Should Christians Be Keeping the Sabbath?

[roger1440]

Well apparently, Jesus died on the cross for our sins. In doing that, he fulfilled the law which did indeed abolish its usefulness to his followers.

I don't understand it either, but that's probably one of the reasons why I'm not a Christian.

Judging from what the Church teaches, I don't think Jesus would make a good Christian.

 

[OneThatGotAway]

Christians are commanded to keep the seventh-day Sabbath (aka Saturday) holy and rest on that day for many reasons:
1. Yahweh God Almighty made it holy and he himself rests on it at creation and every week thereafter.
2. The first man Adam and the generations after him rest on the seventh-day to this very day.
3. God commanded man to allow his livestock to rest on the seventh-day to keep in harmony with God's natural timing.
4. Every seventh-day shabbath reminds the world every week that Yahweh created the heavens and earth in seven days.
5. Substituting another day of the week in place of the seventh-day destroys the message of God's creation of heaven and earth.
6. Yahusho (Jesus) the Messiah, his Israeli disciples and the gentile congregations kept and rested on the seventh-day.
7. Our Saviour of Mankind (Jesus) said: “Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill. For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter[e] or one tiny pen stroke[f] shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished. Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of [Yahweh]; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of [Yahweh]. For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of [Yahweh]. (Matthew 5:17-20)

Really: Many Israeli's and gentiles of Yahusho's day thought that he came to DESTROY the ten commandments; by telling them not to obey them. And after he died and rose from the dead, heaven and earth still did not pass away. Why not? Simple. Because ALL things have NOT been accomplished. Some people thinks that his resurrection accomplished the "ALL" things spoken here. Jesus did not go into detail as to what is this "ALL THINGS" that was to be accomplished. But apparently it's accomplishment would signify the passing away of heaven and earth. And his twelve disciples and the early congregations in the first two centuries did not destroy the law and the prophets. They in fact kept the ten commandments especially the fourth commandment by resting weekly on the seventh-day sabbath and keeping it holy.

But this is simply my observation and opinion on the subject; because I have not always kept the seventh-day sabbath in my early years.

 

[psychoslice]

Yes if you are going to call yourself a true follower of Christ, then you should be keeping the Sabbath, the Sabbath was changed to Sunday through the Roman church.

 

[OneThatGotAway]

Yes if you are going to call yourself a true follower of Christ, then you should be keeping the Sabbath, the Sabbath was changed to Sunday through the Roman church.

As of now I have been keeping the sabbath for many years; and this truth has help me put things in perspective.

 

[fschmidt]

It is not arbitrary. ALL Jews would be in agreement when the seventh day is.

You mean all TALMUDIC Jews. That is because they add to the Torah, in violation of the Torah. I keep the Sabbath on Saturday only because of convention, but the day is arbitrary.

"Shabbat" (the Sabbath) is the name of a day of the week in Hebrew.

The days of the week were given names after biblical times, so this means nothing.


I have an excellent book to recommend to Christians about the Sabbath:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008CM51SY/
The Holy Sabbath

 

[metis]

The days of the week were given names after biblical times, so this means nothing.

"Shabbat" is named as such in Torah, but the remaining 6 were not named. Since during the time of the Exodus God ordered us not to work or pick manna on Shabbat, we obviously knew which day of the week it was and is. Since the rules on Shabbat only are for us Jews, gentiles need not be concerned.

 

[CMike]

Well apparently, Jesus died on the cross for our sins. In doing that, he fulfilled the law which did indeed abolish its usefulness to his followers.

I don't understand it either, but that's probably one of the reasons why I'm not a Christian.

According to jesus christians are supposed to keep all the laws of Judaism. I don't get it either.

Matthew 5:19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

18"For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19"Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.20"For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

 

[CMike]

There's a reason why church services are usually on a Sunday. And if I'm correct in this, until fairly recently most businesses were closed on Sundays as well.

The Sabbath being mentioned in the ten commandments is probably more to do with Christian observance than it has with Jewish law. And of course Christian observance of the Sabbath isn't the same thing as Jewish observance.

The Ten Commandments came well before christianity.

 

[fschmidt]

"Shabbat" is named as such in Torah, but the remaining 6 were not named. Since during the time of the Exodus God ordered us not to work or pick manna on Shabbat, we obviously knew which day of the week it was and is. Since the rules on Shabbat only are for us Jews, gentiles need not be concerned.

As such? Shabbat is named as the day of rest, to be taken after 6 days of work. It wasn't conceptually a day of the week.

Also, shabbat was originally for Israelites, not just Jews, but was available to all. Isaiah 56 makes clear that the Sabbath is for all. It was Maimonides, that sick dishonest liar, who introduced the idea that shabbat is only for Jews.

 

[Glaurung]

The Ten Commandments came well before christianity.

You already said this and I already dealt with it. Re-read my post where I clear up what I meant to say.
Should Christians Be Keeping the Sabbath? | ReligiousForums.com

 

[metis]

As such? Shabbat is named as the day of rest, to be taken after 6 days of work. It wasn't conceptually a day of the week.

