New Testament Sabbath

[Rochester]

The Sabbath was given by God to be an exclusive sign to Israel. The Sabbath is never spoken of other than in the context of the COI and Jews. This sign is never said to be somehow transfered or given to Gentile believers.

True scripturally, but it is a good thing to take time to remember the Creator.

I think that is the eternal purpose of the Sabbath.

 

[sdmsanjose]

The Sabbath was given to Israel, not the church. The Sabbath is still Saturday, not Sunday, and has never been changed. But the Sabbath is part of the Old Testament Law, and Christians are free from the bondage of the Law (Galatians 4:1-26; Romans 6:14). Sabbath keeping is not required of the Christian—be it Saturday or Sunday. The first day of the week, Sunday, the Lord's Day (Revelation 1:10) celebrates the New Creation, with Christ as our resurrected Head. We are not obligated to follow the Mosaic Sabbath—resting, but are now free to follow the risen Christ—serving. The Apostle Paul said that each individual Christian should decide whether to observe a Sabbath rest, “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:5). We are to worship God every day, not just on Saturday or Sunday.
http://www.gotquestions.org/Saturday-Sunday.html

 

[Rochester]

Tried to quote you, couldn't due to link prohibition.
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Biblically that (what you said) is true as a doctrine, but experientially it is good to take time to remember the Creator.

Why every 7th day was chosen in the bible I don't have a clue, probably Hebrew mysticism and numerology is involved in it.

I think it is a good idea no matter when you start counting the days. For instance depending on when you start counting, Wednesday could be the Sabbath.

As long as you remember the Creator that's the deal about the Sabbath.

 

[PROPHECYKID]

Tried to quote you, couldn't due to link prohibition.
--------------------

Biblically that (what you said) is true as a doctrine, but experientially it is good to take time to remember the Creator.

Why every 7th day was chosen in the bible I don't have a clue, probably Hebrew mysticism and numerology is involved in it.

I think it is a good idea no matter when you start counting the days. For instance depending on when you start counting, Wednesday could be the Sabbath.

As long as you remember the Creator that's the deal about the Sabbath.

Is it not important, that God blessed, made holy and sanctified the 7th day of the week? Is it not important that he asked us to keep holy the very day he made holy? Therefore, how can we attempt to disregard the special blessing placed on the 7th day and say that it doesn't matter which day of the week the Sabbath is.

 

[OldStudent]

The Sabbath was given by God to be an exclusive sign to Israel. The Sabbath is never spoken of other than in the context of the COI and Jews. This sign is never said to be somehow transfered or given to Gentile believers. Signs are ceremonial by nature.

"The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath" Mk 2:27. "...made for man..." - total inclusion - much more general than, say, Israel. See Gen 2:1-3; Ex 20:11. Did He mean to say that? Did He make a mistake that we are correcting? If He is lord of the sabbath is He not claiming it is His and He has the right to interpret it? If He is lord of the sabbath He is defending, if He is our Lord: does it make sense to write ourselves an exemption? "If you love me, keep my commandments" Jn 14:15. Lovers are all ears for hints about what pleases their partner. Please give some consideration to post 98 on page 10 including suggested added research.

Have you done a word search on "sabbath" for the book of Acts? While it is true there is no teaching directly about the sabbath, there is example in the sense of that's-what-we-do. There are even some extended periods of sabbath observance indicated but nothing of "correction" about it. In some settings gentiles were present and there is no indication they had a different appointment.

By His own hand God wrote a table of law in stone - twice. If, as a key word, you follow the word "testimony" after Exodus 20 it becomes apparent that God is quite interested in and meticulous about that document. It was given a special place in the Tabernacle - He set His throne on it (Ex 25:16, 21-22; 40:20). That doesn't look like ceremony - it looks like the constitution of a government. The 7th-day sabbath is part of that constitution. Has God written a new constitution or was the life work, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus key to enabling us to live under the one He wrote? The other document describing other sabbaths (and those may be more justly classified "ceremonial") were written in Moses' handwriting under God's direction in a book and placed as a supplement "in the side of the ark of the covenant..." see Deut 31:24-26.

 

[from scratch]

"The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath" Mk 2:27. "...made for man..." - total inclusion - much more general than, say, Israel. See Gen 2:1-3; Ex 20:11. Did He mean to say that? Did He make a mistake that we are correcting? If He is lord of the sabbath is He not claiming it is His and He has the right to interpret it? If He is lord of the sabbath He is defending, if He is our Lord: does it make sense to write ourselves an exemption? "If you love me, keep my commandments" Jn 14:15. Lovers are all ears for hints about what pleases their partner. Please give some consideration to post 98 on page 10 including suggested added research.

First who is Jesus talking to? Second where is the sabbath given to anyone else? If it is a special sign to Isreal, how could the be if every one observes it?

Have you done a word search on "sabbath" for the book of Acts? While it is true there is no teaching directly about the sabbath, there is example in the sense of that's-what-we-do. There are even some extended periods of sabbath observance indicated but nothing of "correction" about it. In some settings gentiles were present and there is no indication they had a different appointment.

The subject is a very serious one for me. And yes I've studied it. There are no commands in the NT even by Jesus to observe the 7th day sabbath. Your references to instances in Acts are ususally for the purpose of evangelizing the Jew and not the keeping of the sabbath. Being in the synagogue on the sabbath doesn't imply sabbath keeping. Worshipping on saturday isn't keeping the sabbath either. Worship isn't contingent on a day.

By His own hand God wrote a table of law in stone - twice. If, as a key word, you follow the word "testimony" after Exodus 20 it becomes apparent that God is quite interested in and meticulous about that document. It was given a special place in the Tabernacle - He set His throne on it (Ex 25:16, 21-22; 40:20). That doesn't look like ceremony - it looks like the constitution of a government. The 7th-day sabbath is part of that constitution. Has God written a new constitution or was the life work, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus key to enabling us to live under the one He wrote? The other document describing other sabbaths (and those may be more justly classified "ceremonial") were written in Moses' handwriting under God's direction in a book and placed as a supplement "in the side of the ark of the covenant..." see Deut 31:24-26.

NTL they are the law. If you keep any of the law you're obligated to the whole law.

 

[from scratch]

Who does one honor when they keep the Sabbath? A day or the one who made the day? Your opening statements are incorrect. For instance, God gave the 1st commandment to Moses. Is that command a shadow of Christ? Is the second a shadow? Is the third? Is the fifth? Is "Thou shalt not kill" a shadow of Christ or points to Christ?

Does one dishonor God by not keeping the sabbath? See Romans 14.

We are under a different covenant.

Does one dishonor God by woprshipping Him on Sunday?

 

[Steve Petersen]

I was just reading through Acts 15, and I didn't find anything which required the Gentiles to observe the seventh day Sabbath. Acts 15:28 says, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things." (NIV)

This verse is telling the Gentiles that they are required to do the above things, but it doesn't mention the Sabbath. In the Jerusalem Counsel, it was also decided that Gentiles need not be circumcised in able to obtain salvation.

Am I missing something?

Yes. The Gentiles encountered up to this point in Acts were already God-fearers (vis. Cornelius), that is, they were already participating in Jewish life to some extent. Josephus says that Sabbath observance was very popular among Gentiles in Asia Minor. Curiously this is exactly what we encounter in Acts when Paul goes on his journies: Gentiles in the synagogues hearing the Scriptures.