Observing the Sabbath

5,033 Views | 79 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by aggiedad20
Good Bull Jones 17
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AG
I've been thinking a lot lately about how I can best observe the Sabbath and not cheapen it.

I was thinking that I would never work on Sundays, no matter what (I have a M-F job, so my case is obviously different from folks who work in 24/7 industries). But then some crazy times at work came and I found myself coming in on some Sunday's for a few weeks. Was that wrong?

Then I've also been thinking about how patronizing a business on a Sunday seems hypocritical (for me) and creates demand that forces people to work on Sundays.

Am I overthinking this? What do y'all do different on Sunday?
Zobel
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AG
Well, for starters, Sunday isn't the sabbath.
Aggrad08
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AG
The sabbath is for college football
West Point Aggie
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AG
k2aggie07 said:

Well, for starters, Sunday isn't the sabbath.


It always cracks me up when people don't know this...
Ags4DaWin
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It also runs from sun down to sun down.
Good Bull Jones 17
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I get that. Also aware of the sun down to sun down.

I read in a devotional once that you shouldn't be doing yard work on a Sunday. I think there's probably room for argument on that if you actually like yard work. But my point is, where, as Christians, do we draw the line about what we do and don't do on Sunday? Was the person who wrote that devotional onto something or over the top?
Pro Sandy
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The sabbath was made for you, not the other way around. It is a day of rest, but to draw out a list of things we can and cannot do on Sunday puts us into the same problem Jesus faced when he asked if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath.

You will have jobs that require you to work on any day, so that isn't a good ruler to use.

I do like the idea of not going shopping. I'm not very good at it on Sundays, but for holidays including Christmas Eve, I try to avoid shopping at all costs. I dont like working those days, so I try not to make others.

More importantly, what are you doing instead of working? Are you resting? Are you spending time worshipping God? Are you spending time with your family?
dermdoc
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First of all, I know that Sunday is not the Sabbath. I think my parents had the right idea on how to observe Sunday. First of all, my dad would make breakfast and let my mom sleep a little later. He made some killer blueberry muffins, eggs, and bacon. Then we all went to Sunday School followed by the church service. After that, it was Luby's then home to watch the Cowboys. Then we had "quiet time" where the kids went to their rooms while my parents napped. Then Training Union(evening Sunday School led by my parents)followed by a short worship service. After that it was grilled cheese sandwiches and chocolate malts at the Carnation soda fountain joint.

Good times. And so relaxing and peaceful.
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craigernaught
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The "Well Ackchually" tendency on R&P is worse than yard work on Sundays.

Pro Sandy has it right.
Quad Dog
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I'm sure "napped" was code for something else.
dermdoc
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Quad Dog said:

I'm sure "napped" was code for something else.
Hope so. My dad was Class of '49 so there is that.
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dermdoc
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And as I have gotten older, I try to enjoy some Sabbath every day. Quiet time with my Maker is awesome and centers me.
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swimmerbabe11
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My current life has absolutely no understanding of this concept. Working retail/weekends has been terrible for me in this way.
Win At Life
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AG
Sorry for posting late on this thread, but I was observing YHWH's Shabbat instead.
88Warrior
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dermdoc said:

First of all, I know that Sunday is not the Sabbath. I think my parents had the right idea on how to observe Sunday. First of all, my dad would make breakfast and let my mom sleep a little later. He made some killer blueberry muffins, eggs, and bacon. Then we all went to Sunday School followed by the church service. After that, it was Luby's then home to watch the Cowboys. Then we had "quiet time" where the kids went to their rooms while my parents napped. Then Training Union(evening Sunday School led by my parents)followed by a short worship service. After that it was grilled cheese sandwiches and chocolate malts at the Carnation soda fountain joint.

Good times. And so relaxing and peaceful.


No Monterey House?!? Joking of course!
Good Bull Jones 17
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Pro Sandy said:

The sabbath was made for you, not the other way around. It is a day of rest, but to draw out a list of things we can and cannot do on Sunday puts us into the same problem Jesus faced when he asked if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath
.


