Appendix VI
"Who Do You Think You Are?"
In a letter asserting the right of God’s people to dine out on the Sabbath, a prominent COG challenged the legitimacy of A Sabbath Test and its message, because of the qualifications of those who wrote it. According to these COG leaders there were numerous differences between the book’s authors and the original apostles with respect to their work as well as this issue. In essence, they contend that A Sabbath Test is not preaching a gospel like that proclaimed by Jesus’ apostles. Here is how they expressed their point.
There are a number of significant differences between the [work of the apostles] and your paper. Peter and John [as well as the other apostles] were commissioned and sent forth by Christ to do a certain work (Matthew 28:19-20). Their audience was nonmembers, not other baptized members of God's Church (Acts 3). They were not teaching anything contrary to the established doctrine in the Church. Their message did not cause other leaders in God's Church to provide a written response in order to address related problems. They were not disrespecting the Church or its leadership. The truth that the apostles taught was primarily objective among the Church members.
Although this COG attempts to dismiss A Sabbath Test, their endeavor to extinguish its message just might be impossible. With this said, let’s examine the points these men raise concerning what they claim are "significant differences" between the work involved in A Sabbath Test and that done by Jesus' disciples. Their argument has been broken into six points.
Dismissing a Vital Work
# I
Peter and John [as well as the other disciples] were commissioned and sent forth by Christ to do a certain work (Matthew 28:19-20).
The implication here is that these COG leaders believe the work of A Sabbath Test has no such calling. This may be hard for these men to believe but God Himself is the force behind this storm. He is the One driving it, and in so doing, He is appealing to His Church to not be swayed by cunning arguments disguised as "spiritual insight." It does not require a scholar to understand God's will on this subject. What it demands is HONESTY and a mind willing to accept the TRUTH, even if it hurts. In reality, God's will on this issue is quite simple and His word is very plain.
With that said, here is how history will play this one out. The day will come when those who advocate the practice of God’s people seeking out unbelievers to perform their Sabbath labor will come to realize how terribly wrong this sin is. They will also come to understand that because God is a merciful Father, He sustained this issue in an attempt to convince His people to repent from the terrible trespass so many leaders promote. These leaders may reject this now, but that won't always be the case.
# II
Their audience was nonmembers, not other baptized members of God's Church (Acts 3).
This assertion is simply not true. The disciples were speaking to God's people of their day. Peter and John went directly into the Temple and proclaimed the gospel of Christ. Peter even called his audience "brethren" (Acts 3:17) as well as "children of the covenant" (verse 25). For this COG to suggest that these people were outsiders is false. It is true that Peter exhorted them to repent and be converted (verse 19), but that is exactly what A Sabbath Test is exhorting God’s leaders to do today.
# III
They were not teaching anything contrary to the established doctrine in the Church.
On the contrary, this is exactly what they were doing. These men spoke boldly about the greatest contrary teaching in the history of religion. Furthermore, it was their regular practice to enter the synagogue on the Sabbath and proclaim their message. Even Paul was a part of synagogue life, much to the frustration of the religious leaders of his day.
# IV
Their message did not cause other leaders in God's Church to provide a written response in order to address related problems.
This sounds more like whining than a Biblical argument. Furthermore, A Sabbath Test didn't cause these men to write anything. They did so because thousands of God’s people blew the dust off their Bibles and discovered a remarkable truth—one that so many COG leaders have tried to suppress. Sadly, the arguments advanced by these men illustrate how frustrated they have become in this debate. Instead of honestly applying the scriptures when advancing their case, each group presents what can only be construed as an avalanche of human reasoning and contorted logic masquerading as Biblical scholarship. These words may sound strong but any objective examination of the numerous COG position papers on this subject shout out this truth
# V
They were not disrespecting the Church or its leadership.
John the Baptist called the religious leaders of his time a "generation of vipers" (Mt. 3:7). Furthermore, Jesus excoriated church leaders with a mountain of insults because of their contempt for God and his word (Mt. 23, Jn. 8:44).
Although this COG’s feelings may have been hurt by the passion of this debate, in truth they have a much bigger problem. Here is something for them to think about. The real leader of God’s Church is Jesus Christ. He also happens to be the Lord of the Sabbath (Mk. 2:28). It is the behavior advocated by this and other COG groups on this issue that shows DISRESPECT to Him. At every turn these contemporary nobles of Judah cling to a practice that disgraces what God Almighty made holy. The great tragedy is that these men have no idea the peril they are bringing on both themselves and God's people.
# VI
The truth the apostles taught was primarily objective among the Church members.
If these COG leaders are suggesting that the position of A Sabbath Test is "subjective," they are simply in denial of the Biblical facts pertaining to this issue. Throughout their doctrinal paper they have rejected both God's Sabbath law and its enduring moral principle. A Sabbath Test, on the other hand, takes God's word to mean exactly what it says.
A Final Thought
The Sabbath has been a defining issue for God’s people down through the ages and its contamination has even provoked the Great Creator of Heaven and Earth to execute His judgment on those He so deeply cares about (Ezk. 20:11-13). If history has said nothing else, it is that God's people do not have a good track record when it comes to Sabbath observance. For this reason alone, leaders of His Church should think long and hard on this issue, especially in the age of Laodicea.
Finally, contrary to what Sabbath dining advocates wish to believe, God’s Sabbath continues to cry out on this issue. Furthermore, its voice will not passively accommodate those who think they can call the holy "profane" and the profane "holy" (Ezk. 22: 26). The real question is this: WILL YOU LISTEN?
