On the Re-inventing the Adventist Wheel blog, part 3 of 4 of the Sabbath Musings series is available.

The link is a bit odd ... it says part 2; it's really part 3.  But it's worth the read.

A lot of worthwhile links.

An interesting blog post - Sabbath Musings part 1 - discusses the Sabbath, and mentions my blog and website.  I mentioned it here.

One of the comments there is worth highlighting.  It's a wonderful example of how the Sabbath gets read into the New Testament Christian life without biblical support.


Stark admission.  But that's where it ends.

She and the blog post she comments on refer to my series of articles on the verses in the New Testament (mostly outside the Gospels, and Adventist proof texts from the Gospels and Old Testament) ... that series can be found here.

And I noted in a recent post that not even do the Gospels command Sabbath observance.


Huh?  Probably?  I'd love to see the biblical evidence.


If the Sabbath is so important, why leave it out?  Not even a mention.


He wrote about important things.  Was the Sabbath not important?  Yet the commentor says "The Sabbath, is of utmost importance!!"


Here we get to the interesting bits.

As I said in a post the other day, if we are to follow Jesus in everything he did under the Old Covenant, we need to do the following, because Jesus did them:

Keep the Passover (lamb and all) - Luke 2:41-42, Luke 22:8, Matt 26:17-19
Keep the Feast of Tabernacles - John 7
Keep Hannukah - John 10:22
Be circumcised - Luke 2:21
Sacrifice birds - Matt 8:4 - here Jesus commanded a man to go and offer the sacrifice that Moses commanded - see Leviticus 14, where God tells Moses how do offer such a sacrifice.

Clearly Jesus lived under the Old Covenant, and NOT everything he did is applicable to us.

In my recent post, I listed all the times the Sabbath is mentioned in the four Gospels, to see if any command Sabbath keeping for Christians.  The instances where the New Testament mentions it outside of the Gospels are discussed here.


I've dealt with this in my discussion of Luke 4

Luke wrote to Gentiles.  Why explain it as a custom if it was a command his audience had to obey?

Much like John wrote in John 6:4 "And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh."

Why explain it as a feast of the Jews - why explain it at all - if it was being kept by Christians?


And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;  [19]  Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?  [20]  And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.  [15]  But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.

See this article on Truth or Fables for a detailed discussion.


See "The Key to Understanding 1844" and "1844 made simple" for refutation of that.

Also articles on Truth or Fables, Truth or Fables, and the Ellen White Research Project.


What???  We can rescue sheep on the Sabbath, we can heal on the Sabbath, but we can't save our lives on the Sabbath by fleeing?  What sort of legalist does the poster think Jesus was?  See my discussion of this passage.


My articles on Romans 14:5-6, Galatians 4:10-12, and Colossians 2:16.

In light of the absence of ANY biblical command to keep the Sabbath, I follow Paul's advice:

Rom 14:6 - He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

Another comment says:


Matt 19:4  And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
Matt 19:5  And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Matt 19:6  Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Mat 19:9  And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

Obviously this is clear.  One man, one woman.  Two become one.  And if you marry a second, it's adultery.  It only makes sense that a second wife WITH a first is adultery, if a second wife after divorce is adultery.

Polygamy doesn't need explicit condemnation if it's clear that a second wife is adultery.

So the polygamy argument doesn't compare to the Sabbath argument.


Likewise, historical evidence (usually grossly misinterpreted, but that's another issue) for Sabbath keeping is therefore a weak argument for keeping it.  What does the Bible say the early Christians did?  It mentions nothing about the Sabbath being kept by them.

Dave Armstrong is offering a free ebook on his blog.  The book is entitled "Bible Conversations - Catholic-Protestant Dialogues on the Bible, Tradition, and Salvation"

E-mail him and get it - details on his blog.

On Dave Armstrong's blog there is a post containing a tremendous amount of evidence for the divinity of Christ.  If you've got Jehovah's Witnesses or Christedelphians or other Arian religions to deal with, this is really worth reading.

