Questions and Answers on the Sabbath

Here are some questions or arguments regarding the Sabbath and some responses.

Not One Jot or Tittle Shall Pass From the Law Until All Things Are Fulfilled

In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus said He came not to destroy the law but to fulfill. Jesus continues to say that not one jot nor tittle shall be removed from the law until all things are fulfilled. He continues to teach about keeping the smallest of the Commandments. Why would Christ be teaching on the Commandments if he were doing away with them?

Matthew 5:17-20 (BSB)

17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. 18 For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

19 So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

First let us see that Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. He then says that none of the law would pass away until all is fulfilled. When Jesus talks here about heaven and earth not passing away, He is focusing on the fact that all will be fulfilled. Until the death of Jesus, the Law of Moses remained in full effect (Galatians 4:4; Hebrews 9:15-16) . It would not pass away until it was fulfilled–which is the very thing Jesus says He came to do.

Jesus then addresses the idea that there were those (especially among the scribes and Pharisees) who broke some of the commandments and taught others to do so. (He then illustrates this in the rest of the chapter, where He contrasts what some were teaching that was not only contrary to the Law of Moses if it was properly understood, but also contrary to the teaching of the kingdom that Jesus was giving here.) But notice that He does not only talk about the 10 commandments here. He talks about the Law and the Prophets, which includes the entire Old Testament. If you want to argue that this passage means the 10 Commandments will never go away as law, you must also accept the rest of the Law and Prophets as being law today–which Galatians, Colossians 2, Hebrews, Acts 15, and other passages make clear that it is not.

There is a Distinction Between the Laws of Moses and the 10 Commandments 

There is a distinction between the laws of Moses and the 10 Commandments. The scripture in Galatians 5:1-4 is referring to circumcision-the ordinances or decrees.

Ephesians 2:15 (BSB)

15 by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace

I realize that it is very common to distinguish between “moral law” and “ceremonial law” in the Old Testament, but that is a modern man-made distinction. We cannot find any such distinction in the Bible. Likewise, we cannot find any distinction in the Bible between the 10 Commandments and the Law of Moses. It was the foundation of the Law of Moses. In fact, the greatest commandments according to Jesus were not even found in the 10 Commandments. They were found in the rest of the law (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18). The only distinction we find is that the 10 Commandments are often referred to as the tablets of the covenant (Deuteronomy 9:9) as they were the foundation of the covenant between God and Israel. This is why they were placed in the ark of the covenant. Everything in the ark represented the covenant between God and Israel. This is the very same covenant that Gentiles did not have and therefore were separated. This is the very covenant and law that Jesus took away through His death and therefore made peace between Jew and Gentile in Himself as Ephesians 2:15 says.

The Commandments Were Written With God’s Finger, Not Given By Angels 

You say the commandments were given to us by angels but the holy scripture says God wrote them with his finger.

I just want to be clear that it was not I who said they were given by angels, but the inspired writer of Hebrews.

Hebrews 2:1–4 (BSB)

1 We must pay closer attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every transgression and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?

This salvation was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4 and was affirmed by God through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.

This actually confused me for a while because we always see God directly talking with Moses and do not really see angels mentioned much in those passages (at least it did not seem so to me). The following passages help me understand it a little better.

Exodus 13:21 (BSB)

And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night.

So it says that the LORD was going before them but then we read:

Exodus 14:19 (BSB)

And the angel of God, who had gone before the camp of Israel, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from before them and stood behind them,

So we see that what the LORD was doing in bringing Israel out of Egypt, He did through angels at that time. This is what Hebrews is contrasting. God did not bring the new covenant through angels, but through the Son of God Himself.

Exodus 3:2–4 (BSB)

2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw the bush ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed. 3 So Moses thought, “I must go over and see this marvelous sight. Why is the bush not burning up?”

4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses, Moses!”

“Here I am,” he answered.

We see God being in the burning bush. But we also read:

Acts 7:35–38 (BSB)

35 This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be their ruler and redeemer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness.

