|~~~~~._O_.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~._O_.~~~~~| | [_____]_______________________________________________[_____] | | | | | | | | | | 1. I Had a Hole in My Heart (Gospel) | | | | | | 2. By What Authority? | | | | | | 3. All Baptist churches are not alike. | | | | | | 4. What do Seventh Day Baptists Believe? | | | | | | 5. 7th Day Baptists 7th-day Adventists Compared | | | | | | 6. The Bible 7th Day is the Calendar 7th Day | | | | | | 7. Pro & Con (Two views regarding the Sabbath) | | | | !___!_________________________________________________!___! | | [_____] [_____] | |______'O'___________________________________________________'O'______| ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> .od0000o. .o0000bo. ><> ><> .d0000000000v0000000000b. ><> ><> d0000000000000000000000000b ><> ><> d000000000000000000000000000b ><> ><> 00000000000000000[ ]00000000 ><> ><> `000000000000000000000000000' ><> ><> `0000000000000000000000000' >< ><> `000000000000000000000' ><> ><> `00000000000000000' ><> ><> `0000000000000' ><> ><> I HAD A HOLE `000000000' IN MY HEART ><> ><> `00000' ><> ><> `V' ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> I had a hole in my heart. My doctor said it was "congenital" which he said meant I was born with it that way. He told me that was why I became tired so easily and couldn't do the things other children could do. _________________ | | But he also said he knew a doctor who could | .e0e. .e0e. | fix it up by sewing the hole closed. Now my | 00000vXXX00 | heart is fixed as good as new thanks to that | `00000XXX0' | special heart doctor. | `00000' | | `V' | But later on in life I discovered I had a |_______________| another hole in my heart -a different kind of hole. Not a physical one that the doctors could sew shut. It was a spiritual hole and it gave me an empty feeling like something was missing from my life. I tried to fill it with friends. But when they didn't always do what I wanted to do, the empty ache was still there. Sometimes I tried to fill it by getting even when my friends made me sad, but that only made the feeling worse. Then I read somewhere that everyone has _________________ this hole in the heart and that God made our | | hearts that way. The writer explained that | .e0e. .e0e. | the hole isn't round. It is shaped like God's | 00000v()000 | Son, Jesus, and Jesus is the only person who | `00000[]o0' | can fill it. | `000/\' | | `V' | What I needed was to ask Jesus to come |_______________| into my heart and fill that empty hole with Himself and to forgive me for trying to fill it without Him. I also needed to ask forgiveness for trying to fill the hole with bad things. So I asked Jesus to come into my heart -and He did. I also asked Him to make every day of my life full and complete and He is doing exactly that. He will fill the hole in your heart, too, if you ask Him. I hope you do. ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> JESUS WILL FILL THE EMPTINESS IN YOUR HEART ><> ><> ><> ><> .od0000o. .o0000bo. ><> ><> .d00JOHN0000v00003:1600b. I pray that out of his glorious ><> ><> dFOR0GOD0SOH HLOVED0THE0b riches he may strengthen you ><> ><> dWORLD0THAT0H H00HE0GAVE00b with power through his Spirit ><> ><> 000HIS0H H0ONLY00 in your inner being, so that ><> ><> `00BEGOTTEN0H H0SON0THAT00' Christ may dwell in your hearts ><> ><> `0WHOSOEVERH HBELIEVETH0' through faith.-Ephesians 3:16,17 ><> ><> `00IN0HIMH HSHOULD00' ><> ><> `00NOT0H HPERISH' The time is coming, says the Lord: ><> ><> `0BUTH HAVE0' when I will make a new covenant. ><> ><> `0ETERNAL0' -Jeremiah 31:31 ><> ><> `0LIFE' ><> ><> `V' This is the covenant I will make ...says ><> ><> the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds and write them on ><> ><> their hearts. I will be their God: and they shall be My people. ><> ><> -Jeremiah 31:33 and Hebrews 8:10 ><> ><> ><> ><> Christ has obtained a ministry which is as much more excellent ><> ><> than the old as the covenant He mediates is better. ><> ><> It is enacted on better promises. -Hebrews 8:6 ><> ><> ><> ><> Therefore He is the mediator of a new covenant. -Hebrews 9:15 ><> ><> ><> ><> And in the same way Jesus took the cup after they had eaten, ><> ><> saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new ><> ><> covenant in My blood." -Luke 22:20 ><> ><> ><> ><> For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, ><> ><> that whoever believes in Him should not perish ><> ><> but have eternal life. -John 3:16 ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ................................................................. By