Introduction
In the last article, I defined four different views of the Sabbath. In this blog, I will argue why the Puritan view of the Sabbath is the most biblical. However, I am not dogmatic about this view because I believe there are good arguments for all sides of the debate. The Puritan view is correct for three reasons: firstly, the Sabbath is a creational ordinance and part of the moral law of God, secondly, the Sabbath is reinstated in Hebrews 4:9-10, and finally, Sunday is denoted as the Lord’s. Furthermore, I will give historical warrant for observing Lord’s day in connection to the Sabbath and respond to Colossians 2, Romans 14, and Galatians 4 verses that seem to nullify Sabbath-keeping.
Creational Ordinance
During the seventh day of creation, God “blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation (Genesis 2:3).” This idea of working for six days and resting for one is reinstituted in the Mosaic law which says, “Remember the Sabbath day, keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. . .For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” The word remember indicates that the Sabbath existed before the Mosaic law and the principle behind the command came from creation, showing that Sabbath-keeping preceded the Mosaic law. Because of this, the Sabbath is part of God’s transcendent moral law, such as you shall not murder, commit adultery, etc. So, those who claim that Christ abrogated the Sabbath and Christians are no longer under the Mosaic law cannot make this claim to show that Christians do not need to keep the Sabbath.
Hebrew 4:9-10
In Hebrews 4:1-10, the author draws a parallel between the Sabbath of the Old and the New Sabbath. The author begins his argument by showing how the Israelites failed to enter into the promised rest due to their faithlessness (which is disobedience). This rest is then compared to God’s rest on the seventh day, saying “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” The author uses this parallel to show the rest that the Israelites could not enter by quoting Psalm 95:11, which says, “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.'” This rest has a twofold meaning. Firstly, God’s rest on the seventh day is observed by Old Covenant members on Saturday. Secondly, it also has an eternal significance since God has rested from “his works [that] were finished from the foundation of the world.” Due to their disobedience, the Israelites could not fully enter into this rest. Joshua failed to give Israel their rest; however, Jesus, the one “who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” Thus, Christ procures the Sabbath for New Covenant believers permanently because he is the one that has entered God’s rest and rested from his works. In the Old Covenant, the Israelites rested on Saturday after work. However, under the New Covenant, Christ rested on Sunday from his works (fulfilling the Covenant of Works) which is the Sabbath day he procured for us by entering into God’s rest on Sunday when he rose from the dead. John Owen puts it this way, “Now, as God’s rest, and his being refreshed in his work, on the seventh day of old, was a sufficient indication of the precise day of rest which he would have observed under the administration of that original law and covenant, so the rest of our Lord Jesus Christ, and his being refreshed in and from his works, on the first day, is a sufficient indication of the precise day of rest to be observed under the dispensation of the new covenant, now confirmed and established.” Furthermore, under the New Covenant, Sunday symbolizes us resting before we work, instead of working before we rest, showing that we have trust in Christ’s atoning work on the cross. So, throughout Scripture, we see the church and apostles on the first day of the week devoting it to God through worship and rest (see Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 16:2). Due to this parallel the author draws between the Saturday Sabbath of the Old and the Sunday Sabbath of the New, we must realize that Old Testament moral rules for the Sabbath apply to us under the new dispensation. For example, Isaiah 58:13-14 says, “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the Lord honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Sunday is the Lord’s
Throughout Scripture, certain elements are denoted as the Lord’s. Now, of course, everything in the universe is the Lord’s in a sense for he created it; however, when something is specifically said to be the Lord’s, it is holy (set apart). For example, the Lord’s supper. This supper is set apart from all other suppers. I can eat supper on all the days of the week ordinarily but when I partake in the Lord’s supper it is no longer just a supper, it is set apart specifically for the Lord. Paul explicitly makes clear that the Lord’s supper is special (not just a memorial) in 1 Corinthians 11:27 which says, “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.” Moreover, Jerusalem is specifically considered the Lord’s and a holy city showing the sanctified nature of the city (Nehemiah 11:1, see also 1 Kings 8:43). So, we can safely assume that when the first day of the week is called the Lord’s Day it is set apart from the other days of the week (this will be important in the discussion of Romans 14). Revelation 1:10 says, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day. . .” Early Christians unanimously recognized this to be referring to Sunday, the day of worship, in which we are supposed to devote to God.
