A Biblical Analysis of Recent
Sabbath/Sunday
Developments
by
Samuele Bacchiocchi PhD
There has probably been not one person since the first apostles,
who has done more to investigate and promote the Sabbath/Sunday
issue, than Samuele Bacchiocchi. It is my great pleasure to
reproduce his entire book "The Sabbath Under Crossfire." Dr.Sam
(as he likes to be called) has 4 or 5 books on the Sabbath. You
can find him I'm sure through the Internet - Keith Hunt
INTRODUCTION
Each of the fourteen books I have authored has a story
behind it. In most cases, it was a crossfire of controversy that
erupted regarding a certain biblical doctrine that compelled me
to research and write a book on that topic. This book is no
exception.
I had no plan to write a book in 1998. In fact, when
Immortality or Resurrection? came off the press on December 1997,
I solemnly promised my wife that I would not start another book
in 1998. The reason is simple. Whenever I become involved in a
biblical research project, I spend my seven-months
leave-of-absence from teaching at Andrews University buried in my
basement office from 5:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Having neglected my wife and many odd jobs around the house
during much of 1997, I felt that in good conscience I could not
undertake another major research project in 1998. However, two
important events mentioned below caused me to change my plans.
Thank God for an understanding wife who has accepted such changes
without much complaining during our 37 years of married life. She
deserves much of the redit for whatever good has come from my
ministry of biblical research. Without her loving support none of
my books would have ever seen the light of day.
The Pope's Pastoral Letter. The first event that compelled
me to write this book is the promulgation of the Pastoral Letter
Dies Domini by Pope Paul John II on May 31, 1998. This document
has enormous historical significance because in it the Pope makes
a passionate plea for a revival of Sunday observance by appealing
to the moral imperative of the Sabbath Commandment and to the
need of civil legislation to facilitate the observance of Sunday
as a Holy Day.
The Pastoral Letter raises two important issues that
urgently need to be addressed. The first is the Pope's defense of
Sunday observance as the embodiment and "full expression" of the
Sabbath. This view, as shown in Chapter 1, not only lacks
biblical and historical support, but also represents a
significant departure from the traditional Catholic teaching.
Historically, the Catholic church has taught that Sunday
observance is an ecclesiastical institution different in meaning
and function from the Sabbath. John Paul departs from the
traditional Catholic distinction between Sabbath and Sunday in
order to make Sunday observance a moral imperative mandated by
the Decalogue itself.
The second issue is the Pope's summons to Christians "to
strive to ensure that civil legislation respects their duty to
keep Sunday holy." 1 The justification for such a summons is the
Pope's assumption that Sunday-keeping is a moral imperative
"inscribed" in the Decalogue itself; 2 and consequently, it is
to be supported by civil legislation promulgated by the
international community of nations.
In view of the grave theological and legal implications of
the Pastoral Letter, I felt that a response was imperative. In
July 1998, I posted my initial analysis of "Dies Domini" in
various discussion groups on the Internet. The response surpassed
my fondest expectations. In a few weeks, over 5,000 people
subscribed to a "Sabbath Discussion" list where I examine
important Sabbath/Sunday developments. Several editors of
religious magazines who subscribe to the list requested
permission to publish my response to the Pastoral Letter.
Incidentally, anyone with Internet service interested in
subscribing to my new Endtime Issues list can do so simply by
emailing me a request at: samuele@andrews.edu or
sbacchiocchi@csi.com. If you choose to subscribe to the Endtime
Issues list you will receive free of charge every couple of weeks
an essay where I examine significant religious developments of
our time in the light of biblical teachings. You are free to
unsubscribe at any time.
The surprising interest shown by people of different
persuasions in various parts of the world for an in-depth
analysis of recent Sabbath/Sunday developments compelled me to
take up my pen again and write this book. Thank God for a wife
who does not remind me of broken promises.
This book has afforded me the opportunity to examine in
greater depth some of the recent Sabbath/Sunday developments that
I have discussed in a summary way in cyberspace. For example, my
initial eight page analysis of the Pastoral Letter first posted
in the Internet, has been expanded into a 40-page chapter
entitled "Pope John Paul II and the Sabbath." This is the first
and, possibly, the most important chapter of the book because it
examines the biblical, moral, historical, and legal arguments
used by Pope John Paul to emphasize the "grave obligation" of
Sunday observance. 3
Debate With Dale Ratzlaff.
The second event that influenced the writing of this book is
the debate on the Sabbath that took place Monday, June 15, 1998,
between Dale Ratzlaff and myself on KJSL, a Christian radio
station in St.Louis, Missouri. Ratzlaff had served as a
Seventh-day Adventist Bible teacher and pastor before leaving the
church because of doctrinal differences. Ratzlaff claims that
several months of Bible study convinced him that the Sabbath is
not a creational institution for mankind, but a Mosaic, Old
Covenant ordinance for the Jews.
According to Ratzlaff, "New Covenant" Christians do not need
to observe the Sabbath because Christ fulfilled its typological
function by becoming our salvation-rest. Consequently, "New
Covenant" Christians observe the Sabbath spiritually as a daily
experience of salvation-rest, not literally as the observance of
the seventh day unto the Lord.
A major problem with Ratzlaff's interpretation, as shown in
Chapter 4 of this book, is the failure to recognize that the
spiritual salvation - rest does not negate the physical Sabbath
rest. On the contrary, God invites us to cease from our physical
work on the Sabbath in order to enter His spiritual rest (Heb
4:10). Physical elements, such as the water in baptism, the bread
and wine in the Lord's Supper, and the physical rest on the
Sabbath, are designed to help us conceptualize and internalize
the spiritual realities they represent.
Ratzlaff published his views in a 345-page book entitled
"Sabbath in Crisis," where he articulates his "New Covenant"
theology. He is actively promoting his anti-sabbatarian views
through radio talk shows and advertisements in local papers where
he offers his book free. KJSL invited me to respond to his
anti-Sabbath arguments on their radio talk show on June 15, 1998.
As you can imagine, we had an animated discussion. Unfortunately,
the one-hour time limitation, cut even shorter by frequent radio
advertisements, prevented a thorough discussion of the major
issues. We agreed to continue the discussion in cyberspace. Over
a four-month period, I posted twenty-one essays where I deal
systematically with Ratzlaff's major objections against the
continuity and validity of the Sabbath for "New Covenant"
Christians. The demand for these essays has been incredible as
thousands of people from many parts of the world requested them
via email.
The enormous demand for my Sabbath essays may be due in part
to the considerable influence exerted by Ratzlaff's book,
especially among Sabbatarians. A study paper entitled "The
Sabbath" released by the Worldwide Church of God in 1995, lists
the Sabbath in Crisis as one of the three sources used to support
their so-called "New Covenant" theology. 4
"New Covenant" Theology.
It is hard to estimate the farreaching influence of the "New
Covenant" theology championed among Sabbatarians by people like
Ratzlaff. The Worldwide Church of God has experienced a massive
defection of over 70,000 members who have refused to accept the
doctrinal changes demanded by the "New Covenant" theology.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church also has been affected by the
"New Covenant" theology promoted especially by Sabbath in Crisis.
One example is the book "New Covenant Christians" by Clay Peck, a
former Adventist pastor who currently serves as senior pastor of
the Grace Place Congregation in Berthoud, Colorado. In the
"Introduction" to his book, Peck acknowledges his indebtedness to
Ratzlaff, saying: "While I have read and researched widely for
this study, I have been most challenged and instructed by a book
entitled Sabbath in Crisis by Dale Ratzlaff. I have leaned
heavily on his research, borrowing a number of concepts and
diagrams." 5
Similar "Grace-oriented," independent congregations have
been established in various parts of America by former
Seventh-day Adventist pastors who have embraced the "New
Covenant" theology. This development is unique to our times
because never before in the history of Christianity has the
Sabbath come under the crossfire by those who once had championed
its observance.
These developments made me forcefully aware of the need to
respond to the major attacks launched against the Sabbath not
only by the Pope and Sundaykeeping scholars, but also by former
Sabbatarians. Initially I tried to meet this challenge by posting
in cyberspace essays dealing with the anti-Sabbath arguments. I
soon realized that this effort was not enough.
The thousands of email requests from all over the world for
the Sabbath essays posted on the Internet alerted me to the need
to expand my research and publish it in book form. This book is
the result of this endeavor. During the last six months of 1998,
I have worked intensively on this project, hoping to produce a
compelling biblical analysis of recent Sabbath/Sunday
developments.
Objectives of This Book.
This book has two major objectives. The first is to provide
a comprehensive examination of the major arguments used to negate
the continuity, validity, and values of the Sabbath for today.
Each of the first six chapters addresses a major argument
commonly used against the Sabbath. The length of the chapters
(ranging from 40 to 55 pages) reflects my aim to be as exhaustive
as possible within the length limitation of each chapter.
Experience has taught me that simplistic answers do not satisfy
people with inquiring minds. Thus, I have endeavored to examine
each argument as thoroughly as possible. Christians who find
themselves caught in the crossfire of the Sabbath/Sunday
controversy should find these chapters a valuable resource to
deal with popular attacks launched against the Sabbath.
The second objective of this book is to help people discover
the Sabbath as a day of joyful celebration of God's creative and
redemptive love. A major contributing factor to the abandonment
of the Sabbath by an increasing number of Sabbatarians is most
likely their failure to experience the physical, mental, moral,
and spiritual benefits of the Sabbath.
Those who experience the Sabbath as an alienating imposition
and a day of gloomy frustration are apt to welcome a theology
that releases them from such an oppressing and depressing
experience. The solution to the problem, however, is found not in
fabricating a "New Covenant" theology that does away with the
Sabbath Commandment, but in discovering the Sabbath as a blessing
rather than a burden, as a day of joyful celebration rather than
a day of gloomy frustration.
This pastoral concern has motivated me to devote the final
chapter to the rediscovery of the Sabbath. The first part of
Chapter 7 briefly reports the rediscovery of the Sabbath by
scholars, religious organizations, and people of different
persuasions. This is the paradox of our times. While some
Christians are rejecting the Sabbath as an Old Covenant
institution nailed to the Cross, an increasing number of other
Christians are rediscovering the continuity and value of the
Sabbath for our tension-filled, restless lives.
The final section of Chapter 7 explores in a more personal
way how to make Sabbathkeeping a Christ-centered experience - an
experience of the awareness of the Savior's presence, peace, and
rest in our lives. At a time when many are seeking for inner rest
and release through pills, drugs, meditation groups, vacations,
and athletic clubs, the Sabbath invites us to find true inner
rest and peace not through pills or places, but in a right
relationship with a Person, the Person of our Savior, who says:
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give
you rest" (Matt 11:28; NIV).
Method and Style.
This book is written from a biblical perspective. I accept
the Bible as normative for defining Christian beliefs and
practices. Because the words of the Bible contain a divine
message written by human authors who lived in specific historical
situations, every effort must be made to understand their meaning
in their historical context. My conviction is that an
understanding of both the historical and literary context of
relevant Biblical texts is indispensable in establishing both
their original meaning and their present relevance. This
conviction is reflected in the methodology I have followed in
examining those controversial biblical texts that relate to the
Law, in general, and the Sabbath, in particular.
Concerning the style of the book, I have attempted to write
in simple, nontechnical language. In some instances, where a
technical word is used, a definition is provided in parenthesis.
To facilitate the reading, each chapter is divided into major
parts and subdivided under appropriate headings. A brief summary
is given at the end of each chapter. Unless otherwise specified,
all Bible texts are quoted from the Revised Standard Version,
copyright 1946 and 1952. In a few instances, some key words of a
Bible text have been italicized for emphasis without footnoting
them, since the reader is aware that the English Bible does not
italicize words.
Acknowledgments.
It is most difficult for me to acknowledge my indebtedness
to the many persons who have contributed to the realization of
this book. Indirectly, I am indebted to the scholars who have e
written articles, pamphlets, books, and dissertations on
different aspects of the Sabbath/Sunday question. Their writings
have stimulated my thi nki ng and broadened my approach to this
subject.
Directly, I want to express my gratitude to Joyce Jones and
Deborah Everhart from Andrews University, as well as Jarrod and
Eva Williamson from La Sierra University. Each of them has made a
significant contribution by correcting and improving the style
of the manuscript. They have worked many hours, reworking
sentences so they sound more English and less Italian.
Words fail to express my gratitude to Gregory and Annita
Watkins for designing a most attractive cover for the book.
Gregory and Annita are a young couple serving at this time as
student missionaries in China. They signed up for the "Sabbath
Discussion" list and were so impressed by the essays they
received in China via email, that they offered to design the
cover for the book. When I accepted their offer I never
anticipated that they would design such a splendid cover. The
cover conveys the message of the book in a masterful way. The
crossfire has attacked the Sabbath, but it has burned only the
superficial veneer. The Sabbath as well as the other moral
principles of the Decalogue are inscribed in the two granite
tables that remain unscathed by the crossfire of human
controversy. What a creative way to portray this fundamental
biblical truth brought out by the book! Thank you, Gregory and
Annita for designing such an attractive and suggestive cover.
Last but not least, I do express my special thanks to my
wife who has been my constant source of encouragement and
inspiration during the past thirty-seven years of our married
life. She saw little of me while I was researching and writing
this book. Without her love, patience, and encouragement, it
would have been most difficult for me to complete this project in
such a relatively short period of time.
Author's Hope.
I have written these pages with the earnest desire to help
Christians of all persuasions to discover the Sabbath as God's
gift of freedom to mankind. Freedom from work in order to be free
before Him and hear His voice. Freedom from the world of things
in order to enter into the peace of God for which we were
created. Freedom to look at the world through the eyes of
eternity and recapture some measure of Edenic delight. Freedom to
taste and know that the Lord is good. Freedom to sing the
Psalmist's Sabbath song: "Thou, O Lord, has made me glad by thy
work; at the work of thy hands I sing for joy!" (Ps 92:4-5-A Song
for the Sabbath).
NOTES TO THE INTRODUCTION
1. Dies Domini, paragraph 67.
2. Dies Domini, paragraph 47; emphasis supplied.
3. Dies Domini, paragraph 62.
4. The other two sources cited in the study paper on "The
Sabbath" released by the Worldwide Church of God in 1995, are the
special issue of Verdict (vol.4), entitled "Sabbatarianism
Reconsidered," published by Robert Brinsmead on June 4, 1981, and
the symposium "From Sabbath to the Lord's Day," edited by Donald
Carson and published by Zondervan in 1982.
5. Clay Peck, "New Covenant Christians" (Berthoud,CO,1998),p.2.
......................
To be continued
1. The SABBATH under Crossfire
Pope John Paul and the Sabbath
Chapter 1
POPE JOHN PAUL THE SECOND AND THE SABBATH
On May 31, 1998, Pope John Paul II promulgated a lengthy
Pastoral Letter, "Dies Domini" in which he makes a passionate
plea for a revival of Sunday observance. He appeals to the moral
imperative of the Sabbath commandment and to the need of civil
legislation to facilitate Sunday observance. This document has
enormous historical significance since it addresses the critical
problem of the prevailing Sunday profanation at "the threshold of
the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000." 1 This event has great
significance for the Catholic Church, as over thirty million
Catholics are expected to make their pilgrimage to Rome, seeking
forgiveness for their own sins and a reduction of the temporal
punishment for their loved ones in Purgatory.
The Pope is keenly aware that the crisis of Sunday
observance is a major obstacle to the spiritual renewal the Great
Jubilee is designed to bring about. He believes that the
prevailing profanation of Sunday reflects the spiritual crisis of
the Catholic Church and of Christianity, in general. The
"strikingly low" attendance to the Sunday Mass indicates, in the
Pope's view, that "faith is weak" and "diminishing." 2 He
believes that if this trend is not reversed it can threaten the
future of the Catholic Church as it stands at the threshold of
the third millennium. He states: "The Lord's Day has structured
the history of the Church through two thousand years: how could
we think that it will not continue to shape the future?" 3
While reading the Pastoral Letter, I was reminded of a
speech President Abraham Lincoln delivered on November 13, 1862.
There he emphasized the vital function of the Sabbath in the
survival of Christianity: "As we keep or break the Sabbath day,
we nobly save or meanly loose the last and the best hope by which
mankind arises." 4 Obviously, for Abraham Lincoln, the Sabbath
meant Sunday. This does not detract from the fact that one of
American's outstanding presidents recognized in the principle of
Sabbathkeeping the best hope to renew and elevate human beings.
The Pastoral Letter, like all papal documents, has been
skillfully crafted with an introduction; five chapters which
examine the importance of Sunday observance from theological,
historical, liturgical, and social perspectives; and a
conclusion. Pope John Paul and his advisers must be commended for
composing a well-balanced document that addresses major issues
relating to Sunday observance within the space limitation of
approximately thirty pages.
The introduction sets the stage for the Pope's pastoral
concerns by identifying some of the contributory factors to the
crisis of Sunday observance and the solution that must be sought.
A major factor is the change that has occurred "in socioeconomic
conditions [which] have often led to profound modifications of
social behavior and hence of the character of Sunday." 5 The
Pope notes with regret that Sunday has become merely "a part of a
weekend" when people are involved "in cultural, political or
sporting activities" that cause the loss of awareness of "keeping
the Lord's Day holy." 6
Given the present situation, John Paul strongly believes
that today it is "more necessary than ever to recover the deep
doctrinal foundations underlying the Church's precept, so that
the abiding value of Sunday in the Christian life will be clear
to all the faithful." 7
The Pastoral Letter reveals that the Pope firmly believes
that the solution to the crisis of Sunday observance entails both
doctrinal and legal aspects. Doctrinally, Christians need to
rediscover the "biblical" foundations of Sunday observance in
order to keep the day holy. Legally, Christians must "ensure that
civil legislation respects their duty to keep Sunday holy." 8
Objectives of This Chapter.
No attempt is made in this chapter to analyze all the
aspects of Sunday observance discussed in the Pastoral Letter. In
the light of the overall objective of this book to consider from
a biblical perspective the recent attacks against the Sabbath,
this chapter focuses especially on how Pope John Paul deals with
the Sabbath in his attempt to justify and promote Sunday
observance.
The chapter divides into three major parts in accordance
with the following three major issues addressed:
Pope John Paul II and the Sabbath
(1) The theological connection between Sabbath and Sunday (2) The
"biblical" support for Sunday observance
(3) The call for Sunday legislation
PART 1 THE THEOLOGICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN SABBATH AND SUNDAY
A surprising aspect of the Pastoral Letter is Pope John
Paul's defense of Sunday observance as the embodiment and "full
expression" of the Sabbath. In some ways this view represents a
significant departure from the traditional Catholic explanation
that Sunday observance is an ecclesiastical institution different
from the Sabbath. In the past, this explanation virtually has
been regarded as an established fact by Catholic theologians and
historians. Thomas of Aquinas, for instance, makes this
unambiguous statement: "In the New Law the observance of the
Lord's day took the place of the observance of the Sabbath not by
virtue of the precept [Sabbath commandment] but by the
institution of the Church and the custom of Christian people." 9
In his dissertation presented to the Catholic University of
America, Vincent J. Kelly similarly affirms: "Some theologians
have held that God likewise directly determined the Sunday as the
day of worship in the New Law, that He Himself has explicitly
substituted the Sunday for the Sabbath. But this theory is now
entirely abandoned. It is now commonly held that God simply gave
His Church the power to set aside whatever day or days she would
deem suitable as Holy Days. The Church chose Sunday, the first
day of the week, and in the course of time added other days, as
holy days." 10
Even the new "Catechism of the Catholic Church" (1994)
emphasizes the discontinuity between Sabbath and Sunday
observance: "Sunday is expressly distinguished from the Sabbath
which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its
ceremonial observance replaces that of the Sabbath." 11
John Paul departs from the traditional distinction the
Catholic Church has made between Sabbath and Sunday, presumably
because he wants to make Sunday observance a moral imperative
rooted in the Decalogue itself. By so doing, the Pope challenges
Christians to respect Sunday, not merely as an ecclesiastical
institution, but as a divine command. Furthermore, by rooting
Sundaykeeping in the Sabbath commandment, the Pope offers the
strongest moral reasons to urge Christians to "ensure that civil
legislation respects their duty to keep Sunday holy."
The Pope's vew of Sunday as the embodiment and "full
expression" of the Sabbath stands in stark contrast to the
so-called "New Covenant" and Dispensational authors who emphasize
the radical discontinuity between Sabbath and Sunday. The latter,
as we shall see in the following chapters, is also the position
of former sabbatarians who reduce the Sabbath to a Mosaic, Old
Covenant institution that terminated at the Cross. The Pope
rejects this position, defending instead the creational origin of
the Sabbath in which he finds the theological foundation of
Sunday observance. He writes: "In order to grasp fully the
meaning of Sunday, therefore, we must re-read the great story of
creation and deepen our understanding of the theology of the
'Sabbath.'" 12
Creative and Redemptive Meanings of the Sabbath.
The Pope's reflections on the theological meaning of the
Sabbath are most perceptive and should especially thrill
Sabbatarians. For example, speaking of God's rest on the seventh
day of creation, John Paul says: "The divine rest of the seventh
day does not allude to an inactive God, but emphasizes the
fullness of what has been accomplished. It speaks, as it were, of
God's lingering before the 'very good' work (Gen 1:31) which his
hand has wrought, in order to cast upon it a gaze full of joyous
delight. This is a 'contemplative' gaze which does not look to
new accomplishments but enjoys the beauty of what has already
been achieved." 13
This profound theological insight into the meaning of the
divine Shabbat as a rest of cessation in order to express the
satisfaction over a complete, perfect creation, and to fellowship
with His creation, is developed at some length in my book "Divine
Rest for Human Restlessness." There I wrote: "God's cessation on
the seventh day from doing expresses His desire for being with
His creation, for giving to His creatures not only things but
Himself." 14
John Paul speaks eloquently of the theological development
of the Sabbath from the rest of creation (Gen 2:1-3; Ex 20:8-11)
to the rest of redemption (Deut 5:12-15). He notes that in the
Old Testament the Sabbath commandment is linked "not only with
God's mysterious 'rest' after the days of creation (cf. Ex
20:8-11), but also with the salvation which he offers to Israel
in the liberation from the slavery of Egypt (cf. Deut.5:1215).
The God who rests on the seventh day, rejoicing in His creation,
is the same God who reveals his glory in liberating his children
from Pharaoh's oppression." 15
Being a memorial of creation and redemption, "the 'Sabbath'
has therefore been interpreted evocatively as a determining
element in the kind of 'sacred architecture' of time which marks
biblical revelation. It recalls that the universe and history
belong to God; and without constant awareness of that truth, man
cannot serve in the world as a co-worker of the Creator." 16
The Sabbath Defines Our Relationship with God.
Contrary to Dispensational and so-called "New Covenant"
writers who reduce the Sabbath to a Mosaic, ceremonial ordinance
given exclusively to Jews, John Paul rightly recognizes that "the
Sabbath precept ... is rooted in the depths of God's plan. This
is why, unlike many other precepts, it is set not within the
context of strictly cultic stipulations but within the Decalogue,
the `'en words' which represents the very pillars of the moral
life inscribed on the human heart. In setting this commandment
within the context of the basic structure of ethics, Israel and
then the Church declare that they consider it not just a matter
of community religious discipline but a defining and indelible
expression of our relationship with God, announced and expounded
by biblical revelation. This is the perspective within which
Christians need to rediscover this precept today." 17
What a profound statement worth pondering! Sabbathkeeping is
"not just a matter of community religious discipline but a
defining and indelible expression of our relationship with God."
To appreciate the truth of this statement, it is important
to remember that our life is a measure of time, and the way we
use our time is indicative of our priorities. Believers who give
priority to God in their thinking and living on the Sabbath show
in a tangible way that God really counts in their life. Thus,
Sabbathkeeping is indeed "a defining and indelible expression of
our relationship with God."
John Paul develops this point eloquently saying: "Man's
relationship with God demands times of explicit prayer, in which
the relationship becomes an intense dialogue, involving every
dimension of the person. 'The Lord's Day' is the day of this
relationship par excellence when men and women raise their song
to God and become the voice of all creation." 18
Sunday as the Fulfillment of the Sabbath.
In the light of these profound theological insights into the
Sabbath as being a kind of "sacred architecture" of time that
marks the unfolding of God's creative and redemptive activity,
and as the defining expression of our relationship with
God, one wonders how does the Pope succeed in developing a
theological justification for Sunday observance? He does this by
making Sunday the embodiment of the biblical Sabbath.
For example, John Paul without hesitation applies to Sunday
God's blessing and sanctification of the Sabbath at creation.
"Sunday is the day of rest because it is the day 'blessed' by God
and 'made holy' by him, set apart from the other days to be,
among them, 'the Lord's Day.'" 19
More importantly, the Pope makes Sunday the "full
expression" of the Sabbath by arguing that Sunday, as the Lord's
Day, fulfills the creative and redemptive functions of the
Sabbath. These two functions, the Pope claims, "reveal the
meaning of the 'Lord's Day' within a single theological vision
which fuses creation and salvation." 20
"On 'the Lord's Day," John Paul explains, "which the Old
Testament [Sabbath] links to the work of creation (cf. Gen 2:1-3;
Ex 20:8-11) and the Exodus (cf. Deut 5:12-15), the Christian is
called to proclaim the new creation and the new covenant brought
about in the Paschal Mystery of Christ. Far from being abolished,
the celebration of creation becomes more profound within a
Christocentric perspective .... The remembrance of the liberation
of the Exodus also assumes its full meaning by Christ in his
Death and Resurrection. More than a 'replacement' of the Sabbath,
therefore, Sunday is its fulfillment, and in a certain sense its
extension and full expression in the ordered unfolding of the
history of salvation, which reaches its culmination in Christ."
21
The Pope maintains that New Testament Christians "made the
first day after the Sabbath a festive day" because they
discovered that the creative and redemptive accomplishments
celebrated by the Sabbath, found their "fullest expression in
Christ's Death and Resurrection, though its definitive
fulfillment will not come until the Parousia, when Christ returns
in glory." 22
The Pope's attempt to make Sunday the "extension and full
expression" of the creative and redemptive meanings of the
Sabbath is very ingenious, but it lacks biblical and historical
support. There are no indications in the New Testament that
Christians ever interpreted Sunday to be the embodiment of the
creative and redemptive meanings of the Sabbath. From a biblical
and historical perspective, Sunday is not the Sabbath because the
two days differ in authority. The difference in authority lies in
the fact that while Sabbathkeeping rests upon an explicit
biblical command (Gen 2:2-3; Ex 20:8-11; Mark 2:27-28; Heb 4:9),
Sundaykeeping derives from an interplay of social, political,
pagan, and religious factors. I have examined these factors at
length in my dissertation "From Sabbath to Sunday," published by
the Pontifical Gregorian University, in Rome, Italy. The lack of
a biblical authority for Sundaykeeping may well be a major
contributing factor to the crisis of Sunday observance that John
Paul rightly laments.
The vast majority of Christians, especially in the Western
world, view their Sunday as a holiday to seek personal pleasure
and profit rather than a holy day to seek divine presence and
peace. I submit that a major contributing factor to the
secularization of Sunday is the prevailing perception that there
is no divine, biblical command to keep Sunday as a holy day.
The lack of a biblical conviction that Sunday should be observed
as the holy Sabbath day may well explain why most Christians see
nothing wrong in devoting their Sunday time to themselves rather
than to the Lord. If there was a strong theological conviction
that the principle of Sundaykeeping was divinely established at
creation and later "inscribed" in the Decalogue, as the Pope
attempts to prove, then Christians would feel compelled to act
accordingly.
Difference in Meaning.
John Paul recognizes the need to make Sundaykeeping a moral
imperative and he tries to accomplish this by rooting the day in
the Sabbath commandment itself. But this cannot be done because
Sunday is not the Sabbath. The two days have a different meaning
and function. While in Scripture the Sabbath memorializes God's
perfect creation, complete redemption, and final restoration,
Sunday is justified in the earliest Patristic literature as the
commemoration of the creation of light on the first day of the
week, the cosmic-eschatological symbol of the new eternal world
typified by the eighth day, and the memorial of Christ's Sunday
Resurrection. 23
None of the historical meanings attributed to Sunday require
per se the observance of the day by resting and worshipping the
Lord. For example, nowhere does Scripture suggest that the
creation of light on the first day ought to be celebrated through
a weekly Sunday rest and worship. Even the Resurrection event, as
we shall see, does not require per se a weekly or annual Sunday
celebration.
The attempt to transfer to Sunday the biblical authority and
meaning of the Sabbath is doomed to fail because it is impossible
to retain the same authority, meaning, and experience when the
date of a festival is changed. For example, if a person or an
organization should succeed in changing the date of the
Declaration of Independence from the 4th to the 5th of July, the
new date could hardly be viewed as the legitimate celebration of
Independence Day.
Similarly, if the festival of the Sabbath is changed from
the seventh to the first day, the latter can hardly memorialize
the divine acts of creation, redemption, and final restoration
which are linked to the typology of the Sabbath. To invest Sunday
with the theological meaning and function of the Sabbath means to
adulterate a divine institution by making a holy day out of what
God created to be a working day.
Difference in Experience.
Third, the difference between Sabbath and Sunday is one of
experience. While Sundaykeeping began and has remained largely
the hour of worship, Sabbathkeeping is presented in Scriptures as
twenty-four hours consecrated to God. In spite of the efforts
made by Constantine, church councils, and the Puritans to make
Sunday a total day of rest and worship, the historical reality is
that Sunday observance has been equated with church attendance.
John Paul acknowledges this historical reality in chapter 3 of
the Pastoral Letter entitled "The Day of the Church. The
Eucharistic Assembly: The Heart of Sunday." The thrust of the
chapter is that the heart of Sunday observance is the
participation in the Mass. He cites the new Catechism of the
Catholic Church, which says: "The Sunday celebration of the
Lord's Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church's
life." 24
The end of Sunday church services represents for many
Christians also the termination of Sundaykeeping. After church,
they go in good conscience to the shopping mall, a ball game, a
dance hall, a theater, etc. It came as a surprise for me to
discover that even in the "Bible Belt" many shops open for
business as soon as the church services are over. The message is
clear. The rest of Sunday is business as usual.
The recognition of this historical reality has led
Christopher Kiesling, a distinguished Catholic Liturgists, to
argue for the abandonment of the notion of Sunday as a day of
rest and for the retention of Sunday as the hour of worship. 25
His reasoning is that since Sunday has never been a day of total
rest and worship, there is no hope to make it so today when most
people want holidays, not holy days.
Celebrating the Sabbath, however, means not merely attending
church services but consecrating its twenty-four hours to the
Lord. The Sabbath commandment does not say, "Remember the Sabbath
day to keep it holy by attending Sabbath school and church
services." What the commandment requires is to work six days and
rest on the seventh day unto the Lord (Ex 20:8-10). This means
that the essence of Sabbathkeeping is the consecration of time.
The act of resting unto the Lord makes all the Sabbath
activities, whether they be formal worship or informal fellowship
and recreation, an act of worship because all of them spring out
of a heart which has decided to honor God.
The act of resting on the Sabbath unto the Lord becomes the
means through which the believer enters into God's rest (Heb
4:10) by experiencing more fully and freely the awareness of
God's presence, peace, and rest. This unique experience of
Sabbathkeeping is foreign to Sundaykeeping because the essence of
the latter is not the consecration of time but rather church
attendance, generally followed by secular activities.
In the light of the foregoing considerations, we conclude
that the Pope's attempt to make Sunday the theological and
existential embodiment of the Sabbath is doomed to fail because
the two days differ radically in their authority, meaning, and
experience.
PART 2
THE "BIBLICAL" SUPPORT FOR SUNDAY OBSERVANCE
The second chapter of the Pastoral Letter entitled "Dies
Christi The Day of Christ" focuses on three major, biblical
events that allegedly justify Sunday observance: (1) The
Resurrection and appearances of Christ which took place on 'the
first day after the Sabbath' (Mark 16:2,9; Luke 24:1; John
20:1);26 (2) the religious gatherings that occurred on the first
day of the week (cf. 1 Cor 16:2; Acts 20:7-12); 27 and (3) the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit fifty days after the Resurrection
which occurred on a Sunday (Acts 2:2-3). 28 We examine these
arguments in their respective order.
(1) The Resurrection/Appearances of Christ
The Pope maintains that the earliest Christians "made the
first day after the Sabbath a festive day, for that was the day
on which the Lord rose from the dead." 29 He argues that though
Sunday is rooted in the creative and redemptive meaning of the
Sabbath, the day finds its full expression
............
To be continued
2. The SABBATH under Crossfire
The Pope's Sunday NT evidence?
by Samule Bacchiocchi PhD
PART 2 THE "BIBLICAL" SUPPORT FOR SUNDAY OBSERVANCE
The second chapter of the Pastoral Letter entitled "Dies
Christi The Day of Christ" focuses on three major, biblical
events that allegedly justify Sunday observance: (1) The
Resurrection and appearances of Christ which took place on 'the
first day after the Sabbath' (Mark 16:2,9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1);
26 (2) the religious gatherings that occurred on the first day
of the week (cf. 1 Cor 16:2; Acts 20:7-12); 27 and (3) the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit fifty days after the Resurrection
which occurred on a Sunday (Acts 2:2-3). 28 We examine these
arguments in their respective order.
(1) The Resurrection/Appearances of Christ
The Pope maintains that the earliest Christians "made the
first day after the Sabbath a festive day, for that was the day
on which the Lord rose from the dead." 29 He argues that though
Sunday is rooted in the creative and redemptive meaning of the
Sabbath, the day finds its full expression in the Resurrection of
Christ. "Although the Lord's Day is rooted in the very work of
creation and even more in the mystery of the Biblical [Sabbath]
'rest' of God, it is nonetheless to the Resurrection of Christ
that we must look in order to understand fully the Lord's Day."
30
Importance Attributed to Resurrection.
The Resurrection and Appearance of Christ on the first day
of the week constitute, in the Pope's view, the fundamental
biblical justification for the origin of Sunday worship. He
summarizes concisely the alleged Biblical evidences in the
following paragraph: "According to the common witness of the
Gospels, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead took
place on 'the first day after the Sabbath' (Mark 16:2,9; Luke
24:1; John 20:1). On the same day, the Risen Lord appeared to the
two disciples of Emmaus (cf. Luke 24:1335) and to the eleven
Apostles gathered together (cf. Luke 24:36; John 20:19). A week
later - as the Gospel of John recounts (cf. John 20:26) the
disciples were gathered together once again when Jesus appeared
to them and made Himself known to Thomas by showing him the signs
of His Passion. The day of Pentecost - the first day of the
eighth week after the Jewish Passover (cf. Acts 2:1), when the
promise made by Jesus to the Apostles after the Resurrection was
fulfilled by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (cf. Luke 24:49;
Acts 1:4-5) - also fell on a Sunday. This was the day of the
first proclamation and the first baptisms: Peter announced to the
assembled crowd that Christ was risen and 'those who received his
word were baptized' (Acts 2:41). This was the epiphany of the
Church, revealed as the people into which are gathered in unity,
beyond all their differences, the scattered children of God." 31
Numerous Catholic and Protestant scholars concur with John
Paul in attributing to Christ's Resurrection and appearances on
the first day of the week the fundamental reason for the choice
of Sunday by the Apostolic church. In his doctoral dissertation
on the origin of Sunday, Corrado Mosna, a Jesuit student at the
Pontifical Gregorian University who worked under Vincenzo
Monachino, S.J.(the same professor who monitored my
dissertation), concludes: "Therefore we can conclude with
certainty that the event of the Resurrection has determined the
choice of Sunday as the day of worship of the first Christian
community " 32
The same view is expressed by Cardinal Jean Danielou: "The
Lord's Day is a purely Christian institution; its origin is to be
found solely on the fact of the Resurrection of Christ on the day
after the Sabbath." 33 In a similar vein, Paul Jewett, a
Protestant scholar, writes: "What, it might be asked,
specifically motivated the primitive Jewish church to settle upon
Sunday as a regular time of assembly? As we have observed before,
it must have had something to do with the Resurrection which,
according to the uniform witness of the Gospels, occurred on the
first day of the week." 34
(It is more than just interesting that inspite of Paul in Romans
14, that some throw at you today, to support Sunday observance,
this theology has to ignore the contradition it would then be
with Romans 14, when if Paul is talking about (which he is not)
ANY day to set aside as holy, Sunday cannot be used as THE
"specific" day above any other day of the week. Hence all who try
to establish Sunday holiness, either have to ignore Romans 14 or
have to admit Paul is NOT discussing days in the context of
"which is holy to the Lord" - Keith Hunt)
Evaluation of the Resurrection.