What Authority? When Jesus drove out the merchants and money changers from the temple, he was soon confronted by the chief priest and elders. They asked him by what authority he did those things (John 2:13-18). When asked in the right spirit, that's a legitimate question. We should always be able to give a good reason for whatever we do, and know that we are backed by the highest authority. The Sabbath One thing that makes Seventh Day Baptists different from most of Christendom is the Sabbath, and it is the only thing that makes us different from other Baptists. If we insist on standing out from them on this point, we should be able to state our authority. By what authority do we keep the seventh day as Sabbath? The Sabbath is part of creation. When God created heaven and earth, he blessed the seventh day and sanctified it (Genesis 2:2,3). So, our authority is the divine Creator. That authority was emphasized in the wilderness, when the God-given manna was not to be found on the Sabbath (Exodus 16:26). The Sabbath was made one of the Ten Commandments of the moral law which God gave to Moses: that the Sabbath of Creation should be remembered (Exodus 20:8- 11). The prophets were mouthpieces of God, urging the people from age to age to keep the Sabbath holy (Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:20). Christians rely on Jesus' interpretation and practice of God's will among mankind. He stated that people still needed the Sabbath: "The Sabbath was made for man..." (Mark 2:27). Jesus, himself, observed the Sabbath (Luke 4:16). He assumed that the Sabbath would continue, for he told his disciples to pray that certain future calamities should not come on the Sabbath (Matthew 24:20). Christian apostles who broke away from Jewish tradition still kept the Sabbath, as Jesus expected them to do, preaching to Jews and Gentiles, Sabbath after Sabbath (Acts 13:42-44; 18:4,11). The divine authority for the seventh-day Sabbath is recognized in the Bible as predating Moses, continuing through Judaism, and passing on into the early Christian Church. What better authority do we need today? Sunday Most of Christendom has substituted the first day of the week for the seventh day as Sabbath. Such a radical change certainly calls for a statement of authority. By what authority do you do these things? Different reasons for the change have been given, but never has the authority for the change been set forth. A thorough study of that question might surprise many devout Christians. Sunday is called the Lord's Day, but Jesus said "...the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:28). Did Jesus, anywhere in the Bible, ask for a "Lord's Day" to be substituted for the Sabbath? Where, then, is the authority for the change? Sunday is observed to commemorate Jesus' resurrection, we are told. Did Jesus ask his disciples to commemorate his resurrection on Sunday--or any day-- or that it be substituted for the Sabbath? Where then is the authority? Unfounded objection is raised toward the seventh- day Sabbath on the grounds that it is the Jewish Sabbath. Were there Jews or Gentiles at creation? There was just man and woman. The Sabbath was made for all mankind. Just where is the authority for the change? That is a question that should be honestly studied and answered by every Christian. By what authority do you do these things? American Sabbath Tract and Communication Council Seventh Day Baptist Center 3120 Kennedy Road P.O. Box 1678 Janesville, WI 53547-1678 Transcribed and uploaded with permission by: Kyle Pratt 76570.2133@compuserve.com .......................................................... All Baptist churches are not alike. Like other Baptists, Seventh Day Baptists believe in: - the saving love of Jesus Christ. - the Bible as the inspired word of God and a record of God's will for man. The Bible is our authority both for our faith and our daily conduct. - freedom of thought under the guidance of thE Holy Spirit. - the congregation form of church government. Every member of the church has the right to participate in the decisio making process of the church. So why are Seventh Day Baptist different? Seventh Day Baptists observe the Biblical seventh day Sabbath, the day established and blessed by God at earth's creation. The Sabbath was given to mankind long before any distinctions between Jew and Gentile. God commanded that the seventh day (Saturday) be kept holy. Jesus agreed by keeping it a day of worship. We observe the seventh day of the week (Saturday) as God's Holy Day as an act of loving obedience--not