Are Christians to keep the Sabbath?

[DiscipleDave]

I would have thought that if we were not obliged to keep the Sabbath, as important an issue as this was to the Jews, that there would be whole chapters explaining why we should not, rather we read that Paul preached on the Sabbath, we are not to let anyone judge us for keeping the Sabbath...

There were many things important to the Jews, but under the new covenant there is neither Jews nor Greeks. So what is important to the Jews is irrelevant to what we (under a new covenant with Jesus Christ) are commanded to do, or not to do. Very True, if a person wants to keep the Sabbath, then by all means do so in the name of Jesus Christ, and if a person does not want to keep the Sabbath, then let them not do so in the name of Jesus Christ.

And there remains a keeping of the Sabbath for the people of God...

Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

And i know that rest is the 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ on the Earth. God's Sabbath Day rest is the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ, where satan is bound, because it is His Rest.

No matter how you interpret it, or take it to the Hebrew or Greek or Aramaic or to whatever else. The KJV which was given to all English speaking people of the world, Jesus nor any Apostle ever commanded, taught, or instructed Christians under the new covenant to continue to keep the old covenants keep the Sabbath Day Holy.

• Exodus 34:27 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee (Moses) and with Israel. 28 And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the (stone Ex 34:4) tables THE WORDS OF THE COVENANT, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.

So being that i am under a New Covenant with Jesus Christ, are you suggesting that i also be bound to obey the old covenant as well, the ten commandments, which they could not follow either?


i myself keep the Sabbath Day, have for over 11 years now, not because i am commanded to, or because i have to, but because i choose to. It is a vow to God that i made to Him that i would continue to do. The problem is when men teach others that they HAVE to keep it as well, that they MUST keep it as well, or men teaching things which the Bible does not teach, saying things like you MUST keep the Sabbath Day Holy to the Lord. and nine times out of ten those who teach such things, do not even keep the Sabbath Holy. They teach not to steal, yet they steal, they teach not to lie, yet they lie, they teach to keep the Sabbath, yet they themselves do not keep it. If a person is going to teach others they MUST keep the Sabbath, should they not be keeping the Sabbath?


NOTE: the above is not to the poster that i responded to, but to all that read this post. i am not singling anyone out here, that is not my intentions nor my desire. i am only speaking generally. i truly do not mean to offend anyone if i have done so in the past. i respond to posts, and that poster may get offended thinking i am referring to him/her, but i am a preacher, that is what i am called to do. Anyways i love you all, i really do.

^i^

 

[Gerhard Ebersöhn]

'Eye for an eye'

GE:

Good post!

http://www.biblestudents.co.za


biblestudents@imaginet.co.za

‘The Lord’s Day in the Covenant of Grace’

By Gerhard Ebersöhn

 

[Gerhard Ebersöhn]

..........................
So being that i am under a New Covenant with Jesus Christ, are you suggesting that i also be bound to obey the old covenant as well, the ten commandments, which they could not follow either?
...................................

GE:

Believing in Jesus Christ one believes ALL 'Law', Old Testament and New. No one but Christ ever 'kept' the Law or any law.

Jesus sacrificed no sacrifice; yet He fulfilled every sacrifice. Jesus paid no offerings yet he offered Himself the Satisfaction of all offerings.

But Jesus kept the Seventh Day Sabbath of the LORD GOD, as He kept The Great Commandment ---HIMSELF, by, in and through perfect OBEDIENCE and DESIRE to DO, and in DOING GOD'S WILL.

No other human ever did or could. That is what is meant in Hebrews 4:9 "If Jesus had given them - the People of God - rest." He did! No man can work the rest which is God’s rest, or even take or receive it of own will or by own ability. Jesus gives rest; only He.

"AND THAT IS WHY" - as it stands WRITTEN there in verse 9, ‘ara’ - "... AND THAT IS _WHY_!"
"WHY"? : “Because that Jesus had given them rest"!

So, "THEREFORE, BECAUSE Jesus had given them rest ..." ... what then and what therefore ---what by REASON OF this truth “Jesus had given them rest”?

