Herbert W Armstrong

Jesus and the apostles observed the sabbath, the annual festivals, and other customs of the Mosaic Law because they lived within the Jewish world and Jesus was born under the Law (Gal 4:4). Some submit that believers today must do the same. Scripture certainly records how Jesus and the apostles did things on the weekly sabbath, as well as annual holydays.  These passages may reasonably be described as things Jesus and the apostles did as Jews living under the Mosaic system. But the real question is not what they did - it is what they commanded . Many discussions focus on whether sabbath‑keeping or festival observance occurred in the New Testament; my concern is whether Jesus ever required His followers to replicate those practices. In my view, the evidence shows that He did not. Please follow this link to my Post in Quora wherein I examine this subject. 

Certain groups, including the Armstrong churches (of which there are many), vehemently argue that birthdays should not be observed. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are among them. The arguments run along familiar lines: traditional Judaism did not emphasise birthdays; early Christians (mostly Jewish) did not mark them; birthday customs supposedly stem from pagan feasts; and Roman birthday celebrations were associated with astrology and household gods - the last being the most frequently repeated. These claims don’t in fact have merit. Some writers cite two Old Testament passages where pagan kings held birthday feasts, inferring that any birthday celebration is permanently tainted. Curiously, they do not mention other passages which undermine their argument. Following is a link to a Post I have in Quora that examined whether any of the claims truly carry merit. The reader may consider the evidence and reach their own conclusion. See the Quora link here .