Marking Time: Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year

Ses s i on 4: God’ s T imep i ece and God’ s Te l os 93

A. Jewish roots and influence on early Christian traditions

1. Judaism as a tradition practiced a full calendar of holy days.

a. Weekly celebrations: keeping the Sabbath Day

b. Monthly celebrations: the New Moon Festivals

c. Annual celebrations (cf. Lev. 23)

2. These days are mentioned (with the exception of the new moon celebration) in Leviticus 23 as “holy convocations,” days when the entire nation was called together by the LORD for special remembrance, observance, and worship.

3. All of these holy convocations were feast days, with the exception of the Day of Atonement , which is a fast for the people.

4. The Feast of Purim was added later (as detailed in Esther in the OT), and during the inter-testamental period the Feast of the Dedication (cf. John 10.22) was added, along with other feasts and fasts.

5. These practices were to some degree kept in the practice of early Jewish Christianity, along with the few Christian observances.

B. Gentile believers and freedom from early Judaistic traditions

1. With the findings of the Jerusalem Council of apostles and elders of the Church, Gentile Christians were exempt from literal obedience to the Law (cf. Acts 15).