The place of the 10 Commandments in the life of the Christian today cannot be considered without reference to the Scripture’s definition of sin. Christians understand sin as any transgression of God’s law. God gave us His law, specifically His, so-called, moral law to help us understand Him, His nature. When we behave contrary to God’s nature, we sin. God’s nature is unchanging and so moral transgression will always be the same. Christ bore the punishment for sin on the cross, that is, all transgressions by sinful man as a result of their rejection of God - the sin of a new covenant believer is the same as the sin of an old covenant believer.The clear message of the NT (in fact the whole Bible) is that we cannot earn God’s acceptance - the law (a mirror or reflection of God’s perfect nature) was given to us to reveal our sin, to drive us to Christ. Where there is no law there is no sin.Those who argue that God’s moral law (as written by the finger of God on stone and written on our hearts) is no longer binding must explain how God’s nature has changed.They must also explain what law the NT writers referred to. For example…James 2:10 “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all”. Here James must be referring to the moral law, the Ten Commandments, because he mentions two of them in the context.Rom 2:14-15 “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them…”. The law written on the hearts of the Gentiles was the moral law (see the sins referred to in the context), the Ten Commandments. Would not Paul’s readers have understood this?

Phil - In Gal 4 and other NT passages, the Scripture is not asking the hearers to abandon the “Sabbath”. He is rebuking those who, throughout the NT, wanted to add to the requirements of the law for Gentile converts (e.g. circumcision) and had even added requirements for Jews e.g. additional Sabbaths (beyond the once/wk observation) and various festivals/feast days. Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount had to correct the Jewish leaders on similar misinterpretations - His teaching on the Law was clear. Matt 22:37-40 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments”. Was not Jesus summarizing the Ten Commandments? The first four commandments define our duty to our Creator and the final six our duty to our neighbor.

‘Let every friend of Christ keep the Lord’s Day as a festival, the resurrection day, the queen and chief of all the days of the week.’ Ignatius

Dear Mr. Challies,

B. B. Warfield called federal (covenant) theology the, “architectonic principle” of the Westminster Confession of Faith.Johannes Cocceius is understood by some to be the ‘father of federal theology’ and perhaps by all to be it’s primary contributor yet he did not believe that the Mosaic Sabbath was binding on the Christian. For this he was called antinomian.Cocceius, Calvin, Luther, Bunyan are all big names. Yet it appears likely that they none of them would subscribe to the WCF on the issue of the Sabbath. This gives me cause to pause.You say you can’t get past the ‘why only nine of ten’ question. Perhaps you are asking the wrong question. Perhaps your true obstacle is not the scripture but the system through which you view it. Perhaps you are cutting the non-fitting corners of the sheet of truth to fit your systematic bed.The WCF could be wrong. It’s architectonic principle might contain bugs. Your difficult question may only exist because your system led you to ask it. If the system contains incorrect presuppositions it will lead you to ask the wrong questions. History, or my limited knowledge of it, seems to say that the WCF codified Sabbath observance for the Christian more than any document prior, including the Bible. Perhaps the divines were correct, I believe they were not. All I can say for sure is that it fits well into their system.

Warmly,Dave Curell

Linda, one comment re: Isaiah 66: it clearly says that people will gather to worhsip not only from Sabbath to Sabbath but from New Moon to New Moon. These prophecies must be read in light of Jesus’ fulfillment of the ceremonial days of Israel.

Revelation 21 and 22 both state unequivocally that there is no need of the sun or the moon in the New Jesrusalem because the Lamb Himself will be their light. There “is no night there”. Without night, there are no days.

Furthermore, eternity is not undending time. Eternity has no time. There will be no passing days in heaven. There will be no eternal observation of the seventh-day Sabbath or of New Moons.

Those celebrations were always shadows of Christ Himself. When we understand that Jesus Is the reality of those shadows, Isaiah 66 makes sense. We will all gather to worship and praise Jesus Himself endlessly for eternity. In Him those powerful shadows have substance. We will not gather to worship Him for one-seventh of eternity. Our entire eternal future will consist of our worship and honoring of Him.

Colleen

As far as The Lords Day is concerned lets let the Bible interpret itself. Matther 12:8 says the Son of Man is the Lord also of the Sabbath. If the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath, the Sabbath must the the Lords’s day.

“Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.” - Romans 14:1-6

Paul appears to speak right on point conerning this issue. Granted, he is also talking about those who are weak in the faith concerning their being convicted not to eat certain foods. His main point in this passage, as you will see if you read on through chapter 14, is we are not to judge another brother or sister who has a conviction concerning food or observance of certain days…and the brother or sister who has that conviction is not to try to impose it on those brothers and sisters who don’t share in that conviction.

The implication also is that those who are convicted not to eat certain things and who regard certain days above others (new moons, festivals, sabbaths) are the ones who are weaker in the faith. Any thoughts?

Ellen wrote:

Since Christ is our Sabbath Rest, it would stand to reason that we will, indeed, keep

and Isaiah 66:23 says (the only time Sabbath is mentioned in Isaiah 66, ESV): From new moon to new moon,and from Sabbath to Sabbath,all flesh shall come to worship before me,

Any rational reading knows that means “from Saturday to Saturday.” If I told you that I was going to fast from Sunday to Sunday, you would understand that I meant every day in between. How can you read that we are going to keep the Sabbath only?

Ellen, Conversely, if I told you I was going to celebrate Christmas to Christmas would you think I was going to celebrate Christmas 365 days a year?

Linda

Jeremy says:

“Dallas Pymm, the early church fathers around the time of John used the term “the Lord’s Day” to refer to Resurrection Day, or Sunday. Since it is known that it was a specific term coined by and used by the Early Church to refer to Sunday, that seems to be the most common interpretation of Rev. 1.”

If that were true John would not have used the phrase “first day of the week” in his Gospel which was written approximately the same time. The ony day that John knew as the “Lords day” by the end of the first century when he wrote the book of Revelation is the Sabbath. And we know that this only day which Christ proclaims Himself to “Lord.” Matt 12:8 “For the Son of man is lord of the Sabbath”

Jeremy says:

“They refuse to say they are SDA at that website, and even have a link saying “Where can I find a Sabbath keeping church in North America?” which takes you to an ADVENTIST church locator. Very deceptive. ”

If they take you to an Adventist locator that doesn’t sound like they are trying to hide anything. Besides, the website is about the SABBATH not the SDA church. Jeremy, I hate to say it but you sound a little paranoid. Let people make up their own mind.

Linda: I’m not nearly as smart as everyone here, but I’m smart enough to sense that something is just not right with your answer to Jeremy. Forgive me if I’m wrong about that, but perhaps it would be helpful if you could let us know your theological allegiance in this discussion, whether a non-alligned Sabbatarian or an SDA apologist. Thanks.

Colleen: Your comments have been very instructive and helpful, and make a great deal of sense to me. Are there any specific books or resources that have influenced your thinking that you could share. Thanks.

Passer-by, “Sabbath in Crisis”, now updated and reprinted as “Sabbath in Christ” by Dale Ratzlaff has been the most helpful book for me besides just plain Bible study.

Having been a Seventh-day Adventist, I had certain (mis)understandings of what Scripture said and meant, so I had to specifically study certain questions that the average Reformed believer probably wouldn’t have. Linda’s Adventist point of view reveals many of the unique Adventist explanations for keeping the seventh day.

Ratzlaff’s book is available online at www.LIfeAssuranceMinistries.org. It is a thorough study of the Old and the New Covenants.

The Bible itself is so clear about the New Covenant when one approaches it with prayer for God to reveal truth without our invisible blinders on.

Colleen

Savon says

‘If one wants to keep the Sabbath I see no problem with it, just don’t judge others who are not convinced that they should keep it’

If the ten commandments is a summary of the moral law then our sabbath breaking along with our stealing is sin - Christ suffered for it, we should repent of it and seek for grace to keep it.

Given that in Genesis 1 & 2 God kept the Sabbath, and that we are then told man was created in God’s image, we ought to have been surprised if God had given only nine commandments at Sinai and not ten. The miraculous events surrounding the giving of the ten words, including the writing of them by the finger of God, marks them out from the rest of the Torah. Christ declares himself ‘Lord of the Sabbath’ (what a title if the Sabbath no longer exists!)

The issue should not be ‘if one wants to keep the Sabbath’ rather ‘how we keep the sabbath’. Here we should be cautious to judge others. As with the other commands there were specific Jewish aspects to them and we need to work through all the scriptures in context to determine what these were. The first step is to love God’s law (Psalm 119) - which includes the sabbath.

