God’s Holy Day PlanA promise of hope for all humanity

God’s Holy Day PlanA promise of hope for all humanity

Which Commandments Did Jesus Break?Which Commandments Did Jesus Break?

Jesus Christ and the Sabbath • God’s Vision for You

Premier IssuePremier Issue

2 The Good News

THE GOOD NEWS is published bimonthly by the UnitedChurch of God, an International Association, P.O. Box661780, Arcadia, CA 91066-1780.

Managing editor: Scott Ashley

Copy editor: Dixon Cartwright

Proofreader: Jeannette Anderson

Art director: Shaun Venish

Editorial reviewers:

John Bald, Roger Foster, Bruce Gore, PaulKieffer, John Meakin, Peter Nathan, BrianOrchard, Richard Thompson, Leon Walker,

Donald Ward, Lyle Welty, Dean Wilson

United Church of God board of directors:

Robert Dick, Jim Franks, Roy Holladay, DougHorchak, David Hulme (chairman), Victor

Kubik, Dennis Luker, Burk McNair, Ray Wooten

Special thanks to: Steve Andrews, Sheryl Carey,Tom Damour, John Elliott, Jim Hopkins, LisaHowell, Darris McNeely, Scott Moss, SusannOhmart, Richard Pinelli, Jana Reed, MelvinRhodes, John Robinson, Dale Schurter, Jen-nifer Swenson, Larry Walker, Leon Walker

Photography: Images provided by © 1994PhotoDisc, Inc., except front cover, page 5 ©1995 Scott Ashley; pages 26, 27, Jim Franks

© 1995 United Church of God, an InternationalAssociation. Printed in U.S.A. All rights reserved.Reproduction in any form without written permissionis prohibited. Published Fall 1995.Subscriptions: THE GOOD NEWS is sent free to all whorequest it. Your subscription is provided by the gener-ous, voluntary contributions of members of theUnited Church of God, an International Association,and their co-workers. Donations are gratefullyaccepted and are tax-deductible. To request a sub-scription, write to THE GOOD NEWS, United Church ofGod, P.O. Box 661780, Arcadia, CA 91066-1780, orto the international addresses below.

International addresses:

AUSTRALIA: United Church of God—AustraliaP.O. Box 929 Beenleigh, Qld. 4207 AustraliaPhone: 0755 35 6030 Fax: 0755 35 6106BAHAMAS: United Church of God P.O. Box N8873 Nassau Bahamas Phone: (809) 324-3169 Fax: (809) 364-5566CANADA: United Church of God, an InternationalAssociation 9251-8 Yonge St., #303 Richmond Hill, ON L4C 9T3 CanadaSOUTH AFRICA: United Church of God P.O. Box 4345 Randburg 2125 South Africa Phone and fax: 011 792-4601SPANISH-SPEAKING AREAS: United Church ofGod P.O. Box 458 Big Sandy, TX 75755 U.S.A.Phone: (903) 636-4928UNITED KINGDOM: United Church of God (UK)188 First St. New Greenham Park Thatcham, Berks. RG19 6HW United Kingdom Phone: 0115 944-4973

From the publisher“What we need is some good news!” An often heard lament in

this violent, anxious 20th century. Our century, it seems, has wit-nessed more misfortunes, disasters and catastrophes than any otherin human history. A brief survey of our times reveals the shockingstatistic of more than 150 million killed as a result of war alone since1900. Diseases, pandemics and natural disasters have claimed thelives of well over 100 million more. Yes, we need some good news.The information age is here, and the bad news is ever present. Itrains down on us from satellites 24 hours a day. But where is thesource of good news? Surprisingly, the editors and writers of thismagazine believe it’s been available for thousands of years.

THE GOOD NEWS is a biblically based publication. The much-neglect-ed Book of Books contains good news, known otherwise as “thegospel.” The Old English word gospel, or “good spell (tale),” simplymeans good news. And what is the gospel? It’s the announcementof the rule of God on the earth, now and in the future.

The gospel is not a limited “religious” message about a historicalfigure. It is the answer to every human dilemma, because it speaksto a way of living and of God’s own plan for humanity. When Jesusof Nazareth began His ministry of reconciliation, He came to Galilee“preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God” (Mark 1:14). It wasgood news about God’s intervention in human affairs to save usfrom the bad news. Jesus’ message included the truth about Hisown life, death and resurrection and the high decrees He embodied.It is the way of spiritual salvation.

So this new magazine is not so new after all. Its message is atimeless one, full of hope, faith and love—three aspects of humanexistence that have been debased and deconstructed in our time.

Whatever happened to our visions of a positive, hopeful futureand lives lived in dignity with love and concern for all? THE GOODNEWS will recapture those visions and values every two months,beginning January-February 1996. The issue you hold is a premierone for your perusal and comment. Let us know how you feel aboutthe contents.

In the following pages you’ll find inspiring, touching articles foryoung people such as Darris McNeely’s appeal to “Dare to Dream”and teenager Sarah Swenson’s “Don’t You Trust Me?” Compassionand empathy feature in Andrea West’s “Heart of Flesh” and MonaSchurter’s “Too Deep for Tears.” Mother of three Bonnie Greiderhas some practical advice for Christian women under pressure in“Are We Thriving or Just Coping?”

THE GOOD NEWS’ strong biblical foundation comes through in the“Family Bible Study” about the enduring Ten Commandments andin the provocatively titled “Which Commandments Did JesusBreak?” by Larry Walker. Jim Franks takes a look a relativelyunknown figure in American history: one of New England’s earlySabbath-keepers. His struggles and triumphs speak powerfully to aworld of shallow convictions. The plan of God for humanity is effec-tively summarized in the parallel articles “God’s Plan as Revealed byHis Holy Days,” by Don Ward, and “What Do the Holy Days Meanfor Christians Today?” by Roger Foster.

THE GOOD NEWS is here to help you on your journey to the destinyour Creator has for us all. Let us know what you think.

—David Hulme

Premier Issue 3

ContentsCOVER STORY

God’s Plan as Revealed by His Holy Days

Thousands of years ago, God commanded the nationof Israel to observe a series of festivals throughout theyear. Far from being obsolete or a relic of bygone days,these days are rich in meaning for mankind today.Why? They reveal the very plan and purpose of God! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

FEATURE ARTICLES

God’s Vision for YouGod has a plan for humanity—and it includes you! . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6What Do the Holy Days Mean for Christians Today?The incredible truth behind the biblical Holy Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Which Commandments Did Jesus Break?Jesus was accused of breaking God’s law—did He? . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Jesus Christ and the SabbathWhat the Bible shows about Jesus and the Sabbath . . . . . . . . . . . 14Feast Days: God’s or Man’s?How were holidays substituted for Holy Days? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Are We Thriving or Just Coping?How you can break the cycle of daily drudgery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22A Heart of FleshHow to be there for grieving friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Too Deep for TearsEncouraging words for troubling times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Governor Samuel Ward and His Confession of FaithOne man’s devotion to his country and his faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

REGULAR FEATURES

World News and TrendsLessons From Yugoslavia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Family Bible StudyWere the Ten Commandments Known Before Mount Sinai? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Just for YouthDon’t You Trust Me? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Four Ways to Patch Up Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Dare to Dream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Page 4

Page 6

Page 24

Page 26

4 The Good News

THE HOLY DAYS REVEAL GOD’Splan of salvation for all humani-ty. Just as the plan of salvation isuniversal, so are the Holy Days.

They progressively provide hope for allhumans as God’s boundless love ismade available through their fulfillment.The universality of these days is con-firmed in Leviticus 23:4:“These are the feasts of theLORD,” not just the feastsof Israel. These feastsinclude the weeklySabbath. After Jesus Christcreated the Sabbath day,He rested (Hebrew sha-bath: “kept Sabbath”)from all the work He hadmade (Genesis 2:2).

Since Jesus Christ cre-ated the Sabbath, He isLord of the Sabbath(Mark 2:28). “All thingswere made through Him,and without Him nothingwas made that was made”(John 1:3). Thus, anyonewho attempts to confinethe “feasts of the LORD”to the Jews must deny Jesus’ own testi-mony. So to deny that Jesus Christ cre-ated the Sabbath is to deny His lord-ship and sovereignty.

Since the weekly Sabbath and theHoly Days are “feasts of the LORD,”

they stand or fall together. They revealthe greatest purpose of God: His desireto have a relationship with everyhuman that has ever lived or ever willlive. Human beings can have a rela-tionship with God only through theHoly Spirit. Those who worship Godmust worship Him in spirit and in truth

(John 4:24). The Sabbaths of the LORDreveal God as a spiritual Creator whodesires a relationship with humankind.

If, at the creation of man, God hadnot created the Sabbath and revealedHimself as the spiritual Creator, man

would have been incomplete: cut off,without any hope or knowledge of howto relate to his Creator. So, at creation,our great loving Father revealed Hislove, care and concern for humans byrevealing Himself as the spiritualCreator, who would commune withhumans through the Holy Spirit as

symbolized by thetree of life.

One cannot eat ofthe tree of life with-out recognizingGod’s sovereignty inall facets of Hisbeing. Adam andEve rejected God’ssovereignty in theirlives. They refusedto look to God forthe knowledge ofgood and evil; thatis, the knowledge ofhow to relate to Godand fellow humans.As a result ofAdam’s and Eve’srejection of God asspiritual Creator and

Revelator, humanity as a whole was cutoff from the Holy Spirit, and hence arelationship with their Creator, for morethan 4,000 years.

The progressive revelation and spiri-

God’s Plan as Revealed

by His Holy Days

God has an incredible plan and purpose for mankind. But how does He reveal it, and how can we understand it?

C O V E R F E A T U R E

b y D o n a l d W a r d

God uses the harvest seasons to teach us about His plan forthe great harvest of mankind in His coming kingdom.

Premier Issue 5

tual fulfillment of “the feasts of theLORD” provide all humans who haveever lived with an opportunity to callupon the name of Jesus Christ as Hehas commanded for redemption andreconciliation with our loving Father.God is “not willing that any should per-ish but that all should come to repen-tance” (2 Peter 3:9). Yes, the “feasts ofthe LORD” are truly universal since theyreveal God’s will for all humans.

Jesus Christ kept the feasts. The apos-tle Paul admonished theCorinthians, “Purge out theold leaven, that you may bea new lump [a little leavenleavens the whole lump],since you truly are unleav-ened. For indeed Christ, ourPassover, was sacrificed forus. Therefore let us keep thefeast, not with old leaven,nor with the leaven of mal-ice and wickedness, butwith the unleavened breadof sincerity and truth” (1Corinthians 5:7, 8).

These passages demon-strate at least two vitaltruths concerning Christians’observance of the Holy Days inthe New Testament. First of all,they were clearly keeping theDays of Unleavened Bread in that theywere unleavened (physically). Paul thenadmonishes them to keep the Feastspiritually by casting out the old leaven(sin), just as they had put out the physi-cal leaven and had thus become physi-cally unleavened. The spiritual keepingof the Feast is to be done through theunleavened bread of sincerity and truth.Jesus Christ is that unleavened bread ofsincerity and truth. The Church is to eatand drink of His Word so “that Hemight sanctify and cleanse it with thewashing of water by the word”(Ephesians 5:26).

With this backdrop we can now par-allel the Holy Days with literal eventsin Israel’s history, with “the principlesof the doctrine of Christ” (KJV) as out-lined in Hebrews 6:1 and 2, and thespiritual fulfillment of the Holy Daysthat culminates with all humans beinggiven the opportunity to enter into aspiritual relationship with their lovingheavenly Father.

God revealed the Sabbath to Adamand Eve the day after they were creat-ed. The apostle Paul wrote that “thelaw is spiritual” (Romans 7:14). TheSabbath proves that God is a spiritualCreator. “But without faith it is impos-sible to please Him, for he who comesto God must believe that He is . . .”(Hebrews 11:6). So the Sabbath paral-lels the doctrine of faith in God. In

short, to deny the spiritual law is todeny that “God is.”

The author of Hebrews wrote thatthere remains a rest for the people ofGod, and the Hebrews were admon-ished to labor to enter into that rest(Hebrews 4:9-11). The word rest istranslated from the Greek word sab-batismos, which implies a physicalkeeping of the Sabbath as well as thefuture millennial rest that is to beenjoyed by the entire creation at themanifestation of the sons of God dur -ing the thousand-year reign of Christand the saints.

PassoverThe servitude of Israel in the land of

Egypt culminated with God hearing thecries of His people and raising up Hisservant Moses to lead them out of ca p-tivity (Exodus 3:7-11). Time after time,Moses went before Pharaoh pleading forfreedom so Israel could hold a feast and“sacrifice unto the LORD” (Exodus 5:1-3). Time after time Pharaoh hardened his

heart as God sent deadly plagues uponthe Egyptians and their land.

Finally God revealed to Moses howthe Israelites could be saved. Theywere instructed to set aside an unblem-ished lamb on the 10th day of the firstmonth. (Here we find God revealingHis sacred calendar to the Israelites.)

On the 14th day of the month theywere instructed to kill the lambs andsprinkle the blood of the lambs on thedoorposts of their homes, so the death

angel would pass overtheir homes and sparetheir firstborn. In thosehomes where no bloodwas sprinkled, the first-born of both man andbeast were slain.

About 1,450 years later,Jesus Christ became ourPassover Lamb on the14th day of the firstmonth of the sacred calen-dar. Jesus Christ is ourPassover (1 Corinthians5:7). His sacrifice makesit possible for the believerto leave spiritual Egypt.Leaving spiritual Egypt

parallels the doctrine ofrepentance. The blood ofChrist becomes the propitia-

tion—the atoning sacrifice—for sin,for all persons who repent of breakingGod’s great, immutable, spiritual law.Christ came to save us out of our sins,not in our sins. As Paul wrote, “But if,while we seek to be justified by Christ,we ourselves also are found sinners, isChrist therefore a minister of sin?Certainly not!” (Galatians 2:17).

Christ instituted the new symbols ofthe Passover on the night before Hewas betrayed and crucified. The breadand wine represent the body and bloodof Jesus Christ. The blood of Christ isthe seal of the new covenant. Jesus saidthat “unless you eat the flesh of theSon of Man and drink His blood, youhave no life in you” (John 6:53).

Christians are therefore commandedto keep the Feast of Passover. In lightof His clear instructions, no Christianwould deny the necessity of keepingthe Feast of Passover. Are the otherfeasts of God any less important in thepurpose and plan of God?

God’s kingdom will usher in a time of peaceunparalleled in the history of mankind.

Continued on page 18

Passover

The weekly Sabbath

6 The Good News6 The Good News

God’s Vision for You!

