The battle cry of Protestants, and one of the five pillars of the Reformation is “Sola scriptura,” which is Latin for by “Scripture alone.” Reformers claimed to rely solely on Scripture, and not the Roman Catholic Church’s traditions and dogmas. Unfortunately, they did not! Not entirely.
But before I get to that, to the reformers credit, many gave their lives to change the Roman Catholic Church which, from its inception, defied YHVH by “adding to and taking away from” His instructions: His TORAH!
Deuteronomy 12:32 All the things that I command you, take heed to do them, and you shall not add to it, nor take away from it.
PROTESTING REFORMERS
These “protesting reformers” rightly professed that Scripture, and Scripture alone, contained all knowledge necessary for salvation and holy living, a foundational principle of the Protestant Reformation. They also professed that Scripture was clear concerning these things, and that ordinary folks, without benefit of a Priest, could read and understand God’s word, and they said so in the Westminster Confession of Faith.
WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH:
Chapter 1, Section VII.
All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed, for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.
HAS ANYTHING CHANGED?
Today, most Evangelical denominations make the same claim more emphatically, and rightly so! They declare Scripture must interpret Scripture. The problem is, like those Rabbi’s that Yeshua warned us about in Matthew 23: 2-3, they say but don’t do! More about this later…
In contrast to chapter 1, section 2 of the Westminster Confession, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says this:
77 “. . . Indeed, the apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved in a continuous line of succession until the end of time.
78 This living transmission, accomplished in the Holy Spirit, is called Tradition, since it is distinct from Sacred Scripture, though closely connected to it. Through Tradition, the Church, in her doctrine, life and worship, perpetuates and transmits to every generation all that she herself is, all that she believes. The sayings of the holy Fathers are a witness to the life-giving presence of this Tradition…”
“Life giving presence of this tradition!” Really? Since when do traditions give life?
REFORMERS APPEAL TO SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY
By appealing to Scriptural authority, the Reformers attempted to correct doctrinal errors and so-called Apostolic Traditions wherever these doctrines and traditions contradicted God’s Written Word. They rightly declared teaching which deviated from Scripture heretical. And for this, we should be truly grateful.
The problem is, like those formerly mentioned Rabbis who sat in Moses’ seat, the reformers did not follow through with what they professed.
Martin Luther once said, “God’s Word shall establish articles of faith, and no one else…” Yet he and others failed to renounce all of the Roman Catholic Church’s anti-Biblical doctrines.
Foundational heresies like their replacement of Yah’s seventh day Sabbath!
TYPES AND SHADOWS
Just as Scripture holds many types and shadows of the Messiah (men like Joseph and David) history is littered with men and systems that are figures of antichrist. One way to identify them is they always seek to change the times and the laws of YHVH. Men like Constantine, and systems like the Roman Catholic Church fit this description.
The Roman Catholic Church replaced the weekly Sabbath, which was set apart and made holy on the 7th day of Creation, with Sunday. Sunday, a day never sanctified by God, a day so-named for sun-god worship! Over and over, the Roman Catholic Church tossed out YHVH’s instructions, substituting manmade tradition, and sadly, except for a few whom I will tell you about in a later article, the Reformers, while shouting ‘Sola Scriptura!’ from the rooftops, continued these Pagan, Roman heresies.
SO, IS ALL TRADITION WRONG?
No! Traditions can be good! It’s only when manmade tradition stands in opposition to God’s written word that tradition is EVIL!
And Scripture is very clear! Yeshua told us what would happen to those who break and who teach others to break His Father’s Law!
Make no mistake, it’s the exact same Law (Torah) God gave Moses. It’s the Torah written in the minds and on the hearts of those in the New Covenant. It has never changed. For Heaven and earth will pass away before one jot or one tittle pass from the Torah!
Yeshua said those who break, and who teach others to break, even the least of His Father’s Torah will be least in His Kingdom! (Matthew 5:19)
BUT ISN’T SUNDAY THE SABBATH?
Unfortunately, today most Christians will argue that after Messiah’s resurrection the Apostles changed the fourth commandment from the seventh day Sabbath to Sunday . They base this disprovable hypothesis on a few verses that mention the disciples gathering together on the first day of the week.