In spite of its popularity, the alleged role of the
Resurrection in the adoption of Sunday observance lacks biblical
support. A careful study of all the references to the Resur-
rection reveals the incomparable importance of the event, 35 but
it does not provide any indication regarding a special day to
commemorate it. In fact, as Harold Riesenfeld notes, "In the
accounts of the Resurrection in the Gospels, there are no sayings
which direct that the great event of Christ's Resurrection should
be commemorated on the particular day of the week on which it
occurred." 36
Moreover, as the same author observes, "The first day of the
week, in the writings of the New Testament, is never called 'Day
of the Resurrection'. This is a term which made its appearance
later." 37 Its usage first appears in the fourth century.
Therefore, "to say that Sunday was observed because Jesus rose on
that day," as S.V.McCasland cogently states, "is really a petitio
principii [begging the question], for such a celebration might
just as well be monthly or annually and still be an observance of
that particular day. 38
The New Testament attributes no liturgical significance to
the day of Christ's Resurrection simply because the Resurrection
was seen as an existential reality experienced by living
victoriously by the power of the Risen Savior, and not a
liturgical practice associated with Sunday worship. Had Jesus
wanted to memorialize the day of His Resurrection, He would have
capitalized on the day of His Resurrection to make such a day the
fitting memorial of that event. But none of the utterances of the
risen Savior reveal an intent to memorialize the day of His
Resurrection by making it the new Christian day of rest and
worship. Biblical institutions such as the Sabbath, Baptism, and
the Lord's Supper all trace their origin to a divine act that
established them. But there is no such divine act for the
institution of a weekly Sunday or an annual Easter Sunday
memorial of the Resurrection.
The silence of the New Testament on this matter is very
important since most of its books were written many years after
Christ's death and Resurrection. If by the latter half of the
first century Sunday had come to be viewed as the memorial of the
Resurrection which fulfilled the creation/redemption functions of
the Old Testament Sabbath, as the Pope claims, we would expect to
find in the New Testament some allusions to the religious meaning
and observance of the weekly Sunday and/or annual Easter-Sunday.
The total absence of any such allusions indicates that such
developments occurred in the post-apostolic period as a result of
an interplay of political, social, and religious factors. These I
have examined at length in my dissertation "From Sabbath to
Sunday."
(Absolutely true!! If the day of Christ's resurrection was to
replace the Old Covenant Sabbath, the 4th commandment of the
great Ten, then there can be no doubt that Jesus or the apostles
would have clearly stated that fact. There would have been a
Jerusalem conference as in Acts 15 for the circumcision debate,
to debate and to send forth instructions that the resurrection
day was now the holy Sabbath of the Lord. No such assersions can
be found anywhere in the New Testament - Keith Hunt)
No Easter-Sunday in the New Testament.
The Pope's claim that the celebration of Christ's
Resurrection on a weekly Sunday and annual Easter-Sunday "evolved
from the early years after the Lord's Resurrection" 39 cannot be
substantiated Biblically or historically. There is nearly
unanimous scholarly consensus that for at least a century after
Jesus' death, Passover was observed not on Easter-Sunday, as a
celebration of the Resurrection, but on the date of Nisan 14
(irrespective of the day of the week) as a celebration of the
sufferings, atoning sacrifice, and Resurrection of Christ.
The repudiation of the Jewish reckoning of Passover and the
adoption of Easter-Sunday instead is a post-apostolic development
which is attributed, as Joachim Jeremias puts it, "to the
inclination to break away from Judaism" 40 and to avoid, as J. B.
Lightfoot explains, "even the semblance of Judaism." 41
The introduction and promotion of Easter-Sunday by the
Church of Rome in the second century caused the well-known
Passover (Quartodeciman) controversy which eventually led Bishop
Victor of Rome to excommunicate the Asian Christians (c. A.D.
191) for refusing to adopt Easter-Sunday. 42 Indications such as
these suffice to show that Christ's Resurrection was not
celebrated on a weekly Sunday and annual Easter-Sunday from the
inception of Christianity. The social, political, and religious
factors that contributed to the change from Sabbath to Sunday and
Passover to Easter-Sunday are discussed at great length in my
dissertation.
(Once more this is clearly what "Church history" records and
teaches. It also records there was opposition to Sunday and
Easter-Sunday; for a few hundred years the Christian world was
divided over Sabbath/Sunday and Passover/Easter. As the church of
Rome grew and finally became the "state religion" under
Constantine about 313 A.D. there were much fewer Christians
observing the 7th day Sabbath and Passover, but there always
remained some who did, just as it is so today - Keith Hunt)
Evaluation of the Appearances.
John Paul attaches particular significance to the
appearances of the Risen Lord on the first day of the week to
"the two disciples of Emmaus (cf. Luke 24:13-35) and to the
eleven Apostles gathered together (cf. Luke 24:36-49; John
20:19)." 43 The fact that He also appeared to the disciples the
following Sunday ("eight days later" - John 20:26) to make
Himself known to Thomas, and that He fulfilled the promise of
outpouring the Holy Spirit on a Sunday (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5)
is seen as the beginning of a consistent pattern of Sunday
observance. 44
The appearances of Christ do not follow any consistent
pattern. The mention of Christ's appearance "eight days later"
(John 20:26), supposedly the Sunday following His Resurrection,
can hardly suggest a regular pattern of Sunday observance since
John himself explains its reason, namely, the absence of Thomas
at the previous appearance (John 20:24). Moreover, on this
occasion, John makes no reference to any cultic meal but simply
to Christ's tangible demonstration to Thomas of the reality of
his bodily Resurrection (John 20:26-29). The fact that "eight
days later" the disciples were again gathered together is not
surprising, since we are told that before Pentecost "they were
staying" (Acts 1:13) together in the upper room and there they
met daily for mutual edification (Acts 1:14; 2:1).
No consistent pattern can be derived from Christ's
appearances to justify the institution of a recurring eucharistic
celebration on Sunday. The Lord appeared to individuals and to
groups not only on Sunday but at different times, places, and
circumstances. He appeared, in fact, to single persons such as
Cephas and James (1 Cor. 15:5,7), to the twelve (vv.5,7), and to
a group of five hundred persons (v.6). The meetings occurred, for
instance, while the disciples were gathered within shut doors for
fear of the Jews (John 20:19,26), traveling on the Emmaus road
(Luke 24:13-35), or fishing on the lake of Galilee (John
21:1-14).
Only with two disciples at Emmaus, Christ "took the bread
and blessed; and broke it, and gave it to them" (Luke 24:30).
This last instance may sound like the celebration of the
Lord's Supper, but in reality it was an ordinary meal around an
ordinary table to which Jesus was invited. Christ accepted the
hospitality of the two disciples and sat "at the table with them"
(Luke 24:30). According to prevailing custom, the Lord "took the
bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them" (Luke
24:30). This act, as explained by J.Behm, was "simply a customary
and necessary part of the preparation for eating together." 45
The Witness of Matthew and Mark. Another notable point is that,
according to Matthew (28:10) and Mark (16:7), Christ's
appearances occurred not in Jerusalem (as mentioned by Luke and
John) but in Galilee. This suggests that, as S.V.McCasland
observes, "the appearance may have been as much as ten days
later, after the feast of the unleavened bread, as indicated by
the closing fragments of the Gospel of Peter. But if the
appearance at this late date was on Sunday it would be scarcely
possible to account for the observance of Sunday in such an
accidental way." 46
While it may be difficult to explain the discrepancies in
the Gospels' narratives, the fact remains that both Matthew and
Mark make no reference to any meal or meeting of Christ with his
disciples on Easter Sunday. This implies that no particular
importance was attributed to the meal Christ shared with his
disciples on the Sunday night of his Resurrection.
In the light of the foregoing considerations, we conclude
that Christ's appearances served to reassure the disheartened
disciples of the reality of Christ's Resurrection, but they could
hardly have set the pattern for a recurring weekly commemoration
of the Resurrection. They occurred at different times, places,
and circumstances; and in those instances where Christ ate, He
partook of ordinary food (like fish - John 21:13), not to
institute a eucharistic Sunday worship but to demonstrate the
reality of his bodily Resurrection.
(As a child reading my Bible from the age of 7, reading the
Gospels many numbers of time during my childhood and teens,
attending on a very regular basis "Sunday school" - I never came
close to associating the appearances of Christ after His
resurrection, to teach us the sanctification of Sunday. This is
how the mind of a child would read the Gospels and first chapter
of Acts, if fed no preconceived ideas of theology - Keith Hunt)
(2) The Day of the Sun and the Creation of Light
John Paul maintains that "the Old Testament vision of the
Sabbath" inspired the earliest Christians to link the
Resurrection with the first day of creation. He writes:
"Christian thought spontaneously linked the Resurrection,
which took place on 'the first day of the week,' with the
first day of that cosmic week (cf. Gen. 1:1-2:4) which
shapes the creation story of the Book of Genesis: the day of
the creation of light (cf. 1:3-5)." 47
The linkage between the Resurrection and the creation of
light was not as "spontaneously" inspired by "the Old Testament
vision of the Sabbath," as the Pope suggests. In my dissertation
"From Sabbath to Sunday," I submit compelling documents
indicating that such linkage was inspired by the necessity which
arose in the post-apostolic period to justify the abandonment of
the Sabbath and the adoption of the Day of the Sun.
Hadrianic Anti-Sabbath Legislation.
This development began during the reign of the Emperor
Hadrian (A.D.117-138) as a result of the repressive anti-Judaic
legislation. In A.D.135, Hadrian promulgated a legislation that
categorically prohibited the practice of Judaism, in general, and
of Sabbathkeeping, in particular. The aim of this legislation was
to liquidate Judaism as a religion at a time when the Jews where
experiencing resurgent Messianic expectations that exploded in
violent uprisings in various parts of the empire, especially
Palestine. 48
To avoid the repressive anti-Jewish and anti-Sabbath
legislation, most Christians adopted the Day of the Sun as their
new day of worship. This enabled them to show the Roman
authorities their differentiations from the Jews and their
identification and integration with the customs and cycles of the
Roman empire.
To develop a theological justification for worshipping on
the Day of the Sun, Christians appealed to God's creation of
light on the first day and to the Resurrection of Christ as the
Sun of Justice, since both events coincided with the Day of the
Sun. The latter was connected to the first day of the
creation-week, because the creation of light on the first day
provided what appeared to many a providential biblical
justification for observing the Day of the Sun, the generator of
light.
Sunday and the Creation of Light.
The earliest example of this linkage is found in Justin
Martyr's "Apology," addressed to the Emperor Antoninus Pius
(about A.D.150). Justin writes: "Sunday (dies solis) is the day
on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first
day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and
matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Savior on the same
day rose from the dead." 49 Christians, as Cardinal J.Danielou
points out, noticed early the coincidence between the creation of
light on the first day and the veneration of the Sun which took
place on the selfsame day. 50
Jerome (A.D.342-420) makes the connection very explicit when
he says: "If it is called the Day of the Sun by the pagans, we
most willingly acknowledge it as such, since it is on this day
that the light of the world appeared and on this day the Sun of
Justice has risen." 51
These considerations suggest that Christians did not
spontaneously come to view the day of Christ's Resurrection as
the fulfillment of the creative and redemptive accomplishments
celebrated by the seventh day Sabbath. The linkage to the
creation week was made primarily by virtue of the fact that the
creation of the light on the first day provided what to many
Christians appeared to be a "biblical" justification for
observing the Day of the Sun.
Evangelistic Considerations.
The christianization of the Day of the Sun was apparently
designed also to facilitate the acceptance of Christianity by
pagans who worshipped the Sun-god, especially on his day of the
Sun. For them to adopt the Day of the Sun as their Christian day
of worship was not a problem since that day already had special
religious significance in their pagan religion.
It is noteworthy that the growing popularity of Sun worship
led to the advancement of the Day of the Sun from the position of
second day of the week (following Saturn-day), to that of first
and most important day of the week. The historical sources
available indicate that this development occurred in the early
part of the second century - that is, at the very time when
Christians adopted the Day of the Sun for their weekly worship.
52
John Paul acknowledges the evangelistic intent of the
adoption of the "day of the Sun." He writes: "Wise pastoral
intuition suggested to the Church the christianization of the
notion of Sunday as 'the day of the Sun,' which was the Roman
name for the day and which is retained in some modern languages.
This was in order to draw the faithful away from the seduction of
cults which worshipped the sun, and to direct the celebration of
the day to Christ, humanity's true 'sun.'" 53
Unfortunately, this strategy backfired because Christians
were often tempted to revert to the popular veneration of the Sun
and other planetary gods. For example, Philaster, Bishop of
Brescia (died ca. A.D.397) condemns as heresy the prevailing
belief that "the name of the days of the Sun, of the Moon ... had
been established by God at the creation of the world ... The
pagans, that is, the Greeks have set up such names and with the
names also the notion that mankind depends from the seven stars"
54
In a document attributed to Priscillian, a Spanish Bishop of
Avila (ca. A.D.340-385), anathema is pronounced against those
Christians who "in their sacred ceremonies, venerate and
acknowledge as gods the Sun, Moon ... and all the heavenly host,
which are detestable idols worthy of the Gehenna." 55
The adoption and christianization of the day of the sun,
instead of the biblical Sabbath, has not proven to be a "wise
pastoral intuition" since it has tempted Christians in the past
to revert to pagan worship, and it is tempting Christians today
to treat Sunday as a pagan holiday rather than as a Biblical Holy
Day.
Was Sunday Needed?
At this juncture I would like to pose respectfully to Pope
John Paul some important questions: If the Sabbath had been
divinely established to commemorate God's creative and re-
demptive accomplishments on behalf of His people, what right had
the Catholic Church to make Sunday the legitimate "fulfillment,"
"full expression," and "extension" of the Sabbath? Was the
theology and typology of the Sabbath no longer adequate after the
Cross to commemorate creation and redemption? Was not the Paschal
Mystery fulfilled through the death, burial, and Resurrection of
Christ which occurred respectively on Friday, Saturday, and
Sunday?
(Here Bacchiocchi is wrong! The death of Christ was a Wednesday
afternoon and he was put in the grave Wednesday evening. He arose
from the dead Saturday evening - three days and three nights
later just as he said He would - Mat.12:40 - Keith Hunt)
Why should Sunday be chosen to celebrate the atoning
sacrifice of Christ when His redemptive mission was completed on
a Friday afternoon when the Savior exclaimed "It is finished"
(John 19:30), and then He rested in the tomb according to the
Sabbath commandment? Does not this fact suggest that both God's
creation rest and Christ's redemption rest in the tomb occurred
on the Sabbath? How can Sunday be invested with the
eschatological meaning of the final restoration rest that awaits
the people of God when the New Testament attaches such a meaning
to the Sabbath? "A Sabbath rest [literally, a 'Sabbathkeeping']
has been left behind [apoleipetai] for the people of God" (Heb
4:9). Augustine himself recognizes the eschatological meaning of
the Sabbath when he eloquently says that on that final Sabbath
"we shall rest and see, see and love, love and praise." 56
May I respectfully suggest that the Pope's attempt to invest
Sunday with the theological meaning and eschatological function
of the Sabbath by virtue of Christ's Resurrection on the first
day is well-meaning but misguided. It mistakenly makes Sunday the
biblical Sabbath, when in reality the two days differ radically
in their origin, meaning, authority, and experience.
(Jesus did rest in the grave on the Sabbath. He was resurrected
after sunset on what we would call Saturday evening. It was as
all early Christians knew, a first day resurrection. Christ in
typology was the first fruits from the dead, the first to be
raised from the dead to immortal glory. The cutting of the wave-
sheaf [Sadducee teaching] was correctly done by the Sadducees on
Saturday evening after sunset, and the counting to Pentecost
started from the first day of the week, for 49 days or seven
weekly Sabbaths, to the 50th day, or the morrow after the seventh
Sabbath, which would then always be on a Sunday. Jesus was the
first of the firstfruits, a first day resurrection. We Christians
are the firstfruits to God the Father, pictured by the Feast of
firstfruits Pentecost. All this typology is expounded upon in
various of my sturdies on this Website - Keith Hunt)
(3) The Religious Gatherings on the First Day of the Week
In his Pastoral Letter, Pope John Paul traces the origin of
Sunday worship back to the Apostolic church. He claims that from
Apostolic times the first day of the week shaped the religious
life of Christ's disciples. 57 To support this claim, the Pope
appeals to three commonly used texts: (1) 1 Corinthians 16:2, (2)
Acts 20:7-12, and (3) Revelation 1:10. Each of these passages are
examined at great length in my dissertation. 58 In this context
I limit myself to a few basic observations.
1 Corinthians 16:2: Christian Sunday Gatherings?
The firstday fund-rasing plan recommended by Paul in 1
Corinthians 16:1-3 is cited by John Paul as an indication that
"from Apostolic times, 'the first day after the Sabbath,' the
first day of the week, began to shape the rhythm of life
for Christ's disciples (cf. 1 Cor. 16:2)." 59 The Pope affirms
that "ever since Apostolic times, the Sunday gathering has in
fact been for Christians a moment of fraternal sharing with the
poor. 'On the first day of the week, each of you is to put aside
and save whatever extra you earn' (1 Cor. 16:2), says Saint Paul
in referring to the collection organized for the poor churches of
Judaea." 60
John Paul sees in the first-day fund-raising plan
recommended by Paul in this text a clear indication that the
Christian Church gathered for worship on that day. This view is
shared by numerous Catholic and Protestant scholars. 61 For
example, Corrado Mosna argues that since Paul designates the
"offering" in 2 Corinthians 9:12 as "service-leiturgia," the
collection [of 1 Corinthians 16:2] must have been linked with the
Sunday worship service of the Christian assembly." 62
The various attempts to extrapolate from Paul's fund-raising
plan a regular pattern of Sunday observance reveal inventiveness
and originality, but they rest on construed arguments and not on
the actual information the text provides.
Observe, first of all, that there is nothing in the text to
suggests public assemblies inasmuch as the setting aside of funds
was to be done "by himself--par'heauto." The phrase suggests that
the collection was to be done individually and in private.
If the Christian community was worshiping together on
Sunday, it appears paradoxical that Paul should recommend laying
aside at home one's gift. Why should Christians deposit their
offering at home on Sunday if on such a day they were gathering
for worship? Should not the money have been brought to the Sunday
service?
(It is a mighty big leap to read into this fund-raising as
teaching a "regular" Sunday worship practice, and especially any
teaching to show Sunday was now a "holy day" in-place-of the 4th
commandment Sabbath. People who jump to this conclusion are
indeed doing what many Bible sceptics have claimed: "You can make
the Bible say anything you want it to say" - Keith Hunt)
Purpose of the Fund-raising Plan.
The purpose of the first-day fund-raising plan is clearly
stated by the Apostle: "So that contributions need not be made
when I come" (1 Cor. 16:2). The plan then is proposed not to
enhance Sunday worship by the offering of gifts, but to ensure a
substantial and efficient collection upon his arrival. Four
characteristics can be identified in the plan. The offering was
to be laid aside periodically ("on the first day of every week" -
v.2), personally ("each of you" - v.2), privately ("by himself in
store" - v.2), and proportionately ("as he may prosper" - v.2).
To the same community on another occasion, Paul thought it
necessary to send brethren to "arrange in advance for the gift
... promised, so that it may be ready not as an exaction but as a
willing gift" (2 Cor. 9:5). The Apostle desired to avoid
embarrassing both to the givers and to the collectors when
finding that they "were not ready" (2 Cor. 9:4) for the
offering. To avoid such problems in this instance, he recommends
both a time - the first day of the week - and a place - one's
home.
Paul's mention of the first day could be motivated more by
practical than theological reasons. To wait until the end of the
week or of the month to set aside one's contributions or savings
is contrary to sound budgetary practices, since by then one finds
empty pockets and empty hands. On the other hand, if, on the
first day of the week before planning any expenditures, believers
set aside what they plan to give, the remaining funds will be so
distributed as to meet all the basic necessities. The text,
therefore, proposes a valuable weekly plan to ensure a
substantial and orderly contribution on behalf of the poor
brethren of Jerusalem - to extract more meaning from the text
would distort it.
(Would for sure destroy it, but would also be making the Bible
say anything you desire it to say, and that is one very good
reason you have all the "denominations" in Christendom that we
have - Keith Hunt)
Acts 20:7-11: First-Day Troas Meeting.
Fundamental importance is attributed to Acts 20:7-11
inasmuch as it contains the only explicit New Testament reference
to a Christian gathering conducted "on the first day of the week
... to break bread" (Acts 20:7). John Paul assumes that the
meeting was a customary Sunday assembly "upon which the faithful
of Troas were gathered 'for the breaking of the bread [that is,
the Eucharistic celebration]." 63
Numerous scholars share the Pope's view. F.F.Bruce, for
example, affirms that this statement "is the earliest unambiguous
evidence we have for the Christian practice of gathering together
for worship on that day." 64 Paul Jewett similarly declares that
"here is the earliest clear witness to Christian assembly for
purposes of worship on the first day of the week." 65 Statements
like these could be multiplied.
These categorical conclusions rest mostly on the assumption
that verse 7 represents "a fixed formula" which describes the
habitual time ("On the first day of the week") and the nature
("to break bread") of the primitive Christian worship. Since,
however, the meeting occurred in the evening and "the breaking of
the bread" took place after midnight (vv.7,11) and Paul left the
believers at dawn, we need to ask: Was the time and nature of the
Troas gathering ordinary or extraordinary, occasioned perhaps by
the departure of the Apostle?
Special Farewell Gathering.
The context clearly indicates that it was a special farewell
gathering occasioned by the departure of Paul, and not a regular
Sunday-worship custom. The meeting began on the evening of the
first day, which, according to Jewish reckoning, was our Saturday
night, and continued until early Sunday morning when Paul
departed.
Being a night meeting occasioned by the departure of the
Apostle at dawn, it is hardly reflective of regular
Sundaykeeping.
Paul would have observed with the believers only the night
of Sunday and traveled during the day time. This was not allowed
on the Sabbath and would not have set the best example of
Sundaykeeping either. The passage suggests, as noted by F.J.
Foakes-Jackson, that "Paul and his friends could not, as good
Jews, start on a journey on a Sabbath; they did so as soon after
it as was possible (verse 12) at dawn on the 'first day' the
Sabbath having ended at sunset." 66
The Breaking of the Bread.
The expression "to break bread--klasai arton" deserves
closer attention. What does it actually mean in the context of
the passage? Does it mean that 'the Christians came together for
a fellowship meal or to celebrate the Lord's Supper? It should be
noted that the breaking of bread was simply a customary and
necessary part of the preparation for eating together. The act of
breaking in pieces a loaf of bread by the host marked the opening
action of a meal. In most European cultures, the same function is
fulfilled by the host wishing "Buon appetito--Good Appetite" to
the guest. This ritual gives permission to all to begin eating.
In the post-apostolic literature, the expression "breaking
of bread" is used as a technical designation for the Lord's
Supper. But this is not the common meaning or usage in the New
Testament. In fact, the verb "to break--klao" followed by the
noun "bread--artos" occurs fifteen times in the New Testament.
Nine times it refers to Christ's act of breaking bread when
feeding the multitude, when partaking of the Last Supper, and
when eating with His disciples after His Resurrection (Matt
14:19; 15:36; 26:26; Mark 8:6; 9:19; 14:22; Luke 22:19; 24:30;
24:35); twice it describes Paul's commencing and partaking of a
meal (Acts 20:11; 27:35); twice it describes the actual breaking
of the bread of the Lord's Supper (1 Cor. 10:16; 11:24); and
twice it is used as a general reference to the disciples' or
believers' "breaking bread" together (Acts 2:46; 20:7).
It should be noticed that in none of these instances is the
Lord's Supper explicitly or technically designated as "the
breaking of bread." An attempt could be made to see a reference
to the Lord's Supper in the two general references of Acts 2:46
and 20:7. As far as Acts 2:46 is concerned, the phrase "breaking
bread in their homes" obviously refers to the daily
table-fellowship of the earliest Christians, when, as the text
says, "day by day ... they partook of food with glad and generous
hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people" (Acts
2:46-47).
Such daily table-fellowship, though it may have included the
celebrations of the Lord's Supper, can hardly be construed as
exclusive liturgical celebrations of the Lord's Supper. The
equivalent statement found in Acts 20:7, "We were gathered
together to break bread," similarly needs mean no more than "We
were gathered to eat together." In fact, there is no mention of a
cup, nor of any prayers or reading of a Scripture. It is Paul
alone who broke bread and ate. No indication is given that he
ever blessed the bread or the wine or that he distributed it to
the believers.
Furthermore, the breaking of bread was followed by a meal
"having eaten--geusamenos" (v.11). The same verb is used by Luke
in three other instances with the explicit meaning of satisfying
hunger (Acts 10:10; 23:14; Luke 14:24). Undoubtedly, Paul was
hungry after his prolonged speech and needed some food before he
could continue his exhortation and start his journey. However, if
Paul partook of the Lord's Supper together with a regular meal,
he would have acted contrary to his recent instruction to the
Corinthians to whom he strongly recommended satisfying their
hunger by eating at home before gathering to celebrate the Lord's
Supper (1 Cor. 11:2,22,34).
The New Testament does not offer any indication regarding a
fixed day for the celebration of the Lord's Supper. While Paul
recommends to the Corinthian believers a specific day on which to
privately set aside their offerings, concerning the celebration
of the Lord's Supper he repeatedly says in the same epistle and
to the same people, "When you come together" (1 Cor. 11:18,20,
33,34), implying indeterminate times and days.
The simplest way to explain the passage is that Luke
mentions the day of the meeting not because it was Sunday, but
most likely because (1) Paul was "ready to depart" (Acts 20:7),
(2) the extraordinary miracle of Eutychus occurred that night,
and (3) the time reference provides an additional, significant,
chonological reference to describe the unfolding of Paul's
journey.
(Again, a mighty leap of imagination is needed to read into the
"break bread" passages, to infer a teaching of a regular Lord's
supper celebration on a now sanctified new Christian holy day,
that of Sunday sacredness. I had read those passages many times
as a boy and young man, and never once thought they taught
anything to do with any "sacred" day of any kind - Keith Hunt)
Revelation 1:10: "The Lord's Day."
The third crucial New Testament passage used by John Paul to
defend the apostolic origin of Sunday observance is found in the
book of Revelation. John, exiled on the "island of Patmos on
account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus" (Rev. 1
:9), writes: "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day--en to
kuriake hemera" (Rev 1:10).
John Paul claims that this text "gives evidence of the
practice of calling the first day of the week 'the Lord's Day'
(Rev. 1:10). This would now be a characteristic distinguishing
Christians from the world around them ... And when Christians
spoke of the 'Lord's Day,' they did so giving to this term the
full sense of the Easter proclamation: 'Jesus Christ is Lord'
(Phil. 2:11; cf. Acts 2:36; 1 Cor. 12:3)." 67
The implication of the Pope's statement is that New
Testament Christians not only called Sunday "The Lord's Day" but
also expressed through such designation their faith in their
Risen Savior. Numerous scholars share the same view. For example,
Corrado Mosna emphatically writes: "By the phrase 'Lord's Day'
(Rev. 1:10), John wishes to indicate specifically the day in
which the community celebrates together the eucharistic liturgy."
68 he phrase "eucharistic liturgy" is used by Catholics to
describe the Lord's Supper celebration in honor of the Risen
Lord.
A detailed analysis of this text would take us beyond the
limited scope of this chapter. In my dissertation "From Sabbath
to Sunday" I devoted twenty pages (pp.111 to 131) to an
examination of this verse. For the purpose of this chapter, I
submit only two basic observations.
First, the equation of Sunday with the expression "Lord's
day" is not based on internal evidences of the book of Revelation
or of the rest of the New Testament, but on three second-century
patristic testimonies, namely, "Didache" 14:1, Ignatius' "Epistle
to the Magnesians" 9:1, and "The Gospel of Peter" 35; 50. Of the
three, however, only in the "Gospel of Peter," written toward the
end of the second century, is Sunday unmistakably designated by
the technical term "Lord's--kuriake." In two different verses it
reads: "Now in the night in which the Lord's day (He kuriake)
dawned ... there rang out a loud voice in heaven" (v.35); "Early
in the morning of the Lord's day (tes kuriakes) Mary Magdalene
... came to the sepulchre" (v.50,51).
It is noteworthy that while in the genuine Gospels Mary
Magdalene and the other women went to the sepulchre "early on the
first day of the week" (Mark 16:2; cf. Matt 28:1; Luke 24:1; John
20:1), in the apocryphal "Gospel of Peter" it says that they went
"early in the morning of the Lord's day." The use of the new
designation "Lord's Day" instead of "first day of the week"
clearly indicates that by the end of the second century
Christians referred to Sunday as "the Lord's Day."
The latter usage, however, cannot be legitimately read back
into Revelation 1:10. A major reason is that if Sunday had
already received the new appellation "Lord's day" by the end of
the first century, when both the Gospel of John and the book of
Revelation were written, we would expect this new name for Sunday
to be used consistently in both works, especially since they were
apparently produced by the same author at approximately the same
time and in the same geographical area.
If the new designation "Lord's day" already existed by the
end of the first century, and expressed the meaning and nature of
Christian Sunday worship, John would not have had reasons to use
the Jewish phrase "first day of the week" in his Gospel.
Therefore, the fact that the expression "Lord's day" occurs
in John's apocalyptic book but not in his Gospel where the first
day is explicitly mentioned in conjunction with the Resurrection
(John 20:1) and the appearances of Jesus (John 20:19,26) suggests
that the "Lord's day" of Revelation 1:10 can hardly refer to
Sunday.
No Easter Sunday.
A second important consideration that discredits the Pope's
claim that Sunday was called "Lord's Day" in the "sense of the
Easter proclamation" is the fact that the book of Revelation is
addressed to the seven churches of Asia Minor who did not observe
Easter-Sunday. Instead, they observed Passover by the biblical
date of Nisan 14. Polycrates, who claims to be following the
tradition of the Apostle John, convened a council of the church
leaders of Asia Minor (about A.D.191) to discuss the summon
received from Bishop Victor of Rome to adopt Easter-Sunday. The
unanimous decision of the Asian bishops was to reject
Easter-Sunday and to retain the Biblical dating of Passover. 69
In the light of these facts, it would be paradoxical if the
Apostle John, who kept Passover by the fixed date of Nisan 14 and
who wrote to Christians in Asia Minor who like him did not
observe Easter-Sunday, would have used the phrase "Lord's Day" to
express his Easter faith in the Risen Lord. Cardinal Jean
Danielou, a respected Catholic scholar, timidly acknowledges this
fact when he writes: "In the Apocalypse (1:10), when Easter takes
place on the 14 Nisan, the word [Lord's Day] does not perhaps
mean Sunday." 70
The only day that John knew as the "Lord's Day" by the end
of the first century when he wrote the book of Revelation is the
Sabbath. This is the only day of which Christ proclaims Himself
to be "Lord--kupios." "For the Son of man is lord of the Sabbath"
(Matt. 12:8).
The immediate context that precedes and follows Revelation
1:10 contains unmistakable references to the eschatological day
of the Lord. This suggests the possibility that the "Lord's Day"
on which John was transported in vision was a Sabbath day in
which he saw the great day of Christ's coming. What greater
vision could have given courage to the aged Apostle in exile for
his witness to Christ! Moreover, the Sabbath is closely linked
eschatologically to the Second Advent. The meeting of the
invisible Lord in time on the weekly Sabbath is a prelude to the
meeting of the visible Lord in space on the final day of His
coming.
(As Bacchiocchi elsewhere writes, the meaning of "the Lord's day"
in the book of Revelation, a prophetic book, is in tune with the
Old Testament prophets when they used the phrase "Lord's day" as
the prophetic time of the end of the age and the time when God
steps in to save the world from itself; the time of mighty
tribulation and miracles and prophetic events, that leads up to
the end of the age and the coming of Christ in visible power and
glory, to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth. Most of the
book of Revelation is the prophecy of the time of the wrath of
God's punishment and intervention on the nations of the earth.
John sees in vision this period of the end time, or the "day of
the Lord." The phrase as used by John has nothing to do with ANY
day of the week - Keith Hunt)
Summing up, the attempt of the Pastoral Letter to find
biblical support for Sunday worship in the New Testament
references to the Resurrection (Mark 16:2, 9; Luke 24:1; John
20:1) - the first-day farewell night meeting at Troas (Acts
20:7-11), the first-day private deposit plan mentioned by Paul in
1 Corinthians 16:1-3, and the reference to the "Lord's Day" in
Revelation 1:10 - is not new. The same arguments have been used
repeatedly in the past and found wanting.
An important fact, often ignored, is that if Paul or any
other apostle had attempted to promote the abandonment of the
Sabbath (a millenarian institution deeply rooted in the religious
consciousness of God's people), and the adoption instead of
Sunday observance, they would have stirred up considerable
opposition on the part of Jewish-Christians, as was the case with
reference to the circumcision.
The absence of any echo of Sabbath/Sunday controversy in the
New Testament is a most telling evidence that the introduction of
Sunday observance is a post-apostolic phenomenon. In my
dissertation "From Sabbath to Sunday," I endeavored to identify
the interplay of social, political, and religious factors that
contributed to this historical change. In the light of these
considerations, the attempt of Pope John Paul to give a biblical
sanction to Sunday worship by tracing its origins to the
Apostolic Church must be viewed as well-meaning but devoid of
biblical support.
(INDEED, ANY CHANGE FROM SABBATH TO SUNDAY IN APOSTOLIC TIMES
WOULD HAVE CAUSED A JERUSALEM MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE, LIKE WE
FIND ON THE SUBJECT OF CIRCUMCISION IN ACTS 15. SUCH A CHANGE IN
SUCH A LONG AND IMPORTANT ESTABLISHMENT AND PRACTICE OF 7TH DAY
SABBATHKEEPING WOULD HAVE ROCKED THE NEW TESTAMENT WRITERS, TO
THE POINT WHERE THEY WOULD HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT IT IN NO UNCERTAIN
TERMS. NO SUCH WORD BEING THERE ABOUT SUCH A CHANGE CAN ONLY MEAN
ONE THING: THE 7TH DAY SABBATH WAS STILL THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT
AND THERE WAS NO CHANGING IN ITS WORDING; IT STILL REMAINED IN
FULL TACK - FULL DRESS - AND FULLY ESTABLISHED HAS IT HAD BEEN
FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE CREATION OF GENESIS 1 AND 2 - Keith
Hunt)
PART 3 POPE JOHN PAUL'S CALL FOR SUNDAY LEGISLATION
In his Pastoral Letter Dies Domini, Pope John Paul devotes
one of the five chapters (chapter 4) to emphasize the obligation
of Sunday observance and the legislation needed to facilitate
compliance with such obligation. The Pope's call for civil
legislation to facilitate Sunday observance stems from three
major considerations which we need to briefly consider:
...................
To be continued
3. The SABBATH under Crossfire
The Pope's Position on Sunday-keeping
Continued from previous page
(1) The moral obligation of Sunday observance
(2) The ecclesiastical enforcement of Sunday observance
(3) The call for civil Sunday legislation
(1) The Moral Obligation of Sunday Observance
For the Pope, Sunday observance is not an option but a moral
obligation which is well-defined both in the Catholic Catechism
and the Catholic Canon Law. We have seen that John Paul roots
such an obligation in the Sabbath commandment itself, because he
believes that Sunday is "inscribed" in the Decalogue and is the
fulfillment and full expression of the Sabbath. This means that
Sunday must be observed according to the directives of the
Sabbath commandment.
John Paul writes: "It is the duty of Christians, therefore,
to remember that, although the practices of the Jewish Sabbath
are gone, surpassed as they are by the 'fulfillment' which Sunday
brings, the underlying reasons for keeping 'the Lord's Day' holy
- inscribed solemnly in the Ten Commandments - remain valid,
though they need to be reinterpreted in the light of the theology
and spirituality of Sunday." 71 The Pope continues quoting the
Deuteronomic version of the Sabbath commandment (Deut. 5:12-15).
