|
A custom is defined
as, “a traditional and widely accepted way
of behaving or doing something that is
specific to a particular society, place, or
time.”
Keeping a custom does not make
that custom a requirement for everyone else.
Jesus and Paul were both Jews who were
trying to reach Israel with the good news of
the gospel.
When
Jesus was on earth, He said that His mission
was to reach the “lost sheep of the house of
Israel” (Matthew 15:24; Luke 24:47; John 4:22; c.f. Galatians 4:4-5). He would at
times minister to non-Jews, but at this
point in the unfolding of God’s plan, Jesus
was focused on reaching his fellow Jews and
caring for their spiritual needs, but later,
his apostles would carry out Christ’s
command to take the message of the gospel to
the rest of the world (Matthew 28:18-20;
Acts 1:8; 22:21; 26:17, 18, 23; cf. Luke 24:47; John 10:16).
Paul repeatedly
said that it was his mission to go “to the
Jew first”, and then to the Gentiles.
Romans 1:16 says, "For I am not ashamed
of the gospel, for it is the power of God
for salvation to everyone who believes, to
the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Acts 17:2 says, "And Paul went in, as
was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he
reasoned with them from the Scriptures,"
Acts 13:46 says, "and Paul and Barnabas
spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary
that the word of God be spoken first to you.
Since you thrust it aside and judge
yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold,
we are turning to the Gentiles."
According to Acts 15, no one is required to
become a Jew, or keep the laws of the Old
Covenant (Acts 15:1-5; 15:28-29). There is no command anywhere in
the New Testament for Christians to keep the
Seventh-day Sabbath of the Old Covenant.
Gentiles were never required to keep it. In
fact, there is no command anywhere in the
New Testament for Christians to keep any day
of the week holy. Every day is a Sabbath
rest for those who put their trust in Jesus
Christ alone for their salvation (Hebrews 4:9-11).
Paul’s mission was to reach
Israel with the gospel first.
Paul
always sought out his countrymen first
(Romans 9:1-5; 10:1-3; Acts 14:1; 18:4; 19:8
etc.). Paul attended the Jewish synagogues
for the sole purpose of sharing the good
news of the gospel of Jesus Christ with his
fellow Jews. The synagogues were the perfect
place to meet with the most Jews in a new
community because they were accustomed to
keeping the Sabbath and meeting together to
have the Old Covenant scriptures read to
them (Acts 15:21). Going to the synagogues
offered Paul the opportunity to share with
the Jews the good news that Israel’s Messiah
had come in fulfillment of the Old Covenant
scriptures and given them the promised new
covenant to live by (Jeremiah 31:31-33; cf.
Deuteronomy 18:15-18; Ezekiel 36:26-27); but
none of these passages say Paul thought he
was required to keep the Old Covenant
Sabbaths and Holy days according to the Law.
Once the Jews rejected the gospel message
his obligation to them was complete and he
turned his attention to the Gentiles
exclusively (Acts 13:46; 18:6; 28:25-28).
None of these passages about Paul
going to the synagogues in the Book of Acts
refer to Christians coming together for
fellowship and worship like Acts 20:7 and
1 Corinthians 16:1-2 do. Paul consistently
taught that the Old Covenant law, including
the Sabbath was not legally binding on God's
people who live under the terms of the New
Covenant (Galatians 3:24-25; Romans 7:4-8;
Hebrews 8:7-9:4; Colossians 2:14-17;
Ephesians 2:11-16; Galatians 4:10-11; 4:21; 5:1-4; Romans 14:5-12).
God never
intended for the Sabbath to be a permanent
ordinance. It functioned as a covenant sign
for the people of Israel alone under the Old
"Mosaic" Covenant (Exodus 31:13). We might
think the Old Covenant Sabbath never ends
because we are told that “it is a sign
forever” of the Lord’s covenant with Israel
(Exodus 31:17), but it is clear from the New
Testament that the Old Covenant Law is no
longer in force. The Sabbath was never
viewed as a universal ordinance for all
mankind to keep, but as a specific
institution for Israel as a sign of the
covenant. The Sabbath was only meant to last
as long as the Mosaic covenant lasted.
No one has the right to insist that
other Christians have to keep the Holy days
from the Old Covenant.
Colossians 2:14-17 says, “by canceling the record of
debt that stood against us with its legal
demands. This he set aside, nailing it to
the cross. He disarmed the rulers and
authorities and put them to open shame, by
triumphing over them in him. Therefore let
no one pass judgment on you in questions of
food and drink, or with regard to a festival
or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a
shadow of the things to come, but the
substance belongs to Christ.”
And
Galatians 4:10-11 says, “You observe days
and months and seasons and years! I am
afraid I may have labored over you in vain.”
Christians are not under the Old Covenant Law.
Paul explained why he kept the Jewish
Holy days and rituals when he was with the
Jews (Acts 21:15-25), but didn't require the
Gentile converts keep the laws of the Mosaic
covenant (Acts 15:1-28).
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
says, “For though I am free from all, I have made
myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To
the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win
Jews. To those under the law I became as one
under the law (though not being myself under
the law) that I might win those under the
law. To those outside the law I became as
one outside the law (not being outside the
law of God but under the law of Christ) that
I might win those outside the law. To the
weak I became weak, that I might win the
weak. I have become all things to all
people, that by all means I might save some.
I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that
I may share with them in its blessings.”
Paul was saying that he adopted certain
Jewish customs when he was among the Jews,
even though he was not under the Old
Covenant law anymore; and that he adopted
some of the customs of the Gentiles when he
was with them so he could win as many people
as possible to Christ. Paul said he was
under what he called, “the law of Christ"
which is the law of love. Love is the
fulfillment of the law (cf. Galatians 6:2;
Romans 13:8-10).
The day we go to
Church to worship God is not an issue in the
New Covenant.
Just because
Jesus and Paul had the custom of going to
the synagogues on the Sabbath day to preach
to their fellow Jews does not make that
custom a requirement for us today. We have
to see what the rest of the New Testament
says about Sabbath-keeping to know what we
are to do about it, and the consistent
teaching of the New Testament epistles is
that Christians are not under any of the
laws of the Old Covenant, including the
seventh day Sabbath (Matthew 11:28-30; 12:1-8;
Acts 15:1-28; Colossians 2:14-17; Galatians 4:10-11;
Romans 14:5-12; Ephesians 2:11-18; Hebrews 3:7-4:13; 10:23-25).
Christians live under the New Covenant that
Jesus Christ gave us in its place (cf.
Jeremiah 31; Ezekiel 36; Luke 22:19-20;
Hebrews 8:6-13; 9:15; 2 Corinthians 3:6).
The Old Covenant Sabbaths were only
shadows pointing forward to Christ. Now that
Christ has come, “the substance belongs to
him.” There is no reason to keep the shadow.
John 8:12 says, "Again Jesus spoke to them,
saying, “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in
darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Christ is the light that dispels all of the
Old Covenant shadows.
The New
Covenant rest God wants us to enter into is
the rest of faith in our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ.
Matthew 11:28-30 says,
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am
gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find
rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy,
and my burden is light.” Every day is a
Sabbath rest for those who trust in Jesus
Christ for their eternal salvation (Hebrews 4:9-11).
Jesus Christ offers us the
light of life, and eternal rest when we put
our trust in him alone for our salvation.
|