Throughout Scripture there are hundreds of direct commands to observe and to keep Holy His Seventh-Day Sabbath! How people can seriously think a few vague references codified a change away from YHVH’s Sabbath, would, were it not so pathetic, be laughable.
Let’s look at one of these verses from the King James.
1Co 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
Now let us examine the same scripture translated by the International Standard Version, which does a much better job.
1Co 16:2 After the Sabbath ends, each of you should set aside and save something from your surplus in proportion to what you have, so that no collections will have to be made when I arrive.
During the time that this was written, and for 300 years afterward, believers observed Shabbat as a day of worship and rest. And since monetary concerns were not dealt with on the Sabbath, it makes sense that at sunset, once Sabbath had ended, (it would be the 1st day of the week) they would remain for fellowship and take up a collection.
How so many of the Reformers and their Protestant progeny throughout the past several hundred years can continue the Roman Catholic Church’s heresy of a Sunday Sabbath is tragic. Why the Roman Catholic Church itself, over and over, has mocked the Protestant Churches for their inconsistent claim to base their doctrine solely on Scripture, Sola scriptura!
SUNDAY WORSHIP IS THE MARK OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
A hundred years ago the Catholic Mirror ran a series of articles which proved that Protestants who profess Sunday as the Christian Sabbath in fact acknowledge the Roman Catholic Church’s authority to change God’s law.
Below are some excerpts dated from September, 2, 9, 16, and 23, 1893 from the editor of the Catholic Mirror of Baltimore, Maryland. The Catholic Mirror was the official organ of Cardinal Gibbons and the Papacy in the United States.
Although the articles were not written by the Cardinal himself, he sanctioned them as “the expression of the Papacy” to Protestantism. In effect, Rome was demanding that Protestants provide an account as to under what authority, the Bible or The Papacy, do they observe Sunday as the Sabbath.
EXCERPTED FROM CATHOLIC MIRROR, SEPTEMBER 1893:
Protestant world has been, from its infancy, in the sixteenth century, in thorough accord with the Catholic Church, in keeping “holy,” not Saturday, but Sunday. … that they have been teaching and practicing what is Scripturally false for over three centuries, by adopting the teaching and practice of what they have always pretended to believe an apostate church, contrary to every warrant and teaching of sacred Scripture. To add to the intensity of this Scriptural and unpardonable blunder, it involves one of the most positive and emphatic commands of God to His servant, man: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
No Protestant living today has ever yet obeyed that command, preferring to follow the apostate church referred to than his teacher the Bible, which, from Genesis to Revelation, teaches no other doctrine … Let the Bible decide whether Saturday or Sunday be the day enjoined by God. …we shall enter on the discussion of the merits of the arguments wielded by both sides. …It resolves itself into a few plain questions easy of solution:
1st. Which day of the week does the Bible enjoin to be kept holy?
2nd. Has the New Testament modified by precept or practice the original command?
3rd. Have Protestants, since the sixteenth century, obeyed the command of God by keeping “holy” the day enjoined by their infallible guide and teacher, the Bible? And, if not, why not?
Over three centuries since, he (Martin Luther) plausibly represented to a large number of discontented and ambitious Christians the bright prospect of the successful inauguration of a “new departure,” by the abandonment of the Church instituted by the Son of God, as their teacher, and the assumption of a new teacher — the Bible alone — as their newly fledged oracle.
Of course we have not the least sympathy with what is here said about Luther. Only the Lutherans think that Luther had all the truth, but his was nevertheless a grand work. He was a Christian hero. Had his work only been continued as it began, papists would not now be taunting “Protestants” with the inconsistency of professing to accept the Bible alone and then following the traditions of the Catholic Church. —ED.
MORE FROM THE MIRROR:
The Israelites and Seventh-day Adventists are witnesses of their weekly desecration of the day named by God so repeatedly, and whilst they have ignored and condemned their teacher, the Bible, they have adopted a day kept by the Catholic Church. What Protestant can, after perusing these articles, with a clear conscience, continue to disobey the command of God, enjoining Saturday to be kept, which command his teacher, the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, records as the will of God?