The moral obligation to observe Sunday for the Pope is "inscribed
solemnly in the Ten Commandments" because, "more than a
'replacement' of the Sabbath, Sunday is its fulfillment, and in a
certain sense its extension and full expression in the ordered
unfolding of the history of salvation." 72 "From this
perspective," John Paul continues, "the biblical theology of the
'Sabbath' can be recovered in full, without compromising the
Christian character of Sunday." 73
Evaluation.
The Pope's attempt to ground the moral obligation of Sunday
observance in the Sabbath commandment is very ingenious, but, as
shown earlier, it lacks biblical and historical support. From a
biblical perspective, there are no indications in the New
Testament that Sunday was ever viewed as the "extension and full
expression" of the Sabbath. Similarly, from a historical
perspective, the Fathers emphasize the difference and not the
continuity between Sabbath and Sunday.
The three major theological meanings of Sunday which I found
in the writings of the Fathers are as follows: (1) the
commemoration of the anniversary of creation, especially the
creation of light on the first day which was suggested by its
analogy to the Day of the Sun; (2) the commemoration of Christ's
Resurrection which eventually emerged as the fundamental reason
for Sundaykeeping; and (3) the cosmic and eschatological
speculations about the significance of the eighth day. An
extensive discussion of these theological reasons is found in
chapter 9 of my dissertation "From Sabbath to Sunday"
Speculations about the eighth day abound in the Patristic
literature because they served to prove the superiority of Sunday
- as the eighth day, symbol of the eternal world - in contrast to
the Sabbath, as the seventh day, symbol of the terrestial
millennium. These speculations were repudiated in the fourth
century when the necessity to prove the superiority of Sunday
over the Sabbath subsided." 74
A careful study of early Christian literature suggests that
Sunday arose, not as "the extension" of the Sabbath, but as its
replacement. The necessity which arose to separate from the Jews
and their Sabbath influenced Gentile Christians to adopt the
venerable day of the Sun, since it provided an adequate time and
symbolism to commemorate significant divine events which occurred
on that day, such as the creation of light and the Resurrection
of the Sun of Justice.
The adoption of the Day of the Sun provoked a controversy
with those who maintained the continuity and inviolability of the
Sabbath. To silence such opposition, the symbolism of the first
and eighth day were introduced and widely used by the Fathers,
since they provided seemingly valuable apologetic arguments to
defend the superiority of Sunday. As the first day, Sunday could
allegedly claim superiority over the Sabbath, since it celebrated
the anniversary of both the first and the second creation which
was inaugurated by Christ's Resurrection. The seventh day, on the
other hand, could only claim to commemorate the completion of
creation. As the eighth day, Sunday could claim to be the alleged
continuation, and supplantation of the Sabbath, both temporally
and eschatologically. 75
The polemic nature of the theological arguments developed by
the Fathers to justify Sunday observance do not support the claim
of the Pastoral Letter that Sunday was seen by the primitive
Church as "the extension and full expression" of the Sabbath. The
historical reality is that the Fathers emphasized the distinction
between Sabbath and Sunday by making the Sabbath a Jewish
institution terminated by Christ.
In the light of these considerations, the Pope's attempt to
ground the moral obligation of Sunday observance on the Sabbath
commandment must be viewed as a well-meaning but misinformed
endeavor, because theologically, historically, and existentially,
Sunday has never been the Sabbath.
(2) The Ecclesiastical Enforcement of Sunday Observance
In his Pastoral Letter, Pope John Paul emphasizes not only
the moral obligation of Sunday observance, but also the
responsibility of the Catholic Church to ensure that her members
respect such an obligation. This concept is foreign to most
Protestants who view going to church on Sunday as a good
practice, but not as a church law. Protestant churches do not
condemn the failure to attend Sunday services as a serious sin.
By contrast, the Catholic Church views the deliberate failure to
attend Sunday Mass as a grave sin.
It is important to understand the Catholic view of the
obligatory nature of attending Sunday Mass in order to comprehend
why the Catholic Church enforces such practice within the church
by means of Canon Law, and why it also urges civil governments to
pass civil Sunday legislation that respects the duty of Catholics
to fulfill their worship obligations. The connection between the
two is discussed below.
Historically, enforcement of Sunday worship within the
Catholic Church began in the fourth century. The protection
provided by the Constantinian Sunday Law (A.D.321) tempted many
Christians to become negligent about attending Sunday Mass.
To remedy this problem, as John Paul explains, "The Church had to
make explicit the duty to attend Sunday Mass: more often than
not, this was done in the form of exhortation, but at times the
Church had to resort to specific canonical precepts. This was the
case in a number of local Councils from the fourth century
onwards (as at the Council of Elvira of 300, which speaks not of
an obligation but of penalties after three absences) and most
especially from the sixth century onwards (as at the Council of
Agde in 506). These decrees of local Councils led to a universal
practice, the obligatory character of which was taken as
something quite normal." 76
The obligation to attend Sunday Mass was eventually made
"into a universal law" in 1917. Such law was incorporated into
the Catholic "Canon Law," that is, the law that governs the
Catholic religious life. The Pope notes that "this legislation
has normally been understood as entailing a grave obligation:
this is the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and
it is easy to understand why if we keep in mind how vital Sunday
is for the Christian life." 77
Indeed, the Catechism of the Catholic Church is most
emphatic about the obligation to attend Sunday Mass, saying that
"the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass." 78 While
Protestant churches encourage their members to attend Sunday
services, the Catholic Church obliges their members to attend
Sunday Mass. The reason is that for Catholics "The Sunday
Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian
practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate
in the Eucharist on days of obligation .... Those who
deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin." 79
John Paul explains that "because the faithful are obliged to
attend Mass unless there is a grave impediment, Pastors have the
corresponding duty to offer to everyone the real possibility of
fulfilling the [Mass] precept." 80 To meet this need, Catholic
Church law has made provision for the celebration of several
Masses on Sunday as well as special Masses on Saturday evening
for those who cannot make it to church on Sunday. 81
Is the Lord's Supper a Sacrifice?
The fundamental problem with the obligatory nature of Sunday
Mass which the Pope reiterates in his Pastoral Letter is that it
stems not from the Sabbath Commandment nor from the New Testament
teaching regarding the Lord's Supper. It is rather from the
Catholic dogma of transubstantiation which views the Lord's
Supper as a reenactment of Christ's sacrifice.
Pope John Paul clearly states: "The Mass in fact truly makes
present the sacrifice of the Cross. Under the species of the
bread and wine ... Christ offers himself to the Father in the
same act of sacrifice by which He offered Himself on the Cross."
82 This dogmatic teaching is affirmed in the Catechism of the
Catholic Church: "The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of
the Eucharist are one single sacrifice. The victim is one and the
same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who
then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of the
offering is different. In the divine sacrifice which is
celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once
in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is
offered in an unbloody manner." 83
It is this view of the Mass as a re-enactment of Christ's
atoning sacrifice before God and on behalf of the faithful that
makes attendance to the Sunday Mass "a grave obligation." By
participating in the Mass, Catholics are promised the immediate
benefits of Christ's sacrifice which is re-enacted on their
behalf before their eyes. 84
Sacrifices and the Sabbath Commandment.
This sacrificial and sacramental view of the Lord's Supper
is foreign to the New Testament and to the intent of the Sabbath
commandment. In ancient Israel sacrificial offerings took place
at the Temple on the Sabbath (Num. 28:9-10), but Sabbath
observance did not entail participating in the sacrificial
rituals of the Tabernacle or of the Temple.
Pope John Paul and the Catholic dogma ignore that the
essence of the Sabbath commandment is not participating in a
sacrificial liturgy but is consecrating the Sabbath time to God.
The Sabbath commandment invites us to offer to God not
sacrifices, but our time, which for many is the most precious
commodity to sacrifice. By giving priority to God in our thinking
and living on the Sabbath, we show in a tangible way that God
really counts in our lives.
Jesus or His followers did not go to the Temple on the
Sabbath to watch the priestly sacrificial liturgy. Instead, they
went to the synagogue to participate in the study of Scripture,
to pray, and to sing praises to God.
By making the Eucharistic (Lord's Supper) celebration the
core of Sunday observance, the Catholic Church has facilitated
the secularization of Sunday. The reason is that many sincere
Catholics believe that once they have fulfilled "the Mass
precept," they are free to spend the rest of their Sunday time as
they wish. For the Pope to reverse this trend at this time is a
monumental task, especially since people today want holidays
rather than Holy Days.
The Nature and Time of the Lord's Supper.
The Catholic "sacrificial" view of the Lord's Supper as a
re-enactment of Christ's sacrifice is foreign to the teaching of
the New Testament. There is no need to repeat Christ's atoning
sacrifice because "he always lives to make intercession" for us
(Heb. 7:25). "Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with
hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God on our behalf (Heb. 9:24). Hebrews
continues noting that Christ does not need "to offer himself
repeatedly" (Heb. 9:25), as the Catholic Mass attempts to do,
because He has "offered [Himself] once to bear the sins of many"
(Heb. 9:28).
Paul understood the Lord's Supper to be a "proclamation,"
not a re-enactment of Christ's death. "For as often as you eat
this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until
he comes" (1 Cor. 11:26). The verb "proclaim--katangellein" is
used in the New Testament for heralding the Gospel (1 Cor. 9:14)
and for making known one's faith (Rom. 1:8). This suggests that
the celebration of the Lord's Supper is a proclamation of the
Gospel directed manward, not are-enactment of Christ's sacrifice
directed Godward, as taught by the Catholic church.
The Pope's contention that "the Eucharist is the heart of
Sunday" 85 cannot be supported by the witness of the New
Testament. Paul, who claims to transmit what he "received from
the Lord" (1 Cor. 11:23) regarding the Lord's Supper, nowhere
suggests that it should be celebrated on Sunday as the core of
the Sunday worship. The Apostle takes pains to instruct the
Corinthians concerning the manner of celebrating the Lord's
Supper, but on the question of the time of the assembly no less
than four times he repeats in the same chapter, "when you come
together--sunerkomenon" (1 Cor. 11:18,20,33,34), thus implying
indeterminate times and days.
If the Lord's Supper was indeed celebrated on Sunday, Paul
could hardly have failed to mention it at least once, since four
times he refers to the coming together for its celebration.
Furthermore, if Sunday was already regarded as the "Lord's day,"
Paul could have strengthened his plea for a more worshipful
attitude during the partaking of the Lord's Supper by reminding
the Corinthians of the sacred nature of the Lord's Day in which
they met. But, though Paul was familiar with the adjective
"Lord's--kuriakos" (since he uses it in v.20 to designate the
nature of the supper), he did not apply it to Sunday, which in
the same epistle he calls by the Jewish designation "first day of
the week" (1 Cor. 16:2).
The preceding observations have served to highlight three
major flaws in the arguments of the Pastoral Letter regarding the
enforcement of Sunday worship.
First, John Paul wants to ground Sunday observance in the
Sabbath commandment in spite of the fact that the essence of
Sabbathkeeping is not participation in sacrificial rituals but
the consecration of time to God.
Second, John Paul contends that the Eucharistic (Lord's
Supper) celebration is the heart of Sunday worship in spite of
the fact that the Lord's Supper was not associated with Sunday or
Sabbath worship in the Apostolic Church.
Third, John Paul maintains that the Lord's Supper is a
sacrifice in which Christ offers Himself anew to the Father on
behalf of the faithful in spite of the fact that the New
Testament describes it as a "proclamation," not a re-enactment of
Christ's death.
What this means is that the authority of the Catholic Church
to enforce the obligation to attend Sunday Mass derives not from
biblical precepts or examples but from ecclesiastical traditions.
The questionable and inconsistent nature of church traditions
hardly provides compelling moral reasons for persuading
Christians today to observe Sunday as the biblical Holy Sabbath
Day.
(3) The Call for Civil Sunday Legislation
In his Pastoral Letter, Pope John Paul call upon Christians
to "strive to ensure that civil legislation respects their duty
to keep Sunday holy." 86 Such a call stems from the belief that
participation in the Sunday Mass is not an option, but a grave
obligation that can only be freely fulfilled if the State
guarantees to all the right to rest on Sunday.
Importance of Civil Sunday Legislation.
John Paul rightly notes that prior to the Sunday Law
promulgated by Constantine in A.D.321, Sunday observance was not
protected by civil legislation. 87 This meant that "Christians
observed Sunday simply as a day of worship, without being able to
give it the specific meaning of Sabbath rest." 88 In many cases,
Christians would attend an early Sunday morning service and then
spend the rest of the day working at their various occupations.
The Constantinian Sunday Law changed the situation dramatically.
As the Pope points out, "Christians rejoiced to see thus removed
the obstacles which until then had sometimes made the observance
of the Lord's Day heroic." 89 What Constantine did in making
Sunday a legal holiday for the empire was not "a mere historical
circumstance with no special significance for the church," but a
providential intervention that made it possible for Christians to
observe Sunday "without hinderance." 9o
To highlight the importance of civil legislation that
guarantees Sunday rest, the Pope points to the fact that "even
after the fall of the Empire, the Councils did not cease to
insist upon arrangements [civil legislation] regarding Sunday
rest." 91 In the light of the fact that in the past most
countries have maintained Sunday laws to permit Christians to
observe Sunday, the Pope call for civil legislation that respects
the Christian "duty to keep Sunday holy." 92
To emphasize the need for civil legislation that guarantees
Sunday rest, the Pope points to the "Encyclical Rerum Novarum"
(1891) where Pope Leo XII speaks of "Sunday rest as a worker's
right which the State must guarantee." 93 The Pontiff notes that
Sunday legislation is especially needed today, in view of the
physical, social, and ecological problems created by
technological and industrial advancements. "Therefore," the
Pope concludes, "in the particular circumstances of our time,
Christians will naturally strive to ensure that civil legislation
respects their duty to keep Sunday holy." 94
The same view is explicitly expressed in the new Catechism
of the Catholic Church: "In spite of economic constraints, public
authorities should ensure citizens a time intended for rest and
divine worship ... In respecting religious liberty and the common
good of all, Christians should seek recognition of Sunday and the
Church's holy days as legal holidays."" 95 It is evident that
the Catholic Church is committed to ensure that civil legislation
protects their rights to observe Sunday and the holy days.
The Constitutionality of Sunday Laws.
The Pope is well aware that in many countries, like the
United States, there is a separation between Church and State.
This means that if Sunday Laws are perceived to be "advancing
religion," they would be declared to be unconstitutional under
the First Amendment. Thus, the Pope's strategy is to downplay the
religious aspect of Sunday Laws, highlighting instead the social,
cultural, and family values. For example, John Paul says:
"Through Sunday rest, daily concerns and tasks can find
their proper perspectives: the material things about which
we worry give way to spiritual values; in a moment of
encounter and less pressured exchange, we see the face of
the people with whom we live. Even the beauties of nature -
too often marred by the desire to exploit, which turns
against man himself - can be rediscovered and enjoyed to the
full." 96
By emphasizing the human and "secular" benefits and values
of Sunday Laws, John Paul knows that he can gain greater
international acceptance for such legislation. It is worth noting
in this regard the U.S. Supreme Court decision in McGowan v.
Maryland, 366 U.S. 420 (1961) that upheld Maryland's Sunday
Closing Laws as not violative of the Federal Constitution. The
reason the Court justified the state's interest in protecting a
common day of Sunday rest is that Sunday has become secularized
in the American society. The Court said: "We believe that the air
of the day is one of relaxation rather than religion." 97
The recognition of this reality leads Attorney Michael
Woodruff to write as follows in "Sunday"magazine of the Lord's
Day Alliance: "If we must justify the retention of the Lord's Day
as a secular day of rest, we must find compelling secular grounds
to make it so ... If Courts view Sunday laws as having the direct
effect of 'advancing religion,' then under current First
Amendment doctrine, such laws must be unconstitutional. However,
if the laws are generally applicable and have a religion-neutral
purpose, then the effect is likely to be seen incidental. To this
end, the distinction between religious practice and the form of
laws is important." 98
The Pope is well aware of the need to maintain this
distinction. Thus in his Pastoral Letter, he appeals to the
social and human values that Sunday Laws guarantee and promote.
He writes:
"In our historical context there remains the obligation [of
the state] to ensure that everyone can enjoy the freedom,
rest and relaxation which human dignity requires, together
with the associated religious, family, cultural and
interpersonal needs which are difficult to meet if there is
no guarantee of at least one day a week on which people can
both rest and celebrate." 99
The Influence of the Pastoral Letter.
At this juncture, we may ask: How much influence will the
Pastoral Letter exercise in the international community of
nations in promoting Sunday civil legislation? The answer to this
question largely depends upon the Pope's determination to pursue
the enforcement of Sunday observance inside and outside the
Catholic Church.
At this point, the indications are that John Paul is deeply
committed to bringing about a renewal and revival of Sunday
observance by ensuring that civil legislation facilitates the
obligation to keep Sunday holy. While in Rome last October
(1998), I contacted the "Sala Stampa - the Press Office" of the
Vatican to learn if the Pope has been pursuing further the call
of his Pastoral Letter for a revival of Sundaykeeping. The Office
informed me that there is no doubt that the Pope is serious about
it. One indication is that during the three months following the
release of the Pastoral Letter, in his Sunday address before
reciting the "Angelus," John Paul has consistently appealed to
the faithful "to rediscover the importance of Sunday." 100
The influence of the Holy See on the international community
must not be underestimated. It is reported that when confronted
by Pope Pious XII's opposition, Stalin smirked, "How many
divisions does the Pope have?" If Stalin were to come out of his
grave, he would be shocked to discover that the communist regime
that he established with so much bloodshed has collapsed due, in
no small degree, to the influence of the man who commands no
military divisions.
In evaluating John Paul's role in helping to bring about the
fall of totalitarian regimes, Gorbachev said in 1992: "Everything
that happened in Eastern Europe during these past few years would
have been impossible without the Pope, without the political role
he was able to play.
A major goal of John Paul's global vision is to protect and
defend the rights of the Catholic Church to carry out her mission
unhindered. In a speech entitled "The Vatican's Role in World
Affairs: The Diplomacy of Pope John Paul II," J. Michael Miller,
CSB, President of the University of St.Thomas and former employee
of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See (1992-1997), stated:
"The driving force behind John Paul's diplomatic initiatives is
the defense of human rights, especially religious freedom, which
allows the Church to carry out its mission in peace ... John Paul
does have what we might call an 'agenda' for world affairs which
he works systematically to promote through his preaching, his
speeches to political leaders, his major writings, his endless
globetrotting - which does not avoid trouble spots." 102
The influence of the Pope in the international arena is far
greater than many realize. It is important to clarify that it is
not the Vatican as a State that participates in international
affairs, but the Holy See. The latter is not a territorial State,
but a moral and juridical society, governed by the Pope, and
representative of the Catholic Church in the community of
nations. At present the Holy See maintains full diplomatic
relations with over 160 nations. It receives and sends
ambassadors all over the world.
It has signed formal agreements with sovereign nations. It
participates in dozens of international organizations concerned
with moral, social, humanitarian, and cultural affairs.
The goals of John Paul, as Michael Miller rightly points out,
"are, admittedly, a mixture of the religious and the more
narrowly political. John Paul, however, is not constrained by
American ideas of the separation of church and State, but pursues
what he regards as the common good of all humanity." 103
This mixture of religious and political goals can be
detected in reading the Pastoral Letter where John Paul calls for
Sunday rest as a religious and social necessity. For example, he
writes: "The link between the Lord's Day and the day of rest in
civil society has meaning and importance which go beyond the
distinctly Christian point of view." 104 By calling for a civil
Sunday legislation on the basis of the common good of all
humanity, John Paul can gain considerable support for his agenda
from the international community of nations.
Pluralistic Society.
In evaluating John Paul's call for a Sunday Rest
legislation, one must distinguish between his legitimate concern
for the social, cultural, ecological, and religious well-being of
our society, and the hardship such legislation causes to
minorities who for religious or personal reasons choose to rest
and worship on Saturday or on other days of the week.
To call upon Christians to "strive to ensure that civil
legislation respects their duty to keep Sunday holy" 105 means
to ignore that we live today in a pluralistic society where there
are, for example, Christians and Jews who observe the seventh-day
Sabbath as their Holy Day, and Moslims who may wish to observe
their Friday.
If Sundaykeepers expect the State to make Sunday a legal
holiday to facilitate their Sunday rest and worship, then
Sabbatarians have an equal right to expect the State to make
Saturday a legal holiday to protect their Sabbath rest and
worship. To be fair to the various religious and nonreligious
groups, the State would then have to pass legislation
guaranteeing special days of rest and worship to different groups
of people. The implementation of such a plan is inconceivable
because it would disrupt our socio-economic structure.
Sunday Laws Not Needed.
Sunday Laws, known as "Blue Laws," are still in the books of
some American States and represent an unpleasant legacy of an
intolerant past. Such laws have proven to be a failure,
especially because their hidden intent was religious, namely, to
foster Sunday observance. People resent any attempt by the State
to force religious practices upon them. This is a fundamental
principle of the First Amendment to the American Constitution,
that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion."
Sunday legislation is superfluous today because the
short-work week, with a long weekend of two or even three days,
already makes it possible for most people to observe their
Sabbath or Sunday. However, problems still do exist, especially
when an employer is unwilling to accommodate the religious
convictions of a worker. The solution to such problems is not to
be sought in Sunday or Saturday Laws, but in such legislation as
the pending "Religious Freedom in the Workplace Act." This bill
is designed to encourage employers to accommodate the religious
convictions of their workers when these do not cause undue
hardship to their company.
The Pope's call for Sunday Rest legislation ignores the fact
that Sunday Laws have not resolved the crisis of diminishing
church attendance. In most European countries, Sunday Laws have
been in effect for many years. On Sunday most of the business
establishments are shut down. Even most gasoline stations are
closed on Sunday - a fact that can be costly to uninformed
American tourists. But, have Sunday Laws facilitated church
attendance? Absolutely not! The truth of the matter is that
church attendance in Western Europe is considerably lower than
that in the United States, running at less than 10% of the
Christian population. In Italy, where I come from, it is
estimated that 95% of the Catholics go to church three times in
their lives, when they are "hatched, matched, and dispatched."
The moral and religious decline in our society is not due to
lack of legislation but to lack of moral convictions to compel
people to live according to the principles God has revealed. The
Church should not seek to solve the crisis of diminishing church
attendance by external legislation but by the internal moral and
spiritual renovation of its members. What many Christians need to
discover today is that Christianity is not a cultural heritage
that entails going to church from time to time but a commitment
to Christ. This commitment is expressed in a special way on the
Sabbath day when we stop our work in order to allow our Savior to
work more fully and freely in our lives.
Conclusion
Pope John Paul has legitimate reasons for making a
passionate plea for a revival of Sunday observance at a time when
church attendance is dwindling at an alarming rate. He
understands that if Christians ignore the Lord on the day they
call the "Lord's Day," ultimately they will ignore God every day
of their lives. This trend, if not reversed, can spell doom to
Christianity.
The solution to the crisis of declining church attendance
must be sought, however, not by calling upon the international
community of nations to make Sunday and the Catholic Holy Days
civil holidays, but by summoning Christians to live according to
the moral principles of the Ten Commandments.
The Fourth Commandment specifically calls upon believers to
"Remember" what many have forgotten, namely, that the seventh day
is holy unto the Lord our God (Ex. 20:8-11). John Paul rightly
acknowledges that "The Sabbath precept ... is rooted in the
depths of God's plan" 106 and is "a kind of 'sacred
architecture' of time which marks biblical revelation. 107 He
notes also that "When the divine commandment declares: 'Remember
the Sabbath day in order to keep it holy' (Ex. 20:8), the rest
decreed in order to honor the day dedicated to God is not all a
burden imposed upon man, but rather an aid to help him recognize
his life-giving and liberating dependence upon the Creator, and
at the same time his calling to cooperate in the Creator's work
and to receive his grace." 108
My appeal to Pope John Paul is to use the far-reaching
influence of his office to help Christians everywhere rediscover
the Sabbath, as he puts it, not as a burden, but as an "aid"
designed to help them recognize their "life-giving and liberating
dependence upon the[ir] Creator." 108 This vital function of the
Sabbath has long been forgotten by most Christians who have been
taught through the centuries that the Sabbath is Jewish,
fulfilled by Christ, and no longer binding upon Christians. This
heresy has deprived a countless number of Christians of the
physical, moral, and spiritual renewal provided by a proper
observance of the Sabbath.
Our tension-filled and restless society needs to rediscover
the Sabbath as that "sacred architecture of time," which can give
structure and stability to our lives and relationship with God.
At a time when many are seeking for inner peace and rest through
magic pills or fabulous places, the Sabbath invites us to find
such inner rest and renewal, not through pills or places, but
through the Person of our Saviour who says: "Come unto me, and I
will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). It invites us to stop our work
on the Sabbath in order to allow our Savior to work more freely
and fully in our lives and thus experience the awareness of His
presence, peace, and rest.
.....................
To be continued
4. The Sabbath under Crossfire
Sabbath - Creational or Ceremonial? Part One
by Samuele Bacchiocchi PhD
CHAPTER TWO
THE SABBATH CREATIONAL OR CEREMONIAL?
The function of a tool or machine is largely determined by
its original design. An automobile designed for carrying
passengers is soon demolished if used to transport building
materials. What is true for man made tools or machines is also
true for divine institutions. Their functions are determined by
God's original design in instituting them.
To understand the meaning and function of the Lord's Supper,
for example, we go back to the Last Supper and study how Jesus
instituted this ordinance and what function He intended it to
fulfill for the Christian Church. What is true for the Lord's
Supper is also true for the Sabbath. To understand its meaning
and function for the human family, we need to study how and why
God instituted it at the completion of His creation.
Surprisingly, the matter-of-fact creation origin of the
Sabbath, which is repeated several times in the Pentateuch (Gen
2:1-2; Ex 20:11; Ex 31:17) and is acknowledged in the New
Testament (Mark 2:27; Heb 4:4), has often been rejected in Jewish
and Christian history. In recent years, the creation origin of
the Sabbath has been challenged by both critical minded scholars
and conservative Christians.
Critical scholars have conjectured that the Sabbath derives
from factors such as the veneration of the planet Saturn, the
four phases of the moon, the need for a market day to buy or sell
produce, the seven-day periods of ancient Mesopotamia, and the
symbolic importance attached to the number seven by many ancient
Near Eastern people.1
Conservative Christians have attacked the Sabbath by denying
its creation-origin and reducing it to a Mosaic institution given
exclusively to the Jews. Christ allegedly fulfilled the Sabbath
by replacing the literal observance of the day with the offer of
His rest of salvation. By rejecting the creation origin of the
Sabbath these Christians attach a negative, "Jewish" stigma to
seventh-day Sabbathkeeping, identifying it with the Jewish
dispensation allegedly based on salvation through legal
obedience.
Sundaykeeping, on the other hand, has been associated with
the Christian dispensation based on salvation by grace through
faith. Thus, Sabbathkeeping historically has been perceived as a
trademark of Judaism. Within Christianity itself, those
Christians who have retained seventh-day Sabbathkeeping have been
stigmatized as Judaizers, holding onto an outdated Jewish
superstition.
Among the conservative Christians who recently have rejected
the creational and universal function of the Sabbath are several
former sabbatarians churches, local congregations, and pastors.
Their basic argument is that the Sabbath is an Old Covenant
ordinance which was abolished by Christ and, consequently, is no
longer binding upon so-called "New Covenant" Christians.
The leaders of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG), who
championed Sabbathkeeping until 1994, have adopted the view that
the Sabbath is not a "creation" ordinance given to mankind, but a
Mosaic institution given to the Israelites together with the Ten
Commandments. They maintain that "two stumbling blocks confuse
Sabbatarians. First is the idea that the Sabbath is a 'creation
ordinance' commanded ever since creation. To understand the
fallacy in this concept, we must note the facts: Although Genesis
says the seventh day was declared holy at creation, there is no
biblical evidence it was a commanded rest until the time of
Moses.... The second stumbling block that confuses Sabbatarians
is the idea that the Sabbath is required because it is part of
the Ten Commandments. Many Christians think of the Ten
Commandments as a permanent law code for all humans for all time.
Nevertheless, the Ten Commandments were given to Israel as the
centerpiece of the Old Covenant, not to the whole world (Ex 20:2;
Lev 27:34)." 2
The same view is passionately defended by Dale Ratzlaff, a
former Seventh-day Adventist Bible teacher and pastor who has
written an influential book "Sabbath in Crisis" (345 pages). This
book is often quoted by the WCG and other Sabbatarians who have
been influenced by its arguments to reject the continuity and
validity of the Sabbath for today. Ratzlaff argues that the
Sabbath is not a creational/moral institution for humans, but a
ceremonial/Old Covenant ordinance given to the Jews. Allegedly,
Christians no longer need to observe the Sabbath because Christ
fulfilled its typological function by becoming our Sabbath rest.
3
Why has the creation origin of the Sabbath come under the
constant crossfire of controversy? The reason is plain. What
Christians believe about the origin of the Sabbath determines
what they believe about its validity and value for today. Those
who believe that the Sabbath was established by God at creation
for the benefit of human beings accept its observance as a
creation ordinance binding upon all, Jews and Christians. On the
other hand, those who hold that the Sabbath originated at the
time of Moses, or after the settlement in Canaan because of
socioeconomic or astrological-astronomic considerations, regard
the Sabbath as a Jewish institution not applicable to Christians.
In view of these implications, it is important to briefly
examine how the question of the origin of the Sabbath has been
debated in Jewish and Christian history.
Objectives of This Chapter.
This chapter has three basic objectives.
The first is to survey the controversy over the origin of
the Sabbath both in Jewish and Christian history. This survey is
designed to provide a historical perspective which is much needed
to understand the recent attacks against the creation origin of
the Sabbath.
The second objective is to examine the specific arguments
recently advanced against the creation origin by former
Sabbatarians. In most cases, their arguments are old, having
already been used in the past by those who have attempted to
negate the continuity and validity of the Sabbath. Yet these
arguments deserve a close examination because they are used today
to mislead many sincere people.
The third objective is to reflect on the human implications
of the creation origin of the Sabbath. Specifically, we consider
the significance of God's act of resting, blessing, and
sanctifying the seventh day for the human family. We shall note
that creation week is in a special sense a human week because all
that God did on that week was designed to have a lasting result
for the human family.
The ultimate objective of this chapter is not to expose the
fallacies of the various arguments raised against the creation
origin and universal function of the Sabbath, but to encourage a
fresh appreciation for the Biblical account of the Sabbath origin
and meaning for today.
PART I
THE CREATION-SABBATH IN JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN HISTORY
The Creation-Sabbath in the Old Testament.
The biblical view of the origin of the Sabbath is
unequivocal: the Sabbath, as the seventh day, originated at the
completion of the creation week as a result of three divine acts:
God "rested," "blessed," and "hallowed" the seventh day (Gen
2:23). Twice Genesis 2:2-3 states that God "rested" on the
seventh day from all His work. The Hebrew verb "sabat,"
translated "rested," denotes cessation, not relaxation. The
latter idea is expressed by the Hebrew verb "nuah," used in
Exodus 20:11, where the divine rest fulfills an anthropological
function as a model for human rest. However, in Genesis 2:2-3 the
divine rest has a cosmological function. It serves to explain
that God, as Karl Barth puts it, "was content to be the Creator
of this particular creation ... He had no occasion to proceed to
further creations. He needed no further creations." 4 To
acknowledge this fact, God stopped.
Genesis 2:3 affirms that the Creator "blessed" (barak) the
seventh day just as He had blessed animals and Adam and Eve on
the previous day (Gen 1:22,28). Divine blessings in Scripture
are not merely "good wishes" - they are assurance of
fruitfulness, prosperity, and a happy and abundant life (Ps
133:3). In terms of the seventh day, it means that God promised
to make the Sabbath a beneficial and vitalizing power through
which human life is enriched and renewed. 5 In Exodus 20:11, the
blessing of the creation seventh day is explicitly linked with
the weekly Sabbath.
Genesis 2:3 also affirms that the Creator "hallowed" (RV,
RSV) the seventh day, "made it holy" (NEB, NAB), or "sanctified
it" (NASB). Both here and in the Sabbath commandment (Ex 20:11),
the Hebrew text uses the verb "qiddes" (piel), from the root
"qds," holy. In Hebrew, the basic meaning of "holy" or "holiness"
is "separation" for holy use. In terms of the Sabbath, its
holiness consists in God's separation of this day from the six
working days. The holiness of the Sabbath stems not from man's
keeping it, but from God's choice of the seventh day to be a
channel through which human beings can experience more freely and
fully the awareness of His sanctifying presence in their lives.
The Importance of the Creation-Sabbath.
The great importance of the creation-Sabbath in the Old
Testament is indicated by the fact that it provides the
theological motivation for the commandment to observe the seventh
day (Ex 20:11) and the theological justification for serving as a
covenant sign between God and Israel (Ex 31:17).
The theological reason given for the command to observe the
seventh day Sabbath "to the Lord your God" (Ex 20:10) is "for in
six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is
in them and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed
the Sabbath day and hallowed it" (Ex 20:11). The tie between the
creation-Sabbath and the Sabbath commandment is so close that the
former provides the basis for the latter. To keep the Sabbath
holy means (1) to follow the divine example given at creation,
(2) to acknowledge God as Creator, and (3) to participate in
God's rest and blessings for mankind.
The creation-Sabbath serves also as "a sign" ('oth) of the
covenant relationship between God and His people: "It is a sign
for ever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the
Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and
was refreshed" (Ex 31:17). The very nature of a sign is to point
to something beyond itself, to mediate an understanding of a
certain reality and/or to motivate a corresponding behavior. 6
As a covenant sign rooted in creation, the Sabbath mediates
an understanding of redemptive history (i.e., covenant history)
by pointing retrospectively and prospectively. Retrospectively,
the Sabbath invites the believer to look back and memorialize God
as the creator of an original, perfect creation (Gen 2:2-3; Ex
20:8,11; 31:17). Prospectively, the Sabbath encourages the
believer to look forward and trust God's promise to fulfill His
"everlasting covenant" (Ex 31:16; Heb 4:9) to restore this
world to its original perfection. Thus, the Sabbath stands as a
sign of an "everlasting covenant" between creation (Gen 2:2-3; Ex
20:11; 31:17) and redemption (Deut 5:15; Is 56:1-4). It directs
us to the past perfect creation and it points constantly to the
future, ultimate restoration.
The Creation-Sabbath in the New Testament.
The New Testament takes for granted the creation origin of
the Sabbath. A clear example is found in Mark 2:27 where Christ
refutes the charge of Sabbath-breaking levelled against the
disciples by referring to the original purpose of the Sabbath:
"The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." Christ's
choice of words is significant. The verb "made - 'ginomai'"
alludes to the original "making" of the Sabbath and the word "man
- anthropos" suggests its human function. Thus to establish the
human and universal value of the Sabbath, Christ reverts to its
very origin right after the creation of man. Why? Because for the
Lord, the law of the beginning stands supreme.
The importance of God's original design is emphasized in
another instance in reporting the corruption of the institution
of marriage, which occurred under the Mosaic code. Christ
reverted to its Edenic origin, saying: "From the beginning it was
not so" (Matt 19:8). Christ then traces both marriage and the
Sabbath to their creation origin in order to clarify their
fundamental value and function for humanity.
Some authors interpret this famous pronouncement of Christ
as meaning the "well-being of man is superior to the Sabbath
rest" and since the Sabbath "no longer spelt blessings but
hardship, it had failed in its divine purpose, and as a
consequence rebellion against it or disregard of it was no sin."
7
The least to be said of this interpretation is that it
attributes to God human short-sightedness for having given a law
that could not accomplish its intended purpose and which
consequently He was forced to abolish. By this reasoning, the
validity of any God-given law is not determined by its intended
purpose, but rather by the way human beings use or abuse it. Such
a conclusion would make human beings, rather than God, the
ultimate arbitrators who determines the validity of any
commandment.
