The Adventist Way of Life

The “Claims” are by an individual and are his responses to Eric’s article. In this response we see who is more Biblically correct. Eric here answers the “claims”. We report, you decide!

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 POINT ONE: Jesus stated that the Sabbath was “made for man“. [Mark 2:27] So this means that when God made the Sabbath in Genesis 2:1,2 and rested on this day He then gave it to man.

Claim: This is an excellent example of eisegesis; taking a passage out of context, and expanding it into a meaning not supported by the context. No serious Biblical scholar with any integrity would stoop to such methodology, but it is of no concern to the Sabbatarian. Whatever can be used to support their Sabbatarian position is fair game.

Answer: How is Eric [myself]  taking it out of context? He is using the whole Bible to deal with a topic. Adventists have been accused of believing the whole Bible. And rightly so. God, through the prophet Isaiah instructs us to study “here a little” and “there a little”. [Isaiah 28:9,10]. And we are told that “all scripture” should be used. [2 Timothy 3:16,17] We do this when we arrive at such doctrines as the Trinity. The word Trinity is not found in the Bible, but it is clearly taught.

Claim: This comes from a contrast statement made by Jesus. The religious leaders had elevated the law and the sabbath to the status of a god which they in turn served. Instead of the law and the sabbath serving the “man” the “man” ended up serving the sabbath.

Answer: Yes, we use statements made by Jesus in all matters. Jesus taught Christians how to keep the fourth commandment. He said that he did not come to “destroy the Law or the Prophets”. And that not “one jot or tittle” could be changed. [Matthew 5:17,18]

Claim: If this line of reasoning of the author’s was even remotely valid, then we would find corroborating Scripture to back it up. So, where’s the command in Scripture for all mankind to keep the Sabbath? The Scriptures are silent on the subject.

Answer: First off many of the prophets did not understand all of what they were saying until the event came to pass. They did not have a whole Bible like we do today. So yes, we see a clearer picture regarding issues such as the Sabbath. And where are Gentiles keeping the Sabbath? Exodus 20 informs us that even the “stranger” [Gentile] shall keep it along with Isaiah 56:6,7, Isaiah 66:23 and in Acts chapter 13 the Gentiles are found keeping the fourth commandment. The Isaiah 66:23 verse informs us that it will be kept on the New Earth. It is interesting to note that God made the Sabbath before sin ever entered the picture and that He keeps it after sin is completely destroyed.  

POINT TWO: So the Sabbath was first given in the Garden of Eden. [Genesis 2:1,2] We see that intervals of seven days were kept by God’s people before the flood. [Genesis 7:4]

Claim: Genesis 2:1 “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.”

Does this say the sabbath was first given in the Garden of Eden? No. Worse than stooping to eisegesis is the habit of reading into Scripture what is not there. What does the Scripture say? God rested on that seventh day. It does not say God rested on every seventh day, or commanded Adam and Eve to rest on every seventh day. God rested on that day and sanctified that day, and no other at that time.

Answer: This is another example of what we call “window versing”. You are only using one verse regarding the Sabbath to make a sweeping claim. Eric [myself] uses the whole Bible to “reason” from the Scriptures. If I picked only one verse regarding any topic I too could make it say what I wanted. Here are ten points regarding the Sabbath using the whole Bible. When we as Seventh Day Adventists use the whole Bible we see a bigger and clearer picture of the fourth commandment

1-Sabbath first given in the Garden of Eden. [Genesis 2:1,2] Intervals of seven days kept by God’s people before the flood. [Genesis 7:4]

2-Sabbath kept after the flood. God’s people still counting intervals of seven days. [Genesis 29:27,28]

3-The Sabbath kept before and during the exile of God’s people, before it was written on stone by God in the Ten Commandments. [Exodus 16:28]

4-Finaly God reminds them of His commandments after they are taken out of Egypt and He writes them on stone. [Exodus ch.20]

5-Jesus kept the Sabbath day holy. [Luke 4:16-19]

6-After Jesus died Mary kept the Sabbath holy. [Luke 23:54,56]

7-The early church kept the Sabbath holy. [Acts 13:42,44]

8-Jesus claimed that the Sabbath would be kept by His people during the Great Tribulation. [Matthew 24:20,21]

9-It is kept holy today by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. [see your local phone book :)]

10-The Sabbath will be kept on the New Earth. [Isaiah 66:22,23]

Here we see the big picture. As Seventh Day Adventists we want to make sure we understand what God is telling us so we do use the whole Bible.

