2. The Sabbath was the sign to Israel of the Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 31:16-17; Ezekiel 20:12; Nehemiah 9:14). Since we are now under the New Covenant (Hebrews 8), we are no longer required to observe the sign of the Mosaic Covenant.
The name Israel is only a name given by God to his people. In the old covenant this was to physical Israel in the flesh. In the new covenant God's Israel are no longer those born in the flesh but in the Spirit and are defined as all those who believe and follow Gods' Word *Romans 9:6-8. Gentile believers are now grafted in *
Romans 13:11-14. There is now no Jew or Gentile believers as all are now one in Christ *
Ephesians 2:11-13; Galatians 3:28-29; Romans 2:28-29; Colossians 3:11 and
Romans 10:11-13. If you are not a part of God's ISRAEL then you have no part in God's new covenant promise *
Hebrews 8:10-12 as the promise is to God's people who God calls ISRAEL. So yep! The Sabbath is a perpetual (ongoing forever covenant as is all God's 10 commandments which are our duty of love to God and man *
Exodus 31:16;
Isaiah 66:22-23;
Romans 13:8-10;
Matthew 22:36-40;
Revelation 14:12:
Revelation 22:14.
3. The New Testament never commands Christians to observe the Sabbath.
Nonsense. Everyone of God's 10 commandments are repeated in the New Testament (
scripture support here linked). HEBREWS 4:9 SO THEN IT REMAINS FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO KEEP THE SABBATH.
4. In our only glimpse of an early church worship service in the New Testament, the church met on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).
God's people met everyday of the week and kept God's Sabbath commandment according to God's 10 commandments (Acts of the Apostles 13:14; 13:27; 13:44; 15:21; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4; Rev 1:10).
Acts of the Apostles 2:46-47 [46], AND THEY CONTINUING DAILY with one accord in the temple, and BREAKING BREAD FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,[47], Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Acts 20:7 says that the disciples met on the first day of the week to have a meal together because Paul was departing the next day..
Acts of the Apostles 20:7 7, And on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, PAUL PREACHED TO THEM READY TO DEPART TOMORROW; and continued his speech until midnight.
There is
no scripture in all of God's Word that God's Sabbath commandment has been abolished and Sunday is now a Holy day or rest.
5. Nowhere in the Old Testament are the Gentile nations commanded to observe the Sabbath or condemned for failing to do so. That is certainly strange if Sabbath observance were meant to be an eternal moral principle.
Why would Gentiles be commanded to keep God's law when they did not believe God or follow God? This statement makes no sense. The covenant of God was to Abraham and his seed not to those who did not believe or follow God's Word (unbelievers). The Gentile nations never followed God or believed His Word. Those individuals that were Gentile believers that believed God and wanted to follow God we see in scripture God made provision for them to do so in God's Sabbath commandment of the 10 commandments.
[8], REMEMBER the SABBATH DAY, to KEEP IT HOLY. [9], Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: [10], But the SEVENTH DAY IS THE SABBATH of the LORD thy God [This is a direct reference from God's Word defining what the Sabbath is; The SABBATH = the SEVENTH DAY OF THE WEEK]: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle,
NOR THE FOREIGNER THAT IS WITHIN THY GATES: <WHY> [11], For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the SEVENTH DAY: wherefore the LORD BLESSED THE SABBATH, and HALLOWED IT.
6. There is no evidence in the Bible of anyone keeping the Sabbath before the time of Moses, nor are there any commands in the Bible to keep the Sabbath before the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai.
Nonsense. JESUS says that the Sabbath was made for mankind in Mark 2:27. The Sabbath was made for mankind on the "seventh day" of the creation week *Genesis 2:1-3. There was only Adam and Eve who are the parents of all mankind when God made the Sabbath for man.
7. When the Apostles met at the Jerusalem council (Acts 15), they did not impose Sabbath keeping on the Gentile believers.
They did not impose any of God's 10 commandments because God's 10 commandments was not what they were discussing. Acts of the Apostles shows that the context of Acts 15 was in regards to the question being asked "Is the Mosaic law of CIRCUMCISION" a requirement for salvation". This was the question being answered in Acts 15 not is God's 10 commandments the standard for Christian living. Paul goes on after the decision at Jerusalem to the Corinthian believers where he then says "CIRCUMCISION IS NOTHING, AND UNCIRCUMCISION IS NOTHING (Jerusalem decision of Acts 15),
BUT THE KEEPING OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD. *
1 Corinthians 7:19.
8. The apostle Paul warned the Gentiles about many different sins in his epistles, but breaking the Sabbath was never one of them.
