By Larry J. Walker

Colossians 2:16-17 is one of the passages most commonly used to document the claim that the Sabbath and Holy Days are not required to be kept in the new covenant. The conclusion is that the “judging” refers to Judaizers trying to put pressure on the Colossians to keep these days, which Paul allegedly says should not be kept because they are only a shadow of the spiritual reality — Jesus Christ.

Many have had to deal with this argument in defense of the belief that the Sabbath and Holy Days must still be kept. Does this passage say that the Colossians are being pressured by Judaizers to keep the Holy Days, or that they were being judged for keeping the Sabbath and Holy Days? The translators’ addition of the word “is” after “body” has a great bearing on determining the meaning of the verse.

Let’s take a fresh look at these verses to see what they actually mean. Proper exegesis is necessary to clarify the meaning of this controversial passage. If we carefully examine the verses in question on the basis of grammatical points and historical facts, we can eliminate errors of interpretation and clearly understand what Paul meant.

Importance of Gnosticism

By way of historical background, it is widely known that the heresy known as the “Colossian heresy” was not just Judaizing but Gnosticism. Many have assumed that both elements were present due to the references to circumcision, Sabbath, and Holy Days. In a sense that is true, since Gnosticism was not a separate religion, but a religious concept that could be combined with an established religion with the promise of “improving” it. It was a sort of spiritual “hamburger helper” in the sense that it was a belief system that combined with, and allegedly improved, the host religion.

So Gnostic Judaism was a blend of Jewish religious practices with a Gnostic flavor (to extend the hamburger helper analogy). It is most important to bear in mind that Gnostic Judaism, seeking to absorb the newly emerging Christian religion into its syncretic admixture, was the main culprit Paul was combating in this epistle, as it was in Galatians and other New Testament books. This fact provides a perspective which is vitally important to understand the points Paul makes in Colossians 2:16-17.

A brief summary of the basic tenets of Gnosticism will enable us to understand the philosophical underpinnings of the problems in Colosse that Paul was addressing. Gnosticism gets its name from its claim of higher knowledge (Greek gnosis) which it promised to its disciples.

One of the fundamental teachings of Gnosticism was that matter is evil. This belief led many down the road of asceticism as a way to avoid physical pleasure, which was considered evil. (This makes the hamburger helper analogy a humorous oxymoron.) The idea was that one must purge himself of evil matter by asceticism (avoiding physical pleasures) and by punishing the flesh. The libertine element of Gnosticism took an opposite approach, that since one cannot avoid matter, and being spiritual is totally unrelated to matter, one could do as he pleases and indulge the flesh to the limit and still be spiritual. The ascetic aspect is the obvious target of Paul’s warnings in Colossians 2.

Angel worship was also a fundamental aspect of Gnosticism. This took many forms, including celebration of special days and other religious customs based on astrological concepts of time.

Gnosticism achieved a large measure of success in Judaism and Christianity, as evidenced by the many Gnostic-based terms and concepts found in several New Testament books. This is a fascinating topic, but we need not consider any further information on the subject at this time.

The Daily Study Bible by Barclay (vol. 11, pp. 97-99) also has a good basic description of Gnosticism. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia contains a lot of good information on the topic as well. With this in mind we will now delve into the text.

After Paul’s customary salutation, he stresses his wish for the Colossians to be filled with, and increase in, knowledge (1:9-10). This is an oblique reference to, and subtle putdown of, Gnosticism.

The word knowledge is translated from the Greek is epignosis (gnosis preceded by the preposition epi), which means complete knowledge (implying Gnosticism was not complete despite its lofty claims).

The primacy of the incarnate Jesus Christ is a major point of emphasis throughout the epistle because of the heretical Christological claims of Gnosticism, another interesting topic that we need not digress into here. One significant point that needs to be stressed, however, is the emphasis on the body of Christ, both literally and figuratively. Divinity and humanity as well as spirit and flesh were totally incompatible according to the dualistic Gnostic concept of evil matter. It was utterly inconceivable to the Gnostic mind that God could appear in literal flesh and blood. So Paul also uses soma (the Greek word for body) to stress the corporeality of Christ (1:22, 2:9), a point which is fundamental to the message of the cross. He also emphasizes by the figurative use of soma that the Church is the body of Christ (1:18, 24; 2:17, 19; 3:15).

