Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Bryant J. Williams III" <bjwvmw AT com-pair.net>]

Dear Yigal,

What you say about the Christians worshiping on Sunday is correct as far as it
goes. But in Acts "The Way" as it was originally known (also the Nazarenes) 
met
daily (Acts 2:46a). Acts 3:1 also indicates that the Apostles went up to the
Temple at the hour of prayer (3PM, daily is implied). This went on for several
years after that. Eventually, the church gravitated to Sunday for several
reasons.

First, since the gradual introduction of the "god-fearers" (Gentiles) into the
church it became apparent that the meetings on the Sabbath (sundown
Friday-sunset Saturday) in the synagogue would not be a good idea. Second, as
you mentioned, Jesus was raised on the First Day of the Week, Sunday. Third,
Paul commanded the Corinthian believers to meet  concerning the collection 
that
was to go to help the church in Jerusalem, " Now concerning the collection for
the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as 
God
hat prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come (I Corinthians
16:1-2). Fourth, is the view that Christ is the end of the law to those who
believe for Christ made one sacrifice for all (Hebrews 9-10).

Of course,  Constantius, son of Constantine, Emperor of the Roman Empire, made
Christianity the official state religion and made Sunday the official day (it
was already the day of worship in the churches before the official 
announcement,
but ...)

There are some within Christianity that would disagree (SDA- Seventh Day
Adventist; Seventh Day Baptist; etc.), but that is the basic outline.

Rev. Bryant J. Williams III

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Yigal Levin" <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>
To: "b-hebrew" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2008 4:51 PM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Exo 20:9-10


> While Karl and Yohanan have each answered this question in his own way, I am
> reminded of the joke, from back when Israelis were just starting to go over
> to a five-day working week: "working five days is fine, but let's start by
> working two days, then three, eventually we'll get up to five".
>
> Seriously, the question is only a problem for the list when it becomes a
> theological argument. As long as we all limit ourselves to explaining our
> own views, I think that we're fine.
>
> The Sabbath law does not appear only in Exodus 20 as the fourth commandment,
> but about half a dozen times in the Torah, each time with a slightly
> different emphasis. In Ex. 20, for example, the reason given for the Sabbath
> is that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, while
> in the almost-parallel version of the Decalogue in Deut. 5 it is to remember
> that God took Israel out of slavery in Egypt. There are also differences in
> the details of just what is forbidden. Rabbinic interpretation, which is the
> traditional Jewish observance of the Sabbath, is that it is not "physical
> labor" per se that is forbidden but "creative work", which the Rabbis listed
> as 49 categories such as building, lighting a fire, carrying in the public
> domain, writing, buying and selling etc. In general it is the action that
> produces the result that is forbidden, not the act itself.
> So there is no commandment to "work" on the other six days.
>
> As far as which day is the "true Sabbath", it is my understanding that the
> Christian shift from Saturday to Sunday as "the Lord's Day" was originally
> not due to a claim that Creation began on Monday, but because of Jesus's
> resurrection being on Sunday, which was then seen as "replacing" the "old"
> Sabbath. I'd love someone more knowledgable in Christian theology to expamd
> on (or refute) this.
>
> Yigal Levin
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <pporta AT oham.net>
> To: "Jeremy Bickel" <jeremybickel AT att.net>; "b-hebrew mailing list"
> <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 10:49 AM
> Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Exo 20:9-10
>
>
> >I do not know whether my question on Ex 20:9-10 fits the rules of this
> >list.
> > If not, please excuse me.
> > ___________
> >
> > In Ex 20:9-10 it is written that God commands to man to work during six
> > days
> > but to reserve the seventh, Shabat, to Him (God).
> > I heared along my life that at explaining this commandment the stress has
> > always been put on the fact that "we must sanctify Sunday, the Lord's
> > day".
> > But... does this commandement imply also the duty of WORKING during SIX
> > days? Could we say that someone who stops his work at Friday evening,
> > namely
> > after FIVE days, and starts it again at Monday morning... does not obey
> > the
> > spirit of this Commandement?
> > Can this conclusion be inferred or deduced from the Hebrew text of Ex
> > 20:9-10?
> >
> > Pere Porta
> > Barcelona (Spain)
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > b-hebrew mailing list
> > b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
> > http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew
> >
> >
> >
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