[POLL] Should Christians Rest and Keep Holy the Sabbath Day?

[Steve Petersen]

The word translated 'fulfill' in Matthew 5 is the root 'pleroo' in Greek.

In the Septuagint (Greek translation of the OT, from about 250 BC) the word 'pleroo' in Greek translates the Hebrew word 'malei'. It almost always means #8216;to fill #8217; But there are other nuances of the word.

Here is the Strongs#8217;s definition:

Matthew 5:17 as #8216;end, terminate#8217; is only one possible reading. I believe that the literary/cultural/historical context of this verse lends weight to tranlating 'pleroo' as #8216;confirm, authenticate#8217; and probably also #8216;do, keep.#8217;

Mishnah, AVOT 4:9
R. JONATHAN SAID: WHOEVER FULFILS (kum) THE TORAH OUT OF [A STATE OF] POVERTY, HIS END [WILL BE] TO FULFIL IT OUT OF [A STATE OF] WEALTH; AND WHOEVER DISCARDS THE TORAH OUT OF [A STATE OF] WEALTH, HIS END [WILL BE] TO DISCARD IT OUT OF [A STATE OF] POVERTY

Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:6
Halachah: When a Jew goes up to read the Law, he is not permitted to commence reading it before he has recited the blessings. First he must recite the blessings and then he reads. And thus Moses, when he had the privilege of receiving the Torah, first recited a blessing, and then he read it. R. Eleazar asked: What was the blessing which Moses recited before reading it? [It was], Blessed art Thou, O Lord, King of the Universe, who hast chosen this law and sanctified it and hast found pleasure in them who fulfil it. He did not say, ' in them that labour at it,' nor, ' in them who meditate in it,' but, ' in them that fulfil (kum) it,' that is to say, in them who carry out the words of the Torah.

 

[CDF47]

The point is. Under the NC, God writes the law in the mind and places it in the heart of the believer. Therefore, you wouldn't have to rely on reading the Bible to know which law God desires you to follow, for the law is within you

I agree. Good point.

 

[CDF47]

Hi CDF47,

Thanks there was lots of prayer and bible study involved it was a blessing to me and was the reason why I wanted to share it to help others that may be interested in the topic. Seems some people got offended by it though. I will post PART 4 soon. It will be linked at the bottom of the OP on page 1 with PARTS 1-3 shortly

In Christ Always!

I seen all the work you put into it. It was very detailed and well done. If you could please let me know when Part 4 is done I will read it. Thanks.

 

[CDF47]

Not relevant to the point made

I will elucidate on the point made.
Someone quoted matt7:1&2

I responded by pointing out that according to those verses, if you say a person can only be in a saved state if they obey the TC, you will be judged/ considered saved according to whether you obey ALL of the TC
You do agree with Jesus words don't you?
The measure you use to judge others will be used to judge you

I definitely agree with Jesus' words, 100 percent. I try to be very careful in my judgments because I am aware of that verse.

 

[CDF47]

Or the manner they regard it. It even means when they treat it like another day.

LoveGodsWord makes some strong arguments that Paul in COL was not referring to the weekly Sabbaths. See posts above. I would still be careful in judging people on this though.

 

[CDF47]

Means nothing.

Just wanted to see what the majority of people thought on this issue is all.

 

[CDF47]

Only if the us you speak about are Israeli.

No, all mankind.

 

[listed]

It is important to worship God everyday but God has made the 7th Day of the week a Holy day for mankind and has asked his people to keep it as a Holy day (Genesis 2:1-3; Mark 2:27-28, Exodus 20:8-11; James 2:8-12; John 14:15). Some thoughts on Hebrews 4 and context

No. God demanded this from Israel only who are called his people. God also made a promise to those outside of Israel to call them His people. No where does God indicate these other people would become Israel.

HEB 4

1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
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.
4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
7 Again, he limited a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

This passage says nothing a bout keeping the sabbath which is obviously not the 7th day sabbath. Matthew 11:28-30 offers something the sabbath doesn't offer and is only found in Jesus.