Thank you. And exactly. I don't want to act like we're bound by Mosaic Law or anything, but I also don't want to use that an excuse to not do what I SHOULD do once I've checked the box of going to church.

Zobel
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...It still seems like you're calling Sunday the sabbath. It isn't. As for what you should it shouldn't do.. its certain that for the vast majority of history most Christians had to work on Sundays. There's nothing wrong with working. There's nothing inherently special about Sunday. Commit yourself and your whole life to Christ, and worry less about what to do or not do at 2 pm every seven days. My opinion.
Win At Life
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AG
The 10 Commandments are part of the Mosaic Law. Bold move to abolish the 10 Commandments from your life.
Good Bull Jones 17
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Win At Life said:

The 10 Commandments are part of the Mosaic Law. Bold move to abolish the 10 Commandments from your life.


That's not what I'm talking about and I think you know that. and I think you know you're not bound by Mosaic law. When's the last time you offered up a young bull as a sin offering?
Good Bull Jones 17
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k2aggie07 said:

...It still seems like you're calling Sunday the sabbath. It isn't. As for what you should it shouldn't do.. its certain that for the vast majority of history most Christians had to work on Sundays. There's nothing wrong with working. There's nothing inherently special about Sunday. Commit yourself and your whole life to Christ, and worry less about what to do or not do at 2 pm every seven days. My opinion.


Thanks. Think I was just overthinking it. "Keep it simple, stupid."
Zobel
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AG
If anything I was suggesting you were underthinking it. Why do you think a Sunday calls for different behavior than a Monday? Because you go to church? Doesn't the scripture say the apostles met daily to pray, worship, teach, have communion, break bread?

If working on Sunday is preventing you somehow from commending your self and your whole life to Christ our God, why is it better to do it Monday?

Reminds me of when people ask my godfather if he does any special prayers before he begins his iconography. He always just says - the same prayers you do before you start your work. For a Christian there is no longer what is holy and what is normal, what is God's and what is ours. We were purchased. We are slaves. It's everything, our whole life belongs to God. Not (merely) sabbath days, to your point - and not Sunday's either.
Win At Life
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Good Bull Jones 17 said:

Win At Life said:

The 10 Commandments are part of the Mosaic Law. Bold move to abolish the 10 Commandments from your life.


That's not what I'm talking about and I think you know that. and I think you know you're not bound by Mosaic law. When's the last time you offered up a young bull as a sin offering?
Define "bound" as you've used it in your sentence.

Also, in Acts 21 Paul offered up animals as a sin sacrifice in the temple according to the Mosaic Law as a New Testament believer, as requested by the other Apostles in Jerusalem many years after Yeshua's death and resurrection. Please explain how all these Apostles erred against your doctrine.
Zobel
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AG
And sorry I didn't mean that to be preachy. But I think this touches on two things people commonly do. One is to try to add this or that action to their life as somehow demonstrating or I creasing their piety. This isn't fundamentally bad but I think it missed the mark of how we're supposed to respond to God. The second is how people view the law - and they're related. People say Christ fulfilled the law but what does that mean? Used it up so it wasn't needed any more? I think that's what most understand. But it misses the purpose of the Torah to begin with, which was to help people live in a way that would make them holy, literally set them apart, like God is holy. They're wise teachings to help people - all people - love God with all their heart, soul, mind, strength, and love their neighbor as themselves. This is the whole instruction.

Christ fulfills this both in his own instruction, the sermon on the mount, which is a parallel to the law giving at Sinai. But be also fulfills it in his own life, laying down his life for the sins of the world.

So what do we do with the sabbath? Well, what do we do with forgiveness? Eye for an eye - no, forgive seventy times seven. One day? No - every day. One aspect of our lives as demonstrated in 613 instances, 613 distinct commandments? No, every aspect of our lives as demonstrated by our entire person. Not outward keeping but inward keeping. You can keep all 613 your whole life and miss the boat entirely. Jesus teaches this. So it's not about the Law but about Christ: He is the Law, the telos or end of the Law.

