Sabbeth Keepers

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Abiding Now

EVERY Sunday (first day of the week), I join in with the early church and celebrate the greatest event of the Bible, His resurrection.

[Aquila]

It is important to note that early believers in Jesus living in Palestine and Judea had Jewish roots and family. They regularly partook in the Temple Sabbath services of Judaism, met in synagogues on the Sabbath, observed the Jewish hours of prayer (3 times daily), observed Sabbath laws, observed dietary elements of the Law, observed circumcision, observed Jewish feast days, etc.. However, they didn't worship Jesus openly in these venues. Jewish authorities presided over these venues. They met on the first day of the week to break bread (the Lord's Supper) and to reflect on what Jesus taught them, share their testimonies, and worship Jesus.

As Judaism became increasingly hostile against believers in Jesus within their midst, believers in Christ began to be thrown out of the Temple and the synagogues. Soon, believers in Jesus were dubbed "Christians". They continued to meet on the first day of the week to dedicate their worship to Jesus. Upon the destruction of the Temple (in AD 70) the vast majority of Christians within Judea completely abandoned the Jewish customs and a distinctly "Christian" way of life began to evolve. As more and more Gentiles became Christian, fewer and fewer Christian assemblies observed Jewish customs. The conflict between Christianity and Judaism became a cool rejection between the two and a new threat began to rise against the church... Roman paganism and emperor worship. The rest is history.

To paint a picture of an expanding Gentile church observing the Sabbath and various elements of the Law disingenuous. All quotes and references depicting such a thing are taken out of context and misconstrued to drag one back into bondage to the Law. Christians are not to live according to the Old Testament Law, but rather, we live by the law of love. Love will worship God to the fullest at all times, not just on special days (Sabbaths, holidays, etc.). Christianity is truly a universal faith that is relatively neutral as it relates to human culture. That is what made it so beautiful and unique among all religions on earth. Anyone could be a Christian. And being a Christian, they didn't have to act like they were of another culture, race, or secret sect to do so. True spiritual freedom.

I'm Irish. I'm not Jewish. Had I lived during the first century, I might hear rumors about Christian brethren living in Judea observing elements of the Judaism they'd practiced for generations. But, being Irish... that would all be alien to me. Only the legalistic Judaizers among them would try to pressure me to act Jewish and observe the Law. Paul would have me know that I don't have to be circumcised, eat Kosher, or observe Jewish holy days (Sabbaths and festivals) to worship and be a Christian. Nor would I have to pray in Hebrew or dress like a Jew with a rag on my head when gathered for worship. Paul would admonish me to be modest and unprovocative in my attire. He'd admonish me to encourage my family to be born of water and spirit. Paul would also encourage me to gather with other Christians as often as I could for fellowship and teaching. He would also admonish me to continue partaking in the breaking of bread (the Lord's Supper), showing the Lord's death until His return. He'd explain how the Jerusalem council asks that I do not partake in anything associated with paganism as it relates to diet (foods sacrificed to idols, blood, or things strangled). Partaking in these things would offend or confuse many new converts. Lastly, he'd admonish that I avoid sexual immorality. As a Gentile Christian... this would be my faith.

We desperately need to graduate from the Law and endeavor to live and walk in the Spirit. It's an infinitely higher path than living according the Law.

[Esaias]

Pure fantasy. History proves christians kept sabbath for centuries after the close of the apostolic era.

Further there is no proof christians met regularly on the first day of the week in the bible. There is ONE - O N E - reference to a gathering of believers on the EVENING AFTER THE SABBATH and it was clearly a special meeting because paul was leaving in the morning.

But hey these be the days where everyone just makes it up as they go along so hey why not?

lol

[shazeep]

ya--the evening after the Sabbath being Saturday night.
my understanding was that early Christians kept Sabbath on pain of death, and it took the RCC over a hundred years to dislodge it anyway.

[Sean]

Christians were never commanded to observe the sabbath.

On the contrary, they were to refrain from telling other folks to keep it or not to keep it....
(it became a useless tradition after Pentecost)



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:

17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.



Hebrews 10 King James Version (KJV)

10 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.


The sabbath was clearly under the Law and only considered a "shadow".

To go back and keep any part of the Law, including sabbaths is living in the shadows and prior to Christ.

By keeping the Law, we are putting Jesus back on the cross and "crucifying Him afresh"...

Hebrews 6:4 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

[shazeep]

Originally Posted by Abiding Now

EVERY Sunday (first day of the week), I join in with the early church and celebrate the greatest event of the Bible, His resurrection.

wadr, i can't help but compare this with the rationalization for Easter...and, i find it significant that those considered in the "Well done..." group will apparently keep Sabbath in the New Jerusalem. I don't mean to imply that you are not doing what you do with a pure heart, but that you may be celebrating His resurrection among those focused mostly on His death, likely unbeknownst to even them. I find the deception here nearly all-encompassing; and thank God that He judges hearts, and not standards.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Pure fantasy. History proves christians kept sabbath for centuries after the close of the apostolic era.

Further there is no proof christians met regularly on the first day of the week in the bible. There is ONE - O N E - reference to a gathering of believers on the EVENING AFTER THE SABBATH and it was clearly a special meeting because paul was leaving in the morning.

But hey these be the days where everyone just makes it up as they go along so hey why not?

lol

Some did since there'll always be Judaizers.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Pure fantasy. History proves christians kept sabbath for centuries after the close of the apostolic era.

Further there is no proof christians met regularly on the first day of the week in the bible. There is ONE - O N E - reference to a gathering of believers on the EVENING AFTER THE SABBATH and it was clearly a special meeting because paul was leaving in the morning.

But hey these be the days where everyone just makes it up as they go along so hey why not?

lol

Can you quote from history where GENTILE Christians kept Sabbath for "centuries" after the close of the apostolic era?

[mfblume]

Galatians 4: 9 But now having known God, or rather being known of God, how turn ye back to the weak and beggarly elements, to which ye desire to be in bondage again?

10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have laboured upon you in vain.

This teaches the church had no sacred days. Not even Sabbath. Chapter 3 said the law was Israel's schoolmaster til Jesus came. And chapter four says gentle believers were mistaken to use Israel's schoolmaster when Israel graduated from that elementary schooling themselves.

[shazeep]

i also, after much struggle here, believe this as well. I no longer observe the Sabbath "religiously," and don't feel guilty about making exceptions...but i am curious how y'all understand this keeping of the Sabbath in the New Jerusalem thing? There is even Scripture to that effect, if i remember right.

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

Can you quote from history where GENTILE Christians kept Sabbath for "centuries" after the close of the apostolic era?

i would also be interested--i remember doing a study that indicated that it was quite difficult for the RCC to dislodge Sabbath-keeping, but i have forgotten the source--which might be suspect...etc