1. What commandment concerning love is both in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
(O.T. verses) Deuteronomy 11:13, 22; 13:3; Joshua 22:5; 1 Chronicles 28:9.
(N.T. verses) Matthew 22:36-40; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27
Answer:
a. Old Testament: "And it must occur that if you will without ___________ obey my commandments that I am commanding you today so as to _____________ Jehovah your God and to serve him with ___________ your ________________ and all your ____________." Deuteronomy 11:13
In the Old Testament, it is seen that God commands only true obedience which is rendered in love to God with all our heart and soul. There is no other acceptable obedience. You will find this in reading the other verses listed above in the Old Testament.
b. New Testament: "...You must _________ __________________ your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind." Matthew 22:37.
In the New Testament, the first great commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. Reading the rest of Matthew 22:36-40, the second great commandment is like it, "you must love your neighbor as yourself." Then this statement is made: "On these two commandments the whole Law hangs, and the Prophets." Love is the basis of the Law of God, supreme love for God, and impartial love for our neighbor.
If one examines the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:1-17, he finds that the first four commandments (verses 1-11), summarize how we are to love God supremely, and the last four (verses 12-17) how to love our neighbor as ourselves. Because God himself is love (1 John 4:8), that is why God must require love as the motive for our obedience to all His commandments! There is no other foundation!
How do we love God? The Principle of the gospel is that God first loved us while we were yet sinners, and sent Jesus to die in our place for our sins, that we might have eternal life! Therefore, we love Him in return. Romans 5:6-8; John 3:16; 1 John 4:9, 19. Love begets love! Otherwise, we cannot love God.
2. In the previous study #10 about the Ten Commandments, we learned that to disobey or disregard one commandment (knowingly), is to break all Ten Commandments, in James 2:8-12. Why?
Answer:
Because willful disobedience shows that our heart is not yet totally consecrated to God. Perhaps we don't understand the importance of obedience, or else we need to ask God for His help to obey. But one thing, as Matthew 5:17-20 says, we are not to disregard even the least of God's commandments, but to repent and not be like the Pharisees and scribes, who taught for doctrines the commandments of men (Matthew 15:7-9), or there will be no place given in God's Kingdom.
3. What does the Watchtower Society teach about keeping holy the Sabbath day?
Answer:
The Watchtower Society emphasizes in its publications the need for Christians to obey and please God. It is therefore a shock to many to learn that Jehovah's Witnesses are not taught to observe the Bible Sabbath for Jehovah God. In fact they do not observe any day at all, be it the seventh-day Sabbath or Sunday. (They did once regard Sunday as a holy day, in their early years.) "Studies" Vol. V1, p. 386-7.
Their refusal to keep the Sabbath is because they are taught that the weekly Sabbath finished with Christ's death. To do this they must also concede that the Ten Commandments were done away with at that time.
Futhermore, the Watchtower Society teaches that each day of creation was a period of 7,000 years, including the seventh-day, which God blessed and sanctified ("made sacred" Genesis 2:2, 3) at that time. It is therefore contended that we are still in this Sabbath period which has extended from the time of Adam, and Witnesses are therefore taught that everyday is the Sabbath now. For further information on the length of the creation days, see the next study, Bible Study #12, "The Days of Creation."
It is inconsistent of the Watchtower Society to uphold the Ten Commandments when it suits them, and to even disfellowship its members for breaking some of them. However, when the seventh-day Sabbath is presented, they immediately contend these "commandments of God" were done away with, along with the Jewish laws.
3. How long has the Sabbath been known in human history?
Mark 2:27, 28; Genesis 2:1-3; Hebrews 4:4
Answer:
"....The sabbath __________ __________ _______________________ for the sake of _________, and not man for the sake of the sabbath; hence the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath." Mark 2:27, 28
"...."And God proceeded to bless the _______________ day and make it sacred, because on it he has been ___________ ____________ __________ his work that God has created for the purpose of making." Genesis 2:1-3
"...."And God ___________ _______ _________ _________________ day from all his works." Hebrews 4:4
The seventh day of the week, known as the Sabbath day, was made from the very first week of time for the benefit of mankind. Hebrews 4:4 states that God is not now resting on the Sabbath day, but that He "rested." Exodus 31:17 states plainly, "Between me and the sons of Israel it is a sign to time indefinite, because in six days Jehovah made the heavens and the earth and on the seventh day he rested and proceeded to refresh himself." So the seventh day of the week was made the Sabbath day from creation for mankind to rest as a sign that they are the people of God and are keeping God's rest.
