Dd-2. Is SABBATH-KEEPING in the New Testament? DOWNLOAD to SAVE as a PDF Doc to read OFFLINE. Dd-2. Is SABBATH-KEEPING in the NEW TESTAMENT?
The Seventh Day Adventist Church and all other seventh DAY of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians teach that Jesus kept the weekly Sabbaths and all of the Apostle Paul went into the synagogues the weekly Sabbath DAY. And Peter said that Jesus is our example to follow who did no sin. Therefore, they conclude that this PROVES that Christians MUST keep the weekly Sabbath DAY as well just like Jesus kept the Sabbath. Is this true? Must Christians keep the weekly Sabbath DAY because Jesus kept the weekly Sabbath DAY based on the fact that Jesus is our example to follow the steps of Jesus who did no sin AND no GUILE was found in his mouth, according to 1 Peter 2:19-25? For you see, the context is about suffering WRONG when you are INNOCENT. And Christians who do NOT keep the weekly Sabbath DAY are wrongly being blamed for sinning by the SDA Church and other seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians. So do not ALLOW them judging you for not keeping any DAY above other days to affect you. Follow the example of Jesus and do not revile back at them. Paul says their faith is weak and we need to receive them in love as our brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ and God is able to make them stand. Let us begin this study in God’s word by reading a quote from an official SDA Church website. Please know and understand that the SDA Christians do NOT keep the weekly Sabbath day in the same WAY that the Jews keep the weekly Sabbath day in the WAY that is taught in the ORDINANCES written in the Old Testament Scriptures. So, in TRUTH, they are NOT keeping the weekly Sabbath day in the WAY that God COMMANDED in the ordinances contained in the FOURTH commandment. And thus, even though they sincerely believe that they are keeping the FOURTH commandment they are NOT keeping the SPIRIT of the law. For you see, even though they CLAIM they are keeping the Sabbath correctly, they are NOT TRULY keeping the fourth commandment according to the New Testament WAY. In other words, the ORDINANCES contained in the fourth commandment that God COMMANDED to write down in a book called the book of the law and the Law of God under the Old Covenant have been abolished, according to Ephesians 2:15. God and His Son, Jesus, did this so that by FAITH we can trust in Jesus as our TRUE Sabbath REST. However, the SDA Church CHANGED the FOURTH commandment to still keep a DAY as being Holy by simply having their church service moved from being on a Sunday to now being on a Saturday. You see, before the mid 1800 hundreds there was a movement to go back to being more like the New Testament church. And one of those movements was called the Millerite movement. Now, BEFORE the mid 1800 hundreds the Millerites worshiped God on Sunday and the Adventist church that came out of the Millerite movement changed their worshiping God from Sunday to worshiping God on Saturday based solely on the ORDINANCES in OLD Testament Scriptures and NOT on the teachings in the New Testament. With that being said, here is the SDA Church quote as to how they keep what they call the New Testament Sabbath. The emphasis is mine. What I highlight in green is NOT sound Biblical teaching. I will highlight in light blue what the New Testament teaches. And what I highlight in yellow agrees with the Scriptures, but the SDA Church INTERPRETATION of those Scriptures actually CONTRADICTS the true sound Biblical INTENDED meaning of those Scriptures. SABBATH IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
When Jesus lived among humanity on earth, He often referenced Old Testament commandments in a new light. The primitive Israelites needed a lot of instruction on what to do and what not to do. But in Jesus’ day, humanity had matured somewhat. Now it was time to enlighten His followers on the depth of God’s laws—the blessings and meanings behind them. Jesus did this with the Sabbath as well. The proud, rigid religious rulers of the day wanted all the Jews to keep the commandments in a concrete, measurable fashion (Which made it easier for them to feel as if they were more righteous than others). But whenever they tried to “trap” Jesus into breaking the Sabbath, He responded by digging further into Scripture. Several times He made the point that Sabbath was supposed to be a blessing that freed us from the burden of work so we could delight in God and His creation. It wasn’t supposed to be a burden itself! “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath,” Jesus said (Mark 2:27, CSB). Jesus spent time with His disciples on Sabbath, healed people on the Sabbath, and taught His followers to serve others on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:11-12). His words and His deeds upheld the holiness and joy the Sabbath represented. Even after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension back to heaven, the Sabbath is mentioned all throughout the book of Acts as a day people gathered at the synagogue or in people’s homes. The early church grew quickly. The last specific mention of the Sabbath is in Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, declaring that “a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people” (Hebrews 4:9). He further encourages them to “make every effort to enter that rest” (vs. 11).
Now, just like Satan uses a little truth MIXED with his deceptive lies, so has the SDA Church done the same thing in all their writings regarding their mandatory keeping of the weekly Sabbath DAY on the SEVENTH day of the week. In other words, in the eyes of SOME of the SDA Christians it is a SIN to REST on a SUNDAY. To say this another way, the SDA Church in general dogmatically demands that if Christians do NOT rest on SATURDAY, the seventh day of the week, then they are SINNING. In fact, some the SDA Churches wrongly teach that Christians who observe Sunday as their day of REST to have their church service are taking the “MARK of the beast” spoken of five times in the Book of Revelation. Please understand that I absolutely agree that Jesus CHANGED the WAY that we, as Christians, are to KEEP the FOURTH commandment by his death on the cross. In other words, Jesus abolished the ORDINANCES contained in the fourth commandment. The ordinances are the INSTRUCTIONS on the HOW to or the WAY that the children of Israel were to keep the fourth commandment under the OLD Covenant written in the Old Testament. So I agree that Jesus CHANGED the WAY that we are to keep the FOURTH commandment but the problem is that the SDA Church has not changed ENOUGH from the OLD WAY of keeping the fourth commandment. Yes, the SDA Church fully knows and understands that Jesus made some CHANGES in the WAY we, as Christians, are keeping the fourth commandment by keeping what the SPIRITUAL MEANING of the Sabbath REST REPRESENTS. Let us read that SDA quote again.