as a means of salvation. Salvation is the free gift of God through Jesus Christ. The Sabbath provides believers with a specific time to honor and worship the Creator. It is the joy of the Sabbath that makes Seventh Day Baptists just a little bit different. Seventh Day Baptist beginnings Seventh Day Baptists emerged as a part of the English Reformation, organizing their first church in London in the 1650s. That church, the Mill Yard Seventh Day Baptist Church, has continued for over 300 years. The first Seventh Day Baptist church in America was established in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1671. Led by an English SDB emigrant, Stephen Mumford, seven members of Newport's First Baptist Church withdrew to form a new Sabbath-keeping group. Soon, the center of Seventh Day Baptist growth in New England shifted to the "Westerly" part of Rhode Island. Other early churches were established in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, it was from these three centers that the denomination grew. A desire to expand the fellowship and to organize for missionary efforts led to the founding of the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference in 1802. Denominational work blossomed in the mid-1800s with the initiation of the first foreign mission, the beginning of publication efforts, and an especially strong interest in education. The establishment of community academies evolved into Alfred University (New York), Milton College (Wisconsin), and Salem College (West Virginia). Stirred by the zealous A.H. Lewis, and benefitting from a national evangelistic fervor, Seventh Day Baptists enjoyed rapid growth in the latter part of the 19th century. In the first half of the 20th century, focus was on ecumenical and social concerns, and more recently on church growth and extension into urban settings. The Seventh Day Baptist World Federation was established in 1965 to provide for communication, fellowship, and international cooperation among Seventh Day Baptist conferences and groups around the world. Delegates from 16 member conferences celebrated the Federation's 20th anniversary in 1986, representing some 50,000 SDBs in 20 nations. ............................................................ What do Seventh Day Baptists Believe? 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; 2 Timothy 2:15; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:3-6, 15; Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Seventh Day Baptist consider liberty of thought under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to be essential to Christian belief and practice. Therefore we encourage the unhindered study and open discussion of Scripture. We uphold the individual's freedom of conscience in seeking to determine and obey the will of God. The following statement is not intended to be exhaustive, but is an expression of our common belief, which is derived from our understanding of Scripture. God 1 Timothy 1:17; Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Kings 8:27; 1 John 1:5; Genesis 1:1-2; Acts 17:24-25, 28; Psalm 90:1-2; Matthew 28:19; John 3:16; Isaiah 57:15; 2 Peter 3:9. We believe in one God, infinite and perfect, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe who exists eternally in three persons--Father, Son and Holy Spirit--and desires to share His love in a personal relationship with everyone. --The Father 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:6; Ezekiel 33:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8; John 5:24; John 3:16-18. We believe in God the Father, who is sovereign over all, and is loving and just as He forgives the repentant and condemns the unrepentant. --The Son John 1:34; Hebrews 1:3; John 1:14-18; Romans 1:3-4; 1 John 3:16; 1 Peter 2:24; Hebrews 10:10-14; 1 Corinthians 15:20-21; 1 Timothy 2:5; John 14:6; 1 John 2:1-2. We believe in God the Son, who became incarnate in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. He gave Himself on the cross as the complete and final sacrifice for sin. As our Risen Lord, He is the mediator between God the Father and mankind. --The Holy Spirit John 14:16; 3:5-8; 14:17; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 12:4-7; 2 Peter 1:20-21; John 16:7-11. We believe in God the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who gives spiritual birth to believers, lives within them, and empowers them for witnessing and service. We believe the Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures, convicts of sin and instructs in righteousness. The Bible 2 Peter 1:20-21; Romans 