37 This is the same Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ 38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. And he received living words to pass on to us. …. 

53 you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”

Even on Mount Sinai where Moses received the 10 Commandments, it tells us that an angel was speaking to Moses. Also note that in Stephen’s speech here he reminds them of the direction in the law to listen to the Prophet like Moses when He came. This is one of the primary reasons we actually are following the Law of Moses when we set it aside and listen to Jesus instead. That is what it teaches even the Jews to do.

God’s Law Was Placed INSIDE the Ark… 

God’s Law was placed INSIDE the ark, written on stone not to be erased, while Moses’ Laws were written on a parchment scroll and were placed in a compartment on the OUTSIDE of the ark.

The ceremonial laws that were given to Moses, were “hand written” on parchment scroll by Moses. It was placed in a compartment on the outside of the ARK and these are now nailed to the cross, not the two tables of stone.

Colossians 2:14 tells us, “having wiped out the “HANDWRITING” of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.”

I think it would be helpful to notice what else was placed inside the ark. Hebrews 9:4 says:

Hebrews 9:4 (BSB)

containing the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. Inside the ark were the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.

There were three things in the ark of the covenant and it is clear that these things were related specifically to the covenant between God and the nation of Israel. The manna was something God only gave to Israel. Aaron’s rod represented the Levitical priesthood and that was only for Israel (and is clearly finished when you read all of this section of Hebrews).

I will remind you of 2 Corinthians 3:7 which specifically refers to the letters engraved on stone (10 Commandments) as “the ministry of death” which was fading away and contrasts this with “the ministry of righteousness” that is from Jesus (verse 9).

Also, the tablets of stone were the tablets of the covenant. Galatians 4 tells us about two covenants. Galatians 4:21-26 says:

Galatians 4:21–26 (BSB)

21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand what the law says? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born through the promise.

24 These things serve as illustrations, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.

We see again here that Paul is appealing to the Law of Moses to demonstrate that we should not be following the Law of Moses today. But notice that he does not only talk about law, but he speaks of the covenant established at Mount Sinai–for which the 10 Commandments were certainly foundational.

Another passage in the Old Testament that speaks about the Law of Moses (the covenant with Israel) being replaced by a better covenant is found in Jeremiah 31. Hebrews 8:8-12 quotes from that passage. I encourage you to look at the whole passage, but I will just quote verses 7 and 13 here which are the Hebrew author’s inspired comments about it:

Hebrews 8:7 (BSB)

For if that first covenant had been without fault, no place would have been sought for a second.

Hebrews 8:13 (BSB)

By speaking of a new covenant, He has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.

The first covenant (the one based on the 10 Commandments) is obsolete. Christ certainly teaches us many of the same things in the new covenant, but we follow His teaching, not the 10 Commandments or any other part of the Law of Moses (the ministry of death, the first and obsolete covenant).

What About Jesus Telling Us to Keep the Commandments? 

In Matthew 19:17 Jesus said, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments”

In Matthew 19:16-22, we find a rich young man asking Jesus what to do in order to obtain eternal life. Jesus is answering the question as it was at the time. Remember that until the death of Jesus, the Law of Moses (including the 10 Commandments) was still God’s law for the Jews. It is interesting that Jesus does not mention all of the 10 Commandments here. He leaves out the Sabbath, for instance, and He also leaves out the first 3 commandments which contained the ones this young man was breaking. His love of things above God violated the command to have no other gods before God. But during that time, Jesus certainly still taught people to follow the Law of Moses. But there was coming a time when that would not be the case as you can see in John 4:20-24 regarding worshiping in Jerusalem (a very important part of the Old Covenant as well).

1 John 5:3 says, “This is the love of God, that we KEEP his commandments”

Even in Revelation 22:14, the last book of the Bible, it tells us, “Blessed are they that keep his commandments.”

I think here we have the problem of seeing the word “commandments” and assuming that it is talking about the 10 Commandments. But there are many commandments in the New Testament that Christ gave.

John 13:34 (BSB)

A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.

