Well, thank you once
again for coming to the series,
00:00:30.86\00:00:33.87
The Bible Or Tradition.
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The Title of our study today
is, Sunday's Shaky Foundation.
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This is number 8 in
this series that is composed
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of 10 presentations.
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However, before we
study we want to ask
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for the Lord's guidance.
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Never should God's Word
be opened without prayer.
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And so I invite you, along with
me, to bow your heads reverently
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as we ask for
the Lord's presence.
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Our Father and our God, what
a privilege it is to come into
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Your presence to hear Your
voice speaking to us directly,
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and personally through
the ministry of Your Word.
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We ask Father that that Word,
through the influence of the
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Holy Spirit, will speak
to our minds and hearts.
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I ask Lord that You will give
us willing hearts to understand,
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to receive, and to
live in harmony with
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what You reveal to us.
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We thank You Father for hearing
our prayer, because we ask this
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in the precious
name of Jesus, Amen.
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Practically every Christian
church in the world celebrates
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its worship
service on Sunday morning.
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Now if you ask members of these
churches why they go to church
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on Sunday, they will tell
you the reason is because Jesus
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resurrected on Sunday,
the first day of the week.
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But the big question
that we need to ask is this:
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is this reason for keeping
Sunday in harmony with what
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we find in the Holy Scriptures?
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Scripture should be our guide.
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The written
Scriptures should be our guide.
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And so what we're going
to study today are the eight
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texts in the New
Testament that mention
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the first day of the week.
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Now if we're going to find any
justification for the observance
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of the first day of the week,
we have to find that evidence
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in one of these eight texts.
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Because if we can't then
there is no other place to look.
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Because this is all of
the evidence that we have
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contained in the New Testament.
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And so there are only eight
references in the New Testament
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that use the expression,
the first day of the week.
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Now it's important to realize
that the word Sunday does
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not appear in the New Testament.
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You know, the names of the
days, as we know them today,
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are really planetary names.
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For example, Sunday
is the day of the sun.
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Monday is moon day.
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In other words, the
names are planetary names.
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In Bible times the
days were numbered.
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The only day that technically
has a name in Scripture
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is the Sabbath, the seventh day.
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All of the other days are
numbered with reference to
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the seventh day Sabbath.
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So we are going to
study all eight references
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to the first day of the week.
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And to each reference we are
going to ask three questions:
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First of all we're going to
ask if that Bible verse says
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anywhere that the first
day of the week is holy.
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The second question that we're
going to ask is whether that
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text tells us that we're
supposed to attend church
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on the first day of the week.
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And the third question that
we're going to ask is whether
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this particular text tells
us that we're supposed to keep
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the first day of
the week in honor of the
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resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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So we are going to ask
each of the eight texts
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these three questions.
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First question: does the
text say that the first day
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of the week is holy?
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Second question: does the text
tell us we're supposed to attend
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church on the
first day of the week?
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And the third question: is there
anything in the text that says
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that we're supposed to
keep the first day of the week
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in honor of the
resurrection of Jesus Christ?
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And then at the end of our study
we are going to take a look
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at another verse that
doesn't mention the first day
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of the week, but it is
used by those who defend Sunday.
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And that is Revelation
1:10 where John says that he
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was in the Spirit
on the day of the Lord,
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or on the Lord's day.
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And so we're going to
take a look at that text,
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which doesn't mention
the first day of the week,
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but is used by Sunday advocates
to defend the observance
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of Sunday as the day of rest.
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Now let's go to our first text.
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Our first text is found in
Matthew 28:1, Matthew 28:1.
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Notice what the
Bible text simply says.
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Lets not inject into
the text what is not there.
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Lets take what the text says.
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And then if you continue reading
it says that they came to the
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tomb, and the tomb
at this point was empty.
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Now the question we need to
ask of this particular text is
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this: Is there anything in this
verse to suggest that the first
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day of the week is
holy? Absolutely not!
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Is there anything in the
text that says we're supposed to
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go to church on the first
day of the week? Absolutely not!
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Is there anything in the text
that says that we're supposed
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to honor the resurrection
of Christ by observing Sunday
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as the day of
worship? Absolutely not!
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What you have here is
simply a statement of fact.
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Jesus resurrected the
first day of the week.
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And, by the way, this text makes
it very, very clear that Sunday
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is not the Sabbath.
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Because the text clearly
says, Now after the Sabbath,
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as the first day of
the week began to dawn.
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So Sunday cannot be called
the Sabbath, because Sunday is
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the day after the Sabbath.
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So what European calendars
do, you know, they craftily say
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that the week begins on Monday.
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And, of course, if you begin the
week on Monday on your calendar,
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then the
seventh day is what day?
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The seventh day is
Sunday, but it doesn't square
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with the Bible evidence.
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Because the Bible tells us very
clearly that the seventh day
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is the Sabbath, not
the first day of the week.
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Because the first day of
the week is the day after the
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Sabbath, according
to this specific text.
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So let's go to text number 2.
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Text number 2 mentions the first
day of the week is Mark 16:1, 2.
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It says there:
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Now let's ask our
three questions of this text.
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Is there anything in these
two verses that would suggest
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that Sunday, or the first day
of the week, is holy? Nothing!
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Is there anything to suggest
that it's the new day when
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we're supposed to go
to church? Absolutely not!
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Is there anything in the text
that says that we're supposed
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to go to church on
Sunday to honor the
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resurrection of Jesus
Christ? Absolutely not!
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Now did you notice in
this text, once again,
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that Sunday is not the Sabbath?
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Because it says in verse
2, Very early in the morning
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of the first day of the
week they came to the tomb
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when the sun had risen.
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And the previous verse, verse
1, says, Now when the Sabbath
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was what? Now when
the Sabbath was past.
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So Sunday is not the
Sabbath any way you look at it.
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Sunday is the
first day of the week,
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and the Sabbath is the
seventh day of the week.
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If you read the text as it is
there written, there's no doubt
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whatsoever that the
Sabbath is the seventh day,
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and Sunday is the first day.
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And there's no
evidence that the first day
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of the week is holy.
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No evidence that we're
supposed to go to church
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on the first day of the week.
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No evidence whatsoever
that we're to keep Sunday
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in honor of the
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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Now lets go to text number 3.
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Text number 3 is found in Mark
16:9, Mark 16:9. It says here:
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So lets ask the three questions.
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And you're going to be
kind of tired after the lecture
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with these same three
questions all the time,
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but I want to make a point.
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That's the reason why I'm
asking these three questions,
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because I want to make a point.
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And I want the point to remain
there to lodge in our psyche,
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if you please. So the
question is, Is there anything
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in Mark 16:9 that would
suggest that the first day
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of the week is holy? No!
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Is there anything in this text
that says that we're supposed
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to go to church on the first
day of the week? Absolutely not!
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Is there anything in the text
that says that we're supposed
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to keep the first day
of the week in honor of the
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resurrection of
Jesus Christ? No!
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The text simply
makes a statement of fact.
00:10:01.07\00:10:04.29
It says that Jesus resurrected
the first day of the week.
00:10:04.32\00:10:07.95
So to say that we're supposed
to go to church because Jesus
00:10:07.98\00:10:11.83
resurrected, is an assumption
that we're adding to the text,
00:10:11.86\00:10:14.96
which is not found
there in the verse.
00:10:14.99\00:10:18.23
Now lets go to text number 4.
00:10:18.26\00:10:21.07
John 20:1, 2,
John 20:1, 2. It says:
00:10:21.10\00:10:29.61
So reading verse 1 again
now: the first day of the week
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Mary Magdalene went to the tomb
early, while it was still dark,
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and saw that the stone had
been taken away from the tomb.
00:11:00.05\00:11:02.88
Question: Is there anything
in this text to suggest that the
00:11:02.91\00:11:06.84
first day of the week
is holy? Absolutely not!
00:11:06.87\00:11:09.58
Is there anything in the text
to indicate that we're supposed
00:11:09.61\00:11:12.99
to go to church on Sunday,
or the first day of the week?
