IN THE KJV, Paul instructs believers in Hebrews 3:11-4:11 on the topic of "spiritual rest". He uses the word "rest" 11 times, and in each case the word is translated from the Greek "
kataposis" which means "
spiritual rest" -
except in the case of verse 9 where it's translated from
"Sabbatismos" which clearly refers to the Sabbath and to the "
literal rest" of the weekly, seventh day Sabbath which he tells us "
remains" for the saints to observe:
[9] There remaineth therefore a rest ("Sabbatismos") to the people of God.
IN THE PESHITTA (the Bible of Ancient Eastern MSS that is the closest to the Textus Receptus KJV), verse 9 also has "rest" translated from that which refers to the Sabbath, but the entire verse it translated even more forcefully than the KJV:
[9] "It is therefore the duty of the people of God to keep the Sabbath."
The word "
duty" is absolutely an accurate translation - because while the Syriac word "qym" indeed means "
remains" as seen in the KJV, it also means
"valid" which is defined as
"legally binding (contract) due to having been executed in compliance with the law" - which is why it's as much the "duty" of New Covenant (New "Contract") saints to keep the Sabbath commandment as it is for us to keep the other 9 commandments:
because it's God's law.
Unfortunately, there are "Christians" who despise God's law for the same reason a swinging bachelor despises marital vows, and they refuse to acknowledge the relevance of the Peshitta or the distinction between "kataposis" and "Sabbatismos" and insist "Sabbatismos" merely refers to the same "spiritual rest in Jesus" Paul refers to in these other verses.
This is the height of hermeneutical skulduggery and stubborn ignorance.
HOW CAN "SPIRITUAL REST" BE SOMETHING THAT "REMAINS" FOR THE "PEOPLE OF GOD" TO ENTER INTO, OR BE A "DUTY" FOR THEM TO FULFILL WHEN THE SAINTS - BY DEFINITION, DEFAULT, NATURE AND DISPOSITION, ETC. - ARE THOSE WHO'VE ALREADY ENTERED SPIRITUAL REST?
Therefore, even a blind man can see clearly that the only "rest" that "remains" as a "duty" for the saints to enter into is the "literal rest" of the weekly Sabbath commandment...but, will everyone jump on the bandwagon to fulfill their yet unfulfilled
duty and enter into the only rest that
remains before them? Will they admit that Hebrews 4:9-10 KJV plainly says it's our duty to keep the Sabbath because those who rest inwardly in Jesus are to demonstrate that by resting outwardly every Sabbath day from our work "as God from His"?
No. Most people will
never completely surrender to God. They'll only presumptuously attempt to bargain with Him over the terms of their surrender when the only thing they can bring to the bargaining table is a lost soul. Moody said it best:
"You want power in your Christian life, do you? You want Holy Ghost power? You want the dew of heaven on your brow? You want to see men convicted and converted? I don't believe we shall have genuine conversions until we get straight on this (Sabbath) law of God". - D. L. Moody, On the Ten Commandments, pp. 58
www.sabbatismos.com
