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Sunday observers believe that the seventh day Sabbath was changed to Sunday in the NT. And, some believe that the entire law within the OT was nailed to the cross. Is this true?

(This article is a copy from an e-mail exchange dated April 5, 2008. | The name of the sender/writer has been made anonymous.)

JOHN DOE WROTE:

Some false teachers are those who do old testament sabbaths and feasts and stuff. Galatians 3;24 says "Wherefore the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.Verse 25; But after that faith is come, we are NO LONGER under a schoolmaster. Verse 26; For Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus"
If you are using the old testament as your schoolmaster still then Jesus who died on the cross for your sins died in vain.

RESPONSE from "The Word On-line":

You misused Galatians 3:24-26. You assume that the word "LAW" refers to the entire old testament. This is false. Wherever you read, "LAW" within Paul's writings, one must determine what/which law he is referencing.

Hebrews 4:9-11 reads, "So there remains a Sabbath-keeping for the people of God. For the one, having entered into His rest, has himself also rested from from his works, as God rested from His own. Let us therefore do our utmost to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience." (Note: God rested on the seventh day.)

The Sabbath was made for every man, not just for the Israelites in the old testament. Mark 2:27 reads, "The Sabbath was made for man..."

After the resurrection of Christ, people remained keeping/observing the seventh day Sabbath. The people during the time of ACTS, were meeting together on the seventh day Sabbath. This included the gentile converts.

Acts 13:42-44 reads, "And when the Jews went out of the congregation, the gentiles begged to have these words spoken to them the next Sabbath. And when the meeting of the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and of the worshipping converts followed Saul and Barnabas, who speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the favor of Elohim. And on the next Sabbath almost all the city came together to hear the Word of God."

Historical evidence also proves that the new testament converts were observing the seventh day Sabbath. There are numerous preserved writings from the first and second generation Apostolic fathers. One such man was named, Irenaeus. He was a disciple of Polycarp, who was a disciple of John the Apostle of Christ. Irenaeus wrote five books titled, "AGAINST HERESIES".

In book 5, chapter XXXIII, verse 2, Irenaeus wrote thus concerning the reward of the righteous:
"These are to take place in times of the kingdom, that is, upon the seventh day, which has been sanctified, in which God rested from all the works which He created, which is the true Sabbath of the righteous, which they shall not be engaged in any earthly occupation; but shall have a table at hand prepared for them by God,..."

The "law" that was was nailed to the cross was the law of debt.
In book 5, chapter XVII, verse 3, Irenaeus wrote thus:
"He destroyed the handwriting of our debt, and fastened it to the cross,..."

The seventh day Sabbath was changed to Sunday by the Catholic Church several hundreds of years after the time of the Apostles. This fact was/is documented in the Catholic Mirror - the official publication of Cardinal Gibbons of the United States - on February 24, 1893.

Furthermore, the early Apostolic writers - the first and second generation disciples of the Apostles, never referred to the first day of the week as being a sabbath. They referred to it as the "eighth day" because they likened it to the eighth day of the feast - the day after the feast of Tabernacles. They referred to the first day of the week as a "new beginning". And, in fact, they created a tradition - "no one bowed a knee" on the first day of the week in honor of the Wave Sheaf day - the day Christ ascended to heaven.

JOHN DOE WROTE:

You shouldn't still be following the old testamet at all people. Even the ten commandments have been replaced by two commandments. Jesus replaced everything from the old testament.

RESPONSE from "The Word On-line":

IRENAEUS QUOTE: Againsts Heresies, BOOK 3, Chapter XII
12. For all those who are of a perverse mind, having been set against the Mosaic legislation, judging it to be dissimilar and contrary to the doctrine of the Gospel, have not applied themselves to investigate the causes of the difference of each covenant. Since, therefore, they have been deserted by the paternal love, and puffed up by Satan, being brought over to the doctrine of Simon Magus, they have apostatized in their opinions from Him who is God, and imagined that they have themselves discovered more than the apostles, by finding out another god; and [maintained] that the apostles preached the Gospel still somewhat under the influence of Jewish opinions, but that they themselves are purer [in doctrine], and more intelligent, than the apostles.

