, Chapter 17 verse 11, Paul of Tarsus and Silas preached at Berea, and the inhabitants "... received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."
God’s word recommends us to, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good”. 1 Thessalonians 5:21
So with due Godly diligence let me check if your teachings are right or wrong, good or bad.
"...having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." Colossians 2:14
Ephesians 2:14
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Ephesians 2:15
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Answering to your both scripture support:
Does the Sabbath Commandment given by Elohim Yahweh according to Colossians 2:14 and Ephesians 2: 14 & 15 been truly taken out of the away, or in other words, been abolished and discontinued? Let’s check the facts.
What is the “Handwriting of requirements?
The Greek word for “handwriting” is cheirographon, used
in common Greek for a document written in one’s own hand as legal proof of
indebtedness. Some modern translations call it a bond of indebtedness.
Christ
wiped out a note of debt. What kind of debts did Christ
cancel? He cancelled our spiritual debts, our sins, our transgressions of God’s
law, and this is what the note of debt refers to. In his crucifixion, Christ
symbolically nailed our note of debt to his cross because his sacrifice paid
our debts. 1 Peter 2:24 uses a similar analogy.
The
Greek word for “requirements” (KJV “ordinances”) is dogmasin, a form
of the word dogma, which
is used only five times in the New Testament. Dogma can refer to decrees of
Caesar (Luke 2:1, Acts 17:7) or apostolic decrees (Acts 16:4). In other writings of that era, dogma could also refer
to the commandments of God (3 Maccabees 1:3, Josephus, Against Apion 1, 42)
or the commandments of Jesus (Barnabas 1:6, Ignatius to the Magnesians 13:1).
The
King James Version Bible uses word, Ordinances –
derived from the Greek word dogma, meaning,
“a civil, ceremonial or ecclesiastical law,” This verse is not referring to the
OT Commandments, which are not against man but are good for him (Deuteronomy
6:24; 10:12-13; Romans 7:12), but to MAN-MADE traditions and commandments that
were contrary to Yahweh’s Law (verse 22). See
Ephesians 2:15 – By his death Yahshua (Jesus) abolished the animosity
between Jew and Gentile. He also removed the ordinances, referring to man-made
or rabbinical law, which separated Jew from Gentile.
Commentators generally agree that dogma in Colossians 2:14 refers to God’s laws. That
makes the most sense in the context, because our spiritual debts have come from
breaking God’s laws. However, some
commentators have erred in saying that God’s laws have been against us and were
nailed to the cross.
The meaning becomes clearer if we notice
that cheirographon is
singular and dogmasin is
plural. It is the cheirographon, the note of debt, that “was
[singular] against us, which was [singular] contrary to us. And He has taken it
[singular] out of the way, having nailed it [singular] to the cross.” The last
part of verse 14 is about the handwriting, not the requirements.
God’s
laws are not against us. It is the note of debt, our sin
that has been against us. The validity of the laws is not in question here; the
fact that we incur a debt if we fail to keep the requirements implies that Paul
is referring to laws that are valid.
Explanation
Continued……………..
Wrong interpretation—The
laws, including the Sabbath, were nailed to the tree and the decision to keep
any day holy is up to you; no one should judge you for doing so.
Proper explanation—Verse 14: When Yahshua was
nailed to the tree, He brought an end to the Old Covenant system of animal
sacrifices and ritual. Along with that were added laws the Jews imposed to make
the law even stricter. We see this in verses 21-22: “Touch not; taste not;
handle not; which are all to perish with the using; after the commandments and
doctrines of men.” These were not Yahweh’s laws but man’s. We see this in the
phrase “handwriting of ordinances.” Ordinances is the Greek dogma, meaning
man-made rules and decrees. These were handwritten additions to the law meant
to cause a further separation between Jew and Gentile. Four other passages use
dogma and in each they refer to a man-made law or decree (see Luke 2:1; Acts 16:4; Acts 17:7,Eph. 2:15).
The question is, were
Yahweh’s laws “against us”? On the contrary! Deuteronomy
10:12-13 says His laws are for our good! Psalm
19:7 tells us that the law is perfect and even
converts the soul. Yahshua tells us that if we love Him we will keep His
commandments, John
14:15. Paul confirms that the law is holy and just and
good, Romans
7:12.
Verse 16:
When Paul converted the people to the way of Yahweh, he taught them Yahweh’s
laws, including the Feasts and Sabbath, which he kept as well. As happens
today, people who had no understanding were criticizing the Colossian brethren
for keeping these days commanded in the Scriptures. So Paul admonishes them to
let “no man” judge them. As the Greek indicates, the term “no man” means any
outsider. Paul tells them not to let anyone outside the faith criticize them
for what they do. And that includes what they ate, which was in compliance with
the clean food laws of Leviticus
11.
Notice the italicized
word is—”but the
body is of
Messiah.” Italicizing means the translators added the word is to
try to make the passage clearer. But they made it worse. Without the word is, the passage suddenly becomes clear. Paul was
saying, don’t let outsiders judge you about your obedience, but only the Body
of Messiah should be allowed to discern these things.
"...having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." Colossians 2:14
Doesn't Colossians 2:14 wipe out the weekly Sabbath? Let’s first take a look at the Apostle Paul's words in Colossians
2:14–17: “Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us,
which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it
to the cross. … So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a
festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but
the substance is of Christ.”
When some read about the Sabbath days that were shadows and that passed
away at the cross, they think that Paul was referring to the weekly Sabbath,
the fourth of the Ten Commandments. Is this accurate? It’s important to get
this right, because our interpretation of the apostle’s actual meaning can lead
us into deeper truth or into deeper error.
Two Sabbaths
First, there is nothing in the Ten
Commandment law about food, drink, festivals, new moons, or Sabbath days
(plural). All these were actually separate laws that God gave for the physical
and spiritual health of His Old Testament people; these were called ceremonial
laws.
