Can traditions contradict God's completed Word?

"Because the Roman Church insists that Friday was the day of crucifixion is no reason you should keep that tradition."

You missed my point. It is clear that Jesus predicted that he would rise on the THIRD day. Start the count-down whatever day pleases you, but you have to start on a day (Matt. 27:46, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44, John 19:31). To get three nights into the equation, you have Jesus arising on the 4th day, or the 3rd night, but NOT the 3rd day!

A few things you may be overlooking, which I don't have the definative answer to....

Jonah didn't have to be swallowed or reguritated on any specific day, therefore his "three days and nights" could have started anytime. Calvary has a specific start and end time.

The "days and nights" conotation may have had more then one meaning. When we use the term "day" it doesn't always mean 24 hours. When I get home from work, my wife asks "Did you have a good day?" She's not talking 24 hours. Because I work varying shifts, she's also not just talking daylight hours.

The answer to conotation would have to be answered by someone who has studied Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic languages, which I haven't. However, I can easily see where "three days and three nights" was a general term for three days. Especially when the third day is emphasized far more.

Sincerely

"The reason for quoting the verse was to show that there is a scriptural precedent, from the mouth of Christ, to show that he can and did consider a day and a night more than just "part" of day and night."

Context is everything, though. Like I posted to Diego, I work varying shifts, so when my wife asks, "How was your day?" she isn't talking about my last 24 hours. She's also not even limiting it to the daylight hours. However, she also asks me, "How many days will you be gone this month?" and the direction is toward a 24 hour day answer. I'm sure that in Jesus's day there were phrases that had multiple meanings.

Besides, you skipped the reality that night and day in Alaska is more then 12 hours. So was Jesus lieing, or are you making a contextual assumption?

"This included Israel AND gentiles:"

Again, this is OT times. Jesus nor the Apostles EVER command it to the Gentiles of the new covenant.

"Sure you do. It's called "moral relativism" and it's often the justfication for breaking all of God's commandments."

So you think that you could go to the deep jungles of Brazil and find a tribesman that would know that Sabbath breaking is wrong, just like murder, stealing, etc.? The point is that the moral laws are written on all of our hearts, and the ceremonial ones (like circumcision and Sabbath keeping) aren't. If you don't see that, then there probably nothing further I can say.

Sincerely

"The sabbath commandment was written by Christ at Sinai, with his own finger, before he became incarnate. "

Sure, and Abraham was told by God to sacrifice Issac. So is that carried over to you and I? No, because of context. Jesus reiterated specifically the other commandments but not the Sabbath. You fail to recognize the context of the commandment.

"The sabbath is part of God's law."

Here again, the other commandments are SPECIFICALLY mentioned. Sabbath keeping is not.

"Sure it is:

Luk 23:56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. "

The fact that you post this verse befuddles me. All this verse is saying is that the Jewish women were respecting their traditions. There is NO New Testament verse which says, "Breaking the Sabbath is a sin" or "Keep the Sabbath."

"There is no moral law written on anyone's heart, except those who have God's holy spirit."

Really?

Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

Rom 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and [their] thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

"Jesus didn't break the sabbath. It's impossible for him to sin."

I didn't say that he sinned. Read Matt. 12:1-4. Jesus explains that the rules of breaking the Sabbath didn't apply to the priests. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath and the disciples were like priests, therefore they could "break the Sabbath" rules. If the Sabbath does not bind Christ and if we are "in Christ", then the Sabbath does not bind us either.

Rom 8:1 [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Keeping the Sabbath is a "flesh" thing. Loving God is a "spirit" thing.

" Only those who worship the one, true God were commanded to keep the sabbath perpetually. In fact, God established a special covenant for this purpose:

Exo 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

Context. Read 31:12. The Lord spoke to Moses to speak to the children of Israel...This is a specific people. We are grafted into the line of Abraham, but how did that happen. Jesus (the Seed) came.

Gal 3:18 For if the inheritance [be] of the law, [it is] no more of promise: but God gave [it] to Abraham by promise.

