is the seventh-day sabbath still important if you believe in grace?
TRANSCRIPT
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Is the seventh-day Sabbathstill important
if you believe in grace?
By
J. David Newman, D. Min.
Senior pastor ofNew Hope Churcha contemporary Seventh-day Adventist congregation
in theChesapeake Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
Revised December 3, 1999
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Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Organization of this Article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
A. WHY MOST CHRISTIANS DO NOT KEEP THE SABBATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Psychology and Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Tragic Mistake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Agreement through Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
B. WHY THE SABBATH IS IMPORTANT TODAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Grace Alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Sabbath Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Sabbath reminds us of creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Sabbath as Holy Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Sabbath and Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Progressive Truth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Legalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Sabbath Reminds us of Redemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Sabbath Rest in Hebrews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13The Sabbath Given to Build Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Sabbath and Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
C. SABBATH KEEPERS WHO REJECT THE SABBATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
D. HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN DECISION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Think for Yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
For Further Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
APPENDIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Romans 14:5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Are holy days discussed in this passage?
By Dr. J. David Newman
Colossians 2:16-17Is the weekly Sabbath a part of this text? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
By Dr. J. David Newman
How shall we keep the Sabbath?By Dr. John Brunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
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Introduction
I am writing this article for friends of
the gospelthose who love grace, havediscovered the precious truth of righteousnessby faith and never want to lose it, and may even
fear that if any other truth is emphasized, it will
eclipse the wonderful message of salvation.I have read several books recently
published on the Sabbath and other materialdiscussing whether it is still valid for newcovenant Christians. When you boil down
everything that is being said, cut through all theverbiage, you can sum up the current discussionin just a few words:
Those who believe the fourth command-
ment is still literally binding on Christians are
legalistic; while those who believe the fourth
commandment is no longer literally binding,but the other nine still are, are NOT legalistic.
How can gospel-loving people have
such different understandings? I hope thefollowing discussion will help clarify rather
than further muddy the issues swirling aroundthe Sabbath. This is not an exhaustive study ofthe subject, and at the end of this article, I have
listed other sources you may want to review.
Organization of this Article
I will cover four big questions thatpeople have recently been asking me:
A. Why do the majority of Christians
not keep the seventh day as the Sabbath? Ifthis day is so important, if it is clearly set forthin Scripture, clearly part of the Ten Command-
ments, why do so many Christians worship onor keep another day?
B. Is the Old Testament Sabbath still
relevant for New Testament Christians? Is theresomething unique or special about this day?Does it only point us back to creation, or does it
also symbolize grace, righteousness by faith,and resting in the finished work of Jesus?
C. Why would people who have keptthe seventh-day Sabbath stop keeping it and, insome cases, actually become antagonistic
toward it?D. How can I make a decision about
the importance of the Sabbath when scholarsand pastors cannot agree?
A. WHY MOST CHRISTIANS DO NOT
KEEP THE SABBATH
Why do the majority of Christians notkeep the Sabbath? Can people like BillyGraham and Bill Hybels be wrong? Since they
are godly men, why does God not reveal theSabbath truth to them if it is, in fact, stillrelevant? Isn't it just a little arrogant of us to
think we have more light on the Sabbath thanthe majority of Christians in the world today?
Godly people have disagreed over many
things down through the centuries, such asbaptism by immersion or sprinkling, whathappens to the soul at death, and the existence
of an ever-burning hell. Although there may befar more Christians who believe one way than
those who believe another on any given issue,truth is never determined by majority vote.
Fortunately for us, God does not grant
salvation based on the correctness of ourtheology, but whether or not we accept Jesus asour Lord and Savior. We are not saved by our
knowledge, but by Gods grace.This point is very important in the
present discussion. Sabbath keeping never has
been and never will be the basis of anyonessalvation. From the time of Adam to thepresent, people have always been saved in the
same wayonly by grace.
Psychology and Experience
So why do good people differ in theirthinking? Psychology, which is the study of themind and behaviorexperience, if you willis
the answer. Our life experiences, what we weretaught, how we were treated by others, all
influence our frame of referencethe lens bywhich we view ourselves, others, the world,and even Scripture. So to a large degree each
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persons experience in life determines how heor she interprets the Bible.
For instance, suppose two girls grow upin non-Christian homes, and in their late teensboth attend meetings where they learn about
God. Now suppose one comes from a stable,
loving home where both parents haveconsistently provided nurture and support, and
the other girl comes from an unstable homewhere she has been physically or sexuallyabused by her father much of her life. When
they hear God described as a Father, the girlfrom the nurturing home will have adramatically different picture than the girl from
the abusive home.In the same manner, someone who
grows up in a home where the Sabbath is
treasured and looked forward to each week willview it in a much different light than someonewho grows up in a home where the Sabbath is
kept without joy and seen as a requirementrather than a blessing. In each case, the persons
beliefs are greatly colored by their ownpersonal experiences.
I give these illustrations to help frame
the current discussion about the Sabbath. Welike to believe we are totally objective, ornearly so, when it comes to interpreting
Scripture. But if this were true, then most of uswould agree on the important topics in theBible; and we do not. Obviously, we each
interpret Scripture through our own lifeexperiences.
God speaks to each of us through our
individual experiences. He has no other way.If He talked to me in German, I would notunderstand. That is not my experience. If he
talked to me as an African American, I wouldnot understand. That is not my experience. Ifhe talked to me as a Hebrew scholar, I would
not understand. I am not well versed inHebrew.
So God speaks to me in my experience,and to you in yours. Does this mean there is noobjective truth? Certainly not. There are
absolutes. There are things that are clearlygood and things that are clearly evil. But all
truth is given within a context, and we neglectthat context at our own peril.
Tragic Mistake
Joshua, chapter 9, is a classicillustration of relying on experience alone. The
Gibeonites fear they will soon be swallowed upby the Israelites who are conquering Canaan, sothey pretend their country is far away, thus
removing any apparent threat and enabling theIsraelites to enter into an alliance with them.Their delegation comes with worn out sacks,
old wineskinscracked and mended, worn andpatched sandals, and moldy bread.
When the Israelites hear their story, they
accept it because experience teaches that peoplewho start a journey with new provisions whichbecome old and worn before reaching their
destination, have traveled a long time and comea long way.
So the Israelites sign a treaty with theGibeonites, only to discover a few days later, totheir chagrin, that the Gibeonites live just over
the next hill. A very telling verse says, "Themen of Israel sampled their provisions but did
not inquire of the Lord(verse 14). Without1
special revelation, the Israelites were deceived.Experience was not enough.
But experience is all we have. TheBible is a special revelation from God, but our
under-standing and interpretation of it comefrom our individual experiences. It cannot beany other way. One reason those who keep
Sunday are not convicted about the sanctity ofthe seventh day may be because the only
Sabbath keepers they have known majored inthe negative aspects of the Sabbath. TheSabbath is known more for what we are NOT
supposed to do than for the blessings we mayenjoy. Worse still, people are sometimes given
All references to Scripture are from theNew1
International Version.
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the impression that accepting the seventh day asthe Sabbath is a salvation issue; and if they
don't accept it, they will be lost.Similarly, non-believers may reject the
gospel because of their experience with
Christians who practice hate while preaching
love, who kill rather than redeem. RomanCatholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland
who fight each other can hardly convince othersthere is value in Jesus' command to "turn theother cheek" (Matthew 5:39) or love your
enemies" (v 44). I believe the same applies toour witness for the Sabbath.
Now at this stage some of my more
theologically-oriented friends may say, "Holdit! Newman is treading on dangerous ground.He is making experience the criteria for
interpreting Scripture. This is precariousbecause experience is subjective, not objective,whereas truth is objective and absolute. And
the Bible is truth, therefore, it is objectiveYes, I quite agree. But this is where the
tension lies. We arrive at objective truththrough our subjective individual experiences.There is no other way.
Agreement through Discussion
Does that mean we will never agree?
No, not at all. We reach agreement bycomparing our experience with the experiencesof others. If the girl from the abusive home
finds that many of her close girlfriends knowmen who are kind and loving, then, hopefully,she will begin to question her own experience
to realize that her experience, true as it mayhave been, was actually abnormal.
