Recently I received a pamphlet in the mail, sent anonymously, entitled Rome's Challenge: Why do Protestants Keep Sunday?
It makes the case that Protestants are disobedient to the Scriptures they claim to follow if they do not keep the Sabbath on Saturday. Roman Catholics, it seems, lean on the church's authority to legitimise a similar practice.
This is a brief response.
The pamphlet is written in a mocking style. I assume this is a feature of newspaper editorial in the late 19th century when the original articles were written.
The first page sets out the case for Saturday worship, noting that this is the practice of the Seventh-day Adventists, the command of the Old and New Testaments, the practice of the Israelites for thousands of years and "the teaching and practice of the Son of God whilst on earth." (p. 2)
Already I find that I cannot agree with the conclusions of this publication. Was Sabbath observance the teaching and practice of the Lord Jesus? Did he not say, "For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:8) and “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath? (Mark 2:27) Was he not called a law breaker by the Jewish leaders of the day? (Mark 2:24; Mark 7:5; John 5:18;) 'Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” ' (John 9:16)
So in what sense did Jesus teach and practice the Sabbath?
I would argue that Jesus did in fact keep the Sabbath, but not in the fashion of the Jews of the day, but rather in the Spirit and in truth, and according to his unique relationship with God the Father and to the Created order. It is clear, however, that in Jesus teaching Sabbath keeping was of lesser importance than right relationship with God. Jesus teaching and practice also show that Sabbath keeping was not a necessary requirement of right relationship with God, at least, not as practiced by the Jewish leaders of the day.
Turning Back to the pamphlet I read through a few paragraphs misunderstanding (or misrepresenting) the subject matter of protestant pulpits, before I come to this assertion, "…in the pages of the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and the Apocalypse, not the vestige of an act canceling the Saturday arrangement can be found." (p. 4)
I wonder, then, what the author of the editorial makes of the Apostle Paul's message in Colossians 2. Writing, perhaps to a predominantly Gentile church, the apostle Paul makes it clear that Sabbath observance is not necessary for the Christian. Rather Sabbath observance is a shadow of the reality in Christ. Christian worship is about Christ. In Christ the Christian is free to worship unbound by the regulations of the Old Testament law. (see also Galatians 4:10).
The pamphlet author's assertions are directly contradicted by the words of the New Testament. I will put the pamphlet down and read no further. It will be of greater profit to research this issue from the Scriptures alone.
As the Apostle's missionary journeys bore fruit amongst increasing numbers of Gentiles, Sabbath worship became less natural for the church as it becomes predominantly Gentile.
It is no surprise, then, that we read of the Apostle John speaking of 'The Lord's Day' (Revelation 1:10) and no wonder that the church is soon meeting and now continues to meet on the Lord's day, the resurrection day.
We see further corroboration, in the pages of the New Testament, that Christians may meet on the Lord's Day, in the Jerusalem Apostles' letter to the Gentile believers. After the issue of circumcision has come to a head, after God shows to Peter and the Apostles that he is moving amongst even the gentiles, the Jerusalem council meets to work out the terms under which Jewish believers can have fellowship with Gentile believers. Do the Gentiles have to observe the Law? The apostles' answer is a resounding 'No.'
What burdens do the apostles place on the gentile believers? What observances, what practices to avoid? No the gentiles do not have to be circumcised, to become Jews. They do not have to observe the Sabbath, but they are asked to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, meat from strangled animals and sexual immorality.
This is the extent to which the Apostle's, in Scripture, under the direction of the Spirit and in response to the work of God are prepared to extend Jewish custom and law onto Gentile believers.
The Protestant, Bible believing, Christian can worship freely on a Sunday because the Christian is free to worship in Christ on any day. Worshipping in Christ is all that matters. To be sure there are many Jewish believers who continue to worship Christ on the Sabbath. God bless them, they are free to do so. Those Adventists who are in Christ are free to worship on the Sabbath also, if it is their want, just as the Baptist or Presbyterian is also free to worship on the Sunday, if that is his custom.