Furthermore, to interpret this saying as meaning that the
"well-being of man is superior to the Sabbath rest" would imply
that the Sabbath rest had been imposed arbitrarily upon humans to
restrict their welfare. But this interpretation runs contrary to
the very words of Christ. "The Sabbath," He said, "was made on
account of (dia) man and not man on account of the Sabbath." This
means that the Sabbath came into being (egeneto) after the
creation of man, not to make him a slave of rules and
regulations, but to ensure his physical and spiritual well-being.
The welfare of man is not restricted, but guaranteed, by the
proper observance of the Sabbath. By this memorable affirmation,
then, Christ does not abrogate the Sabbath commandment but
establishes its permanent validity by appealing to its original
creation when God determined its intended function for the
well-being of humanity.
The Creation-Sabbath in Hebrews.
Another explicit reference to the creation-Sabbath is found
in the book of Hebrews. In the fourth chapter, the author
establishes the universal and spiritual nature of the Sabbath
rest by welding together two Old Testament texts, namely Genesis
2:2 and Psalm 95:11. Through the former, he traces the origin of
the Sabbath rest back to creation when "God rested on the seventh
day from all his works" (Heb 4:3; cf. Gen 2:2-3). By the latter
(Ps 95:11), he explains that the scope of this divine rest
includes the blessings of salvation to be found by entering
personally into God's rest (Heb 4:3,5,10). Our immediate concern
is not to understand the meaning of the rest mentioned in the
passage, 8 but rather to note that the author traces its origin
back to the time of creation when "God rested on the seventh day
from all His works" (Heb 4:4).
The context clearly indicates that the author is thinking of
the "works" of creation since he explains that God's "works were
finished from the foundations of the world" (Heb 4:3). The
probative value of this statement is heightened by the fact that
the author is not arguing for the creation origin of the Sabbath;
rather, he takes it for granted in explaining God's ultimate
purpose for His people. Thus, in Hebrews 4, the creation origin
of the Sabbath is not only asserted but is also presented as the
basis for understanding God's ultimate purpose for His people.
The Creation-Sabbath in Jewish History.
Outside the biblical sources which should settle the matter,
one finds widespread recognition of the creation origin of the
Sabbath in both Jewish and Christian history. The Jews developed
two differing views regarding the origin of the Sabbath. Broadly
speaking, the two views can be distinguished linguistically and
geographically.
Palestinian (Hebrew) Judaism reduced the Sabbath to an
exclusive Jewish ordinance linked to the origin of Israel as a
nation at the time of Moses. As stated in the Book of Jubilees,
"He [God] allowed no other people or peoples to keep the Sabbath
on this day, except Israel only; to it alone he granted to eat
and drink and keep the Sabbath on it" (2:31). 9 If the
patriarchs are sometimes mentioned as keeping the Sabbath, this
is regarded as an exception "before it [the Sabbath] was given"
to Israel. 10
This view represents not an original tradition but a
secondary development which was encouraged by the necessity to
preserve a Jewish identity in the face of Hellenistic pressures
(especially at the time of Antiochus Epiphanes - 175 B.C.) to
abandon the Jewish religion. This is indicated by the fact that
even in Palestinian literature there are references to the
creation origin of the Sabbath. For example, while, on one hand,
the Book of Jubilees (about 140-100 B.C.) says that God allowed
"Israel only" to keep the Sabbath (Jub 2:31), on the other hand,
it holds that God "kept Sabbath on the seventh day and hallowed
it for all ages, and appointed it as a sign for all His works"
(Jub 2:1).
In Hellenistic (Greek) Jewish literature the Sabbath is
unmistakably viewed as a creation ordinance for all mankind.
Philo, for example, not only traces the origin of the Sabbath to
creation but also delights to call it "the birthday of the
world." 11 Referring to the creation story, Philo explains: "We
are told that the world was made in six days and that on the
seventh God ceased from his works and began to contemplate what
had been so well created, and therefore he bade those who should
live as citizens under this world-order to follow God in this as
in other matters." 12 Because the Sabbath exists from creation,
Philo emphasizes that it is "the festival not of a single city or
country but of the universe, and it alone strictly deserves to be
called public, as belonging to all people." 13
The Creation-Sabbath in the Early Church.
The recognition of the creation origin of the Sabbath is
found in several documents of the early Church. For example, in
the "Syriac Didascalia" (about A.D.250), Sunday is erroneously
presented as "greater" than the Sabbath because it preceded the
latter in the creation week. As the first day of creation, Sunday
represents "the beginning of the world." 14
In the treatise "On the Sabbath and Circumcision," found
among the works of Athanasius (about 296-373), the superiority of
Sunday over the Sabbath is argued on the basis of creation versus
re-creation: "The Sabbath was the end of the first creation, the
Lord's day was the beginning of the second in which He renewed
and restored the old." 15 The fact that both Sabbath and Sunday
keepers would defend the legitimacy and superiority of their
respective days by appealing to their roles with reference to
creation shows how important the creation-Sabbath was in their
view.
In the so-called "Constitutions of the Holy Apostles" (about
380), Christians are admonished to "keep the Sabbath and the
Lord's day festival; because the former is the memorial of the
creation, and the latter of the resurrection." 16 Several other
references to the creation Sabbath are found in the same
document. For example, a prayer commemorating Christ's
incarnation begins with the words, "O Lord Almighty, Thou hast
created the world by Christ and hast appointed the Sabbath in
memory thereof, because that on that day Thou hast made us rest
from our works for the meditation upon Thy laws." 17
The theme of the creation Sabbath, as noted by Jean
Danielou, is also "at the center of Augustinian thought." 18 For
Augustine (354-430), the culmination of the creation week in the
Sabbath rest provides the basis to develop two significant
concepts. The first is the notion of the progress of world
history toward a final Sabbath rest and peace with God.
In other words, the realization of the eternal rest
represents for Augustine the fulfillment of "the Sabbath that the
Lord approved at the beginning of creation, where it says, 'God
rested on the seventh day from all his works.'" 19
The second Augustinian interpretation of the creation
Sabbath may be defined as the mystical progress of the human soul
from restlessness into rest in God. A fitting example is found in
one of the most sublime chapters of his "Confessions," where
Augustine prays: "O Lord God, Thou who hast given us all, grant
us Thy peace, the peace of rest, the peace of the Sabbath, the
peace without an 'evening.' 20 For this very beautiful order of
things will pass away when they have accomplished their appointed
purpose. They all were made with a 'morning' and an 'evening.'
But the seventh day is without an 'evening' and it has no
setting, because Thou hast sanctified it so that it may last
eternally. Thy resting on the seventh day after the completion of
Thy works, foretells us through the voice of Thy Book, that we
also after completing our works through Thy generosity, in the
Sabbath of eternal life shall rest in Thee." 21 This mystical
and eschatological interpretation of the creation Sabbath shows
the profound appreciation Augustine had for its significance, in
spite of the fact that he failed to accept the literal observance
of the Fourth Commandment. 22
The Creation-Sabbath in the Middle Ages.
The Augustinian spiritual interpretation of the creation
Sabbath continued to some extent during the Middle Ages. 23 But
a new development occurred following the "Constantinian Sunday
La" of 321. In order to give theological sanction to the imperial
legislation demanding rest from work on Sunday, church leaders
often appealed to the Sabbath commandment, interpreting it as a
creation ordinance applicable to Sunday observance. Chrysostom
(about 347-407) anticipates this development in his exposition of
Genesis 2:2, "God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it." He
asks, "What do the words 'He hallowed it' actually mean? ...
[God] is teaching us that among the days of the week one must be
singled out and wholly devoted to the service of spiritual
things." 24
The reduction of the creation Sabbath from the specific
observance of the seventh day to the principle of resting one day
in seven in order to worship God made it possible to apply the
Sabbath commandment to the observance of Sunday. Peter Comestor,
for example (died about 1179), defends this application, arguing
on the basis of Genesis 2:2 that "the Sabbath has been always
observed by some nations even before the Law." 25 This
recognition of the Sabbath as a creation and thus universal
ordinance was motivated, however, not by the desire to
promote the observance of the seventh day but by the necessity to
sanction and regulate Sunday keeping.
In late medieval theology, the literal application of the
Sabbath commandment to Sundaykeeping was justified on the basis
of a new interpretation which consisted in distinguishing between
a moral and a ceremonial aspect within the Fourth Commandment.
Thomas Aquinas (about 1225-1274) offers the most articulated
exposition of this artificial distinction in his "Summa
Theologica." He argues that "the precept of the Sabbath
observance is moral ... in so far as it commands man to give some
time to the things of God ... but it is a ceremonial precept ...
as to the fixing of the time." 26
Distinction Between Moral and Ceremonial?
How can the Fourth Commandment be ceremonial for specifying
the seventh day but moral for enjoining humans to set apart a day
of rest for worship? Basically because for Aquinas the moral
aspect of the Sabbath is grounded on Natural Law - that is to
say, the principle of a regularly stated time for worship and
rest is in accordance with natural reason. 27 The ceremonial
aspect of the Sabbath, on the other hand, is determined by the
symbolism of the seventh-day commemoration of "Creation" and
prefiguration of the "repose of the mind in God, either in the
present life, by grace, or, in the future life, by glory." 28
One may ask, How can the Sabbath be ceremonial (transitory)
for symbolizing God's perfect creation and the rest to be found
in Him both in the present and future life? Is it not this
reassurance that provides the basis for setting aside any time to
worship God? To reject as ceremonial the original message of the
seventh-day Sabbath, namely that God is the perfect Creator who
offers rest, peace, and fellowship to His creatures, means to
destroy also the very moral basis for devoting any time to the
worshipping of God.
Apparently Aquinas himself recognized the inadequacy of his
reasoning since he makes a distinction between the Sabbath and
other symbolic Old Testament festivals such as Passover, "a sign
of the future Passion of Christ." The latter, Aquinas explains,
were "temporal and transitory ... consequently, the Sabbath
alone, and none of the other solemnities and sacrifices, is
mentioned in the precepts of the Decalogue." 29
Aquinas' uncertainty as to the ceremonial aspect of the
Sabbath is also reflected in his comment that Christ annulled not
the precept of the Sabbath, but "the superstitious interpretation
of the Pharisees, who thought that man ought to abstain from
doing even works of kindness on the Sabbath; which was contrary
to the intention of the Law." 30 Aquinas' uncertainty, however,
was largely forgotten and his moral/ceremonial distinction of the
Sabbath became the standard rationale for defending the Church's
right to introduce and regulate the observance of Sunday and holy
days. This resulted in an elaborate legalistic system of Sunday
keeping akin to that of the rabbinical Sabbath. 31
Lutheranism.
The sixteenth-century reformers reproposed with new
qualifications Aquinas' distinctions between the moral
(creational) and ceremonial (Mosaic) aspects of the Sabbath.
Their position was influenced by their understanding of the
relationship between the Old and New Testaments as well as by
their reaction against the legalistic and superstitious
observance of Sunday and a host of holy days as well.
Luther and some radicals, in their concern to combat
legalistic Sabbatarianism promoted not only by the Catholic
Church but also by leftwing reformers such as Andreas Karlstadt,
32 attacked the Sabbath as a Mosaic institution "specifically
given to the Jewish people." 33 Sunday was retained by Luther,
not as the Christian Sabbath, but as a convenient day "ordained
by the Church for the sake of the imperfect laity and the working
class," 34 who need "at least one day in the week to rest ...
and attend divine service." 35 This position was largely
determined by a radical distinction between the Old and New
Testaments.
In the "Large Catechism" (1529), Luther explains that the
Sabbath "is altogether an external matter, like other ordinances
of the Old Testament, which were attached to particular customs,
persons, and places, and now have been made free through
Christ." 36 This view is stated even more emphatically in
Article 28 of the "Augsburg Confession" (1530): "Scripture has
abrogated the Sabbath-day; for it teaches that, since the Gospel
has been revealed, all the ceremonies of Moses can be omitted."
37
Luther's radical distinction between the Old and New
Testaments and between Law and Gospel was adopted and developed
to extremes by radicals such as Anabaptists, leftist Puritans,
Quakers, Mennonites, Hutterites, and modern antinomian
denominations .38
These have generally claimed that the Sabbath is not a
creation ordinance but a Mosaic institution which Christ
fulfilled and abolished. Consequently, "New Covenant" Christians
are free from the observance of any special day.
Sabbatarians.
Radical reformers promoted two opposing views regarding the
Sabbath. One group, mentioned earlier, pressed to its logical
conclusion the extreme Lutheran distinction between the Old and
New Testaments, rejecting the observance of the Sabbath or of any
day, as part of the Mosaic dispensation which Christ had
fulfilled and replaced with the dispensation of grace.
Another group, however, pursued the logical implications of
the Calvinistic unity between the two Testaments, accepting and
promoting the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath as a creation
ordinance meant for all time and people. We shall call the latter
"Sabbatarians," a name frequently given to them by their
opponents. 39
Recent studies have shown that Sabbatarians constituted a
respectable group at the time of the Reformation, especially in
such places as Moravia, Bohemia, Austria, and Silesia. 40 In
fact, in some Catholic catalogues of sects, they are listed
immediately after the Lutherans and Calvinists. 41 Erasmus
(1466-1536) mentions the existence of Sabbatarians in Bohemia:
"Now I hear that among the Bohemians a new kind of Jews are
springing up, whom they call Sabbatarii, who serve the Sabbath
with great superstition." 42 Similarly, Luther reports on the
existence of Sabbatarian groups in Moravia and Austria. 43 In
fact, in 1538 Luther wrote a "Letter Against the Sabbatarians"
(Briefwider die Sabbathers), arguing from the Bible against their
observance of the seventh-day Sabbath. 44
Oswald Glait, a former Catholic priest who first became a
Lutheran and then an Anabaptist minister, began in 1527 or 1528
successfully to propagate his Sabbatarian views among Anabaptists
in Moravia, Silesia, and Bohemia. 45 He was supported by the
learned Andreas Fisher, also a former priest and Anabaptist. 46
Glait wrote a "Booklet on the Sabbath" (Buchlenn vom Sabbath -
about 1530) which is not extant. From a refutation of Glait's
book by Caspar Schewenckfeld, 47 we learn that Glait maintained
the unity of the Old and New Testaments, accepting the validity
and relevance of the Decalogue for the Christian dispensation.
Glait rejected the contention of his critics that the Sabbath
commandment is a ceremonial law like circumcision. Instead, he
held that the "Sabbath is commanded and kept from the beginning
of creation." 48 God enjoined "Adam in paradise to celebrate the
Sabbath." 49 Therefore "the Sabbath ... is an eternal sign of
hope and a memorial of creation.... an eternal covenant to be
kept as long as the world stands." 50 On account of this
teaching, Glait faced expulsions, persecutions, and, finally,
death by drowning in the Danube (1546). 51
The death of Glait, perhaps the most prominent leader of
Sabbatarian Anabaptists, did not stop the propagation of the
Sabbath doctrine. This is indicated by the existence of
seventh-day Sabbathkeepers at the time of the Reformation in
several European countries such as Poland, Holland, Germany,
France, Hungary, Russia, Turkey, Finland, and Sweden. 52 In the
seventeenth century, the presence of Sabbatarians became
particularly felt in England. This is indicated by the fact that,
as noted by R.J.Bauckham, "An impressive succession of Puritan
and Anglican spokesmen addressed themselves to combating the
seventh-day error: Lancelot Andrews, Bishop Francis White,
Richard Baxter, John Bunyan, Edward Stillingfleet, John Owen,
Nathanael Homes, John Wallis. Their efforts are a tacit admission
of the attraction that the doctrine exercised in the seventeenth
century, and seventh-day observers (who then usually also
advocated Sunday work) were harshly treated by Puritan and
Anglican authorities alike." 53
The Seventh Day Baptists became the leading Sabbatarian
church in England. 54 Their first church in America was founded
at Newport, Rhode Island, in December 1671. 55 Seventh-day
Adventists gratefully acknowledge their indebtedness to Seventh
Day Baptists for bringing to them the knowledge of the Sabbath in
1845. 56
Later on, the Sabbath was accepted as a creation ordinance
by the Church of God Seventh Day, the Worldwide Church of God,
and a score of smaller denominations, 57 some of whom have
recently rejected the Sabbath.
Reformed Tradition.
Churches in the Reformed tradition, such as English
Puritans, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Methodists,
and Baptists, adopted what might be called a "compromise
position," on one hand, acknowledging the Sabbath as a creation
ordinance while, on the other hand, defending Sunday as a
legitimate substitution of the Sabbath accomplished by the
Church.
They generally distinguished between the temporal and the
spiritual observance of Sunday. Calvin can rightly be regarded as
the pioneer and promoter of this view which exerted far-reaching
influence, especially in Anglo-American Puritan Sabbatarianism.
The basis of Calvin's teaching regarding the Sabbath is to be
found in his rejection of Luther's antithesis between Law and
Gospel. In his effort to maintain the basic unity of the Old and
New Testaments, Calvin christianized the Law, spiritualizing, at
least in part, the Sabbath commandment. 58
Calvin tried to reconcile his acceptance of the Sabbath as a
creation ordinance for humanity with his view that "on the advent
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the ceremonial part of the commandment
was abolished" by reproposing a new version of Aquinas'
distinction between the moral and ceremonial aspects of the
Sabbath. He argues that at creation the Sabbath was given as a
perpetual ordinance but "afterwards in the law a new precept
concerning the Sabbath was given, which should be peculiar to the
Jews, and but for a season." 59
What is the difference between the "Jewish" (ceremonial)
seventh-day Sabbath and the "Christian" (moral) first-day
Sabbath? The difference is not easy to detect, especially for
someone not trained to distinguish theological nuances. Calvin
describes the Jewish Sabbath as being "typical" (symbolic), that
is, "a legal ceremony shadowing forth a spiritual rest, the truth
of which was manifested in Christ." 60 The Christian Sabbath
[Sunday], on the other hand, is "without figure." 61 By this he
apparently means that it is more a pragmatic institution designed
to accomplish three basic objectives: first, to allow God to work
in us; second, to provide time for meditation and church
services; and third, to protect dependent workers. 62
An Unresolved Contradiction.
Calvin's attempt to resolve the tension between the
Sunday-Sabbath as a perpetual creation ordinance and the
Saturday-Sabbath as a temporary ceremonial law, cannot be consid-
ered successful. Do not both fulfill the same pragmatic
functions? Moreover, by teaching that for Christians
the Sunday-Sabbath represents "selfrenunciation" and the "true
rest" of the Gospel, 63 did not Calvin also attribute to the day
a "theological-symbolic" significance, much like the type he
assigned to the Jewish Saturday-Sabbath?
This unresolved tension can be followed in the teaching of
Calvin's successors and has been the cause of endless
controversies. For example, Zacharias Ursinus, compiler of that
important Reformed confession known as "Heidelberg Catechism"
(1563), teaches that "the Sabbath of the seventh day was
appointed of God from the very beginning of the world, to declare
that men, after His example, should rest from their labours," and
"although the ceremonial Sabbath has been abolished in the New
Testament, yet the moral still continues and pertains to us as
well as to others." 64 This position was later defended
tenaciously in the monumental work, "The Doctrine of the
Sabbath", written in 1595 by the famous English Puritan Nicolas
Bownde, 65 as well as in other confessional documents such as
the Synod of Dort" of 1619 66 and the "Westminster
Confession of Faith" of 1647. 67
These and similar documents fail to offer a rational
explanation for the artificial and arbitrary distinction between
the so-called moral/ creational (one-day-in-seven) aspect of the
Sunday-Sabbath and the ceremonial/Mosaic (specification of the
seventh day) aspect of the Saturday-Sabbath, supposedly annulled
by Christ.
There is no trace of such an artificial distinction in
Scripture.
If such a distinction existed in the Old Testament, we would
expect the alleged moral aspect of the Sabbath commandment - that
is, the principle of one-day-in-seven-to be applied to such
people as the priests (who had to work on the Sabbath) by
granting them a day off at another time during the week. The
absence of such a provision constitutes a most direct challenge
to those who uphold the one-day-in-seven principle.
Donald Carson acknowledges: "If the Old Testament principle
were really 'one-day-in-seven for worship and rest' instead of
'the seventh day for worship and rest,' we might have expected
Old Testament legislation to prescribe some other day off for the
priests. The lack of such confirms the importance in Old
Testament thought of the seventh day, as opposed to the
one-in-seven principle so greatly relied upon by those who wish
to see in Sunday the precise New Testament equivalent of the Old
Testament Sabbath." 68
To contend that the specification of the seventh day is a
Mosaic-ceremonial element of the Sabbath because it was designed
to aid the Jews in commemorating creation and in experiencing
spiritual rest is to be blind to the fact that Christians need
such an aid just as much as the Jews. It also means leaving
Christians confused as to the reasons for devoting one day to the
worship of God. R.J.Bauckham acknowledges the existence of such
a confusion when he notes that most "Protestants in the
mid-sixteenth century had as imprecise ideas about the basis of
Sunday observance as most Christians at most times have had." 69
Two Conflicting Positions.
The unresolved contradiction between the creational/moral
and Mosaic/ceremonial aspects of the Fourth Commandment has
aroused recurrent controversies over the relationship between
Sunday and the Sabbath commandment. Truly the Sabbath has had no
rest. The creational/moral versus the Mosaic/ceremonial
distinctions regarding the Sabbath have led to two main opposing
views of Sunday. In the Netherlands, for example, the two views
were hotly debated during more than a decade after the Synod of
Dort (1619).
On one side, Dutch theologians such as Willem Teellinck,
William Ames, and Antonius Walaeus wrote major treatises
defending the creation origin of the Sabbath and thus the
legitimate application of the Fourth Commandment to the
observance of Sunday. 70 On the other side, a leading professor,
Franciscus Gomarus, produced a major response entitled "Enquiry
into the Meaning and Origin of the Sabbath and Consideration of
the Institution of the Lord's Day" (1628), in which he argues for
a Mosaic origin of the Sabbath and, consequently, for an
independent ecclesiastical origin of Sunday. 71
The debate over these two conflicting positions has flared
up time and again in different countries, and no reconciliation
appears yet to be in sight. 72 A fitting example is provided by
some of the recent publications. On one side is the symposium
edited by Donald Carson, "From Sabbath to Lord's Day" (1982) and
by Willy Rordorf, "Sunday: The History of the Day of Rest and
Worship in the Earliest Centuries of the Christian Church"
(1968). Both studies espouse the thesis that seventh-day
Sabbathkeeping is not a creation ordinance binding upon
Christians but a Mosaic institution annulled by Christ. 73
Consequently, Sunday is not the Christian Sabbath, but an
exclusive Christian creation introduced to commemorate Christ's
resurrection through the Lord's Supper celebration .74
By severing all ties with the Sabbath commandment, Rordorf
follows the Lutheran tradition in reducing Sunday to an hour of
worship which could be scheduled in accordance with the demand of
modern life.
The practical implications of this position are obvious. If
fully carried out, it could prove to be "the death certificate of
Sunday," 75 since in time, even the hour of worship could
readily be squeezed out of the hectic schedule of modern life.
On the other side is the study of Roger T. Beckwith and
William Stott, "This Is the Day: The Biblical Doctrine of the
Christian Sunday" (1978), which follows the Reformed tradition by
defending the Sabbath as a creation ordinance accepted and
clarified by Christ. The Apostles allegedly used the Sabbath to
frame Sunday as their new day of rest and worship. 76
Consequently, they conclude that "in the light of the New
Testament as a whole, the Lord's Day can be clearly seen to be a
Christian Sabbath - a New Testament fulfillment to which the Old
Testament Sabbath points forward." 77 The practical implication
of their conclusions is that Sunday should be observed, not
merely as an hour of worship, but as "a whole day, set apart to
be a holy festival ... for worship, rest and works of mercy." 78
......................
To be continued
Note:
Interesting the debate over which day is the Christian Sabbath.
For those trying to make it Sunday, they have to explain Romans
14 and Colossians 2:16 as not "doing away with" and not just
picking any day you like, even moving it around to your fancy.
Then for those like the Jehova Witnesses, who claim the NT does
away with ANY day as the Sabbath for Christians, they still have
to somehow take the fourth commandment out of the great Ten
Commandments, answer where in the NT did the apostles have a
Jerusalem conference to abolish the fourth of the Ten
Commandments, but still keep the other nine. Obviously as
Bacchiocchi has shown BOTH SIDES do have their "scholastic
studies" so-called, to uphold their point of view on this
prickely theology issue.
But for the mind of a child, fed with no ideas from adults, it is
all pretty simple theology to figure. See my article on this
Website called "The Sabbath commandment through the eyes of a
child."
Keith Hunt
5. The Sabbath under Crossfire
The Sabbath NOT from the Beginning?
by Samuele Bacchiocchi PhD
The Sabbath: Creational or Ceremonial?
PART 2 OBJECTIONS TO THE CREATION SABBATH
The preceding survey of the controversy over the creation
versus Mosaic origin of the Sabbath has set the stage for
examining the main objections against the creation origin of the
Sabbath, advanced especially by former Sabbatarians. Their
objections reflect the radical Lutheran distinction between the
Old and New Covenants. On the basis of this distinction, as we
have already seen, the Sabbath is not viewed as a creation
ordinance for humanity but as a Mosaic institution for the Jews
which Christ fulfilled and abolished. Consequently, so-called
"New Covenant" Christians are free from the observance of any
special day.
The four major objections used to negate the creation origin
of the Sabbath are the following:
1) No command to keep the Sabbath is given in Genesis.
2) No example of Sabbathkeeping is recorded in Genesis.
3) No mention is made of the word "Sabbath" in Genesis.
4) No formula of "and there was evening and morning" is used for
the seventh day.
(1) No Command to Keep the Sabbath Is Given in Genesis
Absence of a Command.
The first argument used to negate the creation origin of the
Sabbath is the absence of an explicit command to observe the
seventh day in Genesis 2:2-3. The Worldwide Church of God
formulates this argument by means of six rhetorical statements:
"There are several things that Genesis does not tell us:
1) It does not say that humans rested.
2) It does not say that humans were told to follow God's example.
3) It does not say that humans were told to rest.
4) It does not say that God taught Adam and Eve on the Sabbath.
5) It does not say that God created the Sabbath.
6) It does not say that humans kept the Sabbath. 79
Dale Ratzlaff uses the same argument, saying, "There is no
command for mankind to rest in the Genesis account." 80 "Nothing
is expressly mentioned regarding man in the seventh-day-creation
rest." 81 For him, this fact indicates that the Sabbath is not a
creation ordinance binding upon humanity, but a temporary
institution introduced by Moses for Israel alone.
Reasons for "No Command."
There are several possible reasons for the absence of an
explicit command to keep the Sabbath in Genesis 2:2-3. First of
all, we must remember that Genesis is not a book of commands but
of origins. None of the Ten Commandments are ever mentioned in
Genesis, yet we know that their principles were known because we
are told, for example, "Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my
charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws" (Gen 26:5). It
is evident Abraham knew God's commandments and laws, though no
reference is made to them in the book of Genesis. The reason is
that Genesis is a book of beginnings; it tells us how we get from
the creation of this planet to the creation of God's people in
the book of Exodus.
Another possible reason for the absence of a command to keep
the Sabbath in Genesis is the cosmological function of the
seventh day in the creation story. The divine act of resting on
the seventh day is designed to tell us how God felt about His
creation. It was "very good," and to dramatize this fact, twice
we are told that "He rested" (Gen 2:2-3) - that is, "He stopped."
No finishing touches were to improve His perfect creation.
In the Near Eastern creation myths, the divine rest
(technically called otiositas), which usually implies the
establishment of a secure world order, generally is achieved
either by eliminating noisy, disturbing gods or by creating human
beings. For example, in the Babylonian creation epic Enuma Elish,
the god Marduk says, "Verily, savage-man I will create. He shall
be charged with the service of the gods, that they might be at
ease ! 83 In the creation Sabbath, however, the divine rest is
secured not by subordinating or destroying competitors, nor by
exploiting the labor of mankind, but by the completion of a
perfect creation. God rested on the seventh day, not to conclude
His work of creation, but rather because His work was "finished
... done" (Gen 2:2-3). As stated by Niels-Erik Andreasen, "It is
not the rest (cessation from work) which concludes creation, but
it is the concluded creation which occasions both rest and the
Sabbath."
The Function of God's Rest.
Any responsible artisan works on a product until it is
brought it up to the ideal; then the work stops. In an infinitely
higher sense, God, having completed the creation of this world
with all its creatures, desisted from creating on the seventh
day. This is essentially the meaning of the Hebrew verb sabat
which is twice translated "rested." Its more accurate rendering
is "to stop, to desist, to cease from doing."
To express the idea of rest from physical exhaustion, the
Hebrew employs a different verb, namely nuah, which is also
generally translated in English "to rest." The latter, in fact,
occurs in Exodus 20:11 where God's pattern of work-rest in
creation is given as the basis for the commandment to work six
days and to rest on the seventh. In Genesis 2, however, the verb
sabat is used because the function of God's rest is different. It
fulfills a cosmological rather than an anthropological function.
It explains to us not why people should rest but rather how God
felt about His creation: He regarded it as complete and perfect;
and to acknowledge it, He stopped.
This function of God's rest has been recognized by numerous
scholars. Karl Barth, for example, remarks: "We read in Genesis
2:2 that on the seventh day God, the Creator, completed His work
by 'resting.' This simply means that He did not go on with the
work of creation as such. He set both Himself and His creation a
limit. He was content to be the Creator of this particular
creation - to glory, as the Creator, in this particular work. He
had no occasion to proceed to further creations. He needed no
further creations. And He had found what he created very good
(Gen. 1:31)." 85 "When creation ended with man, having found its
climax and meaning in the actualization of man, God rested on the
seventh day from all the work that He had done. It was to this
that He looked in the recognition that everything was very good
and therefore did not need to be extended or supplemented. 86
Dietrich Bonhoeffer similarly explains that "in the Bible
'rest' really means more than 'having a rest.' It means rest
after the work is accomplished, it means completion, it means the
perfection and peace in which the world rests." 87 We might say
that by confronting His creation with His cessation-rest, God
proclaimed the Good News that there was no need to put additional
finishing touches on what He had created, since He regarded all
of it "very good" (Gen.1:31). God's cessation from doing
expresses His desire for being with His creation, for giving to
His creatures not only "things" but "Himself."
An Example Rather Than a Command.
The fact that the Sabbath is established in the creation
story by a divine example rather than by a divine commandment
could also reflect what God intended the Sabbath to be in a
sinless world - namely, not an alienating imposition but a free
response to a gracious Creator. By freely choosing to make
themselves available for their Creator on the Sabbath, human
beings were to experience physical, mental, and spiritual renewal
and enrichment. Since these needs have not been eliminated but
heightened by the Fall, the moral, universal, and perpetual
functions of the Sabbath precept were repeated later in the form
of a commandment.
What is it that makes any divine precept moral and
universal? Do we not regard a law moral when it reflects God's
nature? Could God have given any stronger revelation of the moral
nature of the Sabbath than by making it a rule of His divine
conduct? Is a principle established by divine example less
binding than one enunciated by a divine command? Do not actions
speak louder than words?
The argument that the Sabbath originated at Sinai makes
Moses guilty of distorting truth or, at least, the victim of
gross misunderstanding. He would have traced the Sabbath back to
creation in the Sabbath commandment, when in reality it was his
own new creation. Such a charge, if true, would cast serious
doubts on the integrity and/or reliability of anything else Moses
or anyone else wrote in the Bible.
(2) No Example of Sabbathkeeping Is Recorded in Genesis
The oldest and perhaps the strongest argument against the
creation origin of the Sabbath is the absence of an explicit
reference to Sabbathkeeping after Genesis 2 for the whole
patriarchal period up to Exodus 16. For example, in his doctoral
dissertation on "Sabbatic Theology," Roger Congdon writes: "There
is absolutely no mention of the Sabbath before the Lord said to
Moses, 'Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you ... On the
sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice
as much as they gather daily' (Ex 16:4-5). These words indicate
that the event was bound to the Decalogue of Sinai.... The first
mention of the Sabbath in the Bible and the first chronological
use of the word in all history is in Exodus 16:23." 88 In a
similar vein the Worldwide Church of God affirms that Genesis
"does not say that humans kept the Sabbath." 89
Not Observed?
The absence of explicit references to Sabbathkeeping between
Genesis 2 and Exodus 16 does not necessarily mean that the
principle of Sabbathkeeping was unknown. The apparent silence
could mean that between Adam and Moses, the Sabbath, though
known, was not observed. The non-observance of the feast of the
Booths between Joshua and Nehemiah, a period of almost a thousand
years, would provide a parallel situation (Neh 8:17).
Taken for Granted.
A more plausible explanation is that the custom of
Sabbathkeeping is not mentioned simply because it is taken for
granted. A number of reasons support this explanation.
First, we have a similar example of silence regarding the
Sabbath between the books of Deuteronomy and 2 Kings. Such
silence can hardly be interpreted as non-observance of the
Sabbath since, when the first incidental reference occurs in 2
Kings 4:23, it describes the custom of visiting a prophet on the
Sabbath.
Second, Genesis does not contain laws like Exodus but is
rather, a brief sketch of origins. Since no mention is made of
any other commandment, silence regarding the Sabbath is not
exceptional.
Third, throughout the book of Genesis and the early chapters
of Exodus one finds circumstantial evidences for the use of the
seven-day week which would imply the existence of the Sabbath as
well. The period of seven days is mentioned four times in the
account of the Flood (Gen 7:4,10; 8:10,12).
Apparently, the "week" also is used in a technical way to
describe the duration of the nuptial festivities of Jacob (Gen
29:27) as well as the duration of mourning at his death (Gen
50:10). A similar period was observed by the friends of Job to
express their condolences to the patriarch (Job 2:13). Probably
all the mentioned ceremonials were terminated by the arrival of
the Sabbath.
Lastly, the Sabbath is presented in Exodus 16 and 20 as an
already existing institution. The instructions for gathering a
double portion of manna on the sixth day presuppose a knowledge
of the significance of the Sabbath: "On the sixth day, when they
prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they
gather daily" (Ex 16:5). The omission of any explanation for
gathering a double portion on the sixth day would be inexplicable
if the Israelites had no previous knowledge of the Sabbath.
Similarly, in Exodus 20, the Sabbath is presupposed as something
already familiar. The commandment does not say "Know the Sabbath
day" but "Remember the Sabbath day" (Ex 20:8), thus implying that
it was already known. Furthermore, the commandment, by presenting
the Sabbath as rooted in creation (Ex 20:11), hardly allows a
late Exodus introduction of the festival.
To speculate on how the patriarchs kept the Sabbath would be
a fruitless endeavor since it would rest more on imagination than
on available information. Considering, however, that the essence
of Sabbathkeeping is not a place to go to fulfill rituals, but a
set time to be with God, ourselves, and others, it is entirely
possible that the patriarchs spent the Sabbath holy hours within
their households, engaged in some of the acts of worship
described in Genesis such as prayer (Gen 12:8; 26:25), sacrifice
(Gen 12:8; 13:18; 26:25; 33:20), and teaching (Gen 18:19).
(3) No Mention Is Made of the Word "Sabbath" in Genesis
The absence of the term "Sabbath" in Genesis 2:2-3 is seen
by some as an indication that the Sabbath as an institution did
not originate at creation but later at the time of Moses. For
example, Robert Morey emphatically states: "But isn't the Sabbath
creation ordinance found in Genesis 2:1-3? No, the word 'Sabbath'
does not appear in the text." 90 Harold Dressler makes a similar
statement: "Genesis 2 does not mention the word 'Sabbath.' It
speaks about the 'seventh day.' Unless the reader equates
'seventh day' and 'Sabbath,' there is no reference to the Sabbath
here." 91 In a similar vein; Dale Ratzlaff writes: "There is no
mention of the word 'Sabbath' in the Genesis account; nothing is
said about man resting; in fact, man is not even mentioned in
connection with this seventh-day-creation rest." 92
Verbal Form.
It is true that the name "Sabbath" does not occur in the
passage, but the cognate verbal form shabat (to cease, to stop,
to rest) is used and the latter, as noted by Ugo Cassuto,
"contains an allusion to the name 'the Sabbath day.'" 93
Moreover, as Cassuto sagaciously remarks, the use of the
name seventh day rather than Sabbath may well reflect the
writer's concern to underline the perpetual order of the day,
independent and free from any association with astrological
"sabbaths" of the heathen nations.
