If Not for 1 Verse

The title is, If Not for One Verse. If not for one verse. Could it be that one verse in the New Testament makes me hold on to the doctrine of the Sabbath and actually has me keeping the Sabbath? Now, I know you may say, well, yeah, Jesus Christ kept it, so we should keep it. But He wasn't you, of course. So you Sabbatarians, I want you to consider this this morning. You are Sabbatarians, I take it. I just saw one, and the only one here that admitted it. So, because I bring this up, because Jesus did appear to His disciples on Sunday after His resurrection, did He not? Yes, He did. He did give the Holy Spirit and start His actual church, New Testament church, on a Sunday.

Matter of fact, it was Pentecost 31 A.D. when He did such a thing. And God, as we just came back from the Feast of Tabernacles, we look and as brought out the last of the Holy Days that we keep every year is called the eighth day. And I look after the seventh day on Saturday, and the eighth day would be then Sunday. So, I did not go into this time Colossians 2 and verse 16, about not to be judged on your Holy Days or what you eat or anything else that you do. And the recognized physical sign from God to Abraham and to the faithful in the Old Testament, David covered, was circumcision, which was to be performed on what day?

So, you see, Paul preached on Sunday also, did he not? Hmm, I've actually preached on Sunday a few times. Go with me to Acts. Go with me to Acts. Acts 20 verse 7. Read from the New King James version, which I did know, I didn't know what you pulled off there, but the New King James in my study has 770,430 words. Not that I counted every one of them, but the other versions one is 783,000, isn't it? That's a lot of words. Okay, let's go in verse 7 of Acts 20. Now, on the first day of the week, what day would it be? Oh, there you go. When the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them, what day? Sunday, and continued his message until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where they'd gather together, and in the windows sat a young young man named Eudecus, who was sinking into a deep sleep, Paul being not realizing how long he was talking. Haven't we all heard those preachers before? They're not our favorite. He was overcome by sleep, and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him, do not trouble yourself, for his life is in him. Now, when he had come up, had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a while, even till daybreak, he departed, and they brought in the young man alive. And they were not but a little comforted there. So here we have Paul preaching on Sunday. As a matter of fact, we can bring up Genesis 1 and verse 5, can't we? Because that is the day that God made time on the very first day in the book of Genesis. And then as King Agrippa turned to Paul, when Paul was before him and said, you almost persuade me.

Well, I want to see if I can. I don't think I have to persuade you, but you heard some of the reasons people keep the first day. Now, for me, this is, in my studies, became one, if not the strongest part and probably the strongest evidence in the New Testament for you Sabbatarians. So, because except for one scripture, if not for one verse, if not for one verse, you might be convinced of the first day being a time when the New Testament church. So let's go to that one verse, as I will go here now, and let's go to the book of Hebrews. Hebrews is written to whom?

Hebrews.

The Jews. That's pretty simple, like Grant's tomb. And we will go here. So I will be reading from New King James Version. So let's go to Hebrews 4 and verse 4.

It said, For he has spoken at a certain place of the seventh day in this way, and God rested on the, what did you say, seventh day from all his works. Where did he get that from? The Old Testament. Right? Is that from Genesis?

So let's go on. And again, in this place, they shall not enter my rest. Where did he get that from? Psalm 95 and verse 11, talking about Israel and Judah, as David had gone through. Why did they go into captivity for breaking God's law? And he mentions not only in Ezekiel, but various places. They went into captivity because of the Sabbath. And they did their own thing here. Now let's go to verse 6. Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience. What we had just talked about. Verse 7. Again, he designates a certain day, saying in David, or as David said, today after such a long time it has been said, today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. For if Joshua had given them rest, then he would not afterward have spoken of another day. And then we come to that verse, the verse I want to look at today. A verse that in my lifetime and church never really was covered much, other than it would be brought up sometimes at a holy day. And they compared this holy day to the rest who receive in the kingdom.

But is that really what it's talking about?

Let's go there. Verse 9. I'm reading from the New King James version. There remains, therefore, a rest for the people of God.

