Truth Magazine

By Mike Willis

The birth narrative of Jesus concisely tells the dramatic unfolding of the fulfillment of the Messianic promises. The events began to unfold in a perfectly natural way: a young man named Joseph fell in love with a young woman named Mary. Soon thereafter, the Lord intervened. The virgin Mary conceived a baby by the power of the Holy Spirit. Some months later when Joseph realized that Mary was expecting and knowing that the child was not his own, he decided to divorce her privately. An angel appeared to Joseph reassuring him that Mary had not been guilty of fornication and explaining to him that she was with child by the Holy Ghost. He then said,

Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us (Matt. 1:20-23).

The virgin birth of Jesus was a miracle through which God the Son became flesh. The Lord divinely revealed to Joseph the name of the child born to Mary. He shall be called Jesus.

A Common Name

The name Jesus was a common name in the first century. It was worn by Jesus Justus (Col. 4:11) and the father of Elymas the sorcerer (Acts 13:6) in the New Testament. Josephus mentions some twenty persons who bore this name and three of 70 translators of the Septuagint wore this name (TDNT III:285). To distinguish Jesus, the son of Mary, from the others, he frequently was called “Jesus of Nazareth. “

The name Jesus had a rich history. It is the Grecian form of the Hebrew name Joshua, the second great leader of Israel who led Israel into the promised land (see Acts 7:45 and Heb. 4:8 where Joshua is called “Jesus”). The name means “Jehovah is salvation.” Many a young Hebrew boy was given the name of Joshua in honor of the captain of Israel who won the battle of Jericho. How appropriate that the “captain of our salvation” (Heb. 2:10) should bear this name.

The name was also worn by another great leader of Israel – Jeshua, the high priest who assisted in the restoration of the children of Israel from Babylonian captivity (Ezra 3:2). He was one of several prominent leaders who restored the nation to its land, rebuilt the temple and the city of Jerusalem. How appropriate that our “high priest” should also wear this honorable name (Heb. 3:1).

The name Jesus was chosen for the child born to Mary by God himself (Matt. 1:21). It means “Jehovah is salvation” in a deeper sense for Jesus than with any other.

The Name Affirms the Humanity of Jesus

The Lord’s Christ bore the name of Jesus. This was the name given at birth. It therefore affirms the humanity of Lord’s messiah. Jesus was no mythological figure; he had real historical existence. His body was not a mere appearance, as the docetics might have affirmed; he had a real body.

Yet, the child which was born was in the most real sense Immanuel – “God with us” (Matt. 1:23). The virgin birth is the explanation of how deity became a man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a woman. The child who was born was the same person who “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn. 1:1). “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14). The incarnation was described by the Paul in these words:

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Phil. 2:5-8).

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich (2 Cor. 8:9).

We cannot completely understand how deity became flesh and certainly we cannot improve on the language of Scripture to describe it. This much is revealed: God the Son took upon himself the form of a man and lived among us. As a man he experienced the same temptations as we experience (Heb. 4:15). When we speak of Jesus, we are reminded that God became flesh.

The Name Jesus Means Savior

The name Jesus which means “Jehovah is salvation” certinly reaches its deepest level of meaning when we realize that Jehovah came to save his people from their sins. Jesus came on a mission when he came to this world; he came to “seek and save that which is lost” (Lk. 19:10).

From what did Jesus intend to save his people? His contemporaries thought that we would save his people from Roman domination by organizing an army to overthrow the government and establish a Jewish commonwealth. Some might mistakenly think that Jesus came to rid the world of poverty, racism, civil injustice, and such like things. Some might conclude he came to heal the sick of the world. Yet, none of these was Jesus’ mission.

He came to save men from their sins. His deliverance is four-fold: (a) He saves us from the guilt of sin by granting forgiveness; (b) He saves us from the power of sin by enabling us to break its enslaving yoke; (c) He saves us from the darkness of sin by bringing us into the light of revealed truth; (d) He saves us from the punishment of sin by granting us entrance into heaven.