Second, Paul wrote plainly that he was speaking of “Sabbaths, which are
a shadow of things to come,” and not of the weekly Sabbath, which is a memorial
of something that happened in the past, at the creation. The contrast between a
shadow and a memorial is quite clear. Indeed, the fourth commandment does not
tell us to keep the seventh day as a type of something to come. It says:
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ... For in six days the Lord made
the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the
seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it”
(Exodus 20:8, 11).
Moreover, to show that he had something other than the weekly Sabbath in
mind, Paul distinctly mentioned “Sabbaths,” plural,” which are a shadow of
things to come.” (The word “Sabbath” in the Greek can be singular or plural
according to Strong’s and Greek lexicons.)
Festivals and Shadows
The King James uses the word
“holyday,” and some will contend that it refers to the weekly Sabbath, while
the expression “Sabbath days” refers to yearly Sabbaths. The American Standard
Version uses “feast day” instead of “holyday,” and this likely a clearer
translation. The word translated “holyday” is from the Greek heorte, and in John
5:1, this same word is used to designate one of the yearly festivals of the
Jews: “After this there was a feast [heorte] of the Jews; and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem.” This is one of the holy days that Paul spoke of as having been
nailed to the cross.
The “shadows” Paul mentions pointed to Jesus as a Savior from sin and
were observed with that in mind. But the weekly Sabbath was made for man before
sin entered into the world, before man would need atonement. The shadows
pointing forward to His death as an atonement for sin certainly were not
instituted until after sin. Therefore, since the weekly Sabbath was instituted
before sin, just as was the marriage institution, it was not a shadow of
Christ’s death as a Savior from sin; and His death did not end the Sabbath day
any more than it brought marriage to an end. Both the Sabbath and marriage came
to us in a perfect world.
Paul’s language shows he was referencing the shadowy ceremonies that
pointed forward to and ended at the cross. Notice again, carefully, his words
in Colossians 2:14: “Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was
against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way,
having nailed it to the cross.” Paul mentions that these laws were “against us”
and “contrary” to us. Would it be contrary to Christians to refrain from
idolatry, using God’s name in vain, dishonouring parents, murder, theft,
adultery, lying, and coveting—the sins rebuked by the Ten Commandments? Thus,
the apostle must have been talking of another law—a law that enjoined food
offerings, drink offerings, the observance of festivals, new moons, and yearly
Sabbaths.
Why Are These Laws Contrary to Us?
Why would the observance of these
ceremonies after the death of Christ be contrary to the Christian faith? The
yearly Sabbath of the Passover involved killing a lamb that represented Jesus,
the Lamb of God. The apostle Paul taught directly, “Indeed Christ, our
Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). Thus, to keep
offering a sacrificial lamb after His death would be to imply that Jesus had
not accomplished atonement. Such an observance would be contrary to the
teachings of Christianity.
Many other shadowy requirements of the ceremonial law pointed to the
death of Jesus on the cross, as well. All these festivals, food and drink
offerings, and Sabbaths that were nailed to the cross, Paul declared to be “a
shadow of things to come.” Then he adds, "But the substance is of
Christ." That is, the substance that cast these shadows was Christ’s body
on the cross.
Think of it this way—late in the afternoon when a tall tree casts its shadow eastward, one
can begin at the farthest end of the shadow and follow it until he or she gets
to the tree that casts the shadow, and there the shadow ceases to be. Likewise,
we can go back to the time when “through one man [Adam] sin entered the world,
and death through sin,” and there a merciful God promised to send a Redeemer
(Genesis 3:15), a Substitute, to die in man’s place. To keep man continually
reminded of this fact, and to supply him with a means of expressing his faith
in the coming sacrifice, God instituted these ceremonies. All of these were
included in the law that was not written on tables of stone.
Follow these shadowy ceremonies all the way from Eden to the time of
Moses, and then through the wilderness journey and on for hundreds of years
after the settlement in Canaan, and at last to Calvary—and there they cease. So
it would be "against us" and "contrary" to our faith to
observe these ceremonies after Jesus' death.
Not so with the other law. It is just as necessary to refrain from idolatry, using God’s name in
vain, dishonouring the Sabbath, murder, adultery, and theft after the cross as
before. Indeed, it was the violation of these principles that caused the death
of Christ. Could they have been set aside or changed to accommodate the carnal
mind, Jesus need not have died.
Now with these truths before us, let us again read Colossians 2:14–17
and see how plainly Paul revealed that he did not mean that the weekly
seventh-day Sabbath had been nailed to the cross: "Having wiped out the
handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.
And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the
cross. … So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a
festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but
the substance is of Christ."
(3)
The Sabbath was a day of rest so designated by God,
Absolutely right.
at what time did it become a day of worship?
From the time of Creation.
To worship is to show a lot of love and adoration for something. (Definition of worship: the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.)
Genesis
2:2–3 says:
(1) Elohim
RESTED on the Sabbath day from His Work of Creation on this planet. God
never needs to rest. Yet He RESTED because He had set the day aside from the
rest of the week for a RELATIONSHIP PURPOSE BETWEEN HE AND MAN (inclusive of
WOMAN). All this, just like the first MARRIAGE which happened on the 6th day of
the Creation Week, created the Sabbath into an INSTITUTION AUTHORIZED AND
CREATED AND SET ASIDE BY GOD as HOLY (Set Apart).
(2) Elohim
BLESSED the 7th day, [filled it with
goodness for His Children. It contains a special blessing placed upon those who
enter into His Sabbath Rest with Him to visit and worship and be with and do
things with Elohim within this special set-aside-time. Time is our most
precious commodity. A person devotes TIME to WHO he truly LOVES. The 7th day
Sabbath is, among other things, a kind of Wedding Ring RELATIONSHIP with the
Son of Elohim who loved you enough to die for you and the Father who love you
so much he gave His Son in ransom for your life. The 7th Day belongs to Elohim,
not man, BUT it was made for a Special Relationship with Man, therefore it,
like the entire planet and all that it contains, was also made for Man.]
