Dd-10. MUST Christians KEEP the 4th COMMANDMENT? DOWNLOAD to SAVE as a PDF Doc to read OFFLINE. Dd-10. MUST CHRISTIANS KEEP THE 4th COMMANDMENT? The question or the CONTROVERSY of whether or not Christians should or MUST keep the Law of Moses can be found throughout the history of the church going all the way back to the Apostles of Jesus and their writings in the New Testament Scriptures. And most Christians can clearly see that the Apostle Paul taught AGAINST the keeping of the Law of Moses. However, some Christians wrongly interpret the words of Paul to mean that Paul is teaching us to KEEP all of the Law of Moses, which is the exact opposite or what Paul is TRULY teaching us. And Satan keeps bringing this controversy up among Christians every now and then throughout the history of the church as small controversies. Again, there is no doubt that there was much disputing in the New Testament and then for the most part this dispute died out from the fourth or fifth century to around the seventeenth or eighteenth century where this debate revived and the church became divided again. So then, around the early 1800's there began a movement to REFORM the church back to the model of the church in the first century. And in this process of reforming, some Christians focus on the Old Testament Scriptures and “reformed” their group of Christians back PAST the New Covenant to obey the Law of Moses under the Old Covenant. Now most churches remained steadfast in their teaching that Christians are to worship God on Sunday, the FIRST day of the week. And they “reformed” TOO FAR churches argue that Christians must, without fail, keep the weekly Sabbath DAY Holy by RESTING on the Sabbath day, which is the SEVENTH day of the week, according to the Law of Moses. But which groups of Christians are teaching the truth of the whole word of Almighty God? The seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping churches argue that we, as Christians, must, without fail, keep the Sabbath day of rest ON the seventh DAY of the week lest a Christian SINS. And they always begin their argument for keeping all of the Law of Moses by first arguing that the Bible teaches us to KEEP the TEN Commandments of God. Their argument is that if a Christian breaks any of the TEN Commandments then it is a SIN. And we all agree that breaking any of the SIX MORAL commandments is a SIN. So then, they argue that the FOURTH commandment is one of the TEN Commandments. And we all agree that the fourth commandment is, indeed, one of the TEN Commandments. Then they ask the question, how is it NOT a SIN for Christians who do not KEEP the FOURTH commandment since it is a SIN if a Christian breaks any of the other TEN Commandments? And then WEAK Christians are subverted to keep all the Law of Moses learning to keep one Law of Moses at a time as they are “indoctrinated” into the Hebrew Roots Movement and all other seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping church movements. But the strong in the faith of the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ know that Jesus FULFILLED all of the CEREMONIAL commandments of God that are SHADOWS pointing to Jesus as being the TRUE. We understand that the Law of God contained in ORDINANCES was abolished at the cross by Jesus FULFILLING all of those commandments or Laws of God, according to Ephesians 2:8-16 and Colossians 2:14-17. So then, all the rest of the other church denominations teach that we are to keep only NINE of the Ten Commandments because the FOURTH commandment is a CEREMONIAL law TO God. And ALL the ceremonial commandment are a type or a shadow foretelling Jesus who was prophesied to come. So again, which side is teaching the truth of the whole word or Almighty God? Let us begin this study in God's word by reading in the Old Testament Exodus 20:8-11. Exodus 20:8-11.
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9. Six days shall you labor, and do all your work: (This can be interpreted that we are to work six days a week. In other words, we are not to work just five or four days a week, but rather, we are commanded to work SIX full days a week. Or this verse may be interpreted that we have six days in each week that we have been given to get our work done. To me, the latter interpretation is the sound Biblical interpretation. Now the TRUTH can be seen in the LITERAL translation which says in verse 8, “To remember Aleph Tav Messiah Jesus Sabbath to Hallow HIM” So then, the very reason for why God gave the children of Israel to rest on the seventh DAY was to remember or to DISCERN to keep the Aleph Tav Messiah Jesus Sabbath REST to make Holy Jesus or to see Jesus as being the Holy One of Israel their Messiah. The Aleph and Tav is the FIRST and the LAST letters of the Hebrew alphabet and Jesus said, “I am the FIRST and the LAST”. So then, the untranslated Aleph and Tav are hidden prophecies of Messiah Jesus. And the seventh day is a SHADOW pointing to the Seventh 1000 year long day of Yahweh’s Sabbath REST in the world to come. That is why it is called MY Sabbath and the Sabbath OF Yahweh your God) 10. But the seventh DAY is the Sabbath (Or but the seventh DAY is the REST) OF the LORD your God: in it (Or DURING the 1000 year long day is the Sabbath rest of Yahweh and on the seventh day of the week) YOU shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your man servant, nor your maid servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates: (WHY? Why did God give the children of Israel this teaching to WORK for SIX days and then to REST on the SEVENTH DAY?) 11. FOR (Or because) in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: WHEREFORE, (Or for this very reason) the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, (Or Yahweh blessed the REST DAY) and hallowed it.”