He is adequate for the task he came to perform. Indeed, the writer of Hebrews said, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (7:25).

The New Testament also affirms that salvation from sin is available nowhere else. Peter said, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

The salvation is limited to “his people.” The Lord’s people are not limited to the physical descendants of Abraham. The Lord’s people are those who have obedient faith in Christ. These are the only people he has promised to save from their sins.

The Name of Jesus Is Above Every Name

Having accomplished his mission through his sacrificial death on Calvary, Jesus has been exalted to the right hand of God. Paul wrote, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11). John saw the creatures of heaven “saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever” (Rev. 5:12-13).

Indeed, the name of Jesus has been exalted and is worthy to be praised. He not only is the sovereign creator, he is the savior and judge of man. We should glorify his majestic name.

Conclusion

We pause to praise the Father who loved us enough to send his Son to die for our sins. We praise Jesus – the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world. Is Jesus your Savior?

Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 18, pp. 546, 566-567
September 17, 1992

By Andy Alexander

Members of the body of Christ who are worldly minded do not appreciate or want sermons that expose and condemn sin in all its hideous forms. Sometimes they are heard to say that we should just preach “Christ and him crucified” and leave those “questionable” teachings alone. “Teaching directly about sin might cause some to leave and not obey the gospel, ” is another cry from the worldly. The “questionable” things they usually have in mind are immodest dress, social drinking, mixed swimming, dancing, and such like.

It is imperative that we teach and preach about the sacrifice of Christ and what that sacrifice means; but, preaching “Jesus and him crucified” requires more than just teaching about the atoning death of Christ. It means that we must teach all that Christ taught, and stand for that teaching in the face of the most perilous danger (Matt. 28:20; Acts 7:51-60). We must be balanced in our teaching of God’s word and teaching the lost about the efficacy of the blood of Christ is certainly necessary, but there are other pertinent truths that must be discussed.

A better example could not be found than the sermons we have recorded for us by the Holy Spirit. We certainly would be presumptuous to think that we could put together a better outline than the Holy Spirit, who guided the speech of the apostles (Acts 2:4). Let us begin with Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost.

Assembled on that day was a group of devout Jews who had come to Jerusalem to worship (Acts 2:5). The apostles were baptized in the Holy Spirit and this caused the people to come together to witness the events that were transpiring (Acts 2:1-6). A charge of drunkenness was leveled at the apostles.

Peter quickly responded to this charge and then proceeded to explain the events they were witnessing (Acts 2:15-21). Following this, Peter began to convict this assemblage of Jews of the crime of murder (Acts 2:23). Why would Peter do this? Was he trying to drive them away from God, Did he love them The Spirit is aware that the conscience of the sinner must be pricked or he will take no action to correct his course. He must realize that he is in danger and Peter did his utmost to convince this audience of the danger they were in, so that they could repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:40). Preaching “Christ and him crucified” includes preaching that convicts of sin.

The sermon that the apostle Paul preached in Antioch of Pisidia contained a message that would cause some in the audience to feel uncomfortable. He preached that Jesus was the Savior and that belief in him was necessary in order to be free from sin, which the Law of Moses could not accomplish (Acts 13:23,38-39). This was repulsive to some of the unbelieving Jews and they stirred up a great persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of the city (13:50).

Should Paul and Barnabas have softened the message? Was it necessary that they teach something that they knew was going to be offensive to some? These persecutors trusted in the Law of Moses and Paul taught a very unpopular doctrine when he declared that one could not be saved under that Law. Preaching “Christ and him crucified” includes preaching that is unpopular and unwanted by some people. Peace with Christ must come before peace with people and we cannot be at peace with Christ and preach a watered down gospel. The problem rests not with the truth, but with the hearer who is unwilling to repent.

Another sermon preached by the apostle Paul is recorded in Acts 26 when the apostle to the Gentiles stood before King Agrippa. This sermon contained an admonition for men to repent and turn to God and perform deeds worthy of repentance (Acts 26:20). This is a message that many people in our country do not want to hear today. They want a religion that requires little or no sacrifice; however, if our preaching is to be patterned after the inspired preaching of the first century, then we must exhort the lost to repent and bring forth works meet for repentance.

