Why Protestant churches dont keep the Sabbath.

[reddogs]

I was asked the question on another forum, "What will happen to all those Christians who don't worship on the Sabbath?" I gave the following answer... there are some verses that give a clear answer. Here is what best applies....
Acts 17:24-30
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

When we unknowingly make a honest mistake, Gods grace is sufficient and He winks at our ignorance. But when we in all fullness of understanding knowingly do it.......

 

[Whatever]

Mark 1:21
And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.

But if you read the verses before this, the disciples were all working on the Sabbath.

Mar 1:16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

Mar 1:19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets.

Mar 1:21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath . . .

I believe walking around calling disciples and then walking into the city violated their travel restrictions on the Sabbath.

According to Jewish law, one is prohibited from walking more than a certain distance, known as a "Sabbath's day journey", which is roughly 2,000 cubits or just under one mile. This restriction is based on the distance that the Israelites traveled in the wilderness during the time of Moses and is intended to prevent excessive physical exertion on the Sabbath.

 

[JLB]

What does Gods Word say..
Mark 1:21
And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.

So is that how we as the church are supposed to observe the Sabbath, by going to a synagogue and teaching the Jews about God’s kingdom?


For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”
Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
John 5:16-18



Maybe you could give us some specific details as how we as Christians are to properly observe the Sabbath, under the new covenant?

 

[reddogs]

Look up 'worship' in just the NT....

 

[Fish153]

Hey All,
The misguided men were the apostles reddogs.

Acts 15:23-29 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:
Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

On behalf of believers, we revere God; not the day upon which we worship.
The church has not changed the dates.
Jesus rose on a Sunday.
So it makes sense for the church to come together on Sunday.

Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

Exactly! He is risen!! Praise the Lord!!----arguments about keeping Saturday or Sunday are useless.

"One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it". (Rom. 14:5,6)

 

[rstrats]

Exactly! He is risen!! Praise the Lord!!----arguments about keeping Saturday or Sunday are useless.

"One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it". (Rom. 14:5,6)

Why did you reference Romans 14 since it says nothing about the Sabbath which is the subject of this topic?

 

[rstrats]

You are honoring Jesus by worshiping his resurrection and salvation on Sunday.

Any thoughts on why scripture is silent with regard to anyone worshiping the resurrection on the first day of the week?

 

[miamited]

Hi rstrats

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.

So, I'm not sure that I can say that the Scriptures are silent on the matter. Here in the Acts of the Apostles, there apparently was a time that the believers came together on the first day of the week to break bread, which I gather to mean communion. Then Paul gave what today we would likely call a sermon. And apparently a very, very long sermon, or teaching.

 

[rstrats]

Hi rstrats

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.

So, I'm not sure that I can say that the Scriptures are silent on the matter. Here in the Acts of the Apostles, there apparently was a time that the believers came together on the first day of the week to break bread, which I gather to mean communion. Then Paul gave what today we would likely call a sermon. And apparently a very, very long sermon, or teaching.

Actually, as far as scripture is concerned, there are only two times mentioned with regard to anybody getting together on the first (day) of the week - John 20:19 and Acts 20:7. There is never any mention of them ever again being together on the first.
The John reference has them together in a closed room after the crucifixion because they were afraid of their fellow Jews. And it couldn't have been in observance of the resurrection because at that time they didn't even believe that the resurrection had taken place.

And the Acts reference might very well have had them getting together to break bread with Paul because he happened to be in town and wanted to talk to them before he had to leave again. The "breaking of bread" can simply be saying that the disciples got together to eat a meal on this particular first day of the week . The phrase, "to break bread", does not have to refer to a religious service - unless it is specifically stated - but to dividing loaves of bread for a meal. "It means to partake of food and is used of eating as in a meal...... The readers [of the original New Testament letters and manuscripts] could have had no other idea or meaning in their minds" (E.W.Bullinger, Figures of Speech Used in the Bible, pp. 839,840.

But even if the breaking of bread mentioned always did refer to the Lord’s Supper, it had nothing to do with placing a special emphasis on the first (day) because Acts 2:46 says that they broke bread every day.

But it doesn't matter anyway because communion is in remembrance of the Messiah's death and not His resurrection.

 

[JLB]

Look up 'worship' in just the NT....

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:24


Maybe you could give us some specific details as how we as Christians are to properly observe the Sabbath, under the new covenant?

 

[miamited]

But it doesn't matter anyway because communion is in remembrance of the Messiah's death and not His resurrection.

HI rstrats

I would disagree to some extent with that. Jesus said to do this in remembrance of him. Personally, I take that to be our call to be mindful of all that Jesus did for us, and the resurrection is a component of that. But I'm satisfied that if one wants to hold the position that communion is only to recognize his death, that's ok. But I'm mindful also of his suffering. I mean his death; after reading all of the terrible suffering of being scourged and wearing the crown of thorns and knowing how painful it must have been for every breath that he took while hanging on that wooden beam with his back raw and meaty rubbing against the rough wood, might have been a relief to his soul at the moment. But either way, so long as we are mindful of what Jesus has done for us, in whatever capacity we believe that to be, then we are doing as Jesus has asked us.

I'm also quite ok with your keeping your time of worship on whatever day you believe to be God's command to you. The Sabbath, however, was not about worship. Yes, there were some Sabbath's where God instructed the Israelites to hold holy convocations of the people, but that wasn't anywhere in the law of the seventh day Sabbath. Those were generally required only on certain Sabbaths, according to the Scriptures. The law of the seventh day Sabbath is this:

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

That's it. It's all about resting and not working. Nothing in it about holding any special or regular worship gathering on the seventh day Sabbath. Don't work and honor the day as holy unto the Lord. Now, some may interpret or understand that part about honoring the day as holy unto the Lord as a call to worship, but I honestly don't see that explained very well anywhere in the Scriptures as regards the seventh day Sabbath.