His words and His deeds upheld the holiness and joy the Sabbath represented.
And I totally agree that Christians ARE keeping the fourth commandment by our FAITH in what the weekly Sabbath DAY of REST REPRESENTS. In other words, the New Testament clearly teaches us that we are to keep the SPIRIT of the law and NOT the LETTER of the law.
Please read Romans 7:6.
“But NOW (Speaking of being under the New Covenant written in the New Testament) we are DELIVERED FROM the law, (Speaking of being delivered from the ORDINANCES contained in the CEREMONIAL commandment TO God and NOT delivered from the MORAL law of God) that being dead wherein we were held; THAT we should serve in NEWNESS of SPIRIT, and NOT in the OLDNESS of the LETTER.”
And SDA Christians know this truth deep down in their hearts because they know NOT to keep the weekly Sabbath day in the SAME way that the Jews kept the Sabbath day in the oldness of LETTER under the Old Covenant contained in ORDINANCES in the handwriting of Moses. But yet they CONTRADICT themselves by rejecting Paul’s teaching in Colossians 2:14-17 concerning the Sabbath days where Paul CLEARLY says that the Sabbaths were nailed to the cross are SHADOWS pointing to Jesus. Now, how the SDA Christians reject the TRUTH of the gospel that Paul preaches is that they TWIST the teachings of Paul to fit their already preconceived belief that they concluded FROM the Old Testament Scriptures and NOT from the New Testament Scriptures? Let me say this again, they reject the teaching of the Apostle Paul by their INCORRECT INTERPRETATIONS of Paul’s words. In other words, the SDA Church argues against the clear, plain, and simple word of Almighty God by wrongly teaching that the word “Sabbaths” in Colossians 2:16 can NOT possibly mean the WEEKLY Sabbath days. And by doing this they are changing the TRUTH into a LIE. Perhaps not intentionally, but nonetheless, they are twisting the words of Paul to FIT their own preconceived belief that the ORDINANCES contained in the fourth commandment under the Old Covenant are ETERNAL statutes that REMAIN BINDING on Christians under the New Covenant. And then, they CONTRADICT themselves by saying that the “New Testament” Sabbath is to be kept by keeping what the Sabbath REPRESENTS, yet they KEEP the DAY Holy by resting on the seventh DAY, You can NOT have it both ways. Either keep the WHOLE letter of the law as the children of Israel did in the days of Jesus, OR keep the WHOLE SPIRIT of the law by keeping ONLY what the Sabbath DAY REPRESENTS. You cannot pick and choose PARTS from each covenant. You must choose ONE of the covenants. And, obviously, the New Covenant is a BETTER covenant. So, if I were you, then I would pick the New Covenant and then STAY in the New Covenant written in the New Testament. All there is to know about being saved and receiving eternal life in the world to come is found written in the New Testament under the NEW Covenant.
Please read Romans 3:28.
“Therefore, WE (The Apostles and eyewitness of Jesus Christ) CONCLUDE that a man is justified BY faith (IN Jesus and by what the ordinances contained in the commandments of the law REPRESENT) WITHOUT the DEEDS of the law.”
So what does the keeping of the Passover DAY represent? The keeping of the DAY is the LETTER of the law and the New Testament WAY of keeping the commandments of the Sabbath is to BELIEVE in the SPIRITUAL MEANING of why the commandment was given in the first place. And the feast day of the Passover lamb represents the SPIRIT of WHY the children of Israel celebrated being delivered from BONDAGE in the land of Egypt. And all of the WORKS of the children of Israel doing the CARNAL services of obedience to God following every INSTRUCTION to the LETTER of the law of commandment CONTAINED in ORDINANCES are a SHADOW pointing to the TRUE Passover Lamb that we all agree is Jesus. And what ordinances did the children of Israel obey? They obeyed the handwriting of ordinances that Moses wrote down in the book of the law that God COMMANDED him to write down. And what happened to the handwriting of ordinances at the cross of Jesus? That is right! Jesus abolished the Old Testament ORDINANCES contained in the CEREMONIAL commandments. And the WAY that we as Christians KEEP the CEREMONIAL commandments is by our FAITH in what the ceremonial commandments REPRESENT as being their TRUE SPIRITUAL meaning of why they were given to the children of Israel in the first place. So then, in truth, it is NOT the fourth commandment ITSELF that Jesus nailed to the cross. But rather, what Jesus nailed to the cross and took out of the way were the Old Covenant ORDINANCES contained IN the fourth commandment of keeping a DAY. In other words, one of those Old Covenant ORDINANCES was to rest on the SEVENTH DAY of the week as a SIGN for a PERPETUAL COVENANT. That is what the fourth commandment REPRESENTS. And under the New PERPETUAL COVENANT we, as Christians, are not OBLIGATED to keep a DAY every week, week after week, to rest upon because we know and understand what the seventh DAY of the week REPRESENTS. The rest of the seventh DAY points to our yet future rest on ANOTHER DAY in the world to come, according to Hebrews 4:1-11. That is when Jesus will come and give the faithful Christians ETERNAL LIFE who are RESTING in him for Holiness and righteousness and who are obeying the MORAL laws of God in this present world. So if you want to enter into the TRUE 1000 year long Seventh day of Yahweh’s REST in the world to come that Hebrews 4:8,9 calls ANOTHER DAY, then you need to CEASE from the works or deeds of keeping the Old Testament ordinances of the CEREMONIAL commandments and start keeping the TRUE MEANING of what the ceremonial commandments REPRESENT by BELIEVING Jesus FULFILLED the ORDINANCES contained in the fourth commandment which are SHADOWS pointing to Jesus as the TRUE SPIRITUAL REST. In other words, if you are trying to keep BOTH covenants then you are not TRULY keeping the NEW Covenant to rest in Jesus for holiness and righteousness. And under the New Covenant written in the New Testament there are no DAYS of OBLIGATION that must be kept lest we sin. But the SDA Church dogmatically demands that Christians MUST learn to rest on the literal physical seventh DAY every week for the rest of their lives lest they SIN and lose their reward of eternal life for NOT keeping the seventh DAY Holy. The LITERAL translation says the Aleph Tav Sabbath to keep Holy HIM to you or keep him Holiness to you.