History is replete with Christians who
learned new truths while not learning all truths.Martin Luther discovered justification by faithbut not baptism by immersion. For centuries,
most Christians believed in an ever-burninghell and even considered Christians who did
not as cultic. But today, prominent evangelicalscholars like John Stott are expressing belief in
the annihilation of the wicked rather thaneverlasting torment.2
Seventh-day Adventists did not inventthe Sabbath. They learned of it from Seventh-day Baptists, who themselves carried on the
long tradition of seventh-day Sabbath
observance begun in Eden which has existedamong some Christians ever since the
beginning of the Christian church."Recent studies have shown that
Sabbatarians constituted a respectable group at
the time of the Reformation, especially in suchplaces as Moravia, Bohemia, Austria, andSilesia.3
B. WHY THE SABBATH IS IMPORTANT
TODAYAs I seek to discover the real meaning
of the Sabbath, I find it is an eternal trutha
blessing, in any time, in any culture, and in anyplace. The fourth commandment makes it
clear that the Sabbath blessing was intended forall humans. In his commentary on Genesis,Dr.Fretheim makes this comment:
Exodus 20:11 and 31:17 (which makesense only if the days are actual days) appeal toGenesis in order to claim that Sabbath
observance belongs to the creation as Godintended it to be; hence its importance for allpeoples, not just Israel.4
Grace Alone
Before turning to a discussion of why
the Sabbath is important for Christians today,
John Stott, John Stott on H ell in World2
Christian , May 1989, p. 52.
Samuelle Bacchiocchi,Devine Rest for3
Hu ma n Rest lessness (Berrien Springs, Mi.: Bacchiocchi
Pub. 1980), pp. 42-57.
Terrence E. Fretheim in The New4
Interpreters Bible (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994),
vol. 1, p. 347.
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let me reiterate the basis upon which oursalvation is assured. The Bible is clear that we
are saved by Christ alone. Here are just a fewtexts: Salvation is found in no one else, for
there is no other name under heavengiven to men by which we must be
saved (Acts 4:12 ). I am not ashamed of the gospel, because
it is the power of God for the salvation
of everyone who believes: first for theJew, then for the Gentile (Rom. 1:16).
For all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God, and are justified freely byhis grace through the redemption thatcame by Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24-25).
However, to the man who does notwork but trusts God who justifies thewicked, his faith is credited as
righteousness (Romans 4:5). For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith - and this not fromyourselves, it is the gift of God - not byworks, so that no one can boast. For we
are God's workmanship, created inChrist Jesus to do good works, whichGod prepared in advance for us to do
(Ephesians 2:8-10). For the message of the cross is
foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is thepower of God (1 Cor. 1:18 ).
For no one can lay any foundation other
than the one already laid, which is JesusChrist (1 Cor. 3:11).
God made him who had no sin to be sin
for us, so that in him we might becomethe righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21).
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision
nor uncircumcision has any value. Theonly thing that counts is faith expressing
itself through love (Gal. 5:6 ). May I never boast except in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ, through which
the world has been crucified to me, andI to the world (Gal 6:14).
And through him to reconcile to himselfall things, whether things on earth orthings in heaven, by making peace
through his blood, shed on the cross
(Col. 1:20). For you know that it was not with
perishable things such as silver or goldthat you were redeemed from the emptyway of life handed down to you from
your forefathers, but with the preciousblood of Christ, a lamb without blemishor defect (1 Peter 1:18,19 ).
And from Jesus Christ, who is thefaithful witness, the firstborn from thedead, and the ruler of the kings of the
earth. To him who loves us and hasfreed us from our sins by his blood(Rev. 1:5).
I answered, Sir, you know.' And hesaid, These are they who have come
out of the great tribulation; they havewashed their robes and made themwhite in the blood of the Lamb
(Rev. 7:14).
Not only are we saved totally by Jesus
death on the cross, but ever since mankind fell,we have been saved in this same way:
"All inhabitants of the earth will
worship the beastall whose names have notbeen written in the book of life belonging to theLamb that was slain from the creation of the
world" (Revelation 13:8).Whether living under the old covenant
(Old Testament) or the new covenant (New
Testament), people have always been saved inthe same way. There will not be two groups inheaven: one saved by their keeping the law and
the other saved by Christ keeping the law.5
Much has been written about the covenants5
in Scripture and some peo ple make it seem very
complicated. Actually it is very simple. Unless you
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While Jesus was not actually "slain"when the world was created, people were still
saved in anticipation of that "slaying." Adamand Eve deserved to die the moment they atethe forbidden fruit, but God gave them grace
and they lived because of Christ's willingness to
die for them in the future. They were saved bylooking forward. We are saved by looking
back. But all are saved by looking to the sameevent. No one can do enough good deeds tomerit eternal life, period.
The good news of the gospel is thatsomeone else has paid the price for us.Someone else lived the life we needed to live
and died the death that we justly deserved. Hewas good enough. That is why we experiencesuch joy when becoming a Christian. All the
guilt is gone, all the hard work is pointless.We are now perfect in Christ, "because
by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever
those who are being made holy" (Hebrews
10:14). He has made us holy in Him, not inourselves. Now we work to become what God
says we already are in Christ. Work is now thefruit, not the root. Its the result of oursalvation, not the basis for it. Work is now the
joy, not the fear.
As we clearly see from Scripture,Sabbath observance is not a salvation issue; it
never has been, it is not now, and it never willbe in the future. God will not take anyone toheaven because they have kept the Sabbath. He
will not keep anyone out of heaven becausethey did not keep the Sabbath. Since a personis saved by grace alonetrusting totally in
Jesus, he or she is only lost when that persondecides to stop trusting totally in Jesus.
This principle also applies to the other
nine commandments. No one is saved or lostbecause they kept or did not keep the othernine. Our salvation is always totally dependent
on the doing and dying of Jesus Christ. Havingfirmly laid this foundation, we can now
consider why the Sabbath is important for theChristian.
Sabbath Origin
"By the seventh day God had finishedthe work he had been doing; so on the seventh
day he rested from all his work. And Godblessed the seventh day and made it holy,because on it he rested from all the work of
creating that he had done" (Genesis 1:31-2:3).What did it mean for God to "finish"
His work and "rest" on the seventh day? God
was not tired; He did not rest because offatigue. The verb "rest," shabath (from whichwe get Sabbath), means literally "to cease"
from labor or activity (see Gen. 8:22; Job 32:1;etc.). Just as an artist completes a painting andstands back to admire it, so God stood back to
admire what he had done. God completed thecreation of the world by ceasing to produce
anything new, and then He "rested." Since Goddoes not require rest (see Isa. 40:28), His restwas not the result of exhaustion. Instead, it was
believe, as some do, that God ha d different ways of
saving people there is only one covenant that God made
with humans and that is the everlasting covenant (Gen.
17:13, Heb. 13:20) to provide a Savior from sin. This
covenant was given in different forms to Adam (G en.
3:15), Noah (Gen. 9:12, 15, 16), Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3;15:18; 17:1 -7), and the Israelites at Sinai (Exodus 19:5-8;
24:3-8) in a more formal way. The Israelites turned it
into a covenant of works which is why G od later said it
must be written in the heart to be effective (Jer. 31:31-
34). The book of Hebrews makes it clear that the failing
of the Old Covenant (before Christ) was peoples
reliance on rules for salvation. The failure was on the
peoples part not Gods. Once the reality came in Christ,
God could n ow proclaim his everlasting covenant in a
new way because salvation was no longer anticipatory,
looking forward, but reality, seen in the life and death of
the God-man Jesus (Hebrews 8:7-13). The covenant
became operative in Eden once humans sinned but wasnot ratified until the blood of Christ was shed on the
cross (Heb. 13:20). The old covenant, which is one
part of the everlasting covenant, was a temporary
arrangement designed to enable those bound by its
provisions to enter into the privileges and responsibilities
of the new or everlasting covenant and this part of it
was ratified at Sinai by the institution of the formal
sacrificial system (Exod. 24 :3-8).
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a cessation from previous occupation.Allen Ross in his commentary on
Genesis describes it this way:It [shabath] is not a word that refers to
remedying exhaustion after a tiring week of
work. Rather, it describes the enjoyment of
accomplishment, the celebration ofcompletion. This is a very important point6
when we consider the real meaning of theSabbath.