What should you do on Sunday? The same thing you should do every day. To live is Christ, as St Paul says.
ramblin_ag02
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Christian Sabbath observance is a rabbit-hole that you can follow till the end of your life and not find any definitive, satisfactory answers. What day is the Christian Sabbath? Do Christians have obligations to act differently on the Sabbath than other days? If so, what are those differences? Should we work? What constitutes work? Are there exceptions for war and emergencies and service?

You can find Christians that fall on every side of every one of these questions. So I fall back on Paul's teaching to the Corinthians in chapter 10. If you observe the Sabbath, do it for the glory of God. If you don't, do it for the glory of God. If your conscience is bothered by working then don't work. If your conscience is not bothered then work. If your Sabbath observance or non-observance becomes a problem for you or those around you, then "try to please everyone in every way".
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UTExan
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I loved my parents' notion of Sunday rest: go to Sunday school and church, have a leisurely lunch, go and visit relatives and friends and retire early Sunday evening if no church.
It is better to light a flamethrower than to curse the darkness- Sir Terence Pratchett
“ III stooges si viveret et nos omnes ad quos etiam probabile est mittent custard pies”
Win At Life
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K2aggie07, thanks for such a thoughtful post. We could use more of that around here. I think I agree with a lot of what you've said, but you've stated many things loaded with what you believe they mean without actually explaining what you think they mean. So, I'm having a difficult time understanding it and responding to it. To that end, I'll focus on two things that appear to me to be relatively contradictory according to scripture, based on how I understand your implications of them. They are:

Quote:

But it misses the purpose of the Torah to begin with, which was to help people live in a way that would make them holy, literally set them apart, like God is holy.
I assume what you are describing as "holy" and "set apart" refer to the basic Christian and new Testament concept of Sanctification. So, we're past justification and talking to "saved" Believers, who are now trying to live their lives more "set apart" for God as the process of sanctification in growing in maturity throughout our lives by demonstrating more obedience to His directions for the way we should live, interact with Him and interact with others.

And you indicate the purpose of the Torah is to help people live in that way. On that I agree and congratulate you for understating that and believing that, because that is a huge step somehow missed by many Believers. So, understanding that, you then write the following:

Quote:

What should you do on Sunday? The same thing you should do every day. To live is Christ, as St Paul says.

If you are following the Torah as directions for your life to become more "set apart" then how can you ignore His Torah instruction to "set apart" his Sabbath from the other days by refraining from the very thing He commands us to do on the other six days?

Leviticus 23:1-3 The Lord spoke again to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'The Lord's appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocationsMy appointed times are these: 'For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the Lord in all your dwellings.

If you do the same thing every day, then by definition you cannot be keeping BOTH His instruction to DO work on the other six days AND His instruction to NOT do that very same work on the Sabbath. That's a logical contradiction that violates the plain meaning of His Word. Also, as Yeshau "set apart" God's Sabbath "as was His custom" wouldn't those who "follow" Yeshua's example do what He did? What logic do you use to NOT do what Jesus did?

Shalom
Win At Life
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ramblin_ag02 said:

Christian Sabbath observance is a rabbit-hole that you can follow till the end of your life and not find any definitive, satisfactory answers. What day is the Christian Sabbath? Do Christians have obligations to act differently on the Sabbath than other days? If so, what are those differences? Should we work? What constitutes work? Are there exceptions for war and emergencies and service?

You can find Christians that fall on every side of every one of these questions. So I fall back on Paul's teaching to the Corinthians in chapter 10. If you observe the Sabbath, do it for the glory of God. If you don't, do it for the glory of God. If your conscience is bothered by working then don't work. If your conscience is not bothered then work. If your Sabbath observance or non-observance becomes a problem for you or those around you, then "try to please everyone in every way".

Your Sabbath non-observance has become a problem for me being around you on TexAgs, so I'm now pleased to know you'll be observing God's appointed time with me.