In God’s master planeveryone is created

with many things incommon. Yet each is

distinct from anyother human being.

b y D a l e S c h u r t e r

God’s Vision for You!

In God’s master planeveryone is created

with many things incommon. Yet each is

distinct from anyother human being.

GOD HAS A GREAT PLAN, A VISION.And that vision includes you.Yes, it does, or you would notbe here. You are special. Youare different from anyone else.The great Creator God person-ally designed and made you

that way. Therefore, you have a contribution to offerthat no one else can make.

It is said that the difference between a chump anda champ is dedication, and dedication demands pur-pose, faith and vision—daily vision.

Having vision means being able to visualize.Visualizing is the beginning of fulfilled vision. Whenwe think of an apple, we see it in our mind’s eye.

Christians have vision and are able to dream theimpossible dream. A man or woman of vision (offaith) fully believes the impossible dream is possi-ble. I believe in this type of vision. How about you?God’s master plan

In God’s master plan every-one is created with manythings in common with every-one else. Yet each person isdistinct from any other humanbeing.

In God’s sight you are not awashout. You are not a com-plete failure. You are not ahopeless sinner. God says youare worth having. You areworth loving. God’s greatestphysical creation is you.

Accept this fact: You havevalue and are not inferior toanyone. Different. Yes, won-derfully different. Remember,you are God’s idea; and Henever makes a mistake. You were not made to beexactly like any other person. But each of us wasmade for a purpose. God had a vision about you andhas a vision for you. If you don’t know God’s pre-sent and ultimate vision for you personally, rightnow, let me share it with you.

“And it shall come to pass in the last da ys, saysGod, that I will pour out of My Spir it on all flesh;your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, youryoung men shall see visions, your old men shalldream dreams” (Acts 2:17).

The apostle Paul summarizes God’s will andvision for all humanity in a nutshell: “. . . God ourSavior . . . desires all men to be saved and to cometo the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3, 4).

God, through His Son Jesus Christ, reveals the

knowledge of truth Paul is referring to: “For God soloved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,that whoever believes in Him should not per ish buthave everlasting life. For God did not send His Soninto the world to condemn the world, but that theworld through Him might be saved” (John 3:16, 17).

That is God’s vision prepared and outlined formankind, including you. It is the offering of, and theway to, eternal life in the kingdom of God: “Thatwhoever believes in Him should not per ish but haveeternal life” (John 3:15). “They will come from theeast and the west, from the north and the south, andsit down in the kingdom of God” (Luke 13:29).

Revealing! Exciting! Awesome!But is such a thing really possible? Maybe you

are skeptical. Well, so were some of Jesus’ disciples.“But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With men it isimpossible, but not with God; for with God all

things are possible’” (Mark 10:27).There’s the answer. Jesus said allthings are possible to him whoreally believes they are possible,and according to God’s will.

In Acts 2:38 and 39, the apostlePeter outlines the process, thesteps, to begin fulfilling God’svision for you. “Then Peter said tothem, ‘Repent, and let every one ofyou be baptized in the name ofJesus Christ for the remission ofsins; and you shall receive the giftof the Holy Spirit. For the promiseis to you and to your children, andto all who are afar off, as many asthe Lord our God will call.’”

Christ then begins to live withinyou through the indwelling of theHoly Spirit (Colossians 1:27;

Ephesians 3:16, 17). In the book of Romans, God continues to explain

His personal vision for you, “But if the Spirit of Himwho raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, Hewho raised Christ from the dead will also g ive life toyour mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells inyou” (Romans 8:11).

In subsequent verses He nails down in detail Hisultimate purpose and vision for you: your magnifi-cent destiny, why you were born. “For if you liveaccording to the flesh you will die; but if by theSpirit you put to death the deeds of the body, youwill live. For as many as are led by the Spirit ofGod, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:13, 14).

Hard to believe, but true. Your destiny envisioned bythe Creator God is to become His very own son or

Continued on page 23

Premier Issue 7

8 The Good News

Lessons From Yugoslavia

The century that began inSarajevo is also ending there.

It was in June 1914 that the AustrianArchduke Ferdinand and his wife wereassassinated while on a visit to theancient Balkan city, an event that led toWorld War I: the “great war” that last-ed over four years, changed forever theglobal balance of power and ended thelives of millions of people.

Europe was never to be the sameagain. At the turn of the century mostEuropean nations had their own kings,emperors or ruling princes. Variousideologies—nationalism, fascism,communism and democracy—forcedkings off their thrones or forced themto change. Stable political systems thathad endured for centuries werereplaced by instability, ethnic strife anddemagoguery. Tensions arose betweennew nations that had not existed beforethe great global conflict. Croats, freedfrom Austrian rule, fought Serbs, whohad not long had their independencefrom the Ottoman Empire of the Turks.

After World War I, at the Treaty ofVersailles, the major powers of theworld tried to force ethnic groupstogether into artificial entities. Onesuch “country” was Yugoslavia, domi-nated by Serbs, with their king, butcontaining within its borders groupssuch as Serbs, Croats and Bosnians.

Invasion by the ThirdReich in 1941 led to theeventual fall of theYugoslav monarchy.Serbian Chetniks andCroatian Ustashi ledresistance to the Nazis.After the German attackon the Soviet Union,communist insurgentsbegan a resistance underthe leadership of theirsecretary general Tito.

Communist partisans fought themonarchist Chetniks as well as theGermans. Tito was victorious, butbecame a renegade in the communistworld after World War II by refusing totake orders from Moscow.

Tito ruled over Yugoslavia’s variousethnic groups for more than 30 years.Realizing the potential for more strife

after his death, he arranged a rotatingpresidency system, whereby a leaderfrom each ethnic group would have anopportunity at the top. It wasn’t to last.

As long as the Soviet threat contin-ued, Yugoslavia held together. After thecollapse of the Soviet Union and theend of communism in Eastern Europe,nationalism again reared its head. Thecountry broke up, with each ethnicgroup demanding its own territory.Antagonisms arose in areas where twoethnic groups had intermingled overthe years. The result: the worst conflictin Europe since World War II.

There is a danger of it spreading, asother countries could get involved.

Already, the conflict has damaged theAtlantic Alliance, which has givenEurope 50 years of peace. No longerdo European countries look to theUnited States for leadership. Americanindecisiveness in the Balkan crisis hasled France and Britain to take the lead.Even Germany is involved, havingamended its postwar constitution toallow it to send some peacekeepingtroops.

What is happening here?The fact is that Europe is a patch-

work quilt of ethnic groups, many de-manding their own independence. Itwould be akin to all the minor ity groupsin the United States wanting their ownterritory, governmental system and flag.For centuries the different groups withtheir differing languages, customs, cul-tures and even religions were heldtogether by kings or emperors whoclaimed them as their possessions. Withthe ancient monarchies mostly gone,there is no reason now why each “tribe”cannot have its independence.

Aggravating these nationalist tenden-cies is the successful European Union(EU), formerly the European Commu-nity (EC). It is ironic that the economicunion which is pledged to full militaryand political union at some point in thefuture should be contributing inadver-tently to the disintegration of nationslike the former Yugoslavia.

However, it is precisely because theEU has been such an economic successthat new very small countries can nowbe born. The European Union hasmade borders irrelevant. Increasingly,Europe is one economy, as is theUnited States. Therefore there is noreason to persist with the old bound-aries that separated one nation, oneeconomic entity, from another.

There will be more nations breakingaway from their former rulers. Already

Europe is a patchwork quilt of

ethnic groups, manydemanding their own

independence.

Continued on page 23

Premier Issue 9

What Do the Holy Days Mean for Christians Today?

God commanded Israel to keep His ‘feasts of the LORD.’What is their relevance for Christians—and mankind—today?

b y R o g e r F o s t e r

Paul, while countering a local heresy, pinpoints the real value of these Holy Days to Christians.

They foreshadow ‘things to come,’ he says.

NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH. Old Testament Holy Days.Incompatible? Absolutely not!

Why? How can festivals observedby ancient Israel be valuable toChristians today?

Simple! They reveal God’s masterplan of salvation.

The Holy Days unveil for us the cru-cial keys to salvation. They give us astep-by-step explanation of how Godplans to reconcile all human beings toHimself. They reveal the big picture—the spiritual harvest of the wholeworld. They give vivid meaning to thegospel of the kingdom of God. Theirvalue to the Church of the living God isincalculable!

How can we be sure that the HolyDays reveal God’s plan of salvation forall mankind? After all, millions don’tunderstand, or they simply disagree.How can we be certain that we areright? The key is in Paul’s letter to theColossians. Paul, an apostle of JesusChrist, speaks about these Holy Daysto a Christian church. What he says—and does not say—carries immenseweight. Let’s examine what Paul saysand understand what he means.

He says, “So let no one judge you infood or in drink, or regarding a festival

or a new moon or sabbaths, which area shadow of things to come, but thesubstance is of Christ” (Colossians2:16, 17).

This passage, probably more thanany other in the Bible, is interpreted bythose who reject God’s festivals as con-firmation that the Holy Days areunnecessary observances for Christ-ians. Their reasoning is not only false;it is based on poor scholarship. Paul,while countering a local heresy, pin-points the real value of these HolyDays to Christians. They foreshadow“things to come,” he says. They focusour attention on the future. They con-nect the plan of God directly to thecommission Christ gave His Church.

Now let’s examine what Paul reallysays about Sabbaths, new moons andHoly Days.

Background to ColossiansFirst, we need some essential back-

ground to Paul’s letter to the Colos-sians. Paul was combating heresy.False teachers had infiltrated thechurch there. These deceivers heavilyinfluenced the Colossians. They intro-duced their own religious philosophy—a mixture of both Jewish and gentileconcepts. Paul warned, “Beware lest

anyone cheat you through philosophyand empty deceit, according to the tra-dition of men . . .” (Colossians 2:8).

Human traditions—the inventions ofthe human mind—were the foundationof the Colossian heresy. This humanreasoning and teaching are what Paulopposed, not revealed instruction fromGod’s Word. Earlier, Jesus had soundlycondemned the Pharisees for the samething. They had elevated their own tradi-tions to greater importance than God’scommandments (Mark 7:8, 9, 13).

Tradition played an extremelyimportant role in the life of the Jews atthat time. The Greeks had a long histo-ry of astrological traditions that relatedplanets and stars to deities. Human tra-dition was beginning to subvert theChurch of God in Colosse.

Paul fought to keep the Colossiansfocused on Christ as the Head of theChurch. These false teachers sought topersuade them to worship angels(Colossians 2:18) to the neglect of theirown bodies (verse 23). None of thesedistorted ideas came from the OldTestament Scriptures.

Paul characterized this Colossianheresy as “empty deceit” and “thebasic principles of the world” (verse 8).It was more than just another harmless

10 The Good News

Satan hates God’s plan. He wants to destroy every vestige of that plan, eradicating all

knowledge of it. He is still ‘the god of this age.’

local tradition. It was an intolerabledeception designed to change the veryfocus of their worship. They werebeing persuaded to ignore plain biblicalinstruction in favor of “the tradition[s]of men” (verse 8). Some elements ofthat deceptive philosophy survive inChristianity to this day.

Man-made regulationsHow does Paul characterize these

basic principles of the world? “There-fore, if you died with Christ from thebasic principles of the world, why, asthough living in the world, do you sub-ject yourselves to regulations [?] . . .”What regulations? “Do not touch, do nottaste, do not handle, . . . according to thecommandments and doctrines of men”(verses 20-22). These man-made regula-tions concerned things “which perishwith the using” (verse 22). Paul is dis-cussing physical things—perishableitems!

Why is this important? The Colossian deceivers were among

the forerunners of gnosticism, a majorreligious movement that flourished inthe second century. Gnosticism gets itsname from the Greek word gnosis,meaning “knowledge.” Gnosticsbelieved that higher, secret knowledgeavailable only to its adherents was nec-essary for salvation.

The gnostic teachers influencing theColossians blended both traditional andnontraditional Jewish beliefs withpagan superstitions and integrated theirastrological beliefs with the worship ofangelic beings. In no way did this mix-ture of beliefs represent the mainstreamJudaism of that day. Theirs was anaberrant sectarian philosophy nowheretaught in Old Testament Scripture.

What were their main beliefs? They believed that salvation could be

achieved by constant contemplation of“spiritual” things, to the neglect of thephysical body. They believed in variousorders of angels and that humansshould interact directly with angels.They regarded physical things, includ-

ing the human body, as decadent andunworthy of their time and concern.

Paul explicitly states that the judg-mental attitudes he was countering “all concern things which perish withthe using [obviously referring to physi-cal things]—according to the com-mandments and doctrines of men”(verse 22). How clear! Paul plainlysays that he is countering the com-mandments and doctrines of men, notthe commandments of God.

Why can’t people believe him? The Colossian heretics created their

own prohibitive regulations—“do nottouch, do not taste, do not handle”(verse 21)—against the enjoyment ofphysical things. They were especiallycritical of the eating and drinkingaspects of the Holy Day festivalsobserved by the Colossian members.That was not compatible with theiridea of being “spiritual.”

Their objections covered all feastingaspects of the Holy Days, but apparent-ly not the observance of Holy Days asreligious festivals. They regarded theobservance of a Holy Day as spiritual,but feasting—eating and drinking forenjoyment—was beneath them.

Now we can understand what Paulreally says to the Colossians. He is dis -cussing judging—the critical objectionsof some narrow-minded heretics to theenjoyment of physical things. He com-mands the Colossians not to be inf lu-enced by the false teachers’ objectionsto eating, drinking and rejoicing onSabbaths, Holy Days and new moons.

Criticized for feasting“So let no one judge you in food or

in drink [literally “in eating and indrinking” in the original], or regardinga festival or a new moon or sabbaths,which are a shadow of things to come,but the substance is of Chr ist” (verses16, 17). The word regarding is translat-ed from the Greek noun meros, mean-ing a “part” or “portion” of something.A more accurate rendering would be:“Let no man therefore judge you in

meat, or in drink, or in any part of aHoly Day, or of the new moon, or ofthe Sabbath days . . .”

Paul is just being consistent. Eatingor drinking is a part of Sabbath andHoly Day observance. Both were a partof God’s instructions for rejoicing inobserving those days (Leviticus 23,Deuteronomy 14:22-26).

In writing to the Colossians, Pauluses the word meros (“part”) to coverany other part or aspect of these daysthat the heretics might condemn or crit-icize. Nothing in this passage even sug-gests that the Sabbaths or Holy Dayswere abolished. Succumbing to thejudgmental influence of those earlygnostic heretics is what Paul con-demns, not the observance of Sabbathsand Holy Days.

