Why Protestant churches dont keep the Sabbath.

[reddogs]

Almost the whole Christian world reverences Sunday, did God know that this attempt to change His holy Sabbath would occur?
"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. " Daniel 7:25

"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." Acts 20:28-30

Yes, long ago God predicted that, from within the church itself, misguided men would arise who would attempt to change His holy law. So the prophecy was true, and it has come to fruition as the Sabbath and those who kept it were swept away, and a substitute put in.

 

[reddogs]

Here are some statements showing which show who the Protestant churches are following and its not the Bible:

"Protestants ... accept Sunday rather than Saturday as the day for public worship after the Catholic Church made the change... But the Protestant mind does not seem to realize that ... in observing Sunday, they are accepting the authority of the spokesman for the Church, the pope." Our Sunday Visitor, February 5th, 1950. This Rock



Question: Which is the Sabbath day?
Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day.

Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday. -Rev. Peter Geiermann C.SS.R., The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, p. 50


Q. Should not the Protestant doubt when he finds that he himself holds tradition as a guide?
A. Yes, if he would but reflect that he has nothing but Catholic Tradition for keeping the Sunday holy; ... Controversial Catechism by Stephen Keenan, New Edition, revised by Rev. George Cormack, published in London by Burns & Oates, Limited - New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: Benzinger Brothers, 1896, pages 6, 7.

"The Church, on the other hand, after changing the day of rest from the Jewish Sabbath, or seventh day of the week, to the first, made the Third Commandment refer to Sunday as the day to be kept holy as the Lord's Day. The Council of Trent (Sess. VI, can. xix) condemns those who deny that the Ten Commandments are binding on Christians." The Catholic Encyclopedia, Commandments of God, Volume IV, © 1908 by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition © 1999 by Kevin Knight, Nihil Obstat - Remy Lafort, Censor Imprimatur - +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York, page 153.

''The [Roman Catholic] Church changed the observance of the Sabbath to Sunday by right of the divine, infallible authority given to her by her founder, Jesus Christ. The Protestant claiming the Bible to be the only guide of faith, has no warrant for observing Sunday. In this matter the Seventh-day Adventist is the only consistent Protestant.'' The Catholic Universe Bulletin, August 14, 1942, p. 4.

"All of us believe many things in regard to religion that we do not find in the Bible. For example, nowhere in the Bible do we find that Christ or the Apostles ordered that the Sabbath be changed from Saturday to Sunday. We have the commandment of God given to Moses to keep holy the Sabbath Day, that is the 7th day of the week, Saturday. Today most Christians keep Sunday because it has been revealed to us by the Church outside the Bible." The Catholic Virginian, "To Tell You The Truth,” Vol. 22, No. 49 (Oct. 3, 1947).

"... you may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify." The Faith of Our Fathers, by James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, 88th edition, page 89. Originally published in 1876, republished and Copyright 1980 by TAN Books and Publishers, Inc., pages 72-73.

'Deny the authority of the Church and you have no adequate or reasonable explanation or justification for the substitution of Sunday for Saturday in the Third - Protestant Fourth - Commandment of God... The Church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact.'' Catholic Record, September 1, 1923.

"But since Saturday, not Sunday, is specified in the Bible, isn't it curious that non-Catholics who profess to take their religion directly from the Bible and not the Church, observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Yes, of course, it is inconsistent; but this change was made about fifteen centuries before Protestantism was born, and by that time the custom was universally observed. They have continued the custom, even though it rests upon the authority of the Catholic Church and not upon an explicit text in the Bible. That observance remains as a reminder of the Mother Church from which the non-Catholic sects broke away - like a boy running away from home but still carrying in his pocket a picture of his mother or a lock of her hair." The Faith of Millions


"Perhaps the boldest thing, the most revolutionary change the Church ever did, happened in the first century. The holy day, the Sabbath, was changed from Saturday to Sunday. "The Day of the Lord" (dies Dominica) was chosen, not from any directions noted in the Scriptures, but from the Church's sense of its own power. The day of resurrection, the day of Pentecost, fifty days later, came on the first day of the week. So this would be the new Sabbath. People who think that the Scriptures should be the sole authority, should logically become 7th Day Adventists, and keep Saturday holy." Sentinel, Pastor's page, Saint Catherine Catholic Church, Algonac, Michigan, May 21, 1995

'If Protestants would follow the Bible, they would worship God on the Sabbath Day. In keeping the Sunday they are following a law of the Catholic Church.' Albert Smith, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, replying for the Cardinal, in a letter dated February 10, 1920.

