The question has been asked "Where does the New Testament say we need to keep the fourth Commandment of honoring the Sabbath. My question back is where does it say it stopped?
The first century believers only had the letters that were written to them, however they did have the Old Testament and they new very well that when Jesus said, "If you love me keep my Commandments" what he was referring to. These are not the Mosaic Law-that is the 'works of the law' which was abolished. Where does the New Testament say 'you will have no god's before me', 'you shall not make idols', 'you shall not take the Lord's name in vain?
Yes Adventists may be legalistic about Saturday, but so are 'main stream' denominations about Sunday. I was attending a morning Sunday bible study and someone asked me if I was going to service afterwards and I said 'No'--they then proceeded to tell me I was 'forsaking the assembly'.? What? I felt I was much more in fellowship in the study than I would have been sitting passively in the sanctuary listening to a 20 minute sermon.
Also the verse that says Christ is our Sabbath rest Does He literally give us rest from our daily work or rather does He give us spiritual rest?
The Sabbath is not given to us as a law to keep or a burden to bear, but to rest from our physical labors. Personally, I think believers should have an opportunity to meet every day , rather than gathering one day on Sunday to sit passively listening to a 15-20 min sermon. But if we are together as an assembly, why not do as Jesus did, Paul did, and the first century believers did and gather on Saturday?
"As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,"--Acts 17:2
Paul visited several cities within the region of Galatia-- notice what Luke records in Acts 13 concerning this visit:
- Paul participates in Sabbath services at the local synagogue (verse 14).
- He notes the practice of reading the Scriptures "every Sabbath" (verse 27).
- Many gentiles beg Paul to preach to them "the next Sabbath" (verse 42).
- "On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God" from Paul and Barnabas (verse 44).
btw for those who don't read the thread--i am not an adventist and currently not a member of any church--i think at this point, i'm done with the institutional church and seeking a house church fellowship
It stopped when the law was fulfilled. Or as Romans 8 describes.
Romans 8:1-4
New International Version
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life
has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so
he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
We are set free from the law. The righteous requirement was met in Jesus so we are now seen as righteous. We are the body of Christ, we are the temple. We are considered holy saints but not due to our efforts, only through the lens of Christ.
Colossians 2 makes it more simple.
Colossians 2:16-17
New International Version
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
They were given to the Israelites as to quote “I gave them My sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them” This in context was set Israel apart from all other nations.
And
“You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day."
This does not include gentiles.
But this was answered in Acts 15.
Acts 15
New International Version
The Council at Jerusalem
15 Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.
5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”
19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.
What commandments we are to keep? The law of Christ which is adhering to the Spirit, love (fruit of the Spirit) and sharing to others this gospel that gives everyone a daily rest for those who adhere to Christ.