Thanks for doing this for my conscience' sake.

And Shalom!
ramblin_ag02
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I'd stop bothering you by not posting on the Sabbath, but you wouldn't be bothered by it unless you were perusing Texags on the Sabbath
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Zobel
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I think if you take the Torah at its word we can understand quite clearly what the Law is for. The entirety of its purpose is, if followed, to demonstrate to all the people of the world how humans are supposed to behave as the representatives of God in creation, as icons of God. And this is why it is summed up in the two commands: love God, love others, because this is what humans were created to do.

To be set apart, then, corresponds to this. God is Other, incomparable, He has no equal or even anything we can use to describe Him by analogy. So in a way we are called to be like this, this otherness, which is holiness. But He is also Other when compared to the world in that He is good, and humans are not. God does good, humans do evil, tov and ra. So we are to be like Him also, doing tov and not ra - and being agents of His good will toward each other and creation. They go together - doing like Him is being like Him, and vice versa.

Now the question is, does following the Torah produce a this kind of human being? Put another way, is the instruction sufficient to fix everything? Assuredly not. As St Paul says, the Law reveals sin, but it cannot cure it. It even is somewhat self-evident of this, as Hebrews teaches, because the Law provides a way to reconcile and cover over sin, but it doesn't fix it. It enables humans to orient their lives correctly to God, and through that to each other, and it also enables them to enter into a kind of fellowship with God through atonement.

The psalms tell us that the person who keeps the Law cannot die, because the person who keeps the Law will live in communion with God. But they also tell us no one can do this, so the Law becomes an instrument revealing our iniquity and inability to do good. Instead we should understand that the Law was a way, a teacher, that witnessed to and led to the solution, which is Christ Himself. The Lawgiver and the Judge.

So you say that we should follow the Instruction as a means to sanctify. And here I don't agree. The Law reveals iniquity and provides a means to cover over it, to amend, and re-enter a relationship with God. I can't see anywhere where it fixes us as broken humans. Grace does this, the new covenant does this. Moses says one place, I wish everyone knew the Lord and would prophesy, and both Ezekiel and Jeremiah prophesy that this is exactly what will happen, God replaces the heart of stone with one of flesh, and writes His law on the heart, so that everyone knows Him. Through this new covenant, then, we are corrected, restored. And this is why the burden laid on us by Christ Jesus is both easy and impossible, because it is no longer the Law as written, but the Law as He is.

We no longer are held to the standard of a people who are being instructed on how to represent God to the nations. We no longer are meeting a code of requirements that reveal sin. We now have no excuse to not be gods ourselves, little-Christs, icons of God. This is the fulfillment of the Law: to become the Lawgiver Himself. This is a kind of freedom that goes so far beyond the keeping of the Law.

Does following the Sabbath make us like Christ? It depends on both what you do on the day and why you do it. Clearly humans miss the mark in what keeping the Sabbath means - Christ gets crosswise with the Scribes and Teachers over this over and over again. The Sabbath is for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the requirement is more extreme. Whatever is good and holy and proper for the sabbath is good and holy and proper for every day. No longer are we to work six days and dedicate the seventh, but dedicate all days. Do you see the difference? It is filled up to the brim and overflowing besides.
Win At Life
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AG
We have very different approaches to discussing the bible. You've written many words in your last post and vaguely paraphrased a many scriptural concepts with a lot of your own (or other preachers') logic about what that means. I can talk that way when I'm the authority, but when it comes to scripture, I really need more actual quotes to work from. You seem to live almost exclusively in the Derash (or even sod) level of scriptural interpretation. I don't mind doing that too, but I must start with a working definition of the peshat (plain meaning) of the text first and move deeper only after that is established.