Paul clearly identifies the “Colossian heresy” in 2:4-8 as a philosophical system based on worship of “the Elemental spirits of the world” (Moffatt for Greek stoicheia tou kosmou, cf. RSV, NRSV). So Expositor’s Bible Commentary explains:

Understood in this manner, the passage means either (1) that the “philosophy” of the errorists was a system instigated by the elemental spirits (perhaps thought of as the powers of evil) or (2) that it was a system having the elemental spirits as its subject matter. The second meaning is more likely the one intended by Paul, for we know from 2:18 that the Colossian heresy made much of the “worship of angels” (vol. 11, p. 198).

Paul tells the Colossians, “See to it that no one take you captive (NIV) (‘plunder you or take you captive,’ NKJV margin).” Expositor’s Bible Commentary points out:

The word translated “takes captive” (sylagogon), which was regularly used of taking captives in war and leading them away as booty, depicts the false teachers as ‘men stealers’ wishing to entrap the Colossians and drag them into spiritual enslavement (vol. 11, p. 197-198).

Many members in Galatia had already gone back into this same source of “bondage” (Galatians 4:3, 8-10). Gnosticism was the culprit there also as Walter Schmithals explains in his blockbuster book entitled, Paul & the Gnostics.

Identification of the Gnostic influence in the apostolic church is a major key to understanding many scriptures that have long been erroneously explained in an anti-Judaizer context and thus used to denigrate anything “Jewish.” Syncretism does not lend itself to either/or reasoning when identifying the source of heresy in the early church. Gnosticism was combined with Judaism, which was the catalyst for introducing Gnosticism to Christianity.

One must recognize the Gnostic twist behind the alleged “Judaizing” to avoid “throwing the baby out with the bath water.” In other words Paul is not condemning “Jewish” customs but the manner in which they were being observed.

It doesn’t require much scholarship to recognize from the context of the second chapter that the pressure upon the Colossians was decidedly not from Judaizers. Paul issues a series of three warnings linked together to identify the same source of danger. The terminology in 2:8 and 2:18 (before and after the passages in question) clearly identifies Gnosticism and just as clearly rules out Judaism. It therefore would make no sense to read Judaism into verse 16.

Judging–the main point of the passage

The main point of verses 16-17 is the Colossians should not allow these heretics to judge them. Zodhiates says, the word “judge” (Greek krino) means “to separate, distinguish, discriminate between good and evil . . . . In the NT, it means to judge, to form or give an opinion after separating and considering the particulars of a case” (The Complete Word Study, by Spiros Zodhiates).

The verb form is imperative (a command). When combined with the Greek particle me, the imperative becomes a prohibition commonly used to forbid an action (in this case judging). The emphatic statement is linked to the previous context by the conjunction “therefore.”

The point is that since Christ wiped out our debt of sin and “disarmed principalities and powers” (“wicked spirits in high places” — Ephesians 6:12) by His death (cf. Hebrews 2:14; Romans 8:38-39), angel worship (climbing the ladder of “emanations” to work one’s way up to God, the idea behind Gnostic angel worship) was unnecessary and inappropriate. Therefore no one should judge them. Rather they should look to the body of Christ to judge them. Or it could mean that everyone should discern (or “judge”) the body of Christ by means of eating and drinking in  celebrating these days and not bow to the pressure of unenlightened heretics.

The “false humility” (verse 18) involved ascetic practices of Gnostic Judaism, as Rienecker explains, ” . . . the consequence of this ascetic practice is entrance into the heavenly realm.” (A Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament, by Fritz Rienecker, vol. 2, p. 230).

Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament by Horst Balz and Gerhard Schneider explains the link between ascetic food regulations and the “elemental spirits” of Colossians 2:8, 20:

This philosophy . . . regarded these spirits as powers capable of preventing a person from attaining the fullness of salvation (cf. v. 9), if that person did not submit to them by following certain religious practices such as worship of angels, partial renunciation of food [emphasis mine], etc. (vol. 3, p. 278).

Key grammatical points

Many grammatical points bear upon the true meaning of this passage. Greek is a very precise language. Verb inflections, case endings of nouns, and syntax offer important exegetical clues, as we will soon see. Translation from one language to another also presents problems that can blur the meaning intended in the original language.