Future fulfillmentNow back to the main purpose of

the Holy Days for us today. Paul saysthey “are a shadow of things to come.”The phrase to come is a present activeparticiple in the Greek. It means“things coming,” referring to the future,not the past. Any theologian whoclaims that Paul is referring to the HolyDays as a shadow of things in the pastis not being honest with the Gr eekgrammar. The Greek requires it topoint to the future.

The Sabbath and the Holy Daysforeshadow things to come—futureevents. There is no doubt about whatPaul is saying. The Holy Days stillrepresent future events in the plan ofsalvation.

God’s Holy Days are also times forjoy and celebration. He commands us toattend and rejoice with our entire family.“But you shall seek the place where theLORD your God chooses . . . and thereyou shall go. There you shall take . . .your tithes, . . . your freewill offerings,. . . and there you shall eat before theLORD your God, and you shall rejoice inall to which you have put your hand,you and your households, in which theLORD your God has blessed you”

Premier Issue 11

Our individual calling is important, but Godis working out a much bigger purpose

than just our personal salvation.

(Deuteronomy 12:5-7). God’s festivals were designed to be

a wonderful blessing! He desires thatwe thoroughly delight in them. Hewants us to experience together the joyof being His children. No wonder Paulattacks the misguided philosophy ofthe Colossian heretics with such vigor.They sabotaged the very spirit of God’sfestivals. Paul defended the Christians’right to feast on these feast days.

The Sabbath and Holy Days are alsocalled memorials. Their purpose is tomake us aware of God’s plan, both pastand future. The Sabbath is a memorialof creation (Exodus 20:11). It also is atype of the rest that is to come(Hebrews 4:4-11).

Some aspects of God’s master planhave already been fulfilled. The HolyDays represent them as memorials.The Feast of Trumpets portrays what isstill future, yet it also is called amemorial (Leviticus 23:23, 24).Memorials make us remember all theplan of God. We keep them so we willnever forget any major part of God’smaster plan of salvation.

Majority of mankind blindedWhy do so few understand God’s

Holy Days today? They have beentaught to reject them.

Satan hates God’s plan. He wants todestroy every vestige of that plan,eradicating all knowledge of it. He isstill “the god of this age” (2 Corinth-ians 4:4). He “deceives the wholeworld” (Revelation 12:9), blinding thevast majority of mankind to the impor-tance of God’s ways, including theHoly Days.

No religion has maintained an accu-rate understanding of God’s plan withoutthe Holy Days. Some discern importantdetails of that plan correctly. But, with-out an understanding of God’s masterplan as revealed by the Holy Days, theysimply can’t put all the pieces together.Confusion has been the result.

We should deeply appreciate theunderstanding these Holy Days give to

us. And we should thank God thatthese days also picture the future, whenall mankind will understand God’sgreat master plan. Those who are nowblinded are just as much a part of thatplan of salvation as we are. Only thetiming is different.

We must remember that people whoare spiritually blinded are often verysincere, and we should never be judg-mental toward them. Some have deepconvictions and follow many right prin-ciples. They may not yet see the bigpicture or fully grasp the awesome planof God, but the time is coming whenthey will.

We need to appreciate the magnitudeof the plan of salvation pictured byGod’s Holy Days. Our individual call-ing is important, but God is workingout a much bigger purpose than justour personal salvation.

Christ died for all mankind“For I do not desire, brethren, that

you should be ignorant of this mystery,lest you should be wise in your ownopinion, that blindness in part has hap-pened to Israel until the fullness of theGentiles has come in. And so all Israelwill be saved, as it is written: ‘TheDeliverer will come out of Zion, andHe will turn away ungodliness fromJacob; for this is My covenant withthem, when I take away their sins’”(Romans 11:25-27).

However, God shows no favoritism(Romans 2:11). Christ died so all maybe saved! All mankind must yet learnthe truth and come to repentance. Wecontinue to have an important part inthat process. “Therefore I exhort firstof all that supplications, prayers, inter-cessions, and giving of thanks be madefor all men . . . For this is good andacceptable in the sight of God ourSavior, who desires all men to be savedand to come to the knowledge of thetruth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

Also, “The Lord is not slack con-cerning His promise . . . but is longsuf-fering toward us, not willing that any

should perish but that all should cometo repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Spread to the entire worldThe wonderful truths we are learn-

ing now will be spread to the entireworld. “And it shall come to pass tha teveryone who is left of all the na tionswhich came against Jerusalem shall goup from year to year to worship theKing, the LORD of hosts, and to keepthe Feast of Tabernacles. And it shallbe that whichever of the families of theearth do not come up to J erusalem toworship the King, the LORD of hosts,on them there will be no rain. If thefamily of Egypt will not come up andenter in, they shall have no rain; theyshall receive the plague with which theLORD strikes the nations who do notcome up to keep the Feast of Taber-nacles. This shall be the punishment ofEgypt and the punishment of all thenations that do not come up to keep theFeast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah14:16-19).

There are no shortcuts. All peoplesmust be brought to real repentancebefore they will be saved. God’s HolyDays will continue revealing the planof God to mankind until His plan iscomplete. These days will always playa major role in bringing the wholeworld to repentance.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Blessed bethe God and Father of our Lord JesusChrist, who has blessed us with everyspiritual blessing in the heavenlyplaces in Christ, just as He chose us inHim before the foundation of theworld . . . having made known to usthe mystery of His will, according toHis good pleasure which He purposedin Himself, that in the dispensation ofthe fullness of the times He mightgather together in one all things inChrist, both which are in heaven andwhich are on earth . . .” (Ephesians 1:3,4, 9, 10).

What a wonderful plan! What awonderful God! v

12 The Good News

YES, YOU READ IT RIGHT:Which commandments didJesus break? It may come as

a shock to realize that Jesus broke anycommandments. But He did. Andknowing which commandments Hebroke and why He broke them isimportant for you to understand.

Let’s look at the account of one suchaccusation, in John 5:18: “Therefore theJews sought all the more to kill Him,because He not only broke the Sabbath,but also said that God was His Father,making Himself equal with God.”

Now, before anyone jumps to awrong conclusion, let’s understandwhat this verse means. Did Jesus breakthe Sabbath commandment in the lawof God (Exodus 20:8-11, Deuteronomy5:12-15)? Let’s let JesusHimself answer that question:“I have kept my Father’scommandments,” He said(John 15:10).

Also, in response to theyoung man who asked Himwhat to do to inherit eternallife, Jesus said, “If you want to enter intolife, keep the commandments” (Matthew19:17). The verses following clearlyidentify the commandments He referredto as those God gave in what we call theOld Testament. He cited several of theTen Commandments as well as the fun-damental commandment to “love yourneighbor as yourself” to make the point.

On another occasion, Jesus said,“Man shall not live by bread alone, butby every word that proceeds from themouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Clearly,Jesus believed in, taught and kept all thecommandments of God during Hisearthly ministry. He also commandedHis disciples to be “teaching them [newconverts] to observe all things that I havecommanded you” (Matthew 28:20).

In the famous Sermon on theMount, Jesus clearly and forcefully

states His theological position on thelaw of God: “Do not think that I cameto destroy the Law or the Prophets . . .”(Matthew 5:17).

Did Jesus destroy the law?Unfortunately, many think He did

just that. Even though they don’t say itin those exact words, the result is stillthe same. Some say Jesus transformedthe law, meaning that, by acceptingChrist as Savior, a Christian is some-how credited with the righteousness ofChrist. They assume this means wedon’t need to keep the law, becauseJesus allegedly kept it for us, and thelaw really doesn’t apply to us after all.

The effect of this reasoning is thatJesus did in fact destroy the law,

because the word “destroy” (kataluo inGreek) means “to loose or unloosewhat was before bound” (SpirosZodhiates, The Complete Word StudyDictionary, p. 836). So, if Jesus some-how transformed the law so that wedon’t have to keep it, He loosed usfrom its obligation.

But Jesus emphatically tells us thatHe did no such thing. To make Hispoint even further, He said, “Forassuredly, I say to you, till heaven andearth pass away, one jot or one tittlewill by no means pass from the law tillall is fulfilled” (verse 18).

The word fulfill means “to com-plete,” or to completely accomplish thepurpose God intended. Heaven andearth have still not passed away.

Another meaning of kataluo is“annul,” as is used in the Weymouth

translation. So God’s laws are neverannulled or repealed. They remain ineffect as long as the conditions theygovern continue to exist. Every detail!Not even a jot or tittle—the tiniest por -tions of the letters of the Hebrewalphabet—is exempted.

Jesus concludes His statement aboutGod’s law with a solemn warning toreligious teachers: “Whoever thereforebreaks one of the least of these com -mandments, and teaches men so, shallbe called least in the kingdom of hea v-en; but whoever does and teachesthem, he shall be called great in thekingdom of heaven” (verse 19).

Some carelessly assume and assertthat “these commandments” refers tothe teachings of Christ that follow in

the remainder of the chapter.Not so! The wording of theGreek text simply will notallow such an interpretation.

The Expositor’s BibleCommentary explains: “Butwhat are ‘these command-ments’? It is hard to justify

restriction of these words to Jesus’ teach-ings . . . for the noun in Matthew neverrefers to Jesus’ words, and the contextargues against it. Restriction to the TenCommandments . . . is equally alien to the concerns of thecontext. Nor can we say ‘these com-mandments’ refers to the antitheses thatfollow, for in Matthew houtos (‘this,’ pl.‘these’) never points forward [emphasisadded throughout]. It appears, then, thatthe expression must refer to the com-mandments of the OT Scriptures. Theentire Law and the Prophets are notscrapped by Jesus’ coming but fulfilled.Therefore the commandments of theseScriptures—even the least of them . . .—must be practiced . . . The law pointedforward to Jesus and his teaching . . . sohe, in fulfilling it, establishes . . . the wayit is to be obeyed” (Volume 8, p. 146).

Jesus Christ came to set the record straightregarding the law of God. He lived a sin-free life and died to deliver us from the

death penalty for our sins.

Which CommandmentsDid Jesus BREAK?

b y L a r r y W a l k e r

Premier Issue 13

Actually, the word in verse 19 trans-lated “breaks” (luo in Greek) is relatedto the word in verse 17 rendereddestroy (katalu). Luo literally means “toloose.” The Greek concept of destruc-tion is to break or take apart. Looseninga part is the first step in taking apart—thus breaking or destroying—an object.

Jesus’ warningSo Jesus’ warning not only applies to

anyone who disobeys even a minordetail of God’s law and teaches others todo the same. Even “loosing,” or relax-ing, any of the requirements is forbid-den, because that is the first step towarddestroying the law. Jesus pronounces theseverest penalty on any who wouldbreak or loosen even the least of the OldTestament commandments.

Perhaps you have heard the story,“For lack of a lace, a shoe was lost. For lack of a shoe, a soldier was lost.For lack of a soldier, a battle was lost.For lack of a battle the war was lost.”The lesson is clear. No one should becareless about any detail of God’s law,however minor it may seem.

Jesus emphatically did not break anyof God’s commandments. Not even theslightest detail!

So which commandmentsdid Jesus break? The answeris found in another quotefrom Christ Himself, record-ed in Matthew 15:9: “And invain they worship Me, teach-ing as doctrines the com-mandments of men.” Jesus quoted thisstatement from Isaiah 29:13 andapplied it to the “tradition of theelders” (Matthew 15:2) as taught andpracticed by the hypocritical, self-righteous scribes and Pharisees whosat in judgment of Him.

These “commandments” were alsoknown to the Jews as the “oral Torah,”the oral law. It was this distorted inter-pretation of the law that Jesus soughtto correct in the Sermon on the Mount.This is clearly evident by His state-ment, “You have heard that it was saidto those of old,” which prefaced eachof his pronouncements (Matthew 5:21,27, 31, 33, 38, 43).

The Expositor’s Bible Commentaryexplains that He listed “a number ofmuch-cited rabbinic parallels . . . Jesusis not criticizing the OT but the under-

standing of the OT many of his hearersadopted. This is especially true ofvv.22, 43, where part of what was‘heard’ certainly does not come fromthe OT . . . In every case Jesus con-trasts the people’s misunderstanding ofthe law with the true direction inwhich the law points” (Volume 8, pp.147, 148).

Jesus explained the proper applica-tion of the commandment upon whichthe particular tradition was based. Hethus fulfilled the law by restoring it to itscomplete original meaning and intent.Our righteousness must thereforeexceed the righteousness of the scribesand Pharisees (verse 20) in that we mustkeep the law of God in its proper intent.

To put it another way, we must keepthe spirit of the law, not just the letter.This is possible only through the pres-ence of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:7-9), which God offers upon repentanceand baptism (Acts 2:38).

The commandments Jesus brokewere the commandments of men. Whenthe Jews charged Jesus with breakingthe Sabbath (John 5:18), they wereaccusing Him of violating their mis-guided human traditions regarding the

Sabbath. The Gospel accounts containmany such confrontations during whichJesus’ conduct on the Sabbath was con-demned by the legalistic scribes andPharisees (Mark 2:23-28; 3:1-6).

From ditch to ditchWhy was it such an issue to them?

They knew that the two main sins thatled to the captivity of Israel and Judahgenerations earlier were Sabbath-breaking and idolatry (Ezekiel 20).Having learned their lesson, the return-ing captives determined never to makethe same mistake again.

But they failed to deal with theunderlying problem, which was humannature (Romans 8:7). They simplywent from one extreme to the other,from careless disregard for the laws ofGod to a fanatical legalism that violat-

ed the true intent of the laws of Godand deprived them of their beneficialeffect (Matthew 15:6).

So, in their extremely narrow view,the scribes and Pharisees consideredJesus Christ a sinner worthy of deathbecause He broke these command-ments of men—rules which they con-sidered even more binding than the lawof God they vainly sought to interpret.

Jesus Christ came to set the recordstraight regarding the law of God. Heobeyed it perfectly and commands us tofollow His example and teaching.

Of course we will never live up toHis perfect example, even though thatshould be our desire and intent. Jesusdid not live by the law of God to deliv-er us from the obligation to obey it. Helived a sin-free life and died to deliverus from the death penalty for our sinsbecause we have all broken the law.

Through the power of the HolySpirit, Jesus offers to live in us. ButHe does not live our lives for us. Wemust all repent and yield ourselves asservants of righteousness, with therealization that God is working in us“both to will and to do f or His goodpleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Love isthe basis of God’s law, and one cannot

claim to love God apartfrom obedience to His com-mandments (1 John 5:2, 3,2:4).

