Correspondence: Sabbath; Giving Thanks Always; John 21:11

From: Young Christian: Volume 4, 1914

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From: Correspondence

John 21:11 • 4 min. read • grade level: 7

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Question 107: Why was the Sabbath changed from Saturday to Sunday? L. S. H.

Answer: The names of the days of the week, including Saturday and Sunday, are heathen names.

In the Word of God the days are numbered.

The seventh day (Saturday), is the day given by God to Israel as the Sabbath (Ex. 20:8-11; 31:15-17⁸Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: ¹⁰But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: ¹¹For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. (Exodus 20:8‑11)
¹⁵Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. ¹⁶Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. ¹⁷It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. (Exodus 31:15‑17)).

The Jews under the law professed to keep it; they blamed the Lord Jesus for doing works of mercy on the Sabbath day (John 9:16¹⁶Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. (John 9:16)). They had rejected Him, the Lord of the Sabbath, whose pleasure it was to do good to men. He did not honor their keeping of the Sabbath, for they were living in sin, and He could not be bound by the law which He had given, from doing works of mercy (Mark 2:23-28²³And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. ²⁴And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? ²⁵And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? ²⁶How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the showbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? ²⁷And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: ²⁸Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. (Mark 2:23‑28)). He wrought with God, His Father (John 5:17¹⁷But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. (John 5:17)). In His death He was the whole Sabbath day in the grave. Then He arose triumphant from among the dead on the first day of the week (Matt. 28:1¹In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. (Matthew 28:1); Mark 16:9⁹Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. (Mark 16:9)). It was the same day He came in the midst of His disciples. (John 20:19¹⁹Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. (John 20:19)). It was upon the first day of the week the Holy Spirit came down and formed the church, (Pentecost means fifty), fifty days after Christ’s resurrection. Leviticus 23:16¹⁶Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord. (Leviticus 23:16) calls it the morrow after the Sabbath. It was on the first day of the week the disciples assembled to remember the Lord in the breaking of the bread and in drinking of the cup. The Apostle John, by the Spirit, gave it its name when he wrote: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” (Rev. 1:10¹⁰I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, (Revelation 1:10)).

Christians, intelligent in the Scriptures, can see that the Sabbath is one of the shadows of things to come. It is a shadow of God’s rest when sin will be done away. In the Millennium Israel will again observe it (Ezek. 46). But Christians are not under law (Rom. 6:14¹⁴For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14)), they do not keep the Sabbath, the Sabbath was never given to them. They have the first day of the week, the Lord’s day, and if the heart is right, they will use it for the Lord, and not for worldly gain or pleasure.

The church, set up at the beginning as God’s witness on earth, soon fell into the world’s ways and worldly religion, and adopted much of paganism and Judaism. They keep days and ordinances and put themselves under law (Gal. 3:10; 4:10-11¹⁰For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. (Galatians 3:10)
¹⁰Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. ¹¹I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain. (Galatians 4:10‑11); Col. 2:20²⁰Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Colossians 2:20)). Calling the first day of the week sabbath is only an invention of man, and is not according to the Word of God.

“Let us therefore go forth unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach” (Heb. 13:13¹³Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. (Hebrews 13:13)).

Question 108: What is the difference between “Giving thanks always for all things” (Eph. 5:20²⁰Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; (Ephesians 5:20)), and “In everything give thanks” (1 Thess. 5:18¹⁸In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18))? S. J.

Answer: I do not know of any practical difference except the viewpoint of the different epistles, and in this we might include Colossians and Philippians.

What a benefit to the soul to be filled with the Spirit, as in Ephesians, enjoying our heavenly portion; and how it cheers us on our pilgrim way, as in Thessalonians, to know the hand and heart that guides us along, to rejoice evermore, to pray without ceasing, and in everything to give thanks, doing the will of God.

And does not Colossians make much of Christ to our souls? (Col. 2:7; 3:11-17⁷Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:7)
¹¹Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. ¹²Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. ¹⁴And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. ¹⁵And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Colossians 3:11‑17)). “Be thankful.” We will be if we let “the Word of Christ dwell in us richly” and do all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.

But Philippians 4:6⁶Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (Philippians 4:6) tells how to gain such experience, for there are many and great difficulties to overcome, before we can be filled with thanksgiving. Notice then – we begin with prayer and continue until in deep supplication we make our requests known unto God; then the soul receives its answer, and is clothed (or garrisoned) with peace that passes all understanding. O, that our hearts and minds might be kept in this lowly, dependent, thankful condition.

Question 109: What does the number 153 in John 21:11¹¹Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. (John 21:11) mean? M. C.

Answer: We are right in saying some numbers in Scripture have meaning, but we must avoid letting our imagination put on meaning. (See 2 Cor. 10:5⁵Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2 Corinthians 10:5)).

We are safe in drawing lessons in accordance with all Scripture. So, while we do not know any meaning to the number 153, we see that it represents a multitude (ver. 6), and we can think how precious we are to the Lord who has numbered us, yes, even the hairs of our head are all numbered. He knows each of us.

In Luke 5:6⁶And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. (Luke 5:6) the net brake, here the net is not broken. It has been pointed out that now the gospel net breaks but at the beginning of the Millennial reign of Christ the net will not break. When the disciples came ashore they found that the Lord had some fish there, already caught; these represent the believers saved through the tribulation period, what is called the (believing) remnant of Israel.

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