The expression “in meat or in drink” in verse 16 (KJV) is an inaccurate and misleading rendering of the Greek words en brosei kai en posei. A better translation is “eating and in drinking,” not “food and drink”, for which Paul would have used broma and poma” (Expositor’s Greek Testament, by W. Robertson Smith, vol. 3, p 530). The two practices under attack were “eating and drinking” (proper translation) and part of the matter of observance of Festivals, New Moons and Sabbaths. The objection was not the what should or should not be eaten or drunk, but the act of eating and drinking in the process of worship, because feasting would be considered indulging the flesh and thus sinful by Gnostic standards.

W. Robertson Smith makes this clear:

The question is not altogether between lawful and unlawful food, but between eating and drinking or abstinence. Asceticism rather than ritual cleanness is in his mind. The Law is not ascetic in its character, its prohibitions of meats rest on the view that they are unclean, and drinks are not forbidden, save in exceptional cases, and then not for ascetic reasons” (Expositor’s Greek Testament, by vol. 3, p. 530).

A. T. Robertson explains,

Paul has here in mind the ascetic practices . . . of the Gnostics (possibly Essenic or even Pharisaic influence . . . .  The Essenes went far beyond the Mosaic regulations. (Word Pictures in the New Testament, vol. IV, p. 496).

So the topic in question was decidedly not clean and unclean meats but asceticism versus Christian rejoicing and feasting.

Meaning of meros

Let us now consider the other matter for which the Colossians were being judged. We now encounter yet another misleading translation. Most versions give the impression that the nouns “festival,” “New Moon,” and “Sabbaths” are objects of a preposition “regarding” (NKJV). There are several problems with this misconception. If Paul had meant to use a preposition, he could have used peri (“concerning”) as in 1 Corinthians 8:1. Instead the Greek word is meros, which is not a preposition but a noun, derived from the verb merizo, which means “to cut in portions.”

Meros is nearly always translated “part” or “portion” elsewhere in the New Testament. It denotes a sharp division or separating off from something. When used conceptually, it sets up a dichotomy by drawing a distinction between what it represents and that to which it is contrasted, emphasizing the need for separate consideration of the two matters. In this passage meros is the object of the preposition en (“in”), whereas “festival,” “New Moon,” and “Sabbaths” have the genitive case ending, which connects them to meros in the sense of “portion of a Festival or a New Moon or Sabbaths.” The “anarthrous” construction of the nouns (i.e., not preceded by the definite article, “the” in English) implies quality or nature rather than identity, although the identity as “Jewish” days is not in question.

Gnostic objections to Sabbath, Festival and New Moon observances

Putting all this together, the significance is that only a portion or aspect of the inherent quality or nature of the Festivals, New Moons, and Sabbaths were being criticized, namely how they were to be observed. Gnosticism had no problem with observation of special days. In fact astrological observance of special segments of time was a major part of Gnostic practice (Galatians 4:10). The conflict in Colosse was the manner in which the members were celebrating them. Leviticus 23 designates the weekly and annual Sabbaths as feast days. The New Moons were also major festive occasions at the time, as pointed out by Vincent:

The day was celebrated by blowing of trumpets, special sacrifices, feasting [emphasis mine throughout], and religious instruction. Labor was suspended, and no institutional or private fasts were permitted to take place. The authorities were at great pains to fix accurately the commencement of the month denoted by the appearance of the new moon. Messengers were placed on commanding heights to watch the sky, and as soon as the new moon appeared, they hastened to communicate it to the synod, being allowed even to travel on the sabbath for this purpose (Word Studies in the New Testament, by Marvin R. Vincent, vol. 1, ch. II, p. 495).

Again one can easily recognize the potential for Gnosticizing this God ordained occasion by emphasis on the chronological aspect and by eliminating the festiveness on the basis of the dualistic concept of self-denial.

Significance of verb tense

Now we come to verse 17, which nearly the entire Christian world considers a putdown of the Sabbaths, Festivals and New Moons as a “shadows” of the “reality” of Christ. This is implied by the insertion of “is” between “body” and “of Christ. But is this a valid addition to the text? Here again the language plays an important role in determining the specific meaning.

It is most important to note the tense of the verbs in the text of this passage. They are correctly translated as “are” (present active indicative) and “to come” (present participle). The point is that the tenses rule out the interpretation that the Sabbath and Holy Days became obsolete with the coming of Christ because of the time perspective of the statement.

