Religion & Spirituality - 30 July 2007

Sunday worship, which first saw its origins among paganist Christian converts in First Century Rome, has long been kept as the one and only day of worship in Christianity. But the Bible states that God Himself chose Saturday, the seventh day of the week, to be the day of worship and has used many occasions in His Word to cement Saturday as the sacred day of rest. This has long been a heated issue between Saturday Sabbath keepers and Sunday worshipers. From the Waldenses in Europe who were hunted and killed over their observance of the Biblical Sabbath to the Seventh Day Adventists of today, who are constantly ridiculed for their choice to keep the original Sabbath given to all mankind by God Himself.
Here are the common versus used in support of Sunday Worship:
· Matthew 28:1
· Mark 16:2
· Mark 16:9
· Luke 24:1
· John 20:1
· John 20:19
· 1 Corinthians 16:2
· Colossians 2:16

You will notice that all of these are from the New Testament, because Sunday keepers believe that ignoring the Old Testament justifies ignoring its rules in favor of rules made by man (if the Old Testament was nailed to the Cross, why did Jesus spend so much time reaffirming and living them?). You will also notice that the Fourth Commandment tells us to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy, and offers no instructions for its eventual expiration or chance. The first five verses I have listed here are in regards to the women who one the first day of the week came to the sepulcher and found it empty. Since Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week, the early Catholic Church designated Sunday as the new Sabbath (which was convenient because the pagan Romans were already worshipping the Sun on that day-hence the name of the day).
What the Sunday keepers fail to note, besides the fact that God Himself designated Saturday as the Sabbath in very clear language and did not give man the right to change His laws, is that God used His true Sabbath to fulfill the prophecy of Christ’s death and resurrection! Jesus said that He would die and rise after three days. Jesus died on Friday and was placed in the tomb. Mary and Mary Magdalene would have to wait until the next day to embalm the body, but they could not because the next day was the Sabbath. Says Luke 23:55-56, “And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. Any they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.” The Sabbath commandment is upheld even during the death of Jesus! And By waiting until after the true Sabbath to prepare Jesus’ body, they allowed the three-day prophecy to be fulfilled.
In John 20:19, Jesus appears with the disciples behind closed doors. This is often seen as the first Sunday gathering of Christians and consequently makes Sunday the new Sabbath. But the reason the disciples were in that room in the first place was out of fear of the Jews outside and not to worship or set a precedent for future worship.
1 Corinthians 16:2 has the Apostle Paul instructing the churches of Galatia to gather an offering on the first day of the week, that he may bring it with him to Jerusalem. Nowhere in this text is Paul declaring a change in the day of worship or of God’s Sabbath.
Some have made the assertion that Colossians 2:16 has condemned the observation of the Seventh Day Sabbath. “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a festival, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbaths.” What is being said here is that we should not let others judge us for observing the laws surrounding these things. This works in the favor of Saturday Sabbath keepers, who are often ridiculed for honoring true Biblical law.
Plenty of Old Testament verses support the seventh day as the true Sabbath:
· Genesis 2: 2,3
· Exodus 16: 4,5, 14-36; 20: 8-11; 31: 12-18
· Deuteronomy 5: 12-15
· Leviticus 23: 1-3
· Isaiah 58: 13, 14; 66: 23
· Ezekiel 20: 12,20

Since Sunday keepers only seem to recognize the importance of the New Testament, let us see what else it has to say one the matter.
My Favorite quote on this is from Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets, I came not to destroy but to fulfill.” If Jesus himself did not come to change God’s laws, how can we change them except by our own supposed authority?
In Mark 1:21, Mark 6:2, And Luke 4:16, Jesus observes the Sabbath by entering the temple and/or reaching on that day. In Mark 2:28, Jesus states that He is the Lord of the Sabbath. He did not use that fact to change the Sabbath but to uphold it.
In Acts 13:14; 18:4, Paul preaches on the Sabbath. In Acts 13: 42-44, the Gentiles at Antioch accept Paul’s sermon and worship on the Sabbath.
It is written in Hebrews 4: 4-6, “For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: ‘And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.’ And again in the place: “They shall not enter My rest.’ Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was preached did not enter because of disobedience.”
Do people really honor Jesus’ resurrection by ignoring the Sabbath He gave us at Creation?

2007-07-30 05:33:31 · 8 answers · asked by ? 3

I mean i heard that Protestants tend to be into more of Jesus's teachings and resurrection whereas Catholics more into crucufixion, is this in a way true?

