My response to “Biblical honesty and the first day of the week” by ‘KMM’

On Jan 2012 a commentor wanted me to post their eisegesis as is on my blog. Well I refused to do so… on the following grounds.

1 This is my blog. I post my writings and ideas on it. If someone like ‘KMM’ wants to post their own eisegesis they should do so on a blog they create or post their ideas on Christian forums.

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2 I attempt to refute various authors internet postings / teachings. This would include the postings of Theonomists, Seventh Day Adventists, muslims and many other religious groups that attack Protestant Christianity.

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3 I am not bullied by ANYONE who leaves me a comment. IF you don’t like my views fine. Don’t try to push me to post your comment / ideas nor you won’t be pushing me into a lengthy and fruitless debate!

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4 I am unable to be in lengthy debates due to family and employment obligations. I simply have more important things to do with my time than get into futile arguments with those who dislike what I post.

 

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5 I am forced to hide the identity of the writer in order to preserve their privacy and safety. I was able to find the location and more about the author of this post by searching their name, IP addy, and email!

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In any case. Here is what this person tried to post on my blog.

“Biblical honesty and the first day of the week!”

Submitted on 2012/01/06 at 9:00 PM

“The phrase “first day of the week” isn’t anywhere in the Greek manuscripts of the bible. The Greek manuscripts say, in English, “first / foremost of the Sabbaths”. You can verify this in any Greek Interlinear.”

 

“Although this is true, mainstream Christianity uses this “first day of the week” as a main proof that Sunday meetings were prevalent in the New Testament church. Ignoring all the scriptures showing Sabbath meetings.”

 

“The fact is, if you have no knowledge about the Feasts of YHVH, then you will have no understanding of what transpired at Jesus’ death and resurrection.”

 

“Jesus died on Passover, a Feast / Moedim (Hebrew) of the Lord/YHVH (Hebrew). (Lev. 23:2,5) He was resurrected on the wave sheaf day (vs. 10, 11). This day was indeed the morrow after the Sabbath, which began the seven week / Sabbaths count to Pentecost (vs. 15).”

 

“Why wouldn’t early Christians continue to keep the “morrow after the Sabbath” just as the Jews had done for more than twelve hundred years (Lev. 23:10,11)? They however didn’t keep it weekly as most Christians assume. The “wave sheaf offering” on the “morrow after the Sabbath” was a once a year event. “

 

“It was the day the “wave sheaf” (first fruits of the harvest) was waved by the priest to be accepted of the Lord, this ceremony began the spring harvest and the fifty day count to Pentecost. “

 

“Early Christians probably started calling this one day of the year the “Lord’s Day”, since it was the feast / moedim day that Jesus was resurrected on. “

 

“The Lord’s Day was not a new name given to every “Sunday”. It was the new name given to the day that Jesus was resurrected on, the day that was observed annually, not weekly, the day of the wave sheaf. “

 

“It probably wasn’t until later that the annual event on the “morrow after the Sabbath” became a weekly event so that Christians could distance themselves from the Jews. That’s probably how the name “Lord’s Day” took on the meaning of every Sunday.”

 

“Using the phrase “first day of the week” which is correctly translated “first of the Sabbaths” is not enough proof that Sunday keeping is biblical, even if the church in the 1st and 2nd century was keeping a weekly “Lord’s Day” as shown in historical writings. Because Paul said that the “mystery of iniquity” was already at work in the church even during his day (2 Thes. 2:7). “

 

“How much more in the years following the death of Paul and the other Apostles would the “mystery of iniquity” be working. Therefore historical church writings showing that the early church in the 1st and 2nd centuries kept a weekly Sunday is not reliable enough proof that the weekly keeping of Sunday is biblical.”

 

“In counting Pentecost, seven Sabbaths were to be counted (Lev. 23:15). They would count, the first of the Sabbaths, the second of the Sabbaths, the third of the Sabbaths, and so on down to the seventh of the Sabbaths.”

 

“If it was the fifth day of the week (Thursday to us) during the third week or “third of the Sabbaths” count to Pentecost, which of the weeks/Sabbaths would it be? It would still be the third week or “third of the Sabbaths”. So no matter what day of the week it was in the third week or “third of the Sabbaths”, any of the seven days could accurately be called the “third of the Sabbaths”.”

