Scripture Taken Out of Context

This single one passage is the most famous defense for disobeying God’s fourth commandment. Are we to keep the other nine, but disreguard this one, the first of two that are not preceded by “Thou shalt not…”, the fourth of the first ten that pertain to the reverence to Almighty God? Is it so “least” that we don’t need to keep it?

Matthew 5:17-20

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Romans 14:5

KJV^(i) 5 One man esteemeth (G2919) one day above another: another esteemeth (G2919) every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

*G2919 – κρίνω – by implication, to try, condemn, punish. Derivation: properly, to distinguish, i.e. decide (mentally or judicially); KJV Usage: avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.

What was Paul talking about in Romans 14:1-4? Food! The kosher diet was excused at the Jerusalem council along with flesh circumcision. (Acts 15) Not Sabbath! Not worship! Not fasting either. Fasting was a voluntary act, which was for health reasons, and religious practice. [Sometimes it is for being poor and stretching food, which we may have to begin doing soon.] The Pharisees esteemed certain days for fasting. (G3522 – Mt. 6:16, Lk. 18:12, (G3523 – Mt. 15:32) Sometimes fasting with prayer is for casting out some demons. (G3521 – Mk. 9:28-29, Mt. 17:19-21)- νηστεία – abstinence (from lack of food, or voluntary and religious); specially, the fast of the Day of Atonement. Derivation: from G3522; KJV Usage: fast(-ing).

*G3521 – νηστεία – abstinence (from lack of food, or voluntary and religious); specially, the fast of the Day of Atonement. Derivation: from G3522; KJV Usage: fast(-ing).

*G3522 – νηστεύω – to abstain from food (religiously)
Derivation: from G3523; KJV Usage: fast.

*G3523 – νῆστις – not eating, i.e. abstinent from food (religiously)
Derivation: from the inseparable negative particle νή- (not) and G2068; KJV Usage: fasting.

Paul was referring to esteeming which days to fast (not eat) and to not judge in which days to esteem for fasting (verse 5) as well as what not to eat when eating. He that “reguardeth (G5426)” the (a) day (for fasting) or not, it is unto the Lord. (verse 6) Then he sums it up in verse 7. Paul put both issues (what and when to eat) into one package. After all, he was writing to the Romans and they were not an ignorant sort.

Note: There is no Greek indirect article for “a” or “an” and the Greek particle translated “the” is from the particle “ho” and can be either direct or indirect in English.

This one single verse in no way changes God’s holy sabbath commandment! Paul is completely taken out of context by mere philosophy and evolving the doctrine(s) and tradition(s) of men. (Col. 2:8, Mt. 15:3-9, Mk. 7:8-13, Gal. 1:14, 2TH. 2:15, 3:6, 1Pet. 1:18, 2Cor. 11:10-15)

From Pastor Daniel Joseph

Colossians 2:8

KJV^(i) 8 Beware lest any man spoil (G2071) you through philosophy (G5385) and vain (G2756) deceit (G539), after (G2596) the tradition of men, after the rudiments (G4747) of the world, and not after Christ.

*G2071 – ἔσομαι – will be. Derivation: future of G1510; KJV Usage: shall (should) be (have), (shall) come (to pass), X may have, X fall, what would follow, X live long, X sojourn.

>G1510 – εἰμί – I exist (used only when emphatic) Derivation: the first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; KJV Usage: am, have been, X it is I, was.

*G5385 – φιλοσοφία – “philosophy”, i.e. (specially), Jewish sophistry. Derivation: from G5386; KJV Usage: philosophy.

>G5386 – φιλόσοφος – fond of wise things, i.e. a “philosopher”. Derivation: from G5384 and G4680; KJV Usage: philosopher.

>>G5384 – φίλος – actively, fond, i.e. friendly (still as a noun, an associate, neighbor, etc.) Derivation: properly, dear, i.e. a friend; KJV Usage: friend.

>>G4680 – σοφός – wise (in a most general application) Derivation: akin to σαφής (clear); KJV Usage: wise.

*G2756 – κενός – empty (literally or figuratively) Derivation: apparently a primary word; KJV Usage: empty, (in) vain.

*G539 – ἀπάτη – delusion. Derivation: from G538; KJV Usage: deceit(-ful, -fulness), deceivableness(-ving).

>G538 – ἀπατάω – to cheat, i.e. delude. Derivation: of uncertain derivation; KJV Usage: deceive.

*G2596 – κατά – (prepositionally) down (in place or time), in varied relations (according to the case (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined) Derivation: a primary particle; KJV Usage: about, according as (to), after, against, (when they were) X alone, among, and, X apart, (even, like) as (concerning, pertaining to touching), X aside, at, before, beyond, by, to the charge of, (charita-)bly, concerning, + covered, (dai-)ly, down, every, (+ far more) exceeding, X more excellent, for, from … to, godly, in(-asmuch, divers, every, -to, respect of), … by, after the manner of, + by any means, beyond (out of) measure, X mightily, more, X natural, of (up-)on (X part), out (of every), over against, (+ your) X own, + particularly, so, through(-oughout, -oughout every), thus, (un-)to(-gether, -ward), X uttermost, where(-by), with.

*G4747 – στοιχεῖον – something orderly in arrangement, i.e. (by implication) a serial (basal, fundamental, initial) constituent (literally), proposition (figuratively) Derivation: neuter of a presumed derivative of the base of G4748; KJV Usage: element, principle, rudiment.

>G4748 – στοιχέω – to march in (military) rank (keep step), i.e. (figuratively) to conform to virtue and piety. Derivation: from a derivative of στείχω (to range in regular line); KJV Usage: walk (orderly).

Beware, least any man should come to you through religious sophistry and empty deceivableness cheating you accordingly as to the traditions of men about principles of virtue and piety, and not even like as concerning (or) pertaining to touching Christ.

Ezekiel 34

KJV^(i) 1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, ² Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? ³ Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. ⁴ The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. ⁵ And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. ⁶ My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. ⁷ Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; ⁸ As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; ⁹ Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; ¹⁰ Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them. ¹¹ For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. ¹² As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. ¹³ And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. ¹⁴ I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. ¹⁵ I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. ¹⁶ I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. ¹⁷ And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats. ¹⁸ Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? ¹⁹ And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet. ²⁰ Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. ²¹ Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad; ²² Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. ²³ And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. ²⁴ And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it. ²⁵ And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. ²⁶ And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. ²⁷ And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them. ²⁸ And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. ²⁹ And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. ³⁰ Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD. ³¹ And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.

Matthew 12:1-8

KJV^(i) 1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. ² But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. ³ But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; ⁴ How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? ⁵ Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? ⁶ But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. ⁷ But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. ⁸ For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

All Jews are men, but are all men Jews?

Have a restful and fulfilling sabbath.

LOLGB+