In other words, God is prophesying His 7000 year plan of salvation. So God set forth by example that He Himself WORKED for SIX days each and every day for a FULL SIX days and then God RESTED from all His work that He DID thus far. But the LITERAL translation of Genesis 2:1-3 clearly teaches us that Yahweh SHALL BE resting in or DURING the seventh DAY which is a PROPHECY of the Seventh 1000 year long DAY of the Sabbath REST OF Yahweh during the world yet to come. And thus, the literal seventh day of the WEEK as a day of REST is clearly a SIGN pointing to the TRUE Seventh 1000 year long day of Yahweh’s rest. And under the New Covenant we are require to keep the TRUE and NOT keep the SIGN. Always keep in mind that the LAW was a SCHOOLMASTER to lead the children of Israel TO Jesus and the FOURTH commandment is a part of God’s LAW.
Please read Galatians 3:22-25.
“ But the Scripture has CONCLUDED all under sin, THAT the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23. But before faith came, we (Speaking of the unsaved children of Israel that have now become the Jewish Christians) were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24. WHEREFORE, (Or the very reason the Law of Moses contained in ordinances was given to the children of Israel in the first place is that) the law was our schoolmaster to bring us (The children of Israel) unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25. But after that FAITH IS COME, we (The Jewish Christians) are no longer under a schoolmaster.”
In other words, Paul is teaching the Jewish “Judaizing” Christians that they are no LONGER UNDER the LAW of Moses contained in ORDINANCES and to stop perverting the TRUE gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, obviously, Paul does not say anything about “ordinances” in this specific passage of Scripture. But, nonetheless, that is what Paul means because the Apostle Paul is very CONSISTENT in what he teaches. And Paul clearly teaches us in Ephesians 2:15 and in Colossians 2:14-17 that the HANDWRITING of the law of commandments contained in ORDINANCES was abolished and nailed to the cross by Jesus. So whenever Paul talks about being DELIVERED from the LAW he is talking about being delivered for the law of commandments CONTAINED in ORDINANCES, and the FOURTH commandment CONTAINS ORDINANCES. Please understand that Jesus did NOT abolish the fourth commandment ITSELF. But rather, Jesus abolished and nailed to the cross the ORDINANCES contained IN the fourth commandment. Please read the study “Dd-5/ WHAT DOES CONTAINED IN ORDINANCES MEAN?” But for now, let us continue reading this study on must Christians KEEP the FOURTH commandment? YES! Christians MUST keep the TRUE MEANING of WHY the fourth commandment was given to the children of Israel for THEM to keep throughout THEIR generations in the first place. So then, it was ONLY the CHILDREN of Israel who were taught in Exodus chapter 18 for the very first time to rest on the seventh day. And, according to the Old Covenant it is STILL ONLY the children of Israel who are yet being taught to rest on the seventh day of the week all their lives for generations. The Old Covenant teaches ONLY the children of Israel to observe or keep the Sabbath day from sundown on Friday evening to sundown on Saturday evening. And Paul said that the very reason that the Jews were taught all their lives to keep the weekly Sabbath day and the rest of the Law of God was to LEAD them to Jesus. So HOW does the FOURTH commandment LEAD anyone to Jesus? The ORDINANCES contained in the fourth commandment are a SCHOOLMASTER until FAITH COMES. And some Christians need a little extra private “tutoring” so to speak so that FAITH WILL COME and they will finally SEE the TRUTH that the keeping of the WEEKLY Sabbath DAY is a SIGN pointing to the New PERPETUAL COVENANT. Please read Exodus 31:12,13.
“And the LORD (Almighty God, Yahweh) spoke unto Moses, saying, (So then, these are the very words of Yahweh Himself, saying to Moses) 13. Speak you also unto the CHILDREN of Israel, saying, Verily My Sabbaths YOU shall keep: for IT (Singular meaning the weekly Sabbath or weekly 24 hour DAY of REST on the seventh day of the WEEK each and every week) is a SIGN between Me and YOU (The CHILDREN of ISRAEL) throughout YOUR generations; that YOU may KNOW that I am the LORD that does SANCTIFY YOU.”
So then, the Sabbath, or more specifically the REST that God gave to the CHILDREN of ISRAEL for THEM to keep throughout THEIR generations is a SIGN to THEM that it is the Lord or Yahweh, the Almighty, who is the one who SANCTIFIES them and NOT that they who sanctify THEMSELVES by their keeping of a DAY. The keeping of a DAY is a SHADOW pointing to the keeping of the TRUE REST in Jesus under the New Covenant. Can you not see that the Old Covenant was given ONLY to the children of Israel for THEM to keep throughout THEIR generations as a SIGN for them to LEARN and come to FAITH to KNOW that Yahweh SANCTIFIES them by their FAITH IN Jesus for their Holiness? This is what Yahweh wants the CHILDREN of Israel to SEE, understand, and KNOW that this fourth commandment is a SIGN to them that it was Yahweh, who delivered them from the BONDAGE of slavery they were under in the land of Egypt. God wants His chosen people, the children of ISRAEL, to KNOW that it was HE who brought them out of bondage to give them REST from SLAVERY or REST from the WORK that they were compelled to do even when they did not want to do those things that they were in BONDAGE to do. God wanted and still desires for His chosen people Israel to see and understand that the Sabbath REST was a SIGN given to THEM for them to perceive or come to know their TRUE REST that God promised to give to them when he made a NEW COVENANT with them. God wants the children of Israel to KNOW and understand that the Sabbath REST was a SHADOW, type, or figure pointing to their MESSIAH, who was prophesied to come. Let us continue reading God's word in Exodus 31:14-18.