The history of the world cannot present a more stupid, self-stultifying specimen of dereliction of principle than this. The teacher demands emphatically in every page that the law of the Sabbath be observed every week, by all recognizing it as “the only infallible teacher,” whilst the disciples of that teacher have not once for over three hundred years observed the divine precept!
STILL MORE:
That immense concourse of Biblical Christians, the Methodists, have declared that the Sabbath has never been abrogated, whilst the followers of the Church of England, together with her daughter, the … Episcopal Church of the United States, are committed by the twentieth article of religion, already quoted, to the ordinance that the Church cannot lawfully ordain anything “contrary to God’s written word.”
WHAT DOES GOD’S WRITTEN WORD SAY?
God’s written word enjoins His worship to be observed on Saturday absolutely, repeatedly, and most emphatically, with a most positive threat of death to him who disobeys. All the Biblical sects occupy the same self-stultifying position which no explanation can modify, much less justify.
How truly do the words of the Holy Spirit apply to this deplorable situation! “Iniquitas mentita est sibi” — “Iniquity hath lied to itself.” Proposing to follow the Bible only as teacher, yet before the world, the sole teacher is ignominiously thrust aside, and the teaching and practice of the Catholic Church, “the mother of abomination,” when it suits their purpose to so designate her, adopted, despite the most terrible threats pronounced by God Himself against those who disobey the command, “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath.”
WHY, ACCORDING TO THE MIRROR, WAS SUNDAY ADOPTED?
The Protestant world at its birth found the Christian Sabbath too strongly entrenched to run counter to its existence; it was therefore placed under the necessity of acquiescing in the arrangement, thus implying the Church’s right to change the day, for over three hundred years. The Christian Sabbath is therefore to this day, the acknowledged offspring of the Catholic Church …without a word of remonstrance from the Protestant world.
CONTINUED: THE 2ND PROPOSITION
Let us now, however, take a glance at our second proposition, with the Bible alone as the teacher and guide in faith and morals. This teacher most emphatically forbids any change in the day for paramount reasons. The command calls for a “perpetual covenant.”
The day commanded to be kept by the teacher has never once been kept, thereby developing an apostasy from an assumedly fixed principle, as self-contradictory, self-stultifying, and consequently as suicidal as it is within the power of language to express. Nor are the limits of demoralization yet reached. Far from it!
Their pretense for leaving the bosom of the Catholic Church was for apostasy from the truth as taught in the written word. They adopted the written word as their sole teacher, which they had no sooner done than they abandoned it promptly, as these articles have abundantly proved; and by a perversity as willful as erroneous, they accept the teaching of the Catholic Church in direct opposition to the plain, unvaried, and constant teaching of their sole teacher in the most essential doctrine of their religion, thereby emphasizing the situation in what may be aptly designated “a mockery, a delusion, and a snare.”
THE COUNCIL OF TRENT
The position and claim of the Catholic Church is that “the Bible is interpreted by the Church and according to the unanimous consent of the Fathers.” This was the main issue in the Council of Trent, which was called especially to consider the questions that had been raised and forced upon the attention of Europe by the Reformers.
The very first question concerning faith that was considered by the council involved this issue.
TRUTH OR TRADITION?
There was a strong party even of the Catholics within the council who were in favor of abandoning tradition and adopting the Scriptures only, as the standard of authority. This view was so decidedly held in the debates in the council that the pope’s legates actually wrote to him that there was “a strong tendency to set aside tradition altogether and to make Scripture the sole standard of appeal.”
But to do this would manifestly be to go a long way toward justifying the claims of the Protestants. By this crisis there was developed upon the ultra-Catholic portion of the council the task of convincing the others that “Scripture and tradition” were the only sure ground to stand upon. If this could be done, the council could be carried to issue a decree condemning the Reformation, otherwise not.
THE DEBATE OVER SOLA SCRIPTURA
The question was debated day after day, until the council was fairly brought to a standstill. Finally, after a long and intensive mental strain, the Archbishop of Reggio came into the council with substantially the following argument to the party who held for Scripture alone:
“The Protestants claim to stand upon the written word only. They profess to hold the Scripture alone as the standard of faith. They justify their revolt by the plea that the Church has apostatized from the written word and follows tradition.
