Truth and the Interpretation of Scripture

The Superiority of Christ Part 3 of 4

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Apologetics

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2012-02-02

Synopsis: In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver continues his series on the superiority of Christ, focusing on how Christ is superior to Old Testament ceremonies, rituals, and holy days. He argues that the Old Testament observances were mere shadows and types that have been fulfilled in Christ, and that Christians are not obligated to keep them. Using passages from Galatians, Colossians, and Hebrews, he emphasizes that salvation and rest are found solely through faith in Christ, not through ritual observance. He warns that returning to such practices undermines the gospel and questions the genuineness of one's faith.

[John Weaver] And I have been dealing with how Christ is superior to anything and everything, and particularly to all of those Old Testament ceremonies, to the festivals, to the holy days, all of those things. So let's look in Hebrews chapter 4, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

[John Weaver] For unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them, But the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we who have believed do enter into rest, as he said, as I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest, although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place on the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place, again, if they shall enter into my rest, seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein. And they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief. Again, he limited a certain day saying in David a day after so long a time, as it is said today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus or Joshua had given them rest, then would he not afterwards have spoken of another day. There remained therefore rest to the people of God.

[John Weaver] For he that has entered into his rest, he also had ceased from his own works as God did from his. Now I do want to take just a few moments and review and I want to point out that once again the theme of this brief series is the superiority of Jesus Christ. Showing and demonstrating that Christ is superior to anyone or to anything. The theme of the book of Hebrews points this out very specifically. I also pointed out how that one of the main words in the book of Hebrews is the word better. But just for your refreshing and reviewing Hebrews 1 1 through 3 teaches the superiority of Christ over the prophets Hebrews 1 4 through chapter 2 verse 18 shows the superiority of Christ over angels Hebrews 3 teaches the superiority of Christ over Moses Hebrews 4 teaches the superiority of Christ over Joshua and Hebrews 5 teaches the superiority Christ over Aaron and of course we know that God has spoken according to Hebrews 1 1 through 3 fully finally totally and completely in his son the Lord Jesus Christ now we have been looking at the creation Sabbath which we did in the first message and then secondly at

[John Weaver] the Canaan Sabbath which I did last week and will continue on this week And then finally, next week, Lord willing, we're going to be looking at the Christian Sabbath. Now, I told you that the pattern of the Canaan Sabbath was, of course, God's creation rest. The goal of the Sabbath is man's redemption rest, or the Christian Sabbath, which is rest in the Redeemer, who is, of course, is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. I pointed out that the Sabbath asserts the principle of freedom under God, of liberty under God's law. The principle of the Sabbath summons man from himself and from his work. It frees man from himself and it draws him totally and completely to God the Father through Jesus Christ. I also pointed out that the essence of humanism is man's ability to save himself, to evolve himself, and basically to control his society, to control everything. In humanism, there is no rest. Period. The only rest that exists is rest in God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now, also last week, and let me just re-emphasize this, pointed out that there was not primarily a day of worship in the Hebrew culture in the Old Testament.

[John Weaver] The Sabbath was a day of rest and I went through scripture and showed you how no fires could be kindled, no wood could be gathered, nothing could be done. It was primarily a day of rest. Now did they worship? Yes, but their worship was family-oriented and they were to worship every day But there was not primarily a day of worship, it was a day of rest. And then I went to great pains to show you, and I hope conclusively, that Saturday is not the Sabbath, nor could it possibly be the Sabbath. Why?

[John Weaver] Because the Hebrew calendar began on Abib 15. Which meant that was a fixed Sabbath every year. Which meant the first and the eighth were fixed Sabbaths as well. Seven Sabbaths following that were fixed as well. So when the date is fixed, the date changes. So even the weekly Sabbath was not always on Saturday. The day changed. And by the way, I didn't point this out last week, but it's possible to have two sabbaths in one week because there was also new moon sabbaths and if the new moon sabbath happened to come at one week and the weekly sabbath at the same time then you've got two sabbaths in one week so very obviously if you have not followed all of this I would encourage you to get the tape or the CD from last week because we look at scripture after scripture and to show you that primarily the sabbath date was fixed And I showed you the month from Scripture, I showed you the date from Scripture, and there should actually be no question about it.

[John Weaver] Now, the point that I want to emphasize today is this. All of those Old Testament Canaan Sabbaths, all of those Old Testament ceremonies, all of those Old Testament rituals were nothing more than mere shadow. They were not real. They were types. They were emblems.

[John Weaver] Now let me show you how we reverse things. If you and I were to stop and think, if we were alive in Old Testament days, and we went to the tabernacle or we went to the temple, and we saw Aaron or one of the Aaronic priests, there in all of his paraphernalia, in all of his garments, if we could smell the sacrifice on the altar, if we could smell the incense, if we could hear the bells as they rang as he walked, if you and I could see all of those things, the beautiful temple, you know, we would be tempted to say, man, this is real. I can taste it. I can touch it. I can smell it. I can hear it.

[John Weaver] But God said, all those were shadows. You say, where in the world does the Bible say that? Well, it happens to say that right in the book of Hebrews. For instance, if you will look in Hebrews chapter 8. Hebrews chapter 8. Notice if you would what the Bible says beginning there in verse 1.

[John Weaver] Now the things which we have spoken, this is the Son. For we have such a high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. So man's tabernacle, man's temple was not the true one. The true one was pitched by God Himself. Watch verse 3. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices, wherefore it is of necessity that this man, that is Christ, have somewhat also to offer. Now look what the Bible says about Christ. For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest. Why? Seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law, who serve to the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for seeth he that thou make all things according to the pattern which he showed thee in the mount.

[John Weaver] So what is the scripture saying? That Old Testament tabernacle, that Old Testament temple, with all the rituals, all the ceremonies, were nothing more than mere shadows. We have the reality in Jesus Christ. Reality only came with the fulfillment of all of those types and shadows, and that fulfillment is Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now what I want to do today is very specific. I want to show you from the New Testament where Christians are not obligated to keep those Old Testament days, years, months, rituals, and ceremonies. I'm also going to do something else and I will tell you why just momentarily. I'm going to give you a number of quotes today. In fact, I will quote more today from different authors, different teachers and preachers. But I'm going to do so for a reason. One of the reasons is to show you the consistency of interpretation. And I'll tell you the main reason just a little bit later. But I do want you to turn in your Bibles to begin to the book of Galatians chapter 4.

[John Weaver] And let's read verses 9 through 11. The apostle Paul is writing the Galatians and he says this in Galatians chapter four, beginning there with verse nine, Galatians four, verse nine. He writes to the Galatian Christians and he says, but now after that, you have known God or rather are known or have been known of God. Look what he says. How turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements.

[John Weaver] whereunto you desire again to be in bondage. You observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I bestowed upon you labor in vain."

[John Weaver] Now I want you to note, if you would please, in verse 9, he says, after you have been known of God, and that you profess to know God, look at this question, how turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements where until you desire again to be in bondage. Now, if you want to know what the weak and beggarly elements are, look in verse 10. You observe days and months and times and years.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note and listen carefully as I give you just a brief quote by Albert Barnes. He's explaining the term weak and beggarly elements. He says, quote, it refers to the rights and ceremonies of the Jewish law imposing a servitude really no less severe than the customs of pagans. They are called weak because they have no power to save the soul, no power to justify the sinner before God. They are called beggarly, that is poor, because they could not impart spiritual riches. They really could confer few benefits upon man." Now, let me just quote to you Ephesians 1 in verse 3. I want you to note what he says in verse 9, how it turned you again to the weak and beggarly elements. In Ephesians 1 in verse 3, the Bible says, Blessed be God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who have blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. My question is this, where do we have all spiritual riches? Where do we have all spiritual blessings?

[John Weaver] The answer is in Christ. Not in ceremonies, not in days, not in times, not in years, Not in rituals, but all in Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look back in Relations 4 and verse 9. I want to be very specific, and I want you to understand what he's saying. But now, after that you have known God, or rather have been known of God, how turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto you desire again to be in bondage?

[John Weaver] Now let me give you a little surprise. The word bondage here is used in relation to days, times, months, and years. So, the Greek word for bondage is the word for slavery. Notice he says, where unto you desire again to be in slavery? Well, what kind of slavery is he talking about? Being a slave to the observation of days, months, times, and years. What is one of the main themes of the book of Galatians? Well, look at chapter 5 and verse 1. Chapter 5, verse 1. Here's what the Apostle Paul says. Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Whoa, wait a minute. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. Be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. What bondage is he talking about? The bondage that he's referring to? Back in verse 10 and verse 9 of Galatians chapter 4. And of the bondage that he's talking about from Mount Sinai and Hagar in the rest of chapter 4.

[John Weaver] To show you the context, look at verse 1 of chapter 5 again. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Now look what he's saying. Behold, I Paul saying to you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is debted to do the whole law. Now here's what he's saying. If you want to be in bondage, you go back to the ceremonies, you go back to the rituals.

[John Weaver] I don't care if you're talking about the ritual of circumcision. And I'm not teaching about circumcision, but if I were to be asked, do you believe that there are advantages to being circumcised? My answer would be yes. Medical advantages, physical advantages, but no spiritual advantages. The Apostle Paul said if you be circumcised, that is if you're depending upon this act religiously, Then he says Christ shall profit you nothing. The Apostle Paul said circumcision is not anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creature in Christ. That is what counts.

[John Weaver] Now, so the whole context then in Galatians chapter 4 and Galatians chapter 5 is liberty and freedom from all of the ceremonies, all the rituals. Listen to what Matthew Poole said concerning Galatians 4 and verses 9 and 10. Listen carefully. How turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements? Where unto you desire to be in bondage? Or how turn you back again to the legal services of the ceremonial law, which he calleth elements or rudiments, because they were God's first instructions given to his church for his worship, to which he intended afterwards a more perfect way of worship. He calls them weak because they brought nothing to perfection, and the observance of them was impotent as to the justification of the soul as all the law is. He calls them beggarly in comparison of the more rational spiritual way of worship under the gospel. He said that they desire to be in bondage under these because they would not see nor make use of the liberty from them which Christ had purchased. Now what did Matthew Poole just say?

[John Weaver] Matthew Poole just said what Scripture says that Christ has redeemed us from all of these ceremonies and all of these rituals. Therefore, they're called weak and beggarly elements or rudiments. Let me try to explain it like this. What would you think of a college graduate? Let's go further. What would you think of a college graduate had an earned PhD that wanted to return to kindergarten and recite the ABCs all day long.

[John Weaver] Now you would say, now wait a minute, something is wrong with that fellow. I mean, here's someone who is wanting to trade the knowledge of accomplished reality for some immature, elementary, rudimentary knowledge.

[John Weaver] Now just like you would think that something was wrong with someone who wanted to do that, the Apostle Paul thought that there was something wrong with someone who wanted to go back to days, times, years, ceremonies. For look what he said in verse 11. After he says in verse 10, you observe days and months and times and years, he said, Paul said to these Galatians, I'm afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.

[John Weaver] Now, you've got to ask this question. What did Paul mean when he told the Galatians, I'm afraid of you? Paul was expressing the fact that he was afraid that they were probably not genuine Christians. That's what he's saying. Why? Because they did not comprehend the person and work of Jesus Christ. They rather wanted the types and the emblems and the symbols and the ceremonies and the rituals. If you'll skip down to verse 20, you'll see Paul expressing the same doubt. He says in verse 20, I desire to be present with you now and to change my voice, for I stand in doubt of you." What is Paul doing? Paul is making it very clear that those who want to go back to days and times and emblems and rituals and ceremonies have a questionable salvation. In fact, hold Galatians 4, but turn right over in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 2. And look, if you would, at verse 19. In fact, John is just a little more specific, but he's saying exactly the same thing that Paul is saying in Galatians chapter 4.

[John Weaver] Look in 1 John chapter 2 and watch verse 19. 1 John 2 verse 19. John writes it like this, They went out from us But they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. But they went out that they might be made manifest, they were not all of us.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you the question. Based upon 1 John 2 and verse 19, what is the proof that you are a genuine Christian? The answer is that you continue in the things of Christ. that you continue in his word, that you continue in faith and repentance and obedience. If someone leaves Christ and leaves the faith, John says it's evident that they were never ever genuinely with us to begin with. For had they been of us, that is genuinely converted, no doubt he says they would have continued with us. Now, it's a serious action to turn from Christ.

[John Weaver] and the reality that He has brought, and the fulfillment that He has accomplished. Now, I want you to go back to Galatians 4 and verse 11, because I want to give you, again, a comment by John Calvin on verse 11. Paul said in verse 11 to these Galatians, I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor and vain. expounds that statement like this. The expression is harsh and must have filled the Galatians with alarm. For what hope was left to them if Paul's labor had been in vain? Some have expressed astonishment that Paul should be so powerfully affected by the observance of days as almost to designate it as a subversion of the whole gospel.

[John Weaver] But if we weigh carefully the whole, we shall see that there was just reason and that the false apostles not only attempted to lay the yoke of Jewish bondage on the neck of the church, but fill their minds with wicked superstitions. To bring back Christianity to Judaism was in itself no light evil, but far more serious mischief was done when in opposition to the grace of Christ, they set up holy days as meritorious performance and pretended that this mode of worship would propitiate the divine favor. When such doctrines were received, the worship of God was corrupted, the grace of Christ made void, and the freedom of conscience oppressed.