When I studied at Andrews SDA
Theological Seminary, I spent one year in thebachelors apartments (Phyllis was studying foran MA 140 miles away in East Lansing). Some
of my fellow roommates studied so hard duringthe week that they just crashed on Sabbath,sleeping until noon. When I mentioned this,
they replied that the Sabbath was a day of rest,and they were resting. But is this really whatthe Sabbath is about? Is it a day for crashing?
Sabbath does not mean to cease fromALL activity and do nothing. God did not
spend the first Sabbath doing nothing, nor didHe spend it in rest and sleep. Rather, he spentthe day enjoying the world He had just created.
While Sabbath may be just as busy as any otherday, God desires our busyness, or business, toconsists of totally different activities than those
we commonly do on the other six days.When Adam and Eve kept the first
Sabbath, they did not do so because they were
tired or had spent six days in toil. Their firstSabbath was also their first full day of life.And it was a day in which they enjoyed God to
the full. God had said their joyful task wouldbe to cultivate the earth and care for all thecreatures. While thus engaged, they would not
be concentrating fully on Him. But on theSabbath day, God said they were to cease fromtheir normal activities and spend one whole day
in fellowship with their Creator.
So, while the fourth commandment tellsus to rest on the Sabbath day, it is not talking
about idleness or inactivity. It is talking aboutresting from our normal activities so we mayspend time in other activities, activities which
our work during the week prevents us from
fully enjoying and appreciating.
Sabbath reminds us of creation
"Remember the Sabbath day by keepingit holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your
work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to theLORD your God. On it you shall not do anywork, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor
your manservant or maidservant, nor youranimals, nor the alien within your gates. Forin six days the LORD made the heavens and the
earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but Herested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORDblessed the Sabbath day and made it holy"
(Exodus 20:8-11).The Sabbath Commandment begins
with the word remember because the Sabbathpoints back to something; and the last part ofthe Commandment tells us whatcreation.
The Sabbath reminds us of who we are andwhere we came from, that there is a God whocreated the universe, and that this day is for
celebrating the creation of our world andgetting to know our Creator better.
So the first reason for keeping the
Sabbath is to remind us that there is a God. Ifthe Sabbath had been faithfully kept andpracticed, there would never have been an
agnostic or an atheist.Memorials are important reminders of
the past. Every time you drive through
Trafalgar Square, in London, and see LordNelson standing on top of a high column in themiddle of the square, you are reminded of his
victory at the battle of Trafalgar. Every timeyou visit the Vietnam Memorial, in
Washington, D.C., you are reminded of theVietnam war. And every time you visit theHolocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., you
Allen P. Ross, Creation and Blessing, a6
guide to the study and exposition of G enesis (Grand
Rapids,
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are reminded of the terrible suffering inflictedupon the Jews by Nazi Germany. Memorials
prevent us from forgetting our past. Andbecause they commemorate actual historicalevents, memorials never loose their
significance.
There is no instance in Scripture of amemorial being instituted thousands of years
after the event it commemorates. Jesus gave usthe Lord's Supper at the time of His death. Godgave the Passover at the time of the Israelites
exit from Egypt. And God blessed the seventhday in a special way at the end of the creationweek, giving the Sabbath as a reminder of
creation. True, the Sabbath came to alsocommemorate other events, such as theIsraelites leaving Egypt (Deut. 5:12), but this
neither exhausts its meaning nor limits it.Commenting on Exodus 20:8-11 in his
book The Forgotten Day, Dr. Desmond Ford
says this about the meaning of the Sabbath:As for manthe Sabbath tells us who
he is. He alone of all creatures can worship.He is surrounded by beautiful things, but by theSabbath he is reminded that while without
things man cannot live, he who lives for thingsalone is not a man. All man's primaryquestions are answered by the Sabbath
institution. Who am I? From whence did Icome? Where am I going? How do I getthere? find their answers in this Edenic
ordinance ... Man's work will always tendtoward perfection, like the creative work ofGod. But he is to learn to stop, and find
fellowship with his Maker long before hisultimate ideal is realized. Thus, God becomeshis God indeed, instead of some thing' secured
and accomplished. As the first face man sawwas that of God, and his first whole day theSabbath, so the vision of God is the end of life.
The Sabbath reminds the creature of his chiefcharacteristicdependence upon the Life-
giver7
Sabbath as Holy Time
Genesis tells us God "blessed" and"made holy" the Sabbath day. He gave it a
blessing that He has never given to any other
day. It was to be a special day of divine favor,a day that would bring blessing to His creation.
Since this blessing was given before sin enteredthe world, each of the previous six days hadalready been perfect in itself, so God could not
have made the seventh day any more perfectthan the first six. And yet the Bible says Heblessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
Obviously, the seventh day has a specialsignificance not found in any other day. Haveyou ever wondered about this? How can you
make one day more special than another?Gordon Wenham stresses that it is very
unusual for a day to be "hallowed." Places,
people, things, are declared holy, but not time.Then he says:
The seventh day is the very first thingto be hallowed in Scripture, to acquire thatspecial status that properly belongs to God
alone. In this way, Genesis emphasizes thesacredness of the Sabbath. Coupled with thethreefold reference to God resting from all his
work on that day, these verses give the clearestof hints of how man created in the divine imageshould conduct himself on the seventh day.8
In understanding the Sabbath, AbrahamHeschel makes this powerful observation:
The meaning of the Sabbath is to
celebrate time rather than space. Six days aweek we live under the tyranny of things ofspace; on the Sabbath we try to become attuned
to holiness in time. It is a day on which we are
Desmond Ford, The Forgotten Day7
(Newcastle, CA.: Desmond Ford Publications, 1981), p.
24 .
Gordon J. Wenham, Word Biblical8
Commentary (Waco: Word Books, 1987), vol. 1, p. 36.
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called upon to share in what is eternal in time,to turn from the results of creation to the
mystery of creation; from the world of creationto the creation of the world.9
What was the first thing in our world
God blessed or made holy? A place? A thing?
No! It was a specific portion of time. Not justany time, but a specific day, the seventh day
(Gen. 2:3). When did God first make a placeholy? Not until after sin entered the world.Because people had wandered so far from Him,
He finally consecrated a placethe tabernacle,later the templethat was holy, set apart, aplace where people could come especially into
His presence.Places and things belong to people.
They can be removed, transferred, changed,
bought, sold. But time is universal. It isavailable to everyone, everywhere. No one hasmore than anyone else. Time is the great
leveler. It cannot be bought or sold.God knew we would become absorbed
in things, preoccupied with things. So He gaveus something that cannot be quantified, placedin a bottle, stretched or compressed. God
sanctified, made holy, a specific portion oftime, thereby making it different from the othersix days. He had been busy the first six days
indulging all of His creative urges. But now Herestednot because He needed to, not becauseHe was tired, but to revel in His completed
work of creationto stand back and enjoy life,if you will.
God told Adam and Eve that their work
would be to rule over and subdue the perfectworld He had placed them in. Yet, even beforesin had entered the world, God said on the
seventh day, in a special way, I want you tocease from your rule, as I ceased from myactivities of creation, because I have set that
day aside to spend completely with you. Now,of course, I am with you all the time, but I want
a day when we can visit together withoutdistractions.
During the week, you are busy tendingthe garden, caring for the animals, attending toall your different needs. But on the seventh
day, the Sabbath day, I want you to take a break
from your necessary duties, perfect as they maybe, to contemplate who created you, who
formed you, who gave you life, who loves you.I want you to enjoy this day as a day of hope, aday of joy, a day of blessings, a day of love, a
day of relationships. This is why I havesanctified this day, not for myself, but for you.
God has given us holy time to spend
with Him and each other. The seventh day isholy because God said so. He never made anyof the other days holy. Time does not change.
The need to know God does not change. Theneed to rebuild our human relationships doesnot change. God blesses every sincere soul,
and everyone who accepts Him by faith isassured of salvation. There will be countless
Sunday keepers in heaven, just as there will becountless Sabbath keepers absent from heaven.But God has promised a special blessing to
those who truly honor the seventh day Sabbath.God did not bless an object or sanctify a
place. He did not set apart some physical
entity. Rather He blessed a specific unit oftime, something that is available to anyoneanywhere. Time is the most precious resource
we have, and God made sacred a special time inthe week when we can relax, turn from ourstresses, and come together to worship Him.