Here is the LITERAL translation of Exodus 31:13,14. “And you speak to the sons of Israel to say yea (Then in the Hebrew you see the untranslated Aleph Tav. The Aleph Tav is the FIRST and the LAST letters of the Hebrew alphabet and Jesus said that he is the FIRST and the LAST. So to me, the untranslated Aleph and Tav is speaking of Messiah Jesus. So then, God told Moses, you say to the children of Israel yea Aleph Tav Messiah Jesus) Sabbath of Me (Or REST of me) you shall keep SIGN HE between me and you for generations of you to KNOW that I, Yahweh, the one hollowing you. (Or the one making you HOLY) 14. And you keep (Aleph Tav Messiah Jesus) the Sabbath (Or you keep Messiah Jesus REST) that HOLINESS he to you ones profaning of her (Speaking of the HOLINESS of he, Messiah Jesus is to you) to death he shall be put everyone doing work in her.” Speaking of God’s GIFT of Jesus, HOLINESS he is to you. Now can you see the MEANING of the ORDINANCEC of the HARSH punishment of being stoned to death for simply picking up STICKS on the Sabbath REST? It is because the resting on the seventh DAY represents RESTING in Jesus for HOLINESS to be counted worthy to rest during the TRUE SEVENTH 1000 year long Sabbath of Yahweh’s REST on ANOTHER DAY during the Millennial reign of Jesus as the Lord of the SABBATH. And if a Christian profanes the Holiness they have in FAITH in Jesus by doing the WORKS of the law of the FOURTH commandment contained in ORDINANCES written in the Old Testament to keep a DAY Holy then they shall suffer the second death on the final Day of Judgment, and that is why Paul was in FEAR for the Christians who were observing DAYS by esteeming them above or more Holy than other days of the week, month and year. Galatians 4:10-12.
“You observe DAYS, and months, and times, and years. 11. I am afraid of you, (Or I am afraid FOR you) lest I have bestowed upon you labor in VAIN. 12. Brethren, I beseech you, (Or I am begging you) be as I am; (And cease from the works of the law of commandment contained in ordinances of keeping of DAYS Holier than other days, the weekly Sabbath DAYS, and months, the new moon festivals, and times, the resting from sundown to sundown, and years, the yearly feast day Sabbath) for I am as you are: (Or for I, Paul, am a Jew the same as you that once kept those days under the Old Covenant) you have not injured me at all.” Paul clearly teaches us in Romans 14:5 to not ESTEEM any DAY above any other DAY and that we are to be AS Paul is and NOT keep DAYS as being BINDING to be kept lest we sin. This is why I highlighted the word SOMEWHAT in yellow in the SDA quote at the beginning of this study. I want to point out that the SDA Christians have matured SOMEWHAT by knowing and understanding that ALL of the ceremonial feast DAY Sabbaths no longer need to be kept because we KNOW that they were SHADOWS pointing to what the feast DAYS REPRESENTED. So NOW, under the New Covenant, we are NOT OBLIGATED to keep those ceremonial feast DAYS. Let us read that SDA quote again.
When Jesus lived among humanity on earth, He often referenced Old Testament commandments in a new light. The primitive Israelites needed a lot of instruction on what to do and what not to do. But in Jesus’ day, humanity had matured somewhat. Now it was time to enlighten His followers on the depth of God’s laws—the blessings and meanings behind them. Jesus did this with the Sabbath as well.
And the SDA Church has matured SOMEWHAT, in that, they fully understand that no ceremonial feast day and new moon commandments are BINDING on Christians. And thus, most SDA Christians know that it is wrong to keep a DAY that Jesus NAILED to the cross. But where SDA Christians need to MATURE a little more is to know and understand that the FOURTH commandment is also a CEREMONIAL commandment containing ORDINANCES. And they need to mature even further to know that those ORDINANCES contained in the fourth commandment were also NAILED to the cross. Again, it was NOT the fourth commandment ITSELF that Jesus nailed to the cross. But rather, Jesus nailed ONLY the handwriting of the ORDINANCES that Moses wrote contained in the FOURTH commandment. And they need to mature or grow in faith a little more as well concerning the ordinances contained in the dietary laws. For you see, the SDA Church INTIMIDATES the SDA Christians to learn to discipline themselves to become complete vegetarians over time. And the forbidding of abstaining from eating MEAT is a doctrine of DEVILS, according to 1 Timothy 4:1-6.