To have that meaning, it would have to say “were”, since Christ had already come in the flesh, died for our sins, and was resurrected by the time Paul wrote Colossians. Yet he says the Festivals, New Moons, and Sabbaths are (still) a shadow at the time Paul wrote, years after Christ’s death. Shadow of what? Of “things to come.” This is an accurate rendering of the present participle form of the Greek word mello, which means ” ‘to be about (to do something)’, often implying the necessity and therefore the certainty of what is to take place” (Vine’s Dictionary of Biblical Words).

The identical construction (except for gender and case ending) is also found in 1 Corinthians 3:22, where its contextual meaning is instructive. The present participle form in Greek projects a timeless, ongoing activity extending into the future as viewed from the temporal vantage point of the main verb, which in this case is the present tense (“are” or technically “is” in Greek to denote the aggregate of the three nouns comprising a three-fold package) of the intransitive verb “to be.”

So the grammar makes a very decisive case for, not against, Christian observance of these occasions, not to “earn salvation” (which is impossible) but to foreshadow events yet to unfold in God’s master plan, of which Jesus Christ is the focal point and central figure.

Also in verse 17, most translators insert the word “is” between soma (“body”) and tou christou (“of Christ”) in an attempt to clarify the meaning in English, since English grammar demands a verb in this clause. No verb is required in Greek, and none is present in the original text of this verse. A similar example of this construction is 1 Corinthians 7:19, “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments is what matters” (NKJV). The words “is what matters” are added to make sense of what is implied but left out in the text. Both are examples of “antithesis,” which is “the rhetorical contrast of ideas by means of parallel arrangements of words, clauses, or sentences (as in ‘actions, not words’)” (Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary).

“Body of Christ” or “Body is of Christ”?

Adding the word “is” between “body” and “of Christ” sets up an antithesis between “shadow” and “body,” thus implying the inferiority and foreshadowing aspect of the festivals, New Moons, and Sabbaths to Christ. This serves as a theological basis for rejecting their observance under the new covenant by pitting them against the “reality” of Christ. Adding the verb “let” prior to the expression “the body of Christ,” sets up an antithesis between the sources of “judging” — humans outside the church (verse 16) versus “the body of Christ” or the Church.

Let us consider both possibilities on the basis of the following points:

1. There are examples of the antithetical apposition of soma and skia (“shadow”) in contemporaneous extra-biblical sources, including Philo, who was, in fact, an influential figure in the development of Gnosticism.

2. However, soma (rendered “substance” or “reality” in most modern translations of this passage) is never used in the entire New Testament for anything other than a literal physical body (usually human) or to the corporeal “body of Christ,” i.e., the Church. This makes a case against the use of soma for establishing an antithetical nuance of “substance” or “reality” in apposition to “shadow.”

3. In all other occurrences of soma in Colossians, the meanings are the human body (2:11, 23, cf. Romans 7:24), the physical, human body of Jesus (1:22, 2:9, the latter actually an adverbial form of soma) or the corporeal “body of Christ,” i.e., the Church (1:18, 24; 2:19; 3:15).

4. Placing “is” within the expression “body of Christ” also has no precedent in the New Testament. The phrase “body of Christ” is found in four other passages (Romans 7:4; I Corinthians 10:16, 12:27; Ephesians 4:12) and implied in many other passages where soma is used in that context, even though the full expression “body of Christ” does not appear.

5. Judging is the main subject of the context of 2:16-17 as well as the entire section beginning in verse 8 and continuing through verse 23.

6. The clincher is that the rules of Greek grammar do not allow “is” to be inserted between “body” and “of Christ” in this passage. Troy Martin, director of religious studies at St. Xavier University in Chicago, has written an article in the Spring 1995 issue of the Journal of Biblical Literature explaining the technicalities of this important grammatical consideration.

All of this presents a stronger case for a the meaning derived from inserting the word “let” than for a shadow/body antithesis implied by breaking up the expression “body of Christ” with the word “is,” for which there is no New Testament precedent, and which is contrary to Greek grammar.