The specific command-ment Jesus stands accusedof breaking is the Sabbath,which is the epitome of theblessings of the entire law

of God and a type of the master planof God. The majority of the Christianworld has abandoned this blessed giftGod made for all mankind (Mark2:27). Instead, most keep a differentday based on human tradition, orignore the Sabbath commandmentaltogether.

Once again the pendulum ofhuman nature has swung, from legal-ism back to careless disregard for thelaws of God, especially the Sabbath.By replacing the laws and command-ments of God with human tr adi-tions—especially by substitutingSunday for the Sabbath, and tradition-based holidays for God’s HolyDays—many today have “made thecommandment of God of no effect by[their] tradition”(Matthew 15:6). v

The scribes and Pharisees knew the two main sins that led to the captivity were Sabbath-

breaking and idolatry. They determined never to make the same mistake again.

THE GOSPEL WRITERS RECORDnumerous confrontationsbetween Jesus and religious

leaders concerning the Sabbath. Hishealings on the Sabbath and teachingsabout Sabbath observance stirred fre-quent controversy in His day—disputesthat have continued down to our time.

Did Jesus, through His teachingsand actions, abrogate, annul or abolishthe Fourth Commandment?

Those who argue against Sabbathobservance claim that the Sabbath wasa cultic law given under the Sinai cove-nant that has since been “fulfilled inChrist.” Citing Paul’s writings to showthat the Sabbath is a “shadow” of JesusChrist (Colossians 2:16, 17), they rea-son that Christians no longer need toobserve the shadow because the realityhas come.

On the other hand, Sabbath-keeperssee the Sabbath as an aspect of God’swill, as expressed to mankind, whichtranscends the Sinai covenant and hasgreat importance for Christians.

Let’s explore the biblical examplesshowing what Jesus taught about theSabbath. A brief overview of these pas-sages makes clear which view accurate-ly reflects His actions and teachings.

Jesus preaches on the Sabbath: Luke 4:16-30

Sabbatarians believe that Jesus set anexample for His followers (1 Peter 2:21-25), and it is clear in Scripture that Hewas a Sabbath-keeper. While it is truethat many aspects of the Sinai covenantare no longer in effect (circumcision,animal sacrifices, civil laws, etc.),Christ’s instructions about the Sabbathare explanations of how to observe it,not claims that He was abolishing it.The Gospel accounts were written manyyears after Christ’s death and served as

instructions to the New TestamentChurch on how to observe the Sabbath.

The passage Jesus quotes in Luke4:16-30 is from Isaiah 61:1 and 2. Mostcommentators agree that the context isthe jubilee year. The Sabbath, annualHoly Days and jubilee year were alltypes of the messianic age. In Luke’saccount, on the Sabbath day Jesusdeclares His Messiahship by using apassage concerning the jubilee. NoticeLuke 4:21 where Jesus said, “Today thisScripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Jesus proclaimed Himself as theMessiah, yet the fullness of His king-dom will not be established until Hissecond coming. That is why He omit-ted the end of the passage when quot-ing from Isaiah: “. . . And the day ofvengeance of our God; to comfort allwho mourn . . .” The rest of Isaiah 61proclaims the work of the Messiahwhen He will reign on earth.

From this example, we see that theSabbath not only points Christians toJesus as the Savior, but its continualobservance gives them the hope of Hisfuture reign. The Sabbath is a reminderof the gospel in its past, present andfuture fulfillment.

Jesus heals on the Sabbath: Luke 4:31-39

In Jesus, the “Lord of the Sabbath”(Mark 2:28), we see the concepts ofGod as Creator and Redeemer perfect-ly joined together. Since the Sabbathreflects both of these truths, Christiansshould observe the Sabbath in celebra-tion of both, faithfully following Jesusas the Lord of the Sabbath.

The disciples pick grain on theSabbath: Matthew 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5

Jesus’ teaching in these verses is

capsulated in The Anchor Bible Dic-tionary, Volume 5, “Sabbath,” Double-day, edited by David Noel Freedman,pp. 855, 856:

“At times Jesus is interpreted tohave abrogated or suspended the Sab-bath commandment on the basis ofcontroversies brought about by Sab-bath healings and other acts. Carefulanalysis of the respective passagesdoes not seem to give credence to thisinterpretation. The action of pluckingears of grain on the Sabbath by thedisciples is particularly important inthis matter. Jesus makes a foundationalpronouncement . . . ‘The Sabbath wasmade for man and not man for theSabbath’ (Mark 2:27). The disciples’act of plucking grain infringed againstthe rabbinic halakhah of minute casu-istry in which it was forbidden to reap,thresh, winnow, and grind on theSabbath.

“. . . Jesus reforms the Sabbath andrestores it to its rightful place as de-signed in creation, where the Sabbathis made for all mankind and not specif -ically for Israel, as claimed by norma-tive Judaism . . . It was God’s will atcreation that the Sabbath have the pur-pose of serving mankind for rest and[to] bring blessing.”

Jesus heals on the Sabbath: Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6;Luke 6:6-11

Why did Jesus Christ performmiraculous healings on the Sabbathday, knowing that it conflicted with thenarrow, restrictive views of Sabbathobservance held by many of His fellowJews?

The Sabbath in the New Testament,by Samuele Bacchiocchi (BiblicalPerspectives, 1990, p. 68), explains:

“Christ’s proclamation of lordship

14 The Good News

JESUS CHRISTand the Sabbath

b y G a r y P e t t y

over the Sabbath is followed immedi-ately by a second episode about thehealing of the man with the wither edhand . . . It is noteworthy that all of theseven Sabbath healings reported in thegospels are performed by Christ onbehalf of chronically sick persons.These intentional healing acts by Christon the Sabbath on behalf of incurablepersons serve to demonstrate howJesus fulfilled Messianic expectationsnourished by the celebration of theSabbath.”

It is important to note Jesus’ instruc-tions concerning Sabbath observance inMatthew 12:11, 12 and Mark 3:4. TheFourth Commandment instructed thatthe seventh day was set apart by Godand that people were not to do theirnormal work on that day. The com-mandment didn’t instruct people onwhat they were to do on that day, justwhat they were not to do.

Jewish legalism had created aplethora of laws restricting even thevery basics of human activity. Yet, eventheir regulations gave way to emergen-cies like getting a sheep out of a pit onthe Sabbath. Jesus declared that theSabbath was a day in which goodshould be done.

Jesus heals a crippled woman onthe Sabbath: Luke 13:10-17

Christ is the great Liberator! Thisverse is important in understandingGod’s intent for Sabbath observance.Even the strict Jewish regulationsallowed for the feeding and wateringof animals on the Sabbath. If caringfor the basic life needs of animalswasn’t breaking the Fourth Command-ment, then how much more is “loos-ing” by healing appropriate on theSabbath.

Jesus’ example reminds us that theSabbath is an appropriate time to visitthe sick and elderly, helping them cele-brate the day of renewal.

Jesus heals a man of dropsy onthe Sabbath: Luke 14:1-6

“Is it lawful to heal on theSabbath?” Jesus pointedly asked thelawyers and Pharisees. “Which of you,having a donkey or an ox that has fall-en into a pit, will not immediately pullhim out on the Sabbath day?”

They couldn’t answer Him. Ques-

tions such as these had been debatedamong the Jewish teachers for years,and even they recognized that the com-mand to rest didn’t include ignoringemergency situations where life andlimb were at stake.

For the Sabbath-keeper, every day isto be lived as a Christian. But God hasset aside one day when mankind is torenew the relationship of the createdwith the Creator; the redeemed withthe Redeemer.

Jesus heals an invalid at the Poolof Bethesda on the Sabbath: John 5:1-18

Those who oppose Sabbath obser-vance view Christ’s statement that “it islawful to do good on the Sabbath” asending any distinction of days for wor-ship or other religious purposes.

But there is a huge flaw in that rea-soning. To conclude that by teachingthat it is lawful to do good on theSabbath we negate its distinctivenature, requires the assumption that itwas originally unlawful to do good onthat day. The NIV Life ApplicationBible (Tyndale/Zondervan, 1991, p.1883) comments on that view regard-ing these verses:

“If God stopped every kind of workon the Sabbath, nature would fall intochaos, and sin would overrun theworld. Genesis 2:2 says that God rest-ed on the seventh day but this can’tmean that He stopped doing good.Jesus wanted to teach that when theopportunity to do good presents itself,it should not be ignored, even on theSabbath.”

Circumcision and the Sabbath: John 7:21-24

Some argue that since circumcision,a sign of the old covenant, was permis-sible on the Sabbath, which was also asign of the old covenant, then circum-cision must have been more importantthan the Sabbath. Thus, they reason,once the sign of circumcision was“done away in Christ,” then the Sab-bath was also nullified.

Samuele Bacchiocchi, in his bookFrom Sabbath to Sunday (Pontifical Gre-gorian University Press, 1977), answersthis argument on pages 46 and 47:

“Why was it legitimate to circum-cise a child on the Sabbath when the

eighth day (Leviticus 12:3) after hisbirth fell on that day? No explanationwas given since it was well understood.The circumcision was regarded as aredemptive act which mediated the sal-vation of the covenant. It was lawful,therefore, on the Sabbath to mutilateone of the 248 parts of the human body(that was the Jewish reckoning) inorder to save the whole person. On thebasis of this premise Christ argues thatthere is no reason to be ‘angry’ withHim for restoring on that day the‘whole man’ . . .

“His opponents cannot perceive theredemptive nature of Christ’s Sabbathministry because they ‘judge byappearances’ (John 7:24). They regardthe pallet which the paralytic carriedon the Sabbath as more important thanthe physical restoration and socialreunification which the object symbol-ized (John 6:10-11), more significantthan the restoration of sight to the b lindmind (John 9:14-15, 26).”

Jesus heals a blind man on theSabbath: John 9:1-34

The context of this passage is Jesus’declaration of His messiahship. AsMessiah, He is also Lord of the Sab-bath. Here Jesus continues to teach, asHe does so many times on theSabbath, of His redemptive work formankind.

Following Jesus’ example

When asked, “Which is the firstcommandment of all?” Jesus answered:“The first of all the commandments is:‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, theLORD is one. And you shall love theLORD your God with all your heart,with all your soul, with all your mind,and with all your strength.’ This is thefirst commandment” (Mark 12:28-30).

Here Jesus restated the greatestcommandment of the Old Testament(Deuteronomy 6:4, 5). Those whoobserve the biblical Sabbath strive toput God first in their lives and followJesus’ instruction: “He who has Mycommandments and keeps them, it ishe who loves Me” (John 14:21).

Sabbath-keepers see Jesus as theirLord and Master. And, since Jesus isthe Lord of the Sabbath, they followHis example in observing the Sabbathin the way that He taught and lived. v

Premier Issue 15

Going through the Bible together:

Exodus 20:1-20 (Hint: Ask someone to readthese verses out loud.)

Discussion: Why are the Ten Command-ments important? (Hint: You might explorethe following questions with your family.)

• Who decides what is right and wrong?

• Who has the right to decide what is right andwrong for everybody to do?

• Are there any books or writings other than theBible that define for us what God says is right-eousness and what is sin?

• Which of the Ten Commandments reveal infor-mation that man cannot understand except byrevelation from God? Which could be under-stood through scientific study or contemplation?

What are the general definitions of singiven in the Bible?

Discussion: What do these scriptures teachus about what sin is? (Hint: You might havesomeone read the following scriptures and thenask the family how these define sin. Are thereother scriptures that define, in general terms,what sin is?)

• Romans 14:23 Whatsoever is not of faith

• James 4:17 Not doing the good we should

• 1 John 3:4-10 Transgression of the law (law-lessness)

• 1 John 5:17 All unrighteousness

• James 2:19 Having respect for persons

Discussion: What conclusions can we drawabout what defines sin? (Hint: In what waysdoes God use definitions that relate to physicalconduct and definitions that relate to attitudesto define sin?)

Was there sin before God spoke the Ten

16 The Good News

F A M I L Y B I B L E S T U D Y

Were the Ten Commandments Known Before Mount Sinai?

Sometime around 1400 to 1500 B.C., God spoke directly to the Israelites from Mt. Sinai,located in a desert region south and west of modern-day Israel. Exodus chapters 20through 24 chronicle the establishing of a covenant, or agreement, between God and the

descendants of Abraham; his son, Isaac; and grandson, Jacob.

God gave the Ten Commandments, and He spoke from the mountain directly to the people.They were so frightened by the sound that they pleaded with Moses for God not to speak tothem, but that they would hear from Moses what God wanted.

When God spoke the Ten Commandments, did He reveal something entirely new to theIsraelites, and through them, to the gentile nations and peoples of the world? Or did God“codify,” or write down and then include in a specific covenant with Israel, preexisting defini-tions of sin and righteousness?

Many say that the Ten Commandments were simply the “old covenant.” They also say thatwhen the old covenant passed away, so did the need for obeying the Ten Commandments,unless they were specifically repeated in the new covenant.

Others say that God has had a standard of righteous conduct that began at the time of the cre-ation of Adam and has not changed since. Let’s study this together and see what we can discov-er about God’s intention for how His people should act toward each other and toward Him,and whether His standards of sin and righteousness have changed through the years.

Commandments to the Israelites on Mt. Sinai?

Discussion: What examples are there thatspecifically define sin, wickedness or otherlawless conduct before Exodus 20? (Hint:Have family members look up the following,read the passage and identify which Command-ments were broken.)

• Genesis 4:1-16 Cain

• Genesis 6:1-12 Noah

• Genesis 18:17-22 Sodom and Gomorrah

• Genesis 20:1-20 Abimelech and Abraham

• Genesis 26:5-11 Abimelech and Isaac

Did God have a different standard of sin fora gentile nation than He did for His chosenpeople? (Hint: Was Abimelech, the gentile kingin Genesis 20, subject to the same commandmentsdefining sin and righteousness as was Abraham?)

What are the consequences of sin?

• Romans 6:23 Eternal death

• Ezekiel 20:7-43 Being cut off from God

• 1 Samuel 15:7-31 When leaders reject thecommandments, it causes them to be rejected byGod as leaders, and new leaders to be put intheir place (example of Saul)

Discussion: What other consequences arethere for sin? (Hint: You might ask what thephysical and psychological consequences arewhen people sin. Also, what happens to rela-tionships when there is sin? How are families,communities or even nations weakened by sin?Does righteous conduct strengthen relation-ships?)

Has God always wanted obedience from theheart?

• Genesis 4:1-12 Did God want Cain to masterthe temptation before it mastered him? Is temp-tation a matter of the letter of the law or thespirit of the law?

• Hebrews 8:7-13 What laws were to be writ-ten on the “new heart” of a Christian? (This iscited from Jeremiah 31:31-34.)

• Matthew 15:1-9 Did Jesus want obediencethat was “lip service,” or did He want heartfeltobedience?