(3) Elohim
SANCTIFIED the 7th day. [Made this single day of the week Holy as in the
HOLINESS OF THE PRESENCE OF ELOHIM]
The
above ACTIONS are a SETTING ASIDE OF and the MAKING UNIQUE OF the 7th day
Sabbath. There are no other days ever set aside
such as the 7th day Sabbath is in the bible is described and imbued. No other
day has been RESTED UPON AS A DIRECT EXAMPLE BY ELOHIM. In fact, not only did
Yahshua keep the Sabbath day, He also kept it in death as He rested in the
GRAVE through the complete 7th day Sabbath.
No other day has been BLESSED by Elohim, and no other day has been SANCTIFIED by Elohim as His Holy Day of Rest. There is no replacement/substitution for this day to be found in the bible, either in the Old or in the New Testament. Elohim does not leave things to be guessed at or assumed. He states things plainly and in a forthright manner. The 7th day Sabbath is still in effect today. Plain and simple.
Date or Origin of
Sunday as day of worship:
On March 7, 321, Roman Emperor Constantine I issued a civil decree making Sunday a day of rest from labor, stating: All judges and city people and the craftsmen shall rest upon the venerable day of the sun.
Where is it designated in scripture as a day of worship?
Isaiah 66:23 (Restoration
Study Bible, 04th Edition)
And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith Yahweh.
Leviticus 23:3 (RSB Bible, 04th
Edition)
Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of Yahweh in all your dwellings.
Isaiah 46:3 (RSB Bible, 04th
Edition)
Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before Yahweh in the Sabbaths and in the new moons.
In Luke 4:16 we see Yahshua (Jesus) went into Synagogues on Shabbat for worship and was an active participant in the religious programs.
Why the First Day is the Christian's
Day of Worship:
• Christ was resurrected "on the first day of the week" (Mark 16:9).
THIS IS A MAN MADE COMMANDMENT. Not a Commandment of the Most High and Almighty Elohim Yahweh of the Bible. If it was so, as you are teaching, then this would have been plainly and simply recorded in God’s word, and God would have said: I raised my son from the dead on Sunday, so henceforth I cancel my old Saturday Sabbath and institute a new Sabbath on Sunday. NO. NOTHING LIKE THIS EVER HAPPENED.
Actually the waving of the first of the barley
harvest in Lev. 23:9-11 represents the resurrection of Yahshua Messiah. See also 1Corinthians 15:20. This day starts the count to Pentecost/Shavuot
and again Scripture says that it is the day after the Shabbat. So
the day of the resurrection is not the Sabbath but the day after the Shabbat.
Jesus instituted the Communion service on the
Thursday night before His crucifixion as a way to commemorate His death
(Matthew 26:26:30), not His resurrection. Paul confirms this when he writes to the church in Corinth,
“As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s
death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). According to these Scriptures,
participating in the Communion service highlights
Christ’s sacrificial death.
Christians like you Sir Buddy worship on Sundays in celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is very important to remember, though, Sunday worship is not commanded in the Bible, and Sunday has not replaced Saturday and become the Christian Sabbath. The Bible nowhere states that Sunday has replaced Saturday as the Sabbath.
• On the first day He taught two disciples on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:1-13-27).
There are a total of 8 instances only in the full New Testament in the English language translation of the Greek Scriptures where this word, “day” is noticed. The word, “day” is not existing in Greek.
Examination of the term
“First day of the Week” in the New Testament
One of the regular
comments I hear about “Sabbath observance”, is that the 1st Century Church met
on the “1st Day of the Week” and not on the “Sabbath”. Did Peter, Paul, James
and the rest of the Disciples in the 1st Century change the day of worship from
“The Sabbath” to “The 1st Day of the Week”? This is an examination of the Greek
behind our English translations in an attempt to understand what “The 1st Day
of the Week” meant in the Original Greek Manuscripts. I encourage all of you,
who take the time to examine the following, to do your own research and test
these conclusions.
Lev 23:15&16 from the 1611 print of the
King James Version of the Bible (Please
note the highlighted words “Seven Sabbaths” & “Fifty Days”)
»
The Strong’s Greek Concordance numbers will accompany the related word within
brackets (eg. G4521) for each reviewed verse. The below examination will reveal
that the phrase “First day of the Week” did not have the word “day” in the
Greek Manuscripts. Accordingly, our examination will show, that this phrase
should read “First Week” or “First of the Weeks”. The term “First Week” or
“First of the Weeks” refer to the “First” of the seven “Weeks” in the 50 day
count from Christ’s Resurrection(First fruits) to Pentecost. Our examinations
will arrive at the conclusion, that wherever the New Testament
reads “First day of the Week”, it actually meant “First Week” or
“First of the Weeks” in Greek. And that it exclusively referred to the “First”
of the seven “Weeks” in the 7 Week count towards the day of Pentecost as
seen in Lev 23:15,16, Deut 16:9,10.«
There are
only 8 verses overall, in the New Testament writings, with the
term “First day of the Week”. It will be our objective to check each
of these 8 verses to better understand what this phrase means.
The verses are as follows:
Matthew 28:1 In the end of
the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week,
came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
Mark 16:2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week,
they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
Mark 16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary
Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
Luke 24:1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came
unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain
others with them.
John 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early,
when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from
the sepulchre.
John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week,
when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the
Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto
you.
Act 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to
break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and
continued his speech until midnight.
1Co 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.
What most people do not understand is that, all of the above verses
are connected (in some way or the other) to some of the Feasts/Appointed times
of God (Passover, Week of Unleavened Bread, First fruits & Pentecost [50
days or Feast of Weeks]).
