Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>]

Dear Bryant and Kevin,

Thanks for this. Let's please NOT get into a debate between different 
Christian denominations. On this list, at least, I think that we can each 
respect the others' beliefs.

As a non-Christian, I find it fascinating that the average 
Christian-in-the-street (of the vast Sunday-worshipping majority) does 
simply assume that the Church teaches that the day on which God rested, the 
"original" Sabbath, was on Sunday. Look at calendars in much of the Catholic 
world (French calendars come to mind) which actually have Monday as the 
first day of the week.

Why is it that most Christians today seem unaware of the theological basis 
for Sunday worship?  Is it simply because it's easier for Sunday-school 
teachers and pastors to tie the biblical Sabbath to the day that is now 
observed by (almost) all Christians, and not get into complicated historical 
and theological issues? Is this something that every person who goes into 
seminary (or other advanced religious study) is made aware of at some stage 
of his studies. I assume that every religion has various issues that, while 
they are not "secret", are usually not discussed until a person reaches a 
certain stage in his study. Judaism certainly has quite a few. Or is it more 
than that?

Reacting to what Bryant wrote, of course Jesus and his original followers 
were Jews and would have worshipped as did other Jews. The problem is that 
we have very little information of what Jewish worship outside of the 
Jerusalem Temple was like before the Destruction and the formulation of the 
regular rabbinic prayer service. That there were synagogues both within and 
outside of the Land of Israel we know, but just what sort of worship 
occurred there we don't. We can assume that many gathered on the Sabbath to 
hear the reading of the Torah and that this was acompanied by some sort of 
prayers, but we have very few details. Luke 4:16-21 is actually the earliest 
source that we have that shows that the Torah reading was followed by a 
reading from the Prophets, now universally called the "Haftarah". The story 
there is that Jesus eather did not read the expected passage or added his 
own interpretation, which in any case got the people there upset. Of course, 
there were probably some people who met daily for prayers as well, but not 
most of the community.

Your quotation from I Corinthians 16:1-2 is intersting. One of the 
differences between church and synagogue services is that since handling 
money is considered a desicration of the Sabbath, there is no collection of 
money in the synagogue on the Sabbath. Those who do attend weekday services 
regularly put coins in a charity box, but no such collection is possible on 
the Sabbath ("pledges" are taken in some synagogues, but then actual payment 
must be made at a later date). So it makes sense for Paul to command  the 
Corinthians to meet on Sunday in order to collect money.

Thanks for all this.

Yigal Levin






----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bryant J. Williams III" <bjwvmw AT com-pair.net>
To: "Yigal Levin" <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>; "b-hebrew" 
<b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2008 4:25 AM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Exo 20:9-10


> 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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