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1. The Sabbath was a command given specifically to Israel.
There is no biblical record whatsoever of anybody keeping the Sabbath prior to Exodus 16 (Neh. 9:13-14). Even after they received the full-blown Sabbath command (Ex. 20:8-11), Israel who often condemned the sins of her pagan neighbors, never criticized their violation of the Sabbath.2. Sabbath was part of God’s ceremonial law and not grounded in His unchanging character.
The Sabbath was a ceremonial law given specifically to Israel, not grounded in God’s unchanging nature. Similar to the entire old covenant, it has been fulfilled and brought to completion in Christ (Mt. 5:17). If David had a right to make an exception in the ceremonial law, Jesus had more (Mt. 12:1-8; c.f 5:21-48). Even Jesus said," The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" (Mk. 2:27). Moreover, He called Himself the "Lord of the Sabbath" (Lk. 6:5).3. The Sabbath was the sign of the Old Covenant
(Ex. 31:16-17; Neh. 9:14; Eze. 20:12). Because we are now under the New Covenant we are no longer under obligation to keep the Old Covenant, particularly the sign of the Old Covenant. The writer to the Hebrews remarked, "When He said, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear" (Heb. 8:13).4. The New Testament nowhere commands Christians to observe the Sabbath.
The church is warned of many sins in the New Testament, but breaking (or observing) the Sabbath is never mentioned. The book of Acts mentions the Sabbath nine times, never once as a day of worship for Christians. If anything, the Apostle Paul rebuked the Galatians for attempting to add the observance of days to the sufficiency of Christ’s work for salvation (Gal. 4:9-11). The church even changed their day of worship from Saturday (the Jewish Sabbath) to Sunday (the Lord’s Day) (Ac. 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2) to show that a new order had been erected with the resurrection of Christ (Jn. 20:1, 19).5. Jesus Christ through His redemptive work regained the Sabbath that Adam lost.
Jesus Christ came to complete a redemptive work (Jn. 4:34; 5:36) by restoring the rest that was forfeited in the Garden. In following the same pattern for the first creation, Jesus Christ began the work spoken of in Genesis 3:15 (c.f. Gen. 1:3). He completed the work on the cross (Jn. 17:4; 19:30; c.f. Gen. 1:5). The work was met with God’s satisfaction by the resurrection and ascension of Christ (Rom. 1:3-4; Gen. 1:4) leading again to divine rest (Heb. 10:11-12; c.f. Gen. 2:1-3).6. The Sabbath was a sign that pointed to something greater.
Like much of the Old Testament, the Sabbath pointed to Jesus Christ. The Old Testament Sabbath preached the gospel when it called for faith and a cessation of work (Rom. 4:4-5). We dishonor our Savior when the signs still receive the preeminence that He alone deserves. Now that Jesus is here, the signs have become obsolete (Heb. 8:13). The Apostle Paul said, "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--things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ" (Col. 2:16-17). Jesus is the new Joshua that leads God’s children to a greater Promised Land of rest (Mt. 1:21). Jesus is the new Sabbatical Jubilee (Lev. 25:8-10) that provides a greater cancellation of debts (Lk. 4:18-19).7. Jesus Christ has now become the Sabbath rest for Christians under the New Covenant.
God has completed His work of the new creation. Christians are the first fruits of that creation (2 Cor.. 5:17; Gal. 6:15). Our rest, as it was enjoyed by Adam everyday, has again been restored. During this life we still deal with some remnants of the curse, but we recognize our rest in Christ (from meritorious works) through faith and daily worship (Col. 3:17). Due to His redemptive work, He has become our Sabbath rest. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Mt. 11:28-30; c.f. Heb. 4:1-11).8. The Christian’s ultimate Sabbath rest will be enjoyed in heaven
(Rev. 14:13; c.f. 14:11). Though we currently rest in Jesus Christ under the New Covenant, our supreme Sabbatical rest will be realized in heaven where we will enjoy the ultimate rest in the culmination of God’s new creation (Rev. 21:4; 22:1-2) away from the curse in the direct presence of the Lamb (Rev. 22:3).
http://www.thegracetabernacle.org/studi … bbath.html
Last edited by bob_2 (02-09-10 7:25 pm)
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Bob 2, this idea that there is NO Sabbath for the Church is absurd. It goes against the facts of church history, practice, and theology. It makes no sense and is not even a real doctrine.
