Did Paul observe the Sabbath?

[tonychanyt]

Before he met Jesus, he did. Paul defended himself before the Sanhedrin in Ac 23:

3 "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I am just as zealous for God as any of you here today.

He was a Pharisee who strictly observed Moses' law.

6b He cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”

Php 3:

If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

He was blameless under Moses' law.

34 AD, Paul met Jesus on his way to Damascus. He continued to observe the Sabbath. He attended synagogues on the Sabbath (e.g., Acts 13:14, 16:13, 17:2, 18:4). Early Jewish Christians continued to observe Jewish customs, including the Sabbath. However, a split began to show between the Jewish and Gentile Christians.

48 AD, the apostle convened the Jerusalem Council and decided that circumcision was not required for Gentile believers, but they were forbidden to eat blood.

54 AD, Paul wrote in 1Co 9:

20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.

His position was bivalent. He could bond with the Jews and Gentiles depending on the occasion.

57 AD, Ro 14:

6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer. but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

Weekly sabbaths and eating were not salvation issues. Paul did not specifically tell Jewish or Gentile Christians to observe or not to observe the sabbaths. He left it between the individual and God. However, when there was a mix of Jewish and Gentile Christians together, don't be a stumbling block for your weaker brothers with your freedoms.

59 AD, Paul returned to Jerusalem and reported to the elders in Acts 21:

20b They said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law,

Jewish Christians were zealous for Moses' law.

21 and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs.

The Judaizers (the circumcision party) lied to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem that Paul taught other Jews outside of Jerusalem to forsake Moses.

22 What then is to be done?

How to pacify these Jewish Christians in Jerusalem?

They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.

When the local Christian Jews saw Paul's shaved head, they might be convinced he did observe the law.

This seems to indicate that Paul himself kept the Mosaic law unless it was only to show that he kept the law. However, if Paul didn't keep the Mosaic law but took a Nazarite vow to appear as if he did, this seems to be a problem for Paul's integrity. Thoughts?

Paul's conscience was clear.

60 AD, Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea. He defended himself before Felix and Ananias, the high priest. Ac 24:

16 I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.

Paul did not teach Jews to forsake Moses. His conscience and integrity were clear before God.

Before his conversion, Paul strictly observed the weekly sabbaths. After his conversion, he did not teach Jews not to observe the sabbaths.

Did Paul observe the weekly sabbaths after his conversion?

That would depend on the occasion. After the conversion, I don't think he observed the sabbaths as strictly as before. It was a time of transition between traditional Judaism and Gentile Christianity.

See also

• If you relax the Law, you will be least in the kingdom of heaven?
• Was Paul against observing special days?

 

[Rose_bud]

I think Paul understood that the Sabbath days (Holy days) all of them including the "high days" were fulfilled in Christ. When we appropiate them in Him, we rest as we observe and look to Him.

 

[Aaron112]

That would depend on the occasion. After the conversion, I don't think he observed the sabbaths as strictly as before. It was a time of transition between traditional Judaism and Gentile Christianity.

Sorry for all those tricked through the centuries. It is so sad, the great deceptions accomplished , just as written in Scripture, as YHVH always knew it would happen.

 

[rturner76]

This seems to indicate that Paul himself kept the Mosaic law unless it was only to show that he kept the law. However, if Paul didn't keep the Mosaic law but took a Nazarite vow to appear as if he did, this seems to be a problem for Paul's integrity. Thoughts?

One thought I had about your question here is that from what I have been shown in scripture, when the Apostles first set out, the were converting Jews to the point where Christianity was considered a Jewish sect.

I think this passage shows how it was St. Peter who was organizing the conversion of Jews into Christians and Paul was organizing Gentile congregations.

Paul says in Galatians 2:7-8they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. 8 For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles.

This passage illustrates some of the specific minions they were called to cultivate. I think it's a great illustration of how Jews and Gentiles would be gathered together under Christ.

 

[KevinT]

A couple extra data points:

Acts 16:13 (speaking of Paul and his traveling companions)
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.

Acts 17:1-2
When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ...

KT

 

[DennisF]

One thought I had about your question here is that from what I have been shown in scripture, when the Apostles first set out, the were converting Jews to the point where Christianity was considered a Jewish sect.