Alan says,

Given that in Genesis 1 & 2 God kept the Sabbath:

Mark 2:27 - “The Sabbath was made for man”

We are then told man was created in God’s image and since God kept the Sabbath we should to:

Genesis 1:27,28 - God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them; God blessed them; AND GOD SAID TO THEM, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

The writing of them(the decalogue)by the finger of God, marks them out from the rest of the Torah.

Scripture reference???

Christ declares himself ‘Lord of the Sabbath’ (what a title if the Sabbath no longer exists!)

Context is King, Christ was not trying to disprove that the Sabbath existed at that time, rather He was establishing His Deity, He is not subject to the Sabbath, He is Lord OVER it, just as He is GREATER than the temple. The Sabbath law, as all the rest, were put into Christ’s hand, under His Lordship, to be altered, enforced, or dispensed with, as He saw fit. This is why He could heal or allow His disciples to pluck corn, take a walk on the Sabbath. All the things He did were prohibited.

The issue should not be ‘if one wants to keep the Sabbath’ rather ‘how we keep the sabbath’.

I agree 100%, so the question remains, who determines how the Sabbath is kept? God or man?

Colossians 2:16-17—the yearly, monthly, and weekly Sabbaths were shadows of the reality which is found in Christ.

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath because the Sabbath was a shadow of Him. If I’m stumbling through a desert and find myself in the shade of a tall building, I experience immediate relief from the killing heat. I can sit in that shade and experience rest and relief from the certain death I was facing.

Yet if I sit long enough, I realize I’m still too hot to be safe. Even thought the shadow is degrees cooler than the sun, I’m still dehydrating, and I still have no access to bread and water.

If I get up and enter that building in whose shade I’m sitting, however, I’ll find air conditioning, food, water, and a place to rest and recover from my death march across the desesrt.

The Sabbath was that kind of shadow of the perfect and complete rest we find in Jesus. Although we can leave the shadow and embrace Jesus, becoming one with Him and experiencing the water and bread of life, many of us have spent years trying to both be in Him and in the shadow.

We can’t do both. As long as we’re in the shadow, we’re trying to find that promised blessing without giving up everything—including the shadow—in favor of the Real Thing. When we’re in Christ and trusting Him completely to be all we need for moralilty and holiness and salvation, the shadow is obsolete.

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath because He Is the Sabbath Rest toward which the Sabbath pointed. Jesus embodies Sabbath rest.

When God finished creating the world and rested on the seventh day, that day had no evening and morning symbolizing a beginning and end as did the other days. His rest was without boundaries, and Adam and Eve were ushered into it through no effort of their own. When God finished creating, He might well have said, “It Is Finished.”

When Jesus died, He opened for us the possibility of being again in the unbroken rest of the finished work of God. “It Is Finished,” He said of His atoning sacrifice.

The Israelite’s Sabbath pointed back to God’s finished work and rest at the end of creation, and it pointed forward to Christ’s finished work and the restoration of our entering His rest as did Adam and Eve before they sinned.

No, the significance of Sabbath is not a day—a created thing. The reailty of Sabbath has always been God’s finished work—and in Jesus we can enter that rest of God.

Colleen

It strikes me that, as sincere and interesting as the comments have been, we lack a basic starting point as evangelicals in terms of understanding the law of God. This is where the historically Reformed insights are particularly helpful. I think that an appreciation of these insights, especially for those evangelicals who are not from Confessional churches, will help remove some of the confusion.

The Reformed tradition has emphasized that there are three uses of the law. First, there is the redemptive use: The law tells me I am a sinner and that I need a Savior. So, I flee to Christ for salvation. Second, it is a gude for Christian living. That is, now that I am in Christ, the law guides my grateful and joyful living in Christ. Third, the law is a help to civil society in general. That is, if all people (even unbelievers) lived according to God’s law, the world would generally be a better, more orderly and decent place (but no one would be saved by obeying the law).

Notice that, in none of these cases, is the law the basis by which we are saved (unless you consider Christ’s perfect obedience to the law as qualifying him to be our Savior). The law leads us to Christ, guides our living, and helps to order society. So, the 4th commandment leads me to Christ (because I do not rest in God and worship him as I should), it guides my Christian living (it helps me to order my week and my work and my worship and devotion), and it would benefit all people to consider God’s sovereign right to order our lives and our time that we might rest in him and worship him alone.

