March 14, 2025

The Sabbath: Paul's True Position

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Did the Apostle Paul really teach that Christians should abandon the Sabbath? This controversial question has divided believers for centuries, but a deeper examination of Scripture reveals a surprising truth.

We dive into Paul's most misunderstood passages on this topic – Colossians 2, Galatians 4, and Romans 14 – uncovering what he was actually addressing. Rather than dismissing Sabbath observance, Paul was battling false teachers who were distorting God's commandments with burdensome human regulations and pagan influences.

The evidence is compelling. The absence of any major controversy about Paul abolishing the Sabbath speaks volumes – especially compared to the heated debates over circumcision recorded in Acts. Moreover, Paul himself continued observing the Sabbath throughout his ministry, making it unlikely he was teaching others to abandon it.

What emerges is a more nuanced understanding of Paul's message: he defended the true purpose of the Sabbath against legalistic perversions while affirming its continuing validity for believers. His concern wasn't whether to observe sacred days, but how they were observed – not under bondage to human traditions, but in the freedom and grace found in Christ.

This eye-opening exploration challenges popular misconceptions and invites believers to reconsider what we thought we knew about Paul's teachings on the Sabbath. Perhaps it's time to rediscover this divine gift – a time of rest, worship, and renewal in God's presence – as it was always intended to be.

Join us as we continue our series on God's commandments and their relevance for believers today, especially as we navigate these end times. Subscribe, share, and let's stand firm in biblical truth together!

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The Intro/Outro music is Are You Ready? by Floodgate. From the Album, Are You Ready? copyright 2002 OffBeat Ministries, Inc.
Floodgate is available on Apple Music and iTunes.
Music used with permission.

Thank You. I Love You!

SEE YA!

Rick

Be An Encourager...Not A Discourager!

Chapters

01:03 - Welcome/Intro

02:14 - Context of Colossians 2:16-23

04:09 - What Did Paul Mean? Galations 4:10

05:31 - Romans 14 "Days"

07:18 - Paul and Sunday Worship

08:12 - Pauls True Stance on the Sabbath

09:21 - Final Thoughts

09:58 - Closing Thoughts

Transcript

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The world is changing and time is running out.

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This is Renewed Mindsets, where we confront biblical truth head-on no sugarcoating, no compromise.

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We expose false doctrine, reveal fulfilled prophecy and shine light on the demonic deception of these last days, but we also stand firm on the hope of Christ's return, the call to holiness and the urgency of true salvation.

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It's time to renew your mind, for the time is now.

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Let's go, boys.

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Hey, welcome to Renewed Mindsets.

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I'm Rick and I'm so glad you're here.

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Today is a continuation of episode number 74 about the Sabbath, a part of it that has sparked a whole lot of debate among believers.

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What did Paul really say about the Sabbath among believers?

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What did Paul really say about the Sabbath?

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Now, for a lot of people, paul's writings on sacred days, including the Sabbath, have been misunderstood, meaning that he dismissed the practice altogether.

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But is that really the case, or was Paul addressing something much deeper, something that had more to do with false teachings and legalistic distortions, rather than the Sabbath itself?

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Well, today we'll break down Paul's own words in Colossians 2, galatians 4, and Romans 14 to uncover his true stance on the Sabbath.

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Was Paul opposed to Sabbath-keeping or was he defending it against perversions that crept into the early church?

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Well, let's find out.

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So first let's start with Colossians, chapter 2, 16 through 23.

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It's a passage that's often cited to argue that Paul rejected the observance of the Sabbath and other holy days.

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However, if you look at it closely, it reveals that Paul wasn't condemning the Sabbath itself, but rather the way false teachers were imposing strict regulations regarding its observance.

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Now, these teachers?

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They likely influenced by asceticism and pagan beliefs.

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They weren't simply advocating for Sabbath-keeping, they were enforcing a rigid, superstitious approach to religious observance, one that emphasized excessive fasting, self-denial and submission to cosmic powers rather than true worship to God.

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Paul warns the Colossians not to let anyone pass judgment on them regarding food and drink or the observance of sacred days, but he isn't telling them to abandon these practices.

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He's cautioning them against allowing human regulations to distort God's commandments.

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The real issue at hand was not whether to observe the Sabbath, but how it was being observed under the influence of false teachers.

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Paul makes it clear that these regulations, such as do not handle, do not taste, do not touch, were human-imposed restrictions that burden believers unnecessarily.

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He describes them as a mere shadow of the true faith and he indicates that these distortions of these traditions should not be imposed as requirements for salvation.

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Another commonly misunderstood passage is Galatians 4.10, where Paul warns against returning to the days and months and seasons and years.

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Now some interpret this as a condemnation of the Sabbath and other biblical festivals.

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But a closer examination reveals a different picture.

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Now, in context, paul is rebuking the Galatians for returning to their former pagan practices.