4. Did Abraham keep all God's commandments?
Genesis 26:5
Answer:
"due to the fact that Abraham listened to my voice and continued to ______________ his obligations to me, my _______________________, my _____________________, and my ___________________." Genesis 26:5
5. Why did the children of Israel have to be taught about the Sabbath, if Abraham their father had known and kept all of God's commandments, including the seventh-day Sabbath?
Exodus 16; Nehemiah 9:13, 14 (Please read all of these passages.)
Answer:
a. "Consequently Jehovah said to Moses: 'How ___________ must you people refuse to keep my ________________________ and my ______________?'" Exodus 16:28.
The Sabbath existed before Sinai, and was part of the Law of God.
b. "And your holy ________________ you made known to them, and commandments and regulations and a law you commanded them by means of Moses your servant." Nehemiah 9:14.
Included in the Law of Jehovah is the Sabbath commandment, Exodus 20:8-11, which God made known again to the children of the family of Abraham who had been slaves in Egypt. Please read carefully, Exodus 16 and Nehemiah 9:13, 14. Because of their harsh servitude in the land of Egypt, the knowledge of the Sabbath had been well-nigh obliterated. The Lord had to make known to them again his Law, including the seventh-day Sabbath commandment.
6. Did Jesus keep holy the seventh-day Sabbath?
Luke 4:16
Answer: "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been reared; and, according to ______ _________________ on the sabbath day, he entered into the synagogue, and he stood up to read." Luke 4:16
There are many stories in the New Testament that show how Jesus kept the Sabbath, and He is our example of obedience to Jehovah. See: 1 Peter 2:21.
7. Did Jesus want the Christians in Jerusalem and Judea to flee on the Sabbath day just before Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70?
Matthew 24:20
Answer: "Keep praying that your flight may not occur in wintertime, nor on ______ _____________________ day." Matthew 24:20
8. Did Jesus claim that the Sabbath day is His? Why?
Mark 2:27, 28; John 1:3
Answer:
"The ___________ came into _________________ for the sake of man....hence the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath." Mark 2:27, 28.
"_________ _______________ came into ________________ through ___________, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence." John 1:3.
Jesus Christ made the Sabbath for man from the very beginning, therefore, because He is the Creator, He is Lord of the Sabbath.
9. Many years after Christ's death, what did Luke, the Gentile physician for Paul, write concerning the seventh-day Sabbath?
Luke 23:54-56
Answer: "....But, of course, they _________________ on the sabbath according to the commandment." Luke 23:54-56
10. Which law did Paul say that Christians should keep, and what law is no longer necessary?
1 Corinthians 7:19
Answer: "Circumcision does not mean a thing, and uncircumcision means not a thing, but _____________________ of ___________ __________________________________ [does]."
1 Corinthians 7:19
11. Of course, Paul then would keep the Sabbath, if he taught that observance of God's commandments still means something! Does the Bible verify that Paul kept the seventh-day Sabbath as the day to refrain from unnecessary work, to keep holy every week and have congregational meetings?
Acts 13:14-44. (Please read all of the passage.) Note that in Acts 18:1-4, that Paul worked six days and rested the seventh day Sabbath.
Answer: "....and going into the _____________________ on the _______________________ day, they took a seat...." (Acts 13:14) "....The next ________________ nearly all the city _____________________ together to hear the word of Jehovah." (verse 44).
Whether there was room in the synagogue we are not told, but it could have been in the market place, where the whole city came to hear the word of God.
12. At Philippi, did Paul acknowledge the Sabbath day, also?
Acts 16:13.