3:2; 2 Peter 3:1-2, 15-16; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Matthew 5:17-19; Psalm 119:105; John 20:30-31 Hebrews 1:1-2. We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and is our final authority in matters of faith and practice. We believe that Jesus Christ, in His life and teachings as recorded in the Bible, is the supreme interpreter of God's will for mankind. Mankind Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 8:3-9; Micah 6:8; Matthew 5:44-48; 1 John 1:3; John 1:12. We believe that mankind was created in the image of God and is therefore the noblest work of creation. We believe that human beings have moral responsibility and are created to enjoy both divine and human fellowship as children of God. Sin and Salvation 1 John 3:4-5; Romans 3:23-25; Isaiah 59:2; 1 John 1:8-10; Romans 5:6-8; 6:23; Hebrews 10:10-14; 1 Peter 1:3; John 3:16-18, 36; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6; Matthew 25:41-46; Romans 5:10. We believe that sin is disobedience to God and failure to live according to His will. Because of sin all people have separated themselves from God. We believe that because we are sinners, we are in need of a Savior. We believe that salvation from sin and death is the gift of God by redeeming love accomplished by Christ's death an resurrection, and is received only by repentance and faith in Him. We believe that all who repent of their sin and receive Christ as Savior will not be punished at the final judgment but enjoy eternal life. Eternal Life 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 20-23; John 14:1-3; Matthew 24:30; Titus 2:13; John 17:3; 1 John 5:11-13; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44; John 10:27-28; John 6:40. We believe that Jesus rose from the dead and lives eternally with the Father, and that He will come again with power and great glory. We believe that eternal life begins in knowing God through a commitment to Jesus Christ. We believe that because He died and lives again, resurrection with spiritual and imperishable bodies is the gift of God to believers. The Church Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 12:13, 14, 27; Romans 12:4-5; Colossians 1:18; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 2:19-22; Romans 15:5-7; Ephesians 4:11-16; 2 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Matthew 18:20; Hebrews 10:24-25. We believe that the church of God is all believers gathered by the Holy Spirit and joined into one body, of which Christ is the Head. We believe that the local church is a community of believers organizied in covenant relationship for worship, fellowship and service, practicing and proclaiming common convictions, while growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We believe in the priesthood of all believers and practice the autonomy of the local congregation, as we seek to work in association with others for more effective witness. Baptism Romans 6:3-4; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41; Colossians 2:12; Romans 6:11; Galatians 3:26-27. We believe that baptism of believers in obedience to Christ's command is a witness to the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We believe in baptism by immersion as a symbol of death to sin, a pledge to a new life in Him. The Lord's Supper Mark 14:22-25; Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 11:23-30. We believe that the Lord's Supper commemorates the suffering and death of our Redeemer until He comes, and is a symbol of union in Christ and a pledge of renewed allegiance to our risen Lord. Sabbath Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 16:23-30; Exodus 20:8-11; Matthew 5:17-19; Mark 2:27-28; Luke 4:16; Acts 13:14; 42-44; 16:11-13; 17:2-3; 18:4-11 Ezekiel 20:19-20; Hebrews 4:9-10; John 14:15; Isaiah 58:13-14; Luke 23:56. We believe that the Sabbath of the Bible, the seventh day of the week, is sacred time, a gift of God to all people, instituted at creation, affirmed in the Ten Commandments and reaffirmed in the teaching and example of Jesus and the apostles. We believe that the gift of Sabbath rest is an experience of God's eternal presence with His people. We believe that in obedience to God and in loving response to His grace in Christ, the Sabbath should be faithfully observed as a day of rest, worship, and celebration. Evangelism Matthew 24:14; Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 4:1-2, 5-6; 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Ephesians 6:14-20. We believe that Jesus Christ commissions us to proclaim the Gospel, to make disciples, to