[John Weaver] Now, what is Calvin saying? Well, there are people even today who will say, if we don't want to be under God's judgment, then we need to observe this ceremony. We need to observe this day. We need to do this ritual. which is totally, completely contrary to the Word of God. Ceremonies, rituals, observance of days, today has nothing to do with the judgment of God. Disobedience, yes, but not disobedience to types and symbols and emblems that have now been fulfilled by the person and work of Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look back to Galatians 4, verses 9 and 10. Watch carefully. But now after that you have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements wherein you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and times and years. I'm afraid of you, said Paul, lest I bestowed upon you labor and vain. If you do not understand the observation of days, months, times, and years, I want you to turn right over to the book of Colossians chapter 2. Colossians chapter 2, and let's look at verses 16 and 17. Colossians 2 verse 16. And we're going to spend probably the rest of our time right here before we get back to Hebrews chapter 4. Look in Colossians 2 verse 16. The Apostle Paul writes, well, in fact, let's begin reading with verse 14 concerning the person and work of Christ. Verse 14, Colossians 2, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

[John Weaver] And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it." Now look what he says,"...let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ." Now I want to call your attention once again that the Apostle Paul talks about meat and drink, holy days, new moon days, Sabbath days, which he says are a shadow. But the body, he says, is Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, let's go back to verse 16. He says, let no man therefore judge you. Now let me stop and deal with the word judge. The word judge is used in the sense of pronouncing a sentence. Like if you're in a court of law, we refer to him as the judge. Why? He pronounces a sentence. So to judge means here to hold someone guilty of a crime or to impose a scruple of conscience upon someone so that he is no longer free.

[John Weaver] Now when the Apostle Paul writes, let no man judge you, he is saying that it is not in the power of man to subject us to ordinances, to ceremonies, to rituals, or to the observance of days, times, and years, which has been abolished by the person and work of Christ. It doesn't matter what men say in relationship to ceremonies, days, times, and years. Period. So the apostle is basically saying this, since you have been delivered by Christ and from the evils which surround you, and you have also been delivered from the observances of the ceremonial law, let no one sit in judgment on you, and let no one claim the right to bind your conscience, to what he thinks. The Apostle Paul is telling us we're not to be in subjection to man, but we're to be in subjection to Jesus Christ. It is only Jesus Christ who has the right to bind our consciences.

[John Weaver] Listen, I could come up to you and tell you, I think you ought to do such and such, and you ought to do it on this day, and you ought to do it just like I do. You say, but pastor, I don't think that's right. I say, but wait a minute, I'm your pastor. Do I have the power to bind your conscience to something that is unbiblical? Just because I think it's wise? No. I don't. The only way I have, the only power I have to bind your consciences to anything is to show it to you in the scripture and then you're bound to scripture, you're bound to Christ, not to me.

[John Weaver] And so the apostle is saying, let no man judge you. Now look what he says in verse 16 again. Let no man pass a sentence upon you. Let no man impose upon you a scruple of conscience thinking that you have to do this and you have to do it his way. Watch. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink.

[John Weaver] Now let's just stop right there. No one is to judge us in eating and drinking. And of course eating and drinking here of course would refer to various articles of food and drink. In the context, it would have reference to eating and drinking special things that were used in the observation of the feasts and the festivals.

[John Weaver] Just so everyone will understand what I'm saying, As a whole, we just passed over the Easter season, using the term so that you just will understand it. The Jewish people just went through Passover. How many of you ate unleavened bread during Easter season? But you see what I'm saying? None of us did. One or two who may just like it, but that's fine. But, you know, no one is saying you've got to eat it like this. There were special... How many of you ate your meat with bitter herbs? Nobody. Now, all Paul is saying is this, when somebody comes along now and says, you've got to eat this roll and you've got to eat it this way, you've got to eat this herb, you've got to eat this meat, you've got to eat it fixed. No, no, no. He says, let no man judge you in respect to meat and drink. Why?

[John Weaver] Do you not remember John chapter 6? Our Lord says, my body is meat for you and my blood is drink for you. In other words, the person and work of Jesus Christ fulfilled all of those things so that now we feast upon Christ, we derive our nourishment and our sustenance from Christ. He is the bread of life. He is the water of life. He said He's the bread of life in John 6. He said He was the water of life in John 7. So when you try to tell me I have to have a special bread now or a special drink now in observance of something, I say, no, I do not. For Jesus Christ is my meat and my drink. He's the fulfillment of all of that.

[John Weaver] I want to give you a quote from Albert Barnes. I want you to listen to what he said. And let's continue. First of all, in Colossians 2, he says, Let no man therefore judge you in meat or drink or in respect of a holy day or the new moon or the Sabbath days. Here's what Albert Barnes says. The meaning is in part or the particulars of a holy day that is in respect to it. The word rendered holy day.

[John Weaver] is heorte in the Greek, which literally means a feast or a festival. And there were plenty of them in the Old Testament. And the allusion here is to the festivals of the Jews. The sense is that no one had a right to impose their observance on Christians or to condemn them if they did not keep them. They had been delivered from that obligation by the death of Christ, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us And He took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross.

[John Weaver] Now, look back up to verse 14. We read it earlier. Barnes just quoted verse 14. What did Christ do in His death? Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.

[John Weaver] Now, some have taken this passage and just misinterpreted it to the nth degree. Some say the whole law was nailed to the cross. That's not true, folks. God's law is holy, just, and good. What Christ nailed to the cross was that the ceremonies, the ordinances, not thou shalt not kill, not thou shalt not commit adultery, but He took all of these ceremonies, all these rituals, all these special days, He took them out of the way, nailing them to the cross.

[John Weaver] How did He do that? Because He fulfilled every one of them. There was no Israelite in the Old Testament who could keep all of the ceremonies and all the special days perfectly. None. Not one. Why do you think God sent them away into captivity for 70 years? And he rightly says they were against us. Let's go forward. He says in verse 16, let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of a holy day, that is a feast or festival, or of the new moon. Now the appearance of the new moon required additional sacrifices as well as the daily sacrifice. And you have a new moon each month. So he's saying, These new moon sabbaths, they're gone. Then he says, or of sabbath days. Look in verse 16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of a holy day or the new moon or of sabbath days. Literally, let no man judge you in respect of the sabbaths. Now the word sabbath of the Old Testament is of course applied to the sabbath days.

[John Weaver] Not just to the sabbath day. but also to all of those Old Testament feasts and festivals. The Passover was considered a Sabbath. The Feast of Ingathering was considered a Sabbath. So it is used in the plural, in the sense, or of the Sabbath days. In other words, there were more than one. Does that mean that we cannot have a day of rest if we so choose? No, it doesn't mean that. We may rest one day out of each week.

[John Weaver] There's no problem with that. But the problem comes in when you say, this is the Sabbath day and you will observe it the way I'm telling you to observe it or else you're not right with God or you're not a Christian or you're under the judgment of God. As far as the ceremonies, they've all been done away with. They've been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Matthew Henry said this on verse 17. Look at verse 17. After he talks about the new moon and the holy days and the Sabbath days, he says in verse 17, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ. Matthew Henry wrote this. And this the rather, because these things, everything that he mentioned in verse 16, were shadows of things to come, intimating that they had no intrinsic worth in them, and that they are now done away. But the body is of Christ. The body of which they were shadows has come, and to continue the ceremonial observances, which were only types and shadows of Christ in the gospel, carries an intimation that Christ has not yet come and the gospel state has not yet commenced.

[John Weaver] Observe the advantages we have under the gospel above what they had under the law. They have the shadows, we have the substance. What is Matthew Henry saying? If you want to observe all of these types, shadows, emblems, what you're saying in essence is this, Christ hasn't come yet. We don't have the gospel of grace yet. What good is a type and a shadow if you have reality? The answer is nothing. When that reality has come, which the type or the shadow prefigured, the type or the shadow has no longer any value. When that which is reality is standing before you, that which prefigured Him, that which typed Him, no longer has any binding value.

[John Weaver] Calvin said it very plainly on verse 17. Let me give you the quote. He says, For Christ is now manifested to us, and hence we enjoy him as being present. The body, says he, is of Christ, that is, in Christ. For the substance of those things which the ceremonies anciently prefigured is now presented before our eyes in Christ. inasmuch as he contains in himself everything that they had marked out as future. Hence the man that calls back the ceremonies into use either buries the manifestation of Christ or robs Christ of his excellence and makes him in a manner void." Wow! Did you hear that? Hence the man that calls back the ceremonies into use either buries the manifestation of Christ or robs Christ of his excellence and makes him in a manner void.

[John Weaver] Now I've given you a number of quotes today and I've quoted extensively for a reason. That reason is to demonstrate that the interpretation of these passages that I'm giving you is in line with historic Christianity. You say, Brother Weaver, do you believe the Reformers and those men were right in everything? And I'm going to answer, absolutely not. No man is right in everything. But I will tell you this, when you come up with an interpretation that is contrary to historic Christianity, when you come up with an interpretation that is contrary to which God's choices men have taught down through the years, you better be exceedingly careful. Because what you're going to end up saying is this, I am right and everyone else is wrong.

[John Weaver] And you have to remember what 2 Peter 1.20 says, Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scriptures of any private Interpretation. We cannot make Scripture mean what we want it to mean. We must make Scripture say what it actually says. And you've got to understand this, folks. There is no such thing as new truth. If it is new, it is not truth. It is true we do not have understanding on everything, but when Martin Luther During the Reformation, in 1500, began preaching justification by faith alone. He was not preaching a new truth. It was an old truth.

[John Weaver] Nobody had been reading their Bibles. Nobody had been teaching it and preaching it. It was not new truth. There's no such thing as new truth. If it's truth, it's not new. Ecclesiastes 1.9 says this, The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be. And that which is done, that which shall be done. And there is no new thing under the sun. So all I'm trying to show you is this, folks.

[John Weaver] When you can take an interpretation from the first century and bring it down to the 20th century and show how it has been interpreted all those centuries, And I have not quoted from the church fathers and all this kind of stuff, which I could do. I checked it out. I have all those quotes. I'm just saying to go contrary to that, you better be mighty slow and you better do a lot of thinking.

[John Weaver] Because there are so many scriptures that contradict going back to the ceremonies, to the types, to the rituals, to the days. For instance, look in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 13. Let me show you a verse. This ought to really shake some folks up. Look in Hebrews 13 and verse 10. Hebrews 13 verse 10. Here's the conclusion of the author of the book of Hebrews. Remember now, these Hebrews were wanting to go back. That's why the book of Hebrews was written. They wanted to go back to the types and emblems and shadows. And in Hebrews 13 in verse 10 we read this, We have an altar where if they have no right to eat, which serve the tabernacle. What? We have an altar. We have an altar where if they have no right to eat, which serve the tabernacle.

[John Weaver] Now, if I were to ask you who is our altar, I hope you'd respond, Jesus Christ. If that's not clear enough, look in verse 11. For the bodies of those beasts, that is those oxen, those lamb, those sheep, for the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought in the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffer without the gate. Now go back to verse 10. We have an altar. who is our altar, Jesus Christ. And now he says, we have an altar whereof they have no right to eat who serve the tabernacle. The Christian altar is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] We who benefit from His passion, His death, and His resurrection, and His life. Now what is he saying? He is saying, if you want to go back to these Old Testament ceremonies, These Old Testament rituals, these Old Testament sacrifices, all of these things, you have no right to Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now folks, I've got news for you. That's a scary truth. Why? Because Jesus Christ is the full, final, ultimate revelation of God. There is no other revelation. That's why the Bible says in Colossians 1 in verse 18, which I've quoted every week, that in all things He, Christ, might have the preeminence. Let me ask you, how can Christ have the preeminence if you go back to the types and shadows that represent Him? How can Christ have the preeminence if you go back to the observation of days and times and years which prefigure Him?

[John Weaver] The answer is you can't. And He can't have the preeminence. If He has the preeminence, we have to exalt Him in every area of our lives. We have to understand that He is the fulfillment, the final and complete and absolute and total revelation of God. No man has seen the Father at any time, but He that is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. Thomas said to Christ in John 14, Lord show us the Father and it suffices us. And our Lord said, have you been so long time with me? And not known, he that has seen me has seen the Father. Then he said, I and the Father are one in John 10. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of everything in the Old Testament.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to go back to Hebrews chapter 4. Let me show you this. I'm going to close. Just a moment, but I want you to watch this. I'm going to work my way through this just to prepare you for the message that's coming next Lord's Day. Look in Hebrews chapter 4. In Hebrews chapter 4, we are first given a warning. Look in verse 1, let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." Wow! Why in the world does it begin with a warning? Let us fear. Well, let me ask you, did Adam and Eve continue in His rest? No. Did the children of Israel who came out of Egypt, did they continue in His rest? No. Did the children of Israel who got the Canaan land continue in His rest? No.

[John Weaver] So He says, alright folks, wake up, smell the coffee, here's some warnings that we need to take very seriously. Now, I want you to note, He tells us exactly why they did not abide in His rest. For instance, go back to chapter 3, and look at verse 18 and 19, right above chapter 4 and verse 1. To whom swear He that they should not enter into His rest, but to them that believe not, So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Who did not get into His rest? Those who did not believe. Now look in chapter 4 and verse 2.

[John Weaver] For unto us was the gospel preached as well as to them. But the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Wow.

[John Weaver] Now look in verse 6. Verse 6. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief."

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you, why was Adam and Eve kicked out of the garden? Unbelief. Why did the children of Israel as they came out of Egypt did not enter into the land? Unbelief. Why did those in the land did not stay in the land? Unbelief. What's he saying? We better fear lest we fall after the same example. In other words, to enter into God's rest It requires faith. Not observance of days, and times, and years, and ceremonies, and rituals, but faith. Did they not have those days, times, years, ceremonies, rituals in the Old Testament? Yes! Did they keep them? No! Did they enter in? No! Because God's real rest is not based upon ceremonies or days, it's based upon faith.

[John Weaver] Now, let me very quickly give you one more quote from Albert Barnes. He says, therefore, that God Himself had spoken of His own rest from His works, that which He had finished, the work of creation. He had instituted a rest which was characterized by peace and beauty and order of the first Sabbath after the work of creation, when all was new and lovely and pure. This is called the rest of God, a beautiful emblem of those that dwell around His throne in heaven. The meaning of this verse, that is verse 4, is that the Bible spoke early of a rest which appertained to God Himself. And He goes on to say that the prospect of entering into this rest was spoken of as a possible thing, but some were excluded. Why? Because of unbelief.

