STROM/PUCKETT DEBATE ON SABBATH

 
 
Proposition: 
Resolved, that the keeping of the weekly Sabbath is scripturally binding on 
Christians today.

Affirm: Bob Strom
Deny: James Puckett

(Upper case used for emphasis not volume)

My first affirmative was to show that God's act on the 7th day of creation week 
was to make the day a Holy Day for mankind. It was not limited to Jews or even 
to the period of time where man fell from sin but before the cross. It was made for 
mankind - for all time.

Outline of this response.

A. Definition of Terms.
B. Affirmative #2 - additional points.
C. Summary of Affirmative #1
D. Response to Jim’s first Rebuttal

A. Definition of terms -

1. "keeping" means to observe the 7th day as a holy day - sanctified and made 
holy at Creation. Observe means to comply with the requirements listed in 
Exodus 20:8-11 and means to recognize this as a day of "holy convocation" (as 
day of worship) as Moses states in Lev 23 to the Hebrews.

2. "Sabbath" means the weekly Sabbath, which is the seventh day of the week, 
unless specified otherwise.

3. "binding" means that Christians today are obligated to observe or keep the 
Sabbath.

B. Affirmative 02

1. One Gospel for all ages means the blessing of God's 7th day of Creation - 
(Sabbath) - is not anti-Gospel.

Paul makes the case in Gal 1:6 showing us that there is in fact only one way of 
salvation - only one Gospel.

This means the saints we see in Heb 11 were all saved by the ONE Gospel - made 
men of faith -via the ONE plan of salvation. Yet we agree that all of them (or you 
would agree that at least most of them) kept Sabbath.

2. God's 10 commandments are a unique identifiable unit - that defines sin.

The 10 commandments are identified as a single unit - distinct from all other 
scripture.

ON Stone, 1Kings 8:9, Ex 34:28 - written by the hand of God - Deut 4:13

Spoken DIRECTLY by God to His people and when He spoke these "10 words" 
scripture Exodus 20:1, 19-22 says "He added no more". Deut 5:22 These were 
"the 10 words...of the covenant" Ex 34:28.

Paul states in Romans 7 that this law defines sin.

Destroying God's Law - destroys the need for a Savior who came to save us by 
paying the penalty His law demands for violation. Honoring God's Law means 
honoring the Sabbath contained in that Law (which is why we will be keeping the 
Sabbath in the New Earth Isaiah 66.)

James calls this unit - the "Law of Liberty" in James 2:10-12

Spoken by God Himself. But it's Holy Seventh day - had it's origin in creation 
week as Genesis 2 states.

C. Summarizing my foundational points detailed in my first Affirmative.
(I will not repeat the text given in the first affirmative for this summary - in 
general).

1. God made the 7th day a "Holy day" AT creation - not at Mt Sinai.
2. God made the Sabbath for mankind - not simply a tribe of  mankind.
3. God places a REMINDER in the 10 commandments - reminding the Hebrews 
to REMEMBER what had been done at Creation in making the day holy and in 
Remembering to KEEP the day holy as specified in the commandment.
4. The motivation/incentive to WORSHIP God on the BASIS of His being creator 
as the Sabbath commandment does - REMAINS a valid form of worship even in 
the NT (Rev 14 given as an example).
5. The LANGUAGE of the 4th commandment is unique and can be traced 
through both the OT and NT as it is referenced (Rev 4 was given as an example).
6. The OT not ONLY shows us all mankind receiving the 7th day as a holy day in 
Gen 2 - BUT ALSO after the establishment of the Hebrew-nation-church we find 
Non-Hebrews being called to observe the Sabbath in Isaiah 56.
7. God further demonstrates the applicability of the Sabbath to ALL mankind in 
Isaiah 66 as He points to the fact that ALL MANKIND will come and worship 
"from Sabbath to Sabbath".
8. Christ AFFIRMS the applicability of the Sabbath to MANKIND by stating that 
the Holy Seventh-day Sabbath was MADE when it was MADE) for mankind and 
that mankind was NOT MADE (when we were MADE) for the Sabbath.
9. Our seven day weekly cycle originates FROM Creation week - and the 7th day 
NOTHING is created EXCEPT the divine act of making that day a Holy day.
10. The Holy seventh-day Sabbath is one of three blessings mankind took with 
him from the Garden of Eden (Marriage and the living planet being the other 
two).