There is no more gentiles of Jewish believers. According to Paul we are not one in Christ and gentile believers are now grafted in *Romans 11:13-27;
Ephesians 2:11-13; Galatians 3:28-29; Romans 2:28-29; Colossians 3:11; Romans 10:11-13. Everyone of Gods' 10 commandments are repeated in the new covenant (
scriptures support here) as a requirement for Christian living. According to the new covenant scriptures, if we knowingly break anyone of them we stand guilty before God of sin *
James 2:10-11. Sin (breaking anyone of Gods 10 commandments or not believing God's Word) will keep all those who knowingly practice it out of God's Kingdom *
Hebrews 10:26-27. The new covenant does not abolish God's law it establishes them in the life of those who through faith *
Romans 3:31 have been born again to walk in God's Spirit *
Galatians 5:16;
Romans 8:4;
1 John 3:6-9. This is the new covenant and the fruit of those who through faith believe God's Word *
Jeremiah 31:31-34;
Ezekiel 36:25-27;
Hebrews 8:10-12.
9. In Galatians 4:10-11, Paul rebukes the Galatians for thinking God expected them to observe special days (including the Sabbath).
Nonsense. That is not what the scripture says. Let's look at the detail...
Galatians 4:4-11 [4], But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, [5], To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. [6], And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. [7], Therefore you are no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. [8], BUT THEN, WHEN YOU KNEW NOT GOD, YOU DID SERVICE UNTO THEM WHICH BY NATURE ARE NO GODS. [9], BUT NOW, AFTER YOU HAVE KNOWN GOD, OR RATHER ARE KNOWN OF GOD, HOW TURN YOU AGAIN TO THE WEAK AND BEGGARLY ELEMENTS, TO WHICH YOU DESIRE AGAIN TO BE IN BONDAGE? [10], YOU OBSERVE DAYS, AND MONTHS, AND TIMES, AND YEARS. [11], I AM AFRAID FOR YOU, LEST I HAVE BESTOWED UPON YOU LABOR IN VAIN.
Galatians 4:8-11 [8] Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.[9] But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? [10] YE OBSERVE DAYS, AND MONTHS, AND TIMES, AND YEARS. [11] I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
Note: Galatians 4 says nothing about sabbaths. Its speaking of those who observe times.
Deuteronomy 18:9-11 [9] When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.[10] There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination,
OR AN OBSERVER OF TIMES, or an enchanter, or a witch,[11] Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
Note: The same thing goes on to this very day. Its speaking of the occult. Those who observe certain days by use of horoscopes?
2 Chronicles 33:3-6 [3] For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served them.[4] Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.[5] And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.[6] And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: ALSO HE OBSERVED TIMES, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger
Note: Enchantments, witchcraft, familiar spirits, and wizards. Its speaking of the occult. Not following sabbath days.
Leviticus 19:26-30 [26] Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, NOR OBSERVE TIMES.[27] Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.[28] Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.[29] Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a harlot; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.[30] YE SHALL KEEP MY SABBATHS, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.
I guess this scripture says it all. You shall not observe times BUT you will keep my sabbaths.
10. In Romans 14:5, Paul forbids those who observe the Sabbath (these were no doubt Jewish believers) to condemn those who do not (Gentile believers).
Scripture please. No where in Romans 14 does it even talk about God's Sabbath. Romans 14 is about eating and not eating (fasting) on days that men esteem over other days. Not what days God's esteems. There is no mention whatsoever of God's Sabbath in Romans 14. Your reading into the scriptures what the scriptures do not say and do not teach.
11. The early church fathers, from Ignatius to Augustine, taught that the Old Testament Sabbath had been abolished and that the first day of the week (Sunday) was the day when Christians should meet for worship.
I am sorry, these people are not my fathers and do not supersede the scriptures. I have only one father and He is in heaven. Those who teach against God's Word are not from God. This one is quite funny as you have been trying to tell me all through this thread that the Roman Catholic Church has not abolished Gods' Sabbath commandment in favor of Sunday and here you post a quote from Ignatius to Augustine from the Romans Catholic Church (fathers) teaching that God's Sabbath has been abolished and that Sunday is the day Christians should meet and worship? You did not think this one through before posting did you. Thanks for this quote
.
12. Sunday has not replaced Saturday as the Sabbath. Rather the Lord's Day is a time when believers gather to commemorate His resurrection, which occurred on the first day of the week. Every day to the believer is one of Sabbath rest, since we have ceased from our spiritual labor and are resting in the salvation of the Lord (Hebrews 4:9-11)
Ok here your saying that Sunday has not replaced the Sabbath and the previous quote your trying to argue that your Church fathers taught that the Sabbath has been abolished in favor of Sunday worship. How does that make any sense? Hebrews 4 is about God's rest defined in Hebrews 4:1-5 as the "seventh day" from the foundation of the world. A believe is one who believes and follows God's Word. HEBREWS 4:9 THEREFORE IT REMAINS FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO KEEP THE SABBATH.
Hope this helps.