Your mythical view is against the doctrine and practice of the church.
Moreover, it is also wrong to think the SDA’s were wrong about everything. They were not. They were correct to understand that the doctrine of the Sabbath will play are role in last day events.
Just as the Sabbath played a major role in the Gospel ministry of Jesus and his preaching the Gospel, so too the final ministry of the church.
The Sabbath is such a big part of both Covenants, that it can never be taken out of the Gospel Story.
So stop trying!
Why not look at all the various ways the Sabbath in interpreted and deal with that issue. That would be better than pretending the weekly Sabbath does not exist for the church, when that is exactly what all Christians teach and practice.
Bob 2 quoted: If Jesus had said that the Sabbath was made for gentiles, it would have created another, even larger, controversy, because the Pharisees believed that the Sabbath was given only to Israel.
Tom said: The Sabbath was not made for the Gentiles, unless they became spiritual Jews first.
But there was a controversial point of doctrine that Jesus withheld from the early church, and it has to do with the Gentiles becoming part of the church on an equal basis with themselves. They were not ready for that truth as yet and so it came a little later.
If Jesus had disclosed to the Jews that the Gentiles are going to be invited into the Kingdom of God, on an equal basis with the Jews, (sharing the Gospel Sabbath), they could not have understood him, nor would they have been able to accept such a strange position.
Such a disclosure would have “created another, even larger controversy” than the one about the Sabbath.
This is why this point was disclosed to the apostles, specifically to Peter, AFTER the Ascension.
Acts 10:13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!”
Acts 10:14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.”
Acts 10:15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.”
Acts 10:16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.
Acts 10:17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate;
Acts 10:18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there.
Acts 10:19 While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.
Acts 10:20 “But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.”
Acts 10:45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
Read the rest of this “amazing” story and understand how the Church developed and why.
As for the OC Sabbath, it was given to the Jews by Moses, it not ever given to the Gentiles.
The NC Sabbath was also given only to the Jews by Christ, and then to the Church, including those Gentiles that embraced the Gospel.
So there is no Sabbath for the Gentiles. Not in the OC, or the NC. The Sabbath is only for those inside the Kingdom of God.
Both Covenants are 100% Jewish, not Gentile. And there is a different, 7th day Sabbath in each Covenant.
Those that embrace the Gospel, meaning both Jew and Gentile, must be born again into a specific Jewish way of apostolic thinking.
Thus all Christians must become “Spiritual Jews.” Which is why the church is called the “Israel of God.”
The Gentiles are no longer called aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints, members of the Jewish God’s household and kingdom. The Christian Faith equals reformed Judaism, and the NC Sabbath is part of this paradigm shift. The Gospel Sabbath is part of the Church forever.
Eph. 2:11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands
Eph. 2:12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Eph. 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Eph. 2:14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
Eph. 2:15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
Eph. 2:16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
Eph. 2:17 AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR;
Eph. 2:18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
Eph. 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,
Eph. 2:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,
Eph. 2:21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,
Eph. 2:22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
Note how Jesus is our “peace,” not our “rest.” And that the Gentiles are being invited into the Jewish paradigm, which is the Church.
A real Jew is by Faith not Flesh. Those who embrace the Gospel are genuine Jews as far as Heaven is concerned. Thus the NC Sabbath makes perfect theological sense. There is no basis to change it to Sunday or observe it as if were the OC Sabbath of Moses, or to remove it completely as you desire.
The Church is to follow the Light and Easy, 7th day Sabbath of Jesus, the Lord of all the Earth, even the Sabbath.
Rom. 9:6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;
Rom. 9:7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.”
Rom. 9:8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.
Gal. 6:16 And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
There is nothing Gentile about the theology that defines the Gospel Story, nor did God ever make any Covenant with the Gentiles. So there is no Sabbath for the Gentiles and there never was. But there has always been a Sabbath for the House of Israel, and so it will always be.