Moreover, when God set aside thatspecific unit of time, He picked that which hasno astronomical origins. The year, the month,
the day, can all be determined throughastronomy, but the week is totally arbitrary. Aweek could be made up of eight days, or ten, or
even six. The only basis for our seven-dayweek, and thus the Sabbath, is a "thus saith the
Lord."
Abraham Herschel, The Sabbath, (New9
York: The Noonday Press, 1951), p. 10.
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Sabbath and Tree of Knowledge of Good
and Evil
In the Garden of Eden, God forbidAdam and Eve to eat from a particular tree.Now there was nothing wrong with this tree, for
God had made all things good. But God
selected this tree as a test of their obedience toHim. Their faithfulness would be based not on
reason, logic, or science, but on faithon whatGod had said. And this is exactly why some tryto divorce the fourth commandment from the
rest of the commandments. Unlike the othernine, there is no logical, rational reason whyone day should be more holy or important than
another, except that God said so. Thus, insome ways, it is easy to miss the significance ofthis commandment.
As created by God, Adam and Eve wereperfect. Their world was perfect. Yet even inthat perfection, God saw their need for the
Sabbatha change of pace, a break in theirroutine, a time devoted to fellowship with
Him. Some believe there was no need for aSabbath prior to sin. If one sees the Sabbath innegative terms, it might tend to support this
belief. But according to Genesis, Godinstituted the Sabbath on the seventh day ofcreation week, while the world was in a perfect
state.Of course, sin made the Sabbath even
more important than it already was. If we
needed a break before sin, how much more dowe need one now? And the blessings impartedby Sabbath observance before the entrance of
sin still apply today.How kind and gracious God is to give
us a day when, without guilt, we can forget all
the thousand and one things that our regularwork week demands. We can relax and enjoyGod, our families, and each other. And all this
for 24 hours. Why would anyone give up thislife-healing practice?
Even from a practical standpoint, peoplewho try to work seven days a week becomeexhausted, suffer severe health problems, and
fall prey to all manner of stress-relatedillnesses. While most would agree that we
need a weekly break, many do not realize thatthe benefits we derive from such a break aredirectly proportional to its length of time. Just
going to church a few hours each week is not
enough for us to fully experience the spiritualand physical blessings God longs to bestow
upon us.
Progressive Truth
Some may say that the Sabbath rest, aliteral 24-hour period of time each week, is buta partial understanding of what it means to truly
rest in Jesus, that Christians today whounderstand they are saved only by grace havenow entered into a complete or full rest in
Jesusan ongoing walk with Him thatpervades and permeates each moment of theirlives. Surely we all long for such a relationship
with God, but does this mean that setting asidea specific 24-hour block of time to spend with
Him each week no longer imparts a blessing?Adam and Eve walked and talked with
God face to face in the garden, and yet, in His
wisdom, He gave them this weekly 24-hourperiod of time to more fully unite their heartswith His. Indeed, God tells us we will celebrate
with Him in Heaven from one Sabbath toanother. If the Sabbath was a blessing to Adamand Eve in their perfect state, if we will
celebrate it in Heaven while dwelling in Godsvery presence (Isaiah 66:23), then why would itnot impart a blessing to Christians today?10
Sabbath before SinaiThere are those who10
argue that God gave the Sab bath for himself, that Adam
and Eve never kept a Sabbath and it was not kept until
Sinai. There is no record between Genesis and Sinai ofSabbath keeping, it is said. That is not true. In Exodus
16, before the ten commandments were given, God gave
the Israelites manna with strict instructions not to gather
any on the Sabbath. It is evident that the Israelites were
aware of the Sabbath before Sinai.
In Exodus 5:5 we read: And Ph araoh said,
Behold, the people of the land now are many, and you
make them rest from their burdens. It is significant that
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This raises still another question. If theliteral 24-hour Sabbath of the fourth command-
ment is but a partial understanding of truth, anarea in which we would gain insight andknowledge (progressive truth, if you will), than
Gods gift to our first parents was uncomplete,
imperfect. And why would God give animperfect gift to perfect humans living in a
perfect world? However, it did not become thesymbol of salvation until Jesus died on thecross. Then it became an even greater event
because now it reminds people of recreation aswell as creation.
Whats more, to say that every day is
now holy makes meaningless the word "holy,"since it means "to set apart for a special use."Of course we are to worship God every day,
pray to Him every day, live for Him every day.But there is one day God says we are to treatdifferently. And since this day is so important,
God has not given us a list of rules for how tokeep it. Because each persons experience is
uniquely his own, each will keep the Sabbath alittle differently. But God asks us to make adistinction between the Sabbath and the other
six days, even though we are to grow in Christevery day of our lives.
LegalismSome reason that literal observance of
the fourth commandment is not relevant forChristians today since we are saved by grace,
not by keeping the law. While we are, indeed,saved by grace, carrying this reasoning to itslogical conclusion presents some obvious
dilemmas.
First, the Bible teaches that all humanseverywhere have always been saved by grace
and grace alone. Thus Sabbath never has beenrelevant to salvation. It was not so before thecross than after the cross; it has not been so
since the cross. The relevancy of the Sabbathhas never diminishedit is as relevant today aswhen God first gave it to Adam and Eve.
Now, does the realization that we arenot saved by Sabbath keeping release us fromobedience to the fourth commandment? If the
answer is yes, then what about the othernine? Are we now free to worship idols, kill,commit adultery, steal, lie or covet, since we
are saved not by keeping the law, but byChrists perfect life?
Paul says, Therefore, no one will bedeclared righteous in his sight by observing thelaw Romans 3:20. Yet in Romans 7:12, Paul
declares, So then, the law is holy, and thecommandment is holy, righteous and good.How then are we to regard the law? Christs
death for our sin releases us from thecondemnation of the law, but does this makenull Gods will for our lives?
In Matthew 22, the Pharisees ask Jesuswhich of the commandments is the greatest.He answers, Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with allyour mind. This is the first and greatestcommand-ment. And the second is like it.
Love your neighbor as yourself. All the lawand the prophets hang on these twocommandments (verses 37-40).
Here Jesus underscores the relevancy ofthe Ten Commandmentsnot as a means of
salvation, but as a reflection of Gods will forour lives. The first four tell us how to relate toGod, our creator, and the last six tell us how to
the word Pharaoh used for rest is shabath. There are
five other Hebrew words for rest but they are not used
here. It is evident that Pharaoh was complaining that
Moses had instituted Sabbath reform and was
encouraging the people not to work on the seventh day.
As slaves they had no rights and were being work ed
seven days a week. So out of six different words for
resting, not working, Moses inserted the one that is usedfor ceasing to work on the seventh day.
Gods law while not written down before Sinai
was known by His people. Genesis 26:5 says Abraham
obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my
decrees and my laws." It was not until Israel was
organized as a nation that God formalized the verbal
instructions He had given to His people.
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relate to our fellow man. All ten are guidelinesfor living. As a revelation of Gods own
character, they are eternal, everlasting,unchanging. Do the commandments save us?Never! Are they relevant for the Christian?
Always!
Some say those who insist on keepingthe Sabbath should practice the penalty for
Sabbath breakingdeath. But these samepeople do not advocate death for breaking theseventh commandment (which forbids
adultery), even though it, too, carries the deathpenalty. God does not desire obedience fromHis children based on fear, but on love.
For the Christian, obedience to the TenCommandments is neither an attempt to gainsalvation nor legalistic behavior motivated by
fear of punishment. Flawed and scarred as ourobedience may be, it is our response to Hismarvelous love.
We live by love. Love rules theuniverse. Often sinful humans do not know
how to practice love without specific details.But love does not tell us WHAT to do; it tellsus HOW to do it. In the Ten Commandments,
God tells us how to practice love.In John 14:21, Jesus puts it like this:
Whoever has my commands and obeys them,
he is the one who loves me.Sabbath Reminds us of Redemption
After dying on the cross, Jesus rested inthe tomb on the Sabbath day. He could have
risen on that day. There was no need to remainin the grave until Sunday morning. But just asHe had rested after His work of creation, so He
now rested after His work of recreation,expanding the Sabbath to a magnificentremembrance of God's recreation in us, a
weekly reminder of His glorious and wonderfulgift of redemption.