2007-07-30 05:31:46 · 14 answers · asked by Seattler 3

what purpose other than making drugs do these plants serve......(yea I know, hemp makes clothes but it is primarily a drug)

2007-07-30 05:28:34 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous

I would like to major in that. I am a sophmore in college and hae not declared major yet but I've already found the right major for me: Chuck Norris Studies.

2007-07-30 05:21:10 · 14 answers · asked by Love Yahoo!!! wannabe a princess 4

2007-07-30 05:19:57 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous

resistance is futile, I was Zapp before assimilation.

2007-07-30 05:19:54 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-07-30 05:18:29 · 19 answers · asked by Gypsy Gal 6

2007-07-30 05:13:39 · 38 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-07-30 05:13:34 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous

He has done nothing to you but create, sustain, and love you and yet you mock Him! It's not my job to judge people, it's God's, but i'm just asking.

2007-07-30 05:13:28 · 25 answers · asked by Jonas 6

I see two thoughts on this...first the most obvious answer will be yes we should let homosexuals into church services because they are sinners needing repentance and once they are saved they will see that they need to turn away from their homosexualy lifestyle...

BUT what if homosexuals attend church services and wish to become a Christian but do not wish to abandon (repent of) their homosexual lifestyle? The Church, Pastor, would have to refuse to be a part of his decision process to turn to Christ and be saved if he refuses to turn from homosexuality of do as many other churches are doing and simply say "that it is ok to be gay and be a Christian"....What are your thoughts on this?

2007-07-30 05:10:24 · 36 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-07-30 05:09:49 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-07-30 05:05:04 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-07-30 05:04:52 · 3 answers · asked by Shannon H 1

I'm leaning toward phoning it in myself.

2007-07-30 05:04:42 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous

Why was my "Atheists are correct" question removed?? How was that offensive?
Maybe because I called them know-it-alls?? Are you kidding me?

2007-07-30 05:02:48 · 13 answers · asked by . 3

square and stone them to death because God had told him to command you to - would you do it? Why, or why not?

2007-07-30 04:57:22 · 11 answers · asked by Jack 5

2007-07-30 04:54:24 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-07-30 04:52:09 · 9 answers · asked by 1delimanswife@sbcglobal.net 1

The GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ WITH YOU ALL. AMEN.

2007-07-30 04:50:38 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous

It just seems to me that people are either playing games or just downing others religions. Not really asking questions to learn anything. Maybe I just have not read enough questions yet. What are your thoughts on it?

2007-07-30 04:50:05 · 19 answers · asked by SisterCF 4

2007-07-30 04:48:00 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous

Someone I know was once a Christian in 8th grade. They told me that they were going through something really hard, and God never helped them through it, so they left God. My religion teacher told me that whenever a Christian leaves God, God will slowly bring that person back. Has anyone experienced this? Please, no mean answers. Thank you everyone.

2007-07-30 04:43:39 · 16 answers · asked by purplespiders667 2

Fireball226 (666) in disguise sounds very lost. She is a very sad, lost cause. Should us Atheists save her from self destructing & show her a NORMAL, happy, fun life?

2007-07-30 04:40:50 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous

such as Ancient Egypt .... and would it be sinful to preserve and present their religious views ... artifacts .... idols ..... in a historical context ?

2007-07-30 04:40:27 · 12 answers · asked by burlingtony 2

Yesterday, which was Sunday here, I read Esther Kaplan's "With God on Their Side," which gives an honest look at George Bush's romance with the theocratic Christian Right. I highly recommend it to skeptics, humanists, atheists, free-thinkers, agnostics, scholars, and the many Christians who do not see their faith as little more than a Fundy stepping stone to destroying America's Bill of Rights. Prepare to be shocked and damn angry. (The New Press, New York & London, 2005.)

2007-07-30 04:40:10 · 4 answers · asked by Yank 5

if you also have some interesting info please do share! :D opinions and facts are also welcomed. just interested in yals thoughts

2007-07-30 04:39:15 · 22 answers · asked by eve 2

Quote by Paul Claudel

Where does one find delight?

2007-07-30 04:34:15 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous

It's just something that really irritates me. I mean, if you want to justify something using a book with over a thousand pages, I'm sure you can. I could interpret the fact that 'Jesus' was a man means that women are inferior to men. You could do any number of things using the hatebook, but most sensible people don't.

2007-07-30 04:34:06 · 8 answers · asked by CatE 3

2007-07-30 04:32:50 · 9 answers · asked by captain janeway 1