Heb. 8:8 For finding fault with them, He says,
“BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD,
WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT
WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH;
Heb. 8:10 “FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:
1I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS,
AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS.
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD,
AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
Those anti-Sabbatarians that try and dismiss the Sabbath because it is too Jewish, do not understand that the Gospel itself is 100% Jewish, and so too the Church. Both the OC and the NC are Jewish. The Gospel Story is a Jewish Story, even as the Hebrew God is the God of the Church.
Thus the Sabbath makes perfect sense within such a Semitic paradigm. Especially when there is an OC Sabbath and a very different NC Sabbath as explained by Christ. These two types of Sabbath make perfect theological sense to any Protestant that values the Gospel and the Priesthood of all believers.
The fact that the SDA’s, and all others as well, have gotten this doctrine wrong is beside the point. There is a Sabbath for the church, and it is about time that such confusion is being addressed.
The Gospel Sabbath is a break-through doctrine that will overturn what all churches have been teaching, including what the SDA’s have been promoting all these years.
Bob 2 quoted: The Pharisees were challenging the behavior of the disciples, not the behavior of gentiles.
Tom said: Correct. But so what?
All Gentiles must become spiritual Jews, by Faith, in order to embrace the Gospel and the teachings of Jesus. So there is a NC Sabbath for the Gentile believers to embrace, as well as for the Jews. It is the one taught by Christ.
Bob 2 quoted: They were overestimating the importance of Sabbath restrictions, and Jesus responded to them not by expanding the Sabbath to all humanity, but by reducing its relative importance to the people it was designed to serve.
Tom said: While the NC Sabbath may have been intended for all humanity, so too was the Gospel, but that does not mean all will embrace either.
The Sabbath, which is an ancient sign of the Creator God in Jewish history, can only apply to those that are called the Israel of God. Thus the Sabbath, either the OC or NC versions, are ONLY for those that were either Jews or spiritual Jews, now called Christians.
There is no Sabbath for those outside the Two Covenants. There is no valid Sunday Sabbath for the Gentiles as many think. Sunday is a total Gentile fraud.
The Gospel Story is 100% Jewish, and thus the Sabbath will play a major doctrinal role forever in both Covenants. The challenge of the church today is to better understand the Gospel theology of the Sabbath.
So far the church, especially the SDA’s, are making fools of themselves. And so too the anti-Sabbatarian critics.
Bob 2 said: If the logic of Jesus statements are followed, he was not commanding all people to keep the Sabbath, but that is was there for man to use, which is why he created it, and it's meaning in the New Covenant fulfilled literally in Christ.
Tom said: Jesus was teaching a New Sabbath for the Church. Those that follow him and his Gospel, will also follow his Gospel Sabbath as well. Those outside the church have no real Christ or credible Sabbath.
Jesus was teaching the church how to understand and observe the NC Sabbath. His Sabbath teaching was for the Jews first and then the Gentiles that would embrace the Gospel.
The Jews rejected Jesus Gospel Sabbath, but the early church embraced the 7th day Lord’s Day, exclusively, until the Gentiles took over the church CHANGED the NC Sabbath to Sunday.
At some point, this massive fraud will be exposed and the period of the Gentiles controlling church doctrine will come to an abrupt and embarrassing end. The truth about the Gospel, which impacts every doctrine, not just the Sabbath, will expose every denominations teaching to be worthless and horribly wrong. Many will understand they have been duped by their confused and dishonest religious leaders.
With the discovery and emergence of the 7th day Gospel Sabbath, this time is getting very close. Soon the Gospel paradigm will swing back to it Semitic roots, leaving many Gentiles with an absurd and impossible view of church doctrine that requires repentance and reformation, as well the quest to find a church that tells the truth.
So it is not just the SDA’s that have to repent of their false Gospel and false Sabbath, all others are also condemned and must confess their many errors and false doctrines.
Thus the TRUE CHURCH will repent as directed by Jesus in his Message to the Laodiceans and separate from the arrogant, organized, and blind Laodiceans.
