Expert: Cooper P. Abrams III - 2/9/2008

Question
QUESTION: i read all the texts that  you gave me supporting that Sunday is the new sabbath. Matthew 27:52 to 53 is rather confusing. how is it that he was risen , when joseph came to beg for his body in verse 57?
In corinthians, the people were asked to set aside some of their money for collection . this made sense, for it would have been unlawful to do budgeting for the coming week on the day before.and it does not state that they came together to worship on that day.
Revelation 1:10 this does not state in any way shape or form that sunday is the lords day.
i admit that many wonderful things happened on the first day of the week,but there is no where in the bible that god or Jesus, has stated sunday as the new Sabbath. We can only assume.  
if we are just following the PRINCIPLES of the law,as you stated before, then why are we bound to the first day? why are we not given a choice?       


ANSWER:  
   Sir I suspect that you are reading Seventh Day Adventist material or some other source.  The reference is not 27:52 to 53 but verse 58 - 59.  Sir if you read the text it is clear that Jesus had just been crucified and was not buried.  This was on Wednesday before 6PM.  He was not resurrected until Sunday, the day after the Sabbath.   Sir, a lot of our questions could be answers if we read the Bible...the whole text instead of picking out a verse or two out of its contexts.   
   The reason Paul ask them to bring their offerings on Sunday was that was the day they might together.   Sir, once again you misunderstand because you look at a every passage and interpret it with your preconceived idea that the early Christians met on Saturday.   However, the scriptures do not support you idea nor does history.
   Rev. 1:10 uses the term the Lord's day because it was the day the Lord arose.   The consecration of the day to worship, almsgiving, and the Lord's Supper, is implied in Ac 20:7; 1Co 16:2; compare Joh 20:19-26.  

   Justin Martyr who lived in at the end of the first Century wrote; JUSTIN MARTYR [Apology, 2.98], &c., "On Sunday we all hold our joint meeting; for the first day is that on which God, having removed darkness and chaos, made the world, and Jesus Christ our Saviour rose from the dead. On the day before Saturday they crucified Him; and on the day after Saturday, which is Sunday, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught these things."

   Sir, Sunday is not a Sabbath...  The Sabbath was given to Israel under the Law.   

   I have repeatedly answered your question and it seems clear that you are not interested in the truth, but in trying to justify putting Christians under the Law of Moses and keeping the Jewish Sabbath.   

   Respectfully I suggest that you accept what God's word says instead of following false teachings.

Cooper Abrams



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: in reading, i realise that after Jesus death, the two women waited til after the sabbath to anoint jesus body, if it was not necessary to observe it, then why? Luke23:55- The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment. only one of the women was a Jew.
If, Christains were not to observe the Sabbath then why did Jesus say to the disciples but pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day in Matthew 24:20.
Jesus said to people in matthew 12:12, How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
IN mark 3:4 why is he teaching this? :Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.
ALso none of these gatherings that occured on sunday seemed official,even when the disciples supposedly broke bread on the day before paul left, according to acts 2:46 it seems the disciples broke bread very often,and the reason they did that that day was because Paul was leaving. so this doesnt really give anything special to sunday. And paul who was not a Jew, preached in the synagogue every sabbath, even to the Gentiles, not only jews:
[read acts]and this was even after jesus teachings. i may seem difficult but i need something solid to believe in, and so far i have only gotten assumptions. the only solid thing here are the ten commandments which jesus states: If ye love me, keep my commandments.John 14:15, doesnt this mean all ten laws are valid even tho we are not judged by only them but also by our relationship with god?

Answer
Patley,
   I have an article at http://bible-truth.org/WhatDayDidChristDie.html titled "What day was Christ Crucified."   It will explain that Thursday, following the day Jesus was crucified was the Day of Atonement which was the special Sabbath observed once a year.  The next Sabbath was the regular Sabbath on the following Saturday.  The article will explain this for you.
   Matthew 24:20 was written to the Jews and the events of chapters 24-25 will take place in the seven year Tribulation or Daniel's 70 Week (Dan. 9:26-27)   There will be on church age saints (Christians) on the earth at this time because God will have taken them to heaven in the Rapture which takes place before the Tribulation.
   Jesus In Mark 3:4 was talking to Jews...not Christians.  There were no Christians until after Pentecost as Acts 2f records. The Gospels are the record of Jesus' life and ministry in presenting Himself to the nation of Israel as their Messiah.   After Israel rejected Him, He started the institution of the local church as Acts 2 records.
   Jews did not meet on Sunday....they met on the Sabbath.   When God instituted the local church then Christians in this new dispensation of time began to worship on Sunday to honor the Lord Jesus Christ who was resurrected on the first day of the week.  Churches are not Israel, nor are Jews...Christians.
   Sir, I do not know where you get your information from, but Paul was a Pharisee, of the Tribe of Benjamin, and a Jew who held Romans citizenship.
   Sir, if you want something solid to believe in believe God's word!   That requires that you study and learn what it says.  In your e-mail to me you have made many serious mistakes about you understanding of the Bible.   The one's above are a good example.

   I would begin to read the Bible and study it as 2 Timothy 2:15 states.   What bothers me is that I have repeatedly shown you correctly what the New Testament says, but you simply ignore this truth and continue to ask uninformed questions.   I do not say this to belittle you, but to try and help.   If I did not wish to help you I would have never responded to your first questions.  I knew from the start what you believed.    
   Start with one biblical truth and build on that....  Exodus 31:15-17:  Please carefully read the following passage....

   "Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.  Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed." (Exodus 31:15-17)

    Question 1.  Who does the passage say is to keep the Sabbath day?
    Question 2.  How long was Israel to keep the Sabbath?

    Question 3.  What does God mean that the Sabbath was a sign between "me" (God) and the children of Israel forever.

    Question 4. Who was the special sign given to?

    Question 5.  Are Gentiles Christians or a church the nation of Israel or Jews?

    These questions should help you understand that Christians in this the dispensation of Grace (the Church Age)(Eph. 3:2)are not the nation of Israel nor are Gentiles Jews.  The Law was given to the nation of Israel, the Jews....not to Christians.

    If you have further questions or comments please write.
Cooper Abrams