|
ANSWER:
Let me first state that I appreciate the tone of your letter.
I would like to also clarify that I do not believe nor have I ever
taught that Sunday became the Sabbath. The Sabbath has always been the seventh-day of the week. The first day of the week
has never and will never be the Sabbath. You may be surprised to find that out, but I cannot stand the idea that some have
advocated that Sunday is the New Sabbath. Also, I am just "Steven" not a "pastor." That term is used in the wrong way by religionists
today. Careful research of the word shows that the original term in the Greek, when applied to a man, is the same as a "bishop"
and "elder" (Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Pet. 5:1-4). That is another discussion. I am a preacher, a minister, an evangelist, but just
refer to me as "Steven." I don't like flaunting pompous names. I as any person have feet of clay.
You want a passage of scripture so I would like to give you several
to consider. These passages I recently delivered in a Sabbath Debate that was held near Portland Oregon where I debated Dave
Giles in a two day discussion where about 500 people showed between the two nights. I have tried to get the Sabbath
preachers in this area to debate but they cower and make ridiculous claims like "Satan always wins a religious debate" (Larry
Mays, Pastor at Sunnyside and Granger is one who made such a claim). If Larry Mays is correct, then Satan won all
the debates that Jesus engaged in as well as Paul and Stephen (see Acts 6:9). Perhaps you or your preacher will arise to the
challenge of a public dispute?
But perhaps you are just wanting to do personal study and I would be
glad to assist in that way too.
Consider Colossians 2:14-17, but don't accept what your pastor says,
but rather what the text states:
14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements
that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it
to the cross.
15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them
in it.
16 ¶ So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths,
17
which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. (all passages from NKJV)
Note in verse 14 that "IT" was nailed to the cross and what was "IT"
that was "taken out of the way." The "IT" is the handwriting of requirements, but Paul specifies that "IT" includes
"food and drink" (but Sabbath Keepers bind Moses' law on diet, i.e. pork), festival (yearly), new moon (monthly) and Sabbaths
(weekly). Yet the "Sabbaths" that are mentioned here is the Greek word "sabbaton" where "Sabbath" is translated from in every
other place of scripture (Matt. 12:1ff; 24:20; 28:1; Jn. 5:9ff; Acts 1:12; etc., etc.). In fact, this is the last "sabbaton" used
in the scriptures and it is stated that it is "taken away" and something that one should not judge a Christians in.
The reason: these brethren were being judged by Jews who were questioning why disciples of Christ were not keeping
these holy days. Paul explains because they were taken away and were mere shadows of something greater.
In conjunction with that, consider 2 Corinthians 3:7-14 which states
completely that the 10 commandments (written on stone) was done away. By the way, if the 10 commandment-covenant including
the Sabbath is such a good thing, why does Paul speak of that as a "ministry of death" (v. 7); "ministry of condemnation"
(v. 8)? The 10 Commandments never saved a soul from sin. Jeremiah looked for the coming of the New Covenant where the remission
of sins would be realized (Jer. 31:31-34). The fact that Jeremiah speaks of another covenant shows that the covenant made
with Israel when they came out of Egypt was only temporary and certainly not eternal. Now Paul calls it the ministry
of death and condemnation and also states in Colossians 2:14 that it was "against us." These are equivalent expressions. How
was it against us? They simply pointed out what sin was and did not provide true remission of it. In conjunction it prohibited
their travels in preaching and teaching the gospel, etc.
The fact that there are similarities in the covenants do not prove
that they are one and the same anymore than similarities between the US Constitution and the Australian make them the same
constitution. Remember, Jeremiah said that it was a "New Covenant" which implies that the Old Covenant made when Israel came
out of Egypt would be "taken out of the way" (Col. 2:14; Heb. 10:9, 10; 8:13).
Now, I want to try to limit this reply for space, but let me at least
give you a few more passages to think about in reference to the Sabbath and the First.
God told Israel to remember the Sabbath. . .and he also told them to
remember all his commandments (Num. 15:40); they were to remember how they provoked the Lord to wrath since the day they left
Egypt (Deut. 9:7) and they were to remember the days of unleavened bread with the Passover because they came out of Egypt
(Deut. 16:13). One reason why God told Israel to remember things was because they were slaves in Egypt. For instance,
they were not to glean the remaining grapes after harvest because they were once slaves in Egypt and were to leave such for
strangers (see Deut. 24:21-22). The same thing is stated about keeping the Sabbath. God is not telling them to
"remember" the Sabbath because they have always been keeping it, but rather because God gave that day of rest to counter their
being "slaves" in Egypt. Notice Deuteronomy 5:
12 ‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep
it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you.