Now, it's interesting because people claim that that word rest is talking about heaven. You'll hear that tomorrow somewhere. Talking about heaven. Or it can be talking about the kingdom of God, the promised land for the children of God, or a promised land for Christians. But what is being discussed and taught to these Hebrews or written to these Hebrews about? Well, what is said in verse four? What is it that? The seventh day is being discussed, not the eighth day. Let's look at context.

And then it uses the word remains in verse nine. There remains. What does that mean? There remains. Okay, is that talking future? Hmm, what does the Greek word mean? The Greek word is actually Apiletia. And the Greek word means left behind. So there's nothing in this sentence, structure in the Greek talking about the future in this verse. The actual Greek word means left behind. There, left behind, if you want to use the actual Greek word, a rest for the people of God. What would you think that's talking about? What's been left behind? The Sabbath. The Sabbath day was left behind. For the, who does it say? For the people of God. Because the Greeks, they didn't, wasn't left behind for them because they never had it till Paul brought it to them. The Macedonian call. There remains, therefore, a rest. And that is where it gets to me interesting. I have to look at my watch. You saw me this morning. You remember why ministers take off their watch and put it up here? You know what it stands for? Nothing. Nothing. You just do it. But you know I stay on time. How can I choose someone out if I don't do it myself? Oh, you got me! I forgot you. I didn't have one of these. You actually have a little clock here. That says, Chuck, look at the clock. So I don't have to take this off. So that's very good. So here we come to this verse 9. This verse, except for this verse, maybe you could be convinced. That maybe we're meeting here 24 hours too late or too early. And that we need to meet later. So let's look, because I already talked about one Greek word, which means left behind from that sentence. But it's interesting because of all the scriptures in the New Testament, every Greek word that's translated, this is the only time in the entire Bible that one word is used. The only time. And this is it. And the word is Sabotismos. Sabotismos! That's it. Sabotismos. But it's interesting because Sabotismos, in most lexicons, if you go to a Greek lexicon, and I'm sure all of you have some type of Greek lexicon, and whether it's Thares or whether it's Arden Gingrich or Barrett or I have greens, whatever lexicon it is, because most of us don't speak Greek, especially ancient Greek, Koiné Greek, where we can just call it off of my head. Oh, there, that means this. No. Sabotismos means only used once in the entire Bible, and this is the place. The word rest here is from the word Sabotismos. So in most of the Greek lexicons, they define the word as Sabbath rest. A Sabbath rest.

Others call it Sabbath observance. Do we begin to see the picture here?

It means the seventh-day observance of the seventh day. Sabbath. That's what it covers. So it's in the Greek, it's pretty clear. As a matter of fact, if you go, because the the word rest was put in there in the Old King James, it's actually in the New King James. But in the newer translations, where they actually go to the original Greek, it ain't there. Because they know that's not the correct translation. As a matter of fact, look at all these. Look at all these. The Wycliffe, American Standard, the Derby, English Standard Version, the New Revised Version, New International Version, New Interholman's Psalm, a New English Translation.

All of them, every one of these, what do they say? Sabbath. That remains a Sabbath for the people of God. They didn't change it. They looked at the original Greek and they wanted to be true to what it said. So did those who originally translated the Old King James. But they had a problem. Had a problem with the word Sabbath. Because if they kept that in there, it's a direct commandment that the people of God would be keeping the Sabbath.

So in 1611, they're like, uh-uh, let's just use part of the definition. Let's call it rest. And they did. And you know what? It worked. It worked. Because that is what most people will tell you today, even when they read this one. As a matter of fact, Sabatismos, in Greek literature, because it's there. It's only one time in the Bible, but it is in Greek literature. Go back and look the last 2,000 years. Go back to Greek literature and you'll find the word Sabatismos. And in Greek literature, 100% of the time, every time, it is referring to Sabbath-keeping.

