Questions/concerns:
- The ten commandments are still in effect. Why don't you worship on
the Sabbath as God has commanded.
- We are commanded to worship on the Sabbath.
- Jesus worshipped on the Sabbath.
- Christians worshipped on the Sabbath.
Answers:
You began with stating that the ten
commandments are still in effect. You probably recognize that our
agreeing on whether or not we should observe the Sabbath hinges on this
statement. Is it fact or a misunderstanding?
I do not believe that we are presently under
the ten commandments as the ten commandments. I do believe that the
new covenant under which I serve Jesus, includes all of the ten
commandments except one, namely that servants of Christ in today's time should
keep the Sabbath. Let me also say that I believe the Jews under the law of
Moses were to keep the Sabbath and also that the Jewish Christians in the
writings of the New Testament kept the Sabbath. You can show that the
Sabbath was kept from Moses till and through out the period of New Testament
writings. I will agree with you on this. You cannot show
where, after Jesus died, that keeping the Sabbath was commanded. I hope to
show in the following discussion that, according to the scriptures,
the Law and Prophets were completed and that they were not and
are not the "perfect law of liberty" which
Christians serve. I use the New King James
Version.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-18
Do not think that I came to destroy the Law
or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. "For
assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one
tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is
fulfilled
You quote this same passage, yet
you did not note that two conditions are required for the Law and
Prophets to pass. Heaven and earth passing away and all being fulfilled
are the two stipulations stated by Jesus.
Heaven and earth passing is from another
prophecy you quoted, Isaiah 66:22-23. This passage does not say worship on
the Sabbath but from "one Sabbath to another." Actually the time was
coming when the true worshippers were not bogged down with a certain day, but
would worship continually. But lets discuss the heaven and earth passing
way. Jesus uses this passage as reference to the fulfilling of the Law,
quoted above. Jesus also uses the reference in Matthew 24:34-35.
Speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus says:
Assuredly, I say to you, this generation
will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven
and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass
away.
In this passage Jesus shows the fulfillment of
the prophecy, it was to be in that generation. Luke
21:20-22 further sets a time limit on the prophecies of the Jewish
writings by stating plainly that:
But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by
armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who
are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her
depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For
these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may
be fulfilled.
Luke goes on to say in verse 32, referring to
these events that:
Assuredly, I say to you, this
generation will by no means pass away till all things take
place.
Peter again references the
prophecy to describe the anticipated time for which they
waited. II Peter 3:10--13 says:
But the day of the Lord will come as
a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise,
and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works
that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these
things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in
holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming
of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on
fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless
we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which
righteousness dwells.
Peter was writing to people of his day about
what they expected. The Jewish hope of a kingdom where righteousness would
dwell is well known. A key that has been overlooked in this passage is an
understanding of the word "elements." The Greek word from which this is
translated is used five other times in scripture, Galatians 4:3, 4:9,
Colossians 2:8, 2:20, and Hebrews 5:12. Note them as follows.
Galatians 4:3-11 Shows that "elements" is not
what we would think of in our modern world, but that it refers to concepts and
ideas. In this passage the reference is to elements of the Law. They
were released from this bondage as are all Christians.
Even so we, when we were children,
were in bondage under the elements of the
world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth
His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who
were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And
because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your
hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore you are no longer a
slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature
are not gods. But now after you have known God, or rather are known
by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly
elements, to which you desire again to be in
bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years.
I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in
vain.
Colossians 2:8&20
(8) Beware lest anyone cheat you
through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men,
according to the basic principles of the world, and not
according to Christ.
(20) Therefore, if you died with
Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as
though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations.
. .?
Hebrews 5:12
For though by this time you ought to be
teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first
principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need
milk and not solid food.
From these passages we see that what was to
pass away was not the physical universe but the elements of their law and
government. New heavens and new earth refers to a new order for a new
dwelling place. No longer after the destruction of Jerusalem would the
kingdom of God be a location on earth. It would be a new dwelling place, a
new earth. Revelation 21:1-2 says:
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for
the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more
sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down
out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her
husband.
This was after the destruction of the city
"where also our Lord was crucified." - Revelation 11:8
It is with this understanding that we can
understand Paul's teaching that the handwriting of requirements (ordinances)
against the Colossians was "nailed to the cross" and his teaching in Ephesians
2:14-16
For He Himself is our peace, who has made
both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having
abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments
contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man
from the two, thus making peace, and that He
might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby
putting to death the enmity.
