Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God Did

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God Did she really say that? Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God Review from Baptism… 1. Is water baptism essential for salvation? Can one be saved without being baptized? What about the “thief on the cross? ” Yes. If there are exceptions God will render the judgment. The thief died and was buried. Scripture is unclear as to what his future will be. 2. What is the proper or biblical form for baptism – sprinkling, pouring, or immersion? Immersion. Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God Review from Baptism… 3. Should babies or children be baptized? Provide scriptural support for your answer. No. There is no scriptural support. Acts 2: 38 requires repentance which requires maturity. 4. What is the correct formula for baptism? What words are used at the ceremony and why? Matthew 28: 19 Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God Review from Baptism… 5. Should one be baptized immediately or is there a waiting period prior to the baptism? There is no waiting period but one must “count the cost” prior to baptism. 6. Who is authorized to baptize? Who is authorized to lay hands on someone? The ministry or one designated by the ministry can baptize, but only the ministry can lay hands on the person. Sabbath

Austin Bible Class Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God The Sabbath, a Biblical

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God Seventh Day Sabbath… The seventh day of the week is the Sabbath of the Lord our God, and on this day humans are commanded to rest from their labors and worship Him. Established and blessed by God at creation, the seventh day of the week begins at sunset on Friday and continues until sunset on Saturday. The Sabbath is an identifying sign and a perpetual covenant between God and His people. True Christians follow the example of Jesus Christ, the apostles and the New Testament Church in observing the seventh-day Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, 1983… “Sabbath… 1. The day set apart in the fourth commandment of the decalogue to be observed as a day of rest from all secular labor or employment. This was originally the seventh day of the week (Saturday), as the day on which God rested from the work of creation, and this day is still observed by the Jews and some Christians as the Sabbath. ” Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God The Bible Advocate 1928. Article by Herbert Armstrong on the Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God Herbert Armstrong proclaimed the truth of God’s Sabbath to millions of people from 1934 – 1986. Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God The Sabbath… We worship God by observing the Sabbath. The Sabbath is not an end. It is a means to an end. Romans 1: 25 “… and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator…” Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God Outline of Class… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Origin of the Sabbath Israel and the Sabbath in the Old Testament Christ and the Sabbath The Pharisees and the Sabbath in the New Testament Sunday Observance Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 1. Origin of the Sabbath… Created by God in the very beginning… Genesis 2: 2 -3 “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it…” Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 1. Origin of the Sabbath… The word “rested” comes from the Hebrew shabath. There are two Hebrew words which are very similar, but one is a noun and one is a verb. One means “to rest” (shabath) and the other means “the rest” (shabbath). Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 1. Origin of the Sabbath… In the New Testament the Greek word for Sabbath is “sabbaton. ” It is translated in the RSV as “solemn rest” or “day of solemn rest. ” In both the Hebrew and the Greek origins we have the idea of resting or ceasing from labor. This is the key to understanding the Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 2. Israel and the Sabbath… The Sabbath was repeated to Israel in forceful fashion when Israel left Egypt. Exodus 16: 23 “…This is what the LORD has said: Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath…” Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 2. Israel and the Sabbath… Exodus 20: 8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work…” God commanded Israel to “remember. ” The Sabbath was a continuous requirement from the time of creation. Every righteous man/worman in the Bible was a Sabbath keeper. Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 2. Israel and the Sabbath… Penalty for breaking the Sabbath was death. Exodus 35: 2 “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you a holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD; whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. ” Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 2. Israel and the Sabbath… As a sign… Exodus 31: 13 “…Surely, My Sabbaths shall you keep for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations…” Exodus 31: 17 “It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and on the seventh day He rested. ” Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 2. Israel and the Sabbath… As a Separate and Perpetual Covenant… Exodus 31: 14 “You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death. Exodus 31: 18 “…to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. ” Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 2. Israel and the Sabbath… Observed from sunset to sunset… Leviticus 23: 32 “…from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your Sabbath. ” Hebrew for “evening” is ba’ ereb. It means sunset or sundown or twilight. Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 2. Israel and the Sabbath… Israel sent into captivity and punishment for profaning the Sabbath. Ezekiel 20: 23 -24 “Also, I raised My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them throughout the countries, because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols. ” Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 3. Sabbath in the Old Testament… Summary from the Old Testament… 1. God created the Sabbath and sanctified it. 2. God commanded Israel to keep the Sabbath prior to Mt. Sinai and the giving of the Old Covenant. 3. God commanded Sabbath observance in the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai. Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 3. Sabbath in the Old Testament… 4. The Sabbath was given as a sign between God and Israel. 5. God made a separate Sabbath covenant with Israel. To break the Sabbath was to incur the death penalty. 6. God sent Israel into captivity primarily for breaking the Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 4. Christ and the Sabbath… Mark 2: 23 “Now it happened that He went through the grain fields on the Sabbath, and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain” (Deuteronomy 23: 25)(Matthew 12: 1 -8). Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 4. Christ and the Sabbath… “The New Testament contains no record that Jesus ever abolished the Sabbath, or transferred it from the seventh to the first day of the week. The New Testament writers refer to the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath 58 times” (Sabbath and Sunday in Early Christianity by Robert Odom). Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 4. Christ and the Sabbath… • He is Lord of the Sabbath… Mark 2: 28 • He observed the Sabbath… Luke 4: 16 • He taught on the Sabbath… Luke 4: 31; Luke 6: 6 Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 5. Pharisees and the Sabbath… Christ had conflict with the Pharisees over the Sabbath. Pharisees had made the Sabbath a burden with multiple laws defining how it was to be observed. Many of these were simply not scriptural. Christ challenged their approach toward the Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 5. Pharisees and the Sabbath 39 Categories of Sabbath Work Carrying Extinguishing Writing Cooking Sewing Knotting Winnowing Sifting Kneading Spinning Burning Finishing Erasing Washing Tearing Untying Selecting Grinding Combing Dying Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 5. Pharisees and the Sabbath 39 Categories of Sabbath Work (continued) Chainstitching Weaving Building Trapping Slaughtering Tanning Marking Warping Unraveling Demolishing Shearing Skinning Smoothing Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 6. Sabbath in the New Testament • There are 58 references to the Sabbath in the New Testament, but only 8 to the first day of the week. • It was Christ’s custom to worship on the Sabbath (Luke 4: 16). • It was Paul’s custom to worship on the Sabbath (Acts 17: 2). • The Church at Colossae was observing the Sabbath (Colossians 2: 16). Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 6. Sabbath in the New Testament Hebrews 4: 9… Greek word for “rest” in verse 9 is “sabbatismos. ” It means “Sabbath rest; ” “keeping of the Sabbath. ” This is the only place it is found in Scripture. (Thayer’s Greek. English Lexicon of the New Testament). Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 6. Sabbath in the New Testament Hebrews 4: 9… Bible in Basic English: “So that there is still a Sabbath-keeping for the people of God. ” Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 6. Sabbath in the New Testament Hebrews 4 and the Sabbath… The Promised Land The Weekly Sabbath The Millennial Rest Really existed Really exists Promised to Israel for ever A perpetual covenant Will last for 1000 years Inhabited by Israel Observed by Israel until captivity For those in first resurrection Rest for Israel; type of future rest The Millennium is the future rest Sabbath is a rest; type of future rest Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 7. Sunday Observance… “The New Testament writers use the phrase ‘the first day of the week’ eight times. Six times they employ it in stating that Jesus rose from the dead on that day. Once (1 Corinthians 16: 1, 2) it is used by Paul in telling the believers at Corinth that each of them should put aside privately a contribution for the needy in Judea, so that upon his arrival he could send it to Jerusalem. It is used once by Luke in describing Paul’s farewell meeting at night in Troas and his leaving early Sunday morning on a 20 mile journey on foot (Acts 20: 7 -11)” (Sabbath and Sunday in Early Christianity by Robert Odom). Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 7. Sunday Observance… Why Sunday Worship? Proof Text – Acts 20: 7 “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke them and continued his message until midnight” (NKJV). “On the Saturday night in our assembly for the breaking of bread, Paul who was to leave the next day, addressed them and went on speaking until midnight” (NEB). Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 7. Sunday Observance… Why Sunday Worship? Proof Text – Acts 20: 7 • This was Saturday night and not Sunday morning. • Reference to “break bread” is not a religious ceremony. Greek word used for break is klao and it is only used in reference to bread. • Klao is used 15 times in the New Testament. Most common usage is simply to eat. Example of use is Acts 27: 35. Paul encourages the breaking of a fast. He eats a meal – he “breaks bread. ” Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 7. Sunday Observance… “But you may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify” (Faith of Our Fathers by Cardinal Gibbons). Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 7. Sunday Observance… Catholics do not argue from scripture over the origin of Sunday and the rejection of Saturday. They argue from the authority of the Church. “…the observance of the Lord’s Day took the place of the observance of the Sabbath not by virtue of the [Biblical] precept but by the institution of the church” (Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, New York: Benzinger Brothers, Inc. 1947) II: 1702. Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 7. Sunday Observance… Protestants claim their teaching comes from “the Bible and only the Bible. ” They are accused of being hypocrites by the Catholic Church when it comes to Sunday worship. “Hence the conclusion is inevitable; that of those who follow the Bible as their guide, the Jews and Seventh-Day Adventists have exclusive weight of evidence on their side, whilst the Biblical Protestant has not a word in self-defense for his substitution of Sunday for Saturday” (1893 pamphlet published by the Catholic Diocese of New York). Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God 7. Sunday Observance… Protestant Arguments for Sunday… Justification is by grace. Acts 15 proves the OT Law is obsolete. The mind of Christ replaces the law. The law was nailed to the cross. Christ fulfilled the Sabbath law for us. The Sabbath was only for the Jews. Christians must not be law-centered. Human reason should determine law. Christians are not under Old Covenant. Letter of the law was abolished. Christ ended the law. Love abolishes the Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God The Sabbath was… • • Instituted by God (Genesis 2: 3) Blessed (Genesis 2: 3) Observed on the 7 th day (Exodus 20: 9) Sanctified (Exodus 31: 15) Hallowed (Exodus 20: 11) Commanded to be kept (Leviticus 19: 3) A sign of God’s people (Exodus 31: 13). Made for man (Mark 2: 27). Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God The Sabbath is called… • The Sabbath of the Lord (Ex. 20) • The Sabbath of rest (Ex. 31: 15) • The rest of the holy Sabbath (Ex. 16: 23) • God’s Holy Day (Isaiah 58: 13) Sabbath

Fundamental Beliefs of the Church of God Outline of Class… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Origin of the Sabbath Israel and the Sabbath in the Old Testament Christ and the Sabbath The Pharisees and the Sabbath in the New Testament Sunday Observance Sabbath