Did Jesus give us an Eleventh Commandment?

[guevaraj]

This is a false teaching leading people away from God's Word.

Sister, already in 1953, our people understood that from evening to morning is the period that God called "night" and that the days in Genesis begin in the “morning”, having ended in the “morning”. The SDA Bible commentary was written from 1953 to 1957 as stated on wikipedia.org. I highlight the end of the second paragraph in its comment on verse 5 of chapter 1 of Genesis. Though it is true that the first "evening" preceded the first "morning", what is not said is that you can't have an evening without light first.

Some have thought creative act lasted one night, from the evening to the morning; and others, that every day began with the morning, although the inspired Record states plainly that the evening preceded the morning. (SDA Bible Commentary, found online)​

Our history shows that our people wanted to keep the Sabbath from morning to morning because of what they understood in Genesis. For eight years our people debated the Sabbath after our prophetess first vision discouraged beginning the Sabbath at "sunrise" in the morning. In her second vision the church falsely thought the matter was settled by understanding the meaning of the word evening, confirmed in her second vision, when the angel did not close the matter, telling our prophetess we would understand more in the future.

James White, Review and Herald, February 25, 1868, page 168​

It is generally known to most of the readers of the Review, that for several years in the early history of Seventh-day Adventists, believers adopted six o'clock p.m. as the time for the Sabbath to commence and close. It is also known that in the autumn of 1855, the Review taught that sunset was the Bible time to commence the Sabbath, and that our people generally changed from six o'clock to sunset. Some of the circumstances connected with this change I wish here to state:

1. The six o'clock time was called in question by a portion of the believers as early as 1847, some maintaining that the Sabbath commenced at sunrise, while others claimed Bible evidence in favor of sunset.
2. Elder Joseph Bates, who was the first to teach the Sabbath in its importance, and faithfully labor to bring out a people from among the Adventists to observe it, was very decided upon the question, and respect for his years, and his godly life, might have been among the reasons why this point was not sooner investigated as thoroughly as some other points.
3. In the autumn of 1855, Elder J. N. Andrews called on me at Battle Creek, on his way to Iowa, and set before me the scriptural reasons for commencing the Sabbath at sunset. He had written a clear article upon the subject, which he left with me, and which appeared in the Review for December 4, 1855. This article, however, before it appeared in the Review was read at the Conference at Battle Creek about that time, and the subject was discussed, resulting in settling the minds of the brethren on the sunset-time, with the exception of Brother Bates, and a few others. Since that time there has been general agreement among us upon the subject.

But there are persons who seek to injure us as a people and this class we hope to help by this article who report and publish to the world that Mrs. White did profess to be shown that the time to commence the Sabbath was six o'clock, and that at a later period she was shown that sunset was the true time. It is also stated that in vision she saw the dial-plate of a clock with one hand pointing to the 6, and other to 12, showing that six o'clock was the commencement and close of the Sabbath.

A simple statement of the facts in the case are sufficient to show these reports false. Hence we give the following statements, which we are ready to prove by most competent witnesses:

1. Mrs. White has in two visions been shown something in regard to the time of the commencement of the Sabbath. The first was as early as 1847, at Topsham, Main. In the vision she was shown that to commence the Sabbath at sunrise was wrong. She then heard an angel repeat these words, "From even unto even shall ye celebrate your Sabbaths." Brother Bates was present and succeeded in satisfying all present that "even" was six o'clock. Mark this: The vision at Topsham did not teach the six o'clock time. It only corrected sunrise time. I never received the idea that the six o'clock time was sustained by the visions, hence the following which I copy from a statement I made in the Review upon the subject, December 4, 1855, as follows:
   • “We have never been fully satisfied with the testimony presented in favor of six o'clock, while the various communications received for a few years past advocating both sunrise and sunset time, have been almost destitute of argument, and the spirit of humility and candor. The subject has troubled us, yet we have never found time to thoroughly investigate it.
   • “In June, 1854, we urged Elder D. P. Hall to prepare an article on the subject for the Review. When with him in Pennsylvania, last winter, we repeated the request. When in Maine, last summer, we stated our feelings on this subject to Brother Andrews, and have fears of division unless the question could be settled by good testimony. He decided to devote his time to the subject till he ascertained what the Bible taught in regard to it, and his article in this number is the result of his investigation. Some have the impression that six o'clock time has been taught among us by the direct manifestation of the Holy Spirit. This is a mistake; ‘From even unto even’ was the teaching from which six o'clock time has been inferred.”
2. In regard to the clock-face, twenty competent witnesses are ready to testify that neither Mrs. White nor her visions had anything to do with it whatever. When at Rocky Hill, Conn., in 1849, at a meeting on the Sabbath at the house of Brother Albert Belden, the time to commence the Sabbath was agitated. A brother present in whose spiritual exercises there was great confidence, seemed to be very powerfully exercised, and, amid groans and tears, he called for the chalk, and marked out upon the floor the figure of a clock face, the hands pointing out six o'clock. A general impression prevailed that this was the work of the Spirit of God; but Mrs. White had nothing to do with it whatever.
3. At the close of the conference at Battle Creek referred to above, the ministers and others, especially interested in the cause had a special season of prayer for the prosperity of the cause, and in that meeting Mrs. White had a vision, one item of which was that sun set time was correct. This settled the matter with Brother Bates and others, and general harmony has since prevailed among us upon this point.

