Some thoughts on the Biblical Shabbat - Sabbath

It is not unusual for churches to fellowship, study together on any day of the week. The way a Sabbath is observed today, be it either on Sunday or Saturday, depending on how you see it, does often include a church meeting.

I have been involved in week long crusades in church where we have met and fellowshipped al week. Considering the way that the early church was powering along with evangalism, it is not unlikely that they met daily. As it does say in Acts 2:46-47 they met in the temple and broke bread in homes daily. Also many were added to their number daily. Luke 19:47 notes that Jesus taught daily in the temple. Which was obviously permitted by the Jewish Authorities.

Keeping the Sabbath is about the day on which no work is done and as a result our attention should be focused on our Lord and Saviour. If churches want to meet on the Sabbath it is good to do that. There are examples mentioned prior in this thread of Paul teaching on the Saturday Sabbath.

So why do I feel that the sabbath is better kept on a Saturday? Historically Jesus kept the Jewish Sabbath, as did all Jews, because saturday was the nominated day of the sabbath. I feel that we are to keep the 10 commandments today, which means we have to keep the sabbath holy. It seems to me that changing the day of the sabbath would be an extremley important theological distinction, and the Apostles of the church would clearly write that a descion had been reached to change the sabbath. It is interesting to note that the Catholic church ran Christianity for most of our history, and made several doctrinal changes not supported by scripture, Purgatory, Praying to Mary etc. The Vatican state that the pope took the descion in the third century to officially change the Sabbath. I do not recognise catholic popes as having any papal type authority ands dont feel that they had the authority to make the change.

The question often comes up, what day did the early church keep. The Celtic church lasted the longest of the Christian church. Before they were destroyed and forced to to submit to catholiscm. There is concrete evidence that the Celtic church kept the Sabbath, and they were not messianic Jews, but Gentiles. From that I feel that it proves the Early Church Kept Saturday as the Sabbath.

 

Ben,
Are you a Jew, of the nation of Israel?

 

Ben, are you a member of "ALL mankind" as in Isaiah 66: as in those in the New Heavens and New Earth will be -- or are you simply a member of "MANKIND" as in Mark 2:27 for whom Christ said the Sabbath was "MADE"?

It is confusing at times to tell why someone who is a member of "mankind" -- for whom the Sabbath memorial of Christ's Creation in Genesis 1-2:3 was made a blessing - would want to continue receiving that blessing as they will be doing "From Sabbath to Sabbath" in the New Heavens and New Earth. At least it confuses "some".

Yet You don't seem to be confused on that point - How did you figure it out? It seems pretty hard. Doesn't "ALL mankind" mean "Just Jews"??

In Christ,

Bob

[ December 23, 2002, 10:49 AM: Message edited by: BobRyan ]

 

Acts 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

A good example of ONE first day meeting (not even named Lord's Day) instead of a "First-day AFTER First-day" sequence/pattern of meeting.

In Christ,

Bob

 

Exodus 31:13-17
13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.
14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

Jeremiah:31-34
31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

The Sabbath was clearly given to Israel as a sign between Jehovah and Israel throughout their generations for a perpetual generations. If you are not a Jew of the nation of Israel it is not for you.
Again in Jeremiah, Jehovah promises that He will make a new covenant with house of Israel. Read through those verses. "They" (vs.34), the Israelites, shall teach no more every man his neighbour...Know the Lord: for they shall all know me." Again this speaks of the Millennial Kingdom when God will ultimately fulfill His covenant with Abraham. Christ, of the seed of David will sit on the throne of David, and rule as King of Kings for a thousand years. The Sabbath is for the Jews. All mankind during that time will observe it. All mankind during this time does not observe it; it is foolish to think that they do. Look around you; they don't.
DHK

 

True.

False. That is a direct contradiction of Christ's Own statement

"The Sabbath was MADE for MANKIND" Mark 2:27 (unless you think that only Jews are "mankind").

Isaiah 66 ALSO shows its application to ALL MANKIND "From Sabbath to Sabbath shall ALL MANKIND come before Me tow Worship".

And Isaiah 58 provides the OT PRESENT case where non-Jews were ALSO blessed by God for keeping His Holy Seventh-day Memorial of His Creative Act in Creating Mankind.

So - at least part of your statement is supportable from scripture - and that is a good thing.

In Christ,

Bob