It makes the case that Protestants are disobedient to the Scriptures they claim to follow if they do not keep the Sabbath on Saturday. Roman Catholics, it seems, lean on the church's authority to legitimise a similar practice.
This is a brief response.
The pamphlet is written in a mocking style. I assume this is a feature of newspaper editorial in the late 19th century when the original articles were written.
The first page sets out the case for Saturday worship, noting that this is the practice of the Seventh-day Adventists, the command of the Old and New Testaments, the practice of the Israelites for thousands of years and "the teaching and practice of the Son of God whilst on earth." (p. 2)
Already I find that I cannot agree with the conclusions of this publication. Was Sabbath observance the teaching and practice of the Lord Jesus? Did he not say, "For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:8) and “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath? (Mark 2:27) Was he not called a law breaker by the Jewish leaders of the day? (Mark 2:24; Mark 7:5; John 5:18;) 'Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” ' (John 9:16)
So in what sense did Jesus teach and practice the Sabbath?
I would argue that Jesus did in fact keep the Sabbath, but not in the fashion of the Jews of the day, but rather in the Spirit and in truth, and according to his unique relationship with God the Father and to the Created order. It is clear, however, that in Jesus teaching Sabbath keeping was of lesser importance than right relationship with God. Jesus teaching and practice also show that Sabbath keeping was not a necessary requirement of right relationship with God, at least, not as practiced by the Jewish leaders of the day.
Turning Back to the pamphlet I read through a few paragraphs misunderstanding (or misrepresenting) the subject matter of protestant pulpits, before I come to this assertion, "…in the pages of the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and the Apocalypse, not the vestige of an act canceling the Saturday arrangement can be found." (p. 4)
I wonder, then, what the author of the editorial makes of the Apostle Paul's message in Colossians 2. Writing, perhaps to a predominantly Gentile church, the apostle Paul makes it clear that Sabbath observance is not necessary for the Christian. Rather Sabbath observance is a shadow of the reality in Christ. Christian worship is about Christ. In Christ the Christian is free to worship unbound by the regulations of the Old Testament law. (see also Galatians 4:10).
The pamphlet author's assertions are directly contradicted by the words of the New Testament. I will put the pamphlet down and read no further. It will be of greater profit to research this issue from the Scriptures alone.
As the Apostle's missionary journeys bore fruit amongst increasing numbers of Gentiles, Sabbath worship became less natural for the church as it becomes predominantly Gentile.
It is no surprise, then, that we read of the Apostle John speaking of 'The Lord's Day' (Revelation 1:10) and no wonder that the church is soon meeting and now continues to meet on the Lord's day, the resurrection day.
We see further corroboration, in the pages of the New Testament, that Christians may meet on the Lord's Day, in the Jerusalem Apostles' letter to the Gentile believers. After the issue of circumcision has come to a head, after God shows to Peter and the Apostles that he is moving amongst even the gentiles, the Jerusalem council meets to work out the terms under which Jewish believers can have fellowship with Gentile believers. Do the Gentiles have to observe the Law? The apostles' answer is a resounding 'No.'
What burdens do the apostles place on the gentile believers? What observances, what practices to avoid? No the gentiles do not have to be circumcised, to become Jews. They do not have to observe the Sabbath, but they are asked to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, meat from strangled animals and sexual immorality.
This is the extent to which the Apostle's, in Scripture, under the direction of the Spirit and in response to the work of God are prepared to extend Jewish custom and law onto Gentile believers.
The Protestant, Bible believing, Christian can worship freely on a Sunday because the Christian is free to worship in Christ on any day. Worshipping in Christ is all that matters. To be sure there are many Jewish believers who continue to worship Christ on the Sabbath. God bless them, they are free to do so. Those Adventists who are in Christ are free to worship on the Sabbath also, if it is their want, just as the Baptist or Presbyterian is also free to worship on the Sunday, if that is his custom.
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