What day of the week should we go to church on?

[PreciousRubi]

every day is the LORD"S day! why limit GOD to one day of worship! jim

I'll add this to what you say -

How can there be a day of zero work to exclusively worship? To elaborate, here are a few brief examples -

Changing a babies diaper is work, taking your dog out to be pee is "work", so is cleaning the tub after a bath. ETC., ETC. Those are things that must be done, even on a Holy day of rest. I know this is awfully bare bones literal but this is what I wonder.

This would be considered Rabbinical law....and not Biblical Law.

Works of necessity are not prohibited on the Sabbath...as Yeshua pointed out to the 'legalistic' Pharisees.

Would God expect anyone leave a baby in a dirty nappy (daiper) for a 24 hour period, in order to worship Him?

The point of "NO WORK" on the sabbath day is to redirect our focus solely toward Him. But I doubt that would include the neglection our own family memebers.

[Smalcald]

What about paid work?

[Celtic Warrior]

Jews can become Christians, but they must accept that Christ supercedes and replaces the Mosaic Law, and that is their stumbling block.

If this is the case...then how does a Jew get around this small glitch in the law...?

Exodus 31:16

Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever.

Well, for one thing THEY broke the Covenant right out of the starting gate and MANY times thereafter, so the FOREVER was ended by them before it really started; however God kept the Covenant alive despite their disobedience anyway. Again though Jesus fulfilled that "FOREVER" also in His life and death and Resurrection. Further, once they convert to Christianity they are under the New Covenant and no longer under the Old, as they are now Christians and no longer jews (religionwise that is) And still if you want to get real technical, they CAN still keep Sabbath as long as they do it according to the NEW Covenant in Christ and not as a works based religion.

The other thing to consider is this. That passage was written in Hebrew and translated to English. ALL translations are INTERPRETATIONS and Best/Closest Fit. We only know that the translator(s) chose the word 'forever' as a best fit of his/their interpretation of what the context of the passage meant. SO, we can hope what we read is accurate and true (and it is, as far as possible), but there are still nuances of language and meaning that don't translate completely. What we see as 'FOREVER' may well have a different strength of meaning in Hebrew. Like the Greek word Aeon (spelling?) that can mean forever, but can also mean 'age' (and other meanings as well). The meaning of Forever may not have the same longevity of intent in Hebrew as it does in English (and YES, I am NO Hebrew expert, but I am well acquainted with Language Translation theory, protocol and problems).

Edited November 7, 2007 by Celtic Warrior

[Pilgrim7]

Lets us see now. God is no respecter of persons, yet He treats the Jews differently than the Gentiles. There will be jews not saved for breaking the Sabbath, but it is OK for Gentile christians to break it. Hmm.

So can Gentile Christians break any of the other nine commandments, or is it just the 4h commandment that they hate? Another question is why do so many use the lame argument that there is no command in the New Testament, when you don't belive in following God's commands anyway.

To equate the eating of pork, with a commandment written by the finger of God, is at best disingenuous, especially when Jesus, the creator, made the day, blessed it and made it holy, set aside for Holy pursuits.

Why is it that so many have a God who changes? The God of Scripture changes not.

Why is it that most of Pagan Idolatry worship on Sunday, the Day of the Sun, which started in Babylon about four hundred years after the flood?

Man Can't keep God's commandments? Yes it is true that carnal man cannot keep them, but Paul says that the 'born again' believer is Spiritual not carnal, thus he loves the law of God and delights in keeping it for 'all things have been made new, and all things are now of God'. We are all supposed to be Spiritual, with a new heart of obedience and righteousness unto holiness.

Why did Jesus never mention anything about the commandments being done away with? In fact He said just the opposite. He said that He had finished the work His Father gave Him and that it had nothing to do with changing the law or doing away with it. If He had finished the work, then it was finished. His death sealed the 'New Covenant', and after the death of a testater, nothing can be added or subtracted, nothing can be changed by those who partake of the covenant. See Galatians chapter 3.

Why does Jesus pronounce a blessing upon those who keep and teach His cammandments and say that they will be called great in the kingdom of God? This was a part of the work of His father that He came to do to teach us truth and to magnify the law. Here is the context:

Mat 5:17 Think not that I have come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I have to not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (since heaven and earth have not passed away, then all has not been fulfilled, these are Jesus own words)

5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven (now there are many who say that they do not keep some of them and are trying to teach others the same, but Jesus says that they will be called least. Many here don't seem to realize the import of what Jesus is saying, many ridicule and deride those who keep and teach the commandments, but Jesus does just the oposite and congratulates them and calls them great. I wonder who is right): but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (now He relates the above to righteousness and says that it will determine entrance into the kingdom of heaven)

Here is another Scripture that few seem to understand:

Acts 3:19 Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; (the 2nd coming)

3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

Ac 3:21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began (Moses was one of those prophets who spoke God's Word).

