Have Christians Forgotten Christ??

Are modern Christians following Christ or traditions that are merely the commandments of men? If Jesus were walking the dusty roads of Galilee today and teaching from the same ScripturesThe divinely inspired writings of both the Old and New Testaments. The term Scripture is used in the New Testament to refer to both the Hebrew Bible (Luke 24:44-45) and the new apostolic writings accepted as inspired (2 Peter 3:16; 1 Timothy 5:18). He used 2,000 years ago, would modern Christians follow Him or would He have to walk alone? The question remains: Have modern Christians forgotten Christ?

Secular news magazines such as Time and Newsweek sometimes feature articles on BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. prophecy and Christian beliefs. But it seems odd that a secular magazine would attempt to interpret BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. topics for Christians. After 9/11, and more recently the movie The Passion, secular news magazines have filled their pages with articles on BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. prophecies and Christ's sacrifice. These articles probably are good eye-candy for selling magazines.

Yet, these same secular magazines carefully avoid the stark differences between what Christ really taught His disciples and what modern Christians believe and teach.

Members of the early New TestamentThe 27 authoritative books of the apostolic writings: the four Gospels of Christ, Acts (a history), 21 apostolic letters and the book of Revelation. Church were called Christians because they followed Jesus Christ . The criteria supporting that designation remain the same, but the name Christian today has taken on a new meaning.

When one actually compares the New TestamentThe 27 authoritative books of the apostolic writings: the four Gospels of Christ, Acts (a history), 21 apostolic letters and the book of Revelation. scriptures to modern religious writings about what Christ believed and taught, the differences are mind-boggling.

Who is right, Christ or religious interpreters? Let's look at one such difference: the modern Christian "Sabbath" day.

Most Christians, and there are over one billion of them in the world, keep Sunday as their sacred day. What biblical support do they have for observing the first day of the week instead of the seventh-day Sabbath?

It can't be the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ.. The BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. supports only the seventh-day Sabbath.

But why not allow Christ to speak on Christ? He said the Sabbath (the seventh-day) was made for man (Mark 2:28Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
See All...). He customarily went to Jewish synagogue service on the Sabbath day (Luke 4:16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
See All...). And He taught on that day (Mark 1:21And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.
See All... ; Luke 6:6And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
See All...).

Without apology, even The Catholic Encyclopedia plainly states that Jesus and the apostles kept only the seventh-day Sabbath. It confirms that it was the Roman Emperor Constantine who was responsible for shifting the day of worship from the Sabbath to Sunday.

Nowhere in the New TestamentThe 27 authoritative books of the apostolic writings: the four Gospels of Christ, Acts (a history), 21 apostolic letters and the book of Revelation. is there even one hint that Jesus kept any day other than Saturday as the Sabbath. Also, the apostle Paul kept the seventh-day Sabbath and taught the gentiles on that day (Acts 13:42And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
See All..., 44).

Some might argue "that was then and this is now," that the gentile Christians have a right to observe a day different from that of the Jews. But where is the logic in this reasoning? Somehow it seems to have escaped them that Jesus our Savior also was a Jew. And He observed the same Sabbath the Jews observe.

The real logical question should be: Is the Sabbath that Jesus and the apostles kept from the Jews or from God?

It was God who sanctified the Sabbath in the beginning (Genesis 2:2-3 [2] And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
[3] And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

See All...). And Jesus said that He didn't come to earth to cancel even a letter or part of a letter of God's law but to fill it to the full (Matthew 5:17Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
See All...).

The Fourth Commandment, of the Ten Commandments, addresses and sanctions the seventh-day Sabbath explicitly. It is the only day of the week that God ever consecrated for a commanded assembly (Exodus 20:8-11 [8] Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
[9] Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
[10] But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
[11] For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

See All...; Leviticus 23:1-3 [1] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
[2] Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
[3] Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.

See All...).

Neither God the Father nor Christ ever changed any of those Ten Commandments. This includes the Fourth Commandment.

We've now come full circle. Jesus Christ taught the observance of and kept the seventh-day Sabbath. The original 12 apostles kept the Sabbath (from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday). Later, the apostle Paul taught the gentile converts on the seventh-day Sabbath, not on Sunday (Acts 13:42-44 [42] And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
[43] Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
[44] And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

See All...).

Even the Catholic Church, that began abandoning the keeping of the Sabbath during the reign Constantine, plainly confirms that Jesus Christ and His apostles always kept the seventh-day Sabbath.

If the term Christian identifies one who follows Christ's teachings and example and Christ kept the seventh-day Sabbath, how can a modern professing Christian keep another day and also claim to be a genuine follower of Jesus Christ?

Jesus spoke plainly about those who follow religious traditions contrary to what the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. teaches: "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me , teaching as doctrines the commandments of men " (Matthew 15:8-9 [8] This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
[9] But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

See All...).

Are modern Christians following Christ or traditions that are merely the commandments of men? If Jesus were walking the dusty roads of Galilee today and teaching from the same ScripturesThe divinely inspired writings of both the Old and New Testaments. The term Scripture is used in the New Testament to refer to both the Hebrew Bible (Luke 24:44-45) and the new apostolic writings accepted as inspired (2 Peter 3:16; 1 Timothy 5:18). He used 2,000 years ago, would modern Christians follow Him or would He have to walk alone? The question remains: Have modern Christians forgotten Christ?