10 Commandments 4

-The 10 Commandments-
-Part 3-

#4 Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God

What did the 4th Commandment Entail?
1. It was a command to keep Saturday separate
2. It was a sign of God’s covenant with Israel
3. It was a day to abstain from all work & money
4. It was a day to assemble together for worship
5. It was a day of special ritual & animal sacrifices
6. The penalty for disobedience was death
7. At times, it became an empty shell

What did Jesus Teach about the Sabbath?
1. Jesus did not give a direct affirmation regarding
Sabbath observance under the New Covenant
2. Jesus consistently brought the issue to the table
3. Jesus allowed His disciples to break the Sabbath
4. Jesus argued that under the Old Covenant it was
sometimes common sense to break the Sabbath
5. Jesus implied that the Sabbath was a ceremonial law,
not a moral law
6. Jesus argued that God prefers morality over ritual
7. Jesus seems to have broken the Sabbath to do good works

How did the early church interpret Jesus’ teachings?
1. They came to the conclusion that Christians
were not under Old Testament Law and, especially,
Gentiles should not be burdened by it
2. Paul knew that many Jewish Christians would
continue to observe the Sabbath Law, but seems
to imply that such is the ‘weaker’ position
3. Paul knew that many Gentile Christians would
see no need for observing the Sabbath Law,
and implies that such is the ‘stronger’ position
4. Paul teaches that each believer should be led
by the Lord on this issue and that no Christian
should judge another on this matter. Instead,
we should show respect toward various practices.
5. Paul teaches that the Sabbath was merely
a ceremonial shadow that was fulfilled in Jesus Christ
6. The author of Hebrews teaches that the fulfillment
of the shadow is the peace we experience in Jesus Christ
7. The 1st & 2nd generation of Christians believed we
now experience a perpetual Sabbath. Early Christians
met daily, but met specially on Sunday’s to celebrate
the day of the resurrection

3 Positions to Pick From
1. Sabbatarian- We are obligated to obey the 4th Commandment as was written.
2. Lord’s Day- We are obligated to follow tradition by celebrating the resurrection each Sunday
3. Perpetual- Every day is equal in God’s sight, but we must not forsake the assembling together, and there may be wisdom in the idea of having a day of rest