Because of
this, we need to have some background information that will help us better
understand the above Scriptures before we start our examination.
A. Christ died on the day of Passover (John 18:28, 19:14, Mat 27:46-50, Mar 15:33-37, Luke 23:44-46).
This is not a fixed day, such as “Friday” on our modern Calendars. Passover
could fall on any day of the week, and depends solely on the Biblical Calendar (Leviticus 23:5).
B. Passover eve starts off the days of Unleavened Bread which
continue on for 7 days (Leviticus
23:6-8). The day following Passover, which is the 1st day of Unleavened
Bread is always a “Special/High Sabbath” (Leviticus
23:7). It is known as a Special/High Sabbath, because it can fall on
any day of the week, unlike the fixed 7th day Sabbath. (John 19:31)
C. Christ’s resurrection happened on the day of First fruits. This is
the day after the 7th day Sabbath which follows Passover (Matthew 28:1-6, Mark 16:2-4, Luke 24:1-3, John 20:1, 2). In other
words, It is always the 1st Day of the week following Passover (Leviticus 23:10, 11).
D. Pentecost which means “50 days” is counted from the Day of First
Fruits. Pentecost will always fall after 50 days(7 weeks) from the Feast of
First fruits (Lev 23:15,16, Deut
16:9,10) which is the day Christ rose from the Dead
E. For example, if Passover fell on the 4th Day (Wed) of the Week,
the 5th Day (Thursday) of that same week would be the 1st Day of unleavened
bread which would be a special/high Sabbath. The 7th Day (Sat) of the week
would be the regular fixed Sabbath. The next day, which is the 1st Day (Sun) of
the next week, will be the Day of First fruits. Counting 50 days from the Day
of First fruits, brings us to the feast of Pentecost (exactly 7 weeks from
the day of first fruits).
With the above information by our side, let’s
start our examination. The 8 verses highlighted at the onset of this study
have been broken down into 3 parts.
PART 1 – The “First
day of the Week” and the Resurrection of Christ
Fact #1: Christ rose from the dead on the day of first fruits (Sunday after
Passover), which begins the 7 week (50 day) count towards Pentecost/Feast of
Weeks.
Fact #2: Out of the 6 instances/verses given below, none of
them carry the word “day” in the Greek. This word is given in italics in most
English Bible Translations, denoting that it is a word inserted by translators.
Fact #3: If the word “day” is dropped from all of these verses, it
would read “The First Week” or “The First of the Weeks”
Fact #4: In all of the below verses, (as Yahshua rose on the day of
First fruits) the week that had begun or dawned, was in fact, “The First
Week” or “The First of the Weeks” towards Pentecost/Feast of Weeks, as it was a
counting of 7 Weeks that led to Pentecost.
Strong’s Support
Matthew 28:1 In
the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first (G3391) day of the week (G4521), came Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
Mark 16:2 And very early in the morning the first (G3391) day of the
(G3588) week (G4521),
they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
Mark 16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first (G4413) day of the week (G4521), he appeared first
to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
Luke 24:1 Now upon the first (G3391) day of the
(G3588) week (G4521),
very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices
which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
John 20:1 The first(G3391) day of
the (G3588) week (G4521) cometh Mary Magdalene early, when
it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the
sepulchre.
John 20:19 Then the same day
at evening, being the first (G3391) day of the
(G3588) week (G4521),
when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the
Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto
you.
G3391 – μία
– mia – Irregular feminine of G1520; one or first: – a (certain), +
agree, first, one, X other.
G3588
– ὁ, ἡ, τό – ho hē to – The masculine, feminine
(second) and neuter (third) forms, in all their inflections; the definite
article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom): –
the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.
G4413 – πρῶτος – prōtos – Contracted superlative of
G4253; foremost (in time, place, order or importance): – before, beginning,
best, chief (-est), first (of all), former.
G4521 – σάββατον
– sabbaton – Of Hebrew origin [H7676]; the Sabbath (that is,
Shabbath), or day of weekly repose from secular avocations (also the observance
or institution itself); by extension a se’nnight, that is, the interval between
two Sabbaths; likewise the plural in all the above applications: – Sabbath
(day), week.
PART 2 – The “First
day of the Week” and the breaking of bread by the Disciples
Fact #1: Similar to the 6 verses highlighted in PART 1, Acts 20:7 does not carry the word “day”
Fact #2: Acts 20:6
highlights that Paul sailed from Philippi amid* the days of unleavened bread,
coming to Troas in 5 days and dwelling there for 7 days, placing the
breaking of bread comfortably in “The First Week” or “The First of
the Weeks” towards Pentecost/Feast of Weeks.
Act 20:6 And we sailed away
from Philippi after (G3326)* the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them
to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.
Act 20:7 And upon the first (G3391) day of the
(G3588) week (G4521),
when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready
to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
*G3326 – μετά
– meta – A primary preposition (often used adverbially); properly
denoting accompaniment; “amid” (local or causal); modified variously according
to the case (genitive case association, or accusative case succession) with which
it is joined; occupying an intermediate position between G575 or G1537 and
G1519 or G4314; less intimate than G1722, and less close than G4862): – after
(-ward),X that he again, against, among, X and, + follow, hence, hereafter, in,
of, (up-) on, + our, X and setting, since, (un-) to, + together, when, with (+
-out). Often used in composition, in substantially the same relations of
participation or proximity, and transfer or sequence.
PART 3 – The “First
day of the Week” and the collection for the saints in Jerusalem
Fact #1: Similar to the verses highlighted in PART 1 & PART 2, 1Cor 16:2 does not carry the word
“day”
Fact #2: The collection mentioned in this verse was to be taken to
Jerusalem
Fact #3: Visiting Jerusalem 3 times a year for the feasts,
including Pentecost/Feast of Weeks, was a Commandment given by God (Deut 16:16), and Paul was aware of it (Act 20:16)
Fact #4: Paul mentions that he will stay in Ephesus till Pentecost
in 1Cor 16:8, which would mean that
Pentecost/Feast of Weeks was at hand, connecting 1Cor 16 verse 2 with
verse 8.
