Hello-
I recently did a mini-study on the Sabbath and am a bit conflicted as to how I should act on Sunday. I do not have to work for my job on Sunday but I do like to do some "work" of reading to either prepare for the coming week or "work" on family finances or investments.
I read many things in the Bible that seemed to limit the rules of the Sabbath:
1. 2 Colossians 2:16-17 tells us to not let anyone judge us according to a Sabbath day.
2. In Hebrews 8:13 we learn the new covenant made the old one obsolete.
3. Jeremiah 31:31-34 foretells of a new covenant for God's people
4. Ephesians 2:11-18 tells us Jesus set aside the law with its commands and regulations
5. I know in Matthew 12, Jesus told His disciples it was ok to pick grain. In John 7 and Luke 13 we learn He heals on the Sabbath.
6. I learned Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly to be a sacrifice for us.
7. I know we are not saved by works and that Jesus fulfilled the old covenant for us by dying on the cross.
I feel like the above points, among others, tells us that Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the old covenant for us and we are no longer bound by the law. Jesus taught the important of compassion and love rather then strict adherence to the law. I also realize that I did not find any direct teaching from Him that taught we could work for economic gain on the Sabbath.
After reading the above, I felt the appropriate stance was:
Jesus fulfilled the old covenant for us so we are no longer bound by the Sabbath law that God instituted with the Jews. There is no specific law against working that we are held to. That being said, we should honor God everyday, with the Sabbath being a special day to honor Him. We should not do anything that will inhibit our ability to honor Him.
But then I read Matthew 5:17 and to me this seems to be a specific instruction from Jesus that we should obey the law.
Am I missing anything about the context of Matthew 5:17? Was Jesus talking about the Ten Commandments? The whole Jewish law system?
Thanks
I recently did a mini-study on the Sabbath and am a bit conflicted as to how I should act on Sunday. I do not have to work for my job on Sunday but I do like to do some "work" of reading to either prepare for the coming week or "work" on family finances or investments.
I read many things in the Bible that seemed to limit the rules of the Sabbath:
1. 2 Colossians 2:16-17 tells us to not let anyone judge us according to a Sabbath day.
2. In Hebrews 8:13 we learn the new covenant made the old one obsolete.
3. Jeremiah 31:31-34 foretells of a new covenant for God's people
4. Ephesians 2:11-18 tells us Jesus set aside the law with its commands and regulations
5. I know in Matthew 12, Jesus told His disciples it was ok to pick grain. In John 7 and Luke 13 we learn He heals on the Sabbath.
6. I learned Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly to be a sacrifice for us.
7. I know we are not saved by works and that Jesus fulfilled the old covenant for us by dying on the cross.
I feel like the above points, among others, tells us that Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the old covenant for us and we are no longer bound by the law. Jesus taught the important of compassion and love rather then strict adherence to the law. I also realize that I did not find any direct teaching from Him that taught we could work for economic gain on the Sabbath.
After reading the above, I felt the appropriate stance was:
Jesus fulfilled the old covenant for us so we are no longer bound by the Sabbath law that God instituted with the Jews. There is no specific law against working that we are held to. That being said, we should honor God everyday, with the Sabbath being a special day to honor Him. We should not do anything that will inhibit our ability to honor Him.
But then I read Matthew 5:17 and to me this seems to be a specific instruction from Jesus that we should obey the law.
Am I missing anything about the context of Matthew 5:17? Was Jesus talking about the Ten Commandments? The whole Jewish law system?
Thanks