Topical Bible: Truth: Saints should Keep Religious Feasts With

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In the Christian tradition, the concept of "truth" is deeply intertwined with the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who declared Himself to be "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). For the saints, or believers, the observance of religious feasts is an opportunity to align themselves with this truth, reflecting on the divine principles and historical events that these feasts commemorate.

Biblical Foundation

The Bible provides numerous instances where the observance of feasts is commanded and celebrated. In the Old Testament, God instituted several feasts for the Israelites, such as Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Tabernacles, as outlined in Leviticus 23. These feasts were not only times of celebration but also of remembrance and teaching, serving as a means to pass down the truths of God's deliverance and provision.

In the New Testament, while the ceremonial laws of the Old Covenant are fulfilled in Christ, the early church continued to observe certain feasts, reinterpreting them in the light of Christ's life, death, and resurrection. For instance, the Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, encourages believers to celebrate the feast "not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Corinthians 5:8). This indicates a shift from mere ritual observance to a deeper, spiritual understanding of these celebrations.

Spiritual Significance

For the saints, keeping religious feasts is not merely a matter of tradition but a profound expression of faith and truth. These feasts serve as reminders of God's faithfulness and the truths of the Gospel. They are opportunities for communal worship, reflection, and renewal of commitment to live according to God's truth.

The Feast of Passover, for example, is reinterpreted in the Christian context as a celebration of Christ's sacrificial death, the true Passover Lamb, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Similarly, Pentecost, originally a harvest festival, becomes a celebration of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church (Acts 2:1-4).

Communal Aspect

Religious feasts are also significant for the communal aspect they bring to the life of the saints. Gathering together to celebrate these feasts fosters unity and strengthens the bonds of fellowship among believers. It is a time to share in the truth of God's Word, to encourage one another, and to bear witness to the world of the transformative power of the Gospel.

In Hebrews 10:24-25 , believers are exhorted to "consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds" and to "not neglect meeting together." Religious feasts provide a structured opportunity for such gatherings, reinforcing the truth of the Christian faith through shared worship and community.

Living the Truth

Ultimately, the observance of religious feasts is a call for the saints to live out the truth in their daily lives. It is a reminder that the truths celebrated during these times should permeate every aspect of a believer's life, guiding their actions, decisions, and interactions with others. As Jesus prayed for His disciples, "Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth" (John 17:17), so too are the saints called to be sanctified by the truth, living lives that reflect the reality of God's kingdom.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Corinthians 5:8
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

God's Law Immutable.
... unto him to make war with the saints, and to ... of their nature to hush up the truth,
and bow ... papacy exalt itself above God; whoever should understandingly keep ...
/.../white/the great controversy between christ and satan /25 gods law immutable.htm

God's Law Immutable
... unto him to make war with the saints, and to ... of their nature to hush up the truth,
and bow ... papacy exalt itself above God; whoever should understandingly keep ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 25 gods law immutable.htm

Privilege and Obligation
... a God to whom it is blessed that we should be consecrated, and so saints. ... other"these
titles cannot be used without darkening the truth that this ...
/.../romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/privilege and obligation.htm

The Romance of Orthodoxy
... we of Christendom have said that we should hunt God ... If we want, like the Eastern
saints, merely to contemplate ... Lastly, this truth is yet again true in the case ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chesterton/orthodoxy/viii the romance of orthodoxy.htm

Christmas and the Aesthetes
... The strange truth about the matter is told in the ... Rationally there appears no reason
why we should not sing and ... away the strange beauty of the saints, and what ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chesterton/heretics/vi christmas and the aesthetes.htm

None Greater than John the Baptist, Yet. . .
... pain thou treadest, trod The whitest of the saints of God! ... attire of the soul in
meekness and truth, purity and ... said, "It is not fit that we should forsake the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/meyer/john the baptist/xii none greater than john.htm

Here Beginneth the Story of Judith
... deignest to hear me I shall tell thee truth of this ... in which Ozias hath consented
that the city should be delivered ... be thy name in the number of saints and of ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/here beginneth the story of.htm

A Mystery! Saints Sorrowing and Jesus Glad!
... The Holy Ghost revealed much of precious truth and holy ... is the most fitting word
of rebuke for erring saints. ... if they be rebuked, even though it should be in ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/a mystery saints sorrowing and.htm

Appendix: Polemical Fragments
... to act, and check scruples; whereas they should do the ... The saints indulge in subtleties
in order to think themselves ... you, grant us all grace that truth may not ...
/.../pascal/pensees/section xiv appendix polemical fragments.htm

The Second Helvetic Confession, AD 1566.
... The truth and power of the sacraments depend neither on ... we reject, though the memory
of the saints is profitable ... we hold that in fasts we should abstain from ...
/.../ 55 the second helvetic.htm