[John Weaver] In other words, to enter into God's rest, it requires faith. Look in verse 6 again. Hebrews 4, seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter in, and they to whom it first was preached entered not in because of unbelief.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you what the apostle is doing in chapter 4. In verse 1, he begins with a warning. Then he tells you in verses 2 and 3 that they did not enter in because of unbelief. And God swore that they would not enter in. And then he talks about God's rest in creation. God's rest is the arch type. God's rest is the prototype. Canaan was supposed to be a type of that rest, but they failed. And notice if you would in verse 7.

[John Weaver] He says again, He limited a certain day, saying in David, a day after so long a time, as it is said today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Now wait a minute, even David, the man after God's own heart, said that Canaan was not the real rest of God. The observation of the days and ceremonies and rituals was not the rest of God. And then he says it like this in verse 8. For if Jesus or Joshua had given them rest, then he would not afterwards have spoken of another day. So we know that the Canaan rest, that Old Testament rest, those Sabbath days and all their festivals were not the rest of God. He said so. Whatever Joshua accomplished and they accomplished, it was not the rest of God. Watch verse 6 again.

[John Weaver] seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein." Some are going to get into that rest. "...And they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief."

[John Weaver] Now skip down to verse 9. "...There remaineth therefore a rest for the people of God." Now wait a minute. If the Old Testament Sabbaths were the real rest, why does it yet speak of another rest? Why does he say, there remaineth a rest for the people of God? And by the way, the word rest, as I told you before, is sabbatismos. What verse 9 actually says is this, there remaineth therefore a keeping of the Sabbath to the people of God.

[John Weaver] In other words, the conclusion the apostle comes to is this. None of the Old Testament Sabbaths were the real rest. They were pictures. They were types. They were emblems. But they were not the real rest. The real Sabbath is yet to come. Now, I'm going to deal next week with the fact that we have God's creation Sabbath. But that was God's rest. And initially, man was to begin his week by entering into God's rest. But he failed.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you just a couple of questions. If we are to continue to observe days, times, years, ceremonies, rituals, certain meats, certain drinks in relation to those festivals, why does the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Ghost, write Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or drink, or in respect of a holy day, or the new moon, or the Sabbath days, which things are a shadow, but the body is Christ. And why then, if we are to keep these things, why did the Apostle Paul write unto the Galatians and condemn them for observing days, times, and years, and say, I'm in doubt of you.

[John Weaver] In other words, evidently you don't understand the gospel. You don't understand Christ. For if you understood Christ, you would not be keeping these days and times and years. Let me tell you something, folks. Anything that takes the emphasis away from Jesus Christ and His person and His work is wrong. You can only say basically one of three things. Anyone who wants to take away the emphasis upon Christ, and remember, in all things he is to have the preeminence, anyone who wants to take away the preeminence from Jesus Christ, his person at work, is either doing so and demonstrating that he has an unbelieving heart, that he's not a real, genuine child

[John Weaver] of God, or secondly, that is doing so through gross theological ignorance. Or thirdly, that there is an attempt to pervert the gospel of Christ, as the Judaizers did, whom Paul fought against constantly because all they wanted to do was to add the ceremonies and the rituals to the gospel and say, if you really want to be saved, if you really want to be spiritual, then you need to do this, and you need to do it like this, in order to really, genuinely be saved.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you something, and I'm going to demonstrate it to you from Scripture, Lord willing, next Lord's Day. If you really and truly want rest, that rest can only be found in Jesus Christ. Each week, I've quoted Matthew 11. Our Lord said, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest. I want to close with one quote from Charles Haddon Spurgeon. I want you to listen.

[John Weaver] This is so beautifully said, and if you don't get anything but the first sentence, get it. Listen carefully. There can be no rest to an unbelieving heart if manna and miracles could not satisfy Israel, neither would they have been content with the land which flowed with milk and honey. Canaan was to be the typical resting place of God where His ark should abide and the ordinances of religion should be established.

[John Weaver] The Lord had for 40 years borne with the ill manners of the generation which came out of Egypt. It was but right that He should resolve to have no more to do with them. Was it not enough that they had revolted all along that marvelous wilderness march? Should they be allowed to make new masses and marabouts in the promised land itself? Jehovah would not have it so.

[John Weaver] He not only said, but swore that unto his rest they should not come, and that his oath excluded every one of them. Their carcasses fell in the wilderness. Solemn warning was this to all who leave the way of faith or paths of petulant murmuring and mistrust. The rebels of old could not enter in because of unbelief. Let us therefore fear Lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. One blessed inference from this psalm must not be forgotten. It is clear that there is a rest of God and that some must enter into it. But they to whom it was first preached enter not in because of unbelief. There therefore remaineth a rest to the people of God. The unbelievers could not enter in, but we who have believed do enter into his rest. Let us enjoy it.

[John Weaver] and praise the Lord for it forever. Ours is the true Sabbath rest. It is ours to rest from our own works as God did from His. While we do so, let us come before His presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto Him with praise. Why? Because God has given us His true rest. And that rest is in Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Father, we're so thankful today for Your love and Your grace. We're so thankful for Your Word. And Father, we're so thankful that we may rest solely, totally, and completely in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is God. He has accomplished salvation.

[John Weaver] There is not one thing that we must do Except, Lord, look to Thee and trust in Thee as Thou dost give us repentance and faith." It's done. It's finished.

The Superiority of Christ Part 3 of 4

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	CMZkcHYLSdE
Subject	Apologetics
Course	Truth and the Interpretation of Scripture
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-02-02
Dictation Name
Book	Book 090: The Superiority of Christ — Chapter 3
Source Timed Segments	79

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Review

Weaver reviews the series theme of Christ's superiority over Old Testament figures and ceremonies, and recaps previous messages on the creation and Canaan Sabbaths.

And I have been dealing with how Christ is superior to anything and everything, and particularly to all of those Old Testament ceremonies, to the festivals, to the holy days, all of those things. So let's look in Hebrews chapter 4, and let's begin reading there with verse 1.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 4:1-11

"Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." "For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his."

Now I do want to take just a few moments and review, and I want to point out that once again the theme of this brief series is the superiority of Jesus Christ, showing and demonstrating that Christ is superior to anyone or to anything. The theme of the book of Hebrews points this out very specifically. I also pointed out how that one of the main words in the book of Hebrews is the word "better." But just for your refreshing and reviewing, Hebrews 1:1-3 teaches the superiority of Christ over the prophets. Hebrews 1:4 through chapter 2, verse 18 shows the superiority of Christ over angels. Hebrews 3 teaches the superiority of Christ over Moses. Hebrews 4 teaches the superiority of Christ over Joshua, and Hebrews 5 teaches the superiority of Christ over Aaron. And of course we know that God has spoken, according to Hebrews 1:1-3, fully, finally, totally, and completely in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we have been looking at the creation Sabbath, which we did in the first message, and then secondly at

the Canaan Sabbath, which I did last week and will continue on this week. And then finally, next week, Lord willing, we're going to be looking at the Christian Sabbath. Now, I told you that the pattern of the Canaan Sabbath was, of course, God's creation rest. The goal of the Sabbath is man's redemption rest, or the Christian Sabbath, which is rest in the Redeemer, who is, of course, none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. I pointed out that the Sabbath asserts the principle of freedom under God, of liberty under God's law. The principle of the Sabbath summons man from himself and from his work. It frees man from himself and it draws him totally and completely to God the Father through Jesus Christ. I also pointed out that the essence of humanism is man's ability to save himself, to evolve himself, and basically to control his society, to control everything. In humanism, there is no rest. Period. The only rest that exists is rest in God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now, also last week, and let me just re-emphasize this, I pointed out that there was not primarily a day of worship in the Hebrew culture in the Old Testament.

Old Testament Ceremonies as Shadows

Weaver explains that Old Testament rituals were mere shadows, with the reality found in Christ, citing Hebrews 8:1-5.

Now, the point that I want to emphasize today is this: All of those Old Testament Canaan Sabbaths, all of those Old Testament ceremonies, all of those Old Testament rituals were nothing more than mere shadow. They were not real. They were types. They were emblems.

Now let me show you how we reverse things. If you and I were to stop and think, if we were alive in Old Testament days, and we went to the tabernacle or we went to the temple, and we saw Aaron or one of the Aaronic priests, there in all of his paraphernalia, in all of his garments, if we could smell the sacrifice on the altar, if we could smell the incense, if we could hear the bells as they rang as he walked, if you and I could see all of those things, the beautiful temple, you know, we would be tempted to say, "Man, this is real. I can taste it. I can touch it. I can smell it. I can hear it."

But God said, all those were shadows. You say, "Where in the world does the Bible say that?" Well, it happens to say that right in the book of Hebrews. For instance, if you will look in Hebrews chapter 8. Hebrews chapter 8. Notice if you would what the Bible says beginning there in verse 1.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 8:1-5

"Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man."

So man's tabernacle, man's temple was not the true one. The true one was pitched by God Himself. Watch verse 3.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 8:1-5

"For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer."

Now look what the Bible says about Christ.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 8:1-5

"For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount."

So what is the Scripture saying? That Old Testament tabernacle, that Old Testament temple, with all the rituals, all the ceremonies, were nothing more than mere shadows. We have the reality in Jesus Christ. Reality only came with the fulfillment of all of those types and shadows, and that fulfillment is Jesus Christ.

Freedom from Observance of Days

Using Galatians 4:9-11, Weaver argues that observing days, months, and years is a return to bondage and questions the genuineness of such believers.

Now what I want to do today is very specific. I want to show you from the New Testament where Christians are not obligated to keep those Old Testament days, years, months, rituals, and ceremonies. I'm also going to do something else and I will tell you why just momentarily. I'm going to give you a number of quotes today. In fact, I will quote more today from different authors, different teachers and preachers. But I'm going to do so for a reason. One of the reasons is to show you the consistency of interpretation. And I'll tell you the main reason just a little bit later. But I do want you to turn in your Bibles to begin to the book of Galatians chapter 4.

And let's read verses 9 through 11. The apostle Paul is writing the Galatians and he says this in Galatians chapter 4, beginning there with verse 9. Galatians 4, verse 9. He writes to the Galatian Christians and he says,

Scripture Reading — Galatians 4:9-11

"But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain."

Now I want you to note, if you would please, in verse 9, he says, "after ye have been known of God," and that you profess to know God, look at this question, "how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?" Now, if you want to know what the weak and beggarly elements are, look in verse 10. "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years." Now, I want you to note and listen carefully as I give you just a brief quote by Albert Barnes. He's explaining the term "weak and beggarly elements." He says, quote, "It refers to the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish law imposing a servitude really no less severe than the customs of pagans. They are called weak because they have no power to save the soul, no power to justify the sinner before God. They are called beggarly, that is poor, because they could not impart spiritual riches. They really could confer few benefits upon man." Now, let me just quote to you Ephesians 1:3. I want you to note what he says in verse 9, "how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements." In Ephesians 1:3, the Bible says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." My question is this, where do we have all spiritual riches? Where do we have all spiritual blessings?

The answer is in Christ. Not in ceremonies, not in days, not in times, not in years, not in rituals, but all in Christ. Now, I want you to look back in Galatians 4 and verse 9. I want to be very specific, and I want you to understand what he's saying. "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?"

Now let me give you a little surprise. The word "bondage" here is used in relation to days, times, months, and years. So, the Greek word for bondage is the word for slavery. Notice he says, "whereunto ye desire again to be in slavery?" Well, what kind of slavery is he talking about? Being a slave to the observation of days, months, times, and years. What is one of the main themes of the book of Galatians? Well, look at chapter 5 and verse 1. Chapter 5, verse 1. Here's what the Apostle Paul says. "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Whoa, wait a minute. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. Be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. What bondage is he talking about? The bondage that he's referring to? Back in verse 10 and verse 9 of Galatians chapter 4. And of the bondage that he's talking about from Mount Sinai and Hagar in the rest of chapter 4.

To show you the context, look at verse 1 of chapter 5 again.

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:1-3

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Now look what he's saying.

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:1-3

"Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law."

Now here's what he's saying. If you want to be in bondage, you go back to the ceremonies, you go back to the rituals. I don't care if you're talking about the ritual of circumcision. And I'm not teaching about circumcision, but if I were to be asked, do you believe that there are advantages to being circumcised? My answer would be yes. Medical advantages, physical advantages, but no spiritual advantages. The Apostle Paul said if you be circumcised, that is if you're depending upon this act religiously, then he says Christ shall profit you nothing. The Apostle Paul said circumcision is not anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creature in Christ. That is what counts.

Now, so the whole context then in Galatians chapter 4 and Galatians chapter 5 is liberty and freedom from all of the ceremonies, all the rituals. Listen to what Matthew Poole said concerning Galatians 4 and verses 9 and 10. Listen carefully. "How turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements? Whereunto ye desire to be in bondage? Or how turn ye back again to the legal services of the ceremonial law, which he calleth elements or rudiments, because they were God's first instructions given to his church for his worship, to which he intended afterwards a more perfect way of worship. He calls them weak because they brought nothing to perfection, and the observance of them was impotent as to the justification of the soul as all the law is. He calls them beggarly in comparison of the more rational spiritual way of worship under the gospel. He said that they desire to be in bondage under these because they would not see nor make use of the liberty from them which Christ had purchased." Now what did Matthew Poole just say?

Matthew Poole just said what Scripture says, that Christ has redeemed us from all of these ceremonies and all of these rituals. Therefore, they're called weak and beggarly elements or rudiments. Let me try to explain it like this. What would you think of a college graduate? Let's go further. What would you think of a college graduate who had earned a PhD that wanted to return to kindergarten and recite the ABCs all day long?

Now you would say, "Now wait a minute, something is wrong with that fellow." I mean, here's someone who is wanting to trade the knowledge of accomplished reality for some immature, elementary, rudimentary knowledge. Now just like you would think that something was wrong with someone who wanted to do that, the Apostle Paul thought that there was something wrong with someone who wanted to go back to days, times, years, ceremonies. For look what he said in verse 11. After he says in verse 10, "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years," he said, Paul said to these Galatians, "I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain."

