Dear Fellow believers in Yeshua: I was raised a christian. I am born-again, and spirit-filled. For a long time I have said:"If G-d has more for me, I want it and I want it all!" Yes we can always draw closer to G-d in our relationship with Him. I have been learning through my non-denominational church about "The Heart of The Father" towards us his children and there is very much there for us, far more than we eve dreamed.
A couple years ago I first joined a jews for jesus chat. I leanred to know a few jews and messianic jews there. The I met online an orthodox jew who converted to judaism and was actually raised much like myself. But I began to see many more things about judaism through this friend. A question I always had was ""WHat was the life of early christians really like?" The more questions came: "Did yeshua intend to start a new religion?" What DID Yeshua intend for the jewish people? Eventually, I came to question some of the things I had always "accepted" but never questioned. One of these was "Did early christians observe the sabbath like Yeshua did?" What happened to all the jewish believers in Yeshua?" When did the sabbath obsevrance end among christians or did the gentile believers NEVER keep sabbath?"
After some reading, I discovered that until about 500 AD christian churches observed both sabbath and "The L-rd's Day" each week EXCEPT in Rome and Alkexandria and that as the influence of thesse two large groups grew, so did their misconcetions about sabbath (that is was a sad day versus the joy of the L-rd's day) as well as their anti-semitism.
I also realized that Yeshua never taught to STOP observing sabbath, not did Paul. Paul seems to address the question of what gentile believers should do in his discussion about circumcism and the importance of circumcision of the heart being more important, but doesn't really go farther in saying anything about the jewish feasts.
continued in part 2
One of these was "Did early christians observe the sabbath like Yeshua did?
No. Jesus lived under the law of Moses while the Christian since Pentecost has been under the law of Christ. There is no sabbath days for the Christian under grace. As the Sabath which is included under the law of Moses has been replaced and ceased. The Sabbath was given only to the nation and people of Israel and not to gentile nations at all. And neither was the Sabbath given to the Church to be observed at all. It is the Lord Jesus Christ whom is our sabbath rest. Christians are not to judge one another on the day of worship which we take part of. See Col. 2:13-17 and Ro. 14:1-13. Also remember the Apostles and elders in the early church in Acts 15 ruled that Christians are not under the law of Moses as a rule of life but rather both justification and sanctication is by God's grace through faith only in Jesus Christ. Therefore our rule of life as Christians is the law of Christ.
What happened to all the jewish believers in Yeshua?
God has preserved a remnnant according to the election of grace in which a small number shall become Christians and become part of the Body of Christ. Paul taught this in Ro. 11:1-6 .
When did the sabbath obsevrance end among christians or did the gentile believers NEVER keep sabbath?
Starting at Pentecost when the Body of Christ was formed. The Christian church since Acts 2 has been under the law of Christ. And no sabbath command given or commanded to the Church.
After some reading, I discovered that until about 500 AD christian churches observed both sabbath and "The L-rd's Day" each week EXCEPT in Rome and Alkexandria and that as the influence of thesse two large groups grew, so did their misconcetions about sabbath (that is was a sad day versus the joy of the L-rd's day) as well as their anti-semitism.
That is not true at all. Christians since Pentecost did not observe the Sabbath. As the Christian is not under the law of Moses of which the sabbath was part of but is rather under the law of Christ. And there is nothing within the law of Christ in which the sabbath is commanded to be observed. Furthermore, in the writings of the early church fathers what we find is Christians fellowshiping on Sunday in very early on. We have Sunday worship in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd cen being followed. Therefore your conclusions are wrong. Any study of the early church father's writings clearly shows you made false claims which can't be supported historically.
I also realized that Yeshua never taught to STOP observing sabbath, not did Paul. Paul seems to address the question of what gentile believers should do in his discussion about circumcism and the importance of circumcision of the heart being more important, but doesn't really go farther in saying anything about the jewish feasts.
Jesus lived under the law of Moses and it was nailed to the cross when he died and it is no longer around today to be followed as a rule of life. The law of Moses was given only to the nation and people of Israel and never to any gentile nations at all. Paul taught that Christians are under the law of Christ contrary to your false statement. Ro. 6:14-15; 10:4; Col. 2:13-17; Gal. 3 and 5 totally refutes your claims as well as the entire of books acts as far as you trying to place Christians under the law of Moses and more specifically the sabbath. The specific doctrinally error that you have presented here was dealt with in Acts 15:1-29 in which affirmed the the law of Moses is not the rule of life for Christians. You seem to be following the error commited by the Pharisees who claimed " it is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses " .
Reply to ChaferDTS: Thanks for your reply. You have a difernt view than I do but that is okay . That is what the forum does. Here is a link to the discussion I read. It will either interest you or anger you.It did not anger me.
http://www.sabbathfellowship.org/biblest...thchng.htm
sincerely, Nathanael147
The article basically contained many misinterpretations of the various Scriptures and most of it's conclusions were based on a number of presupossions, guilt by assocation fallacies, false accusations and at points misrepresented those who disagree with it. My specific theological perspective was not really covered in the article. Here a number of clear cut things that are seriously wrong with the article. 1 ) It holds to what is called " Replacement Theology " which denies a distinction between national Israel and the Church. It in fact teaches that the Church is " spiritual Israel " . 2 ) It is based on a denial of a distinction between the law of Moses and the law of Christ. It tries to impose the law of Moses as still binding on Christians instead of the law of Christ. That in itself totally contradicts Acts 15:24. 3 ) The Article itself strongly implies that Sabbath keeping is neccessary to remain saved. And thus added to the work of Jesus Christ on the cross as the sole basis for our salvation. 4 ) Advenist claim that those who do not follow the Sabbath have or will have the " mark of the beast " . 5 ) Adventist in practice have placed Ellen G. White as an infallible interpreter and teacher of Scripture. 5 ) Adventist replaced the Pope with Ellen G. White for all practical purpose. 6 ) The writings of Ellen G. White in Adventist theology places it supreme over Scripture functionally. 7 ) Adventist are known to lie and distort things in the apologetics againist others. I am not angry at the link you placed. I just disagree with it's overall conclusions and consider it a departure from the true teachings of Scripture and showed me the extreme legalism that is ever so common in Adventist. Sabbath keeping does not make one more holy than one who does not. It is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is who makes us holy by His imputed righteousness we receive by faith only in Jesus Christ based on the merits of the blood of Jesus Christ. All Christians are saints of God regardless on the day of worship. Remember that.
reply to ChaferDTS
Thanks for your reply. I do not know about Ellen G. White at all and so do not stand in her place to advocate for her. I only know what Yeshua did and as a follower of his and an imitator of him I would like to live the right way. The way the christian church has conducted itself and still conducts itself on many fronts and under many misunderstandings, I am tending away from it. I do not distance myself from Yeshua and what he did for me, but I know i my heart not is all well with teh "christian church" and it is not as Yeshua intended. No matter exactly HOW it got this way is not as important as what we do about it in our own lives. If something isn't right, why associate oneself with it?
I also did not intend to imply sabbath keeping saves you any more than baptism does. I know what has saved me. Observing the days of remembrance G-d set for his people doesn't save either, but is G-d please we do out of respect and love for HIM? What pleases G-d? That is what I continue to seek to know. I also hope people reading here never stop questioning and searching for themselves to see what Yeshua intended from his people and for his followers jewish or gentile.
Your replies have shown me a lot about you. Thanks.