Key Scripture points
* Fear that the promise being left us any of us should fall short of entering God’s rest (v1)
* The Gospel was preached to the people in the Wilderness as well as us. The Word did not profit those in the wilderness because of their unbeliefit (v2)
* For we which have believed do enter into His Rest. The people in the wilderness that did not believe God did not enter into His Rest even though works were finished from the foundation of the world (v3)

Believe what? Keeping the law? Hardly

* Speaking of the 7th Day Sabbath and the last day of the creation week (Gen 2:1-3) (v4)
* God’s rest (Gen 2:1-3), those that believe enter into God’s 7th Day Sabbath rest those that do not believe do not enter into God’s 7th Day Sabbath rest (v5-6)

Genesis 2 doesn't speak about the sabbath. Exodus 20 doesn't call the 7th day of Genesis 2 the sabbath. The 7th day sabbath doesn't offer this rest as evidenced by Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30.

* Harden not your heart in unbelief (v7-8)

Great point.

* There is a rest for the people of God (v9)

This rest isn't the 7th day sabbath. Sabbath keepers were offer this rest even though they kept the sabbath. Why or how could this be done if they had this rest in keeping the 7th day?

* Those that enter into God’s rest cease from works as God did v10

What works are you talking about? There wasn't any physical labor on God's part in creation. God spoke things into physical manifestations. The exception is man.

* We should labour to enter into God’s rest (Gen 2:1-3) faith in God’s Word (rest through believing God) v11

This doesn't imply working for rest.

* The Word of God is powerful. v12

Please go back and look at the Greek meaning of the word "rest" used in Heb 4:9 its meaning is resting through keeping of a Sabbath or Sabbath observance. (I have provided Greek links below)

“There remaineth therefore a [Sabbath] rest 4520 to the people of God.” (NAS; Heb 4:9)
The Greek word literally means “Sabbath keeping” or “Sabbath observance.” (links below)

Strong's Concordance 4520
sabbatismos: a sabbath rest
Original Word: σαββατισμός, οῦ, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: sabbatismos
Phonetic Spelling: (sab-bat-is-mos')
Short Definition: a Sabbath rest
Definition: a keeping of the Sabbath, a Sabbath rest.

Strong's Greek 4520
σαββατισμὸς — 1 Occ.
Hebrews 4:9N-NMS
GRK: ἄρα ἀπολείπεται σαββατισμὸς τῷ λαῷ
NAS: there remains a Sabbath rest for the people
KJV: therefore a rest to the people
INT: Then remains a sabbath rest to the people

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4520: σαββατισμός
σαββατισμός, σαββατισμου, ὁ (σαββατίζω to keep the sabbath); 1. a keeping sabbath. 2. the blessed rest from toils and troubles looked for in the age to come by the true worshippers of God and true Christians (R. V. sabbath rest): Hebrews 4:9. (Plutarch, de superstit. c. 3; ecclesiastical writings.)

There's no word rest in the Greek found in verse 9. Verse 11 does have the word rest in the Greek. You're intentionally misleading.

So let’s pull Hebrews 4:1-12 all together?

The context is God’s rest from the week of creation on the 7th Day of the creation week (Hebrews 4:1-5). Those that did not enter into God’s rest (7th Day Sabbath) did not enter in because of their unbelief and disobedience (sins) to God’s Word. The Gospel was preached unto them but they did not believe it (Hebrews 4:2). God did not give them His true rest (Hebrews 4:5-8). This is the same warning for those that disobey Him and do not follow His Word. Only those that believe and obey God’s Word enter into his 7th Day Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:6, 9, 10-12). So you can see Jesus is not a Sabbath. The Sabbath is the 7th Day of the Week. Jesus is Lord of this Day because he is the creator of this day (Hebrews 4:4; Mark 2:27-28) and the 4th commandment is one of the 10 just like murder, stealing or lying is (James 2:8-12).

In Christ!

Yes and that word is found in Matthew 11:28-30. That rest has nothing to do with the 7th day sabbath.

With this I'm out for the day.

 

[CDF47]

So what do you think Paul is talking about in Rom 8 about the ineffectiveness of the law? What about Gal 3 where he chastises the Galatians for having begun by the spirit and then continue by the law? Paul calls them,

Right, Jesus fulfilled the laws which is why we are no longer under the 613 laws. Jesus does state to keep his Commandments a number of times. This being the Moral Law or Ten Commandments. He even says not one iota from the Law will be changed until the end.

