Bible Discussion Thread

Can anyone offer information located in The New Testament, KJB, regarding the Sabbath? I would like to know if Jesus changed the commandment regarding Saturday as the Sabbath, Holy Day of Rest, according to God? And replaced it with Sunday or as I was also informed any day of the week is proper for worship. I keep reading but there are no direct or indirect notations/references regarding the Sabbath or 7th day if the seek, Saturday or Sunday Or??

Hello Jpiegaro. This is a subject that has been debated often & it really boils down to how one approaches & understands God's Word on this matter, as also with other subjects.

My understanding on this, indeed on all matters pertaining to Israel, is that the Ten Commandments which includes the necessity of keeping the Sabbath Day holy was wholly incumbent upon Israel & Israel alone. No other people received the Decalogue, as also with circumcision, the festivals, sacrifices, priestly functions, other laws, etc. Unfortunately, when the Jew turned to Christ, as also with the Gentile, the knowledge they had or we received from the Old Testament are presumed to be automatically passed onto & applied to those now In Christ. We readily acknowledge the laws concerning our relationship to God & to one another, as given in the OT, but then imply that Sabbath-keeping must also apply to us. We do so in ignorance.

Shabbat (Hebrew, from the root, Shin-Bet-Tav), being the seventh day, means 'to cease, to end, to rest', & Israel was to sanctify (set apart) this day for cessation from all activity, even as the LORD Himself hallowed it ( Exodus 20:10,11). There could be no transposition of this Sabbath Day to any other day; hence, it was never 're-converted' to become a Sunday, thus the term 'Christian Sabbath' really is a misnomer. One can use the 7th day, or any day, as a day of rest as desired, but I don't ever see it as a requirement for those who are In Christ Jesus, as those now under a new Law given us (even, imputed in us) by the Holy Spirit ( Romans 8:2) & also being led of the Spirit ( Galatians 5:18). When we look at the Gospels & the Acts of the Apostles, we find many references to the Sabbath Day, since either the Law was still in force (pre-Cross) or the apostles took advantage of the day for ministry to the Jews in synagogues (in Acts). But in NT Church practise, they met on the 1st Day of the Week, with no reference to the old Law of Sabbath(s).

Genesis26:4-6 affirms that the Laws of God existed before Sinai.. Abraham kept my statutes, my commandments, my laws..

That is true Rainwalker, in reference to Genesis 26:5. But the question: what were the "commandments, statutes and laws" that were given to Abraham to obey? We aren't given the specifics apart from God's clear directions to him. And even if they were the same as those given to Moses (and that's an IF), how would those laws given to Abraham & later to Israel, come to bear upon those now in Christ Jesus & been given God's Spirit to reside in them?

As even the apostle stated in Romans 7:10, "And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death"; could there be any Law given, whether to Abraham, Moses, & Israel, as pure & righteous as those Laws were, have given to any of them, life (i.e. the promise of eternal life)? Each one had to stand by their faith before God, the Law giving them absolutely no justification before God ( Romans 3:20).

Likewise, the Law can have no bearing on those now In Christ, for we stand by faith alone in Christ's finished Work for us & for all who would come to Him & believe on Him. Do we then remain lawless? Rather, the Law of Faith ( Romans 3:27) now stands, as it did before to those under the Old Covenant, but now this Law (of Faith) is energized in us by the Holy Spirit giving us power to live triumphantly & acceptably before God - that which the Old Law could never do & was never designed to do. Abraham wasn't accepted simply on how well he kept whatever Laws were given him, but that it was his faith that took him beyond the letter, where he obeyed God, claimed God's Promises, & looked beyond what the physical eye & mind could apprehend ( Hebrews 11:8-10).

I have always found Isa 66:22,23 interesting to say the least.

Indeed, that Scripture can be considered in a couple of ways. Firstly, the language used here as part of the prophetical word to God's people was so that they would understand that in that coming day, all flesh would worship God continually; that is, not on any particular day that was set aside, but at any time & in a continual worship.

Of course, the other way of reading those verses is that if there was to be times & seasons (e.g. new moons, sabbaths) reinstated in the new heavens & new Earth (which seems doubtful, from Revelation 21:22-24), then the recognition of these would typify what God had once ordained for Israel, would be understood as a no longer looking forward to a future event, but an accomplishment of what those commands represented. So, it may well be that a Sabbath rest would represent more than the actual day, but a continuation of what all believers experience now in Christ & the fullness of it in that coming day in God's Presence.

Hello, nothing in the Bible has changed. The sabbath has not changed, it is a day of rest indeed. We go to church on Sunday to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.