'It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and all other Christians, that the Bible does not support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday. Sunday is an institution of the Roman Catholic Church, and those who observe the day observe a commandment of the Catholic Church.'Priest Brady, in an address, reported in the Elizabeth, NJ on March 18, 1903. This Rock


'Of course these .. quotations are exactly correct. The Catholic Church designated Sunday as the day for corporate worship and gets full credit or blame ' This Rock,The Magazine of Catholic Apologetics and Evangelization, p.8, June 1997


'The observance of Sunday by the Protestants is homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the [Catholic] Church.' Monsignor Louis Segur, 'Plain Talk about the Protestantism of Today';, p. 213.

 

[reddogs]

The apostle Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, foretold the great apostasy which would come into the church. He declared that before the return of Christ would, "come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who exalteth himself above all that is called God;" Even at that early date he saw, creeping into the church, errors in belief that would prepare the way for the false teachings to come in.

Little by little, and then more openly as it increased in strength and gained control of believers, paganism and idol worship came into the church. The customs of heathenism began to find their way into the early Christian church and compromise and conformity to paganism was held back for a time by the fierce persecutions by the Roman Emperors. But as persecution ceased, and Christianity was accepted and entered the courts and palaces of the Emperors and Kings, the true church laid aside the humble simplicity of Christ for the pomp and pride of priests and pagan leaders and in place of the truth from God, it substituted human theories, rites and traditions.

It started slowly, a change here a compromise there, but the then with acceptance the gates to apostasy were fully opened by Emperor Constantine, who tried to politically not to leave out or alienate those who practiced paganism after he claim to convert to Christianity. He declared the bishop of Rome as the enforcer of truth and forced the merger of paganism into the church, and the heathen religion now cloaked with a form of righteousness, walked into the church. Paganism, while appearing to be vanquished by the church, became the conqueror. Pagan doctrines, ceremonies, and superstitions were incorporated into the faith and worship of the professed followers of Christ.

This compromise between paganism and Christianity resulted in the development of "the man of sin" foretold in prophecy as opposing and exalting himself above God.

In the early church, the bishop of Rome now became regarded as a Patriarchate, i.e. an autonomous diocese along with Alexandria and Antioch. Then the patriachates of Constantinople and Jerusalem was added in the fifth century. This group of five was regarded as leading the church as a whole. However, gaining political influence and claiming "historical events" (the tradition that Peter and Paul had been martyred in Rome) the Bishop of Rome made himself first among equals. To secure worldly gains and honors, the church was led to seek the favor and support of the political and secular leaders, and the church as a whole was forced to yield allegiance to the bishop of Rome.

 

[reddogs]

What happened next can only be the "Great Apostasy" as we read from Wikipedia. "
The Great Apostasy is a term used by some religious groups to describe the perceived fallen state of traditional Christianity, especially the Roman Catholic Church, because they claim it allowed traditional Greco-Roman culture (i.e.Greco-Roman mysteries, deities of solar monism such as Mithras and Sol Invictus, pagan festivals and Mithraic sun worship and idol worship) into the church. That it is not representative of the faith founded by Jesus and promulgated through his twelve Apostles: in short, in their opinion, the church has fallen into apostasy.[1][2] They feel that to attract the pagans to nominal Christianity, the Catholic Church took measures to amalgamate the Christian and pagan festivals so pagans would join the church;[3] for example, bringing in the pagan festival of Easter as a substitute for the Pasch or Passover, although neither Jesus nor his Apostles enjoined the keeping of this or any other festival.[4][5]

They consider the Papacy to be in full-blown apostasy for allowing pagan rituals, the worship of Mary and idols[6], and pagan beliefs and ceremonies to come into the church, having those who pointed out its apostasy persecuted and killed and never repenting of or fully admitting the true extent of its actions.[7][8][9][10]"

Many pagans worshiped the sun and other pagan gods as they thought that their sun gods and fertility goddesses died at the winter solstice and came back to life at the spring equinox. Baal worship is sun worship, and Ashtoreth / Ishtar / Astarte is the queen of heaven. These pagan gods had spread through Egyptian/Greek influence and spread throughout the known Roman world.

Note what it says in Judges:
"Judges 2:13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth."

