Posted by Bible Probe on July 05, 2005 at 17:14:55:
To those of you who argued in the thread last month that Saturday and not Sunday remains the holy Sabbath that we as Christians should keep - thanks! Beginning this coming Saturday (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) I intend to keep the Sabbath holy (special). And I also intend to follow the Apostle Paul's direction that we should worship God "every day" and not just on the Sabbath..
There are many pro and con arguments, but the fact remains - God never did abrogate resting on Sunday vs Saturday.
I am not judging those of you who are custom to resting on Sunday. I will say, (1) You can't go wrong in going to a Saturday day of rest, (2) This single thing may show whether or not you are keeping all God's Commandments or not. It may also have untold extreme repercussions in a spiritual sense..
The Change to Sunday Worship actually occurred in the 4th Century. On March 7, 321 A.D. while then actually not yet converted to Christianity, the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great proclaimed in his famous Sunday law: "On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. The Bishop of Rome at that time was Sylvester I. History has no record of Sylvester concurring or not. It is likely that he was then under the "thumb" of the Roman Emperor.
By blessing and sanctifying the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday), God showed that His presence is IN this day in a very special way. For of all the days of the week, this one ALONE points to Him in a unique way as the true God, the One who created and now governs the entire universe.
I have personally come to the conclusion that this issue of Saturday vs Sunday Worship is very, very important. It is something every Christian should study closely before making up their minds/hearts...
I want to thank people like Stede, True Believer and Darryl for this insight...
Paul and the Apostles kept the Sabbath. We know that Paul kept it up to 30 yrs after being converted. But this may have just been Paul's custom. Much like Jews for Jesus continue with the Saturday Sabbath.
Jesus Himself said nothing about changing the Sabbath day, and nothing about not honoring it. Paul said we should honor God every day and not on any feast day or particular day. Jesus healing on the Sabbath and walking through corn fields on the Sabbath did show that He did not intend to live up to the "legalities" the Jews imposed--which nobody could live up to.
It takes nothing to change your focus from Sunday (which was proclaimed March 7, 321 A.D. via edict by the then still a pagan Roman Emperor Constantine) to Saturday (sunset Friday to sunset Saturday). I'm a real estate appraiser. Instead of saying I can't do an appraisal inspection on Sunday, I'll simply say; can you do it on Sunday (and not Saturday).
As a Christian we are NOT bound by the Old Testament Laws and "legalities" like animal sacrifice and not going a certain distance from your home on the Sabbath. We can even wash a pet and go shopping, out to dinner, or even to a football game on the Sabbath! That is true. It should be a special rest day, however. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath, and Jesus' sacrificial death (when He said IT IS FINISHED) released us from that Jewish Law about the Sabbath which nobody could keep entirely. The temple veil being torn immediately after Christ's death that day further signified the Old Law was gone...
But honoring God on the Saturday Sabbath really hasn't been abrogated I believe. There has never been a Sunday worship requirement.
See both arguments for and against here:
http://www.bibleprobe.com/sundayworship.htm
also see here:
http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/cgi-bin/tw/booklets/tw-bk.cgi?category=Booklets1&item=1104414149
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