Exodus 31:14.
“14. YOU (The CHILDREN of ISRAEL and NOT you, as a Christian, who are reading these words of God in the Old Testament, which are the words of the OLD Covenant that God made ONLY to the children of Israel. These words were NOT written to you, but rather, these words were SPECIFICALLY written to ONLY the CHILDREN of ISRAEL for THEM to keep throughout THEIR generations saying to THEM, YOU the children of Israel) shall keep the Sabbath THEREFORE; (Whenever you see the word “therefore” find out what it is therefore? The word therefore means for this very REASON. WHAT very reason? The very reason to KNOW the MEANING of the SIGN of RESTING! God sanctified this weekly Sabbath DAY or this DAY of REST for Israel to understand WHY this SIGN was given to them in the first place) for (Or because) it is holy (Or it is sanctified, it is set apart above every other day of the week to REMEMBER something! Remember WHAT? REMEMBER that Yahweh gave them REST from the BONDAGE they were under in the land of Egypt, and NOT they themselves delivered themselves from the BONDAGE of SLAVERY in the land of Egypt, but rather remember and know that Yahweh delivered them. This Sabbath rest is holy) unto YOU: (The CHILDREN of ISRAEL) every one (Of YOU of the CHILDREN of ISRAEL) that defiles IT (Meaning that if any one of Israel does not REMEMBER to REST and remember and UNDERSTAND WHY this SIGN was given to them to REST, then that child of ISRAEL) shall surely be put to death: for whosoever (Of the CHILDREN of ISRAEL who) does any work therein, that SOUL shall be cut off from among HIS people.”
Now have you ever stopped to THINK of WHY God gave such a HARSH punishment for NOT RESTING on a day of the week each and every week? WHY was RESTING so important to God for His chosen people of Israel to REMEMBER to REST? And IF they did NOT REST, the WHY was the PUNISHMENT so severe that they would be stoned to death? The fourth commandment is not just to rest, but to REMEMBER and KNOW WHY that they are resting. The WHY they are RESTING is important that God WARNED the children of Israel that if ANY of them did not REMEMBER the REST on the Sabbath day, then that person would be stoned to DEATH and their SOUL CUT OFF from among HIS people. And that means the lake of fire for them. So the SIGN that the weekly Sabbath DAY points to must be EXTREMELY and vitally important to DISCERN. And the SIGN points to the ONLY NAME given among men whereby we MUST be SAVED. And that is WHY God gave such a harsh and severe punishment for simply picking up some STICKS on the weekly Sabbath DAY. It is not the DAY that is important, it is the WHO God wants us to REST in, and the WHO is Jesus, our TRUE Sabbath REST. There are several things that I want you to notice here. The first thing is the SEVERITY of the punishment for NOT REMEMBERING to REST on the Sabbath day of REST. The second thing is that the weekly Sabbath day was given only TO the CHILDREN of ISRAEL as a SIGN for THEM to keep throughout THEIR generations. And thirdly, I want you to keep in mind that I emphasized the word “IT” in verse 13 to point out to you that the LITERAL word for word translation says “HE”, which teaches us that the Sabbath REST is a SIGN or hidden PROPHECY pointing to the MESSIAH as our TRUE Sabbath REST. The HE, speaking of the MESSIAH, God's SON Jesus, is the TRUE SIGN between God and His peculiar people Israel under His New PERPETUAL COVENANT The keeping of the Sabbath day cannot save anyone. But the SIGN that the Sabbath day is pointing to IS the MESSIAH the ONLY name given among men whereby we MUST be saved. And for that REASON if you want to be saved then you MUST keep the SIGN of the FOURTH commandment which is FAITH in Jesus to enter INTO the New Covenant with Yahweh. Simply put, if you have no faith in Jesus, then you have no COVENANT with God because God no longer accepts the Old Covenant. It is the New PERPETUAL COVENANT or no covenant at all.
Here AGAIN is the LITERAL translation of Exodus 31:13.
“And you speak you to sons of Israel to to say of yea Sabbaths of Me you shall keep THAT SIGN HE between Me and between you for generations of you to to KNOW of that I Yahweh one HALLOWING OF you.”
And WHO under the NEW COVENANT is the HE that is BETWEEN God and man?
Please read 1 Timothy 2:3-6.
