A few things happened in the past day that had me thinking about Shabbat. One, Shabbat is truly an island in time, and as such I look forward to it, especially if the week has been more difficult than usual. Second, my wife told me of a business meeting she was at in which she, a Jewish believer who mostly goes to a church, and a traditional Jewish woman (not a believer) were discussing Shabbat.
There was talk of a business event that will occur on a Saturday. My wife mentioned that she would most likely not participate, as she does not enjoy to work during Shabbat. The Jewish non-believer agreed, but felt it was a Christian nation, and thus it is hard to have business events on the weekend, since many do not like to do these things on Sunday, since many Christians go to church. The church going Jewish believer did not understand why it would be an issue for my wife, since the Shabbat has been changed to Sunday! Can you imagine that? She thinks Shabbat has been moved. Well, if it has, there certainly was no moving notice posted in Scripture. Everything I have ever seen about the changing of Shabbat from the seventh day to the first day is indicating that it was by the authority of the church that the day was changed, not by anything in Scripture. So, you can tell me how the early believer gathered on the first day, but that is not indication of the day being changed. First of all the first day begins at sundown Saturday evening and there is a traditional Jewish gathering at this time, known as Havdalah (whether the practice started in Biblical times or not is something that the Rabbis have debated), secondly this is not an instruction to change a Scriptural commandment of G-d.
The third thing I came across was this article in the online magazine, Pulpit, titled, “Must We Keep the Sabbath?” The author, almost in response to the argument my wife’s friend had that the Shabbat has been changed states:
Sunday has not replaced Saturday as the Sabbath. Rather the Lord’s Day is a time when believers gather to commemorate His resurrection, which occurred on the first day of the week. Every day to the believer is one of Sabbath rest, since we have ceased from our spiritual labor and are resting in the salvation of the Lord (Hebrews 4:9-11
).
So while we still follow the pattern of designating one day of the week a day for the Lord’s people to gather in worship, we do not refer to this as “the Sabbath.”
There are some things I either disagree with or would need further clarification about in the article:
- First is the concept of the shadow. The shadow is obviously an analogy, but when I think of a shadow, and of something being a shadow of the Messiah, I think of seeing a shadow coming off from the side of a building. It is getting larger as a figure approaches. I cannot see the person, because the building is blocking it, but I can see the shadow. As the person comes out from behind the side of the building, I can see see the person, and see more clearly who this person is, however I can also still see the shadow. It does not disappear or somehow cease to exists just because I can now more clearly see the person. So, since I can now see Messiah, why does the shadow cease to exists? I think the verse there, Colossians 2:16-17 is misused and I believe it refers more to the condemnation because of transgressing the Torah, then the practice itself. There is an interesting translation provided by the website “The Torah and The Testimony Revealed“. It is very instructive, I think to note the differences (going back to verse 13 for more context):
First the New King James Version (with some comments from the tntrevealed.org site):
2:13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
2:14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
2:15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
2:16 Therefore let no man judge you in food [the Greek is a verb, not a noun] or in drink [the Greek is a verb, not a noun], or in regard of a festival, or a new moon, or Sabbaths,
2:17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the body “is” of Christ. [The word "is" has been added to the text here]
And their translation of the verse
2:13 And you, being dead in your violations of Torah and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all your Torah violations,
2:14 Having wiped out the record of debt, the judgment brought down and written against us, and held against us. And He has taken that judgment and debt out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
2:15 Having disarmed the rulers and authorities of darkness, He triumphed over them publicly, putting them to shame, and triumphed over them concerning this.
2:16 Let no man condemn you therefore in eating or in drinking, either in participation of a festival, or of a New Moon, or of the Sabbaths,
2:17 which are but a shadow of things to come for the whole body of Messiah.I think the translation done makes it more clear that the trespass He has forgiven is that of breaking the Law of G-d (Torah). Also of interest is the reason that Paul wrote the letter in the first place. The subject of the article is not Jewish practices, but gnostic practices that were creeping in to the community of believers in Colossae. The audience were not Jewish and most likely the foods and days referred to are not the Biblically prescribed days like Shabbat.
- The author also uses the Acts 20:7 verse to indicate the change of the day of worship to Sunday. Once again reading the verse shows no command to change anything and indicates a much more likely Saturday evening gathering, since Paul gave a message that lasted until midnight. If it was a morning service, as is tradition now, that would be quite a long message indeed.
- The author a few times states that there were Jewish believers observing Shabbat, but they were told they should not condemn Gentile believers for not observing Shabbat. If that is true, then it stands to reason that the Gentiles believers should not condemn the Jewish believer who continue to observe Shabbat. I asked that question as a comment on the site and I am curious as to the response from both the author and other readers of the site. It seems a subject that so many Christians seem to ignore, that there might be Jewish believers in Messiah. Far to often Jewish believers are told that their traditions are bad and wrong, but there is supposed to be no judgment against Gentile practices and traditions. It seems Scripture is clear that circumcision means nothing and uncircumcision means nothing, yet often times the Christian world tells the Jews that uncircumcision means everything.