00:11:13.02\00:11:15.55
Absolutely not! Is there
anything in the text that would
00:11:15.58\00:11:19.49
suggest that we're to honor
the resurrection of Jesus Christ
00:11:19.52\00:11:22.48
by keeping Sunday as
the day in honor of the
00:11:22.51\00:11:26.18
resurrection of Jesus?
00:11:26.21\00:11:27.36
Absolutely nothing in the text.
00:11:27.39\00:11:30.61
Incidentally, there's something
very interesting, and that is
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that the book of John is
being written about sixty years
00:11:34.33\00:11:39.12
after the
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
00:11:39.15\00:11:41.20
So, you know, it's telling the
story of when Jesus resurrected,
00:11:41.23\00:11:45.18
but it's being
written sixty years later.
00:11:45.21\00:11:47.29
And yet even though it's
being written sixty years later,
00:11:47.32\00:11:50.96
John does not call the first
day of the week the Lord's day.
00:11:50.99\00:11:55.50
And he does not attribute
any holiness to the day.
00:11:55.53\00:11:59.45
Sixty years later he simply
makes a statement of fact.
00:11:59.48\00:12:03.56
If Sunday was the day of worship
he would have probably called it
00:12:03.59\00:12:06.73
the Lord's day, and he probably
would have said it's holy,
00:12:06.76\00:12:09.51
and people have been going to
church to honor the resurrection
00:12:09.54\00:12:12.42
of Christ. Absolutely nothing!
00:12:12.45\00:12:14.09
Even though he's writing sixty
years after the resurrection
00:12:14.12\00:12:17.78
of Christ, he does not call it
the Lord's day, and he does not
00:12:17.81\00:12:20.95
say it's holy. He does not say
you're supposed to go to church
00:12:20.98\00:12:23.89
on that day. He doesn't say
that you're supposed to keep it
00:12:23.92\00:12:27.01
in honor of the
resurrection of Christ.
00:12:27.04\00:12:29.74
He simply makes a
statement of fact.
00:12:29.77\00:12:33.17
Now lets go to text number 5.
00:12:33.20\00:12:35.80
It's found in
Luke 24:1, Luke 24:1.
00:12:35.83\00:12:41.19
And I'm going to
go a little earlier.
00:12:41.22\00:12:43.33
I'm going to go to chapter
23, beginning with verse 53,
00:12:43.36\00:12:48.19
so that we can
catch the context.
00:12:48.22\00:12:50.03
And what I want you to see
here is the sequence of days.
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There are three days here:
Friday, Sabbath, and Sunday,
00:12:53.32\00:12:57.17
or the sixth day, the
seventh day, and the first day.
00:12:57.20\00:13:00.34
Lets notice the
sequence, beginning at
00:13:00.37\00:13:02.15
verse 53 of chapter 23.
00:13:02.18\00:13:04.59
That is Joseph of Arimathea.
00:13:06.17\00:13:08.05
Took His body down.
00:13:09.63\00:13:11.03
Now notice what day that
was when Joseph of Arimathea
00:13:20.83\00:13:24.74
asked for the body of Jesus.
00:13:24.77\00:13:26.01
And the reason it's called
the Preparation is because
00:13:29.76\00:13:32.41
in Exodus 16 God said,
What you're going to prepare,
00:13:32.44\00:13:35.42
prepare it today.
That's probably where the word
00:13:35.45\00:13:38.20
preparation comes from.
00:13:38.23\00:13:39.39
But anyway, it
says, That day, Friday,...
00:13:39.42\00:13:41.56
So what was the
next day going to be?
00:13:44.74\00:13:46.82
The next day was
going to be the Sabbath.
00:13:46.85\00:13:48.97
It continues saying in verse 55:
00:13:49.00\00:13:51.13
And they rested on Sunday
according to the commandment.
00:14:02.26\00:14:05.20
That's not what
it says! It says:
00:14:05.23\00:14:08.59
Let me ask you, was the
commandment still binding
00:14:12.97\00:14:16.13
after the death of Christ?
00:14:16.16\00:14:17.30
This is the fourth commandment!
00:14:17.33\00:14:19.00
Remember the
Sabbath day to keep it holy.
00:14:19.03\00:14:20.92
The women are
keeping the Sabbath.
00:14:20.95\00:14:22.82
So if Jesus had intended
them to keep the first day
00:14:22.85\00:14:25.71
of the week, and had
taught His disciples to do that,
00:14:25.74\00:14:27.96
why are the women
keeping the Sabbath?
00:14:27.99\00:14:29.81
Furthermore, you
know what's interesting,
00:14:29.84\00:14:31.63
is that the gospel of Luke is
being written about thirty years
00:14:31.66\00:14:35.47
after the
resurrection of Christ.
00:14:35.50\00:14:36.95
And even though this is
being written about thirty years
00:14:36.98\00:14:40.90
after the resurrection of
Christ, Luke still tells us
00:14:40.93\00:14:44.55
that the women
kept the Holy Sabbath.
00:14:44.58\00:14:48.02
And so it continues saying
there, once again verse 55:
00:14:48.05\00:14:51.66
Now how many days
do we have so far?
00:15:05.38\00:15:07.60
We have the Preparation, which
is Friday, when Joseph asked
00:15:07.63\00:15:11.19
for the body of Jesus; then
they rested the Sabbath day,
00:15:11.22\00:15:14.28
according to the commandment.
00:15:14.31\00:15:15.55
And now notice
chapter 24 and verse 1.
00:15:15.58\00:15:18.00
This is text
number 5 that mentions the
00:15:18.03\00:15:20.44
first day of the week.
00:15:20.47\00:15:21.50
So do you notice
the sequence of days
00:15:37.13\00:15:40.14
that we have in this passage?
00:15:40.17\00:15:41.42
What day did Jesus die?
00:15:41.45\00:15:43.73
He died on Friday.
00:15:43.76\00:15:45.43
Which day did Jesus rest
in the tomb, and the women
00:15:45.46\00:15:48.65
rest outside the tomb?
00:15:48.68\00:15:49.97
On the Sabbath,
according to the commandment.
00:15:50.00\00:15:52.58
And which day
did Jesus resurrect?
00:15:52.61\00:15:54.89
He resurrected on the
first day of the week.
00:15:54.92\00:15:57.81
So let me ask you something,
is Sunday the Sabbath?
00:15:57.84\00:16:01.65
Sunday is the
day after the Sabbath
00:16:01.68\00:16:03.87
according to this passage.
00:16:03.90\00:16:05.26
Sunday is not the Sabbath.
00:16:05.29\00:16:07.17
So to say that the
Christian day of worship,
00:16:07.20\00:16:12.04
the Christian Sabbath is
Sunday, is a contradiction,
00:16:12.07\00:16:16.67
because Sunday
cannot be the Sabbath.
00:16:16.70\00:16:18.79
The Sabbath is the seventh
day, and Sunday is the first day
00:16:18.82\00:16:22.33
of the week,
according to this sequence.
00:16:22.36\00:16:25.10
Now let's ask the three
questions of this text number 5.
00:16:25.13\00:16:28.30
Is there anything in this text
that says that the first day of
00:16:28.33\00:16:32.17
the week is holy?
Absolutely nothing!
00:16:32.20\00:16:35.16
Is there anything in the text
to suggest that people should
00:16:35.19\00:16:38.36
go to church on the first
day of the week? Absolutely not!
00:16:38.39\00:16:41.66
Is there anything in the text
that would suggest that we are
00:16:41.69\00:16:46.00
supposed to honor the
resurrection of Jesus Christ
00:16:46.03\00:16:50.65
by the observance of
the first day of the week?
00:16:50.68\00:16:52.81
Absolutely nothing!
00:16:52.84\00:16:54.54
The text simply
makes a statement of fact.