One of the comments made most often here is that the New Testament (particularly the Sermon on the Mount) intensifies the Old Testament moral requirements, and that is right. In fact, we can say that Christ broadens, deepens, and positivizes (gives the positive side of the negative command) the Ten Commandments. So, as the Heidelberg Catechism and the Westminster Catechisms teach us: Thou shalt not murder actually means not only that we refrain from murdering people, but that we devote all of our power and energy to the well-being of other people. We do not injure them with our hands or our words. We protect them and their property. In short, we love them. Not stealing means that we work with our hands until we have enough to share with those in need (Eph. 4:28). Not committing adultery means that I love my wive as Christ loved the church and that I am satisfied with my wife and don’t lust after another woman. These are not new commands; this is what the commandment MEANS.

But, even though the commands have been intensified, we don’t disregard nor do we negate the ORIGINAL command. I can’t say, well: I didn’t lust after her, but I slept with her, so I kept the NT law, but not the OT law. I obeyed in the heart (NT) because the OT law doesn’t apply anymore. That would be absurd. The commandment is named in the OT, stated negatively (in most cases) and then elaborated upon and intensified throughout the rest of the Bible (not just the NT, by the way, but the OT does this as well).

So, coming to the Sabbath. There is the original command, and then the rest of the Bible. The original command requires 1 day in seven rest and 1 day in seven worship and devotion. We know this because Israel was to observe the Sabbath so that they would KNOW that it is the Lord that makes them holy-Exodus 31:13. That is, it is the Lord that makes us holy, not obedience to the law. In their rest, they were to recognize this and trust in the Lord. So, Sabbath observance has an intensely spiritual significance, that is largely missed. I rest from my (physical) work, so that I will know not to trust in my own (spiritual) work, but rather in the work of Christ. Yes, Christ IS our Sabbath rest, but that does not entail my giving up the sign. Christ has shed his blood and poured out his spirit, yet we still observe the signs in Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

And so, because the original command requires one day in seven observance (now the Lord’s Day, after the apostolic pattern and the Resurrection of Christ), then that is where we START. We don’t throw it out (like adultery and stealing) and say, in effect, “All of life is worship, 24-7.” It’s true that all of life is to be a sacrifice of our whole selves, and an act of worship (Romans 12:1-2), but that is broadening of the command. We don’t throw out the original commandment, just because it has been broadened. Or else we would throw out the prohibitions against stealing and adultery and murder, as long as our “hearts were right.” Impossible.

I realize that I have not addressed those NT passages which are said to call Sabbath observance into question. Those passages need to be dealt with. My hope has been to clear up the misunderstanding regarding the nature of the law, and the way in which it moves from OT to NT, and from the original commandment to the general broadening throughout the Bible.

A final thought: to charge those who observe the Christian Sabbath with legalism is odd indeed. We do not believe we are saved by it, but by Christ alone. We do not believe it makes us more spiritual than others, but that is a gracious gift from God to us to be enjoyed. Certainly we are not legalists to forbid stealing or adultery. How then can we be legalists to spend an entire day in devotion to Christ, and encourage all Christians to do the same?

Grubb,

If we are to imitate God’s example from Genesis physically, then we could NEVER work. God did not “keep the Sabbath.” According to Strong’s concordance, the word Sabbath means an “intermission.” The Hebrew word for “rest” used in Gen. 2 means to “cease.” It says that He ceased creating the world on the seventh day. So, did God start creating again on the first day of week 2? No—He had ceased creating. It was an eternal rest. It was not 6 days working, 1 day of rest, and then 6 days of working again! It was a completed work—and He ceased working. Adam and Eve were able to enter into God’s rest and enjoy it also. Not just once a week, but perpetually, continually—until the Fall. Then the Curse introduced work and the Rest was broken for mankind. But in Ex. 16 God gave Israel a rest day every seventh day of the week, as a reminder of the rest that was lost in Eden and as a shadow of Jesus who would restore God’s Rest to us by His redemption of us and letting us find rest in Him. Now that the Substance of the shadow as come (Col 2), the Sabbath that remains for the people of God is TODAY and every day in Jesus (Heb 4).

