Why Should Christians Keep the Passover?

Good News Magazine ^ | March 1998 | Allen Stout

[DouglasKC]

unless of course He tells you that the previously unclean animals are now clean, but He wasn't really saying that now was He???

Seems hypocritical to me.

Are you saying that Peter was so dense that he didn't understand the message either? Because he only thought that God was telling him that gentiles were now clean:

Act 10:28 And he said to them, You know that it is an unlawful thing for a man, a Jew to keep company with or to come near to one of another nation. But God has shown me not to call any man common or unclean.

Again, Peter tells them and us the interpetation of the vision. He didn't start running around saying that now all meats were clean. He didn't say that God showed him that all foods were now clean. Reading anything else into his vision is adding on to his interpetation.

[DouglasKC]

A Christian is a follower of Christ! To follow Christ, you must do what he says and follow the example he set.

And to add on, as Paul said:

1Co 11:1 Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.
1Co 11:2 But I praise you, brothers, that you remember me in all things, and you keep the doctrines as I delivered them to you.

If Paul imitated Christ, Paul did everything Christ did, including keeping the new Passover observance as Paul and the early church did.

[vmatt]

I don't think it's essential to salvation because those who participate are already disciples of Christ.

Then I would reject it on that basis alone. For me to accept any "ritual" purportedly related to the teachings for which I look to for salvation it must be proven without doubt and essential.

To me it's like baptism...do you absolutely need it to be saved? No...but you do it because you love the lord and want to do what he commands.

At the time it was taught, water baptism under John was absolutely essential to salvation. Thanks for answering and keeping a good spirit, God bless you and yours.

[JohnnyM]

"Again, Peter tells them and us the interpetation of the vision. "

You dont seem to be getting the parallel here. God used the vision to explain the spiritual truth, which you agree with, but you dont take the vision as truth. Now Jesus used the act of washing the feet to explain the Spiritual truth of uplifting and "washing" one another, yet you take the act as truth. There is a disconnect here. You are being hypocritical. God told Peter that these animals are clean and can now be eaten. This is inarguable. This is what God said, yet you say God didn't say it, but on the otherhand you fight vehemently for a ritual of washing of the feet and demand that others do the same. This is simply confusing to me. On the hand you say you obey what Jesus and God say and I cannot fault you for that, but then you renig on it and say God wasn't really saying what He said. This is confusion and hypocrisy. Do you see what I mean???

JM

[DouglasKC]

You are being hypocritical. God told Peter that these animals are clean and can now be eaten. This is inarguable. This is what God said, yet you say God didn't say it, but on the otherhand you fight vehemently for a ritual of washing of the feet and demand that others do the same. This is simply confusing to me. On the hand you say you obey what Jesus and God say and I cannot fault you for that, but then you renig on it and say God wasn't really saying what He said. This is confusion and hypocrisy. Do you see what I mean???

lol...you're getting me almost as frustrated believe it or not! Peter and I clearly saw the dream as symbolic. Peter was very hungry. He had a vision about unclean foods. God told him to eat. Peter refused because in the 20 or 25 years or so since the death of Christ he had never eaten unclean. Three times this happened. Peter was puzzled as to what the dream meant BECAUSE he knew that there was no way God would tell him to violate a basic ingrained law that had been around since probably the beginning of time. Then THREE gentiles show up. Ah ha! Peter says, NOW I know what the vision meant. He tells everyone what the vision meant. He CLEARLY knew that the vision was symbolic because he told us what it meant. God DID NOT correct him on his interpetation later and tell him "Hey Peter, I meant that unclean foods were okay to eat too." This only happened in the minds of men.

[DouglasKC]

I don't think it's essential to salvation because those who participate are already disciples of Christ.
Then I would reject it on that basis alone. For me to accept any "ritual" purportedly related to the teachings for which I look to for salvation it must be proven without doubt and essential.
To me it's like baptism...do you absolutely need it to be saved? No...but you do it because you love the lord and want to do what he commands.
At the time it was taught, water baptism under John was absolutely essential to salvation. Thanks for answering and keeping a good spirit, God bless you and yours.

Ditto vmatt...:-)

[JohnnyM]

"Hey Peter, I meant that unclean foods were okay to eat too."

My argument is that Peter understood that too. But like I said, there is no revelation without the Holy Spirit. So nothing I say will make you change your point of view on this. So I won't comment any further on this topic.