For me, Shabbat is a very special time. I offer no judgment, no condemnation of how you treat the seventh day, however I also see no wrong in doing it, and do see opportunities for great blessing, especially for those of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For in Scripture it says:
If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath,
From doing your pleasure on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a delight,
The holy day of the LORD honorable,
And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways,
Nor finding your own pleasure,
Nor speaking your own words,
Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD;
And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the LORD has spoken. – Isaiah 58:13-14
Have a wonderful Shabbat.
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11 responses so far ↓
1 Song for Shabbat (May 4, 2007) at Y Not I // May 4, 2007 at 2:25 pm
[...] Ramblings on Life and Faith in Yeshua HaMashiach « Must We Keep Shabbat? [...]
2 theologian // May 4, 2007 at 3:37 pm
BZ,
(for some reason this did not show up in the post over on Pulpit Magazine so i wanted to post it here as well)
Sorry, i did misunderstand.
I would say that as believers in Christ we are to submit to the change that God made in the Sabbath say and celebrate it on the first day.
Col 2:16-17
abrogates the seventh day Sabbath, but not the moral principle behind it…
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
Jesus Christ stands behind all of the OT shadows, and the passage above shows that the Sabbath had this shadow quality to it. Now that the substance has come in Christ we should cease embracing the shadows that we may embrace the substance.
The seven day Sabbath was in anticipation of the coming of the Messiah, the first day Sabbath enters into the rest of the finished work of Jesus.
3 B Z // May 4, 2007 at 4:01 pm
theologian,
However even the article indicated that Jewish believers (the first Messianic Jews, if you will) continued to celebrate the Sabbath and the article also stated that the Sabbath was not moved, at least not by any Scriptural authority. I am guessing your opinions are different from the article in this and maybe other points.
By your comments it appears you are passing judgment by saying that a Jew who comes to faith should give up their heritage, and give up Sabbath. It seems to me that the concept of not judging based upon foods or Sabbaths would be whether you keep it or not, however so often it is only used to justify the not keeping of these things. I have no problem with you not keeping the Sabbath, although I think you might find blessings in discovering it. However I recognize it as part of my heritage, as part of the Covenant between G-d and the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I claim no superiority by keeping this and other thing, but just as I am sure you do, I am open to how G-d leads and calls, and I believe He is calling me in this manner. Would you say it is sinful for me to keep the Sabbath in accordance with the Scriptural Commands of the Torah (5 books of Moses)?
My second question is that the Sabbath is called a perpetual covenant. Why would G-d use those words, if He knew that He was going to remove Sabbath?
I am not trying to create arguments, however I like the opportunity to discuss these things, especially discussing the Torah with Christians and showing that there is a difference between the commandments of G-d (Bible) and the traditions of man (Rabbinic Law of observation).
The Sabbath I celebrate uses some elements of Jewish tradition (man made rules), but I am not bound by them, because I follow Scripture and not the Rabbis. I incorporate some of my own traditions, and we just try and take a special hold of the Holiness of the Sabbath (Holiness indicating something totally unlike anything else; totally separated from the rest of the week).
Anyway, blessing to you and thanks for your input. I truly appreciate it and pray that the Holy One blesses you mightily.
4 theologian // May 4, 2007 at 4:37 pm
BZ,
I am glad that you welcomed my comment on your blog. I didn’t want you to think that i was ignoring your post on the other blog.
you said: By your comments it appears you are passing judgment by saying that a Jew who comes to faith should give up their heritage, and give up Sabbath.
my response: I would distinguish between religion and heritage. As our religion must conform to God we must ask ourselves what His word says about the topic and not what our heritage says. Although, i would not teach that we are to ignore past generations…only that they ought to be under the authority of Scripture.
you said: It seems to me that the concept of not judging based upon foods or Sabbaths would be whether you keep it or not, however so often it is only used to justify the not keeping of these things.
my response: good point. I would suggest that in the beginning of the Church there were allowances given until the fullness of Scripture had been accomplished. But once God has fully revealed the truth in Christ there is no real excuse to still cling to the shadows of the OT when we have the substance in Christ. I do think some Christians go too far with this and believe the Sabbath is totally abrogated, but i only believe its positive aspect was changed (the day), not its moral aspect.
you said: I recognize it as part of my heritage, as part of the Covenant between G-d and the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
my response: but what if the Jews at the time the Law said that you must not marry close relatives said that their heritage was to allow such marriages? Again, this was the positive aspect of the marriage ordinance. It was always between a man and a woman, but it moved from allowing close relatives to not allowing them, without changing the moral aspect of the ordinance. If God decides to move the day of the Sabbath without changing the moral requirements it is up to Him not our heritage.
