Objections Part One

1: The Sabbath is an Eternal, Fundamental Law of God

The main objection to this teaching is that the Sabbath is a fundamental law of God that predated the law of Moses and was kept by all God-fearing people prior to Moses, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, etc. and therefore must still apply to Christians today.

The first thing to note here is that the word "Sabbath" does not appear in the Bible until well into the book of Exodus, long after Adam, Abraham, etc. had died. Indeed, there is no direct Biblical evidence whatsoever that Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac or Jacob, for example, kept a weekly Sabbath.

The first mention of the Sabbath occurs in the story regarding God supplying manna for the Israelites, in Exodus 16:23-30:

Then he said to them, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.’” So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. Then Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”

Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. And the LORD said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? See! For the LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” So the people rested on the seventh day.

The next time the Sabbath appears is in the first giving of the Ten Commandments, a few chapters later, in Exodus 20:8-11:

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

Later, in Deuteronomy 5:12-15, the command is restated slightly differently:

‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. (My emphasis).

The main thing to notice here is the last clause, "therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day." The initial "therefore" indicates that what precedes this clause should give us the reason why God commanded the Israelites "to keep the Sabbath day." Thus, the reason they are to keep the Sabbath is because they were slaves in Egypt but God "brought [them] out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm."

Adam wasn't a slave in Egypt, neither was Abraham, so it is illogical to argue that they had to keep the Sabbath because it is a fundamental commandment of God, yet the Israelites had to keep the Sabbath because they were brought out of slavery . . . and the same is true of Christians today!

Another thing I find very interesting is that in Deut 5:1-3, right before Moses gave the 10 Commandments to the people of Israel, he said:

“Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them. The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive." (My emphasis).

So, God did NOT make the covenant with the fathers (i.e. ancestors) of the people of Israel but with those that were alive right then . . . and that covenant included the requirement to keep the Sabbath. We know this covenant included the Sabbath commandment because Moses referred to "the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today" directly before giving the Ten Commandments.

Some Sabbatarians argue this passage is concerned with the manner in which the covenant was made. However, to do so would effectively be to rerender this passage "It was not in this manner that the LORD made this covenant with our fathers, but only in this manner with us, with all of us who are alive here today, the convenant was given to our fathers in some other way." Thus, many Sabbatarians add to this passage in order to avoid its clear, plain reading, which blatantly contradicts their beliefs!

However, just in case you are still in any doubt that the Sabbath was just a law applicable to the Jews, let's read Ex 31:12-17:

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’” (My emphasis)

There are two notable points here. First, I wonder how many Sabbatarians, such as Seventh Day Adventists, put to death anyone who works on the Sabbath? If not, why not, given that's what God commanded?

Second, this passage also states the Sabbath "will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever". So here we have yet another Scripture that plainly mentions the Sabbath being given only to the Israelites. What's more, if non-Jewish Christians are supposed to observe the Old Testament Sabbath, that completely nullifies the Sabbath as a special sign between God and the Israelites because it is no longer special just to them! Indeed, how much clearer could the Word of God be regarding the fact that the Sabbath "is a sign between [the LORD] and the children of Israel forever." Well, to answer that question, let's take a look at Ezekiel 20:10-12!

“Therefore I made them go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. And I gave them My statutes and showed them My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’ Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them. (My emphasis).

This passage strongly parallels Deut 5:12-15 and Ex 31:12-17, quoted above and reiterates that the Sabbath is "a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them." I really don't think there's any room for doubt about that at all.

2: Col 2:16-17 is Discussing Ascetic Practices

The main objection that I have come across regarding this passage is a claim that it is discussing ascetic practices and the Sabbath reference is referring to human, man-made rules for developing spiritually, that is human rules concerned with asceticism.

That claim is, in my opinion, quite ridiculous. If you care to read about asceticism, you will find that ascetic practices tend to refer to practices such as self-flagellation, abstention from "fleshly pleasures", etc. However, feast days, New Moons and Sabbaths refer to the very essence of Jewish life as the entire Jewish calendar revolved around feast days (yearly festivals), New Moons (Jewish lunar months) and Sabbath days (weekly). (See, for example, Isaiah 66:23: And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me," says the LORD.)