Isn't that clear? It's pretty clear. So what sold me and made me really look into this and search this out was I started going back at one time, 20 years ago, 25 years ago, and started looking at some of the older translations I could get. And I went back to the Stevens text of 1550. I actually called the Byzantine text. And it was in Greek, it was translated in Greek by this guy, not named Stevens, but he adopted this name. I think he was trying to hide. Didn't want it out because they were already killing people for translating the Bible and trying to get it into the people's hands, as Tyndale and many others were killed for this reason.

So when I looked at the Stevens text, because it's easy to get, because there are a few copies still around. They think three or four, but they went to them because at least 40 or 50 were made. And I even tried to purchase one online, a copy of the original copy, but I didn't think my wife would allow that much money coming out of our budget at that time. But the Stevens text of 1550 became known as the Textus Receptus. Now, I know that sounds when I went to theology school classes that sounded like, oh, he's trying to make you sound dumb or make somebody sound smart. But it's a Textus Receptus because that's the way the Greek looked at it.

This is a text that they all go back to. This is where the old King James, this is where all of them can go back to the original Greek because the Receptus, Texas, they were the first in that 1550 to collect all the writings and copies of the New Testament in Greek, in Koine Greek. So they brought everything together so there wouldn't be any question.

And they looked out everything and they wanted because they were already trying to get something out. If you know the that time in history, they were trying to get it out because the powers that be, one main church, the mother church, you want to say that the mother church didn't want anything out and they didn't want any of the people to have a copy of the Bible because then they could tell you what it says in Latin each week that you gathered on the eighth day, first day.

So this was very important to this group of people who had gotten together in 1550 to actually translate the Greek as it is, was originally written. That's what was big about this verse. And they realized that to change this one word, to leave this one word out, Sabbath, rest, Sabbath, leave the Sabbath, you were left with rest and you could do about anything you wanted to do with that one.

This is what they did. And so I got a copy. It went in a library way back, Tennessee somewhere, and made a copy because I found what this actually said in Hebrews 4 and verse 9 in the Stevens text. And this is exactly how it reads when it's translated from the original. There remains Sabbath-keeping for the people of God. Is that any more plain? Now, it's no, can't get any plainer than that. Their remains are, looking back, Sabbath-keeping for the people of God. This is six decades before the old King James is even written. This is a few decades before they stopped killing people for translating the Bible and trying to get it into the hands of people. As I brought out this morning, I think it's very important that we cherish what has been given to us. At one time, I did a research on how many people were killed so I could have this in my hands today. And I lost count. Thousands of people were killed that we know of who were found and most of them were tortured as heretics for just trying to put a Bible in your hand.

Why is it precious? It should be to us because this one verse, this understanding of this Bible, and this one verse points to one set of people, the people of God and Sabbath rest, keeping the Sabbath. This is for us. That's why I bring it up. The Byzantine text is called the oldest text. As a matter of fact, the textus Receptus is actually brought into English as the received text because it is the original text that was received by all those just trying to bring it to the people, bringing God's word, the New Testament, to the people. Now, let's go back since I have 12 minutes and 32 seconds left. Go back to Hebrews again and we have to finish with another verse because it is context, context, context, if you've ever set through and had your thesis graded and brought out before you as I did. Verse 10, For he who has entered his rest. There we go. Sabatismos? No, no. The rest there is not Sabatismos. I told you it's only used one time and that's in verse 9.

This word that's translated rest is kataposos. Kataposos. And kataposos means in the Greek an abode, a place, not a Sabbath keeping.

It actually means it can mean a time or a place for rest. It's what we do when we come together for the Sabbath, isn't it? A reprieve. Very good. But it's also represent of the place. Just like God gives us. Remember? A place to come on the Sabbath.

So for he who has entered his, what? Rest, abode a place to stop.

Has himself also ceased from his works as God did with his. Remember Genesis 2? You see, this ties it back. It can't be about something else. It's about the Sabbath. And he's writing it to these Hebrews who are keeping the Sabbath.

That remains. But he didn't say, here was his chance, this writer, whoever it was, here was his chance to say, and there's Sabbath keeping for the Jewish people. This was his chance.