• Ezekiel 36:24-36 Was this new heart free

from commandment-keeping? What was thisnew heart supposed to do? What will God’s atti-tude be in the Millennium toward command-ment-keeping? What will God’s Spirit cause peo-ple to do?

Discussion: What kind of obedience didJesus want from His people? (Hint: Was keep-ing the “letter of the law” enough? What doesthe phrase “keeping the spirit of the law” meanto you? Can we keep the intent of the law andbreak the letter of the law? Should the intent orspirit of the law guide us in how we can bestkeep the letter of the law?)

Family Research Topics:

How many of the Ten Commandments canyou find mentioned before Exodus 20?(Hint: Look for either a specific statement aboutthem, like the Sabbath in Genesis 2, or the scrip-tures showing a sin, like murder in Genesis 4:6. Aconcordance will help with this study.)

Why is sin, or unrighteousness, bad? Why isrighteousness, or obedience to God’s com-mandments, good? Who is hurt when any ofthe Ten Commandments is broken? What hap-pens when the Ten Commandments are obeyed?(Hint: You might go through each of the TenCommandments individually and ask the samequestions for each: “What happens when thisCommandment is broken? What happens whenthis Commandment is obeyed?”)

Does the New Testament teach command-ment-keeping? Will there be command-ment-keeping for all people after the returnof Jesus Christ?

• Matthew 5:19-32 What did Jesus teach aboutobedience to the commandments?

• 1 John 2:3-6 What did John say about thosewho do not obey the commandments?

• Revelation 22:10-21 At the end of all things,does Jesus Christ want commandment-keepers?

This outline is intended to suggest topics andquestions to spark discussion in Bible study. Youmay find it useful to spread the study out over anumber of days and to adapt it to fit the agegroupings within your family. Special thanks toKen Graham Sr. from Indianapolis, Indiana, forhis discussion on this topic, which inspired thisstudy guide.

Premier Issue 17

18 The Good News

The children of Israel left Egypt onthe 15th day of the first month, the firstday of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.This freedom was made possible by theblood of the Passover lambs and theIsraelites’ faith in God. After we areconvicted of sin by the Word of Godand the Holy Spirit and repent andexercise faith, we too can begin toleave spiritual Egypt.

It took Israel seven days to com-pletely leave the geographical environsof Egypt. But the moment a personexercises faith in God for the remissionof sins that are past, he is justified andthe penalty for sin is abolished. Therepentant sinner is viewed as sinlessand righteous in the sight of God(Colossians 1:21, 22).

The Christian is to continue in astate of repentance and contritionbefore God by eating of the unleavenedbread of sincerity and truth (1 Corinth-ians 5:8). Thus the repentant sinner issupposed to continually put sin outthrough faith. Faith without works isdead. Therefore Paul said, “. . . For notthe hearers of the law are just in thesight of God, but the doers of the lawwill be justified” (Romans 2:13).

The justified person commits him-self to perpetually living what the Feastof Unleavened Bread pictures—a lifeof removing sin by living in faithbefore God.

The Israelites crossed the Red Seaon the last day of the Feast ofUnleavened Bread. Paul wrote that thiswas their baptism (1 Corinthians 10:2).The crossing of the Red Sea markedthe Israelites’ final departure fromEgypt, symbolic of sin and death.

Immediately after Israel crossed theRed Sea, the Israelites sang the victorysong of Moses: “. . . The LORD is mystrength and song, and he is becomemy salvation: he is my God, and I willprepare him an habitation . . .” (Exodus15:2, KJV).

Israel prepared God a physical habi-tation, the tabernacle. In this habitation,Israel approached God through offer-ings and sacrifices, none of whichchanged the heart. Today God wants usto approach Him with a new heart.“The sacrifices of God are a brokenspirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise”(Psalm 51:17).

Today God’s habitation is in theindividual believer’s heart and mind.God dwells in the hearts and minds ofbelievers. Through the indwelling ofthe Holy Spirit the believer is given thepower to crucify the flesh and keep thehosts of Pharaoh, the works of theflesh, in their watery, baptismal grave.

The subject of the Holy Spirit leadsus to the parallels of the Feast ofPentecost.

According to Jewish tradition, Israelreceived the Ten Commandments atMount Sinai on the Day of Pentecost.The Ten Commandments became thebasis of Christ’s marriage covenantwith Israel.

The law is spiritual, but humans hadbeen cut off from the Holy Spirit sinceAdam and Eve rejected the source ofall things spiritual in the Garden ofEden. Thus Israel did not have theheart and mind to keep the TenCommandments (Deuteronomy 5:29).

God recognized the weakness of thepeople and promised a new covenant(Jeremiah 31:31, 32). This covenantmade it possible for the laws of God tobe written on the inward parts of thebeliever (Hebrews 8:10). Jesus Christ isthe “Mediator of a better covenant [thenew covenant], which was establishedon better promises.”

The Greek word nomotheteo, trans-lated here as established, means “fur-nished with law.” So the new covenantwas furnished with law. What law? Thesame laws that were codified at MountSinai, which included the “feasts of theLORD.”

The better promises are spiritual. Thesacrifice of Jesus Christ replaced the sac-rificial laws of the old covenant, makingit possible for the conscience of thebeliever to be purged (Hebrews 9:14).Upon repentance and faith in the bloodof Christ for remission of past sins, God

gives the gift of the Holy Spirit to thebeliever (Acts 2:38).

The new convert is to become a newcreation in Jesus Christ. He is now ason of God, having received the Spiritof sonship (Romans 8:15 and Gala tians4:5, 6). He can now be led by the Spiritof God. There is a new mind abiding inhis inward parts, providing the powerto walk after the Spirit rather than theflesh (Romans 8:1).

As the believer yields himself to obeythe mind of the Spirit, he is activelyinvolved in “put[ting] on the new manwhich was created according to God, intrue righteousness and holiness”(Ephesians 4:24). This means that God isactually present and active in his mind.God is writing His laws, His ways, in themind and heart of the believer.

The spiritual mind and the power tobecome a new creation were made possi-ble when God sent His Spirit on the Dayof Pentecost, A.D. 31 (Acts 2:1–4). Onthe very feast day that the law was given,God sent His Holy Spirit to correct thefault of the people, who did not keep theterms of the covenant (Hebrews 8:8).

Under the old covenant, Pentecost(also called the Festival of Weeks)marked the harvest of the firstfruits(Leviticus 23:20). On Pentecost, thepriest waved the bread of the firstfruitsfrom the early wheat harvest.

On Pentecost, A.D. 31, God began tocall out the firstfruits of the new Israel—the Israel of God (Acts 2:39; Galatians6:16; James 1:18; Revelation 14:4).

Pentecost parallels the doctrine ofthe laying on of hands (Hebrews 6:2).The new convert receives the HolySpirit of sonship by the laying on ofhands. The Samaritans who repentedand were baptized by Philip receivedthe Holy Spirit when Peter and Johncame down to Samaria and laid handson them (Acts 8:14-18). Through thisceremony God demonstrates throughwhom He is working.

Simon the sorcerer desired this giftof the Spirit but refused God’s condi-tions for receiving it (Acts 8:18-23).

The meaning of the F east ofPentecost is lived every day in thelife of the believer. The inward manis to be renewed daily through God’sSpirit (2 Corinthians 4:16). Godgives His Spirit to those who ask forit, to those who eat and drink of His

Last Day of Unleavened Bread

Feast of Pentecost

First Day ofUnleavened Bread

Holy DaysContinued from page 5

Premier Issue 19

Word and to those who obey Him(Luke 11:13; John 6:63; Acts 5:32).

In ancient Israel, trumpets wereblown to assemble the congregationwhen it went to war, on feast days andon other special occasions (Numbers10:1-10). The blowing of trumpetscould signal a time of alarm or a timeof joy and rejoicing. The Feast ofTrumpets marked the beginning of thegreat fall harvest in ancient Israel, acommanded time of rejoicing andthanksgiving before God.

In the New Testament, the soundingof trumpets marks a time of great con-trasts. On the one hand, the trumpetplagues are poured out on the unrepen-tant inhabitants of the earth (Revelation8:6–9:21). And on the other hand, thesounding of the trumpet marks thecompletion of the mystery of God(Revelation 10:7).

Paul explains the mystery: “Behold,I tell you a mystery: We shall not allsleep, but we shall all be changed—ina moment, in the twinkling of an eye,at the last trumpet. For the trumpet willsound, and the dead will be raisedincorruptible, and we shall be changed”(1 Corinthians 15:51, 52).

So the sounding of trumpets in theNew Testament parallels that of the OldTestament. Trumpets may be a time ofgreat travail or a time of great victory.The resurrection from the dead is thegreatest victory of all victories forhumankind (1 Corinthians 15:54-58).The resurrection will indeed be full ofglory and a time of unspeakable joy.

The first resurrection marks the har-vest of the firstfruits that have beencalled out since A.D. 31. It will be thegreatest turning point in human history.“Then the seventh angel sounded: Andthere were loud voices in heaven, say-ing, ‘The kingdoms of this world havebecome the kingdoms of our Lord andof His Christ, and He shall reign forev-er and ever!’” (Revelation 11:15).

The Feast of Trumpets parallels thedoctrine of resurrection in Hebrews6:2. Believers who have been crucifiedwith Christ in the watery grave of bap-tism are raised to newness of life toserve God in the newness of the Spirit(Romans 6:3-6). This means that

Christians are to live a new live, a “res-urrected” life, by yielding themselvesto God as servants of righteousness(Romans 6:13).

The “resurrected” Christian can callon God in this time of tr avail, and Godwill deliver. God delights in yourreliance upon Him as you live the newlife of resurrection (Psalm 50:14, 15).

On the Day of Atonement, theIsraelites were commanded to afflicttheir souls by fasting. “From evening toevening, you shall celebrate your sab-bath” (Leviticus 23:32). The casualreader may think it paradoxical forGod to command a Sabbath fast and atthe same time call it a cele bration. Thesolemn significance of this day trulycalled for a celebration.

This was the day that the high priestput on special garments and went intothe Holy of Holies in the very presenceof God to offer blood to atone for hissins and the sins of the people , and tocleanse the sanctuary. The sanctuary hadnot sinned, but the sins of the nation hadbeen placed on the altar during the year.Therefore it, too, had to be cleansed.

Jesus Christ entered into the HolyPlace in heaven, in the presence ofGod, to provide a new and living wayfor each believer to enter into the holi -est of all through His blood (Hebrews9:23-24; 10:18-21).

The blood that was sprinkled on thealtar in the Holy of Holies of the ear th-ly sanctuary was the blood of a goatthat had been selected by the casting oflots (Leviticus 16:6-10). The other goatwas called the scapegoat (HebrewAzazel: the “goat of separation”), signi-fying entire removal.

Some commentators believe thatAzazel means the “great demon” or“Satan.” They continue to debate whoor what the Azazel goat represents. It isobvious that the blood of the goat thatwas sprinkled on the altar in the Hol yof Holies represents the blood of Jesus(Hebrews 10:10).

In some ways, it seems that bothPassover and the Day of Atonementpoint to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ inthe same way. And, in some ways, theyare the same. That is, the sins ofhumanity can be passed over through

faith in the blood of Jesus Christ(Romans 3:25).

The Day of Atonement adds a newdimension. Not only have we beenredeemed by the blood of Christ, wehave a High Priest who ever lives tomake intercession for us. Moreover, wecan live in the Holy of Holies, in thepresence of God. Thus we are able to“come boldly to the throne of grace,that we may obtain mercy and findgrace to help in time of need”(Hebrews 4:15, 16).

In view of our position in the Hol yof Holies before the throne of God, letus return to the significance of theAzazel goat. It is clear from theScriptures that “without shedding ofblood there is no remission” (Hebrews9:22). Therefore, it is not possible thatthe Azazel goat could have anything todo with the remission of sins.

The Levitical high priest took theblood of the goat (which representedthe blood of Christ) into the Holy ofHolies. Then he was to come back outand “lay both his hands on the head ofthe live goat, [and] confess over it allthe iniquities of the children of Israel.”Then, putting the sins of Israel on thehead of the goat, he sent the goat “awayinto the wilderness by the hand of asuitable man. The goat shall bear onitself all their iniquities to an uninha bit-ed land; and he shall release the goat inthe wilderness” (Leviticus 16:21, 22).

Placing sin on the head of the g oatrepresents responsibility. We common-ly say “your sins are on your head.”Satan is the author and father of sinand death. The individual believer canhave his sins atoned for through theblood of Christ, but that does not expi-ate the accountability of the being whois responsible for the way of sin anddeath. The Azazel goat was taken intoan uninhabited land and let go. That is,he was taken to a place that preventedhim from having any contact or influ-ence upon the people.

In like manner, Satan and hisdemons will be banished to a place tha twill prevent them from influencingmankind (Revelation 20:1-3).

We have been given the powerthrough Jesus Christ to cast Satan outof our lives now. As John wrote, “Hewho is in you is greater than he who isin the world” (1 John 4:4).

Day of Atonement

Feast of Trumpets

20 The Good News

Paul wrote, “If God is for us, whocan be against us? . . . We are morethan conquerors through Him wholoved us” (Romans 8:31, 37).

“And the God of peace will cr ushSatan under your feet shortly . . .”(Romans 16:20).

Christians should continually cele-brate the significance of the Day ofAtonement. We rejoice in its importance

in bringing peace and rest to the entirecreation and our reconciliation to Godmade possible through Christ’s sacrifice.

The Feast of Tabernacles (Hebrewsuccah: “hut” of woven boughs) wasobserved by Israel after the fall harvest.The Israelites were commanded toleave their houses and build temporary

dwelling places (booths) to live in asthey rejoiced before the Eternal.

Because the feast was held after thegreat fall harvest, it was also called theFeast of Ingathering (Exodus 23:16).The Feast of Tabernacles was the mostmeaningful of all the feasts in that itreminded them of Passover and howthey dwelt in booths after God broughtthem out of Egypt.

MOST PEOPLE ARE NOTFAMILiar with God’s fes-tivals and Holy Days as

given in the Bible, but Leviticus 23lists and discusses all of them.

In verses 1 through 4 of Leviticus23, God states in no uncertain termsthat these days are His feast days andthat they are holy convocations.

In Nehemiah 8:9 Nehemiah,inspired by God, states strongly thatthese feast days are “holy to theLORD your God.”

In 1 Corinthians 5:8 the apostlePaul tells us directly that we are tokeep the Feast of Unleavened Bread,which is one of God’s feasts.