Historical Support
Many patristics recognized Sunday as significant and the day for Saints to gather under the one triune God. Some also recognized the connection between the Old Testament Sabbath and the New Testament’s Lord’s day. Irenaeus stated, “On the Lord’s Day every one of us Christians keeps the Sabbath, meditating on the law and rejoicing in the works of God.” Ignatius said that “this is the Lord’s day, the day consecrated to the resurrection, the chief queen of all the days.” Additionally, Athanasius said, “the Lord transferred the Sabbath to the Lord’s Day.” Not only did early church fathers recognize the pattern of one in seven devoted to God but also pagans throughout history see that one day should be set apart by natural revelation and God’s common grace. Many historical figures in ancient Greece before Christ recognized the seventh day as holy such as, Hesiod, Homer, and Callimachus. So, throughout church history and ancient pagan history, many realize the pattern of one in seven set apart.
Colossians 2:16; Galatians 4:9-11; Romans 14:5-6
Some will object to this view of the Sabbath due to verses like Colossians 2:16, Galatians 4:9-11, and Romans 14:5-6 which at first glance seem to abrogate the Sabbath. Colossians 2:16 says, “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or sabbaths.” and Galatians 4:10-11 says, “You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.” In context, these verses are dealing with the Judaizers of the time and whether Christians need to observe the ceremonial days of the Old Covenant. The divisions of the law are essential for the discussion: it is threefold, moral, ceremonial, and judicial. The moral law is summed up in the decalogue and transcends time; therefore, these ten commandments are morally objective and are binding on Christians. The ceremonial law is the rules for Israel that were a shadow of things to come, such as sacrifices and observance of certain festivals which are abrogated by the fulfillment thereof, Christ. The judicial law is the specific civil law for Israel’s theocracy and has since ceased. So, Paul is not referring to the pattern of one day in seven being abrogated but rather is pointing out that the many other sabbaths, festivals, and ceremonies Israelites observed under the Old Covenant are no longer binding for Christians today. Furthermore, Paul is specifically addressing the Judaizers plaguing the church by forcing Jewish ceremonial practices on Gentile believers. Therefore, these verses cannot be applied to the Sabbath, which is a creational ordinance and part of the perpetual moral law. Romans 14:5-6 is harder to apply this same line of reasoning since this passage is focusing on the concept of Christian liberty rather than ceremonial law. During this time, Gentiles observed the Lord’s Day and Jews observed both the Lord’s Day and the Sabbath on Saturday. Paul’s concern here is not the Christian Sabbath (Lord’s Day), instead, he is referring to the conflict between Gentiles and Jews over the observance of Saturday. It is up to Christian liberty whether one rests or works on Saturday; therefore, the Jews could not condemn Gentiles for esteeming Saturday like other days. In conclusion, these verses nowhere mention the abrogation of the pattern of one in seven; however, the verses do abrogate the ceremonial law and Saturday observance.
Conclusion
This blog only touches the surface level of the debate; however, because of the Sabbath being a creational ordinance, Hebrews 4, and Sunday being called the Lord’s Day, I hold to the Puritan view of the Sabbath which also has historical warrant. The verses commonly used against the perpetuity of the Sabbath fail to demonstrate the removal of the pattern one in seven set apart. God has given us a day to devote to Him alone. We must not think of the day as an obstacle in our daily life but rather as a market day for the soul as the Puritans said. John Bunyan puts it this way, “Make the Lord’s Day the market for thy soul. Let the whole day be spent in prayer, repetitions, or meditations. Lay aside the affairs of the other parts of the week. Let the sermon thou hast heard be converted into prayer. Shall God allow thee six days, and wilt not thou afford Him one?”