True Christians do not celebrate any Sabbath, neither the first day nor the seventh.
As Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe we are bound by the Mosaic laws including the Decalogue because of the Scriptural evidence.
Nowhere in the writings of Jesus' inspired disciples do we find any requirement for Christians to keep a weekly Sabbath. True Christians abide by all laws mandated for Christians. These laws, such as against idolatry, fornication, etc., are clearly stated as binding on Christians in N.T. But, this is not true of the Sabbath law.
1. Col. 2:16 shows that the Sabbath was removed and is no longer binding. This verse employs a technical formula used to designate ALL the Sabbaths of Israel: Yearly festivals, Monthly, and Weekly. The clear chronological pattern is an all inclusive enumeration which includes the WEEKLY Sabbath (2 Chrn. 2:4; 31:3; Ezek. 45:17; Hos. 2:11). Gal. 4:9-11 is an unmistakable parallel.
"Festival refers chiefly to the annual festival like the Passover, Pentecost, etc. New moon describes the monthly festival and the following word `sabbath' refers to the weekly holy day." - Linguistic key to the Grk N.T.
Further, the Greek word "Sabbath" here is used 60 times in the NT and every time it denotes the weekly seventh day sabbath! Only by arbitrarily reinterpreting this word in accord with a theological bias can we exclude the 7th day Sabbath.
These two points REQUIRE the conclusion that the whole system of Sabbaths, including the 7th, was brought to its end with the rest of the Law by the sacrifice of Christ.
2. When the question of obedience to the "Law of Moses," including the Decalog was raised (Ac. 15:5), the Apostles stated only three as "necessary": Idolatry, fornication and blood." The Sabbath was not mentioned while other laws such as against idolatry and fornication are clearly stated as binding (Ac. 15:28, 29). The commands they mandated were only those laws observed before the Exodus. Nothing else was "necessary" from the Decalog.
3. Scripture is explicit that the Sabbath was not given before the Exodus (De. 5:3,15, Ps. 147:19,20, Gal. 3:19 cf. Neh. 9:9- 14). And it was only given to natural Israel (the Jews), no one else (Ex. 31:16-17). Genesis does not say it was a command for mankind, nor was it in the commands given to Adam and Eve. There is not even one mention in the Bible of anyone keeping the Sabbath before the Exodus. And Mk. 2:27 actually implies the Sabbath was not in existence at Creation.
4. The inspired Christian writings state that "Christ is the end of the Law" (Ro. 10:4), which results in Christians being "discharged from the law," (Ro. 7:6) just as a wife is "discharged" from her deceased husband. He specifically mentions one of the Ten commandments--coveting--as part of that discontinued "law." That means that just like a dead husband the Law has absolutely no authority (Ro. 7:2). See also Gal. 5:18; Eph. 2:13-15; Col. 2:13, 14.
5. The Bible directly states that the Ten Commandments "written on stones" were included in what came to an end! (2 Cor. 3:7-11). The Scripture shows that it was NOT just the "glory" which was done away with at 2 Cor 3:6-11, but the grammar of verse 11 shows that what was "done away with" was the Decalog.
This is made clear by a comparison of the phrases "THAT WHICH is done away with was with glory" and "THAT WHICH remains is in glory." The pronouns identify the subjects as the "ministration of condemnation" and the "ministration of righteousness." It is the subject which "passed away" not the adjective "glory"!!! Just as it is the subject which "remains" and not its glory.
The clear teaching of Scripture is that the whole Mosaic Law covenant, including the Decalogue, was done away with at the same time. The Scriptures do not say "only the ceremonial part was done away with."
Christians were not commanded to keep any certain day as "holy", but to keep every day as "holy to Jehovah." (Rm. 14:5-9). The Christian Sabbath is a spiritual one which is an entering "by faith" into God's seventh creative "day"of rest which has continued for millennia (Heb. 4:3,9,10). We put God's work first in our lives every day, not just one.
It is clear that EVERY argument by those supporting a Sabbath requirement for Christians is based on a faulty interpretation and selective use of Scriptures.
For example, Sabbatarians must separate the so-called "ceremonial laws" from the "moral laws." However, this idea can only be maintained by arbitrarily defining words such as "Sabbath," "law" and "commands" as it fits their theology. If it says we must obey "law" then it must mean the Decalogue, but if it says "law" is not binding it must only mean "ceremonial laws." This is theologically driven exegesis and a highly dishonest method of interpretation.
Source: This is the chosen Best Answer by Bar_Anerges to a question from Yahoo Answers.