The contents are as follows:


Link.

Re-Inventing the Adventist Wheel has a post containing an article entitled Keeping Sabbath: Reviving a Christian Practice, which is an article by a non-Adventist Christian.  (The blog is an Adventist blog.)

The blog looks good ... one of the more progressive Adventist blogs ... which we need more of.

The post before that discusses my website ... hmmm ... of relevance to the issues raised there happens to be what I posted this morning.

Also in the broader context of the Keeping Sabbath post is what's going on over at the Progressive Adventist blog, where sacramentalism is being discussed in a positive light.

Adventists tell us that the Bible commands Sabbath keeping for Christians.

All the verses mentioning the Sabbath in the New Testament (apart from the Gospels) are discussed here.

Not one commands Sabbath observance, and not one gives an example of Christians keeping the Sabbath.

I often get told that Jesus set the example we are to follow.  But if we do all the things Jesus did under the Old Covenant, we need to do the following:

• Keep the Passover (lamb and all) - Luke 2:41-42, Luke 22:8, Matt 26:17-19
• Keep the Feast of Tabernacles - John 7
• Keep Hannukah - John 10:22
• Be circumcised - Luke 2:21
• Sacrifice birds - Matt 8:4 - here Jesus commanded a man to go and offer the sacrifice that Moses commanded - see Leviticus 14, where God tells Moses how do offer such a sacrifice.
  

Clearly Jesus lived under the Old Covenant, and NOT everything he did is applicable to us.

These are the verses from the four Gospels.  (For saving space, the verses are cited but not quoted in full.)