baptize and to teach observance of all that He has commanded. We are called to be witnesses for Christ throughout the world and in all human relationships. The Seventh Day Baptists 3120 Kennedy Road P.O. Box 1678 Janesville, WI 53547-1678 Transcribed and uploaded with permission by: Kyle Pratt 76570.2133@compuserve.com .......................................................... Seventh Day Baptists and Seventh-day Adventists Compared Seventh Day Baptists and Seventh-day Adventists are frequently mistaken for each other. Historically, Seventh Day Baptists are a much older group, dating back to the 1650s in England and to 1671 in America. The Seventh-day Adventist denomination resulted from the Millerite Movement of the 1840s with the addition of the Sabbath truth through contact with Seventh Day Baptists. The two denominations are alike in the following ways: 1. Both are Christian bodies. 2. Both practice baptism of believers by immersion. 3. Both practice open communion. 4. Both observe the only Biblical Sabbath-the seventh day of the week-Saturday. 5. Both express a free form of worship. 6. Both believe in the separation of church and state. Important points of difference are: 1. Seventh Day Baptists hold to the historic Protestant principle that the Bible-and only the Bible-is the authoritative source of our faith. Seventh-day Adventists hold that Mrs. Ellen G. White was an inspired prophetess, and that her writings are to be received as authoritative in the church. Adventists call this unique doctrine "The Spirit of Prophecy." Seventh Day Baptists believe that Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to guide his followers into all truth. 2. Seventh Day Baptists are a covenant people, bound together by loving relationships with God and with each other. They covenant together, agreeing to strengthen these relationships. Doctrinal differences are tolerated within the church family because it is love that holds Seventh Day Baptists together, and not doctrinal uniformity. Seventh Day Adventist are a creedal people, bound together by their doctrinal uniformity. Doctrinal differences cannot be tolerated because uniformity hold them together. 3. Seventh Day Baptists believe in individual interpretation of the Scriptures under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. For this reason they allow for differences of belief and understanding of the Scriptures. Seventh Day Adventists have a denominational set of beliefs, which serves as a creed. Their regimentation in doctrinal belief and their test of doctrinal position by Mrs. White's writings discourage personal search for God's continuing revelation and inhibit personal religious liberty. 4. Seventh-day Adventists lay great stress on "The Third Angel's Message" (Rev. 14:9-12); consider that Christ entered the Holy of Holies in 1844 to cleanse the Heavenly sanctuary; that "The Investigative Judgment" of human lives is now going on in heaven. Seventh Day Baptists reject this interpretation. They agree with other Protestants that Christ's atoning work on the cross accomplished our salvation. This present gift of eternal life assures us of a future free from condemnation. 5. Seventh Day Baptists do not believe they are the only true church nor the only door to salvation. Seventh-day Adventists believe they compose God's remnant church and are the only true church. They teach that they are to call others from "Babylon" (other denominations) into the true church. They believe that when they have completed their task throughout the world, the second coming of Christ will occur. 6. Seventh Day Baptists churches are autonomous. They are congregational in organization. Boards, the General Conference and its committees exercise only delegated or advisory powers to effect the will of church membership. Seventh-day Adventists are much more authoritarian in church organization; local churches and individual members are to a large degree directed by and responsible to the national and regional organizations. The Seventh Day Baptists 3120 Kennedy Road P.O. Box 1678 Janesville, WI 53547-1678 email - sdb.gen@inwave.com Transcribed and uploaded with permission by: Kyle Pratt 76570.2133@compuserve.com ............................................................. The 7th Day of the Bible is the 7th Day on the Calendar In trying to find reasons for Sunday worship observance, some people look to calendar changes. Since it was changed in the English world in 1752, they argue that we cannot know which day is the seventh. "So to uphold the seventh day Sabbath on Saturday is