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How do you keep the sabbath holy?

Discussion in '2004 Archive' started by SaggyWoman, Dec 27, 2003.

  1. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    We do. God commands us to "remember the Sabbath Day" to "keep it holy".
     
  2. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    It has no significance as far as salvation goes, but God designed the human body to require rest at least once a week. Until I design a better human body, I'm choosing to follow the doctor's orders.
     
  3. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    While Gen1 tells us that God created in 6 days and rested on the 7th, we humans developed the seven day week to recognize that. We don't know what day of the week is actually the first, third, or seventh. Saturday is simply the day in which we commemmorate the day Gen1 says God rested. Whether we today commemorate the Sabbath on Saturday, Friday, or Sunday is irrelevant. Generally, we commemorate the Christian Sabbath on Sunday to commemorate Jesus' rising from the dead on a Sunday, according to tradition. It's not a biblical instruction, just a traditional custom. If a church wants to start commemorating Tuesday as their official day of worship, there wouldn't be anything biblically from stopping them.
     
  4. rstrats

    rstrats Member
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    Johnv,

    re: “ We don't know what day of the week is actually the first, third, or seventh.”

    What documentation do you have that allows you to make that statement?
     
  5. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    The Bible does not state that the day we know as Saturday was THE seventh day. In most instances of the Sabbath, it recognizes the Sabbath as the day following six days of labor.
     
  6. rstrats

    rstrats Member
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    Johnv,

    re: “The Bible does not state that the day we know as Saturday was THE seventh day.”

    I think that you are implying that the seven day cycle established at creation has been broken between then and now. If so, what documentation do you have that allows you to say that?
     
  7. Pastor Larry

    Pastor Larry <b>Moderator</b>
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    It has no significance as far as salvation goes, but God designed the human body to require rest at least once a week. Until I design a better human body, I'm choosing to follow the doctor's orders. </font>[/QUOTE]I agree with you. Which is why I talked about the 1 in 7 principle early on in this thread. My point was that there is not one day prescribed that believer's must do nothing on. And rest is different things to different people. We are not bound to set aside Saturday as a day to do nothing on.
     
  8. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    There was no "cycle". Nothing in Genesis suggests that Adam and Eve followed a 6 day/1 day pattern, or, for that matter, any type of week/month/year pattern at all. In fact, the Sabbath is not mentioned until Exodus.
     
  9. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    You're right. NT believers are not commanded to set aside Saturday, or for that matter, Sunday. However, we are commanded to rest one day in seven. Not for salvation or works, but out of respect for our bodies, which require such rest. It's doesn't matter if it's Saturday, Sunday, or Wednesday. We need to observe one day in seven to rest. It's good health. As Christians, we traditionally observe Sunday as our day of worship, but there is no biblical requirement to do so. It's strictly traditional.
     
  10. wopik

    wopik New Member

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    However, we are commanded to rest one day in seven.

    JohnV

    Who commanded Christians "to rest one day in seven"?

    Where is that in the Bible?
     
  11. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    You're kidding, aren't you? That would be God, giving us the Ten Commandments, in Exodus 20:8-11
    Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
     
  12. DHK

    DHK <b>Moderator</b>

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    Exodus 31:12-18 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
    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.
    18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

    The Sabbath was given to the nation of Israel as a sign for the covenant made by God with them, and them alone--to be a sign between Israel and God throughout their generations forever. It was never intended to be kept by Christians or Gentiles. We remeber the Lord on the first day of the week in remembrance of His resurrection (Acts 20:7)

    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.

    And, 1 Cor.16:2
    1 Corinthians 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
    --They habitually met on the first day of the week. That is when the money was gathered, or the offering taken.
    DHK
     
  13. rstrats

    rstrats Member
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    DHK,

    I am not aware of any scripture that says that anyone met on the first day of the week specifically for rest and worship, much less that they did it habitually. What scripture are you thinking of?
     
  14. Precepts

    Precepts New Member

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    I let Jesus keep it, and then meet with Him on the first day of the week as one of His disciples. :D

    Don't let Judaizers rule over your spirit and deny your liberty in Chris Jesus.
    [​IMG]
     
  15. wopik

    wopik New Member

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    Sign for Israel Only?