So, we may just have to leave things off before long, but I'll try once more at the risk of starting to sound argumentative. First, I'll say I think I agree with what I think you intend by a lot of what you are saying (I say "think" because you are speaking so Derash/sod, IMO that I'm not sure), so I'll only address areas other than those starting with this one for the moment:

Quote:

The psalms tell us that the person who keeps the Law cannot die, because the person who keeps the Law will live in communion with God. But they also tell us no one can do this, so the Law becomes an instrument revealing our iniquity and inability to do good. Instead we should understand that the Law was a way, a teacher, that witnessed to and led to the solution, which is Christ Himself.
What Psalm do you think says you can't keep the Law in the manner and spirit in which the Law was given? Please quote it. But before you even have a chance to do so, I suggest whatever verse it is, that you've spiritualized it so much you've made it contradict the plain meaning of many other scriptures including the entirety of Psalm 119. It's impossible for an honest person to read the entirety of Psalm 119 and think that the God who inspired that intends for you NOT to try and follow His instructions. It's the longest chapter in the entire bible by far, so I'll not quote it here. But please read it as part of my response.

And then more directly we have the Law itself in Deuteronomy 30:11-14:

For this commandment I give you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not in heaven, that you should need to ask, 'Who will ascend into heaven to get it for us and proclaim it, that we may obey it?' And it is not beyond the sea, that you should need to ask, 'Who will cross the sea to get it for us and proclaim it, that we may obey it?' But the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so that you may obey it.

To say that God's simple instructions cannot be followed on a plain meaning level is calling God a liar. You are confusing that simple doctrine given by God Himself in His Word with the errant Jewish 1st century doctrine of attempting to earn salvation by keeping God's Law and their man-made laws. The Law was never given for the purposes of EARNING salvation. That you truly CANNOT do through the Law.

The Law was given to instruct us on daily living, and it uses that to lead us to Christ and salvation through faith in Him. It does BOTH; the first on a peshat (plain meaning) level and the latter on the sod (mystery) level. But the sod level of what the Law accomplishes does not abolish the peshat level for which it was given. God is asking His children to make a good faith effort to keep the plain meaning of His instructions. The script is good. Stick to the script. It's that simple.
Serotonin
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AG
Quote:

when it comes to scripture, I really need more actual quotes to work from.

Here's Galatians 3. Isn't this clear? What are we missing?
Quote:

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vainif indeed it was in vain?

Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them."

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man's covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ. And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.

Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Frok
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Sunday afternoon naps for the glory of god.

Our culture definitely struggles with this
Zobel
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Most of what I wrote was near verbatim scripture, but I guess I can footnote it.

First paragraph:
Genesis 1:28 (man to rule)
Deuteronomy 4:6 (Law following as example)
Galatians 5:14, Matthew 7:12, Matthew 22:39-40, Romans 13:10. Galatians 6:2

Second paragraph:
Isaiah 40:18,25, Isaiah 46:5
Leviticus 19:2, 20,26
1 Samuel 2:2
Psalm 77:13
Exodus 15:11
Tov and Ra, I think, are plenty witnessed in the OT that need no further.

Third paragraph:
Proverbs 13:13, 16:17, 19:16
Luke 10:28
All of Psalm 119 and much of Dueteronomy re: follow and live
Matthew 19:17

No one keeping the law:
John 7:19
Romans 3:20
Psalm 130:3
1 Kings 8:46
Ezra 9:15
Psalm 14:1
Psalm 143:2
Malachi 3:2

Instruction not as means to sanctify:
Galatians 2:21
Galatians 3:21

Moses wish is Numbers 11:29

New covenant
Jeremiah 31, Ezekiel 36

Little gods:
Psalm 82:7; John 10:34

Christ as end of the Law Romans 10:4

///

As for the response, Psalm 119 is a beautiful call to righteousness and, yes, the word and Law of God. But what is the Law? Christ, or the Law He gave? Is it not both? Yet David died, and all else. Every single one. The Law gave no hope for this, yet clearly the person who follows it will live. Is this a contradiction? No, not at all. Grace fulfills all the more.

We shouldn't forget that Deueteronomy 30 begins with Moses saying when - not if, when - they are scattered for not following the Law!

