We are pleased to announce that some much-needed updates to the First Century Christianity website have been completed. While the site itself feels the same, many of the pages have been updated to help site visitors better navigate and find information.
The very busy “menu” has been streamlined and made much more user-friendly as well.
As you can see in the image below, showing the new “Home” page (Image 1), we had copywriting/editing performed, again, site-wide. Some pops of color and images were added and pages were cleaned up to make them flow easier. We even added a tagline so people know the purpose behind FirstCenturyChristianity.net.
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We added an “About” section and in the menu, some pages now live underneath it such as “Get Involved”, “Donate” and “Subscribe.” (Image 2)
The page formerly known as “Blog” is now called “Messages” but the post visuals have not changed. Underneath the menu (not in the image) is a place to find older Messages (“Message Archive”). (Image 3)
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We now have a great new way to navigate learning materials within the website via the “Biblical Topics Index” (Image 4). This landing page links out to information on the website, findable by topic on the index. Click on the topic and it leads to an internal page with the information sought (Image 5).
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Our “Beliefs” page also got a facelift with the topics now embedded into the landing page, instead of tabs in the menu. (Image 6)
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Last but not least, there is now a dedicated page for “Friends and Social” outlining the places where we can be found, and some of our great partners in this walk. (Image 7)
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First Century Christianity would like to thank Stacey at The Potter’s Clay Co. for understanding our goals and desired outcomes regarding the updates and renovations performed on the website. As a fellow Disciple of Yeshua, she understood well what was needed, made great suggestions, and looped us in throughout the process. Thank you, Stacey! (Learn more about The Potter’s Clay Co. by clicking on the link above.)
If you haven’t visited the website in a while, now’s the perfect time to do so. Please let us know if you have questions or feedback. Enjoy!
Here’s a basic “how to” for those who keep the Holy Days of the Bible in the context of the New Covenant. This includes the Sabbath, The Night Yeshua was Betrayed, the Passover, Pentecost, The Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Tabernacles.
How to keep Yahweh’s appointed times under the New Covenant
We have many, many teachings about what the days mean and how they fit into prophecy, but not so much on how to actually observe the days. Here’s an easy to use chart on what to actually do on each of Yahweh’s Holy Days. These are in chronological order.
Holy Day
Main Scriptures
How and What
Shabbat aka The Sabbath
Lev 23:3, Exodus 20:8-11
Rest from Friday Sunset to Saturday Sunset. No work, no commerce. Have an assembly.
The Night Yeshua was Betrayed
Matthew 28: 26-29, 1 Corinthians 11: 23-34
Abib 13, the day before Passover, assemble, wash each other’s feet, sing a hymn, have wine and bread (leavened). A somber assembly. This is not a Sabbath.
Pesach aka Passover
Leviticus 23:5 and many others
Abib 14 at sunset. Have all the leavening removed from your house, car, etc. before sundown. Have a memorial meal with unleavened bread. Prefer to have a Seder (link) that includes Passover from Abraham through to the Kingdom. Meal can be family at home with or without guests or an assembly. Abib 14 is not a Sabbath.
Days of Unleavened Bread
Leviticus 23:6-8, 1 Corinthians 5:8
Eat unleavened bread for 7 days. Have an assembly on Abib 15 and on Abib 21 which are Sabbaths, but you can prepare food on them. These two days are feast days.
First Fruits
Leviticus 23: 9-14, 1 Cor 15:20
The day Yeshua was resurrected. Not a Sabbath. Nothing for us to do except start counting.
Feast of Weeks aka Pentecost aka Shavuot
Leviticus 23: 15-22, Acts 2
50 days from First Fruits (the Sunday during Unleavened Bread). Always lands on a Sunday. This is a Sabbath where you can prepare food, a feast day. Celebrate the giving of the Ruach ha Kodesh or Holy Spirit.
Yom Teruah aka Feast of Trumpets
Leviticus 23: 23-25, 1 Thessalonians 4:16
1st day of the 7th month. Not Rosh Hashana or “New Years’”. Have an assembly. Blow a shofar if you have one. Many dress in white as this is the day that foreshadows Yeshua’s return. This is a Sabbath where you can prepare food.
Yom Kippur aka Day of Atonement
Leviticus 23:26-32, Acts 27:9
10th day of the 7th month. Fast from sundown on the 9th through sundown on the 10th. No water or food (if able). No work at all. Have an assembly.
Sukkot aka the Feast of Tabernacles aka Feast of Booths aka Feast of Ingathering
Leviticus 23: 33-43
Have an assembly on the 15th day of the 7th month and on the 22nd day of the 7th month which are sabbaths that you can prepare food on (feasts). Most celebrate this by traveling to have larger gatherings that are festive with a lot of teachings. Making a communal sukkah (not a tent) is common practice. Dancing and a general festive atmosphere is the way to go!
That’s the most simplified list I think one could make.
YHVH spoke again to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD’S appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations—My appointed times are these:” (Lev 23:1-2)
Now that we’ve gone through the list, let’s talk about having an assembly. The origin of a church service is in the second line of Leviticus 23 where it says holy convocations. This is called a Holy Convocation in Leviticus 23, which is a miqra kodesh in Hebrew, which is represented well by holy convocations. The KJV calls this a feast which isn’t quite accurate. Only some of the appointed times in Lev 3 are feasts. Yom Kippur is obviously not a feast or a festival.
This is what we call “church” in English, but is also called an ekklesia in Hebrew, which is an assembly. These days are assemblies for the purpose of worship. Here lies the problem: the Torah doesn’t tell us what to actually do to have a holy assembly. This means we have latitude. The elements of a holy assembly have evolved over time, but we who have the New Testament can figure out some elements that should be included.
And Yeshua returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding districts. And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. (Luk 4:14-15)
The synagogue is not in Torah. This is the foundation for modern day church services and was instituted by the Jews after the return from the exile. Yeshua’s behavior sanctions the synagogue. He taught there often and even told the disciples they would be punished in the synagogues. Paul used the synagogues often, being a high ranking Pharisee, he was welcomed with honor in these houses of worship.
The synagogue system of the first century is where we get the elements of gathering in a building on Shabbat. Christianity shifted this to Sunday in error but retained many of the same practices. Reading scriptures, having a sermon, and corporately singing hymns are all from the synagogue. A Catholic church even looks like a synagogue, but with the Torah scroll replaced with a chalice and the host bread. The large altar on a Catholic stage is remarkably similar to the large table a synagogue uses for the reading of a Torah scroll. The Catholic church is the foundation for the modern church service, so you can see how easy it is for use to trace these practices back to the synagogue.
“For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” (Act 15:21)
Acts 15 is most often misused by Christianity to show the Torah ended, but the opposite is actually true. The gentile converts were attending synagogue, which is why that council was called. The Messianics didn’t know what to do with these uncircumcised people showing up at the synagogue. And the result was that they would hear Moses read every week and learn. The synagogue system was sanctioned by Yeshua and allowed to flourish so the faith would have a base of operations from which to grow in every city.
As you gather on the holy days, understand there is latitude in how we observe the days. Hopefully you have somewhere nearby to fellowship with, but if you’re on your own, then trust the Ruach and just get started. We cease from commerce and work on all Sabbaths. On the days that aren’t Sabbaths, like Passover and the night Yeshua was betrayed, we follow the example of scripture wherever possible understanding that our actions display our love for Yahweh and His Son, Yeshua.
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