Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Rom. 3:31, 6:15, Acts 10:9–14, John 15:1–11, James 2:1–26, Heb. 3:7–19, Jude 5–7.
Memory Text: “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good” (Romans 7:12, NKJV).
With so much evidence for the continued validity of God’s law, why do so many Christians argue against it? First, some (as we have seen) look at certain New Testament texts that condemn a false understanding of the law’s function but conclude that the problem is with the law itself. As a result, they claim that the Ten Commandments are not obligatory for those under the new covenant.
Second, others are so convinced that the Sabbath is not binding on Christians that, in order to justify this position, they claim that all the commandments have been crucified with Jesus on the cross. Third, some argue that the other nine commandments are in effect
but that the fourth, the seventh-day Sabbath, has been superseded by Sunday, which is kept in honor of the resurrection of Jesus. Numerous problems exist with all these positions. This week we’ll look at the attitude of Christ’s apostles concerning the law, because surely if it were to have been nullified or modified after Christ’s death, the apostles would have known something about it.
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, June 14.