 

“So when the Gospels say “in the end the Sabbath” as it began to dawn toward the “first of the Sabbaths” what is it saying? The day after the end of the Sabbath was the “morrow after the Sabbath” of the wave sheaf. The “first of the weeks” or “first of the Sabbaths” was not a name for Sunday, rather it was a name for all seven days of the first week/Sabbaths count to Pentecost. “

 

“Using the names that we use today. The first “Wednesday” after Jesus’ resurrection, would still be within the first week or “first of the Sabbaths”. Any one of the seven days in that week would have been called the “first of the Sabbaths”, any one of the seven days the next week would have been called the “second of the Sabbaths”, and so on down through the entire seven week/Sabbaths count.”

 

“So when we get to Acts 20:7, when it says that Paul was in Troas on the “first day of the week” the Greek says “first of the Sabbaths” and it would mean any day during that first week / Sabbaths count to Pentecost. Just look at verse 16 if you want to make sure this was the time of the year. It was after the Days of Unleavened Bread but before Pentecost.”

 

“They were within the seven Sabbaths count to Pentecost. Paul in reality could have been preaching until midnight any of the seven days during that first week / Sabbaths leading up to Pentecost. To say this was definitely Sunday is biblically inaccurate, yet mainstream Christianity insist this was Sunday, proving the early church kept Sunday. This assumption is not biblically accurate.”

 

“This is a blatant example of eisegesis, or reading ones own ideas into the text of the bible, rather than exegesis, which is using the bible to interpret itself.”

 

“The exact same thing can be said for 1 Cor. 16:2. The phrase once again is “first of the Sabbaths” not first day of the week. To claim this was definitely Sunday is biblically inaccurate.”

 

“Judea was in the grips of famine. They needed food. The “morrow after the Sabbath” began the spring harvest. There was to be seven weeks/Sabbaths of harvest. What better time for Paul to tell the Corinthians to collect food for Judea than at the very beginning of the harvest, the first week/Sabbaths of harvest?”

 

“Paul is telling them, on the first week/Sabbaths of the harvest to set some aside for Judea. Then he would come there to collect. When? Verse 8, some time after Pentecost. This shows the time context is before Pentecost.”

 

“The idea that the “first day of the week” meant Sunday, and that biblical Christians celebrated every Sunday because of only eight scriptures that mistranslate the phrase “first day of the week”, is a lie that Christianity has used for hundreds of years.”

 

“The correct phrase “first of the Sabbaths” is thousands of years old, beginning around 1300 b.c. with the seven week / Sabbaths harvest which is one of the Lord’s / YHVH’s Feasts / Moedim. (Lev. 23:2,10,11)”

 

“The early church would have logically celebrated Jesus’ resurrection once a year on the “morrow after the Sabbath”, the wave sheaf day (Lev. 23:10,11) the same day that Jews had kept for hundreds of years, celebrating the first fruits of the harvest. Christians however would recognize that Jesus was the first fruits of the human harvest. “

 

“After years the “morrow after the Sabbath” the wave sheaf day obviously began to take on the name the “Lord’s Day” because it was the day that Jesus was resurrected on. This day was a day celebrated once a year, not every week in the biblical early church.”

 

“The early church also kept the Days of Unleavened Bread (1Cor. 5). They also received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1). Why have most Christians today rejected God’s Feasts? Calling them Jewish Feasts, when God himself calls them his Feasts (Lev. 23:2)?”

 

“If you doubt what I’m saying, look in a Greek Interlinear for “first day of the week”. Do a Google search for “first day of the week” and “wave sheaf”.”

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Now how can I am mere amateur respond to such a teaching? Well…

When we look at the following Scriptures using a Greek Interlinear we find the following.

Matthew 28:1

http://www.biblestudytools.com/interlinear-bible/passage.aspx?q=Matt+28&t=kjv

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Mark 16:1-2

http://www.biblestudytools.com/interlinear-bible/passage.aspx?q=Mark+16%3A1-2&t=kjv

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Luke 24:1

http://www.biblestudytools.com/interlinear-bible/passage.aspx?q=Luke+24%3A1&t=kjv

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John 20:1

http://www.biblestudytools.com/interlinear-bible/passage.aspx?q=John+20%3A1&t=kjv

Jesus still resurrected after the Sabbath according to each of these examples.

So this individuals arguments are pointless.

My Faith is in Jesus and his teachings / commandments not a specific day of rest or worship. Jesus as I have pointed out several times already did not teach that Gentiles were to keep the Sabbath as he did. And as angry as Sabbath keepers are at me for posting such subjects. I see no point in trying to accept others views on scant ‘proofs’.