John 14:15 (BSB)

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

He does not mean the 10 Commandments here, but rather what He came with to teach as part of the New Covenant. We can see that also in 1 Corinthians 7:19 which refers to circumcision (just as much a part of the Old Covenant as the 10 Commandments).

1 Corinthians 7:19 (BSB)

Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commandments is what counts.

Circumcision was a commandment of God under the Law of Moses, but it is no longer. Whatever God’s commandments are for us, those are what we must keep. We learn them from Jesus and those He inspired through the Holy Spirit, not the Old Testament.

In 1 Corinthians 14:37 Paul writes concerning the way things are to be done in the church: 

1 Corinthians 14:37 (BSB)

If anyone considers himself a prophet or spiritual person, let him acknowledge that what I am writing you is the Lord’s command.

Again in 1 Thessalonians 4:2, Paul writes:

For you know the instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

 Peter says in 2 Peter 3:1-2 that the commandment of the Lord was spoken by the apostles:

2 Peter 3:1–2 (BSB)

1 Beloved, this is now my second letter to you. Both of them are reminders to stir you to wholesome thinking 2 by recalling what was foretold by the holy prophets and commanded by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

1 John 3:23 says:

23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

1 John 4:21 says: 

1 John 3:23 (BSB)

And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another just as He commanded us.

Isaiah 66:22-23

Isaiah 66:22–23 (BSB)

22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will endure before Me,” declares the LORD, “so your descendants and your name will endure. 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come to worship before Me,” says the LORD.

I will admit that it is sometimes difficult to completely understand the prophecies because of how they are worded and Isaiah is probably the book of the Bible I understand the least. That said, this very well may be a prophecy of the church, as many of the prophecies about Israel and Judah returning from captivity were ultimately looking forward to the church. But notice that the focus of the prophecy in this chapter is Jerusalem. Let’s look at a slightly larger context. Isaiah 66:20-24 says:

Isaiah 66:20–24 (BSB)

20 And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the LORD on horses and chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.”

21 “And I will select some of them as priests and Levites,” says the LORD.

22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will endure before Me,” declares the LORD, “so your descendants and your name will endure. 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come to worship before Me,” says the LORD. 24 “As they go forth, they will see the corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never be quenched, and they will be a horror to all mankind.”

If the Sabbath being mentioned in this passage is saying that under the New Covenant we will still be required to keep the Sabbath, then we will also still be required to worship on new moons and worship in Jerusalem. All of these things are specifically denied in the New Testament. The need to worship in Jerusalem is denied in the passage mentioned earlier in John 4:20-24:

John 4:20–24 (BSB)

20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where one must worship is in Jerusalem.”

21 “Believe Me, woman,” Jesus replied, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

The need to keep new moons and sabbaths are both denied in Colossians 2:16-17:

Colossians 2:16–17 (BSB)

16 Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.

Conclusion 

Let me summarize my understanding of what the New Testament teaches us about the Old Testament.

• The Old Testament (Old Covenant) was good and served its purpose perfectly–but it’s purpose was not to be permanent or to bring salvation to anyone.
• The New Testament (New Covenant) is much better and takes the place of the Old Covenant–as the Old Covenant said it should.
• The Jewish Christians could still keep the Old Law without sinning, as long as they understood that it was not required for their salvation and did not try to force anyone else to keep it.
• There is no good reason for Gentile Christians to start keeping the Law of Moses as it has never applied to us and what we have from Christ is perfect.
• We still must learn from the Old Testament law as there are many principles and truths about God and how He deals with people found there. But we must get our commandments from Christ.

I will end with one passage from Paul, a Jewish Christian who worked with both Jews and Gentiles.

1 Corinthians 9:20–21 (BSB)

20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win those under the law. 21 To those without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law.

Paul kept the Law of Moses when with the Jews so that he would not offend them and could reach them with the gospel of Christ. When he was with the Gentiles (those without law) he did not keep the Law of Moses–but he always remembered that he was under the law of Christ. We must remember which law we are truly bound by today. If we love Christ, we will keep His commandments.