Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: rvp@softserver.canberra.edu.au (Rey Paulo) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: The Sabbath ! Message-ID: Date: 7 Jun 91 03:10:19 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of Canberra Lines: 68 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article James.Quilty@comp.vuw.ac.nz writes: > > We have the New Testament writings to show us that any day (or no day !) can >be kept as the sabbath and God is quite happy about it ! > Yes many writings indeed and interpreted according to your own understanding and interpretation but not necessarily according to even Jesus himself! Let's listen to Jesus himself who demonstrates his own personal attitude about the Sabbath. This is Jesus' prophecy which is yet to happen in the end of times which certainly refers to the future because today is not yet the end of times, is it?. And notice the EMPHASIS He gave as regards to the Sabbath. "You will see 'The Awful Horror' of which the prophet Daniel spoke. It will be standing in the holy place. Then those who are in Judea must run away to the hills. A man who is on the roof of his house must not take the time to go down and get his belongings from the house. A man who is in the field must not go back to get his cloak. How terrible it will be in those days for women who are pregnant and for mothers with little babies! Pray to GOD that you will not have to run away during the winter or on a SABBATH! For the trouble at that time will be far more terrible than any there has ever been, from the beginning of the world to this very day. Nor will there ever be anything like it again." Mat. 24:15-21 Now from this passage spoken by Jesus himself, what do you think Jesus expect from people of faith to do during the Sabbaths in the end of times? It's clear, very clear. If it's not very clear, well, I don't know. Something sinister must be going on why people obstinately resist the simple and easy task of obeying the 4th commandment of GOD. Or maybe, you think that Jesus was joking when he said these words "...Pray to GOD that you will not have to run away during the winter or on a Sabbath! ...". Or maybe again you think that Jesus' words were revised by Paul because somehow Jesus' words were not correct. What do you think? >idols/not killed in the 'right' way) - Just that each person should make up >their own minds. Quite destructive, isn't it? This could mean that it is okay for anyone to murder, steal, commit any sort of crimes, as long as he makes up his mind about it. James, the trouble with your and many other christians' understanding and interpretation of the scriptures lies in the writings of Apostle Paul. Apostle Paul's writings are really dangerous and could lead to easy misinterpretation. My approach in reading the scripture is this. I regard that the ultimate authority concerning controversial issues rests in GOD. For instance, if Paul seems to suggest that the Sabbath is no longer important, I would then say, wait a minute, did Paul really mean it? It could not be because GOD said "Man has to keep the Sabbath". And then with this issue in mind, I continue reading Paul's other writings to see what did Paul really mean by it. If I really cannot resolve the issue, then I ask, who is more authoritative Paul or GOD? Of course, GOD. But so far, I always find that Paul is not at all inconsistent. In fact, all his writings are in harmony with the entire scriptures. Paul wrote many things which by themselves appear to contradict with what GOD has revealed. I have to find ways to harmonize what Paul said and what GOD or Jesus had earlier said. How do I do this? I read about other writings of Paul in other books like the Romans. If you're really sincere, you will find out that Paul really didn't mean what he seemed to mean in his other writings. And what is beautiful is that the overall writings of Paul are really consistent with GOD's commandments. -- Rey V. Paulo | Internet: rvp@csc.canberra.edu.au University of Canberra | I am not bound to please thee with my answer. AUSTRALIA | -Shylock, in "The Merchant of Venice" ------------------------------+----------------------------------------------