Monthly Archives: August 2014

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Some final references on ‘Who changed the Sabbath’ ?

The following quote is from a paper presented by Dr. Edward T. Hiscox, author of the Baptist Manual, before a meeting of Baptist ministers in Saratoga, New York, August 20, 1893;
“Of course I quite well know that Sunday did come into use in early Christian history as a religious day, as we learn from the Christian Fathers and other sources. But what a pity that it comes branded with the mark of Paganism, and Christened with the name of the Sun-god. Then adopted and sanctified by the Papal apostasy, and bequeathed as a sacred legacy to Protestantism, and the Christian world, just as Easter. …”

A short time later, the conclusions of Dr. Hiscox would be upheld by the March 1894 edition of ‘The Catholic World’, a monthly magazine of General Literature and Science published by the Catholic Church.
“The church took the pagan philosophy and made it the buckler of faith against the heathen. She took the pagan, Roman Pantheon, temple of all the gods, and made it sacred to all the martyrs; so it stands to this day. She took the pagan Sunday and made it the Christian Sunday. She took the pagan Easter and made it the feast we celebrate during this season.
Sunday and Easter day are, if we consider their derivation, much the same. In truth all Sundays are Sundays only because they are a weekly, partial recurrence of Easter day. The pagan Sunday was, in a manner, an unconscious preparation for Easter day. The sun was the foremost god of heathendom. … There is, in truth, something royal, kingly about the sun, making it a fit emblem of Jesus, the Sun of Justice. Hence the church in these countries would seem to have said, “keep that old, pagan name. It shall remain consecrated, sanctified.” And thus the pagan Sunday, dedicated to Balder [by the Scandinavians), became the Christian Sunday, sacred to Jesus. (p. 809)”

Other quotes:

It (Mithraism) had so much acceptance that it was able to impose its own Sun-Day in place of the Sabbath, its Sun’s birthday, 25th December, as the birthday of Jesus. Gilbert Murray, essay published in ‘Christianty in the Light of Modern Knowledge’ (“Religion and Philosophy,” pp.73-74).

The History of the Christian Religion and Church during the Three First Centuries by Dr. Augustus Neander “The festival of Sunday, like all other festivals, was always only a human ordinance, and it was far from the intentions of the apostles to establish a Divine command in this respect, far from them, and from the early apostolic Church, to transfer the laws of the Sabbath to Sunday. Perhaps, at the end of the second century a false application of this kind had begun to take place; for men appear at that time to have considered labouring on Sunday as a sin. …
The Jewish Christian Churches, {i.e. Churches consisting of Jewish converts,} although they received the festival of Sunday, retained also that of the Sabbath; and from them the custom spread abroad in the Oriental Church, of distinguishing this day, as well as the Sunday, by not fasting and by praying in an erect posture; in the Western Churches, particularly the Roman, where opposition to Judaism was the prevailing tendency, this very opposition produced the custom of celebrating the Saturday in particular as a fast day.” (Vol. I, p.186)

A Doctrinal Catechism, by Rev. Stephen Keenan, published in 1846 and released in the United States in 1876 .

“Q. Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?
A. Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her; – she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority. (p.174)”

The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine by Peter Geiermann, Louis, Missouri, 1909, 16th edition, page 50;

“Q. Which is the Sabbath day?
A. Saturday is the Sabbath day.
Q. Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
A. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea (A.D. 336), transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.”

Now, we know the history of who did what and who changed what. But there comes a time when we, like Jeremiah, must draw a line in the sand and recognize the false inheritance that has, without intent, been handed down and refuse to pass this on to the next generations. The greatest inheritance we can leave for our children and our grandchildren is the Truth. “And when your children ask . . .” How will you answer ? shalom –

More to consider concerning ‘Who changed the Sabbath’ ?

The Following was published in the
‘The Industrial American’ of Harlan, Iowa,
December 19, 1889.

Father Enright on ‘The Sunday.’

FOR the benefit of those who favor Sunday laws, and especially those who boast of the indorsement of Cardinal Gibbons, and the co-operation of the Catholic Church, we print the following statement of Father Enright, lately made, as to the authority for Sunday laws:—

“My brethren, look about you upon the various wrangling sects and denominations. Show me one that claims, or possesses the power to make laws binding on the conscience. There’s but one on the face of the earth—the Catholic Church—that has the power to make laws binding upon the conscience, binding before God, binding under pain of hell fire. Take for instance the day we celebrate—Sunday. What right have the Protestant churches to observe that, day? None whatever. You say it is to obey the commandment, ‘Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.’ But Sunday is not the Sabbath according to the Bible and the record of time. Every one knows that Sunday is the first day of the week, while Saturday is the seventh day and the Sabbath, the day consecrated as a day of rest. It is so recognized in all civilized nations. I have repeatedly offered $1000 to any one who will furnish any proof from the Bible that Sunday is the day we are bound to keep, and no one has called for the money. If any person in this town will show me any scripture for it I will, tomorrow evening, publicly acknowledge it and thank him for it. It was the holy Catholic Church that changed the day of rest from Saturday to Sunday, the first day of the week. And it not only compelled all to keep Sunday, but at the Council of Laodicea, A. D. 364, anathematized those who kept the Sabbath and urged all persons to labor on the seventh day under the penalty of anathema.”

