January - February 2000 The Sabbath Sentinel

My Testimony

Silvio Soto

I was raised in a Pentecostal church in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Naturally, this means that for many years I did not believe in any of the Bible's sacred days. As I became an adult, my interest and efforts in the ministry grew.

By age 24 I had managed to make for myself a religious reputation in this 32 square mile island. Early in my biblical studies I had developed an interest for both the subject of apologetics and cults. Since I had been schooled according to the dispensational interpretation of the Bible, I felt very capable of debating any biblical topic. For a number of years, I was involved in numerous debates with Sabbath keepers and I also taught others how to do the same. To my shame, I succeeded in convincing a significant number of them to abandon the observance of the weekly Sabbath in order to adopt a position similar to mine (which was that in the New Testament era, we have no special day of worship mandated to Christians). Just like Paul, I was persuaded that I was doing my duty unto God.

But, the Heavenly Father had mercy and pity on me. During the month of January 1990, I met a local Pastor by the name of Dale George. He too had a passion for debating and I was only too glad to oblige. Naturally, I was confident that I was going to win this one as I had won countless others. However, the Almighty had a big "rude awakening" in store for me!

On the day of our first encounter, I had decided I was going directly for a "cut throat" approach. In my brief earlier exchanges with Dale George, I had observed that Dale was a humble man. I intended to take advantage of this character trait and over power him with my personality. I had it all planned out. As soon as he would bring up the topic of the Sabbath, I would call him a hypocrite, arguing that if he really believed in the "concept of sacred time" he would be keeping the Festivals and the weekly Sabbath - BOTH! To prove my point, I was then going to take him to Leviticus 23, where weekly Sabbath and the annual Festivals are both grouped as one.

I already knew his intended reply. He would have argued that the Festivals were ceremonial while the weekly Sabbath was part of the Moral Law. He would certainly remind me that the Decalogue was personally written with the finger of God, while the Book of the Law was written by Moses. He probably was going to try and argue the significance of how the Decalogue was placed inside the ark when the Mosaic Law was placed outside. I also expected that he might try to make something over the fact that the Savior in the Gospels, and the New Testament Church throughout the book of Acts, were described as observing the weekly Sabbath. Yet, I had a prepared logical reply for every one of these arguments!

The way I saw it, I was preparing to fight "fire with fire." He would be arguing for one sacred day and I would be using seven sacred days against him. Something ceremonial means that it involves a ritual. In the Mosaic Law, the Festivals involved such rituals as gathering together, public and private worship, singing, offerings, blood sacrifices, and doing no work. It turns out this is all true of the weekly Sabbath!

Basically my premise was simple: if it walked like a duck, if it quacked like a duck, and if it looked like a duck . . . it had to be a duck! Therefore, the weekly Sabbath was no less a ceremonial (ritualistic) observance than were the Festivals. The fact that it was part of the Ten Commandments did not make it any less ceremonial. Besides, I always felt that Sabbath keepers were too loose with the phrase "Moral Law," since all disobedience is an act of immorality. In fact, I had discovered that Sabbath keeping scholars were in agreement that men were to be considered as "Free Moral Agents." By definition and application, this meant that men are endowed with a "free will" (the ability to choose good from evil), but are under "moral" obligation to choose good! Therefore, any law that imposed a control on my "freedom of choice" had to be a "Moral Law" by definition.

Designating the Festivals as "ceremonial" did not make these any less "morally" binding on Israel. Furthermore, the argument of the Decalogue being inside the ark, while the Mosaic Law was outside, was little more than an appeal to abandon critical thinking for emotionalism. After all, this line of reasoning was implying that something inside was deemed of higher value than that which was outside. The problem is that inside the ark were also the rod of Aaron and samples of Manna. I have never heard of a scholar (Sabbath or Sunday keeper) who felt these items were more important than the Mosaic Law by virtue of their being placed inside the ark!

As to the argument that the Savior and the early believers kept the Sabbath in the Gospel and in the book of Acts, I was only too thrilled when this was brought up. Immediately my rehearsed response was, "The Savior and the early church in Acts both kept the ceremonial Festivals, but YOU DON'T!" In fact, any biblical and/or historical argument that can be used to support the weekly Sabbath observance also can easily be shown to support the observance of the Annual Festivals! The Catholic church has not only claimed to have changed the weekly Sabbath, but to have also changed the Festivals (substituting the latter with pagan feast days)!

It was a lovely "time tested" strategy that had worked beautifully for me before. Dale simply didn't have a prayer. I was that confident and secure! Imagine my surprise when I made my "hypocrite" charge against this noble soul and he informed me that he agreed with me! Stunned, I asked him if he agreed, then why he didn't keep the Festivals but only kept the Sabbath (the reality of his answer had not truly sunk through my skull).