Gal 3:19 ¶ Wherefore then [serveth] the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

The law served UNTIL the seed (Jesus) came.

"I'm not sure why you keep bringing up the sabbath in response to how long Jesus was in the grave,"

I think you just forgot what started this. Kerryusama04 started in on Sabbath worship being a tradition we should keep. I responded. The "days in the grave" discussion is a side of that original "Sabbath" debate.

Sincerely

Here again, the other commandments are SPECIFICALLY mentioned. Sabbath keeping is not.

The Sabbath is mentioned over 50 times in the NT. Douglas has posted several times when the commandment was repeated. Jesus SPECIFICALLY stated that He would be in the grave for 3 days and 3 nights. He also said He would be raised "on the third day". This means that He could not have possibly been crucified on Friday and Raised Sunday. There is no third night in that equation. Jesus specifically and repeatedly said this, yet you continue in Rome's tradition.

I think you just forgot what started this. Kerryusama04 started in on Sabbath worship being a tradition we should keep. I responded. The "days in the grave" discussion is a side of that original "Sabbath" debate.

Please do not misquote me. Sabbath keeping is a commandment, not a tradition. Sunday keeping is Rome's tradition made contrary to scripture.

Gal 3:19 ¶ Wherefore then [serveth] the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

If, as you contend, the Law ended with Christ, then what is there to mediate? Shal we debate what the meaning of the word "is" is?

Does this verse mean anything to you?

Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. Mat 5:18 For 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. Mat 5:19 Whosoever 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. Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

"Oh, okay I see. Jesus did not die on a Friday. He was crucified and died just before sunset Wednesday. He was placed in the grave at or just before sunset.He was resurrected on the sabbath, just before sunset, three days and three nights later."

No, you obviously don't see. Pick any starting day you like, but it has to be day because around 3pm Jesus died (Matt. 27:46, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44, John 19:31).

You pick Wednesday day so thats day 1. Wed. Sunset to Thur. sunrise=night 1. Thur. sunrise to sunset=day 2. Thur. sunset to Fri. sunrise=night 2. Fri. sunrise to sunset=day 3. Fri. sunset to Sat. sunrise=night3. Sat. sunrise to sunset=day 4. To get three nights into the equation, you have Jesus arising on the 4th day, or the 3rd night, but NOT the 3rd day! Jesus definately said he would rise on the THIRD day.

"There is no conundrum if you simply believe that Jonah was actually in the fish literally three days and three nights and if you believe Christ when he said that was the sign that he was the messiah.

Now was it a sign or an exact, to the hour prediction? What about "a day is as a thousand years" thing? Look at the Greek word for sign, semeion. It means a miracle, wonder, token. Was the miracle of Jonah the time or the fact that he was thought dead, but then was back doing what God wanted him to do. If you notice, the Matt. 16:4, Mark 8:12, and the Luke 11:29 account doesn't even mention the "three days and nights." Which leads to you to understand that the miracle wasn't in the exact "days and nights" like you would like it.

"1Co 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

God isn't the author of confusion, but you sure seem to like it. A person has to do mental gymnastics to follow the reasoning you give for a required "keeping of the Sabbath" for Christians.

Sincerely

"The Sabbath is mentioned over 50 times in the NT."

Kerry, I don't understand how you are missing what I am saying. Of Course I can find the word "Sabbath" many times in the NT. That is not the same as the Sabbath being specifically mentioned to be kept. Try this list of sins....

Mar 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries (7th), fornications, murders (6th),

Mar 7:22 Thefts (8th), covetousness (10th), wickedness, deceit (9th), lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy (3rd), pride, foolishness:

Mar 7:23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Notice, this is Jesus speaking and he doesn't mention the words "Sabbath breaking." There are other lists of sins, and Sabbath breaking is not SPECIFICALLY mentioned once. All that you, Diego, and Douglas say is it is PART of the commandments. My point (for the last time) is that the other commandments are SPECIFICALLY condemned by name, Sabbath keeping and Sabbath breaking is not SPECIFICALLY ordered or condemned.