“Which church does the whole civilized world obey? Protestants call us every horrible name they can think of—antichrist, the scarlet-colored beast, Babylon, etc., and at the same time profess great reverence for the Bible, and yet by their solemn act of keeping Sunday they acknowledge the power of the Catholic Church. The Bible says, ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,’ but the Catholic Church says, ‘No, keep the first day of the week,’ and the whole world bows in obedience.”

Source: The American Sentinel, Pacific Press Publishing Company, New York, Vol. 5, No. 6, Feb. 6, 1890, page 46.

Does this mean it’s wrong or sinful to worship on the first day of the week ? Absolutely Not !! But the first day of the week is not the Lord’s Sabbath. Have we been called to keep His ways or ours ? The Word ‘laodicea’ literally means’ the people decide’. We haven’t been called to ‘decide’. We’ve been called to repentance and obedience. Besides, we’re not fond of anything that came out of Laodicea . . . Shalom –

We will post this in three sections . . . this is the first . . .

Asking the Pope about the Change of the Sabbath

In 1956, this letter from a Georgia gentleman and the subsequent reply appeared in the Catholic Extension Magazine, the largest Catholic magazine published in the USA at the time.

From: J.L. Day, Thomaston,
Georgia May 22, 1934

To: Pope Pius XI Rome, Italy

Dear Sir:
Is the accusation true, that Protestant’s accuse you of? They say you changed the seventh’ day Sabbath to the, so called, Christian Sunday; identical with the first day of
the week. If so, when did you make the change and by what authority?
Yours truly,
(Signed)
J. L. Day

(Reply)
THE CATHOLIC EXTENSION MAGAZINE
180 Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
(Under the blessing of Pope Pius XI)

Dear Sir:
Regarding the change from the observance of the Jewish Sabbath to the Christian Sunday, I wish to draw your attention to the facts:
(1) That Protestants, who accept the Bible as the only rule of faith and religion, should by all means go back to the observance of the Sabbath. The fact that they do not, but on the contrary observe the Sunday, stultifies them in the eyes of every thinking man.
(2) We Catholics do not accept the Bible as the only rule of faith.
Besides the Bible we have the living Church, the authority of the Church, as a rule to guide us. We say this Church, instituted by Christ, to teach and guide men through life, has the right to change the Ceremonial laws of the Old Testament and hence, we accept her change of the Sabbath to the Sunday. We frankly say, “Yes, the Church made this change, made this
law, as she made many other laws, for instance, the Friday Abstinence, the unmarried priesthood, the laws concerning mixed marriages, the regulation of Catholic marriages,
and a thousand other laws.”
(3) We also say that of all Protestants, the Seventh-day Adventist are the only group that reason correctly and are consistent with their teachings. It is always somewhat
laughable to see the Protestant Churches, in pulpit and legislature, demand the observance of Sunday, of which there is nothing in the Bible.

With best wishes,
(Signed)
Peter R. Tramer, Editor

Hummmm . . .

Is this why the Catholic Church still considers the Protestants as part of the Mother Church ? We still follow Her lead ? Perchance we did not protest enough . . .