As God rested in His finished work ofcreation on that first Sabbath, so the Christianrests in God's finished work of recreation in
him or her each Sabbath. God looked at theworld and saw that it was goodnothing more
needed to be added. In the same way, eachSabbath, Christians who look to Jesus arereminded that they are perfect in Himnothing
more needs to be added. Just as we had no part
in Gods original creation, so we have no partin God's recreation except to accept it.
The Sabbath is a time to worship God,our Creator, and rejoice in the good news ofsalvation through Him who is also our Re-
Creator. We need not work or strive forsalvation. God has provided our salvation, andHe calls us to rest in Him. Rightly understood,
the Sabbath rest points not only to creation, butalso redemption and even eternal life in Him inheaven.
Dr. Desmond Ford explains thesignificance of the Sabbath for salvation in themost eloquent language:
At the close of the record of theGospels, John was inspired to present Christ's
redemptive work as a new creation. He hadhinted at that by his introduction with hisreference to the coming of the Light in the
beginning.' But now in the account of theCross he repeatedly refers to a finishing' on thesixth day before Christ entered into the Sabbath
of redemption rest. He portrays the secondAdam naked like the first, and also like the firstAdam, in that He is tested by a tree of the
knowledge of good and evil located in a garden.See John 19:28, 30, 33, 41; Acts 5:30. AsAdam had his side opened on the sixth day so
that he might have a bride, so John tells of theside of the second Adam being opened that Hetoo might have His bridethe church. (See
19:4).It was not by chance that our Lord
finished His mighty work of Atonement on the
sixth day. It was not by chance that, unlike thethieves, He died on that day. (The legs of the
thieves were broken, for they were still alivewhen taken down from the Cross, but this wasnot necessary for the lifeless Christ.) It was not
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by chance that He was placed in Joseph's newtomb before the sun set on the sixth day. And
likewise it was no coincidence that led ourdivine Lord to remain in the sepulcher throughall the holy hoursthe only complete day He
spent in the grave. This was His original rest
day (for it was Christ who made the world andwho rested on the first seventh day) stamped
with a new glory and made the memorial of thesecond creation, as one day it will also be amemorial of the third (see Isaiah 66:22, 23).11
This is why Satan attacks the Sabbathso vehemently. He does not want us remindedof creation or our Creator. He does not want us
reminded of redemption or our Re-Creator.And he surely does not want us reminded of theSecond Coming, when our Creator and
Redeemer will take us home with Him for alleternity. Except for salvation, the Sabbath, thisspecial period of time which points to our
creation, our redemption and our ultimaterestoration, is God's greatest gift to us.
Sabbath Rest in Hebrews
Hebrews 4:9-10 states: "There remains,then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; foranyone who enters God's rest also rests from
his own work, just as God did from his"(Hebrews 4:9-10). After discussing the manyexhortations that the writer of Hebrews gives to
appreciate the better ministry of Jesus, Dr. Fordsays:
The full significance of these
exhortations is only found by comparing therecords of Hebrews three and four when we aretold of a Sabbath rest that we can all by faith
enter. The word enter' is found about a dozentimes here. The rest of Eden's Sabbath, the restof Canaan from the wilderness wanderings, the
future rest of heaven, are all used as symbols ofthe rest of conscience all can have who believe
in the efficiency of Christ's finished
atonement.Whoever enters God's rest ceases from
his own labors as God did from his (4:4).These words testify that all who see themeaning of the Cross no longer depend upon
their own works. They refuse to be either
encouraged or discouraged by their own deeds,and find rest from sin and guilt by faith's
entrance into Christ. Believers look to Hisperfect work instead of their own which istattered and stained. The physical rest of the
Sabbath then becomes an emblem of the rest ofconscience enjoyed all week long. Bybelieving the gospel we enter the most holy
place, the presence of God symbolized by thesacred rest-day from the beginning of time.12
On the Sabbath, we rest from our
regular work and we rest in the finished workof Jesus. The Sabbath reminds us of howspecial we are to God and how important our
world is to Him. He made us (for fullfellowship with Him), He died for us (to restore
the possibility of that fellowship after we hadlost it), and He is coming soon (to finally uniteus with Him in that fellowship forever). This
gives the Christian tremendous self assurance-wonderful peace, hope and joy. Thus, theSabbaththe sign of Gods creation,
redemption, and final restorationis truly ablessing, a gift of love from God to us, the highpoint of every week.
The Sabbath Given to Build Community
God gave us the Sabbath not only for
developing our vertical relationship with Him,but also for developing horizontal relationshipswith each other. Dr. Ford introduces the idea
that fellowship, or community, is a veryimportant part of the Sabbath. God says, Ihave set this day aside especially for
community building, depending upon others inthe community. This is a day to spend with me
and with each other without concern for the
Ford, p. 200.11 Ibid., pp. 202-202.12
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regular activities of the week.God gave six days in which to earn a
living and conduct our normal affairs of life.During that time, we are more task orientedthan relationship oriented. Work must be done.
But building healthy relationships takes time.
In order for relationships to grow, thoseinvolved must share together, learn about each
other, gain understanding of one another, anddevelop mutual trust. In the same way, it takestime to build a relationship with God. So God
gives us one day each week when we can layaside our normal pursuits to focus on becomingbetter acquainted with Him and each other.
Yes, we are to worship God every dayof the week. The Christian lives every day,every moment, under the atmosphere of God's
grace. Any moment, we can breathe a prayer toGod. But during the week, we are not primarilybuilding community with God or each other.
We are involved in tasks, earning a living, andcaring for our families or ourselves. God says I
am giving you a 24-hour block of timededicated completely to building communitywith me and with those around youvertical
and horizontal relationships.Obviously, many things must continue
seven days a week. Crime does not take a
vacation on the Sabbath, so police need to beon duty. Fires can occur any time, so firemanmust be ready. Sick people require care even
on the Sabbath, so doctors and nurses mustwork. Farm animals need care seven days aweek, so some farm chores are necessary.
Unfortunately, some must sacrifice inorder for necessary things to continue; and, inso doing, they may miss the blessing that comes
from worshiping God in community on theSabbath. Thankfully, most jobs do not requireus to work seven days a week. But those whose
jobs do require them to work on the Sabbath inservice for others have the assurance that what
they do for someone else, they do for God,Himself. And to these God imparts a specialblessing.
To keep the Sabbath in a positive way,we must live balanced lives during the week so
we will not be exhausted when the Sabbatharrives. Although this is easier said than done,the result will be increased blessings for the
entire family as we are rejuvenated, refreshed,
encouraged, and brought closer to God and oneanother. It is especially a time for building
community between parents and children. It isa time when families can pray together andstudy the Bible together. But it is also a time to
play together, do fun things together, havespecial meals together, and take trips together.It is a time for families to help and encourage
other families. In this way, Sabbath can be thehigh time of the week for children and parents,alike.
Sabbath and Worship
What is worship? The Hebrew wordshachah literally means "to bow down." In theNew Testament,proskuneo used is, meaning
"to prostrate oneself before." Our English wordfor worship actually means "giving God Hisworth." We give God our respect and our love
when we worship Him and desire to obey Hiswishes. The Bible says we are to worship Godalone, giving Him our absolute loyalty and
obedience (Exodus 20:1-4). As Christians, weseek to worship God every moment of everyday because of what He has done for us in
Jesus.The Bible also tells us it is important to
"not give up meeting together, as some are in
the habit of doing, but let us encourage oneanother-and all the more as you see the Dayapproaching" (Hebrews 10:25). People may
gather in homes, in small groups, to study theBible and worship God together on any day.But God has also set aside a specific day to
meet with His people each weeka day whenthey refrain from their normal work and focus
on their relationships with Him and each other.The fourth commandment does not
specifically tell us to congregate and worship
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God together on the seventh day becauseSabbath observance encompasses so much
more than simply corporate worship. But itdoes tell us to keep the seventh day holykeepit differently from the other six days of the
week. Scripture says little about how to
accomplish this because it is an area where Godwants us to each explore our relationship with
Him in a very personal way, without a defininglist of rules. Each person, each family, decideshow they will honor God on this special day;
and one persons way of honoring God may bequite different from anothers. But becauseSabbath is not a regular workday, it is the time
when, among other things, we gather togetherfor corporate worship.