Furthermore, 1 Corinthians 6:1-7 presents the matter of “judging” (same Greek word) within the Church in a positive context as defined earlier, “to form or give an opinion after separating and considering the particulars of a case.” Likewise in this verse, “Let the body of Christ” finishes the thought at the beginning of the sentence, “Let no one judge you, . . . ” which, as we have seen, is the main theme of the larger context of the chapter.

Let’s briefly summarize the conclusions we have drawn in this paper.

1. The Colossians were observing the Festivals, New Moons, and Sabbath, just as they were eating and drinking.

2. The ascetic, Gnostic-based heretics were criticizing them for eating and drinking and rejoicing in celebration of these festive occasions.

3. These occasions (including the New Moon, which is not one of the commanded Holy Days, but is certainly appropriate to observe) still have symbolic value and should continue to be observed as a continual reminder and source of instruction about the basic historic truths of the plan of God, past, present and future.

4. Paul strongly forbids unenlightened Gnostic heretics to stand in judgment of the members of the Colossian congregation or criticize them for keeping these days.

5. Members must continue to look to the body of Christ (who is the focal point of God’s plan and of these occasions which foreshadow His future role in that plan) as the authority to observe these days. They must also look to Christ to keep God’s people united together. The Sabbath and Holy Days help promote this unity by bringing members together in commanded assembly and reminding them they are “sanctified” (“holy” or uniquely special) members of the family of God.

Here is a paraphrased version of what Paul is saying in Colossians 2:16-17, based on the points made in this paper, “Let no man judge you for eating or drinking or for any portion of your observance of a Festival, New Moon or Sabbath (which are a shadow of future events in God’s master plan, of which Jesus Christ is the central figure), but let the body of Christ (which “casts the shadow” as He, walking in the light, moves forward toward their antitypical fulfillment), be your judge in these matters.”

Vital importance of this passage for God’s people today

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:19, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” God’s Sabbath and Holy Days remind us of the past, present, and future reality of Jesus Christ. Those who would advocate abandonment of these intensely meaningful, relevant days and consider them obsolete ceremonial laws fulfilled by Christ, and who teach that the obligation (make that “privilege!”) to observe them is no longer required of a Christian under the New Covenant, are indeed to be pitied, and “will be called least in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19).

In his final appeal Paul admonishes the Colossians, “Let no one defraud you of your reward . . . ” by means of the deception of the pagan Gnostic heresies that were being foisted upon them. Vincent explains:

” . . . from kata “against,” brabeuo “to act as a judge or umpire.” Hence “to decide against one,” or “to declare him unworthy of the prize” . . . which . . . I think must be retained, in continuation of the idea of judgment in ver. 16, “let no man judge,” etc. The attitude of the false teachers would involve their sitting in judgment as to the future reward of those who refused their doctrine of angelic mediation (Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. III, p. 494).

Those who allowed their thinking and conduct to be swayed by heretics outside the Church were “not holding fast (Greek krateo to the Head [Jesus Christ], from whom all the body [the Church], nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments [individual members — cf. Ephesians 4:15-16], grows with the increase which is from God” (Colossians 2:18-19).

This brings to mind a very sobering and timely warning issued by Jesus Christ to “the church at Philadelphia” to “Hold fast [same Greek word krateo) to what you have, that no one may take your crown."

Is there a message here even though the source and exact nature of the theological argument is not the same today? Would we be jeopardizing our "crown" by throwing away the Holy Days and Sabbaths on the basis of "persuasive words" (Colossians 2:4) and "empty [void of truth] deceit” contrary to what the Head of the Church led His Church to understand, and which still remains in print to instruct (or “judge”) us? Perhaps the best way to answer the question is in the words of Jesus Christ Himself in Revelation 3:13, “He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

“An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.
Now the end has come upon you,
And I will send My anger against you;
I will judge you according to your ways,
And I will repay you for all your abominations.
My eye will not spare you,
Nor will I have pity;
But I will repay your ways,
And your abominations will be in your midst;
Then you shall know that I am the LORD!’

“Thus says the Lord GOD:

‘ A disaster, a singular disaster;
Behold, it has come!
An end has come,
The end has come;
It has dawned for you;
Behold, it has come!
Doom has come to you, you who dwell in the land;
The time has come,
A day of trouble is near,
And not of rejoicing in the mountains.
Now upon you I will soon pour out My fury,
And spend My anger upon you;
I will judge you according to your ways,
And I will repay you for all your abominations.
‘ My eye will not spare,
Nor will I have pity;
I will repay you according to your ways,
And your abominations will be in your midst.
Then you shall know that I am the LORD who strikes.