Huh ? There’s nothing in this Portion about a war dog ? OK, well, just hang on a moment. This week’s portion is Deuteronomy 3:23 through 7:11 entitled ‘Va’etchanan’ or ‘I pleaded . . .’ So what’s that got to do with an old Disney movie ?
Well, for those that know the movie, the plot is about a young army recruit, an old trainer and a german shepherd that just can’t seem to cut the mustard. But at the last minute, this ‘washed-out’ pooch is the only option and must pass the test the next day. So all night, the old trainer ( he can’t go to the testing site) sets with the recruit and the dog reminding them of all they need to remember, going over and over their training one last time. Over and over the old trainer keeps saying, ‘ oh yeah, and this is the most important thing . . .’
Well, every time this Torah portion rolls around that movie comes to mind. The good ol’ pooch is Israel, the recruit is Joshua and the old trainer ? Well, that would be Moses. And in this portion and others to come he is reminding the people over and over of their training and all that they need to remember. ‘Oh yeah, don’t forget, this is really important . . .’ He can’t go to the final testing site with them, so he is reminding them one last time.
There is much in this portion that we need to remember; things like “To you it was shown that you might know that YHVH, He is God; there is no other besides Him” or “”Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that YHVH, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other,” and don’t forget “When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days, you will return to YHVH your God and listen to His voice.”
But the one that stands out most for us begins in Deutoronomy 5:1, for this is the description of what we should understand and recognize as ‘The New Covenant’.
What ? That’s right, The New Covenant. In verse two Moses states- ‘God made a covenant with us at Horeb . . . this is not the covenant He made with our fathers’. Why ? For this is the New Covenant. For the first and only time, God of Creation enters into a covenant relationship with a nation He called out and formed. Up to this point, every covenant made by God has been with an individual or a couple; Adam & Eve, Noah, Abraham and Sarah, even Hagar and Ishmael. But now, God has formed a family and set up His new household with all the guidelines that are needed for and by this New family . . . the family promised to Abraham.
The English word ‘new’, in reference to ‘new commandment, new covenant or new testament, appears over a dozen times and only once is it the greek word for ‘new’ as in brand new, never existed before. It is the word ‘neos’ from which we get words like neo-natal. Every other instance is the greek word ‘kainos’ which means to ‘renew, refurbish or make like new again’. That one instance for ‘brand new’ – neos – is in Hebrews 12:24 where it states ‘ Yeshua is the mediator ( intercessor) of the NEW Covenant. So what does that mean ? We are not going to presume to be able to give a comprehensive answer but to this one point we will speak. Yeshua is the intercessor of this New covenant given at Horeb, which is a type and shadow of Messiah and not the other way around. The blood of bulls and goats does not forgive sin, but the sincere obedience from a grateful heart – the circumcision of the heart – coupled with Yeshua’s intercession postponed the judgment until the ultimate atonement could be made on the cross, all in the Father’s perfect timing. Abraham’s faith was reckoned unto him as righteousness. Abraham was saved the same way we all are – faith in the Word of God and the Blood of Messiah.
The New Covenant ? Torah. The intercessor for this Covenant ? Yeshua, the living Torah.”

In the movie, Chips the wayward german shepherd finally ‘gets it’ and performs just as the old trainer had hoped. Under the tutelage of the ‘old trainer’ and the leadership and relationship with the ‘recruit-turned-soldier’, Chips is transformed into all he was meant to be. The same is true for us as a part of the citizenship of Israel. Under the teaching of Moses, the Apostles and Prophets, and most importantly the leadership and relationship with Yeshua, the commander of the Hosts of Heaven, we are transformed into all we were meant to be – we are meant to be like Him.
Shalom – J & R

OK, here we go . . . here’s our 2 cents worth on when Jesus – Yeshua- was born. By the way, just as a caveat, if this information and understanding was relevant and crucial to our relationship with Father God, it would be laid out in such a way to reflect that relevance and necessity. Now, with that said, let’s begin . . .
The Word was given at Sinai (see Exodus 20 and following) which we understand to be the first Pentecost or Feast of Weeks. John declares that ‘the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us . . .’
Our premise is this – if the Word was given the first time at Pentecost, then it would seem to follow suit that the Word became flesh ( Jesus’ birth ) at Pentecost as well. Ok, so let’s see if it fits.
Zechariah, the father of John the Immerser, was of the ‘order of Abijah’. 1st Chronicles 24:10 shows us the order of Abijah was the 8th order. Each order served for 2 weeks ( or half a month ) therefore Zechariah’s weeks would have been weeks 15 & 16 ( the last half of the fourth month of the service order).
2nd Chronicles 7:5-9 tells us the dedication was at the time of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) . If that’s the case, then weeks 15 & 16 of the priestly order of service would fall somewhere around the time of the end of February or the first of March on the modern calendar. IF . . . IF . . . sometime soon after Zechariah’s return home from work Elizabeth conceives, that would place the 6th month of her pregnancy and the first month of Mary’s pregnancy ( Luke 1:23-41) somewhere around the month of August . . . IF . . . IF . . . that is the case according to the information available to us in the Word, that would place the birth of Messiah (Jesus – Yeshua in the Hebrew) somewhere around the end of May or first of June . . . about the time of Pentecost. . . in our humble opinion . . .
Also, the birth of Messiah at the Feast of Pentecost and the outpouring of the Spirit (the Ruach) at Pentecost ( Acts 2 ) would tie together the two halves, if you will, of the ‘promise of the Father’ . . . the birthing of the Seed of the Woman – The Messiah – ( Gen 3:15 ) and the ‘outpouring of the Holy Spirit in ‘the last days’. ( Joel 2:28-ff and Acts 2 )
We are commanded to remember His death until he comes again. Why ?
Many were born in the history of mankind.
Many were resurrected in the history of mankind.
Only ONE died and shed Blood with the Power to reconcile me to my Heavenly Father.
If I am reconciled by His death, how much more am I saved by His resurrected life. Romans 5:10

” I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Gal 2:20)

Hebrews 10:20 speaks of ‘a new and living way’. That is not exactly what the Greek says.
It speaks of a ‘new, fresh slaughter that lives . . .’
Only Yeshua could die and live again to reconcile me and save me.
Baruch Haba B’Shem Adonai – Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of YHVH.
Shalom  to you and yours –  B’Shem Yeshua HaMashiach – In the Name of Yeshua the Messiah