D. Response to Jim's Rebuttal 01.

Jim
However, in all of this history, I find absolutely nothing to address the 
proposition, that Christians are obligated to keep the Sabbath today. You have 
given me no arguments to deny

Bob
May I respectfully suggest that you re-examine the list above and it's 
representation in that first affirmative. If you truly do affirm all that I have listed – 
this is going to be a very short debate.

bob
"Ex 20 expands our understanding of what God was doing on that 7th day of 
Creation week. Here in chapter 20 God Himself elects to speak audibly to 
mankind, thundering each of His own 10commandments down the sides of Mt 
Sinai. God informs us that in adding day 7 - God was creating a memorial in time. 
A memorial to His act of creating both mankind and the planet with all it's living 
creatures."

Jim
By your own admission you claim that when God gave the 10 commandments on 
Mt. Sinai, he was creating a memorial of the Sabbath for man.

Bob
Actually I am claiming that when God "ADDED Day Seven" at creation week 
when we got our 7 day week) - He was THEN creating the memorial in time. God 
did not make days 1-6 at Sinai - nor did He make day 7. They already existed, the 
cycle existed as He handed it to man with it's holy Seventh-day in Eden.

Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.
2  By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested 
on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from 
all His work which God had created and made.

Jim
This means that man had not been given the Sabbath as a memorial before this 
time, or men had not kept the Sabbath before this time. It seems to me that this 
admission is damaging to your case, since you would need to show that man has 
kept the Sabbath from creation, in order to be consistent.

Bob
I agree with 100% - IF I was arguing that the 7th day was NOT made a Holy day 
given to mankind from Eden - but was instead invented on the spot at Sinai - I 
would have a huge problem. However my point was specifically dealing with 
creation week - when God added day 7 and made it a "holy day". Further, even 
the language of the 4th commandment SHOWS that God is merely referring to 
the historical FACT of the Holy Seventh day - not creating a New Holy day.

 Exodus 20: 8 REMEMBER...
 Exodus 20:11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the
 earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh
 day; therefore the LORD blessed THE Sabbath day and made it holy.

Jim
1. Where in the Bible is the first time man is commanded to keep the Sabbath as a 
day of rest?

Bob 
In Genesis 2 we find that mankind is given the 7th day - as a "Holy day".  So we 
do not find that Sinai is our first introduction to the 7th day as a Holy Day – 
Sanctified and set apart - rather - it is at Creation. (But we do not have the day's 
name assigned "The Sabbath" until Sinai.)  The Language of the 4th 
commandment tells us that when God RESTED - and made the day Holy - He had 
provided the reason/basis for mankind resting on that day as well. Already done in 
he past - already done when handed to mankind as a Holy Day in Genesis two. It 
was the only way to "KEEP" the day Holy - as God points out. So when it was 
given as a Holy day to mankind - mankind only had ONE way to KEEP it holy.

Exodus 20:8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

The day was already given to mankind as a holy day in Eden - but HOW does 
mankind KEEP the day Holy?? The text of the 4th commandment informs us.

Exodus 20:9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day 
is the Sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or 
your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your 
sojourner who stays with you.

We are to observe the 7th day as a holy day by resting on that day. But why?

Exodus
11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that 
is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed THE 
Sabbath day and made it holy.

The reason is NOT that "this is Sinai and I wanted to start something new here" 
but rather "It has already been established since creation week - when I rested on 
the 7th day making it a holy day for mankind then, blessing it then, sanctifying it 
then".

As I noted in my first affirmative - God makes this case in the form of a historical 
statement - God Himself argues that the 7th day of Creation ITSELF was "THE 
SABBATH" in the language above.

Jim 
2. What evidence is there in the Bible that men kept the Sabbath before the 
children of Israel left Egypt?

Bob
The only evidence is that mankind was given the 7th day AS a Holy Day as stated 
in Gen 2 AND that the only way of KEEPING that Holy Day was to follow the 
Gen 2 example of resting and choosing to spend the day with God in worship.

God tells Cain that SIN is waiting to entrap Cain - but we have no written record 
that "Thou shalt not murder" was engraved in stone for Cain to read. We rather 
conclude that all the 10 commandments (the Law that defines SIN according to 
Romans 7) was known - though not explicitly written out.