It is the apostasy of sun and idol worship of Baal and Ashtaroth that started to come into the church.
The pagans fashioned Madonna and child icons and placed them in sacred shrines. With the rise of Christianity it seemed that the goddess would slowly disappear and fade away. But instead the names and the images of the Madonna and child have changed, but we find them again, the blending of their ancient goddesses with christianized idols was a major part of what allowed the pagans to keep their pagan gods but get in the church.

The Bible would have quickly shown they had turned away into false beliefs so its truths had to be concealed and suppressed. But for hundreds of years the circulation of the Bible was prohibited. The people were forbidden to read it or to have it in their houses, as false traditions and men interpreted its teachings. Thus the bishop of Rome came to be almost universally acknowledged as the vicegerent of God on earth, endowed with authority over church and state.

To afford converts from heathenism a substitute for the worship of idols, and thus to promote their nominal acceptance of Christianity, the adoration of images and relics was gradually introduced into the Christian worship. To hide what they had done, they presumed to expunge from the law of God the second commandment in their writings, forbidding image worship, and to divide the tenth commandment, in order to preserve the number.

.

 

[reddogs]

Then they went after the fourth commandment also, and slowly set aside the Sabbath, and put in the festival day observed by the heathen as "the venerable day of the sun." With great subtlety they worked to bring about this change. That the attention of the people might be called to the Sunday, it was made a festival in honor of the resurrection of Christ. Religious services were held upon it; yet it was regarded as a day of recreation, the Sabbath being still sacredly observed.

In the early part of the fourth century the emperor Constantine as part his merging of paganism with the church had issued a decree making Sunday a public festival throughout the Roman Empire. The day of the sun was reverenced by his pagan subjects and was honored by Christians; it was the emperor's policy to unite the conflicting interests of heathenism and Christianity. He was urged to do this by the bishops of the church, who perceived that if the same day was observed by both Christians and heathen, it would promote the nominal acceptance of Christianity by pagans and thus advance the power and glory of the church.

But while many God-fearing Christians were gradually led to regard Sunday as possessing a degree of sacredness, they still held the true Sabbath as the holy of the Lord and observed it in obedience to the fourth commandment. But with so many former adherents to worship of the sun, it was gradually substituted with a day which they were already inclined. Thus the pagan festival came finally to be honored as a divine institution, while the Bible Sabbath was pronounced a relic of Judaism, and its observers were declared to be heretics.

Those now leading the church resolved to gather the Christian world under its banner and to exercise power through bishop of Rome or pontiff who now claimed to be the representative of Christ. The Pope had succeeded in exalting himself above God. By the sixth century the power of the bishop of Rome had become firmly established. Its seat of power was fixed in the imperial city, and the bishop of Rome was declared to be the head over the entire church. Christians were forced to choose either to yield their integrity and accept the papal ceremonies and worship, or to wear away their lives in dungeons or suffer death by the rack, or the headsman's ax.

Persecution once again was opened upon the true Christians but this time by the bishop of Rome or Pontiff himself instead of the Roman Emperor, and the world became a vast battlefield as true believers were killed for hundreds of years. The accession of the Papacy and the Roman Church to power marked the beginning of the Dark Ages. Faith was transferred from Christ, the true foundation, to man or the papal power.

The people were taught not only to look to the pontiff as their mediator, but to trust to works of their own to atone for sin. Long pilgrimages, acts of penance, the worship of relics, the erection of churches, shrines, and altars, the payment of large sums to the church were the price to secure His favor; as if God were like men, to be pacified by gifts or acts of penance!

Thus the minds of the people were turned away from God to fallible, corruptible men who claimed to lead the church, and the bishop of Rome who came to regard himself as supreme, with the elevation of false laws and corrupt traditions that always results from setting aside the law of God.

We must read the scriptures and cleanse ourselves from any of the paganism and false worship especially the day of the sun as the Sabbath, pagan festivals or "Holy Days" that have been spread into many churches beliefs. The Protestant churches that split from and began the Reformation because they saw the truth and fought so hard against the Papal Roman church are now falling back one by one to unifying with it as the ecumenical movement is bringing force to bear, to beliefs in secularism and false doctrines of "Tradition" and paganism. Slowly but surely they are giving up the true beliefs that were their foundation until they become nothing more but secular social clubs with pagan traditions and festivals. The Churches of the Reformation must awake as the reformation had based its separation from Rome on the Word of God, and had placed the gospel of Jesus Christ at the disposal of the common man. The striving of the reformers was to make the Word of God available to everyone seeking knowledge of the plan of salvation. They must go back to the word and strive to restore truths that have been lost through centuries of false doctrines and "traditions", especially the Sabbath.

