Bible Questions Answered:
“...I got into it with a guy that
said Saturday is the Sabbath, and that I was not worshiping correctly
by worshiping on Sunday. I found out later this man, is Seventh Day
Adventist. What do we tell someone like this...”
Shane/ Alliance, Nebraska U.S.A.
Bible Answer:
Bible Texts:
Some have a real
problem with this, but it comes down to, are we under the laws of the
Old Testament, or not, as as Christian believers, we are not!
Galatians 3:24-26 KJV
24 Wherefore
the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might
be justified by faith.
25 But after
that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are
all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
The Apostle Paul
was at the church of Galatia. At the church, a group of Jews, so
called Judaizers, who taught that Christ was not in Himself enough
for eternal salvation, one also had to keep Moses' law.
Their equation for
salvation then was:
(The
Law-circumcision) + (Christ) = Salvation.
There were those
in the church that realized if this was true, then Paul was terribly
wrong.
The Apostle became
furious, he defended the integrity of the gospel, and so the book of
Galatians was written.
The Apostle Paul
stated, as was the message of The Gospel.
(Christ) =
Salvation (alone).
Galatians 5:2,11,12 NLT
2 Listen! I,
Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you
right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you.
11 Dear
brothers and sisters, if I were still preaching that you must be
circumcised—as some say I do—why am I still being persecuted?
If I were no
longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would
be offended.
12 I just wish
that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision
would mutilate themselves.
Galatians 6:12-16 NLT
12 Those who
are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to
others. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the
cross of Christ alone can save.
13 And even
those who advocate circumcision don’t keep the whole law
themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast
about it and claim you as their disciples.
14 As for me,
may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has
been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.
15 It doesn’t
matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is
whether we have been transformed into a new creation.
16 May God’s
peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the
new people of God.
Ephesians 2:8,9 KJV
8 For by grace
are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
The Gift Of
God:
9 Not of works,
lest any man should boast.
Titus 3:5-7 KJV
5 Not by works
of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He
saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of The Holy
Ghost;
6 Which He shed
on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior;
7 That being
justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope
of eternal life.
Christians are not
under the law, but the grace of God.
Romans 6:14 KJV
For sin shall
not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under
grace.
Romans 6:14,15
NLT
14 Sin is no
longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of
the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
15 Well then,
since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we
can go on sinning? Of course not!
The Early Church
Worshiped On Sunday (The First Day Of The Week):
The Resurrection Was On Sunday.
Matthew 28:1-7 NLT
1 Early on
Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and
the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.
2 Suddenly
there was a great earthquake! For an angel of The Lord came down from
heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it.
3 His face
shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow.
4 The guards
shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.
5 Then the
angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know
you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
6 He isn’t
here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen. Come,
see where His body was lying.
7 And now, go
quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and
He is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see Him there. Remember
what I have told you.”
Jesus Appeared
On The First Day Of The Week.
John 20:19,26
NLT
19 That Sunday
evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they
were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there
among them! “Peace be with you,” He said.
26 Eight days
later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was
with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was
standing among them. “Peace be with you,” He said.
Pentecost Was On
Sunday (49 days after Easter):
Acts 2:1 KJV
And when the
day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one
place.
The Early
Church, Worshiped On Sunday:
Acts 20:7 KJV
And upon the
first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break
bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and
continued his speech until midnight.
Acts 20:7 MSG
We met on
Sunday to worship and celebrate the Master’s Supper. Paul addressed
the congregation. Our plan was to leave first thing in the morning,
but Paul talked on, way past midnight.
I Corinthians
16:1,2 KJV
1 Now
concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to
the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
2 Upon the
first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as
God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
I Corinthians
16:1,2 MSG
Regarding the
relief offering for poor Christians that is being collected, you get
the same instructions I gave the churches in Galatia. Every Sunday
each of you make an offering and put it in safekeeping. Be as
generous as you can. When I get there you’ll have it ready, and I
won’t have to make a special appeal.
The Resurrected
Lord, Appeared To John On The Island Of Patmos, On Sunday:
Revelation 1:10
KJV
10 I was in The
Spirit on The Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a
trumpet,
11 Saying, I am
Alpha and Omega, The first and The Last: and, What thou seest, write
in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia;
unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira,
and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
Revelation
1:10,11 MSG
It was Sunday
and I was in The Spirit, praying. I heard a loud voice behind me,
trumpet-clear and piercing:
“Write what
you see into a book. Send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus,
Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea.”
Why not worship
on the Sabbath? Only 9 Old Testament commandments were reissued in
the New Testament, but not the Sabbath.
Matthew 12:8 KJV
For The Son Of
Man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
We now have and
Eternal High Priest, at The Right Hand Of God, Jesus Christ, The
Righteous.
Hebrews 7:12 KJV
For the
priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of
the law.
Mark 2:27,28 KJV
27 And He said
unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
28 Therefore
The Son Of Man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Colossians
2:16,17 NLT
16 So don’t
let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not
celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths.
17 For these
rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ Himself
is that reality
So dear friends, what is the end of the matter? The Early Church,
worshiped on Sunday, but the Apostle Paul leaves these final words
with us...
Romans 14:1-13 NLT (The Danger of Criticism)
1 Accept other
believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about
what they think is right or wrong.
2 For instance,
one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another
believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables.
3 Those who
feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t.
And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who
do, for God has accepted them.
4 Who are you
to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge
whether they stand or fall. And with The Lord’s help, they will
stand and receive His approval.
5 In the same
way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others
think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that
whichever day you choose is acceptable.
6 Those who
worship The Lord on a special day do it to honor Him. Those who eat
any kind of food do so to honor The Lord, since they give thanks to
God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also
want to please The Lord and give thanks to God.
7 For we don’t
live for ourselves or die for ourselves.
8 If we live,
it’s to honor The Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor The Lord. So
whether we live or die, we belong to The Lord.
9 Christ died
and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living
and of the dead.
10 So why do
you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another
believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of
God.
11 For the
Scriptures say,
“‘As surely
as I live,’ says The Lord, ‘every knee will bend to Me, and every
tongue will declare allegiance to God.’”
12 Yes, each of
us will give a personal account to God.
13 So let’s
stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that
you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
Prayer:
John 6:37,47 KJV
37 “...him that cometh to Me I
will in no wise cast out.”
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you,
He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.
Acts 10:34,35
NLT
34 Then Peter
replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.
35 In every
nation He accepts those who fear Him and do what is right.
Ephesians 1:6
KJV
To the praise
of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the
beloved.