you said: Would you say it is sinful for me to keep the Sabbath in accordance with the Scriptural Commands of the Torah (5 books of Moses)?
my response: I would say that it is sinful because i read Scripture as telling me that God abrogated what you still want to hold on to. I also think we must take all of Scripture, not just the Pentateuch. However, i would also say that what most other Christians do in completely disregarding the Sabbath is even more of a sin on some levels.
you said: the Sabbath is called a perpetual covenant. Why would G-d use those words, if He knew that He was going to remove Sabbath?
my response: i do not believe it has been removed. I don’t think the moral aspect of the command has changed at all, only the positive aspect (the day).
I appreciate the civil tone this conversation has been able to stay on.
5 B Z // May 6, 2007 at 11:24 am
theologian,
More questions…
Jesus in Matthew 5
said the He did not come to abolish the Torah and the Prophets, but you say the Torah has been abrogated. If I look up the word abrogate, the definition I get is – To abolish, do away with, or annul, especially by authority (from http://www.answers.com/abrogated&r=67). So is that not a contradiction. As a matter of fact He even goes on to say that those that do the commandments (Torah) will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven…and so on. Now would not believers be in the Kingdom of Heaven, so would it not stand to reason that Jesus is saying that believers who follow Torah and encourage others will be called greatest, and those that do the opposite will be called least?
You say G-d “gave allowances until the fullness of Scripture had been accomplished.” When did that happen? After the resurrection? If so, then it seems that the believers of Acts 21
were sinning since they were all zealous for the Torah. The article accepted the fact that the Messianic Jews of that day kept the Sabbath and were only told not to condemn Gentiles for not keeping it. There is no indication that the Messianic Jews of those verses were doing wrong by observing the Sabbath. Is there a verse that commands either the Sabbath not to be observed or to be changed somehow?
Please look at these verses and explain to me how the children of Israel might understand this in any other way other than to observe the Sabbath by not working on the seventh day, the way Jesus Himself observed the Sabbath:
12 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 13 Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.
If it is very clear that the children of Israel were told that for all time this was for them, then why would I think it would be any different for me, and how does this in any way conflict with the freedom from sin (sin which would be best defined as the breaking of G-d’s Law (Torah), that has been achieved through the work of the Messiah?
I would like to make it clear that I hold fast to the Scripture, I just see no real change between the Old and the New. I see G-d, who love His creation and want to fellowship with His creation offering to those who have faith a way to come to Him. I see that G-d calls on us to live our lives a certain way, walking in righteousness and pure and holy, separated from the world. I see that for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon, etc. As a matter of fact Hebrews 11
mentions most of these people, if not all of them, and it speaks of their faith, not how well they kept Torah that made them special. I see it the same way today. By faith I can come to G-d and by faith I try and walk in His ways, in His Torah, especially as someone who is from the line of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but even if I was not from that line, I would still see it that way. As it was with the mixed multitude and as it was with Ruth, there has always been Gentiles who have chosen to pitch their tent with the camp of Israel, and make the ways of Israel their ways, and Israel’s G-d their G-d. However, I also recognize that there also have always been G-d fearers, who did not pitch their tent in the camp of Israel, but where still blessed by G-d and who put their faith in the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Great I Am.
So, what I do know is that G-d has never abolished His Law, His Commandments. What I am still working out is 1) what exactly that means to me and how I work that out in my walk, and 2) what it means to Gentiles and how they should work it out.
Probably the most important thing I can tell you about this issue (both Sabbath and Torah) is that this is not an issue of salvation. No one is saved by keeping the Sabbath or by keeping Torah, Moses wasn’t saved by it, David wasn’t saved by it, I am not saved by it and you could not be saved by it. It is however an issue of discipleship, of how we, now as believers and servants of the Most High G-d will walk. With that being the case it is similar to many other disputes that occur between denominations (Baptism, Spiritual gifts, etc.), and I have never seen a reason for a lack of unity or fellowship because of the difference of opinion.
As I have mentioned from the beginning, it is just a blessing to be able to discuss these issues with Christians and hopefully, at the very least see things from the perspective of a Jewish person. If it accomplishes anything the next time you witness to a Jew you might have a better sensitivity to where they are coming from. I think that is exactly what Paul did so long ago, he came with a sensitivity to the mindset of the Gentiles and was able to meet them where they were at. And that is why he was so successful, and maybe the lack thereof throughout the past 2000 years has lead to the lack of success with bringing the Jews to faith in the Messiah that was promised through their own prophets.