There are even more statements on the Sabbath, the Catholic Church is very clear on this:

"The retention of the old pagan name of Dies Solis, for Sunday is, in a great measure, owing to the union of pagan and Christian sentiment with which the first day of the week was recommended by Constantine to his subjects - pagan and Christian alike - as the 'venerable' day of the sun."" Arthur P. Stanley, History of the Eastern Church, p. 184

"When St. Paul repudiated the works of the law, he was not thinking of the Ten Commandments, which are as unchangeable as God Himself is, which God could not change and still remain the infinitely holy God."-Our Sunday Visitor, Oct. 7, I951.

"Question: How prove you that the Church hath power to command feasts and holydays?
Answer: By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of; and therefore they fondly contradict themselves, by keeping Sunday strictly, and breaking most other feasts commanded by the same Church." Henry Tuberville, An Abridgment of the Christian Doctrine (1833 approbation), p.58 (Same statement in Manual of Christian Doctrine, ed. by Daniel Ferris [1916 ed.], p.67)
"Some theologians have held that God likewise directly determined the Sunday as the day of worship in the NEW LAW, that he himself has explicitly substituted sunday for the Sabbath. But this theory is entirely abandoned. It is now commonly held that God simply gave His church the power to set aside whatever day or days she would deem suitable as holy days. The church chose sunday, the first day of the week, and in the course of time added other days as holy days." John Laux A Course in Religion for Catholic High Schools and Academies 1936, vol.1 p.51

"Sunday is a Catholic institution, and... can be defended only on Catholic principles.... From beginning to end of Scripture there is not a single passage that warrants the transfer of weekly public worship from the last day of the week to the first." Catholic Press, Aug. 25, 1900
"The Sabbath was Saturday, not Sunday. The Church altered the observance of the Sabbath to the observance of Sunday. Protestants must be rather puzzled by the keeping of Sunday when God distinctly said, 'Keep holy the Sabbath Day.' The word Sunday does not come anywhere in the Bible, so, without knowing it they are obeying the authority of the Catholic Church." Canon Cafferata, The Catechism Explained, p. 89.

''Reason and sense demand the acceptance of one or the other of these alternatives: either Protestantism and the keeping holy of Saturday, or Catholicity and the keeping holy of Sunday. Compromise is impossible.'' John Cardinal Gibbons, The Catholic Mirror, December 23, 1893

 

[A_Thinker]

Almost the whole Christian world reverences Sunday, did God know that this attempt to change His holy Sabbath would occur?
"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. " Daniel 7:25

"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." Acts 20:28-30

Yes, long ago God predicted that, from within the church itself, misguided men would arise who would attempt to change His holy law. So the prophecy was true, and it has come to fruition as the Sabbath and those who kept it were swept away, and a substitute put in.

Most (American) Protestants REST (from their labor) on the Sabbath day (Saturday).

Most (American) Protestants gather together for WORSHIP on Sunday, a tradition which was begun in the post-ascension church.

Acts 20:7 "Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight."

Paul taught flexibility in observances and worship settings ... and to let no man judge on these matters ...

Colossians 2

16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

 

[reddogs]

Now those that kept the Sabbath were subject to great persecution as the "Christian" leaders began to make laws against the Sabbath, forcing the pagan day of worship to the forefront with "Sunday Laws"...

Here are a few:
One of the first Sunday Law enacted states "Let all judges and all city people and all tradesmen rest upon the venerable day of the sun. But let those dwelling in the country freely and with full liberty attend to the culture of their fields; since it frequently happens that no other day is so fit for the sowing of grain, or the planting of vines; hence, the favorable time should not be allowed to pass, lest the provisions of heaven be lost." -- Edict of March 7, 321 A.D. Corpus Juris Civilis Cod., lib. 3, tit. 12, Lex. 3. Constantine (and Crispus) being consul (each for the second time). 321 A.D.