Jesus isn't coming until all has been restored. Peter knew this, God knows this, Jesus knows this, why is it that His professed people don't know this? Remember All Scripture is good for instruction in righteousness.

God Bless,

Dennis

[PreciousRubi]

Lets us see now. God is no respecter of persons, yet He treats the Jews differently than the Gentiles. There will be jews not saved for breaking the Sabbath, but it is OK for Gentile christians to break it. Hmm.

So can Gentile Christians break any of the other nine commandments, or is it just the 4h commandment that they hate? Another question is why do so many use the lame argument that there is no command in the New Testament, when you don't belive in following God's commands anyway.

To equate the eating of pork, with a commandment written by the finger of God, is at best disingenuous, especially when Jesus, the creator, made the day, blessed it and made it holy, set aside for Holy pursuits.

Why is it that so many have a God who changes? The God of Scripture changes not.

Why is it that most of Pagan Idolatry worship on Sunday, the Day of the Sun, which started in Babylon about four hundred years after the flood?

Man Can't keep God's commandments? Yes it is true that carnal man cannot keep them, but Paul says that the 'born again' believer is Spiritual not carnal, thus he loves the law of God and delights in keeping it for 'all things have been made new, and all things are now of God'. We are all supposed to be Spiritual, with a new heart of obedience and righteousness unto holiness.

Why did Jesus never mention anything about the commandments being done away with? In fact He said just the opposite. He said that He had finished the work His Father gave Him and that it had nothing to do with changing the law or doing away with it. If He had finished the work, then it was finished. His death sealed the 'New Covenant', and after the death of a testater, nothing can be added or subtracted, nothing can be changed by those who partake of the covenant. See Galatians chapter 3.

Oh yes, I hate the commandments. With a passion. That is why I don't steal. That is why I don't covet. That is why I don't bear false witness. That is why I don't commit adultery. That is why I love the Lord. That is why I worship every chance I get To say that because someone does not observe the Saturday Sabbath means they hate the commandments is a bit of a stretch, no? In fact, it is a big stretch, and it is false. A whole group of people doomed and commandment haters because they don't worship God on the day you say they should.

What day a person worships on has no bearing on their salvation. None. It has no bearing on how faithfully they serve the Lord. Show me one single scripture in the NT that says Christians are supposed to observe the OT Sabbath. Just one. Show me where anyone, beyond the Jews were commanded to observe the Sabbath. If you are going to follow the Sabbath, and the Law, you have to follow all of it, to the letter, and you have to do it perfectly. Can you do that?

The thing that I just don't understand is if Christians feel the necessity to set aside a day for God....then why not the Biblical Sabbath day?

Furthermore....WHY has Christianity set aside, instead, a different day to come to the Lord?...which is certainly NOT a Biblical command.

Also, I have noticed that a popular comeback for many Christians is that "...we can worship God on any day of the week....Why should we confine it to one day of the week?"

Why then on a Sunday?

Edited November 7, 2007 by PreciousRubi

[Smalcald]

The reason I spoke of the dietary laws (such as pork) and circumcision along with Sabbath observance was simply because the Apostle Paul also did when speaking of the yoke of bondage which the outward ritualistic version of keeping the law inspires. He correctly points out that these are of no help against the flesh.

Now I will say and do agree that if a gentile Christian wants to keep the Sabbath as described in Exodus mimicking what the Nation of Israel was told to observe, then it should indeed be Saturday, which is the actual Sabbath and I must say I don't understand not really keeping the Sabbath if you claim to keep the Sabbath, meaning you don't work on that day. This is consistent. Sunday is not the Sabbath, and going to church on Sunday is not keeping the Sabbath.

I don't keep Sabbath observance for scriptural reasons but I don't condemn nor judge those who choose to do so. The reason Sunday has been a more traditional day for Christians to gather and worship is because it is the day that Christ our Savior rose from the dead, not some sort of Roman Catholic Pagan conspiracy. But of course we should not confuse gathering to worship with Sabbath observance.

[patricia1]

The thing that I just don't understand is if Christians feel the necessity to set aside a day for God....then why not the Biblical Sabbath day?