Was Paul centering his message on the cross when he preached in such a negative manner? Certainly he was, because this is what it means to preach “Christ and him crucified.” Did Agrippa obey the gospel? No, as far as we know Agrippa never went past the “almost” stage. Was it the Holy Spirit’s fault for the way the sermon was presented? No one should dare make such a charge. No, the fault was not in the truth, nor in the presentation of the truth, but in the sinner who was not willing to obey.

The lesson that Paul taught Felix contained teaching on righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come (Acts 24:25). These three elements must be included when we preach “Christ and him crucified.” Again, this message was not too favorably received, but the fault lies at the feet of the hearer and not the one who taught the gospel.

We learn from God’s instruction to the prophet Ezekiel that it is the preacher’s responsibility to proclaim God’s word to mankind (Ezek. 3:16-21). When this is done, the gain or loss of a soul becomes the responsibility of the hearer alone. When this is not done, and a sinner dies in his sins, the one who should have taught him the truth will share in his guilt (Ezek 3:18).

This same lesson is learned from the discussion between Paul and the Ephesian elders in Acts 20. Paul declared that he was free from the blood of all men, because he did not shrink from declaring the whole purpose of God to them (Acts 20:26-27).

Preaching “Christ and him crucified” means that we must teach the whole purpose of God. All that Jesus taught must be included, because we will be judged by all that he taught (John 12:48). And, if men reject the words of Jesus, they are rejecting Jesus.

Disrespect for the commandments of God is equivalent to disrespect for God. We must teach the disciples to obey all that Christ commanded (Matt. 28:20). The New Testament contains the doctrine of Christ and if we are to have God, we must abide in that doctrine (2 John 9). If members are having a problem that centers around the atoning death of Christ, then that must be discussed, but if they are being deceived by Satan and lured back into the world, then those issues must be addressed.

Avoiding issues that are uncomfortable or that might drive the unrepentant away will not please God and as preachers of righteousness, we should always be trying to please God and not man (1 Thess. 2:4). Brethren, let us always demand that sound, healthy or wholesome, doctrine be preached for this is the kind of preaching that will turn the good and honest of heart to God (Tit. 2:1; Lk. 8:15).

Guardian of Truth XXXVI; 17, pp. 533-534
September 3, 1992

By Dan King

I am not sure where the saying came from originally, though I suppose it to be an old cowboy expression; but like so many other witticisms and adages, there is a lot of truth in it. It goes like this: “When the horse is dead, dismount.” I can picture in my mind a fellow on horseback, spurring, whipping the reins back and forth, and shouting “Giddy-up!” – but to no avail. The equinus (“hoss”) is deceased! Pretty silly thought, isn’t it?

Yet in such a comical notion there lies much homespun wisdom. In fact, it is wisdom which is found in the Word of God in quite different settings, and in different words – but the idea is exactly the same. Let me point out how:

1. God Gives Up On People. This may be a notion that is hard for you to accept, but it is true. At times people reach a point beyond which they may no longer be helped. It is not that God will not forgive them if they repent. It is rather that they will not repent.

The book of Hebrews (6:4f) describes such folk as having “fallen away” from all the good things in Christ, and having reached a point where they cannot be touched by anything the gospel has to offer. “it is impossible to renew them again unto for the forgiveness of the sins of people like this: it is sin unto death (1 Jn. 5:16, 17).

Paul writes that God abandoned many Gentile people to their evil ways and dishonorable practices: “God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness . . . God gave them up unto vile passions . . . And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness” (Rom. 1:24, 26, 28-29).

Please understand, God gives up on people! And he will even give up on you and me if we force him to do so. “When the horse is dead, dismount!”