6 theologian // May 7, 2007 at 7:06 am
BZ,
you said: Jesus in Matthew 5
said the He did not come to abolish the Torah and the Prophets, but you say the Torah has been abrogated.
my reply: I don’t think that i ever said that as i don’t think the Torah has been abolished. I believe the ceremonial aspects of the Torah have been abrogated. But i would also not like to only consider the Torah, but the entire Tanach with the NT.
Regarding the Sabbath i do NOT hold that it is abolished, but that the positive aspect of it has changed (the day), just as the positive aspect of other laws have changed within the Tanach itself (eg: marriage as i pointed out earlier).
you said: You say G-d gave allowances until the fullness of Scripture had been accomplished. When did that happen? After the resurrection?
my reply: no, not after the resurrection. When i say the fullness of Scripture i am referring to the completion of the entire Bible, including the NT.
you said: If it is very clear that the children of Israel were told that for all time this was for them, then why would I think it would be any different for me,
my reply: The moral aspect of the Sabbath is for all time, i agree with that. It is the positive aspect that has changed (the day).
you said: I would like to make it clear that I hold fast to the Scripture, I just see no real change between the Old and the New.
) while the NT Sabbath is a remembrance of the re-creation. The creation was finished on the seventh day while the re-creation was accomplished after the resurrection on the first day.
my reply: i see a great connection between the two, but there are differences. The Passover has become the Lord’s Supper, circumcision has become Baptism, and the Sabbath has become the Lord’s day. The truth that underlies these elements is unchanged, but they are no longer the shadows of the OT but they are the substance that is found in Christ.
Remember again that the OT Sabbath was a remembrance of creation (Ex 20
I agree that this is not an issue of salvation. And each viewpoint should be allowed to freely express their views and have discourse with other views. And we must always remember that we are doing it as brothers.
7 B Z // May 7, 2007 at 10:05 am
theologian,
Thanks for your responses. It has been a pleasure to trade thoughts on this, and I am glad that we could do so as brothers in Messiah. Can you point me to Scripture that indicates the change in the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday? Certainly in the Tanach it is clearly defined as the seventh day, which is Friday night at sundown until Saturday at sundown. I think we hold the Sabbath with the same type of reverence as a Holy time, however it seems that we differ as to the date. The Pulpit author however felt that the date has not changed, only that there is no reason for a Gentile to observe the Sabbath.
8 theologian // May 7, 2007 at 10:19 am
BZ,
It has been a pleasure speaking with you as well. Yes, we both hold to keeping the Sabbath. The difference being that you keep it on the 7th day and i keep it on the 1st.
As to Scripture pointing to the change in day…
After the resurrection of Jesus He changed His practice and never again participated in seventh-day Sabbath worship; instead, He met in a gathering with His disciples on the first and second occurrences of the now-inaugurated first-day Sabbath (Jn. 20:19, 26
)
Again, after His ascension He met with His gathered disciples on the first day of the week, pouring out His Spirit upon them on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1
), which was the seventh first-day Sabbath of the post-resurrection era.
It is Christ Himself, the Lord of the Sabbath, who changed the day (Mt. 12:8, Mk. 2:28
, Lk. 6:5
)
This was recognized by His disciples, who continued this practice in the New Testament church (Ac. 20:7, 1 Cor. 16:1-2
, Rev. 1:10
)
By the wisdom of God the language of the fourth commandment perfectly fits both the seventh-day and first-day Sabbath: Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God… (Ex. 20:9-10
). The commandment does not read: The seventh day of the week but the seventh day. The pattern in every age is six days of labor and one day of rest unto the Lord.
9 theologian // May 7, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Question #7 here sums up the change of day for the Sabbath…
http://www.shortercatechism.com/resources/flavel/wsc_fl_057-059.html
“The solemn commemoration of our redemption by the resurrection of Christ from the dead, is the ground of translating the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week”
While the OT Sabbath was a commemoration of the deliverance from Egypt by the hand of Moses, the NT Sabbath is a commemoration of the deliverance from sin by the hand of Jesus.
10 B Z // May 7, 2007 at 2:45 pm
theologian,
Thanks for all the input and verses, however the command in Torah to observe the Sabbath is very precise and very clear. The verse you use to change the day are not clear at all, all they do is mention the first day. There are plenty of verses in Acts of Paul going to the Synagogue on the seventh day. As much as you would most likely say that these verses no where say that he went to worship and observe the Sabbath on that day, I would say the same thing for the verses you have reference. I really see no Scriptural command to change the day and if G-d Himself commanded the day, especially as part of the Ten Commandments written with His own finger, then I would expect something significant to get me to move the day, like “Thus saith the L-RD”. I appreciate your fervency on this issue and enjoy how seriously you take the concept of a Sabbath rest, however I do disagree with you in regards to the what day G-d command as the Sabbath day in Scripture. Blessings to you.
11 theologian // May 7, 2007 at 3:29 pm
It was a blessing discussing this topic with you. Your irenic disposition will bring much glory to God.
Pax.
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