13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
14 but the
seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your
male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within
your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.
15 And remember that
you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and
by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
Why did God command them to keep the Sabbath? Because they were slaves
in Egypt; they were brought out with an outstretched arm. Was the church ever in Egypt? No! Therefore the church is not commanded
to "remember the Sabbath." That the 10 Commandment-Covenant with the Sabbath was given for the first time at Mount Sinai is
taught by:
-
Moses -- Deut. 5:2, 3: "The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.
The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who
are alive." Just note who the "US" and the "FATHERS" are and you will conclude that the Sabbath was not give for all men.
-
Nehemiah -- Neh. 9:13, 14: "You came down also on Mount Sinai, And spoke with
them from heaven, And gave them just ordinances and true laws, Good statutes and commandments. You made known to
them Your holy Sabbath, And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, By the hand of Moses Your servant."
That the 10 Commandment-Covenant was given only to Israel is noted
by:
-
Moses in the above passage (Deut. 5:2,
3)
-
Ezekiel
-- "Therefore I made them go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. And I gave them My statutes
and showed them My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’ Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths,
to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them" (Ezek.
20:10-12). If the Sabbath was given for all nations, why does Jehovah say it was a sign between God and one nation,
Israel?
Consider these First Day Facts:
- Jesus was resurrected on it: "Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared
first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons" (Mk. 16:9)
-
The Holy Day, Pentecost, or Feast of
Weeks landed upon it (Lev. 23:15, 16).
-
The
Holy Spirit therefore fell upon the first day of the week (Acts 2:1-4)
-
The
first gospel sermon after the ascension of Christ was therefore preached on the first day of the week (Acts 2:1ff).
-
The
day the church was established was on the first day of the week (Is. 2:1-4 in comparison with Acts 2).
-
The
day the Lord's New Law went into effect which came from Jerusalem (Is. 2:3 with Acts 2)
-
The
day Jesus was acknowledged as the "SON OF GOD" (by comparing Ps. 2:7; Rom. 1:4; also Acts 13:32, 33; Mk. 16:9).
-
It
was the first day the risen savior was worshipped after the resurrection (see Matt. 28:1, 9, 10)
-
The
day Jesus chose to reveal himself to disciples (Lk. 24:1, 13-15, 30, 31, 35)
-
The day when
the disciples chose to come together (see Jn. 20:19, 20). They continued to worship on that day. . .
"Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together
to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message
until midnight" (Acts 20:7).
-
When
did the disciples come together?
-
Why
does Luke mention nothing about the Sabbath in reference to a congregation of disciples?
-
If
Luke had been a Seventh-Day Adventist, he would have spilled all kinds of ink on what went on in the church at the Sabbath,
but rather he chose to pass over it in silence! There were seven days that transpired (20:6), but he only speaks about the
first day of the week. This was the day that Paul preached on to the church. He went in to synagogues on the Sabbath to convert
Jews and met with disciples on the first.
-
If
Adventists could find one passage showing disciples coming together on the Sabbath to eat the bread of the Lord's Supper,
then I would recant my position. That this was the bread of the Lord's Supper is evident that the "breaking of bread" was
a euphemism for the Supper when connected to preaching or teaching (cf. Acts 2:42). That it was something the church "continued"
in suggests regularity (weekly observance when compared to Acts 20:7). That it was something the church did on the first day
of the week, the day Jesus arose, Acts 20:7. That this is the only kind of eating the church could do "as a church" as tolerated
by Paul is taught in 1 Cor. 11:18, 20-21, 34.
-
This
is the day the disciples gave of their means as commanded by Paul:
"Now concerning the collection
for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day
of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come"
(1 Cor. 16:1, 2).
-
When do you give?
-
When does your church command to give?
-
If any other day is fine, why does Paul specify the first day of the week?
Please consider these powerful truths with an open mind. I know
that I have laid a lot out for you to consider; I know that change is difficult to accept; but you stated that you are honestly
seeking the truth and so the truth is what I have presented here. God has given you an opportunity now to remove the veil
(2 Cor. 3:4ff). These passages also show that man didn't change the Sabbath to the first day. It simply shows that God chose
the first day of the week (when light was created at the beginning) to be the day in which we commemorate and worship him.
|