Fact #5: This would mean that Paul was asking the believers to
gather the collection for the saints in Jerusalem in “The First Week” or “The
First of the Weeks” towards Pentecost/Feast of Weeks, rather than waiting
to collect the offering till his arrival.
Fact #6: This could not have been a weekly collection as it was
supposed to be sent to Jerusalem
1Cor 16:1 Now concerning the
collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia,
even so do ye.
1Cor 16:2 Upon
the first(G3391) day of the week(G4521) let every one
of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no
gatherings when I come.
1Cor 16:3 And
when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to
bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.
Another Clue:
Luke’s mention of the Second Sabbath after the First in Luke 6:1
Fact #1: The phrase “Second Sabbath after the First” makes little
sense in the below verse. Understanding that Seven Weeks/Sabbaths
were supposed to be numbered from First fruits till the Pentecost/Feast of
Weeks, helps us understand this phrase better.
Fact #2: According to Luke, this event happened in the 2nd Week of
7 Weeks towards Pentecost
Fact #3: This is a clear indication that the numbering of “Weeks”
leading up to Pentecost/Feast of Weeks was a well known fact by Scholars
such as Luke, in the 1st Century, which was used as a marker to highlight a
time of year
Fact #4: The timing given by Luke (2nd Week towards Pentecost) and
the disciples walking through the corn fields also make absolute sense, as this
would be the time when fields are beginning to ripen and are full with grain.
Luke 6:1 And it came to pass on
the second Sabbath after the first (G1207)(G4521), that he went
through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did
eat, rubbing them in their hands.
G1207
– δευτερόπρωτος – deuteroprōtos – From
G1208 and G4413; second first, that is, (specifically) a designation of the
Sabbath immediately after the Paschal week (being the second after Passover
day, and the first of the seven Sabbaths intervening before Pentecost): –
second . . . after the first.
Conclusion
The 8 verses that carry the phrase “First day of the Week” in the New Testament
writings should ideally read “The First Week” or “The First of the Weeks”. Each
of the 8 instances/verses in question relate to the “time” (of counting
seven weeks) that lead towards Pentecost. While “First day of the Week”
misinterprets and misrepresents the New Testament accounts leading people to
believe that “Sunday” replaced the “Sabbath” which was commanded by God and
adhered to by Yahshua & His believers, it is my belief that the above
evidence proves that no such change happened at all. The only verses that are
used to promote “Sunday” observance instead of the “Sabbath”, are not speaking
of the “First day of the Week”, but are speaking of the “First
Week” leading up to Pentecost as a marker of time. I hope all of you do your
own research whether this conclusion is true, so that all of us better
understand the Scriptures leading people out of the massive confusion most
bible translations have made over the years.
Questions
Q1. What about the “Lord’s Day”? Isn’t that “Sunday”? The only
mention made of “The Lord’s Day” in the whole of the New Testament happens in Rev 1:10. There is no evidence to
believe that this is “Sunday”. If at all, the day that is referred here by
John, could be the “Day of the Lord” (2Peter
3:10, 1Thessalonians 5:2, Acts 2:20, Malachi 4:5, Joel 2:31) which is the
day when He brings judgement at His return.
Q2. Can we be sure that just because the word “day” is not seen in the
Greek, it is not insinuated, and should be read as the “First day of
the Week”? There are numerous examples in the New Testament
where the word “day” (G2250 – ἡμέρα – hēmera) is used along with a number (eg. first
day [Mark 14:12], third day [John 2:1], seventh day [Hebrews 4:4], eighth day [Luke 1:59], etc.). The fact is, it is
not used even once in these 8 instances where it could have been easily used.
If it was meant to be read as “First day of the Week” and not
“First Week” or “First of the Weeks”, the writers could have easily included
the word day in each of these verses.
• After His resurrection, He twice
met with the apostles and blessed them on the first day (John 20:19-26).
This answer has
been addressed above with the study, “First day of the week”.
• The Holy Spirit came upon the
apostles and empowered them on the Day of Pentecost, which always came of the
first day of the week (Acts 2:1-4; Lev. 23:15-16).
And when
the day
of Pentecost was
fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Acts
2:1
Leviticus 23 says Pentecost / Shavuot is the Morrow of the SHABBAT. So day of Pentecost / Shavuot is not Sabbath day, but the day after the Sabbath. So Almighty God did not institute 2 Sabbaths one after the other. One on Saturday the Seventh day and the other on Sunday. Then just because Pentecost fell on Sunday, that does not give us humans the right to claim that, hey since Pentecost fell on Sunday, so this is the new Sabbath Sunday. The God of the Bible did not say that. Sir Buddy, you are implicating that into the scripture.
• The first sermon proclaiming Christ
as the resurrected Lord was preached on Pentecost. Jews who had
rejected Christ, accepted him and were baptized.
So according to you, this qualifies you Buddy to make a new commandment that does not exist in scripture. Of holding Sunday day as Holy. Wow.
• The church was established, thus
the Christian age began that day.
Did Yahweh say this? Did Yahshua say this? Did the Holy Spirit say this? Did Paul say this? Did the first Apostles say this? Did the first century disciples say this? If NO, then who said this?
How many times
does the word, “Christian” appear in the Greek Scriptures of the New Testament?
The word
Christian is used only three times in the New
Testament: Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, and 1 Peter 4:16. The original usage in all
three New Testament verses reflects a derisive element in the term Christian to
refer to followers of Christ who did not acknowledge the emperor of Rome.