Perpetual Order.
It is a known fact that the term shabbatu, which is
strikingly similar to the Hebrew word for Sabbath (shabbat),
occurs in the documents of ancient Mesopotamia. The term
apparently designated the fifteenth day of the month, that is,
the day of the full moon. By designating the day by number rather
than by name, Genesis seems to emphasize that God's Sabbath day
is not like that of heathen nations, connected with the phases of
the moon. Rather, it shall be the seventh day in perpetual order,
independent from any association with the cycles of heavenly
bodies.
By pointing to a perpetual order, the seventh day
strengthens the cosmological message of the creation story -
precisely that God is both Creator and constant controller of
this cosmos. In Exodus, however, where the seventh day is given
in the context of the Genesis, not of this cosmos, but of the
nation of Israel, the day is explicitly designated "sabbath,"
apparently to express its new historical and soteriological
function.
(4) No Formula of "and there was evening and morning" Is Used for
the Seventh day
The omission in the creation account of the formula "and
there was evening and morning" in connection with the seventh day
indicates to some that the Sabbath is not a literal 24-hour day
like the preceding six days, but a symbolic time representing
eternal rest. For example, Dale Ratzlaff writes: "The Genesis
account does not mention an end to God's seventh-day rest. Rather
it is presented as an ongoing state by the omission of the
formula 'and there was evening and morning, a seventh day.'" 95
He interprets the absence of this formula as indicating that
"the conditions and characteristics of that first seventh day
were designed by God to continue and would have continued had it
not been for the sin of Adam and Eve." 96
Eternal Rest.
Both Rabbis and Christian writers have interpreted the
absence of any reference to "the evening and morning" in
connection with the seventh day of creation as representing the
future, eternal rest of the redeemed. Augustine offers a most
fitting example of this interpretation in the last page of his
"Confessions," where he offers this exquisite prayer: "O Lord
God, grant Thy peace unto us ... the peace of rest, the peace of
the Sabbath which has no evening. For all this most beautiful
order of things, 'very good' ... is to pass away, for in them
there was morning and evening. But the seventh day is without any
evening, nor hath it any setting, because Thou hast sanctified it
to an everlasting continuance; ... that we also after our works
... may repose in Thee also in the Sabbath of eternal life." 97
This spiritual, eschatological interpretation of the
creation Sabbath has some merits because, as shown in chapter 4,
the vision of the peace, rest, and prosperity of the first
Sabbath inspired the prophetic vision of the peace, delight, and
prosperity of the world-to-come. This interpretation is also
found in Hebrews 4 where believers are urged to strive to enter
into the Sabbath rest that remains for the people of God (Heb
4:9,11).
Literal Day
The symbolic interpretation of creation's seventh day which
has no evening does not negate its literal 24-hour duration for
at least four reasons:
First, the seventh day is enumerated like the preceding six days.
Note that in the Bible whenever "day-yom" is accompanied by a
number it always means a day of 24 hours.
Second, the Decalogue itself clearly states that God, having
worked six days, rested on the seventh day of creation week (Ex
20:11). If the first six days were ordinary earthly days, we must
understand the seventh in the same way.
Third, every passage which mentions creation's seventh day as the
basis of the earthly Sabbath regards it as an ordinary day (Ex
20:11; 31:17; cf. Mark 2:27; Heb 4:4).
Last, the commandment to keep the Sabbath as a memorial day of
the creation-Sabbath (Ex 20:11) implies a literal original
24-hour Sabbath. God could hardly command His creatures to work
six days and rest on the seventh after His own example if the
seventh day were not a literal day. The omission of the formula
"and there was evening and morning, a seventh day" may be due to
the fact that the seventh day is not followed by other creation
days. The formula serves to separate each of the first days of
creation from the following ones. The seventh day, being the last
day of creation, did not need to be separated because there was
no "eighth day" to follow. By marking the termination of the
creation week, the seventh day did not need to be defined in
terms of its termination because there were no further creation
days.
Another suggestion discussed in chapter 4 is the possibility
that the Sabbath was blessed with extraordinary light. For
example, referring to the Messianic age, Zechariah remarks that
"there shall be continuous day ... not day and not night, for at
evening time there shall be light" (Zech 14:7). Here we have a
probable allusion to the seventh day of creation which in Genesis
has no mention of "evening and morning." Such a detail was
interpreted by the rabbis as signifying that the Sabbath was
especially blessed by supernatural, continuous light. To this we
return in chapter 4.
PART 3
THE CREATION WEEK IS A HUMAN WEEK
A fundamental problem with the preceding objections against
the creation origin of the Sabbath is their failure to realize
that the creation week is a human week, established by God for
regulating our human life.
.......................
To be continued
NOTE:
With the above arguments by those who would say there was no
"Sabbath day" command or observance until Moses' day, fall into
the ditch of theological gooby-goo by not reading the entire
Bible. God does not have to say truths over and over or as and
where we may want to find them. The Lord deliberately puts truth
here and there so people will be deceived and fall backwards and
be snared in their own trap of imaginations of falsehoods. This
is not the age where God is trying to save all mankind, most at
this time are blinded and cannot see the light of day. I have
proved this fact and this plan of the Eternal in many other
studies on this Website.
NOW, you need to note and mark a few clear and easy to read
verses in the New Testament, that plainly show that SIN DID EXIST
FROM ADAM TO MOSES, and what God interprets IS sin!!
ROMANS 5:12-14
"Wherefore, as by one man SIN entered into the world, and death
by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that ALL have
SINNED. For until the law (codefied and given by Moses in a
specific form) SIN WAS IN THE WORLD; but sin is not imputed when
their is NO LAW. Nevertheless DEATH reigned from Adam to Moses
..."
1 JOHN 3:4
"Whosoever commits SIN transgresseth also the LAW: for SIN IS the
transgression of the LAW."
ROMANS 7:7
"What shall I say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. No, I had not
known SIN, but by the LAW: for I had not known lust, except the
LAW had siad, 'Thou shalt not covet.'"
JAMES 2:10-11
"For whosoever shall keep the whole LAW, and yet offend in ONE
POINT, he is guilty of all. For he that said, 'Do not commit
adultery' said also, 'Do not kill.' now if you commit no
adultery, yet if you kill, you have become a transgressor of the
law."
By putting some easy to read verses together in the New Testament
we should be able to see WHAT law is being spoken about - the TEN
COMMANDMENT LAW! And breaking that law is SIN! And furthermore
SIN existed from Adam to Moses. And in one way or another ALL
have sinned. Death reigned from Adam to Moses because all have
sinned, and sin is the breaking of any one of the Ten
commandments of God. Sin is not imputed, is not counted, is not
placed upon your bill, where there is no law. But sin has been
placed upon all who have ever lived, including those from Adam to
Moses, because there was a law which defined sin, and there still
is that law which defines sin. That law contains points, which
include "you shall not commit adultery" and "you shall not kill"
and "you shall not covet." Any first grade child reading Exodus
20 and Deuteronomy 5 and the above given Scriptures can easily
see SIN and hence the Ten commandment LAW was from the beginning,
from the time of Adam and Eve.
IT WAS SIN FROM ADAM TO MOSES TO BREAK ANY ONE OF THE LAWS OF THE
TEN COMMANDMENTS!!
ALL OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS WERE IN FORCE FROM ADAM TO MOSES!!
YOU NEED TO STUDY MY STUDY CALLED "THE TEN COMMANDMENTS BEFORE
MOSES" on this Website.
By reading the Bible with eyes, mind, and heart, fully open to
all of its truth and teachings, by NOT reading the Bible with
tunnel vision, we can clearly see that the SABBATH command, the
4th commandment of the great Ten commandments, was in full effect
from Adam to Moses!
Keith Hunt
6. The Sabbath under Crossfire
Final arguments on Ceremonial only
by Samuele Bacchiocchi PhD
Continued from previous page:
God did not need six days to create our solar system. He
could have spoken it into existence in a second, since His
creation was accomplished by the spoken word (Ps 33:6). But He
chose to establish a human week of seven days and to use it
Himself in order to give a divine perspective to our six days of
work and to our seventh day of rest.
This means that as we work during the six days and rest on
the seventh day, we are doing in a small scale what God has done
on a much larger scale. God's willingness to enter into the
limitations of human time at creation in order to enable us to
identify with Him is a marvellous revelation of His willingness
to enter into human flesh at the incarnation in order to become
Emmanuel, God with us.
On each of the first six days of creation God did something
that had lasting results for the human family. We would expect
the same to be true for the seventh day. Roy Gane notes: "God set
up cyclical time even before man was created (Gen 1:3-5,14-18).
According to Genesis 1:14, God made heavenly luminaries, chiefly
the sun and the moon (Gen 1:16), to mark earthly time as 'signs,'
'seasons.' i. e., appointed times, days, and years. So when
Genesis 2:3 says that God blessed and hallowed the seventh day,
this blessing and consecration could be on-going in a cyclical
sense, applying to each subsequent seventh day. In fact, the
seventh-day Sabbath provides a plausible explanation for the
origin of the week, which is not defined by the movement of
heavenly bodies." 98
Creation Sabbath and Weekly Sabbath
The emphatic threefold repetition of "the seventh day" with
its four divine acts ("finished," "rested," "blessed," and
"hallowed" - Gen 2:2-3) at the conclusion of creation indicates
that just as man is the crown of creation, so the seventh day,
the Sabbath, is the final goal of creation. Thus, the creation
Sabbath tells us not only how God felt about His creation, but
also what He planned for His creatures. G.H.Watermann makes this
point saying: "It seems clear, therefore, that the divine origin
and institution of the Sabbath took place at the beginning of
human history. At that time God not only provided a divine
example for keeping the seventh day as a day of rest, but also
blessed and set apart the seventh day for the benefit of man." 99
As God created the world in six days and rested on the
seventh day at the completion of His creation, so human beings
are to accomplish their work and purpose in this creation during
the six working days of the week and to follow the example of the
Creator by resting on the seventh day. Sabbathkeepers can find
satisfaction and fulfillment in their work and rest, because the
Sabbath reassures them that they are doing on a small scale what
God has done and is doing on an infinitely larger scale.
Earlier we noted that God "rested" on the seventh day to
express His satisfaction over his complete and perfect creation.
This idea is conveyed by the verb shabat used in Genesis 2:2-3
which means to "cease or stop working." We must not ignore,
however, that in Exodus 31:17 the creation rest of God is
interpreted as a model for human rest. Israel is called to keep
the Sabbath because "in six days the Lord made the heaven and the
earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed" (Ex
31:17). The Hebrew verb used here is "nephesh," which describes
God as being "refreshed" as a result of His rest on the seventh
day of creation.
It is evident God did not need to rest from fatigue because
"He does not faint or grow weary" (Is 40:28), yet the Bible
speaks of God in human terms (anthropomorphically) as being
"refreshed" on the Sabbath in order to set the pattern for the
human Sabbath rest. This is not the only example in the Bible
where God does something to set an example for His creatures to
follow.
Jesus asked John the Baptist to baptize him, not because He
needed to be cleansed from sin (Rom 6:1-5), but to set an example
for His followers (Matt 3:13-14). Both baptism and the Lord's
Supper trace their origin to a divine act and example that
established them. In the same way Scripture traces the origin of
the Sabbath to God's act of resting, blessing, and sanctifying
the seventh day. This is the fundamental problem with Sunday
observance. No divine act established the day as a memorial of
the resurrection. None of the words uttered by Christ on the day
of His resurrection suggest that He intended to make the day a
memorial of His resurrection.
The Blessing of the Seventh Day
The blessing and hallowing of the seventh day at creation
further reveals that God intended the Sabbath to have on-going
benefits for the human family. It would make no sense for God to
bless and sanctify a unit of holy time for Himself. The blessings
of God are outgoing, benefiting His creatures. They represent not
wishful thinking but assurance of fruitfulness, prosperity, and
abundant life. For example, God blessed the first couple saying,
"Be fruitful and multiply" (Gen 1:28; cf. 9:1; 49:22-26).
Similarly, we read in the Aaronic benediction: "The Lord
bless you and keep you" (Num 6:24). The blessing of God results,
then, in the preservation and assurance of abundant life. This
meaning is expressed explicitly by the Psalmist when he writes:
"The Lord has commanded the blessing, life for evermore" (Ps
133:3).
Applied to the Sabbath, this means that God made this day a
channel through which human life can receive His beneficial and
vitalizing power.
It must be said that the meaning of both the blessing and
sanctification of the Sabbath is not spelled out in Genesis 2:3.
This is puzzling because in most instances God's benediction is
accompanied by an explanation of its content. For example, "God
blessed them [animals], saying, 'Be fruitful and multiply and
fill the water in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the
earth'" (Gen 1:22). Similarly, God said to Abraham regarding his
wife, Sarah, "I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of
nations; kings of peoples shall come from her" (Gen 17:16; cf.
9:1;17:20). Yet with regard to the blessing of the Sabbath,
nothing is said as to what such a blessing entails.
The mystery of the blessedness and sanctity of the Sabbath
begins to be unveiled in Exodus with the establishment of Israel
as God's covenant people. The day becomes now linked not only to
a finished creation but to the new nation which God has
miraculously brought into existence: "See! The Lord has given you
the Sabbath" (Ex 16:29). From being cosmological, a symbol of a
perfect world, the Sabbath has now become a soteriological-
historical symbol of God's redemptive plan for His people. Thus
the Sabbath becomes now more intimately connected with the ups
and downs of the life of God's people.
The manna story offers a starting point to understand the
nature of the original blessing of the Sabbath. Notice first
certain parallelisms between the creation and the manna
narrative. Both are divine acts accomplished according to the
seven-day structure. Both testify to the perfection of God's
activities: the daily creation was "good" and the daily portion
of the manna was satisfying (Ex 16:18). In both instances, the
creative activity ceases on the Sabbath: creation is "finished"
(Gen 2:2) and the manna ceased to fall (Ex 16:25). In both cases
God's blessings are bestowed upon the Sabbath - by proclamation
at creation (Gen 2:3) and by preservation in the manna (Ex
16:24).
In the context of the aridity of the desert and of the
murmuring of the people caused by their inability to secure food,
the miracle of the preservation of the manna throughout Sabbath
stands as a most con spicuous revelation of the nature of the
Sabbath blessings, namely, God's reassuring gift of physical
nourishment and life. In order to receive the blessings of the
Sabbath, believers need to consecrate the day to God by altering
their behavior, as in the manna experience. As John Skinner puts
it: "The Sabbath is a constant source of well-being to the man
who recognizes its true nature and purpose." 100
The Sanctification of the Sabbath
Genesis 2:3 also affirms that the Creator "hallowed" (RV,
RSV) the seventh day, "made it holy" (NEB, NAB), "declared it
holy" (NKJV), or "sanctified" (NASB). Both here and in the
Sabbath commandment we are told that God made the Sabbath holy.
How did God make the seventh day holy? Since the day is not
a material substance but a unit of time, it cannot be made holy
by applying a holy substance such as annointing oil (Lev
8:10-12). The meaning of the holiness of the Sabbath must be
found in its relation to the people who are affected by its
observance.
Dale Ratzlaff argues that God did not sanctify the seventh
day as such for human beings to observe, but the "conditions of
that day were sanctified and blessed." 101 By "the conditions,"
Ratzlaff means the condition that existed on "the first day after
creation was completed." 102 In other words, the sanctification
of the seventh day refers primarily to the "conditions" of
"fellowship and communion" that existed on creation's seventh day
rather than to God setting aside the seventh day for humanity to
experience in a special way His sanctifying presence.
The problem with this interpretation is that nowhere does
the Bible suggest that the sanctification of the seventh day at
creation refers to the sanctification of the conditions that
existed "the first day after creation was completed." God did not
sanctify "conditions" but the seventh day itself.
The Meaning of Sanctification
The basic meaning of the Hebrew idea of "holy--gadesh" is
"set apart," "separated." Applied to the Sabbath, the divine
sanctification of the day consists in God's setting apart the
seventh day from the rest of the six days. It must be emphasized
that God did the setting apart, not man. The holiness of the
Sabbath stems not from those who keep it, but from the act of
God. Believers experience the holiness of the Sabbath by altering
their behavior on that day. They stop their work to allow God to
enrich their lives with His sanctifying presence.
John Skinner perceptively points out that the Sabbath "is
not an institution which exists or ceases with its observance by
man; the divine rest is a fact as much as the divine working, and
so the sanctity of the day is a fact whether man secures the
benefit or not." 103
The verbal form (Piel) of the Hebrew verb "to sanctify -
yegaddesh," as H.C.Leupold explains, "has both a causative and a
declarative sense. This means that God declared the seventh day
holy and caused it to be a means of holiness for humanity." 104
It is noteworthy that the word "holy" is used for the first time
in the Bible with reference not to an object such as an altar, a
tabernacle, or a person, but with regard to time, the seventh day
(Gen 2:3).
The meaning of the sanctification of the Sabbath becomes
clearer with the unfolding of the history of salvation. In
Exodus, for example, the holiness of the Sabbath is elucidated by
means of its explicit association with the manifestation of God's
glorious presence. From Mount Sinai, which was made holy by the
glorious presence of God, the Sabbath is explicitly proclaimed to
be God's holy day: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy"
(Ex 20:8). The commandment, it should be noted, not only opens
with the invitation to remember and keep holy the Sabbath (cf.
Deut 5:15), but also closes by reiterating that its holiness is
grounded in God's sanctification of the day at creation (Ex
20:11). In Hebrew, the identical verb is used in both instances.
An Experience of God's Presence
The experience of God's glorious presence on Mount Sinai
served to educate the Israelites to acknowledge the holiness of
God manifested in time (the Sabbath) and later in a place of
worship (the Tabernacle). The motif of God's glory is found in
all of these (Sinai, Sabbath, and Tabernacle) and ties them
together. The Israelites were instructed to prepare themselves
for the encounter with God's holy presence (Ex 19:10,11), when
the Lord would "come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all
the people" (Ex 19:11). The preparation included personal
cleansing (Ex 19:10, 14) and the setting of a boundary around the
mountain (Ex 19:12, 23) which was to be invested with God's
glory.
The nexus with the holiness of the Sabbath can hardly be
missed. Indeed, personal preparation and the setting of a
boundary between common and holy time are the basic ingredients
necessary for the sanctification of the Sabbath. Can one enter
into the experience of God's holy presence on the Sabbath without
making necessary preparation? Or is it possible to honor God's
presence on His holy seventh day without setting a boundary in
time that fences off personal profits and pleasures?
The meaning of the holiness of God is further clarified at
Sinai by the invitation God extended to Moses "on the seventh
day" to enter into the cloud and thus experience the intimacy of
His presence. "Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud
covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord settled on Mount
Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days; and on the seventh day
he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now the
appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on
the top of the mountain in the sight of the people. And Moses
entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain" (Ex 24:15-18).
God's invitation to Moses to enter on the seventh day into His
glorious presence unveils the cryptic meaning of God's
sanctification of the Sabbath at creation. The holiness of the
Sabbath is now explained to be not a magic quality infused by God
into this day, but rather His mysterious and majestic presence
manifested on and through the Sabbath in the lives of His people.
This meaning of the holiness of the Sabbath is brought out more
forcefully a few chapters later when, at the end of the
revelation of the tabernacle, God says to the people of Israel,
"You shall keep my sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and
you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the
Lord, sanctify you" (Ex 31:13). The sanctity of the Sabbath is
now clearly equated with the sanctifying presence of God with His
people. The mystery of the sanctification of the creation-Sabbath
is now unveiled. It consists precisely of God's commitment to
manifest His presence in the lives of His people.
For six days God filled this planet with good things and
living beings, but on the seventh He filled it with His presence.
As the symbol and assurance of God's sanctifying presence in this
world and in human lives, the Sabbath represents a most sublime
and permanent expression of God's loving care.
The Permanence of the Sabbath
In the creation account, we learn that God set up the ideal
order of relationship that should govern human life. He
instituted the Sabbath, marriage, and work-three institutions
which embody principles which were later formulated in the Ten
Commandments.
When Adam and Even disobeyed God by eating of the forbidden
fruit (Gen 3:6), their marriage and work suffered as a result of
the curse of sin. But the Sabbath did not. "The Sabbath is not
affected by any curse resulting from the Fall. Unlike the other
two Creation institutions, the Sabbath remains a little piece of
Paradise. As such, its value is enhanced by the deterioration
around it. Now that work is exhausting, ceasing from labor on the
Sabbath provides needed rest. More importantly, now that human
beings are cut off from direct access to God, they need a
reminder of His lordship [and fellowship] even more than they did
before the Fall. 105
The Fall did not eliminate the order that God established at
creation to govern human life and relationship. Marriage and
labor have remained, though they became more difficult. In the
same way, the Sabbath has remained, though its observance is
often made more difficult by working schedules that infringe on
the Sabbath and by many personal tasks that clamor for use of the
Sabbath time.
In the light of the foregoing considerations, we conclude
that God, by resting, blessing, and sanctifying the seventh day,
created a day that would delineate the on-going weekly cycle for
human beings, and invites them to fellowship with Him in a
special way on the Sabbath day. God created the natural world by
speaking, then man by moulding him out of dust and vivifying him
with His life-giving Spirit, and the Sabbath by "sabbatizing"
Himself.
By instituting the Sabbath at creation along with the basic
components of human life such as marriage and labor, long before
Israel existed, God made the day a permanent institution for the
human family (Mark 2:27). The fact that later the Sabbath became
one of the Ten Commandments does not negate its universality, but
rather supports it, since the other nine commandments are
universal principles binding upon the whole human family, not
Israel alone.
Conclusion
Three main conclusions emerge from our study of the biblical
and historical witness to the origin of the Sabbath.
First, there is in Scripture an unmistakable consensus
supporting the creation origin of the Sabbath.
Second, a major and the oldest Jewish tradition traces the
origin of the Sabbath back to the culmination of creation.
Third, we find in the history of Christianity considerable
support for the Edenic origin of the Sabbath, not only among
seventh-day Sabbathkeepers but also among many Sundaykeepers. The
latter have defended the Sabbath as a creation ordinance in order
to justify Sunday as the Christian Sabbath.
The challenge to the creation origin of the Sabbath has come
chiefly from those who have adopted Luther's radical distinction
between the Old and New Testaments and between Law and Gospel.
Some former Sabbatarians have adopted this distinction, thus
arguing that the Sabbath is not a creation ordinance but a Mosaic
institution which Christ fulfilled and abolished. Consequently,
believers in the Christian dispensation are free from the
observance of any special day.
Our examination of the objections to the creation origin of
the Sabbath has shown the arguments to be based on gratuitous
assumptions. The consistent and unanimous testimony of Scripture
is that Sabbath is rooted in the creation event and marks the
inauguration of human history. This means that Sabbathkeeping is
not a temporary Jewish ceremonial law, but a creation ordinance
for the benefit of humanity. It also means, as so well stated by
Elizabeth E. Platt, that "we have our roots in the Sabbath; we
belong in it from Genesis on into Eternity in God's plan." 106
.................
To be continued
NOTES TO CHAPTER 2
1. For an analysis of the various theories regarding the origin
of the Sabbath, see, Samuele Bacchiocchi, Divine Rest for Human
Restlessness (Rome, 1980), pp. 1-32.
2. "The Sabbath in Acts and the Epistles," A Bible Study posted
by the Worldwide Church of God in their web page (www.wcg.org,
September 1998), p.4.
3. Dale Ratzlaff, Sabbath in Crisis. Transfer/Modification?
Reformation/Continuation? Fulfillment/Transformation? (Applegate,
California, 1990).
4. Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics (Edinburgh, 1956), vol.3, part
two, p.62.
5. See, S.R.Driver, The Book of Genesis (London, 1943), p.18; J.
Skinner, Genesis (Edinburgh, 1930), p.38; A. Simpson, "The Book
of Genesis," The Interpreter's Bible, vol.1, p.490.
6. F.J.Helfneyer, "'oth," Theological Dictionary of the Old
Testament (Grand Rapids, 1982), vol.1, p.171.
7. Willy Rordorf, Sunday: The History of the Day of Rest and
Worship in the Earliest Centuries of the Christian Church
(Philadelphia, 1968), p.63.
8. For my analysis of the meaning of the rest in Hebrews, see
Divine Rest for Human Restlessness (Rome, 1980), pp.137-140. See
also chapter 3 of this book entitled "The Sabbath and the
Covenants."
9. See also Jub. 2:20-22. Such an exclusive interpretation of the
Sabbath led some Rabbis to teach that non-Jews were actually
forbidden to observe the Sabbath. For example, Simeon B. Lagish
said: "A Gentile who keeps the Sabbath deserves death" (Sanhedrin
586). Earlier, "R Jose B. Hanina said: A non-Jew who observes the
Sabbath whilst he is uncircumcised incurs a liability for the
punishment of death. Why? Because non-Jews were not commanded
concerning it" (Deuteronomy Rabbah 1:21).
10. Genesis Rabbah 11:7; 64:4; 79:6.
11. Philo, De Opificio Mundi 89. De Vita Mosis 1, 207; De
Specialibus Legibus 2,59.
12. Philo, De Decaloge 97.
13. Philo, De Opificio Mundi 89.
14. Didascalia Apostolorum. The Syriac Version Translated and
Accompanied by the Verona Latin Fragments, ed. R. Hugh Connolly
(Oxford, 1929), p.233.
15. Athanasius, De sabbatis et circumcisione 4, PG 28, 138 B.C.
For additional examples and discussion, see Samuele Bacchiocchi,
From Sabbath to Sunday (Rome, 1977), pp.273-278.
16. Constitutions of the Holy Apostles VII, 23, Ante-Nicene
Fathers VII, 469.
17. Ibid., VII, 36, p.474; cf. II, 36.
18. Jean Danielou, T the Bible and Liturgy (South Bend, IN,
1966),p. 276.
19. Augustine, The City of God, XXII, 30, trans. Henry Bettenson,
(Oxford, 1972), p.1090.
20. The fact that in the creation story there is no mention of
"evening . . . morning" for the seventh day is interpreted by
Augustine as signifying the eternal nature of the Sabbath rest
both in the mystical and in the eschatological sense.
21. Augustine, Confessions X1II, 35-36. Cf. Sermon 38, PL 270,
1242; De Genesis ad litteram 4, 13, PL 34, 305. The "already" and
the "not yet" dimensions of the Sabbath rest are concisely
presented by Augustine in his Commentary on Psalm 91,2: "One
whose conscience is good, is tranquil, and this peace is the
Sabbath of the heart. For indeed it is directed toward the hope
of Him Who promises, and although one suffers at the present
time, he looks forward toward the hope of him Who is to come, and
then all the clouds of sorrow will be dispersed. This present
joy, in the peace of our hope, is our Sabbath" (PL 27, 1172).
22. In his Epistula 55 ad Ianuarium 22, Augustine explains:
"Therefore of the Ten Commandments the only one we are to observe
spiritually is that of the Sabbath, because we recognize it to be
symbolic and not to be celebrated through physical inactivity"
(CSEL 34, 194). One wonders, How is it possible to retain the
Sabbath as the symbol of mystical and eschatological rest in God,
while denying the basis of such a symbol, namely, its literal
Sabbath-rest experience? For a discussion of this contradiction,
see below.
23. Eugippius (about 455-535), for example, quotes verbatim from
Augustine, Adversus Faustum 16,29 (Thesaurus 66, PL 62, 685). Cf.
Bede (about 673-375), In Genesim 2, 3, CCL 118A, 35; Rabanus
Maurus (about 784-856), Commentaria in Genesim 1,9, PL 107, 465;
Peter Lombard (about 1100-1160), Sententiarum libri quatuor 3,
37, 2, PL 192, 831.
24. Chrysostom, Homilia 10, 7 In Genesim, PG 53, 89. Ephraem
Syrus (about 306-373) appeals to the Sabbath "law" to urge that
"rest be granted to servants and animals" (S. Ephraem Syri hymni
et sermones, ed. T. J. Lamy, I, 1882, p.542). For a brief survey
of the application of the Sabbath law to Sunday observance, see
L. McReavy, "'Servile Work': The Evolution of the Present Sunday
Law," Clergy Review 9 (1935): 273276.
25. Peter Comestor, Historia scholastica: Tiber Genesis 10, PL
198, 1065. On the development of the principle of "one day in
seven," see discussion in Wilhelm Thomas, "Sabbatarianism,"
Encyclopedia of the Lutheran Church, 1965, III, p.2090.
26. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part I-II, Q. 100, 3, (New
York, 1947), p.1039.
27. Aquinas subdivided the Mosaic law into moral, ceremonial, and
judicial precepts. The moral precepts of the decalogue are viewed
as precepts also of the Natural Law; that is to say, they are
precepts binding upon all people because they are discoverable by
all through human reason without the aid of special revelation.
Cf. Aquinas (note 26), Part I-II, Q. 100, 1 and Q. 100, 3, pp.
1037, 1039.
28. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part I-II, Q. 100, 5, p.
1042.
29. See note 28. Note also that Aquinas attributes a similar
symbolic function to Sunday: "As to the Sabbath, which was a sign
recalling the first creation, its place is taken by the Lord's
Day, which recalls the beginning of the new creature in the
Resurrection of Christ" (note 26, Part I-II, .Q. 103, 3, p.
1085).
30. Thomas Aquinas (note 26), Part I-II, Q. 107, 3, p.1111.
31. See L. L. McReavy, "'Servile Work': The Evolution of the
Present Sunday Law," Clergy Review 9 (1935), pp.279f. A brief
survey of the development of Sunday laws and casuistry is
provided by Paul K. Jewett, The Lord's Day (Grand Rapids, MI,
1972), pp. 128-169. A good example of the adoption of Aquinas'
moral-ceremonial distinction can be found in the Catechism of the
Council of Trent.
32. Karlstadt's conception of the Sabbath rest contains a strange
combination of mystical and legalistic elements. Basically he
viewed the day as a time to abstain from work in order to be
contrite over one's sins. For a clear analysis of his views, see
Gordon Rupp, Patterns of Reformation, 1969, pp.123-130; idem,
"Andrew Karlstadt and Reformation Puritanism," Journal of
Theological Studies 10 (1959), pp.308-326; cf. Daniel Augsburger,
"Calvin and the Mosaic Law," Doctoral dissertation, Strasbourg
University (1976), pp.248-249; J.N.Andrews and L.R.Conradi,
History of the Sabbath and First Day of the Week (Washington, DC,
1912), pp.652-655.
33. Luther, Against the Heavenly Prophets, Luther's Works (St.
Louis, 1958), vol.40, p.93. A valuable study of Luther's views
regarding the Sabbath is to be found in Richard Muller,
Adventisten-Sabbat-Reformation, Studia Theologica Lundensia
(Lund, 1979), pp.32-60.
34. Luther, Treatise on Good Works (1520), Selected Writings of
Martin Luther (Philadelphia, 1957), p.174.
35. Concordia or Book of Concord, The Symbols of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church (St. Louis, 1957), p.1974.
36. Ibid.
37. Augsburg Confession (note 35), p.25; cf. Philip Schaff, The
Creeds of Christendom (New York, 1919), vol.3, p.69.
38. Winton V. Solberg, Redeem the Time (Cambridge, 1977), pp.
15-19; A.G.Dickens, The English Reformation (London, 1964), p.
34; George H. Williams, The Radical Reformation (Leiden, 1962),
pp.38-58, 81-84.
39. See below, note 41.
40. A valuable survey of the ideas and influences of these
Sabbatarians is provided by G. F. Hasel, "Sabbatarian
Anabaptists," Andrews University Seminary Studies 5 (1967), pp.
101-121; 6 (1968):19 28. On the existence of Sabbathkeepers in
various countries, see Andrews and Conradi (note 32), pp.
633-716. Cf. Richard Muller (note 33), pp.110129.
41. In a list of eleven sects by Stredovsky of Bohemia,
"Sabbatarians" are listed in the third place after Lutherans and
Calvinists. The list is reprinted by Josef Beck, ed., Die
Geschichts-Biicher der Widertaufer in Osterreich-Ungarn ("Fontes
Rerum Austriacarum," Wien, 1883), 43:74. For an analysis of this
and three other lists, see Hasel (note 40), pp.101-106, who
concludes: "These early enumerations seem to indicate that
Sabbatarian Anabaptists were considered to be an important and
strong group" (p.106). Cf. Henry A. DeWind, "A Sixteenth Century
Description of Religious Sects in Austerlitz, Moravia," Mennonite
Quarterly Review (1955): 51; George H. Williams (note 38), p.
676, 726, 732, 848, 408-410, 229, 257, 512.
42. Desiderius Erasmus, "Amabili Ecclesiae Concordia," Opera
Omnia V: 505-506; translation by Hasel (note 40), p.107.
43. Luther reports: "In our time there is a foolish group of
people who call themselves Sabbatarians [Sabbather] and say one
should keep the Sabbath according to Jewish manner and custom"
(D.Martin Luthers Werke, Weimer ed. 42:520). In his Lectures on
Genesis (4:46), Luther furnishes similar information: "I hear
that even now in Austria and Moravia certain Judaizers urge both
the Sabbath and circumcision; if they should boldly go on, not
being admonished by the work of God, they certainly might do much
harm" (cited in Andrews and Conradi, History of the Sabbath and
First Day of the Week [Washington, DC, 1912], p.640).
44. J.G.Walch, ed., Dr.Martin Luther sammtliche Schriften
(Berlin, 1910), vol. 20, p.1828ff. Cf. D. Zscharnack,
"Sabbatharier," Die Religion in Geschichte and Gegenwart (1931),
vol.5, p.8.
45. On Oswald Glait, see the study of Richard Muller (note 33),
pp.117-125. Cf. Hasel (note 40), pp.107-121.
46. On Andreas Fisher, see the treatment by Richard Muller (note
33), pp.125-130; Petr Ratkos, "Die Anfange des Wiedertaufertums
in der Slowakei," Aus 500 Jahren deutsch-tschechoslowakischer
Geschichte, Karl Obermann, ed. (1958), pp.41-59. See also the
recent study by Daniel Liechty, Andreas Fischer and the
Sabbatarian Anabaptists (Herald Press, Scottdale, PA, 1988).
47. Caspar Schewenckfeld's refutation of Glait's book is found in
S.D.Hartranft and E.E.Johnson, eds., Corpus Schwenckfeldianorum
(1907), vol.4, pp.451ff.
48. Ibid., p.458. The translation is by Hasel (note 40), p.119.
49. Ibid., p.491.
50. Ibid., p.457-458.
51. An Anabaptist (Hutterian) Chronicle provides this moving
account of Glait's final days: "In 1545 Brother Oswald Glait lay
in prison in Vienna for the sake of his faith.... Two brethren
also came to him, Antoni Keim and Hans Standach, who comforted
him. To them he commended his wife and child in Jamnitz. After he
had been in prison a year and six weeks, they took him out of the
city at midnight, that the people might not see or hear him, and
drowned him in the Danube" (A.J.F.Zieglschmid, ed., Die alteste
Chronik der Hutterischen Bruder [1943], pp.259, 260, 266, trans.
by Hasel [note 40], pp.114-115).
52. A brief historical survey of seventh-day Sabbathkeepers from
the fifteenth to the seventeenth century is found in Andrews and
Conradi (note 32), pp.632-759. A more comprehensive and critical
study of Sabbathkeeping through the ages is the symposium Kenneth
A. Strand, ed., The Sabbath in Scriptures and History
(Washington, DC, 1982). About 20 scholars have contributed
chapters to this study.
53. R.J.Bauckham, "Sabbath and Sunday in the Protestant
Tradition," From Sabbath to Lord's Day: A Biblical, Historical
and Theological Investigation, ed. D.A.Carson (Grand Rapids,
1982), p.333. In 1618, for example, John Traske began preaching
that Christians are bound by the Fourth Commandment to keep
Saturday scrupulously. Under pressure, however, he later recanted
in A Treatise of Liberty from Judaism (1620). Theophilus
Brabourne, also an Anglican minister, published in 1628 A
Discourse upon the Sabbath Day where he defended the observance
of Saturday instead of Sunday. The High Commission induced him to
renounce his views and to conform to the established church. Cf.
