THE LETTERS OF PAUL

Today I need to write some specific Scriptures that are written in the letters of Sha’ul/Paul concerning the Shabbat/Saturday day of rest.

Ivrim/Hebrews 4:9  There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.” NKJV

Ivrim 4:9 “However should be: So there remains a Shabbat–keeping for the people of Elohim.”HS

Many people say that every day is a Sabbath. In simple English they nullified or destroy the Torah because they choose to obey their way. In reality they do not keep any Shabbat for they do not rest at all. No one can keep a Sabbath day of rest every day, for they could not go to work and they would starve to death. Other say they keep Sunday as their Sabbath, but they do not keep the Sabbath when they mower the grass and do all kinds of house work on Sundays. They also go shopping, and they watch television all afternoon, etc. No, they are deceiving themselves, and partially they are deceived  because of errors found in the translation of the Scriptures as we noticed in the above verse. The Word in the Greek says sabbatismos which in English should be translated Shabbat, but the translator used the word rest, which is not the same as Sabbath, although Sabbath is the rest day.

The Sabbath is always the seventh day, or the day after creation. Yehovah blessed the day and made it holy, as mentioned in other messages. The name Sabbath, known as Saturday, derives from Saturn’s day on the Roman pagan calendar. The Romans had many gods, and they dedicated this day to one of their gods.

It is a fact that every day of the week is dedicated to one of their gods.

The word rest in the Greek language is katapausis and is used in many other passages of Scriptures, but not in the above verse I mentioned. It is very sad to realize that the translator have done such terrible error in the Holy Scriptures. I believe they were doing this because they were listening to the anti-Semitic leaders of their day. I am glad that my Italian Bible has written the word Sabbath, and not rest. But most of the translations have mistranslated this very important word.

Let us now look to the whole passage and see if we get the message Yehovah is giving us. 

Ivrim/Hebrews 4:1-11 “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering into His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.

2 for indeed the Good News was brought to us as well as to them, but the Word which they heard did not profit them, not having been mixed with belief in those who heard it.

3 For we who have believed do enter into that rest, as He has said, “As I swore in My wrath, if they shall enter into My rest…” And yet His works have come into being from the foundation of the world.

4 For somewhere He has said thus about the seventh day, “And Elohim rested on the seventh day from all His works,”

5 and in this again, “If they shall enter into My rest…”

6 Since then it remains for some to enter into it, and those who formerly received the Good News did not enter in because of disobedience,

7 He again defines a certain day, “Today,” saying through Dawid so much later, as it has been said, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”

8 For if Yehoshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken of another day after that.

9 So there remains a Shabbat-keeping for the people of Elohim.

10 For the one, having entered into His rest, has himself also rested from his works, as Elohim from His own.

11 Let us therefore do our utmost to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience.” HS

This whole passage speaks of the Shabbat, not on a simple rest day. The rest day the Scriptures speak of is the seventh day, or the Sabbath. We rest as Elohim had rested. All believers need to be obedient to the commands He has given us for our own good. None of the Commandments are to punish us by giving us things too hard to do. Keeping the Shabbat is a pleasure, not a yoke of bondage, as some try to call it. They have not yet experienced the joys and blessing or being obedient in keeping all the Commandments, rather than keep only what seems good to them. We must obey out of love, not out of compulsion or duress. We love Him, for He is good to us, He is the One who blesses us every day, and he has blessed us with a special day to be in His presence and rest our bodies. What a blessing is this! No heathen god (for there is no other Elohim) can say that their spirit guide has given them such blessing. Disobedience is what places all of us under the devil’s rules. Let us be obedient and keep His Commandments a He has given us and forsake the traditions of men.  

Now let us read another disputed passage by the religious leaders.

 Qorin’tiyim 1/1 Corinthians 16:1-3 “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: on the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem.” NKJV  

Now it is important to remember that the day begins at sundown and ends twenty fours later on sundown. I already mentioned this fact in other messages that Shaul/Paul was telling them to make sure they have the collection taken on the first day of the week which is soon after their meeting on Shabbat after sundown. No one can buy or sell on the Sabbath, therefore after sundown they met and eat and could have money with them. Before they could spend it during the week before he would arrive, it was important for them to lay aside the tithes and offerings. I do this myself; as soon as I get paid I put aside the money that belongs to Yehovah.  The fact that the word speaks of Sunday they think it is saying they had a Sunday meeting. This is far from the truth, for Sha’ul met with all only on the Sabbath, as we read in the Scriptures. This scriptures support the fact they were keeping the Sabbath because they did not carry money on that day. But people who do not understand the Torah they twist this passage together with many others.

And now let us look on another verse that many leaders and believers use to support their doctrine.

Romiyim/Romans 14:1-6 “Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2  For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.  3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat judge him who eats; for Elohim has received him.  4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for Elohim is able to make him stand.  5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day observes it to Yehovah; and he does not observe the day, to Yehovah he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to Yehovah, for he gives Elohim thanks; and he who does not eat, to Yehovah he does not eat, and gives Elohim thanks.”

This passage is more difficult to understand if we do not know the context by which was written. The fact that speaks of holidays it does not mean he is speaking of the Feasts of Yehovah. On the contrary, Paul was speaking to new believers who in the past they had kept special days and they fasted to their gods. Let us remember that even any catholic person has fasted and kept many days in the year to sanctify their special gods/saints. He was not speaking to Jewish believers for the Commandments are not disputable or doubtful things. The Commandments are given to us by Yehovah and they are eternal, and cannot pass away.  Paul was addressing issues that were of the Torah, but of the Roman culture. He was teaching new believers that needed to be instructed and delicately introduced to holiness. Many of them may have been Temple prostitutes! Let us not think for a moment that the Apostle Paul was contrary to the Torah. I will speak more about this in other messages.

Another similar misinterpreted verse is in Galatians: “You observe days and month and seasons and years.” Galatiyim/Galatians 4:10

Many read this to say that Paul was indeed rebuking the believers for observing the Sabbath. However let us read in context.

Galatiyim 4:8 “But then indeed, when you did not know Elohim, you served those which by nature are not gods. But now after you have know Elohim, or rather are known by Elohim, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.”

I am a simple person, but I can understand what Sha’ul/Paul was saying, and I know now you also know and understand the truth.

Yehovah bless you and keep you;

Yehovah make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

Yehovah lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace (shalom).

Numbers  6:24-26