The law was given to Israel and only Israel,
Deuteronomy 5:1-2 and Exodus 19:3-6. The Jews separated themselves from
the Gentiles. Until Christ there was a barrier. When Jesus came
with a New Covenant sealed by his blood he brought the power to unite
Jews and Gentiles. It is in this covenant that all the blessings of being
in Christ come. We are no longer under the Law, if we serve Jesus.
It was his coming in judgment against Jerusalem that made the final and complete
separation. He promised he would come in that generation, Matthew 24 and
other passages. I believe that he did as he promised and that this
fulfilled the Law and Prophets. How about you? Do you believe
Jesus?
You also mentioned some passages in
Romans. I will deal with each one of them. Please remember that as I
understand the scriptures, the Law was still observable until the destruction of
Jerusalem. In fact James says that thousands (myriads) of Jewish
believers in Jerusalem were zealous for the Law - Acts 21:20. Romans
was written during the transition time. But be that as it may, let's
consider the passages.
Romans 3:31 "we establish the law" --
We cannot exclude this passage from the other passages in Romans 3. Note
verses 19-21.
Now we know that whatever the law says, it
says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all
the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the
law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the
knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from
the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the
Prophets.
The establishing of the Law through faith
shows that the Law accomplished what God had intended. All the world was
guilty, the Jews who had the Law and the Gentiles who didn't. This
passages says nothing about the Law continuing. In fact Paul says, as
quoted, the righteousness of God is revealed apart from the
Law.
Romans 7:12 "The Law
is holy." The word "is" is added by the
translators in verse 12. If the translators are correct, the
present tense of this passage clearly states that the law was in existence at
that time. The present tense "is" is found in verse 14 which you also
quote showing the Law to be spiritual. If it was in existence, and I
believe it was, then it was also holy and spiritual; it was from God. But
remember, it was being fulfilled. Any Jew who believed Moses and the
prophets (Luke 16:29-31) would also believe in Christ and would no longer need
the Law. In the opening verses of this passage we once again see
that the Christian was separated from the Law. Verse 4 says:
Therefore, my brethren, you also have become
dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to
another-- to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to
God.
Note that the Christian became dead to the
Law, not that the Law was dead to the Christian. All of these
passages show that while the Law might still have been in place and observable,
it was not for those who served Christ.
Romans 7:22-8:1 is in the same context as the
above. Paul speaks as a Jew of the contrast between sin and the
Law. It is in this context that he says, "With my mind I serve the
Law of God." Verses 3 and 4 of chapter 8 say:
For what the law could not do in that
it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the
flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled
in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the
Spirit.
The righteous requirement of the law was
fulfilled by Paul and others who walked according to the Spirit. Until
Christ, the followers of the Law had only the hope of death. They
always sinned, even good men sinned. Abraham, David, Isaac and all the others
sinned for Paul says "all have sinned," Romans 3:23. It was only when the
obedience was taken out of the physical realm and put into the spiritual realm,
that of Christ, that salvation was possible. Consider the following
questions a Jew might ask himself. Did I ever fail to offer an
offering? Did I ever fail to pay the yearly tax? Did I ever lust
after my neighbor's wife? Did I ever steal anything? Most of these
questions would be answered yes, I am guilty. What was the solution
the Law? No the solution was, is and will always be Jesus. The Law
showed their guilt and that they needed Christ. It was thus established
and fulfilled.
Romans 14:5-6 "observes the day unto
the Lord or does not observe the day to the Lord" - Consider
that in the church in Rome their were Jews and Gentiles. The Law
being still in place was observable and the Jews observed the various days and
events. As Christians, they did not offer sacrifices for sin, but the
other observances were considered to be appropriate as Jews. After the
destruction of Jerusalem, they could no longer face the temple to pray.
They could no longer offer free will offerings. After that destruction,
there was no Law to observe, it was completed, fulfilled and finished.
Christ blood had made it unnecessary and useless.
Just a few more thoughts on the worship of
Christians. As Christians they worshipped on the first day. As Jews
they went to the synagogue. The visits to the synagogue were to
teach. They may have worshipped also on the Sabbath, but in the New
Testament, they also met for worship as Christians on the first day of the
week. What day was Christ raised? - the first day of the
week. What day was the first Gospel sermon preached? - the first day of
the week. What day did the Church at Troas meet for worship? Paul
waited 7 days for -- the first day of the week. What day did the
Corinthians take up an offering? - the first day of the week.