Now the Protestants claim that they stand upon the written word only, is not true. Their profession of holding the Scripture alone as the standard of faith, is false.
REGGIO’S PROOF!
PROOF: The written word explicitly enjoins the observance of the seventh day as the Sabbath. They do not observe the seventh day, but reject it. If they do truly hold the scripture alone as their standard, they would be observing the seventh day as is enjoined in the Scripture throughout.
Yet they not only reject the observance of the Sabbath enjoined in the written word, but they have adopted and do practice the observance of Sunday, for which they have only the tradition of the Church. Consequently the claim of ‘Scripture alone as the standard,’ fails; and the doctrine of ‘Scripture and tradition’ as essential, is fully established, the Protestants themselves being judges.” –all above excerpts from the Mirror are edited for clarity.
SUNDAY IS PROOF!
It is seldom that I agree with the Catholic Church on anything, but here I must. Protestants are not standing solely on Scripture when it comes to a Sunday Sabbath. They’re revoking God’s Law!
Hi – I have to agree with Dennie. Not only based on the evidence that exists to support his premise but understanding simplicity and complexity of creation. I can picture a shepherd on a hillside somewhere (you pick the time) without a handheld electrical device just gazing up at the heavens – they had more time to do that in ancient times – and knowing exactly when new moon day was and the resulting Sabbaths. On a personal note…I have found that when we earnestly strive to please Father and step out into unfamiliar waters He will confirm our path or else show us a more excellent way. A small host of us have been observing the Lunar cycle and keeping Sabbath on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th for several years now and can testify that the peace and witness of His presence and pleasure have been profound. Imagine, there are actually four weeks in a “moonth.” Blessings!!!
I will make only one observation. From the last 2 thousand years it is easy to track the weekly Sabbath. Had the Jews been observing it on the wrong day, Yeshua would have said so. He didn’t! The weekly 7th day Sabbath is the Sabbath of YHVH, instituted from the 7th Day of Creation. We are approaching the 7th 1000 years (a day is as a 100 years), and Yeshua, the Lord of the Sabbath, will soon return. Time to synchronize your time pieces with the WORD!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Christine…thanks so much for even reading my comment!! The reason that Yahshua did not comment on the calendar was because they were still following the lunar cycle when He was on earth. This is exhaustively documented in Diane Covher’s treatise. We know how hard it is to get our heads around a “new” paradigm especially when it touches our “religion” but tradition must not dictate or define Truth and we have had 1,800 or so years of bad tradition that needs to be examined. Blessings!!
Hi Chris
To Clarify, there are 3 distinct types of Sabbaths as follows:
1. YHWH’s 7 Feast Days which can fall outside the 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th, as you have correctly outlined above regarding the Feast Day of Atonement.
2. YHWH’s weekly Sabbaths which only fall on the 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th.
3. New Moon Day (not as strict observation required as with the above 2) and always falls on the 1st day of the month.
My initial reply was relating only to the weekly Sabbath. The beauty with YHWH reckoning of time is that it is dynamic, however man wanted a more rigid/fixed cycle and introduced the fixed week with its pagan names (that alone should be a big warning sign). I understand in today’s world this dynamic observance is very difficult, its so much easier do go along with the world and fix the Sabbath, whether friday,saturday or sunday and then all back to work on monday and so the cycle goes, therein lies the real challenge.
Salom
Eamonn….
To clarify, that was me, Julia, who replied to your other comment. I am all for getting rid of the doctrines of man, but your premise doesn’t make any sense. YHVH established a day (from sundown to sundown) and a week…7 days, on the first week of creation. The Earth does not cease to turn, nor the days to move along in 7 day increments since the beginning. You have not provided evidence of your assertion that the Sabbaths occur on specific days, and it seems to me that you are conflating a High Sabbath with the weekly Sabbath day…not always coincident. There is plenty of ability to allow the Father to establish His months by the sighting of the first sliver of the moon. This is especially significant on the Feast of Yom Teruah which is the only Feast Day that occurs on the 1st day of the month….that’s why the Hebrew idiom is that it is a day that no one knows…it depends on when the moon is actually sighted.