FIRST PLACE WHERE WORD CHRISTIAN APPEARS
New International Version
and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch.
So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great
numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
Acts 11:26 (Restoration Study Bible, 04th
Edition)
And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch.
And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the
assembly, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Messianics
first in Antioch.
Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And when he found him, he brought him with him
to Antiakia, and they were assembling together for a full year with the church
and they taught many people. From that time, the disciples were first called
Christians by the Antiochenes.
GOD'S WORD® Translation
After finding Saul, Barnabas brought him back to
Antioch. Barnabas and Saul met with the church in Antioch for a whole year and
taught a large group of people. The disciples were called Christians for the
first time in the city of Antioch.
New American Standard 1977
and when he had found him, he brought him to
Antioch. And it came about that for an entire year they met with the church,
and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians
in Antioch.
King James 2000 Bible
And when he had found him, he brought him unto
Antioch. And it came to pass, that for a whole year they assembled themselves
with the church, and taught many people. And the disciples were called
Christians first in Antioch.
American King James Version
And when he had found him, he brought him to
Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with
the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians
first in Antioch.
American Standard Version
and when he had found him, he brought him unto
Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered
together with the church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were
called Christians first in Antioch.
Strong's Concordance
Christos: the Anointed One, Messiah, Christ
Original Word: Χριστός, οῦ, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun,
Masculine
Transliteration: Christos
Phonetic Spelling: (khris-tos')
Definition: the Anointed One,
Messiah, Christ
Usage: Anointed One; the
Messiah, the Christ.
HELPS Word-studies
5547 Xristós (from 5548 /xríō,
"anoint with olive oil") – properly, "the Anointed
One," the Christ (Hebrew, "Messiah").
So from reading accurately from the context, one realizes that the PEOPLE OF ANTIOCH – THE GENTILES – THE NON BELIEVERS – THE NON FOLLOWERS OF YAHSHUA – THE OTHER PEOPLE called the followers of Yahshua ha Mashiach as Messianics. In Greek Xristós (from 5548 /xríō, "anoint with olive oil") – properly, "the Anointed One," the Christ (Hebrew, "Messiah").
Hence the most accurate translation is the King James Version of
Restoration Study Bible at Acts 11:26
Acts 11:26 (Restoration Study Bible, 04th
Edition)
And when he had found him, he brought him unto
Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with
the assembly, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Messianics
first in Antioch.
SECOND PLACE WHERE WORD CHRISTIAN APPEARS
Acts 26:28
Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a follower of Messiah.
New International Version
Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think
that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?"
NASB Translation
Christ (516), Christ's (11), Messiah (4).
5547 Xristós (from 5548 /xríō, "anoint with olive oil") – properly, "the Anointed One," the Christ (Hebrew, "Messiah").
In this second scripture, where the word Christian
appears in the New Testament, please note that Agrippa a non-believer a
non-follower of Yahshua used the word for the believers.
THIRD PLACE WHERE WORD CHRISTIAN APPEARS
1 Peter 4:16 (RSB
Bible, 04th Edition)
Yet if any man suffer as a follower of Messiah, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify Elohim on this behalf.
New International Version
However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be
ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
Christian
means = Follower of Christ (Saviour in Greek) or Follower of
Messiah (Saviour in Hebrew)
• The New Covenant of Christ went
into effect.
• The early church worshipped, communed and gave their offerings on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 16:1-2).
The day this meeting was on
is not relevant in any case, as one can
have a gathering to preach or study the Word on any day of the week and that
does not change a Commandment of God.
“This Scripture does not say Paul observed
Sunday, the first day of the week, as a day of worship. If this were an example for us today, we
would be starting the service on Saturday night – not on Sunday morning. Verse 7 shows
Paul preached to them until midnight. Also services would have to continue till
dawn (verse 11).”
Please note that Paul spoke until midnight (verse 7), healed the young man who fell down from the third story (verses 9-10); THEN broke bread and ATE (verse 11); and continued preaching until daybreak (same verse), ready to depart “on the morrow” (verse 7) or SUNDAY morning (the New King James Bible states that he was ready to depart “on the next day”; that is misleading as it could give the impression that he wanted to depart on Monday).
“Next, we realize that the breaking of bread
was not a religious service, but merely the eating of a meal. Acts 27:33-38
proves this. Notice Paul’s situation. He was a Roman prisoner in the midst
of many Gentiles on board a ship (Acts 27:1-2). Obviously Paul was not holding
a religious service. The men ate for their health (verses 33-34).”
Verse 36
states expressly that “they were all very encouraged and ALSO took FOOD
themselves.” Other examples, showing that breaking bread simply refers to the
“ordinary” act of eating a meal, can be found in Acts 2:42, 46 (“breaking bread
from house to house, they ate their FOOD with gladness…”) and also in Luke
24:30, 35 (two disciples recognized Jesus when He broke bread to eat with
them).
“Acts 20:7
does not describe a regular service. Notice the context. Paul was en route from
Greece to Jerusalem (Acts 20:2-3, 16). Since he did not know when he would see
the brethren again, he wanted to teach them as much as possible. The people
were more than willing to listen. So, after the Sabbath Paul remained behind
teaching the brethren, while his ship sailed around the peninsula (verse 13).
He remained talking with them till midnight and continued after a short meal
until daybreak (Verse 11). Then after Paul had stayed as long as he could, he
left them to walk across the peninsula to meet the boat (verses 13-14). He
worked on that Sunday by taking this long walk of some 19 miles!
“There is
nothing in the above Scripture to indicate it was Paul’s custom to observe
Sunday. In fact, all through the book of Acts we see it was Paul’s custom to
observe the Sabbath (Acts 17:2; 13:14-15; 42-44). We also note in reading Acts
20:6 that Paul was traveling after having observed the Days of Unleavened
Bread. He continued to observe the annual holy days as well as the weekly
Sabbath years after Christ had died as He remained faithful to the commands of
God.”