00:16:54.57\00:16:57.61
It says, Now on the first day
of the week, very early in the
00:16:57.64\00:17:00.94
morning, they, and
certain other women with them,
00:17:00.97\00:17:03.25
came to the tomb, bringing
the spices which they had
00:17:03.28\00:17:05.74
prepared. And then verse 2.
00:17:05.77\00:17:07.36
But they found the stone
rolled away from the tomb.
00:17:07.39\00:17:09.82
That's all it says.
00:17:09.85\00:17:10.89
Now, by the way, Luke is known
as a very meticulous historian.
00:17:10.92\00:17:15.82
Luke, besides being a
physician, he was a historian.
00:17:15.85\00:17:19.27
He says at the beginning of
his book that he investigated
00:17:19.30\00:17:22.70
carefully all of the sources.
00:17:22.73\00:17:24.33
And it's interesting that
he says in Luke 1:1-3, he says:
00:17:24.36\00:17:29.72
Now if Sunday was
the day of worship,
00:17:40.39\00:17:43.27
how did that
escape his attention,
00:17:43.30\00:17:45.70
being a careful historian?
00:17:45.73\00:17:48.27
It just doesn't jive.
00:17:48.30\00:17:51.25
It doesn't make any sense
to say that Luke would have
00:17:51.28\00:17:53.97
forgotten, writing
thirty years later,
00:17:54.00\00:17:56.02
investigating the sources.
00:17:56.05\00:17:57.62
And if Sunday was the day of
worship, that he would not even
00:17:57.65\00:18:00.78
mention that Sunday
was the day of worship,
00:18:00.81\00:18:02.98
particularly when
it says that Luke:
00:18:03.01\00:18:06.28
...concerning
what Jesus had done.
00:18:15.18\00:18:17.59
Now lets go to text number six.
00:18:17.62\00:18:20.25
John 20:19, John
20:19. It says there:
00:18:20.28\00:18:28.79
To celebrate the resurrection.
00:18:39.38\00:18:41.54
That's not what it says, right?
00:18:41.57\00:18:44.27
Sometimes I'll read wrong
to make sure that you're just
00:18:44.30\00:18:46.69
following along. You
know, because people, you know,
00:18:46.72\00:18:49.37
the preacher will say something
and everybody will say Amen,
00:18:49.40\00:18:51.76
and they don't check it out
for themselves in the Bible.
00:18:51.79\00:18:54.18
You need to check out
Scripture for yourself.
00:18:54.21\00:18:56.57
Don't just take what
your religious leaders say,
00:18:56.60\00:18:59.13
now matter how
much you respect them.
00:18:59.16\00:19:00.96
I don't want you to accept what
I say unless it's in harmony
00:19:00.99\00:19:04.96
with Scripture. Then
accept it. So it says:
00:19:04.99\00:19:07.96
Why were they assembled there?
00:19:14.27\00:19:15.43
To celebrate Sunday
as the resurrection?
00:19:15.46\00:19:17.12
Because it was holy?
00:19:17.15\00:19:18.18
Because it was the day now
to assemble to have church?
00:19:18.21\00:19:20.10
No. It says they were there
for what? for fear of the Jews.
00:19:20.13\00:19:24.29
Now do you know the way
some people use this text?
00:19:31.11\00:19:33.83
They argue like this: They
say the disciples were gathered
00:19:33.86\00:19:39.16
together there in the upper
room, on the first day of the
00:19:39.19\00:19:43.25
week, to celebrate communion.
00:19:43.28\00:19:46.33
And they were celebrating
communion in order to
00:19:46.36\00:19:51.40
commemorate the
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
00:19:51.43\00:19:54.54
And Jesus Christ joined
them for the celebration.
00:19:54.57\00:19:57.55
Thus we are to follow
the example of the disciples
00:19:57.58\00:20:01.84
who were gathered together.
00:20:01.87\00:20:03.05
We also are supposed to gather
together on the first day of the
00:20:03.08\00:20:07.15
week. And we are
supposed to celebrate communion
00:20:07.18\00:20:09.83
in honor of the
resurrection of Christ.
00:20:09.86\00:20:12.86
Now this argument
has several flaws,
00:20:12.89\00:20:17.67
and let me share
those flaws with you.
00:20:17.70\00:20:19.96
1. A simple reading of
the text tells us why they
00:20:19.99\00:20:24.76
were gathered there.
00:20:24.79\00:20:25.82
A simple reading of the text
says that they were gathered
00:20:25.85\00:20:29.49
there for fear of the Jews.
00:20:29.52\00:20:31.63
They were not gathered
there to celebrate Sunday
00:20:31.66\00:20:34.27
in honor of the resurrection.
00:20:34.30\00:20:35.45
It says very clearly
they were gathered there
00:20:35.48\00:20:38.18
for fear of the Jews.
00:20:38.21\00:20:40.75
Furthermore, Jesus
could not have joined them
00:20:40.78\00:20:43.89
for the
celebration of communion,
00:20:43.92\00:20:46.08
supposedly, in
honor of the resurrection.
00:20:46.11\00:20:48.08
And you say, Why
not? It's very simple.
00:20:48.11\00:20:52.24
You see, the day before
Jesus died on the cross,
00:20:52.27\00:20:54.75
which was on Thursday, He
gathered with His disciples
00:20:54.78\00:20:57.43
in the upper room.
00:20:57.46\00:20:58.49
And He said
something very interesting.
00:20:58.52\00:21:00.55
He said to them, that He
would not drink of this fruit
00:21:00.58\00:21:04.21
of the vine until that day
when I drink it new with you
00:21:04.24\00:21:08.38
in My Father's kingdom.
00:21:08.41\00:21:09.66
So how could Jesus be
celebrating communion with them
00:21:09.69\00:21:13.45
if He said, I'm not going to
drink this grape juice anymore
00:21:13.48\00:21:16.48
until we enter the kingdom.
00:21:16.51\00:21:17.97
That was no
celebration of communion.
00:21:18.00\00:21:20.79
Furthermore the Bible
tells us what they ate.
00:21:20.82\00:21:23.25
They did eat the communion
bread and drink the grape juice.
00:21:23.28\00:21:27.59
The Bible tells us in
Luke 24:36-43 that Jesus ate
00:21:27.62\00:21:36.08
a piece of fish and a honeycomb.
00:21:36.11\00:21:39.31
So I suppose that from now
on when we celebrate communion,
00:21:39.34\00:21:42.58
we're supposed to eat a piece
of a fish, and we're supposed
00:21:42.61\00:21:45.71
to eat a honeycomb
to celebrate communion.
00:21:45.74\00:21:47.85
It tells us what Jesus ate,
and it wasn't the grape juice,
00:21:47.88\00:21:52.92
and it wasn't
the supposed bread.
00:21:52.95\00:21:56.02
Furthermore it's important to
realize that communion does not
00:21:56.05\00:22:00.75
commemorate the
resurrection of Christ.
00:22:00.78\00:22:02.63
Communion commemorates
the death of Jesus Christ.
00:22:02.66\00:22:06.08
The Apostle Paul says
in 1 Corinthians 11:26,
00:22:06.11\00:22:09.82
that when we celebrate
the communion, when we eat the
00:22:09.85\00:22:12.60
bread, and we
drink the grape juice,
00:22:12.63\00:22:14.31
we announce His
death until He comes.
00:22:14.34\00:22:17.70
In other words, it's
not His resurrection that is
00:22:17.73\00:22:20.66
commemorated by the communion
service, it is the death
00:22:20.69\00:22:24.52
of Christ that is
commemorated as the important
00:22:24.55\00:22:29.21
event of His death.
00:22:29.24\00:22:30.97
Now some people say, well,
but what about the expression
00:22:31.00\00:22:34.38
breaking bread? See, they
broke bread, so that has to mean
00:22:34.41\00:22:37.76
that they had communion.
00:22:37.79\00:22:38.82
The fact is, folks, that
the expression, breaking bread,
00:22:38.85\00:22:42.25
is used to
describe a common meal.
00:22:42.28\00:22:44.87
Notice Acts 2, Acts 2:46,
47, Acts 2:46, 47. Here it says:
00:22:44.91\00:22:55.89
...in church. No,
no, no, it says...
00:23:04.81\00:23:08.73
...communion bread. No,
it says they ate their what?
00:23:15.74\00:23:20.00
So the
expression, breaking bread,
00:23:27.89\00:23:29.86
doesn't always
refer to communion.
00:23:29.90\00:23:31.79
If they were gathered to break
bread, it could mean that they
00:23:31.83\00:23:35.80
simply were going to partake
of the common everyday meal,
00:23:35.83\00:23:39.61
as they did, it says here, from
day to day, from house to house,
00:23:39.65\00:23:43.78
they ate their food
with gladness of heart.
00:23:43.82\00:23:47.01
Furthermore it's interesting
that Jesus actually instituted
00:23:47.05\00:23:51.34
communion on Thursday night.
00:23:51.37\00:23:52.78
Notice what it says
in 1 Corinthians 11,
00:23:52.82\00:23:56.25
and beginning with
verse 23, 1 Corinthians 11:23.
00:23:56.28\00:24:00.83
Here the Apostle Paul
is reminiscing about the
00:24:00.86\00:24:03.36
establishment of
communion, and he says this:
00:24:03.39\00:24:06.15
Now what night
was Jesus betrayed?
00:24:14.20\00:24:16.65
Thursday night. Yes.
00:24:16.68\00:24:18.39
So when did Jesus
institute communion?
00:24:38.86\00:24:41.11
Listen folks, if Jesus had
wanted the disciples to believe
00:24:41.14\00:24:45.57
that the celebration of
communion would commemorate
00:24:45.60\00:24:48.46
the resurrection, why did
He establish it on Thursday
00:24:48.49\00:24:51.68
and not on Sunday night?
00:24:51.71\00:24:53.23
The fact is that the day
in which communion is to be
00:24:53.26\00:24:58.31
celebrated, the Apostle Paul
says, When you gather together
00:24:58.34\00:25:01.06
to celebrate communion.
00:25:01.09\00:25:02.41
He does not specify, or
establish a specific day.
00:25:02.44\00:25:06.37
Now, some people use a
psychological argument.
00:25:06.40\00:25:10.72
They'll say, listen, Jesus
resurrected on the first day
00:25:10.75\00:25:17.39
of the week, and His
followers were overjoyed because
00:25:17.42\00:25:22.18
it was the day
when Jesus resurrected.
00:25:22.21\00:25:24.23
But on Sabbath they
were sad and long faced.
00:25:24.26\00:25:27.69
So, you see, the
Sabbath is a sad day,
00:25:27.72\00:25:30.66
whereas Sunday is a happy day.
00:25:30.69\00:25:32.98
And so people, you know, they'll
go to church and they'll hear
00:25:33.01\00:25:36.11
their preachers say this, and
they'll say, Amen, Hallelujah!
00:25:36.14\00:25:39.20
And they don't even
think about looking at what
00:25:39.23\00:25:41.47
the Bible has to say.
00:25:41.50\00:25:42.71
The fact is, at first
sight it might appear that this
00:25:42.74\00:25:45.98
psychological argument
makes sense, because you say,
00:25:46.01\00:25:48.98
Well, yeh, the Sabbath was a sad
day; the disciples were crying,
00:25:49.01\00:25:51.91
the women were crying.
00:25:51.95\00:25:53.04
Sunday, supposedly, was a
happy day because Jesus had
00:25:53.07\00:25:56.35
resurrected. There are
two problems with this idea:
00:25:56.38\00:25:59.19
First of all it was not
God's fault that they were sad.
00:25:59.22\00:26:03.04
Had Jesus told them on
multiple occasions that He was
00:26:03.07\00:26:07.55
going to go to Jerusalem,
they were going to mistreat Him,
00:26:07.58\00:26:10.38
and He was going to
resurrect the third day?
00:26:10.41\00:26:12.15
He told them
repeatedly during His ministry,
00:26:12.18\00:26:14.68
particularly the last
six months of His ministry,
00:26:14.71\00:26:17.19
and yet they did not believe.
00:26:17.22\00:26:18.88
Let me ask you, how would they
have felt if they had believed
00:26:18.91\00:26:22.84
what Jesus said? What would
that Sabbath have been like?
00:26:22.87\00:26:25.83
It would have been a
Sabbath of joyful expectation.
00:26:25.86\00:26:29.73
They would have said,
Hey, Jesus on the cross said,
00:26:29.76\00:26:32.72
It is finished! We
now have a perfect life,
00:26:32.75\00:26:35.67
and a death for sin.
00:26:35.70\00:26:36.92
He has brought about salvation!
00:26:36.95\00:26:39.51
Praise the Lord! And
tomorrow we are going to see Him
00:26:39.54\00:26:43.45
resting in the tomb now.
00:26:43.48\00:26:44.59
And tomorrow He's
going to resurrect!
00:26:44.62\00:26:46.26
It would have been a
day of joyous expectancy.
00:26:46.29\00:26:48.90
It was not God's purpose
that the Sabbath be a sad day.
00:26:48.93\00:26:52.05
It was God's purpose that
the Sabbath be a happy day;
00:26:52.08\00:26:54.86
that they would
rest outside the tomb,
00:26:54.89\00:26:57.07
while Jesus was
resting in the tomb.
00:26:57.10\00:26:59.62
But the greatest blow,
and the second reason why this
00:26:59.65\00:27:02.50
psychological argument
doesn't hold water, is the fact
00:27:02.53\00:27:06.20
that on the first day
of the week the disciples
00:27:06.23\00:27:08.56
did not believe that Jesus had
resurrected, until Sunday night
00:27:08.59\00:27:13.39
when He appeared to them.
00:27:13.42\00:27:14.45
So how could they be
happy, all happy on Sunday,
00:27:14.48\00:27:16.87
because Jesus had resurrected?
00:27:16.90\00:27:18.37
Sunday evening they didn't
believe He had resurrected.
00:27:18.40\00:27:20.83
Let's read it. Notice Luke
24: 9-11, Luke 24:9-11. It says:
00:27:20.86\00:27:28.23
That is the women
who came to the tomb.
00:27:28.69\00:27:30.53
What? to the apostles.
00:27:46.47\00:27:47.84
So this is on Sunday morning.
00:27:51.50\00:27:54.21
The women come back and
they tell the disciples,
00:27:54.24\00:27:56.94
Hey, Jesus has resurrected!
00:27:56.97\00:27:58.77
They say, Yeh, right!
00:27:58.80\00:28:00.23
So how could they be filled
with joy if they didn't believe
00:28:00.26\00:28:03.59
Jesus had resurrected?
00:28:03.62\00:28:04.65
And that evening
they still didn't believe.
00:28:04.68\00:28:06.59
Notice Mark
16:10-13, Mark 16:10-13.
00:28:06.62\00:28:11.77
That is Mary Magdalene.
00:28:12.69\00:28:13.80
This is, by the way,
late on Sunday afternoon.
00:28:27.63\00:28:30.33
Remember the two disciples
that went on the road to Emmaus?
00:28:30.36\00:28:32.70
It says:
00:28:32.73\00:28:33.76
That's Sunday, late afternoon.
00:28:38.38\00:28:40.31
This is Sunday evening.
00:28:43.37\00:28:44.71
So how was Sunday a joyful
happy day if they didn't even
00:28:47.97\00:28:51.96
believe that
Jesus had resurrected?
00:28:51.99\00:28:53.78
Are you with me? So we need
to be careful about arguments
00:28:53.81\00:28:58.14
based on human reason.
00:28:58.17\00:28:59.56
They might
appear to be rational.
00:28:59.59\00:29:02.60
They might appear to make
sense, but we need to check
00:29:02.63\00:29:05.84
and see if they are Biblical.
00:29:05.87\00:29:07.57
Now the question is, does this
text that we just looked at,
00:29:07.60\00:29:12.74
text number 6 in the sequence,
tell us that the first day
00:29:12.77\00:29:16.12
of the week is holy? No.
00:29:16.15\00:29:18.16
Does it say we're
supposed to go to church on the
00:29:18.19\00:29:20.32
first day of the week? No.
00:29:20.35\00:29:21.64
They were there
for fear of the Jews.
00:29:21.67\00:29:23.06
Does it say we're supposed to
honor the resurrection of Christ
00:29:23.09\00:29:26.50
by keeping the first day
of the week? Absolutely not!
00:29:26.53\00:29:29.87
We're running
out of options here.
00:29:29.90\00:29:33.11
Now lets go to the next
text, number 7 in this series.
00:29:33.14\00:29:37.94
We've studied six so far.
00:29:37.97\00:29:39.51
We found no smoking gun.
00:29:39.54\00:29:41.42
We haven't found any
hint that the first day
00:29:41.45\00:29:45.41
of the week is holy.
00:29:45.44\00:29:46.47
They were supposed to keep
it in honor of the resurrection,
00:29:46.50\00:29:49.01
or were supposed
to go to church on the
00:29:49.04\00:29:50.54
first day of the week.
00:29:50.57\00:29:51.60
But somebody says,
Ah, 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2.
00:29:51.63\00:29:55.77
There's the text that says
we're supposed to go to church
00:29:55.80\00:29:58.30
on the first day of the
week to honor the resurrection
00:29:58.33\00:30:00.36
of Jesus Christ. Let's
read 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2.
00:30:00.39\00:30:04.94
Now we need to understand what
the purpose of this offering was
00:30:24.92\00:30:28.31
of this money
that was set aside.
00:30:28.34\00:30:30.27
Romans 15:25-28 says that there
was great poverty in Jerusalem.
00:30:30.30\00:30:35.76
And so the Apostle Paul went
throughout all of the churches
00:30:35.79\00:30:38.24
telling the people to set
aside a certain sum of money
00:30:38.27\00:30:41.40
so that when he would come,
he would pick up all of the
00:30:41.43\00:30:44.06
money and take it to
Jerusalem, to help the needy
00:30:44.09\00:30:46.88
saints in Jerusalem.
00:30:46.91\00:30:48.31
Now the question is, is
this speaking about a regular
00:30:48.34\00:30:52.03
church gathering on
the first day of the week?
00:30:52.06\00:30:54.62
Does this text say that the
first day of the week is holy?
00:30:54.65\00:30:58.09
Does this say that the first day
of the week Jesus resurrected,
00:30:58.12\00:31:01.81
and we're supposed to honor
Him because He resurrected?
00:31:01.84\00:31:04.09
The resurrection
isn't even mentioned.
00:31:04.12\00:31:06.40
Is this a regular Sabbath
observance where people are
00:31:06.43\00:31:09.48
going to church to honor
the resurrection of Christ?
00:31:09.51\00:31:12.02
Absolutely not! In fact, when
you read the versions of the
00:31:12.05\00:31:15.75
Bible you'll find that what
they emphasize and underline,
00:31:15.78\00:31:19.86
is that this is an act that is
taking place at people's homes.
00:31:19.89\00:31:22.78
They're not going to
church to deposit the money.
00:31:22.81\00:31:25.89
They're setting
aside the money at home.
00:31:25.92\00:31:28.23
So the question is, if they're
setting aside the money at home,
00:31:28.26\00:31:31.12
why would they do
that at home if they were
00:31:31.15\00:31:33.52
going to go to church?
00:31:33.55\00:31:34.92
Now I want you to notice
here different Bible versions,
00:31:34.95\00:31:38.69
and how the Bible
versions translate this text.
00:31:38.72\00:31:41.62
I just read where it says,
On the first day of the week
00:31:41.65\00:31:44.40
let each one of you lay
something aside, storing it up,
00:31:44.43\00:31:47.93
as he may prosper.
00:31:47.96\00:31:49.35
That's the New King James.
00:31:49.38\00:31:51.05
Lets read some other versions.
00:31:51.08\00:31:52.46
This is the King James Version.
00:31:52.49\00:31:54.45
It says, Upon the
first day of the week...
00:31:54.48\00:31:56.19
That's a personal thing.
00:31:59.86\00:32:01.76
The NIV says:
00:32:05.16\00:32:06.98
The New American
Standard Bible says:
00:32:19.59\00:32:22.19
The English
Standard Version says:
00:32:31.16\00:32:33.41
The New International
Readers Version says:
00:32:42.31\00:32:45.02
Why would they put it away
if they were going to church?
00:32:48.85\00:32:51.44
Well, if they picked up
the offering in the church,
00:32:59.55\00:33:02.04
you know, why would he
even mention about picking
00:33:02.07\00:33:04.54
up an offering when he came?
00:33:04.57\00:33:07.25
The New Revised
Standard Version says:
00:33:07.28\00:33:09.47
The Waymouth Version says:
00:33:17.65\00:33:19.59
Wutst Version says:
00:33:33.66\00:33:35.80
And the Greek Text literally
says: Let each of you store
00:33:53.51\00:33:58.25
up by himself. Folks, it is not
honest to the text of Scripture
00:33:58.28\00:34:04.53
to use this text to prove that
Sunday is Christ's new holy day.
00:34:04.56\00:34:09.24
It is not fair to use this text
to say that Sunday was a regular
00:34:09.27\00:34:14.98
gathering day for the church.
00:34:15.01\00:34:17.01
This is a private setting
aside of money in the home.
00:34:17.04\00:34:22.09
It's not a meeting that is
taking place at the church.
00:34:22.12\00:34:25.44
And yet the famous Bible
Commentator, Adam Clarke,
00:34:25.47\00:34:30.00
had this to say. Notice
how he injects his own meaning
00:34:30.03\00:34:34.01
into the text. He says:
00:34:34.04\00:34:36.22
Well, now you've gone
beyond Corinth to Galatia.
00:34:53.02\00:34:55.34
And then he says:
00:34:55.37\00:34:56.40
Where is that in
the text? Nowhere!
00:35:06.02\00:35:10.05
It's his
preconceived notion that he is
00:35:10.08\00:35:12.81
reading into the text.
00:35:12.84\00:35:14.62
Now Albert Barnes was closer
to the meaning of the text.
00:35:14.65\00:35:18.78
He was more honest.
00:35:18.81\00:35:19.84
Notice what he says:
00:35:19.87\00:35:21.14
Is there anything that
would even faintly suggest,
00:36:05.74\00:36:10.14
in this text, that
Sunday is holy? No!
00:36:10.17\00:36:13.63
Is there anything to suggest
that this was something that was
00:36:13.66\00:36:16.56
taking place at
church? Absolutely not!
00:36:16.59\00:36:19.51
Is there any reference even
to the resurrection of Christ,
00:36:19.54\00:36:22.73
or honoring the resurrection
of Christ? Not at all!
00:36:22.76\00:36:25.91
That is reading into
the text what is not there;
00:36:25.94\00:36:30.53
what the writer did not
put there under the inspiration
00:36:30.56\00:36:34.10
of the Holy Spirit.
00:36:34.13\00:36:35.30
Now lets go to the last text,
which is most frequently used.
00:36:35.33\00:36:40.04
Text number 8, Acts 20:7,
although we're going to read
00:36:40.07\00:36:45.68
verses 7-11. This is a meeting
that is taking place at Troas.
00:36:45.71\00:36:51.93
And I read from Acts 20:7.
00:36:51.96\00:36:55.21
See, there's the
expression to break bread,
00:37:01.82\00:37:03.36
so they're there to
celebrate communion, right?
00:37:03.39\00:37:05.86
Well, actually I think
what this is talking about
00:37:05.89\00:37:08.79
is having a
potluck rather. So it says:
00:37:08.82\00:37:12.23
Now this is going to give
us the reason for the meeting.
00:37:16.55\00:37:19.35
We'll make some
comments about this later on.
00:37:27.36\00:37:31.11
Lets finish reading.
00:37:31.14\00:37:32.17
Huh, thankfully, people
don't normally go to sleep
00:37:41.26\00:37:44.16
during my
sermons. So verse 9 says:
00:37:44.19\00:37:46.79
Now notice this. This
is not a communion service.
00:38:06.81\00:38:09.82
Notice who it was
that ate. It says:
00:38:09.85\00:38:12.15
It doesn't say they.
00:38:17.60\00:38:18.92
The Apostle Paul, after
speaking a long time, it says:
00:38:18.95\00:38:22.34
And, by the way,
it says when he...
00:38:23.71\00:38:26.66
What was the
purpose of this meeting?
00:38:34.97\00:38:36.65
This meeting was a farewell
meeting for the Apostle Paul,
00:38:36.68\00:38:41.43
because the Apostle Paul was
going to depart on the next day.
00:38:41.46\00:38:44.83
It did take place on
the first day of the week.
00:38:44.86\00:38:48.00
But it took place on
the dark portion of the
00:38:48.03\00:38:50.98
first day of the week, because
this is an evening meeting.
00:38:51.01\00:38:53.58
It's a night meeting isn't it?
00:38:53.62\00:38:54.97
So let me ask you this,
when would the evening of
00:38:55.00\00:38:58.97
the first day of the week be?
00:38:59.00\00:39:00.37
Listen folks, in Genesis
it says that the dark portion
00:39:00.40\00:39:04.61
of the day comes first,
and then the light portion.
00:39:04.64\00:39:06.54
It was the evening and
the morning of the first day.
00:39:06.57\00:39:09.10
The evening and the morning
of the second day, and so on.
00:39:09.13\00:39:12.01
So the dark portion is the
evening, and the light portion
00:39:12.04\00:39:17.16
is the morning, or the day.
00:39:17.19\00:39:19.95
So what would the first day
of the week be if it was the
00:39:19.98\00:39:23.06
dark portion? It
would be what we call what?
00:39:23.09\00:39:25.42
What we call Saturday night.
00:39:25.45\00:39:27.67
This was a
Saturday night meeting.
00:39:27.70\00:39:29.66
Because as soon as the sun sets
on a day, and the dark portion
00:39:29.69\00:39:37.79
begins, that's the dark
portion of the next day.
00:39:37.82\00:39:40.41
Are you
understanding what I am saying?
00:39:40.44\00:39:41.85
So if this takes place on
the first day of the week,
00:39:41.88\00:39:44.76
this is the dark portion of
the first day, which is what we
00:39:44.79\00:39:47.78
would call what? We
would call this Saturday night.
00:39:47.81\00:39:51.51
By the way, this was an
out of the ordinary meeting.
00:39:51.54\00:39:55.39
Notice the reason.
00:39:55.42\00:39:57.37
We already read it, but lets
read some additional verses.
00:39:57.40\00:39:59.90
Acts 20:7, and then we'll read
verse 25, and then we'll read
00:39:59.93\00:40:04.14
verses 36-38. Acts 20:7.
00:40:04.17\00:40:07.39
There's the
explanation of the meeting.
00:40:14.82\00:40:16.58
And then verse 25.
00:40:21.80\00:40:23.71
The Apostle Paul
is speaking here.
00:40:24.79\00:40:26.46
Because Paul knew that
he was about to be killed.
00:40:33.63\00:40:38.61
He was about to be beheaded
in Rome. And so it says:
00:40:38.64\00:40:42.47
Verse 36.
00:40:44.38\00:40:45.71
Verse 37.
00:40:50.44\00:40:51.66
What was the
purpose of this meeting?
00:41:07.16\00:41:09.30
Was this a regular meeting?
00:41:09.33\00:41:10.54
Did Christians regularly
meet all Saturday night?
00:41:10.57\00:41:13.85
Of course not. You know, if you
want to find justification here
00:41:13.88\00:41:18.12
for anything, you would have
to say that your worship service
00:41:18.15\00:41:21.13
has to be all
Saturday night until daybreak.
00:41:21.16\00:41:25.25
But, of course, no church
would be willing to say that
00:41:25.28\00:41:29.35
that's exactly
what the text means.
00:41:29.38\00:41:31.55
Now, by the way, I've had
similar experiences to this.
00:41:31.58\00:41:34.61
I remember when
I taught theology
00:41:34.64\00:41:36.21
in the country of Columbia.
00:41:36.24\00:41:37.89
I was invited to go to this
church that was in a tropical
00:41:37.92\00:41:42.37
rain forest in Columbia.
00:41:42.40\00:41:43.97
You know, you had
to take a small plane.
00:41:44.00\00:41:47.51
And as it was landing it looked
like you were going to land
00:41:47.54\00:41:51.76
on top of the trees.
00:41:51.79\00:41:52.82
And then suddenly there
appeared the landing strip.
00:41:52.85\00:41:55.91
And ministers could not visit
there very frequently because
00:41:55.94\00:42:00.49
there was no way of
getting there except by flying.
00:42:00.52\00:42:02.72
And so whenever a minister came,
every three or four months,
00:42:02.75\00:42:06.07
the people were anxious
to hear the minister preach.
00:42:06.10\00:42:08.80
And so when I went there I
preached my sermon from eleven
00:42:08.83\00:42:14.56
till about twelve, and
when I finished my sermon
00:42:14.59\00:42:17.56
the people said, Are
you already finished?
00:42:17.59\00:42:20.07
I said, Yeh, that's my sermon.
00:42:20.10\00:42:21.59
They said, Oh no, no, no,
you've got to preach again.
00:42:21.62\00:42:23.52
So I had several sermons,
so I got up and I preached
00:42:23.55\00:42:27.89
another sermon;
probably about an hour.
00:42:27.92\00:42:29.90
And I finished that
sermon, and I said, Okay,
00:42:29.93\00:42:32.66
I preached the second.
00:42:32.69\00:42:33.72
They said, Oh no,
you've got to preach again.
00:42:33.75\00:42:35.08
And so I preached till
three o'clock in the afternoon.
00:42:35.12\00:42:38.14
And then they broke up
the meeting because they
00:42:38.17\00:42:43.11
wanted me to go and eat.
00:42:43.14\00:42:44.17
And so that evening at six
o'clock I started preaching.
00:42:44.20\00:42:48.85
And, believe it or not,
there were people there.
00:42:48.88\00:42:50.76
There were actually lights,
not only inside the church,
00:42:50.79\00:42:54.41
but people had
flashlights outside.
00:42:54.44\00:42:55.90
There were people
hanging out the doors,
00:42:55.93\00:42:58.50
hanging out the windows.
00:42:58.53\00:42:59.56
I mean it was totally
packed, inside and out.
00:42:59.59\00:43:01.83
And so I preached, and
preached, and preached,
00:43:01.86\00:43:04.36
until three
o'clock in the morning.
00:43:04.39\00:43:05.87
Because I was going to
leave the next morning.
00:43:05.90\00:43:08.44
Now does this mean that
this happened every single week,
00:43:08.47\00:43:11.92
every single
Sabbath? Of course not!
00:43:11.95\00:43:14.15
It's exactly what
happened in Acts 20.
00:43:14.18\00:43:17.34
The Apostle Paul
had preached on Sabbath,
00:43:17.37\00:43:19.37
and the people were so excited.
00:43:19.40\00:43:21.42
They knew that they weren't
going to see him anymore.
00:43:21.45\00:43:23.29
So they said, Hey,
let's meet this evening,
00:43:23.32\00:43:25.42
and lets continue the
meeting, because you're going to
00:43:25.45\00:43:27.17
be leaving tomorrow.
00:43:27.20\00:43:28.23
And the Apostle Paul started
preaching, and preaching,
00:43:28.26\00:43:31.15
and then he had to stop.
00:43:31.18\00:43:32.22
It says that he had to
stop, and he had to go eat.
00:43:32.25\00:43:34.33
And then it says
that he stood up again
00:43:34.36\00:43:36.21
and he preached until daybreak.
00:43:36.24\00:43:38.07
And the next day, which
would be Sunday, by the way,
00:43:38.10\00:43:40.50
he traveled thirty-five
miles to Assos to take a ship.
00:43:40.53\00:43:43.63
So why wasn't he in church
on Sunday, if people were going
00:43:43.66\00:43:47.38
to church on Sunday?
00:43:47.41\00:43:48.44
It just doesn't make
any sense whatsoever.
00:43:48.47\00:43:51.21
There's no justification here
for the observance of Sunday
00:43:51.24\00:43:55.30
as the day of rest.
00:43:55.33\00:43:56.36
Let me ask you, does
Acts 20 say that the first day
00:43:56.39\00:43:59.75
of the week is
holy? Absolutely not!
00:43:59.78\00:44:02.10
Does it say that we're supposed
to go to church on a regular
00:44:02.13\00:44:06.16
basis on the first day
of the week? Absolutely not!
00:44:06.19\00:44:09.30
Does it say that
we're supposed to honor
00:44:09.33\00:44:11.19
the resurrection of Jesus?
00:44:11.22\00:44:12.49
It doesn't even mention the
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
00:44:12.52\00:44:15.97
That is something that
people inject into the text.
00:44:16.00\00:44:19.29
If you want to know what the
book of Acts says about the day
00:44:19.32\00:44:22.80
of worship, all you have to do
is read all of the other verses
00:44:22.83\00:44:25.64
in Acts that tell us
which is God's day of worship.
00:44:25.67\00:44:27.65
Lets notice these texts.
00:44:27.68\00:44:29.72
Acts 13, Acts
13:14, 42, 44. It says:
00:44:29.75\00:44:36.44
Sunday and sat down. No, no, no,
that's not what it says. It says
00:44:43.26\00:44:46.81
When was the preaching service?
00:44:59.53\00:45:00.73
On Sabbath! Notice verse 43.
00:45:00.76\00:45:04.17
According to the book of
Acts, which day was the day
00:45:20.63\00:45:22.98
that they were
keeping? The Sabbath!
00:45:23.01\00:45:24.86
Notice Acts 16:13. Because some
people say, well, that's because
00:45:24.89\00:45:28.58
there were Jews
in the synagogue.
00:45:28.61\00:45:29.98
And so the disciples,
you know, the Apostle Paul,
00:45:30.01\00:45:32.72
they would go to the synagogue
because they knew that the
00:45:32.75\00:45:34.55
Jews would be there.
00:45:34.59\00:45:35.62
Well, the fact is that the
text says that the Gentiles also
00:45:35.65\00:45:38.29
asked that the Apostle Paul
speak to them the next Sabbath.
00:45:38.32\00:45:41.79
But also notice in Acts 16:13
that there's an outdoor meeting.
00:45:41.82\00:45:46.05
It says:
00:45:46.08\00:45:47.11
Which day did the Apostle
Paul meet with the women?
00:45:56.83\00:46:00.53
It was on the Sabbath day.
00:46:00.56\00:46:02.93
Notice Acts 17:2. It says:
00:46:02.96\00:46:05.29
And then notice
Acts 18:4. It says:
00:46:15.84\00:46:19.59
Which was the day of worship
according to the book of Acts?
00:46:29.00\00:46:33.18
It's the Sabbath.
So to take Acts 20,
00:46:33.21\00:46:36.36
which is an extraordinary
meeting, and to inject Sunday
00:46:36.40\00:46:40.76
into that text is not an
honest study of Holy Scripture.
00:46:40.80\00:46:45.12
Now we need to take a look.
00:46:45.16\00:46:49.08
We've taken a look
at all eight texts.
00:46:49.11\00:46:51.67
There's no evidence in any of
these texts that Sunday is to be
00:46:51.70\00:46:55.18
kept in honor of
the resurrection;
00:46:55.21\00:46:58.09
that we're supposed to
go to church on Sunday;
00:46:58.12\00:46:59.98
that Sunday is
holy above other days.
00:47:00.01\00:47:03.28
There simply is no evidence.
00:47:03.31\00:47:04.65
So lets go to Revelation
1:10, Revelation 1:10.
00:47:04.68\00:47:09.33
Somebody might
say, Well, Pastor Bohr,
00:47:09.37\00:47:11.52
there's evidence in Revelation
1:10, so lets read that verse.
00:47:11.55\00:47:14.90
Lets begin, actually,
in verse 10, and we'll
00:47:14.94\00:47:18.05
continue with verse 11. It says:
00:47:18.09\00:47:19.92
This is when John
receives his vision.
00:47:22.04\00:47:23.69
So here it
mentions the Lord's day.
00:47:43.61\00:47:46.37
So the question is,
How do you determine
00:47:46.41\00:47:48.75
which is the Lord's day?
00:47:48.78\00:47:50.30
Some modern versions say that
he was in the Spirit on Sunday.
00:47:50.33\00:47:55.25
Because the early
church fathers said that the
00:47:55.28\00:47:58.55
Lord's day was Sunday.
00:47:58.59\00:47:59.94
And so what is your
standard for determining what
00:47:59.97\00:48:02.51
what is the Lord's day?
00:48:02.54\00:48:03.57
Is it Tertellion? Is it origin?
00:48:03.60\00:48:06.47
Is it Barnabas?
00:48:06.50\00:48:08.71
Is it some Post
Apostolic authority?
00:48:08.74\00:48:12.36
Or should we allow the Bible to
tell us what is the Lord's day?
00:48:12.39\00:48:15.67
We should allow
the Bible to do it.
00:48:15.71\00:48:17.44
We should allow Scripture
to interpret Scripture.
00:48:17.47\00:48:21.08
Twenty-three times in
the Bible we are told clearly
00:48:21.11\00:48:24.69
that the Lord's day
is the Holy Sabbath.
00:48:24.72\00:48:27.57
Let me give you three examples:
two from the Old Testament,
00:48:27.61\00:48:29.86
and one from the New.
00:48:29.89\00:48:30.92
Exodus 20:8, 9.
00:48:30.95\00:48:32.95
Jews. No!
00:48:41.28\00:48:43.15
So who's day is the Sabbath?
00:48:45.18\00:48:47.78
It's the Lord's day!
00:48:47.81\00:48:49.55
Notice Isaiah
58:13, 14. It says:
00:48:49.58\00:48:53.35
God is speaking here.
00:48:57.48\00:48:58.52
And somebody might say,
Well, that's Old Testament.
00:49:14.34\00:49:17.21
Well, lets notice what
Mark 2: 27, 28 has to say.
00:49:17.25\00:49:20.08
Sunday. No! It says:
00:49:29.37\00:49:32.24
So which is the Lord's day?
00:49:36.97\00:49:39.19
The Lord's day is the
Sabbath, if you allow the Bible
00:49:39.23\00:49:42.82
to explain itself.
00:49:42.85\00:49:43.88
The problem is people
take tradition, and what the
00:49:43.91\00:49:46.68
preachers say, and
what the priests say,
00:49:47.01\00:49:48.77
and they inject
that into the Bible.
00:49:48.80\00:49:50.50
And they accept a human
authority instead of accepting
00:49:50.53\00:49:53.75
the authority of
the Holy Word of God.
00:49:53.78\00:49:56.02
Now, in order to woo Protestants
the Roman Catholic Church
00:49:56.05\00:50:01.17
has become craftier.
00:50:01.20\00:50:02.24
John Paul II wrote an apostolic
letter called Dies Domini,
00:50:02.27\00:50:06.98
where he made a valiant effort
to prove from the New Testament,
00:50:07.01\00:50:11.82
that Sunday is the day
that we're supposed to keep.
00:50:11.86\00:50:14.53
If you read Dies Domini, you're
going to find that all of his
00:50:14.56\00:50:18.34
arguments are based on
human reason and conjecture.
00:50:18.37\00:50:21.28
He does not use the
Bible as his standard.