Also see: Sabbath - Links to Information (Defend Jehovah's Witnesses)
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As Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe we are bound by the Mosaic laws including the Decalogue because of the Scriptural evidence.
Nowhere in the writings of Jesus' inspired disciples do we find any requirement for Christians to keep a weekly Sabbath. True Christians abide by all laws mandated for Christians. These laws, such as against idolatry, fornication, etc., are clearly stated as binding on Christians in N.T. But, this is not true of the Sabbath law.
1. Col. 2:16 shows that the Sabbath was removed and is no longer binding. This verse employs a technical formula used to designate ALL the Sabbaths of Israel: Yearly festivals, Monthly, and Weekly. The clear chronological pattern is an all inclusive enumeration which includes the WEEKLY Sabbath (2 Chrn. 2:4; 31:3; Ezek. 45:17; Hos. 2:11). Gal. 4:9-11 is an unmistakable parallel.
"Festival refers chiefly to the annual festival like the Passover, Pentecost, etc. New moon describes the monthly festival and the following word `sabbath' refers to the weekly holy day." - Linguistic key to the Grk N.T.
Further, the Greek word "Sabbath" here is used 60 times in the NT and every time it denotes the weekly seventh day sabbath! Only by arbitrarily reinterpreting this word in accord with a theological bias can we exclude the 7th day Sabbath.
These two points REQUIRE the conclusion that the whole system of Sabbaths, including the 7th, was brought to its end with the rest of the Law by the sacrifice of Christ.
2. When the question of obedience to the "Law of Moses," including the Decalog was raised (Ac. 15:5), the Apostles stated only three as "necessary": Idolatry, fornication and blood." The Sabbath was not mentioned while other laws such as against idolatry and fornication are clearly stated as binding (Ac. 15:28, 29). The commands they mandated were only those laws observed before the Exodus. Nothing else was "necessary" from the Decalog.
3. Scripture is explicit that the Sabbath was not given before the Exodus (De. 5:3,15, Ps. 147:19,20, Gal. 3:19 cf. Neh. 9:9- 14). And it was only given to natural Israel (the Jews), no one else (Ex. 31:16-17). Genesis does not say it was a command for mankind, nor was it in the commands given to Adam and Eve. There is not even one mention in the Bible of anyone keeping the Sabbath before the Exodus. And Mk. 2:27 actually implies the Sabbath was not in existence at Creation.
4. The inspired Christian writings state that "Christ is the end of the Law" (Ro. 10:4), which results in Christians being "discharged from the law," (Ro. 7:6) just as a wife is "discharged" from her deceased husband. He specifically mentions one of the Ten commandments--coveting--as part of that discontinued "law." That means that just like a dead husband the Law has absolutely no authority (Ro. 7:2). See also Gal. 5:18; Eph. 2:13-15; Col. 2:13, 14.
5. The Bible directly states that the Ten Commandments "written on stones" were included in what came to an end! (2 Cor. 3:7-11). The Scripture shows that it was NOT just the "glory" which was done away with at 2 Cor 3:6-11, but the grammar of verse 11 shows that what was "done away with" was the Decalog.
This is made clear by a comparison of the phrases "THAT WHICH is done away with was with glory" and "THAT WHICH remains is in glory." The pronouns identify the subjects as the "ministration of condemnation" and the "ministration of righteousness." It is the subject which "passed away" not the adjective "glory"!!! Just as it is the subject which "remains" and not its glory.
The clear teaching of Scripture is that the whole Mosaic Law covenant, including the Decalogue, was done away with at the same time. The Scriptures do not say "only the ceremonial part was done away with."
Christians were not commanded to keep any certain day as "holy", but to keep every day as "holy to Jehovah." (Rm. 14:5-9). The Christian Sabbath is a spiritual one which is an entering "by faith" into God's seventh creative "day"of rest which has continued for millennia (Heb. 4:3,9,10). We put God's work first in our lives every day, not just one.
It is clear that EVERY argument by those supporting a Sabbath requirement for Christians is based on a faulty interpretation and selective use of Scriptures.
For example, Sabbatarians must separate the so-called "ceremonial laws" from the "moral laws." However, this idea can only be maintained by arbitrarily defining words such as "Sabbath," "law" and "commands" as it fits their theology. If it says we must obey "law" then it must mean the Decalogue, but if it says "law" is not binding it must only mean "ceremonial laws." This is theologically driven exegesis and a highly dishonest method of interpretation.
Source: This is the chosen Best Answer by Bar_Anerges to a question from Yahoo Answers.
Also see: Sabbath - Links to Information (Defend Jehovah's Witnesses)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BACK TO HOME PAGE INDEX