"For several centuries, Christians observed Sunday simply as a day of worship, without being able to give it the specific meaning of Sabbath rest. Only in the fourth century did the civil law of the Roman Empire recognize the weekly recurrence, determining that on "the day of the sun" the judges, the people of the cities and the various trade corporations would not work"- Pope John Paul II-DIES DOMINI-Dies Hominis v.64, May 31, 1998
'The Pope has power to change times, to abrogate (change) laws, and to dispense with all things, even the precepts of Christ." Decretal, de Tranlatic Episcop. This , my friends, is blasphemy. The pope believes that he can forever change the laws of the very Creator without retribution. Notice this very similar wording in the book of Daniel:
The Holy Bible -KJV, Daniel 7:21 "I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;" 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
'The Pope has authority and has often exercised it, to dispense with the command of Christ." Decretal, de Tranlatic Episcop. Cap.( This is very true as he did away with God's seventhday Sabbath and replaced it with his own first day or Lord's day....the day of the Sungod.~kh)
The pope would like to make keeping Sunday "a Must" - ``Sunday is something much different: It is the weekly day in which the church celebrates the resurrection of Christ,'' he said. ``In obedience to the Third Commandment (really the fourth commandment -but one does not expect those who worship graven images to acknowledge a commandment against them~kh), Sunday must be sanctified, above all by participation in holy Mass.'' Pope John Paul II-DIES DOMINI-Dies Hominis, May 31, 1998
"In respecting religious liberty and the common good of all, Christians should seek recognition of Sundays and the Church's holy days as legal holidays." Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994, 585....Sabbath Commandment Vs Sunday Law

 

[Dkh587]

I used to be a Protestant

I realized, though, that the Protestants are still under the authority of the Catholic Church because they reject the 7th day Sabbath, and instead teach and believe to rest on Sunday, that the sabbath is now the first day of the week. They also celebrate pagan holidays such as Easter & Christmas, while rejecting God's holy days written about in Leviticus 23 that messiah & apostles kept.

This directly indicates that the Protestant movement never broke away too far from the RCC

 

[A_Thinker]

I used to be a Protestant

I realized, though, that the Protestants are still under the authority of the Catholic Church because they reject the 7th day Sabbath, and instead teach and believe to rest on Sunday, that the sabbath is now the first day of the week. They also celebrate pagan holidays such as Easter & Christmas, while rejecting God's holy days written about in Leviticus 23 that messiah & apostles kept.

This directly indicates that the Protestant movement never broke away too far from the RCC

Paul taught flexibility in observances and worship settings ... and to let no man judge on these matters ...

Colossians 2

16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

 

[Dkh587]

Paul taught flexibility in observances and worship settings ... and to let no man judge on these matters ...

Colossians 2

16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

Shalom

If you take a closer look at context, you'll see that Paul is writing to people who are keeping the Sabbath & feast days, and that he is encouraging them to not let outsiders judge them for doing so

Paul was not writing to people who didn't keep the Sabbath - he was not writing to sabbath rejectors and telling them "don't let let people judge you for not keeping the Sabbath"

He was doing the opposite: encouraging them for keeping those holy days & food/drink laws.

When you see "therefore" or "for" at the beginning of a verse, it means it is directly connected to the verse before it.

Paul was teaching the Colossians that the Sabbath & God's other holy days are a shadow of things to come.

Everything that the Sabbath & holy days point to has not yet come. They are still to be kept because they still point to things to come, not that they pointed to things that are already have come

 

[gadar perets]

Most (American) Protestants REST (from their labor) on the Sabbath day (Saturday).

Untrue. Most treat the Saturday Sabbath like any other day except Sunday. They think nothing of keeping it holy by resting. Mowing the lawn and doing all sorts of chores are prime examples.

Most (American) Protestants gather together for WORSHIP on Sunday, a tradition which was begun in the post-ascension church.

Correct, "a tradition", but not started by the church that was alive when Messiah ascended. It was started by the so called "church" after Paul and the other core Jewish believers died leaving a predominantly ignorant Gentile flock who was not spared by the wolves Paul prophesied would come.

Acts 20:7

"Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight."

What does it mean to "break bread"? Does it mean to take "the Lord's supper" on Sunday? According to Acts 2:42-46, "breaking bread" was done daily. It simply means to have a meal. In Acts 20:7, the disciples finished Sabbath services on Saturday. After the sun set ending Sabbath and beginning the first day of the week, they had a meal together followed by Paul's preaching until midnight Sunday (our Saturday night). The disciples held this special gathering because their beloved Paul was to leave the next morning (vs. 7). In the morning, he had planned to walk approx. 10 miles to Assos. Notice he would not take this strenuous, tiring trip on Sabbath, but waited instead until Sunday, another work day.

