He Rose On Sunday True or False

[Webers_Home]

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Gen 1:1-31

If we go by God's definitions of Day and Night as per Gen 1:3-5, it's readily seen that God worked only in light and never in darkness. Here's how:

In the Bible, the term "morning" suffices for the daytime hours between sunrise and high noon when the sun is increasing in elevation; and the term "evening" suffices for the daytime hours between high noon and sunset when the sun is losing elevation. For some odd reason, there's no specific word in the Old Testament for "afternoon"

These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens

The day in that passage is obviously more than 12 hours and a primo example where "day" indicates an era rather than a portion of a normal week.

Cliff
/

 

[Elijah674]

Hard to get around this one... Not that I think some won't try! :D

No one from my end is trying! But the Truth is that it was & is what we call Saturday just after sunset. Or our Sat. night. Some ones use to go to the John 20:verse one, but it is Inspired by the Holy Ghost to say.. 'WHILE IT WAS YET DARK'! + these same ones preached that the disciples were having a church service that Sunday.. and then Inspiration even shot that full of holes in verse 19 with...

[17] Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
[18] Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

[19] Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled [[[for fear of the Jews]]], came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

Even note verse 17 that Jesus had not gone back to heaven 3 days after His death yet, and these same preachers mostly teach that Luke 23:43's parable has the repentant thief immediately in heaven, having the coma placed in the wrong location by uninspired man. (Compare Jer. 17:5)

--Elijah

 

[handy]

Someone help me out on the ultimate point here.

If we are going to stick with the Saturday night, because the Jewish Sabbath was from sun down on Friday night to sundown on Saturday night... and the first day began on sundown Saturday night (which I agree with)... then Jesus rose on Sunday, not the Sabbath.

This doesn't in any way remove Sunday from being resurrection day.

As of this moment, as I was typing here, the sun went down. According to Jewish calendars, it's now Saturday. 24 hours from now will be Sunday, the first day of the week.

If one wants to hold to the Jewish tradition of time-keeping, then by all means, keep the Sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday...but that still leaves one with needing to acknowledge that Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday.

 

[Lewis]

This isn't quite accurate.

Early church writers such as Justin Martyr, Ignatius, Irenaeus and Tertullian, all who lived between 100-200AD, attested to the practice of the church meeting on Sunday, long before Nicea and long before the Roman Catholic Church became anything more than simply the church in Rome.

I do believe that the practice of meeting on Sunday rather than Saturday was a gradual rather than abrupt change. Most likely, it came about as the Church expanded further and further into Gentile territory and became less and less of a "Hebrew sect". Gentiles, never having been under the Law in the first place and certainly not needing to put themselves under that particular burden, just furthered the custom of meeting on the first day of the week for collections and breaking bread. The Jewish Sabbath faded into the background.

At any rate, by the time 200AD rolled around, the custom of meeting on the first day rather than the 7th was well established. Again, long before Nicea and the RCC.

The Catholic church made it canon. Please check out this link for further proof http://ad2004.com/prophecytruths/Articles/Prophecy/3days3nights.html

​

 

[Sinthesis]

​

How does one square this graphic with:

Mar 16:2 - And very early in the morning the first [day] of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.​

 

[handy]

The Catholic church made it canon. Please check out this link for further proof http://ad2004.com/prophecytruths/Articles/Prophecy/3days3nights.html

​

It may have been made "canon", but only because it was such a long established custom. Did you read the previous posts about Ignatius?

And, as has also been pointed out... the graphic doesn't square up with the fact that the Gospel of Mark specifically states that He rose on the first day of the week, not the Sabbath.

 

[Elijah674]

Someone help me out on the ultimate point here.

If we are going to stick with the Saturday night, because the Jewish Sabbath was from sun down on Friday night to sundown on Saturday night... and the first day began on sundown Saturday night (which I agree with)... then Jesus rose on Sunday, not the Sabbath.

This doesn't in any way remove Sunday from being resurrection day.

As of this moment, as I was typing here, the sun went down. According to Jewish calendars, it's now Saturday. 24 hours from now will be Sunday, the first day of the week.

If one wants to hold to the Jewish tradition of time-keeping, then by all means, keep the Sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday...but that still leaves one with needing to acknowledge that Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday.