Robert Cox, The Literature of the Sabbath Question (London,
1865), vol. 1, pp.157-158.
54. Cf. W.Y.Whitley, A History of British Baptists (London,
1932), pp.83-86; A. C. Underwood. A History of the English
Baptists (London, 1947), chaps.2-5.
55. Seventh Day Baptist General Conference, Seventh Day Baptists
in Europe andAmerica (Plainfield, NJ, 1910), vol.I, pp.
127,133,153. Cf. Winton U. Solberg (note 38), p.278.
56. Raymond F. Cottrell notes: "The extent to which pioneer
Seventh-day Adventists were indebted to Seventh Day Baptists for
their understanding of the Sabbath is reflected in the fact that
throughout the first volume [of Advent Review and Sabbath Herald]
over half of the material was reprinted from Seventh Day Baptist
publications" ("Seventh Day Baptists and Adventists: A Common
Heritage, Spectrum 9 [1977], p.4).
57. The Church of God Seventh Day traces their origin back to the
Millerite movement. Mr.Gilbert Cranmer, a follower of Miller's
views, who for a time associated himself with the Seventh-day
Adventists, in 1860 was elected as the first president of a group
known first as Church of Christ and later Church of God Seventh
Day. Their 1977 report gives an estimated membership of 25,000
persons ("Synopsis of the History of the Church of God Seventh
Day," compiled in manuscript form by their headquarters in
Denver, Colorado). The 1996 Directory of Sabbath-Observing
Groups, published by The Bible Sabbath Association, lists over
300 different denominations or independent groups observing the
seventh-day Sabbath.
58. A comprehensive study of Calvin's understanding of the Fourth
Commandment is provided by Daniel Augsburger (note 32), pp.248,
284.
59. John Calvin, Commentaries on the First Book of Moses Called
Genesis, trans. John King (Grand Rapids, 1948), p.106.
60. Ibid.
61. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, trans.
Henry Beveridge (Grand Rapids, 1972), vol.1, p.343.
62. Ibid. Calvin summarizes the distinction between the
ceremonial and moral aspects of the Sabbath, saying: "The whole
may be thus summed up: As the truth was delivered typically to
the Jews, so it is imparted to us without figure; first, that
during our whole lives we may aim at a constant rest from our own
works, in order that the Lord may work in us by his Spirit;
secondly, that every individual, as he has opportunity, may
diligently exercise himself in private, in pious meditation on
the works of God, and at the same time, that all may observe the
legitimate order appointed by the church, for the hearing of the
word, the administration of the sacraments, and public prayer;
and, thirdly, that we may avoid oppressing those who are subject
to us" (ibid.).
63. John Calvin, Commentaries on the Four Last Books of Moses
Arranged in the Form of a Harmony, trans. Charles William Bingham
(Grand Rapids, 1950), pp.435-436.
64. Zacharias Ursinus, The Summe of Christian Religion (Oxford,
1587), p.955.
65. On the enormous influence of Nicolas Bownde's book, The
Doctrine of the Sabbath, see Winton U. Solberg (note 38), pp.
55-58. The book was enlarged and revised in 1606. Bownde insists
that the Sabbath originated in Eden and consequently the Fourth
Commandment is a moral precept binding on both Jews and
Christians. The latter are urged to observe Sunday as carefully
as the Jews did their Sabbath.
66. In the 163rd session of the Synod of Dort (1619), a
commission of Dutch theologians approved a six-point document
where the traditional ceremonial/moral distinctions are made. The
first four points read as follows:
"1. In the Fourth Commandment of the Law of God, there is
something ceremonial and something moral.
2. The resting upon the seventh day after the creation, and the
strict observance of it, which was particularly imposed upon the
Jewish people, was the ceremonial part of that law.
3. But the moral part is, that a certain day be fixed and
appropriated to the service of God, and as much rest as is
necessary to that service and the holy meditation upon Him.
4. The Jewish Sabbath being abolished, Christians are obliged
solemnly to keep holy the Lord's Day" (Gerard Brandt, The History
of the Reformation and Other Ecclesiastical Transactions in and
about the Low Countries [London, 1722], vol.3, 320; cf. pp.
28-29, 289-290).
67. The Westminster Confession, chapter 21, article 7, reads: "As
it is of the law of nature, that in general, a due proportion of
time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in His Word, by a
positive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men in
all ages, he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a
Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him: which, from the beginning of
the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the
week; and, from the resurrection of Christ was changed into the
first day of the week" (Philip Schaff, The Creeds of the
Christendom [London, 1919], vol.3, 648-649).
68. Donald A. Carson, ed., From Sabbath to Lord's Day: A
Biblical, Historical, and Theological Investigation (Grand
Rapids, MI, 1982), pp.66-67.
69. R.J.Bauckham, "Sabbath and Sunday in the Protestant
Tradition," in From Sabbath to Lord's Day (note 53), p.322.
70. Willem Teellinck, De Rusttijdt: Ofte Tractaet van
d'onderhoudinge des Christenlijken Rust Dachs [The Rest Time: Or
a Treatise on the Observance of the Christian Sabbath]
(Rotterdam, 1622). William Ames, Medulla Theologica (Amsterdam,
1623), trans. John D. Eusden, The Marrow of Theology (Grand
Rapids, 1968), pp.287-300, provides a theoretical basis for
Sunday observance.
71. An earlier treatise against Sabbatarianism was produced by
Jacobus Burs, Threnos, or Lamentation Showing the Causes of the
Pitiful Condition of the Country and the Desecration of the
Sabbath (Tholen, 1627). Andreas Rivetus refuted Gomarus'
contention that the Sabbath was a Mosaic ceremony abrogated by
Christ in his Praelectiones [Lectures] (1632). Gomarus replies
with a voluminous Defensio Investigationis Originis Sabbati [A
Defense of the Investigation into the Origin of the Sabbath]
(Gronigen, 1632). To this Rivetus countered with Dissertatio de
Origine Sabbaahi [Dissertation on the Origin of the Sabbath]
(Leyden, 1633).
72. The controversy flared up again in Holland in the 1650s.
Gisbertus Voetius and Johannes Cocceius were the two opposing
leaders in the new round. For a brief account, see Winton U.
Solberg (note 38), p.200. Solberg provides an excellent survey of
the controversy over the Sabbath in seventeenth-century England
(pp.27-85) and especially in the early American colonies (pp.
85-282).
73. Willy Rordorf's book (note 7) was first published in 1962 in
German. Since then it has been translated into French, English
and Spanish. Its influence is evidenced by the many and different
responses it has generated.
74. Rordorf's denial of any connection between Sunday and the
Fourth Commandment can be traced historically in the writings of
numerous anti-Sabbatarian theologians, such as Luther (notes 34,
35); William Tyndale, An Answer to Sir Thomas More's Dialogue
(1531), ed. Henry Walter (Cambridge, 1850), pp.97-98; the
formulary of faith of the Church of England known as The
Institution of A Christian Man (1537); Francis White, A Treatise
of the Sabbath-Day: Concerning a Defence of the Orthodox Doctrine
of the Church of England against Sabbatarian Novelty (London,
1636); James A. Hessey, Sunday: Its Origin, History, and Present
Obligation (London, 1866); Wilhelm Thomas, Der Sonntag im friihen
Mittelalter (Gottingen, 1929); C.S.Mosna, Storia della Domenica
dalle Origini fino agli Inizi del V. Secolo (Rome 1969); D.A.
Carson, ed. (note 68).
75. This concern is expressed, for example, by P.Falsioni, in
Rivista Pastorale Liturgica (1967): 311, 229, 97, 98; (1966):
549-551. Similarly, Roger T.Beckwith and William Stott point out:
"Whether the Christian Sunday could have survived to the present
day if this sort of attitude [Rordorf's view] had prevailed among
Christians in the past is extremely doubtful, and whether it will
survive for future generations if this sort of attitude now
becomes prevalent is equally uncertain" (This is the Day: The
Biblical Doctrine of the Christian Sunday [London, 1978], p.ix).
76. Beckwith points out, for example, that "if Jesus regarded the
Sabbath as purely ceremonial and purely temporary, it is
remarkable that he gives so much attention to it in his teaching,
and also that in all he teaches about it he never mentions its
temporary character. This is even more remarkable when one
remembers that he emphasizes the temporary character of other
parts of the Old Testament ceremonial - the laws of purity in
Mark 7:14-23 and Luke 11:39-41, and the temple (with its
sacrifices) in Mark 13:2 and John 4:21. By contrast, we have
already seen, he seems in Mark 2:27 to speak of the Sabbath as
one of the unchanging ordinances for all mankind" (note 75, p.
26; cf. pp.2-12).
77. Beckwith (note 75), pp.45-46. Beckwith and Stott's view of
the Sabbath as an unchanging creation ordinance upon which the
observance of Sunday rests can be traced historically in the
writings of theologians such as Aquinas (partly-note 28); Calvin
(partly-notes 5962); Richard Hooker, Laws of Ecclesiastical
Polity (Cambridge, MA, 1957), vol.5, p.70,3; Nicholas Bownde
(note 65); William Teellinck, William Ames and Antonius Walaeus
(note 70); formularies of faith such as the Westminster
Confession (note 67) and the Synod of Dort (note 66); E.W.
Hengstenberg, Uber den Tag des Herrn (1852); recently by J.
Francke, Van Sabbat naar Zondag (Amsterdam, 1973); Karl Barth,
Church Dogmatics (Edinburgh, 1956), vol. 3, pp.47-72; Paul K.
Jewett (partly), The Lord's Day: A Theological Guide to the Day
of Worship (Grand Rapids, 1971); Francis Nigel Lee, The
Covenantal Sabbath (London, 1966). Lee's study, though sponsored
by the British Lord's Day Observance Society, can hardly be taken
seriously on account of its eccentric nature. He speculates, for
example, on "The Sabbath and the time of the Fall" (pp.79-81).
78. Beckwith and Stott (note 75), pp.141,143.
79. "What Do the Scriptures Say About the Sabbath? Part 1: The
Books of Moses," Bible Study prepared by the Worldwide Church of
God and posted in their Web page - www.wcg.org, September 1998),
p.1.
80. Dale Ratzlaff (note 3), p. 25. 81. Ibid. p.26.
82. R.Pettazzoni, "Myths of Beginning and Creation-Myths," in
Essays on the History of Religion, trans. H.T.Rose (New York,
1954), pp.24-36. A brief but informative treatment is found in
Niels-Erik A. Andreasen, The Old Testament Sabbath, SBL
Dissertation Series 7 (Missoula, MT, 1972, pp. 174-182. For
examples of texts, see Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts,
1950 (UT krt A 206-211), pp.5,61,69,140.
83. Pritchard (note 82), p.68.
84. Andreasen (note 82), p.189.
85. Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, ET (Edinburgh, 1956), vol.3,
part 2, p.51.
86. Ibid., part 1, p.213.
87. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Creation and Fall. A Theological
Interpretation of Genesis 1-3 (New York, 1964), p.40.
88. Roger D. Congdon, "Sabbatic Theology," Th. D. dissertation,
Dallas Theological Seminary (Dallas, 1949), p.122.
89. "What Do the Scriptures Say About the Sabbath? Part 1: The
Books of Moses," (note 79), p.1.
90. Robert A. Morey, "Is Sunday the Christian Sabbath?" Baptist
Reformation Review 8 (1979), p.6.
91. Harold H. P. Dressler, "The Sabbath in the Old Testament," in
From Sabbath to Sunday, A Biblical, Historical, and Theological
Investigation, ed. Donald A. Carson (Grand Rapids, 1982), p.28.
92. Dale Ratzlaff (note 3), p.21.
93. Ugo Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis (New York,
1961), p.63.
94. Ibid., p.68.
95. Dale Ratzlaff (note 3), p. 24. 96. Ibid., p.22.
97. Augustine, Confessions 13, 24, 25, Nicene and Post-Nicene
Fathers of the Christian Church (Grand Rapids, 1979), vol.1, p.
207.
98. Roy Gane, "Sabbath and the New Covenant," Paper presented at
a consultation with the Worldwide Church of God (1997), pp.5-6.
99. G.H.Waterman, "Sabbath," The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia
of the Bible (Grand Rapids, 1975), vol 5. p.183.
100. John Skinner, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on
Genesis, The International Critical Commentary (Edinburgh, 1930),
p.38.
101. Dale Ratzlaff (note 3), p.24.
102. Ibid.
103. John Skinner (note 100), p.35.
104. H.C.Leupold, Exposition of Genesis (New York, 1950), p.103.
105. Roy Gane (note 98), p.6.
106. Elizabeth E. Platt, "The Lord Rested, The Lord Blessed the
Sabbath Day," Sunday 66 (1979), p.4.
........................
7. The Sabbath under Crossfire
The Old and New Covenants #1
by the late Samuele Bacchiocchi PhD
Chapter 3
THE SABBATH AND THE NEW COVENANT
Few Bible doctrines have been under the constant crossfire
of controversy as has the Sabbath. In recent years,
Dispensational and "New Covenant" Christians have renewed their
attack against the Sabbath with fresh zeal. The stock weapon of
their arsenal is the allegation that the Sabbath is an Old
Covenant relic that terminated at the Cross. Their strategy is to
make the Cross the line of demarcation between the Old and New
Covenants, Law and Grace, the Sabbath and Sunday. Since they
believe the Ten Commandments formed the core of the Old Covenant
and the Sabbath is central to the Ten Commandments, by firing on
the Sabbath they hope to destroy the validity and value of the
Mosaic Law in general, and of the Sabbath in particular.
This is largely the strategy recently adopted by such former
Sabbatarians as the Worldwide Church of God, Dale Ratzlaff in his
influential book "Sabbath in Crisis," and some of the newly
established "grace-oriented" congregations, which consist mainly
of former Sabbatarians. Their literature contains some of the
strongest attacks against the Sabbath ever published. This is a
surprising development of our times, because, to my knowledge,
never before in the history of Christianity has the Sabbath been
attacked by those who previously had championed its observance.
The weapons used by former Sabbatarians in their attacks
against the Sabbath are taken largely from the aging munition
dump of Dispensational literature.
For the sake of accuracy I must say that, contrary to most
Dispensational authors, both the Worldwide Church of God (WCG)
and Dale Ratzlaff are more concerned with proving the
"fulfilment" and termination of the Sabbath in Christ than in
defending Sunday observance as an apostolic institution. For
them, the New Covenant does not require the observance of a day
as such, but the daily experience of the rest of salvation
typified by the Sabbath rest. In "Sabbath in Crisis," Ratzlaff
does include a chapter, "The First Day of the Week," where he
makes a feeble attempt to justify the biblical origin of
Sundaykeeping, but this is not the major concern of his book.
For the benefit of those less versed in theological nuances,
it might help to clarify the difference between Dispensational
and New Covenant theologies. Both emphasize the distinction
between the Old Mosaic Covenant, allegedly based on Law, and the
"New Christian Covenant" presumably based on grace.
Dispensationalists, however, go a step further by applying
their distinction between the Old and New Covenants as
representing the existence of a fundamental and permanent
distinction between Israel and the Church. "Throughout the ages,"
writes Lewis Sperry Chafer, a leading Dispensational theologian,
"God is pursuing two distinct purposes: one related to the earth
with earthly people and earthly objectives involved, which is
Judaism; while the other is related to heaven with heavenly
people and heavenly objectives, which is Christianity." 1
Simply stated, Dispensationalists interpret the Old and New
Covenants as representing two different plans of salvation for
two different people - Israel and the Church. The destiny of each
is supposed to be different, not only in this present age but
also throughout eternity. What God has united by breaking down
the wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles (Eph 2:14)
Dispensationalists are trying to divide by rebuilding the wall of
partition not only for the present age but for all eternity. It
is hard to believe that intelligent, responsible Christians would
dare to fabricate such a divisive theology that grossly
misrepresents the fairness and justice of God's redemptive
activities.
Importance of This Study.
The importance of this study stems from the popular
perception that the Sabbath is an Old Covenant institution no
longer binding upon "New Covenant" Christians. This thesis is es-
poused by most Evangelical authors and is widely accepted by
Christians at large. In recent years, as we noted, the abrogation
view of the Sabbath has been adopted by an increasing number of
former Sabbatarians.
This chapter examines primarily the literature produced by
former Sabbatarians, especially Ratzlaff's "Sabbath in Crisis."
We focus on Ratzlaff's book for two reasons: (1) "The Sabbath in
Cris" largely reflects the Dispensational and "New Covenant"
views of the Sabbath. Consequently, the analysis of this book
provides an opportunity to examine the abrogation view of the
Sabbath held by most Christians today. (2) This book has
exercised considerable influence not only on WCG, 2 but also
among a considerable number of former Adventist ministers and
members who have rejected the Sabbath as an Old Covenant, Mosaic
institution that no longer is binding upon Christians today.
A fitting example of the influence of Sabbath in Crisis
among Seventh-day Adventists is the book "New Covenant
Christians" by Clay Peck, a former Adventist pastor who currently
serves as senior pastor of the Grace Place Congregation in
Berthoud, Colorado. In the "Introduction" to his book Peck
acknowledges his indebtedness to Ratzlaff saying: "While I have
read and researched widely for this study, I have been most
challenged and instructed by a book entitled 'Sabbath in Crisis,'
by Dale Ratzlaff. I have leaned heavily on his research,
borrowing a number of concepts and diagrams." 3
The far reaching influence of the "New Covenant" theology,
championed among Sabbatarians by people like Dale Ratzlaff, is
hard to estimate. The WCG has experienced a massive exodus of
over 70,000 members who have refused to accept the changes
demanded by the "New Covenant" theology. In the Adventist church,
the "New Covenant" teaching has influenced several former pastors
to establish independent "graceoriented" congregations.
This study on the relationship between the Sabbath and the
New Covenant extends beyond the sabbatarian communities. Most
Sundaykeeping Christians think of Sabbathkeeping as a relic of
the Old Covenant and of Sabbatarians as "Judaizers" still living
under the Old Covenant. It is urgent, then, for us to examine
this popular perception which, as our study will show, is based
on a one-sided, misleading interpretation of the biblical
teaching on the relationship between the Old and New Covenants.
Objectives of This Chapter.
In Chapter 2 I briefly traced the origin and development of
the anti-Sabbath theology. This chapter continues the study of
the anti-Sabbath theology by focusing on the major arguments
adduced by the "New Covenant" theology to negate the continuity,
validity, and value of the Sabbath for today.
This chapter is divided into two parts. The first deals with
the alleged distinction between the Old Covenant based on Law and
the New Covenant based on faith and love. The fundamental
question addressed in the first part is: Do the Old and New
Covenants contain a different set of laws, or are they based on
the same set of moral principles? The second part examines the
continuity and discontinuity between the Old and New Covenants as
taught in the book of Hebrews. The fundamental question to be
considered here is: Does the book of Hebrews support the popular
contention that the coming of Christ brought an end to the Law,
in general, and to the Sabbath, in particular?
PART 1
A LOOK AT THE OLD AND NEW COVENANTS
A major characteristic of the "New Covenant" theology
recently adopted by a significant number of former Sabbatarians
is the Dispensational emphasis on the radical distinction between
the Old and New Covenants. To illustrate this point, we briefly
examine two representative studies: (1) The Pastor General
Report, entitled "The New Covenant and the Sabbath," prepared by
Pastor Joseph Tkach, Jr., Pastor General of the WCG; and (2)
Chapters 5,12, and 15 of the book "Sabbath in Crisis," where
Ratzlaff articulates his understanding of the distinction between
the Old and the New Covenants.
(1) Joseph Tkach's View of the Distinction Between the Two
Covenants
In his Pastor General Report of December 21, 1994, Pastor
Joseph Tkach, Jr., devotes 20 pages to explain to his ministers
the fundamental difference between the Old and New Covenants. He
argues that the difference lies in the fact that the Old Covenant
was conditional upon obedience to a "package of Laws," while the
New Covenant is unconditional, that is, without obedience as a
requirement 4
For Tkach, the Sabbath is part of the Old Covenant "package
of Laws" and this is why "we don't find the Sabbath commanded in
the New Covenant." 5 "Something was seriously wrong with the
Israelite covenant. The people did not have the heart to obey,
and God knew it (Deut 31:1621, 27-29). Unlike Abraham, they did
not believe and were not faithful (Heb 3:19).... Therefore, God
predicted a New Covenant. He hinted at it even in the old ....
There would be no need for a New Covenant, of course, unless the
Old was deficient." 6
If it were true that "something was seriously wrong" with
the Old Covenant, then why did God in the first place give a
faulty covenant that could not change the hearts of the people?
Was something "seriously wrong" with the covenant itself? Or was
it with the way the people related to the covenant? If the human
response was a factor with the Old Covenant, could it also be a
factor with the New Covenant?
Superiority of the New Covenant.
"The New Covenant is superior to the Old, because it is founded
on better promises (Heb 8:6)." 7 Tkach argues that the New
Covenant is the renewal of the Abrahamic covenant which was based
on God's unconditional promises. "God didn't say, I'll do this if
you do that. Abraham had already done enough. He had accepted
God's call, went to the land as God had commanded, and he
believed God and was therefore counted as righteous." 8 Like
Abraham, "New Covenant" Christians accept salvation by faith and
not by works of obedience.
Tkach writes: "In the New Covenant, faith is required ...
Christians have a relationship with God based on faith, not on
Law ... We are saved on the basis of faith, not on Law-keeping
... In other words, our relationship with God is based on faith
and promise, just as Abraham's was. Laws that were added at Sinai
cannot change the promise given to Abraham ... That package of
Laws became obsolete when Christ died, and there is now a new
package." 9 The problem with this statement is the gratuitous
assumption that salvation was possible in the Old Covenant
through Law-keeping. This is completely untrue, because, as we
shall see in Chapter 6, obedience to the Law represented Israel's
response to the gracious provision of salvation. Law-keeping has
never been the basis of salvation.
(It is so true as Dr.Sam says, see my study "Saved by Grace" -
Keith Hunt)
According to Tkach, the Old Covenant did not work because it
was based "on a package of Laws" that "could not cleanse a guilty
conscience." 10 On the other hand, the New Covenant works
because it is based on the blood of Christ and the work of the
Holy Spirit in the heart. "The Holy Spirit changes their
[believers] hearts. The people are transformed, and they grow
more and more like Christ.... The New Covenant affects our
innermost being. The blood of Jesus Christ changes us.... His
sacrifice sanctifies us, makes us holy, sets us aside for a holy
purpose." 11
Does this mean that the blood of Christ has some kind of
magic power to automatically change people, whether or not they
are willing to obey God's commandments? To attribute such magic
power to the Spirit and/or to Christ's blood reminds one of the
magic power the Jews attributed to the Law. Isn't this another
form of legalism? Does the atoning sacrifice of Christ and the
ministry of the Holy Spirit render obedience to God's
commandments unnecessary or possible?
The WCG acknowledges that "no New Testament verse
specifically cites the Sabbath as obsolete." 12 But since WCG
believes that the Sabbath is part the Old Covenant terminated by
Christ's coming, the Sabbath also is no longer required. "There
are verses that say that the entire Old Covenant is obsolete. The
law of Moses, including the Sabbath, is not required. We are
commanded to live by the Spirit, not by the Law inscribed in
stone. The Sabbath is repeatedly likened to things now obsolete:
temple sacrifices, circumcision, holy bread, a shadow." 13
This statement contains several glaring inaccuracies that
are addressed later in this chapter. We shall see that the New
Testament distinguishes between the continuity of the moral law
and the discontinuity of the ceremonial law (1 Cor 7:19). In the
book of Hebrews, especially, we find a clear contrast between the
Levitical services which came to an end with Christ's coming (Heb
7:18; 8:13;10:9) and Sabbathkeeping "which has been left behind
for the people of God" (Heb 4:9).
Evaluation of WCG "New Covenant" Theology.
A detailed analysis of "New Covenant" theology presented in
the literature of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) would take us
beyond the limited scope of this chapter. Consequently, I make
only a few basic observations.
One fundamental problem in the WCG "New Covenant"
understanding of the Plan of Salvation is the faulty
Dispensational assumption that, during the course of human
history, God has offered salvation on different bases to
different people. God started out by offering salvation to
Abraham unconditionally on the basis of faith; but at Mt.Sinai He
agreed to save the Israelites conditionally on the basis of
obedience to His commandments, or what Tkach calls "the old
package of Laws." When God discovered that such an arrangement
did not work - because the Law "could not make anyone perfect. It
could not change their hearts" He reverted to the "faith
arrangement" He had with Abraham. To make things easier, in the
New Covenant, God did away with most of the old package of laws,
including the Sabbath, and decided this time to work in the heart
through the Holy Spirit.
If this scenario were true, it would surely open to question
the consistency and fairness of God's saving activities. It would
imply that, during the course of redemptive history, God has
offered salvation on two radically different bases: on the basis
of human obedience in the Old Covenant and on the basis of divine
grace in the New Covenant. It would further imply, presumably,
that God learned through the experience of His chosen people, the
Jews, that human beings cannot earn salvation by obedience
because they tend to disobey. Consequently, He finally decided to
change His method and implement a New Covenant plan where
salvation is offered to believing persons exclusively as a divine
gift of grace rather than a human achievement.
Such a theological construct makes God changeable and
subject to learning by mistakes as human beings do. The truth of
the matter, however, is that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday
and today and for ever" (Heb 13:8). Salvation has always been in
the Old and New Covenants, first and foremost a divine gift of
grace and not a human achievement. Obedience to the Law provided
Israel with an opportunity to preserve their covenant
relationship with God, not to gain acceptance with Him. This is
the meaning of Leviticus 18:5: "You shall therefore keep my
statutes and my ordinances, by doing which a man shall live." The
life promised in this text is not the life in the age to come (as
in Dan 12:2), but the present enjoyment of a peaceful and
prosperous life in fellowship with God. Such a life was God's
gift to His people, a gift that could be enjoyed and preserved by
living in accordance with the principles God had revealed.
Sinai Covenant: Law and Grace.
Part of the problem of the "New Covenant" theology is the
failure to realize that the Sinai Covenant reveals God's gracious
provision of salvation just as much as the New Covenant does. God
revealed to Moses His plan to deliver Israel from Egypt and to
set her up in the land of Canaan (Ex 3:7-10,16) because Israel is
"His people" (Ex 3:10). God's deliverance of the Israelites from
the bondage of Egypt reveals His gracious provision of salvation
just as much as does His deliverance of New Testament believers
from the bondage of sin. In fact, in Scripture, the former is a
type of the latter.
What Tkach ignores is the fact that the Israelites responded
with faith to the manifestation of salvation: "Thus the Lord
saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians ... and the
people feared the Lord; and they believed in the Lord and in his
servant Moses" (Ex 14:30-31). When the Israelites believed, God
revealed to them His covenant plan: "Now therefore, if you will
obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own
possession among all peoples; for all the earth is mine, and you
shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex 19:5).
These words show the gratuity of the divine election of
Israel. God chose Israel without merit on her part (Deut 9:4ff),
simply because He loved her (Deut 7:6ff). Having separated her
from pagan nations, He reserved her for Himself exclusively. "I
bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself" (Ex 19:4).
Through the Sinai covenant, God wished to bring people to Himself
by making them a worshipping community dedicated to His service,
living by the principles of His Law. This divine plan revealed at
Sinai was ultimately realized at the Cross when types met
antitypes.
The prophets appeal to the Sinai Covenant with emotional
overtones drawn from human experiences to explain the
relationship between God and His people. Israel is the flock, and
the Lord is the shepherd. Israel is the vine, and the Lord the
vinedresser. Israel is the son, and the Lord is the Father.
Israel is the spouse, and the Lord is the bridegroom. These
images, as Pierre Grelot and Jean Giblet bring out, "make the
Sinaitic covenant appear as an encounter of love (cf. Ez
16:6-14): the attentive and gratuitous love of God, calling in
return for a love which will translate itself in obedience." 14
All of this hardly supports Tkach's contention that
"something was seriously wrong with the Israelite covenant."
Faith Is Not Alone
The obedience called for by the Sinaitic covenant was meant
to be a loving response to God's provision of salvation, not a
means of salvation. Unfortunately, during the intertestamental
period, the Law did come to be viewed by the Jews as the
guarantee of salvation, just as faith alone is considered by many
Christians today as the only basis for their salvation. But a
saving faith is never alone because it is always accompanied by
loving obedience (Gal 5:6). Can a person truly obey God's laws
without faith? Is there such a thing as a saving faith that is
not manifested in obedience to God's commandments? Is the problem
of legalism resolved by changing packages of laws? Such
distortions can only serve to make both the Old and New Covenants
ineffective for many people.
At Sinai, God invited His people to obey His commandments
because He had already saved them, not in order that they might
be saved by His laws. As George Eldon Ladd affirms in his classic
work, "A Theology of the New Testament," - "The Law was added
(pareiselthen) not to save men from their sins but to show them
what sin was (Rom 3:30; 5:13,20; Gal 3:19). By declaring the will
of God, by showing what God forbids, the Law shows what sin is."
15 Ladd continues noting that "the line of thought in Galatians
3 and Romans 4 is that all the Israelites who trusted God's
covenant of promise to Abraham and did not use the Law as a way
of salvation by works were assured of salvation." 16
Another point overlooked in the Pastor General Report is
that at Sinai, God revealed to the Israelites not only principles
of moral conduct but also provision of salvation through the
typology of the sacrificial system. It is noteworthy that when
God invited Moses to come up on the mountain, He gave him not
only "the tables of stone, with the Law and the commandment" (Ex
24:12), but also the "pattern of the tabernacle" (Ex 25:9) which
was designed to explain typologically His provision of grace and
forgiveness.
The major difference between the Old and New Covenants is
not one of methods of salvation, but of shadow versus reality.
The Old Covenant was "symbolic" (Heb 9:9) of the "more excellent"
redemptive ministry of Christ (Heb 8:6). Consequently, it was
necessary for Christ to come "once for all at the end of the age
to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Heb 9:26).
Greg Bahnsen rightly notes that "If we allow the Bible to
interpret itself and not infuse it with a preconceived
theological antithesis between the Old and New Covenants (Law and
Gospel), we are compelled to conclude that the Old Covenant -
indeed the Mosaic Law - was a covenant of grace that offered
salvation on the basis of grace through faith, just as does the
Good News found in the New Testament. The difference was that the
Mosaic or Law-covenant looked ahead to the coming of the Savior,
thus administering God's covenants by means of promises,
prophecies, ritual observances, types, and foreshadowings that
anticipated the Savior and His redeeming work. The Gospel or the
New covenant proclaims the accomplishments of that which the Law
anticipated, administering God's covenant through preaching and
the sacraments [baptism and the Lord's Supper]. The substance of
God's saving relationship and covenant is the same under the Law
and the Gospel." 17
The Old Testament does not offer a way of salvation or teach
justification differently than the New Testament. Justification
is grounded in the Old Testament in "the Lord our Righteousness"
(Jer 23:6). The saints of the Old Testament were people of faith,
as Hebrews 11 clearly shows. Abraham himself, the father of the
Jews, was a man of faith who trusted God's promises (Gen 15:6;
Rom 4:3; Gal 3:6). The prophet Isaiah proclaimed, "In the Lord
shall all the seed of Israel be justified" (Is 45:25; KJV). Paul
came to understand that in the Old Testament "the righteousness
of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written [in
Hab 2:4], 'He who through faith is righteous shall live'"(Rom
1:17. cf. Gal 3:11).
The result of Christ's coming is described as "setting
aside" (Heb 7:18), making "obsolete" (Heb 8:13), and "abolishing"
(Heb 10:9) all the Levitical services associated with the Old
Covenant. It is unfortunate that these statements are interpreted
as meaning that Christ by His coming abrogated the Mosaic Law, in
general, including the Sabbath. This interpretation, which is at
the heart of much misguided thinking about the Law today, ignores
the fact that the termination statements found in Hebrews refer
to the Levitical priesthood and services of the Old Covenant, not
to the principles of God's moral Law which includes the Sabbath
Commandment. Of the Sabbath the Book of Hebrews explicitly
states, as we shall see below, "a Sabbathkeeping is left behind
for the people of God" (Heb 4:9).
In many ways Ratzlaff' s view of the distinction between the
Old and New Covenants is strikingly similar to that of Joseph
Tkach, Jr. Consequently, there is no need to repeat what has
already been said. Ratzlaff's aim is to show that the New
Covenant is better than the Old because it is based no longer on
the Law but on love for Christ. Like Tkach, Ratzlaff reduces the
Old Covenant to the Ten Commandments and the New Covenant to the
principle of love in order to sustain his thesis that Christ
replaced both the Ten Commandments and the Sabbath with simpler
and better laws. For the purpose of this analysis, I focus on the
major contrast that Ratzlaff makes between the Old and New
Covenant in terms of Law versus Love.
(2) Dale Ratzlaff' s View of the Distinction Between the Two
Covenants
......................
To be continued
NOTE:
Such ideas as taught by the present WCG and people like Dale
Ratzlaff is so unsound, so crazy a theology, it would be
laughable if they did not take it so seriously, and want millions
to believe it. Salvation has from the beginning always been the
very same - saved by grace - faith and law as Paul in Romans and
James in the book by his name, make abundantly clear. The great
apostle John both in his Gospel and his 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
epistles makes it as clear as the sun in a cloudless sky, that
the commandments of the Lord stand fast forever, just as David
also wrote in the Psalms (just read the first Psalm for starters,
then try Psalm 119). It is the mind of heretics and the doctrine
of demons (see what Paul said in 1 Tim.4:1-2) that teaches the
Ten Commandments of God and the whole law of Moses is "done away
with" under the New Covenant. Nothing could be further from the
truth. Christ came to uphold and MAGNIFY the law (Isa.42:21)
which can be seen plainly, if you have a child's mind, from the
famous "Sermon on the mount" (Mat.5 through 7).
The far out, from planet Pluto (which they say is not a
planet) theology of some is so mixed up and plain stupid
reasoning, it blows the mind to think that some minds will do
anything to have no 4th commandment in this age of the New
Covenant. And that is the bottom line as to why they do it, why
they teach such dribble and corruptible theology, so they do not
have to obey the 4th commandment of the holy, just, and good law
of God (see Romans 7). They simply do not want to have ANY rest
day of the week, they want to do their own thing, at their own
time, on any and all days of the week.
Shame on them, they will be rewarded accordingly with
corruption and destruction if they do not REPENT!!
Keith Hunt
8. The Sabbath under Crossfire
The Old and New Covenants #2
Continued from previous page:
The Sabbath and the New Covenant
Law Versus Love.
Ratzlaff s fundamental thesis is that there is a radical
distinction between the Old and New Covenants because the former
is based on laws while the latter is based on love. Though he
acknowledges that an important aspect of the Old Covenant was
"the redemptive deliverance of Israel from Egypt," 18 he
concludes his study of the Old Covenant with these words: "We
found that the Ten Commandments were the covenant. They were
called the 'tablets of the testimony' (Ex 31:18), the 'words of
the covenant,' the 'Ten Commandments' (Ex 34:28), the 'testimony'
(Ex 40:20), the 'covenant of the Lord' (1 Ki 8:8, 9,21)." 19
"We also found that the other Laws in the books of Exodus through
Deuteronomy were called the 'book of the covenant' (Ex 24:7) or
'the book of the Law' (Deut 31:26). We saw that these Laws served
as an interpretation or expansion of the Ten Commandments." 20
Again Ratzlaff says that "The Ten Commandments were the words of
the covenant. There was also an expanded version of the covenant:
the Laws of Exodus through Deuteronomy." 21
By contrast, for Ratzlaff the essence of the New Covenant is
the commandment to love as Jesus loved. He writes: "Part of this
'new commandment' was not new. The Old Covenant had instructed
them to love one another. The part that was new was 'as I have
loved you' . . . In the Old Covenant what made others know that
the Israelites were the chosen people? Not the way they loved,
but what they ate and what they did not eat; where they
worshipped, when they worshipped, the clothes they wore, etc.