Paul taught flexibility in observances and worship settings ... and to let no man judge on these matters ...

Colossians 2

16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

"Anyone" and "no man", in context, refer to unbelievers outside the Body of Messiah (Colossians 2:8, 18, 22).

Also, your quote is not a valid translation of the Greek. All the words I put in bold are added and not found in the Greek text. They alter Paul's true meaning from unfulfilled shadows to fulfilled shadows.

The KJV almost got it right, but not quite:

Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
​

The bold words were added by the KJV. "Is" changes the idea Paul is conveying from "the body of Christ" referring to the church as in Colossians 1:18, 24 and Colossians 2:19, to a shadow/reality teaching (false as well).

 

[A_Thinker]

Paul was teaching the Colossians that the Sabbath & God's other holy days are a shadow of things to come.

Everything that the Sabbath & holy days point to has not yet come. They are still to be kept because they still point to things to come, not that they pointed to things that are already have come.

In verse 17, the text says that the reality to come ... is Christ (Who has come).

 

[gadar perets]

In verse 17, the text says that the reality to come ... is Christ (Who has come).

The word "reality" is not in the Greek. The word in Greek is "soma" meaning "body" as in Colossians 1:18, 24 and Colossians 2:19.

 

[A_Thinker]

If you take a closer look at context, you'll see that Paul is writing to people who are keeping the Sabbath & feast days, and that he is encouraging them to not let outsiders judge them for doing so.

I don't see evidence for your interpretation in the passage.

OTOH, Paul revisited this teaching in this passage from Romans 14.

Here, Paul is clearly writing to believers, admonishing them to STOP JUDGING ONE ANOTHER, simply because others worship God in differing ways (different days, eating/fasting. etc.) ...

4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 One man regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

7 For none of us lives to himself alone, and none of us dies to himself alone. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

10 Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written:

“As surely as I live, says the Lord,
every knee will bow before Me;
every tongue will confess to God.”

12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

13 Therefore let us stop judging one another.

 

[A_Thinker]

Untrue. Most treat the Saturday Sabbath like any other day except Sunday. They think nothing of keeping it holy by resting. Mowing the lawn and doing all sorts of chores are prime examples.

Simply untrue. Most Americans work Monday - Friday, and rest from their labor on Saturday (the Sabbath) and Sunday.

And Jesus, Himself, allowed His disciples to glean from the fields on the Sabbath ... and taught that it is good to do good on the Sabbath.

In John 5 we have a wonderful story of Jesus healing a lame man on the Sabbath. He told the man to take up his bed and walk.

The man was healed and took up his bed to walk out of the place.

But the Jewish leaders were unhappy:

1. • The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. John 5:10

They found that it was Jesus who told him to do this and they were angry:

1. • And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. John 5:16

It is obvious that Jesus did not follow their laws; But, what exactly was Jesus trying to teach with this healing? Was He teaching that the Sabbath was no longer important? Or was He saying something else about the Sabbath?

In this next example we will see why Jesus did what He did more clearly:

1. • And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? . . . Matthew 12:10

Jesus went into the synagogue on the Sabbath and He walked into a trap. The leaders had a man with a withered hand there and they asked Jesus "is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days?"

1. • And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. Luke 6:6-7

They all thought that even healing should not be done on the Sabbath. So they watched Jesus to see what He would do:

1. • Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? Luke 6:8-9

So Jesus asked them if it was good to do good things on the Sabbath.

1. • But they held their peace. Mark 3:4 (part)

They would not answer.

1. • And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts. Mark 3:5 (part)

Jesus was angry because of the hardness of their hearts!

1. • And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
   • How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Matthew 12:11-12

Because their livelihood was so important, They certainly would not want to lose a sheep, thus they were allowed to save the sheep on the Sabbath, yet it was not right to save a man!

From this, we can see that Jesus taught it is right and proper to do good things on the Sabbath.

 

[A_Thinker]

A_Thinker said: Most (American) Protestants gather together for WORSHIP on Sunday, a tradition which was begun in the post-ascension church.

gadar said: Correct, "a tradition", but not started by the church that was alive when Messiah ascended. It was started by the so called "church" after Paul and the other core Jewish believers died leaving a predominantly ignorant Gentile flock who was not spared by the wolves Paul prophesied would come.