But the question naturally arises, If the visions are given to correct the erring, why did she not sooner see the error of the six o'clock time? For one I have ever been thankful that God corrected the error in his own good time, and did not suffer an unhappy division to exist among us upon the point. But, dear reader, the work of the Lord upon this point is in perfect harmony with his manifestations to us on others, and in harmony with the correct position upon spiritual gifts.

It does not appear to be the desire of the Lord to teach his people by the gifts of the Spirit on the Bible questions until his servants have diligently searched his word. When this was done upon the subject of time to commence the Sabbath, and most were established, and some were in danger of being out of harmony with the body on this subject, then, yes, then, was the very time for God to magnify his goodness in the manifestation of the gift of his Spirit in the accomplishment of its proper work.

The sacred Scriptures are given us as the rule of faith and duty, and we are commanded to search them. If we fail to understand and fully obey the truths in consequences of not searching the Scriptures as we should, or a want of consecration and spiritual discernment, and God in mercy in his own time corrects us by some manifestation of the gifts of his Holy Spirit, instead of murmuring that he did not do it before, let us humbly acknowledge his mercy, and praise him for his infinite goodness in condescending to correct us at all.

Let the gifts have their proper place in the church. God has never set them in the very front, and commanded us to look to them to lead us in the path of truth, and the way to Heaven. His word he has magnified. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are man's lamp to light up his path to the kingdom. Follow that. But if you err from Bible truth, and are in danger of being lost, it may be that God will in time of his choice correct you, and bring you back to the Bible and save you. And would it become you in such a case to murmur and say, “Lord, why didst thou not do this before?” Take care! “Be still, and know that I am God.” Our necessity is his opportunity to teach us by the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

 

[SabbathBlessings]

Sister, already in 1953, our people

The SDA church already has established beliefs so when you say "our people" you must be referring to people other than the SDA church because its founders and official teachings are not in harmony with your beliefs.


This is what the SDA church teaches....

What do Seventh-day Adventists Believe?

The official description of Seventh-day Adventists’ interpretation and practice of the major themes in Scripture, organized into 28 Fundamental Beliefs.

www.adventist.org

The scripture you keep pointing out does not say what you want it to, and you keep ignoring the context. This all gets sorted out soon enough, but I do think we need to be careful what we are teaching. Matthew 5:19

Take care.

 

[guevaraj]

This all gets sorted out soon enough, but we will be accountable for leading anyone away from God's pure Word. Take care.

Sister, perhaps our prophetess second vision can convince you that the matter was not settled. The angel said to read carefully after understanding the meaning of the word "evening". We needed to understand the meaning of the word "evening" to understand "when it is" that evening falls on the first day. Hint, you can't have an evening without light first! We humans take sides. As if God changed His mind about when to begin the day. What He did in Jerusalem from what He did at creation. We convince ourselves we must ignore what He did at creation because It's earlier and He did something else in Jerusalem later overriding what He did prior. Or we convince ourselves against what is written that what He did in Genesis is the same as what He did in Jerusalem when it's confirmed different. What is overlooked is that we are dealing with two different places where the Sabbath was kept on earth, which allows what is done in one to be different from what is done in the other because they are different places and both ways of keeping the Sabbath are correct in each of those two places.