 

[stuart lawrence]

I agree. Good point.

If you agree, the law is within you, so you wouldn't have to read the Bible to know which law you should follow. That would mean, if God required you to observe a set Saturday sabbath, you would instinctively know that without having to firstly read the OT law in scripture.
How many who believe they must observe a set Saturday sabbath believe that, without coming to that conclusion because they read the OC law in the Bible, They instinctively knew it already in their heart and mind?

 

[CDF47]

Gal 3

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by[a] the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

Paul has made a direct contrast between Faith and the Law. They are not mingled or conflated.

Those who rely on the Law are described as:

"Bewitched"

"Ignorant of how they received the Spirit"

"Foolish"

"Fleshly"

Those are hardly superlatives.

But that's not all,

"For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”[d] 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit[e] through faith."

"Under a curse"

"Not justified before God"

"Ignorant of Christ's redemptive purpose"

"3:19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe."

Law in place "UNTIL"

This word demonstrates a time limit!

"The offspring of the promise" (messiah)

"If a law had been given that could give life! righteousness indeed be by the law."

"If" makes this a conditional clause. One that is not ever satisfied according to Paul's thinking.

Now Paul goes on in Gal 4 to describe life as adopted sons (also in Roms 8)

Torah, the Law in Matt. 5 stands directly oppose to Gal 3 and 4. But wait (moderator: recognize the context of my rhetoric as I don't think the Bible contradicts itself but am pointing out how if this poster's inference is correct then we do have an indisputable conflict between Paul and Jesus) if we don't look at the context of the Matthean account we will be forced to conclude Paul and Jesus contradict one another.

Jesus is talking in Matt 5:18ff to the religious leaders, who are asking how they gain relationship withGod through the Law. Jesus is saying, "Let me tell you how strict that law is."

"It is also about one's thought life." It must be perfect.

And you can't just slowly pile good works up because the requirement is eternal. That is if you want to abrogate God's plan of entering by faith and instead enter by your own good works the eternal requirement is perfection (Matt 5:48)

God's holiness is eternal. Anyone trying to enter by his or her own good works will have to be without any sin in thought word or deed. That is the "eternal" piece. But it is both in Gal, Romans, and Matthew a misunderstanding of the purpose of the law.

This is why as Christians we don't keep the Torah. We destroy Satan's kingdom and replace it with God's kingdom, by healing the sick, casting out demons, feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, comforting the oppressed, setting the captives free.

The Law doesn't produce God's goodness. It just restrains evil. It is a prison for a convict. But God, through Jesus reforms people from the inside out, empowering them to destroy evil and spread God's immense goodness.

The Law is a museum piece. Faith in Jesus has transformed me into a destroyer of evil and ambassador of God's goodness through the power of the HS.

Sorry for the length of this post.

Very informative and well thought. As I stated earlier salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus only. I believe that. Part of that faith is wanting to show God you love Him by obeying his commandments as He states in Revelation. Love God and neighbor are His commandments and the Ten Commandments show us how to do that.

 

[CDF47]

Isn't this what is being implied here?

No

 

[Uber Genius]

Very informative and well thought. As I stated earlier salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus only. I believe that. Part of that faith is wanting to show God you love Him by obeying his commandments as He states in Revelation. Love God and neighbor are His commandments and the Ten Commandments show us how to do that.

Agreed but we don't want to equivocate on the term commandments. By that I mean the law and the commandments had a purpose that has been fulfilled. We now have the HS who writes laws on our heart. We should keep those and reflect on Jesus' replacement of the law and commandments in the two greatest commandments. Doesn't mean there won't be overlap. Also one person may be called to fulfill certain commands by the HS that another is not required to do.

 

[CDF47]

If you agree, the law is within you, so you wouldn't have to read the Bible to know which law you should follow. That would mean, if God required you to observe a set Saturday sabbath, you would instinctively know that without having to firstly read the OT law in scripture.
How many who believe they must observe a set Saturday sabbath believe that, without coming to that conclusion because they read the OC law in the Bible, They instinctively knew it already in their heart and mind?

Even with the Commandments in your heart and mind, you have to know them first through God's word.

