Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!linac!att!rutgers!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: tblake@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Thomas Blake) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: the Sabbath Message-ID: Date: 19 May 91 02:53:03 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: State University of New York at Binghamton Lines: 107 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article rvp@softserver.canberra.edu.au (Rey Paulo, Hi Rey!) writes: >In article tblake@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Thomas Blake, yes Tom, it's you) writes: >>We celebrate Jesus' resurrection on Easter Sunday of course. And each >>Sunday we once again celebrate his resurrection. >If your keeping the Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection, does it >mean that you don't keep the Sabbath at all? I thought Sunday-keepers >believe they keep the Sabbath, only it is on another day. I don't see where celebrating the resurrection precludes celebrating the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day on which we celebrate God, and his works. One of those works is Jesus' resurrection. >I think there's a slight error in your reckoning of days as reckoned by >the Jews. The scripture read, in the evening of the same day. To the >Jews, and of course to the apostles, the day starts at 6:00 PM to 6:PM >the following day, so that Sunday starts in the evening of Saturday. >It is therefore but natural, that after the disciples gathered for the >Sabbath (Saturday), they stayed together late in the evening (onset of >Sunday) for fellowship. The gathering was just a natural after-Sabbath >activity and it was even unlikely that they purposely gathered to >celebrate the resurrection. Well, Jesus was crucified dead and buried on Friday. We are agreed on that right? If he rose on the third day, it couldn't have been Saturday! But, let's check the Gospels... Matthew 28:1 After the Sabbath, as Sunday morning was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. ... (TEV) Mark 16:2 ...Very early on Sunday morning, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. ... (TEV) Luke 24:1 Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices they had prepared. ... (TEV) John 20:1 Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been taken away from the entrance. ... (TEV) >...And even if Jesus appeared on Sunday, does >it nullify or change the commandment of GOD with regards to the keeping >of the Sabbath? I don't think any rational GOD-believing human being >would think so, Tom. From this I have to figure you assume I am either irrational, or that I do not believe in God. Well, both are open to question of course. >>I am not trying to say that you *must* keep the Sabath on Sunday. Your >>keeping of the traditional Sabbath you do to the glory of God. Many >>other Christians have kept the Sabbath on Sunday, and through their >>observance they have sought to glorify God. >The issue here is obedience. If you are well aware that the Sabbath >is Saturday and GOD said you must observe the day, but you insist to >do the observance on Sunday because of such and such reason, I don't >think you are obeying GOD. Do you, Tom? There are a number of national >holidays in your country. Are you free to appoint any day you like >to observe those holidays or you conform to the days set by your >government? An interesting point. A number of national holidays we don't celebrate on their traditional date. It was observed that people like a three day weekend, so a number of holidays we celebrate on a Monday, no matter when the actual date falls. As for my workplace, I get Washington's birthday off, but I don't need to take it on the day on which it is observed. (Which usually isn't his real birthday.) Actually, my employer let's me take that day to celebrate Washington's birthday just about any time I want. >I cannot also fathom. I also don't understand why in 40 years of >wandering in the desert, the Jews were allowed to collect manna only from >Sunday trough Friday, and not on Saturday. Maybe you have some explanation >Tom. And perhaps your explanation can tell you why the Sabbath has to >be on Saturday and not on any other day as anyone pleases. There are many practices of the early Jews which we no longer practice. (I've pointed out a few in previous postings.) One of my favorites deals not with the seventh day, but the seventh year. In the seventh year, the Israelites were to let the fields rest. In the sixth year, the fields would produce enough for both years. Check out Exodus 23:10,11 Leviticus 25:1-34 (Leviticus also includes the Year of Restoration. I think the year of Restoration is a great concept.) These teachings are quite clear. Do you practice them? Did Jesus countermand them? Jesus tells us that the two greatest commandments are to love the Lord your God with all you heart, and all your soul, and all your mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. These are the keys to the law. You show your love for God by keeping the Sabbath on the seventh day. I commend you. I show my love for God by keeping the Sabbath on Sunday. Will you condemn me? I personally don't feel that God will, but if he does, at least I'll be in great company. Tom Blake SUNY-Binghamton Mark 2:27-28 27 And Jesus concluded, "The Sabbath was made for the good of man; man was not made for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."