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It involved the veneration of astral deities and cosmic forces.

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Now, many ancient cultures believed that celestial bodies controlled the destiny of humans and they observed special days based on these superstitions.

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Paul equates this return to observing days based on fear and superstition as a form of enslavement to elemental spirits.

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So does Galatians 4.10 condemn the Sabbath?

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No, the issue Paul addresses here is not biblical Sabbath-keeping, but rather a return to pagan customs.

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Paul wasn't warning against God's appointed times, but against legalistic and superstitious observances that had nothing to do with biblical faith.

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Now, romans 14 is another passage that's frequently cited to argue that Paul dismissed the importance of the Sabbath.

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In verse 5, paul says One person esteems one day above another, another esteems every day alike.

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Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.

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Now a lot of people take this to mean that the Sabbath is merely a matter of personal preference.

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But is that what Paul meant?

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The context of Romans 14 is about disputes over diet and personal convictions, specifically regarding fasting.

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The passage discusses those who abstain from certain foods and those who eat freely, the Didache, an early Christian document.

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It confirms that early believers fasted on different days, with some choosing Wednesdays and Fridays, while others followed different traditions.

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Now, paul's point in Romans 14 is that believers should not judge one another over those personal convictions.

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He encourages them to act in a way that honors God without imposing their convictions on others.

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The issue at hand was not about the weekly Sabbath, but about fasting practices and other personal preferences.

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Now, along the lines of that, if the weak believers in Romans 14 were those who observed the Sabbath, then Paul, who himself observed the Sabbath and the Jewish festivals, would have had to consider himself weak.

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However, in Romans 15.1, paul identifies as one of the strong further providing that Sabbath-keeping was not what he was addressing in Romans 15.1, paul identifies as one of the strong further providing that Sabbath keeping was not what he was addressing in the passage.

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Now let's get to some meat.

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No-transcript.

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Now, if Paul had been teaching that the Sabbath was abolished and that Christians should observe Sunday instead, there would have been a big, significant controversy, much like the debates over circumcision in Acts 21-21.

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But the New Testament contains no such controversy.

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In fact, nowhere does Paul argue for replacing the Sabbath with Sunday.

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The idea that Paul dismissed the Sabbath and instituted Sunday worship is simply not supported by Scripture.

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Instead, he was concerned with the way false teachers had twisted Sabbath observance into a burdensome legalistic practice that emphasized human regulations rather than God's intent.

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Paul's concern was never with legitimacy of the Sabbath-keeping, but with the distortion of it by false teachers.

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He never tells believers to abandon the Sabbath.

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Instead, he warns them against unnecessary regulations that pervert its observance.

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His message is clear Believers should not pass judgment on one another regarding these practices, nor should they impose human-made restrictions that corrupt God's intent for worship.

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The absence of any direct opposition to the Sabbath in Paul's writing it suggests that he respected the institution rather than rejecting it.

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Now, rather than condemning biblical festivals, paul rejects ascetic, legalistic interpretations that undermine the core principle of justification by faith in Christ.

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He emphasizes that our relationship with God is based on faith and grace, not a rigid adherence to human traditions.

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So what did Paul really say about the Sabbath?

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He affirmed its validity while warning against its misuse.

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He defended the freedom of believers to observe it without submitting to false teachings and legalistic burdens.

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As followers of Christ, we should seek to understand God's commandments in the light of His grace, avoiding both extremes of legalism and neglect.

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The Sabbath is a gift.

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It's a time of rest and worship and renewal in God's presence.

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Thank you for joining me in today's episode of Renewed Mindsets.

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If you found this discussion helpful, be sure to subscribe and share it with others.

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This discussion helpful.

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Be sure to subscribe and share it with others.

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This is the first of a few shows on the commandments.

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We need to be observing all of them fully, to do as God said, to be holy, as I am holy, especially in these end times.

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Look for them in an upcoming episode and, as always, let's continue renewing our minds with the truth of God's Word.

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Are you ready to stand?

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That's all for today, but I'll be back with more unfiltered biblical truth and undeniable prophecy.

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The time to wake up is now.

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If today's episode challenged you, don't keep it to yourself.

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Tell someone.

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Please.

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Text them a link.

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Share the truth while there's still time.

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Visit renewedmindsetscom to stay connected and to listen to past episodes, and check out our merch at renewedmindsetsstore.

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Jesus is coming soon.

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Stay watchful, stay holy, stay renewed Until next week.

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I'm Rick, be an encourager, not a discourager.

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I love you.

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See ya.

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The intro and outro music for the Renewed Mindsets podcast is Are you Ready?

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By Floodgate From the album Are you Ready?

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Copyright 2002, offbeat Ministries Incorporated.

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Floodgate can be found on Apple Music and iTunes.

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Music used with permission.

The Sabbath: Paul's True Position

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