Now comes man's part – FOLLOWS man’s duty ---man's duty "BECAUSE Jesus had given the People of God rest."

So what "remains for the People of God to do as duty"? Yes, that is how it stands WRITTEN there ... What "REMAINS VALID AND OBLIGATORY, ‘apoleipetai’, FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD"?

A, in fact _their_, "keeping of the Sabbath Day".

Does it say 'perfect' keeping of the Sabbath Day?

No, it does not.
On the contrary, the fact it says "a keeping of the Sabbath Day REMAINS for the People of God", it implies man will and man can, never, keep the Sabbath perfectly - not even or ever remotely!

Does that now mean the People of God are allowed to be callous about obeying God's Commandment of the Sabbath Day's 'REMAINING VALIDITY'?

Not at all!
On the contrary, the Sabbath and its obligation remains the main accusatory principle in the Christian Faith of man's shortcoming and failure in every respect to accomplish end or to reach goal in his doing of God’s will. The sabbath more than anything else reminds the believer of his incessant and total need of and dependence upon Jesus Christ who is the ONLY GIVER OF REST AND PEACE TO THE SOUL and between God and himself.

 

[DiscipleDave]

GE:

Believing in Jesus Christ one believes ALL 'Law', Old Testament and New. No one but Christ ever 'kept' the Law or any law.

Jesus sacrificed no sacrifice; yet He fulfilled every sacrifice. Jesus paid no offerings yet he offered Himself the Satisfaction of all offerings.

But Jesus kept the Seventh Day Sabbath of the LORD GOD, as He kept The Great Commandment ---HIMSELF, by, in and through perfect OBEDIENCE and DESIRE to DO, and in DOING GOD'S WILL.

No other human ever did or could. That is what is meant in Hebrews 4:9 "If Jesus had given them - the People of God - rest." He did! No man can work the rest which is God’s rest, or even take or receive it of own will or by own ability. Jesus gives rest; only He.

"AND THAT IS WHY" - as it stands WRITTEN there in verse 9, ‘ara’ - "... AND THAT IS _WHY_!"
"WHY"? : “Because that Jesus had given them rest"!

So, "THEREFORE, BECAUSE Jesus had given them rest ..." ... what then and what therefore ---what by REASON OF this truth “Jesus had given them rest�

Now comes man's part – FOLLOWS man’s duty ---man's duty "BECAUSE Jesus had given the People of God rest."

So what "remains for the People of God to do as duty"? Yes, that is how it stands WRITTEN there ... What "REMAINS VALID AND OBLIGATORY, ‘apoleipetai’, FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD"?

A, in fact _their_, "keeping of the Sabbath Day".

Does it say 'perfect' keeping of the Sabbath Day?

No, it does not.
On the contrary, the fact it says "a keeping of the Sabbath Day REMAINS for the People of God", it implies man will and man can, never, keep the Sabbath perfectly - not even or ever remotely!

Does that now mean the People of God are allowed to be callous about obeying God's Commandment of the Sabbath Day's 'REMAINING VALIDITY'?

Not at all!
On the contrary, the Sabbath and its obligation remains the main accusatory principle in the Christian Faith of man's shortcoming and failure in every respect to accomplish end or to reach goal in his doing of God’s will. The sabbath more than anything else reminds the believer of his incessant and total need of and dependence upon Jesus Christ who is the ONLY GIVER OF REST AND PEACE TO THE SOUL and between God and himself.

Me personally, i will continue to do all things that Jesus Christ tells me to do, and also will do all that His Disciples tell me to do. And neither Jesus nor any Apostle ever instructed me to continue to keep part of the Old Covenant by keeping the Sabbath Day Holy to the Lord. i believe every day should be Holy to the Lord. Now i know man teaches people to continue to keep the 4th commandment. Should i listen to and obey man, or obey Jesus and His Disciples? i choose to obey Jesus and His Disciples, and they do not tell me once, nor even imply that i should continue to keep the Sabbath.

