Question:
Dear Greg,
I
am greatly pleased to find someone boldly affirming New Testament positions on
the issues regarding law and grace, especially concerning Sabbath keeping and
tithing. I am saddened that many
Christians place themselves under bondage to these Old Covenant rules and miss
the freedom in Christ. I encourage
you to keep proclaiming the “plain truth”.
I
am wondering about your understanding of the verse in Revelation 1 in which John
says that he was in the Spirit “on the Lord’s Day”.
Do you think this should be understood as “the Day of the Lord” or as
a weekly observance day, or something else?
Sincerely,
Ken
Answer:
Hello Ken,
Thanks
for your encouraging note. We do
intend to continue to proclaim the plain truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ –
that believers are saved by grace alone, faith alone, and Jesus Christ alone.
We know the perils and pitfalls of legalism – by whatever name, and in
whatever guise or disguise in which it is cloaked. We thank for his grace.
Rev.
1:10 shows that the practice of worshipping on what we know as Sunday, the first
day of the week, or the eighth, if you like, was well known by the end of the
New Testament. Most believe
Revelation was written in the last decades of the first century.
The first day of the week was well known as a day of worship for
Christians in the early church (I Cor. 16:2; Acts 20:7), although there is
plenty of evidence to suggest that some Jewish Christians continued to meet on
Saturday. In some cities there may
have been groups of Christians meeting on both days (this might have been the
case in Rome).
The
seventh day Sabbath, as a requirement for salvation passed away with the rest of
the old covenant. It was a shadow
that was fulfilled in Christ (Col. 2:16-17 – see also Hebrews 7:12 and 2
Corinthians 3:7-18).
Hope
this helps – may God bless you! If
you are not receiving our free magazine, “Journey”, send us your address and
we will see that you start receiving it.
In
Christ,
Greg
Albrecht