The following is excerpt from a comment regarding keeping the Sabbath. Here is my reply to the assertion that the breaking of bread, the Lord’s Supper, was to be kept daily, which leads into the Lord’s Day and the Sabbath.
Acts 2:46 does say that they broke bread daily, and this is clearly a common meal “breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.” However, the Lord’s Supper s for the assembly (1 Cor 11:17ff) and the assembly was to consist of the whole congregation (1 Cor 14:23). The Lord’s Supper was not a common meal (1 Cor 11:21-23). Be aware of the use of the article “the” inference to breaking bread. This breaking of bread in Acts 2:46 is different from “The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” (1 Cor 10:16), which is clearly the Lord’s Supper of 1 Corinthians 11 that Christ instituted the night of His betrayal and He blessed this bread in Luke 24:30 which is called “the breaking of bread” in Luke 24:35, which all occurred on the first day of the week (Luke 24:1). Christ blessed the practice of the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week. Why?
Acts 2:46 does say that they broke bread daily, and this is clearly a common meal “breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.” However, the Lord’s Supper s for the assembly (1 Cor 11:17ff) and the assembly was to consist of the whole congregation (1 Cor 14:23). The Lord’s Supper was not a common meal (1 Cor 11:21-23). Be aware of the use of the article “the” inference to breaking bread. This breaking of bread in Acts 2:46 is different from “The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” (1 Cor 10:16), which is clearly the Lord’s Supper of 1 Corinthians 11 that Christ instituted the night of His betrayal and He blessed this bread in Luke 24:30 which is called “the breaking of bread” in Luke 24:35, which all occurred on the first day of the week (Luke 24:1). Christ blessed the practice of the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week. Why?
Back to Acts 2:46 being a common meal, Acts 2:42 speaks of the Lord’s Supper, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
The separation between the breaking of bread as the Lord’s Supper and breaking bread as a common meal is clear in Acts 20 too. Paul broke bread for himself and this breaking of bread is singular (Acts 20:11). This is clearly not the disciples’ breaking the bread in verse 7. This is separate from the disciples’ breaking bread which they regularly did every first day of the week according to Acts 20:7.
How do we know that the disciples (all Christians) always assembled every first day of the week to break bread together? They clearly met every first day of the week since the first day is described by the Greek word for assembling here in the participle form meaning a practice and in the perfect tense meaning that it had been previous completed before. This is not clearly seen in the common translations of Acts 20:7 where the word “when” is often used to show that this assembling was a perfect participle.
The assembly was for the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:17ff, and so is the Assembly of Acts 20:7 to break bread. The assembly is not to be forsaken (Heb 10:25), and the assembly was kept by Jesus and the congregations on the Lord’s Day when Jesus is in the midst of them (Rev 1:10, 13; cf. Matt 18:20). Why did the disciples assemble to break bread on the 1st day if it were not the Lord’s Day? Why did Paul support this regular practice among the disciples? He must have approved that the first day was the Lord’s Day via the Spirit, and this Lord’s Day is the day of the assembly and for the Lord’s Supper. This is what I practice. These are my premises for my conclusion that the assembly is to break the bread on the Lord’s Day, which must be every first day of the week. For Christ blessed the bread of “the breaking of bread” on the day of His resurrection, which was the first day of the week (Luke 24:1).
This has nothing to do with the Sabbath being changed. I do not believe that it has but that it is obsolete (Heb 8:13). The Sabbath is “Saturday,” the 7th day, which I am convinced to be a type for the rest that Christians will have with the Father (Heb 4:1–11). I find keeping the Sabbath day is a part of the 10 commands. Exodus says “And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments” (Exod 34:28, cf. Deut 4:13; 9:9, 11). Jeremiah said “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant” (Jeremiah 31:31). Furthermore, Jeremiah said, “not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers.” Not according to which covenant? Jeremiah says the covenant was “in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke” (31:32). Again which covenant is this? Exodus says “And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments” (Exo. 34:28). Christ’s covenant is “not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers,” but “In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away” (Heb. 8:13). The Old Covenant of the 10 commands with the Sabbath keeping is obsolete and vanishing away when written in the 1st century. “But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?” (2 Cor 3:7–8). If I kept the 7th day as the Sabbath rest, then I’d be “a debtor to keep the whole law”, and then I will “become estranged from Christ” and “fallen from grace” (Gal 5:3–4). I will not be estranged from Christ and fall from His grace nor will I teach my family nor my congregational family this.
God bless your heart for you are sincere. Teach me if I wrong and may you have the heart to receive these Scriptures if these are true.
The Breath of God 
yes
Scott, does sin still exist?
Alden,
Why do you think Paul wrote “Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, ”
(2 Corinthians 3:7 ESV)?
He calls the old covenant a “ministry of death” as he does in Romans, and refers to the ten commandments here when he mentions “stone”. The Sabbath was made for man for his well-being. God did not want either man nor beast to work seven days a week and commanded a day of rest from working. We also rest from trying to do what the Jews were trying to do , attain the righteousness of God through works.
Scott, so if the 10 Commandment are obsolete, is there still a such thing as a sin?