We are to keep His Commandments. Man teaches that His commandments are the 10 commandments, The Word of God teaches His Commandments are to believe on His Name, Love one another, and to do those things the Apostles tell us to do.

me personally, i keep the Word of God, i obey it. If Jesus tells me to do it, i do it. If the Apostles tell me to do something, i do that. and i love everyone, and am always doing for others, because i love them. And this is the Truth, and is no lie at all, that Jesus nor any of His Apostles ever even once instructed me to keep the 4th commandment, not once did they think it important enough to instruct new Christians to follow. Man teaches you MUST keep the Sabbath, but Jesus did not teach that, nor did any Apostle teach that, man teaches that, not the Word of God. So then i will continue to believe God and what He plainly tells me, and not what men teach. Unless of course you can show me where Jesus tells me to keep the 4th commandment, or any of His Apostles tell me to keep the 4th commandment. But if man can't show me these things, i should believe and hearken to the Word of God and not to the words of men, right?

^i^

 

[heymikey80]

Dear John--But NONE of the translations you so boldly gave said nothing about the "sabbath", the "rest" of Heb.4:9 being the sabbath day. As I've called to your attention before, so do I now again, what you dearly need to make your argument on Heb.4 to float is a reliable translation calling the "rest" a day.

To concur -- there is something in Hebrews 4 which refers to this sabbath being a day -- but it argues against the seventh day of the week.

Pointedly, it argues that the sabbath rest remaining is ... "today".

The way it reads, this is every day -- which reinforces your argument Webb, that no particular day is emphasized above another.

 

[Yodas_Prodigy]

I read a book recently and the author suggested it's important for Christians to keep the Sabbath and that it was Saturday and not Sunday. I have also heard that it is on Sunday, or that we as Christians are not required to observe it. I actually promised God that I would not work on the weekends anymore if he led me to a new job monday through friday. I currently work friday and saturday third shift which leads into Sunday. If you think we are to keep the Sabbath do I have to quit my job or is it something we just should do? I'm still confused any help would be great.

I personally have been convinced to keep the Sabbath. It is the 4th commandment. Jesus kept it. Paul kept it. No where are we told to quit keeping it. Thisc whole Sunday thing was Rome's way of furthering separating us from our Hebraic roots.

 

[Davies]

Good evening,

Hebrews 4:9-11

New King James Version (NKJV)

9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.


I could be wrong, but I hold to the rest found in God as our sabbath. Sorry I haven't taken the time to read through 446 posts, so if this point has been brought up already and addressed, then if you could point me in the germane posts, I'll check it out. If Jesus fulfills all righteousness and is the end of the Law, then what work do we have left to do? As DiscipleDave pointed out, to believe on Jesus Christ. We are justified by faith not by works. I think there are practical reasons why keeping the sabbath every week is a good idea, but spiritually, this has to be in reference to the finished work of Jesus and our rest in it.

- Davies

 

[jasoncran]

rome's way? uhm while im not a fan of the rcc lets go to the book of acts.

i love it when the hebrew roots type ignore that the lord thought little of kosher laws.in the torah. the fact that moses gave 613 laws not just ten. all of them were equal to the first ten. the ten do contain the others in spirit.

i should do a thread on is circumsion necessary?

 

[elijah23]

I read a book recently and the author suggested it's important for Christians to keep the Sabbath and that it was Saturday and not Sunday. I have also heard that it is on Sunday, or that we as Christians are not required to observe it. I actually promised God that I would not work on the weekends anymore if he led me to a new job monday through friday. I currently work friday and saturday third shift which leads into Sunday. If you think we are to keep the Sabbath do I have to quit my job or is it something we just should do? I'm still confused any help would be great.

I think the purpose of this commandment is that we all need a day's rest each week. I don't think it mattered so much to the Lord which day of the week we took that rest, though I do think he wants us to go to church.

 

[VirginShallConceive]

I think the Sabbath is for our own benefit - we all need a day's rest each week. I don't think the Lord cares which day it is, though I prefer it to be Sunday. I go to church on Sunday as part of my Sabbath.

