Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian
From: kilroy@mimsy.UUCP (Nancy's Sweetie)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Jesus Lord of Sabbath - Caesar Lord of Sunday
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Date: 24 Sep 89 21:50:46 GMT
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During a discourse on the Sabbath Day over in talk.religion.misc, David
Buxton quotes a tract written by Erling Calkins (which I am supposing is
representative of David's own views).  I think that some of the points
made by Mr. Calkins could use elaboration, so here we go...

The tract is in the form of a question-answer session between a person and
God, with God's side given from Scripture quotations.  In reply to a pair of
queries about abolishing the Sabbath Day, Mr. Calkins cites Matthew 5:17-18.

> "Do not suppose that I have come to do away with the law or the prophets.
>  I have not come to do away with them, but to enforce them.  I tell you,
>  as long as heaven and earth endure, not one dotting or an 'i' or
>  crossing of a 't' will be dropped from the law until it is all observed."

Now, lots of people have quoted these verses at me in the past, by way of
showing that since I don't keep one of the Old Testament rules, I am an
Obviously Defective Christian.

The problem I have with that is that absolutely NONE of the people who have
ever done this keeps all of the rules themselves.  Zero.  Nada.  Zip.

Nobody.

(The closest person slipped up on Leviticus 19:19 and, oddly enough,
 Exodus 20:9.  So close and yet so far...)

So, since David sees fit to use this verse as enforcing Sabbath worship, I
feel justified in asking whether he keeps every single rule listed in the
Old Testament.

If not, then what are you complaining at us about?


Assuming for the moment that David does, in fact, observe every last rule
listed in the Old Testament (which would be first in my experience), his
article brings to mind some other questions:

1) In Romans 14, Paul specifically comments on people who consider some
   days special and those who consider every day alike.  I happen to be
   one of the latter, and in many of your postings you have made it quite
   clear that you judge my opinion to be either uninformed or dishonestly
   held.  You have also made it apparent that you look down on those who
   observe Sunday.  So I ask you the question that Paul asked the Romans:
   "You, then, why do you judge your brother?  Or why do you look down on
   your brother?"


2) In Acts 15 we have an account of problems in the early Church over a
   similar issue, circumcision of believers.  A detachment was sent to
   Jerusalem for an official ruling (comments about what this means for
   congregational churches will be deleted  8-).  The Council's decision
   essentially amounts to a dismissal of circumcision for the Gentile
   believers of the church.

   Given your apparent belief that "none of the law will pass away," do
   you believe that the Council of Jerusalem acted wrongly in refusing
   to require the Gentiles be circumcised?

   If not, how do you reconcile their decision with your own opinion that
   the law is still in effect?


3) The book of Galatians primarily deals with members of the Church who
   were teaching that one must keep OT rules to be a Christian (again,
   the specific issue was circumcision).  Paul states that he opposed
   Peter to his face (3:11), as Peter was teaching Gentiles that they
   must observe the OT Law, and Paul states that "they were not acting
   in line with the truth of the gospel."

   I don't mean to be too heavy-handed here, but I cannot see any
   difference between your constant articles about the Sabbath Day and
   Peter's actions described in Galatians 3.  Do you see any difference,
   and if so, what is it?

-=-=-

Finally, I want to make it clear that I have no complaint with people who
consider the Sabbath sacred.  I personally would prefer it if the Church
had left things alone, but I'm not going to state that they were wrong in
what they did.

My complaint is not with David's personal observance, but with his articles
that insist I must observe the way he does.  I do not feel that he has any
right to make such judgements, and I find his willingness to do so anyway
highly irritating.


kilroy@mimsy.umd.edu        Darren F. Provine         ...uunet!mimsy!kilroy
"Sabbath, n.  A weekly festival having its origin in the fact that God made
 the world in six days and was arrested on the seventh.  Among the Jews
 observance of the day was enforced by a Commandment of which this is the
 Christian version:  "Remember the seventh day to make thy neighbor keep it
 wholly."  To the Creator it seemed fit and expedient that the Sabbath should
 be the last day of the week, but the Early Fathers of the Church held other
 views." -- Ambrose Bierce, _The Devil's Dictionary_