It is quite obvious the following church gathering occurred during the ministry of Paul ...

Acts 20:7 "Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight."

 

[gadar perets]

Simply untrue. Most Americans work Monday - Friday, and rest from their labor on Saturday (the Sabbath) and Sunday.

The labor forbidden on Sabbath does not only pertain to one's occupation on the other six days. We are not told to rest two days and work five days. Sunday is a work day and Christians work on Sundays as well.

And Jesus, Himself, allowed His disciples to glean from the fields on the Sabbath ... and taught that it is good to do good on the Sabbath.

It is not against YHWH's law to eat from a field as you walk through it. It is only against the man made laws the Jews added to YHWH's laws making the Sabbath a bondage.

In John 5 we have a wonderful story of Jesus healing a lame man on the Sabbath. He told the man to take up his bed and walk.

The man was healed and took up his bed to walk out of the place.

But the Jewish leaders were unhappy:

1. • The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. John 5:10

They found that it was Jesus who told him to do this and they were angry:

1. • And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. John 5:16

It is obvious that Jesus did not follow their laws; But, what exactly was Jesus trying to teach with this healing? Was He teaching that the Sabbath was no longer important? Or was He saying something else about the Sabbath?

Correct, Yeshua did not feel obligated to obey the added man made laws of the Jews. If Yeshua was teaching men they could now break the Sabbath while they were still living under the Old Covenant, then he was teaching them to sin. Since that is not possible, then he was teaching them that breaking those man made Jewish laws was not a sin.

In this next example we will see why Jesus did what He did more clearly:

1. • And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? . . . Matthew 12:10

Jesus went into the synagogue on the Sabbath and He walked into a trap. The leaders had a man with a withered hand there and they asked Jesus "is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days?"

1. • And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. Luke 6:6-7

They all thought that even healing should not be done on the Sabbath. So they watched Jesus to see what He would do:

1. • Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? Luke 6:8-9

So Jesus asked them if it was good to do good things on the Sabbath.

1. • But they held their peace. Mark 3:4 (part)

They would not answer.

1. • And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts. Mark 3:5 (part)

Jesus was angry because of the hardness of their hearts!

1. • And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
   • How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Matthew 12:11-12

Because their livelihood was so important, They certainly would not want to lose a sheep, thus they were allowed to save the sheep on the Sabbath, yet it was not right to save a man!

From this, we can see that Jesus taught it is right and proper to do good things on the Sabbath.

Correct, doing good is permitted on the Sabbath, but the Jews were teaching those good things were forbidden on the Sabbath even though YHWH never said they were forbidden. So, again, Yeshua was showing how to correctly keep YHWH's Sabbath and not be concerned about breaking the man made rules the Jews imposed on the Sabbath.

 

[gadar perets]

I don't see evidence for your interpretation in the passage.

OTOH, Paul revisited this teaching in this passage from Romans 14.

Here, Paul is clearly writing to believers, admonishing them to STOP JUDGING ONE ANOTHER, simply because others worship God in differing ways (different days, eating/fasting. etc.) ...

4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 One man regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

7 For none of us lives to himself alone, and none of us dies to himself alone. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

10 Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written:

“As surely as I live, says the Lord,
every knee will bow before Me;
every tongue will confess to God.”

12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

13 Therefore let us stop judging one another.

In context, Paul is referring to judging other believers when sin is not the issue. It was not a sin, for example, to be a vegetarian or to esteem Purim or Channukah. However, when sin was involved, we MUST judge other believers and correct them in love before they leaven the entire lump (1 Corinthians 5:11-13; 1 Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 6:1).

Be careful to not read the Sabbath into this passage.

 

[gadar perets]

It is quite obvious the following church gathering occurred during the ministry of Paul ...

Acts 20:7 "Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight."

Of course it did. Did you not read my post?

 

[SkyWriting]

Almost the whole Christian world reverences Sunday, did God know that this attempt to change His holy Sabbath would occur?
"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. " Daniel 7:25

"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." Acts 20:28-30

Yes, long ago God predicted that, from within the church itself, misguided men would arise who would attempt to change His holy law. So the prophecy was true, and it has come to fruition as the Sabbath and those who kept it were swept away, and a substitute put in.

The Sabbath starts at sundown on Friday.
We observe a day of rest and celebration of the Resurrection on Sunday.