unreasonable." But is it? The seventh day on our calendar is in the same seven-day cycle as on the calendar of the orthodox Jew. The cycle has been used for over 5,700 years. For example, the year 1990 is 5750 on the Jewish calendar. Today's Sabbath is in the same cycle that was used when Jesus lived on the earth. The Sabbath always falls on the seventh day of the week on our calendar. What about calendar changes since Christ? The Julian Calendar The Julian calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. This calendar had 365 days, with every fourth year having 366 days, assuming that the year was 365 1/4 days long. The Gregorian Calendar In 1582, under Gregory XIII, it was found that the year is actually 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 50 seconds long--11 minutes and 10 seconds less than the Julian calculations. By 1582, this error had caused a gain of ten days on the calendar. After much study, it was decided to drop those ten days. But this change did not affect the order of the days of the week, only the dates of the days of the month. The new Gregorian calendar was adopted in October, 1582. It showed Thursday, October 4, followed by Friday, October 15: October 1582 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sab - 1 2 3 4 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 - - - - - - Have there been other changes? The English Calendar In England, the change was not made until 1752. By that time, eleven days had been gained. When the Gregorian calendar was adopted, eleven days were dropped; and Wednesday, September 2, was followed by Thursday, September 14. Here again, the dates of the month were changed, but not the order of the days of the week. September 1752 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sab - - 1 2 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 - - - - - - - W.J. Eckert of the Naval Observatory, director of the Nautical Almanac, said, "The change from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in no way affected the weekly cycle. This cycle has not been altered for as long as records have been available." What should our commitment be? The Sabbath that Jesus honored was the Sabbath that his fellow countrymen used. They had honored it for centuries. It is the same Sabbath today! It is the seventh day of each week on the calendars we now use. How far are we willing to follow Christ's example in Sabbath observance? The 7th Day of the Bible IS the 7th Day on the Calendar! American Sabbath Tract and Communication Council Seventh Day Baptist Center 3120 Kennedy Road P.O. Box 1678 Janesville, WI 53547-1678 Transcribed and uploaded with permission by: Kyle Pratt 76570.2133@compuserve.com ............................................................. Pro & Con A brief study on the Sabbath question "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27-28) "You are my friend if you do what I command." (John 15:14) God made the Sabbath at creation for all people, and not for Jews only.--Gen. 2:2-3; Ex. 20:11; Mark 2:27 It was observed before the Law was given on Mt. Sinai.--Ex. 16:23-30 The command to observe it is associated with nine moral precepts, placed in the heart of the unchangeable Law.--Ex. 20:8-11 It is a sign between God and His people.-- Ex. 31:17; Ezek. 20:20 Wrath came upon ancient Israel for breaking the Sabbath.--Neh. 13:15-18 If the Sabbath had been kept, Jerusalem might not have been destroyed.--Jer. 17:24-25 Christ observed the Sabbath.--Mark 1:21 He called Himself its Lord.--Mark 2:28 It was His custom to worship in the synagogue on that day.--Luke 4:16 The disciples rested on the Sabbath while Christ was lying in the grave.--Luke 23:56 Matthew, Mark, and Luke, who wrote after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, spoke from first-hand experience when describing the Sabbath as an existing institution.--Matt. 24:20; 28:1; Mark 16:1; Luke 23:56 It was Paul's manner to make the Sabbath a preaching day.--Acts 17:2 The Gentile believers also observed the Sabbath.-- Acts 13:42-44 Paul preached by a riverside, where there was no synagogue, on the Sabbath.--Acts 16:13 He reasoned in the synagogue at Corinth "every Sabbath."--Acts 18:4 He continued there a year and six months, "teaching them the word of God."--Acts 18:11 If Rev. 1:10 refers to any day of the week, it must be that day of which the Savior spoke in Mark 2:28 Facts About the First Day of the Week, or Sunday As the beginning of that day approached, the women came to the tomb.