Ezekiel develops this concept of
worship on Sabbath: "On the Sabbaths andNew Moons the people of the land are toworship in the presence of the LORD at the
entrance to that gateway" (Ezekiel 46:3). Theremainder of the chapter then details how we
are to worship on the seventh-day Sabbath.Some may be perplexed by the reference toNew Moons. Ezekiel mentions these because
the Israelites worshiped God in specialgatherings on other days in addition to theweekly Sabbath. But unlike the weekly
Sabbath given at creation, these special timesdid not exist before Sinai. There were sixannual Sabbaths which fell on days other than
the seventh (see Leviticus 23); and the Israelitesalso worshiped God on the first day of eachmonth, or the new moon (1 Sam 20:5). They
were a worshiping community.Perhaps there are some lessons here for
us, as well. God has placed within our hearts
the desire to worship our Creator, and this needcan only be met as we spend time with Him.Thus, if we had more corporate time to worship
God throughout the week, in addition toSabbath worship, it could only result in
increased blessings. Like His people, Israel,God wants us to be a community that gathersoften to worship Him.
Isaiah makes the clearest reference toSabbath worship in a passage that many
scholars believe applies to the earth God willmake anew. "From one New Moon to anotherand from one Sabbath to another, all mankind
will come and bow down before me," says the
LORD" (Isaiah 66:22). Apparently, in heaventhe New Moon will again have significance,
and maybe this is something to consider now.The discovery of additional truth (or
rediscovery of forgotten truth) concerning
worship does not contradict, but ratheramplifies, previous truth. Rather thandetracting from the Sabbath or equating it with
the other days of the week, expanding ourconcept of corporate worship only strengthensour relationship with God and the joy we
experience as we truly worship Him.And Jesus, combines worship with truth
like this: Yet a time is coming and has now
come when the true worshipers will worshipthe Father in spirit and truth, for they are the
kind of worshipers the Father seeks (John4:23). May we continue to grow in ourunderstanding of worship, accepting additional
truth in all areas as God reveals it to us.
C. SABBATH KEEPERS WHO REJECT
THE SABBATH
While it may be understandable thatthose who have always kept Sunday are not
convicted of the Sabbath truth, why wouldanyone who has kept the Sabbath give it up andcount all days the same or transfer his or her
allegiance to another day? The Sabbath wasgiven as a blessing, something to look forwardto each week. The prophet Isaiah says to call
the Sabbath a delight (Isaiah 58:13). I believesome give up the Sabbath because they have
never known its blessings, its joys, its delights,and its symbolism of salvation.
Could it be that most of us do not really
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understood the true meaning of the Sabbath? Ifwe see it as a duty, a sign at the end of time, a
day of restrictions, and/or a time to refrain fromdoing our own pleasure, then we cannot fullyexperience the Sabbath blessing. So why keep
it? We become susceptible to arguments
suggesting the Sabbath is no longer valid fornew covenant Christians who now live by
grace.But if the Sabbath was a blessing before
the cross, why would it cease to be a blessing
after the cross? It was Jesus who said, "theSabbath was made for man, not man for theSabbath" (Mark 2:27). The reason the Sabbath
was created in the first place was not affectedby His death on the cross. Speaking of the law,Jesus, Himself, said, Do not think that I have
come to abolish the Law or the prophets; I havenot come to abolish them but to fulfill them. Itell you the truth, until heaven and earth
disappear, not the smallest letter, not the leaststroke of a pen, will by any means disappear
from the Law until everything is accomplished(Matthew 5:17, 18).
In other words, Jesus saying His life and
His death will never change the law. Gods lawis eternal; it cannot be changed. This is thevery reason Jesus died in our placebecause
the law could not be changed and itsrequirements had to be met. If any part of thelaw could have been changed or abolished, then
His death, itself, would have been unnecessary.If I grow up with the subtle
misunderstanding that Sabbath keeping is
connected to my salvation, a prerequisite to myentering heaven, and then discover grace, that Iam saved ONLY by what Jesus did for me at
Calvary, I will suddenly have a very differentview of the Sabbath. I will want to discard it,and I should, as a means of salvation. But the
relief of discovering grace can be sooverwhelming that it is quite possible to throw
out blessings simply because we havepreviously seen them as "have tos" or "musts"or "shoulds."
Also, some may give up the Sabbathbecause of loyalty to a charismatic or
persuasive leader. They begin to allowsomeone whom they love and respect to dotheir thinking for them. When we learn the
gospel from someone, we naturally feel a great
indebtedness to that person. But this does notnecessarily mean he or she will be correct in all
areas. A person may be right on one issue andwrong on another. He or she may have greatlight in one area without having light in all
areas. It is dangerous to accept anyone elsesinterpretation of Scripture without first testingall things for ourselves.
D. HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWNDECISION
Think for Yourself
It is human nature to let someone else
do our thinking for us, especially if we respectthat person. Don't accept anothers view,including mine expressed herein, unless you
validate it for yourself through your ownpersonal study. When it comes to eternal life,we must each understand for ourselves, study
for ourselves, and step back and examine ourown experience to determine how much it iscoloring our view of the Bible. This is not easy,
and that is why group Bible study, as well asindividual Bible study, is important to allow usthe benefit of others' experiences. Remember,
psychology, as well as theology, affects ourunderstanding of the Bible.
Ellen White, who always made it clear
that the Bible was the only rule for our faith,13
13
The Bible, and the B ible alone, is to be therule of our faith. It is a leaf from the tree of life, and by
eating it, by receiving it into our minds, we shall grow
strong to do the will of G od. By our Christlike characters
we shall show that we believe the word, that we cleave to
the Bible as the only guide to he aven. So shall we be
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stressed the importance of us learning truth forourselves: We must study the truth for
ourselves. No man should be relied upon tothink for us. No matter who he is, or in whatposition he may be placed, we are not to look
upon any man as a criterion for us. We are to
counsel together, and to be subject one toanother; but at the same time we are to exercise
the ability God has given us, in order to learnwhat is truth.14
The fourth commandment is the only
one of the ten to occasion controversy.Regardless of where you come down on theSabbath question, may we each affirm our love
for Jesus, knowing we are saved by grace alone.Jesus asks us to keep his commandments out oflove (John 14:23), and because we do love
Him. May we each strive to do all he asks of usto the best of our understanding and ability, notto gain heaven, nor to avoid hell, but as a love
offering to our God.I commend to you Pauls counsel to
Timothy to study and use the Scriptures wiselyand personally: "Do your best to presentyourself to God as one approved, a workman
who does not need to be ashamed and whocorrectly handles the word of truth" (2 Timothy2:15). And with all our breath may we each
with Paul declare, "May I never boast except inthe cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, throughwhich the world has been crucified to me, and I
to the world" (Galatians 6:14).
For Further Study
Bacchiocchi, Samuele, The Sabbath UnderCrossfire (Berrien Springs, Mi.: Biblical
Perspective, 4990 Appian Way, Berrien
Springs, Mi., 49103, 1998, 15 post paid). Thisbook examines the Pope's latest letter on the
Sabbath and also reviews Dale Ratzlaff's book,Sabbath in Crisis.
Ford, Desmond, Clarifying the Covenants
(Auburn, Ca.: Good News Unlimited, 11710Education St., Auburn, Ca., 95602, $1). This
excellent booklet which Dr. Ford has justpublished examines the covenants as they relateto the Sabbath and includes a reply to the
charge that GNU, by its loyalty to the principlesof the Decalogue, has let the gospel slide.
Ford, Desmond, The Forgotten Day (Auburn,Ca.: Good News Unlimited, 11710 EducationSt., Auburn, Ca., 95602, 1981, out of print),
Available on loan from Good News Unlimited.This is one of the best theological studies of theimportance of the seventh day Sabbath.
Strand, Kenneth, ed. The Sabbath in Scriptureand History (Hagerstown: Review and HeraldPubl. Assn., 1982). This volume contains 16articles on Sabbath and Sunday in Bible times
and throughout Christianity, as well as atheology of the Sabbath.
living epistles, known and read of all men,
bearing a living testimony to the power of true religion.
Advent Review and S abbath Herald, May 4, 1897.
Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel14
Workers, pp. 109-110.
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APPENDIX
Romans 14:5Are holy days discussed in this passage?
By Dr. J. David Newman
Colossians 2:16-17
Is the weekly Sabbath a part of this text?By Dr. J. David Newman
How shall we keep the Sabbath?Jesus at the center will do more to preservethe sanctity of the Sabbath than any numberof rules ever could.