1 Timothy 4:1-6.
“Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2. Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3. Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the TRUTH. (The unclean meat REPRESENTED the unclean Gentiles. And now that we KNOW the TRUTH of what the ordinance to not eat unclean meat MEANS symbolically that God has cleansed the Gentiles, we are NOT to teach that Christians that they are not eat meat for any reason that makes not eating meat an OBLIGATION to be pleasing to God) 4. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5. For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. 6. If you put the brethren in remembrance of these things, you shall be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up (Or MATURED) in the words of faith and of good doctrine, where unto you have attained.”
So then, it is ONLY the TRUE SPIRITUAL MEANING of all the ceremonial commandments are binding on Christians to be kept BY our FAITH in the TRUE MEANING of what the fourth commandment REPRESENTS. Now, many SDA Christians are seeing the TRUTH and they are leaving the SDA Church to no longer keep the LETTER of the fourth commandment to keep a DAY Holy. For they now see that the seventh DAY points to ANOTHER DAY that REMAINS for the people of God to REST in the world to come from all their labors of PHYSICAL work. Again, that “ANOTHER DAY” is in the future known as the 1000 year long DAY of Yahweh’s REST in the world to come. It is also the SEVENTH 1000 year day from when God recreated or restored the earth to be habitable once again after the earth became void and empty during the Luciferian flood before God ever created Adam and Eve. Please read the study called J-1. Does God Have a 7000 Year PLAN of Salvation? But for those SDA Christians who have not yet seen this TRUTH concerning ANOTHER DAY in Hebrews 4:1-11, then please read the study called Dd-45. WHAT does HEBREW 4:1-11 TRULY MEAN? For now, I will briefly show you how the SDA Church TWISTS the true sound Biblical meaning of Hebrews 4:9 to wrongly mean that “ANOTHER DAY” is the WEEKLY Sabbath DAY remaining BINDING on Christians for another day. Let us read one quote at a time from that SDA Church article.
Several times He made the point that Sabbath was supposed to be a blessing that freed us from the burden of work so we could delight in God and His creation. It wasn’t supposed to be a burden itself! “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath,” Jesus said (Mark 2:27, CSB).
Notice that the SDA Church means the WEEKLY Sabbath a NOT our yet future Sabbath rest in the world to come. But what Jesus is teaching is that the REASON why God commanded the children of Israel to rest on the seventh day is that there REMAINS ANOTHER DAY in the future that God made FOR EVERY human being to rest from ALL their labors in this present world IF they BELIEVE. In other words, Jesus is saying that man is not made FOR the REST on the WEEKLY seventh DAY. But rather, the rest during the yet future 1000 year long seventh day is a BLESSING that was made for ALL of mankind IF they BELIEVE in Jesus for Holiness and righteousness and not in their own works for righteousness. In truth, the real reason that God made man was to JUDGE Lucifer and the fallen angels guilty as charged, and Jesus is the first FAITHFUL and TRUE WITNESS that God will use to JUDGE Satan and the fallen angels as His primary objective. For you see, the lake of fire was for the devil and the fallen angels and not originally intended for any of mankind. But hell has ENLARGED herself and God takes no pleasure in the death of those who choose to live in a lifestyle of sin by disobeying the MORAL law of God written in their CONSCIENCE. So then, it is the future seventh day rest that is a BLESSING for suffering the temptations of Satan to endure unto the end to receive the gift of eternal life and all the BLESSINGS that come with the REWARD that Jesus will bring with him at his coming. Jesus went on to say that he is the Lord OF the Sabbath.
Please read Matthew 12:6-8.
“But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. (Jesus is speaking of himself as being greater than the Jewish temple made with hands) 7. But if you had known what this MEANS, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the GUILTLESS. 8. For (Or because) the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day.”
Jesus is NOT talking about being Lord over the WEEKLY Sabbath DAY. But rather, Jesus knew that the Scriptures testify of him and that God would make him to be Lord of the Sabbath of Yahweh’s Sabbath rest in the world to come. Hebrews 12:1 teaches us that God set a joy before Jesus to ENDURE the cross. And Acts 2:36 teaches us that God MADE Jesus Lord AFTER the cross. Also, keep in mind that the Apostles and disciples of Jesus were being UNJUSTLY CONDEMNED for WORKING on the WEEKLY Sabbath DAY by the ignorance of the Jews that Jesus is their Messiah. And Jesus said had they KNOWN what this MEANS then they would NOT have wrongly condemned the GUILTLESS of sinning by their WORKING on the weekly Sabbath DAY. In other words, neither the Jews NOR the SDA Church understands the true MEANING of the words of Jesus saying that the Sabbath was made FOR man and NOT that man was made FOR the Sabbath. You see, the disciples were WORKING on the weekly Sabbath DAY and they were, indeed, BREAKING the ORDINANCES contained in the FOURTH commandment under the OLD Covenant. But yet, Jesus said they were GUILTLESS. And that is because a TRANSITION was about to take place on the cross to ABOLISH those OLD ordinances of WORKING on the seventh DAY of the week. And NOW, under the New Covenant Christians are GUILTLESS for WORKING on the seventh DAY because all the ORDINANCES contained in the FOURTH commandment were ABOLISHED and NAILED to the cross. So then, while the SDA Christians have matured in their faith by leaps and bounds past the extremely weak faith that all the other seventh DAY of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians who try to keep ALL the Law of Moses. But the SDA Church needs to grow and mature a little further in the GRACE and the knowledge of Jesus to no longer compel Christians to keep ANY DAY above any other day just like Paul teaches in Romans chapter 14 and Galatians chapter 4. Paul was in fear FOR Christians who desired to keep DAYS. And Paul said to NOT ESTEEM any DAY above another day, but rather, we are to esteem EVERY day the SAME. Otherwise, according to the Apostle Paul, you are a WEAK Christian and you need to grow and MATURE a little more in your FAITH to know the TRUE gospel of Jesus Christ. Now here is how the SDA Church MIXES a little truth with the deception of their PRECONCEIVED belief that the keeping of the WEEKLY Sabbath DAY is binding on Christians.
