Revelation 1:10. Most Scholars Catholic, Protestant, or whatever agree that this is not about Sabbath or Sunday but it is Johns way of saying “the Day of the Lord”, referring to the Day of judgement, or what Paul would call the “parousia” which means “coming” or the grand entrance of Christ on the scene at the end of the world. If it did apply to a specific day of the week, it would be the Sabbath because the Sabbath is the Lord’s day (Mark 2:27-28, Isaiah 58:13).
Sorry for being wordy, but I have to say something about Colossians 2:16. Paul is not here telling us not to keep the Sabbath. He is reiterating Christ’s stance on the Sabbath. Christ taught how to keep the Sabbath, not not to keep the Sabbath. If you put Colossians 2:16 in context, and start reading in chapter 2, Paul is denouncing a philosophical and mystical, syncretistic, Hellenized Jewish legaism…not the law itself. The hand written ordinances he speaks of are not the law, but the “cheirographon” (ver.14) which was a word used back then to denote an accusation in the docket at a court case. The law points out our sin, like a mirror. But the solution is not to break the mirror. The cheirographon which was “nailed to the cross” is the accusation against us. It is God’s way of telling us that the way of keeping track of the sins of His saints has been nailed to the cross. Furthermore, in verse 16 where Paul talks about “meats and drinks” right away we are into a translation problem. The translators across the board are biased against the law. The words here are “brosei” (eating) and “prosei” (drinking). But its usually translated as food and drink. If it says eating and drinking, then it refers to how we eat or drink. But if it refers to food and drink, it is referring to what we eat or drink. It is either talking about the law, or how we keep the law…the evidence shows that Colossians 2:16 concerns the latter.
Finally, arguing never gets us anywhere. But as I have learned from other threads on this subject, the Catholics usually say “just about every Catholic Church has a saturday Mass”. In fact, every Sabbath afternoon when Im on my way home from Church, I drive by a Catholic parish, and the parking lot is full. There is no reason (doctrinally) that Catholics cannot keep the Sabbath. What I challenge each of you to do is to make the Sabbath as day of rest for you. You don’t have to become Adventists. But out of respect for God’s law, I think you would benefit and be blessed by making the Sabbath a special day of blessing you yourselves and your families. Don’t work on it, take a break from shopping, etc. God did not give us the Sabbath as an arbitrary burden, but to protect us from fogetting that He made us, “and not we ourselves”.
Peace and God Bless,
alan