I think this passage shows how it was St. Peter who was organizing the conversion of Jews into Christians and Paul was organizing Gentile congregations.

Paul says in Galatians 2:7-8they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. 8 For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles.

This passage illustrates some of the specific minions they were called to cultivate. I think it's a great illustration of how Jews and Gentiles would be gathered together under Christ.

Not to disagree too much with any of this discussion, but I will add that the word gentile is not in the scriptures, OT or NT. The word comes from the Latin gentilis which refers to those who were not Roman citizens. Thus, Paul was not a gentile but Jesus was. In the scriptures, the words translated into English as Gentiles are goyim in (Roman alphabet) Hebrew and ethnae in Greek. They have the same meaning in both languages and the most accurate English word for them is nations. Sometimes in scripture it is non-Israelite nations and at other times it is Israelite nations. If translators did not read their own theological interpretation into their work and consistently translated these words with Gentile, the result would be interesting! For instance, when Yahweh tells Abraham that he will be the father of many nations, the translators somehow did not put in Gentiles! That's theological interpretation. The descendants were, of course, the Israelites.

Consequently, when Paul, for instance, is the apostle to the ethnae, these are mainly if not exclusively the "lost tribes" of Greater Israel, for Jesus commanded the apostles to take the gospel first to the Israelites. In their day, they knew (just as some do today who study forgotten or ignored history) where Greater Israel was and they went to them. That Peter focused on lower-kingdom Israel (Judeans) includes all Israelites (upper and lower kingdoms) in the spread of the gospel.

 

[trophy33]

A couple extra data points:
KT

Going to places where people assemble is not observing the Sabbath. Its finding a good opportunity to preach to people who are already religious and sometimes even prepared to hear some new preaching, like in synagogues.

Observing the Sabbath was literal, physical resting from work. The commandment says nothing about synagogues or prayers by rivers or about religious arguments/reasoning on that day.

Just saying. No verse in the Bible says Paul physically rested on Sabbath, therefore none says he observed the Sabbath. Maybe he did, we do not know.

 

[KevinT]

Going to places where people assemble is not observing the Sabbath. Its finding a good opportunity to preach to people who are already religious and sometimes even prepared to hear some new preaching, like in synagogues.

Observing the Sabbath was literal, physical resting from work. The commandment says nothing about synagogues or prayers by rivers or about religious arguments/reasoning on that day.

Just saying. No verse in the Bible says Paul physically rested on Sabbath, therefore none says he observed the Sabbath. Maybe he did, we do not know.

I think the two key texts about observance of the Sabbath would be at creation, where the Sabbath was instituted, and the 10 commandments, where God restated it's importance

Genesis 2:1-2
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Exodus 20:8-11

8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

In your post you mention that the Sabbath involves physical resting from work. It was this sort of interpretation that made the Pharisees criticize the man carrying his mat home after Jesus healed him. How could he be physically resting if he was carrying his bed on his shoulders? But Jesus, as the Lord of the Sabbath, was attempting to teach them that what God had in mind for His people was different from what they were teaching.

Is it OK to take a hike in the mountains while resting from one's work on the Sabbath? Sure! Many blessings from God's nature can be gained that way. Is this physically resting? No. It is taking a break from all the hustle and bustle of running a business or going to work during the rest of the week, and an opportunity to reconnect with our Maker? Absolutely.

Best wishes,

KT

 

[rturner76]

That Peter focused on lower-kingdom Israel (Judeans) includes all Israelites (upper and lower kingdoms) in the spread of the gospel.

This is kind of what I was getting at. St Peter went to the Jews who still kept the dietary laws of Israel and Paul went to everyone else like the Pagans

 

[Aaron112]

Paul was a perfect example of keeping/honoring Torah in Christ Jesus, even to or for the gentiles.

 

[rturner76]

Paul was a perfect example of keeping/honoring Torah in Christ Jesus, even to or for the gentiles.

I believe he did in faith and spirit but he did not keep the Jewish dietary law which caused a rift between him and St. Peter. St Peter ended up capitulating to St Paul over whether Jewish dietary laws were required to be followed as Christians. St Paul Challenged him because St Peter refused to eat with the Gentiles at the feast and only sat with the Jews who attended. The reason St Peter did that was because he knew the Jewish dietary laws would be broken if he sat with the Gentiles and went back to the Jewish table. St. Paul chastised him for that. Once that happened, St Peter was convinced that the Gentiles were equal to the Jews in faith, and the Church became more united among Jews and Gentiles rather than a different message to them.

