Constantine, though not a Christian himself, paid homage to the truth so far as to compel the world to respect the day on which Christ Jesus rose from the dead. Hence, in 328, he ordained that the day should be kept religiously, which a Judaizing clergy construed into sabbatical observance according to the Mosaic law concerning the seventh day. This is the origin of that sabbatarianism which so ludicrously, yet mischievously, illustrates the Blue Laws of Connecticut,* the zeal of the Agnews and Plumptres of the House of Commons, and the rhapsodies of the pietists of the passing day. These well-meaning persons, whose zeal outruns their knowledge, seem not to be aware that Christ and his apostles did not promulge a civil and ecclesiastical code for the nations, when they preached the gospel of the kingdom. Their object was not to give them laws and constitutions; but to separate a peculiar people from the nations who should afterwards rule them justly and in fear of the Lord, when the dispensation of the fullness of times should be introduced.
Acts 15:14 The Scriptures 1998+ (14) “Shimʽon has declared how Elohim first visited the gentiles to take out of them a people for His Name.
1 Corinthians 6:2 The Scriptures 1998+ (2) Do you not know that the set-apart ones shall judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
2 Samuel 23:3-4 The Scriptures 1998+ (3) “The Elohim of Yisra’ĕl said, The Rock of Yisra’ĕl spoke to me, ‘One who rules over man righteously, (4) “Who rules in the fear of Elohim, Is like the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, Tender grass from the earth From sunshine, from rain.’
Titus 2:11 The Scriptures 1998+ (11) For the saving Gift of Elohim has appeared to all men,
To be able to do this, these peculiars were required to be “holy, unblameable, and unreprovable before God”.
Colossians 1:22-24 The Scriptures 1998+ (22) in the body of His flesh through death, to present you set-apart, and blameless, and unreprovable before Him, (23) if indeed you continue in the belief, founded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the expectation of the Good News which you heard, which was proclaimed to every creature under the heaven, of which I, Sha’ul, became a servant, (24) who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in Messiah’s afflictions, for the sake of His Body, which is the assembly,
1 Thessalonians 2:19 The Scriptures 1998+ (19) For what is our expectation, or joy, or crown of boasting? Is it not even you, before our Master יהושע {Jeshua} Messiah at His coming?
1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 The Scriptures 1998+ (11) And our Elohim and Father Himself, and our Master יהושע {Jeshua} Messiah, direct our way to you! (12) And the Master make you increase and overflow in love to each other and to all, as we also do to you, (13) to establish your hearts blameless in set-apartness before our Elohim and Father at the coming of our Master יהושע {Jeshua} Messiah with all His set-apart ones!
To this end instructions were delivered to them, that under the divine tuition
“they might be renewed in the spirit of their mind; and put on the new man which after God’s image is created in righteousness and true holiness ”.
As for “those without” “who receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved, God sent them a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie”, as a punishment.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 The Scriptures 1998+ (10) and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth, in order for them to be saved. (11) And for this reason Elohim sends them a working of delusion, for them to believe the falsehood,1 Footnote: 1Eze. 20:25, John 9:39, John 12:40, Acts 7:42, Rom. 1:24-28. (12) in order that all should be judged who did not believe the truth, but have delighted in the unrighteousness.
Ezekiel 20:25 The Scriptures 1998+ (25) “And I also gave them up to laws that were not good, and right-rulings by which they would not live1. Footnote: 1Ps. 81:12, Isa. 30:28, Acts 7:42, Rom. 1:24-28, 2 Thess. 2:11.
John 9:39 The Scriptures 1998+ (39) And יהושע {Jeshua} said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those not seeing might see, and those seeing might become blind.”
John 12:40 The Scriptures 1998+ (40) “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they should not see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and turn, and I should heal them.”1 Footnote: 1See Mt. 13:15.
Romans 1:24-28 The Scriptures 1998+ (24) Therefore Elohim gave them up to uncleanness in the lust of their hearts, to disrespect their bodies among themselves, (25) who changed the truth of Elohim into the falsehood, and worshipped and served what was created rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amĕn. (26) Because of this Elohim gave them over to degrading passions. For even their women exchanged natural relations for what is against nature, (27) and likewise, the men also, having left natural relations with woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing indecency, and receiving back the reward which was due for their straying. (28) And even as they did not think it worth- while to possess the knowledge of Elohim, Elohim gave them over to a worthless mind, to do what is improper,
They are left to govern themselves by their own laws until the time arrives for Christ to take away their dominion and assume the sovereignty over them conjointly with “the people of the saints”. If they please to impose upon themselves yokes of bondage, binding themselves to keep the first day of the week according to the Mosaic law of the seventh day, they are left at liberty to do so. But for this act of “voluntary humility” they are entitled to no recompense from God, seeing that He has not required it of them. The reward due for observing a Judaized Lord’s day voluntarily inflicted upon themselves; or, the pains and penalties to which they may be entitled for its “profanation”, are such, and such only, as result from the will and pleasure of the unenlightened lawgivers of the nations. It is a wise regulation to decree a cessation from labour and toil for man and beast during one day in seven; but it betrays egregious misunderstanding of the scriptures and singular superstition to proclaim perdition to men’s souls in flaming brimstone, if they do not keep it according to the Mosaic law of the seventh day.