His words and His deeds upheld the holiness and joy the Sabbath represented.
So then, the little truth is that Jesus UPHELD the Holiness and the joy that the Sabbath REPRESENTS. However, they quickly turn right around and contradict themselves by TWISTING the TRUTH into a lie from Satan seducing them by their using a tiny bit more truth before they READ into the Scriptures their own preconceived belief that the keeping of the weekly seventh DAY week after week for the rest of their life is binding on Christians lest they SIN. Here is that tiny bit more truth highlighted in yellow before they bring forth Satan’s seducing lie of deception.
Even after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension back to heaven, the Sabbath is mentioned all throughout the book of Acts as a day people gathered at the synagogue or in people’s homes. The early church grew quickly. The last specific mention of the Sabbath is in Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, declaring that “a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people” (Hebrews 4:9). He further encourages them to “make every effort to enter that rest” (vs. 11).
Satan’s very subtle DECEPTION that SDA Christians use is the MISREPRESENTATION that the MENTIONING of the “WORD” Sabbath 60 times in the New Testament MEANS the same thing as TEACHING us to KEEP the weekly Sabbath DAY. So that TINY bit of truth is that the word Sabbath is, indeed, MENTIONED 60 times in the New Testament is TWISTED to mean that Christians are commanded to rest on the seventh day as the Jews under the Old Covenant. Thus, Satan’s deceiving lie that has seared into the minds of the SDA Christians is their READING into the Scriptures that all 60 times that the word Sabbath is MENTIONED in the New Testament MEANS to THEM that Jesus and his Apostle are TEACHING us as Christians that we MUST keep the seventh DAY of the week to rest upon lest we SIN. But, in truth, FIFTY of those 60 times are in the four Gospels. And thus, NONE of those 50 times that Jesus kept the Sabbath prove that we must keep the weekly Sabbath DAY. For you see, Jesus was BORN under the Old Covenant to FULFILL the law. That leaves only TEN other times that the actual word Sabbath is simply mentioned in the New Testament. And NINE of those 10 times are found in the book of Acts. And the first of those 10 times is before the church age actually began on the Day of Pentecost. And thus, that only leaves NINE times that the word Sabbath is simply MENTIONED in the New Testament AFTER the church actually began. And EIGHT of those times simply MENTION Paul going into the synagogue to PREACH the gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words, there is no mention of Paul TEACHING Christians to KEEP the weekly Sabbath DAY in any of those 8 times of the remaining 9 times. And there is no mention of Paul going into the synagogue as was his CUSTOM to keep the Sabbath day Holy. So then, in truth, Paul ONLY went into the synagogue to preach the gospel to the Jews. For you see, that is where Paul could find a great number of Jews already gathered together in one place. Now, that only leaves ONE time left that the word “Sabbath” is MENTIONED in the New Testament. And the last time that the word Sabbath is actually found in the New Testament Scriptures is in Colossians 2:16 where Paul clearly teaches us that the ORDINANCES of the Sabbath days were NAILED to the cross. So then, why does the SDA Church NOT tell SDA Christians the WHOLE truth? Are they deliberately deceiving the SDA Christians? Maybe, or maybe not. I say maybe because the SDA Church has deliberately HID the truth from the SDA Christians concerning the prophecy in Daniel 8:13,14 about the 2300 days ending in October 22 of 1844 in their doctrine called the Investigative Judgment, but that is another study in and of itself. Please read the study called Dd-63. DID the 2300 DAYS in DANIEL END in 1844? And also ready the study called Dd-64. Is the INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT BIBLICAL But for now, please know and understand that Paul WARNS us that even if an angel preaches ANY OTHER gospel that what Paul teaches us in the New Testament then do NOT believe that other gospel. And Paul does not teach one single solitary word about any so-called investigative judgment that would begin in the future BEFORE Jesus actually comes in the clouds of glory to send his angels to gather the elect to meet him in the air. So then, by the SDA Church deliberately hiding the truth that their INTERPRETATION of Daniel 8:13,14 contradicts other Scriptures indicates the possibility of one lie leading to another lie, and then another lie. And thus, there is that “possibility” that the SDA Church could ALSO be deliberately holding back just enough truth to keep SDA Christians obeying their teaching that Christians MUST keep the seventh DAY of the week as a day or rest lest they SIN. I mean it takes a lot of humbleness for any church to have preached error for over a hundred years to admit that they were wrong. They would probably lose so many members that they would go bankrupt not being able