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Baruch Hashem Adonaiבושאהמשהוהי

The Sabbath continues:

In Antioch, Acts13:14 “ into the synagogue on the SABBATH day.” vs 42 “ the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next SABBATH.” verse 44 “ and the next SABBATH day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of Elohim. Paul could have preached on the first day or any day of the week, but waited till the Sabbath. Paul kept the fourth commandment Sabbath law, even when in pagan countries.In Phillipi, Acts16:13 “on the SABBATH we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down and spake unto the women which resorted thither."
In Thessalonica,Acts17:2 “ Paul as his manner was, went in unto them, and three SABBATH days reasoned with them out of the scriptures.”
 
In Corinth, Acts18:4,11 “and (Paul) reasoned in the synagogue every SABBATH... and continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of Elohim among them.” (seventy eight SABBATHS). 1 Corinthians16:2“Upon the first day of the week let every one lay by him in store, as Elohim hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come”. Paul was clarifying for these believers; to have gatherings on the first day so the Sabbath would be a day of rest.

In Troas, Acts20:7 -12 “and upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the morrow”. Paul would have kept the SABBATH as was his manner. Meeting on a day other than the Sabbath doesn't negate that the Sabbath is a day of rest.

Notice, Paul continued his speech until midnight! "And there were many LIGHTS in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together." It was AFTER SUNSET, prior to midnight, the first day of the sabbath week. Now at that time the first day of the week did not begin at midnight, as men begin it today. It began when the seventh day ended, AT SUNSET! All Scriptural days began and end at SUNSET. Throughout the Roman world at that time, and for a few hundred years afterwards, days began and ended at sunset. The practice of beginning the new day at midnight was started much later.

WHY Paul Remained Behind

Let us follow the thread of the narrative related in this passage. Begin verse 6: "We sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them at Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, READY TO DEPART ON THE MORROW."

Paul and his companions had been in this town of Troas seven days. His companions had left by ship after sunset. Paul remained behind for a farewell meeting. He preached until midnight, "ready to depart on the morrow." At break of day— sunrise, the first day morning—Paul departed (verse 11).

Now notice what his companions had done. "And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot. And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in." (Verses 13-14).

Look at this on the map and it can be seen that Paul's companions had to sail around a peninsula—a distance of fifty or sixty miles, while Paul, afoot, walked across, a distance of 19 1/2 miles. He was able to walk this distance in shorter time than they could sail the much longer distance, which gave Paul the opportunity to remain behind after they left, for this last farewell sermon and visit.

So what actually happened? Paul's companions were engaged in the LABOUR of rowing and sailing a boat while Paul was preaching that firstday night and early firstday morning—on the first day of the week. They had set sail firstday night, AFTER THE SABBATH HAD ENDED. Paul remained behind for one more last farewell sermon. Then, at break of day; firstday morning, Paul set out afoot, on a 32 kilometre walk from Troas to Assos! He waited till the Sabbath was past for this long walk—a hard day's work! He did it on the first day of the week! Again, a common work day!

But does this text not say, as many claim today, that the disciples always held a remembrance supper every first day of the week! NOT AT ALL!

In the first place, it says nothing about anything being done EVERY first day of the week. It relates the events of this one particular first day of the week, ONLY. It is not speaking of any CUSTOMS, but of the events occurring as Paul and his companions concluded their seven-day visit in passing by this town.

Yahshua celebrated the Passover, at the beginning of the annual "days of unleavened bread." No longer could they kill lambs or eat the roasted body of Passover Lambs, after Messiah, OUR Passover, had been once slain for us. yet the Passover was ordained FOREVER (Exodus 12:24). At His last Passover supper Yahshua substituted the wine as the emblem of His blood, instead of the blood of the slain lamb. He substituted the unleavened bread for the roast body of the lamb as the symbol of His body, broken for us. The disciples continued to observe Passover annually, now in the form of the Yahshua's Supper using only the bread and the cup, as a MEMORIAL (I Corinthians 11:24) of Messiah's DEATH, (I Corinthians 11:26), showing His death till He come again. They continued to observe the days of unleavened bread (Acts 20:6).

This year they had observed the days of unleavened bread and the Communion service at Philippi, after which they came to Troas in five days where they remained seven days.

After the Sabbath day had ended, at sunset, "upon the first day of the week, . . . the disciples came together to BREAK BREAD." People have ASSUMED this expression means the taking of Communion. But notice! Paul preached, and continued preaching until midnight. They had no opportunity to stop and "break bread" until then. When Paul "therefore was come up again"—after restoring the one who had fallen down from the third balcony— and had broken bread, AND EATEN."

Note it! "Broken bread AND EATEN." This breaking bread was not "Communion" —simply eating a meal. This expression was commonly used of old to designate a meal. It is still used, in that sense, in parts of the United States.

Notice Luke 22:16, where Yehoshua was observing a meal prior to the Passover with His disciples. He said, "I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of Elohim." Yet, the day alter His resurrection, after walking with the two disciples to Emmaus, as "HE sat at MEAT with them He took bread. and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them." (Luke 24:30). Here Yehoshua "brake bread" but it was not a special meal, --"He sat AT MEAT."

Notice Acts 2:46. The disciples, "continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness." Here again "breaking bread" means EATING. Not on the first day of the week, but DAILY.

Again, when Paul was shipwrecked on the voyage to Rome, the sailors had been fasting out of fright. But "Paul besought them all to take MEAT, saying, "This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. Wherefore I pray you to take some MEAT: for this is for your health— And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to Elohim in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat." (Acts 27:33-35). Here Paul broke bread to give to unconverted sailors who were hungry.

The truth is, NOWHERE IN SCRIPTURE is the expression "breaking of bread," or "to break bread," used to signify observance of the Yahshua's Supper. In all these texts it means, simply, eating a meal. So, when we read in Acts 20:7, 11, "the disciples came together to break," and how Paul had "broken bread and EATEN," we know by Scripture interpretation it referred only to eating food as a meal, not to a Communion service.

In Acts 24, Paul tells Felix of his "believing all things written in the law and in the prophets."  The chief priest and elders could not prove that he was a law breaker, which was their same difficulty with Messiah. Rome still has an influence upon her "harlots" (the many protestant denominations and church groups), who practice even today ,the Saturday/ Sunday cult pattern, she enacted hundreds of years ago.  

The Ten Commandments is "The Law of Liberty" and remains the standard by which all men will be judged.

The Creator said, “If thou turn away thy feet from the SABBATH, from doing thy pleasure on my Set apart day; and call the SABBATH a delight, the set apart of Yehovah, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thy own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in Yehovah; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth ...” Isaiah58:13.

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