HI young'in,
did this above 'post' not tell us about earth's creation??
______

--Elijah here:
There is only one concrete 'DOCTRINE' given by an never changing God with HIS WORD for the 'span of a day.'

And your posting says that you know better than God does we READ.. ' and of course by doing so throw their chronology into oscillating vapor lock right at the get go.'

Gen.1
[1] In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
[2] And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
[3] And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
[4] And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

[5] And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

[6] And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
[7] And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
[8] And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

[9] And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
[10] And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
[11] And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
[12] And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
[13] And the evening and the morning were the third day.

[14] And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
[15] And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
[16] And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
[17] And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
[18] And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
[19] And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
[20] And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
[21] And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
[22] And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
[23] And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

[24] And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
[25] And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
[26] And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
[27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
[28] And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
[29] And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
[30] And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
[31] And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Gen.2

[1] Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
[2] And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
[3] And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
[4] These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,

And Note : This is the Godhead's WORD!

 

[Slider]

Collection on the first day of the week...



The real truth of 1 Cor 16:1-2 is that the collection taken up for the starving saints in Jerusalem was to be done on the first day of the week so that they would not violate the Sabbath. Nothing to do with a worship service at all.

John 8:32,

I read these verses and looked into it. It's nice how you tied it all together, however I haven't looked into the timeline that deep and I'm not sure that the events are correlated. In other words, when he spoke what he did in Romans and 1 Cor, was he speaking of the cause in Acts 11? I'm not doubting it, but I haven't fully verified it.

I'm also not sure that they sent "foodstuff". Seems like a big load to take when a collection of money would be easier to manage. However, there was a famine, so it would make sense.

What I clearly don't see is that they took up the collection on Sunday so they wouldn't violate the Sabbath. Where does it say that? Paul didn't preach keeping the Sabbath, but the brethren in Jerusalem probably did (James was their Pastor there and he was still keen on keeping the law).

Here's a question in general for anyone else who doesn't like or approve of Sunday worship.... Has anyone commented on Acts 20:7? This is clearly Paul preaching on a Sunday. I don't know that it was intentional or incidental.

 

[Lewis]

Yes Dora I know that the custom was already there. It was a heathen custom first, and was allowed into the Catholic church. But it was already there which I have known for years.

 

[handy]

HI young'in,
did this above 'post' not tell us about earth's creation??
______

--Elijah here:
There is only one concrete 'DOCTRINE' given by an never changing God with HIS WORD for the 'span of a day.'

And your posting says that you know better than God does we READ.. ' and of course by doing so throw their chronology into oscillating vapor lock right at the get go.'

Hi codger! :D

As is not uncommon for me, I have trouble understanding exactly what you're getting at. Perhaps you missed where I say that I do agree that according to Jewish determination of time, each new day begins at sundown (as opposed to our tradition that each day begins at midnight). I can't see how my post could possibly be saying that I know better than God, when I'm agreeing with His word on it? :dunno

Slider, I agree that Paul was preaching on Sunday in Acts 20, but I don't think it really matters to this discussion as Paul probably preached every day of the week. More important is that the text states that they were gathered to break bread. Communion was held on Sunday. Think about it, do you really think they allowed the Christians to hold communion service in the synagogues? (Except perhaps those synagogues that became overwhelmingly Christian?)

You said, " Paul didn't preach keeping the Sabbath, but the brethren in Jerusalem probably did (James was their Pastor there and he was still keen on keeping the law)."

I think that Acts 15 is germane to this discussion, even though the topic of the chapter was what to do about circumcision. Paul and Barnabas reported to the council at Jerusalem that converted Jews were forcing the issue of circumcision on the Gentile believers. This was a hot issue, because circumcision was the sign of God's people. (Not keeping the Sabbath.)

James' response was that the Gentiles were to be instructed to "abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.†Acts 15

In this context, I believe that "fornication" has to do with the common practice of temple prostitution...each specific thing mentioned; things contaminated by idols, fornication (temple prostitution), things strangled and blood (common to idol sacrifices) would be participating in idol worship. These are the things that the Gentile Christians were instructed to stay away from.

No mention how vital it was to keep the Sabbath day.

Now, considering that James states that Moses had plenty to preach him in the synagogues every Sabbath, one might assume that this would mean that the Gentiles were to go to synagogue on the Sabbath and learn the Law of Moses and follow it. But that's not what they instructed the Gentiles to do.