Now, you've got to ask this question. What did Paul mean when he told the Galatians, "I am afraid of you"? Paul was expressing the fact that he was afraid that they were probably not genuine Christians. That's what he's saying. Why? Because they did not comprehend the person and work of Jesus Christ. They rather wanted the types and the emblems and the symbols and the ceremonies and the rituals. If you'll skip down to verse 20, you'll see Paul expressing the same doubt. He says in verse 20, "I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you." What is Paul doing? Paul is making it very clear that those who want to go back to days and times and emblems and rituals and ceremonies have a questionable salvation. In fact, hold Galatians 4, but turn right over in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 2. And look, if you would, at verse 19. In fact, John is just a little more specific, but he's saying exactly the same thing that Paul is saying in Galatians chapter 4.

Look in 1 John chapter 2 and watch verse 19. 1 John 2:19. John writes it like this,

Scripture Reading — 1 John 2:19

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."

The Danger of Ritualism

Weaver warns that adding ceremonies to the gospel perverts it, citing Galatians 5:1-3 and 1 John 2:19 to show that true believers continue in Christ.

To show you the context, look at verse 1 of chapter 5 again.

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:1-3

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Now look what he's saying.

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:1-3

"Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law."

Look in 1 John chapter 2 and watch verse 19. 1 John 2:19. John writes it like this,

Scripture Reading — 1 John 2:19

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."

Now let me ask you the question. Based upon 1 John 2:19, what is the proof that you are a genuine Christian? The answer is that you continue in the things of Christ, that you continue in his word, that you continue in faith and repentance and obedience. If someone leaves Christ and leaves the faith, John says it's evident that they were never ever genuinely with us to begin with. For had they been of us, that is genuinely converted, no doubt he says they would have continued with us. Now, it's a serious action to turn from Christ.

and the reality that He has brought, and the fulfillment that He has accomplished. Now, I want you to go back to Galatians 4 and verse 11, because I want to give you, again, a comment by John Calvin on verse 11. Paul said in verse 11 to these Galatians, "I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain." Calvin expounds that statement like this: "The expression is harsh and must have filled the Galatians with alarm. For what hope was left to them if Paul's labor had been in vain? Some have expressed astonishment that Paul should be so powerfully affected by the observance of days as almost to designate it as a subversion of the whole gospel.

Colossians 2:16-17 and the End of Ceremonial Law

Weaver expounds Colossians 2:14-17, teaching that Christ nailed the ceremonial ordinances to the cross, and believers should not be judged regarding holy days or Sabbaths.

Now, I want you to look back to Galatians 4, verses 9 and 10. Watch carefully. "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you," said Paul, "lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain." If you do not understand the observation of days, months, times, and years, I want you to turn right over to the book of Colossians chapter 2. Colossians chapter 2, and let's look at verses 16 and 17. Colossians 2:16. And we're going to spend probably the rest of our time right here before we get back to Hebrews chapter 4. Look in Colossians 2:16. The Apostle Paul writes, well, in fact, let's begin reading with verse 14 concerning the person and work of Christ. Verse 14, Colossians 2, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." Now look what he says, "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: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Now I want to call your attention once again that the Apostle Paul talks about meat and drink, holy days, new moon days, Sabbath days, which he says are a shadow. But the body, he says, is Christ. Now, let's go back to verse 16. He says, "Let no man therefore judge you." Now let me stop and deal with the word "judge." The word "judge" is used in the sense of pronouncing a sentence. Like if you're in a court of law, we refer to him as the judge. Why? He pronounces a sentence. So to judge means here to hold someone guilty of a crime or to impose a scruple of conscience upon someone so that he is no longer free.

Now when the Apostle Paul writes, "Let no man judge you," he is saying that it is not in the power of man to subject us to ordinances, to ceremonies, to rituals, or to the observance of days, times, and years, which has been abolished by the person and work of Christ. It doesn't matter what men say in relationship to ceremonies, days, times, and years. Period. So the apostle is basically saying this, since you have been delivered by Christ and from the evils which surround you, and you have also been delivered from the observances of the ceremonial law, let no one sit in judgment on you, and let no one claim the right to bind your conscience to what he thinks. The Apostle Paul is telling us we're not to be in subjection to man, but we're to be in subjection to Jesus Christ. It is only Jesus Christ who has the right to bind our consciences.

Listen, I could come up to you and tell you, "I think you ought to do such and such, and you ought to do it on this day, and you ought to do it just like I do." You say, "But pastor, I don't think that's right." I say, "But wait a minute, I'm your pastor." Do I have the power to bind your conscience to something that is unbiblical? Just because I think it's wise? No. I don't. The only way I have, the only power I have to bind your consciences to anything is to show it to you in the Scripture and then you're bound to Scripture, you're bound to Christ, not to me. And so the apostle is saying, "Let no man judge you." Now look what he says in verse 16 again. Let no man pass a sentence upon you. Let no man impose upon you a scruple of conscience thinking that you have to do this and you have to do it his way. Watch. "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink."

Now let's just stop right there. No one is to judge us in eating and drinking. And of course eating and drinking here would refer to various articles of food and drink. In the context, it would have reference to eating and drinking special things that were used in the observation of the feasts and the festivals.

Just so everyone will understand what I'm saying, as a whole, we just passed over the Easter season, using the term so that you just will understand it. The Jewish people just went through Passover. How many of you ate unleavened bread during Easter season? But you see what I'm saying? None of us did. One or two who may just like it, but that's fine. But, you know, no one is saying you've got to eat it like this. There were special... How many of you ate your meat with bitter herbs? Nobody. Now, all Paul is saying is this, when somebody comes along now and says, "You've got to eat this roll and you've got to eat it this way, you've got to eat this herb, you've got to eat this meat, you've got to eat it fixed." No, no, no. He says, "Let no man judge you in respect to meat and drink." Why?

Do you not remember John chapter 6? Our Lord says, "My body is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed." In other words, the person and work of Jesus Christ fulfilled all of those things so that now we feast upon Christ, we derive our nourishment and our sustenance from Christ. He is the bread of life. He is the water of life. He said He's the bread of life in John 6. He said He was the water of life in John 7. So when you try to tell me I have to have a special bread now or a special drink now in observance of something, I say, "No, I do not. For Jesus Christ is my meat and my drink. He's the fulfillment of all of that."

I want to give you a quote from Albert Barnes. I want you to listen to what he said. And let's continue. First of all, in Colossians 2, he says, "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." Here's what Albert Barnes says: "The meaning is, in part, or the particulars of a holy day; that is, in respect to it. The word rendered 'holy day' is heorte in the Greek, which literally means a feast or a festival. And there were plenty of them in the Old Testament. And the allusion here is to the festivals of the Jews. The sense is that no one had a right to impose their observance on Christians or to condemn them if they did not keep them. They had been delivered from that obligation by the death of Christ, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and He took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross."

Now, look back up to verse 14. We read it earlier. Barnes just quoted verse 14. What did Christ do in His death? "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross."

Now, some have taken this passage and just misinterpreted it to the nth degree. Some say the whole law was nailed to the cross. That's not true, folks. God's law is holy, just, and good. What Christ nailed to the cross was the ceremonies, the ordinances, not "thou shalt not kill," not "thou shalt not commit adultery," but He took all of these ceremonies, all these rituals, all these special days, He took them out of the way, nailing them to the cross.

The Substance is Christ

Weaver emphasizes that the body (substance) is Christ, and continuing ceremonies implies Christ has not come, quoting Matthew Henry and Calvin.

There's no problem with that. But the problem comes in when you say, "This is the Sabbath day and you will observe it the way I'm telling you to observe it or else you're not right with God or you're not a Christian or you're under the judgment of God." As far as the ceremonies, they've all been done away with. They've been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Matthew Henry said this on verse 17. Look at verse 17. After he talks about the new moon and the holy days and the Sabbath days, he says in verse 17, "Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Matthew Henry wrote this: "And this the rather, because these things," everything that he mentioned in verse 16, "were shadows of things to come, intimating that they had no intrinsic worth in them, and that they are now done away. But the body is of Christ. The body of which they were shadows has come, and to continue the ceremonial observances, which were only types and shadows of Christ in the gospel, carries an intimation that Christ has not yet come and the gospel state has not yet commenced."

Observe the advantages we have under the gospel above what they had under the law. They have the shadows, we have the substance. What is Matthew Henry saying? If you want to observe all of these types, shadows, emblems, what you're saying in essence is this, "Christ hasn't come yet. We don't have the gospel of grace yet." What good is a type and a shadow if you have reality? The answer is nothing. When that reality has come, which the type or the shadow prefigured, the type or the shadow has no longer any value. When that which is reality is standing before you, that which prefigured Him, that which typed Him, no longer has any binding value.

Calvin said it very plainly on verse 17. Let me give you the quote. He says, "For Christ is now manifested to us, and hence we enjoy him as being present. The body, says he, is of Christ, that is, in Christ. For the substance of those things which the ceremonies anciently prefigured is now presented before our eyes in Christ, inasmuch as he contains in himself everything that they had marked out as future. Hence the man that calls back the ceremonies into use either buries the manifestation of Christ or robs Christ of his excellence and makes him in a manner void." Wow! Did you hear that? "Hence the man that calls back the ceremonies into use either buries the manifestation of Christ or robs Christ of his excellence and makes him in a manner void."

Consistency with Historic Christianity

Weaver argues that his interpretation aligns with historic Christian teaching and warns against private interpretations that contradict the historic faith.

Now I've given you a number of quotes today and I've quoted extensively for a reason. That reason is to demonstrate that the interpretation of these passages that I'm giving you is in line with historic Christianity. You say, "Brother Weaver, do you believe the Reformers and those men were right in everything?" And I'm going to answer, "Absolutely not. No man is right in everything." But I will tell you this, when you come up with an interpretation that is contrary to historic Christianity, when you come up with an interpretation that is contrary to which God's choice men have taught down through the years, you better be exceedingly careful. Because what you're going to end up saying is this, "I am right and everyone else is wrong." And you have to remember what 2 Peter 1:20 says, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." We cannot make Scripture mean what we want it to mean. We must make Scripture say what it actually says. And you've got to understand this, folks. There is no such thing as new truth. If it is new, it is not truth. It is true we do not have understanding on everything, but when Martin Luther during the Reformation in 1500 began preaching justification by faith alone, he was not preaching a new truth. It was an old truth.

Nobody had been reading their Bibles. Nobody had been teaching it and preaching it. It was not new truth. There's no such thing as new truth. If it's truth, it's not new. Ecclesiastes 1:9 says this,

Scripture Reading — Ecclesiastes 1:9

"The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."

So all I'm trying to show you is this, folks.

When you can take an interpretation from the first century and bring it down to the 20th century and show how it has been interpreted all those centuries, and I have not quoted from the church fathers and all this kind of stuff, which I could do. I checked it out. I have all those quotes. I'm just saying to go contrary to that, you better be mighty slow and you better do a lot of thinking.

The True Rest is by Faith

Returning to Hebrews 4, Weaver shows that entering God's rest requires faith, not ritual observance, and that the Old Testament rest was not the ultimate rest.

Now I want you to go back to Hebrews chapter 4. Let me show you this. I'm going to close just a moment, but I want you to watch this. I'm going to work my way through this just to prepare you for the message that's coming next Lord's Day. Look in Hebrews chapter 4. In Hebrews chapter 4, we are first given a warning. Look in verse 1, "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." Wow! Why in the world does it begin with a warning? "Let us fear." Well, let me ask you, did Adam and Eve continue in His rest? No. Did the children of Israel who came out of Egypt, did they continue in His rest? No. Did the children of Israel who got the Canaan land continue in His rest? No.

So He says, "Alright folks, wake up, smell the coffee, here's some warnings that we need to take very seriously." Now, I want you to note, He tells us exactly why they did not abide in His rest. For instance, go back to chapter 3, and look at verse 18 and 19, right above chapter 4 and verse 1.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 3:18-19

"And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief."

Who did not get into His rest? Those who did not believe. Now look in chapter 4 and verse 2. "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." Wow.

Now look in verse 6. Verse 6. "Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief." Now let me ask you, why was Adam and Eve kicked out of the garden? Unbelief. Why did the children of Israel as they came out of Egypt not enter into the land? Unbelief. Why did those in the land not stay in the land? Unbelief. What's he saying? We better fear lest we fall after the same example. In other words, to enter into God's rest, it requires faith. Not observance of days, and times, and years, and ceremonies, and rituals, but faith. Did they not have those days, times, years, ceremonies, rituals in the Old Testament? Yes! Did they keep them? No! Did they enter in? No! Because God's real rest is not based upon ceremonies or days, it's based upon faith.

Now, let me very quickly give you one more quote from Albert Barnes. He says, "Therefore, that God Himself had spoken of His own rest from His works, that which He had finished, the work of creation. He had instituted a rest which was characterized by peace and beauty and order of the first Sabbath after the work of creation, when all was new and lovely and pure. This is called the rest of God, a beautiful emblem of those that dwell around His throne in heaven. The meaning of this verse, that is verse 4, is that the Bible spoke early of a rest which appertained to God Himself." And he goes on to say that the prospect of entering into this rest was spoken of as a possible thing, but some were excluded. Why? Because of unbelief.

In other words, to enter into God's rest, it requires faith. Look in verse 6 again. Hebrews 4, "Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief." Now, let me show you what the apostle is doing in chapter 4. In verse 1, he begins with a warning. Then he tells you in verses 2 and 3 that they did not enter in because of unbelief. And God swore that they would not enter in. And then he talks about God's rest in creation. God's rest is the archetype. God's rest is the prototype. Canaan was supposed to be a type of that rest, but they failed. And notice if you would in verse 7.

He says, "Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." Now wait a minute, even David, the man after God's own heart, said that Canaan was not the real rest of God. The observation of the days and ceremonies and rituals was not the rest of God. And then he says it like this in verse 8. "For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day." So we know that the Canaan rest, that Old Testament rest, those Sabbath days and all their festivals were not the rest of God. He said so. Whatever Joshua accomplished and they accomplished, it was not the rest of God. Watch verse 6 again.

"Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein." Some are going to get into that rest. "And they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief." Now skip down to verse 9. "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." Now wait a minute. If the Old Testament Sabbaths were the real rest, why does it yet speak of another rest? Why does he say, "There remaineth a rest for the people of God"? And by the way, the word "rest," as I told you before, is sabbatismos. What verse 9 actually says is this, "There remaineth therefore a keeping of a sabbath to the people of God."

Conclusion and Application

Weaver concludes that true rest is found only in Christ, and anything that detracts from His preeminence is wrong. He closes with a quote from Spurgeon and a prayer.

Now let me ask you just a couple of questions. If we are to continue to observe days, times, years, ceremonies, rituals, certain meats, certain drinks in relation to those festivals, why does the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Ghost, write, "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: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ"? And why then, if we are to keep these things, why did the Apostle Paul write unto the Galatians and condemn them for observing days, times, and years, and say, "I am in doubt of you"? In other words, evidently you don't understand the gospel. You don't understand Christ. For if you understood Christ, you would not be keeping these days and times and years. Let me tell you something, folks. Anything that takes the emphasis away from Jesus Christ and His person and His work is wrong. You can only say basically one of three things. Anyone who wants to take away the emphasis upon Christ, and remember, in all things he is to have the preeminence, anyone who wants to take away the preeminence from Jesus Christ, his person and work, is either doing so and demonstrating that he has an unbelieving heart, that he's not a real, genuine child

of God, or secondly, that he is doing so through gross theological ignorance. Or thirdly, that there is an attempt to pervert the gospel of Christ, as the Judaizers did, whom Paul fought against constantly because all they wanted to do was to add the ceremonies and the rituals to the gospel and say, "If you really want to be saved, if you really want to be spiritual, then you need to do this, and you need to do it like this, in order to really, genuinely be saved." Let me tell you something, and I'm going to demonstrate it to you from Scripture, Lord willing, next Lord's Day. If you really and truly want rest, that rest can only be found in Jesus Christ. Each week, I've quoted Matthew 11. Our Lord said,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 11:28

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

I want to close with one quote from Charles Haddon Spurgeon. I want you to listen.

This is so beautifully said, and if you don't get anything but the first sentence, get it. Listen carefully. "There can be no rest to an unbelieving heart. If manna and miracles could not satisfy Israel, neither would they have been content with the land which flowed with milk and honey. Canaan was to be the typical resting place of God where His ark should abide and the ordinances of religion should be established. The Lord had for forty years borne with the ill manners of the generation which came out of Egypt. It was but right that He should resolve to have no more to do with them. Was it not enough that they had revolted all along that marvelous wilderness march? Should they be allowed to make new masses and marabouts in the promised land itself? Jehovah would not have it so.

He not only said, but swore that unto his rest they should not come, and that his oath excluded every one of them. Their carcasses fell in the wilderness. Solemn warning was this to all who leave the way of faith or paths of petulant murmuring and mistrust. The rebels of old could not enter in because of unbelief. Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. One blessed inference from this psalm must not be forgotten. It is clear that there is a rest of God and that some must enter into it. But they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief. There therefore remaineth a rest to the people of God. The unbelievers could not enter in, but we who have believed do enter into his rest. Let us enjoy it.

and praise the Lord for it forever. Ours is the true Sabbath rest. It is ours to rest from our own works as God did from His. While we do so, let us come before His presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto Him with praise. Why? Because God has given us His true rest. And that rest is in Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Father, we're so thankful today for Your love and Your grace. We're so thankful for Your Word. And Father, we're so thankful that we may rest solely, totally, and completely in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is God. He has accomplished salvation.

There is not one thing that we must do except, Lord, look to Thee and trust in Thee as Thou dost give us repentance and faith. It's done. It's finished.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Superiority of Christ over Old Testament ceremonies

Summary: Christ is the reality that fulfills the shadows of Old Testament rituals, making them obsolete.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'All of those Old Testament Canaan Sabbaths, all of those Old Testament ceremonies, all of those Old Testament rituals were nothing more than mere shadow.' (06:28.1-06:56.4) and cites Hebrews 8:5.

Christian liberty from ceremonial law

Summary: Believers are free from the obligation to observe Jewish holy days, dietary laws, and Sabbaths because Christ has fulfilled them.

Evidence: Weaver expounds Colossians 2:16-17 and Galatians 4:9-11, saying, '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.' (26:48.0-27:27.3)

Faith as the means of entering God's rest

Summary: The true Sabbath rest is entered by faith in Christ, not by ritual observance; unbelief prevented Israel from entering.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'To enter into God's rest, it requires faith. Not observance of days, and times, and years, and ceremonies, and rituals, but faith.' (49:52.3-50:43.6) and cites Hebrews 4:2,6.

Danger of returning to ritualism

Summary: Reverting to ceremonial observances undermines the gospel, questions one's salvation, and robs Christ of His preeminence.

Evidence: Weaver warns, 'If you want to go back to these Old Testament ceremonies... you have no right to Jesus Christ.' (44:43.7-45:08.9) and quotes Calvin: 'the man that calls back the ceremonies into use either buries the manifestation of Christ or robs Christ of his excellence.' (39:03.0-39:57.9)

Consistency with historic Christian interpretation

Summary: The interpretation that Christians are not bound by Old Testament ceremonies is consistent with historic Christianity, and novel interpretations should be viewed with caution.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'When you come up with an interpretation that is contrary to historic Christianity... you better be exceedingly careful.' (41:04.0-41:48.3)

Key Arguments

Old Testament ceremonies were shadows pointing to Christ

Summary: The tabernacle, sacrifices, and holy days were types and shadows; their substance is Christ, so they are no longer binding.

Evidence: Weaver cites Hebrews 8:5 and Colossians 2:17, saying, 'Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.' (26:48.0-27:27.3)

Observing days, months, and years is a return to bondage

Summary: Paul condemns the Galatians for observing such things, equating it with slavery and questioning their faith.

Evidence: Weaver reads Galatians 4:9-11 and says, 'The word bondage here is used in relation to days, times, months, and years... being a slave to the observation of days.' (13:58.9-15:09.4)

Christ nailed the ceremonial law to the cross

Summary: Colossians 2:14 teaches that the handwriting of ordinances (ceremonial law) was blotted out and nailed to the cross, not the moral law.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'What Christ nailed to the cross was the ceremonies, the ordinances, not thou shalt not kill... He took them out of the way, nailing them to the cross.' (33:57.4-34:29.3)

True rest is by faith, not ritual

Summary: Hebrews 4 shows that Israel failed to enter God's rest because of unbelief, despite having the ceremonies; faith is the requirement.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'To enter into God's rest, it requires faith... Did they not have those days, times, years, ceremonies, rituals in the Old Testament? Yes! Did they keep them? No! Did they enter in? No!' (49:52.3-50:43.6)

Continuing ceremonies implies Christ has not come

Summary: If the shadows are still observed, it suggests the reality (Christ) has not arrived, thus undermining the gospel.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Matthew Henry: 'to continue the ceremonial observances... carries an intimation that Christ has not yet come.' (37:43.5-38:05.3)

Scripture References

Hebrews 4:1-11

Context: Read at the beginning to introduce the theme of entering God's rest and the warning against unbelief.

Hebrews 1:1-3

Context: Cited in review to show Christ's superiority over the prophets.

Hebrews 8:1-5

Context: Used to demonstrate that the earthly tabernacle was a shadow of the heavenly reality.

Galatians 4:9-11

Context: Key passage showing that observing days, months, and years is a return to weak and beggarly elements.

Ephesians 1:3

Context: Quoted to contrast spiritual blessings in Christ with the poverty of ceremonial observances.

Galatians 5:1-3

Context: Used to show that circumcision and the law bring bondage, and Christ brings liberty.

1 John 2:19

Context: Cited to argue that those who leave the faith were never truly converted, applied to those returning to ceremonies.

Colossians 2:14-17

Context: Central passage teaching that Christ blotted out the ordinances and that believers should not be judged regarding holy days or Sabbaths.

John 6

Context: Referenced to show Christ as the true bread of life, fulfilling the ceremonial foods.

John 7

Context: Referenced to show Christ as the water of life.

Hebrews 13:10-12

Context: Used to argue that those who serve the tabernacle have no right to Christ, the true altar.

Colossians 1:18

Context: Quoted to emphasize Christ's preeminence in all things.

John 14:8-9

Context: Cited to show that seeing Christ is seeing the Father, affirming His full revelation.

John 10:30

Context: Quoted to affirm Christ's unity with the Father.

Hebrews 3:18-19

Context: Used to show that Israel could not enter rest because of unbelief.

2 Peter 1:20

Context: Cited to warn against private interpretation of Scripture.

Ecclesiastes 1:9

Context: Quoted to support the idea that there is no new truth.

Matthew 11:28

Context: Quoted as the invitation to find rest in Christ.

Historical References

Albert Barnes

Context: Quoted on Galatians 4:9-10 regarding weak and beggarly elements, and on Colossians 2:16 regarding holy days.

Matthew Poole

Context: Quoted on Galatians 4:9-10 explaining the ceremonial law as weak and beggarly elements.

John Calvin

Context: Quoted on Galatians 4:11 regarding the danger of observing days, and on Colossians 2:17 regarding ceremonies burying Christ.

Matthew Henry

Context: Quoted on Colossians 2:17 explaining that continuing ceremonies implies Christ has not come.

Martin Luther

Context: Mentioned as an example of preaching justification by faith, an old truth rediscovered during the Reformation.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Context: Quoted at length on the rest of God and the warning against unbelief, from his commentary on Psalm 95.

Important Quotes

All of those Old Testament Canaan Sabbaths, all of those Old Testament ceremonies, all of those Old Testament rituals were nothing more than mere shadow. They were not real. They were types. They were emblems.

Significance: Summarizes the sermon's central thesis that Old Testament observances were shadows pointing to Christ.

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: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Significance: Key Scripture text used to argue for Christian liberty from ceremonial law.

What Christ nailed to the cross was the ceremonies, the ordinances, not 'thou shalt not kill,' not 'thou shalt not commit adultery,' but He took all of these ceremonies, all these rituals, all these special days, He took them out of the way, nailing them to the cross.

Significance: Clarifies that the moral law remains, but the ceremonial law was fulfilled and removed.

Hence the man that calls back the ceremonies into use either buries the manifestation of Christ or robs Christ of his excellence and makes him in a manner void.

Significance: Calvin's strong warning against reintroducing ceremonial observances.

To enter into God's rest, it requires faith. Not observance of days, and times, and years, and ceremonies, and rituals, but faith.

Significance: Emphasizes that rest is by faith, not works or rituals.

There can be no rest to an unbelieving heart.

Significance: Spurgeon's quote highlighting that unbelief prevents entering God's rest.

Discussion Questions

How does understanding Old Testament ceremonies as shadows of Christ change the way we read the Old Testament?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that the tabernacle, sacrifices, and holy days were types pointing to Christ (Hebrews 8:5; Colossians 2:17).

In what ways might modern Christians be tempted to return to 'weak and beggarly elements' similar to the Galatians?

Context: Weaver discusses Galatians 4:9-11 and the danger of observing days, months, and years as a form of bondage.

What does it mean practically to 'let no man judge you' regarding holy days and dietary practices? How do we balance Christian liberty with not causing others to stumble?

Context: Weaver expounds Colossians 2:16 and the freedom from human judgment on ceremonial matters.

Why does Weaver argue that insisting on ceremonial observances can call one's salvation into question? Do you agree?

Context: Weaver cites Galatians 4:11 and 1 John 2:19 to suggest that returning to rituals may indicate a lack of genuine faith.

How does the concept of 'rest' in Hebrews 4 relate to our daily walk with Christ? What does it mean to cease from our own works?

Context: Weaver discusses the true Sabbath rest as faith in Christ, not a day of the week.

Weaver quotes several historic commentators. How should we weigh the interpretations of church history against our own study of Scripture?

Context: Weaver argues that his interpretation aligns with historic Christianity and warns against novel interpretations.

Applications

Rest in Christ alone

Summary: Believers should find their ultimate rest and satisfaction in the person and work of Jesus Christ, not in religious rituals or observances.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'If you really and truly want rest, that rest can only be found in Jesus Christ.' (56:52.9-57:25.4) and quotes Matthew 11:28.

Reject legalistic bondage

Summary: Christians should resist any teaching that imposes Old Testament ceremonial laws or special days as requirements for spirituality or salvation.

Evidence: Weaver warns, 'Let no man judge you... It doesn't matter what men say in relationship to ceremonies, days, times, and years.' (27:28.8-28:40.1)

Examine your faith

Summary: Those who emphasize rituals over Christ should examine whether they truly understand the gospel and have genuine saving faith.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Paul is making it very clear that those who want to go back to days and times and emblems and rituals and ceremonies have a questionable salvation.' (19:28.1-20:49.6)

Give Christ preeminence

Summary: In all aspects of life, Christ must have the preeminence; anything that detracts from His person and work should be avoided.