" Jesus SPECIFICALLY stated that He would be in the grave for 3 days and 3 nights. He also said He would be raised "on the third day". This means that He could not have possibly been crucified on Friday and Raised Sunday. There is no third night in that equation. Jesus specifically and repeatedly said this, yet you continue in Rome's tradition."

No, you obviously don't see. Pick any starting day you like, but it has to be day because around 3pm Jesus died (Matt. 27:46, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44, John 19:31). You pick Wednesday day so thats day 1. Wed. Sunset to Thur. sunrise=night 1. Thur. sunrise to sunset=day 2. Thur. sunset to Fri. sunrise=night 2. Fri. sunrise to sunset=day 3. Fri. sunset to Sat. sunrise=night3. Sat. sunrise to sunset=day 4. To get three nights into the equation, you have Jesus arising on the 4th day, or the 3rd night, but NOT the 3rd day! Jesus definately said he would rise on the THIRD day.

"Please do not misquote me. "

Relax, it was a general overview of how "Sabbath keeping" detoured into "three days and nights." I'm sure Doug and anyone else reading these posts knows what you believe.

"If, as you contend, the Law ended with Christ, then what is there to mediate? Shal we debate what the meaning of the word "is" is?"

Huh? Galatians tells us that what the law couldn't do Christ did. The law points to sin, Christ redeems us from the penalty of sin. Before Christ, all men could do was the works of righteousness. But what is man's righteousness....filthy rags!

Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Who is the only one who's righteosness exceeded the scribes and Pharisees? It's Jesus, that's who. The point of those scriptures is not how you are saved, rather how lost you really are.

Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Sincerely

Mat 15:3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

I haven't read the entire thread yet, but it is obvious that tradition in religion is one of the ways men are decieved into false worship.

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

In fact, Paul in Colossians really deals with how traditions had replaced sound doctrine and that applies today as much as it applied then.

It is HEALTHY to look at traditional teachings, celebrations, religious practices, etc to see whether or not they are actually truhful or cantaminated with man's ideology.

Act 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so

"These two verses are used to say the Law was ended or fulfilled with Christ. "

Be careful, you are coming close to putting words into my mouth. I never said the law ended. This is what I posted..

Gal 3:18 For if the inheritance [be] of the law, [it is] no more of promise: but God gave [it] to Abraham by promise.

Gal 3:19 ¶ Wherefore then [serveth] the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

The law served UNTIL the seed (Jesus) came.

Maybe, I should be a little clearer...the Mosaic law served until Jesus came. I believe you are getting hung up on something else. Was murder wrong before the Mosiac laws were etched? Is it wrong today? Yes, of course. These are moral laws which will always be. Was murder wrong before Adam and Eve sinned? Yes. Will murder be wrong after we are in heaven and sin is judged? Yes.

Now compare that to Sabbath keeping. Gen. 2:1-3 talk about the Lord blessing the 7th day, but no word of it given to Adam and Eve as a commandment. In fact, all 50 chapters of Genesis are silent about the Sabbath. You do not hear that the righteous Patriarchs, Abraham, Issac, or Jacob kept the Sabbath. You never see any verses which say the Sabbath is to all mankind. When God offers things to all of mankind it is clear. (see Matt. 28:19, John 3:16, Act 2:17, 1 Tim. 2:4, Titus 2:11)

The wages for sin is Death. That law hasn't changed. The condition of Jesus has given us the gift of God, which is salvation.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Notice it doesn't say, "the gift of God is eternal life through maintaining the law." That's because it can't be done. When SDAist add that you must keep the Sabbath, then Salvation becomes maintained through your works. What is a gift? Something that is given with no strings, or something that is earned? If you earn it, then it's wages.

Sincerely

Start the count-down whatever day pleases you, but you have to start on a day (Matt. 27:46, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44, John 19:31). To get three nights into the equation, you have Jesus arising on the 4th day, or the 3rd night, but NOT the 3rd day!