Again, lovingly and with careful wording (so I could understand) he stated, "I . . . keep . . . both!"

HUH? Immediately I felt as if the rug had been pulled from under my feet. This was not how I had planned this encounter to develop!

Now, because of my arrogance and my prejudgment, I was at a complete disadvantage and treading new ground (not exactly a comfortable feeling - as you can imagine).

In my mind, I was going through every strategy that I had ever used, trying to determine how to get myself out of this hole. But, I couldn't overcome my utter surprise that Dale kept the Festivals! I had never met a Christian that spoke favorably of the Festivals, let alone kept them. Yet, here he was - standing in living color in front of me - a very strange and unique creature. To add to my confusion, Dale was not saying anything else. He just stood there in silence, waiting for me to make the next move (perhaps, to put my other foot in my mouth). The pressure was unbelievable. Having won so many debates using high pressure techniques, finally somebody was turning the table on me and giving me a taste of my own medicine.

In my despair, I remember tossing my arms into the air and asking him, "Why in the world would you keep the Festivals?" What an irony! Moments earlier I had called him a hypocrite for not keeping the Festivals along with the weekly Sabbaths. Now, I was insinuating that something must be wrong with his mind for doing so!

Despite my obvious lack of cordiality in that statement, Dale proceeded to illuminate my mind with some of the numerous reasons and biblical evidence on this subject. Within one hour, I was transformed from an intimidating roaring lion into an ordinary house cat. I felt uneducated. My pride and arrogance had effectively been knocked to the ground. I couldn't help but marvel at his reasoning and the quality of his evidence. It was as if all my life I had been reading another book instead of the Bible! The evidence had been there all this time!!

To make matters worse, his arguments were simplicity itself. It was not the kind of explanation that required much theological background to understand. I was immediately able to see the ramifications of his various positions and interpretations as he progressed from one stage to the next. At the end, I was a very humbled man. Yet, all I could say was, "Okay Dale, you made a few points, but I am going to need time to verify all this 'stuff.'" Yeah, that is right. I called it "stuff!" I was still hoping against hope that I could find a genuine refutation.

To be certain, I would spend the next nine months visiting Dale's assembly every Sabbath. I searched and researched, and then did it all over again. But the seed had been planted, deep within the chambers of my soul and heart. It tortured me day and night. I have thought many times about ALL those people I have led against the Sabbath!!!

My agony was unbearable. I lost my peace and self-control. I did not want to eat or engage in any other activity but to research this subject. There had to be a way out, there just had to be! But the more I searched, the more information I uncovered that actually sided with Dale! It was a nightmare . . . It was also a disgrace. Many weeks of tears followed. I struggled with my conscience everyday, but the Holy Spirit would neither allow me rest nor peace.

At the time, I was the pastor of a local Spanish church and the co-pastor of the English speaking mother church. I tried to console myself with the numerous activities of the ministry, but they had all lost their attraction for me. Yet, months were passing by and I still would not make a definite decision. Once again, our precious Heavenly Father used Dale.

The Festival of Tabernacles was fast approaching in September of that year: 1990. It was a Sabbath afternoon and we were all gathered for a lunch fellowship at the home of one of Dale's congregation.

By now, I was a regular visitor. Another brother, who at one time had been the deacon of the assembly, approached me questioning whether I had made my decision. I tried to ignore the question and change the subject, but the dear brother insisted. When I finally told him, "No," he asked what I was waiting for.

I did not have a good answer so I merely told him I did not feel I was ready yet. I still had to reconcile many superficial issues, like the fact that I was a pastor of a Sunday keeping church, the possible loss of prestige in this small island where practically everyone knew me, etc.

At that moment, Dale - in a most uncharacteristic form - told me that he feared for my salvation! Amazed, I demanded that he explain himself (after all, this was stated publicly). He told me that while it is true that the Father accepts many who are still in ignorance, nevertheless I could no longer personally avail myself of that avenue, AS I WAS NO LONGER IGNORANT OF THE FACTS.

I smiled, but as he walked away my heart sank! I felt like a dagger had split me wide open. Needless to say, I could not sleep that night! I knew what he had said was the truth. That night, in the solitude of my room, I decided.

The following morning, I informed him of my decision. That same morning, I rendered my resignation to my former religious affiliation and I was baptized on the first Great day of Tabernacles 1990. To this day, I have never once regretted the path that has been given for me to walk.

In the words of Paul Harvey, "Now you know . . . the rest of the story."

Silvio Soto -- Elder, St. Thomas, VI

TSS

January - February 2000 The Sabbath Sentinel