A letter for Seventh-day Adventists

For the majority of my life I cruised along in my Christian beliefs, sure that I knew just about everything I needed to know, but then a friend challenged me on some of the very texts in the Bible that had bothered me, one of those being in Colossians. I set out to prove him wrong, studying on my own to learn what the Bible really said. It turned out that I was the one who was clearly wrong! It was exciting to learn the truth, but a challenging decision to make even minor changes in my personal traditions.

Nearly three and a half years ago, I wrote a letter to my Seventh-day Adventist family to explain to them what I had learned. I included quotes from Ellen G. White, because there is always the question, "What did Ellen White have to say about the feasts?" They trust the Bible as the final word, but Ellen White's commentary is also important.

Here is the letter:

Dear ____,

A few years ago I read Samuele Bacchiocchi's books on the feasts, and I've been thinking about what he had to say. I've listened to the pros and cons, including Ron duPreez's long YouTube video against keeping the feast days.

Ever since I studied Bible doctrines in church school when I was 12 years old, I have been puzzled by Colossians 2. What we were taught troubled me because I could see that our explanation of the ceremonial law but not the moral law being nailed to the cross in verse 14, and the chiastic interpretation of verse 16, were not convincing. If I wanted to convince someone else of the seventh-day Sabbath, I would have to explain these verses, and I knew our understanding of it was lacking something, I didn't know what.

But then I realized -- it was Paul who wrote Colossians. What did he do? What was his practice? Had the law been divided into moral and ceremonial law, and part of it -- the ceremonial law -- nailed to the cross? Did Paul live and talk as if that is what had happened?

When Paul was writing to the Corinthians, Gentile converts, he wrote, “”Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." 1 Cor. 5:7-8

When Paul was at Ephesus, they wanted him to stay, but he “bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast in Jerusalem." Acts 18:21. He used the word "keep." He didn't say, "I must by all means be at Jerusalem during the feast [so as to reach as many people as possible with the gospel]," an explanation that many will give for this text. He wanted to keep the feast in Jerusalem, but would he honor the feast elsewhere if he weren't able to get to Jerusalem?

Many Adventists will look to Ellen G. White to see what she had to say on this topic. Regarding Paul's stay at Ephesus, she said, "After leaving Corinth, Paul's next scene of labor was Ephesus. He was on his way to Jerusalem to attend an approaching festival, and his stay at Ephesus was necessarily brief."  Acts of the Apostles 269.

Paul did not make it to Jerusalem in time, so “we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread.” Acts 20:6. They had honored the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread away from Jerusalem, in Philippi.

Ellen White comments on this in Acts of the Apostles 390-391:

At Philippi Paul tarried to keep the Passover. Only Luke remained with him, the other members of the company passing on to Troas to await him there. The Philippians were the most loving and truehearted of the apostle's converts, and during the eight days of the feast he enjoyed peaceful and happy communion with them.

Philippi was city in which there was no synagogue, and many conclude that the converts there must have been Gentiles. Paul was memorializing the Passover and unleavened bread with the Gentiles, not Jews who were clinging to old, familiar customs.

Paul wrote to those at Corinth, “But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.” 1 Cor 16:8, indicating that he wanted to observe Pentecost with these believers in Ephesus. He was observing the holy days everywhere he went, with both Gentile and Jewish converts.

Again, Ellen White said,

Paul greatly desired to reach Jerusalem before the Passover as he would thus have an opportunity to meet those who should come from all parts of the world to attend the feast. Ever he cherished the hope that in some way he might be instrumental in removing the prejudice of his unbelieving countrymen, so that they might be led to accept the precious light of the gospel. He also desired to meet the church at Jerusalem and bear to them the gifts sent by the Gentile churches to the poor brethren in Judea. And by this visit he hoped to bring about a firmer union between the Jewish and the Gentile converts to the faith.

From every quarter were coming accounts of the spread of the new doctrine by which Jews were released from the observance of the rites of the ceremonial law. ...His plan to reach Jerusalem in time for the Passover services had to be given up, but he hoped to be there at Pentecost. ... At Philippi Paul tarried to keep the Passover. Only Luke remained with him, the other members of the company - Acts of the Apostles, 389-390

Paul preached against observing the ceremonial laws and rites, but he still honored the feasts. It is clear that Paul did not believe that the holy days were included in the ceremonial law.