Also, shabbat was originally for Israelites, not just Jews, but was available to all. Isaiah 56 makes clear that the Sabbath is for all. It was Maimonides, that sick dishonest liar, who introduced the idea that shabbat is only for Jews.

You're making up your own "Torah" here. Shabbat is a day of the week, which is why it's referred to as the "day of rest", and the Israelites, most of which were Jews, were obligated to keep it in the Sinai, but non-Jews were not and are not obligated to keep it afterwords as they are part of the 613 Laws as found in Torah.

If one says that those other than Jews must follow the Sabbath Laws, then do they also try their best to follow the other 612? And to call Maimonides a "sick dishonest liar" is a truly pathetic statement.

 

[Yes]

Isn't it arguable that Christians should be keeping Shabbat since they claim to follow the ten commandments? Certainly Jesus and the disciples kept it, seeing as they were Jews. What argument can really be brought forward that Christians shouldn't be keeping it, and do the gospels anywhere explicitly suggest Jesus wouldn't want his followers to?

All the special days were about Jesus.

We no longer have to observe special days, we observe Jesus all day everyday.

Jesus is our Sabbath Rest.

 

[Desert Snake]

You do know that when the ten commandments were written, Christianity wasn't even close to existence, right?

In fact, Judaism was only just starting to exist.

But yes, I'm sure the the Sabbath was written in the ten commandments for Christians.

Sort of irrelevant points. The jewish canon wasn't compiled at that point, so were talking about texts that were as much Xian , or more, than texts of "Judaism" /which is what we would call Rabbinical Judaism, or Talmudic Judaism. You could say there is a definite difference of opinion, that's true.

 

[dantech]

Sort of irrelevant points. The jewish canon wasn't compiled at that point, so were talking about texts that were as much Xian , or more, than texts of "Judaism" /which is what we would call Rabbinical Judaism, or Talmudic Judaism. You could say there is a definite difference of opinion, that's true.

My points are only irrelevant if you read them without reading what I was replying to... the person I was replying to understood my points.

 

[metis]

Sort of irrelevant points. The jewish canon wasn't compiled at that point, so were talking about texts that were as much Xian , or more, than texts of "Judaism" /which is what we would call Rabbinical Judaism, or Talmudic Judaism. You could say there is a definite difference of opinion, that's true.

Torah predates all of the above, and it was clearly written and passed down by a group that eventually were called "Jews", as well as "Israelites" and "Hebrews". Names often change and/or are interchangeable, but the scriptures make it quite clear whom Torah was meant for and was mostly about.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

As such? Shabbat is named as the day of rest, to be taken after 6 days of work. It wasn't conceptually a day of the week.

It was, conceptually, the 7th day of the week.

Also, shabbat was originally for Israelites, not just Jews, but was available to all. Isaiah 56 makes clear that the Sabbath is for all.

To be available to all is not at all the same as being mandatory upon all.

It was Maimonides, that sick dishonest liar, who introduced the idea that shabbat is only for Jews.

Someone needs a hug -- or, perhaps, better parenting.

 

[Desert Snake]

Torah predates all of the above, and it was clearly written and passed down by a group that eventually were called "Jews", as well as "Israelites" and "Hebrews". Names often change and/or are interchangeable, but the scriptures make it quite clear whom Torah was meant for and was mostly about.

Jesus was an 'Israelite'. The early preaching is said, (in the NT), to be for just the lost sheep of Israel. Whether this is true or not, Followers of Jesus came to include non-"Jews"/Israelites. So, already we have different interpretation of Shabbat, as evidenced in the Bible. Then, add Talmudic opinion on the rules of Shabbat, and you have yet another interpretation. I think you get the picture, there isn't one, absolute authoritative voice on Shabbat keeping, because interpretation can vary.
Anyways, your post is sorta vague.

 

[metis]

Jesus was an 'Israelite'. The early preaching is said, (in the NT), to be for just the lost sheep of Israel. Whether this is true or not, Followers of Jesus came to include non-"Jews"/Israelites. So, already we have different interpretation of Shabbat, as evidenced in the Bible. Then, add Talmudic opinion on the rules of Shabbat, and you have yet another interpretation. I think you get the picture, there isn't one, absolute authoritative voice on Shabbat keeping, because interpretation can vary.
Anyways, your post is sorta vague.

Jesus said he "came only for the Jews", although it appears that near the end of his life he opened the door for the "God-Fearers" (gentiles who worshiped "the God of Abraham"). Also, Jesus mentions the Sabbath as a day of the week, which it clearly was and is, so there's no doubt whatsoever exactly what the word refers to even within the Christian texts.

There really is no controversy over the fact that "Shabbat" refers to the "day of rest", a specific day of the week, and that this was mandated in Torah for us Jews to keep. It seems that only those with some sort of "agenda" seem to prefer playing games with this. The Talmudic reference do not question which day "Shabbat" refers to but instead gets mainly into exactly what constitutes "work".

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Jesus said he "came only for the Jews", although it appears that near the end of his life he opened the door for the "God-Fearers" (gentiles who worshiped "the God of Abraham").

I find this to be questionable.

 

[metis]

I find this to be questionable.

I was just paraphrasing what's written in the gospels, and I think you're aware of the fact that I question all scripture no matter what its source.