There are approximately two billion professing Christians on earth. They attend over 2,000 different church denominations and organizations in the United States alone. This number continually increases, bringing no end of confusion over beliefs and disagreement between them. However, almost all professing Christians are in agreement about Sunday observance, thinking it to be the "Lord's Day" of the New Testament.
Are they correct? Does the New Testament establish Sunday in place of the Old Testament seventh-day Sabbath? Did Christ do away with the Sabbath, making Himself "Lord of Sunday"? Vast numbers are told-and believe-that He did. But, if Christ established Sunday to replace the seventh-day Sabbath, why did He tell His disciples, "Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath" (..."slickWindow('Mark','2','28')" title="View scripture">Mark 2:28)?
Have you ever noticed this verse? Probably not. Yet there it is in the New Testament. Most ministers are fond of preaching from the New Testament, almost to the complete exclusion of the Old Testament. But have you ever heard a preacher mention this passage? Almost certainly not-and this is just one of many plain scriptures about the Sabbath.
Most people never ask why they believe what they believe or why they do what they do. In a world filled with popular customs and traditions, few try to determine the real origin of things. Most generally accept common religious practices without question, choosing to do what everyone else does because it is easy, natural and comfortable-because there is a certain "safety in numbers." The power of peer pressure alone makes most practice what is acceptable-and fashionable.
Most follow along as they have been taught, assuming what they believe and do is right. They take their beliefs for granted, almost never taking time to PROVE them.
Nowhere is this more true than Sunday observance. Two billion people keep Sunday without knowing why-or where this practice originated. Most suppose it is found in the Bible because they see so many professing Christians observing it. Surely billions cannot be wrong. Or can they?
Absolutely right, Uncle Steve! There are several scriptures (I'm not good at references) showing that Our Father in Heaven WANTS us to understand what we do ("Come let us reason together" comes to mind as one).
TimDid you see my bit about December 25th being thinly disguised Mithrea worship? (That was mainly from Michael Rood of 'A Rood Awakening').
I don't know if you've come across this story illustrating 'tradition':
"... darling, I've cooked you a ham in that 'special' way my mother showed me how to do it!"
"That's delicious darling but why did you cut so much off before cooking it? Isn't that a waste?"
"Now you mention it, Mother showed me to do it that way, but I don't know why! I'll phone her to find out."
(the following day)
"Mother, when you cook ham that 'special' way, you always cut off a large part and throw it away - why is that?"
"That's the way your grand-mother showed me to do it, honey! If you want to find out WHY, you'll have to ask her!"
(the day after that)
"Grandma, I baked a ham for my husband that 'special' way mother showed me how to. He really liked it, but asked about the bit I cut off first, and I didn't know why! So I phoned mother, and she said it's the way you taught her, but she didn't know why either! Grandma, when you cook ham your 'special' way, why do you cut so much off to begin with?"
"Well, my dear, when your grandfather and I first got married, we were not well off. We didn't have all the kitchen equipment you youngsters have! One day, he came home with a wonderful ham that a friend had given him, and asked me to cook it. But none of the pans I had was big enough - I had to cut off a large piece to get it to fit! And of course, we had no refrigerator, so I had to throw it away!!"
....and that's tradition!
Tim C
05:21 PM EST