By Dr. John Brunt
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Are holy days discussed in Romans 14:5?
Dr. J. David Newman
There are some people who quoteRomans 14:5 as proof that the seventh-day is
no longer the Sabbath and that holy days,
including Sunday, no longer exist. Thesepeople like to use theNew InternationalVersion to buttress their claim:
One man considers one day moresacred than another; another man considers
every day alike. Each one should be fullyconvinced in his own mind (NIV).
TheMessage Bible also says something
similar: One person thinks that some daysshould be set aside as holy and another thinksthat each day is pretty much like any other.
There are good reasons either way. So, eachperson is free to follow the convictions ofconscience.
However, this is not what Paul wrote.We need to remember that Paul wrote in Greek
not in English. Here is how theNew American
StandardBible translates this verse: One manregards one day above another, another regards
every day alike. Let each man be fullyconvinced in his own mind
Notice two things about these
translations: 1. TheNASsays nothing aboutdays being sacred or holy; 2. The NASplacesalike in italics which means that this word
never appeared in the Greek.So what did Paul actually write? Here
is Youngs Literal Translation: One doth judge
one day above another, and another doth judgeevery day {alike}; let each in his own mind befully assured.
The Greek literally reads: One judgesor considers day from day, while another judgesor considers every day. There is a clear
hermeneutical principle (how to interpret)which says that difficult texts are explained by
easy texts and difficult texts should never beused as foundational texts for any argument.
When you read the literal translation the
first question that comes to mind is: What doesthis mean? Translators work from different
sets of assumptions. Some believe that theBible should be translated exactly as it iswritten; that is why you have very literal
translations like Youngs and The New American
Standard. But the English of these versionsdoes not flow in an easy reading style. And
when the reader has little knowledge of thehistory and culture of the times, it is difficult toalways understand the meaning in the passage.
A second set of translators believe thatsome interpreting needs to be done but they tryand keep it to a minimum. These translations
are called dynamic versions as they seek to beas faithful to the original as possible whilemaking it as understandable as possible. Then
there is a third set of translations calledparaphrases of the Bible like theMessage andtheLiving Bible which translate the Bible into
our everyday speech and try and remove asmany ambiguities as possible so that the reader
will be very clear as to the meaning ofScripture.
A good example of the latter is how theLiving Bible and other similar bibles translateGenesis 6:1-2, 4 Now a population explosiontook place upon the earth. It was at this time
that beings from the spirit world looked uponthe beautiful earth women and took any theydesired to be their wives. . . . In those days, and
even afterwards, when the evil beings from thespirit world were sexually involved with humanwomen, their children became giants of whom
so many legends are told.Check your Bible version and you will
find, most likely, something very different.
Some of the Hebrew words in this passage areuntranslatable and that is why some versionsjust transliterate the Hebrew into English letters
such asNephilim.How do translators decide how to
translate a particular passage which is not clearin the original? They use their theologicalframework, their presuppositions, some of
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which they may not even be conscious of.Others will use other parts of Scripture which
are clear to help illuminate a more difficultpassage. In this passage some use Colossians2:16, which talks about the Sabbath, as a
parallel passage, and that is where they get the
idea of inserting holy or sacred into thetext.
Others insist that the immediate contextmust be the primary guide and since there are23 verses in this chapter and 21 of them are
discussing food it would seem reasonable toconclude that the other two verses (5, 6) areconnected to food in some way as well. The
key question concerns what the people in Romeunderstood this passage to mean. They did nothave the book of Colossians to consult. Since
most scholars believe that the four gospels werewritten after Pauls letters they did not havethose either. The letter to Rome was the only
book they knew.Listen to what John Murray, professor
of systematic theology at WestminsterTheological Seminary, says in his commentaryon Romans (published by Eerdmans), The
Sabbath institution is a creation ordinance. Itdid not begin to have relevance at Sinai whenthe ten commandments were given to Moses on
two tables (cf. Gen. 2:2, 3; Exod. 16:21-23).It was, however, incorporated in the lawpromulgated at Sinai and this we would expect
in view of its significance and purpose asenunciated in Genesis 2:2, 3. It is so embeddedin this covenant law that to regard it as of
different character from its context in respect ofabiding relevance goes counter to the unity andbasic significance of what was inscribed on the
two tables. Our Lord himself tells us of itspurpose and claims it for his messianicLordship (Mark 2:28). The thesis we are now
considering would have to assume that thepattern provided by God himself (Gen. 2:, 3) in
the word of creation (cf. Exod. 20:11; 31:17)has no longer any relevance for the regulationof mans life on earth, that only nine of the ten
words of the decalogue have authority forChristians, that the beneficent design
contemplated in the original institution (Mark2:28) has no application under the gospel, andthat the lordship Christ exercised over the
Sabbath was for the purpose of abolishing it as
an institution to be observed (pp. 257-258).
Dr. Murray while standing firm on thevalue of the fourth commandment believes thatit has been transferred to Sunday simply by the
resurrection of Jesus on the first day of theweek. In other words he still wants a holy day.And he quotes the eight texts in the New
Testament that speak of the first day of theweek; none of these make any reference to thatday being sacred or holy. So how does he
explain the meaning of this text?He says: Romans 14:5 can properly be
regarded as referring to the ceremonial holy
days of the Levitical institution. The obligationto observe these is clearly abrogated in the New
Testament (p. 259). And I agree with thispart of his interpretation.
Since Paul is talking about eating and
drinking it makes sense to see these verses asdiscussing feast and fast days of which therewere many in the Jewish system.
A German scholar named Rauer givesthree reasons why he considers this to betalking about fast days.
1. Paul was writing to Christians inRome. All would have had a day of worship.It was highly improbable that some Christians
observed all days the same or no days at all. Ifthey worshiped together, they had to observedays.
2. The terminology is different fromGal. 4:10 and Col. 2:16 where the observanceof days does seem to have significance.
3. The phrase to judge every day is avery strange way to say keep no day holy if
that was Pauls intent. (quoted inRomans byJohn Brunt, p. 242).
Now the big question: How can I, who
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have not been trained in Hebrew and Greek,know whether the translator has followed a
theological bias in his translation? You needjust two study aids: 1. Make sure you haveseveral Bibles in your library with at least one
being a literal translation like theNew
American Standard Bible. I suggest at leastfour different translations to make up your
basic study library. For example you couldhave The Message for the fun of readingScripture; theNew American Standardas a
basic study bible; theNew International
Version for ease of reading and fairly faithfultranslation of the text; theNew RevisedStandard Version which is very literal but seeksto be gender inclusive.
2. Buy a copy ofStrongs concordance.
This means that you need a copy of the KingJames version since Strongss is keyed to thisversion. Strongs concordance lists EVERY
word in the KJV and by each word there is anumber. When you look up this number in the
back of the concordance it will tell you whatHebrew or Greek word has been translated bythat word. In this way you can tell exactly what
words have been added by the translator. Hereis an example taken from Romans 14:5.
[3303] One man [2919] esteemeth one
[2250] day [3844] above another: [3739]another [2919] esteemeth [3956] every [2250]day alike. Let [1538] every man be [4135] fully
[4135] persuaded in his [2398] own [3563]mind.
Since this passage does not use Sabbath
day, seventh day, holy or sacred day, worshipday, it cannot be used to prove that holy dayshave been abolished. Paul is simply saying that
if someone wishes to keep a feast or fast daythey may and no one is judge if they do or donot observe that kind of day. It is not an honest
use of Scripture if someone quotes a particularversion as a proof text when the original
language never said what that translator says itsays. That is why it is important that everyonebe a student of the Word. Do not let others do
your thinking for you. You, too, can be aserious Bible student.
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Colossians 2:16-17Dr. J. David Newman
Therefore do not let anyone judge youby what you eat or drink, or with regard to areligious festival, a New Moon celebration or a
Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the thingsthat were to come; the reality, however, isfound in Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17, NIV).
There are many people who considerthis text to prove that the seventh day Sabbathhas been abolished and is no longer valid for
Christians today. In order to understand thispassage we must first look at what it is NOTsaying before we can discover what it is saying.
Verse 16 lists four specific points. Letswork backwards to see what is being said.