    Exodus 31:16: "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant."

    "but it is between God and the children of ISRAEL. It is throughout Israel's generations; it is between God and the ISRAELITES forever."

    Oh - then you admit it is binding FOREVER on ISRAELITES - and throughout their generations?

    No one can deny that this absolutely BINDS the people of Israel to keep the Sabbath FOREVER, and throughout their generations perpetually. Their generations are still going on. Therefore it is binding on them today.

    Also we have to admit that salvation and Christianity are open to Jews and all Israelites. The gospel "is the power of GOD UNTO SALVATION to every one that believes; TO THE JEW FIRST, and also the Greek" (Rom. 1:16).

    So then the Jew can be a converted CHRISTIAN! Indeed, the Church at the beginning was nearly altogether Jewish! So the JEW, even though a Christian in God's CHURCH, is BOUND to keep God's Sabbath as a perpetual covenant, throughout his generations, FOREVER!

    Now, does God have TWO KINDS of Christians? Is it SIN for a Jewish Christian to break the Sabbath, and sin for all others to KEEP it? Must Jewish Christians assemble on the Sabbath, and those of other nationalities on Sunday? Didn't Jesus say a house divided against itself would fall?

    Are there TWO KINDS of Christians? Read Galatians 3:28-29: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS. And if you [Gentiles] be Christ's, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

    So, since the Sabbath is BINDING TODAY on the Jewish part of God's Church, and there is no difference - we are all ONE in Christ - it is also binding on Gentiles!
     
  16. HankD

    HankD Well-Known Member
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    I keep the NT Sabbath 24/7.

    NAS Hebrews 4
    9 There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
    10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.

    KJV Matthew 11
    28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
    29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
    30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

    HankD
     
  17. Precepts

    Precepts New Member

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    Wopik,

    Trying to tell Christians that the Sabbath is "binding today" is just that, BINDING!

    We in Christ are NOT bound to the Law, we are at Liberty.

    Maybe it's just you need to learn to be free?

    Christ fulfilled the ceremonial "portion" of the Law. If you think you're supposed to maintain the Sabbath, then you're way behind on the Passover demands.
     
  18. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    The Ten Commandments are not simply akin to OT Law (such as Leviticus). The Ten Commandments are above and apart from Jewish Law. This is supported by the answer that Jesus gave to the question: Which is the greatest commandment? The first (Love the Lord) encompases Commandments 1 through 4. The second (Love our neighbor as yourself) encompasses Commandments 5 through 10.

    We are certainly not bound to the Law ini regards to salvation. Jesus paid the price for that. But we should still be following the SPIRIT of the law out of respect and obedience.

    As far as keeping the Sabbath day holy, like I said: God made the human body to require rest at least once in a given week. Until I create a better body, I'm following the doctor's advice. If you don't want to, that's fine, you're at liberty to do so. But don't expect me to feel sorry for you when your doctor tells you your stress level is too high.
     
  19. DHK

    DHK <b>Moderator</b>

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    This is a common miscommon misconception. The church has never been Jewish, nor "nearly altogether Jewish," as you say. The church has always been Christian. If it isn't Christian, it isn't a church, by the very Biblical definition of what a church is. Look how Paul defines the various groups in the New Testament:

    1 Corinthians 10:32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:

    There are Jews; there are Gentiles; and there is the church of God--these three groups. There are only these three groups. When a Jew becomes saved he becomes a Christian and leaves Judaism. When a Gentile becomes saved he becomes a Christian and leaves his paganism. If they don't leave their old religions behind it is evidence that they are not Christians. A Church is Christian--not Jewish; not Gentile--but Christian. We are one in Christ.
    The Sabbath was given to the Jews, and only to the Jews.
    DHK
     
  20. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    Well, there's some truth to that, but not completely. This was a big point of contention between Peter and Paul. It was Paul's assertion that a person need not be circumcised (convert to Judaism) to be a Christian, but Peter felt that Gentiles should convert. History records that both argued the matter to Thomas, who was Jesus' brother. Thomas sided with Paul, and from that point on, the matter was put to rest.
     
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