Answer: "And on _________ _____________________ ___________ we went forth outside the gate beside a river, where we were thinking there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women that had assembled." Acts 16:13. The people they met with here were not yet Christians, but once they learned about Jesus they were baptized. So we know that Paul was meeting as a Sabbath-keeper, on the seventh day. Luke would not have mentioned it was the Sabbath day, if it did not have any significance for Christians.
13. What was Paul's custom or manner, even as it was Jesus' custom in Luke 4:16?
Acts 17:2
Answer: "So according to Paul's custom he went inside to them, and for ___________ ___________________ he reasoned with them from the Scriptures..." Acts 17:2
14. What remains for the people of God?
Hebrews 4:9, 10, 11
Answer: "So there remains a ______________ _________________ (Gr. sabbatismos meaning, "sabbathizing" or "keeping a weekly Sabbath") for the people of God." Hebrews 4:9. Hebrews 4:10, 11 warns of unbelief/disobedience for those who do not rest "just as God did..." see verse 4. While the passage has a spiritual application, it also has a very literal one dealing with disobedience.
15. Concerning those who say we keep God's commandments but are not keeping them if they are breaking one, what does the Bible say about those ones?
1 John 2:3, 4.
Answer: "....He that says: 'I have come ______ ___________ __________,' and yet is not observing his commandments, is a _________, and the _____________ is not in this [person].'" 1 John 2:4 Please read also verse 3.
16. In the light of God's word then, what must Christians do?
1 John 5:3
Answer: "For this is what the love of God means, that we _________________ his commandments; and yet his commandments are not _______________________." 1 John 5:3
17. Does the devil want God's last day people to keep His commandments?
Revelation 12:17
Answer: "And the dragon grew wrathful at the woman, and went off to wage war with the remaining ones of her seed, who ________________ the _____________________________ of God and have the work of bearing witness to Jesus." Revelation 12:17
18. What will God's last day church be found doing before Christ comes?
Revelation 14:12, 14
Answer: "Here is where it means endurance for the holy ones, those who ________________ the ____________________________ of God and the faith of Jesus.....And I saw, and, look! a white cloud, and upon the cloud someone seated like a _________ _______ __________, with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand." Revelation 14:12, 14. One cannot argue that it is impossible to observe the Commandments of God, because the Bible says His people are "observing" them in the last days!
19. In the New World, what day especially will be observed that will truly remain for the people of God?
Isaiah 66:22, 23
Answer: "...and from _______________ to ____________________ all flesh will come in to bow down before me,' Jehovah has said." Isaiah 66:23
20. What objections do Jehovah's Witnesses have to keeping the Sabbath?
Answer:
a. Colossians 2:16, 17 Besides the Jewish holy days such as the Passover and certain festivals, there are seven festival sabbath days, and each only occurred once a year. All of these ceremonial feast days and sabbath days foreshadowed with their blood sacrifices, the ministry and life of Christ and though they need to be studied and understood, these holy days were no longer to be kept after Christ died. But that is not so for the seventh-day Sabbath which was not one of these "shadows" since it was instituted ("made sacred" Genesis 2:3) before man sinned, before sacrifices were commenced and the Messiah was promised.
b. Acts 15:28, 29 The Sabbath was not included in this list. However, the Ten Commandments was obviously not under discussion either since there was nothing mentioned about lying, stealing, killing, etc....
c. Romans 10:4 "Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness." God's laws define sin and are needed as such, but only Christ can give us righteousness.
d. Ephesians 2:15 It was the "law of commandments contained in ordinances that was abolished (see KJV). The context (verse 11) shows that it was not the Ten Commandments under discussion but laws contained in ordinances dealing with Jewish decrees such as circumcision and ceremonial rites. See 1 Corinthians 7:19.
We should seek God as Christian believers, with our whole heart, mind and soul to receive His grace to keep all Ten of God's commandments, including the Sabbath commandment! May the Lord truly bless you!
Our next study, "The Days of Creation." How is it that they are 7,000 years long each? Does the Watchtower agree with God's word on this teaching?