[daniel1212]

Acts 17:2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them,and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures.

Wrong BipolarBob. That is not an example of a NT church specifically meeting on the 7th day, but evangelizing those who did, and my argument was that you cannot one example of a NT church specifically meeting on the 7th day, while there are many examples of the disciples meeting on the first day.

Nor can you provide one place in which the 4th command is reiterated under the new cov., in conspicuous contrast to the other 9, while by nature the 4th command pertains to class of ceremonial laws regarding ritual observances of "days, and months, and times, and years," (Gal. 4:10) "in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17)

This states that And the words "ton sabbaton" or "sabbath days"; are the same words translated "Sabbath day" in Exodus 20:8 in the Septuagint (the Jewish translation of the Old Testament into Greek).

Vines states that in 68 occurrences the plural here is only once used in the New Testament of more than a single day. (Act 17:2).

Another study finds that of all 180 occurrences of sabtt, sabbaton, and sabbata in both Hebrew and Greek, 85% of the time these refer to the weekly sabbath.

Then,

If Col 2:16 refers to the weekly Sabbath, then Sabbatarians are 100% refuted. Herein lies the battle ground. But as you will see, Sabbath keepers have little more than a few lame arguments that are easily falsified. Only the blind and deceived could miss the simple truth in Col 2:16.

A. One of the most stunning and irrefutable proofs that Col 2:16 must be the weekly Sabbath day, is the common "Year, Month, Week" pattern used in Col 2:16.

When God wanted to refer to the whole system of Jewish holy days, rather than name them all, He would refer to the yearly, monthly and weekly as representing the whole system. Sabbatarians argue that the Sabbath Day of Col 2:16 is the years Sabbaths. But yearly Sabbaths were already referred to in Col 2:16 as "festivals". The "Year, Month, Week" pattern is so well established in the Old Testament, that Col 2:16 must refer to the weekly Sabbath. Notice, even Gal 4:10, following this pattern, states the weekly Sabbath is abolished!

Yearly, monthly, weekly pattern proves it is the weekly sabbath
	Yearly	monthly	weekly
1 Chronicles 23:31	fixed festivals	new moons	Sabbaths
2 Chronicles 2:4	appointed feasts	new moons	Sabbaths
2 Chronicles 8:13	annual feasts	new moons	Sabbaths
2 Chronicles 31:3	fixed festivals	new moons	Sabbaths
Nehemiah 10:33	appointed times	new moon	Sabbaths
Isa 1:13-14	Appointed feasts	New moon	Sabbath
Ezekiel 45:17	appointed feasts	new moons	Sabbaths
Ezek 46:1-11	appointed feasts	new moons	Sabbath
Hosea 2:11	festal assemblies	new moons	Sabbaths
Galatians 4:10	years	months	days
Colossians 2:16	festival	new moon	Sabbath day

 

B. All Sabbatarians are taught by their pastors, the false argument that the Plural "sabbaton" in Col 2:16 cannot refer to weekly Sabbath day. But as we can clearly see, there are at least 5 other places where the plural is used of the weekly Sabbath. The deception is even worse, given the fact that while most Seventh-day Adventist pastors know about these other passages, they do not tell their people in the pews!

1. Matthew 28:1, "Now after the Sabbath" [Greek- plural: sabbaton]
2. Luke 4:16, "He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath" [Greek- plural: sabbaton]
3. Acts 16:13, "And on the Sabbath day" [Greek- plural: sabbaton]
4. Exodus 20:8 (in Septuagint) "Remember the Sabbath day" [Greek- plural: sabbaton]
5. Leviticus 23:37-38 (in Septuagint) "besides those of the Sabbaths of the Lord" [Greek- plural: sabbaton]

C. Some Sabbatarians will put forth another false argument saying, "The lack of the definite article before the word "Sabbath" in the Greek in Col 2:16 proves it cannot refer to the weekly Sabbath. Of course this argument is no more valid than the one above regarding the plural "sabbaton". The truth is, we find several places where the weekly Sabbath lacks the definite article. An example of a definite article is the word THE in the following sentence: "Only Jews kept THE weekly Sabbath." The same sentence that lacks the definite article would be: "Only Jews kept weekly Sabbath." Or "Only Jews kept a weekly Sabbath."

1. Matthew 28:1, "Now after the Sabbath" [Sabbath lacks article in original Greek]
2. John 5:9, "Now it was the Sabbath on that day" [Sabbath lacks article in original Greek]
3. John 5:10, "It is the Sabbath" [Sabbath lacks article in original Greek]
4. John 5:16, "on the Sabbath" [Sabbath lacks article in original Greek]

D. A final false objection Sabbath keepers will sometimes raise against Col 2:14-16 referring to the weekly Sabbath, is the fact v14 calls that which was nailed to the cross "hostile to us". Sabbatarians continue to falsely argue: "The weekly Sabbath was not hostile to us!" However, 2 Cor 3:7 calls the entire ten commandment law, a "ministry of death". (http://www.bible.ca/7-Col2-14-16.htm)

[BipolarBob]

However, 2 Cor 3:7 calls the entire ten commandment law, a "ministry of death".