2. God Gives Up On Churches. Jesus warned the church at Ephesus, though it long had served faithfully, that he would come and “move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent” (Rev. 2:5). God takes more into account than the sign on the building! A congregation of saints must be about the task of fulfilling its mission as a church of Christ, else the Lord will not identify it as such. It is not the larger brotherhood of believers that will ultimately judge a congregation repentance” (v. 6). John says we should not pray as “sound” or “unsound,” “faithful” or “unfaithful,” nor is it a “directory of churches” that will put us on the right list, but God who is the judge of all the earth.

3. God Gives Up On Cities. People who collect into localities very often think alike and act similarly. That is one of the reasons they stay together rather than going somewhere else to make a life for themselves. The Christ instructed his disciples to be selective about how they spent their precious time and efforts in spreading the Word. Where people were responsive they were to remain and work, but where people were not, they were to “shake the dust from off their feet” (Matt. 10:14-15). Often brethren today do not show the same wisdom. Though the horse is dead, they fail to dismount! They will spend many years working in an area where the gospel does not thrive or grow, when people in other areas are much more reachable. Jesus said, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine” (Matt. 7:6). Our time and labor is too precious to throw away!

4. God Gives Up On Nations. When God promised Abram the land of Canaan, he put off the realization of the promise for four generations, saying that “the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full” (Gen. 15:15). Later, in a chapter that sums up a number of moral evils, and warns the Israelites not to take up such behavior, Moses says: “Do not defile yourselves by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am casting out before you defiled themselves; and the land became defiled, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants” (Lev. 18:24, 25).

Frankly, when I read of the evils of our nation today, and see illustrations of it in the public media, it concerns me deeply. At times I wonder how long the righteous God of heaven will endure such vileness without bringing an end to it. At this point there is little we can do, except: Take our religion deadly seriously, raise up our families in the wisdom of the Lord, and live exemplary lives. Hopefully, by our prayers and our “light seen in the world,” we will not have to leave it. But if such a time ever comes, let us have the courage to “dismount.” Remember Lot’s wife!

Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 18, pp. 545, 567
September 17, 1992

By Johnie Edwards

Sabbath keeping or the first day of the week? Which day is it that Christians are taught to keep? A lot of religious folks are divided on this issue. The only way one can know which day to observe is to study the Word of God and see. To this end, we study.

Sabbath Keeping Belonged to the Jewish Age

During the 2500 years of the Patriarchal Age, there was no command for or example of anyone keeping the sabbath day as such. Just prior to the giving of the sabbath, God told the children of Israel not to gather any manna on the seventh day as a test run. The only thing God was doing on this occasion was: “that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no” (Exod. 16:4). The fact that Moses told them exactly what to do on this occasion shows they had not been observing such a day (Exod. 16:22-26). It was new to them!

For the 1500 years of the Jewish Law, we can read of the sabbath command and penalty for violating it. A careful reading of the Bible will clearly show when the sabbath day observance was given, and to whom.

1. The sabbath was given when the children of Israel came out of Egyptian bondage. “And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. . . Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exod. 20:1-2,8).

2. Purpose of the sabbath. The sabbath observance was given to the Jews as a memorial of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. “And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm; therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day” (Deut. 5:15).

3. A sign between God and Israel. “The sabbath is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever . . . through out their generations” (Exod. 31:12-17; Ezek. 20:10-12). Sabbath keeping was a sign between God and Israel. It was never given to any other nation.

4. Sabbath given at Sinai. “Thou comest down also upon mount Sinai, and speakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments: And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant” (Neh. 9:13-14).

5. A special law for the fleshly descendents of Jacob. “The Lord made a covenant with us at Horeb. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day . . . keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee” (Deut. 5:2-12). A careful reading of the context will show the covenant Moses refers to in this passage is the sabbath law, as he listed all the ten commandments.

No Distinction in the Law of God and the Law of Moses Sabbatarians teach that the law of God and the law of Moses are different laws. They tell us that the ten commandments, which includes the sabbath, is the law of God, and is still binding today. Sabbath keepers say that the law of Moses is merely the ceremonial law, and that law has been done away with.