Alden,
I’m very familiar with your points, but I am not convinced that we should observe the 10 commands via Moses, which are clearly a part of the obsolete covenant. I know that you are convinced that these laws are preserved in the NT though only one of these commands of the 10 commandments are missing from the NT, which is the instruction to observe the Sabbath. Here is the divide in our convictions.
As for the law of liberty, I am convinced that I must observe all the commands of Christ rather than the obsolete law (Matt. 28:20). Jesus certainly did fulfill the Law of Moses rather than destroy it (Matt. 5:17-19). I think we can admit that Christ nailed these laws to the cross too (Col. 2:13-15). I am convinced that the Law of Liberty consists of the laws of Christ that are to be written on our hearts. In reading 1 Corinthians 9:21, we see that the nations are not under and are without the law of the Jews, but all are “under law toward Christ”. Does this law include the 10 commands and the words of Christ or just the words of Christ? I am convinced that the Jews have been released from the law that produced death (Rom. 7:1-7), which clearly includes the 10 commands here. For we must seek to “fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). This is the law that I observe. The struggle against the death through obeying the law of God with the mind and the law of sin with the flesh was settled in Christ (Rom. 7:25, 8:7). Romans 8:2 says, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” I am convinced that this law of sin and death is the law of Moses. The law of Christ is the “perfect law of liberty” that I observe (Jam. 1:25), and by which we are judged (Jam. 2:12).
As for the mark of the Beast, there is no current mark now that is essential to receive to not be killed or to be able to buy or sell anything (Rev. 13:14-17). I know that you probably believe that the Roman Pope is the Beast, and I can see how the “son of perdition” could be thought to be such in 1 Thess. 2. Despite this understanding of Revelation, which many of my fellowship have, this does not make the 1st day of the week the mark of Beast any more than all the disciples were worshipers of the Beast by assembling on the 1st day of the week in Acts 20:7. [Btw, Revelation 17:10 shows that the Beast was the 8th of a line of kings for the city that sits on 7 hills (17:1-7, 9, 18) for which 5 were dead, the 6th lived, and the 7th would reign for little while. It appears that the Beast was coming in the 1st or 2nd century for which I suggest it was Domitian. Still, what Satan did through Rome and nations against the Church, he will try this again according to Revelation 20:7-9 before Christ comes back.]
Isaiah 66:22-23 shows that those throughout times from month to month from week (sabbath) to week will come and worship before God. This is a counting of time and not the teaching of observing the sabbath, which may simply refer to a week since “sabbath” means week, and so their “weekday” was the “weekend” or week completion called the Sabbath.
May God bless us to find the truth.
I highly commend the writer for the kind ending to his essay. I wish that more brethren would adopt such a loving tone when they disagree with error, rather than writing in a mean-spirited manner! This is the way to speak the truth in love–good for you, brother! Phillip Williams in Gilmer, TX
Scott, another look at Exodus 34:27-29 might help with the context of what part of the covenant this points to. The 1st Covenant is found in Exodus 19:3-8. Notice, Exodus 20 starts with the 10 Commandments.
Well, yes, the 10 are part of the covenant, but notice in Hebrews 8…the law is to be written in our minds or as Jeremiah 31 says, our hearts. Meaning, we still have the Law of God, & one of the 10, says “Remember”…& that’s the 4th Commandment.
The context? See Jeremiah 31:34 to find that the new covenant is about witnessing, spreading the gospel, & being a royal priesthood (Holy nation etc.), that’s the context of Exodus 19 that is being addressed. Jesus did not do away with the 10 Commandments, the law of God, nor the Royal Law, He did away with the part of the 1st Covenant regarding sacrifice, the veil separating the Temple, & other Ordinances of Divine Worship that Jesus fulfilled….i.e. the Laver, the Shewbread, the Candlestick, etc., but is that clear?
The Covenant involved 3 main aspects:
1) 10 Commandments 2) Ordinances/Sacrifices 3) Being a nation of priests (preaching)
Jesus did away with #2 in 1 Corinthians 5:7, and #3 was done away with in Jeremiah 31:31-34.
Scott, you said yourself that the Sabbath points to a rest that believers “will have” with the Father, but that will happen at Jesus’ return. I extend my offer to give you “The Mark of The Beast” Study, & I encourage you to worship Him in Spirit & in TRUTH. By the way, has Heaven & Earth passed away yet?
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
23And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. Isaiah 66:22, 23, Jesus says, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17-19
I think Sunday is Satan’s counterfeit for Sabbath. Do you buy food on Sunday? Sabbath observance is not just a few hours. Has God’s Holy Sabbath become the new Preparation Day? These answers MUST be written somewhere. There is more attention to explaining the Sabbath, than all the other 10 Commandments.
From Hebrews 4:11, go back to Hebrews 3, & all of that explains that the Sabbath remains for 3 reasons 1) hardened hearts 2) disobedience 3) unbelief. Now, there is a rest in Heaven, but we have not entered that yet. Think, if there is no law, then there is no sin. If there is no sin, then why ask for forgiveness? That would mean Jesus died in vain….& I was scared to even write that.
This post makes me think of Mark:
“And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?” –Mark 2:24
“And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. ” — Mark 2:27, 28
I wonder if we’ve approached the Sabbath like the Pharisees in Mark.