This is what the SDA’s referred to as the “shaking period. It is a time when the genuine Gospel of the NT clashes with the many distorted and false Gospels that are featured in all denominations.
This remnant, from all denominations, both Protestant and Roman Catholic, will understand and embrace the Gospel, which includes the Gospel Sabbath as clearly taught in all four of the Gospels.
They will also go forward to proclaim the genuine Gospel and the correct view of the Judgment and eschatology. Even as they prepare the church for the great Time of Trouble that is sure to come.
The preaching of the true Gospel by the Remnant elevates the Sabbath issue to a point of great debate. It forces a theological self-examination within every denomination and sect, and thus the very foundation of organized religion, which is based on the Sunday Sabbath, is at risk for great loss of credibility and resources.
No one should underestimate the insight that the SDA’s had about the Sabbath. To the Pioneers, it was first and foremost an eschatological doctrine. In this they were correct and the fact that they misunderstood the Gospel and turned the Sabbath doctrine into OC legalism does not change their correct baseline point.
1. Only the 7th day Sabbath can be the correct day for the church.
2. The 7th day Sabbath will be part of the final Gospel Message in Rev 18.
Both these points are still correct.
When the Gospel Story is correctly understood, the Gospel Sabbath also emerges. Thus the preaching of the Gospel brings with it dramatic and visible changes in the way the Sabbath, and God, are viewed by all denominations.
The real Sabbath, like the real Gospel, will shock and stun them all, proving they have been very wrong about Jesus and God all these years. They have never heard of such a Gospel Sabbath or such a Christ.
Only the 7th day, Light and Easy Sabbath, as taught by Jesus in the genuine doctrine for the church.
Only the Active Sabbath, which reinforces the Priesthood of All Believers, is the correct Sabbath for the Church.
The SDA Sabbath is based on the OC Sabbath of Moses, with their leaders pretending to be the Levites.
Thus, the confused SDA’s have set up a system of tithing that controls their whole denomination and is featured every Sabbath without fail. They are obsessed with OC tithing. But there can be no such doctrine in the church.
So we can easily see that the SDA’s are not organized in a Protestant fashion, but in an Old Covenant manner. They don’t understand, nor practice the Gospel. They are Judaizers, complete with an OC Sabbath, tithing, and a Levitical system of pastors that teach a false Gospel to the people.
So even the SDA’s are going to have to admit they have the wrong Sabbath, as well as the wrong Gospel. Which is why the LM is so harsh and all encompassing.
No denomination or church is exempt. They ALL have a false Gospel and a false Sabbath, and legions of additional errors and sins.
In conclusion, the Gospel Sabbath of Jesus caused great emotion and debate. It was a lightening rod for the critics and was the primary reason why the Jews concluded Christ must be silenced.
Thus every Sabbath of Jesus ministry caused great controversy, -on purpose,- as he used the Reformed Sabbath to overthrow the religious establishment and expose their false views about God.
This is what the real Sabbath does in the religious community. It upsets the religious leaders and exposes their Gospel errors.
This is what the Gospel Sabbath will also do at the end of time.
Do not under estimate the power of the Gospel or the controversy that the Gospel Sabbath stirs up within the religious community. This is all part of the plan of God.
There is a Gospel Sabbath for the church. And it is explosive. Let all beware!
Tom Norris, for the 7th day Gospel Sabbath
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Suppose you are right, I did this once, and the whole world shut down one day every week. They all had conservative views about "working" on the Sabbath, from water treatment plant to Police officer to gasoline stations. Remember the whole world is converted, no one imposing when they forget to fill the tank on Friday, and no gas in the tank to get to church, how would the world function? Tom, your turn, try a short version!!
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Tom you assume that whenever Law or Commandment is used in the NT, it is the same as the Ten Commandments. Why couldn't it be new tenets, it would still be HIS Law. When Christ said it is FINISHED what did He mean. Was there not a change???If not keep sacrificing, buying and selling doves, slaughtering cattle. You have the mentality of a group trying to be unique in the mid 19th century that had a Charismatic start, fits and starts, until they got something different enough, not too different that they couldn't function, but different enough to be a "Samson" of the era. Now if you remember about Samson, not all Jews were Nazarenes with strict life styles. Why not with your argument, go with the majority. Cling to the Ten, everyone else is, they just got it wrong, we got it right, eh???
