HAVE YOU BEEN DECEIVED REGARDING THE SABBATH??? - #2 IT'S POSSIBLE!
In the previous article on the Sabbath, I challenged a few of Traditional Christianity's teachings pertaining to the Seventh Day Sabbath and Sunday. In that article, I challenged the following statements:
“Seventh Day Sabbath-keeping was meant for Israel”
“Christ fulfilled the Law, which also ended keeping the Sabbath”
“Christ was resurrected on Sunday, the first day of the week”
“The Apostles established Sunday as the day for Christians to meet”
In this article, my intention is to further challenge the TC perspective on a few of Paul's writings, which I believe, have been misinterpreted and misapplied concerning Seventh Day Sabbath-keeping and the Torah.
ROMANS 14 – TC teaches “Choose Any Day As Your Sabbath”
Romans 14:1-4 (HS)1 1 “And receive him who is weak in the belief, not criticizing (his) thoughts. 2 One indeed believes to eat all (food), but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 He that eats, let him not despise him who does not eat, and he that does not eat, let him not judge him who eats, for Elohim received him. 4 Who are you that judges another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. But he shall be made to stand, for Elohim is able to make him stand.”
The context of this chapter is addressing things that are NOT doctrinal issues. Literally; Not Commanded by YAHWEH. We know that by verse one. In the KJV it reads;
“Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.”
So addressing doubtful disputations, Paul begins with food as an example. Some believers prefer not eating meat (eating fruit, nuts, veggies, etc.) and some believers do eat meat. Both are acceptable, as long as they comply with what YHWH had originally instructed about food beginning in Genesis 2 and Leviticus 11.2
Paul then confirms that believers will each give an account to YHWH. That includes for how we treat (or judge) others decisions pertaining to disputable (not sinful) matters. We should not judge on that basis.
5 One indeed judges one day above another, another judges every day. (alike) Let each one be completely persuaded in his own mind. 6 He who minds the day, minds it to YHWH3. And he who does not mind the day, to YHWH he does not mind it. He who eats, eats to YHWH, for he gives Elohim thanks. And he who does not eat, to YHWH he does not eat, and gives Elohim thanks.”
Paul continues with another example of disputable matters: Days on which we choose to eat or not to eat...or fasting days. Verses 5-6 is the part that TC interprets Paul to say “whatever day of the week that you decide is your Sabbath, so be it, that's between you and God.”
There are least three major problems with that interpretation:
Problem No. 1; The word “Sabbath” is not mentioned here!
Problem No. 2; Seventh Day Sabbath-keeping never was a “disputable matter”! YHWH established the Sabbath “for man”, (all mankind)* and YHWH commanded that the Sabbath be remembered and observed.
Problem No. 3; Paul is not referring to the Sabbath in this text. He is addressing the practice of fasting as mentioned throughout the Scriptures.4
Believers are instructed to fast as led by the Spirit of YHWH to do so. When to fast, when not to fast, how long to fast, etc. are disputable matters.
Galatians 4 – TC teaches “The Torah Is The Weak And Beggarly Elements...Of Bondage”?
Galatians 4:8-10 (KJV) 8 “Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. 9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.”
Again, grasping the context of Paul's writing here is imperative. Notice verse 8. Paul is reminding these gentile believers that they once were in idolatry and served lifeless, fabricated entities through the observance of their dedicated days, months, times and even years! In Christianity and traditional Judaism that is still going on!
In verse 9, Paul reminds them that during that time they did not know the True Elohim, YAHWEH. Neither were they known by HIM! Paul refers to that time and their idolatrous practices as “the weak and beggarly elements” designed to keep them in bondage!
Traditional Christianity interprets Paul to be referring to Seventh Day Sabbath-keeping and the observances of The Feasts of Yahweh, the New Moons, the Jubilees, etc. as “the weak and beggarly elements.”
That cannot be! Remember, these gentiles were not observing Torah prior to their conversion. They would not have been observing Sabbath-keeping, the Feast Days and observances of Yahweh! They did not know YHWH! HE did not know them! How then could they “turn again to” something that they never were involved with in the first place??
