Gnws, have you considered that II Timothy 2:15 doesn't actually say "study?"
In 16th and 17th century English, "study" had more to do with being diligent to do something.
In I thessalonians 4:11, "study to be quiet." Prov. 15:28, 24:2.
Eccles. 12:12 does mention books but the Hebrew word has the idea of eagerness and carefulness.
now, I am not saying we shouldn't study the Word. Reading and studying God's Word is a given. The other issue is "rightly dividing." There are some newer translations that give a different meaning to that phrase.
Zecharyah still wants us to keep some of the OT festivals and special days??
**BUT WHAT DOES GOD'S WORD SAY**??
Colossians 2:16,17: Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you **EAT** or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a *SHADOW* of the things that were to come, the reality, however, is found **IN CHRIST**!!
Galatians 4:9,10: How is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you want to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing **SPECIAL DAYS** and months and seasons and years. I fear for you. that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you!!
Zecharyah quote:
"The Colossians passage says; "let no one judge you" for keeping or not keeping Feasts. Then what does he {7744}do? He judges you for keeping Feasts! "
Actually I made no comments on judging or not judging on Colossians 2:16,17 above I just let God's Word speak for itself which says in Colossians 3:17: These are a *SHADOW* of the things that were to come, the reality, however, is found **IN CHRIST**!!!
It is you Zecharyah who are judging those who do not keep these OT feasts which are Just a **SHADOW of things that were to come. The **REALITY** is in the **NEW COVENANT TEACHINGS OF CHRIST** which claims that every day is the Lord's Day especially **TODAY**!!
Zecharyah quote:
"The Galatians passage is clearly out of context for if you read right before it Paul is clearly addressing pagan holidays."
Paul is clearly not addressing Pagan holidays in Galatians since most of the Galatian believers were Jews who followed the OT feasts laws and special days.
Paul had many messages to the Galatian church Jews about returning to OT laws such as:
Galatians 6:2: Fulfill the **LAW OF CHRIST**!!
Galatians 3:23-25: "Before faith came, we were held prisoners by the {**OT**} law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, *WE* ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE {**OT**} LAW!!" {Except Zecharyah??}
*WE* ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE LAW!!
Galatians 2:14-16: Paul said, When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' know that a man is NOT justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because **BY OBSERVING THE LAW NO ONE WILL BE JUSTIFIED**!" {Except Zecharyah??}
Galatians 2:20,21: The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
Galatians 3:10-13: "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Clearly **NO ONE IS JUSTIFIED BEFORE GOD BY THE LAW*, because, "The righteous will live by faith." The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." **CHRIST REDEEMED US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW** by becoming a curse for us!
**THERE ARE ONLY TWO **LORD'S DAYS** or **DAYS OF THE LORD** IN GOD'S WORD**!!
In God's Word there are only **TWO** days which are called the **DAY OF THE LORD** or **LORD'S DAY**. The first **LORD's DAY is when Jesus was resurrected from the dead on **APRIL 5TH**, AD 33 and the second **LORD'S DAY** or the **DAY OF THE LORD** will be when Jesus resurrects all of His saints on the **LAST DAY** of the 1260-day Great Tribulation. And John received the great **REVELATION OF GOD** on the 63rd anniversary of the first **LORD'S DAY** on **APRIL 5TH** AD 96 as per:
Revelation 1:9,10: I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and Kingdom and patiuent endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos {A Roman prison} because of the Word of God and the the testimony of Jesus on the **LORD'S DAY**!
We know that Domitian Caesar decreed in the last year of his life from September AD 95 to September AD 96, that everyone in the Roman empire must worship former idols of Roman Caesar's or be put in prison. And the only **LORD's DAY** in that times span was on the 63rd anniversary of the first **LORD'S DAY** on **APRIL 5TH**, AD 96!!
I Corinthians 15:20-24: Christ has indeed has been raised from the dead {On **APRIL 5TH**, AD 33}, the **FIRSTFRUITS** of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the **RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD** comes also through a Man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ **ALL WILL BE MADE ALIVE**. But each in turn: Christ the **FIRSTFRUITS**, then, **WHEN HE COMES** {On the 2nd **LORD'S DAY**} those who belong to Him. Then the **END** will come, when He hands over the Kingdom to God the Father!
I Thessalonians 4:16-18; 5:1-5: For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command , with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. Now, brothers about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the **DAY OF THE LORD** {ABOVE} will come like a theif in the night {To unbelievers} While people are saying "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly and they will not escape. But you brothers are not in darkness so the this **DAY** {*OF THE LORD*} should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the **DAY** {*OF THE LORD*}.
Since God's saints alive through the 1260-day Great Tribulation will know the **DAY OF THE LORD** will take place on the **LAST DAY** of the 1260-day Great Tribulation!!
And all the saints of the **DAY OF THE LORD** will also know the last minutes of when the Lord Jesus will come as per:
Matthew 24:29-31: Jesus says, "Immediately after the distress of those {1260} days the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light and the stars will fall from the sky! {Luke 21:28 adds "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near!"} Then will appear the sign of the Son of Manin heaven. And all the {Lost} peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouda of the heaven, with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the the 4 winds, from one end of the heavens to the other!" {Mark 13:27 adds 'To the ends of the earth."}
Revelation 6:15-17: Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free hid in the caves in the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the **LAMB**! For the **GREAT DAY** of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?"
And right after the marriage Feast of the **LAMB** Jesus will mount a great white horse and all of His saints will follow Him on heavenly white horses and they will conquer all the evil kings of 666 and their armies as per Revelation 19:7-20!
Revelation 17:14: They will wage war against the **LAMB**, but the **LAMB** will triumph over them because He is **KING**of kings and **LORD** of lords and with Him will be His **CALLED** **CHOSEN** and **FAITHFULL** followers! {Riding heavenly white horses on the last **LORD'S DAY** or **DAY OF THE LORD**!!
2 Peter 3:10-13: But the **DAY OF THE LORD** will come like a thief {To the Lost} The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything will be burned up. ... You ought to live holy lives as you look forward to that **DAY OF GOD**... But in keeping with His promise **WE** are looking forward to a **NEW HEAVEN and a **NEW EARTH*, where righteousness dwells!
**WE** ARE ALL WAITING FOR THE NEW EARTH, THE NEW HEAVENS AND THE HEAVENLY NEW JERUSALEM!!
Revelation 21:1-5: Then I saw a **NEW HEAVEN** and a **NEW EARTH**, for the {present} first heaven and first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the **NEW JERUSALEM**, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making **EVERYTHING NEW**!" Then He said, "Write this down, for these words are **TRUSTWORTHY and TRUE**!"
Revelation 22:1-5: Then the angel showed me the river of the Water of Life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the **LAMB** {Jesus} down the middle of the great street of the City. On each side of the river stood the Tree of Life, bearing 12 crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month... The throne of God and of the **LAMB** will be in the City, and his servants will serve Him. They will see His face and His name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night!! They will not need the light of the lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign **FOR EVER AND EVER**. The angel said to me, “These words are **TRUSTWORTHY and TRUE**!!”