I saw that it is even so: “From even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath.” Said the angel: “Take the word of God, read it, understand, and ye cannot err. Read carefully, and ye shall there find what even is, and when it is.” I asked the angel if the frown of God had been upon His people for commencing the Sabbath as they had. I was directed back to the first rise of the Sabbath, and followed the people of God up to this time, but did not see that the Lord was displeased, or frowned upon them. I inquired why it had been thus, that at this late day we must change the time of commencing the Sabbath. Said the angel: “Ye shall understand, but not yet, not yet.” Said the angel: “If light come, and that light is set aside or rejected, then comes condemnation and the frown of God; but before the light comes, there is no sin, for there is no light for them to reject.” I saw that it was in the minds of some that the Lord had shown that the Sabbath commenced at six o'clock, when I had only seen that it commenced at “even,” and it was inferred that even was at six. I saw that the servants of God must draw together, press together. (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, Page 116)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

 

[Leaf473]

Perhaps you can show me exactly where Eden is located from scripture and show me where it says we need to keep the Sabbath on the time zone of Eden. This is a distraction leading people away from God's Word.

God did not make the Sabbath for the earth; He made it for mankind. Mark 2:27 and regardless of where one is located if they can find the first day of the week, they can find the seventh day, God's holy Sabbath day. Exodus 8-11, Isaiah 58:13

This has already been discussed at length and it's just a distraction from obeying one of God's commandments. Not something I am interested in continuing to debate.

Take care and God bless.

It's fine if you don't want to talk about this anymore, don't feel like you need to respond to this post.

Peace be with you

Perhaps you can show me exactly where Eden is located from scripture and show me where it says we need to keep the Sabbath on the time zone of Eden.

Those things are important if we use @guevaraj's method of calculating the beginning of the Sabbath.

A much simpler method is just to say that Jesus kept a Sabbath that started at sunset in Jerusalem. *If* we follow that example, we would keep that same Sabbath.

...if they can find the first day of the week...

And there's the rub. A spherical rotating Earth produces a single continuous sunset. Where does that sunset mark the beginning of the first day?

From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord’s name is to be praised.

Psalm 113 NKJV

 

[guevaraj]

A spherical rotating Earth produces a single continuous sunset. Where does that sunset mark the beginning of the first day?

Brother, according to the following map, looking down the north pole at sunset on the International Date Line and confirmed by God through the tradition of Judaism embedded for 40 years in the desert with Manna, we find the end of the day on the International Date Line: at sunset opposite Jerusalem we see the tail end of Thursday and the continuation of Friday because Friday already began half a day before at sunrise in Jerusalem.

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

 

[Leaf473]

Brother, according to the following map, looking down the north pole at sunset on the International Date Line and confirmed by God through the tradition of Judaism embedded for 40 years in the desert with Manna, we find the end of the day on the International Date Line: at sunset opposite Jerusalem we see the tail end of Thursday and the continuation of Friday because Friday already began half a day before at sunrise in Jerusalem.

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

Brother, may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you every day!

There you go! That's an example of biblical reasoning to show that the Sabbath starts at sunset in Jerusalem.

So, @SabbathBlessings, if you're interested in talking about this, it's your turn to show from the scriptures that sunset doesn't start in Jerusalem, or that it moves around the Earth. That is, if you wish to take this opportunity.

United in one spirit, one Church!

 

[Leaf473]

Brother, according to the following map, looking down the north pole at sunset on the International Date Line and confirmed by God through the tradition of Judaism embedded for 40 years in the desert with Manna, we find the end of the day on the International Date Line: at sunset opposite Jerusalem we see the tail end of Thursday and the continuation of Friday because Friday already began half a day before at sunrise in Jerusalem.

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

Brother, may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you every day!

This link may also be helpful so people can visualize sunrise and sunset moving.

The link will update to be the most current images. At the time that I'm posting this, you can see how sunrise and sunset are actually a single movement of shadow. Where is the line where the third day becomes the fourth day? It's based on the caprice of human governments.

GOES-East CONUS - GeoColor - NOAA / NESDIS / STAR

Near real-time publication of GOES-East and GOES-West images from NOAA/NESDIS/STAR

www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov

United in saying, How wondrous are your works, oh Lord!

 

[Leaf473]

@SabbathBlessings

Responding to your comment above at 1:54 PM,

"...I am going to stick with God's Word that regardless of where anyone is they can enjoy the Sabbath on their own time zone, just the way it was kept in scripture."

Right, we all want to stick with the scriptures!

The people clearly keeping the Sabbath in the scriptures were in or around Jerusalem, so it's ambiguous imo.