However, in the New Covenant, Christ's true disciples will be
known by the way they love!" 22
Ratzlaff develops further the contrast between the two
covenants by arguing that as the Old Covenant expands the Ten
Commandments in "the book of the Law, so the New Covenant
contains more than just the simple command to love one another as
Christ loved us. We have the Gospel records which demonstrate how
Jesus loved.... Then, in the epistles we have interpretations of
the love and work of Christ.... So the core, or heart, of the New
Covenant is to love one another as Christ loved us. This is
expanded and interpreted in the rest of the New Testament, and
also becomes part of the New Covenant." 21
According to Ratzlaff, the distinction between "Law" and
"Love" is reflected in the covenant signs. "The entrance sign to
the old Covenant was circumcision, and the continuing, repeatable
sign Israel was to 'remember' was the Sabbath.... The entrance
sign of the New Covenant is baptism [and] the remembrance sign
[is] the Lord's Supper." 22 The distinction between the two sets
of signs is clarified by the following simple chart:
"The Old Covenant:
Entrance sign Circumcision
Remembrance sign Sabbath
The New Covenant:
Entrance sign Baptism
Remembrance sign The Lord's Supper. 25
The above contrast attempts to reduce the Old and New
Covenants to two different sets of laws with their own
distinctive signs, the latter being simpler and better than the
former. The contrast assumes that the Old Covenant was based on
the obligation to obey countless specific laws, while the New
Covenant rests on the simpler love commandment of Christ. Simply
stated, the Old Covenant moral principles of the Ten Commandments
are replaced in the New Covenant by a better and simpler love
principle given by Christ.
Ratzlaff affirms this view unequivocally: "In Old Covenant
life, morality was often seen as an obligation to numerous
specific Laws. In the New Covenant, morality springs from a
response to the living Christ." 26 " The new Law [given by
Christ] is better that the old Law [given by Moses]." 27 "In the
New Covenant, Christ's true disciples will be known by the way
they love! This commandment to love is repeated a number of times
in the New Testament, just as the Ten Commandments were repeated
a number of times in the Old." 28
Evaluation of Ratzlaff s Covenants Construct.
The attempt by Ratzlaff to reduce the Old and New Covenants
to two different sets of laws with their own distinctive signs,
the latter being simpler and better than the former, is designed
to support his contention that the Ten Commandments, in general,
and the Sabbath, in particular, were the essence of the Old
Covenant that terminated at the Cross. The problem with this
imaginative interpretation is that it is devoid of biblical
support besides incriminating the moral consistency of God's
government.
Nowhere does the Bible suggest that with the New Covenant
God instituted "better commandments" than those of the Old
Covenant. Why would Christ need to alter the moral demands that
He has revealed in His Law? Why would Christ feel the need to
change His perfect and holy requirements for our conduct and
attitudes? Paul declares that "the [Old Testament] Law is holy,
and the commandment is holy and just and good" (Rom 7:12). He
took the validity of God's moral Law for granted when he stated
unequivocally: "We know that the Law is good, if one uses it
Lawfully" (1 Tim 1:8). Christ came not to change the moral
requirements of God's Law, but to atone for our transgression
against those moral requirements (Rom 4:25; 5:8-9; 8:1-3).
It is evident that by being sacrificed as the Lamb who takes
away the sins of the world (John 1:29; 1 Cor 5:7), Christ
fulfilled all the sacrificial services and Laws that served in
Old Testament times to strengthen the faith and nourish the hope
of the Messianic redemption to come. But the New Testament, as we
shall see, makes a clear distinction between the sacrificial laws
that Christ by His coming "set aside" (Heb 7:18), made "obsolete"
(Heb 8:13), "abolished" (Heb 10:9), and Sabbathkeeping, for
example, which "has been left behind for the people of God" (Heb
4:9).
Why should God first call the Israelites to respond to His
redemptive deliverance from Egypt by living according to the
moral principles of the Ten Commandments, and later summon
Christians to accept His redemption from sin by obeying simpler
and better commandments? Did God discover that the moral
principles He promulgated at Sinai were not sufficiently moral
and, consequently, needed to be improved and replaced with
simpler and better commandments?
Such an assumption is preposterous because it negates the
immutability of God's moral character reflected in His moral
laws. The Old Testament teaches that the New Covenant that God
will make with the house of Israel consists not in the
replacement of the Ten Commandments with simpler and better laws,
but in the internalization of God's Law. "This is the covenant
which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says
the, Lord: I will put my Law within them, and I will write it
upon their hearts; and I will be their God" (Jer 31:33).
This passage teaches us that the difference between the Old
and New Covenants is not a difference between "Law" and "love."
Rather, it is a difference between failure to internalize God's
Law, which results in disobedience, and successful
internalization of God's Law, which results in obedience. The New
Covenant believer who internalizes God's Law by the enabling
power of the Holy Spirit will find it hard to break the Law
because, as Paul puts it, "Christ has set him free from the Law
of sin and death" (Rom 8:2).
Internalization of God's Law.
The internalization of God's Law in the human heart applies
to Israel and the Church. In fact, Hebrews applies to the Church
the very same promise God made to Israel (Heb 8:10; 10:16). In
the New Covenant, the Law is not simplified or replaced but
internalized by the Spirit. The Spirit opens up people to the
Law, enabling them to live in accordance with its higher ethics.
Ratzlaff's argument that under the New Covenant "the Law no
longer applies to one who has died with Christ" 29 is mistaken
and misleading. Believers are no longer under the condemnation of
the Law when they experience God's forgiving grace and, by the
enabling power of the Holy Spirit, they live according to its
precepts. But this does not means that the Law no longer applies
to them. They are still accountable before God's Law because all
"shall stand before the judgment seat of God" (Rom 14:10) to give
an account of themselves.
The Spirit does not operate in a vacuum.
His function of the Spirit is not to bypass or replace the
Law, but to help the believer to live in obedience to the Law of
God (Gal 5:18, 22-23). Eldon Ladd notes that "more than once he
[Paul] asserts that it is the new life of the Spirit that enables
the Christian truly to fulfil the Law (Rom 8:3,4; 13:10; Gal
5:14)." 30
Any change in relation to the Law that occurs in the New
Covenant is not in the moral Law itself but in the believer who
is energized and enlightened by the Spirit "in order that the
just requirements of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk
not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (Rom
8:4). Guidance by the Spirit without respect for the Law of God
can be dangerous to Christian growth. This is a fundamental
problem of "New Covenant" theology espoused by the WCG, Ratzlaff,
and countless Evangelicals today: it is a theology that
ultimately makes each person a Law unto himself. This easily
degenerates into irresponsible behavior. It is not surprising
that America leads the world not only in the number of
evangelical Christians (estimated at almost 100 million) but also
in crime, violence, murders, divorces, etc. By relaxing the
obligation to observe God's Law in the New Covenant, people find
an excuse do what is right in their own eyes.
Perhaps as a reaction to the popular "abrogation of the Law"
perception, there is a hunger today for someone to help the
Christian community to understand how to apply the principles of
God's Law to their lives. To a large extent, this is what the
Basic Youth Conflict seminars have endeavored to accomplish since
1968, drawing thousands of people to its sessions in every major
city in North America. Referring to this phenomenon, Walter
Kaiser writes: "This is an indictment on the church and its
reticence to preach the moral Law of God and apply it to all
aspects of life as indicated in Scripture." 31
No Dichotomy Between Law and Love.
No dichotomy exists in the Bible between Law and Love in the
covenantal relationship between God and His people because a
covenant cannot exist without the Law. A covenant denotes an
orderly relationship that the Lord graciously establishes and
maintains with His people. The Law guarantees the order required
for such a relationship to be meaningful.
In God's relationship with believers, the moral Law reveals
His will and character, the observance of which makes it possible
to maintain an orderly and meaningful relationship. Law is not
the product of sin, but the product of love. God gave the Ten
Commandments to the Israelites after showing them His redeeming
love (Ex 20:2). Through God's Law the godly come to know how to
reflect God's love, compassion, fidelity, and other perfections.
The Decalogue is not merely a list of ten laws, but
primarily ten principles of love. There is no dichotomy between
Law and love, because one cannot exist without the other. The
Decalogue details how human beings must express their love for
their Lord and for their fellow beings. Christ's new commandment
to love God and fellow beings is nothing else than the embodiment
of the spirit of the Ten Commandments already found in the Old
Testament (Lev 19:18; Deut 6:5). Christ spent much of His
ministry clarifying how the love principles are embodied in the
Ten Commandments. He explained, for example, that the sixth
commandment can be transgressed not only by murdering a person
but also by being angry and insulting a fellow being (Matt
5:22-23). The seventh commandment can be violated not only by
committing adultery but also by looking lustfully at a woman
(Matt 5:28).
Christ spent even more time clarifying how the principle of
love is embodied in the Fourth Commandment. The Gospels report no
less than seven Sabbath-healing episodes used by Jesus to clarify
that the essence of Sabbathkeeping is people to love and not
rules to obey. Jesus explained that the Sabbath is a day "to do
good" (Matt 12:12), a day "to save life" (Mark 3:4), a day to
liberate men and women from physical and spiritual bonds (Luke
13:12), a day to show mercy rather than religiosity (Matt 12:7).
In Chapter 4, "The Savior and the Sabbath," we take a closer
look at how Jesus clarified the meaning and function of the
Sabbath.
Ratzlaff's attempt to divorce the Law of the Old Covenant
from the Love of the New Covenant ignores the simple truth that
in both covenants love is manifested in obedience to God's Law.
Christ stated this truth clearly and repeatedly: "If you love me,
you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15). "He who has my
commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me" (John 14:21).
"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love" (John
15:10). Christ's commandments are not an improved and simplified
set of moral principles, but the same moral principles He
promulgated from Mt.Sinai.
Under both covenants, the Lord has one moral standard for
human behavior, namely, holiness and wholeness of life. Wholeness
of life is that integration of love for God and human beings
manifested in those who grow in reflecting the perfect character
of God (His love, faithfulness, righteousness, justice,
forgiveness). Under both covenants, God wants His people to love
Him and their fellow beings by living in harmony with the moral
principles expressed in the Ten Commandments. These serve as a
guide in imitating God's character. The Spirit does not replace
these moral principles in the New Covenant. He makes the letter
become alive and powerful within the hearts of the godly.
Jesus and the New Covenant Law. The contention that Christ
replaced the Ten Commandments with the simpler and better
commandment of love is clearly negated by the decisive witness of
our Lord Himself as found in Matthew 5:17-19: "Do not think that
I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come
to abolish them but to fulfil them. I tell you the truth, until
heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the
least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law
until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the
least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same
will be called least in the kingdom of heaven" (NIV).
In this pronouncement, Christ teaches three important
truths: (1) Twice He denies that His coming had the purpose of
abrogating "the law and the prophets"; (2) all of the Law of God,
including its minute details, has an abiding validity until the
termination of the present age; and (3) anyone who teaches that
even the least of God's commandments can be broken stands under
divine condemnation. This indictment should cause "New Covenant"
Christians to do some soul-searching.
There is no exegetical stalemate here. Christ gave no hint
that with His coming the Old Testament moral Law was replaced by
a simpler and better Law. It is biblically irrational to assume
that the mission of Christ was to make it morally acceptable to
worship idols, blaspheme, break the Sabbath, dishonor parents,
murder, steal, commit adultery, gossip, or envy. Such actions are
a transgression of the moral principles that God has revealed for
both Jews and Gentiles.
It is unfortunate that Ratzlaff, the WCG, and Dispen-
sationalists try to build their case for a replacement of the Old
Testament Law with a simpler and better New Testament Law by
selecting a few problem oriented texts (2 Cor 3:6-11; Heb 8-9;
Gal 3-4), rather than by starting with Christ's own testimony.
The Savior's testimony should serve as the touchstone to explain
apparent contradictory texts which speak negatively of the Law.
In Chapter 5, "Paul and the Law," I examine Paul's apparently
contradictory statements about the Law. This study suggests that
the resolution to this apparent contradiction is to be found in
the different contexts in which Paul speaks of the Law. When he
speaks of the Law in the context of salvation (justification
--right standing before God), especially in his polemic with
Judaizers, he clearly affirms that Law-keeping is of no avail
(Rom 3:20). On the other hand, when Paul speaks of the Law in the
context of Christian conduct (sanctification --right living
before God), especially in dealing with antinomians, he upholds
the value and validity of God's Law (Rom 7:12; 13:8-10; 1 Cor
7:19).
Ratzlaff s Interpretation of Matthew 5:17-19.
Ratzlaff examines at some length Matthew 5:17-19 in chapter
14 of his book entitled "Jesus: The Law's Fulfilment." He bases
his interpretation of the passage on two key terms: "Law" and
"fulfil." A survey of the use of the term "Law" in Matthew leads
him to "conclude that the 'Law' Jesus makes reference to is the
entire Old Covenant Law, which included the Ten Commandments." 32
This conclusion per se is accurate, because Jesus upheld the
moral principles of the Old Testament, in general. For example,
the "golden rule" in Matthew 7:12 is presented as being, in
essence, "the Law and the prophets." In Matthew 22:40, the two
great commandments are viewed as the basis upon which "depend all
the Law and the prophets."
The problem with Ratzlaff's rationale is that he uses the
broad meaning of Law to argue that Christ abrogated the Mosaic
Law, in general, and the Ten Commandments, in particular. He does
this by giving a narrow interpretation to the verb "to fulfil."
He argues that "in the book of Matthew every time the word
'fulfil' is used, it is employed in connection with the life of
Christ, or the events connected with it. In every instance it was
one event which 'fulfilled' the prophecy. In every instance
Christians are not to participate in any ongoing fulfilment." 33
On the basis of these considerations, Ratzlaff concludes
that the word "fulfil" in Matthew 5:17-19 refers not to the
continuing nature of the Law and the prophets but to the
fulfilment of "prophecies regarding the life and death of
Messiah." 34
To support this conclusion, Ratzlaff appeals to the phrase
"You have heard ... but I say unto you," which Jesus uses six
times in Matthew 5:21-43. For him, the phrase indicates that the
Lord was asserting His authority to "completely do away with the
binding nature of the Old Covenant. This He will do, but not
before He completely fulfils the prophecies, types and shadows
which pointed forward to His work as the Messiah and Savior of
the world which are recorded in the Law. Therefore, the Law must
continue until he has accomplished everything. This happened,
according to John, at the death of Jesus." 35 The conclusion is
clear. For Ratzlaff, the Cross marks the termination of the Law.
The Continuity of the Law.
Ratzlaff's conclusion has several serious problems which
largely derive from his failure to closely examine a text in its
immediate context. The immediate context of Matthew 5:17-19
clearly indicates that the fulfilment of the Law and the prophets
ultimately takes place, not at Christ's death as Ratzlaff claims,
but at the close of the present age: "I tell you the truth, until
heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the
least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law
until everything is accomplished" (Matt 5:18). Since, at Christ's
death, heaven and earth did not disappear, it is evident that,
according to Jesus, the function of the Law will continue until
the end of the present age.
Ratzlaff's claim that the six antitheses, "You have heard
... but I say unto you," indicate that Jesus intended to do away
completely "with the binding nature of the Old Covenant" is
untenable because in each instance Christ did not release His
followers from the obligation to observe the six commandments
mentioned. Instead, He called for a more radical observance of
each of them. As John Gerstner points out, "Christ's affirmation
of the moral Law was complete. Rather than setting the disciples
free from the Law, He tied them more tightly to it. He abrogated
not one commandment but instead intensified all." 36
Christ did not modify or replace the Law. Instead, He
revealed its divine intent which affects not only the outward
conduct but also the inner motives. The Law condemned murder;
Jesus condemned anger as sin (Matt 5:21-26). The Law condemned
adultery; Jesus condemned lustful appetites (Matt 5:27-28). This
is not a replacement of the Law, but a clarification and
intensification of its divine intent. Anger and lust cannot be
controlled by Law, because legislation has to do with outward
conduct that can be controlled. Jesus is concerned with showing
that obedience to the spirit of God's commandments involves inner
motives as well as outer actions.
The Continuation of the Law.
Ratzlaff is correct in saying that "to fulfil" in Matthew
generally refers to the prophetic realization of the Law and
prophets in the life and ministry of Christ. This implies that
certain aspects of the Law and the prophets, such as the
Levitical services and messianic prophecies, came to an end in
the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. But this
interpretation cannot be applied to the moral aspects of God's
Law mentioned by Jesus, because verse 18 explicitly affirms that
the Law would be valid "till heaven and earth pass away." In the
light of the antitheses of verses 21-48, "to fulfil" means
especially "to explain" the fuller meaning of the Law and the
prophets. Repeatedly, in Matthew, Jesus acts as the supreme
interpreter of the Law who attacks external obedience and some of
the rabbinical (Halakic) traditions (Matt 15:3-6; 9:13; 12:7;
23:1-39).
In Matthew, Christ's teachings are presented not as a
replacement of God's moral Law but as the continuation and
confirmation of the Old Testament. Matthew sees in Christ not the
termination of the Law and the prophets but their realization and
continuation. The "golden rule" in Matthew 7:12 is presented as
being the essence of "the Law and the prophets." In Matthew
19:16-19, the rich young man wanted to know what he should do to
have eternal life. Jesus told him to "keep the commandments," and
then He listed five of them.
In Matthew 22:40, the two great commandments are viewed as
the basis upon which "depend all the Law and the prophets."
Ratzlaff should note that a summary does not abrogate or discount
what it summarizes. It makes no sense to say that we must follow
the summary command to love our neighbor as ourselves (Lev 19:19;
Matt 22:39) while ignoring or violating the second part of the
Decalogue which tells us what loving our neighbor entails. We
must not forget that when the Lord called upon people to
recognize "the more important matters of the Law" (Matt 23:23),
He immediately added that the lesser matters--should not be
neglected.
We might say that, in Matthew, the Law and the prophets live
on in Christ who realizes, clarifies, and, in some cases,
intensifies their teachings (Matt 5:21-22, 27-28). The
Christological realization and continuation of the Old Testament
Law has significant implications for the New Testament
understanding of the Sabbath in the light of the redemptive
ministry of Jesus. This important subject is investigated in
Chapter 4 of this study, "The Savior and the Sabbath."
PART 2
THE OLD AND NEW COVENANTS IN THE BOOK OF HEBREWS
Considerable importance is attached to the book of Hebrews
in defining the relationship between the Sabbath and the
covenants. Why? First, because Hebrews deals more with the
relationship between the Old and New Covenants than any other
book of the New Testament; and second, because Hebrews 4:9
clearly speaks of a "'Sabbathkeeping that remains for the people
of God." If the reference is to a literal Sabbathkeeping, this
text would provide a compelling evidence of the observance of the
Sabbath in the New Testament church.
The WCG Interpretation of the Sabbath in Hebrews 4:9.
The Worldwide Church of God acknowwledges the importance of this
text, saying: "If this passage [Heb 4:9] requires Christians to
keep the seventh day Sabbath, it would be the only direct
post-resurrection Scriptural command to do so. If it doesn't,
then we have no existing proof-text command specifically written
to the New Testament church mandating the keeping of the Sabbath.
In view of this, it is extremely important that we understand
clearly what the verses in question are telling us." 37
There is no question that "it is extremely important" to
understand the meaning of Hebrews 4:9 in the context of the
author's discussion of the Old and New Covenants.
...................
To be continued
NOTE:
Any Bible Commentary worth its salt will uphold the moral Ten
Commandment law in the New Testament. The Old Bible Commentaries
like that of Albert Barnes never come close to making the "law of
the Lord" - the Ten Commandments - VOID under the New Testament.
It is true that Albert Barnes believed Sunday had replaced the
7th day Sabbath, but ministers like him back one, two, and three
hundred years, taught Sunday was a holy day, to be observed as
the Sabbath of the Lord. They had no thoughts that the Ten
Commandments were abolished under the New Covenant. Such ideas
have come about in popularity through dispensational teaching
over the last 100 years in particular where it is popular to
teach "Law verses Grace." The truth of the matter is that it is
"Law AND grace" as fully expounded in my study "Saved by Grace"
and the Appendixes of note from various sound commentators who
know it is "law and grace" and NOT "law verses grace."
The Lord does NOT have to repeat in detail all the Ten
Commandments in the New Testament to still make them valid. There
is NOT ONE verse in the New Testament to abolish the Ten
Commandments or any ONE of them. There is not one word in the New
Testament to state the fourth commandment has been abolished or
changed from the 7th day to the 1st day of the week. There was no
"ministerial conference" (as like that for "the circumcision
question" in Acts 15) to argue over the Sabbath question, if, or
if not, it was still valid. All arguments to "do away with" God's
law of the Ten Commandments is usually, if not always, because
people do not want to observe the FOURTH commandment. They will
not tell you they argue so no fourth commandment needs to be
observed, so they try to argue that the whole law is abolished
under the New Testament and some vague (set your own standards)
law of love has taken its place.
Such is the foolishness and twisted mind-set of the human heart,
that can be deceitful and desperately wicked, dressing up sin and
coming to you as an angel of light.
Keith Hunt
9. The Sabbath under Crossfire
Answer to New Covenant theology Teachers
by Samuele Bacchiocchi PhD
Continued from previous page:
The Sabbath and the New Covenant
This is indeed what we intend to do now by examining the
text in the light of its immediate and larger contexts. The
interpretation given by the WCG to the Sabbath in Hebrews can be
summarized in a simple syllogism.
First premise:
Christ made the Old Covenant obsolete.
Second premise:
The Sabbath was part of the Old Covenant.
Conclusion:
Therefore, the literal observance of the Sabbath is obsolete. 38
The WCG interprets the "Sabbathkeeping--sabbatismos--that
remains for the people of God" (Heb 4:9) as a daily experience of
spiritual salvation rest, not the keeping of the seventh-day
Sabbath. "The spiritual rest of salvation into which God's people
are entering is a sabbatismos-'a Sabbathkeeping.' . . . In
summary, the verses in question do not exhort us to keep the Old
Covenant Sabbath, but they do admonish us to enter the spiritual
'rest' of God by having faith in Christ." 39 The evaluation of
the WCG interpretation of the Sabbath in Hebrews 4:9 is given in
the context of the analysis of Ratzlaff's interpretation, since
the two are similar.
Ratzlaff' s Interpretation of Hebrews 4:9.
Like the WCG, Ratzlaff attaches great importance to the
teachings of the book of Hebrews regarding the covenants and the
Sabbath. His reason is clearly stated: "The contextual teaching
of this book deals with the very point of our study: how
Christians were to relate to the Old Covenant Law. Therefore, we
should accept the following statements as having the highest
teaching authority." 40
Ratzlaff's argument is essentially identical to that of the
WCG. He argues that the Sabbath was part of the Old Covenant Law
which became obsolete and was done away with the coming of
Christ. He states his view clearly in commenting on Hebrews 9:1:
"Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship
(Greek word is service) (Heb 9:1). It is unquestionably clear
that the Sabbath was one of those regulations of divine worship
or service (Lev 23).... Let me clarify by reviewing what is said
here... First, our author calls the Sinaitic Covenant the 'first
covenant' (called old in other places). Then he says that it had
regulations for divine worship. He goes on to list the things
included in this 'first covenant,' including 'the tables of the
covenant'--a clear reference to the Ten Commandments. These are
the facts of Scripture in their contextual setting. Thus the
'tables of the covenant,' which include the Sabbath commandment,
and the `Laws for divine worship,' which include the Sabbath, are
old and ready to disappear." 41
Discontinuity in Hebrews.
Ratzlaff is right in pointing out the discontinuity taught
by Hebrews between the Old and New Covenant as far as the
Levitical services are concerned. These were brought to an end by
Christ's coming. But he is wrong in applying such a discontinuity
to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments, especially the
Sabbath. There is no question that the author of Hebrews
emphasizes the discontinuity brought about by the coming of
Christ when he says that "if perfection had been attainable
through the Levitical priesthood" (Heb 7:11), there would have
been no need for Christ to come. But because the priests, the
sanctuary, and its services were "symbolic" (Heb 9:9; 8:5), they
could not in themselves "perfect the conscience of the
worshipper" (Heb 9:9). Consequently, it was necessary for Christ
to come "once for all at the end of the age to put away sin by
the sacrifice of himself" (Heb 9:26). The effect of Christ's
coming, as Ratzlaff notes, is described as "setting aside" (Heb
7:18), making "obsolete" (Heb 8:13), "abolishing" (Heb 10:9) all
the Levitical services associated with the sanctuary.
The problem is that Ratzlaff interprets these affirmations
as indicating the abrogation of all the Old Testament laws,
including the Sabbath. Such an interpretation ignores that the
statements in question are found in chapters 7 to 10 which deal
with the Levitical, sacrificial regulations. In these chapters,
the author uses the terms "Law" (Heb 10:1) and "covenant" (Heb
8:7, 8,13) specifically with reference to the Levitical
priesthood and services. It is in this context--that is, as they
relate to the Levitical ministry--that they are declared
"abolished" (Heb 10:9). But this declaration can hardly be taken
as a blanket statement for the abrogation of the Law, in general.
Walter Kaiser emphasizes this point: "The writer to the Hebrews
clearly shows that what he saw as being abrogated from the first
covenant were the ceremonies and rituals - the very items that
had a built-in warning from God to Moses from the first day they
were revealed to him. Had not God warned Moses that what he gave
him in Exodus 25-40 and Leviticus 1-27 was according to the
'pattern' he had shown him on the mountain (e.g., Ex 25:40)? This
meant that the real remained somewhere else (presumably in
heaven) while Moses instituted a 'model,' 'shadow,' or
'imitation' of what is real until reality came! The net result
cannot be that for the writer of Hebrews, the whole Old Covenant
or the whole Torah had been superseded." 42
Ratzlaff ignores the fact that the reference to "the tables
of the covenant" in Hebrews 9:4 is found in the context of the
description of the contents of the ark of the covenant, which
included "the tables of the covenant." The latter are mentioned
as part of the furniture of the earthly sanctuary whose
typological function terminated with Christ's death on the Cross.
However, the fact that the services of the earthly sanctuary
terminated at the Cross does not mean, as Ratzlaff claims, that
the Ten Commandments also came to an end simply because they were
located inside the ark.
Continuity of the Ten Commandments in the New Covenant.
Hebrews teaches us that the earthly sanctuary was superseded
by the heavenly sanctuary where Christ "appears in the presence
of God on our behalf" (Heb 9:24). When John saw in vision the
heavenly Temple, he saw within the Temple "the ark of the
covenant" which contains the Ten Commandments (Rev 11:19). Why
was John shown the ark of the covenant within the heavenly
temple? The answer is simple. The ark of the covenant represents
the throne of God that rests on justice (the Ten Commandments)
and mercy (the mercy seat).
If Ratzlaff's argument is correct that the Ten Commandments
terminated at the Cross because they were part of the furnishings
of the sanctuary, then why was John shown the ark of the covenant
which contains the Ten Commandments in the heavenly Temple? Does
not the vision of the ark of the covenant in the heavenly
sanctuary where Christ ministers on our behalf provide a
compelling proof that the principles of the Ten Commandments are
still the foundation of God's government?
It is unfortunate that in his concern to argue for the
discontinuity between the Old and New Covenants, Ratzlaff ignores
the clear continuity between the two. The continuity is expressed
in a variety of ways. There is continuity in the revelation which
the same God "spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets" and
now "in these last days has spoken to us by a Son" (Heb 1:1-2).
There is continuity in the faithfulness and accomplishments of
Moses and Christ (Heb 3:2-6). There is continuity in the
redemptive ministry offered typologically in the earthly
sanctuary by priests and realistically in the heavenly sanctuary
by Christ Himself (Heb 7-10). There is continuity in faith and
hope as New Testament believers share in the faith and promises
of the Old Testament worthies (Heb 11-12). More specifically,
there is continuity in the "Sabbathkeeping--sabbatismos" which
"remains (apoleipetai) for the people of God" (Heb 4:9). The verb
"remains--apoleipetai" literally means "has been left behind."
Literally translated, verse 9 reads: "So then a Sabbath-keeping
has been left behind for the people of God." The permanence of
the Sabbath is also implied in the exhortation to "strive to
enter that rest" (Heb 4:11). The fact that one must make efforts
"to enter that rest" implies that the "rest" experience of the
Sabbath also has a future realization and, consequently, cannot
have terminated with the coming of Christ.
It is noteworthy that while the author declares the
Levitical priesthood and services as "abolished" (Heb 10:9),
"obsolete," and "ready to vanish away" (Heb 8:13), he explicitly
teaches that a "Sabbathkeeping has been left behind for the
people of God" (Heb 4:9).
Ratzlaff's Objections to Literal Sabbathkeeping.
Ratzlaff rejects the interpretation of "sabbatismos" as
literal Sabbathkeeping because it does not fit his "New Covenant"
theology. He goes as far as saying that sabbatismos is a special
term coined by the author of Hebrews to emphasize the uniqueness
of the salvation rest of the New Covenant. "The writer of Hebrews
characterizes this rest as a 'Sabbath rest' by using a word which
is unique to Scripture. I believe he did this to give it special
meaning just as we do when we put quotation marks around a word
as I have done with the term 'God's rest.' As pointed out above,
the author is showing how much better the new covenant is over
the old. I believe the truth he is trying to convey is that the
`'abbath' (sabbatismos, Gr) of the New Covenant is better than
the Sabbath (sabbaton, Gr) of the Old Covenant." 43
The truth of the matter is that the author of Hebrews did
not have to invent a new word or use it with a unique meaning
because the term sabbatismos already existed and was used both by
pagans and Christians as a technical term for Sabbathkeeping.
Examples can be found in the writings of Plutarch, Justin,
Epiphanius, the Apostolic Constitutions, and the Martyrdom of
Peter and Paul. 44 The one who is inventing a new meaning for
sabbatismos is not the author of Hebrews but Dale Ratzlaff
himself, in order to support his unbiblical "New Covenant"
theology.
Professor Andrew Lincoln, one of the contributors to the
scholarly symposium "From Sabbath to the Lord's Day," a major
source used by Ratzlaff, acknowledges that in each of the above
instances "the term denotes the observance or celebration of the
Sabbath. This usage corresponds to the Septuagint usage of the
cognate verb sabbatizo (cf. Ex 16:23; Lev 23:32; 26:34f.; 2 Chron
36:21) which also has reference to Sabbath observance. Thus the
writer to the Hebrews is saying that since the time of Joshua an
observance of Sabbath rest has been outstanding." 45
Lincoln is not a Sabbatarian but a Sundaykeeping scholar who
deals in a responsible way with the linguistic usage of
sabbatismos. Unfortunately, he chooses to interpret spiritually
the ceasing from one's works on the Sabbath (Heb 4:10) as
referring to the spiritual cessation from sin rather than to the
physical cessation from work. 46 This interpretation, as we see
below, is discredited by the comparison the author of Hebrews
makes between the divine and human cessation from "works."
Ratzlaff's Five Reasons Against Literal Sabbathkeeping.
Ratzlaff submits five reasons to support his contention that
sabbatismos "cannot be the seventh-day Sabbath of the fourth
commandment." 47
The first and second reasons are essentially the same.
Ratzlaff argues that since Hebrews states that the Israelites at
the time of Joshua and, later, the time of David "did not enter
the rest of God," though they were observing the Sabbath, then,
the sabbatismos has nothing to do with literal Sabbathkeeping. 48
This conclusion ignores the three levels of meaning that the
author of Hebrews attaches to the Sabbath rest as representing
(1) the physical rest of the seventh day, (2) the national rest
in the land of Canaan, and (3) the spiritual (messianic) rest in
God. The argument of Hebrews is that though the Israelites did
enter into the land of rest under Joshua (Heb 4:8), because of
unbelief they did not experience the spiritual dimension of
Sabbathkeeping as an invitation to enter God's rest (Heb 4:2,6).
This was true even after the occupation of the land because, at
the time of David, God renewed the invitation to enter into His
rest (Heb 4:7). The fact that the spiritual dimension of the
Sabbath rest was not experienced by the Israelites as a people
indicates to the author that "a sabbatismos-sabbathkeeping has
been left behind for the people of God" (Heb 4:9). It is evident
that a proper understanding of the passage indicates that the
sabbatismos-sabbathkeeping that remains is a literal observance
of the day which entails a spiritual experience. The physical act
of rest represents a faith response to God.
The third reason given by Ratzlaff is his assumption that
"the concept of 'believing' is never associated with keeping the
seventh-day Sabbath in the old covenant." 49 This assumption is
negated by the fact that Sabbath is given as the sign "that you
may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you" (Ex 31:13). Is it
possible for anyone to experience God's sanctifying presence and
power on the Sabbath without a "belief" or "faith response" to
God? Furthermore, does not the prophet Isaiah summon the people
to honor the Sabbath by "taking delight in the Lord" (Is 58:14)?
Can one delight in the Lord on the Sabbath without believing in
Him?
The fourth reason advanced by Ratzlaff relates to the verb
"has rested" in Hebrews 4:10 which is past tense (aorist tense in
Greek). To him the past tense indicates "that the believer who
rests from his works did so at one point in time in the past." 50
In other words the past tense "has rested" suggests not a weekly
cessation from work on the Sabbath but a rest of grace already
accomplished or experienced in the past.
This interpretation ignores two important points. First, the
verb "has rested-katepausen" is past simply because it depends
upon the previous verb "eiselthon-he that entered," which is also
past. The Greek construction (aorist participle) makes it clear
that some have already entered into God's rest. It is evident
that he who "entered" into God's rest in the past has also
"rested from his works" in the past.
Second, the text makes a simple comparison between the
divine and the human cessation from "works." In the RSV the text
reads: "For whoever enters God's rest also ceases from his labors
as God did from his" (Heb 4:10). The point of the analogy is
simply that as God ceased from His work on the seventh day in
order to rest, so believers who cease from their work on the
Sabbath enter into God's rest. If the verb "has rested" referred
to the "rest of grace," as Ratzlaff claims, then by virtue of the
analogy God also has experienced "the rest of grace," an obvious
absurdity. All of this shows that the analogy contains a simple
statement of the nature of Sabbathkeeping which essentially
involves cessation from work in order to enter God's rest by
allowing Him to work in us more fully and freely.
The reason both verbs "entered-eiselthon" and "rested-
katepausen" are past tense (aorist) may be because the author
wishes to emphasize that the Sabbathkeeping that has been left
behind for the people of God has both a past and present
dimension. In the past, it has been experienced by those who have
entered into God's rest by resting from their work (Heb 4:10). In
the present, we must "strive to enter that rest" (Heb 4:11) by
being obedient. Both the RSV and the NIV render the two verbs in
the present ("enters-ceases") because the context underlines the
present and timeless quality of the Sabbath rest (Heb 4:1,3,6)
Is the Sabbath Rest a Daily Rest of Grace?
The fifth reason given by Ratzlaff for negating the literal
meaning of "sabbatismos-Sabbathkeeping" in Hebrews 4:9 is his
contention that, since "the promise of entering God's rest is
good 'today,'" the author of Hebrews is not thinking of the
seventh day Sabbath rest but of the "'rest' of grace" experienced
by believers everyday. 51 "The writer of Hebrews stresses the
word 'today' on several occasions. In the New Covenant, one can
enter into God's rest 'today.'" He does not have to wait until
the end of the week. ... The New Covenant believer is to rejoice
into God's rest continually." 52
It amazes me how Ratzlaff can misconstrue the use of "today"
to defend his abrogation view of the Sabbath. The function of the
adverb "today-semeron" is not to teach a continuous Sabbath rest
of grace that replaces literal Sabbathkeeping; it is to show that
Sabbathkeeping as an experience of rest in God was not
experienced by the Israelites as a people because of their
unbelief (Heb 4:6). To prove this fact, the author of Hebrews
quotes Psalm 95:7 where God invites the people to respond to Him,
saying: "Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your
hearts" (Heb. 4:7, cf. Ps. 95:7).
The "today" simply serves to show that the spiritual
dimension of the Sabbath as rest in God still remains because God
renewed the invitation at the time of David. To argue that
"today" means that "New Covenant" Christians observe the Sabbath
every day by living in God's rest is to ignore also the
historical context - namely, that the "today" was spoken by God
at the time of David. If Ratzlaff's interpretation of "today"
were correct, then already, at the time of David, God had
replaced the literal observance of the Sabbath with a spiritual
experience of rest in Him. Such an absurd conclusion can be
reached only by reading into the text gratuitous assumptions.
Three Levels of Interpretation of the Sabbath Rest in the Old
Testament.