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; 4. Who will have ALL men to be SAVED, and to COME unto the KNOWLEDGE of the TRUTH. 5. For there is one God, and ONE mediator between God and men, the MAN Christ Jesus; 6. Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”
Moses is no longer the mediator between God and the children of Israel. He stood between them and God under the OLD covenant. But NOW Israel has been given a NEW COVENANT established, confirmed and made SURE by the shed blood of Jesus, God's LAMB, slain BEFORE the foundation of the world. The LAW was only added to keep or to protect the children of Israel from the enemy UNTIL Yahweh’s PROMISED seed came, which we all know is God's SON Jesus. And all Christians agree that it is Jesus who has now become the ONE and only SIGN between us and God that we are IN or UNDER a COVENANT relationship with God. Without a COVENANT relationship with Almighty God a person is left alone to be PREY to the enemy Satan, the god of this present world. So if one denies or rejects the one and only COVENANT offered to mankind to have a true and pleasing relationship with the one true God, then you shall DIE in yours sins and be CUT OFF from HIS people. Jesus is the ONLY WAY to the Father. The children of Israel were under the OLD COVENANT also called the FIRST covenant, which they broke and could not keep. And for that reason God made a NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel AND with the house of Judah FIRST. And then when the Jews as a nation rejected God's New Covenant by rejecting Jesus, the SIGN of the New Covenant, then God turned the gospel of salvation to the Gentiles. And with every covenant there are WORDS of that covenant to be obeyed. The WORDS of the OLD covenant given to the CHILDREN of ISRAEL for THEM to obey throughout THEIR generations were the TEN Commandments and the Law of God that Yahweh gave to Moses contained in ORDINANCES. God had the BOOK of the Law placed in the SIDE of the ark as a SHADOW pointing to the future passing away at the CROSS. The book of the Law of God CONTAINED the ORDINANCES which were the INSTRUCTIONS on HOW and in what MANNER to OBEY the TEN Commandments and the Law of Moses. And the WORDS of the NEW COVENANT given to ALL of mankind to OBEY are the words, teachings, commandments, ordinances, and instructions that Almighty God put in the mouth of His Son Jesus to give to us. So now, Jesus is the SIGN of being under the NEW COVENANT relationship with Yahweh. So then, when God gave the Sabbath DAY of REST to the children of Israel as a SIGN saying keep that sign HE between me and between you, the HE is a PROPHECY of the MESSIAH, who is now the SIGN of being in of the NEW covenant. In other words, if you are in Jesus then you are KEEPING the TRUE MEANING of WHY the keeping of the weekly Sabbath DAY was given in the first place. And anyone NOT KEEPING the TRUE SIGN shall be put to DEATH. And that is WHY God gave such a harsh severe punishment of being stoned to death for any of the children of Israel who broke the OLD SIGN of the Sabbath REST under the OLD covenant. God wants us to see that HIS Lamb is the ONLY sacrifice that He will accept for the forgiveness of sins. It is Yahweh ALONE who SANCTIFIES His people THROUGH His SIGN, His SON Jesus, as the TRUE SPIRITUAL rest to which the SIGN of the weekly Sabbath was pointing. What do you think the word “SIGN” was even written in the Scriptures for calling the weekly Sabbath a SIGN! Please read Exodus 31:16 AGAIN so that you can see that the keeping of the weekly Sabbath DAY was a SIGN for the New PERPETUAL COVENANT. Notice that it does NOT say that the weekly Sabbath is a perpetual COMMANDMENT. Exodus 31:16.
“Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a PERPETUAL COVENANT.”
It does NOT say that the keeping of the weekly Sabbath day is to be observed for a perpetual COMMANDMENT. But rather, it says for a PERPETUAL COVENANT. So the SIGN of the keeping of the weekly Sabbath DAY points to the New PERPETUAL COVENANT established in the shed blood of Jesus. So then, at first, the gospel was preached ONLY to the children of Israel. But most of the children of Israel rejected God's New Covenant. So then, God turned to the GENTILES in order to provoke His people, the Jews, to jealousy. And when Judaizing Christians began seeing some CHANGES that were made in the way Gentile Christians worship God from the way that the Jewish Christians worshiped God in the past under the OLD Covenant, then they can understand that the early all Jewish church was still yet LEARNING. What I mean by this is that when Peter was given the vision of God cleansing the Gentiles the early Church BEGAN to SEE for the first time that God was turning toward the Gentiles to save them even as he was saving the Jews. In other words, God was REVEALING to the church that what he had cleansed shall not be called unclean ANYMORE forever. Please read Acts chapter 10 and the study “Dd-40. ACTS 10 PETER'S VISION OF CLEANSED MEATS!” for a deeper understanding that the church was still yet PROGRESSING in their knowledge of what God's will was for the church. You see, my dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Jewish Christians were compelling the Gentile Christians to KEEP the Law of Moses in order to be saved in Acts chapter 15. But Paul, who was the minister whom Almighty God chose to send to the Gentiles, taught us, as Gentile Christians, NOT to let anyone judge us for NOT keeping the Law of Moses. Now, obviously, Paul was not speaking of the MORAL laws of the TEN Commandments, but rather, Paul was referring to the CEREMONIAL law of commandments of the Old Testament that were SHADOWS of the coming Messiah Jesus. For you see, in other places in the Bible, Paul does indeed teach us to NOT sin by breaking the MORAL laws or commandments such as stealing, lying, adultery, murder and other things done toward our fellow man. But clearly, the word of truth teaches us that all of the feasts days, including the weekly Sabbath days, were CEREMONIAL laws or commands that represented or foreshadowed Jesus and the New Covenant that was prophesied to come. And YES, the weekly Sabbath DAY is also called a FEAST of Yahweh.