• Matt 12:1 - picking corn in a neighbour's field was okay (Deut 23:25) but what about on the Sabbath?  Even collecting manna on the Sabbath was prevented.  Jesus cites David eating the shewbread (verse 4) which was not on the Sabbath, and the priests working on the Sabbath.  But it's a clear change of what may or may not be done - going from not collecting manna to permitting picking of grain.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
• Matt 12:2 - see above.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
• Matt 12:5 - see above.  None of these three verses has a command to keep the day.
• Matt 12:8 - Jesus is Lord over the Sabbath - see my discussion of this verse here.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
• Matt 12:10 - healing on the Sabbath.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
• Matt 12:11 - rescuing sheep on the Sabbath.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
• Matt 12:12 - doing good on the Sabbath.  No command to keep it after his resurrection.  He is giving a lesson on the relationship of the law to man, not commanding the Sabbath.
• Matt 24:20 - discussed in full here.  No command at all to keep the Sabbath.  Some Adventists interpret fleeing for one's life as profaning the Sabbath, with Jesus telling them to pray not to have to.
• Matt 28:1 - mention of the day in the context of the events of Jesus' crucifixion.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
• Mark 1:21 - Jesus taught in the synagogue, which would not have been filled on other days. Just because he kept the Sabbath under the Old Covenant, doesn't mean we should under the New.  No command here for Sabbath keeping.
• Mark 2:23 - parallel passage to Matt 12 - see above.  No command to keep the Sabbath anywhere here.
• Mark 2:24 - parallel passage to Matt 12 - see above.  No command to keep the Sabbath anywhere here.
• Mark 2:27 - parallel passage to Matt 12 - see above.  No command to keep the Sabbath anywhere here.
• Mark 2:28 - parallel passage to Matt 12 - see above.  No command to keep the Sabbath anywhere here.
• Mark 3:2 - parallel passage to Matt 12 - see above.  No command to keep the Sabbath anywhere here.
• Mark 3:4 - parallel passage to Matt 12 - see above.  No command to keep the Sabbath anywhere here.
• Mark 6:2 - similar passage to Mark 1:21.  No command to keep the Sabbath anywhere here.
• Mark 15:42 - mention of the day in the context of the events of Jesus' crucifixion.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
• Mark 16:1 - mention of the day in the context of the events of Jesus' crucifixion.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
• Luke 4:16 - Note the important use of the word CUSTOM, discussed here.  Jesus taught in the synagogue, which would not have been filled on other days. Just because he kept the Sabbath under the Old Covenant, doesn't mean we should under the New.  No command here for Sabbath keeping.
• Luke 4:31 - Jesus taught in the synagogue, which would not have been filled on other days. Just because he kept the Sabbath under the Old Covenant, doesn't mean we should under the New.  No command here for Sabbath keeping.
• Luke 6:1 - parallel passage to Matt 12 - see above.  No command to keep the Sabbath anywhere here.
• Luke 6:2 - parallel passage to Matt 12 - see above.  No command to keep the Sabbath anywhere here.
• Luke 6:5 - parallel passage to Matt 12 - see above.  No command to keep the Sabbath anywhere here.
• Luke 6:6 - parallel passage to Matt 12 - see above.  No command to keep the Sabbath anywhere here.
• Luke 6:7 - parallel passage to Matt 12 - see above.  No command to keep the Sabbath anywhere here.
• Luke 6:9 - parallel passage to Matt 12 - see above.  No command to keep the Sabbath anywhere here.
• Luke 13:10 - Jesus taught in the synagogue, which would not have been filled on other days. Just because he kept the Sabbath under the Old Covenant, doesn't mean we should under the New.  No command here for Sabbath keeping.
• Luke 13:14 - healing on the Sabbath.  No command here for Sabbath keeping.
• Luke 13:15 - rescuing ox/ass on the Sabbath.  No command here for Sabbath keeping.
• Luke 13:16 - healing on the Sabbath.  No command here for Sabbath keeping.
• Luke 14:1 - healing on the Sabbath.  No command here for Sabbath keeping.
• Luke 14:3 - healing on the Sabbath.  No command here for Sabbath keeping.
• Luke 14:5 - rescuing ox/ass on the Sabbath.  No command here for Sabbath keeping.
• Luke 23:54 - mention of the day in the context of the events of Jesus' crucifixion.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
• Luke 23:56 - resting on the Sabbath under the Old Covenant.  Sabbatarians forget that Jesus had not yet risen from the dead when they were keeping that Sabbath - man was still living under the Mosaic Law, and since Jesus had not risen from the dead, there could obviously not be any other day they could think of to keep.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
• John 5:9 - healing on the Sabbath.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
• John 5:10 - carrying a bed on the Sabbath.  Jer 17:22 - God separates carrying burdens from actual work-related burdens; both are prohibited.  Obviously a lesson in Sabbath keeping.  But it's a clear change of what may or may not be done.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
• John 5:16 - Jesus persecuted for his views on the Sabbath.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
• John 5:18 - John here reports what Jesus had done - broken the Sabbath and claimed equality with God.  He's not reporting the views of the Jews; he's stating what Jesus had done to anger them.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
• John 7:22 - circumcision on the Sabbath.  The claim that Jesus would have said that the Sabbath would no longer be kept by Christians if that were to be the case fails because here he could have said the same about circumcision, and we KNOW it was the case with circumcision.  Why did Jesus remain silent?  Because his lesson was in the context of the Old Covenant.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
• John 7:23 - healing and circumcision on the Sabbath.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
• John 9:14 - healing on the Sabbath.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
• John 9:16 - miracles on the Sabbath.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
• John 19:31 - mention of the day in the context of the events of Jesus' crucifixion.  No command to keep the Sabbath.
  

So, where in the New Testament do we find a command to keep the Sabbath?  Nowhere.

Did Jesus command us to keep the Sabbath?  No.

Did the Apostles command us to keep the Sabbath?  No.

Did Jesus keep the Sabbath?  Yes, under the Old Covenant.  He was also circumcised, kept Passover, Hannukah, and commanded a sacrifice to be made.  If we recognise the context, we realise that his Sabbath keeping was part of the law he lived under.

Just a note to say that the link mentioned in the previous post has generated a lot of comments on Adventism and sacramentalism.

