7But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Now we come to the third argument against legalism.
12:7
But if [Greek—and you don’t] you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.
The Pharisees did not understand the principle of grace. They were legalists to the core. Jesus quoted from Hosea 6:6 in this verse, where God places the principle of mercy over sacrifice. This is the second time Jesus quoted Hosea 6:6 (9:13) in Matthew. We cannot rely on ritual to placate God. The principle is that compassion is more important than ritual. The Pharisees put punctiliousness above people. If they had understood the principle of grace, they would have put people above legalisms and would not have condemned Jesus and His disciples. Love takes precedence over legalism.
12:8
For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
It was Jesus who launched the law in the first place. He has the greatest understanding of the law, because He formed it. This is a claim for deity by the Son. Types were shadows of the coming reality in Jesus. The Sabbath pointed to the one who would give them rest (11:28-30).
PRINCIPLE:
Love takes precedence over legalism.
APPLICATION:
God rested in His accomplishment on the seventh day after six days of creation (Ge 2:2). The idea of God’s rest was not that He was tired, because He is omnipotent! The idea was to celebrate the accomplished work of creation.
God commanded Israel to keep the Sabbath (Ex 20:8-11). Of the Ten Commandments, the New Testament only refers to nine. The one exception is the Sabbath. The Sabbath was part of the ceremonial law; other laws were moral in nature. God never intended the Sabbath to apply to ministry (Mt 12:5), issues of necessity (12:3,4), or mercy (12:11,12).
One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. Ro 14:5-6
It is possible to become enslaved in regulations to the exclusion of principle.
Appreciate your insight but I strongly disagree with the Sabbath comment. The weekly Sabbath was created in the beginning. The yearly Sabbath was on the ceremonial law. Two different Sabbaths serve two different purposes.
Plus the Second Commandment is not mention at all in the New Testament. I believe the New testament does not see Christ as a new Law Giver who enacted a new or modified a new Decalogue but rather a Revealer of the intent of God's law (Matthew 5: 17 – 18; Luke 16:17; Romans 8:4; John 7:19).
Thank you Ehasi for your comment.
I would suggest that you go to a series of studies beginning at this study http://versebyversecommentary.com/colossians/colossians-220/ and go to the end of the chapter.
Also, Christ fulfilled the law. He was not the revealer of the Intent but gave principles that transcended the Mosaic law. He fulfilled the moral law. He also fulfilled the ceremonial law which is why we do not take sacrifices to the tabernacle or temple anymore.
Ehasi, I am sorry but I gave you the wrong sites to read in Colossians. The passage I meant to give was Colossians 2:16-19 http://versebyversecommentary.com/colossians/colossians-216/
I am sorry but I am not trying to argue but this is what I understand what Paul was trying to explain to the Romans.
Romans 14:5 “What about "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike"?:. The chapter begins, "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations." Romans 14:1 (KJV). The NKJV reads, "disputes over doubtful things." Thus the initial context of Romans 14 is "doubtful things," and is not a discussion of the Ten Commandments. The "Big Ten" are not "doubtful," but exceedingly clear, written with the finger of God on two tables of stone.
The "weak" brother "eats" some things and "esteems one day above another" while the strong brother believes that he may "eat all things" and "esteems every day alike." Romans 14:2, 5. The early Church was made up of Jewish believers and Gentile converts. Although Paul did not specify what "days" he was referring to, he was probably talking about certain Jewish fast or feast days (Luke 18:12), and certain pagan feast days when people were "eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols." 1 Corinthians 8:4.
On a pagan feast day a "strong" Jew who knew that "an idol is nothing” and who was hungry would have no scruples about eating "meat in an idol’s temple." See 1 Cor. 8:4, 10. Paul warned these "strong" Jewish believers, "But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak [the Gentile convert from idolatry]. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple [on a pagan feast day], shall not the conscience of him that is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; and through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish [if he is drawn back to idolatry], for whom Christ died. But when ye sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth." 1 Corinthians 8:9-13.
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE in either Romans 14 or 1 Corinthians 8 (a parallel reference) that the discussion about the "weak" and the strong had anything to do with the Sabbath. God never said, "One man may choose to esteem My Sabbaths, while another man may choose to esteem Sunday, or Tuesday, or every day alike." He hasn’t left it up to us to "pick a day, any day." Rather, He clearly commanded, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy … the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." Exodus 20:8, 10. The same book of Romans is very clear, "by the law is the knowledge of sin." Romans 3:20; 7:7, 12. There is nothing doubtful about God’s Law.