Please read Leviticus 23:2,3.
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the FEASTS of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even THESE are My FEASTS. 3. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; you shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.”
Now please read carefully and prayerfully Colossians 2:4-17, which clearly and plainly teaches us that the yearly feast days, the monthly festivals or the new moon festivals, AND the weekly Sabbath days were SHADOWS, types, or figures of the true which were prophesied to come.
Here is Colossians 2:4-17.
“And this I say, lest any man should beguile (Or DECEIVE) you with enticing words.(Or PERSUASIVE language) 5. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stead fastness of your faith IN Christ. 6. As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk you in him: 7. Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as you have been TAUGHT, (I realize that we have just begun this study in God's word, but I want to point out that no where in the NEW Testament are we CLEARLY and PLAINLY TAUGHT to keep the Sabbath day. But rather, we are taught just the OPPOSITE. For you see, there is far more evidence on the side that the early church did NOT keep the Sabbath day. In other words, the clear plain evidence from the word of truth teaches us that the early church worshiped God on SUNDAY, the FIRST day of the week, as opposed to keeping the Jewish Sabbath day. And Paul was in fear for the Christians who observed DAYS. So then, Paul is teaching us hear to continue to walk in the way that the whole word of God has TAUGHT us through the TRUE Gospel that he preach) abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8. BEWARE lest (Or BEWARE for fear that) any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (The early first century church began NEW ordinances such as communion or the breaking of bread after the example of Jesus, which represented the FULFILLMENT of the ANNUAL or YEARLY feast of the Passover. They understood and taught us that Jesus is OUR TRUE Passover Lamb. And that is why Paul teaches us further on in this passage of Scripture to not allow other Christians to judge us for NOT keeping the yearly FEAST days called a Holy Day) 9. For (Or because) in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. 10. And you are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11. In whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made WITHOUT hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: (Here in this verse Paul is teaching us that the OLD Testament law or commandment of God to be circumcised in the flesh was FULFILLED through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross, who established a NEW and BETTER covenant between God and mankind. In other words, under the NEW Covenant we ARE KEEPING the law of circumcision by FAITH in Jesus as being our TRUE circumcision that was SHADOWED by the circumcision in the FLESH. You see, the OLD circumcision of the flesh has CHANGED to now become a SPIRITUAL circumcision of our heart that Almighty God himself does. To say this another way, we are DELIVERED from the LETTER of the Old law to NOW keep the NEWNESS of the SPIRIT of the law and NOT the Oldness of the LETTER of the law. And much in the same way Jesus has become our TRUE Sabbath REST that we are entering into by walking in the FAITH of Jesus Christ. The OLD resting of the FLESH on a DAY has now become a SPIRITUAL REST is Jesus Christ who died for our sins. As Christians we DIE to sin) 12. Buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with him through the faith OF the OPERATION of God, who has raised him from the dead. (This means that we as Christians BELIEVE that God himself is doing HIS work in us. We are NEW creatures in Jesus Christ who have been GIVEN a NEW heart that desires to please God. We are HIS word and NOT our OWN work. It is Almighty God IN US who empowers us to live without sin. The same Holy Spirit that DWELT IN Jesus now dwells in us. It is this OPERATION of the Holy Spirit that causes us to REST in God and his Son Jesus. This is the SPIRITUAL SABBATH of Christians that we are keeping EVERY DAY of the week. We have CEASED from all our OWN WORKS and have now ENTERED INTO HIS REST which keeps us from sin, IF SO BE we are truly RESTING in God's SABBATH) 13. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, (Paul is speaking to Gentile Christians who were being compelled by the Jewish Christians to keep all the law of Moses, but more particularly the dietary laws of the Old Testament and the keeping of all the feasts days as well as the keeping of the weekly Sabbath days. In other words, Paul is saying, you Gentiles were once without God being NOT circumcised in the FLESH, but NOW God Himself through His Holy Spirit) has He quickened (Or He has made alive that which was once dead being without God) together with him, (Speaking of Jesus) having forgiven you all trespasses; 14. BLOTTING OUT the handwriting of ORDINANCES that was AGAINST us, which was CONTRARY to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; (Here in these verses, we see that God has forgiven us as Gentiles all our sins and blotted out all the handwriting of ordinances contained in the law of commandments, according to Ephesians 2:15. Paul teaches that were an ENMITY against us and contrary to us even though we, as Gentiles, did NOT KEEP the Law of Moses that was given ONLY to the Jews. In other words, our salvation did NOT come through the KEEPING of the Law of Moses in the OLD Testament or the OLD COVENANT of the TEN Commandments. But rather, our salvation came through our FAITH IN Jesus Christ to enter into a NEW COVENANT. And each and every believer, as an INDIVIDUAL on a one to one basis between them and God has to make their OWN decision by FAITH to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. So then, Paul is teaching us here to CONTINUE to walk in FAITH of Jesus Christ and do NOT LET any person JUDGE us in RESPECT of the Law of Moses for NOT keeping the annual holy days, or the monthly new moon festivals, nor the weekly Sabbath days, or the dietary Law of Moses because Jesus, the ANOINTED Son of God, is our TRUE Passover Lamb, our TRUE circumcision, and our TRUE Sabbath REST) 15. And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16. Let NO man, THEREFORE JUDGE you in MEAT, or in DRINK, OR in RESPECT of an holy day, OR of the new moon, OR of the Sabbath days: 17. Which are a SHADOW of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”
