Hi Arlene

Like you I study anywhere from two to four hours a day.I no longer go to organized church and I teach a Bible study at my house every Sunday. I too search the internet as I study to make sure I am not way out in left field. I take the Bible literally when I can. I divide it where I should. It is not hard to understand.

 

 Now as far as the Sabbath

Colossians 2

⁸ Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.⁹ For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.¹⁰ And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:¹¹ In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:¹² Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.¹³ And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;¹⁴ 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;¹⁵ And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.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:

 

If we are in Christ we are complete. The verses explain themselves if a person just takes it literally.

 

And about the Nazirite issue. It does not really matter whether we believe he was a Nazirite or not as far as salvation goes. But anyone reading in the following text thinks Jesus did not partake is definetly, in my opinion, not being honest.

 

In Luke 22 Jesus told them to "go and prepare that WE may eat". He said verse 15 "with desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer" and 16 "I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God".By saying this he was saying he would not eat anymore AFTER this meal. He said the same about drinking of wine. So he said he would not eat or drink after this meal. We cannot just take out of the scripture the eating part and say well he ate but he did not drink. Look at Mark 14 verse 23"And he took the cup,and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they ALL drank of it. Verse 25 then says"Verily I say unto you , I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day I drink it new in the kingdom of God". The same thing he said about the bread. This is not a coincidence and it is God's Holy Word. Please look at this translation God's Word Translation for verse 25²⁵ “I can guarantee this truth: I won’t drink this wine again until that day when I drink new wine in the kingdom of God.”

 

You stated concerning Matthew 26

"From my own perspective on the Nazarite vows, I see nothing there that suggests Jesus drank and ate with them, Himself.  He was also offering them His "body" and His "blood"...and I don't see Jesus partaking of eating and drinking of those things which represented Himself."

 

But what about the Last Supper above as recorded in Mark and Luke?  It is the same Last Supper. How can you not see it in the verses above. You seem way to smart not too. Finding things on the internet and taking them at face value is dangerous. I know you study hard because I see your letters. I learn from your letters. When someone tells me Jesus had to take the Nazirite vow and says part of that is he did not eat or drink at the last supper and then I look at the Last Supper and see that Jesus did eat and drink, Then I can dismiss that person's explanation and belief.. That is how I can discern false doctrine. The major doctrine God will judge us on is did we get the correct Gospel for the time we are living. So many have missed it and I am trying to get the Word out with solid scripture. I must not ignore it. The Bible is not hard to understand when "rightly divided".

 

I hope you read and ponder on the above and that it helpes you.

 

thanks

Mike W