Bible Study Freedom Ministry

[Bob10]

On the Sabbath Day, Jesus healed the woman with the crippled hand. Jesus declared the woman “freed†from her infirmity (Luke 13:12); the redemptive function of the Sabbath is now expressed more explicitly. The verb “to free†is now used to clarify the meaning of the Sabbath.

It is difficult to believe the verb was used by Christ accidentally, since in the brief narrative it recurs three times, though in the English RSV translation it is rendered “to freeâ€Â, “to untieâ€Â, “to loose†(Lk 13: 12, 15, 16).

The imagery of Christ - on the Sabbath - freeing a victim bound by Satan’s bonds (Lk 13:16), recalls Christ’s announcement of His mission “to proclaim release to the captives†(Lk 4:18; Isa. 61:1-3). The liberation of a daughter of Abraham from the bonds of Satan on the Sabbath represents the fulfillment of the Messianic typology of the day.

This fulfillment by Christ of the Old Testament Sabbath symbology does not imply, as suggested by some, that Christians therefore are free from the Sabbath to gather on the first day.

Rather, that Christ - by fulfilling the redemptive typology of the Sabbath - made the Day a permanent, fitting memorial of the reality, namely, His redemptive mission.

Undoubtedly, for the woman and for all the people blessed by the Sabbath ministry of Christ, the Day became the memorial of the healing of their bodies and souls, of the exodus from the bonds of Satan into the FREEDOM of the Savior.

 

[evanman]

Christians are free to gather every day of the week if they so desire!

 

[Bob10]

Christians are free to gather every day of the week if they so desire!

And they did (Acts 2:46-47)

But it was still Paul's manner to keep the Sabbath day (Acts 17:2).

And Paul did not meet with Gentiles until the next Sabbath Day came around (Acts 13:42-44) - KJV.

 

[evanman]

Paul's purpose in going to the synagogues on Shabbat was to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His custom was to approach the Jews first, and the synagogue was obviously the place to go and discuss the Scriptures.

 

[guibox]

Paul's purpose in going to the synagogues on Shabbat was to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His custom was to approach the Jews first, and the synagogue was obviously the place to go and discuss the Scriptures.

Number one, you miss the point of Bob's post. The Sabbath has alot of meaning. Far from being abolished, Christ did so many things to point to its importance and Messianic fulfillment.

Number 2 - Paul had more than enough opportunity to preach the abolishment of the Sabbath by Christ's resurrection. We see that he was preaching strictly to Gentiles on occasion. Not once does he let people know about it even in His resurrection sermons. No once does he tell the Gentiles to worship wherever or meet the next day. Nope. Instead he keeps meeting on the Sabbath and encourages the Gentiles to do so as well.

Pretty telling testimony. Instead of seeing Paul's words about Sunday, we see his example about Sabbath.

 

[Adams son]

Paul's purpose in going to the synagogues on Shabbat was to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His custom was to approach the Jews first, and the synagogue was obviously the place to go and discuss the Scriptures.

That is correct. Paul's point in going to the synagogues on the Sabbath was to preach to the Jews.

The next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of the Lord..... Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. (Acts 13:44-46).

And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. (Acts 18:4).

Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day (Colossians 2:16).

One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. (Romans 14:9).

So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. (Heb 4:9).

With respect to people being circumcised into the Law at Galatia, Paul says:

"You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain." (Galatians 4:10).



But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. (Gal 5:18).

 

[evanman]

I do not believe that one "Keeps" Shabbat by going to church on a Saturday.

Circumcision has not been abolished either--it is the mode of circumcision that has changed!

Circumcision is a matter of the heart--so is Shabbat!

 

[Adams son]

I do not believe that one "Keeps" Shabbat by going to church on a Saturday.

Circumcision has not been abolished either--it is the mode of circumcision that has changed!

Circumcision is a matter of the heart--so is Shabbat!

So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. (Heb 4:9).

For now we WORK:

For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. But He answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working." For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

For Christians, our Sabbath day is no longer a day of the week but our eternal Sabbath rest. We no longer keep the times and seasons of this fallen creation because we are seated with Christ above the heavens. The night is over and the day has come.

 

[Bob10]

For Christians, our Sabbath day is no longer a day of the week but our eternal Sabbath rest. We no longer keep the times and seasons of this fallen creation because we are seated with Christ above the heavens.

is this why all the christians flock to church on sunday ?

 

[guibox]

For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. But He answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working." For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

For Christians, our Sabbath day is no longer a day of the week but our eternal Sabbath rest. We no longer keep the times and seasons of this fallen creation because we are seated with Christ above the heavens. The night is over and the day has come.

The Jews were persecuting Jesus because of their abuse and misinterpretation of what the Sabbath was about. Rather than come to show that the Sabbath was no longer needed in Himself, Christ showed the true meaning of the Sabbath THROUGH Himself. Many times both Christ and Paul could have emphasised the fulfillment and abolishment of the Sabbath in Christ. Neither capitalized on this opporunity and instead promoted Sabbath keeping in the right spirit.

Rather than keep the Sabbath as a day of rules and regulations, Christ brought it back to what it was meant to be. He took it back: a day set aside by God Himself long before any Jew or Hebrew and blessed it so man could take time out of his hectic life and 'remember that I am the Lord thy God who sanctifies you and created you'. We rest now not because of rules and regulations or some divine heritage, but to allow God to work in us. Keeping the Sabbath says two things:

1) I want you to work in me your redemptive and creative power as the Sabbath points to these two things
2) I cannot make it on my own but need your divine rest in my life

An 'eternal rest' was not why God created the Sabbath to begin with, nor does it negate the importance of the physical and emotional rest we need today.

Instead of legalism, we keep the Sabbath in the spirit of love. The Sabbath has historical, present, future and messianic meaning. It is far from a 'waxing old' doctrine.