So here in these verses, we clearly see that we as Christians, both Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians, are NOT to let anyone judge or CONDEMN us in what we as Christians EAT or drink. And Paul goes on to teach us to NOT let anyone JUDGE or CONDEMN us as Christians for NOT keeping the Old Testament feast days or the HOLY days, including the weekly Sabbath days. And Paul clearly teaches us WHY we are NOT the keep the dietary laws, the annual feast days, the monthly new moon festivals, AND the weekly Sabbath days. And that reason is that ALL of them were SHADOWS of the TRUE which was prophesied to come speaking of Jesus Christ our MESSIAH and the New PERPETUAL Covenant. Again, please know and understand that Jesus did NOT abolish the fourth commandment ITSELF. But rather, Jesus abolished the LETTER of the law of commandment CONTAINED in the handwriting of Moses in the fourth commandment. And NOW, under the New Covenant we ARE KEEPING the FOURTH commandment by our FAITH in Jesus. So whether you know this truth or not God KNOWS and that is why the Holy Spirit does NOT convict us for NOT keeping DAYS that Jesus abolished and nailed to the cross. Now, obviously, all of the seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians twist the teachings of the Apostle Paul because they NEED to. Otherwise, their whole doctrine of CHRISTIANS keeping the weekly Sabbath would fall apart. In other words, there would be no more Sabbath DAY keeping Christians because they would see and understand that Paul clearly teaches AGAINST the keeping of ANY DAYS. So for those who INTERPRET Colossians 2:4-17 to mean that Paul is teaching Christians TO Keep the Law of Moses, I implore you to read the in-depth study on “Dd-3. WHAT DOES COLOSSIANS 2:14-17 TRULY MEAN?” Earlier in this study I said that the Jewish Christians were compelling the Gentile Christians to keep all the Law of Moses in Acts chapter 15:10. Let us now take a look at that passage of Scripture to see what this very first church council decided through the leading of the Holy Spirit as what to do to settle this CONTROVERSY between believers concerning whether or not Christians should keep all the Law of Moses, which would include the keeping of WEEKLY the Sabbath DAY. Please read Acts 15:10 where Peter HIMSELF said to the Judaizing Christians to NOT TEMPT Almighty God by trying to place the YOKE of keeping the Law of Moses upon ANY Christian.
Acts 15:10.
“Why TEMPT you GOD to place a YOKE upon the disciples, which WE nor our father's before were NOT able to BEAR?”
The ministry of Jesus himself during the days of his flesh was only to the Jews. And Jesus said to the Jews who were under the Law of Moses, you who are heavy laden come unto me and I will give you REST. Can you not see that Jesus IS our SABBATH REST dear child of God? Please read the study “Dd-13. Is JESUS OUR TRUE SABBATH REST?” I implore you my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, who are either seventh day of the week or even first day of the week Sabbath keeping Christians that keep DAYS as days of OBLIGATION to REST, to NOT be brought under condemnation by what you have been TAUGHT by your church denomination. For you see, what you have been taught by your Sabbath DAY keeping denominations CONTRADICTS what the WHOLE word of God clearly teaches us in SIMPLICITY. And thus, the Roman Catholic Church is equally WRONG to teach that Christians MUST go to church every Sunday lest they SIN. The Bible ITSELF under the New Covenant clearly teaches us that we are NOT to keep DAYS as being Holy or esteemed above other days. We are to esteem EVERY day the same.
Galatians 4:9-11.
“But now, AFTER that you have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements, where unto you desire again to be in bondage? 10. You observe DAYS, (The WEEKLY Sabbath days) AND months, (The MONTHLY new moon festivals) AND times, (Speaking of resting from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday on the weekly Sabbath DAY and form sunset to sundown the feast of weeks) AND years (The YEARLY feast days) 11. I am afraid of you, lest (Or I am afraid FOR you for fear that) I have bestowed upon you labor in VAIN.”
Paul is deeply concerned that he may have preached the Gospel of the truth in VAIN, because some have turned back and or turned for the first time to Judaism to keep all the Law of Moses to keep DAYS of the week, months, and yearly feasts as the JEWS under the OLD covenant. Now to those of you my readers and seekers of the truth of the whole word of Almighty God, who already KNOW that Jesus is our TRUE SABBATH REST, I leave you with the teachings of Paul in Romans chapter 14 taught to him by Jesus through the Holy Spirit for us not to judge those weak in the faith who do not YET know the TRUTH. Do not boast of the faith that God has graciously given to you. But do stand fast in your faith to receive any and all Christians, who do observe a day of the week above other days of the week esteeming what ever day they observe as a holy day or OBLIGATION to THEM. And do not be subverted by their teaching to fall from grace yourself.