Maybe this is too progressive for some.  But the ProgressiveAdventism blog has taken a look at how Catholic practices are seen as positive experiences by some Adventists ... all the way down to liturgical chants.

Besides showing some lovely icons, to which neither these Adventists nor Catholics pray, they give some insight into the beauty of Catholicism that is acceptable - and welcomed - by many Adventists.


I believe Catholicism (and the Orthodox Churches) retain a tremendous amount of spiritual traditions from the early Christian Church.  The Apostle Paul said we should follow their traditions - both those they wrote down, and those they taught verbally.  That applies certainly to their doctrinal teachings, but we do well to preserve their spiritual practices as well.  Adventism will only benefit from what we preserved for Christians that came originally from the Apostles and the early Christians.


Now they notice.


Yet our theology is closely tied in with that.  Not only do historical records show us that our theology is equally ancient, but a better understanding of the practices leads to a better understanding of the theology.  Adventism badly needs that.  Too many Adventists spend too much time attacking Catholicism - usually only demonstrating that they really don't understand what Catholicism teaches.  If our practices bring us closer in worship, they may eventually come to realise that our teachings are actually not that far out, and quite biblically based ... just understood with a different world view - described well in the words I quoted above:



Oh, definitely beneficial.  Not only for the reasons I give above.


Hmmm ... perhaps not all.  But some.  I know of Adventists who treasure their rosaries.  They don't pray with them, of course.  Many Adventists have their pictures of Jesus.  We just call them icons.  None of us worship them.


Yet soon they will realise that the ancient Christian practices reflect the ancient Christian theology, and identify with it, and we'll see anti-Catholic tensions within Adventism fade.  At least amongst some.  The Christian roots of Adventism should remain.  Its unique teachings ... some could well become devout practices, such as the way the Sabbath was - and still is - kept as a pious tradition, but some will have to be abandoned in their journey back to ancient Christianity ... such as their concept of an obligatory Sabbath as a law of God, something foreign to the Christians of the first few centuries.


Let us pray that the Holy Spirit works through this trend (obviously He is already) and brings them a greater theological solace.

A few interesting comments on Adventism and prophecy ...

Starting on the SDA2RC blog:


Huh?  Is being Western-centric a product of being Western, or a product of God's love for the white man?  (No, that's not my response to Hugo, that's my reaction to the idea that the West is the only place relevant to these prophecies, which was not his, but his example of how Adventists might respond.)


They quote the Sabbath School for a New Generation blog:


And they in turn quote Spectrum Magazine:


Certainly proper nourishment for the itching ears of prophecy buffs.

For those who find the Mass somewhat strange, and wonder where on earth we got it from, the answer is short - it's based on Jewish liturgies, importantly the Passover seder.

See also Scott Hahn:

The Fourth Cup
The Fourth Cup [same as above, if you want to read it in red text against a red background]
The Hunt for the Fourth Cup

Most of the Mass consists of prayers, readings of the Bible, a sermon, and most of the non-sermon section, prayers included, is taken mostly from the Bible.  For a walk-through the Mass with the verses listed, see "Just what is the Mass anyway?"  It's an archived link, as I can't find the original elsewhere.

Jared has a timeline of Bacchiocchi's interactions with the Gregorian on his blog, which he based on Bacchiocchi's recent refutations of Gregorian's statement about his thesis.


We can hope.

On the XCG blog, Jared has compiled an extremely detailed analysis of Bacchiocchi's two responses to the Gregorian Controversy. [Bacchiocchi's Part 1; Part 2]

I highly recommend reading it.  The most recent comments are at the bottom of the page, with the analysis of Part 2 starting at comment 80.

What interests me the most is the Imprimi Potest.  There is a detailed discussion of the Imprimatur/Imprimi Potest at XCG, comment 91.  How did it turn into an Imprimatur?


I didn't figure that out ... he gives me too much credit.  I realised it only when I read his post.

I need to figure that one out ... Jared mentioned a timeline he's drawing up [comment 93].  Hopefully that will help figure this out.