The Bible is full of often-overlooked keys that can resolve many of our misunderstandings about God and His Word. In reading the Scriptures one may vaguely sense these things but somehow never clearly see them because of misleading misconceptions about Scripture.

Jesus Christ came to reveal God the Father (Matthew 11:27). Yet mainstream Christianity continually deemphasizes the role of the Father and focuses almost exclusively on Christ. Such thinking never originated with Jesus Himself. He told us to pray in this manner: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10). Jesus always endeavored to acquaint people with the Father and point them toward Him.

Not truly comprehending the four Gospel accounts, the world suffers from a grievous misunderstanding of God the Father. The biblical reality is often the opposite of the way many, even those in the mainstream religious establishment, usually picture Him.

The Father is intimately concerned with the whole creation. Even the falling of a sparrow gains His attention. Yet Christ said that human beings are of more value than sparrows, and the Father is deeply concerned with His master plan for humanity.

He sends rain on the just and the unjust. He is kind to unthankful and evil human beings. He is merciful (Luke 6:35-36), putting up with much from a wayward mankind. He is patient towards us all, always hoping for full repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

Except for Christ, no human being has ever directly heard the actual voice of the Father or seen His form and shape (John 1:18; 5:37; 6:46; 1 John 4:12). So the YHWH, the I AM, the Word, who later became Jesus Christ, was the One who dealt directly with human beings in Old Testament times. Christ later died for our sins and became the ultimate mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5), a role He had already partially fulfilled as the preexistent Word before His human birth.

So the Word was indeed the God of the Old Testament—and yet the Father fulfilled this role in a very real sense as well. For Christ dealt with mankind on the Father’s behalf as His Spokesman (compare John 8:28; 12:49-50). Moreover, in many passages in the Old Testament it can be difficult to separate these two great personages, whereas the New Testament is usually clear in this respect.

Of course, since Jesus came to reveal the Father (Matthew 11:27), the logical conclusion is that the Father was not generally known by those in Old Testament times except for a few of the Hebrew patriarchs and prophets. King David, for example, is one who understood (Acts 2:30).

Partially quoted earlier, Hebrews 1:1-2 states: “God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His [or 'a'] Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.”

In this opening passage of the book of Hebrews the clear implication is that the Father is the moving force behind the whole Old Testament. In context, verse 2 interprets verse 1. Though God the Father is the prime mover behind the Hebrew Bible, it is through Jesus Christ that He created the entire universe.

Also, the vital principle of the Bible interpreting the Bible helps us to understand the intent of Hebrews 1:1 in the light of other scriptures. Since God made the worlds through Christ and created all things by Him (Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16; John 1:3), He dealt with man through the agency of the preexistent Word, Christ.

“No hunting on Sunday”

But far beyond my own personal pain, this brings up a bigger question:  “Why rest on Sunday at all?”  Most Christians believe that “Sunday rest” originated in the Bible.  What honest truth-seekers are shocked to find is there is absolutely no biblical command to rest on Sunday.  None.  So, why do some rest on Sunday if the Bible doesn’t command it?

Good question.

The answer is right in front of our faces.  In fact, the newspaper in our hometown recently ran a story, “Pray or play?” with the answer.  On page 8E of the article, the editors reproduced the widely recognized edict by the Roman emperor Constantine in 321ad.  It reads thus:

On the venerable day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed.  In the country, however, persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits because it often happens that another day is not suitable for grain-sowing or vine planting; lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost (The Charlotte Observer, January 10, 2009).

So, where did “rest on Sunday” come from?  A Roman emperor?  Certainly not the Bible.  In fact, if we honestly look at Scripture, the only day ever spoken of as a rest day is the seventh.  Take a look at a few examples:

“Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest” (Exodus 31:15).

“The seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it” (Leviticus 23:3).

“The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work” (Deuteronomy 5:14).

Interestingly, resting on the seventh day of the week was commanded as a way of following God’s example. He rested on day seven after the six days of Creation.  Christians who observe the weekly Sabbath – by worshipping and resting – are acknowledging the Creation many millennia ago!

“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God … 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” (Exodus 20:9-11).