My understanding of Colosians 2:14 – 16
In Colossians 2:14-17 Paul wrote, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us … nailing it to his cross" (verse 14, KJV). The "handwriting of ordinances" that was "blotted out" and nailed to the cross was not the Ten Commandments, which were not written by any man’s hand, but with "the finger of God" (see Ex. 31:18). It was the ceremonial law, with its animal sacrifices, that was written by the hand of Moses. This "handwriting" was a continual witness "against" Israel (see Deut. 31:24?26) because its very existence testified that Israel had broken the Ten Commandments. That's why they needed to offer lambs. When Jesus died, this entire system of ceremonial sacrifices was "blotted out."
"Therefore," wrote Paul in Colossians 2:16, "Let no man judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come." Verses 16, 17. The "meat," "drink," "holy day[s]," and "sabbath days" referred to in this text are the seven annual Jewish "feasts” (Passover, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, etc) with their "meat offerings" and "drink offerings" (see Lev. 23:37, 38). Those yearly Jewish feast days, along with their blood offerings, were also called "sabbaths" (see Lev. 23:24, 32, 37, 38), but they were very different from the seventh-day creation Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Paul referred to those annual "sabbaths" as "shadows" because their ceremonies and sacrifices pointed forward to Jesus Christ and were abolished when He died on the cross. Hebrews 10:1 specifically states that it was the ceremonial law, written by the hand of Moses, with its annual feasts and bloody sacrifices that was a "shadow," not the Ten Commandments.
The Ten Commandments are not the least bit shadowy. They point forward to nothing, but reveal God’s standard of character for the human race. The seventh-day Sabbath of the fourth commandment is also not a type or shadow, for instead of pointing forward to the death of Jesus, it points back to Creation Week. See Exod. 20:8-11. Ever unchangeable, it remains in the New Testament, beyond the cross. See Luke 23:56. Paul continued to keep this Sabbath. See Acts 16:13.
Methodist founder John Wesley declared the truth when he wrote: "This 'handwriting of ordinances' our Lord did blot out, take away, and nail to His cross (Colossians 2:14). But the moral law contained in the Ten Commandments, and enforced by the prophets, He did not take away… The moral law stands on an entirely different foundation from the ceremonial or ritual law… Every part of this law must remain in force upon all mankind and in all ages." John Wesley, Sermons on Several Occasions, 2-Vol. Edition, Vol. I, pages 221-222.
"The Sabbath was only for Israel": Some quote the following words to prove that the Sabbath was given as a sign between God and Israel only of the Old Testaments, but not for the New Testaments and the Church of today: This is the text that they used "Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily My Sabbaths you shall keep … it is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested." Exodus 31:13, 17.
First, notice that God called the Sabbath "My Sabbaths," not Israelitish Sabbaths.
Second, the Sabbath will endure "forever."
Third, God’s reason for giving the Sabbath goes back to Creation Week (see Gen. 1; 2:1-3), long before Israel existed. Thus the Sabbath is God’s Day, lasts forever, and was established before any Jews existed. Isaiah later said that Gentiles who joined the Jews were also to keep the Sabbath. Isaiah 56:6, 7.
Paul wrote this to the Gentiles: "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed." Galatians 3:29. According to the New Testament, Gentiles are "grafted in" (Romans 11:17) and become part of Israel. Therefore the Sabbath becomes a sign for them, too. Gentiles in the book of Acts kept the Sabbath. See Acts 13:42-44. The Ten Commandments apply to everyone, not just Jews (see Romans 3:19). Neither the word, "Jew," nor the word, "Israel," is found in any of the Ten Commandments.
Ehasi, thanks for your contribution to this blog. I am sorry as well to inform you that the true interpretation of Romans 14 and 1 Co 8-10 is the very opposite of the way you interpreted it. Both of those chapters argue for Christian liberty and the moderation of that liberty for the weaker brother. The strong brother is the brother who knows his liberty in Christ and the weaker brother is the brother who is hung up with man scruples, the legalistic Christian. It is the person still under the law that is the weaker brother.
Ehasi, you are right. Paul said, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound, God forbid!” That means we are still obliged to keep God’s commandments and that grace DOES NOT mean one now has liberty to sin or not keep God’s commandments because of grace. The word legalism is a man-made label used to shun those who obey God. Jesus blotting out the ordinances does refer to no longer being under the law only in regards to the sacrifices and the ceremonial things they did under the Jewish law in the leviticus priesthood. Jesus is now our high priest as the Bible calls him.
Cornisha, you have no biblical evidence for your assertions but the book of Galatians, among others, contradict your thesis.