The First Great Commandment
The first four of the Ten Commandments teach man how to love God. "You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make unto you any graven image...You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain...Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" (..."slickWindow('Exodus','20','3-8')" title="View scripture">Ex. 20:3-8).
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In ..."slickWindow('Matthew','22','ALL')" title="View scripture">Matthew 22, Christ summarized these four, saying, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment" (..."slickWindow('Matthew','22','37-38')" title="View scripture">vs. 37-38).
When Satan the devil tried to tempt Jesus while He fasted in the wilderness, Christ quoted the First Com-mandment: "Get you behind Me, Satan: for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve" (..."slickWindow('Luke','4','8')" title="View scripture">Luke 4:8; ..."slickWindow('Matthew','4','10')" title="View scripture">Matt. 4:10).
In ..."slickWindow('John','4','24')" title="View scripture">John 4:24, Christ was speaking about the Second Commandment when He taught that men cannot use physical objects, images or "aids"-in other words, idols-to worship a spiritual God. Since God is a Spirit, His followers must worship Him in spirit.
Paul also taught the Second Commandment: "Neither be you idolaters, as were some of them [the Israelites during the Exodus]; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play" (..."slickWindow('1 Corinthians','10','7')" title="View scripture">I Cor. 10:7). Carnal-minded Israel did not have the patience to worship a God they could not see, so they made a physical "god" to satisfy their carnal, physical lusts. But God knew this would happen. Throughout mankind's history, man has always rejected his Creator in order to worship His creation (..."slickWindow('Romans','1','18-25')" title="View scripture">Rom. 1:18-25).
In ..."slickWindow('Matthew','15','ALL')" title="View scripture">Matthew 15, Christ taught against breaking several of God's commandments, including the third: "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders [Sixth Commandment], adulteries [Seventh Commandment], fornications, thefts [Eighth Com-mandment], false witness [Ninth Commandment], blasphemies [Third Commandment]" (..."slickWindow('Matthew','15','18-19')" title="View scripture">vs. 18-19). The Greek word used here for "blasphemies" is blesphemia, which means "evil speaking," "railing" or "vilification against God." In other words, taking God's name in vain.
Paul also commanded Christians not to do this: "But now you also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth" (..."slickWindow('Colossians','3','8')" title="View scripture">Col. 3:8).
The Fourth Commandment-observing the seventh day Sabbath-is the one most professing Christians refuse to obey. Most assume that men have the authority to change the Sabbath to whatever day pleases them or is convenient.
Yet Christ kept the Sabbath on the seventh day. It was His custom: "And 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" (..."slickWindow('Luke','4','16')" title="View scripture">Luke 4:16). In fact, the New Testament says that Christ is "Lord also of the Sabbath"-not the Lord of Sunday (..."slickWindow('Luke','6','5')" title="View scripture">Luke 6:5). Christ says that He "is the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (..."slickWindow('Hebrews','13','8')" title="View scripture">Heb. 13:8).
Paul followed His example. He taught in the synagogues on the Sabbath (..."slickWindow('Acts','17','2')" title="View scripture">Acts 17:2). And not just to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles: "And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath... And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God." (..."slickWindow('Acts','13','42')" title="View scripture">Acts 13:42, ..."slickWindow('Acts','13','44')" title="View scripture">44). In chapter 18, ..."slickWindow('Acts','18','4')" title="View scripture">verse 4, Paul "reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks." Few ask why Paul would teach Gentiles (who were unfamiliar with Sabbath-keeping) to meet on the Sabbath. Why is there no evidence that he led them to keep Sunday-the supposed "Lord's Day"?
Now notice ..."slickWindow('Hebrews','4','ALL')" title="View scripture">Hebrews 4, ..."slickWindow('Hebrews','4','9')" title="View scripture">verse 9: "There remains therefore a rest to the people of God." In ..."slickWindow('Hebrews','4','1')" title="View scripture">verses 1, ..."slickWindow('Hebrews','4','3')" title="View scripture">3, ..."slickWindow('Hebrews','4','4')" title="View scripture">4 and ..."slickWindow('Hebrews','4','8')" title="View scripture">8, the Greek word for "rest" is katapausin. It means "rest." But in ..."slickWindow('Hebrews','4','9')" title="View scripture">verse 9, the Greek word for "rest" is sabbatismos, which is a Hebrew word-Sabbat, which means "the Sabbath"-combined with a Greek suffix-ismos, which means "a keeping of" or "a doing of." Put together, sabbatismo means "a keeping of the Sabbath." When correctly translated, ..."slickWindow('Hebrews','4','9')" title="View scripture">Hebrews 4:9 should read, "There remains therefore a keeping of the Sabbath to the people of God."