For not wanting to start a debate, calling adherence to Sabbath (Duet5:12-15) and refusal to worship as the pagans do (Duet12:29-32) "over-enthusiastically held manmade traditions." Them's some fighting words against the particular individual who made up those Commands and told them to Moses.
The irony of using that as a means of defending the over-enthusiastically held manmade tradition of Sunday "Sabbath" which is nowhere commanded in scripture? A tradition that didn't start till a hundred years after the apostles died, and only in those public groups which weren't persecuted because of their willingness to acquiesce to the cultural demands; while the Sabbath keepers were hunted down in the catacombs and in caves by the Roman pagans? Mmm. I love me some juicy irony!
WWJD? I would say He would keep the Sabbath holy. Apparently you would say he would go into pagan temples and worship his god the way they worship their gods. He would subject himself under the authority of his bride; the church is the real Lord of the Sabbath. So Jesus would even go against the commands of his Father in order to cowtow to his 'church' and her rebellion. What a beta male! Sure... I'm convinced. Ah now I see it. It's in the addendum to Revelation, the book of Oops, I Forgot 4:20 "By the way, Sabbath is now on the Roman day of the Sun!"
Or rather it is in Constantine's command given at the council of Nicea that the Christians now worship "on the venerable day of the Sun!" You know, the day the pagans worshipped Sol Invictus? The Sun god? Because syncretistic mixing of the profane and holy is just fine with Jesus! Oh and rampant anti-semitism! Because the "early church fathers" all wrote against keeping Sabbath because the 'Christ-killers" keep Sabbath. Nevermind that Christ was a Sabbath-keeping Jew.
There's a big difference between going to a repentant Jewish man's house, and going to a pagan temple actively worshipping a false image, even a false image of the "right" deity. I have no problem meeting folks on Sunday, but I do have severe problems with even giving the slightest credence to pagan forms of worship. I threw out Starbucks mugs because they have images of a godess on them. Yet, I was invited to a chili cookoff recently and went with a kosher chili. Played games, and hung out with people. On a Sunday! But that was not a religious event.
The church service is a religious practice, and it is operated in clear active rebellion against the Lord's Sabbath, even if the majority of folk are unaware that they are practicing in open rebellion against the Lord.
Since the culture here is so drenched in Southern Baptist dogma and tradition, for me to deviate effectively leaves me separated, sanctified if you will. So, I generally choose to hang out in a public place, where conversing with strangers is actually a norm. Coffee shops. I go to coffee shop to meet people where they are. I teach the patrons scripture. And since the owner wished his cafe to be a ministry, I actually am accomplishing his desire as well. In so doing I've only recently begun to start meeting like-minded men. One here, one there. We are scattered and few. But, I have hope that those who hold the testimony of Yeshua, AND keep the Law of YHWH (Rev12:7) will be preserved in the end of all things. We may seem "anti-social" but it is because we are a peculiar, set apart, people.
@FollowingHim. You asked me to explain my position. I have done so. If your desire is to debate elsewhere, feel free to resurrect an old thread and I can meet you there. Or you can just honestly say you disagree, and we can leave it there. I've been browsing enough of the forum to know where the major players stand, and how they hold to their doctrines. You've ignored much older, wiser, and closer friends like
@PeteR and
@Mark C who have told you the same things. I'm under no illusion that I can change your mind. Especially since being too "zealous for the Law" (Acts21:20, Titus2:14) is generally seen as a detractor for winning hearts and minds.
@Kiwi_Lion Sorry for the hijack. BibFam seems to agree on one thing; every thread is free game for rabbit trails.
Again, welcome!