 

[stuart lawrence]

It isn't an external law anymore written on tablets of stone, but an internal law written on tablets of human hearts( 2cor3:3)

 

[CDF47]

It isn't an external law anymore written on tablets of stone, but an internal law written on tablets of human hearts( 2cor3:3)

True.

 

[stuart lawrence]

Even with the Commandments in your heart and mind, you have to know them first through God's word.

NO. That is not true!
The moment you become a Christian the holy spirit writes the law in your mind and places it on your heart. ONLY because this has happened do you get a saviour from your sin. Note the order in the following:

This is the covenant I will make with them after that time says the Lord
I will write my laws in their minds and place them on their hearts
THEN HE ADDS
Their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more
Heb10:16&17

You cannot have a saviour from sin UNLESS the law has firstly been placed within you.
For Christ will be no one's saviour from sin unless they in their heart desire to obey his Father. When the law is in your heart, you in your heart want to obey it.

 

[Dkh587]

The word translated 'fulfill' in Matthew 5 is the root 'pleroo' in Greek.

In the Septuagint (Greek translation of the OT, from about 250 BC) the word 'pleroo' in Greek translates the Hebrew word 'malei'. It almost always means #8216;to fill #8217; But there are other nuances of the word.

Here is the Strongs#8217;s definition:

Matthew 5:17 as #8216;end, terminate#8217; is only one possible reading. I believe that the literary/cultural/historical context of this verse lends weight to tranlating 'pleroo' as #8216;confirm, authenticate#8217; and probably also #8216;do, keep.#8217;

Mishnah, AVOT 4:9
R. JONATHAN SAID: WHOEVER FULFILS (kum) THE TORAH OUT OF [A STATE OF] POVERTY, HIS END [WILL BE] TO FULFIL IT OUT OF [A STATE OF] WEALTH; AND WHOEVER DISCARDS THE TORAH OUT OF [A STATE OF] WEALTH, HIS END [WILL BE] TO DISCARD IT OUT OF [A STATE OF] POVERTY

Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:6
Halachah: When a Jew goes up to read the Law, he is not permitted to commence reading it before he has recited the blessings. First he must recite the blessings and then he reads. And thus Moses, when he had the privilege of receiving the Torah, first recited a blessing, and then he read it. R. Eleazar asked: What was the blessing which Moses recited before reading it? [It was], Blessed art Thou, O Lord, King of the Universe, who hast chosen this law and sanctified it and hast found pleasure in them who fulfil it. He did not say, ' in them that labour at it,' nor, ' in them who meditate in it,' but, ' in them that fulfil (kum) it,' that is to say, in them who carry out the words of the Torah.

The context of "fulfilled" in Matthew 5:17 means to fully teach, to fully preach, to fully reveal what was written. Not "complete" it and do away with it to where we don't need to obey God's commands. Which is why following Matthew 5:17, he starts teaching things properly and expounding on the commands.

 

[stuart lawrence]

[Staff edit].

You either follow after the holy spirit or the written code. You cannot do both.

But now, by dying to what once bound us we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not the old way of the written code
Rom7:6
The holy spirit leads you into truth. Follow after the written code and he cannot do that.
SDA follow the written code. They say you sin if you fail to avoid the Levitical unclean foods, for that is law you must follow. If they are right, the leaders of the Christian church gave gentile converts a licence to sin( Acts ch15) for they did not ask gentiles to abstain from such food.
A good example of what happens when you look to the written code and follow it rather than follow after the Holy Spirit. You have error in belief.
For the Jerusalem Church DID NOT give gentiles a licence to sin!
Therefore sda views on which law you must follow should be ignored!

 

[stuart lawrence]

[Staff edit].

In fact, many follow the law of the TC who do not understand what that entails. They read the literal words of the TC and thought they understood, but they didn't.
If you have any impure thoughts/ lust you break the tenth commandment for example.
If you look at a woman with lust in your eye you have already committed adultery with her in your heart
You must not get angry with your brother( Jesus words)
You must not build any graven images in your mind. NONE!
You must ALWAYS put God first in your life, and fully love him above all else. Not some of the time, all of the time.
Paul understood what obeying the TC fully entailed. That's why he referred to them as the letter that kills, the ministry of death and condemnation.
It seems to me, from fifty years experience, it is those who follow the written code that pick and choose what is and is not sin, not those who follow after the Holy Spirit