And in Acts 2:46 we
again see that breaking of bread was done with every meal and does not imply
communion. The
Disciples going from house to house witnessing and fellowshipping with others
implies no such thing and obviously does not change a Commandment of God
either.
Based on the
translation in the New King James Bible, it seems obvious that the activities in
Acts 20:7 refer to the first day of the week. Since days start and end with
sunset, the disciples stayed after Sabbath services and after the Sabbath had
ended, to have a meal together on Sunday, while Paul continued to preach to
them. Why is it then that some claim that the gathering of the disciples and
the breaking of bread occurred on the Sabbath and not on Sunday?
The answer is
based on a peculiar choice of words in the Greek, as in the
original, the word for “week” is “sabbaton” (the word “sabbaton” refers in some
way to the Sabbath). The entire phrase “first of the week” (the word
“day” is not in the original) is derived
from the Greek expression “MIA TON SABBATON” (that is, FIRST (“mia”) of THE
(“ton”) WEEK (“sabbaton,” i.e., OF WEEK). The Luther Bible from 1545 renders
Acts 20:7 as follows: “On a Sabbath, when the disciples came together to break
bread, Paul preached to them…” (“AVff einen Sabbath aber / da die Jünger
zusamen kamen / das Brot zu brechen / prediget jnen Paulus…”)
As we see,
Luther rendered the word “sabbaton” here as “a Sabbath,” while
most translations say, “of week.” The Interlinear Translation also says,
“On first of the week…” To understand the problem with the different
translations, a lengthy and somewhat technical explanation is required.
1 Corinthians 16:1
& 2
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to
the assemblies of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let
every one of you lay by him in store, as hath prospered him, that there be no
gatherings when I come.
1 Corinthians 16:1-2: “Now concerning the collection for
the saints, as I have given order to the assemblies of Galatia, even so do ye.”
“Upon the first day of
the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as hath prospered him, that
there be no gatherings when I come”. RSB Bible, 04th Edition.
Here the apostle Paul gives
instruction to the church in Corinth to take care of a matter of worship, that
is a collection on the day that they came together, the first day of the
week.
Just for an example: Let’s say, the
above financial collection work was carried out mid-week on a Wednesday that is
the fourth day of the week, then using your above argument, then would you have
stated, that since financial collections were carried on Wednesday, then for
that one main reason now we shall always gather for weekly worship and
collections only that fourth day of the week – Wednesday? No. Right. I too don’t think you would have done so.
Next, you have Equated, Financial collections = Matter of Worship. Why? Because in today’s modern day pagan churches financial collection is done only on days of gathering, on day of worship which is now Sunday.
How did you decidedly come to the strong conclusion that because collections were done on the first day of the week (Remember word “day” was NOT used in God’s Inspired Scripture, Okay) so that automatically means it was a day of weekly worship? What if it was just a special collection drive to collect money, finances, gifts etc and it was a coincidence that it was the first day of the week?
LET’S GET BACK TO THE BIBLE AND LET THE CONTEXT OF SCRIPTURE LEAD US TO THE ANSWER:
1 Corinthians 16:1-2: “Now concerning the collection for
the saints, as I have given order to the assemblies of Galatia, even so do ye.”
“Upon the first day of
the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as hath prospered him, that
there be no gatherings when I come”. RSB Bible, 04th Edition.
The above is a King James Version English Translation, which uses the word “Saints” in Collection for the saints in the beginning of the above scripture.
New
International Version
Now about the collection for the Lord's people:
Do what I told the Galatian churches to do.
Contemporary
English Version
When you collect money for God's people, I want
you to do exactly what I told the churches in Galatia to do.
Good
News Translation
Now, concerning what you wrote about the money
to be raised to help God's people in Judea. You must do what I told the
churches in Galatia to do.
GOD'S
WORD® Translation
Now, concerning the money to be collected for
God's people [in Jerusalem]: I want you to do as I directed the churches in
Galatia.
On checking other
English language translations of 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 we see that
different translators choose to use different words. Some used Saints, God’s
people or Lord’s people. Okay.
Point to be noted from the above is that the financial collection in Cash or Kind or Gifts was for the “Lord’s People” or “God’s people” or for “Saints”. Not for that particular location church or assembly or that gathered group of people in Corinth on that particular day.
How do we come to know that? From the Context of Scripture.
POINT 2
New
International Version
On the first day of every week, each one of you
should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be
made.
Please note that it was a 1 Single Financial Collection Event. As in Verse 3 Paul clearly mentions that after his returning back, there will be no collections will have to be made.
Wait. If this was a
weekly event as you suggest where they gathered on every first day of the week
and since they collected finances on that day, then this pattern would be repeated
every first day of the week. Paul here
clearly says that no further collections will have to be made.
Thus it was a
special financial drive that was done on the first day of the week. The
announcement was made on Saturday the Sabbath, so the very next day they took
action and started on this good work. Now 2000 years later,
OMG just because the first century Christians gathered on Sunday and because
they collected funds for something, this does not mean that we have to use this
example and start worshiping on Sunday.
As earlier remarked by me, if these first century Christians had to do this on a Wednesday then my dear Buddy would you insist that modern day Christians should gather for worship and collection of monies on every Wednesday?
POINT 3
New
International Version
Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of
introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.
The finances collected were NOT FOR THE LOCAL FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK CHURCH. Dear Buddy, you have just quoted verses 1 and 2 from 1 Corinthians and have made your very own teachings and conclusions from it. What about the other verses in continuance? Why did you avoid and skip the continuing verses which tell and throw light on the whole event in the 1st Century?
After arriving and
after the completion of the collection drive, Paul said that he will
give LETTERS OF INTRODUCTION ALONG WITH THE COLLECTED FUNDS. The financial
collection on the specific first day of the week was a special one and the
funds were collected and SENT for the “Saints”, “Lord’s people” or “God’s
people” in Jerusalem.