So, which day do you rest on?  We challenge you to ask yourself “Why?”  Is it because of tradition, traced back to the edict of an unconverted Roman Emperor?  Or do you obey what you find written in your Bible?  (For additional help in your study, be sure to read our free booklet, Which Day is the Christian Sabbath?)

Sabbath-keeping is actually the wave of the future!  The book of Isaiah foretells a coming day when all nations will observe God’s Holy Days, including the weekly Sabbath.  That prophecy is found in Isaiah:

“‘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” (Isaiah 66:23).

I’m looking forward to that day, when people everywhere will worship – and enjoy the revitalizing rest of the Sabbath – together in harmony and unity.

Until then, you may find me hunting on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday  –  but not on Saturday.

And – at least in North Carolina – never on Sunday.

The big question that you face, and the challenge that confronts many others today, is: What exactly will you believe about the Bible? Will you believe the facts discussed in this booklet (which only scratches the surface of this vast subject), or will you accept skeptics’ speculations that undermine and discredit the Bible—largely by ignoring the facts?

The God of the Bible can challenge us to “examine all things” and “prove” whether He exists (and whether He inspired the Bible), because there is so much remarkable and irrefutable evidence available! True biblical scholars know that the Bible is unlike any other religious book in the world, and that the most distinctive feature of the Bible is prophecy. Students of prophecy know that the Bible contains hundreds of specific prophecies that have been consistently and accurately fulfilled. No other book on the face of the earth contains such remarkable prophetic material, and human efforts to predict the future simply do not compare to the scope and accuracy of Bible prophecy. All this provides powerful evidence pointing to the Bible’s divine origin.

The facts of history demonstrate that the Bible has been preserved and accurately transmitted for thousands of years, in spite of concerted efforts to outlaw, suppress, corrupt, burn and destroy it. The continued existence of the Bible under such adverse and hostile conditions offers strong support that an all-powerful God inspired such biblical statements as “the word of the Lord endures forever” and “My counsel shall stand.” The remarkable way that archaeological discoveries continue to confirm Scripture’s historical accuracy, and undermine critics’ speculative theories, clearly affirms that the Bible is the inspired word of God! The Bible provides real answers to life’s big questions, unlike academics, philosophers and theologians who offer mere platitudes. This strongly indicates that the Bible’s answers were revealed from a supernatural source.

But why do critics and skeptics—who are often highly educated—ignore the facts and continue to claim that the Bible is only a collection of myths and legends, and is untrustworthy as a source of historical, theological or scientific information? Is it significant that secular-minded scholars have planted doubts about the Bible in the minds of millions of people today? What are the consequences of ignoring evidence that the Bible is the inspired word of God? Scripture provides informative answers and offers sobering warnings.

The Bible reveals the cause of this widespread deception: Satan “deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). We can certainly see this when we consider the incredible misconceptions that so many have acquired about the Bible. Jesus prophesied that one sign of the “end of the age” would be the increasing number of false teachers who “will deceive many” by spreading false teachings (Matthew 24:3–5, 11). The Apostle Peter warned that false teachers would subtly bring in “destructive heresies” that would discredit the truth of God and deceive many people (2 Peter 2:1–3). He also warned that “scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts”—casting doubts on Scripture and ignoring the facts of history (see 2 Peter 3:3–9). This deception will be widespread at the end of the age.

However, the Apostle Paul reveals that scoffers and false teachers will reap serious consequences from the God they are mocking and defying. He wrote: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all… who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them… so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God… but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:18–22). Paul’s condemnation of the misguided pagan intellectuals of his day also applies to the misguided scholars and critics of today—who ignore the powerful evidence that points to God as the author and sustainer of the Bible. We need to remember that there is a judgment coming!

The stinging reproofs that the prophet Jeremiah leveled at his contemporaries also apply in our present day. Jeremiah warned that “the prophets become wind, for the word [of God] is not in them… The prophets prophesy falsely… and My people love to have it so… the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood… the prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them… they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart, who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams… and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness… they shall not profit this people at all” (Jeremiah 5:13, 31; 8:8; 14:14; 23:26, 30–32). God said through Jeremiah that because His people “have forsaken My law… and have not obeyed My voice… but they have walked according to the dictates of their own hearts… I will scatter them also among the Gentiles… I will send a sword after them until I have consumed them” (Jeremiah 9:13–16). The Bible clearly reveals that serious consequences will befall those who forsake the laws of God and promote their own theories, or follow those who do.