The Bible says, "Thou shalt not kill." So, unless God gives me a sign, I will not kill. But, if God does give one of His children a sign, if you choose to work on the Sabbath, watch out for flying rocks. For it is written:

"And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the Lord hath commanded, that ye should do them. Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath Day."-Exodus 35:1-3

Beware, wretched sinner.

 

[Yodas_Prodigy]

rome's way? uhm while im not a fan of the rcc lets go to the book of acts.

i love it when the hebrew roots type ignore that the lord thought little of kosher laws.in the torah. the fact that moses gave 613 laws not just ten. all of them were equal to the first ten. the ten do contain the others in spirit.

i should do a thread on is circumsion necessary?

Personally, I believe the other laws were an explanation/expansion of the ten. I hope this isn't going to be a war between us. I am certainly not your typical Hebraic roots person. So don't stereotype me. Circumcision of the heart is necessary. Yep. that originated in the Torah...

 

[VirginShallConceive]

Personally, I believe the other laws were an explanation/expansion of the ten.

I totally agree.

Excerpt from the Ten:

"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."-Exodus 20:8-11

Explanation/expansion:

"And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the Lord hath commanded, that ye should do them. Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day."-Exodus 35:1-3

For it is given clear as day from The Lord thy God. Amen.

 

[jasoncran]

yes but that isnt needed. that is the point. an outward expression that God used to show then goy then with abrahadm his peeople. noah and nahor and able never did shabat nor circumision.

the seven noahide laws are really close to what gentile christians do.

we respect god
we stay sexually pure
we dont torture animals
we set up courts to decide laws
we dont eat blood
we dont commit idolatry..

that is off the top of my head. the torah has all of that. the mosiac laws had more then just the ten and well break one those feasts and you died. we cant do yom kippur. so we should pass laws calling for the death of a believer for working on the shabat? that is what is commanded or eating the showbread. or what bout being crook backed or dwarf. those cant enter the temple.

see what i mean?

 

[Yodas_Prodigy]

yes but that isnt needed. that is the point. an outward expression that God used to show then goy then with abrahadm his peeople. noah and nahor and able never did shabat nor circumision.

the seven noahide laws are really close to what gentile christians do.

we respect god
we stay sexually pure
we dont torture animals
we set up courts to decide laws
we dont eat blood
we dont commit idolatry..

that is off the top of my head. the torah has all of that. the mosiac laws had more then just the ten and well break one those feasts and you died. we cant do yom kippur. so we should pass laws calling for the death of a believer for working on the shabat? that is what is commanded or eating the showbread. or what bout being crook backed or dwarf. those cant enter the temple.

see what i mean?

I do see what you mean. I tried following the Fall Feasts as well as I could from a Christian perspective. There are clearly things we can not or do not do. We don't sacrifice animals, we don't go to Jerusalem. I used the Noahide Law in the past. Paul reminds us in Romans that there are Laws that we do from the ten commandments because we love YHWH.

Romans 13:8-10

 

[heymikey80]

Um, a whole lot of the laws of jubilee and other observances are specifically, "When you enter the land the LORD ha given you" -- so they're tied to location. Many don't have a penalty for defiance, so there's no telling what the penalty really is. Some are simply dictated by the government, such as the return of lands and completion of bondage contracts.

The real question for me is the spiritual purpose of the law -- which seems to be the unveiling of the law that Paul means in 2 Cor 3.

 

[digging]

Sorry I am still trying to read back through all these long threads since I've just join but DearMickey you just asked the very same question that has been my focus of late.

"The real question for me is the spiritual purpose of the law"

Your post made my heart jump when you said.

"a whole lot of the laws of jubilee and other observances are specifically, "When you enter the land the LORD ha given you"

Are we not yet waiting to enter the land? However now entering the land is tied rather to a location in time perhaps.....

Are we not waiting to also cross over the river....just as they had to cross the Jordan river?

Revelation 16:12 NAS

The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates ; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east .

I feel this also is all connected to the promise given to Abraham

Gen 15:18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.

Digging