The Bible makes no distinction in the “law of God” and the “law of Moses.” They are one and the same law! The law of God is called the law of Moses and the law of Moses is called the law of God. Please take note: “And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the preist found a book of the law of the Lord given by Moses” (2 Chron. 34:14). Ezra said, “This Ezra went up from Babylon: and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given” (Ezra 7:6). In fact, one the ten commandments, which we are told is the “Law of God,” is referred to as being said by Moses. “Moses said, honor thy father and thy mother” (Mk. 7:10). Please observe that some elements which are in the so-called “ceremonial law” are said to be in the law of the Lord! “He appointed also the king’s portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feast, as it is written in the law of the Lord” (2 Chron. 31:3). Did you ever read any thing about burnt offerings in the ten commandments?

The truth of the matter is this: God gave the law of Moses and Moses gave the law of God! Moses was only the law giver. For the law was given by Moses” (Jn. 1:17). It was all God’s law! It’s like Nehemiah said, “And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel” (Neh. 8:1). Moses was simply carrying out the wishes of the God of heaven. “And they found written in the law which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month” (Neh. 8:14).

The sacrifice for purification, as offered by Mary, is not part of the ten commandments, yet is called the law of the Lord. “And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord; And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons” (Lk. 2:22-24). Which law was this, the law of Moses or the law of God, since both are mentioned in this passage?

To make a distinction between the law of God and the law of Moses is to make a difference when God made none! The only reason folks even make an attempt to show there is a different in the law of God and the law of Moses is to bind sabbath keeping on people today.

The Covenant, Including the Ten Commandments, Done Away in Christ

The covenant, which contained the ten commandments, was made at the time the children of Israel came out of the land of Egypt. “There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt” (1 Kgs. 8:9;21). The sabbath law was written on two tables of stone. “And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded your to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone” (Deut. 4:13; 9:9-11; Exod. 34:28).

Just what happened to that covenant that was given when the Jews came out of Egyptian bondage, the ten commandments? Let the Bible answer the question. The apostle to the Hebrews said it in such a way that there can be no doubt about it. “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he said, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: (Now watch it, JE); Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord” (Heb. 8:7-9). This is a quotation from the weeping prophet Jeremiah as he looked down the stream of time, to the coming of a new and different covenant (Jer. 31:31-32). God made a new covenant which does not contain the command to keep the sabbath day. “A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away” (Heb. 8:13).

Christians are dead to the law that commanded sabbath keeping. The apostle Paul used the marriage relationship to teach that folks cannot be under two laws at the same time, no more than a woman could be married to two men at the same time. The Holy Spirit then drew this conclusion: “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God… But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter” (Rom. 7:1-6). Just what law was that from which “we are delivered”? Again, let the Word of God answer: “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law, for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet” (Rom. 7:7). Where is the law that says “thou shalt not covet”? It’s found in the ten commandments, which contains sabbath keeping (Exod. 20:17)! And, it’s the law that the Bible says we have been delivered or discharged from.

The law which commanded sabbath keeping has been “nailed to the cross.” Paul wrote the Colossians, “Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross” (Col. 2:14). Since these ordinances, which contained the command to “remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exod. 20:8), has been taken out of the way, we must “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ” (Col. 2:16-17).

Sabbath keeping has been done away. Remember the ten commandments, containing the sabbath law was written on “two tables of stone” (Deut. 4:13). Now watch what the New Testament says about these commandments, as the writer spoke of the apostles of Christ:

Who also made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done way was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. . . And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded; for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ (2 Cor. 3:6-14).

Please take your New Testament and underscore the words “engraved in stones”; “done away”; “abolished”; “done away in Christ.” If you can see through a barrel with both ends knocked out, you can see it is just as Paul told the Ephesians: “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconciled both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby” (Eph. 2:15-16).

We, today are reconciled to God in the New Testament church which was made possible by the death of Christ on the cross, when we obey the gospel.

