Originally Posted by Pilgrim
So, you can see that this matter of the Sabbath isn't something that the Church has ignored. Over the centuries this issue has arisen and such men as those above along with myriad more have considered the subject, studied the Scriptures and brought forth their findings. I would be more than remiss to not mention the fact that the Holy Spirit dwelt in these men no less than you would claim. The difference, however, is that all of these men were recognized for possessing particular gifts in the knowledge and wisdom of the inspired written Word. They are a formidable group, to say the least, which one needs to deal with and not simply dismiss as being "off the mark". I for one, and I will presume to say with some measure of confidence, that most others here, look forward to your arguments against the above references.

A formidable group of men and resources you have pointed me to Pilgrim! Indeed. Makes me wonder at my spiritual sanity in even contemplating the potential that the Sabbath is to be considered just as any other day by Christians today.

Incidentally I am not entirely certain that such is the truth Pilgrim. What I am against is the way that many seem to attach all kinds of things to the Sabbath that have litte or not Scriptural support.

Such as attaching to the Sabbath the supposed requirement that we all attend a gathering of believers inside a nice traditional Church building with a steeple on top. With elders and deacons and baptism and communion and everything else in between. All attached of course to the Sabbath.

This long list of stalwarks of the faith makes me wonder how it is that the Lord every brought me around to realizing that a 2000 year old "Church", I speak of the Roman Catholic Church, was wrong such that I turned away from her teachings and became a Christian.

Not to mention that many of these stalwarks of the faith did not quite grasp the Scriptures as they should have in any number of particulars notwithstanding their supposed correct interpretation of the Sabbath. In other words they were mortal just like any one of us. No better than any of us in understanding the ways of God apart from the Holy Spirit leading them into all truth.

A Spirit by the way that all true Christians have today. As much as any of these men did. And a Spirit that is just as willing today to lead any true seekers after God's truth into a great awareness and insight into the things of God as any of those men might have had.

Rather than building a lofty and seemingly unassailable consensus of what is true based on any number of stalwarks of the faith who might have believed the same thing in times past it would be well for us to take a look afresh at what the Bible actually says for ourselves.

For many stalwarks of the faith have been so very wrong in the past not to mention that one such "Church" which took stalwarkism (if I may put it as such) went so far as to elevate what said stalwarks believed to be equal to what the Scriptures say (referring to the RCC).

If I can do so I will start a new thread when I have done my proper study and come to any definite conclusions that can be adequately supported by Scriptures.

While that may seem quite presumptious of me in my saying that I might be able to draw different conclusions than learned Christian scholars in the past, such a belief is not so much an exalted view of my own biblical prowess as much a belief and trust in the Holy Spirit to lead me and to enable my mind to understand God's perspective on things as I seek the Lord.

A Spirit that all true Christians have.

Carlos