Sabbeth Keepers

[Aquila]

Esaias, here's another perspective...

Originally Posted by Esaias

The way we see it is the sabbath was made before Adam ever left the garden. It was made for man, so it's a blessing and a gift. Keeping sabbath is a way of identifying who you serve - the God of the Bible, who made everything in 6 days and rested the seventh. Jesus kept the sabbath.

As was Jewish custom.

The apostles kept the sabbath.

Again, as was customary. They also went to temple and taught in synagogues until they were cast out.

Early church history shows for hundreds of years Christians kept the sabbath.

Yes, as most early Christians were of Jewish heritage.

It was among the churches at Rome and Alexandria that Sunday-keeping and abandonment of the sabbath began, the exact same groups who abandoned Oneness and invented the priesthood, Mary worship, and everything else that became catholicism.

Ah... Gentiles. Like me.

When Gentiles were confronted with keeping the Law of Circumcision and other Laws from the OT the church stipulated four simple admonishments:

1.) Avoid meats sacrificed to idols.
2.) Avoid blood.
3.) Avoid meats that have been strangled.
4.) Avoid sexual immorality.

Nowhere is keeping the Sabbath listed, as it relates to Gentiles. In fact, there was the promise of no other burden. Gentile Christians began to abandon the Sabbath and meet on the Lord's Day to distinguish themselves from Judaizing Christianity. Now, under the New Covenant... it really doesn't matter what day in which you wish to gather and worship. So, be at peace. This is walking in the Spirit.

Oh... and remember... some leading Oneness theologians (Modalists) ranted and raged against Trinitarianism and Arianism within the regions of Rome and Alexandria.

The new testament records only ONE time the church met on the first day of the week, and that was a saturday night teaching session that went to midnight. The next morning Paul left on a journey.

Ah, but it appears to have been common practice among believers in Corinth to gather together on the first day of the week. Paul admonishes them to set aside their offerings in support of other churches on this day.

All through the new testament the sabbath is still called the sabbath, decades after Christ rose from the dead.

Ah... but within context.

Hebrews says "sabbath-keeping remains for the people of God".

Context. It reads...

Hebrews 4:9-10 (ESV)
9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

Do we only rest from the works of the Law or enter God's rest on the 7th day? No! God forbid. The Sabbath rest is within the true and spiritual Sabbath... this New Covenant. Those who enter into the New Covenant Church enter into this Sabbath rest... a rest that has endured for over 2,000 years now, day in and day out. A superior Sabbath that the 7th day Sabbath was only a type and shadow of.

It's one of the ten commandments. If the fourth commandment is done away with so are the others... which means there is nothing left for anyone to repent of. And that of course is not true. The new covenant, according to Hebrews and Jeremiah, involves God taking his commandments and writing them in our heart.

It is written...

Romans 13:8-10 (ESV)
8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Notice... Paul references the Ten Commandments. Paul then goes on to state that these, and any other commandment, are fulfilled in one single commandment to live by... love.

Love fulfills the Law. Law would have us enter God's rest only one day in 7. Love would have us enter God's rest every day. Imagine only showing your wife that you loved her one day a week! Under grace, we are free from the Law... and we show God that we love Him 24/7! Love is therefore an infinitely superior law to live by.

Consider the Covenants:

1.) Edenic Covenant - Dispensation of Innocence
2.) Ademic Covenant - Dispensation of Conscience
3.) Noahic Covenant - Dispensation of Government
4.) Abrahamic Covenant - Dispensation of Patriarchs
5.) Mosaic Covenant - Dispensation of Law for Israel
6.) Davidic Covenant - Dispensation of Messianic Promise (Upon the Throne of David)
7.) Messianic Covenant/Covenant of Christ's Blood - Dispensation of Grace (Sabbath Dispensation/Church Age)

We are in the 7th Covenantal Day (Sabbath Dispensation)... and have been since the cross. It is entered through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This Sabbath will remain until Christ returns. Then we shall see the Advent of the Kingdom. Those who do not enter into this covenant of grace... are violating this Sabbath rest and will not enter into the Kingdom.