to pay all the bills that the tithe money pays for. My point right now is why does the SDA Church say that the last time the “Sabbath” is mentioned is in Hebrews 4:9? However, the word “Sabbath” is NOT found anywhere in the book of Hebrews. It is only in the footnotes in SOME Bibles that you can find a COMMENTARY saying that the word “rest” in Hebrews 4:9 means keeping “a” Sabbath. But when the COMMENT of keeping “A” Sabbath that remains is studied in the LIGHT of the whole word of Almighty God, then you can see that this COMMENTARY is actually speaking of ANOTHER DAY in the future there REMAINS a keeping of “A” Sabbath or a REST. And it is only the SDA Church’s preconceived belief that is read INTO Hebrews 4:9 to MEAN that the REST that REMAINS on “ANOTHER DAY” is the keeping of the WEEKLY Sabbath DAY that remains BINDING on Christians to keep week after week their whole life lest the sin. For the in-depth study on the TRUE SOUND Biblical meaning of Hebrews 4:9 please read the study called Dd-45. WHAT does HEBREW 4:1-11 TRULY MEAN? One of the main central arguments for the WEEKLY Sabbath DAY as being BINDING on Christians is the SDA interpretations of the Scriptures that the TEN Commandments MUST have been given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden at creation week. But have you ever stopped to think how useless the TEN Commandments would have been to Adam and Eve who were the ONLY two people on the planet? Think about this for a moment. How would Adam and Eve honor their mother and their father? How would they commit adultery? How could they covet their neighbor's goods because they had no neighbors? How could they steal unless they stole for each other? How could they bear false witness against their neighbor? The TRUTH of the matter is that God gave Adam and Eve ONE commandment to NOT eat of the tree of KNOWLEDGE of good and evil. And when they disobeyed God’s ONE commandment then their EYES were opened and they were CONSCIOUS that they were naked. So then, the very day that Adam and Eve ate of the tree of KNOWLEDGE they received a CONSCIENCE to KNOW or to have KNOWLEDGE of the difference between good and evil in their CONSCIENCE mind WITHOUT ANY commandments from God. This is how God led mankind from Adam's time to this very day. God REASONED with Cain in his CONSCIENCE to know that the evil that he was THINKING to do in his mind by listening to Satan was wrong. God speaks to us in our conscience telling us to say no to doing wrong. So then, the SDA Church argument that God MUST have given Adam the TEN Commandments in the Garden of Eden because how ELSE could have Cain known that murder was a sin is NOT a valid argument. Cain knew in his CONSCIENCE that it was wrong to be jealous and hate his brother so much that he plotted in his mind to kill Abel. And like God speaks His Will to us in our CONSCIENCE that is the way that God reasoned with Cain as well. So there is no need to dogmatically demand that the ONLY way Cain could have known that murder was a sin was for God to have given the whole TEN Commandments to Adam at creation week. Now, obviously, in order for God to fulfill His plan of salvation God, then God needed to intervene and speak commands of instructions to key people like Noah to build an Ark, to speak a command to Abraham to offer his son Isaac, and God speaking commands to Moses at the burning bush instructing Moses that he would deliver the children of Israel out of bondage in the land of Egypt. God also made covenants with Noah, Abraham, and Moses, and God talked with them in visions, through His angels, by voice from heaven and yes, through their CONSCIENCE. Now, God's voice may have been audible or it may have been God speaking in the CONSCIENCE commanding SPECIFIC people so God could fulfill His 7000 year plan of salvation. Please read the study called J-1. Does God Have a 7000 Year PLAN of Salvation? But for the most part, every other human being was led by their CONSCIENCE. Plain and simple, the keeping of ANY DAY is NOT binding on Christians under the New Covenant written in the New Testament. If you choose to simply rest one day a week to take a day off from working at your job, then you are FREE to choose ANY day of the week to rest upon that your job allows. If your job requires you to work seven days a week then do NOT allow any Christian to JUDGE you for NOT resting on the seventh day of the week or for NOT resting on Sunday the first day of the week for that matter. We are to esteem EVERY day the SAME and NOT esteem any DAY above any other day. Before I end this study on Dd-2. Is SABBATH keeping in the NEW TESTAMENT? I want to point out some of the other SDA Church doctrines that are NOT sound Biblical teachings as well. All Christians need to be made aware that the SDA Church has their OWN Bible, which by the way, they no longer call it a “Bible”. And the reason that their Clear Word Bible is no longer called a “Bible” is because of all the controversy it caused WITHIN the SDA Church itself.
OTHER FALSE TEACHINGS in the SDA CHURCH
False SDA Church Doctrine #1. The SDA Church has printed their OWN Bible.