And yet that's what many teachers will teach you. That, oh yes, well, Jesus Christ kept it. And yes, but he was a Jew. And so it's for them. But it's not. Here was the chance to say, but he didn't say that. He said the people of God. Why would you say that? Because there were Gentiles at this time when this book was written keeping the Sabbath. That's what Paul was teaching. That's what Barnabas taught. That's what other people taught. So let me read that. Verse 9 and 10.

As it was written, there remains for the people of God. There remains, therefore, a Sabbath keeping for the people of God. For he who has entered his rest, as himself, also ceased from his work as, as who? God did. You can't take it apart. You can't, as God did. And he did, didn't he? Was God tired? No. Then why did he rest? Well, he said, hey man, this is going great. I've got seven days of winning. Let's keep it up. But he didn't, did he?

Because he said the Sabbath, as he later said when he was walking on earth, the Sabbath was made for not for the Sabbath. So he stopped because he was going to make this for us, for his people. So we would, and as it says in Genesis 2, Sabbath ceased to do. And I like to say sometimes he has to tell us, stop! Stop it! Stop what you're doing and come to my realm. Come to me. And sometimes we have to be told that way. But he does it out of love because he wants us. He wants the people of God. He wants you to show him you are the people of God. That's what this is about. To allow the first day doctrine to stand, the translators needed to modify one word. Just leave one word out. What harm could that do? Let's just, this stupid word that's never used anywhere else in the entire New Testament. No, it's not used anywhere. Let's just leave it out. The Sabbathismos. And let's just take part of the word and just go, rest. And it worked. Oh, has it worked.

This was written to Hebrews. This isn't to anyone else.

Do you think they know what this means? Oh, you bet. How about Greek-speaking Jews?

Oh, definitely so. Today, the Sabbath day, the seventh day, is a day of rest. He takes you all the way back, and it's dictated by our God.

Dictated by the Creator, Jesus Christ, the word of the Old Testament. He was the word. And he thought so much of it that he even had to tell those Jews, Israelites, twice in Exodus 20. He said, remember the Sabbath day because they forgot it. They'd been in captivity all that. He said, remember the zakar, which means the Hebrew word recall and never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever forget. They knew what that meant. That's a strong word for somebody to go, zakar! But that's what he wrote.

Remember the Sabbath day. Don't ever forget it. And then he changed after they wandered around for 39 years because they tried first year and they thought they might actually get there, David. But they call it 40 years, but actually they wanted for 39. He gave them a year to screw up. But then he in the last 30 days of his life, Moses wrote the book of Deuteronomy. 30 days. It was a series of four sermons. Some say five, some say three, some say four. I say four. You can actually break it down. And he gave this. Those were the last four sermons he ever preached. Okay. And what did he do in Deuteronomy five? He didn't say, remember, he said, what? Observe. Observe. Observe the Sabbath day. He wanted his people to have no excuse. So he gave it to them time and time again and just checked Ezekiel and go to, Google Ezekiel and the time Sabbath is mentioned and you'll find he loaded them down with it and he loads us down with examples. But this one, you can't get away from it. No matter how technical you want to be. And I remember bringing this up to a customer of mine 20 years ago when I first ran into this after studying it. One of my customers, he was a minister in a very large church and he had two doctors in theology from different seminaries. And I actually had very good rapport with him. We talked about things and things and everything and felt good. And then he said, But I still don't know why you keep the Sabbath. You understand the sacrifice of Christ because we swap things back and forth. I tried to find what we had in common, not what we don't have in common, especially since he hadn't paid me for my job yet.

But it came to that point where I said Hebrews 4 and verse 9. And I thought he'd go, let me say, he goes, Oh, I know. He knew. He knew.

He said, No, I'm not going to argue that point with you. He knew he could, because he had studied it as much as I had and had come but had decided that his teachers taught him and he would upset his church and upset their theology. So what a powerful verse. What a powerful verse. Now you have it. Now it's in your court. It's harder to argue than any point of any other scripture you can actually have in the New Testament Greek. So I wanted to give it to you because there remains Sabbath keeping for the people of God. And that is me. How about you?