Passer-by and others,

In addition to the book “Sabbath in Christ” by Dale Ratzlaff, I recommend the following resources:

http://www.ariel.org/mshabbat.html (This is very good, including for the Creation question)

http://www.sdaoutreach.org/audio.cfm

http://www.sdaoutreach.org/law-study.cfm

http://web.archive.org/web/20041021012419/http://www.ariel.org/ff00006c.html (“The Law of Moses and the Law of Christ”)

Jeremy

Question:

Since many of the early Christians were slaves, how could a “Christian Sabbath” be taught, much less enforced? The slaves would not have been able to take a specified “day off”.

For the apostles to teach a “Christian Sabbath” on one hand, and for Paul to teach that a slave should do all things as unto the Lord and not to seek to be free - it would seem that he would have had to give some explanation for how these two contradictory teachings could mesh.

Thank You Tim Challies, you have raised some very good points here on a obviously sensitive topic.

I am unsure why so many are so hot to trot to do away with the 10 commandments, and in particular the seventh day as Sabbath.

It will do little good to argue with Stan, Jeremy or Colleen or whomever. They have clearly drawn their line in the sand. Jeremy, I am a SDA and I love you brother, I pray you get over your anger. “Red and Yellow, Black and White, all are precious in His sight”

I love the Sabbath. I look forward to it each week. I enjoy meeting with my Maker each week, spending time with friends, getting pumped with a great spiritual message, spending time with my family, having a snooze from time to time, putting business to rest for 24 hours, listening to some of my favorite Christian music, playing my horn, not worrying about getting the bathroom painted or the garage cleaned, what a treat.

I don’t know what I would do without this day.

I am not comfortable basing my theology on things that weren’t specifically said or weren’t specifically mentioned in the Old or New Testament. That is like trying to outsmart God. “This wasn’t said, so God must have meant this, or He couldn’t have meant this”, etc.

Genesis 2:2-3 says that when God finished creating the world He rested on the Seventh Day, He blessed this day and he hallowed it (made it holy). He makes this pretty clear.

Where does it say that God tranfers His blessing to another day? Where does it say God hallowed Sunday, or Friday, or any other day? If it is so clear here, why would He leave it so nebulous later on?

God created man in His image. As the Master Designer God knew (and knows) what was/is best for mankind. Enoch walked and talked with God. Did Enoch observe his Sabbath on Saturday or Sunday? The Bible doesn’t say specifically, so do we assume Sunday because it doesn’t say? I tend to think it was important to God and He and Enoch had some awesome Sabbath walks. Can you imagine going for a hike with God and talking about life? Getting some advice on dealing with the teens, or Mrs. Enoch? Whoa! God must have really loved Enoch, just like He really loves every person since Adam and Eve.

At Mt. Sinai God reminds His “Chosen People” to “remember” the Sabbath in the Decalogue. They had just come out of a heathen, idolatrous nation after 2-300 years where there were human sacrifices and all kinds of sexual imorality and on and on. God knew (and knows) what was best for his “chosen people” , His created beings. They needed reminding of the laws of life that had been a big part of their life before Jacob and the boys moved to Egypt.

Jesus died on Friday, He rested in the tomb on Saturday and he was raised on Sunday.

Perhaps somewhere around here in the Gospels, God should have said, or inspired His writers to say (just to keep things clear), “and God, the creator of the world saw that His Holy day of rest was askew, and needed to be changed, therefore He rested again, on Sunday, the , with the sun god RA, and He blessed it and hallowed it”. OR some variation thereof.

This could go on so I will wrap up.

When the pharisees were trying to trap Jesus and they asked Him what was the greatest law, why didn’t Jesus just tell them then and there that He had done away with the law and not to sweat it any longer?

Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today and forever. God must be the same too.

If Jesus says, if you love Me keep my commandments.I want to keep them because I love Jesus.

If God has blessed Saturday as Sabbath, I want that Sabbath blessing, and I will endeavor to honor Him by making it special.

1John 5:3 says “This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome.

My Sabbath is not burdensome, I love it.

I don’t really care if former SDA Apologist Robert Brimsmead scoffs at me or my beliefs (thanks for that nugget Stan - I am sure Bob must have been a great guy and God loved him too).

I answer to my creator God, and it is He who blots out my sins and He who loves me and He who saves me and I don’t need an apologist for that.

The father of Reformed Theology- John Calvin’s view on the Sabbath commandment.

There were three reasons for giving this commandment: First, with the seventh day of rest the Lord wished to give to the people of Israel an image of spiritual rest, whereby believers must cease from their own works in order to let the Lord work in them. Secondly, he wished that there be an established day in which believers might assemble in order to hear his Law and worship him.Thirdly, he willed that one day of rest be granted to servants and to those who live under the power of others so that they might have a relaxation from their labor. The latter, however, is rather an inferred than a principal reason.

As to the first reason, there is no doubt that it ceased in Christ; because he is the truth by the presence of which all images vanish. He is the reality at whose advent all shadows are abandoned.Hence St. Paul (Col. 2:17) that the sabbath has been a shadow of a reality yet to be. And he declares elsewhere its truth when in the letter to the Romans, ch. 6:8, he teaches us that we are buried with Christ in order that by his death we may die to the corruption of our flesh. And this is not done in one day, but during all the course of our life, until altogether dead in our own selves, we may be filled with the life of God. Hence, superstitious observance of days must remain far from Christians.

The two last reasons, however, must not be numbered among the shadows of old. Rather, they are equally valid for all ages. Hence, though the sabbath is abrogated, it so happens among us that we still convene on certain days in order to hear the word of God, to break the [mystic] bread of the Supper, and to offer public prayers; and, moreover, in order that some relaxation from their toil be given to servants and workingmen. As our human weakness does not allow such assemblies to meet every day, the day observed by the Jews has been taken away (as a good device for eliminatingsuperstition) and another day has been destined to this use. This was necessary for securing and maintaining order and peace in the Church.

As the truth therefore was given to the Jews under a figure, so to us on the contrary truth is shown without shadows in order, first of all, that we meditate all our life on a perpetual sabbath from our works so that the Lord may operate in us by his spirit; secondly, in order that we observe the legitimate order of the Church for listening to the word of God, for admin-istering the sacraments, and for public prayers; thirdly, in order that we do not oppress inhumanly with work those who are subject to us. [From Instruction in Faith, Calvin’s own 1537 digest of the Institutes, sec. 8, “The Law of the Lord”].

The leader who sparked the Protestant Reformational Theology - Martin Luther’s view on the Sabbath command.

The word holy day (Feiertag) is rendered from the Hebrew word sabbath which properly signifies to rest, that is, to abstain from labor. Hence we are accustomed to say, Feierabend machen [that is, to cease working], or heiligen Abend geben [sanctify the Sabbath]. Now, in the Old Testament, God separated the seventh day, and appointed it for rest, and commanded that it should be regarded as holy above all others. As regards this external observance, this commandment was given to the Jews alone, that they should abstain from toilsome work, and rest, so that both man and beast might recuperate, and not be weakened by unremitting labor. Although they afterwards restricted this too closely, and grossly abused it, so that they traduced and could not endure in Christ those works which they themselves were accustomed to do on that day, as we read in the Gospel; just as though the commandment were fulfilled by doing no external, [manual] work whatever, which, however, was not the meaning, but, as we shall hear, that they sanctify the holy day or day of rest.

This commandment, therefore, according to its gross sense, does not concern us Christians; for it is altogether an external matter, like other ordinances of the Old Testament, which were attached to particular customs, persons, times, and places, and now have been made free through Christ.

But to grasp a Christian meaning for the simple as to what God requires in this commandment, note that we keep holy days not for the sake of intelligent and learned Christians (for they have no need of it [holy days]), but first of all for bodily causes and necessities, which nature teaches and requires; for the common people, man-servants and maid-servants, who have been attending to their work and trade the whole week, that for a day they may retire in order to rest and be refreshed.

Secondly, and most especially, that on such day of rest (since we can get no other opportunity) freedom and time be taken to attend divine service, so that we come together to hear and treat of God’s Word, and then to praise God, to sing and pray.

However, this, I say, is not so restricted to any time, as with the Jews, that it must be just on this or that day; for in itself no one day is better than another; but this should indeed be done daily; however, since the masses cannot give such attendance, there must be at least one day in the week set apart. But since from of old Sunday [the Lord’s Day] has been appointed for this purpose, we also should continue the same, in order that everything be done in harmonious order, and no one create disorder by unnecessary innovation.

Interesting discussion.

“Man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man”

Grant, thanks for your concern, but I don’t have bitterness and am thankful for the wonderful blessings of God in my life, especially the blessing of knowing that I am saved forever and have eternal life, because of Jesus’ righteousness and His death and resurrection, and His sovereign regeneration of my spirit by the Holy Spirit. The anger I that DO have I pray I never get over, for it is a righteous anger against the demonic deception that has been perpetrated in SDAism since the cult was founded.

When it says in Gen 2 that God hallowed the seventh day, it is talking about how God set that day apart for Israel in Exodus 16. This is called an anachronism, meaning that Moses is writing about an event which happened later, after the current story. Moses wrote this way on many occasions. A good example is the following:

“As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the Testimony, to be kept.” (Ex. 16:34 NASB.)

The Testimony (stone tablets) had not been given yet in Ex. 16—so this is describing an event which happened at a later time. The same is true with Gen. 2 and God sanctifying the Sabbath. This is made clear by the rest of Scripture which tells us when God gave the Sabbath to people, and even Gen 2. itself makes it sound like God sanctified the day sometime after the first seventh day, *because* He ceased creating on that day. So let’s look at what the rest of the Bible says about…

WHEN did God give the Sabbath to people? And to WHOM did He give it?

“Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23then he said to them, “This is what the LORD meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the LORD Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.” 24So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and it did not become foul nor was there any worm in it. 25Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. 26”Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none.” 27It came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. 28Then the LORD said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My instructions? 29”See, the LORD has given you the sabbath; therefore He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain every man in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30So the people rested on the seventh day.” (Ex. 16:22-30 NASB.)

This is after Israel crossed the Red Sea and came into the wilderness, and God says that He had just “given” them the Sabbath day. And it was for Israel only.

“You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day.” (Deut. 5:15 NASB)

God commanded the Sabbath day as a remembrance that they had been delivered from Egypt—again, this was after the exodus and it was only for Israel.

“You divided the sea before them,So they passed through the midst of the sea on dry ground; […]So You made known to them Your holy sabbath,And laid down for them commandments, statutes and law,Through Your servant Moses.” (Neh. 9:11a, 14 NASB.)

Once again we see that God made known the Sabbath after the crossing of the Red Sea into the wilderness, and that it was for Israel.

“So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. 11”I gave them My statutes and informed them of My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live. 12”Also I gave them My sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.” (Ezekiel 20:10-12 NASB.)

Once again, God says He gave them the Sabbath after they came into the wilderness. And it was for Israel only—a sign between God and Israel, so that Israel would know that God sanctifies them (“sets them apart” from the Gentiles.)

“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 13”But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. 14’Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15’For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death. 16’So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.’ 17”It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.” (Ex. 31:12-17 NASB.)

Notice that it makes it so clear that the Sabbath is a sign between God and Israel. That means that Gentiles were not allowed to keep it or else it could not have been a special sign between God and Israel to set apart Israel from the Gentiles! In fact, some Rabbis taught that Gentiles who kept the Sabbath (without becoming circumcised and becoming Jews first), should be stoned to death.

Notice also that the Sabbath is the sign of the Old Covenant between God and Israel. A covenant which the NT tells us is obsolete and has disappeared (Heb 8). Why should I proclaim to people that I am a Jew and that I am keeping a covenant which is no longer in existence, by keeping its sign??

Regarding the statements in the NT about the “commandments”—the Jews never would have understood “the commandments” to refer to the 10 Cs. The Jews have always referred to “the mitsvah” (“the commandments”) to mean ALL 613 commands in the Mosaic Law. In fact, the Bible never used the phrase “the Ten Commandments”—that is a mistranslation. The Hebrew word translated commandments, dabar, simply means “words.” It does not at all mean “commandments.” So it says the Ten Words. In fact, the Bible never refers to the Ten Words as “the commandments.” No Jew would have understood Jesus to mean the Ten Words, when He said to keep His commandments (Greek, entole). He meant HIS teachings and commands. 1 John 3:22-23 defines what “the commandments” are:

“and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. 23This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.”

Jeremy

Comment 49 argued strangely that Christians aren’t even obligated to come together and worship on the Lord’s Day.

Not so strangely. If we choose to meet on Saturday, what is in the New Testement “law” to force us to esteem one day over another?

the New Covenenant says not to forsake the gathering together - it does not say what do we must meet.

Also to Robin,

I found this article that may prove helpful:

http://soundofgrace.com/jgr/index033.htm

He does discuss the porneia argument, but perhaps in a different way than the way it is typically used (as referenced in your above post).