Romans 14:1-23.
“Him that is weak in the faith RECEIVE you, but NOT to doubtful disputations. (Or do not receive them into your congregation to subvert the weak Christians in your assembly to cause division by their arguing and debating who is right or who is wrong. But rather, stand fast in the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide those brothers and sisters into all truth. In other words, do not kick them out of your church assembly as not being true Christians, but rather, receive them so you can TEACH them to TRUTH that Jesus FULFILLED the Law of God contained in ORDINANCES. Every Christians KNOWS that it would be a SIN to offer animal sacrifices after Jesus FULFILLED that Law of God. Jesus fulfilled all of the Law of God requiring SERVICES to God. And thus, we must only keep the MORAL Laws of God by waling in LOVE toward each other. And by waling in love toward each other we FULFILL ALL of the Law of God because Jesus fulfilled the CEREMONIAL laws contained in ORDINANCES) 2. For one believes that he may EAT ALL THINGS: (Or the Christians who KNOW the TRUTH understand that we can eat ALL MANNERS of meat, which we know that God has CLEANSED because we BELIEVE the teachings of the NEW Testament) another, who is weak, eat herbs. (Or the seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians are WEAK in their faith and they commandment their followers to eat NO meats that were called UNCLEAN in the OLD Testament under the OLD covenant. And that is because the faith is in Moses and the Old Covenant. And for that reason they do NOT believe that God has cleansed all manners of meat and therefore, to THEM who are weak in their faith they wrongly believe that they must keep the Law of Moses if they are to be pleasing to God) 3. Let NOT him that EATS despise him that eats not; and let NOT him which eats not JUDGE him that eats: for God has received him. (Speaking of Christians who know the TRUTH and believe that God has cleansed all manners of meat. And thus, we are free to eat any manner of meat) 4. Who are you that JUDGES another man's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Yea, he shall be held up: for God is able to make him stand. (Here we see that we are to give God the space and time to allow the Holy Spirit to work in their life to lead and guide them into all truth BELIEVING that he will do as he said he would do) 5. 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. 7. For none of us lives to himself, and no man dies to himself. 8. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. 9. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. 10. But why do you JUDGE your brother? or why do you set at naught your brother? (Or why do you say that your brothers and sisters are not true Christians who do NOT keep ANY day of the week or any of the ceremonial laws of Moses) for we shall ALL stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11. For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13. Let us NOT therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. 14. I KNOW, and am persuaded BY the Lord Jesus, that there is NOTHING unclean of itself: but to him that esteems any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. (In other words, if you have been TAUGHT by your church denomination that watching TV is a SIN and you believe that it is a sin and you watch TV, then to YOU it is a SIN because you do NOT believe that it is NOT a sin. You are walking in FEAR and unbelief. This would not be sin in God's eyes, but in the eyes of your church denomination that condemns those who break their man-made commandments. But what Paul is teaching here were ONCE God's laws. So then, if you TRY to eat meat that you still yet BELIEVE that God did NOT cleanse, then you are sinning because you eat it NOT in FAITH KNOWING that it is NOT sin. But those of you, who DO BELIEVE that is it NOT sin to eat all manners of meat, then it is NOT sin, because YOU believe God's WORD that God has indeed cleansed all manners of meat) 15. BUT if your brother be grieved with your meat, now walk you not charitably. Destroy not him with your meat, for whom Christ died. (In other words, I know that you know the TRUTH and that you know that you are NOT sinning eating pork, BUT when you are eating with brothers and sisters in the Lord, whom you know will be offended by your eating pork in front of them and you do it anyway, then you are not walking in love toward them by purposely eating pork in front of them as if boasting that you are free to eat all manners of meat. But at the same time do not DENY your faith if they ask you if you eat pork at other times. Now I was eating out with some Sabbath keeping Christians who were not always Sabbath keeping Christians and who ate pork the same as me before they became Sabbath keeping Christians. Both families ordered pizzas and when they came ours was a meat lovers and theirs was a vegetarian pizza. I saw that one of their children was eyeing our pizza and without giving it a THOUGHT I offered her a piece of our pizza. Immediately her parents said to her daughter, “No, we cannot eat pork.” I apologized and said if it offends you that we are eating pork, then I will throw this pizza away and order a pizza without any pork. They said it did not offend them what we ate, but that they felt that they could no longer eat pork) 16. Let not then your GOOD (Or your strong FAITH) be evil spoken of: 17. For the kingdom of God is NOT meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. (In other words, being saved is NOT about what we eat or drink but about working RIGHTEOUSNESS, walking in love and thus FULFILLING ALL the LAW of God) 18. For he that IN these things serves Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. 