For a church denomination to translate the Bible to fit their own belief is a doctrine because they use their own BIAS version of the Bible to teach their own church doctrine. They teach that “their” version of the Bible and “their” interpretations are the truth and every other Christian is wrong. Here is a quote from a former SDA Church member where leaders in the SDA Church protested against the Clear Word Bible as ADDING to the word of God. Keep in mind that these were leaders in the SDA Church that brought these charges against the SDA Clear Word Bible. The emphasis is mine. Taking God’s view of this into account, we should examine the SDA’s 1994 Clear Word Bible to note numerous examples of just to what extent it has been distorted through additions, deletions & changes which are made to support their doctrinal views found in their commentaries and Ellen White’s books. As early as July 1994, this ‘Clear Word Bible’ was even receiving negative reviews by SDA’s own writers, as David Newman, editor of Ministry magazine who named several specific difficulties with it: 1. Its disclaimers in the preface are seldom read, so not being heeded. Thus it is widely used for Bible study and even preaching from the pulpits and as a textbook! 2. Claiming to be a paraphrase, it’s not for ‘a paraphrase is not a loose rendering of someone else’s words with added commentary’. Paraphrase does not add to or subtract from the original meaning. 3. The author replaces ‘ambiguity’ with ‘his interpretation’ as changing “Lord’s day” to ‘Sabbath’. 4. It ‘intertwined so much of Ellen White…that the general effect has been to canonize Ellen White’. 5. The title ‘Clear Word Bible’ “is most unfortunate. This is not a “Bible”. 6. The format is not by paragraphs, as paraphrases do, but verse by verse to appear like the KJV. 7. “I fear what our critics will say when they find how much Ellen White has contributed to this “bible.” 8. People will begin memorizing it and quoting it as Scripture. Already used for Sabbath School class. 9. Even though the author of CWB may not feel that Rev 22:18+19 apply to this book, since it is called a Bible some will draw the opposite conclusion. “I hope the author (of CWB) will withdraw or at the very least drastically revise this book.” (see http://www.sdanet.org/atissue/clearword/reservations.htm) Sadly, J. David Newman’s warnings landed on deaf ears, and it began selling at SDA’s Book and Bible houses, like hotcakes at a country fair, being heavily promoted at camp meetings and in magazines etc. Several years later, after more alarming reviews, the Clear Word Bible was renamed “the Clear Word” and though having some modifications, yet remained largely the same as before.
It took several years for leaders in the SDA Church to finally get the SDA Church to STOP calling the Clear Word Bible a “BIBLE” because they KNEW that it DISTORTED the TRUTH of what the Bible actually STATES. But yet the SDA Church still uses the Clear Word version of the Bible in their Sabbath schools and uses quotes from it to teach SDA Christians. Many of the additions of paraphrased INTERPRETATIONS in the Clear Word text are the interpretations and words of their prophetess Ellen G, White which the SDA Church adopted as being the truth in their eyes. Basically, in the eyes of hard core SDA Christians, if Ellen G. White said it, then it is the truth, according to SDA Christians. And to me, that is like Roman Catholic Christians saying that if the Pope said it, then it is the truth. If you want to look deeper into just how many ERRORS that are in the Clear Word then click on these two links. Deliberate distortions in the SDA Clear Word Bible The Clear Word Bible-Is it the Word of God?
But for now, let us move on to some other false teachings in the SDA Church.
False SDA Church Doctrine #2. The doctrine of soul sleep.
To learn WHY the doctrine of soul sleep is NOT sound Biblical teaching please read all the studies under the heading >>>Aa-0. The FALSE Doctrine of Soul Sleep<<<
False SDA Church Doctrine #3. The SDA doctrine of the Investigative Judgment.
Please read the following studies. Dd-63. DID the 2300 DAYS in DANIEL END in 1844? Dd-64. Is the INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT BIBLICAL Dd-65. Is SATAN or Jesus the SCAPEGOAT for sins False SDA Church Doctrine #4. The SDA Church does not believe in DISPENSATIONALISM.
Here is a quote from Wikipedia.
... following the public humiliation of the October 22, 1844, Great Disappointment, there was widespread abandonment of historicism in eschatology among Protestant and Evangelical churches in favor of the new Dispensationalism. The Seventh-day Adventists are among the few larger groups that still adhere to a historicist interpretation of Bible prophecy...
The SDA Church does not believe in the rapture of the church, as in, they do not believe in the pre tribulation so-called “SECRET” rapture and neither do I. But just because some Christians wrongly teach a pre-tribulation secret rapture of the church, that does NOT mean that Dispensationalism is not sound Biblical teaching. To me, personally, Dispensationalism and covenant theology are virtually the same thing under different names. Here is a quote from an official SDA Church website. The emphasis is mine.
Unlike many evangelical churches, the Seventh-day Adventist Church does not support a “dispensational” view of prophecy. Adventism is not awaiting a “secret rapture,” after which tens of thousands of Jews—144,000, to be precise—will be converted and evangelize those “left behind.”
Now, I agree that there will be no so-called “SECRET” rapture of the church! But there will, without fail, be a POST- tribulation rapture of the church that every eye shall SEE. And that includes the REMNANT of the Jews LEFT BEHIND to suffer the WRATH of Almighty God that will be executed by Jesus. For you see, right after the church has been caught up into the AIR to escape the wrath of God the Jews will be provoked to jealousy being left behind to suffer the wrath of God. Once the saints in Jesus have been caught up into the AIR , then the faithful Christians will then be gathered together to MEET Jesus in the AIR over the place called Armageddon to help Jesus execute the wrath and vengeance of Yahweh our heavenly Father. For the correct sound Biblical DISPENSATIONAL teaching of end time prophecy please read all the studies under the heading >>>J-0. Prophecy-2nd COMING of Jesus<<< And to learn WHY the SDA interpretations of the Scripture are in error, please read the study called Dd-61. The SDA interpretation of the MILLENNIUM!
False SDA Church Doctrine #5. The SDA Church choose Ellen G. White INTERPRETATIONS over the Bible.
Interpretations of Ellen G. White verses the Bible
False SDA Church Doctrine #6. The writings of Ellen G. White are held at the level of the Bible ITSELF.
Here is a quote from the SDA documents called Review and Herald. The emphasis is mine.