Furthermore....WHY has Christianity set aside, instead, a different day to come to the Lord?...which is certainly NOT a Biblical command.

Also, I have noticed that a popular comeback for many Christians is that "...we can worship God on any day of the week....Why should we confine it to one day of the week?"

Why then on a Sunday?

Because the church is never told to "keep" the Sabbath in the OT sense. Jesus repeated and reinforced many of the commandments, but the Sabbath was not one of them. As for being a Biblical command, no, worshiping on Sunday was not a biblical command, and neither was it a command to worship on Saturday. In fact, simply gathering together as a formal congregation is not mentioned much in the NT at all. I see them gathering together whenever they could, as often as they could. They gathered together when the Holy Spirit and their spiritual needs guided, not according to a sense of "Oops, it's Saturday of Sunday, so we'd better worship." Worship to the Lord is a desire of the heart, and if it is simply being done because it is a certain day, there is a problem and the motivation is wrong.

It is well known why Christians traditionally worship on Sunday, because Jesus rose from the grave on that day of the week.

These are the two questions I have yet to see anyone who believes in keeping the OT Sabbath, in it's original sense and purpose rationally answer:

Where in the Bible is anyone besides Israel, as a nationality, commanded to observe the Sabbath?

Where in the NT are we, as the Church, commanded to observe the OT Sabbath?

pilgrim 7 I was thinking the same thing, that Jesus says Himself that He came to filfull the law and not to remove it. I think it is a matter of personal walk with what Jesus requires from each one of us. What we knew not yesterday we now know today.

[Vickilynn]

pilgrim 7 I was thinking the same thing, that Jesus says Himself that He came to filfull the law and not to remove it. I think it is a matter of personal walk with what Jesus requires from each one of us. What we knew not yesterday we now know today.

Shalom Patricia,

EXACTLY. Amen.

[Celtic Warrior]

I think many Christians get a wrong sense of priorities. Somehow many think that the Law of Moses was the end all of God's purpose and that when the Israelites couldn't get it together that Jesus had to come to FIX WHAT WAS BROKEN, and that simply isn't the case. God knew from the beginning that Sinai wouldn't work, JESUS was the purpose all along. While I'm having trouble remembering the words I need to relocate the passages, His death and resurrection were planned long before Sinai, in fact before creation even. God knew that man would rebel, knew man would need redeeming and Jesus sacrifice was planned along with the planning of creation itself. (The Passover itself is a reflection of Jesus death). Sinai and the Law given there was just a step along the journey to JESUS, not the other way around. Jesus is what the Bible is all about, from Gen 1:1 to Rev 22:21, it is all about JESUS!!! Jesus created, He was the contact God in the Old Covenant, He became Human, lived and died for us, and is the final destination for all of us!! It is not about the law, it is not about rules, rituals, sacrifices, performance, etc. It is about Jesus redeeming and living in us. The Law of Moses (10 Commandments and all the additional stuff given then) was just a stepping stone along a path to get us to Jesus, nothing more. Focusing on the Ten is idolatry. YES, as LOVING Christians we will not kill, steal, covet, commit adultery, etc; but not because the TEN say so, but because the Holy Spirit leads us to moral living BY JESUS LIVING HIS LIFE IN US, BY LOVING EACH OTHER (Love does no harm), NOT BY US FOLLOWING LAWS, rules, rituals, ceremonies, holy days, diet laws, etc. LOVE fulfills the Law, not the other way around, and I've already posted the passages. What Law? Not Sinai for sure, but the Perfect Law of God. Which IS LOVE!!! Love of God and Love of Neighbor and Love of Enemies and Love of....... By Love are we known as Christians (I think there's even a hymn about that..."They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love" Shame that we don't show our love better than we do, so that more could see what being Christian really means)

The OLD COVENANT is obsolete, done away, dead, buried, ended, no longer in effect, whatever other way one needs to say it, and the epistles tell that story over and over and over again. We are under a NEW Covenant, made in Christ's Blood, reflected by the new ritual of the Lord's Supper. The Old Covenant has served it's purpose, it's time to release it and focus on what Jesus is doing NOW!!!

[Vickilynn]

Shalom CW,

And what does all that have to do with celebrating the Sabbath as G-d did BEFORE the Law of Moses?

In Genesis 2, G-d institutes the Sabbath and He has never rescinded it. The Sabbath is just that simple and it's something that cannot be argued against with all your arguments against the law.

1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.