Indeed, this passage is echoed in Galatians 4:9-11:

9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.

In this letter, Paul is correcting Jewish believers who have reverted to various practices that were required under the Law, such as circumcision. It is therefore very interesting that, in that same context, he talks about "observing days and months and seasons and years" which strongly parallels the Colossians reference to "feast days, New Moons and Sabbaths."

Thus, the Colossians passage is plainly talking about Jewish practices, NOT man-made ascetic rules.

In the next post I will look at a few more objections.

Jesus' Attitude Towards the Sabbath

In part one of this series we looked at how the Sabbath was a type of rest we have in Christ and we enter it by obedience to His word. However, before we can fully rule out the idea that Christians are supposed to follow and keep the weekly Sabbath of the Ten Commandments, it is vital that we examine Jesus' attitude to the Sabbath. There are several passages in the gospels that cover this, many of which are describing the same events, so bear with me! The passages in question are (with my emphases added):

Matt 12:1-14

1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.

11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. 14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Mark 2:23-28

23 Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

25 But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: 26 how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?”

27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

Luke 6:1-11

1 Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. 2 And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?”

3 But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?” 5 And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

6 Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7 So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him. 8 But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood. 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?” 10 And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. 11 But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus

Luke 13:10-17

10 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”

15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” 17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

Luke 14:1-6

1 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. 2 And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

4 But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. 5 Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” 6 And they could not answer Him regarding these things.

John 5:7-18

7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.

And that day was the Sabbath. 10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”

11 He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’”

12 Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”

15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”

18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

John 9:13-16

13 They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. 14 Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.15 Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”

16 Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.”

Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

The key statements and common elements we read in these passages are:

• "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."
• "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
• Healing/doing good on the Sabbath
• Picking and eating heads of grain on the Sabbath

However, these points need to be examined in light of the rules governing the Sabbath in the Old  Testament.

The Old Testament clearly teaches that NO work was to be done on the Sabbath (Ex 35:2), no preparing food (ex 16:29), no lighting fires (Ex 35:3), etc. Indeed, the seriousness of violating these rules can be seen in the following passage from the book of Numbers.

Num 15:32-36:

32 While the Israelites were in the desert, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day. 33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, 34 and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him. 35 Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp." 36 So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Thus, unlike as some Sabbatarians claim, strict Sabbath rules were not all man-made trivial rules, rather, God Himself had very strict rules regarding how the Sabbath was to be observed. However, Jesus' statements in the passages outlined above shed a great deal of light on this.

First, His statement "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" indicates that the Sabbath was to serve the needs of mankind, NOT the other way around. Indeed, the Sabbath commandment is the only one of the Ten Commandments that exists directly to serve the needs of those who were to obey it.

This thought is also reflected in the story that Jesus refers to regarding David's eating of the showbread. David and his men were hungry and they ate the showbread, which [was] not lawful for any but the priests to eat, yet there was no consequence. David's need, and the need of his men, was more important than adhering to this rule. God was and is far more interested in meeting the needs of mankind than enforcing trivial rules and regulations.

Second, His statement "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath" is also of great significance. The word translated "Lord" means "he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord; the possessor and disposer of a thing" (Thayer's Lexicon). Jesus is basically saying that He is the one that controls the Sabbath, he is "ruler" over it.

What is also of great interest is that the Luke 6:1-11 passage immediately follows Jesus' statements regarding putting new wine in old wineskins (Luke 5:36-39):

Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’”

A careful examination of this parable reveals that here Jesus was talking about the Old and New Covenants. Jesus is saying you don't put the New Covenant into the Old or vice versa, it is an entirely new covenant. Hence, the old rules concerning the law of the Sabbath are not placed on New Covenant believers in just the same way that, for example, rules concerning circumcision are also not part of the New Covenant, which is based on grace, not rules and regulations.

Summary

Jesus' attitude towards the Sabbath can be summarized by the following key points:

• The basic needs of mankind are more significant than strict legal rules.
• The Sabbath was designed to meet the needs of mankind, not to impose some form of legalism on them.
• Under the New Covenant, believers are not placed under Old Covenant laws.