Kept in New TestamentWhy do most people keep the hol-

iday seasons they keep instead ofthose listed in the Bible? Luke 2:42and John 7:10, 11 and 37-39 are onlya few of many places where theGospel writers spoke of Christ’sobservance of the biblical festivals.

A study of the New Testament alsoreveals that the early Church ob-served these days. Acts 2:1 and 1Corinthians 5:8 show the originalChristians keeping these days. Theapostle Paul also kept them (Acts18:21; 20:16).

A cursory study into secular histo-ry demonstrates the same thing. TheEncyclopaedia Britannica (13th edi-tion), under the article “Festivals”states that it is “abundantly clear thatChrist and His disciples observed theappointed Jewish feasts . . . JewishChristians for the most part retainedall the festivals which had been insti-tuted under the old dispensation . . .”

The festivals, including theSabbath, will be kept when JesusChrist returns and begins to establishthe kingdom of God.

This is made clear in Isaiah 66:23:“‘And it shall come to pass tha t fromone New Moon to another, and fromone Sabbath to another, all flesh shallcome to worship before Me,’ says theLORD.”

In Zechariah 14:16-19, Godemphatically states that the world willeventually keep the Feast of Taber-nacles or face dire consequences.

Why the change?The Scriptures are clear that God

commanded observance of thesedays, they were kept by Jesus Christand the New Testament Church, andthey will be kept in the future inGod’s kingdom. So what happened?Why are they almost universallyignored? Why don’t people whoclaim to follow Christ keep the feastsHe kept, the feasts of God?

Again, history provides theanswers. Notice this passage from thebook Heritage of the Past, page 402:“Constantine, though not baptized aChristian until on his deathbed, tookan active interest in the religion, pre-siding over the important Council ofNicea, which defined the doctrine ofthe Trinity. During the fourth century,under imperial protection . . . theChristian religion in spite of consider-able opposition to it throughout theempire, made rapid progress, even inthe rural areas where the old gods hadnever altogether lost their appeal.When at the end of the century (A.D.392), Theodosius I decreed that

henceforth Christianity would be theonly religion of the Roman Empire,the countryside perforce had to submitat least to the forms of Christianity.

“But it would have been difficultfor any observer to detect much differ-ence. Instead of the pagan deities,Christ was enthroned; instead of apagan shrine, a church was erected,but it was clear that these folk knewlittle enough of the teachings or theol-ogy of Christianity, and the festivalsand ceremonies of paganism for themost part were incorporated directlyinto the new official religion” (StewartC. Easton, Heritage of the Past,Rinehart & Company, 1955).

Sad to say, this incorporation ofpagan practices has been repeatedthrough the ages as the truth of Godhas been exchanged for error.

Warnings from ScripturePaul often warns of this: “For the

time will come when they will notendure sound doctrine . . . and theywill turn their ears away from thetruth, and be turned aside to fables”(2 Timothy 4:3, 4).

Paul also tells us, “Do not be con-formed to this world, but be trans-formed by the renewing of yourmind, that you may prove what isthat good and acceptable and perfectwill of God” (Romans 12:2).

It is God’s will that we keep Hisfestivals instead of the practices thatreligious leaders have passed on to usfrom paganism. We must set ourhearts to do those things tha t arepleasing to God, in spite of pressuresto conform to this world. v

—Dean Wilson

Feast of Tabernacles

Feast Days: God’s or Man’s?

Premier Issue 21

It was a time associated with rest,peace and prosperity. The needs of allpeople including the stranger, thewidow, the poor and the Levite wereprovided for at this feast. The peoplewere commanded to rejoice before theEternal for seven days.

A high point of the Feast of Taber-nacles occurred in the year of releasein the seven-year cycle. “At the end ofevery seven years, at the appointedtime in the year of release, at the Feastof Tabernacles, when all Israel comesto appear before the LORD your God inthe place which He chooses, you shallread this law before all Israel in theirhearing” (Deuteronomy 31:10, 11).

It was the responsibility of theLevites to teach and expound the lawof God throughout the year, but in theyear of release there was specialemphasis placed on the law of God.This was evidently done to remind thepeople that God was the source of allblessings and the Author of rest andrelease.

The prophets Isaiah and Hoseawrote of a time in which all of God’screation will be at rest and peace. Thenations will beat their swords intoplowshares, and even the enmitybetween man and beast will beremoved. “They shall not hurt nordestroy in all My holy mountain, forthe earth shall be full of the knowledgeof the LORD as the waters cover thesea” (Isaiah 11:9).

All of the types of Israel’s keepingthe Feast are contained in theseprophecies for the future kingdom ofGod. In that day the nations shall goup to Jerusalem to keep the Feast ofTabernacles, and they shall be taughtthe ways of God. The peoples of allnations will learn the way of love, joyand peace in God’s kingdom (Zech-ariah 14:16-19; Isaiah 2:2-5).

The resurrected saints will be madepriests of God and Christ, and theywill rule and reign with Christ for athousand years (Revelation 20:6). Thusthe Feast of Tabernacles pictures therule and reign of the saints in the king -dom of God.

Judgment is now on the house ofGod. The saints are being prepared tobecome kings and priests in the king-dom of God. In that thousand-yearperiod, the saints and converted

humans will help bring all nations intoa relationship with God, Christ andeach member of the family of God. Itwill be a time of judgment f or all theworld. The Feast of Tabernacles paral-lels the doctrine of judgment (Hebrews6:2). This judgment is not to be con -strued as a final sentencing, but a timefor salvation.

The Feast of Tabernacles is rich inmeaning for Christians today for manyreasons. We who have entered into Hisspiritual rest in this church age aregiven the opportunity to preach thegood news of the kingdom of God her eand now. We are given the opportunityto demonstrate to the nations the virtuesof Him who has called us out of dar k-ness so God may be glorified in the dayof their visitation (1 Peter 2:9-12).

“On the last day, that great day ofthe feast, Jesus stood and cried out,saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him cometo Me and drink’” (John 7:37).

During the time of Christ’s ministryon earth, the Jews drew out water fromthe pool of Siloam and poured it on thealtar every day, but on the last greatday of the Feast they circled the altarseven times and poured out the watersof Siloam the last time. The waters ofSiloam represented healing for the peo-ple. Jesus interrupted their ceremonyand identified the Spirit of God as thesource of eternal life.

The apostle Peter wrote that “there isno other name under heaven givenamong men by which we must besaved” (Acts 4:12). Yet countless thou-sands of members of the human racehave died having never heard the nameof Jesus Christ, much less been giventhe opportunity for salvation.

Is God a respecter of persons, or willall humans who have ever lived be pro-vided with an opportunity to drink ofthe living waters?

The Scriptures reveal that there is afirst resurrection of the firstfruits andthen a second resurrection for thosewho were not called to salvation in thisage. “Do not marvel at this; for the houris coming in which all who are in thegraves will hear His voice and comeforth—those who have done good, tothe resurrection of life, and those who

have done evil, to the resurrection ofcondemnation” (John 5:28, 29).

The prophet Ezekiel foretold a timein which God will open the graves ofthe dead and give them physical life(Ezekiel 37:13, 14).

For all the qualities and characteris-tics of God’s will and character to befulfilled, it is incumbent upon him toallow every person who ever lived toenter the process and plan of salvation.He “desires all men to be saved” and is“not willing that any should perish” (1Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9).

The fulfillment of the Last GreatDay will provide this opportunity. “Butthe rest of the dead did not live againuntil the thousand years were finished”(Revelation 20:5). All of those whohave died, cut off from the precioussaving knowledge of God and the g iftof His Spirit through repentance andfaith in Christ, will be resurrected tophysical life and given this pricelessopportunity.

God calls each person at the timethat is best for that person. Today isnot the only day of salvation. If it is,God’s purpose and plan for humanityhave been miserable failures. But,praise be unto God, this is not theonly day of salvation. “I have heardthee in a time accepted, and in a [notthe; see Isaiah 49:8 and original man-uscripts for verification] day of salva-tion have I succoured thee: behold,now is the accepted time; behold, nowis the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians6:2, KJV).

The Last Great Day parallels thedoctrine of judgment and going on toperfection (Hebrews 6:2). It will be atime in which all humans who everlived can know God and go on to per-fection. We who have been called tosalvation in this age must go on to per-fection now, thereby fulfilling the intentof the Last Great Day.

“And the Spirit and the bride say,‘Come!’And let him who hears say,‘Come!’And let him who thirsts come.And whoever desires, let him take thewater of life freely” Revelation 22:17).That’s the purpose and plan of God asrevealed by the Holy Days. O the depthand the riches of God! v

Last Great Day

22 The Good News

AFEW WEEKS AGO, MYco-workers and I werestanding by the copierwhen one of them poseda question: “If you could

have $10 million or live forever, whichwould you choose?”

Without hesitation, the woman nextto me replied, “That’s easy. I’d takethe money. Who would want to liveforever?”

Amazingly, the entire group noddedin agreement.

Why has life become such adrudgery to so many of us? When didwe begin thinking we could exist with-out really living? Can we learn how tothrive, rather than being content merelyto cope with our daily lives?

Many of us adult women entered theworkplace out of economic necessity.The continued press of financial needs,emotional problems of the family andstress of society exact a heavy toll onour sense of well-being.

We begin each day with a huge listof seemingly overwhelming tasks andend each day frustrated over the mat-ters left unresolved. All too often ourlives seem to be an endless tr udgedown a path surrounded by unfulfilledand unattainable desires.

Yet there are ways to break the dailycycle of drudgery and learn to actuallyenjoy life without changing the circum-stances that surround us. Here aresome simple methods that can help youthrive again, rather than just cope!

Go on a treasure huntMy son had worked and saved his

money to buy a pair of sunglasses. Hehad never really shown an interest in

sunglasses, but suddenly there wassomething enticing about a pair he hadseen at the local corner drugstore.

The glasses were really nothing spe-cial, but he valued his prize. To him,they were a treasure. It didn’t matterthat they cost only $10. In his mindthey were worth a great fortune.

All too often we have lost the abilityto treasure simple joys. Even a hot cupof coffee on a cold winter morning is aluxury we sometimes take for granted.

I recall an instance when life hadbeen extremely busy and hectic, and Iwas frustrated and exhausted. I lookedup at my youngest child, then an infant,and was greeted by the most adoringsmile I had ever seen. Suddenly itstruck me that there is no amount ofmoney, no career title and no worldlytreasure that can compare to the feelingof being totally and unquestionablyloved and adored by this baby. I real-ized that I had forgotten how to appre-ciate the simple thrill of a baby’s smile.

Appreciate accomplishmentsWhenever my mother used to tell

me that any job worth doing is worthdoing well, I knew that I’d soon bedoing a job that I didn’t want to do atall. Most of our days are filled withtasks and assignments we really do notenjoy. Let’s face it: life can be a drag.

But, when we take the time to stepback and appreciate what we havedone well, we are giving ourselveswell-earned rewards. Sometimes noone else notices we accomplish a taskwell, but we know when we have donea good job.

I know a bright, intelligent collegestudent who is working at a large toystore stocking shelves to pay college

expenses. Although she is capable ofmuch more, this is the only job she’sbeen able to find. She once told me,“When I step back and look down theaisles at the end of the day, I can tellwhere I have been working. All theskates, trucks and cars point the sameway. All the games are lined up evenlyand all the shelves are neat and tidy.”

She has learned to find the joy of ajob well done. She is following theprinciple found in Ecclesiastes 9:10:“Whatever your hand finds to do, do itwith your might.” A neatly typed letter,a beautifully decorated cake, a spotlesshouse—most people may not noticethe job unless it is not done. But thejoy that comes from knowing that youdid a good job is a small victory in anotherwise mundane chore.

We forget to laughMy family decided that, at the age

of 43, it was time I learned to water-ski. After many unsuccessful attempts,I was becoming frustrated. But then Ivisualized myself as seen through theeyes of those in the boat. When I real-ized how funny I must look, I couldn’thelp laughing out loud.

Did you ever notice that childrencan have fun doing the most ordinarythings? Laughter comes easily to chil-dren, but sometimes we take ourselvesand our lives so seriously that we for-get to laugh, especially at ourselves.

Taking ourselves too seriously is abig mistake. Most of the irritating,annoying events that come our waydaily are already forgotten by the nextday. We waste a lot of time worryingabout what might happen and what hasalready happened. We fail to find thehumor and the joy in what is happen-

Are we thrivingor just coping?

b y B o n n i e G r e i d e r

Premier Issue 23

the Slovaks broke up Czechoslovakia;the Scots are increasingly demandingindependence from Great Britain;Belgium may divide into two.

As more and more of these ethnicgroups assert their independence, therewill be an increasing need to cometogether again in some other form—hence the drive for a United States ofEurope. Dozens of small countriescarry no clout, unless they can uniteunder one banner.

Many times in history there havebeen attempts to unite Europe. TheRomans succeeded 2,000 years ago,with an empire that lasted hundreds ofyears. After the collapse of the RomanEmpire in 476 A.D., there was chaos asdifferent tribes tried to control Rome.In 554, the Roman Emperor Justiniantried to resurrect the Roman Empire.Further attempts to unite Europe weremade throughout the centuries, themost recent one by Hitler’s ThirdReich.

God’s Word predicted all of theseresurrections and show that another isstill ahead. Daniel 7 and Revelation 17are key chapters to understanding thebroad sweep of history. Revelation 17shows us that the final resurrectionwill lead directly into the return ofJesus Christ.

It doesn’t say when, but it does showthat 10 kings are going to unite underone leader, the prophesied “beast.”Revelation 18 indicates that they willform a great economic superpower, andmany nations will share in this materi-alistic system and its enormous wealth.But it will have a dark and evil founda-tion, for it traffics in the “bodies andsouls of men” (Revelation 18:13). Thissinister side will emerge once more,threatening and devouring those thatwill not take part in that system.

The good news is that this final unionwill be short-lived, as it is destined to beshattered and replaced by the Kingdomof God at Christ’s return. v

—Melvin Rhodes

YugoslaviaContinued from page 8

God’s VisionContinued from page 7

ing right now. Looking for the lighterside of life can help us cope with themundane chores of life.

When I reentered the workplace afew years ago, my new job seemed dif-ficult at first. There were so many per-sonal responsibilities that I had to leaveundone, and other things were simplynot done as well as I would have liked.

I had to get up early in the morningand dress in the dark so that I didn’tdisturb anyone else. The results werenot always the professional look that Idesired. More than once, I glanced inthe rest-room mirror at work and dis-covered that I had two mismatched ear-rings on! Funny, nobody at work evermentioned it. Still, it would annoy methat, no matter how hard I tried, Icouldn’t seem to get all the pieces ofthe daily puzzle to fit.

