Some of my studies on the topic that I made lately.
Romans 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Sabbatarians claim that this verse in the Book of Ro-mans is easy to misinterpret as if it was telling us that there are no special days or sabbaths or holy days, and that every day is alike. They insist that is not the case.
The only problem for them is that Galatians Chapters 3 through 4 teaches us to not keep any days.
Romans 14 falls on that clearer passage.
Those who claim sabbath-keeping is not an issue in Romans Chapter 14 insist that the actual debate with which Paul dealt was what days were correct in which they were to fast and pray. Should they fast twice a week like the Pharisees, or should they fast only on certain days and only eat at certain times?
Truth be told, this chapter is not about fasting. No-body considered a day of fasting to be esteemed above another day, simply because fasting took place on that day. Any given day itself was not suddenly magnified when a fast began on it. Nobody considered that the day they in which they would fast was a special day to be es-teemed above other days, because the issue was not the day, but rather the experience of the actual fast.
Romans 14:6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.”
He was not associating the keeping of days with eat-ing or not eating, except in the sense that they had one common denominator – Law. Law demanded that certain foods be not eaten, and certain days be kept holy. The chapter is not themed after the issue of days alone. It’s not about sabbath or no sabbath. It’s not about any particular aspect of Law, while I still maintain that sab-bath was part of Law, and is mentioned. Paul generally spoke against the disfellowship of fellow believers, some of whom generally kept Law and others did not.
He did not mention eating in association with esteeming days in order to say that he was discussing days of fasting. He simply listed estimation of days as well as other items on a list that were distinct and separate, but all from the same Law, including what meats we can eat or not eat. It was not even about fasting, anyway, in any verse there. It was about disallowance of meats offered to idols.
The liberals were eating anything, and had the tendency to despise legalists, while the legalists had the tendency to judge liberals. There is a distinction in those terms that Pau used for a reason.
Those who felt that they could only eat certain meats would often avoid eating any meat for fear of making a mistake. So, really, it’s not even about meats not allowed under Law. Paul also discussed this in 1 Corinthians Chapters 8 and 10.
So, it’s not about combining the thought of days and not eating certain meats with fasting, as though it’s a discussion of days of fasting. It’s distinguishing those who have stronger faith and those who lack and depend on doing and not doing, as was the case of Law, according to
Leviticus 18:5 where you were told that you must achieve eternal life by doing.
Sabbatarians respond by saying that there were pagan groups of people in those days who emphasized ve-gan diet and the neglect of flesh on certain days with fast-ings of certain foods at designated times.
That is not explained in the context, though. Along with what Paul said in 1 Corinthians Chapters 8 and 10, it is about those who were not strong enough in grace to realize, like Paul later explains in
Romans 14, that he can eat those things offered to idols since they’re only food, and no actual idolatrous gods that so much as even exist, anyway! It’s food, offered to idols or not. To know that is to be free from that Law of certain meat diets, like pork and lobsters, and free to simply eat food.
Paul was indeed talking about holy days when she spoke of esteeming one day above another, because fasting is not a day that is emphasized with fasting. However, estimation of days was clearly under Law.
Sabbatarians spend most of their time attacking those who believe that Sunday is a day to be kept holy. However, this does not apply to those who simply hold Church gatherings on Sunday because Jesus resurrected on that day, seeing as those with this understanding do not think it is a holy day like sabbath was. Nothing was changed, so to speak, except for the change that there are no holy days in the New Covenant. That makes the overall summary inapplicable.