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Tom, you have made a god of the Sabbath. Jesus is the Sabbath and God, don't substitute a 24 hour period for your Master and Savior, your/our Rest, our forgiveness, our/ THE Gospel.
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Bob 2 said: Suppose you are right, … and the whole world shut down one day every week. They all had conservative views about "working" on the Sabbath, from water treatment plant to Police officer to gasoline stations. ... when they forget to fill the tank on Friday, no gas in the tank to get to church, how would the world function? Tom, your turn, try a short version!!
Bob 2, I don’t think you are paying attention. How can you think that I am advocating an OC Sabbath where no one can work? I AM SAYING THE OPPOSITE.
The genuine Gospel Sabbath that I advocate does not prohibit any Christian from “working” on the NC Sabbath. It does not prevent anyone from working at his or her jobs on the 7th day as the SDA’s incorrectly teach, much less getting gas or food.
I suggest that you go back and read the two threads about the Reformed Sabbath and try to understand this discussion. You need to stop posting about this topic until you grasp what is being said.
http://www.atomorrow.net/forum/viewtopic.php?id=242
http://www.atomorrow.net/forum/viewtopic.php?id=228
The NC Sabbath is very different from the OC Sabbath, which does indeed prohibit most all activity. But the Sabbath that Jesus promoted all during his ministry was a very active, WORKING Sabbath. This is why the religious leaders became so angry at him.
They said he was a Sabbath breaker. But he was not. He had a very different, NC view of the Sabbath that was dramatically different from the status quo.
This is the same Sabbath I am advocating. It is a WORKING SABBATH. It is a day that can accommodate all manner of good works, as well as study and worship.
It is a very different doctrine from what the SDA’s teach, and of course it is also very different from the Gentile Sabbath for many reasons, starting with the fact that Sunday is not the right day.
So the real Sabbath, as well as the real Gospel, is going to stun the religious world when preached. And make no mistake about it. The Gospel and the Reformed Sabbath are meant to be preached together, just like in the Gospels.
When that happens, every church will be exposed with a worthless Gospel and a false Sabbath and all manner of additional false doctrines and myths.
Bob 2 said: Tom, you have made a god of the Sabbath. Jesus is the Sabbath and God, don't substitute a 24-hour period for your Master and Savior, your/our Rest, our forgiveness, our/ THE Gospel.
Tom said: Bob 2, I don’t think you know what you are saying, much less what I am trying to explain.
I am not advocating the OC SDA Sabbath, much less making the Sabbath a god. I am not even saying it is wrong to work at all on the Sabbath.
In fact, the “easy” Sabbath that I advocate is better described as very liberal and wrong by those that typically support the Sabbath. The NC Sabbath allows far too much activity, work and play, with almost nothing being prohibited.
Furthermore, Jesus is not the 7th day, (or any other day), much less the doctrine of the Sabbath. And neither is God as you claim. These are absurd and aberrant views that make no sense to those literate with theology or church history.
Why not study what Jesus teaches about the Sabbath? Why not follow the clear teachings of the person you claim is your Lord and Savior? Those that only give lip service to the teachings of Christ, believing the opposite of what he really says, are following a false Christ down a fatal path.
At the end of time, the correct preaching of the Gospel, which includes the correct doctrine of the NC Sabbath, will shock and condemn every church and denomination in the land, both RC and Protestant; even the cults, like the Mormons and JW’s will all be speechless, unable to justify what they have been teachings for so long.
There is another Gospel Reformation stalking the church. It will take place just prior to the great Tribulation period, which few understand.
This is a serious discussion that needs to be better understood by those that care about the Gospel and eschatology.
TN
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Dexter or Tom, since you, Tom, often talk of more than one person getting your Reformed Sabbath, give me the links to those individuals' presentation like you are giving. Never seen it before. Yet NCT, though new, or recent, is replete with scholars agreeing with it.
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