It has been a long time now sinceI’ve worn mismatched earrings, but thepieces of life’s puzzle still don’t alwaysfit where they should. Sometimes itjust takes a moment to step back andlook at the entire puzzle and stop con-centrating so much on each little piece.

Greater goal and purposeNone of the points listed above will

help much if one important point ismissing. There must be a greater goaland purpose for life for each of us.Every event that occurs, every actionand reaction we take, is part of thelearning process. Revelation 21:1-3tells of the time when a new kingdomwill come to earth. Verse 4 tells us that“God will wipe away every tear fromtheir eyes; there shall be no moredeath, nor sorrow, nor crying.”

The world as we know it now, withits trials, sadness and sorrow, will passaway. What remains will be beautifuland perfect. The lessons of life welearn now help determine how we willfit into this new world. Each dailyactivity we undertake shapes andmolds us in preparation for our part inthis awesome future of all mankind.

Our education can be a much moreenjoyable experience if we keep oureyes fixed on the ultimate purpose ofhuman existence.

So don’t be content with merelycoping. Learn how to thrive in life. v

daughter. His child. His family, Hisheirs. Read on in Romans 8:16, 17:“The Spirit Himself bears witness withour spirit that we are children of God,and if children, then heirs—heirs ofGod and joint heirs with Christ . . .”There is not, nor can there be, a greaterhope or destiny.

Are you being called?Will you act to fulfill God’s vision

for you? Those called now are invitedto be living examples of a better way,a richer and fuller life. You are calledto the joy of sharing God’s vision formankind with others, called to betrendsetters in high moral values andconduct, in physical and spiritualintegrity. You are called to leadershipthrough service, called to sonship.“But as many as received Him, tothem He gave the right to become chil-dren of God, to those who believe inHis name” (John 1:12).

The Head of the Church, JesusChrist, does change lives, and for thebetter. Christians, bought and paid forby the death and blood of Christ,have been wonderfully invited byGod to join Him in His vision f ormankind. In baptism, we covenantwith Him and fully dedicate our livesto His purpose for us.

In Matthew 20:26-28 Jesus said,“. . . But whoever desires to becomegreat among you, let him be your ser-vant. And whoever desires to be firstamong you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come tobe served, but to serve, and to give Hislife a ransom for many.”

While still in this life, your opportu-nity is “by the mercies of God, thatyou present your bodies a living sacri-fice, holy, acceptable to God, which isyour reasonable service” (Romans12:1). Wherever you are, work everyday to be the best person you can be,doing the best you can do with whatyou have to do with, to the glory ofGod.

Yes, this is your destiny, God’svision for you! v

24 The Good News

WWe all want to be there for grieving

friends. Having the heart to make theright choice—and knowing practicalthings to do—can enable us to helpour friends through their darkestmoments.

My husband, Roger, and I rejoicedwhen the announcement was madethat the Ryans’ baby was born. Wehad a young family of our own, and Iwas happy to help Mary with theproblems she was experiencing withbreast-feeding. We gladly traveled thehour-long drive through a winterstorm to offer our tips on the care andfeeding of a newborn. The time wespent together really bonded us withthe Ryans.

Closest to death Then, several months later, we

received tragic news. The baby hadcontracted an illness and died. I hadnever experienced the loss of a familymember. To that time, this was theclosest I had ever been to facingdeath. I didn’t think I could possiblyattend the funeral.

How could I cope with my emo-tions and fear of death, especially theuntimely death of an innocent child?My husband had been visiting Churchmembers until midnight the nightbefore, so we decided it wouldn’tmatter if we weren’t there.

We were saddened when one of thefamily members told us what theRyans had mentioned before thefuneral: “We know for sure that theWests will be at the funeral, even ifno one else comes.” The Ryans hadan understandably hard time withtheir baby’s death. Over time we lostcontact with them.

We weren’t there for the Ryans at atime when they needed us. We had

allowed our own emotions, fears andneeds to get in the way of reachingout to them. But the realization thatwe had disappointed our friends intheir time of need softened our hear ts.We began to realize how important itis to be there for those who sufferloss.

Perhaps that’s why the church inKentucky we served for eight yearsmade such an impact on us. Themembers there continue to set an out-standing example of heartfelt supportfor grieving families (James 1:27).Upon news of a death, people imme-diately respond with food and otherphysical help. What is more, they giveof themselves.

The members not only set asidetime to attend funerals, they often paytheir respects at the funeral home aswell. This sends a clear message tothe grieving family: “The person wehonor today was important to me, andyou are too.”

Kentuckians’ example Conversation customarily ranges

from tears of sorrow and loss tohappy remembrances of the personnow taken in death. The example ofour Kentucky brethren helped merealize that death is a part of life, andI learned that we can help lighten theburden of death in a small way bybeing there in person.

These Church members also pro-vide for the physical needs that canseem overwhelming in a time of sor -row.

On one tragic occasion, a youngchild drowned. The grieving familywas immediately surrounded by com-munity and Church friends. Peoplecarried in platters of food. One friendwashed clothes. Another baby-sat the

We all wantto be therefor grieving

friends.Having theheart tomake the

rightchoice—and

knowingpracticalthings to

A Heart of Fleshb y A n d r e a W e s t

T H E C H R I S T I A N W O M A N

Premier Issue 25

There is a pain too deep for tears, and there are tears toodeep to cry. Somewhere, buried inside our wellspring of

life, our hopes, our dreams, our courage and our veryessence lie shattered, torn and crushed.

Sometimes this happens in life, and, from pains sufferedbefore, we know that this pain too shall pass away.

Yet, ironically, it feels almost good to hurt because some-where we’ve been told we deserve this; this crushed hope isall we’re worth. We don’t deserve happiness because we’renothing.

And, in a sense, of ourselves we are nothing, but Godmakes us something.

It’s a thin line we walk between nothing and something.Satan, in his rage to destroy us, strips that thin line bare,and we fall crashing into a heap of nothing.

Then God, in all His magnificent glory and power, reachesdown to lift us out of our nothingness. He carefully, loving-ly and mercifully pieces our life back together piece bypiece, brick by brick, until we are once again something by

His hand. It isn’t easy,

because as thepieces are cleanedoff it hurts, and ithurts even beyondhurt. But Herestores hope, andtherein lies ourstrength.

In Psalm 27:7 and8 (Moffatt transla-tion) David says,“O thou Eternal,listen to my cry, begracious to me,answer me. ‘Tis myheart calling, ‘Thyface do I seek.’”

Then in Psalm28:6 and 7 he says, “Blessed be the Eternal, who has lis-tened to my voice of pleading! The Eternal is my strengthand shield, my heart has faith in Him; so I am helped, myheart exults, and I sing to his praise.”

You will sing again. You will be strong again, for the mor-tar God uses to put us back together is the mortar of love,joy, hope and strength. Then, when your life is once againpieced together and rebuilt, you will be a fortress: a master-piece by God. v

—Mona Schurter

Too Deep for Tears

surviving children. Others broughtpaper plates, cups, towels and toiletpaper.

Even children realized they couldbe of help. Brothers and sisters ofthe victim were surrounded by theirfriends, who hugged and comfortedthem.

Deeper understanding That famous passage from

Matthew’s Gospel about takingcare of others is all the morepoignant to me now. “And theKing will answer and say to them,‘Assuredly, Isay to you,inasmuch asyou did it toone of the leastof these Mybrethren, youdid it to Me’”(Matthew25:40).

The painfulexperiencewith the Ryanstaught us theimportance ofbeing there forfriends at atime of loss.The shiningexample of ourKentuckybrethren showed us what we cando to help. Through them God hashelped soften our hearts and shownus how to be there for our friendsin need. v

Names used in this article werechanged to protect the privacy ofthe people involved.

While search-ing throughrecords of

early Rhode IslandSabbatarians, I cameacross a documentthat piqued my inter-est. It was datedAugust 6, 1769, and itwas signed in anunusual manner—“Sam: Ward.” It wasaddressed to the “Sab-batarian Church ofChrist in Westerly &Hopkinton.” The vol-ume that contains thisdocument refers to itas a “confession of faith.” I decided toread further in this book, which borethe title Sam: Ward, Founding Father.

For the Sabbatarians, this period oftheir history was remarkable. TheRevolutionary War was on the horizon,but the church was reaching its zenithin attendance and influence. Who wasthis Sam Ward? What was this confes-sion of faith all about? Samuel Ward’sstory provides us with an importantinsight into the lives and doctrines ofthe Rhode Island Sabbatarians.

Samuel Ward was born in Newport,Rhode Island, May 27, 1725. He wasthe second son of Governor RichardWard and a descendant of RogerWilliams. Richard Ward and his wife,Mary, were both members of theSabbatarian Church in Rhode Island.

On their grave a large flat stone hon-ors them. Carved into the stone is a testi -mony of their lives stating that both weremembers of the Sabbatarian Church. Tohave included this on their grave is proofthat their religious beliefs were a majorpart of their lives. These were the parentswho gave Sam his start in life.

Samuel Ward rose to prominence inthis tiny New England colony in the

middle of the 18th century. He servedin virtually every major office of thecolony, being elected governor in May1762. In 1765 he was reelected gover-nor and, upon the passage of the infa-mous Stamp Act (a tax levied on thecolonies by the British Parliament), heimmediately made his oppositionknown. The governors of all the colo-nies except one took an oath to sustainand enforce this law. The one absten-tion was Governor Samuel Ward, whoalone among his peers stood in opposi-tion to the king of England. He refusedto swear allegiance to the king or toenforce the Stamp Act.

Elected to Continental CongressThrough a system of town meetings

in the fall of 1773, which Samuel Wardwas instrumental in organizing, thecolony of Rhode Island united in itsopposition to England and its oppres-sive laws. As a result of these assem-blies, on May 17, 1774, at a townmeeting in Providence, a general con-gress of all the colonies was first pro-posed. On June 15, during a session ofthe General Assembly, Samuel Wardand Stephen Hopkins were elected thefirst delegates from any colony to the

ContinentalCongress, whichsubsequently metin Philadelphia.Governor Wardwas to serve as adelegate to theContinental Con-gress until hisdeath in 1776.

Samuel Wardwas also selectedto chair many ofthe meetings ofthe ContinentalCongress. Hisname appears onmany of the offi-

cial documents from that time. He wasthe man who nominated GeorgeWashington to be the general of theRevolutionary Army. Governor Wardalso stood alone at first in recommend-ing that the colonies build a navy. Even-tually he garnered enough support tohave 13 ships built. He was the chair-man when the “Resolution of Secrecy”was adopted in the spring of 1776.

His activities, however, took a greattoll on his health and well-being. InOctober 1775, Samuel Ward wrote thefollowing to his family back in RhodeIsland:

“I am almost worn out with attentionto business. I am upon a standing com -mittee of claims, which meets everymorning before Congress, and upon thesecret committee which meets almostevery afternoon; and these, with closeattendance upon Congress, and writingmany letters, make my duty very hard,and I cannot get time to ride or takeother exercise. But I hope the businesswill not be so pressing very long”(Charles Denison and John Ward, TheLife of Gov. Samuel Ward, Seventh DayBaptist Historical Society, 1907).

Samuel Ward’s signature is affixed to

26 The Good News

Governor Samuel Ward and his Confession of Faith

b y J i m F r a n k s

The Newport Sabbatarian meeting hall where Governor Ward attended.

the “Resolution of Secrecy” which pre-ceded the Declaration of Independence.Here we also find the unusual signatureSam: Ward, along with those of Benja-min Franklin, John Hancock, SamuelAdams, John Adams and others.

The story of Samuel Ward’s deathprovides a further glimpse into theunusual dedication of this man.According to Kenneth Smith in hisbook Sam: Ward, Founding Father(Seventh Day Baptist HistoricalSociety, 1967):

“. . . While the Continental Congresswas in session an epidemic of small-pox broke out in Philadelphia andmany of the delegates to the Congresswere inoculated. This was in the earlydays of inoculation when it meant thatyou had to be deathly ill for two weeksand hope that you would live. It wasstill the best way to avoid the small-pox, but it meant you had to resignyourself to sickness for some time.

“The other delegate from RhodeIsland, Mr. Hopkins, decided to beinoculated. Ward decided that since hiscolleague was to be out of action hehad to push through his efforts tosecure a navy. So week after week hecontinued to postpone his inoculation,always convinced that he had so muchelse to do that he couldn’t do this. Andon the 15th day of March in 1776 thechairman was taken ill while he waspresiding over the Continental

Congress. And on the 25th of March,ten days later, Governor Ward died ofsmallpox at the age of 51.”

The untimely death of Samuel Wardwas a shock to the delegates. The con-gressmen passed a resolution that saidall the delegates would attend the funer-al. The sermon was delivered by theSabbatarian minister. Governor Ward

was a beloved and dedicated patriot ofthat time and a Sabbatarian. Among thepapers he left behind was a letter con-taining his confession of faith (repro-duced below).Anti-Trinitarian document

This document is remarkable. Someclaim it reflected a standard formulathat was used by the people of that day.Whatever it may be, a personal reflec-tion of belief or recitation of a formula,it is significant because of its anti-Trinitarian stance. This was unusualsince there were many people of thatday who had embraced the idea of theTrinity. This confession of faith helpsillustrate the doctrinal position of theseearly Sabbatarians.

We find further explanation of this inHenry Clarke’s 1811 book about thehistory of the Sabbatarians. Clarke wasa personal friend of the Ward family andpastor of a Sabbatarian group in NewYork state. Notice what he says aboutthe doctrinal beliefs of these people:

“I conclude that all believe in oneGod, the Father and Maker of allthings, sin excepted, and in one LordJesus Christ, or that Jesus Christ is theSon of God, and also in the HolyGhost, as the operative power or spiritof God. But there are few if any, of thisdenomination, as I conceive, whobelieve that the Father, Son and HolyGhost, are three absolute distinct per-

sons, coequal, coessential, and coeter-nal Gods, and yet but one God; as suchan idea would be in the face of scrip-ture, and repugnant to right reason”(Henry Clarke, A History of the Sabba-tarians or Seventh Day Baptists inAmerica, Seward & Williams, 1811).

The Sabbatarians had a strong histo-ry of rejecting the Trinity doctrine.When we analyze history, we see thatcertain beliefs resurface over time andmust be readdressed. The doctrine ofthe Trinity appears to be one of those .In reading the history of people such asSamuel Ward, it is enlightening toglimpse into the doctrinal beliefs ofthose who lived more than 200 yearsago.

The story of the Sabbatarians in NewEngland during the colonial period isboth fascinating and reassuring. Theywere people of strong belief and char-acter. I see many similarities in our day.

