Editor,
Greetings Randy! I want to thank you once again for the excellent job you do covering and reporting activities in our area. I especially thank you for your weekly devotionals and commentaries! I try to read each article you write and am greatly blessed by your straight forward Bible-based approach. I appreciate your courage and willingness to share your beliefs.
The Feb. 11 article "A Little Doctrine for My Kids" is especially significant as it addresses the abortion atrocity taking place in America.
I appreciated the weekly devotional "Being All Things to All Men to Save Some" also in the Feb. 11 paper based on I Corinthians 9:22. Paul was a patient, tolerant servant of the Lord committed to teaching both Jews and Gentiles to accept Jesus. He was willing to "fit in" and make all classes of people comfortable. We know that he was following Jesus' example. Jesus was criticized for associating with sinners and undesirable persons (Matthew 9:10-11.) However, you are certainly correct to say that Paul (and certainly Jesus) did not yield in matters of God's moral laws.
The devotional continues to say that "we are not bound in regard to worship days, the foods we eat, or even in our forms of worship." Colossians 2:16-17 is given as further support of this statement. When examining this passage closely, we see that Paul is saying we are not to judge others in regards to when we worship or what we eat. Please let me make it crystal clear that I am in no way placing judgment on anyone either as I share the following comments.
We should be reminded that the Bible writers do not contradict each other if they are inspired by the Holy Spirit, and they certainly are inspired. Therefore, we can compare Bible verses to a jig saw puzzle purchased at a garage sale in a clear plastic bag. Assembling two or three pieces out of that bag of puzzle pieces to determine the whole picture is unclear or inconclusive. The same is true for scripture. We must look at the whole puzzle, realizing that the Bible is not contradictory and it will give us the true picture of God's will for our lives. We can deceive ourselves if we pull a verse or phrase from Paul's writings and do not look at the whole picture. First, Corinthians 6:12 could be used to say that everything is permissible according to Paul. However, we know that is not the true picture of Paul's teaching. It is troubling to conclude that moderation is our guide for behavior.
When examining New Testament scripture, it is sometimes confusing to know if the author is speaking of God's moral law (the Ten Commandments) or the ceremonial laws required of the Jews until the death of Jesus or of both. Unfortunately, the Jews became legalistic and taught that salvation was based on keeping laws instead of faith in Jesus. Paul said the following concerning keeping the law:
1. Romans 3:31 NIV: "Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law."
2. Romans 2:13 NIV: "For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous."
3. Romans 7:12 NIV: "So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good."
4. Romans 7:22 NIV: "For in my inner being I delight in God's law."
5. In Acts 28:23 we are instructed that Paul from morning till evening explained and declared to the people the kingdom of God, and tried to convince them about Jesus from the law of Moses (the ten commandments) and from the prophets.
It is important to remember that the Sabbath is part of God's Moral Law; one of the Ten Commandments. The Jew's misuse of the moral law in no way nullifies the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a special gift from God to His people instituted at creation centuries before the ceremonial laws. Genesis 2: 2-3 tells us that God blessed the seventh day and made it holy at creation. Should we mistakenly conclude that the Sabbath was a ceremonial law and not one of the ten commandments written by God's finger in tables of stone, then we must conclude that the other nine commandments are also no longer binding.
It is certainly safe to follow the example of Jesus. We find numerous accounts of Jesus' worship practice and teaching:
1. Mark 1:21 NIV: "When the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue to teach."
2. Luke 4:16 NIV: "On the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue as was His custom."
3. Luke 13:10 NIV: "On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues."
4. Matthew 12:8 NIV: Jesus said, "For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
5. Mark 2:27-28 NIV: "Then He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
I would like to think that Jesus would have clearly informed His children should His plan of worship change. As I search scripture, I cannot find any directive for that change. If others know of that directive from Jesus or from other Bible authors, I would like to be informed. It appears that the change took place at the directive of the Roman Church. It is a matter of historical record that the Roman Church changed the day of worship and some Christians follow that directive. I simply ask, "Does the Roman Church have authority to change one of God's ten laws?"
Randy, I sincerely thank you for allowing me to comment about this topic. Randy, you probably touch more people's hearts than any pastor in our area. I pray that God will continue to bless you and give you courage to share His will for us.
Sincerely, your brother in Christ,
Don R. Hevener
Gentry
Editorial on 02/18/2015