Evidence: Weaver asks, 'How can Christ have the preeminence if you go back to the types and shadows that represent Him?' (45:57.4-46:50.7)

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Clean Transcript

The Superiority of Christ Part 3 of 4

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

And I have been dealing with how Christ is superior to anything and everything, and particularly to all of those Old Testament ceremonies, to the festivals, to the holy days, all of those things. So let's look in Hebrews chapter 4, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it."
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"For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."
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"For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." Now I do want to take just a few moments and review, and I want to point out that once again the theme of this brief series is the superiority of Jesus Christ, showing and demonstrating that Christ is superior to anyone or to anything. The theme of the book of Hebrews points this out very specifically. I also pointed out how that one of the main words in the book of Hebrews is the word "better." But just for your refreshing and reviewing, Hebrews 1:1-3 teaches the superiority of Christ over the prophets. Hebrews 1:4 through chapter 2, verse 18 shows the superiority of Christ over angels. Hebrews 3 teaches the superiority of Christ over Moses. Hebrews 4 teaches the superiority of Christ over Joshua, and Hebrews 5 teaches the superiority of Christ over Aaron. And of course we know that God has spoken, according to Hebrews 1:1-3, fully, finally, totally, and completely in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we have been looking at the creation Sabbath, which we did in the first message, and then secondly at
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the Canaan Sabbath, which I did last week and will continue on this week. And then finally, next week, Lord willing, we're going to be looking at the Christian Sabbath. Now, I told you that the pattern of the Canaan Sabbath was, of course, God's creation rest. The goal of the Sabbath is man's redemption rest, or the Christian Sabbath, which is rest in the Redeemer, who is, of course, none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. I pointed out that the Sabbath asserts the principle of freedom under God, of liberty under God's law. The principle of the Sabbath summons man from himself and from his work. It frees man from himself and it draws him totally and completely to God the Father through Jesus Christ. I also pointed out that the essence of humanism is man's ability to save himself, to evolve himself, and basically to control his society, to control everything. In humanism, there is no rest. Period. The only rest that exists is rest in God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now, also last week, and let me just re-emphasize this, I pointed out that there was not primarily a day of worship in the Hebrew culture in the Old Testament.
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The Sabbath was a day of rest, and I went through Scripture and showed you how no fires could be kindled, no wood could be gathered, nothing could be done. It was primarily a day of rest. Now did they worship? Yes, but their worship was family-oriented and they were to worship every day. But there was not primarily a day of worship; it was a day of rest. And then I went to great pains to show you, and I hope conclusively, that Saturday is not the Sabbath, nor could it possibly be the Sabbath. Why?
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Because the Hebrew calendar began on Abib 15, which meant that was a fixed Sabbath every year. Which meant the first and the eighth were fixed Sabbaths as well. Seven Sabbaths following that were fixed as well. So when the date is fixed, the day changes. So even the weekly Sabbath was not always on Saturday. The day changed. And by the way, I didn't point this out last week, but it's possible to have two Sabbaths in one week because there were also new moon Sabbaths, and if the new moon Sabbath happened to come at one week and the weekly Sabbath at the same time, then you've got two Sabbaths in one week. So very obviously, if you have not followed all of this, I would encourage you to get the tape or the CD from last week, because we look at Scripture after Scripture to show you that primarily the Sabbath date was fixed. And I showed you the month from Scripture, I showed you the date from Scripture, and there should actually be no question about it.
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Now, the point that I want to emphasize today is this: All of those Old Testament Canaan Sabbaths, all of those Old Testament ceremonies, all of those Old Testament rituals were nothing more than mere shadow. They were not real. They were types. They were emblems.
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Now let me show you how we reverse things. If you and I were to stop and think, if we were alive in Old Testament days, and we went to the tabernacle or we went to the temple, and we saw Aaron or one of the Aaronic priests, there in all of his paraphernalia, in all of his garments, if we could smell the sacrifice on the altar, if we could smell the incense, if we could hear the bells as they rang as he walked, if you and I could see all of those things, the beautiful temple, you know, we would be tempted to say, "Man, this is real. I can taste it. I can touch it. I can smell it. I can hear it."
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But God said, all those were shadows. You say, "Where in the world does the Bible say that?" Well, it happens to say that right in the book of Hebrews. For instance, if you will look in Hebrews chapter 8. Hebrews chapter 8. Notice if you would what the Bible says beginning there in verse 1.
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"Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man." So man's tabernacle, man's temple was not the true one. The true one was pitched by God Himself. Watch verse 3. "For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer." Now look what the Bible says about Christ. "For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount."
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So what is the Scripture saying? That Old Testament tabernacle, that Old Testament temple, with all the rituals, all the ceremonies, were nothing more than mere shadows. We have the reality in Jesus Christ. Reality only came with the fulfillment of all of those types and shadows, and that fulfillment is Jesus Christ.
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Now what I want to do today is very specific. I want to show you from the New Testament where Christians are not obligated to keep those Old Testament days, years, months, rituals, and ceremonies. I'm also going to do something else and I will tell you why just momentarily. I'm going to give you a number of quotes today. In fact, I will quote more today from different authors, different teachers and preachers. But I'm going to do so for a reason. One of the reasons is to show you the consistency of interpretation. And I'll tell you the main reason just a little bit later. But I do want you to turn in your Bibles to begin to the book of Galatians chapter 4.
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And let's read verses 9 through 11. The apostle Paul is writing the Galatians and he says this in Galatians chapter 4, beginning there with verse 9. Galatians 4, verse 9. He writes to the Galatian Christians and he says, "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements,
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whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain."
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Now I want you to note, if you would please, in verse 9, he says, "after ye have been known of God," and that you profess to know God, look at this question, "how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?" Now, if you want to know what the weak and beggarly elements are, look in verse 10. "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years."
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Now, I want you to note and listen carefully as I give you just a brief quote by Albert Barnes. He's explaining the term "weak and beggarly elements." He says, quote, "It refers to the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish law imposing a servitude really no less severe than the customs of pagans. They are called weak because they have no power to save the soul, no power to justify the sinner before God. They are called beggarly, that is poor, because they could not impart spiritual riches. They really could confer few benefits upon man." Now, let me just quote to you Ephesians 1:3. I want you to note what he says in verse 9, "how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements." In Ephesians 1:3, the Bible says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." My question is this, where do we have all spiritual riches? Where do we have all spiritual blessings?
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The answer is in Christ. Not in ceremonies, not in days, not in times, not in years, not in rituals, but all in Christ.
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Now, I want you to look back in Galatians 4 and verse 9. I want to be very specific, and I want you to understand what he's saying. "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?"
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Now let me give you a little surprise. The word "bondage" here is used in relation to days, times, months, and years. So, the Greek word for bondage is the word for slavery. Notice he says, "whereunto ye desire again to be in slavery?" Well, what kind of slavery is he talking about? Being a slave to the observation of days, months, times, and years. What is one of the main themes of the book of Galatians? Well, look at chapter 5 and verse 1. Chapter 5, verse 1. Here's what the Apostle Paul says. "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Whoa, wait a minute. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. Be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. What bondage is he talking about? The bondage that he's referring to? Back in verse 10 and verse 9 of Galatians chapter 4. And of the bondage that he's talking about from Mount Sinai and Hagar in the rest of chapter 4.
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To show you the context, look at verse 1 of chapter 5 again. "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Now look what he's saying. "Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law." Now here's what he's saying. If you want to be in bondage, you go back to the ceremonies, you go back to the rituals.
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I don't care if you're talking about the ritual of circumcision. And I'm not teaching about circumcision, but if I were to be asked, do you believe that there are advantages to being circumcised? My answer would be yes. Medical advantages, physical advantages, but no spiritual advantages. The Apostle Paul said if you be circumcised, that is if you're depending upon this act religiously, then he says Christ shall profit you nothing. The Apostle Paul said circumcision is not anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creature in Christ. That is what counts.
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Now, so the whole context then in Galatians chapter 4 and Galatians chapter 5 is liberty and freedom from all of the ceremonies, all the rituals. Listen to what Matthew Poole said concerning Galatians 4 and verses 9 and 10. Listen carefully. "How turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements? Whereunto ye desire to be in bondage? Or how turn ye back again to the legal services of the ceremonial law, which he calleth elements or rudiments, because they were God's first instructions given to his church for his worship, to which he intended afterwards a more perfect way of worship. He calls them weak because they brought nothing to perfection, and the observance of them was impotent as to the justification of the soul as all the law is. He calls them beggarly in comparison of the more rational spiritual way of worship under the gospel. He said that they desire to be in bondage under these because they would not see nor make use of the liberty from them which Christ had purchased." Now what did Matthew Poole just say?
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Matthew Poole just said what Scripture says, that Christ has redeemed us from all of these ceremonies and all of these rituals. Therefore, they're called weak and beggarly elements or rudiments. Let me try to explain it like this. What would you think of a college graduate? Let's go further. What would you think of a college graduate who had earned a PhD that wanted to return to kindergarten and recite the ABCs all day long?
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Now you would say, "Now wait a minute, something is wrong with that fellow." I mean, here's someone who is wanting to trade the knowledge of accomplished reality for some immature, elementary, rudimentary knowledge.
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Now just like you would think that something was wrong with someone who wanted to do that, the Apostle Paul thought that there was something wrong with someone who wanted to go back to days, times, years, ceremonies. For look what he said in verse 11. After he says in verse 10, "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years," he said, Paul said to these Galatians, "I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain."
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Now, you've got to ask this question. What did Paul mean when he told the Galatians, "I am afraid of you"? Paul was expressing the fact that he was afraid that they were probably not genuine Christians. That's what he's saying. Why? Because they did not comprehend the person and work of Jesus Christ. They rather wanted the types and the emblems and the symbols and the ceremonies and the rituals. If you'll skip down to verse 20, you'll see Paul expressing the same doubt. He says in verse 20, "I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you." What is Paul doing? Paul is making it very clear that those who want to go back to days and times and emblems and rituals and ceremonies have a questionable salvation. In fact, hold Galatians 4, but turn right over in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 2. And look, if you would, at verse 19. In fact, John is just a little more specific, but he's saying exactly the same thing that Paul is saying in Galatians chapter 4.
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Look in 1 John chapter 2 and watch verse 19. 1 John 2:19. John writes it like this, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."
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Now let me ask you the question. Based upon 1 John 2:19, what is the proof that you are a genuine Christian? The answer is that you continue in the things of Christ, that you continue in his word, that you continue in faith and repentance and obedience. If someone leaves Christ and leaves the faith, John says it's evident that they were never ever genuinely with us to begin with. For had they been of us, that is genuinely converted, no doubt he says they would have continued with us. Now, it's a serious action to turn from Christ.
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and the reality that He has brought, and the fulfillment that He has accomplished. Now, I want you to go back to Galatians 4 and verse 11, because I want to give you, again, a comment by John Calvin on verse 11. Paul said in verse 11 to these Galatians, "I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain." Calvin expounds that statement like this: "The expression is harsh and must have filled the Galatians with alarm. For what hope was left to them if Paul's labor had been in vain? Some have expressed astonishment that Paul should be so powerfully affected by the observance of days as almost to designate it as a subversion of the whole gospel.
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But if we weigh carefully the whole, we shall see that there was just reason and that the false apostles not only attempted to lay the yoke of Jewish bondage on the neck of the church, but fill their minds with wicked superstitions. To bring back Christianity to Judaism was in itself no light evil, but far more serious mischief was done when in opposition to the grace of Christ, they set up holy days as meritorious performance and pretended that this mode of worship would propitiate the divine favor. When such doctrines were received, the worship of God was corrupted, the grace of Christ made void, and the freedom of conscience oppressed."
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Now, what is Calvin saying? Well, there are people even today who will say, if we don't want to be under God's judgment, then we need to observe this ceremony. We need to observe this day. We need to do this ritual. Which is totally, completely contrary to the Word of God. Ceremonies, rituals, observance of days, today has nothing to do with the judgment of God. Disobedience, yes, but not disobedience to types and symbols and emblems that have now been fulfilled by the person and work of Jesus Christ.
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Now, I want you to look back to Galatians 4, verses 9 and 10. Watch carefully. "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you," said Paul, "lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain." If you do not understand the observation of days, months, times, and years, I want you to turn right over to the book of Colossians chapter 2. Colossians chapter 2, and let's look at verses 16 and 17. Colossians 2:16. And we're going to spend probably the rest of our time right here before we get back to Hebrews chapter 4. Look in Colossians 2:16. The Apostle Paul writes, well, in fact, let's begin reading with verse 14 concerning the person and work of Christ. Verse 14, Colossians 2, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
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And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." Now look what he says, "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: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Now I want to call your attention once again that the Apostle Paul talks about meat and drink, holy days, new moon days, Sabbath days, which he says are a shadow. But the body, he says, is Christ.
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Now, let's go back to verse 16. He says, "Let no man therefore judge you." Now let me stop and deal with the word "judge." The word "judge" is used in the sense of pronouncing a sentence. Like if you're in a court of law, we refer to him as the judge. Why? He pronounces a sentence. So to judge means here to hold someone guilty of a crime or to impose a scruple of conscience upon someone so that he is no longer free.
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Now when the Apostle Paul writes, "Let no man judge you," he is saying that it is not in the power of man to subject us to ordinances, to ceremonies, to rituals, or to the observance of days, times, and years, which has been abolished by the person and work of Christ. It doesn't matter what men say in relationship to ceremonies, days, times, and years. Period. So the apostle is basically saying this, since you have been delivered by Christ and from the evils which surround you, and you have also been delivered from the observances of the ceremonial law, let no one sit in judgment on you, and let no one claim the right to bind your conscience to what he thinks. The Apostle Paul is telling us we're not to be in subjection to man, but we're to be in subjection to Jesus Christ. It is only Jesus Christ who has the right to bind our consciences.
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Listen, I could come up to you and tell you, "I think you ought to do such and such, and you ought to do it on this day, and you ought to do it just like I do." You say, "But pastor, I don't think that's right." I say, "But wait a minute, I'm your pastor." Do I have the power to bind your conscience to something that is unbiblical? Just because I think it's wise? No. I don't. The only way I have, the only power I have to bind your consciences to anything is to show it to you in the Scripture and then you're bound to Scripture, you're bound to Christ, not to me.
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And so the apostle is saying, "Let no man judge you." Now look what he says in verse 16 again. Let no man pass a sentence upon you. Let no man impose upon you a scruple of conscience thinking that you have to do this and you have to do it his way. Watch. "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink."
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Now let's just stop right there. No one is to judge us in eating and drinking. And of course eating and drinking here would refer to various articles of food and drink. In the context, it would have reference to eating and drinking special things that were used in the observation of the feasts and the festivals.
