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Re: Question
Posted By: Sam, on host 207.141.177.116
Date: Tuesday, August 24, 1999, at 06:38:29
In Reply To: Re: Question posted by Chris on Monday, August 23, 1999, at 13:39:18:

> They just happen to be combinable, but, correct me if I'm wrong, but it doesn't really matter. You're supposed to take off one day a week, whichever day that might be, for worship and rest, period.

Well, it depends. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a biblical doctrine, at least not one intended for our post-Christ times. God intended the Jews of the Old Testament to observe the Sabbath, yes, and Christ preached it himself -- before his crucifixion and resurrection. After he died and rose again, God's intention was that people now trust in Christ and Christ alone for salvation. That's not the only thing God wants of us, but that made certain parts of the Old Testament law irrelevant. Romans is pretty much exclusively about how one should view the Old Testament Law in light of Christ's death and resurrection. Colossians 2:16, another book which dispenses post-Christ doctrine, calls the observation of days and times and so forth "weak and beggarly elements" (love that phrase).

The Old Testament Law had a large number of times which had to be observed. The Sabbath day is really the only one that has carried over into mainstream culture, but that rule is no longer in effect. Some people observe it anyway, but not even in the manner the Bible requires.

Personally, I think it's a good idea to set aside a certain regular time for worship, reflection, and prayer, just because it seems to work well with human nature to ensure that these things get done. But there's no longer any biblical doctrine in effect now that *requires* such an observation, let alone specifies what it should be.

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