The fourteenth of Nisan [Leviticus 23:5] as the lambs are being slaughtered in the temple our Saviour is also being slaughtered on Golgotha. This is Wednesday, between the evenings....or about 3:00 P.M. The preparation day for the Passover.

[Matthew 27:57-60] [Mark 42:46] [Luke 23:50-54] [19:31-42]. Wednesday, being the preparation, he was laid in the tomb shortly before sunset....as the Sabbath was (Epiphosko) drawing on.

As Douglas is fond of saying...."Stay with me now". Wednesday sundown/Thursday sundown = First 24 hour day. Thursday sundown/Friday sundown = Second 24 hour day. Friday sundown/Sabbath sundown = Third 24 hour day. 72 Hours in the tomb as Matthew 12:40 prophesied.

Another way to count it is in the tomb at sundown on Wednesday. Nisan 15 is Wednesday evening/ Thursday = one day. Nisan 16 is Thursday evening/Friday = two days. Nisan 17 is Friday evening/Sabbath = the third day and resurrected at sundown....72 hours after entering the tomb.

A point I would like to make at this time is that Jesus said he would be in the tomb 72 hours....not dead 72 hours. He obviously expired prior to the entombment and Joseph of Arimethia hurriedly attempted to get the body in the tomb before the sundown.

Kerry, I don't understand how you are missing what I am saying.

I hear what you are saying, but I believe the Bible over Rome's, Luther's, or Calvin's doctrines. Jesus did not say NOT to confess your sins to a priest. Jesus did not say NOT to pray to Mary, He only said it was better to hear the WORD OF GOD AND BELIEVE. The Word of God is both the OT and NT.

No, you obviously don't see.

It is not I that don't see. For your contention to be correct AND adhere to Jesus' own prophesy about Himself, 3 nights have to pass.

You posted the answer to your own question:
Huh? Galatians tells us that what the law couldn't do Christ did. The law points to sin, Christ redeems us from the penalty of sin. Before Christ, all men could do was the works of righteousness. But what is man's righteousness....filthy rags!

Indeed, Jesus paid the penalty for sin. Sin remains and is defined as transgression of the Law, thus the Law remains.

You force a false choice between Christ and Christ's Law. Jesus wrote the Law. Jesus told us to pray, "on earth as it is in heaven". The Law is followed in heaven because those in heaven who sinned have been kicked out. The Revelation explains clearly that the devil is making war with the "rest of her seed". The Her is the True Church that flourished in the wake of Christ's ministry. The "rest of her seed" are those who keep the testimony of Jesus and the Commandments of God. Jesus paid the penalty for sin, shall we sin so that grace may abound? It sure seems like Protestant numero uno thinks so:

American Edition of Luther's Works, vol. 48, p. 282: "Be a sinner and sin boldly. No sin will separate us from the Lamb (Christ) even though we commit fornication and murder a thousand times a day."

Transgression of the Law = sin. The Sabbath is Law #4. It is that simple.

No Bible writer has ever espoused keeping Sunday Holy. So, why do it? Why not the Sabbath? Even if it is not specified in the NT (my Bible includes the OT, if you want you can get one for free at E Sword ) why Sunday? Even if Christ was resurrected on Sunday, the change wasn't even commanded by a clergy man! The change was commanded by Emperor Constantine to legislate spiritual adultery in order to maintain his power!

Only Catholics go to church on Sunday. They know it and they are grinning from ear to ear seeing Protestants play scriptural twister trying to justify worshipping in the image of Rome.

You responded a few posts back...

"There is indeed a Hebrew idiom that counts part of one day as a whole day......unless both days and nights are mentioned....and then the meaning is literal."

Where is your exception found? Here's something borrowed from a post from topcat54...

First of all, in the Hebrew culture, time doesn't start with zero, it starts with 1. So you have day 1, day 2, and day 3. Any part of day 1 is "one day". Any part of day 1 and day 2 is "two days". And so on.