Nowhere in the OT does it say that following the Law leads to salvation by faith. And, nowhere in the NT does it say this either. For a person demanding citations, your last paragraph is conspicuously absent of them.
Win At Life
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AG
I commend you for focusing on the few that are at least more confusing than most. Although drudging through the many that are easy to reconcile apparent contradictions can make accepting the few a little easier. Without that, let my layout a brief background.

First, I believe scripture is inspired by God and can't have contradictions because of it. Second, I believe that Yeshau was the only one who ever kept the Law perfectly. And that perfect Law keeping must have included proper interpretations of the Law and not abolishing any of the Law, by definition of that very Law (Torah) in Deut. 4:2 (among other places). Third, I believe the Apostles did not pervert that Gospel of correct Torah keeping by Yeshua, but transmitted it faithfully to us in their inspired writings.

If we cannot agree on those three statements of faith, then we probably just need to stop right here. But I will assume for the moment that you agree Yeshua didn't break the Law and that His Apostles didn't pervert His gospel. But if you agree with that, then you have a problem and/or contradiction in your gospel if you believe the Law was abolished by either Yeshau or His Apostles. I will admit my bias here. I'm biased in favor of believing Yeshau kept the Law perfectly and that His Apostles transmitted His Gospel to us faithfully, so I will look for interpretations that support that.

Finally, I'm reminded of Peter's warning about how difficult it might be to properly interpret many of Paul's writings in 2 Peter 3:16:

"His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures"

When Peter writes of people who are ignorant, do you suppose he meant people who are ignorant of Calculus? Or perhaps he was concerned that his audience was ignorant of astrology? Of course not. The ignorance of concern was ignorance of the Hebrew Scriptures called the Old Testament.

Quote:

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law
You highlighted this as if it proves your point. I presume that is a point of abolishing the Law, which by that assertion either makes Yeshau a sinner or Paul a perverter of Yeshau's Gospel. Ignoring that problem of yours for the moment, I will note that many people read the "curse of the law" in many ways that this does not say such as:

1) The Law IS a curse
2) The Law is cursed
3) Cursed is everyone who desires to keep the Law
4) Keeping the Law will only bring curses on you.

And many others of similar thought. But these are wrong. That is not what the words say. What they say is very simple. The curse of the Law is that requirement in the Law that sin must be punished by death. Has Christ redeemed us from that curse? Yes. Hallelu' YAH! But there is nothing about this work of Christ that calls for us to stop following His instructions for our lives.

For the following section, I'm going to highlight a verse that you did not:

Quote:

What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.

Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.
What I've highlighted addresses the same problem I addressed above to k2aggie07, so at least scripture is being consistent. The consistency is that much of what both Yeshua and the Apostles were addressing was bad doctrine in 1st Century Judaism driven primarily by the Pharisees of believing righteousness (i.e. salvation) could come by following the Law. That's wrong. The Law never said that. The law was for basic right living AND the Law was for pointing us to Yeshau UNTIL He came. But now that Christ has come, that one purpose of the Law, that being pointing to Mashiach, has been fulfilled, so we look to Yeshua himself and have little need of the Law to point to one we know exists. But that doesn't abolish the Law's purpose as a path to right living at peace with God and at peace with our brothers.

For the last one, I'll bring two scriptures closer together:
Quote:

What purpose then does the law serve? it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.

But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
In the Aramaic, the last sentence says:

"we are no longer under tutors."

The last tutor is plural as tutors. A small difference on paper, but a huge difference in meaning.
Who were the mediators and tutors of the Law in 1st century Judaism? The Pharisees. Now that the Law has tutored us (and the Jews) to Christ, they were no longer under the Pharisees' as tutors as only Christ is our Rabbi.
Zobel
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AG
Why are you talking about Aramaic? Galatia is in centra Turkey, and the book was written in Greek.

Quote:

The curse of the Law is that requirement in the Law that sin must be punished by death

I don't recall reading anything about punishment. Can you support this?
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