Please provide some scriptural basis for your belief that the weeks can be restarted at the head of the month. He is clear: we are to do all our work in 6 days and rest on the 7th day. I believe our Father is a GOD of order,not confusion. Lunar Sabbaths make no sense and run counter to his week as established at creation. Shalom.
This is the final reply to this train of thought. The Lunar Sabbath is NOT Biblical. Here is a point by point refutation that I recommend to anyone who is confused by the notion that a week is 7 days long, with the 7th day being the Lord’s Sabbath, and months are determined by the sighting of the moon. http://www.remnantofgod.org/lunar.htm Julia
It seems like a noble thought that Father first created a calendar with the sun, moon and stars, then created a second calendar just with the sun for the weekly sabbath. And somehow the Jews have been faithful in keeping and knowing when that 7th day is all through the ages. And it just happens to land on the 7th day of our current Roman based Gregorian calendar.
There is no evidence in history pointing to such a notion. In fact the opposite is true. The Universal Jewish enclopedia (1943) says “The New Moon is still, and the Sabbath originally was, dependent upon the lunar cycle.”
BABYLONIAN TALMUD 02-ROSH-03
MISHNAS IV. to VII. For the sake of (the new moon), of the two months Nissan and Tishri, witnesses may profane the Sabbath. Formerly they profaned the Sabbath for all (new moons), but since the destruction of the Temple they instituted that (witnesses) might profane the Sabbath only on account of Nissan and Tishri.
Quote from my wife Diane’s book “Lost ancient paths” on our website:
“Is the meaning of the above information making sense? Again, how could they violate the Sabbath for the sake of the new moon sighting every month, or just the two for that matter? This strongly indicates a lunar/solar calendar was being used. To see this more clearly, get out the calendar and read the Mishna statements again with the calendar in front of you. The 29th is the last Sabbath on the lunar/solar month before new moon is declared on the 30th. Traveling to report a sighting would be traveling on a Sabbath. Therefore, to violate the Sabbath every month while the temple stood, they were most likely using a lunar/solar calendar. Here this is written right in the Mishna and Babylonian Talmud yet; Brother Judah is blind to it.”
Shalom
Great article Chris. This idea of resetting the Sabbath every month is just an example of man thinking he is more intellectual than the Word. The instruction is simple. Six days you should work and then the seventh is a Sabbath. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t say except for the end of the month and then you work one day and then have another Sabbath. If God has a stomach it must turn every time He hears this nonsense. If people want to make up their own laws and rules then maybe they need to go fellowship with the Pope. That’s what he is all about. Good grief.
Man at his finest with tradition and stubbornness. Learn how the lunar/solar calendar works.
Julius Cesear divorced the week from the month with his 8 day perpetual week in 45 BC. In 126 CE the week was changed to 7 days. Constantine put the nails in the coffin with his 7 day perpetual week and Sunday rest in 325 CE. Father’s single created calendar is the only way scripture perfectly fits.
Shalom
Hi
I agree with Dennie. Please show me one mention in scripture that points to Sunday, Saturday or for that matter any one of the Roman inspired pagan days of the week that we currently use in everyday life. If you take any scriptural reference to the Sabbath you will see that it relates to the 1st,8th,15th or 22nd day of the month. This simple calculation is from the sighting of the new moon. And who created the moon and the sun, YHWH did and why, to determine his feast days and sabbaths. I believe you are on the right track by pointing out mans errors in placing the sabbath on a Sunday but you need to go the whole way and remove all pagan assigned days from observing YHWH sabbath.
Regards
Eamonn….
If what you are saying is accurate, please explain this:
Lev 16:29 “This is to be a perpetual statute for you. On the tenth day of the seventh month, you (including both the native born and the resident alien) are to humble yourselves by not doing any work,
Lev 16:30 because on that day, atonement will be made for you to cleanse you from all your sins. You are to be clean in the LORD’s presence.
Lev 16:31 It’s the Sabbath of all Sabbaths for you, so humble yourselves. This is to be a perpetual statute.
