SABBATH...

[Capbook]

Is the Lord's Sabbath in the OT still for God's people in the NT?

Luk 23:56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment

[JehovahsWitness]

ACTS 2: 38, 39

Peter said to them: “Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the free gift of the holy spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and your children, and to all those who are far away, to all those whom Jehovah our God may call to himself.”

I didn't see the "dedicated Christians" you've mentioned, ...

DEDICATION is what "call to himself" means.


JW

[Capbook]

ACTS 2: 38, 39

Peter said to them: “Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the free gift of the holy spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and your children, and to all those who are far away, to all those whom Jehovah our God may call to himself.”

I didn't see the "dedicated Christians" you've mentioned, ...

DEDICATION is what "call to himself" means.


JW

In Lexicon and in online definition of "Dedication" is not "call to himself."

ἐγκαίνια egkainia
Thayer Definition:
1) dedication, consecration\
1a) in particular the annual feast celebrated eight days beginning in the 25th of Chislev (middle of our December), instituted by Judas Maccabaeus [164 BC] in memory of the cleansing of the temple from the pollution of Antiochus Epiphanes

Dedication
the quality of being dedicated or committed to a task or purpose.
"his dedication to his duties"

[rstrats]

No, if one really undertands the principle of the Sabbath one will make spiritual things a priority everyday and work when appropriate without thé need to prohibit ork on any specific day.

OK, now you're just making stuff up.

[JehovahsWitness]

ACTS 2: 38, 39

Peter said to them: “Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the free gift of the holy spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and your children, and to all those who are far away, to all those whom Jehovah our God may call to himself.”

..."Dedication" is not "call to himself."

[ B-1,Verb,G37, HAGIAZO ]
(h) the setting apart of the believer for God, Acts 20:32; cp. Romans 15:16;

source: Vine's Expository Dictionary

- A. The adjective hagios has the following cognates:
1. Hagiazo (verb), “to sanctify, consecrate, dedicate, purify, to set apart.”
- a. adjective of things, in the cultic sense dedicated to God, holy, sacred, i.e. reserved for God and His
service - A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (pages 9-10):

1 PETER 2:9, 10a

But you are “a chosen [HAGIOS] people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession, that you should declare abroad the excellencies” of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. For you were once not a people, but now you are God’s people

[1213]

...Therefore, the Law is no longer applicable to Christians today, but following Christ's example and the commandments of his Father are incumbent on his words and actions. There is nowhere in the NT that says we have to observe the Sabbath. Jesus fulfilled the Law.

I don't think fulfilling the law means it is not valid anymore, because Jesus said:

Don't think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn't come to destroy, but to fulfill. For most assuredly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter{literally, iota} or one tiny pen stroke{or, serif} shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished. Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least command-ments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Matt. 5:17-19

[JehovahsWitness]

...Therefore, the Law is no longer applicable to Christians today, but following Christ's example and the commandments of his Father are incumbent on his words and actions. There is nowhere in the NT that says we have to observe the Sabbath. Jesus fulfilled the Law.

I don't think fulfilling the law means it is not valid anymore ...

There's is a difference in English between not being valid and not being applicable.

The Mosaic Law code was part of God's perfect word and fit all the definitions of "valid". That however does not mean it would always be applicable.

To grasp how something that was good (valid) and of divine orgin can be abolished, it is necessary to understand WHY it existed. This could be illustrated by a doctor that prescribes a cast for a broken leg.

While the treatment is "valid" an any reference to it can never imply it was inappropriate or unless, the PURPOSE of the cast was to hold the bone in place until it healed. It is only by understanding WHY it was prescribed, can we accept that it was, by its very nature TEMPORARY.

The Mosaic law was "prescribed" to hold the Jews in place until the Messiah arrived. By it's very nature it HAD therefore to be temporary. Its termination was not a reflection either of Jewish unfaithfulness nor of the laws being invalid or imperfect. Like the cast, once it had perfectly fulfilled its purpose it could be removed. Indeed keeping it in place for longer than necessary could cause spiritual harm, as was demonstrated by the unfaithful Jews that were so in love with "the cast" (the constraints of the law) they missed its purpose (to identify the Messiah). They thus felt deeply offended by the idea that the law had been abolished and replaced by something superior (even though Jeremiah had prophesied precisely that - see Jeremiah 31:33)

RELATED POSTS

What was the purpose of the Mosaic Law?
viewtopic.php?p=1148238#p1148238

What did Jesus mean by "heaven and earth will pass away"?
viewtopic.php?p=1149796#p1149796

What did Jesus mean when he said not one letter would go unfulfilled until "all things come to pass"?
viewtopic.php?p=1149710#p1149710

[JehovahsWitness]

FULLFILL versus DESTROY

Jesus mention two different words. One that WOULD happen (fulfill) one that would NOT happen (destroy). Let us look at both words more closely and see what Jesus was trying to communicate.