However, wonderful benefits come to those who prove and believe that the Bible is God’s inspired word, and who follow God’s biblical instructions. King David wrote: “Blessed are [they]… Who walk in the law of the Lord… Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies… Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path… Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble… All Your commandments are truth… The entirety of Your word is truth” (Psalm 119:98, 105, 151, 160, 165). The Bible reveals that God will look favorably on those who develop a deep respect for His word, and are willing to follow its instructions. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isaiah 66:2).

The Bible reveals that God has not left human beings to flounder without fundamental guidelines, or without important answers to life’s big questions. God has inspired and preserved the Bible in a way that no other book has ever been preserved. He has filled Scripture with hundreds of prophecies that accurately predict the future—setting the Bible apart from all other religious books on earth. The discoveries of archaeology and the facts of history continue to confirm the validity of Scripture, even though it was written thousands of years ago. These facts are simply astounding and cannot reasonably be denied!

When you weigh critics’ claims about the Bible against the tremendous evidence of the Bible’s divine inspiration, you are left with a clear choice. You can choose to believe that critics’ theories might have some foundation in fact, while waiting for the next theory to change and assumptions to be revised. Or you can trust the evidence from archaeology, history and fulfilled prophecy, which clearly reveals that the Bible is the inspired word of God—fact, not fiction!

¹ “Be silent before me, you islands!
Let the nations renew their strength!
Let them come forward and speak;
let us meet together at the place of judgment.

² “Who has stirred up one from the east,
calling him in righteousness to his service ?
He hands nations over to him
and subdues kings before him.
He turns them to dust with his sword,
to windblown chaff with his bow.

³ He pursues them and moves on unscathed,
by a path his feet have not traveled before.

⁴ Who has done this and carried it through,
calling forth the generations from the beginning?
I, the LORD -with the first of them
and with the last—I am he.”

⁵ The islands have seen it and fear;
the ends of the earth tremble.
They approach and come forward;

⁶ each helps the other
and says to his brother, “Be strong!”

⁷ The craftsman encourages the goldsmith,
and he who smooths with the hammer
spurs on him who strikes the anvil.
He says of the welding, “It is good.”
He nails down the idol so it will not topple.

⁸ “But you, O Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
you descendants of Abraham my friend,

⁹ I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.

¹⁰ So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

¹¹ “All who rage against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
those who oppose you
will be as nothing and perish.

¹² Though you search for your enemies,
you will not find them.
Those who wage war against you
will be as nothing at all.

¹³ For I am the LORD, your God,
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.

¹⁴ Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob,
O little Israel,
for I myself will help you,” declares the LORD,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁵ “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge,
new and sharp, with many teeth.
You will thresh the mountains and crush them,
and reduce the hills to chaff.

¹⁶ You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up,
and a gale will blow them away.
But you will rejoice in the LORD
and glory in the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁷ “The poor and needy search for water,
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the LORD will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

¹⁸ I will make rivers flow on barren heights,
and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water,
and the parched ground into springs.

¹⁹ I will put in the desert
the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive.
I will set pines in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress together,

²⁰ so that people may see and know,
may consider and understand,
that the hand of the LORD has done this,
that the Holy One of Israel has created it.

²¹ “Present your case,” says the LORD.
“Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.

²² “Bring in your idols to tell us
what is going to happen.
Tell us what the former things were,
so that we may consider them
and know their final outcome.
Or declare to us the things to come,

²³ tell us what the future holds,
so we may know that you are gods.
Do something, whether good or bad,
so that we will be dismayed and filled with fear.

²⁴ But you are less than nothing
and your works are utterly worthless;
he who chooses you is detestable.

²⁵ “I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes—
one from the rising sun who calls on my name.
He treads on rulers as if they were mortar,
as if he were a potter treading the clay.

²⁶ Who told of this from the beginning, so we could know,
or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’?
No one told of this,
no one foretold it,
no one heard any words from you.

²⁷ I was the first to tell Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’
I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good tidings.

²⁸ I look but there is no one—
no one among them to give counsel,
no one to give answer when I ask them.

²⁹ See, they are all false!
Their deeds amount to nothing;
their images are but wind and confusion.