Look at an example in Scripture:

"So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him; for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights." (1 Sam. 30:12)

Now look at the next verse:

"Then David said to him, 'To whom do you belong, and where are you from?' And he said, 'I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind, because three days ago I fell sick.'"

Note how "three days ago" corresponds to "three days and three nights". If a literal 72 hours period were in view, we would think of this time period as "four days ago", not three.

Jesus uses similar language in Luke 13:32,33:

"And He said to them, "Go, tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.' Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem."

Using the same language as Jesus, it is quite reasonable to speak of the days of His crucifixion as being "today" (Friday), "tomorrow" (Saturday/sabbath), "and the third day" (Sunday).

All these passages and other help us to understand the historical and cultural setting from which these phrases arise.

Plus when you look at the context of the "Jonah" quote, you see something else proclaimed in the other gospels...

Mat 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Now was it a sign or an exact, to the hour prediction? What about "a day is as a thousand years" thing? Look at the Greek word for sign, semeion. It means a miracle, wonder, token. Was the miracle of Jonah the time or the fact that he was thought dead, but then was back doing what God wanted him to do. If you notice, the Matt. 16:4, Mark 8:12, and the Luke 11:29 account doesn't even mention the "three days and nights." Which leads to you to understand that the miracle wasn't in the exact "days and nights" like you would like it.

"Wednesday sundown/Thursday sundown = First 24 hour day."

Until you can prove that your "unless..." at the start of this is acurate from the bible, Wednesday until Sunset would be day 1. From Wednesday sunset to Thursday sunset would be day 2. and so forth.

Diego, we have been around this already. I do not see Sabbath keeping as a command to Christians. If you wish to worship on Saturday, that's fine. In fact, even if you proved that Jesus rose on Saturday, that would not change anything as far as Sabbath keeping goes. Jesus said to worship him in spirit and in truth, so the actual day that you do it, doesn't matter.

You and Douglas have presented your cases quite well, but I still see the evidence lacking. I feel for us to continue on this, hashing and rehashing, does not serve the Body of Christ. We have defended our faith, and the rest is in God's hands. I look forward to reading your posts in the future.

Your Brother in Christ,

Maybe, I should be a little clearer...the Mosaic law served until Jesus came. I believe you are getting hung up on something else. Was murder wrong before the Mosiac laws were etched? Is it wrong today? Yes, of course. These are moral laws which will always be. Was murder wrong before Adam and Eve sinned? Yes. Will murder be wrong after we are in heaven and sin is judged? Yes.

Murder will be impossible after the judgment! The Sabbath was kept prior to it being written down. Pay very close attention in Exodus. Moses knew the Sabbath prior to receiving the Law:

Exo 16:23 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake today, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.

The Hebrews kept the Sabbath in the desert. Pay very close attention to the LORD part. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, He is the one being revered on Sabbath.

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment. Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Note, another mistaked tradition. The Golden rule is actually the Golden rules! The first Golden rule is to love God. How do you love God if you do not do what he says and show Him respect for His Creation by resting on the day He rested! Being God, He did not need rest, He was inventing it to show us how to live.

Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

The wages for sin is Death. That law hasn't changed. The condition of Jesus has given us the gift of God, which is salvation.

There you go again with the sin. If sin remains, then the law remains. All of it. If it is buffet style, or it the Old Testament does not matter, then why not have women priests. Why not have homo priests? You cannot have your cake and eat it, too. Trying to define out what YOU feel is not part of the Law, trying to say Sabbath keeping is not part of the moral Law, it pure man created folly.

Notice it doesn't say, "the gift of God is eternal life through maintaining the law." That's because it can't be done. When SDAist add that you must keep the Sabbath, then Salvation becomes maintained through your works. What is a gift? Something that is given with no strings, or something that is earned? If you earn it, then it's wages.

If a man invites you to his house and asks you to remove your shoes and you refuse and still enter. Will he invite you back? Recall the parable of the wedding:

Mat 22:3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

The gift is free, but there comes responsibility with this gift.