Samuel Ward is but one of manyduring this period who was willing tostate his strong belief in God’s Sabbathand rejection of other ideas such as theTrinity. I have grown to respect themfor their courage and to appreciate theirwillingness to take a stand on mattersthat were controversial even in theirday. We would all do well to emulatethe strengths and convictions of theserather extraordinary people. v

To the Sabbatarian Church of Christ in Westerly & Hopkinton:Being fully satisfied that Baptism is a Christian Duty I desire to beadmitted to that Ordinance this Day: my Life and Conversation are wellknown; my religious Sentiments are That there is one God the Father ofwhom are all Things and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all Things,That the Universe thus created has been preserved and governed by infinite Wisdom, Power and Goodness from the Beginning, That mankindhaving fallen into the most gross & unnatural Idolatry, Superstition andWickedness it pleased God for their Recovery to make a Revelation ofhis mind & will in the hol y Scriptures which (excepting the ceremonialLaw and some part of the Judicial Law peculiar to the Jews) it is theDuty of all mankind to whom they are made known sincerely to believeand obey: my Sins I sincerely & heartily repent of and firmly rely uponthe unbounded Goodness and Mercy of God in his only begotten SonChrist Jesus for Pardon & eternal Life: and I sincerely desire andResolve by his Grace for the future to walk in all the Commandmentsand Ordinances of the Lord.

Sam: Ward August 5, 1769

Samuel Ward’s confession of faith (from Sam: Ward, Founding Father).

Premier Issue 27

IDON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, but I can’tseem to get away with anything. It’slike my parents have this radar thattells them when I’ve done somethingwrong. Of course I do get away with afew things, but 8 out of 10 times I g et

caught. Maybe parents have a sixth sensegiven to them when their first child is born.

When I do something wrong, it can breaktrust. Broken trust takes a long time torebuild.

Why would we care whether our parentstrust us or not? Well, one reason is freedom.Most teens want to be able to go out withfriends, date, talk on the phone, do thingstheir own way. Parents are a lot morelikely to give us our freedom ifthey trust us.

We all break trust in someway, even as little kids.

I’ve done some stupid thingsthat got me into trouble, and

now I wish I’d handled thembetter. I remember

one time when Iwas about 5 I

was spend-ing thenight atmy bestfriend’shouse.

Anne’sparents had

just bought hera water bed, and I

thought it was just the neat-est thing.After we’d gone to bed wedecided we were thirsty.

Neither one of uswanted to get upand go to the

kitchen, so Icame up with

a brilliantidea. We

peeled off the sheets and mattress pad, andbit two tiny holes in the plastic covering. Weput our mouths over the holes and sucked upwater that tasted like chlorine. This wasmuch more fun than drinking out of a glass.

Our only problem was that we couldn’tclose the holes up again no matter how hardwe tried to squeeze the plastic. As the waterslowly leaked out, I started thinking thatmaybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.Of course, Anne’s parents found out. At firstthey were afraid we’d been poisoned by thechemicals. But we hadn’t drunk much, andwe were fine.

I didn’t tell my parents when I got home.I was too ashamed that we had ruined

Anne’s new bed. That was a mis-take. Not telling was almost as

bad as lying to my parents.Anne’s parents ended up telling them.

Then my parents made me go back and helppatch it up.

I remember crying as I helped smooth theshiny silver tape over the two holes. I was soembarrassed! It all seems funny now, but atthe time it was a major crisis.

It’s not easy dealing with your parentswhen you’ve broken their trust. But, yes, itcan be done. I’m not talking about grovelingand sweet-talking them into forgiveness. I’mtalking about getting them to respect youagain.

How can you rebuild trust and respect?Here are some ways that work for me, pointsI’ve learned from my parents.

I find it easy to make the mistake of nottelling my parents things I’ve done wrong,hoping they won’t find out. There are lots ofreasons I don’t tell them:

l I don’t want to get into trouble.l I don’t want them to be disappointed orget mad at me.l I don’t want to lose their trust.l I don’t think they will ever find out. And the list goes on and on. But usually

they find out somehow, and then I am in hot

Why would we care whether our parents trust us or not?

Don’t You Trust Me?b y S a r a h S w e n s o n

J U S T F O R Y O U T H

water. Of course, even if Mom and Dadnever find out, God knows. And I know.

My parents have helped me see whyit might actually be in my best interestto tell them. I’m serious. Think about it.Most parents will respect you more forcoming to them and telling them y our-self. Doing so shows honesty, responsi-bility and maturity. Those are elusivequalities that parents love. If you can’ttell them face-to-face, you might trywriting a note.

Also, if you don’t tell them yourself,that leaves you a target for gossip andhearsay. Mom and Dad might hearsomething you have done in a versionblown way out of proportion. Wouldn’tyou like to give them your side of thestory first?

So, when I blow it, I try to tell myparents, and I usually get into a lot lesstrouble than I would have otherwise.

When your parents find out aboutyour mistakes, try not to justify youractions. This only makes things worseand proves to them you haven’t learnedyour lesson. Then you’re usually in fora lecture. This happens to me all thetime, especially when it comes to get-ting ready in the morning.

I have to admit that I’m probablyone of the slowest people to get ready.This drives my mom crazy. She canshower, dry and fix her hair, applymakeup and put on clothes in 15 or 20minutes. She doesn’t understand why Ican’t do the same thing. I’ve triedexplaining (I call it explaining, not jus-tifying) to her why I’m always late. Itell her I am not a mor ning person; Iaccidentally slept late. My hair takeslonger to dry and style. I couldn’t findmy shoes. You know how it is. Wemake excuses, and they lecture.

Try agreeing with them for once. Yes,it may shock them into a heart attack,but take the risk. When they harass youabout a bad habit, or find out about amistake you made, don’t talk. Listen.Say yes, ma’am, or yes, sir, once in awhile, and say you’re sorry. Then, if youwant to tell them your reasoning, calmlysay something like. “Could I explainwhy I . . .?” If they say no, save it. v

t? Parents are a lot more likely to give us our freedom if they trust

After you goof and your parents lecture or punish you, there is something thatyou still need to do. You have to find ways of rebuilding their confidence in you. It’snot that you have to do any one big thing; it’s the little things that count.

• ACT, DON'T TALKYou could start by doing extra things to help your parents out. I know you’ll moan

and groan when I say this, but housework is a good place to start. Trust me, cleaningbathrooms is about my least-favorite thing to do. But when I voluntarily clean thebathroom—or if I simply don’t complain and do it cheerfully when Mom asks—Ithink I really endear myself to her. Just making my bed in the morning is appreciat-ed, or cleaning up after a meal. She feels it is a step toward being more responsible—one of my parents’ favorite vocabulary words.

• BE OPEN AND HONESTWhile you are doing the little things, don’t forget big ones like honesty and being

open. Most of us will probably never be able to share every detail of our lives with ourparents. And, yes, sometimes we might even lie. We’re only human. But we have tobe super careful while trust is being built. Mom and Dad will be watching closely. Ifthey think you are being dishonest with them in some w ay, it’s not going to help.

My advice is to talk to them, using full sentences instead of one-word monotones.And don’t try sneaking around behind their backs. If you don’t know what to say, talkabout your friends, love life (if you dare), school or why a movie or song is yourfavorite. They’ll appreciate it. After a problem, I sometimes want to withdraw. Butdoing something with them can also be a g ood way to open up communication.

• SHARE VALUESYour parents have a value system of what’s right and wrong. A good value system

includes the Ten Commandments, but it doesn’t have to stop there. No drugs, no sexbefore marriage, no gambling and always putting God first are probably importantvalues to your parents. Most likely they’ve been trying to instill these values in you.

But parents can’t know if their values are your values unless you tell them. If youhave never told them what’s important to you yet, try it. I didn’t realize this until Iwas talking to my mom one day and she was asking me these weird questions like,“So how do you feel about sex before marriage?” and “Would you ever do drugs?”

I was really surprised she asked. Didn’t she know how I felt on those issues? Itturns out she just needed reassurance because she was afraid my views might havechanged over time. It will make your parents feel you are a lot safer if they know youare committed to doing the r ight thing. If you’ve decided to turn over a new leaf,don’t keep it to yourself. Tell your parents and ask for help.

• PROVE YOURSELFBuilding trust is often a slow process. As it builds up, you will need a chance to

prove that you can handle yourself better now. For example, I was allowed to sleepover at friends’ homes later, and I never tried to bite another water bed again. Showyour parents you learned your lesson. A lot of times we’ll beg them to give us justone more chance. But building trust requires that we determine not to make the samemistake again. As our folks let out more and more rope, we don’t want to hang our-selves with it. That would put us back to square one.

I don’t think anyone can have a perfect relationship with his or her mom and dad .Probably all of us have broken trust or made our parents worry at some time.

Like I said, it may take some time to rebuild trust. But, once you establish an openand honest relationship, improve communication skills and show by your actions thatyou are trustworthy, your parents will feel closer to you and you might even get moretrust (and freedom!) than before.

Rebuilding trust doesn’t happen overnight. But it can happen! v—Sarah Swenson

Four Ways to Patch Up Trust

Premier Issue 29

BACK IN COLLEGE WE OCCASIONALLY had sing-alongsfor the student body. I remember well one of thesongs we sang every time: “Far-Away Places.” The lyrics wentlike this:

I always liked that song, not just because of the wistfulmelody, but for the yearning emotions it evoked in me. I

would listen to the names of those f ar-off placesand wonder what they were like. Castles

in Spain, mysterious China and evenSiam (Thailand today) were

among the many places Idreamed of seeing. Over theyears I have seen many partsof the world with evenstranger sounding names. Trypronouncing Zidlocovice orCastlevechio Pascoli.My family has had the expe-rience of cruising Alaska’s

magnificent Inside Passage,full of icebergs and soaring

eagles. We have taken in thebreathtaking vistas of the Hawaiian

Islands and snorkeled in the sapphire waters of the Caribbean.

On another trip we stayed in a small family-run Swiss-chalet hotel and woke each morning to the mighty

Matterhorn towering above us. Some years ago,before the fall of the Berlin Wall, we even spent some

time behind the iron curtain, in Czechoslovakia andEast Berlin.What experiences sound inviting to you? Exotic trips,

great adventures, an interesting career? What might be onyour dream list?

b y D a r r i s M c N e e l y

“Those far-awayplaces with strange soundingnames, far away over the sea.Those far away places withthe strange sounding namesare calling, calling me.”

Illus

trat

ion

by S

haun

Ven

ish

Making a list of our dreams is an important first step in bring-

ing dreams to reality. Putting itdown in black and white takes an

idea out of the realm of theabstract into

the world of the concrete and specific. It leads one

closer to commitment.

30 The Good News

Several years ago a friend of mine and fellow ministerdelivered a sermon about dreaming. He spoke on the impor-tance of dreaming beyond our present circumstances andpicturing ourselves accomplishing things we had only daredto imagine. He showed how making a list of our dr eams isan important first step in bringing dreams to reality.

Take the challenge! By forming your own list of dreamsand hopes, you also map out your future.

You may wonder why it would be important to actuallywrite out your list. Putting it down in black and white takesan idea out of the realm of the abstract into the world of theconcrete and specific. It leads one closer to a commitment.

This technique has worked for many others, and it can workfor you.

Find a quiet place to think a bout what you would like toachieve in your life. Take the time to discuss your goals withyour parents. Then record your dreams and put your chartwhere you can refer to it often. It will r emind you of yourdreams and prod you to action.

In The Good News we want to challenge you to seek thetruth and always aim high in your life expectations. We haveprovided here a chart you can use as an example to list yourdreams: travel, finances, education, spiritual, possessions,family and adventure. Start dreaming today! v

“One man with a dream . . . shall go forth and conquer a crown.”Arthur William Edgar O’Shaughnessy

Travel Finances Education Spiritual Possessions Family Adventure

Premier Issue 31

Your spiritual nourishment isimportant to us, and we’re

ready to help you in any way pos-sible, from simple informationalneeds to personal ministerial coun-sel. Here’s how to learn more:

The United Church of God hasalmost 200 congregations and 300ministers in virtually all states andmany international areas. For loca-tions and times of services in yourarea, write or call the addresses list-ed below or dial our fax-back ser-vice. Visitors are always welcome.

Two exciting publications are nowavailable to you free of charge:New Beginnings, which is thenewsletter of the United Church ofGod, and The Good News, the bi-monthly, full-color magazine youare now holding in your hands. Foryour free subscriptions write to theaddress nearest you.

Using an ordinary fax machine, youcan dial (317) 526-2036 (effectiveOctober 18, 1995, it will be [317]839-5002) and getinstant infor-mation on awiderangeof top-ics,from doctrine to discounts onfestival travel. A complete menu ofchoices guides you through how toreceive by fax items such as thelocation of ministers and congrega-tions near you, current and backissues of New Beginnings, Biblestudy and sermon summaries, newsreleases, details on our audio- andvideotape service, and more.Simply lift the handset on your faxmachine, dial the number and fol-low the voice instructions.

Use your home computer to accessthe United Church of God homepage on the World Wide Web por-tion of the Internet. The addresshttp://www.ucg.org/ gives youaccess to general information andcurrent news about the Church,

automatic E-mail forms for contact-ing the home office, issues of theNew Beginnings newsletter, churchlocations and ministers, festivalinformation, facts about our com-puter bulletin board, and more.

If you have no nearby congrega-tional tape library to draw from,you may have sermon and Bible

study tapes mailed directly toyou at no cost. Simply mail yourrequest to the home office.

How to get moreinformation

Printed Publications

World Wide Web Page

AddressesUnited Church of Godan International AssociationP.O. Box 661780Arcadia, CA 91066-1780 U.S.A.Phone: (818) 294-0800 Fax: (818) 294-0808

International addresses:

Australia:United Church of God–Australia P.O. Box 929 Beenleigh, Qld.4207 Australia Phone: 0755 35 6030Fax: 0755 35 6106

Bahamas: United Church of God P.O. Box N8873 Nassau Bahamas Phone: (809) 324-3169 Fax: (809) 364-5566

Canada:United Church of Godan International Association 9251-8 Yonge St., #303 Richmond Hill, ON L4C 9T3 Canada

South Africa:United Church of God P.O. Box 4345 Randburg 2125 SouthAfrica Phone and fax: 011 792-4601

Spanish-speaking areas: United Church of God P.O. Box 458 BigSandy, TX 75755 U.S.A. Phone: (903) 636-4928

United Kingdom: United Church of God (U.K.) 188 First St. New Greenham Park Thatcham, Berks. RG19 6HW United Kingdom Phone: 0115 944-4973

Local Congregations

Fax-back Service

United Church of God

Audiotapes and Videotapes