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Ephesians 2:14-16
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,
16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
Keeping the Sabbath was part of the law and the law is abolished. We no longer live by the law but by the spirit.
Colossians 2:16-17
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.
17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
Sabbath and everything else with the law are only a shadow of the reality. The reality is in Christ. So once we are in Christ we don't need to practice the former.
Some groups believe that the law is divided into two. The Ten Commandments and the Mosaic law. So they believe that the above two scriputres are with regard only to the Mosaic law. That means the Ten Commandments must be in practice today, therefore the Sabbath must be kept. The following part of the study is tailored to clear this doubt.
Matthew 27:51
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.
When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain which separated the Holy place from the Most Holy place was torn into two. This marked the end of the Ten Commandments.
2 Corinthians 3:3-11
3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God.
5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was,
8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?
9 If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!
10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory.
11 And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
Two ministries are mentioned here :
1. Ministry of Stone
"Ten Commandments" (only the "Ten Commandments" was engraved in letters on stone) brought death, condemned men, has no glory compared to ministry of Spirit, it was fading away from the beginning.
2. Ministry of Spirit
More glorious, brought righteousness, surpassing glory, it is that which lasts.
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