Many modern day churches, misuse 1 Corinthians 16:2 to wrongly teach that the financial collection was INTERNALLY for the local Corinthian Church. But the collected gifts were so many or huge that many multiple men were chosen for the distribution work for Christians at another place in Jerusalem city.
POINT 4
Collections for
whom then?
In this passage, the apostle was writing a special appeal to the churches in Asia Minor. Famine conditions were not unusual in areas of the Middle East (see Acts 11:28–30), and at the time, many of the Christians in Jerusalem were suffering greatly.
New International Version
“During
this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named
Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would
spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of
Claudius.) The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the
brothers and sisters living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the
elders by Barnabas and Saul”. Acts 11:27-30
So it was a SPECIAL COLLECTION for a
FAMINE AID for Christians of Jerusalem and not a Sunday Church collection as
you are interpolating it into scripture. The above statement of yours in your email, is an
example of EISEGESIS, which is bad for studying the word of God.
TO GATHER MY POINTS IN CONCLUSION TO 1
CORINTHIANS 16:1-2:
Paul asked the
church at Corinth to “lay something aside” until he could send helpers to transport the
collection to Jerusalem. The expression "lay something aside" in the
original Greek comes with the connotation of putting something aside at home. Even
Sunday-worship advocates agree with this interpretation.
Thus, there
was no religious meeting held on the first day of the week and no collection
plate passed at church on Sunday. Instead, they were to gather and store up their
donations at home on that day.
If there was
no religious meeting on Sunday, why did Paul specifically suggest that this work
be done on Sunday? Simply, the letter would have been shared with the church on
the Saturday the Sabbath when they were all gathered for worship, and the first
opportunity for them to do the work would be the next day—the first day of the week, which naturally happens to be a Sunday.
“Now I am going to Jerusalem
to minister to the saints. For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to
make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem.
It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have
been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to
them in material things. Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed
to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain" (Romans 15:25–28).
Here the apostle touched a
tender spot in his eloquent appeal. The Roman Christians owed a great debt of
gratitude to the church in Jerusalem, which had sent teachers to evangelize
them. Paul urged them to return material gifts in appreciation of the spiritual
truths received. He described it as sealing to them "this fruit." The
Greek word used here is "karpos," which is the universal term used
for literal fruit. It can also have the connotation of "fruits of one's
labour."
Thus, in these
verses, the reference to the day of Sunday gives no indication of a change in
religious observance or day of worship.
He had already given such orders to
the churches of Galatia.
Yes. Agreed. But it does not say that Paul told the congregations or churches in Galatia to collect the funds on Saturday or Sunday or any specific day. BUDDY, YOU ARE INTERPOLATING AND INTERJECTING THIS IDEA AND THOUGHT THAT EVEN THOSE CHURCHES MUST OR MAY HAVE COLLECTED ON SUNDAY. NO. THE BIBLE DOES NOT SAY THAT.
There were assemblies of Christians,
having worship and fellowship.
Assemblies of Christians were everywhere. Christians can collect funds for relief of other brothers and sisters on any day of the week. Not necessary only on the day of worship or gathering. This is not a Biblical Injunction. It could be day of worship that is the Sabbath day or any other week day. Nowhere does Paul say that collect funds for relief or any other Christian event ONLY ON SATURDAYS OR FOR THAT MATTER, SUNDAYS.
• Early Christian writers such as Barnabas, Ignatius and Justin Martyr of the second century, tell us they worshipped on the first day of the week.
The First Century Eklessia (called out ones) today called as Church had proclaimed to the then existing world consistently and continuously since its beginning that there was an apostasy of the church soon to happen, founded by Jesus during his Palestinian ministry and led by his Apostles following his ascension.
The first century true church of the Savior and his Apostles in the Old World came to an end within a century after its formation. The original doctrines which its inspired leaders taught were corrupted and changed by others not of similar inspiration, the authority to act in God’s name was taken from the earth, and none of the Bible based systems that existed after those developments.
The best single witness of the apostasy of New
Testament Christianity is the New Testament itself. The New Testament writers prophesied that apostasy
would take place in the Church and that the Church in fact would be overcome by
it. Just as significantly, the New
Testament actually records apostasy happening as the book was being written.
As time progressed, the heresies against which the
Apostles contended became increasingly virulent and increasingly successful, as
the record attests. Hence your
above statement, “Early Christian
writers such as Barnabas, Ignatius and Justin Martyr of the second century,
tell us they worshipped on the first day of the week” attests to this
same fact.
Acceptable worship must be offered in faith. "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Romans 14:23). But faith comes from hearing the word of Christ (Romans10:17).
The word of Christ nowhere instructs
us to observe the Sabbath,
We read above in Isaiah. 66 and in Ezekiel. 46 which is a future prophecy that in new heaven and earth we will be keeping the Sabbath day and new moons. Also we see Yahshua keeping Sabbath in Luke 4:16. Yahshua and whole New Testament teaches us not to sin. Sin is transgression of the Law, 1John 3:4. Being that keeping the Sabbath is a part of the Law, it would be a sin to willingly and knowingly break Sabbath. Yahshua is our example 1Peter. 2:21, 22, and He kept Sabbath, so we should also.
but it does teach us to worship him
on the first day of the week. God said, "This is my beloved son... hear ye
him" (Mathew 17:5).
The above arguments have been duly addressed earlier in the above explanation.
Faithful Christians obey Christ by
worshiping Him on the First Day of the week.
To your above statement, I just want to quote the Scripture at Revelation 14:12.
Revelation 14:12 (Restoration Study Bible, 04th
Edition)
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of Yahweh, and the faith of Yahshua.
For Him,
Buddy
Yours in Yahweh through Yahshua