TO FULFILL

Many take Jesus words that he did not come to DESTROY the law as an indication that the Mosaic law would be applicable for all eternity. But is that would Jesus meant? Let us take the example of a contract. A contract is a legal agreement that certain actions or conditions will be met. A contract can be permanent or temporary, but it can only be said to be "broken" if the stipulations in the contract are not met. For example, if you contract someone to build your house by a certain date: Is this contract ETERNAL or TEMPORARY? Now if the builder did build the house exactly on time, would he remain under the contract for the rest of his life to build you a house? No, the contract, having been fulfilled, is no longer applicable. It becomes obsolete, not because it was "bad", "unclean", not because it was "broken" or "destroyed" but because the terms therein were FULFILLED

The Mosaic law was like a contract between the Jews and God. God promised they would be his special people if they obeyed his law. This was to be the case UNTIL the purpose of the law was fulfilled. This happened when the Messiah arrived and kept all the laws perfectly.

NOT DESTROY

What about this idea of Christ not destroying the law? Let's go back to our contract for a house. What if the builder decided he didn't want to build your house so he found the contract and tore it up into a million pieces. What if he denied it had ever been made and burnt your copy too. Would it not be fair to say he had "destroyed" the contract, not just physically but he broke the agreement and refused to honor his part. The result you have no house.

Jesus did not come to ignore the law, burn the law or claim it was of no value. On the contrary he perfectly kept the law demonstrating it's purpose.

CONCLUSION If we understand the PURPOSE of the Mosaic law and the meaning of the words we read in the bible about that law, we can more easily understand its temporary nature and accept that it has been abolished in favor of a law code vastly superior in nature.



Did Christ end the 'emnity" of the law (ie the EFFECT of the law) or did he end THE LAW itself?
viewtopic.php?p=1148360#p1148360

TWO COVENANTS Can the Mosaic Law and the New covenant co-exist ?
viewtopic.php?p=1149159#p1149159

[1213]

The Mosaic law was "prescribed" to hold the Jews in place until the Messiah arrived. By it's very nature it HAD therefore to be temporary. Its termination was not a reflection either of Jewish unfaithfulness nor of the laws being invalid or imperfect. Like the cast, once it had perfectly fulfilled its purpose it could be removed. Indeed keeping it in place for longer than necessary could cause spiritual harm, as was demonstrated by the unfaithful Jews that were so in love with "the cast" (the constraints of the law) they missed its purpose (to identify the Messiah). They thus felt deeply offended by the idea that the law had been abolished and replaced by something superior (even though Jeremiah had prophesied precisely that - see Jeremiah 31:33)

Nice parable. However, what do you say about the law being written in peoples hearts, are you part of that new covenant?

For finding fault with them, he said, "Behold, the days come," says the Lord, "That I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; Not according to the cov-enant that I made with their fathers, In the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; For they did-n't continue in my covenant, And I disregarded them," says the Lord. "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days," says the Lord; "I will put my laws into their mind, I will also write them on their heart. I will be to them a God, And they will be to me a people. They will not teach every man his fellow citizen,{TR reads "neighbor" instead of "fellow citizen"} Every man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' For all will know me, From the least of them to the great-est of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more."
Heb. 8:8-12 (Jer. 31:31-34)
Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, to love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, that you may live. Yahweh your God will put all these curses on your enemies, and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. You shall return and obey the voice of Yahweh, and do all his commandments which I command you this day. Yahweh your God will make you plenteous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit of your ground, for good: for Yahweh will again rejoice over you for good, as he rejoiced over your fa-thers;
Deut. 30:6-9

[JehovahsWitness]

...what do you say about the law being written in peoples hearts ....?

HEBREWS 8:10

10 “‘For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ says Jehovah. ‘I will put my laws in their mind, and in their hearts I will write them. And I will become their God, and they will become my people.

WHICH LAWS do you think are prophecied to be written on hearts ? ...


(a) The laws from the ( "old" )Mosaic covenant will be written on hearts

OR

(b) the NEW LAWS (initiated by Christ) will be written on hearts - see John 13:34

[ * ]NOTE: CODE/laws /law code => Commandements (compare 2 Cor 3:3-8)


Please read ....

HEBREWS 8

Jesus has obtained a more excellent ministry* because he is also the mediator of a correspondingly better covenant, which has been legally established on better promises.

7 If that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second.+ 8 For he does find fault with the people when he says: “‘Look! The days are coming,’ says Jehovah,* ‘when I will make with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant. 9 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their forefathers on the day I took hold of their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt,+ because they did not remain in my covenant, so I stopped caring for them,’ says Jehovah.*

10 “‘For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ says Jehovah. ‘I will put my laws in their mind, and in their hearts I will write them. And I will become their God, and they will become my people.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

• Did Paul speak of one covenant or two different covenants?

• Which covenant was made with the Jewish peoples forefathers (see Heb 8 verse 9 above) ? What kind of laws /commandements did this "former" covenant contain?

• Who mediated the new covenant ? Give an example of the laws this NEW covenant contained (read John 13:34)

JW



RELATED POSTS

Can the Mosaic Law and the New covenant co-exist ?
viewtopic.php?p=1149159#p1149159

[1213]

...
WHICH LAWS do you think are prophecied to be written on hearts ? ...

(a) The laws from the ( "old" )Mosaic covenant will be written on hearts

(b) the NEW LAWS (initiated by Christ) will be written on hearts - see John 13:34

[ * ]NOTE: CODE/laws /law code => Commandements (compare 2 Cor 3:3-8)

I think it is at least the ten commandments. And I don't see why not all the other laws also. Is there some old law in OT that you think is not good? Why?