New Testament Teaching

Introduction

This is the first of four posts that will take a look at exactly what the Bible has to say about the Sabbath and has been written as a response to an article that I recently read on a blog written by a Seventh Day Adventist.

This post will examine the key New Testament scriptures related to Sabbath doctrine. This will be followed by a post discussing Jesus' attitude and statements concerning the Sabbath. The final two posts will address various objections to my interpretation.

Please note, all quotes are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless stated otherwise.

My primary passages outlining New Testament Sabbath doctrine are found in Colossians and Hebrews. However, before looking at them, it is important to examine the origin of the word "Sabbath."

The English word "Sabbath" is a translation of the Hebrew word, shabbath, which, in turn, is derived from the word, shabath, which means "to cease, to rest, to desist (from labour)." Thus, "Sabbath" is resting from labour.

Key New Testament Sabbath Scriptures

Having established that, let's look at our key scriptures.

Col 2:16-17

Therefore let no one sit in judgment on you in matters of food and drink, or with regard to a feast day or a New Moon or a Sabbath. Such [things] are only the shadow of things that are to come, and they have only a symbolic value. But the reality (the substance, the solid fact of what is foreshadowed, the body of it) belongs to Christ. (Amplified Bible)

As this verse clearly states, the Sabbath day (indeed the entire Jewish calender!) is merely a "shadow" or "type" of things to come and what was foreshadowed is found in Christ.

In the book of Hebrews, we find a detailed description of this foreshadowing, in Heb 4:1-10:

1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:

although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.”

6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

One key point of note here is that the word rest as used in verse 9 is the Greek word sabbatismos, which literally means "a Sabbath-keeping" (Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words). Indeed Vine's explanation of this term is an excellent overview of this passage in Hebrews:

"a Sabbath-keeping," is used in Hbr 4:9, RV, "a sabbath rest," AV marg., "a keeping of a sabbath" (akin to sabbatizo, "to keep the Sabbath," used, e.g., in Exd 16:30, not in the NT); here the sabbath-keeping is the perpetual sabbath "rest" to be enjoyed uninterruptedly by believers in their fellowship with the Father and the Son, in contrast to the weekly Sabbath under the Law. Because this sabbath "rest" is the "rest" of God Himself, Hbr 4:10, its full fruition is yet future, though believers now enter into it. In whatever way they enter into Divine "rest," that which they enjoy is involved in an indissoluble relation with God. (My emphasis.)

I don't think there is much I can add to Vine's excellent explanation of this passage. However, there are a couple of points of note.

First is the usage of the word "today" in this passage, particularly in verses 6-7, which clearly indicates that "today" we can enter God's rest. Furthermore, just as "tomorrow never comes," "today" is always right now!

The second thing worth noting is found in verses 3-4:

"although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”;"

This passage also really needs to be read alongside its parallel passage in Gen 2:2-3:

And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

What is interesting is that, unlike the other six days of creation, the Bible in Genesis does not state "And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the seventh day."

Thus, there is an implication in both of these passages that the seventh day, the day of rest, is in some sense "eternal." God rested from the seventh day onwards in His work of creation. He didn't initiate a weekly rest for Himself every seventh day, rather "on the seventh day God ended His work."

The absolutely key thing to realize with regard to this passage from Genesis is that the word translated as "rested" is the Hebrew word shabath, the root of the English word Sabbath. Thus, it would be accurate to read this passage as "and He Sabbath-rested on the seventh day" in just the same way as the Hebrews passage indicates "There remains therefore a Sabbath-rest for the people of God."

However, what we haven't examined, and which Vine overlooked, is how we can actually enter that rest. The answer to that question is found in Heb 3:18-19; 4:1-3; 4:6-7

18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Ch 4
1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest . . .

6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it [God's rest], and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:

Those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience and unbelief. Interestingly, the word translated "unbelief" in Heb 3:19 (apistia) and the word translated "disobedience" in Heb 4:6 (apeitheia) in the NKJV, both mean disobedience AND unbelief/lack of faith or trust! In addition, the word apeitheia "denotes a willful unbelief and obstinate opposition to God's will ... apeitheia is not ignorance but obstinance." (http://www.preceptaustin.org/hebrews_46-7.htm). Thayer defines it as "obstinacy, obstinate opposition to the divine will" and Strong's Lexicon as "disbelief (obstinate and rebellious):-disobedience, unbelief." As Vine points out, it literally means "the condition of being unpersuadable."

