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Sabbath

Jesus Our Sabbath, part 2.

Chapel of SS Mary & Katherine - interior looking east

This missive was written in response to a friend who has insisted that Saturday is the only day for worship. Part 1 is here Summary: Come to ME, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Sabbath) Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest (Sabbath)  for your souls. Matthew 11:28–29 Rick as I read through your letter,  I am hesitant to respond in detail as I fear you have missed my main point.  But I will get to that.  Unfortunately, you have unreliable sources for excluding the phrase “he declared all foods clean”   The parentheses are not in the original text, btw, but the attestation for that line goes back to early manuscripts:  https://www.neverthirsty.org/bible-qa/qa-archives/question/was-thus-he-declared-all-foods-clean-inserted-by-man-mark-719/  Your assertion that the situation was unique to Antioch about using the Noahic Covenant for Gentiles is just not true.  It is repeated three times in Acts as a counsel as to how to treat Gentile believers.  That Noahic Covenant declared all foods clean:   “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. But you shall not eat flesh … Read more

Jesus is Our Sabbath

Chapel of SS Mary & Katherine - interior looking east

Jesus is our Sabbath, our Day of Rest.  He is the fulfillment of the Law. For he said, “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.” Matthew 5:17 (ESV)  Therefore it says: “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:30–31 (NIV)   Our righteousness and holiness are to be found in Jesus alone; and in his labors that fulfilled the law we can find our rest.  That is why it says of Jesus, “For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.”  Hebrews 4:8–11 (ESV) In other words, if you want a true Sabbath rest, … Read more