Sabbath Keepers Do Not Keep the Sabbath Properly

Those who demand that the sabbath day is still binding, fail to follow the Lord’s instructions in regards to its observance. Please notice:

1. The sabbath was a day of rest. “And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the Lord hath commanded, that ye should do them. Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy :lay, a sabbath of rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day” (Exod. 35:1-3; 20:8-10). Do you know any sabbath keepers who observe this rest-rule today?

2. Penalty for violating the sabbath law. The penalty for breaking the sabbath law was physical death. A man who failed to observe the day as a day of rest, but was found working, paid the price of disobedience.

And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. . . And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses (Num. 15:32-36).

Here is a good example that God means what he says and says what he means! Where is the passage of Scripture that teaches the sabbath day is binding, but the penalty is for violating the sabbath law is removed?

3. A burnt offering. Sabbath observance was to be accompanied with a burnt-offering. “And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof: This is the burnt offering of every sabbath, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering” (Num. 28:9-10). Sabbath keepers do not observe this command today. Why not? Where is the passage that teaches the sabbath day is still binding but not the burnt offering?

4. Travel restricted. The Bible speaks of “a sabbath day’s journey” (Acts 1:12). During the time when sabbath keeping was in force, God expected his people to stay at their place and rest. “Let no man go out of his place on the seventh day” (Exod. 16:29). Travel was restricted to less than a mile on the sabbath day. Why don’t sabbatarians respect this regulation? It looks like people would try to be more consistent in their teaching and practice!

The First Day of the Week

In the New Testament, God chose the first day of the week as the “Lord’s day.” John said, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day’ (Rev. 1:10). Just what day is the Lord’s day? Sabbath keepers tell us it is Saturday or the seventh day of the week. Sabbatarians say that men changed the sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. Many refer to the Lord’s day as a “Christian Sabbath.” The first day of the week is never called the sabbath.

The New Testament finds the Lord’s people meeting on the first day of the week. In fact, a number of things took place on the first day of the week as recorded in the New Testament.

1. Christ arose from the dead. Mark said, “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week” (Mk. 16:9). Luke records the same thing (Lk. 24:1).

2. Jesus met with his disciples. Between his resurrection and ascension, Jesus met with his disciples on a number of occasions on the first day of the week (Jn. 20:1,19,26).

3. Great events of Acts 2. Pentecost day always came on the first day of the week (Lev. 23:15). Think of all the things which occurred in Acts 2. The Holy Spirit “gave utterance” to the apostles as they preached (Acts 2:4). The first gospel sermon was preached (Acts 2:22-36). The Lord’s church had its beginning as men heard, believed and were baptized “for the remission of their sins” (Acts 2:38,47).

4. The church assembled. We read of the church coming “together” (1 Cor. 11:18-20; 14:23). What did they do on the first day of week when they came together? They observed the Lord’s supper. “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them” (Acts 20:7). By the way, a sabbath day passed by while Paul waited for the first day of the week, and he was as silent as a tomb about keeping the sabbath day! The fact that Christians were assembling on the first day of the week to worship God can be seen in Paul’s order for the Lord’s people to give of their means. “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you Jay by him in store, as God hath prospered him that there be no gatherings when I come” (1 Cor. 16:1-2).

Isn’t it strange if the sabbath day was binding on these early Christians, they were never told to do anything on that day? If sabbath keeping is binding on New Testament Christians, looks like we would find them meeting on that day to worship God. Jesus who was said to be “the Lord of the sabbath” (Mk. 2:28), never commanded Christians to keep the sabbath.

Conclusion

The sabbath day served its purpose and then was taken out of the way. Those who demand that the sabbath law must be observed today need to answer Paul’s question to the Galatians, “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?” (Gal. 4:21) The greatest argument against Judaism, including sabbath keeping, was in the form of an allegory of two women. Take your Bible and study this story and you can see that we are not under the old law but under the law of Christ. “So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free” (Gal. 4:21-3 1; 6:2).

Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 17, pp. 528-531
September 3, 1992