Therefore, "obedience-and-trust" in God is the key to entering God's rest. In addition, we obey God by hearing His voice and not "hardening our hearts." Therefore, if we are tended-hearted to God's word, obey and trust Him, we shall enter His rest.

Summary

Thus, to summarize, the Sabbath is a shadow of the eternal rest that can be found in Christ and we can enter that rest by living a life of obedience and tender-hearted trust in God.

A Warning Against Hypocrisy

This post isn't really so much about studying the Word as a warning against hypocrisy.

This all started when a Christian friend of mine posted a status update on Facebook warning people against attending a Joyce Meyer (the well-known Christian preacher and author) conference on the basis that her teaching is flawed. In support of this belief he referred to an article on the Christian Research Institute's (CRI) web site.

The CRI is headed by one Hank Hanegraaf who calls himelf "The Bible Answer Man". Interestingly, a quick Googling of his name produced an array of controversies regarding this man, from financial irregularities (including being paid a $250,000 annual salary at CRI) to supporting a cult in a lawsuit against a Christian organisation. This from the same man that criticizes Joyce Meyer simply because she is wealthy and owns a private jet!

This type of hypocrisy seems to be rampant in the church today. Perhaps, instead of setting ourselves up as judges of others we should make sure we are examining our own lives instead then perhaps the church would be more united and the world would see God's love among His children.

Another person, in response to the Joyce Meyer warning, commented how he prefers to stick to Chuck Swindoll, in an apparent belief that you can't go wrong with Chuck. He may well be right. However, on Googling "Chuck Swindoll controversy" I came across an interesting set of articles on the American Presbyterian Church's (APC) web site criticizing Chuck and other so-called "new evangelicals". Their criticisms even included such eminent Christian preachers as Billy Graham!

I suspect that if one was to search hard enough, one could easily find doctrinal problems within the APC too and I doubt Joyce Meyer, Chuck Swindoll or Hank Hanegraaf would say the APC is entirely without error.

So who is the guardian of Christian truth? It certainly is not any particular Christian person or group and anyone who sets themselves up in that position is in serious danger of being shot down. The only guardian of the Truth today is the Holy Spirit, "who when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13).

So, instead of aligning yourself with a human guardian of the truth, align yourself with the Holy Spirit. Examine every preacher's teaching against the Word for yourself and if your "gut" tells you something's wrong, it probably is and don't assume that just because Preacher X said it that it is correct . . . or that it is incorrect.

There is a great division among Christians today as to whether or not Jesus bore our sicknesses and diseases on the cross as well as our sin. However, the Bible is extremely clear on this point, as we shall see below.

The key scripture to read here is Isaiah 53:4 (KJV)

Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows

Most Christians agree that Is 53 is a prophecy concerning Jesus, so this verse also applies to Him.

What is of note here is that the word translated “griefs” in the KJV is the Hebrew word “choliy” which actually means “sickness, disease and grief.” For example, the same word is used in Deut 7:15, 28:59; 28:61; 1 Kings 17:17 etc. etc. Indeed, there are many such references in the Old Testament (and I suggest looking them all up in a good concordance) and in each case it is unequivocally talking about physical sickness and/or disease.

What’s more, the Hebrew word translated “sorrows” in the KJV is the Hebrew word “makob” which means “pain (physical and mental), sorrow.” This is the same word used in Job 33:19:

He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong [pain].

Indeed, the margin notes in my NKJV Bible even states “Lit. Sicknesses” and “Lit. Pains” in reference to this verse.

What’s more, if you read Matthew 8:16-17, where the Isaiah prophecy is quoted, there is even more support for this. These verses state that:

... He (Jesus) cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.

There are two interesting points of note, the NT version of this prophecy refers to “infirmities” and “sicknesses.” And, this prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus healed all who were sick.

Thus, to conclude, the Old Testament clearly prophesies that the Messiah will bear our sickness, disease, grief, physical and mental pain. This is also in total agreement with the New Testament, which states that this prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus healed all who were sick.