But by violating Jewish dietary laws when he chose to eat with the Gentiles he was no longer keeping the Torah but participating like we all do in the Second Covenant where they began to follow the spirit of the law like Jesus preached about.

 

[Aaron112]

Straight up, Paul never broke the Jewish/ Torah/ Dietary rules given by YHVH and Taught to Paul by Yeshua.

 

[DennisF]

This is kind of what I was getting at. St Peter went to the Jews who still kept the dietary laws of Israel and Paul went to everyone else like the Pagans

Greater Israel - northern kingdom - was the barbarian tribes that migrated into Europe as the Scythians (Saxons), Cimmerians (Celts), Parthians, etc. and, remembering why Yahweh divorced them in the first place, they were largely pagan with a remnant core of Yahwists. Paul went to them. He went to the Cimmerian tribes in Asia Minor, to the Zarahites in Hibernia (Catalonia, Spain), to the Celts (Silurians) and Saccae (Sythians) in Britain. There is a book, Saint Paul in Britain, by R.W. Morgan, 1984, artisanpublishers.com that has details. The Angli (Angles) ended up mostly in East Anglia where Simon Zealotes went and was martyred by the Romans. Britain was the first country to officially declare itself to be a Christian nation.

 

[rturner76]

Greater Israel - northern kingdom - was the barbarian tribes that migrated into Europe as the Scythians (Saxons), Cimmerians (Celts), Parthians, etc. and, remembering why Yahweh divorced them in the first place, they were largely pagan with a remnant core of Yahwists. Paul went to them. He went to the Cimmerian tribes in Asia Minor, to the Zarahites in Hibernia (Catalonia, Spain), to the Celts (Silurians) and Saccae (Sythians) in Britain. There is a book, Saint Paul in Britain, by R.W. Morgan, 1984, artisanpublishers.com that has details. The Angli (Angles) ended up mostly in East Anglia where Simon Zealotes went and was martyred by the Romans. Britain was the first country to officially declare itself to be a Christian nation.

I was not aware of Paul's travels to the Britich Isles. Thank you for the lesson. If you don't mind me asking, where did you learn of these things? I had no idea that St Paul made it to the British Isles. I was under the impression that he did most of his work in the Greek Isles and the Middle East in modern-day Israel. Are you aware of any other travels of the Blessed Saint that may not be common knowledge?

 

[DennisF]

I was not aware of Paul's travels to the Britich Isles. Thank you for the lesson. If you don't mind me asking, where did you learn of these things? I had no idea that St Paul made it to the British Isles. I was under the impression that he did most of his work in the Greek Isles and the Middle East in modern-day Israel. Are you aware of any other travels of the Blessed Saint that may not be common knowledge?

Do not feel ignorant; almost all Christians do not know the forgotten, ignored, or avoided early Bible history, yet it comes from accessible sources and notable historical figures such as Flavius Josephus, Strabo, Diodorus Siculus (of Sicily) and others. The discoveries of Near East archaeology provided the missing links in tracing European origins and shows where the "lost sheep" of Israel were in the first century.
I am only a customer of a publisher who specializes in forgotten biblical history, so this is not an ad. They have enough books, largely by historians who do not fit into the classics-based foundation of Western history but trace the Europeans back farther to the Mideast in origin. (For more on this, see my Eschatology Note # 2 under the blog "Eschatology Notes".)

Around 1800, British lawyer-historian Sharon Turner wrote a carefully documented multi-volume work, History of the Anglo-Saxons in which he traces the Angli and Sacasune back to cities in NW Persia (or Media in BC times), then he loses the trail, only to be picked up nearly two centuries later by archaeologist E. Raymond Capt while going through the clay tablets (actually photos of them) in the British Museum in London, moved there from the excavation of the royal library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh in the 1840s by another English lawyer, Austin Henry Layard (the real Indiana Jones!), and this marked the dawn of Ancient Near East (ANE) archaeology. Capt picked up the trail (he read Assyrian cuneiform) and traced them to the tribes of Israelites deported by Assyria.