Well, boo hoo. The Ten Commandments condemns. It brings death (upon its transgressors). That's what it does. But it defines sin. Sin is transgression of the Law. People are always looking for ways around the Law. Maybe Bill Clinton can tell us what the definition of "is" is. But Jesus did not come to destroy the Law (Read Matthew 5:17-19) and so it remains. Grace doesn't cover willful sin.

[Diego1618]

One of the most stunning and irrefutable proofs that Col 2:16 must be the weekly Sabbath day, is the common "Year, Month, Week" pattern used in Col 2:16.

Nice try....but no cigar!

16Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath "days": 17Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body "is" of Christ.

I've highlighted two words in this passage which have been inserted by the translators to bring the Greek more in line with their settled theology. These words are shown in italics in your KJV.

But first.....ask yourself.....why does Paul make this statement....leaving it somewhat muddled as he does? Why didn't he clearly say one way or the other that these practices were now unnecessary? The Colossian Church was a Gentile Church so this would have been a terrific opportunity for Paul to make it very plain that these practices were no longer binding upon Yahweh's people. This Epistle could have been the defining moment for this new theology......the abolition of Sabbath observances and any and all recognition of dietary regulations!

But Paul......nowhere in this Book (or any other scripture) says that. What does he say instead? What question is he here addressing? Looking at the rest of the chapter it becomes very clear that the subject is something entirely different.

The issues are; [2:4] Men beguiling you with enticing words; [2:8] Men spoiling you with philosophy and deceit....after the traditions of the world and not after Christ; [2:18] False humility of mankind and "Angel" worship; [2:22] Commandments and doctrines of men. So....these are the hallmarks of [Colossians 2] and they all deal with issues from mankind....not Yahweh. Was Paul a Liar? Was he an idiot? You evidently think that Paul doesn't know that the Holy Days listed in scripture [Leviticus 23] were created by Yahweh. You probably think that Paul was uneducated and didn't know scripture from a hill of beans because you obviously believe that Paul thinks the "Word of Yahweh" is a rudiment of this world.

If you believe that Paul is saying that these Yahweh ordained, Yahweh commanded Holy Days are a "rudiment of this world, philosophy of men and vain human deceit", it is direct blasphemy against Yahweh....or a simple exercise in human deception.

What you need to understood here is that Paul is addressing "ascetic Gnosticism" which had begun to creep into the Colossian Church. He had been informed of it by Epaphras [Colossians 1:7] who had evangelized the Colossian Church and was currently visiting Paul in Rome while Paul was incarcerated. Paul had never been to Colossae but was well aware of the problems there.

The Colossian coverts to Christianity had previously been pagan idol worshipers and adherents of Greek asceticism and were now being criticized by their pagan neighbors for doing what?

[Colossians 2:16] Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days

They were being ostracized by their pagan neighbors for doing exactly what you folks think Paul was telling them not to do. Think! They never did these things before so why would Paul even mention them? What this verse really teaches is....."Don't let these pagan gnostics JUDGE you for HOW you are keeping YAHWEH'S holy days". In other words.....it's an affirmation that these folks were actually observing Yahweh's ordained dietary restrictions and his ordained Sabbaths. They had been taught these things by Epaphras [4:12][Philemon 23].

By cautioning the Colossian Christian converts to not let others judge them how they observed these things is proof they were indeed observing them! Paul wasn't questioning them in whether or not they should be kept. The obvious implication is.....they were keeping them.....and....Paul did not tell them to stop!

Now.....about the added words of the translators. Let's read the verse as the Holy Spirit inspired it....without the added words of the KJV translators.

[Colossians 2:16-17] Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbaths (plural) which are a shadow of things to come..... but the body of Christ.

Paul is saying, Don't let anybody criticize you for observing Yahweh's dietary laws and specially ordained Feast days (SABBATWN) except members of the Church! That's what the "Body of Christ" is......the church! The word "days" doesn't even appear in the Greek manuscript. It is simply referring to Yahweh's Holy Sabbaths (SABBATWN).

If Paul had been writing about the weekly Sabbath he would have used the word SABBATON (σάββατον).....not SABBATWN (σαββάτων). SABBATWN is a plural word meaning "Specially ordained Sabbaths" [Colossians 2:16] i.e. Passover, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles! The singular is SABBATW [John 7:23] and its adjective is SABBATOU [John 19:31].

Sabbaton is the Greek for a weekly Sabbath [Matthew 12:5]. Its plural is SABBATA [Acts 17:2] and its adjective is SABBISON [Matthew 12:1]