You never listed the 10th day as a ‘Sabbath’ but Leviticus is clear that the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) is a ‘Sabbath.’
The First Day of Creation is not a ‘Sabbath’ Nor can I find where you get your assertion that Rosh Chodesh is a ‘Sabbath’ and begins a new cycle of 7 days. Please explain your scriptural basis for this.
The Weekly measure of 7 days has never changed. Calendars have, but the 7th day has always been the 7th day. This would immediately break down if every month re-starts the 7 day counting. It makes no sense. Sorry. I do not agree with your premise. Shalom.
I couldn’t say it better, Julia!
Hi Julia,
I have a response to Lynda Karr’s website article but I believe wisdom would say to take our Berean truth digging discussions to a more private room in respect for the spiritual authority over this website forum. Could you go on our website or email me with a more private email address where I can contact you?
Our website is http://www.therepairerofthebreach.org , and our email address is “isa5812@wildblue.net”.
Blessings and Shalom
Hi Chris
To clarify, there are 3 types of Sabbaths as follows;
1. YHYW’s 7 Feast Days, known as High Sabbaths and can fall outside the 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th, as you have correctly stated above.
2. YHWH weekly Sabbaths which only fall on 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th.
3. YHWH New Moon Sabbath (not require as strict observance as the above 2) which fall on the 1st day of the new month.
The discussion paper was related to the weekly Sabbaths and my initial reply was addressing that. The real beauty is according to YHWH’s reckoning of time it is dynamic, however man wanted a more rigid/fixed cyclic week and introduced their own pagan week. Now I know how observing YHWH time will upset alot of people in today’s world because having a fixed week is just too easy for them and therein lays the real challenge for all of us today.
Salom
Eamonn….
Great Article, Chris! Ruach has been working with us both…our articles coincide today! 😀
Ask Ruach if the Gregorian calendar is His.
Blessings,
Dennie
I really don’t need to ask the Ruach about the Gregorian calendar. I’ve read the Scriptures, and I know a bit of history. The Gregorian calendar (also known as the Western calendar or Christian calendar) was a 1582 refinement of the Julian calendar, in order to stop the steady drift in the date of Easter, concocted by the Council of Nicaea in 325, and tied to the spring equinox.
YHVH’s calendar never changes! It’s spelled out in the TORAH.
Then why do you use it’s days and weeks to talk about Father’s moed?
(especially Sabbath)
Shalom
I don’t. I use the TORAH!
oops, I apologize Chris. I think I lost you.
I do not believe in a dual created calendar theology. In the ancient Hebrew luni/solar calendar, the days were numbered according to, and the weeks tied to the month at new moon day. I believe we are currently mixing Father’s calendar with the Gregorian calendar to determine His Moed. Sorry, I won’t bother you any more. It was a great article by the way. You’re a good writer.
Shalom
Here is an interesting article about the Calendar. While many things have changed, the 7 day week has never changed. http://www.christianityexplained.info/Calendar.html
There are more holes in the totally confusing and inconsistent lunar sabbath theory than holes in a box of Cheerios. Let’s just start with the first nonsensical and non Biblical issue of theirs and it’s at the very beginning which should give us a clue about the rest of their baloney from wall to wall. The moon the Bible tells us was not created until the 4th day and their entire lunar rubic’s cube is predicated on the moon iniating the whole scenario. So the first 3 days of creation must be discarded toward their first sabbath day that could not have happened until day 8 but in this case since day 4 is their day 1 then obviously 7 days later would bring us to day 11 for when the first seventh-day Sabbath would have occurred per the lunar metrics of calendarion for the Sabbath. But the Word plainly says it was 6 days of creation uninterrupted followed by the very next 24-hour day being the 7th-day Sabbath rest of Elohim. There’s a nose inside the camel’s tent with all of that discombobulated madness. What are you going to buy? The straight forward 7 days of the first week of creation says the Bible OR the invented out of whole cloth and Bible denying lunar sabbath goofiness. But it’s worse than just being goofy, it is completely heretical teaching straight from the Devil and his evil servants. May Ya help them to turn from their tampering with His Word at once or on judgment day they will be beaten with many stripes says the Bible. Earl