– Thomas, D. J. (1990). Elpis Israel: an exposition of the Kingdom of God (electronic ed., p. 23). Birmingham, UK: The Christadelphian.
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Notes
Numbering of days:
- According the country one is living and which sort of calendar one is using the first day of the week may be different, being either the Sunday, Monday or Saturday, being named after the classical planets in Hellenistic astrology, a system introduced in the Roman Empire during Late Antiquity and for the worshipping of those gods, sun (Sunday: Old English Sunnandæg), moon (Monday: Old English Mōnandæg), thunder (Thor Thursday: Old English Þūnresdæg), etc..
- Saturday: the only day of the week to retain its Roman origin in English, named after the Roman god Saturn associated with the Titan Cronus, father of Zeus and many Olympians. Its original Anglo-Saxon rendering was Sæturnesdæg (pronounced [ˈsæturnezdæj]). In Latin it was dies Saturni, “Day of Saturn.” The Scandinavian Lørdag/Lördag deviates significantly as it has no reference to either the Norse or the Roman pantheon; it derives from old Norse laugardagr, literally “washing-day.” The German Sonnabend and the Low German words Sünnavend mean “Sunday Eve”, the German word Samstag derives from the name for Shabbat.
- The Romance languages preserved the Latin names, except for the names of Sunday, which was replaced by [dies] dominicus, domenica, i.e. “Day of the Lord” and of Saturday, which was named for the Sabbath.
- The Germanic peoples adapted the system introduced by the Romans but glossed their indigenous gods over the Roman deities (with the exception of Saturday) in a process known as interpretatio germanica.
Sabbatarianism:
- Constantine decreed limits of Sunday work (321). Sabbatarianism was uniquely enforced by 17th-cent. English and Scottish presbyterians, especially in the Interregnum.
- Strict observance of the sabbath (Hebrew shabath—to rest) as a rest-day in accordance with the fourth commandment ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy’. Christians transferred commemoration from the traditional seventh day to Sunday to honour Christ’s resurrection—by worship rather than absence of work.
- Movement within Protestantism whose proponents advocate that certain observances, specifically enumerated in a code of behaviour or law, are required for Christians to properly observe the Sabbath or Sabbath principles. Its historical origins lie in Puritan Sabbatarianism, which delineated precepts for keeping Sunday holy in observance of Sabbath commandment principles.
- Today we do find Christian protestant groups who hold Sabbath observance on the Sunday and do find no work may be done on that day.
- In Christendom there are also groups like the Seventh-day Baptists who leave most other Sabbath considerations of observance to individual conscience.
- The Seventh-day Adventist Church considers that Christians must follow the Mosaic Law in rigorous Sabbath observances based on the Hebrew Sabbath, Friday sunset through Saturday sunset.
Blue Laws of Connecticut:
- * By these a woman was forbidden to kiss her child on the sabbath!
- harsh, puritanical laws that regulate public morality.
- Gov. Theophilus Eaton with the assistance of the Rev. John Cotton in 1655 regulated activities on Sunday for the Colony of New Haven, now part of Connecticut. After the laws were approved, they were printed in London, England, in 1656 and distributed to households in New Haven.
- Reverend Samuel Peters, an Anglican forced to leave America during the Revolution. He made up examples of “Blue Laws” in a booklet in order to make America appear backwards and fanatical. List of examples of such laws were published in a book in 1782 titled A General History of Connecticut.
- Repeal Day, as Gov. Dannel Malloy signed a bill Monday to end our state’s archaic Blue Laws.
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Preceding articles:
Creation of the earth and man #3 Of the Sabbath day #1 the Seventh day
Creation of the earth and man #4 Of the Sabbath day #2 Days 1,7,8 and 50
Creation of the earth and man #5 Of the Sabbath day #3 Ceasing from the works of the flesh
Creation of the earth and man #6 Of the Sabbath day #4 Mosaic codes, Sabbaths and Sunday
Were Gentiles excluded from entering the synagogue?
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Related articles:
- Holy Sabbath
- Do we need to keep the Sabbath
- Are Christians required to keep the seventh day Sabbath?
- The Sabbath: Is it a special day for Christians?