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Just so everyone will understand what I'm saying, as a whole, we just passed over the Easter season, using the term so that you just will understand it. The Jewish people just went through Passover. How many of you ate unleavened bread during Easter season? But you see what I'm saying? None of us did. One or two who may just like it, but that's fine. But, you know, no one is saying you've got to eat it like this. There were special... How many of you ate your meat with bitter herbs? Nobody. Now, all Paul is saying is this, when somebody comes along now and says, "You've got to eat this roll and you've got to eat it this way, you've got to eat this herb, you've got to eat this meat, you've got to eat it fixed." No, no, no. He says, "Let no man judge you in respect to meat and drink." Why?
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Do you not remember John chapter 6? Our Lord says, "My body is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed." In other words, the person and work of Jesus Christ fulfilled all of those things so that now we feast upon Christ, we derive our nourishment and our sustenance from Christ. He is the bread of life. He is the water of life. He said He's the bread of life in John 6. He said He was the water of life in John 7. So when you try to tell me I have to have a special bread now or a special drink now in observance of something, I say, "No, I do not. For Jesus Christ is my meat and my drink. He's the fulfillment of all of that."
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I want to give you a quote from Albert Barnes. I want you to listen to what he said. And let's continue. First of all, in Colossians 2, he says, "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." Here's what Albert Barnes says: "The meaning is, in part, or the particulars of a holy day; that is, in respect to it. The word rendered 'holy day'
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is heorte in the Greek, which literally means a feast or a festival. And there were plenty of them in the Old Testament. And the allusion here is to the festivals of the Jews. The sense is that no one had a right to impose their observance on Christians or to condemn them if they did not keep them. They had been delivered from that obligation by the death of Christ, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and He took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross."
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Now, look back up to verse 14. We read it earlier. Barnes just quoted verse 14. What did Christ do in His death? "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross."
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Now, some have taken this passage and just misinterpreted it to the nth degree. Some say the whole law was nailed to the cross. That's not true, folks. God's law is holy, just, and good. What Christ nailed to the cross was the ceremonies, the ordinances, not "thou shalt not kill," not "thou shalt not commit adultery," but He took all of these ceremonies, all these rituals, all these special days, He took them out of the way, nailing them to the cross.
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How did He do that? Because He fulfilled every one of them. There was no Israelite in the Old Testament who could keep all of the ceremonies and all the special days perfectly. None. Not one. Why do you think God sent them away into captivity for 70 years? And he rightly says they were against us. Let's go forward. He says in verse 16, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday," that is a feast or festival, "or of the new moon." Now the appearance of the new moon required additional sacrifices as well as the daily sacrifice. And you have a new moon each month. So he's saying, "These new moon sabbaths, they're gone." Then he says, "or of the sabbath days." Look in 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." Literally, let no man judge you in respect of the sabbaths. Now the word "sabbath" of the Old Testament is of course applied to the sabbath days.
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Not just to the sabbath day, but also to all of those Old Testament feasts and festivals. The Passover was considered a Sabbath. The Feast of Ingathering was considered a Sabbath. So it is used in the plural, in the sense, "or of the sabbath days." In other words, there were more than one. Does that mean that we cannot have a day of rest if we so choose? No, it doesn't mean that. We may rest one day out of each week.
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There's no problem with that. But the problem comes in when you say, "This is the Sabbath day and you will observe it the way I'm telling you to observe it or else you're not right with God or you're not a Christian or you're under the judgment of God." As far as the ceremonies, they've all been done away with. They've been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Matthew Henry said this on verse 17. Look at verse 17. After he talks about the new moon and the holy days and the Sabbath days, he says in verse 17, "Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Matthew Henry wrote this: "And this the rather, because these things," everything that he mentioned in verse 16, "were shadows of things to come, intimating that they had no intrinsic worth in them, and that they are now done away. But the body is of Christ. The body of which they were shadows has come, and to continue the ceremonial observances, which were only types and shadows of Christ in the gospel, carries an intimation that Christ has not yet come and the gospel state has not yet commenced."
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Observe the advantages we have under the gospel above what they had under the law. They have the shadows, we have the substance. What is Matthew Henry saying? If you want to observe all of these types, shadows, emblems, what you're saying in essence is this, "Christ hasn't come yet. We don't have the gospel of grace yet." What good is a type and a shadow if you have reality? The answer is nothing. When that reality has come, which the type or the shadow prefigured, the type or the shadow has no longer any value. When that which is reality is standing before you, that which prefigured Him, that which typed Him, no longer has any binding value.
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Calvin said it very plainly on verse 17. Let me give you the quote. He says, "For Christ is now manifested to us, and hence we enjoy him as being present. The body, says he, is of Christ, that is, in Christ. For the substance of those things which the ceremonies anciently prefigured is now presented before our eyes in Christ, inasmuch as he contains in himself everything that they had marked out as future. Hence the man that calls back the ceremonies into use either buries the manifestation of Christ or robs Christ of his excellence and makes him in a manner void." Wow! Did you hear that? "Hence the man that calls back the ceremonies into use either buries the manifestation of Christ or robs Christ of his excellence and makes him in a manner void."
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Now I've given you a number of quotes today and I've quoted extensively for a reason. That reason is to demonstrate that the interpretation of these passages that I'm giving you is in line with historic Christianity. You say, "Brother Weaver, do you believe the Reformers and those men were right in everything?" And I'm going to answer, "Absolutely not. No man is right in everything." But I will tell you this, when you come up with an interpretation that is contrary to historic Christianity, when you come up with an interpretation that is contrary to which God's choice men have taught down through the years, you better be exceedingly careful. Because what you're going to end up saying is this, "I am right and everyone else is wrong."
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And you have to remember what 2 Peter 1:20 says, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." We cannot make Scripture mean what we want it to mean. We must make Scripture say what it actually says. And you've got to understand this, folks. There is no such thing as new truth. If it is new, it is not truth. It is true we do not have understanding on everything, but when Martin Luther during the Reformation in 1500 began preaching justification by faith alone, he was not preaching a new truth. It was an old truth.
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Nobody had been reading their Bibles. Nobody had been teaching it and preaching it. It was not new truth. There's no such thing as new truth. If it's truth, it's not new. Ecclesiastes 1:9 says this, "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun." So all I'm trying to show you is this, folks.
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When you can take an interpretation from the first century and bring it down to the 20th century and show how it has been interpreted all those centuries, and I have not quoted from the church fathers and all this kind of stuff, which I could do. I checked it out. I have all those quotes. I'm just saying to go contrary to that, you better be mighty slow and you better do a lot of thinking.
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Because there are so many scriptures that contradict going back to the ceremonies, to the types, to the rituals, to the days. For instance, look in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 13. Let me show you a verse. This ought to really shake some folks up. Look in Hebrews 13 and verse 10. Hebrews 13:10. Here's the conclusion of the author of the book of Hebrews. Remember now, these Hebrews were wanting to go back. That's why the book of Hebrews was written. They wanted to go back to the types and emblems and shadows. And in Hebrews 13:10 we read this, "We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle." What? We have an altar. "We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle."
#54 | 42:49 to 44:03 | cleaned
Now, if I were to ask you who is our altar, I hope you'd respond, "Jesus Christ." If that's not clear enough, look in verse 11. "For the bodies of those beasts," that is those oxen, those lambs, those sheep, "for the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate." Now go back to verse 10. "We have an altar." Who is our altar? Jesus Christ. And now he says, "We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle." The Christian altar is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
#55 | 44:04 to 44:43 | cleaned
We who benefit from His passion, His death, and His resurrection, and His life. Now what is he saying? He is saying, if you want to go back to these Old Testament ceremonies, these Old Testament rituals, these Old Testament sacrifices, all of these things, you have no right to Jesus Christ.
#56 | 44:43 to 45:08 | cleaned
Now folks, I've got news for you. That's a scary truth. Why? Because Jesus Christ is the full, final, ultimate revelation of God. There is no other revelation. That's why the Bible says in Colossians 1:18, which I've quoted every week, "that in all things he might have the preeminence." Let me ask you, how can Christ have the preeminence if you go back to the types and shadows that represent Him? How can Christ have the preeminence if you go back to the observation of days and times and years which prefigure Him?
#57 | 45:10 to 45:54 | cleaned
The answer is you can't. And He can't have the preeminence. If He has the preeminence, we have to exalt Him in every area of our lives. We have to understand that He is the fulfillment, the final and complete and absolute and total revelation of God. No man has seen the Father at any time, but He that is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. Thomas said to Christ in John 14, "Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us." And our Lord said, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father." Then he said, "I and my Father are one" in John 10. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of everything in the Old Testament.
#58 | 45:57 to 46:50 | cleaned
Now I want you to go back to Hebrews chapter 4. Let me show you this. I'm going to close just a moment, but I want you to watch this. I'm going to work my way through this just to prepare you for the message that's coming next Lord's Day. Look in Hebrews chapter 4. In Hebrews chapter 4, we are first given a warning. Look in verse 1, "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." Wow! Why in the world does it begin with a warning? "Let us fear." Well, let me ask you, did Adam and Eve continue in His rest? No. Did the children of Israel who came out of Egypt, did they continue in His rest? No. Did the children of Israel who got the Canaan land continue in His rest? No.
#59 | 46:51 to 47:46 | cleaned
So He says, "Alright folks, wake up, smell the coffee, here's some warnings that we need to take very seriously." Now, I want you to note, He tells us exactly why they did not abide in His rest. For instance, go back to chapter 3, and look at verse 18 and 19, right above chapter 4 and verse 1. "And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." Who did not get into His rest? Those who did not believe. Now look in chapter 4 and verse 2.
#60 | 47:48 to 48:28 | cleaned
"For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." Wow.
#61 | 48:28 to 48:38 | cleaned
Now look in verse 6. Verse 6. "Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief."
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Now let me ask you, why was Adam and Eve kicked out of the garden? Unbelief. Why did the children of Israel as they came out of Egypt not enter into the land? Unbelief. Why did those in the land not stay in the land? Unbelief. What's he saying? We better fear lest we fall after the same example. In other words, to enter into God's rest, it requires faith. Not observance of days, and times, and years, and ceremonies, and rituals, but faith. Did they not have those days, times, years, ceremonies, rituals in the Old Testament? Yes! Did they keep them? No! Did they enter in? No! Because God's real rest is not based upon ceremonies or days, it's based upon faith.
#63 | 48:49 to 49:52 | cleaned
Now, let me very quickly give you one more quote from Albert Barnes. He says, "Therefore, that God Himself had spoken of His own rest from His works, that which He had finished, the work of creation. He had instituted a rest which was characterized by peace and beauty and order of the first Sabbath after the work of creation, when all was new and lovely and pure. This is called the rest of God, a beautiful emblem of those that dwell around His throne in heaven. The meaning of this verse, that is verse 4, is that the Bible spoke early of a rest which appertained to God Himself." And he goes on to say that the prospect of entering into this rest was spoken of as a possible thing, but some were excluded. Why? Because of unbelief.
#64 | 49:53 to 50:43 | cleaned
In other words, to enter into God's rest, it requires faith. Look in verse 6 again. Hebrews 4, "Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief."
#65 | 50:45 to 51:01 | cleaned
Now, let me show you what the apostle is doing in chapter 4. In verse 1, he begins with a warning. Then he tells you in verses 2 and 3 that they did not enter in because of unbelief. And God swore that they would not enter in. And then he talks about God's rest in creation. God's rest is the archetype. God's rest is the prototype. Canaan was supposed to be a type of that rest, but they failed. And notice if you would in verse 7.
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He says, "Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." Now wait a minute, even David, the man after God's own heart, said that Canaan was not the real rest of God. The observation of the days and ceremonies and rituals was not the rest of God. And then he says it like this in verse 8. "For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day." So we know that the Canaan rest, that Old Testament rest, those Sabbath days and all their festivals were not the rest of God. He said so. Whatever Joshua accomplished and they accomplished, it was not the rest of God. Watch verse 6 again.
#67 | 51:47 to 52:42 | cleaned
"Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein." Some are going to get into that rest. "And they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief."
#68 | 52:43 to 52:54 | cleaned
Now skip down to verse 9. "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." Now wait a minute. If the Old Testament Sabbaths were the real rest, why does it yet speak of another rest? Why does he say, "There remaineth a rest for the people of God"? And by the way, the word "rest," as I told you before, is sabbatismos. What verse 9 actually says is this, "There remaineth therefore a keeping of a sabbath to the people of God."
#69 | 52:54 to 53:32 | cleaned
In other words, the conclusion the apostle comes to is this: None of the Old Testament Sabbaths were the real rest. They were pictures. They were types. They were emblems. But they were not the real rest. The real Sabbath is yet to come. Now, I'm going to deal next week with the fact that we have God's creation Sabbath. But that was God's rest. And initially, man was to begin his week by entering into God's rest. But he failed.
#70 | 53:33 to 54:14 | cleaned
Now let me ask you just a couple of questions. If we are to continue to observe days, times, years, ceremonies, rituals, certain meats, certain drinks in relation to those festivals, why does the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Ghost, write, "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: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ"? And why then, if we are to keep these things, why did the Apostle Paul write unto the Galatians and condemn them for observing days, times, and years, and say, "I am in doubt of you"?
#71 | 54:17 to 55:17 | cleaned
In other words, evidently you don't understand the gospel. You don't understand Christ. For if you understood Christ, you would not be keeping these days and times and years. Let me tell you something, folks. Anything that takes the emphasis away from Jesus Christ and His person and His work is wrong. You can only say basically one of three things. Anyone who wants to take away the emphasis upon Christ, and remember, in all things he is to have the preeminence, anyone who wants to take away the preeminence from Jesus Christ, his person and work, is either doing so and demonstrating that he has an unbelieving heart, that he's not a real, genuine child
#72 | 55:17 to 56:14 | cleaned
of God, or secondly, that he is doing so through gross theological ignorance. Or thirdly, that there is an attempt to pervert the gospel of Christ, as the Judaizers did, whom Paul fought against constantly because all they wanted to do was to add the ceremonies and the rituals to the gospel and say, "If you really want to be saved, if you really want to be spiritual, then you need to do this, and you need to do it like this, in order to really, genuinely be saved."
#73 | 56:14 to 56:51 | cleaned
Let me tell you something, and I'm going to demonstrate it to you from Scripture, Lord willing, next Lord's Day. If you really and truly want rest, that rest can only be found in Jesus Christ. Each week, I've quoted Matthew 11. Our Lord said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." I want to close with one quote from Charles Haddon Spurgeon. I want you to listen.
#74 | 56:52 to 57:25 | cleaned
This is so beautifully said, and if you don't get anything but the first sentence, get it. Listen carefully. "There can be no rest to an unbelieving heart. If manna and miracles could not satisfy Israel, neither would they have been content with the land which flowed with milk and honey. Canaan was to be the typical resting place of God where His ark should abide and the ordinances of religion should be established.
#75 | 57:25 to 57:54 | cleaned
The Lord had for forty years borne with the ill manners of the generation which came out of Egypt. It was but right that He should resolve to have no more to do with them. Was it not enough that they had revolted all along that marvelous wilderness march? Should they be allowed to make new masses and marabouts in the promised land itself? Jehovah would not have it so.
#76 | 57:55 to 58:16 | cleaned
He not only said, but swore that unto his rest they should not come, and that his oath excluded every one of them. Their carcasses fell in the wilderness. Solemn warning was this to all who leave the way of faith or paths of petulant murmuring and mistrust. The rebels of old could not enter in because of unbelief. Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. One blessed inference from this psalm must not be forgotten. It is clear that there is a rest of God and that some must enter into it. But they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief. There therefore remaineth a rest to the people of God. The unbelievers could not enter in, but we who have believed do enter into his rest. Let us enjoy it.
#77 | 58:16 to 59:08 | cleaned
and praise the Lord for it forever. Ours is the true Sabbath rest. It is ours to rest from our own works as God did from His. While we do so, let us come before His presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto Him with praise. Why? Because God has given us His true rest. And that rest is in Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Father, we're so thankful today for Your love and Your grace. We're so thankful for Your Word. And Father, we're so thankful that we may rest solely, totally, and completely in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is God. He has accomplished salvation.
#78 | 59:09 to 1:00:02 | cleaned
There is not one thing that we must do except, Lord, look to Thee and trust in Thee as Thou dost give us repentance and faith. It's done. It's finished.
#79 | 1:00:03 to 1:00:16 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T21:36:13Z