Besides all of that, Paul would never have referred to the Torah as something that is weak and beggarly! Consider Paul's true perspective on Torah and the Commandments in Rom 7:12 (HS) “So that the Torah truly is qodesh (set-apart), and the command qodesh, and righteous, and good.”
In Galatians 4, Paul is cautioning all believers who begin observing HIS Sabbath, HIS Feasts and HIS Torah to not turn back to ANY FORM of man-made special days and observances!
Traditional Judaism had deviated from the Torah. Yahshua confirmed that.5 Today, Traditional Christianity has many observances not founded in The Scriptures. For further information on that subject read the article on Do You Know The Origins Of Today's Holidays? — Messiah Fellowship
COLOSSIANS 2 – TC teaches “THE Torah Was Nailed To The Cross”
Colossians 2:13-17 (HS) “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having blotted out the handwriting against us – by the dogmas – which stood against us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the stake. 15 Having stripped the principalities and the authorities, He made a public display of them, having prevailed over them in it. 16 Let no one therefore judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a Festival or a new moon or Sabbaths – 17 which are a shadow of what is to come – but the Body of the Messiah.”
Verses 13-14 have been misinterpreted by traditional Christianity as Paul saying that “the Old Testament Torah (Law) was nailed to the cross, so Christians don't have to obey it!”
If that's an accurate interpretation of verses 13-14, then TC must also interpret verse 15 as saying that the Torah was inspired by principalities and authorities that were put on public display after being conquered!?
Is that what is being said in this text?
Consider:
YHWH refers to the Torah as “MY Torah” numerous times in the Scriptures!6
This entire chapter is encapsulated between two very important statements. The first one is verse 8:
Col 2:8 (ISR) “See to it that no one makes a prey of you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary matters of the world, and not according to Messiah.”
Paul's warning in context is that there will be those who will try to deceive us through their “philosophy: clever but misleading reasoning” and “deceit: delusion”! Specifically through the “tradition: traditionary law” of men, according to the “elementary: order or arrangement” matters OF THE WORLD” and NOT according to Messiah!
Paul then makes his case in the subsequent verses, framing his argument between verse 8 AND verses 22-23. Consider:
Col 2:22-23 “...which are all to perish with use – according to the commands and teachings of men? These indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed worship, humiliation and harsh treatment of the body – of no value at all, only for satisfaction of the flesh.”
So, between verse 8 and verse 22, Paul is explaining what he means by the phrase “tradition of men” AND “commands and teachings of men.”
Please keep that in mind, as we consider Paul's statements pertaining to “having blotted out that which was written by hand against us – by the dogmas – which stood against us”, Paul is referring to a standard of religious requirements instituted by men and NOT by the YHWH!
The Torah of YHWH was NOT written by the hand of men. (Ex. 31:18)
The commandments and teachings of men ARE written by the hand of men. (Isa 29:13, Mat 15:3, Mk 7:7)
The Torah of YHWH is NOT against us. (Rom 3:31)
The “dogmas” of man ARE against us. Dogma; A theological doctrine based upon the opinions (traditions) of man and NOT upon the Scriptures. How are they against us? They can replace the Commandments of YHWH, thus leading people into lawlessness...
Contemporary examples of the dogmas of man being observed today:
- Seventh Day Sabbath-keeping has been replaced by Sunday.
- Observing Christ's birth at Christmas.
- Replacing the actual day of HIS impalement with Good Friday.
- Replacing the day of HIS resurrection with Easter and Easter Sun-rise observances.
There is NO SCRIPTURAL basis for ANY of these dogmas of man!
And so when Paul writes in verse 14 “And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the stake. Having stripped the principalities and the authorities, He made a public display of them, having prevailed over them in it.”
Paul is revealing the inspiration behind these “traditions of men...” and the “commandments and teachings of men” by saying that they were / are inspired by principalities and authorities in the heavenlies! These dogmas of man that lead people away from the Truth are inspired by spiritual beings, fallen angels; demons!
Paul says it this way in 1Timothy 4:
1Timothy 4:1 “But the Spirit distinctly says that in latter times some shall fall away from the belief, paying attention to misleading spirits, and teachings of demons...”
He puts it this way in Ephesians 6:
Eph 6:12 (ISR) “Because we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against authorities, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual matters of wickedness in the heavenlies.”