Is there a scripture that says the Sabbath moves around the Earth?

Psalm 50
A Psalm by Asaph.
The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks, and calls the earth from sunrise to sunset.

Peace be with you

 

[guevaraj]

if it was required to be kept in a certain time zone, we would have this in scripture.

Sister, God tells us through Paul in the letter to the Hebrews! It "has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn't share the faith of those who listened to God". Hint, during the 40 years in the desert, they actually kept the seventh day of the week from morning to morning near the Promised Land as punishment by "oath", God preventing them from entering His rest because of their disobedience. The seventh day near the Promised Land did not enter God's Sabbath because they were keeping the wrong time until they got to the Promised Land and changed to half a day before the seventh day in the Promised Land. However, Joshua mistakenly assumed that this earlier Sabbath was the seventh day of the week, even though God had taught him for 40 years in the desert, as punishment that the seventh day of the week near the Promised Land does not enter the Sabbath, that is entered half a day earlier in the Promised Land.

God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,’” even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.” But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.” (Hebrews 4:1-5 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

 

[Leaf473]

"...if it was required to be kept in a certain time zone, we would have this in scripture."

It seems to me just as true that if it moved around, we would have that in Scripture.

Don't feel like you have to respond to this, SB. I'm not trying to include or exclude anyone. In this particular post, I left your username out. But generally speaking, it's helpful to future readers to know what's being referred to.

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.

Bible Gateway passage: Psalm 19 - New King James Version

The Perfect Revelation of the Lord - To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. Their...

www.biblegateway.com

 

[Leaf473]

Brother, we Gentiles who are turning to God, are still turning and the turn is not complete because we have a lot of Moses still to adopt free of human traditions, like the Sabbath.

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. (1 John 3:1-6 NLT)​

Moses is to be obeyed! Paul did not want the new Gentiles who were turning to God to join Judaism through circumcision because Jesus was against how Judaism colored Moses with their human traditions.

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either. “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are! “Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’ Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding. How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred? When you swear ‘by the altar,’ you are swearing by it and by everything on it. And when you swear ‘by the Temple,’ you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it. And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne. (Matthew 23:13-22 NLT)​

James is allowing God to "restore the fallen house of David", as the Gentiles who are turning to God listen to Moses every Sabbath independent of the influence of human traditions in Judaism. His allowing the separate growth of Gentiles who are turning to God as God "restores the house of David". At some point in the future, there will be a merging of the Gentiles who are turning to God and Judaism, allowing the continuation after Jesus of Judaism freed from human tradition. We Gentiles who are turning to God have a lot to adapt from Moses to fully "restore the fallen house of David".

When they had finished, James stood and said, “Brothers, listen to me. Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself. And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written: ‘Afterward I will return and restore the fallen house of David. I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, so that the rest of humanity might seek the LORD, including the Gentiles—all those I have called to be mine. The LORD has spoken—he who made these things known so long ago.’ “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood. For these laws of Moses has been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations.” (Acts 15:13-21 NLT fixed)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

Brother, may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you every day!

So back to what we were talking about earlier,

Brother, we Gentiles who are turning to God, are still turning and the turn is not complete because we have a lot of Moses still to adopt free of human traditions, like the Sabbath.

I thought we gentiles were born free from the tradition of Judaism.

Are you saying that we gentiles are under the influence of human traditions, but not the tradition of Judaism?

United in one spirit, one Church!

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Luke 18:18-22 NLT)

he was talking to a specific person who had specifics spiritual needs.

Rather, look to John 13:34: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

 

[guevaraj]

Brother, may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you every day! So back to what we were talking about earlier, I thought we gentiles were born free from the tradition of Judaism. Are you saying that we gentiles are under the influence of human traditions, but not the tradition of Judaism? United in one spirit, one Church!

Brother, yes! We Gentiles who are turning to God have our own human traditions to accomplish the same thing Judaism did with their own rules, that is to remain in sin! James left us to adopt Moses without forcing Judaism's human traditions on us that do not remove sin, which I summarize using the following passage. We came up with our own human traditions to remain with our sin by openly disobeying the Eleven Commandments while the Jews obeyed the Ten Commandments but sabotaged them to not remove sin. For example, they added their own rule not to pronounce God's name so as not to misuse His name. This obeyed the commandment while sabotaging it to not remove sin that would otherwise have been removed had they obeyed God instead of their own rule. This sabotaging of God's way in their own way is made clear by comparing Judaism to Hagar about their "human effort" to fulfill God's promise of separating sin from our character.