Sin reached a point by the time of Noah - that God viewed man as totally corrupt 
but where is it that God spelled out each sin and why it should be avoided in the 
pre-flood world?? We don't have it recorded but we assume that for the story to 
make sense - it had to be there. Of course in the case of Sabbath - we actually DO 
have the statement about WHEN it was a made a Holy Day.

Jim 
3. To whom is the Law of Moses addressed?

Bob
To whom was  Paul's letter  (Colossians) written to? The saints at Colossae?? 

Peter tells us that no scripture has man as it's origin - but God.  Paul tells us that 
all scripture is given by inspiration and profitable for doctrine, correction.. etc. 
We have to conclude that the Law of God is addressed to mankind in general and 
at Sinai - to the Hebrew Nation specifically.

This does not mean that taking the Lord's name in vain was not a sin UNLESS 
you were a Hebrew for people living in the days of Sinai. It was sin for all 
mankind, God's unique 10 commandment UNIT defines Sin - according to Paul in 
Romans 7.

Jim 
4. Where in the New Testament is any command given to the church that Jesus 
built that keeping the Sabbath is required? Matt. 16:18

Bob 
OK - but first can we agree that Christ is God - and therefore when He created 
mankind and then decided to make the 7th day Holy - that IS Christ giving HIS 
people the ONE Holy Day made at creation?  Can we also agree that as God He 
also gave His nation-church, the Hebrew people at Sinai - the 10 commandments?

Now having that continuity let's continue to watch what Christ does EVEN in the 
NT.

Jesus affirms God's commandments even before the cross - stating "if you love 
Me keep My commandments" John 14:15. His own disciples follow His 
instruction EVEN at the death of Christ - RESTING on the Sabbath day 
"According to the commandment" of God.

The New Covenant itself requires that the Law of God is not abolished but written 
on the heart.

God emphasizes this Covenant feature in Hebrews 8 "I will WRITE MY LAWS 
upon their HEARTS" Heb 8:10 --

Paul observes this principle EVEN for Gentiles - in Romans 2 as well

Romans 2:14For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the 
things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves,
15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience 
bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them

Rom 3:31 shows that as Christians we do not abolish God's Law "establish it".

Further - EVEN Christ Himself was perfectly obeying - keeping HIS OWN 
commandments prior to dying on the cross. Paul tells us in Romans 7 that the 
commandments define what sin IS - and Christ did not sin.

Christ affirms that His own Law can not be broken. It can only be fulfilled. Matt 
5:

Another example - although there is no quote of the 3rd commandment in the NT

Exodus 20:7 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the 
LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

There is also no statement in scripture that any of God's 10 commandments are to 
be voided if not re-quoted by a later writer.  So we conclude that the 3rd 
commandment remains in force - as do all of God's 10 commandments - since 
they apply to mankind not simply Hebrews.

Beyond this - Paul just comes right out and tells us in Hebrews 4 "there 
REMAINS therefore a Sabbath REST for the People of God". None of the 
Sabbath FEAST days listed in Lev 23 have the REST focus absent the sacrifices – 
that we see in the Creator's 7th day Sabbath of the Commandment.

Jim
5. Where in the New Testament do we find any example of the church assembling 
on the Sabbath? Note that I am not referring to instances where Paul and others 
went to the synagogue on the Sabbath to teach and preach the gospel. This was 
not the church assembling, but a teaching opportunity.

Bob
Where in the book of Malachi do we find the Hebrews assembling on the 
Sabbath? Where in the book of 1Kings do we find the Hebrews assembling on the 
Sabbath? What about Daniel?

In the book of Acts there is only ONE day of the week where we find assembly 
and Gospel preaching occurring consecutively week after week - to GENTILES. 
That day is the Creator's 7th-day Sabbath. And this - from the Apostle to the 
Gentiles.

The fact that Sabbath was given as a Holy Day to mankind - and not simply made 
a holy day at Sinai for Hebrews, combined with the fact that all mankind will 
continue to come before God and worship "from Sabbath to Sabbath" Isaiah 66 in 
the New Earth - removes all possibility of tying it's existence and obligation to 
Jews.