Traveling the world in search of ancient artifacts, “Ark hunter” Richard Rives’ life may be exciting, but his theology is anything but. It is old heresy disguised as newly discovered biblical truth.
In the WND article of Feb. 7, 2009, “Ark hunter: Christianity packed with paganism,” Rives seems to be claiming he is earnestly contenting for the faith by “warning” about non-Jewish cultural influences on the church. He’s doing no such thing, of course.
He also accuses “educated theologians” of “purposefully withhold[ing] … information” about the pagan origins of Christian traditions. Who, exactly, is withholding this information? Does he have names? Is he aware that this information is widely available in print and online, and has been for years? Far from it being withheld, anyone with any amount of curiosity can dig up this information without needing to purchase Rives’ books or DVDs. It would appear he’s hyping a myth in order to sell his materials.
Even as a child, I knew the Sabbath day wasn’t the day most Christians worshipped. Long before entering seminary, I’d discovered that “Easter” comes from “Ishtar” (or possibly “Astarte”) and that Jesus wasn’t born “in the bleak midwinter,” to quote a famous Christmas carol. Yes, it’s quite true. So what? It is not the origin of the practice but its modern application that matters.
I speak as a pastor: Every believer is free to worship on any day of the week he or she likes. There is no New Testament justification for picking one day above another (see Romans chapter 14 for a thorough presentation of this concept). The reason Rives continues to be criticized for legalism is precisely because that’s what he is promoting – not in order to be saved, as he himself admits, but in order to be holy, which is almost as bad.
The very laws of God Rives became convinced he was “violating” are not and have never been binding on non-Jews. This issue, far from being novel, was raised and dealt with very early in church history, at a time when the vast majority of followers of the Savior were Jews. The New Testament records the debate between a faction that felt Gentile (non-Jewish) followers of the Messiah had to observe the Old Testament laws and those who disagreed. The latter group refuted the legalists by saying:
Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
– Acts 15.10
The Jewish people, God bless them, were obligated to follow the Torah but did so with mixed success at best. The honest ones admitted it, as seen in the quote above. Gentiles, again, were never bound by the Torah in either the Old or New Testaments. Anyone can read this debate for themselves in Acts chapter 15. The conclusion was this:
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well.
– Acts 15.28-29
The recipients of the above letter were Gentile believers in Messiah. All they were told to do for their sanctification is this: Avoid idolatry and the things associated with idolatry. That’s it. No Sabbath-keeping, no observe-this-holiday-but-not-that-one, nothing else. It’s not rocket science, folks.
For a self-proclaimed historian who prayerfully reads his Bible, Rives should already be aware of this! If he wants to worship on Saturday, refrain from eating shrimp, pork and other ritually unclean foods, have a year-long Sabbath every seven years, avoid clothing of mixed fibers, and all the other Old Testament regulations, he’s free to do so. From reading the article, he clearly (and correctly) understands those things won’t save his soul. Unfortunately, he does seem to think they will make him a better follower of Messiah (especially implied by his reference to the church’s “pitiful job in presenting sanctification”). He is quite wrong in that regard. True sanctification – literally, being set apart for God – is by loving God and one’s fellow man, not by keeping a legal code of conduct.
I wish Rives success in his search for the Ark. I also wish he’d do a better job reading the Bible.
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