"The writings of Mrs. white were never designed to be an addition to the canon of Scripture. They are, nevertheless, the messages of God to the remnant church and should be received as such, the same as were the messages of the prophets of old. As Samuel was a prophet to Israel in his day, as Jeremiah was a prophet to Israel in the day of the captivity, as John the Baptist came as a special messenger of the Lord to prepare the way for Christ's appearing, so we believe that Mrs. White was a prophet to the church of Christ today. And the same as the messages of the prophets were received in olden times, so her messages should be received at the present time. (R&H, Oct. 4, 1928)
Keep in mind that the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Mormons in the Church of the Latter Day Saints, and Christian Science make the same claims but that does NOT mean that they teach the TRUTH. We are to TEST the prophets to SEE if they are truly from God. They may teach some things that are true but that does NOT mean that everything they teach is the TRUTH. So we must TEST every word that people say with the word of God, and even more so if they say that God gave me this revelation to give to you.
False SDA Church Doctrine #7. Ellen G, WHITE ADMITS that the DEVIL could have spoke to her.
Here is a quote from one of Ellen G. Whites own writings. The emphasis is mine.
“God is either teaching His church, reproving their wrongs and strengthening their faith, or He is not. THIS WORK IS OF GOD, OR IT IS NOT. God does nothing in partnership with Satan. MY WORK ... BEARS THE STAMP OF GOD OR THE STAMP OF THE ENEMY. There is no half-way work in the matter. THE TESTIMONIES ARE OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD OR OF THE DEVIL.Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 230.
Here is another quote from one of Ellen G. Whites own writings. Again, the emphasis is mine.
“IF THE TESTIMONIES SPEAK NOT ACCORDING TO THIS WORD OF GOD, REJECT THEM. Christ and Belial cannot be united.” Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 691
And MANY testimonies of Ellen G. White directly CONTRADICT what the Bible itself teaches. Please read from another website all their teachings under the heading Ellen G. White’s teaching compared with the Bible.
False SDA Church Doctrine #8. The SDA Church teaches that Sunday-keeping Christians have taken the MARK of the beast.
To learn what the MARK of the beast truly is please read the study J-28. COULD ISLAM be the MARK of the BEAST? For you see, the TRUE mark of the beast must fulfill ALL of the prophecies and some so-called future Sunday law comes nowhere near fulfilling all of the prophecies of the mark of the beast. And to read WHY the SDA interpretation of the Scriptures are in error, please read the study called Dd-62. Is Sunday KEEPING The Mark of the BEAST
False SDA Church Doctrine #9. THE SDA Church teaches that Satan is the scapegoat for sins.
Please read the study called Dd-65. Is SATAN or Jesus the SCAPEGOAT for sina? And you can also read the article on another website called Scapegoat: Jesus or Satan?
False SDA Church Doctrine #10. The SDA Church instills the belief in SDA Christians that they should never say that they ARE saved.
But the Bible ITSELF teaches us that we can KNOW that we ARE saved and in a right relationship with God having no CONDEMNATION of sin.
Please read Romans 8:1-4.
“There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2, For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
In closing, only NINE of the TEN Commandments are repeated in the New Testament under the New Covenant. 1st Commandment. Mark 12:29; Ephesians 4:6; 1 John 5:21; Mark 4:10. 2nd Commandment. 1 Corinthians 10:14; Romans 1:25. 3rd Commandment. James 5:12; Matthew 5:34-35. 4th Commandment. Not one single verse of Scripture can be found in the New Testament repeating the command to keep the weekly Sabbath DAY on ANY day of the week. But in contrast, there are no less than three SPECIFIC passages of Scripture that teach AGAINST keeping ANY day above another day or the week, month or year.
Romans 14:5-6. “One man esteems one day above another: another esteems every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6. He that regards the day, regards it unto the Lord; and he that regards not the day, to the Lord he does not regard it. He that eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he that eats not, to the Lord he eats not, and gives God thanks. ”
Colossians 2:16-17.
“Therefore, do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17. These are a shadow of the things that were to come, and the body is Christ.”
Galatians 4:10-11.
“You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11. I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.” 5th Commandment. Ephesians 6:1; Colossians 3:20.
6th Commandment. 1 John 3:15; Matthew 5:21.
7th Commandment. Hebrews 13:4; Matthew 5:27-28.
8th Commandment. Romans 2:21; Ephesians 4:28.
9th Commandment. Colossians 3:9; Ephesians 4:25; 2 Timothy 3:3.
10th Commandment. Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5.
Here is a link to another website that also cares about helping SDA Christians see the TRUTH and come out of the SDA Church. Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to read ALL the studies that I gave links to throughout this study concerning this subject on Sabbath TRUTH. My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century. So let us all come into the UNITY of the faith and return to what Jesus and his Apostles taught us in SIMPLICITY in the New Testament.
To learn more TRUTH, then please return to
If you have any questions, please feel free to write to me. My contact email is MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail .com. Some Sabbath-keeping Christians CLAIM that the early church kept the Sabbath as the Jews, but I assure you that the early first-century church was accustomed to gathering together BEFORE the light of daybreak on the FIRST day of the week that THEY called the Lord's day. Please read all the studies linked within this study and all the studies linked below. This study was just the TIP of the iceberg of exposing the ERRORS of interpretation made by the Saturday seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping churches, and the Sunday first day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians. All of the studies listed under the subject heading >>>Dd-0. What is the TRUE Sabbath?<<< And also read Dd-20. Did The Early Church KEEP the Sabbath day to learn the truth of what the early church believed. Thanks again for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of Almighty God.
Your Brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
RETURN to HOMEPAGE at
The end. Please pause or turn off the reading aloud feature on Microsoft Edge browser. Click here to learn HOW to use the Microsoft Edge reading aloud feature.
Always be faithful to share, to preach, and to teach the whole gospel of Jesus Christ! |
|
|