Paul had done all in his power to remove the prejudice and distrust so unjustly excited because he presented the gospel to the Gentiles without the restrictions of the ceremonial law.” Sketches from the Life of Paul, 208.

Paul did not bind himself nor his converts to the ceremonies and customs of the Jews, with their varied forms, types, and sacrifices; for he recognized that the perfect and final offering had been made in the death of the Son of God.” Sketches from the Life of Paul, 105.

Factions also were beginning to rise through the influence of Judaizing teachers, who urged that the converts to Christianity should observe the ceremonial law in the matter of circumcision...They indicated their position, which was in opposition to that of Paul. Sketches from the Life of Paul, 121.

Paul didn't teach his Gentile converts to do circumcision or take part in ritual sacrifices, but he did teach them to observe the holy days, showing that Paul did not consider these days to be part of the ceremonial law.

The church instituted by our Lord and built up by His disciples in the first century is set forth as the divine model. Its prerogatives and authority are fully acknowledged, and all its ordinances and memorials are observed. Life Sketches, 472.

I've been reading some history of the early centuries of the church. There is evidence that the Waldenses observed the holy days, that Philip, his daughters, and John the Revelator kept them and taught others to do so, that those who were converted to Christianity in India were taught to keep the holy days.

There's lots more. I have learned so much through studying about this subject, and how to apply the lessons from these appointed days to my own life and to prophecy. I thought I would send this to you so you could see what I've been studying and see what you think.

The family members who responded seemed interested but not convinced -- but at least I've planted a seed for thought and consideration.

Paul accused of being against the law

Rumors were going around amongst the new believers. "Paul says we are not supposed to do anything that Moses said. We're not supposed to do any of the religious customs Moses taught us to follow." Paul agreed there was need to defend himself, so he did it in both word and action.

When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come.

Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow. Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law.

Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.

Acts 21:19-24, 26 NKJV

Not only did Paul show that the writings of Moses were not passe', but in his defense before Felix, the cruel Roman governor, he said,

Nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me. But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.

Acts 24:13,14 NKJV

Paul was following the Way, the new Christian belief, but he also continued to believe "all things" written in the Law and the Prophets. Taking these words of Paul into account when we read Colossians 2, we can see that in no way did he mean that commandments and statues, given by God to Moses, were nailed to the cross.

Asceticism in Colossae

"Let no man judge you" in Colossians 2:16 has been wrongly interpreted by many churches. If someone said to you, "Don't let anyone criticize you for loving your spouse," does that mean you should stop loving your spouse? "Let no man judge" is not an admonition to stop doing what you are being criticized for doing. Instead, it is encouraging you to keep on doing what you are doing! How could we have been so confused for so long?

Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians while imprisoned in Rome. While there, he learned that heresy had crept into the church at Colossae. The type of heresy is evident in chapter 2:

²⁰ Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
²¹ (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
²² Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
²³ Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh.

Paul was warning the believers against the religious practices of asceticism -- severe self-discipline and avoiding indulgence in the flesh in any way.

In this context we can more clearly understand verse 16:

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

Verse 16 indicates that the Colossians had, indeed, been taught, most likely by Paul, to observe the holy days, and they were observing them, the new moons, and the Sabbath -- and were being criticized for how they did it.

Greek philosophies, including asceticism, was the cause of the criticism and conflict in the new church. It could be that the criticism came from those outside the church, or perhaps some of the new converts retained some of those philosophies and wanted to combine them with their new belief in Christ. The conflict was not so much that the believers were observing these days, but that they were being criticized for how they observed them, for what they were eating and drinking on those days.

This is the only reason Paul would have said, "Let no man judge you..." If the problem had been the observance of the those days, he wouldn't have said, "Let no man judge you," he would have said something like, "Let none of you concern yourself with observing holy days, new moons, and sabbath days."

The "shadow of things to come" is to come in my next post.