Similarly, for the NT history, the same is true; much of it is forgotten or for theological reasons, simply ignored. Three apostles were in Britain: Paul, Simon Zealotes, and Philip, though he spent more time in what now is northern France. In the early church councils, the custom was to seat the delegates from the different churches in chronological order of the churches. The delegate from Jerusalem was seated first. Who was next? Antioch? Rome? Neither; it was the delegate from Avalon, the culdee (refugee) church founded by Joseph of Arimathea. Avalon is still visited and is near Glastonbury, England, in the Cornwall-Devonshire area, which in the first century was Dumnonia, where the Romans mined tin and lead. The connection to Joseph was that he was the "Bill Gates" of the metal industry at that time, with the Roman title of Nobilis Decurio - the person in charge of the mines. He was no obscure figure, having the political clout to ask Pontius Pilate for the crucified body of Jesus, an illegal act under Roman law which the Establishment Judeans used against him and which sent him and his party (Lazarus, the two Marys, some others) into exile by sea. They landed in Masillia (Marseilles) France where druids invited him to bring the gospel to the Britons. The druids knew the name of the Messiah (Jesu) 150 years prior and were waiting for him.

Another ignored church of the first half of the first century is that in the Rhone Valley of southern France, where Lazarus and both Marys are buried in churches of ancient origin in towns there. For more on this, read the book, The Drama of the Lost Disciples, by George Jowett and also The Coming of the Saints by John Taylor, both available from the above printer. The books there should keep you reading for a few years!

 

[rturner76]

For more on this, read the book, The Drama of the Lost Disciples, by George Jowett and also The Coming of the Saints by John Taylor, both available from the above printer. The books there should keep you reading for a few years!

I am going to do a search for these books. Are they hard to find or perhaps there are copies on Amazon? I just can't afford to travel to Britan, France, or Jerusalem to find them in a dusty monetary somewhere. It sounds like a lot to take in. I'm going to write the names of these books in my journal and hopefully, I can find them or at least some essays about them. I truly had no idea that St Paul made it to Britain though I know a first-century church was established there and I had no idea that Mother Mary and Mary Magdlain made it to France. I thought that they never made it out of Palestine/Israel. Very enlightening, thank you so much, and may God bless your research Now I just have to really write these names down and search for the cheapest versions possible. It sounds like these books may be obscure.

 

[DennisF]

I am going to do a search for these books. Are they hard to find or perhaps there are copies on Amazon? I just can't afford to travel to Britan, France, or Jerusalem to find them in a dusty monetary somewhere. It sounds like a lot to take in. I'm going to write the names of these books in my journal and hopefully, I can find them or at least some essays about them. I truly had no idea that St Paul made it to Britain though I know a first-century church was established there and I had no idea that Mother Mary and Mary Magdlain made it to France. I thought that they never made it out of Palestine/Israel. Very enlightening, thank you so much, and may God bless your research Now I just have to really write these names down and search for the cheapest versions possible. It sounds like these books may be obscure.

These books are readily available at a low price from the publisher in the United States. See artisanpublishers.com

 

[KevinT]

Did Paul observe the weekly sabbaths after his conversion?

That would depend on the occasion. After the conversion, I don't think he observed the sabbaths as strictly as before. It was a time of transition between traditional Judaism and Gentile Christianity.

I have some additional thoughts on this topic.

Saul (later Paul) was raised following the 10 commandments and likely understood the wisdom of, for example, not stealing.

Instead of asking how Paul would think about commandment #4 (the Sabbath), let's first think about other commandments.
Like an algebra problem, let's replace Sabbath observance (#4) with a variable, as below:

Did Paul observe commandment_#X after is conversion?

Let's pick X=8. Did Paul observe commandment #8 (stealing)?

I think most would agree that Paul did not feel it was OK to start stealing after his conversion.

As a quick reference, here is a listing of the 10 commandments.

1. You shall have no other gods before me
2. You shall not make any idols to worship
3. You shall not take the Lord's name in vain
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy
5. Honor your father and your mother
6. You shall not kill
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal
9. You shall not bear false witness
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's goods

Jesus said that all the law and prophets hang on 2 principles: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and strength, and the second is Love your Neighbor as your self. It has been pointed out that commandments #1-4 address Loving God, and commandments #5-10 address loving fellow mankind. So the Sabbath (#4) falls into the grouping of honoring and loving God. Saul and Paul would have known all this as a fundamental core of his upbringing.