James is the one who says, "But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, “DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,†also said, “DO NOT COMMIT MURDER.†Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty." James 2

In the final letter, delivered by Paul and Barnabas to the Gentiles, there is no mention of going to the synagogues to learn Moses.

Circumcision didn't even originate with Moses...God demanded it of Abraham. One could argue the Gentiles needed to be circumcised because circumcision predated even the Law of Moses...but that wasn't the case. One might also argue that the Sabbath should be kept because it predated the Mosaic Law...

...but that would be incorrect. Genesis states that God blessed the Sabbath Day, but there is no mention of men keeping the Sabbath day until Moses was instructed regarding Passover. All that we associate about the Sabbath Day was originated in the Mosaic Law and we are no longer bound to that Law. As James states, we need to speak and act as those who are judged by the law of liberty.

 

[handy]

Yes Dora I know that the custom was already there. It was a heathen custom first, and was allowed into the Catholic church. But it was already there which I have known for years.

Lewis, it was not a "heathen" custom... As Ignatius, the Apostle John's disciple states, it was the custom of the Christian to meet on Sunday, the Lord's Day...not the Sabbath Day. As I mentioned in my post above, Acts 20 shows that they were meeting on the first day of the week to break bread (have communion). Seriously, if one believes that the Jews wouldn't allow the Christians to interrupt the service to take up a collection, how much more are they going to allow the Christians to serve communion during synagogue?

Lewis, I have to think you must have overlooked the quote from Ignatius, and keep in mind he most likely wrote this around 90-100AD a mere 60+/- years after the Pentecost. Ignatius wasn't just some heretical preacher either, he was respected by the church and served as bishop of Antioch.

"If, therefore, those who were brought up in the ancient order of things have come to the possession of a new hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord’s Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death."
Quotes from Ignatius' Epistle to the Magnesians Chapter 9

 

[Lewis]

Ok dora let me go back and look things over Luv ya sis

 

[Slider]

Hi codger! :D

Slider, I agree that Paul was preaching on Sunday in Acts 20, but I don't think it really matters to this discussion as Paul probably preached every day of the week. More important is that the text states that they were gathered to break bread. Communion was held on Sunday. Think about it, do you really think they allowed the Christians to hold communion service in the synagogues? (Except perhaps those synagogues that became overwhelmingly Christian?)

You said, " Paul didn't preach keeping the Sabbath, but the brethren in Jerusalem probably did (James was their Pastor there and he was still keen on keeping the law)."

I think that Acts 15 is germane to this discussion,

I don't think it really matters that Paul preached on Sunday either. I think he would've preached any day, this one just happened to be Sunday. My point and whole stance on "which day of the week" is that any day is perfect for a sermon. As for the communion....

Breaking bread may have just meant they gathered and had a meal. We are getting into a whole other thing here about that, so I'll let it go. My point is that it is ok to have Church on Sunday.

The council at Jerusalem also is a whole other point. I only mentioned it because I suspect they still did celebrate the Sabbath. Yes, the hot issue was circumcision, but nontheless, I suspect they still did. The notion remains that Paul didn't regard the Sabbath after coming to the knowledge of Grace.

I have to admit ignorance though on one thing.... You spoke of them having communion in a synagogue.. I saw they were gathered in an upper room, but nothing about it being a synagogue. Am I missing something?

 

[handy]

I have to admit ignorance though on one thing.... You spoke of them having communion in a synagogue.. I saw they were gathered in an upper room, but nothing about it being a synagogue. Am I missing something?

My point was that they wouldn't be having communion in the synagogues...there is no way. When would the Christians partake of communion as a part of worship? Certainly NOT during synagogue worship to be sure.

Why would we want to interpret "breaking bread" as simply having a meal and not communion?

See how the term is used in Acts 2:42. Unless there is some compelling reason to believe that "breaking bread" is simply eating, I think we should consider it communion.

I think that, with the Spirit working the way He was at the time, and 3000 to 5000 converts being made in single days... it's possible that some local synagogues became wholly Christian and then, perhaps communion would be served. Entirely speculative though, there is no Scripture that indicates it ever actually happened.

I do agree with you that the Christians in Jerusalem were most likely going to synagogues... The question is whether the Gentiles in Asia Minor ever did... Seems unlikely and why would they start? If there are texts which show that the Gentiles were meeting in the synagogues, I'm open to reading them. Usually when the apostles when to the synagogues, they were preaching to the Jews.

 

[Elijah674]

My point was that they wouldn't be having communion in the synagogues...there is no way. When would the Christians partake of communion as a part of worship? Certainly NOT during synagogue worship to be sure.

Why would we want to interpret "breaking bread" as simply having a meal and not communion?

See how the term is used in Acts 2:42. Unless there is some compelling reason to believe that "breaking bread" is simply eating, I think we should consider it communion.

I think that, with the Spirit working the way He was at the time, and 3000 to 5000 converts being made in single days... it's possible that some local synagogues became wholly Christian and then, perhaps communion would be served. Entirely speculative though, there is no Scripture that indicates it ever actually happened.

I do agree with you that the Christians in Jerusalem were most likely going to synagogues... The question is whether the Gentiles in Asia Minor ever did... Seems unlikely and why would they start? If there are texts which show that the Gentiles were meeting in the synagogues, I'm open to reading them. Usually when the apostles when to the synagogues, they were preaching to the Jews.

Hi again, where do you think Abe had these 'Gentile SOUL' ones of Gen. 12:5 going for worship.. and on what day???;)

And the reason that God called Abe in the FIRST place is told to us in Gen. 26:5!
[5] Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, [my commandments, my statutes, and my laws].

--Elijah​

 

[handy]

Elijah... I wish you could be less cryptic in your posts and merely say what your point is.

Genesis 12

So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. 6 Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. 7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.†So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. 8 Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. 9 Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev.

Where exactly does it speak of which day any of these events take place on?

The commandment that Abraham obeyed was following God to Canaan, offering up Issac and circumcision. If you can point me to any other, I'm most willing to read it!

 

[Elijah674]

Elijah... I wish you could be less cryptic in your posts and merely say what your point is.

Genesis 12

So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. 6 Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. 7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. 8 Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. 9 Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev.

Where exactly does it speak of which day any of these events take place on?

The commandment that Abraham obeyed was following God to Canaan, offering up Issac and circumcision. If you can point me to any other, I'm most willing to read it!

Gen. 12
[5] And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

These are all Gentils from Haran. And how are souls to become Born Again with out the Everlasting Gospel? (Rev. 14:6) And if you ever brought one [TO CHRIST], it usally takes time.

And the Gen. 26:25 verse [DOCUMENTS] what doctrines Abe taught for Truth long before any Jew was pedigreed. And note that God directed His own by His own [VOICE!]

Gen. 26:5
[1] And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.
[2] And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:
[3] Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
[4] And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

[5] Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

 

[nmwings]

Here's a question in general for anyone else who doesn't like or approve of Sunday worship.... Has anyone commented on Acts20:7? This is clearly Paul preaching on a Sunday. I don't know that it was intentional or incidental.

....AND....

More important is that the text states that they were gathered to break bread. Communion was held on Sunday.

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 there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.

God’s day begins at sunset. “day†is in italics, meaning that word is not in the original text. The first of the week is actually SATURDAY NIGHTafter sunset.When the Sabbath ended (after dark) the disciples gathered together for a meal (broke bread) and to light candles (many lights.) This custom of lighting candles and sharing a meal makes a distinction between the holy (the Sabbath) and the profane (common) days of the week. This is observed in the HOME, and not the Synogogue. The timeline is much more coherent considering Paul preached until midnight! Midnight on Saturday night. (That is why Eutychus fell asleep and did a nose-dive off the 3rd story window.) Paul departed “at the break of day†in verse 11, on the 1st day of the week…. Sunday. The word "communion" simply means "partaking." The church has changed it into something other than it really is: the "partaking" of the Bread of Life and the Cup of Redemption at the Passover.

James' response was that the Gentiles were to be instructed to "abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.†In this context, I believe that "fornication" has to do with the common practice of temple prostitution...each specific thing mentioned; things contaminated by idols, fornication (temple prostitution), things strangled and blood (common to idol sacrifices) would be participating in idol worship. These are the things that the Gentile Christians were instructed to stay away from.