Lets say, for the sake of argument, that thisverse means that these practices are no longerin force. This includes the seventh day
Sabbath, New Moons, religious holy days otherthan the Sabbath, and eating and drinking.When we get to the fourth item we have a
problem. Everyone immediately recognizesthat it cannot literally mean what it says. If wedid not eat or drink we would die. So we must
interpret these words. If we have to interpretthese words it is also quite likely that we haveto interpret the other words in the passage. If
we have to discover the deeper meaning ofNOT eating and drinking, we also need to findout the deeper meaning of religious festivals,
new moon celebrations, and Sabbath days.
Interpret consistently
It is a principle of interpreting Scripturethat we are consistent in our use of a passage.
When there is a list of items all linked together
we interpret them as a whole. We do not takesome literally and some spiritually, or just
ignore them. A good example of the misuse oflists is how some interpret Isaiah 3:16-26. Thisis the well-known passage of the women of
Zion and how they dress. Some Adventists intheir use of this passage stop at verse 21 and
ignore the rest of the items in the list. I canpoint to a page in a much circulated book where
the author spends several pages on the last itemin verse 21ringstrying to show how evilthey are and yet says nothing about the evils
of capes, cloaks, purses, mirrors, linen
garments, which are also part of this passage.The passage stands or falls as a unit. I
know of no biblical principle that allows me totake some items as moral and the others asamoral or immoral.
Ascetic teachers
To understand this passage we need to
look at the wider context. What is the book ofColossians about? What is its theme? Therewere leaders in the church at Colossae who
taught that though Christ provided a goodspiritual beginning there was a deeper fullnessavailable to those who searched for spiritual
things. This knowledge was called gnosis andcame from fresh revelations of following rites
and legalistic asceticism.In Colossians 1:9 Paul uses the word
knowledge (epiknosis, full knowledge). For
this reason, since the day we heard about you,we have not stopped praying for you and askingGod to fill you with the KNOWLEDGE of his
will through all spiritual wisdom andunderstanding.
In chapter 1:15-20 Paul recites in
dramatic detail the all sufficiency of Christ andthat Christ is supreme in everything andnothing more is needed than to know Christ.
Then he tells the church not to be deceived bythese people teaching a wrong gospel.
I want you to know how much I am
struggling for you and for those at Laodicea,and for all who have not met me personally. 2My purpose is that they may be encouraged in
heart and united in love, so that they may havethe full riches of complete understanding, in
order that they may know the mystery of God,namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all thetreasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you
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this so that no one may deceive you byfine-sounding arguments (2:1-4).
Paul says that in searching for truth it ispossible to be deceived by fine-soundingarguments. He wants people to know Jesus
Christ, to understand the gospel, to know what
is primary and what is secondary. In the nextthree verses he encourages the church to
continue to be rooted and built up in Jesus.Then he gives the second of his cautions:
See to it that no one takes you captive
through hollow and deceptive philosophy,which depends on human tradition and thebasic principles of this world rather than on
Christ (2:8) Here Paul is laying thegroundwork for what is to come. He lays outthe principle that human tradition and worldly
philosophy have no moral value or eternalconsequence for the Christian. Everything theChristian does is motivated by the desire to
serve and follow Jesus. Since salvation istotally of grace rules and regulations and
traditions have no place as the basis of eternallife. They do not enter into why God takes aperson to heaven.
However, God does want people togrow and mature in Christ and distinguishbetween eternal moral principles given by God
and the many rules and customs that humansdevelop. Paul constantly in this passage talksabout not conforming to worldly rules as the
main emphasis of the Christian. In verses 18and 19 he tells about people who are promotingascetic ideas which only results in separation
from Jesus rather than a closer walk with Him.The passage ends with a clear statement of theissues at hand:
20 Since you died with Christ to thebasic principles of this world, why, as thoughyou still belonged to it, do you submit to its
rules: 21 "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do nottouch!"? 22 These are all destined to perish
with use, because they are based on humancommands and teachings. 23 Such regulationsindeed have an appearance of wisdom, with
their self-imposed worship, their false humilityand their harsh treatment of the body, but they
lack any value in restraining sensualindulgence (2:20-23)
The whole context of this passage is
clearly about man made rules which have no
place in the life of the Christian. They do notpromote spiritual growth. There were many in
the early church that believed the way to comecloser to Christ was to fast, consider the bodyto be evil, separate completely from the world,
and live a life of apparent humility which wasreally pride in a different dress.
Here is a summary of what Paul is
saying in this letter:1. Brilliant revelation of the cosmicChrist (1:15-20).
2. They share in Christs fullness (2:9-10).3. They died in Christs circumcision
(2:11-15).4. They must not be subject to legalism
(2:16-17), mysticism (18-19), andasceticism (20-23).5. They must fix their hearts and minds
on the grand gnosis above (3:1-3).6. Then they will be able to rise abovetheir earthly nature (3:5-11).
7. They will put on the qualities of thenew nature (3:12-17).8. They will live as they oughtas
wives, husbands, children, slaves, andmasters (3:18-4:1).
This background and understanding ofthe key points in this letter are crucial to ourunderstanding of the issue surrounding the
Sabbath. Paul gives four examples of howChristians are to avoid letting the world set theagenda for the Christian life (2:16, 17).
Pauls negative and positive law statements
This seeming negative statement on theSabbath also mirrors Pauls seeming negativestatements about the law. Law in the New
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Testament usually meant the revealed will ofGod as given in the Old Testament. This law is
made up of civil, ceremonial, health, and moralelements. It is obvious that not everything thatis taught in the OT is abolished or of no value
to Christians. The difficulty is sorting out what
we are to keep and what we are to discard.If you read one set of texts you find
Paul totally opposed to the law. Read thefollowing texts: Romans 7:1-4; 10:4; Galatianschapter 2-5; 2 Corinthians 3; Ephesians 2:14
and on. Some use these texts to prove that thelaw is irrelevant to Christians.
However, there are some Christians
who ignore another whole body of texts whichshow a very positive view of the law. Just readthe following texts: Romans 3:31; 7:12, 14;
8:4, 7; 13:8-10; 1 Cor. 7:19; 9:21; 15:56; Eph.6:1, 2. Jesus also had some very positive thingsto say about the law: Matt. 5:17-19; 19:17-18;
22:36-40; Luke 10:25-28.The clue is found in 1 Timothy 1:8:
We know that the law is good if one uses itproperly. So there is a proper use of the lawand a wrong use of the law. God gave the
laws in the OT. The people kept ignoring theselaws and as a result kept being conquered bytheir enemies. Finally after centuries of failure
and repentance, failure and repentance, captureand deliverance they entered into the mostterrible of their captivities, the Babylonian
captivity. When they came back from that onethey decided to follow the Lord their God.They no longer worshiped idols. Instead they
went to the other extreme where they becameso rule conscious they lost sight of the reasonfor these rules and even more important they
came to believe that they were saved bykeeping these rules.
This understanding is summarized in
the exchange between Jesus and the Phariseeswho asked Jesus which is the greatest
commandment in the law (Matt. 22:36).Jesus, who had given the law, the tencommandments, pointed to something deeper,
something that undergirded all law. He toldthem that law without love to God and love for
ones neighbor (Matt. 22:37-40) has no valuewhatsoever. This did not mean that what Godgave to the Jews was invalid, but they needed
to understand the purpose behind those laws
and why God had given them.So Paul begins a vendetta against
keeping the law or any part of the law as ameans of salvation. In Romans 10:4 Paulmakes it clear that the law as a method of
getting acceptance with God is completelyrejected by Him. As a prime motivator ofobedience it is a failure (Romans 7:1-6). There
is a new dispensation, a new covenant, becauseGod has finally come and revealed Himself onthe cross. Jesus is greater than Moses
(Hebrews 3:1-6). The life and death of Jesus isfar superior to all the rituals and practices thatpointed to Jesus (Hebrews 8:1-13)
But at the same time not everything inthe Old Testament is discarded in the New.
Christians agree that the commands againstincest, idolatry, adultery, murder, and so on arestill valid for Christians today. Christians
believe that moral laws stand forever in thisworld. And many Christians believe that theTen Commandments, the only words of
Scripture directly written by God (Exodus31:18) and the only words kept in the Ark ofthe Covenant (Deut. 10:3-5) are moral
absolutes. In addition many Christians believethat God woul