2:11 as God says in judgment upon Israel, “I will also cause to cease... all her Sabbaths.” As Ezekiel says ovef1 and over again, the Sabbath was a sign between God and His chosen people. Of course, they broke that law over and over again. This is why the Lord Jesus pointedly did so many of His works of mercy on the Sabbath. He was showing them that they had broken the covenant and that deeds of mercy are allow able any day of the week. The first day of the week was observed by the believers from the earliest days (Acts 20:7; I Cor. 16:1-2). Q. Seattle, Wash. — “How can some families, even claiming the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts, continual ly make serious tr o u b le in the church? Also, what is hyperdispen- sationalism? Why are there those who teach this so strongly to the extent that churches break up?” A. The first question is a very sad commentary about some professing Christians. Most pastors will agree that the very pious-appearing, self- styled spiritually-minded people are the consistent cause of trouble and difficulty. When one is truly led by the Holy Spirit, he won’t be a prob lem, but rather will be the brightest ray of hope for the church’s minis try and outreach. It is too bad that there are those who erroneously give the impression they are spiritually led when actually they are only glo rifying the flesh. Of course, the situ ation is different when it comes to heretical teaching and tendencies. Here we must speak out in love. But if it’s something of little conse quence, a truly spiritually-minded person is not going to be critical. A cynic and a critic are generally just the opposite. Hyperdispensationalism is a teach ing (sometimes known as Bullinger- ism) which holds that the only por tion of the Bible for Christians to day are the so-called prison epistles
need to break through the “revela tion barrier” and see the wide angle of God’s truth clearly given to us through His Word and our blessed Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Q. Santa Rosa, Calif. — “Would you please send me the reference in the Bible where it says to keep holy the first day of the week. I’m a new read er of the Scripture and have heard a dozen different reasons for keeping the first day of the week. All I read is that He made the Sabbath for .man, and not man for the Sabbath.” A. Throughout the New Testament, beginning with Matthew 28, we find the importance God places on the first day of the week. Sabbath — keeping comes from the law given by the Lord to the Jewish people (Ex. 20:8-11). What the Saviour did on the first day of the week should make it holy for anyone. He declares, “Go and tell that I am risen.” This is our business on the first day of the week. There is no such thing as a “Christian Sabbath.” Likewise, the Old Testament saints had no reason to keep the Lord's Day. The two are both distinct and separate. The form er is part of the law system, which is why it came at the end of the week. In grace everything is deposit ed to our account, including all the benefits of the risen Saviour. In Colossians 2:16 we are told that no one is to judge us in such matters. Those who would keep the Sabbath, do they also keep all of the feast days? What about the Day of Atone ment? That’s perhaps more signifi cant than the Sabbath. What about the New Moon? Do you remember this regularly, as is done in orthodox Judaism? You can’t pick and choose. It has to be all of one, or the other. Remember, too, that the Sabbath was for people living in the Holy Land. As you keep the Sabbath one day, they have another. Either you’re breaking it or they are. Read Hosea
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