Saturday, November 14, 2009

Sabbath Keeping or Lord's Day Worship?

Many Christians are being troubled by scruples ( and erring pastors) concerning the "correct" day of worship and whether or not Christians are obligated to observe the Sabbath in the same way as enjoined upon the Jewish nation (Exodus 20:8-11). The following correspondence exemplifies the nature of the question, and provides a response affirming the liberty of the Christian from the curse and dead works of the law.

Pastor Turner,
I have a question that you may have answered on your website (but I missed finding it if you did.) I was brought up accepting Sunday worship, and in some of my studies I see some things that lead me to believe we should be observing "the Sabbath" as well, at the very least. I've researched some books.
There is “evidence” provided that the Catholic Church is responsible for dictating Sunday worship (dating from Constantine in the 300’s.)--pretty compelling comments from bishops, priests, and cardinals all the way back to the early centuries of Christianity.
I hoped you would give me your opinion on this, and if you disagree, maybe you can provide me the clear cut evidence for Sunday (as the day of worship for Christians)in your reply??
Thank you and God Bless,

R.G.

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Dear R.G.:
Thanks for your most cordial inquiry.
#1) If a Saturday Sabbath observance is mandatory upon Gentile believers, "the church of the living God, which is the pillar and ground of the truth has been in error for 1900 and 70 or so years.
#2) If the supposition is true that the Church should keep the Sabbath as a day of Rest (that is what it was, a day of rest) and the Sabbath is Saturday, then it is not what Moses said it is in Exodus 31:17: "it (the Sabbath) is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever."
#3) There is no reiteration of the Sabbath commandment any place in the New Testament to a believer in Jesus Christ.
#4) IN Acts 13, four points -and four only - were enjoined on the Gentile who believed in Jesus: to abstain from things strangled; to abstain from the eating of blood; to abstain from fornication; and from meats offered to idols. The Sabbath was not enjoined on gentile Christians anywhere, though the other nine commandments are repeated variously in the gospels and elsewhere. Therefore, we must conclude that the Sabbath, is what God said it was, a sign between the nation of Israel and God of a perpetual nature. Hence it is that Jew, not Christians, gather on Saturdays.
#5) Every Sabbatarian I have met, without exception, seeks to put men under the law, to cause them to "fall from grace." The Sabbath keeping thing is the opening guns of those that would put man under the law, that is, under the curse.
#6) The words of the Bible take precedence over history. We are free from the law, dead to the law, and alive in Christ, therefore we follow the commandments of Christ and his apostles in the New Testament, serving in newness of spirit, not oldness of letter.
The greatest work I have read outside the Bible on this topic is SEVENTH DAY ADVENSTISM RENOUNCED by Elder Canright. It has never been refuted.
I trust this will help you as you seek the bottom line truth of the matter. We must go by Scripture. The Scripture mentions laying by in store offerings on the first day of the week (Paul said that), and though Paul disputed in the synagogues we do not find him anywhere telling Gentile Christians to worship on Saturday.
I have preached thoroughly on this, and have posted the sermon relevant to it which you can find at: http://av1611reformation.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/the-sabbath-pastor-nelson-turner-10-29-2002.mp3 .
God's blessings to you in the grace of Christ alone.

Pastor Nelson Turner

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