JM

[DouglasKC]

My argument is that Peter understood that too. But like I said, there is no revelation without the Holy Spirit. So nothing I say will make you change your point of view on this. So I won't comment any further on this topic.

Okay, I agree with you about the holy spirit thing of course:-)...looks like we'll agree to disagree about Peters vision.

[JohnnyM]

yeah, and who knows. I could be the blind one here. So my prayer is that the Holy Spirit will give revelation to us all on this matter.

JM

[SoothingDave]

On that same evening Jesus "took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is [or 'means,' James Moffatt Translation; i.e., 'represents'] My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me'" (Luke 22:19).

He also "took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. For this is [represents] My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins'" (Matthew 26:27-28).

What's with this? Is it that dangerous to let people read this simple passage without making sure they have the "correct" interpretation?

SD

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

Excellent synopsis of one of the most mis-interpreted scriptures around. A little reading comprehension and common sense goes a long way. Besides, those food laws (really health laws) were given for a reason, to keep healthy. A vulture is just as unhealthy to eat today, if not moreso, than it was 3500 years ago. Same with swine and the rest of the scavengers and bottom-feeders.

I also agree with the Passover article, but isn't Passover supposed to be 10 days after the Spring Equinox? I'm a little confused over the dating.

[DouglasKC]

On that same evening Jesus "took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is [or 'means,' James Moffatt Translation; i.e., 'represents'] My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me'" (Luke 22:19).
What's with this? Is it that dangerous to let people read this simple passage without making sure they have the "correct" interpretation?

Perhaps the author is trying to give both viewpoints here. I know Catholics take this literally while protestants generally don't. Personally I do believe it's symbolic, but it is a very strong association so I can see where it can be taken literally too. Hope that doesn't sound like I'm weaseling out of it... :-)

[Bobsat]

I observe the Sabbath 7 days a week by abiding in Christ because He is my Sabbath rest as shown in Hebrews. Christ is my Sabbath, but it seems Saturday is yours.

Then you observe something of your own creation. I don't have a Sabbath. I cannot create one nor can I sustain one.

The 7th day of the week is God's Sabbath. He made it, commanded its observance including keeping it holy, and I do that as best I can. The other six days of the week, exclusive of annual Sabbaths, are mine to do with as I choose.

It still amazes me that people can look outward through telescopes into an immense orderly universe, through microscopes into an equally magnificent ordered scheme of things, or just around them at all the things God has made, and, even though mankind has not and cannot even assemble the component elements of a bite of food, puff themselves up to think that the God can be trifled with. Then I remember that some things can only be understood by the doing of them, such as riding a bicycle, and yet again realize the seemingly unlimited patience God has with us.

But it's not unlimited. It ran out at the time of Noah. It ran out at Mt. Sinai. It ran out with the money changers in the Temple, and it ran out with some of the Pharisees. For 40 years, God gave manna to the Israelites wandering in the wilderness six days a week, but none on the Sabbath. Observing God's Sabbath was and is important to God. Considering our relative positions in the grand scheme of things, it had better be important to me too!

[DouglasKC]

Excellent synopsis of one of the most mis-interpreted scriptures around. A little reading comprehension and common sense goes a long way. Besides, those food laws (really health laws) were given for a reason, to keep healthy. A vulture is just as unhealthy to eat today, if not moreso, than it was 3500 years ago. Same with swine and the rest of the scavengers and bottom-feeders.

Thanks for nice words! I agree that health is a major issue, but I also believe there's a spirtual side to it too that has to do with discerning good spirits from bad.

I also agree with the Passover article, but isn't Passover supposed to be 10 days after the Spring Equinox? I'm a little confused over the dating.

Hmmm...not sure. Our church follows the Jewish calendar on it. Maybe that's Easter?

[DouglasKC]

But it's not unlimited. It ran out at the time of Noah. It ran out at Mt. Sinai. It ran out with the money changers in the Temple, and it ran out with some of the Pharisees. For 40 years, God gave manna to the Israelites wandering in the wilderness six days a week, but none on the Sabbath. Observing God's Sabbath was and is important to God. Considering our relative positions in the grand scheme of things, it had better be important to me too!

Excellent post and a sobering conclusion...

[DouglasKC]

bump on Friday