Christianity has always been about Jesus and so to argue about Sunday VS Sabbath is a waste of time. IF Jesus was offended that his followers keep Sunday VS Sabbath he should have said something through the Holy Spirit 2000 years ago. Instead of arguing which day to keep as rest and worship what we Christians should be doing is trying to figure out new ways into bringing people into Gods kingdom instead of wasting time arguing.

Most of us in Christianity donot have a interest in Biblical Greek or Hebrew or other languages that our Bible came from. That is the sorry truth of it all. And I’ll point out that trying to re-translate the Christian Bible has always been difficult because of the changes of language over the last 2000 years. IF it is a issue of re-translating the Christian Bible to fit the original languages than of course this author must be contacting the publishing companies to change their translations ASSUMING he has a Theological or Language PHD to change the languages mistakes he assumes have taken place.

As I have pointed out in my multiple posts God gave Sabbath toIsrael. It was adopted by early Jewish Christians and by others that follow that type of Community, Doctrine and Theology. But it still was not Taught or Commanded by Jesus or the Disciples for gentiles. And that is the issue I rehash every time I find someone’s Theonomy nonsense.

For those who keep Sabbath… they do so not by Commandments of Christ but by following his example.

In following after Jesus example they also most provide the fruits that he requires of both Jewish and Gentile followers of his! Otherwise their limited law keeping is for nothing!

Essentially what this posts author is trying to do is promote either Theonomy or the so called “Messianic Roots” doctrine that Richard Rives and many others are selling on their websites. This type of ideology / philosophy takes regular Christians and pushes the idea that they are not following after Jesus but supposed ‘paganism’ in Pauline Christianity. In order to counter such things they enforce keeping the Law of Moses and becoming a form of Messianic Jew.

As I read this authors post I noticed 2 points.

1 He was pushing the same old ideology about Sabbath.

2 And asking questions about why we Gentile Christians donot keep the old Jewish Holy days / feasts.

To answer the questions about why modern Christians donot follow after Judaism here are questions and answers from gotquestions.org:

“Was Jesus a Jew?” (Deals with why Christians do not follow after Judaism)

http://www.gotquestions.org/was-Jesus-a-Jew.html

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“What does it mean that Christians are not under the law?”

http://www.gotquestions.org/not-under-the-law.html

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“Do Christians have to obey the Old Testament law?”

http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-law.html

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“What does it mean that Jesus fulfilled the law, but did not abolish it?”

http://www.gotquestions.org/abolish-fulfill-law.html

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“What day is the Sabbath, Saturday or Sunday? Do Christians have to observe the Sabbath day?”

http://www.gotquestions.org/Saturday-Sunday.html

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“Does God require Sabbath-keeping of Christians?”

http://www.gotquestions.org/Sabbath-keeping.html

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“The Haters: Got Questions vs. Sabbatarianism” (Blog)

http://www.blogos.org/gotquestions/sabbatarianism.html

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“How is Jesus our Sabbath Rest?”

http://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-Sabbath.html

Overkill?… Probably…

My concluding points:

1 For we Christians the stand of measure for our Faith is not merely extra resources but the Bible itself. My Bible tells me that the Saturday Sabbath was made for the Jews or Israel. I have seen this Commanded for them OVER AND OVER. IF I was to keep Sabbath it is not necessary, nor Commanded for me. I would only be able to keep Sabbath by Jesus EXAMPLE and nothing else.

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2 Jesus still resurrected AFTER the Sabbath. See:

Matthew 28:1

Mark 16:1-2

Luke 24:1

John 20:1

Despite the anger and angst of Sabbath keepers Jesus is ok with me remembering him on Sunday and Worshipping him on that day.

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3 As I have already posted on multiple occasions. Jesus teachings and Commandments as recorded in the Christian Bible still doesn’t give us adequate examples that we as Gentile Christians are to keep a specific day namely the Sabbath. This means that Sabbath or Sunday are still choices we as Christians must make. KMM has already made his decision. And I have made mine.

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4 All other references to the Sabbath in the Christian Bible are not Commandments by the Disciples but specific days the Disciples used to reach out to the Jews first. And later was used as a day of gathering for the Gentiles.

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Simply put Sabbath keepers can perform as much ‘exegesis’ in their writings as they want but it changes nothing. I won’t be following their example and their philosophy of Theonomy or whatever.