JOHN DOE WROTE:

As for worshipping on Sunday, There is a scripture that says the disciples broke bread on the first day of the week and that's where a lot of people get the Sunday worshipping thing from.

RESPONSE from "The Word On-line":

Just because the disciples broke bread (ate) on the first day of the week doesn't constitute a change in the Sabbath observance. (Also see above response again.)

JOHN DOE WROTE:

You may think that anyone who worships on Sunday is a false teacher and false preacher but many false teachers and false preachers are in any faith and belief including sabbath keepers and feast keepers. What I am saying is that you have to read scripture and not your own opinions. I go to a Church of Christ church in St. James and i been to many, many churches and this is the only one I have found that teaches from scripture. According to the new testament no one should be keeping the sabbath as in the old testament. Everything was nailed on the cross. Peace. -John Doe.

RESPONSE from "The Word On-line":

You greatly errors in ignorance. The apostolic fathers - the first and second generations from the actual apostles of Christ - kept/observed the 10 commandments. They called the ten commandments, The Decalogue.

Christ magnified the law. For example: not only is the physical act of adultery a sin, a man is now guilty if he even looks upon a woman and lusts after her (Ref: Matthew 5:27-28). Because of this fact (and many more), the ten commandments were not nailed to the cross.

Now, if the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice was to rid us of this terrible law forever—God’s law (which, incidentally, Paul calls holy, righteous, and good [Rom. 7:12])—why is it back among us during the millennium?

Zechariah 14:16-19 reads, "Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the Lord smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. "

We find that the priests in the millennium..."shall also keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed Feasts, and sanctify My Sabbaths" (Eze. 44:24).

Regarding the feasts in the NT...the apostles observed the feasts in the NT. ACTS 18:21, the apostle kept the feast in Jerusalem. 1 CORINTHIANS 5:8, we're admonished to KEEP THE FEAST with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. ACTS 2:1, the apostles observed Pentecost (The Feast of Weeks). This is when the Holy Spirit was poured-out. ACTS 20:16, the apostle Paul observed Pentecost (The Feast of Weeks).

If anyone is interested, I wrote an article explaining the writings of Paul concerning the "LAW".
Click here: Was the Law Abolished?

Saturday v.s. Sunday
Sunday observers believe that the seventh day Sabbath was changed to Sunday in the NT. And, some believe that the entire law within the OT was nailed to the cross. Is this true? (This article is a copy from an e-mail exchange dated April 5, 2008. \| The name of the sender/writer has been made anonymous.) JOHN DOE WROTE: Some false teachers are those who do old testament sabbaths and feasts and stuff. Galatians 3;24 says "Wherefore the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.Verse 25; But after that faith is come, we are NO LONGER under a schoolmaster. Verse 26; For Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" If you are using the old testament as your schoolmaster still then Jesus who died on the cross for your sins died in vain. RESPONSE from "The Word On-line": You misused Galatians 3:24-26. You assume that the word "LAW" refers to the entire old testament. This is false. Wherever you read, "LAW" within Paul's writings, one must determine what/which law he is referencing. Hebrews 4:9-11 reads, "So there remains a Sabbath-keeping for the people of God. For the one, having entered into His rest, has himself also rested from from his works, as God rested from His own. Let us therefore do our utmost to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience." (Note: God rested on the seventh day.) The Sabbath was made for every man, not just for the Israelites in the old testament. Mark 2:27 reads, "The Sabbath was made for man..." After the resurrection of Christ, people remained keeping/observing the seventh day Sabbath. The people during the time of ACTS, were meeting together on the seventh day Sabbath. This included the gentile converts. Acts 13:42-44 reads, "And when the Jews went out of the congregation, the gentiles begged to have these words spoken to them the next Sabbath. And when the meeting of the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and of the worshipping converts followed Saul and Barnabas, who speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the favor of Elohim. And on the next Sabbath almost all the city came together to hear the Word of God." Historical evidence also proves that the new testament converts were observing the seventh day Sabbath. There are numerous preserved writings from the first and second generation Apostolic fathers. One such man was named, Irenaeus. He was a disciple of Polycarp, who was a disciple of John the Apostle of Christ. Irenaeus wrote five books titled, "AGAINST HERESIES". In book 5, chapter XXXIII, verse 2, Irenaeus wrote thus concerning the reward of the righteous: "These are to take place in times of the kingdom, that is, upon the seventh day, which has been sanctified, in which God rested from all the works which He created, which is the true Sabbath of the righteous, which they shall not be engaged in any earthly occupation; but shall have a table at hand prepared for them by God,..." The "law" that was was nailed to the cross was the law of debt. In book 5, chapter XVII, verse 3, Irenaeus wrote thus: "He destroyed the handwriting of our debt, and fastened it to the cross,..." The seventh day Sabbath was changed to Sunday by the Catholic Church several hundreds of years after the time of the Apostles. This fact was/is documented in the Catholic Mirror - the official publication of Cardinal Gibbons of the United States - on February 24, 1893. Furthermore, the early Apostolic writers - the first and second generation disciples of the Apostles, never referred to the first day of the week as being a sabbath. They referred to it as the "eighth day" because they likened it to the eighth day of the feast - the day after the feast of Tabernacles. They referred to the first day of the week as a "new beginning". And, in fact, they created a tradition - "no one bowed a knee" on the first day of the week in honor of the Wave Sheaf day - the day Christ ascended to heaven. JOHN DOE WROTE: You shouldn't still be following the old testamet at all people. Even the ten commandments have been replaced by two commandments. Jesus replaced everything from the old testament. RESPONSE from "The Word On-line": IRENAEUS QUOTE: Againsts Heresies, BOOK 3, Chapter XII 12. For all those who are of a perverse mind, having been set against the Mosaic legislation, judging it to be dissimilar and contrary to the doctrine of the Gospel, have not applied themselves to investigate the causes of the difference of each covenant. Since, therefore, they have been deserted by the paternal love, and puffed up by Satan, being brought over to the doctrine of Simon Magus, they have apostatized in their opinions from Him who is God, and imagined that they have themselves discovered more than the apostles, by finding out another god; and [maintained] that the apostles preached the Gospel still somewhat under the influence of Jewish opinions, but that they themselves are purer [in doctrine], and more intelligent, than the apostles. JOHN DOE WROTE: As for worshipping on Sunday, There is a scripture that says the disciples broke bread on the first day of the week and that's where a lot of people get the Sunday worshipping thing from. RESPONSE from "The Word On-line": Just because the disciples broke bread (ate) on the first day of the week doesn't constitute a change in the Sabbath observance. (Also see above response again.) JOHN DOE WROTE: You may think that anyone who worships on Sunday is a false teacher and false preacher but many false teachers and false preachers are in any faith and belief including sabbath keepers and feast keepers. What I am saying is that you have to read scripture and not your own opinions. I go to a Church of Christ church in St. James and i been to many, many churches and this is the only one I have found that teaches from scripture. According to the new testament no one should be keeping the sabbath as in the old testament. Everything was nailed on the cross. Peace. -John Doe. RESPONSE from "The Word On-line": You greatly errors in ignorance. The apostolic fathers - the first and second generations from the actual apostles of Christ - kept/observed the 10 commandments. They called the ten commandments, The Decalogue. Christ magnified the law. For example: not only is the physical act of adultery a sin, a man is now guilty if he even looks upon a woman and lusts after her (Ref: Matthew 5:27-28). Because of this fact (and many more), the ten commandments were not nailed to the cross. Now, if the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice was to rid us of this terrible law forever—God’s law (which, incidentally, Paul calls holy, righteous, and good [Rom. 7:12])—why is it back among us during the millennium? Zechariah 14:16-19 reads, "Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the Lord smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. " We find that the priests in the millennium..."shall also keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed Feasts, and sanctify My Sabbaths" (Eze. 44:24). Regarding the feasts in the NT...the apostles observed the feasts in the NT. ACTS 18:21, the apostle kept the feast in Jerusalem. 1 CORINTHIANS 5:8, we're admonished to KEEP THE FEAST with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. ACTS 2:1, the apostles observed Pentecost (The Feast of Weeks). This is when the Holy Spirit was poured-out. ACTS 20:16, the apostle Paul observed Pentecost (The Feast of Weeks). If anyone is interested, I wrote an article explaining the writings of Paul concerning the "LAW". Click here: Was the Law Abolished?