- Sunday and the Sabbath (Pdf doc)
- Blindness in the Christian world
- Self inflicted misery #5 A prophet without a hedge around him
- We’re allowed to willfully break the Law of Moses
- Seven full weeks or seven completed Sabbaths and ascension of Jesus
- A new exodus and offering of a Lamb
- Death of Christ on the day of preparation
- After the Sabbath after Passover, the resurrection of Jesus Christ
- Was Jesus Religious
- Communion and day of worship
- Days of Nisan, Pesach, Pasach, Pascha and Easter
- Shabbat Pesach service reading 1/2
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Further related articles:
- The Pietist Impulse in Christianity
“Pietism and the Pietist Impulse” (two chapters), “Continental German Pietism” (five chapters), “The Pietist Impulse under the Conditions of Modernity” (three chapters), “Wesley the Pietist” (three chapters), “Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Trans-Atlantic Scandinavian Pietistm” (four chapters), “The Pietist Impulse in North American Christianity” (four chapters), “The Pietist Impulse in Missions and Globalizing Christianity” (three chapters), and “Benediction” (one chapter). In general, the essays share an effort to defend Pietism from charges that the movement’s emphasis upon religious experience and regeneration frequently degenerated into individualism and anti-intellectualism (for example, references to Mark Noll’s The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind [Grand Rapids, MI, 1994]), an egregious charge for authors defending and promoting pietism as the key to evangelical higher education (nine of the contributors are directly affiliated with Bethel University). … - The Pietist Critique of Inerrancy? J. A. Bengel’s Gnomon as a Test Case
The Pietists are one particular group who continue to be put forward as evidence for the novelty of the doctrine of inerrancy. Although they were not mentioned in the studies of Sandeen and Rogers and McKim, and hence did not need detailed examination in the responses of Woodbridge and others, it is frequently claimed that the Pietists (and their doctrine of Scripture) have been neglected and even suppressed by those who maintain that Scripture is inerrant. The Pietists are said to have held to a more “dynamic” and less “mechanical” view of Scripture-even deliberately rejecting an inerrant view of Scripture. - David Joris, Pietist Saint: The Appeal to Joris in the Writings of Christian Hoburg, Gottfried Arnold and Johann Wilhelm Petersen
Abstract: A growing field of scholarship has been probing the connections between late seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century German Pietism and the sixteenth-century Reformation radicals. David Joris (1501-1556), a prolific sixteenth-century Anabaptist figure and reputed “arch-heretic,” was highly esteemed by German Pietist leaders, including Christian Hoburg, Gottfried Arnold and Johann Wilhelm Petersen. In his influential Unparteiische Kitchen- und Ketzer-Historie (1700) Arnold made Joris the centerpiece of his story, and he observed that many in the Low Country still valued Joris’s writings. He and others found in Joris and his writings a significant reference point and inspiration in their effort to promote a Lutheran form of spiritualist religion. - Pietism (New Dictionary of the History of Ideas | 2005 | Groetsch, Ulrich)
Like the Enlightenment, Pietism has produced an extremely diverse body of historical scholarship, with opinions ranging from a denial of its existence to precise nationally, geographically, or chronologically defined variants, as well as views that see Pietism essentially as identical with the history of modern Protestantism. Such divergent opinion has led to the introduction of categories such as reformed, classical, enthusiastic, and radical Pietism. The picture often becomes more complex when the scope of Pietism is expanded to include other religions such as Judaism, where Hasidism appears at least on the surface as a similar phenomenon. But even within Christianity, apparently similar movements such as French Jansenism or Spanish Quietism emerged almost at the same time. - Pietism
Pietism (pī´ətĬzəm), a movement in the Lutheran…regeneration tended to undermine orthodoxy, and Pietism was severely attacked.After Spener…August Hermann Francke, but after his time Pietism declined. Its effect was strongest in… - Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World | 2004 | Driedger, Michael D.on Pietism
Historians have had difficulty agreeing about a definition for Pietism. A major reason is that the term has been controversial since its first use in German Lutheran territories in the 1670s. Today historians debate how narrowly or broadly to define the subject. However, there is general agreement that, although in a narrow sense a Lutheran (and in part also a Reformed Protestant) phenomenon of the later seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries, Pietism had roots in the concerns of those sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Christians who wanted to realize the ideals of discipline and godliness in their personal and collective lives. - An Introduction to German Pietism: Protestant Renewal at the Dawn of Modern…
An Introduction to German Pietism: Protestant Renewal at the Dawn of…Protestant churches is the legacy of Pietism. All too typically the standard narrative…both Lutheran and Reformed) and Pietism, with their colorful cast of characters… - The Pietist Impulse in Christianity
…further leavened by strains of German Pietism, Anglo-American revivalism, Wesleyanism…further note the range of understandings of Pietism from that of a specific historical-theological…culturally disparate phenomena such as Pietism, Puritanism, Wesleyanism, revivalism.. - Book Review: An Introduction to German Pietism: Protestant Renewal at the…
…omitted.)An Introduction to German Pietism: Protestant Renewal at the Dawn of Modern…difficulty scholars have faced in defining pietism, as well as the inevitable disappointment…Schantz announces forthrightly: “German Pietism represents a key, but forgotten, strand.. - Confessionalism and Pietism: Religious Reform in Early Modern Europe
Confessionalism and Pietism: Religious Reform in Early Modern Europe…editor’s project “Cultural History of Pietism and Revivalism, c. 1650-c. 1850…emphasis on the international dimensions of Pietism as well as its complicated relationship…
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God” as carefully as the word “Elohim” or “Yahweh” (or “Jireh” or “Nissi,” for that matter — and these are less “names” than descriptions). One could further argue about euphemisms such as “gee” and “gosh.” We can all grow in terms of treating God both intentionally and reverently. The primary point to be made is that God deserves all the reverence we can summon, and more.
Messiah For All 