He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant (Eleven Commandments). This is a covenant not of written laws (Ten Commandments), but of the Spirit (reminding us to follow the exemplary life of Jesus). The old written covenant ends in death (sabotaged by human effort as in the story of Hagar); but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life (reminding us to follow the exemplary life of Jesus). The old way, with laws etched in stone (Ten Commandments), led to death (sabotaged by human effort as in the story of Hagar), though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way (Eleven Commandments), now that the Holy Spirit is giving life (reminding us to follow the exemplary life of Jesus)? If the old way (Ten Commandments), which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way (Eleven Commandments), which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way (Eleven Commandments). So if the old way (Ten Commandments), which has been replaced (an outline written in stone replaced with a fully fledged out Eleven Commandments exemplified in Jesus' life to follow), was glorious, how much more glorious is the new (Eleven Commandments), which remains forever! (2 Corinthians 3:6-11 NLT)​

Paul tells us in the following passage that it is not about obeying as Judaism obeyed by adding its own rules, but about the removal of sin that only God knows how to remove with His Eleven Commandments, because He is not a "blind guide" like us humans are "blind guides" to remove sin. Our rules do not accomplish the removal of sin that God's Eleven Commandments do accomplish when obeyed through practice, thanks to Jesus' many forgivenesses, a practice that Paul calls slavery.

Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. (Romans 6:15-18 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

 

[guevaraj]

he was talking to a specific person who had specifics spiritual needs. Rather, look to John 13:34: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

Brother, yes and no! Part of what Jesus spoke about was for the individual, but Jesus also spoke to everyone. The part that was specific to the person was giving "everything I have to the poor", which is not an act of love in the following passage and all the commandments tell us how to love, disqualifying it as the "one thing you haven't done", when Jesus' answer was "the commandments". The "one thing you haven't done" is the newly known additional Eleventh Commandment of the new covenant: "follow" the example of Jesus with the statement "just as I have" in your quote above of the new Eleventh Commandment, which was not possible before Jesus.

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NLT)​

Giving "everything I have to the poor" above is not an act of love for it to qualify as the additional new Eleventh Commandment in the passage below, where the known new Eleventh Commandment is to "follow" the example of Jesus.

Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’” The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Luke 18:18-22 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

 

[Leaf473]

Brother, yes! We Gentiles who are turning to God have our own human traditions to accomplish the same thing Judaism did with their own rules, that is to remain in sin! James left us to adopt Moses without forcing Judaism's human traditions on us that do not remove sin, which I summarize using the following passage. We came up with our own human traditions to remain with our sin by openly disobeying the Eleven Commandments while the Jews obeyed the Ten Commandments but sabotaged them to not remove sin. For example, they added their own rule not to pronounce God's name so as not to misuse His name. This obeyed the commandment while sabotaging it to not remove sin that would otherwise have been removed had they obeyed God instead of their own rule. This sabotaging of God's way in their own way is made clear by comparing Judaism to Hagar about their "human effort" to fulfill God's promise of separating sin from our character.

He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant (Eleven Commandments). This is a covenant not of written laws (Ten Commandments), but of the Spirit (reminding us to follow the exemplary life of Jesus). The old written covenant ends in death (sabotaged by human effort as in the story of Hagar); but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life (reminding us to follow the exemplary life of Jesus). The old way, with laws etched in stone (Ten Commandments), led to death (sabotaged by human effort as in the story of Hagar), though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way (Eleven Commandments), now that the Holy Spirit is giving life (reminding us to follow the exemplary life of Jesus)? If the old way (Ten Commandments), which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way (Eleven Commandments), which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way (Eleven Commandments). So if the old way (Ten Commandments), which has been replaced (an outline written in stone replaced with a fully fledged out Eleven Commandments exemplified in Jesus' life to follow), was glorious, how much more glorious is the new (Eleven Commandments), which remains forever! (2 Corinthians 3:6-11 NLT)​

Paul tells us in the following passage that it is not about obeying as Judaism obeyed by adding its own rules, but about the removal of sin that only God knows how to remove with His Eleven Commandments, because He is not a "blind guide" like us humans are "blind guides" to remove sin. Our rules do not accomplish the removal of sin that God's Eleven Commandments do accomplish when obeyed through practice, thanks to Jesus' many forgivenesses, a practice that Paul calls slavery.

Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. (Romans 6:15-18 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

Brother, may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you every day!

So... As we look through the New Testament, what is the first law we come to that was freed from human tradition?

United in discussing the scriptures in an edifying way!

 

[guevaraj]

Brother, may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you every day! So... As we look through the New Testament, what is the first law we come to that was freed from human tradition? United in discussing the scriptures in an edifying way!

Brother, we know what is written is correct but our interpretation of it can be colored by our human traditions.

When they had finished, James stood and said, “Brothers, listen to me. Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself. And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written: ‘Afterward I will return and restore the fallen house of David. I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, so that the rest of humanity might seek the LORD, including the Gentiles—all those I have called to be mine. The LORD has spoken—he who made these things known so long ago.’ “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood. For these laws of Moses has been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations.” (Acts 15:13-21 NLT fixed)​

Even Paul was unaware of how Judaism's human tradition colored the Sabbath, preventing us who are living away from Jerusalem from entering the Sabbath as God prevented Israel during the 40 years in the desert from entering the Sabbath by "oath" with Manna as punishment for their disobedience.

God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,’” even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.” But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.” (Hebrews 4:1-5 NLT)​

We learn from Paul's written inspiration that the Sabbath in Judaism is tainted by human tradition without Paul understanding his inspired written correction of Judaism's tradition of the Sabbath for us to correct the Sabbath after him. This is evidence that Paul is a Prophet like Daniel who did not understand what he wrote for the future.

So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. (Hebrews 4:6-11 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

 

[Leaf473]

Brother, we know what is written is correct but our interpretation of it can be colored by our human traditions.

When they had finished, James stood and said, “Brothers, listen to me. Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself. And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written: ‘Afterward I will return and restore the fallen house of David. I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, so that the rest of humanity might seek the LORD, including the Gentiles—all those I have called to be mine. The LORD has spoken—he who made these things known so long ago.’ “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood. For these laws of Moses has been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations.” (Acts 15:13-21 NLT fixed)​

Even Paul was unaware of how Judaism's human tradition colored the Sabbath, preventing us who are living away from Jerusalem from entering the Sabbath as God prevented Israel during the 40 years in the desert from entering the Sabbath by "oath" with Manna as punishment for their disobedience.

God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,’” even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.” But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.” (Hebrews 4:1-5 NLT)​

We learn from Paul's written inspiration that the Sabbath in Judaism is tainted by human tradition without Paul understanding his inspired written correction of Judaism's tradition of the Sabbath for us to correct the Sabbath after him. This is evidence that Paul is a Prophet like Daniel who did not understand what he wrote for the future.

So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. (Hebrews 4:6-11 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

Brother, may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you every day!

Okay, so... the four laws in Acts 15 are the first ones freed from human tradition. What was the next law to be freed?

United in discussing the scriptures in an edifying way!

 

[guevaraj]

Brother, may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you every day! Okay, so... the four laws in Acts 15 are the first ones freed from human tradition. What was the next law to be freed? United in discussing the scriptures in an edifying way!

Brother, they are all free from human tradition as written. The problem is not with what is written, the problem is with us not trusting God's way as written in believing Jesus in the following passage.

Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’” The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Luke 18:18-22 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

 

[Leaf473]

Brother, they are all free from human tradition as written. The problem is not with what is written, the problem is with us not trusting God's way as written in believing Jesus in the following passage.

Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’” The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Luke 18:18-22 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

Brother, may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you every day!

So... The gentiles in Acts 15 are to keep all of the laws as written?

United in discussing the scriptures in an edifying way!

 

[guevaraj]

Brother, may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you every day! So... The gentiles in Acts 15 are to keep all of the laws as written? United in discussing the scriptures in an edifying way!

Brother, happy Sabbath, which started this Friday December 2, 2022 at 9:34 am EST! Yes! That is what James and the others decided in the first counsel of the church in Jerusalem: to let the Gentiles who are turning to God adapt Moses without troubling them with the human traditions of Judaism that Jesus was against.

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either. “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are! “Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’ Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding. How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred? When you swear ‘by the altar,’ you are swearing by it and by everything on it. And when you swear ‘by the Temple,’ you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it. And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne. (Matthew 23:13-22 NLT)​

Instead of adapting Moses through Judaism, since Jesus was expected from the beginning, the Gentiles who are turning to God were allowed to adopt Moses on their own. This fulfills the words in the new covenant found in the following passage.

And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. (Hebrews 8:11 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge