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Bible Study Question for Sabbath Keepers

C

City Of God

Guest
This is an honest question I have had for quite some time for all those who say that as Gentile Christians we are required to keep the seventh day sabbath. I believe that most of scripture points to a seventh day of rest for all humanity. I am unable to get past the following passage in my study on this subject. I am interested in hearing from Sabbath keepers on how they explain the following passage of scripture:


Colossians 2
8Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
 
Hi guibox,
Thankyou for responding, I read through your thread and I'm still unsure on this. I have been studying the sabbath off and on for the past 8 years and everything I read in scripture and jewish apocraphyl writings point to sabbath keeping for all mankind. I still can't get past this Colossians thing though, I did a little research on the greek like your post talked about and here is what I found:

You said:
The word for ‘handwriting of ordinances’ is cheirographon, has been explained by some as the Mosaic law.

I did find that the word cheirographon was used for handwriting and means certificate of debt, but I also found that the word for ordinances is Dogma. So, I am still struggling with this because this is telling me that Jesus Christ blotted out the certificate of debt of dogma. This word dogma means doctrine, degree, or ordinance so this could mean the mosiac law as some have suggested. Although, if this passage is saying that Christ blotted out the handwriting of debt of our sin, I would very much like that as well. That would be consistent with Revelation when the books are opened to judge the unrighteous. I am still struggling with this, why is the word dogma used? Is this speaking of the mosaic law or our sins?

All I want is the truth!
 
City Of God said:
You said:
The word for ‘handwriting of ordinances’ is cheirographon, has been explained by some as the Mosaic law.

I did find that the word cheirographon was used for handwriting and means certificate of debt, but I also found that the word for ordinances is Dogma. So, I am still struggling with this because this is telling me that Jesus Christ blotted out the certificate of debt of dogma. This word dogma means doctrine, degree, or ordinance so this could mean the mosiac law as some have suggested. Although, if this passage is saying that Christ blotted out the handwriting of debt of our sin, I would very much like that as well. That would be consistent with Revelation when the books are opened to judge the unrighteous. I am still struggling with this, why is the word dogma used?
Click to expand...

In extra biblical literature, 'cheirographon' is used to mean a 'written certificate of debt' or 'the written record of debt'. The debt that requires Christ's forgiveness are 'the sins that are against us'. The moral law, and esepcially the Sabbath was never 'against us'. Rather the moral law convicts us of sin and points us to our Savior.

In so doing, now Christ takes that 'record' and nails it to the cross and covers it with his forgiveness,

"And you being and the circumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him having forgiven you all trespasses blotting out the cheirographon that was against you"

To make this mean 'the law was nailed to the cross' is to remove the importance of the previous verses that talk of Christ's forgiveness. Christ doesn't forgive us by blotting out the law, but our sins. Now that this has occured it has:

"spoiled the principalities and powers, showing of them openly, triumphing over them in it"

Now that our sins have been nailed to the cross, Satan can no longer hold them over us like a club. We have been forgiven! This is why Paul is admonsihing the Colossians for going back to their pagan ways and their ritualistic method of keeping days whether pagan or Jewish.

To make verse 14 talk about the law is to completely remove the chapter from its context of forgiveness.

The word 'nomos' or 'nom' the word for law is not found in the chapter.
 
Colossians 2:13-14 has to do with Jesus forgiving us of our trespasses / sins.

verse 13 – “...having forgiven you all trespasses;â€Â
verse 14 – “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances / record of debt....â€Â

These two italicized phrases are appositives; they are equivalent. Jesus forgave our trespasses; HE blotted out our 'record of debt'.

I know people use this verse in Colossians to say Jesus did away with the law; but it is not right to say that. What Jesus forgave and blotted out were our sins.


"having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us...." -- New American Standard Bible






City of God

Jesus Christ blotted out the certificate of debt of dogma
Click to expand...


Where do you get the 2nd prepositional phrase from -- of dogma ?


It just says: "handwriting of ordinances that was against us...." -- there's no "of dogma" there.

Check out all the many different translations of this verse - http://bible.crosswalk.com/ParallelBible/
 
City Of God said:
Hi guibox,
Thankyou for responding, I read through your thread and I'm still unsure on this. I have been studying the sabbath off and on for the past 8 years and everything I read in scripture and jewish apocraphyl writings point to sabbath keeping for all mankind. I still can't get past this Colossians thing though, I did a little research on the greek like your post talked about and here is what I found:

You said:
The word for ‘handwriting of ordinances’ is cheirographon, has been explained by some as the Mosaic law.

I did find that the word cheirographon was used for handwriting and means certificate of debt, but I also found that the word for ordinances is Dogma. So, I am still struggling with this because this is telling me that Jesus Christ blotted out the certificate of debt of dogma. This word dogma means doctrine, degree, or ordinance so this could mean the mosiac law as some have suggested. Although, if this passage is saying that Christ blotted out the handwriting of debt of our sin, I would very much like that as well. That would be consistent with Revelation when the books are opened to judge the unrighteous. I am still struggling with this, why is the word dogma used? Is this speaking of the mosaic law or our sins?

All I want is the truth!
Click to expand...

Remember the sabbath to keep it holy. In Jesus he is our sabbath so
we live in a everyday sabbath to keep this temple holy and the day
I do go to a sabbath day church because they sre the only ones
that do not celebrate unholydays christmas easter etc.
 
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