Hope this is useful.

gh

The absolute fact is that the Bible does not say which day or days we must meet together—it simply says to gather together.

Say somene only goes to church once a week, on Sunday morning. If someone else goes to church on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, aren’t they obeying Heb 10 more than the first person is?

Most large churches have services of some kind every day of the week. And other churches have services on Saturday evening, Sunday, mid-week, etc. Most churches have at least a mid-week service in addition to Sunday services.

But if the only time you could assemble with other believers at a church in your area was on a Sunday—then yes you would be wrong to not attend Sunday service.

But it has nothing to do with the DAY.

It’s all about Jesus and growing in grace.

Jeremy

Doug, I agree that the Sabbath is wonderful for you. I LOVED the Sabbath as an Adventist. The Sabbath, though, was never as intimate and personal as the presence of Jesus that I have experienced since I decided to risk giving up everything and entrusting myself entirely to Jesus. I had no idea how much my holding onto the shadow kept me from living in the reality of Him.

Andrew, seeing the 10 Commandments as being obsolete now that Christ has come does not equal antinomianism. I am not looking for permission to sin. Besides, the Mosaic law doesn’t begin to cover the sins to which we are drawn as fallen humans.

Ephesians 4-5 (as only one example) is clear that all immorality, impurity, greed, obscenity, foolish talk, coarse joking, lying, stealing indulged anger, bitterness, rage, brawling, slander, malice, foolishness, drunkenness, debauchery, etc. are completely unacceptable in the life of a Christ-follower. And just in case this list isn’t comprehensive enough, 5:8-13 gives general guidlines: we WERE darkness, but now we’re children of light. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but expose them.

If the numerous and repetitive lists in the New Testament of unacceptable behavior don’t seem to be enough to guide moral behavior, perhaps Romans 2:12-15 sheds light. In this passage Paul shows that the Gentiles, who traditionally did not have the law and therefore did not possess any special revelation from God as did Israel, still sometimes by nature did the things required by the law.

“They are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, sinced they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.”

This “law-keeping” by the pre-cross Gentiles who had no special revelation was possible because God’s eternal morality was imprinted on their consciences. Those who lived by this conviction were not among those described in Romans 1 who suppressed the truth of God with their own wickedness.

If pagan Gentiles with no knowledge of God and no special revelation available to them were able to live morally by the moral requirements of the law being written on their consciences (an act of God to be sure!), then why would regenerate, born-of-the-Spirit Christ-followers who have the special revelation of Scripture and of Jesus Himself need the Decalogue in order to know how to live? We now have much more than mere conscience; we have God Himself living in us! He does not need the Decalogue in order to instruct us!

Garrett, I do not have a blog, but I do post on the forum at www.FormerAdventist.com. Check it out!

Colleen

I would like to second Colleen’s comments. I will try to link the website that many of us discuss the great issues of the New Covenant, and the real significance of the Sabbath, fulfilled in Christ.

http://www.formeradventist.com

For those of you who want to discuss the Sabbath and the New Covenant and discover why Adventism is not just another Christian religion, then you are invited to join our discussion.

Stan

Jeremy and Ellen,

Changing worship services from the Lord’s Day to “whenever” is a very recent phenomenon that has to do more with catering to what people desire, than seeking to follow Scripture in when and how we worship.

The attributes of the church are characterized well in the apostles creed “one,” “holy,” “catholic,” “apostolic.”

It is the designation “apostolic” that I’d like to address. What does it mean for a church to be an “apostolic church?” It is a church founded on the Gospel witness given by the Spirit through the apostles. The early church didn’t look all that different than the synagogue. It was ruled by “presbuteroi” as was the synagogue, it contained teaching from God’s Word, a form of government that had the right of appeal, etc. However there was one difference, following Christ’s resurrection they met on the *first* day of the week, instead of the last. This is the testimony of Scripture, and the consistent practice of the church for the last 2,000 years until very recently. The exception being the SDA’s whose ultimate problem is one of authority and the belief in binding extrabiblical revelation. This problem in itself can lead to any number of problems, for instance the Branch Davidians, a schism from the SDA’s…..

The entire Christian life is to be worship, living to honor and glorify God in everything. However, Christ’s church gathers on the Lord’s Day as a corporate body to worship together. Any other midweek service is an additional opportunity for worship and fellowship, but ought never to subvert worship on the Lord’s Day with the saints.