Posted on 10/25/2008 7:00:34 AM PDT by DouglasKC
In the context of “spiritual circumcision” I don't think God cares what language you call his name in, or what day you wish to set aside as his day, or even if you want to decorate a Christmas tree; so long as you do it in the right spirit, and ask for forgiveness in his name.
I believe the majority of Christian theologians agree with me on this point. They railed against injustices committed in the name of our lord, and the fallen nature of our world, most could give a fig for what day the Sabbath was observed on; and they certainly knew the Sabbath wasn't on Sunday.
That may be a common understanding today, but it's not really supported by scripture. It's not really what Paul was talking about when he spoke of "circumcision of the heart.".
Rom 2:27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Paul was referring specifically to assertions by Jews (by Christian Jews and non-Christians) that one had to be circumcised physically in order to share in the new covenant. Of course this was not correct since God had granted his holy spirit to non-circumcised gentiles.
Paul's point was that outward observation means nothing without an inward obedience to the holy spirit:
Rom 2:21 you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal?
Rom 2:22 You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
Rom 2:23 You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God?
In other words, the lesson Paul was teaching about circumcision of the heart is that we shouldn't be hypocritical. Our outward actions should match the inward expression of the spirit of the Lord.
I believe the majority of Christian theologians agree with me on this point. They railed against injustices committed in the name of our lord, and the fallen nature of our world, most could give a fig for what day the Sabbath was observed on; and they certainly knew the Sabbath wasn't on Sunday.
I don't doubt that many modern theologians would agree. This is mostly due to time and tradition though. In the case of the sabbath, Jesus Christ created the sabbath holy. He observed it while in the flesh because not to so would have been a sin, a violation of his, Gods' laws. He still wishes to observe it while his spirit resides in us. He still does not want to sin. If we don't exert our will and follow his will, we will keep the sabbath because it his desire, not ours.
Keeping the Sabbath is the important part, doing it on Sunday instead of Saturday contradicts the letter of the law, but not the spirit of the law.
So what theologian, modern or otherwise, can you name that thought worship on a Sunday was anathema to God?
What he was saying was that the Jews were careful in conforming to the letter, the physical, part of the law, but they were woefully remiss about the spiritual part of the law. Here's another example from scripture:
Luk 11:42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Jesus didn't CONDEMN keeping God's laws (in this case tithing), he said it ought to be done, but he took exception to them not doing the spiritual part of tithing, which is based upon justice and love of God.
If you keep the spirit of God's laws, you DO keep the letter.
Keeping the Sabbath is the important part, doing it on Sunday instead of Saturday contradicts the letter of the law, but not the spirit of the law.
Let's try another commandment. Can a married man physically have sex with another woman but spiritually be keeping the adultery law? Of course not. Your actions follow your heart. You do what your heart says:
Mat 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Christ fulfilled the law. He made law keeping not just a physical act, but a spiritual, mental and physical act. His spirit under the new covenant allows us to keep his righteous requirements.
So what theologian, modern or otherwise, can you name that thought worship on a Sunday was anathema to God?
Off the top of my head DR. SAMUELE BACCHIOCCHI. There are others, but I don't spend a lot of time studying theologians opinions.
The spirit of the law is more important than the letter of the law.
If you base your faith on faithful observance, replicating the means and practices or language of observance in the time of Jesus rather than concentrating on turning your heart towards Jesus, you have put form over function and have built your faith upon a foundation of sand rather than stone.
Christians worship on Sunday, they eat pork, many are or have historically been uncircumcised, they celebrate Christmas with the remnants of Yule celebration and celebrate Easter with remnants of a fertility festival. This is our European heritage, and I don't believe for a second that God has a problem with it, otherwise the Holy Spirit would not have found such fertile soil among our cultures pagan fore-bearers.
Function over form. The spirit not the letter.
But go ahead and tell people to not get Christmas Trees, to not paint eggs for Easter; for me that time would be better spent telling them about the love of Jesus the Christ.
read the story in Acts 10. peter going into the house of cornelius, about going into places that are “unclean.”
what’s your opinion of that?
Okay then let's take your example and apply it to the sabbath. If you're breaking the sabbath in your heart than it doesn't matter if you're keeping the sabbath physically. If you're not committing adultery in your heart, then you're sure not going to be committing it physically. And if you're keeping the sabbath in the heart, you're sure not going to be breaking it physically.
Form follows function.
If you base your faith on faithful observance, replicating the means and practices or language of observance in the time of Jesus rather than concentrating on turning your heart towards Jesus, you have put form over function and have built your faith upon a foundation of sand rather than stone.
The phrase "turning your heart toward Jesus" is meaningless without an objective definition. For example, the objective definition of love for neighbor is:
Rom 13:8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
Rom 13:9 For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."
Rom 13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Comprehend what Paul is saying. If you truly, really, do love your neighbor wit Godly love, then you WILL physically and spiritually appear to be keeping the ten commandments. Your outward actions can be nothing else because LOVE is causing the outward appearance. Yes, it's possible to be hypocritical and appear to "love your neighbor" but inside you can despise and hate your neighbor.
John makes the same point in a different way:
1Jn 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
1Jn 2:2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
1Jn 2:3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
If the spirit of God is in us, we will appear to be keeping his commandments. We can do nothing else. It IS the spirit of Christ, and he will not sin, he will not break his own commandments, if we let him actually live through us.
1Jn 2:4 The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
1Jn 2:5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:
1Jn 2:6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
If someone appears to be keeping God's commandments, there are two things that can be said: Either he really does have the love or God or he's pretending to. But if someone is not physically keeping God's commandments than we can be sure of one thing: He's lying, according to John, if he says he's doing God's will...doing something pleasing in God's sight.
Christians worship on Sunday, they eat pork, many are or have historically been uncircumcised, they celebrate Christmas with the remnants of Yule celebration and celebrate Easter with remnants of a fertility festival. This is our European heritage, and I don't believe for a second that God has a problem with it, otherwise the Holy Spirit would not have found such fertile soil among our cultures pagan fore-bearers.
This is culture and tradition overriding scripture and God's spirit.
But go ahead and tell people to not get Christmas Trees, to not paint eggs for Easter; for me that time would be better spent telling them about the love of Jesus the Christ.
Those who have the love of Christ and let Christ live through them have ceased to do their own will and do the will of our father in heaven. His will, his love, won't lead us into sin by breaking his laws because sin is harmful to us.
There is/was no scriptural prohibition about gentiles being "unclean". Scripture taught just the opposite:
Lev 19:33 'When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.
Lev 19:34 'The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.
There was to be no "separation" of strangers, non-Israelites, gentiles, from Israelites. Yet by the time of Christ Judasim had taken on a myriad of man made rules, regulations and traditions that had led to an artificial wall of separation between Jews and gentiles. The purpose of this vision was to show once and for that this separation was artificial and that God was giving his holy spirit to gentiles.
Act 10:28 And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.
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