19. Let us, therefore, follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 20. For MEAT destroy NOT the work of God. ALL things indeed are PURE; but it is evil for that man who eats with offense. (In other words, if one eats NOT pork to boast of their WORKS, then they are NOT eating pork in order to offend those who DO eat pork having no conscience of sinning being convicted of the Holy Spirit for eating what we know by faith that God has cleansed. And on the other side of the coin if one eats pork to boast of their FAITH that they have been given, then they are EATING pork to offend those who do not eat pork) 21. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby your brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak. (I had a pastor tell me that he once pastored a church that was previously taught by another pastor before him that it was SIN to drink coffee. Now he was a big coffee drinker and loved to drink coffee, but for five years while he was the pastor of THAT church he drank NOT a drop of coffee lest he would offend one of his brothers or sisters in the Lord. Now, if that had been ME, then I would have taught them the TRUTH and asked them where in the Bible ITSELF does it say that drinking coffee is a SIN? And I hate coffee and cannot even stand the smell of it! So my motive would not be based on my not wanting to give up drinking coffee) 22. Have you FAITH? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he that condemns NOT himself in that thing which he allows. (I cannot tell you how free and happy those, who once were Sabbath keepers being even the third and fourth generation Sabbath keeper, are now after seeing the TRUTH about the Sabbath for themselves directly from God's word) 23. And he that DOUBTS is damned if he eat, because he eats NOT of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
Work out your OWN salvation with fear and trembling. Now, I personally do not believe that NOT eating pork is a sin or EATING pork is a sin. So whether you EAT pork or do NOT eat pork, to me and the Apostle Paul, it is NOT a sin either way. It is ONLY a sin to eat pork if you sincerely believe that God did NOT cleanse the unclean meats. In other words, unless you eat pork NOT in FAITH, and you yourself are NOT yet fully persuaded in your OWN mind by the word of TRUTH, the WHOLE word of God that God did indeed CLEANSE all manner of unclean meat, then and only then is it a sin. Now I realize that many seventh day of the week Saturday Sabbath keeping Christians do not dogmatically demand that Christians MUST NOT eat pork in order to receive eternal life in the world to come, but SOME do. And the one to do blatantly and emphatically teach that if a Christian eats pork and does NOT keep the SEVENTH day of the week as a day of rest as the Jews, then they shall NOT receive eternal life in the world to come. Now, other Saturday seventh day of the week Sabbath keeping Christians say that they do not eat any of the foods called unclean in the Old Testament under the OLD covenant for HEALTH reasons ONLY. And thus, it is not a SIN to eat pork to them. But those former Law of Moses keeping who have come back to keep ONLY the NEW covenant admit that while they were being deceived they were taught early on that it was VOLUNTARY and up to them if they wanted to eat or not eat pork, but later it became a LAW to them by what they were being taught by their Sabbath keeping group, and felt it to be sin if they ate any unclean food. Then after they returned to obey ONLY the teachings of the NEW Testament all those feelings of not pleasing God if they ate pork left them. They now KNOW for themselves that God has CLEANSED ALL manner of meats and that we as CHRISTIANS are NOT to call unclean what God himself has cleansed. And what I do know for sure it that all Saturday seventh day of the week Sabbath keeping Christians IMPLY that all other Christians are sinning even though they claim that they are not judging us by NOT keeping a DAY of the week. These studies are for YOU, my readers and seekers of the truth of the whole word of God, who are already being lead by the Holy Spirit to seek out the WHOLE matter for yourself to see if what you are being taught is the truth of the WHOLE word of God. In other words, IF the Holy Spirit has opened your eyes of understanding to a verse that is raising doubts as to what you have been taught, then it is no accident that you are here reading this introductory study to Sabbath TRUTH, to learn WHAT IS the TRUE Sabbath. 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. And for a deeper understanding of why the keeping of the weekly Sabbath DAY is NOT binding on Christians please read all the studies under the heading >>>Dd-0. WHAT is the TRUE SABBATH?<<< Also, please read the quotes from the early church writers who wrote against the Sabbath-keeping Christians from the first century to the fifth century in the link “Dd-20. DID THE EARLY CHURCH KEEP THE SABBATH DAY?” And after the fifth century this controversy seemed to have ended until it resurfaced again in the early 1800's which is when the Seventh Day Adventist Church was founded under their prophetess Ellen G. White. Now, the SDA Church itself knows full well that everything that Paul teaches in Colossians 2:14-17 is abolished just like Paul says. But yet they argue that the Sabbath days that Paul is referring to in Colossians 2:14-17 are NOT speaking about the WEEKLY Sabbath days. And even though they KNOW full well that the Apostle Paul is clearly teaching that the DIETARY laws are abolished they still try to get around the TRUTH that the WEEKLY Sabbath day is abolished as well, So then, by their arguing that God distinguished the difference between clean and unclean animals BEFORE the Law of Moses, then on those grounds they teach their followers to ABSTAIN from eating unclean meats at first. And then, then eventually encourage their followers that it is best for them to become complete vegetarians. And yet, the Apostle Paul teaches us that WHOSOEVER teaches to ABSTAIN from eating meat is teaching doctrines of DEVILS. Please read 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. 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 in the words of faith and of good doctrine, where unto you have attained.”
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! |