2Pe 2:21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

Luk 12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

Again, the whole thing goes to motivation. Trying to earn salvation by not stealing cars is not the way. You could never accept Jesus and never steal, murder, break the Sabbath, worship and idol, etc. Not breaking the Law cannot earn one into heaven. The outward signs of conversion are obedience. If one truly loves the Lord Jesus Christ and accepts His death and resurrection, then one will be motivated to live as He lived. The problem is that we cannot purge the sin out of our lives. Does that mean we shouldn't try, or even worse, basque in sin so that grace may abound? Yea, God forbid, for through faith we establish the law.

"I hear what you are saying, but I believe the Bible over Rome's, Luther's, or Calvin's doctrines. Jesus did not say NOT to confess your sins to a priest. Jesus did not say NOT to pray to Mary, He only said it was better to hear the WORD OF GOD AND BELIEVE. The Word of God is both the OT and NT."

How about over Mrs. White's? I think you mistake me for a Catholic, which is actually kind of funny. I too believe the Bible is both the OT and NT. I also believe in understanding context. Or else we better start stoning prostitutes.

" It sure seems like Protestant numero uno thinks so:"

Now you think I'm a Lutheran. Hehe. This too is a familiar Catholic type attack. While I recognize Luther was a vessel used by God, I would never ascribe him to be perfect. Heck, the recent Newsweek article on Billy Graham revealed some doctrinal deficiencies in Billy. However, Billy Graham is also a vessel that God has used. In the future I recommend just using scripture to combat my views, it's the only thing I ultimately respect.

"No Bible writer has ever espoused keeping Sunday Holy. So, why do it? Why not the Sabbath?"

What is Holy? Separated or set apart. I see a call for Christians to be holy. I don't see a call for Christians to keep any specific day holy.

1Pe 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Worship on the Sabbath if you wish. To me this is like eating food offered to idols. Also, if your faith is shaken by not worshiping on Saturday, then it would be a sin to you.

Rom 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because [he eateth] not of faith: for whatsoever [is] not of faith is sin.

BTW, I agree with you that Rome has taken alot of liberties, and declared things that aren't true (but that's a whole other debate). I think all the arguements have been laid on the table. If you don't buy mine, that's fine. I certainly don't buy most of yours, but that's fine too. In the end it will be God that will judge our soul. I'm going to be busy for awhile, so this is probably my last response.

Sincerely

Hebrew Idiom See sentence #2.

One problem with this explanation is that it flatly contradicts the timeline in Luke 24, especially:

"Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. ... He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' And they remembered His words. ... But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened." (vv. 1,6,7,8,21)

Jesus interprets this usage for us infallibly when He said, "Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected." (Luke 13:32)

So it would be impossible for Jesus to be crucified in any day other than Friday and to have thee things fulfilled "on the third day" which we know was Sunday. Bullinger just got it plain wrong in his Companion Bible.

Another problem is that this explanation does not seem to square with what earlier Jewish writers taught on the subject, e.g.,:

A day and night are an Onah [‘a portion of time’] and the portion of an Onah is as the whole of it." (from The Jerusalem Talmud: Shabbath ix as quoted in Hoehner, Harold W, “Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ—Part IV: The Day of Christ’s Crucifixion,” Bibliotheca Sacra).

So any portion of a day fits within the designation "a day and a night". So then three days and three nights do not have to fit neatly into a fixed 72 hours time slot.

Another author put it this way:

The principle which governed their [Jewish] thinking in such matters has been rather clearly set forth in some of their own commentaries on the Scriptures. It is this: that any part of a whole period of time may be counted as though it were the whole. A part of a day may be counted as a whole day, a part of a year as a whole year. Furthermore, a part of a day or a part of a night may be counted as a whole "night and day." I suspect that in the Lord's parable of the man who paid his labourers for a whole day, whether they had worked for a whole day or not (Matthew 20:1-16), is really a reflection of this principle. Thus, in the Babylonian Talmud, the Third Tractate of the Mishnah (which is designated "B. Pesachim," at page 4a) it is stated: "The portion of a day is as the whole of it." (Arthur Custance)

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