The Superiority of Christ Part 3 of 4

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver continues his series on the superiority of Christ, focusing on how Christ is superior to Old Testament ceremonies, rituals, and holy days. He argues that the Old Testament observances were mere shadows and types that have been fulfilled in Christ, and that Christians are not obligated to keep them. Using passages from Galatians, Colossians, and Hebrews, he emphasizes that salvation and rest are found solely through faith in Christ, not through ritual observance. He warns that returning to such practices undermines the gospel and questions the genuineness of one's faith.

Introduction and Review

Weaver reviews the series theme of Christ's superiority over Old Testament figures and ceremonies, and recaps previous messages on the creation and Canaan Sabbaths.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 4:1-11

"Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." "For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his."

Old Testament Ceremonies as Shadows

Weaver explains that Old Testament rituals were mere shadows, with the reality found in Christ, citing Hebrews 8:1-5.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 8:1-5

"Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man."

So man's tabernacle, man's temple was not the true one. The true one was pitched by God Himself. Watch verse 3.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 8:1-5

"For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer."

Now look what the Bible says about Christ.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 8:1-5

"For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount."

Freedom from Observance of Days

Using Galatians 4:9-11, Weaver argues that observing days, months, and years is a return to bondage and questions the genuineness of such believers.

Scripture Reading — Galatians 4:9-11

"But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain."

To show you the context, look at verse 1 of chapter 5 again.

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:1-3

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Now look what he's saying.

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:1-3

"Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law."

Look in 1 John chapter 2 and watch verse 19. 1 John 2:19. John writes it like this,

Scripture Reading — 1 John 2:19

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."

The Danger of Ritualism

Weaver warns that adding ceremonies to the gospel perverts it, citing Galatians 5:1-3 and 1 John 2:19 to show that true believers continue in Christ.

To show you the context, look at verse 1 of chapter 5 again.

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:1-3

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Now look what he's saying.

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:1-3

"Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law."

Look in 1 John chapter 2 and watch verse 19. 1 John 2:19. John writes it like this,

Scripture Reading — 1 John 2:19

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."

Colossians 2:16-17 and the End of Ceremonial Law

Weaver expounds Colossians 2:14-17, teaching that Christ nailed the ceremonial ordinances to the cross, and believers should not be judged regarding holy days or Sabbaths.

The Substance is Christ

Weaver emphasizes that the body (substance) is Christ, and continuing ceremonies implies Christ has not come, quoting Matthew Henry and Calvin.

Consistency with Historic Christianity

Weaver argues that his interpretation aligns with historic Christian teaching and warns against private interpretations that contradict the historic faith.

Nobody had been reading their Bibles. Nobody had been teaching it and preaching it. It was not new truth. There's no such thing as new truth. If it's truth, it's not new. Ecclesiastes 1:9 says this,

Scripture Reading — Ecclesiastes 1:9

"The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."

So all I'm trying to show you is this, folks.

The True Rest is by Faith

Returning to Hebrews 4, Weaver shows that entering God's rest requires faith, not ritual observance, and that the Old Testament rest was not the ultimate rest.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 3:18-19

"And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief."

Conclusion and Application

Weaver concludes that true rest is found only in Christ, and anything that detracts from His preeminence is wrong. He closes with a quote from Spurgeon and a prayer.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 11:28

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

I want to close with one quote from Charles Haddon Spurgeon. I want you to listen.

There is not one thing that we must do except, Lord, look to Thee and trust in Thee as Thou dost give us repentance and faith. It's done. It's finished.

The Superiority of Christ Part 3 of 4

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	CMZkcHYLSdE
Subject	Apologetics
Course	Truth and the Interpretation of Scripture
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-02-02
Dictation Name
Book	Book 090: The Superiority of Christ — Chapter 3
Source Timed Segments	79

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Review: Weaver reviews the series theme of Christ's superiority over Old Testament figures and ceremonies, and recaps previous messages on the creation and Canaan Sabbaths.
Old Testament Ceremonies as Shadows: Weaver explains that Old Testament rituals were mere shadows, with the reality found in Christ, citing Hebrews 8:1-5.
Freedom from Observance of Days: Using Galatians 4:9-11, Weaver argues that observing days, months, and years is a return to bondage and questions the genuineness of such believers.
The Danger of Ritualism: Weaver warns that adding ceremonies to the gospel perverts it, citing Galatians 5:1-3 and 1 John 2:19 to show that true believers continue in Christ.
Colossians 2:16-17 and the End of Ceremonial Law: Weaver expounds Colossians 2:14-17, teaching that Christ nailed the ceremonial ordinances to the cross, and believers should not be judged regarding holy days or Sabbaths.
The Substance is Christ: Weaver emphasizes that the body (substance) is Christ, and continuing ceremonies implies Christ has not come, quoting Matthew Henry and Calvin.
Consistency with Historic Christianity: Weaver argues that his interpretation aligns with historic Christian teaching and warns against private interpretations that contradict the historic faith.
The True Rest is by Faith: Returning to Hebrews 4, Weaver shows that entering God's rest requires faith, not ritual observance, and that the Old Testament rest was not the ultimate rest.
Conclusion and Application: Weaver concludes that true rest is found only in Christ, and anything that detracts from His preeminence is wrong. He closes with a quote from Spurgeon and a prayer.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Old Testament ceremonies were shadows pointing to Christ

The tabernacle, sacrifices, and holy days were types and shadows; their substance is Christ, so they are no longer binding.

Weaver cites Hebrews 8:5 and Colossians 2:17, saying, 'Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.' (26:48.0-27:27.3)

Observing days, months, and years is a return to bondage

Paul condemns the Galatians for observing such things, equating it with slavery and questioning their faith.

Weaver reads Galatians 4:9-11 and says, 'The word bondage here is used in relation to days, times, months, and years... being a slave to the observation of days.' (13:58.9-15:09.4)

Christ nailed the ceremonial law to the cross

Colossians 2:14 teaches that the handwriting of ordinances (ceremonial law) was blotted out and nailed to the cross, not the moral law.

Weaver explains, 'What Christ nailed to the cross was the ceremonies, the ordinances, not thou shalt not kill... He took them out of the way, nailing them to the cross.' (33:57.4-34:29.3)

True rest is by faith, not ritual

Hebrews 4 shows that Israel failed to enter God's rest because of unbelief, despite having the ceremonies; faith is the requirement.

Weaver says, 'To enter into God's rest, it requires faith... Did they not have those days, times, years, ceremonies, rituals in the Old Testament? Yes! Did they keep them? No! Did they enter in? No!' (49:52.3-50:43.6)

Continuing ceremonies implies Christ has not come

If the shadows are still observed, it suggests the reality (Christ) has not arrived, thus undermining the gospel.

Weaver quotes Matthew Henry: 'to continue the ceremonial observances... carries an intimation that Christ has not yet come.' (37:43.5-38:05.3)

Scripture References

Hebrews 4:1-11: Read at the beginning to introduce the theme of entering God's rest and the warning against unbelief.
Hebrews 1:1-3: Cited in review to show Christ's superiority over the prophets.
Hebrews 8:1-5: Used to demonstrate that the earthly tabernacle was a shadow of the heavenly reality.
Galatians 4:9-11: Key passage showing that observing days, months, and years is a return to weak and beggarly elements.
Ephesians 1:3: Quoted to contrast spiritual blessings in Christ with the poverty of ceremonial observances.
Galatians 5:1-3: Used to show that circumcision and the law bring bondage, and Christ brings liberty.
1 John 2:19: Cited to argue that those who leave the faith were never truly converted, applied to those returning to ceremonies.
Colossians 2:14-17: Central passage teaching that Christ blotted out the ordinances and that believers should not be judged regarding holy days or Sabbaths.
John 6: Referenced to show Christ as the true bread of life, fulfilling the ceremonial foods.
John 7: Referenced to show Christ as the water of life.
Hebrews 13:10-12: Used to argue that those who serve the tabernacle have no right to Christ, the true altar.
Colossians 1:18: Quoted to emphasize Christ's preeminence in all things.
John 14:8-9: Cited to show that seeing Christ is seeing the Father, affirming His full revelation.
John 10:30: Quoted to affirm Christ's unity with the Father.
Hebrews 3:18-19: Used to show that Israel could not enter rest because of unbelief.
2 Peter 1:20: Cited to warn against private interpretation of Scripture.
Ecclesiastes 1:9: Quoted to support the idea that there is no new truth.
Matthew 11:28: Quoted as the invitation to find rest in Christ.

Historical References

Albert Barnes: Quoted on Galatians 4:9-10 regarding weak and beggarly elements, and on Colossians 2:16 regarding holy days.
Matthew Poole: Quoted on Galatians 4:9-10 explaining the ceremonial law as weak and beggarly elements.
John Calvin: Quoted on Galatians 4:11 regarding the danger of observing days, and on Colossians 2:17 regarding ceremonies burying Christ.
Matthew Henry: Quoted on Colossians 2:17 explaining that continuing ceremonies implies Christ has not come.
Martin Luther: Mentioned as an example of preaching justification by faith, an old truth rediscovered during the Reformation.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon: Quoted at length on the rest of God and the warning against unbelief, from his commentary on Psalm 95.

Important Quotes

All of those Old Testament Canaan Sabbaths, all of those Old Testament ceremonies, all of those Old Testament rituals were nothing more than mere shadow. They were not real. They were types. They were emblems.

Summarizes the sermon's central thesis that Old Testament observances were shadows pointing to Christ.

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: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Key Scripture text used to argue for Christian liberty from ceremonial law.

What Christ nailed to the cross was the ceremonies, the ordinances, not 'thou shalt not kill,' not 'thou shalt not commit adultery,' but He took all of these ceremonies, all these rituals, all these special days, He took them out of the way, nailing them to the cross.

Clarifies that the moral law remains, but the ceremonial law was fulfilled and removed.

Hence the man that calls back the ceremonies into use either buries the manifestation of Christ or robs Christ of his excellence and makes him in a manner void.

Calvin's strong warning against reintroducing ceremonial observances.

To enter into God's rest, it requires faith. Not observance of days, and times, and years, and ceremonies, and rituals, but faith.

Emphasizes that rest is by faith, not works or rituals.

There can be no rest to an unbelieving heart.

Spurgeon's quote highlighting that unbelief prevents entering God's rest.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does understanding Old Testament ceremonies as shadows of Christ change the way we read the Old Testament?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that the tabernacle, sacrifices, and holy days were types pointing to Christ (Hebrews 8:5; Colossians 2:17).

[Question]

In what ways might modern Christians be tempted to return to 'weak and beggarly elements' similar to the Galatians?

[Context]

Weaver discusses Galatians 4:9-11 and the danger of observing days, months, and years as a form of bondage.

[Question]

What does it mean practically to 'let no man judge you' regarding holy days and dietary practices? How do we balance Christian liberty with not causing others to stumble?

[Context]

Weaver expounds Colossians 2:16 and the freedom from human judgment on ceremonial matters.

[Question]

Why does Weaver argue that insisting on ceremonial observances can call one's salvation into question? Do you agree?

[Context]

Weaver cites Galatians 4:11 and 1 John 2:19 to suggest that returning to rituals may indicate a lack of genuine faith.

[Question]

How does the concept of 'rest' in Hebrews 4 relate to our daily walk with Christ? What does it mean to cease from our own works?

[Context]

Weaver discusses the true Sabbath rest as faith in Christ, not a day of the week.

[Question]

Weaver quotes several historic commentators. How should we weigh the interpretations of church history against our own study of Scripture?

[Context]

Weaver argues that his interpretation aligns with historic Christianity and warns against novel interpretations.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:30:15Z