00:50:21.32\00:50:24.49
Nowhere are we told that Sunday
is holy; that we're to honor
00:50:24.52\00:50:29.13
His resurrection on that
day, or that we are supposed
00:50:29.16\00:50:32.19
to attend church on that day.
00:50:32.22\00:50:33.56
And, by the way, in his
apostolic letter he quotes
00:50:33.59\00:50:37.64
212 scholars, church councils,
creeds, and church fathers,
00:50:37.67\00:50:45.08
to try and bolster
his weak Biblical case.
00:50:45.11\00:50:47.65
He's making of none
effect the Word of God.
00:50:47.68\00:50:51.37
Incidentally, in paragraphs
20 and 21 of Dies Domini,
00:50:51.40\00:50:56.77
John Paul II lists a
series of events that took place
00:50:56.80\00:51:00.68
on the first day of the week
to impress people that the first
00:51:00.71\00:51:03.23
day of the week is the key day.
00:51:03.26\00:51:05.07
For example, he says that Jesus
met with two of His disciples
00:51:05.10\00:51:09.85
on the Road to
Emmaus on the first day.
00:51:09.88\00:51:12.16
And then He appeared
to the eleven apostles
00:51:12.19\00:51:14.59
in the upper
room on the first day.
00:51:14.62\00:51:17.17
And then, a week later
He appeared to the apostles
00:51:17.20\00:51:19.81
again on the first day.
00:51:19.84\00:51:21.43
And then fifty days
later, on the first day,
00:51:21.46\00:51:24.79
the church was established.
00:51:24.82\00:51:26.81
On the day of Pentecost
the Holy Spirit was poured out
00:51:26.84\00:51:29.55
on the first day he says.
00:51:29.66\00:51:30.82
The first proclamation
of the gospel took place
00:51:30.85\00:51:33.07
on the first
day; Peter preaching.
00:51:33.10\00:51:34.65
The first baptisms
took place on the first day.
00:51:34.68\00:51:37.21
So he's making a list of
all of these things that took
00:51:37.24\00:51:39.84
place on the first day.
00:51:39.87\00:51:40.90
And he's saying, See, the first
day is the significant day.
00:51:40.93\00:51:44.31
And he even uses, in his
pastoral letter, the text that
00:51:44.34\00:51:48.23
Protestants have commonly
used: 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2,
00:51:48.26\00:51:51.98
Acts 20:7-9, and
Revelation 1:10 to try to prove
00:51:52.01\00:51:57.30
that Sunday is the day
of worship, because he knows
00:51:57.33\00:52:00.32
that Protestants
don't accept tradition.
00:52:00.36\00:52:02.56
And so he says, I have to
present a Biblical scenario
00:52:02.59\00:52:06.51
for the observance of
Sunday as the day of rest.
00:52:06.54\00:52:09.92
And you say, Well, why
did Jesus resurrect on Sunday?
00:52:09.95\00:52:14.17
Do you know why? Because the
story of the manna in the book
00:52:14.20\00:52:19.09
of Exodus 16 tells us very
clearly that Jesus had to rest
00:52:19.12\00:52:23.39
in the tomb on the Sabbath,
and that as He rested in the
00:52:23.42\00:52:28.25
tomb His body
would see no corruption.
00:52:28.28\00:52:30.32
So because Jesus had to fulfill
the manna episode of resting
00:52:30.35\00:52:37.12
in the tomb on Sabbath, and
His body seeing no corruption,
00:52:37.15\00:52:40.17
He would have to resurrect
on the first day of the week,
00:52:40.20\00:52:42.81
if He had to rest
in the tomb on Sabbath.
00:52:42.84\00:52:44.76
So the important day is
not the day He resurrected,
00:52:44.79\00:52:48.85
the important day is
the day that He rested
00:52:48.88\00:52:50.95
from His works of redemption,
like at creation He rested
00:52:50.98\00:52:54.19
the seventh day from
His works of creation.
00:52:54.22\00:52:56.47
So if Jesus rested
in the tomb on Sabbath,
00:52:56.50\00:52:59.73
of course He's going
to resurrect on Sunday.
00:52:59.76\00:53:01.95
But it's not
because Sunday is holy,
00:53:01.98\00:53:03.85
it is because
the Sabbath is holy.
00:53:03.88\00:53:06.24
And in paragraph
14, John Paul II says...
00:53:06.27\00:53:12.04
Listen to this. Where is
this in the Bible? He says:
00:53:12.07\00:53:16.22
Where does he get
that in the Bible?
00:53:30.80\00:53:33.68
Where in the Bible does it say
that God blessed the first day
00:53:33.71\00:53:38.21
of the week and made it holy?
00:53:38.24\00:53:39.27
Where does it say
that God set it apart from
00:53:39.30\00:53:41.92
all of the other days?
00:53:41.95\00:53:42.98
Where does it say, in the Bible,
that Sunday is the Lord's day?
00:53:43.01\00:53:46.59
Nowhere! Do you know, if
you read Dies Domini carefully
00:53:46.62\00:53:51.77
you're going to discover
what is the real authority
00:53:51.80\00:53:54.40
that John Paul II is using.
00:53:54.43\00:53:56.06
Let me read you some
paragraphs from Dies Domini.
00:53:56.10\00:54:00.34
You'll see where he's really
getting his basis for saying
00:54:00.38\00:54:03.74
that Sunday is the day of rest.
00:54:03.78\00:54:05.07
In paragraph 6,
this is on page 14.
00:54:05.10\00:54:10.07
Paragraph 6 it says:
00:54:10.10\00:54:11.62
And then he says:
00:54:21.04\00:54:22.18
Paragraph 18 says:
00:54:28.67\00:54:31.77
Now listen carefully.
00:54:32.40\00:54:33.43
Who made the day a festive
day? Christians, he says.
00:54:41.33\00:54:45.35
Paragraph 27, he says:
00:54:45.38\00:54:47.23
In paragraph 63,
listen to this. He says:
00:54:54.51\00:54:58.20
Who thought that they had the
authority? Christians, he says,
00:55:10.29\00:55:13.77
not Scripture. And
in paragraph 81 he says:
00:55:13.80\00:55:17.47
And you now what's interesting?
00:55:29.23\00:55:30.74
In his pastoral letter he says
that the Sabbath was a Jewish
00:55:30.77\00:55:36.22
institution that is
changed in the new dispensation.
00:55:36.25\00:55:40.69
But you look at the
Roman Catholic Church,
00:55:40.72\00:55:42.98
it's like a continuing Judaism.
00:55:43.01\00:55:45.24
They have temples, altars,
incense, vestments, chalices,
00:55:45.27\00:55:51.37
candles, as if
the old dispensation
00:55:51.40\00:55:54.11
had never come to an end.
00:55:54.14\00:55:55.17
And yet the Sabbath, which God
says that we're supposed to keep
00:55:55.20\00:56:01.11
in honor of creation,
before there was a Jew,
00:56:01.14\00:56:03.25
before there was any sin;
the Roman Catholic Church says,
00:56:03.28\00:56:05.90
No, we don't
apply that in our time.
00:56:05.93\00:56:09.20
So the question is, where
does all of this observance
00:56:09.23\00:56:13.92
of Sunday come from?
00:56:13.95\00:56:15.18
Mark 7 we read:
00:56:15.21\00:56:18.12
Sunday is a
commandment of men folks.
00:56:37.86\00:56:40.14
And to keep Sunday is vain
worship according to Jesus.
00:56:40.17\00:56:44.35
And then He says:
00:56:44.38\00:56:46.14
And He was referring here
to the commandment that says,
00:57:01.09\00:57:04.45
Honor your
father and your mother.
00:57:04.48\00:57:05.93
But the Roman Catholic
Church does the same thing
00:57:05.96\00:57:08.32
with the Holy Sabbath.
00:57:08.35\00:57:09.40
So do we have any evidence
in Scripture that the day
00:57:09.43\00:57:12.79
of worship has been changed? No!
00:57:12.82\00:57:14.87
The only authority is
the tradition of the church.
00:57:14.90\00:57:18.69