Why do we not keep the Sabbath, since it is one of the Ten Commandments?
Please observe the following facts touching the Sabbath Day: Nowhere in the New Testament Scriptures are Christians commanded to keep the Sabbath Day. Nowhere do we find any evidence that the Sabbath was changed to the Lord's Day, the first day of the week. Nowhere do we have the first day of the week described as the Christian Sabbath. God did not give the Sabbath to the Gentile nations, but only to the nation of Israel. The Sabbath was a sign between Jehovah and the children of Israel forever (Ex 31.16-17), and in its character is to be seen as distinct from this Church age.
In the past dispensation, the Sabbath, once commanded, had to be kept on pain of death. In this dispensation, keeping the Sabbath is not once commanded, either in the teaching of Christ or the apostles after Him. It is very interesting to see that the Lord Jesus remained in the silent tomb until the Sabbath was fully come to an end and, not only so, but until the dawn of the first day of the week. In Acts 20.7 we have a reference to the assembly at Troas meeting together on the first day of the week. It is clear that the Christians met not on Jewish ground, but on Christian ground, "… upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them …". Notice it does not say 'when the disciples met to keep the Sabbath'. No, the word Sabbath is never once used in Scripture to denote the first day of the week. According to prophecy, the earthly seventh-day Sabbath points forward to the earth's millennial rest. A seventh-day Sabbath will be observed again on earth by the restored nation of Israel. Even then, the saved Gentiles who have gone into the millennial Kingdom will not be required to keep the Sabbath. Ezekiel refers to the Sabbaths that will be observed by Israel in the future (46.1, 3-4).
John J Stubbs
How do we practically "try the spirits whether they are of God", as referred to in 1 John 4.1?
John gives a warning which is both negative, "believe not every spirit"; and positive, "but try the spirits". He also gives the reason for his warning; "because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 Jn 4.1). We are, therefore, to be in the habit of refusing to believe every spirit. Verses 3 and 4 suggest that the reference is to the spirits of men as wrought upon either by the Spirit of God, or some other spirit. John urges his readers to test the spirits to determine their nature.
The word used for "try", or prove, suggests a friendly motive, in the hope that what is tested will, in fact, stand the test. Discerning of spirits (1 Cor 12.10) was evidently one of the sign gifts which had developed at Corinth. Here, however, all believers are to form a judgment concerning spiritual things. Provision has been made for this, as John states, "ye have an unction [anointing] from the Holy One" (1 Jn 2.20). The completed Word of God is now the sole and sufficient standard by which all doctrine may be tested. John adds "whether they are of God" (4.1), that is, have God as their source. The claim of any authority to divine doctrine must be tested by the Scriptures. Neither the dictates of the church (so-called), nor those of conscience, are a sufficient guide to truth.
In giving the reason, John makes mention of "false prophets ... gone out into the world". It should be noted that there are no false prophets today, because there are no true prophets, but there are false teachers (2 Pet 2.1).
Verses 2 to 5 give us the first means of distinguishing between what is true and what is false; namely, a person's attitude towards the truth concerning Christ. "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God" (v 2), not "come into flesh" - the Gnostic error that Christ descended into an already existing man. Thus, "… every spirit which confesseth not Jesus is not of God" (v 3, RV); the name "Jesus" speaking of His humanity, the real Man who was here.
Verse 6 gives us the second means of distinguishing between what is true and what is false: namely, a person's attitude towards the teaching of the apostles; "We [apostles] are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us …". These Scriptures afford examples of how we might practically "try the spirits whether they are of God".
David E West