This is telling believers that from "neck to groin" they must make the distinction between “holy†and “profane,†and between “clean†and “unclean.†Of which we cannot determine WITHOUT hearing Moses being read in the Synagogue every Sabbath! The Messiah said the exact samething in Mat 23: Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not do after their works: for they say, and do not. “Moses’ seat†is a special seat in the synagogue where Moses is read out loud to the people. This was the Messiah’s BIGGEST problem with the Pharisees: THEY DID NOT FOLLOW MOSES, but followed their own man-made laws. Mark 7:7 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men --the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."

The commandment that Abraham obeyed was following God to Canaan, offering up Issac and circumcision. If you can point me to any other, I'm most willing to read it!

Gen 26:5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws." Scriptureis not being redundant. The Laws of God were on his heart centuries before they were engraved in stone! Jer 31 says that the “New Covenant†will place the Laws of God on our heart! Not to abolish them!

 

[Adullam]

Jesus rose on the first day of the week...so that would be saturday night.

 

[handy]

I don't know guys.... reading through the epistles and especially Hebrews, Romans and Galatians, there is indeed a change in how we approach the Law of Moses.

As has been pointed out, time and again, if you want to keep the Law, you have to keep every single statute... and this would include circumcision.

Yet, no one can (or at least should) be able to read through the New Testament and think that we should be imposing circumcision on anyone.

We shouldn't be imposing any part of the Law on anyone. Jesus fulfilled the Law, He accomplished the purpose of it. He then died and the Old Covenant passed. It's done. It's as done as a marriage when the husband dies.

The New Covenant does indeed have laws. There is the Royal Law, "You shall love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself." There is also the law of liberty.

This is telling believers that from "neck to groin" they must make the distinction between “holy†and “profane,†and between “clean†and “unclean.â€

No it's not. It's telling believers to not partake of what was clearly idol worship. Had James and the council at Jerusalem wanted to tell the Gentiles to "make the distinction between “holy†and “profane,†and between “clean†and “unclean", they would have told them just that. If it was a matter of "clean" and "unclean", they most certainly would have stressed the dietary laws to the gentiles and there would have been, in the letter, a very clear exhortation for them to get to the synagogues on the Sabbath and learn the Law of Moses that they would have be be living under now for the rest of their lives. But the letter doesn't mention going to the synagogues at all.

Without gutting the meaning of the letter and turning it into some kind of cryptic spiritual message, the instruction the letter says to the Gentiles is simply:

“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.â€

No greater burden than these essentials...if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well.

Either living under the New Covenant has a vastly different approach to the law, or James and the council at Jerusalem violated what Christ said when He said, "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven"

Paul also must be guilty of violating the same when he told the Galatians, "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor." and "Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace."

It always sort of astounds me how some view the Law. They will readily admit that circumcision and sacrifices no longer apply to us, neither do certain of the "sundry" laws, but yet will insist, in spite of very clear biblical passages like these ones from Galatians as well as in Romans and Hebrews, that...excepting those parts of the Law they carve out, we are still under the burden to keep the rest of it...especially the Sabbath, forgetting what Jesus said about the Sabbath being made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

Be consistent...either keep the whole of the Law (and be severed from Christ) or do not place the burden of the Law, any of it, on your fellow believers.

Galatians is such an important book to study in regards to this subject, because the very point of the letter was to help the Galatians understand their relationship to the Law as Christians...the very subject we are discussing here. And, Paul gives a great summation of what Law we Christians are subject to:

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.â€

Paul references the true laws that we in the New Covenant live with...the law of liberty and the Royal law. So many fear completely jettisoning the Law of Moses because they say, "What about murder? What about adultery?" are these not sin?

Of course they are...they violate the royal law of "Love your neighbor as yourself".

When we as Christians try to place the burden of the old laws on others, we are violating God's law of liberty the very law we are now under. If one chooses (or feels under conviction) to keep the Sabbath as opposed to worshiping on Sunday...OK. By all means, worship God on Saturday as so many have done before, if this brings more meaning to you. You have every bit as much freedom to worship God on Saturday as the Jews did of old as I have every freedom to worship God on Sunday, as was the custom of the Churches by the time Ignatius was Bishop.

It's when we take our own convictions and empress them upon others that we err. We cannot make our burdens our brother's burden. That is not loving our neighbor as ourselves, nor is it living under liberty.