OzSpen
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- Mar 30, 2015
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The Barrd,The Barrd said:You went to these 3 eminent evangelical commentators.
I went to the Scriptures and found several occasions where Paul went to the synagogue, and one where he met with some women by the river, on the Sabbath.
You showed me one...count them, 1...example of Paul at a dinner on the night before he is to leave, and speaking on past midnight.
I'm not asking you to read and listen to my views, Oz. If I did that, I'd be as bad as all of these people who insist that I put down my Bible, and listen to their views...which, of course, is never going to happen. Ever.
No, Oz...I'm asking you to believe what the scriptures are plainly telling us. Paul worshiped on the Sabbath, just as he had done all of his life....just as Jesus had taught His Apostles to do, and sent them unto all nations to teach others to do.
Now, of course, you can choose not to believe these scriptures...that is up to you. I know that the popular thing is to try to fit the scriptures into the Sunday "sabbath"...but the reality that we all know, but don't talk about, is that it was the RCC that actually changed the day that God had set aside and sanctified to another day. It wasn't the apostles.
Something I've never heard anyone address in these debates...
The Jews at the time only had the one day off. Not like in our time, when we have the whole weekend off and can choose what we will do on Saturday and on Sunday. For those ancient people, the first day of the week was a work day. They weren't getting the day off to do whatever they wanted. And it wasn't an eight hour workday, either...try 12 hours, at least. They would have come wearily home, tired to the bone...
And remember, there were no modern conveniences. Everything had to be done by hand.
Everything.
Think of it...every drop of water the household used had to be carried in from the closest well...which could be as much as five or six miles away. Every. Single. Drop. That alone would be a full day's work for most of us in our time.
Now, when did they have time, during this regular workday, to be having a worship service?
Come to think about it, after putting in a full day of work...and I do mean work...where did they have the energy to have a worship service? They were doing well, I'd say, to find the energy to eat and tumble into bed...
None of the Scriptures you provided gave evidence that 'I'm asking you to believe what the scriptures are plainly telling us. Paul worshiped on the Sabbath, just as he had done all of his life'. No Scripture you quoted states that Paul worshipped on the Sabbath.
But Acts 20:7 states what happened when he gathered with believers on the first day of the week. They were breaking bread, i.e. engaging in the celebration of the Eucharist.
I agree with your appeal to 'believe what the Scriptures are plainly telling us'. The plain meaning of Acts 20:7 (NIV) is: 'On the first day of the week we came together to break bread'. Bible study indicates that this is the first mention in the NT of the Christians gathering for the Eucharist on Sunday, the first day of the week.
I'm fully supportive of accepting the plain reading of the text in Acts 20:7. You don't want to accept his.
By the way, you don't want to accept the teaching of 3 leading evangelical commentators of the NT, who are God's gift as Bible teachers. What is the purpose of Bible teachers? 'So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up' (Eph 4:11-12 NIV).
Lenski, Kistemaker and Bruce are among God's gifts of being Bible teachers to equip God's people for works of service and so edify (build up) the body of Christ. But you want to throw these Bible teachings out because they disagree with your view. I thank God for evangelical teachers with a high view of Scripture who are prepared to equip me for ministry and build up the body of believers.
Oz