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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Stae violation of worshhip, what to do? | Bible general Archive 1 | kalos | 57239 | ||
CHEBANNE: In the first century church, when Christians came together for worship and fellowship on the first day of the week, what time of day did they meet? The Roman government did not recognize Sunday as a special day of rest or worship. No one was allowed to take Sunday off so they could meet with the church. Therefore, logically, the first century Christians did not meet at 10:30 a.m. on the first day of the week. The only time off work or from their duties as slaves was at the end of the work day, in the evening. My point is first century Christians did not hold protest rallies or sign petitions to fight against the Roman government. They rendered unto Caesar the things which were Caesar's and unto God the things which belonged to God. It is true that the Bible says we ought to obey God's law, not man's. But in the context they were not speaking of the Roman civil law, but of the Jewish religious laws. Today all too many people misuse and misapply the verse about obeying God's law rather than man's. They leap from what that verse says and means in the context to the idea that they now have the freedom to disobey any law that they don't happen to agree with. Freedom to disobey laws with which one does not agree is not at all the same as obeying God rather than man. We are told to obey the laws of the land. Further we are told that the powers that be are ordained of God. I urge you to consider these points, and also to seek God and prayerfully consider what He would have you to do in your specific situation. I am not telling you what to do, but am merely pointing out some Scriptural guidelines for you to be aware of. May God lead, guide and direct you in your course of action. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you. kalos |
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2 | Stae violation of worshhip, what to do? | Bible general Archive 1 | CHEBANNE | 58318 | ||
I have read Kalos' response to my question and am very gratefulfor his effort. However, I do not feel that he has done justice to the question of violation of God's moral law and the oppression of faithful Christians who uphold the Divine Commandments. The examples he gives about slaves observing the Sunday when they came together in the evening so that they complied with the Roman law is a fair one. But let me say that the choice of gathering on a Sunday was for man's convenience under the Roman rule, and does not make that a Divine Law. In Hebrews 4 Pauls still reminds Christians that the Sabbath remains binding, and he kept it, as well as all the disciples. Yes, we must respect our rulers, but as long as they provide for us guarantees of our religious freedoms. It is wrong to intellectualize and problematize the question of obedience. Yes, Paul and Jesus said people should obey governors, but that is an advice under God's Grace. We do not need to know how God will deal with them, but He allows them to rule us. | ||||||
3 | Stae violation of worshhip, what to do? | Bible general Archive 1 | Chris | 58319 | ||
Chebanne, I agree that people should be free to worship how they wish, but where on earth did you learn to interpret your reading? If you think that Hebrews Ch. 4 is about the Saturday Sabbath you have truly missed the boat! We don't need to go into whether Paul wrote Hebrews, but this sabbath issue takes the cake. Is the word sabbath mentioned in Hebrews Ch. 4? Hebrews Ch. 4 is about how the Christian enters into the rest of GOD continually, not on Saturdays, when s/he gives up their work toward salvation and rest in GOD's finished work at calvary. This is the Spiritual representation of the Sabbath and it shows that for the Christian there isn't a one day literial fulfillment of the Sabbath, but rather a continual Spiritual fulfillment. People should have the right to worship when they please, but Hebrews Ch. 4 doesn't support your preference. GOD bless!! chris |
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4 | Stae violation of worshhip, what to do? | Bible general Archive 1 | CHEBANNE | 60555 | ||
I once again thank Chris for his comments. My fundamental problem in such debates is that some people do not really know how they should consider the biblical text - factual, literal or what? Let us say Hebrews 4 is about entering into GOD's rest, spiritually, and that there is nowhere that it could be any other day than a Sabbath!- as indeed Chris agrees that it is about the spiritual representation of the Sabbath. If there is a Divine injuction for the observance of another day, I am afraid it would not be from the Bible! If we therefore use one standard for approving the authenticity and verity of the Bible text, let us not engage in justification of a historical disobedience of GOD's law. In the final analysis of things, that go beyond human means and wisdom, let GOD be right and all of us be wrong. And the Bible makes GOD right by what GOD says, and not what man rationalizes. It is therefore not just a simple question of the choice of deciding when to worship and how to go about that, but whether or not the Bible says so! Otherwise we will end up creating our own god out of our personal choices and conveniences. I may wish to report that what had prompted my initial question has been resolved - the school administration which insisted on denying the students the right to worship GOD on the Sabbath lost at the court of law, and the students returned to school to claim their right to study and to observe unhindered GOD's Law according to their conscience! |
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