--Matt. 28:1 On it, our Lord's resurrection was discovered-- Mark 16:2,9; John 20:1. But the Bible does not say that it was therefore the Sabbath, nor that He rose on that day. The women brought spices to the empty grave on that day (Luke 24:1), something they would not have done on the Sabbath. (See Luke 23:56.) Christ appeared to His disciples while the doors were shut for fear of the Jews--John 20:19. They were not assembled to celebrate Christ's resurrection, for some did not believe it had occurred. He came to prove it to them. Paul preached once on the evening of the first day, our "Saturday night"--Acts 20:7. But the next morning, he continued his journey toward Jerusalem. The Corinthians were commanded to set aside gifts for needy believers on the first day--1 Cor. 16:2. This was not a public collection, but a private business transaction at each home. -------------------- These are all the texts which speak of "the first day of the week"--just eight of them. What do they prove? Nothing at all, in favor of Sunday. Carefully examined, they support the reverse. The Bible declares that, "Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness"--1 John 3:4. But what law do we break when we work on Sunday? If someone can find a text which says, "You shall not do any work on the first day of the week," or "Remember Sunday by keeping it holy," then Sunday observance, in place of God's Sabbath, will stand the test of righteous and loving obedience; otherwise, it will not. "Blessed are those who wash their robes (do his commandments), that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city"-- Rev. 22:14. But where is any commandment that speaks about Sunday? Man's Excuses and God's Answers "It's not convenient to keep the seventh day." Matt. 16:24 "I have a family to support; it will interfere with my business." Matt. 16:25-26, also 6:26; 1 Tim. 4:8; Ps. 37:3; Isa. 58:13-14 "It causes trouble and division." John 15:19; 17:14; Matt. 10:34-39; 1 Kings 18:17-18 "Everybody keeps the first day." Matt. 7:13-14; Ex. 23:2; John 21:22 "Great men teach that it's right." Hosea 10:13; 1 Cor. 1:25-27; Prov. 19:27 "Civil law demands it." Acts 4:19; Dan. 3:16-18; 6:10 "The Sabbath cannot be restored." Jer. 32:17,27; Matt. 5:17-19 "I will be persecuted." Matt. 5:11-12; Luke 6:22-23,26; 1 John 4:4 "It makes no difference what day I keep, if I keep it right." Ex. 20:9-10; Matt. 15:3,9. To keep any day right is to keep it as God's law directs; otherwise, His law is not right. "I don't think those old laws are binding." Jer. 6:16--"This is what the Lord says: 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths...'" Compare Jer. 2:11; 18:15. Matt. 5:17-18--"'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...'" "I'm afraid of new doctrines." Gen. 2:2-3, Ex. 20:11 "The apostle teaches that old things are passed away." 2 Cor. 5:17--"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" The man becomes new--not the law. (See Rom. 3:31.) Authorities Contrasted God commands us to keep the Sabbath. Popular custom commands us to trample on it. God sanctified the Sabbath, and Christ the Savior of men kept it. Traditions of men have pushed God's sanctified day aside and exalted a human holiday in its place. -------------------- That's a brief look at some questions concerning the Sabbath and Sunday. We hope everyone will search the Bible to see whether these things are so (See Acts 17:11.) -------------------- American Sabbath Tract and Communication Council Seventh Day Baptist Center 3120 Kennedy Road P.O. Box 1678 Janesville, WI 53547-1678 Transcribed and uploaded with permission by: Kyle Pratt AOL: KDPRATT@aol.com CIS: 76570.2133@Compuserve.com |~~~~~._O_.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~._O_.~~~~~| | [_____]_______________________________________________[_____] | | | | | | | | | | Downloaded from Fisherman's Net Publications | | | | | | be397@freenet.ushsc.edu | | | | !___!_________________________________________________!___! | | [_____] [_____] | |______'O'___________________________________________________'O'______| **FULL LIST OF AVAILABLE ELECTRONIC PUBLICATIONS** Category 1: Gospel Publications ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1a. Fisherman's Net Newsletter -a monthly periodical 1b. I Had a Hole in My Heart -a Gospel tract (7043 bytes) 1c. A LOVE LETTER TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE -a Messianic message (3691) 1d. THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENT IN MY LIFE -a personal testimony (3630) 1e. IS THERE SOMETHING MISSING IN YOUR LIFE? -a Gospel tract (4997) 1f. 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