 

[Fish153]

Why did you reference Romans 14 since it says nothing about the Sabbath which is the subject of this topic?

rstrats---- Romans 14 and other scriptures mention avoiding "religiosity" as someone may declare one day holy, when others do not regard it so. Christmas is a good example. Some may consider it a "holy" day, while others condemn it as being "pagan". People waste hours and hours and hours arguing about the Sabbath day. They even declare Sunday to be the "mark of the beast" and other such nonsense! Sunday is the day when we rejoice at the resurrection and worship the Lord for all he has done. Others spend hours condemning people for worshiping on Sunday as though God is up in Heaven with a big club ready to hit Sunday worshipers over the head for "disobeying". It's a ridiculous argument and legalistic to the core. I hate arguments about the Sabbath almost as much as arguments about how you have to be baptized to be saved. They are a HUGE waste of time and accomplish nothing. Instead of God being praised and worshiped--you have a group of "religious zealots" condemning millions of people for worshiping on Sunday. So sad.

 

[miamited]

Personally, when I listen to these arguments about the Sabbath being about a day of worship, I always wonder whether or not that person keeps what God says the Sabbath is for. Do they work at anytime between sundown on Friday and sundown on Saturday? Do they support people who work from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. Does anyone in their family work from sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday.

I mean that's really what seems to be the point that is discussed the most about the Sabbath keeping that God asks of the Israelites. How many of these holy Sabbath keepers actually do what the law of the seventh day Sabbath actually asks of God's people? How many of the Sabbath keepers then go out to lunch that requires that someone else work for them? Take their children to some amusement activity that requires that someone else be there to work for them?

Just sayin'. That's what the Sabbath law says. Not the individual, nor anyone of their children, nor any of their help staff are to work on the Sabbath. Do you stop and fill up your vehicle on the way to worship making someone keep their business open so that they can get gas for their car on the Sabbath? I actually believe that it is pretty much impossible for anyone, certainly in the industrialized nations, to honor what God has said our Sabbath is about. They make it all about whether or not you hold a worship service, but honestly, the law doesn't seem to explain it all to be about just worship.

 

[Fish153]

Personally, when I listen to these arguments about the Sabbath being about a day of worship, I always wonder whether or not that person keeps what God says the Sabbath is for. Do they work at anytime between sundown on Friday and sundown on Saturday? Do they support people who work from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. Does anyone in their family work from sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday.

I mean that's really what seems to be the point that is discussed the most about the Sabbath keeping that God asks of the Israelites. How many of these holy Sabbath keepers actually do what the law of the seventh day Sabbath actually asks of God's people? How many of the Sabbath keepers then go out to lunch that requires that someone else work for them? Take their children to some amusement activity that requires that someone else be there to work for them?

Just sayin'. That's what the Sabbath law says. Not the individual, nor anyone of their children, nor any of their help staff are to work on the Sabbath. Do you stop and fill up your vehicle on the way to worship making someone keep their business open so that they can get gas for their car on the Sabbath? I actually believe that it is pretty much impossible for anyone, certainly in the industrialized nations, to honor what God has said our Sabbath is about. They make it all about whether or not you hold a worship service, but honestly, the law doesn't seem to explain it all to be about just worship.

miamited----

Thanks for your post. We are studying the Gospel of Mark at church. In that Gospel (and the other three as well) Jesus many times admonishes the Pharisees for being so "religious" about keeping the Sabbath that they exclude mercy and kindness. Jesus heals a man with a withered hand--and they are so concerned that he did this ON THE SABBATH DAY that they don't rejoice that this man is made well because of Jesus!! Many of these people who make large posts about how one needs to worship on Saturday and not Sunday remind me of those Pharisees.

 

[JLB]

miamited----

Thanks for your post. We are studying the Gospel of Mark at church. In that Gospel (and the other three as well) Jesus many times admonishes the Pharisees for being so "religious" about keeping the Sabbath that they exclude mercy and kindness. Jesus heals a man with a withered hand--and they are so concerned that he did this ON THE SABBATH DAY that they don't rejoice that this man is made well because of Jesus!! Many of these people who make large posts about how one needs to worship on Saturday and not Sunday remind me of those Pharisees.

Yes.

And when you ask them to provide scriptures from Paul or Peter or John or Jesus as to how we as Christians are to specifically observe the Sabbath, they disappear.




JLB

 

[miamited]

Hey Fish153

Yes, when Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath, I'm pretty sure he's instructing us that it's about the work issue. It is not good for someone to work seven days a week. The human condition needs rest, relaxation and downtime. And God asks us to keep that instruction for a day of rest as a holy day set aside for that. If the Sabbath was really all about our worshipping God, then why would Jesus tell us that it was a day set aside for man. When someone works seven days a week, I think they also lose sight of God's commands about worshipping money. That person believes that it's more important to make more money than to honor God and set aside a day of the week to rest. Therefore, they have set mammon over God's command to them.

But as I said, not all Sabbaths that God instituted are the same. On some Sabbaths, God has said that we can't cook meals. That we are to prepare our meals the day before so that we don't have to cook on the Sabbath. But that isn't the seventh day Sabbath. Some Sabbaths God asks that the people hold a holy convocation of the people. And if God had said that about the seventh day Sabbath, then I would agree that we should be having church on the seventh day Sabbath... but God didn't say that in the instructions of the seventh day Sabbath. That Sabbath is made for man and it is made for man that he will rest and consider all that God has done. Being mindful of Him and His power and love for them.

Now no, we don't do that either, but that's what I believe the 10 commandment seventh day Sabbath says in the instructions.