Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ncar!gatech!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: tja@mungunni.cs.mu.oz.au (Tim ARNOLD) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Was it NAILED to the CROSS ? Message-ID: Date: 15 Feb 91 23:52:19 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Lines: 112 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In soc.religion.christian David writes: >I am finding that it is popular to site Col 2:14-17 to show that God now >prefers another day: > "having wiped out the handwriting of ordinances that were against us, > which were contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having > nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He > made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Therefore > let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a > new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the sub- > stance is of Christ. " (Col 2:14-17) >I think that anyone familiar with the OT will agree that this passage of >scripture nails the ceremonial sabbaths and ceremonial new moons to the cross. >Annual sabbaths example - "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'In the >seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a >memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. "-- Lev 23:24 (NKJ) >New Moons example - " 'besides the burnt offering with its grain offering for >the New Moon, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their >drink offerings, according to their ordinance, as a sweet aroma, an offering >made by fire to the LORD. "-- Num 29:6 (NKJ) >The question is this - does this passage of scripture also do away with the >weekly 7th day Sabbath. That is the question that we must ponder. Is that the question Paul has in mind? >Here are >the reasons why I believe that the 7th day Sabbath was not nailed to the cross >and that God clearly still much prefers the same 7th day of the week: [ statements supporting continued observance of the Sabbath deleted ] >2) Ordinances? Now that is quite another matter. Moses, inspired of God, >wrote a lot of ceremonial ordinances. These are quite apart from the decalo- >gue, not having the claim to be written by the finger of God. In modern >times, for example, the Jews place the Torah scroll (books of Moses) in the >cabinet that they call the 'ark'. The Ten Commandments they place as Ten Com- >mandments on the wall near by. While the Decalogue can indeed be found among >the books of the Torah, it still holds a distinction that makes it profoundly >distinct from all other passages contained in the Torah - it is the only por- >tion of the Torah and of the entire Bible that is written by God Himself. This sounds like a legalistic distinction between Law and ordinances. Is this rather technical interpretation of the Greek justified? Are we really getting to the crux of what Paul is trying to say here or are we just trying to lay down a set of boundaries which are less restrictive than those in Torah but apply them in the same way as the Jews did before Christ? Jesus came not to distinguish between ordinances, which need not be followed, and 'real Law' which must be followed. He came to reconcile us to God through his death on the cross (Col 1:19-20). This is achieved as a result of the hope we have in the gracious act of God (Col 1:5-6). Paul prays for an increase in the knowledge and understanding of God's will after he heard of their faith - that they might bear the fruit of knowing God (Col 1:9-10). So what does this mean with regard to the Law. In chapter 2, Paul goes on to develop this idea. Our fulness is given to us by Christ, (vv9-10) not earned by observing the law. We are 'circumcised' by Christ (vv11-12) while we were sinners (v13). The role of the law is described by Paul elsewhere: "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather through the law we become conscious of sin." (Rom 3:19-20 NIV) [NIV often takes an interpretive license in translating Romans but it is quite faithful in this passage and it is all I have with me at the moment] As Paul goes on to describe a righteousness apart from law in Romans, he does so here in a similar (but not quite as verbose) way. The effect of the law condemns us, BUT the opposition which it represents dies with Christ, nailed to the cross. The freedom this passage pronounces is amazing! To then quibble over the exact things from which we are released is to miss the entire meaning of the passage. Reality is found in Christ! Reality is ONLY found in Christ! Paul takes it a step further in his first letter to the church at Corinth addressing problems of diet but with similar principles. "Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible ... To those under the law I become like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law." (1 Cor 9:19-20 NIV) "`Everything is permissible' - but not everything is beneficial. `Everything is permissible' - but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. ... So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God [not just on Saturday or Sunday]. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks, or the church of God - even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved." (1 Cor 10:23-24, 31-33) Are people saved through observing the Sabbath or by grasping the saving death of Jesus? If strict Sabbath observance leads others to focus on what I do for God not what he does for me, out the window it goes. Godliness and holiness serves to focus me and those around me on God not me. We are free to worship God anywhere and everywhere, and anytime. We do not worship in the temple, we worship in spirit and truth. Jesus' death means not to abolish the role of the Sabbath but to make every day a celebration of what God has done for us sinners. >Friend, >Dave Friend (still I hope) Tim ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tim Arnold Law/Science (Computer Science Hons) Undergrad tja@cs.mu.oz.AU The University of Melbourne =============================================================================