Paul is saying that the fallen spirits have been stripped of their power through the death and resurrection of Yahshua. A power that was handed to the fallen ones by the fall of Adam when he chose to believe and obey the serpent instead of their Creator!
Verse 16 “Let no one therefore judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths – 17 which are a shadow of what is to come – but the Body of the Messiah.” Christianity says that Paul is instructing those who observe YHWH'S Festivals and Sabbaths to not judge those who do not observe them. Is that what he is saying? No! The context dictates that Paul is saying the exact opposite!
Based on the context of this portion of text, Paul is saying that we who observe the Festivals and Sabbaths of YHWH are not to let those who are bound by traditions / commands of men, who do not observe YHWH'S Days, to judge us! YHWH'S Festivals and Sabbaths are considered rehearsals, teaching us more about YHWH, HIS Son YAHSHUA and The Plan of redemption. Thus Paul refers to them as “a shadow of what is to come.”
A shadow can only be cast from that which actually exists!
The last phrase in this text, “ - but the Body of the Messiah” confirms the proper perspective in saying that The Body of Messiah, having the mind of Messiah, are the only ones able to judge and discern YHWH'S Festivals and Sabbaths. 1Cor 2:16 (ISR) “But we have the mind of Messiah.”
The last argument that is generally stated by traditional Christianity for their rejection of Seventh Day Sabbath-keeping is:
“There is No Commandment in the New Testament To Observe The Seventh Day as The Sabbath.”
To which I am tempted to simply reply:
There Is NO Commandment In The New Testament To Change OR To Cancel Seventh Day Sabbath-keeping! But, for the sake of those of you who have read this article this far, I will offer this for you to consider;
In Hebrews 4 we have a terrible translation that has left the wrong impression since it's inception. Consider first the KJV:
Hebrews 4:8-10 8 “For if Jesus had given them rest:katapausis, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remaineth therefore a rest:sabbatismos to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest:katapausis, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.”
In the above KJV reference I have included the Greek words so that you can see the inconsistencies in the translation of the Greek words to “rest.”
The Greek word “katapausis” is accurately translated “rest” in verse 8 and in verse 10. However, the Greek word in Hebrews 4:9 is not katapausis. It is sabbatismos. Sabbatismos does not mean rest. It means Sabbath. Not accurately rendering sabbatismos / Sabbath-keeping here is a serious issue. It leaves the reader to an ambiguous application of what should occur on Sabbath, which is rest, without the emphasis on Sabbath-keeping.
A more accurate and contextual interpretation of Hebrews 4:8-10 reads as follows:
Hebrews 4:8-10 (HS) “For if Yahoshua established them in rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. So there remains a Sabbath-keeping for the people of Elohim. For the one, having entered into His rest, has himself also rested from his works, as Elohim rested from His own.”
Neither Yahoshua (Joshua) in Joshua 23:1 nor Yahshua in Matthew 11:28 make any reference to the Sabbath when they promised a form of “rest” for those who would obey YHWH (in Joshua 23) and for those who come to Yahshua in Matthew 11:28. Thus, neither reference is a cancellation of Sabbath-keeping for the people of Elohim...
I hope by addressing some of the misunderstandings surrounding the Sabbath of YAHWEH that you have been challenged in your belief and has caused you to reconsider the sources that have influenced your walk and relationship with The Only ONE Who IS The Way, The Truth & The Life! Shalom...
1 (HS) Denotes that this reference is from “HalleluYAH Scriptures”
2 See article What ALL BELIEVERS SHOULD KNOW About FOOD! — Messiah Fellowship
3 YHWH is the abbreviated form of The Name of The Creator, YAHWEH which is stated 6871 times in original writings.
4 Isaiah 58, Joel 1-2, Zechariah 8:19, Matthew 6:16, 9:14-15, Luke 5:33-35 to name just a few references to Fasting.
5 Their traditions replaced the Torah. Matthew 15:3, Mark 7:6-8, & 13, etc...John 7:19 “...not one of you does the Torah”
6 YHWH'S “My Torah” ref in Exodus 16:4, Isaiah 51:7, Jeremiah 16:19, Hoshea 8:1, to name just a few...