Would Paul take the Lord's name in vain (#3) after his conversion? No.
Would Paul stop remembering the Sabbath day and keeping it holy (#4)? No.

Another way of asking this question is, "Did Paul keep 9 commandments or 10 commandments?" If you choose "9", then why was #4 (honoring God by remembering Him as creator) chosen for dismissal?

How the Sabbath commandment is to be followed (i.e. is it OK to carry one's mat, or go on a hike) is best discussed in a separate thread (or see my post above).

UPDATE: Did Paul think he as something special in God's eye's when he avoided committing adultery (#7)? No. Was he saved by not taking the Lord's name in vain (#3)? No. Did he understand that it was only by trusting in Jesus and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit inside him that he would become an ever more effective servant in the kingdom of God? Absolutely. Paul understood that one is saved by following Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Pharisees who followed all the 10 commandments and yet rejected Jesus may have gotten the blessings intrinsic in honoring one's parents (#5), but they missed out on eternal life that Jesus offers.

Best wishes,

KT

 

[BNR32FAN]

Before he met Jesus, he did. Paul defended himself before the Sanhedrin in Ac 23:


He was a Pharisee who strictly observed Moses' law.


Php 3:


He was blameless under Moses' law.

34 AD, Paul met Jesus on his way to Damascus. He continued to observe the Sabbath. He attended synagogues on the Sabbath (e.g., Acts 13:14, 16:13, 17:2, 18:4). Early Jewish Christians continued to observe Jewish customs, including the Sabbath. However, a split began to show between the Jewish and Gentile Christians.

48 AD, the apostle convened the Jerusalem Council and decided that circumcision was not required for Gentile believers, but they were forbidden to eat blood.

54 AD, Paul wrote in 1Co 9:


His position was bivalent. He could bond with the Jews and Gentiles depending on the occasion.

57 AD, Ro 14:



Weekly sabbaths and eating were not salvation issues. Paul did not specifically tell Jewish or Gentile Christians to observe or not to observe the sabbaths. He left it between the individual and God. However, when there was a mix of Jewish and Gentile Christians together, don't be a stumbling block for your weaker brothers with your freedoms.

59 AD, Paul returned to Jerusalem and reported to the elders in Acts 21:


Jewish Christians were zealous for Moses' law.


The Judaizers (the circumcision party) lied to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem that Paul taught other Jews outside of Jerusalem to forsake Moses.


How to pacify these Jewish Christians in Jerusalem?


When the local Christian Jews saw Paul's shaved head, they might be convinced he did observe the law.

This seems to indicate that Paul himself kept the Mosaic law unless it was only to show that he kept the law. However, if Paul didn't keep the Mosaic law but took a Nazarite vow to appear as if he did, this seems to be a problem for Paul's integrity. Thoughts?

Paul's conscience was clear.

60 AD, Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea. He defended himself before Felix and Ananias, the high priest. Ac 24:


Paul did not teach Jews to forsake Moses. His conscience and integrity were clear before God.

Before his conversion, Paul strictly observed the weekly sabbaths. After his conversion, he did not teach Jews not to observe the sabbaths.

Did Paul observe the weekly sabbaths after his conversion?

That would depend on the occasion. After the conversion, I don't think he observed the sabbaths as strictly as before. It was a time of transition between traditional Judaism and Gentile Christianity.

See also

• If you relax the Law, you will be least in the kingdom of heaven?
• Was Paul against observing special days?

Here’s another important piece of information to consider. Did the apostles follow Christ’s instructions pertaining to the Great Commission?

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Did the apostles teach us to observe all that Jesus commanded them? Where’s their teaching about sabbath observance? If Jesus taught them to continue to observe the sabbath and they didn’t teach their congregations to observe it then they failed to do what He commanded them to do.

 

[tonychanyt]

Another way of asking this question is, "Did Paul keep 9 commandments or 10 commandments?" If you choose "9", then why was #4 (honoring God by remembering Him as creator) chosen for dismissal?

He did not dismiss the 4th commandment. He lived in a time of transition from OT synagogues to the NT Jewish congregation to the NT Gentile church. Check out Did Paul teach Jewish Jesus-believers to forsake Moses' law?