Claim: The reference to seven days in Genesis 7:4 is not germane to the issue. It is however an example of trying to bolster a belief with irrelevant Scriptures in the hope no one is checking out the references.

Answer: Please listen to your reasoning. You say that Eric is trying to “bolster a belief”. Eric uses much Scripture to come to his conclusion. You seem to want to turn off God given reasoning here. Why are God’s people counting intervals of seven days? Use the whole Bible friend, you might begin to understand why the Hebrew word, “shibah” seven day week is used.

POINT THREE: We see the Sabbath kept after the flood. God’s people were still counting intervals of seven days. [Genesis 29:27,28] This means that the Sabbath was given to man 25oo years before the existance of a Jew.

Claim: It is a conclusion drawn out of context. It is more eisegesis. It is the most dishonest form of scholarship possible. Where is the “thus saith the Lord?” It isn’t there. Are we therefore to base our beliefs upon such assumption and speculation? It is a recipe sure to result in deceptive beliefs.

Answer: Jesus told us that the Sabbath was made for man. If it was made for man then it was made for man. You are teaching here that the Sabbath was not made for man. God’s moral law cannot change. The verses in Genesis ch.2 tell us that God “sanctified” that 7th day. So when was it set apart and for whom? Once again, use your God given reasoning my friend. If God set that day apart way back then, well, that is when it became something special. God “sanctified” and “blessed” the 7th day. This is very clear. [Genesis 2:1,2] So if God blessed the 7th day how long shall it be blessed? “…for thou blessest, O Lord, and it shall be blessed for ever.” [1 Chronicles 17:27] Again, how long will the Sabbath day be blessed? Can we transfer this blessing?  ”Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.” [Numbers 23:20]

POINT FOUR: We see that even before all the commandments were written on stone after the Egyptian exile that God chose Abraham “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, [God said] and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” [Genesis 26:5] 

Claim: The author again resorts to speculation and assumption. Were these commandments, statutes, and laws God gave to Abraham commandments that contained a sabbath requirement? If we examine those Scriptures where God commanded Abraham to do various things, nowhere do we find Abraham being commanded to keep a sabbath day of rest. This sort of “argument through silence” is also an invalid form of scholarship. The author seems to revel in the worst forms of scholarship possible in order to make his point.

Answer: Here again, you have to use all of God’s word. We see Cain and Abel practicing sacrificial  laws in Genesis but the sacrificial laws were not yet written out. So by your reasoning they were doing it for what, for fun? Why was there already the shedding of blood in Genesis? Because the moral law had been broken. Sin is the transgression of the Law and without the shedding of blood [sacrificial law] there is no atonement.

Claim: In this regard however, there is a plain statement in Scripture that refutes this line of reasoning regarding the sabbath issue. It is found in Deuteronomy 5: Deuteronomy 5:1 And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.3 The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.Abraham was one of the fathers, and Abraham did not have this covenant; these statutes and judgments; this law.

Answer: True that new theocratic laws were given through Moses. It was the beginning of the Israelite kingdom. New governmental laws were included in the Law of Moses along with the sacrificial laws and moral laws. Eventually the Temple was added to the sacrificial laws. So I do not understand your point. Are you saying that they did not have the moral standard until Moses appeared? Yikes! Here we see some interesting debating. Hope to post more answers for those who visit; “Adventist Way” and “The Adventist Way of Life”Eric King welcomes your questions!

www.adventist.7p.com

Eric W. King [posted July 5,2007]

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