To understand better the preceding discussion about the
Sabbath rest in Hebrews 3 and 4, it is important to note three
levels of meaning attached to the Sabbath rest in the Old
Testament and in Jewish literature. In the Old Testament, we find
that the Sabbath rest refers first of all to the physical
cessation from work on the seventh day (Ex 20:10; 23:12; 31:14;
34:21). Second, the Sabbath rest served to epitomize the national
aspiration for a peaceful life in a land at rest (Deut 12:9;
25:19; Is 14:3) where the king would give to the people "rest
from all enemies" (2 Sam 7:1; cf. l Kings 8:5), and where God
would find His "resting place" among His people and especially in
His sanctuary at Zion (2 Chron 6:41; 1 Chron 23:25; Ps 132:8,13,
14; Is 66:1).
The fact that the Sabbath rest as a political aspiration for
national peace and prosperity remained largely unfulfilled
apparently inspired the third interpretation of the Sabbath rest
- namely, the symbol of the Messianic age, often known as the
"end of days" or the "world to come." Theodore Friedman notes,
for example, that "two of the three passages in which Isaiah
refers to the Sabbath are linked by the prophet with the end of
days (Is 56:4-7; 58:13, 14; 66:22-24) .... It is no mere
coincidence that Isaiah employs the words 'delight' (oneg) and
'honor' (kavod) in his descriptions of both the Sabbath and the
end of days (Is 58:13--'And you shall call the Sabbath a delight
... and honor it'; Is 66: 11 - 'And you shall delight in the glow
of its honor'). The implication is clear. The delight and joy
that will mark the end of days is made available here and now by
the Sabbath." 53
Later rabbinic and apocalyptic literature provide more
explicit examples of the Messianic/eschatological interpretation
of the Sabbath. For example, the Babylonian Talmud says: "Our
Rabbis taught that at the conclusion of the septennate the son of
David will come. R. Joseph demurred: But so many Sabbaths have
passed, yet has he not come!" 54 In the apocalyptic work known
as "The Book of Adam and Eve" (about first century A.D.), the
archangel Michael admonishes Seth, saying: "Man of God, mourn not
for thy dead more than six days, for on the seventh day is a sign
of the resurrection and the rest of the age to come." 55
How did the Sabbath come to be regarded as the symbol of the
world to come? Apparently the harsh experiences of the desert
wandering, first, and of the exile, later, inspired the people to
view the Edenic Sabbath as the paradigm of the future Messianic
age. In fact, the Messianic age is characterized by material
abundance (Am 9:13-14; Joel 4:19; Is 30:23-25; Jer 31:12), social
justice (Is 61:1-9), harmony between persons and animals (Hos
2:20; Is 65:25; 11:6), extraordinary longevity (Is 65:20; Zech
8:4), refulgent light (Is 30:26; Zech 14:6,7), and the absence of
death and sorrow (Is 25:8).
This brief survey indicates that both in the Old Testament
and in later Jewish literature, the weekly experience of the
Sabbath rest served not only to express the national aspirations
for a peaceful life in the land of Canaan (which remained largely
unfulfilled), but also to nourish the hope of the future
Messianic age which came to be viewed as "wholly sabbath and
rest." 56
Three Levels of Interpretation of the Sabbath Rest in Hebrews.
The existence in Old Testament times of three levels of
interpretation of the Sabbath rest as a personal, national, and
Messianic reality provides the basis for understanding these
three meanings in Hebrews 3 and 4. By welding two texts together-
-namely, Psalm 95:11 and Genesis 2:2-the writer presents three
different levels of meaning of the Sabbath rest. At the first
level, the Sabbath rest points to God's creation rest, when "his
works were finished from the foundation of the world" (Heb 4:3).
This meaning is established by quoting Genesis 2:2.
At the second level, the Sabbath rest symbolizes the promise
of entry into the land of Canaan, which the wilderness generation
"failed to enter" (Heb 4:6; cf. 3:16-19), but which was realized
later when the Israelites under Joshua did enter the land of rest
(4:8).
At the third and most important level, the Sabbath rest
prefigures the rest of redemption which has dawned and is made
available to God's people through Christ.
How does the author establish this last meaning?
By drawing a remarkable conclusion from Psalm 95:7,11 which
he quotes several times (Heb 4:3,5,7). In Psalm 95, God invites
the Israelites to enter into His rest which was denied to the
rebellious wilderness generation (Heb 4:7-11). The fact that God
should renew "again" the promise of His rest long after the
actual entrance into the earthly Canaan--namely, at the time of
David by saying "today" (Heb 4:7)--is interpreted by the author
of Hebrews to mean two things: first, that God's Sabbath rest was
not exhausted when the Israelites under Joshua found a resting
place in the land, but that it still "remains for the people of
God" (4:9); and second, that such rest has dawned with the coming
of Christ (Heb 4:3,7).
The phrase "Today, when you hear his voice" (Heb 4:7) has a
clear reference to Christ. The readers had heard God's voice in
the "last days" (Heb 1:2) as it spoke through Christ and had
received the promise of the Sabbath rest. In the light of the
Christ event, then, ceasing from one's labor on the Sabbath (Heb
4:10) signifies both a present experience of redemption (Heb 4:3)
and a hope of future fellowship with God (Heb 4:11). For the
author of Hebrews, as Gerhard von Rad correctly points out, "the
whole purpose of creation and the whole purpose of redemption are
reunited" in the fulfillment of God's original Sabbath rests 57
The Nature of the Sabbath Rest in Hebrews.
What is the nature of the "Sabbath rest" that is still
outstanding for God's people (Heb 4:9)? Is the writer thinking of
a literal or spiritual type of Sabbathkeeping? The answer is
both. The author presupposes the literal observance of the
Sabbath to which he gives a deeper meaning--namely, a faith
response to God. Support for a literal understanding of
Sabbathkeeping is provided by the historical usage of the term
"sabbatismos-sabbathkeeping" in verse 9 and by the description of
Sabbathkeeping as cessation from work given in verse 10: "For
whoever enters God's rest also ceases from his labors as God did
from his."
We noted earlier that sabbatismos is used in both pagan and
Christian literature to denote the literal observance of the
Sabbath. Consequently, by the use of this term, the writer of
Hebrews is simply saying that "a Sabbathkeeping has been left
behind for the people of God." The probative value of this text
is enhanced by the fact that the writer is not arguing for the
permanence of Sabbathkeeping; he takes it for granted.
The literal nature of Sabbathkeeping is indicated also by
the following verse which speaks of the cessation from work as
representing entering into God's rest. "For whoever enters God's
rest also ceases from his labors as God did from his" (Heb 4:10).
The majority of commentators interpret the cessation from work of
Hebrews 4:10 in a figurative sense as "abstention from servile
work," meaning sinful activities. Thus, Christian Sabbathkeeping
means not the interruption of daily work on the seventh day, but
the abstention from sinful acts at all times. In other words,
"New Covenant" believers experience the Sabbath rest not as a
physical cessation from work on the seventh day but as a
spiritual salvation rest every day. As Ratzlaff puts it, "The New
Covenant believer is to rejoice in God's rest continually." 58
To support this view, appeal is made to the reference in
Hebrews to "dead works" (Heb 6:1; 9:14). Such a concept, however,
cannot be read back into Hebrews 4:10 where a comparison is made
between the divine and the human cessation from "works." It is
absurd to think that God ceased from "sinful deeds." The point of
the analogy is simply that as God ceased on the seventh day from
His creation work, so believers are to cease on the same day from
their labors. This is a simple statement of the nature of
Sabbathkeeping which essentially involves cessation from works.
The Meaning of Sabbathkeeping in Hebrews.
The concern of the author of Hebrews, however, is not merely
to encourage his readers to interrupt their secular activities on
the Sabbath, but rather to help them understand the deeper
significance of the act of resting for God on the Sabbath. The
recipients of the book are designated as "Hebrews" presumably
because of their tendency to adopt Jewish liturgical customs as a
means to gain access to God. This is indicated by the appeal in
chapters 7 to 10 to discourage any participation in the Temple's
sacrificial services. Thus, these Hebrew-minded Christians did
not need to be reminded of the physical-cessation aspect of
Sabbathkeeping. This aspect yields only a negative idea of rest,
one which only would have served to encourage existing Judaizing
tendencies. What they needed, instead, was to understand the
meaning of the act of resting on the Sabbath, especially in the
light of the coming of Christ.
This deeper meaning can be seen in the antithesis the author
makes between those who failed to enter into God's rest because
of "unbelief-apeitheias" (Heb 4:6,11), that is, faithlessness
which results in disobedience, and those who enter it by "faith
--pistei" (Heb 4:2,3), that is, faithfulness that results in
obedience.
Chapter 4 covers more fully the meaning of Sabbathkeeping as
a faith response to God in conjunction with the relationship
between the Savior and the Sabbath. There we see that Hebrews'
deeper meaning of Sabbathkeeping reflects to a large extent the
redemptive understanding of the day we find in the Gospels.
Christ's offer of His "rest" (Matt 11:28) represents the core of
the "Sabbath rest" available "today" to God's people (Heb 4:7,
9).
The act of resting on the Sabbath for the author of Hebrews
is not merely a routine ritual (cf."sacrifice"--Matt 12:7) but
rather a faith response to God. Such a response entails not the
hardening of one's heart (Heb 4:7) but being receptive to "hear
his voice" (Heb 4:7). It means experiencing God's salvation rest,
not by works but by faith - not by doing but by being saved
through faith (Heb 4:2,3,11). On the Sabbath, as John Calvin
aptly expresses it, believers are "to cease from their work to
allow God to work in them." 59
This expanded interpretation of Sabbathkeeping in the light
of the Christ event was apparently designed to wean Christians
away from a too materialistic understanding of its observance. To
achieve this objective, the author, on the one hand, reassures
his readers of the permanence of the blessings contemplated by
Sabbathkeeping and, on the other hand, explains that such a
blessing can be received only by experiencing the Sabbath as a
faith response to God.
It is evident that for the author of Hebrews the
Sabbathkeeping that remains for "New Covenant" Christians is not
only a physical experience of cessation from work on the seventh
day but also a faith response, a yes "today" response to God.
Karl Barth puts it eloquently. The act of resting on Sabbath is
an act of resignation to our human efforts to achieve salvation
in order "to allow the omnipotent grace of God to have the first
and last word at every point." 60
Conclusion
The preceding study of the Sabbath in its relationship to
the New Covenant has shown that there is an organic unity between
the Old and New Covenants--a unity which is reflected in the
continuity of the Sabbath. Both covenants are part of the
everlasting covenant (Heb 13:20), that is, of God's commitment to
save penitent sinners. In both covenants, God invites His people
to accept the gracious provision of salvation by living in
accordance with the moral principles He has revealed. Christ came
not to nullify or modify God's moral Law but to clarify and
reveal its deeper meaning. Christ spent much of His ministry
clarifying how the love principle is embodied in the Ten
Commandments, in general, and in the Sabbath, in particular.
Of all the commandments, the Sabbath offers us the most concrete
opportunity to show our love to God because it invites us to
consecrate our time to Him. Time is the essence of our life. The
way we use our time is indicative of our priorities. A major
reason why the Sabbath has been attacked by many throughout human
history is that sinful human nature is self-centered rather than
God-centered. Most people want to spend their Sabbath time
seeking for personal pleasure or profit rather than for the
presence and peace of God.
New Covenant believers who on the Sabbath stop their work to
allow God to work in them more fully and freely tangibly show
that God really counts in their lives. They make themselves
receptive and responsive to the presence, peace, and rest of God.
At a time when so-called "New Covenant" theology is deceiving
many Christians into believing in the "simpler" and "better"
principle of love, the Sabbath challenges us to offer to God not
just lip-service, but the service of our total being by
consecrating our time and life to Him.
NOTES TO OLD AND NEW COVENANTS
1. Lewis Sperry Chafer, Dispensationalism (Dallas, 1936), p.107.
2. A study paper on "The Sabbath" released by the Worldwide
Church of God on 1995, lists Dale Ratzlaff's book, Sabbath in
Crisis, as one of the major sources used. The other two sources
are the special issue of Verdict (vol. 4), entitled
"Sabbatarianism Reconsidered," published by Robert Brinsmead on
June 4, 1981, and the symposium From Sabbath to the Lord's Day,
and published by Zondervan in 1982.
3. Clay Peck, "New Covenant" Christians (Berthoud, Colorado,
1998), p.2.
4. Joseph Tkach, Jr., "The New Covenant and the Sabbath," Pastor
General Report (December 21, 1994), pp.8,11.
5. Joseph Tkach, Jr., Pastor General's Report (January 5, 1995),
p. 1.
6. "Covenant in the Bible," a Bible study prepared by the
Worldwide Church of God and posted in their Web page (www.wcg.org
- September 15, 1998), p.3.
7. Ibid., p.4.
8. Joseph Tkach, Jr., (note 4), p.2.
9. Ibid., p.11.
10. Ibid., p.6.
11. Ibid., p.7.
12. "The Sabbath in Acts and the Epistles," a Bible study
prepared by the Worldwide Church of God and posted on their web
page (www.wcg.org, September 1998), p.3.
13. Ibid., pp.3-4.
14. Pierre Grelot and Jean Giblet, "Covenant," Dictionary of
Biblical Theology, ed., by Xavier Leon-Dufour (New York, 1970),
p.95.
15. George Eldon Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament (Grand
Rapids, Michigan, 1974), p.507.
16. Ibid., p.507.
17. Greg L. Bahnsen, "The Theonomic Reformed Approach to the Law
and Gospel," in The Law, the Gospel, and the Modern Christian
(Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1993), p.97.
18. Dale Ratzlaff, Sabbath in Crisis: Transfer/lModification?
Reformation/Continuation? Fulfilment/Transformation? (Applegate,
California, 1990), p.73.
19. Ibid., p.78, emphasis supplied.
20. Ibid., p.78.
21. Ibid., p.180.
22. Ibid., p.181.
23. Ibid., p.182.
24. Ibid., pp.182,183,185.
25. Ibid., p.185.
26. Ibid., p.74.
27. Ibid., p.73.
28. Ibid., p.185.
29. Ibid., p.207.
30. George Eldon Ladd (note 15), p.128.
31. Walter C. Kaiser, "The Law as God's Gracious Guidance for the
Promotion of Holiness," in The Law, the Gospel, and the Modern
Christian (Grand Rapids, 1993), p.198.
32. Dale Ratzlaff (note 18), p.228.
33. Ibid., p.228.
34. Ibid., p.229.
35. Ibid., p.229.
36. John H. Gerstner, "Law in the NT," International Standard
Bible Encyclopedia, revised edition, (Grand Rapids, 1960), vol 3,
p.88.
37. "Does Hebews 4:9 Command Us to Keep the Sabbath?" A Bible
study prepared by the Worldwide Church of God and posted on their
Web page (www.wcg.org - September, 1998), p.1.
38. "The New Covenant and the Sabbath," a Bible study prepared by
the Worldwide Church of God and posted on their Web page
(www.wcg.org - September, 1998), pp.9-10.
39. "Does Hebrews 4:9 Command Us to Keep the Sabbath?" (note 37),
pp.8-9.
40. Dale Ratzlaff (note 18), p.197.
41. Ibid., p.198.
42. Walter C. Kaiser (note 31), p.186.
43. Dale Ratzlaff (note 18), p.246.
44. Plutarch, De Superstitione 3 (Moralia 1660); Justin Martyr,
Dialogue with Trypho 23, 3; Epiphanius, Adversus Haereses 30, 2,
2; Apostolic Constitutions 2,36.
45. Andrew T. Lincoln, "Sabbath, Rest, and Eschatology in the New
Testament," in From Sabbath to the Lord's Day, ed. Donald A.
Carson (Grand Rapids, 1982), p.213.
46. Ibid.
47. Dale Ratzlaff (note 18), p.243.
48. Ibid., pp.243-244.
49. Ibid., p.244.
50. Ibid.
51. Ibid.
52. Ibid., p.247.
53. Theodore Friedman, "The Sabbath: Anticipation of Redemption,"
Judaism 16 (1967), p.445. Friedman notes that "at the end of the
Mishnah Tamid (Rosh Hashanah 31 a) we read: 'A Psalm, a song for
the Sabbath day--a song for the time-to-come, for the day that is
all Sabbath rest in the eternal life.' The Sabbath, the Gemara
asserts, is one-sixtieth of the world to come" (ibid., p.443).
54. Sanhedrin 97a.
55. The Books of Adam and Eve 51:1,2 in R. H. Charles, ed., The
Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament (Oxford, 1913),
vol 2, p.153. Cf. Apocalypsis of Mosis 43:3. A similar view is
found in Genesis Rabbah 17:5: "There are three antitypes: the
antitype of death is sleep, the antitype of prophecy is dream,
the antitype of the age to come is the Sabbath." Cf. Genesis
Rabbah 44:17.
56. Mishnah Tamid 7:4. The viewing of the Sabbath as the symbol
and anticipation of the Messianic age gave to the celebration of
the weekly Sabbath a note of gladness and hope for the future.
Cf. Genesis Rabbat 17; 44; Baba Berakot 57f. Theodore Friedman
shows how certain Sabbath regulations established by the school
of Shammai were designed to offer a foretaste of the Messianic
age (note 53, pp.447-452).
57. Gerhard von Rad, "There Remains Still a Rest for the People
of God," in The Problem of the Hexateuch and Other Essays (New
York, 1965), p.94-102.
58. Dale Ratzlaff (note 18), p.247.
59. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Grand
Rapids, Michigan, 1965), vol. 2, p.337. Karl Barth keenly
observes that by resting on the Sabbath after the similitude of
God (Heb 4:10), the believer "participates consciously in the
salvation provided by him [God]" (Church Dogmatic [Edinburgh,
1961], vol.3, part 2, p.50).
60. Karl Barth (note 59), p.51.
...................
To be continued
NOTE:
Once more I submit that a small child can understand Hebrews 4.
The "rest" of God is clearly associated with the "seventh day" -
as those words are specifically used, along with God resting from
His works, a clear reference to Genesis 2 and the seventh day
that God sanctified and rested upon, which to Paul the author of
Hebrews, is still in function and using the "present" tense -
there REMAINS (presently) a sabbath-keeing to the people of God,
and he who enters that Sabbath rest has ceased from His labor,
his literal secular work just as God did from His.
We are to labor, put some effort into, entering that rest of God,
lest we also fall after the same example of the Israelite
unbelief, who many times in their history departed from literal
Sabbath keeping to follow the ways and customs of the pagan
nations around them.
A child can see the SEVENTH day was made holy and sanctified from
the beginning of creation week in Genesis 1 and 2. As a child of
6 and 7 years old reading my Bible in a Church of England school
(first half hour of the day was spent reading the Bible) it was
as clear as day to me that the seventh day was set aside,
sanctified and made holy, in Genesis 2. Then as I was taught to
remorize and recite the Ten Commandments of Exodus 20 (full
version), it was as clear as day to me that the FOURTH
commandment talked about this seventh day Sabbath as being made
holy and as meaning we are to remember to keep it holy; that we
are to refrain from our secular work, even our servants and
cattle are to rest from physical labor.
It was clear to me as a young boy that NOT ONE word of the Ten
commandments had EVER been "done away with" - it never ever
entered my head (and it was not taught to me either) that ANY of
the Ten Commandments were not to be observed or were changed in
any way. As a child I can remember thinking that if all nations
and peoples on earth observed the Ten Commandments, what a
WONDERFUL and SAFE and PEACEFUL world we would live in.
It is most shocking and disgussing to me now, to hear/see the
arguments of some who would try and abolish the Ten commandments,
the law that Paul said was HOLY, JUST and GOOD!! The plain truth
is that such people come up with crazy theology to "throw out the
Ten Commandments" BECAUSE they will not submit themselves to
observing the FOURTH commandment, which is as plain as the nose
on their face, telling people to remember to keep holy the
SEVENTH day of the week ... not the 6th day, not the 1st day, not
just any day, BUT THE 7TH DAY!!
Such is the rebellious carnal heart, such is the darkness of the
mind, such is the working of the spirits of darkness that come
with cleaver/twisted sounding theology and appear as angels of
light.
You need to read the Bible as a child would read it. You need to
come to God and Christ as a child, for Jesus said such would be
in the Kingdom, unless you are as such you will not inherit the
Kingdom. And if you see these things, the simple truths of God as
expounded on this Website, then PRAISE THE LORD! For it is as our
Savior said, "I thank you Father, that you have hid these things
from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them unto babes."
Keith Hunt
10. The Sabbath under Crossfire
The Old and New Covenants #1
by Samuele Bacchiocchi PhD
Chapter 3
THE SABBATH AND THE NEW COVENANT
Few Bible doctrines have been under the constant crossfire
of controversy as has the Sabbath. In recent years,
Dispensational and "New Covenant" Christians have renewed their
attack against the Sabbath with fresh zeal. The stock weapon of
their arsenal is the allegation that the Sabbath is an Old
Covenant relic that terminated at the Cross. Their strategy is to
make the Cross the line of demarcation between the Old and New
Covenants, Law and Grace, the Sabbath and Sunday. Since they
believe the Ten Commandments formed the core of the Old Covenant
and the Sabbath is central to the Ten Commandments, by firing on
the Sabbath they hope to destroy the validity and value of the
Mosaic Law in general, and of the Sabbath in particular.
This is largely the strategy recently adopted by such former
Sabbatarians as the Worldwide Church of God, Dale Ratzlaff in his
influential book "Sabbath in Crisis," and some of the newly
established "grace-oriented" congregations, which consist mainly
of former Sabbatarians. Their literature contains some of the
strongest attacks against the Sabbath ever published. This is a
surprising development of our times, because, to my knowledge,
never before in the history of Christianity has the Sabbath been
attacked by those who previously had championed its observance.
The weapons used by former Sabbatarians in their attacks
against the Sabbath are taken largely from the aging munition
dump of Dispensational literature.
For the sake of accuracy I must say that, contrary to most
Dispensational authors, both the Worldwide Church of God (WCG)
and Dale Ratzlaff are more concerned with proving the
"fulfilment" and termination of the Sabbath in Christ than in
defending Sunday observance as an apostolic institution. For
them, the New Covenant does not require the observance of a day
as such, but the daily experience of the rest of salvation
typified by the Sabbath rest. In "Sabbath in Crisis," Ratzlaff
does include a chapter, "The First Day of the Week," where he
makes a feeble attempt to justify the biblical origin of
Sundaykeeping, but this is not the major concern of his book.
For the benefit of those less versed in theological nuances,
it might help to clarify the difference between Dispensational
and New Covenant theologies. Both emphasize the distinction
between the Old Mosaic Covenant, allegedly based on Law, and the
"New Christian Covenant" presumably based on grace.
Dispensationalists, however, go a step further by applying
their distinction between the Old and New Covenants as
representing the existence of a fundamental and permanent
distinction between Israel and the Church. "Throughout the ages,"
writes Lewis Sperry Chafer, a leading Dispensational theologian,
"God is pursuing two distinct purposes: one related to the earth
with earthly people and earthly objectives involved, which is
Judaism; while the other is related to heaven with heavenly
people and heavenly objectives, which is Christianity." 1
Simply stated, Dispensationalists interpret the Old and New
Covenants as representing two different plans of salvation for
two different people - Israel and the Church. The destiny of each
is supposed to be different, not only in this present age but
also throughout eternity. What God has united by breaking down
the wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles (Eph 2:14)
Dispensationalists are trying to divide by rebuilding the wall of
partition not only for the present age but for all eternity. It
is hard to believe that intelligent, responsible Christians would
dare to fabricate such a divisive theology that grossly
misrepresents the fairness and justice of God's redemptive
activities.
Importance of This Study.
The importance of this study stems from the popular
perception that the Sabbath is an Old Covenant institution no
longer binding upon "New Covenant" Christians. This thesis is es-
poused by most Evangelical authors and is widely accepted by
Christians at large. In recent years, as we noted, the abrogation
view of the Sabbath has been adopted by an increasing number of
former Sabbatarians.
This chapter examines primarily the literature produced by
former Sabbatarians, especially Ratzlaff's "Sabbath in Crisis."
We focus on Ratzlaff's book for two reasons: (1) "The Sabbath in
Cris" largely reflects the Dispensational and "New Covenant"
views of the Sabbath. Consequently, the analysis of this book
provides an opportunity to examine the abrogation view of the
Sabbath held by most Christians today. (2) This book has
exercised considerable influence not only on WCG, 2 but also
among a considerable number of former Adventist ministers and
members who have rejected the Sabbath as an Old Covenant, Mosaic
institution that no longer is binding upon Christians today.
A fitting example of the influence of Sabbath in Crisis
among Seventh-day Adventists is the book "New Covenant
Christians" by Clay Peck, a former Adventist pastor who currently
serves as senior pastor of the Grace Place Congregation in
Berthoud, Colorado. In the "Introduction" to his book Peck
acknowledges his indebtedness to Ratzlaff saying: "While I have
read and researched widely for this study, I have been most
challenged and instructed by a book entitled 'Sabbath in Crisis,'
by Dale Ratzlaff. I have leaned heavily on his research,
borrowing a number of concepts and diagrams." 3
The far reaching influence of the "New Covenant" theology,
championed among Sabbatarians by people like Dale Ratzlaff, is
hard to estimate. The WCG has experienced a massive exodus of
over 70,000 members who have refused to accept the changes
demanded by the "New Covenant" theology. In the Adventist church,
the "New Covenant" teaching has influenced several former pastors
to establish independent "graceoriented" congregations.
This study on the relationship between the Sabbath and the
New Covenant extends beyond the sabbatarian communities. Most
Sundaykeeping Christians think of Sabbathkeeping as a relic of
the Old Covenant and of Sabbatarians as "Judaizers" still living
under the Old Covenant. It is urgent, then, for us to examine
this popular perception which, as our study will show, is based
on a one-sided, misleading interpretation of the biblical
teaching on the relationship between the Old and New Covenants.
Objectives of This Chapter.
In Chapter 2 I briefly traced the origin and development of
the anti-Sabbath theology. This chapter continues the study of
the anti-Sabbath theology by focusing on the major arguments
adduced by the "New Covenant" theology to negate the continuity,
validity, and value of the Sabbath for today.
This chapter is divided into two parts. The first deals with
the alleged distinction between the Old Covenant based on Law and
the New Covenant based on faith and love. The fundamental
question addressed in the first part is: Do the Old and New
Covenants contain a different set of laws, or are they based on
the same set of moral principles? The second part examines the
continuity and discontinuity between the Old and New Covenants as
taught in the book of Hebrews. The fundamental question to be
considered here is: Does the book of Hebrews support the popular
contention that the coming of Christ brought an end to the Law,
in general, and to the Sabbath, in particular?
PART 1
A LOOK AT THE OLD AND NEW COVENANTS
A major characteristic of the "New Covenant" theology
recently adopted by a significant number of former Sabbatarians
is the Dispensational emphasis on the radical distinction between
the Old and New Covenants. To illustrate this point, we briefly
examine two representative studies: (1) The Pastor General
Report, entitled "The New Covenant and the Sabbath," prepared by
Pastor Joseph Tkach, Jr., Pastor General of the WCG; and (2)
Chapters 5,12, and 15 of the book "Sabbath in Crisis," where
Ratzlaff articulates his understanding of the distinction between
the Old and the New Covenants.
(1) Joseph Tkach's View of the Distinction Between the Two
Covenants
In his Pastor General Report of December 21, 1994, Pastor
Joseph Tkach, Jr., devotes 20 pages to explain to his ministers
the fundamental difference between the Old and New Covenants. He
argues that the difference lies in the fact that the Old Covenant
was conditional upon obedience to a "package of Laws," while the
New Covenant is unconditional, that is, without obedience as a
requirement 4
For Tkach, the Sabbath is part of the Old Covenant "package
of Laws" and this is why "we don't find the Sabbath commanded in
the New Covenant." 5 "Something was seriously wrong with the
Israelite covenant. The people did not have the heart to obey,
and God knew it (Deut 31:1621, 27-29). Unlike Abraham, they did
not believe and were not faithful (Heb 3:19).... Therefore, God
predicted a New Covenant. He hinted at it even in the old ....
There would be no need for a New Covenant, of course, unless the
Old was deficient." 6
If it were true that "something was seriously wrong" with
the Old Covenant, then why did God in the first place give a
faulty covenant that could not change the hearts of the people?
Was something "seriously wrong" with the covenant itself? Or was
it with the way the people related to the covenant? If the human
response was a factor with the Old Covenant, could it also be a
factor with the New Covenant?
Superiority of the New Covenant.
"The New Covenant is superior to the Old, because it is founded
on better promises (Heb 8:6)." 7 Tkach argues that the New
Covenant is the renewal of the Abrahamic covenant which was based
on God's unconditional promises. "God didn't say, I'll do this if
you do that. Abraham had already done enough. He had accepted
God's call, went to the land as God had commanded, and he
believed God and was therefore counted as righteous." 8 Like
Abraham, "New Covenant" Christians accept salvation by faith and
not by works of obedience.
Tkach writes: "In the New Covenant, faith is required ...
Christians have a relationship with God based on faith, not on
Law ... We are saved on the basis of faith, not on Law-keeping
... In other words, our relationship with God is based on faith
and promise, just as Abraham's was. Laws that were added at Sinai
cannot change the promise given to Abraham ... That package of
Laws became obsolete when Christ died, and there is now a new
package." 9 The problem with this statement is the gratuitous
assumption that salvation was possible in the Old Covenant
through Law-keeping. This is completely untrue, because, as we
shall see in Chapter 6, obedience to the Law represented Israel's
response to the gracious provision of salvation. Law-keeping has
never been the basis of salvation.
(It is so true as Dr.Sam says, see my study "Saved by Grace" -
Keith Hunt)
According to Tkach, the Old Covenant did not work because it
was based "on a package of Laws" that "could not cleanse a guilty
conscience." 10 On the other hand, the New Covenant works
because it is based on the blood of Christ and the work of the
Holy Spirit in the heart. "The Holy Spirit changes their
[believers] hearts. The people are transformed, and they grow
more and more like Christ.... The New Covenant affects our
innermost being. The blood of Jesus Christ changes us.... His
sacrifice sanctifies us, makes us holy, sets us aside for a holy
purpose." 11
Does this mean that the blood of Christ has some kind of
magic power to automatically change people, whether or not they
are willing to obey God's commandments? To attribute such magic
power to the Spirit and/or to Christ's blood reminds one of the
magic power the Jews attributed to the Law. Isn't this another
form of legalism? Does the atoning sacrifice of Christ and the
ministry of the Holy Spirit render obedience to God's
commandments unnecessary or possible?
The WCG acknowledges that "no New Testament verse
specifically cites the Sabbath as obsolete." 12 But since WCG
believes that the Sabbath is part the Old Covenant terminated by
Christ's coming, the Sabbath also is no longer required. "There
are verses that say that the entire Old Covenant is obsolete. The
law of Moses, including the Sabbath, is not required. We are
commanded to live by the Spirit, not by the Law inscribed in
stone. The Sabbath is repeatedly likened to things now obsolete:
temple sacrifices, circumcision, holy bread, a shadow." 13
This statement contains several glaring inaccuracies that
are addressed later in this chapter. We shall see that the New
Testament distinguishes between the continuity of the moral law
and the discontinuity of the ceremonial law (1 Cor 7:19). In the
book of Hebrews, especially, we find a clear contrast between the
Levitical services which came to an end with Christ's coming (Heb
7:18; 8:13;10:9) and Sabbathkeeping "which has been left behind
for the people of God" (Heb 4:9).
Evaluation of WCG "New Covenant" Theology.
A detailed analysis of "New Covenant" theology presented in
the literature of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) would take us
beyond the limited scope of this chapter. Consequently, I make
only a few basic observations.
One fundamental problem in the WCG "New Covenant"
understanding of the Plan of Salvation is the faulty
Dispensational assumption that, during the course of human
history, God has offered salvation on different bases to
different people. God started out by offering salvation to
Abraham unconditionally on the basis of faith; but at Mt.Sinai He
agreed to save the Israelites conditionally on the basis of
obedience to His commandments, or what Tkach calls "the old
package of Laws." When God discovered that such an arrangement
did not work - because the Law "could not make anyone perfect. It
could not change their hearts" He reverted to the "faith
arrangement" He had with Abraham. To make things easier, in the
New Covenant, God did away with most of the old package of laws,
including the Sabbath, and decided this time to work in the heart
through the Holy Spirit.
If this scenario were true, it would surely open to question
the consistency and fairness of God's saving activities. It would
imply that, during the course of redemptive history, God has
offered salvation on two radically different bases: on the basis
of human obedience in the Old Covenant and on the basis of divine
grace in the New Covenant. It would further imply, presumably,
that God learned through the experience of His chosen people, the
Jews, that human beings cannot earn salvation by obedience
because they tend to disobey. Consequently, He finally decided to
change His method and implement a New Covenant plan where
salvation is offered to believing persons exclusively as a divine
gift of grace rather than a human achievement.
Such a theological construct makes God changeable and
subject to learning by mistakes as human beings do. The truth of
the matter, however, is that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday
and today and for ever" (Heb 13:8). Salvation has always been in
the Old and New Covenants, first and foremost a divine gift of
grace and not a human achievement. Obedience to the Law provided
Israel with an opportunity to preserve their covenant
relationship with God, not to gain acceptance with Him. This is
the meaning of Leviticus 18:5: "You shall therefore keep my
statutes and my ordinances, by doing which a man shall live." The
life promised in this text is not the life in the age to come (as
in Dan 12:2), but the present enjoyment of a peaceful and
prosperous life in fellowship with God. Such a life was God's
gift to His people, a gift that could be enjoyed and preserved by
living in accordance with the principles God had revealed.
Sinai Covenant: Law and Grace.
Part of the problem of the "New Covenant" theology is the
failure to realize that the Sinai Covenant reveals God's gracious
provision of salvation just as much as the New Covenant does. God
revealed to Moses His plan to deliver Israel from Egypt and to
set her up in the land of Canaan (Ex 3:7-10,16) because Israel is
"His people" (Ex 3:10). God's deliverance of the Israelites from
the bondage of Egypt reveals His gracious provision of salvation
just as much as does His deliverance of New Testament believers
from the bondage of sin. In fact, in Scripture, the former is a
type of the latter.
What Tkach ignores is the fact that the Israelites responded
with faith to the manifestation of salvation: "Thus the Lord
saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians ... and the
people feared the Lord; and they believed in the Lord and in his
servant Moses" (Ex 14:30-31). When the Israelites believed, God
revealed to them His covenant plan: "Now therefore, if you will
obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own
possession among all peoples; for all the earth is mine, and you
shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex 19:5).
These words show the gratuity of the divine election of
Israel. God chose Israel without merit on her part (Deut 9:4ff),
simply because He loved her (Deut 7:6ff). Having separated her
from pagan nations, He reserved her for Himself exclusively. "I
bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself" (Ex 19:4).
Through the Sinai covenant, God wished to bring people to Himself
by making them a worshipping community dedicated to His service,
living by the principles of His Law. This divine plan revealed at
Sinai was ultimately realized at the Cross when types met
antitypes.
The prophets appeal to the Sinai Covenant with emotional
overtones drawn from human experiences to explain the
relationship between God and His people. Israel is the flock, and
the Lord is the shepherd. Israel is the vine, and the Lord the
vinedresser. Israel is the son, and the Lord is the Father.
Israel is the spouse, and the Lord is the bridegroom. These
images, as Pierre Grelot and Jean Giblet bring out, "make the
Sinaitic covenant appear as an encounter of love (cf. Ez
16:6-14): the attentive and gratuitous love of God, calling in
return for a love which will translate itself in obedience." 14
All of this hardly supports Tkach's contention that
"something was seriously wrong with the Israelite covenant."
Faith Is Not Alone
The obedience called for by the Sinaitic covenant was meant
to be a loving response to God's provision of salvation, not a
means of salvation. Unfortunately, during the intertestamental
period, the Law did come to be viewed by the Jews as the
guarantee of salvation, just as faith alone is considered by many
Christians today as the only basis for their salvation. But a
saving faith is never alone because it is always accompanied by
loving obedience (Gal 5:6). Can a person truly obey God's laws
without faith? Is there such a thing as a saving faith that is
not manifested in obedience to God's commandments? Is the problem
of legalism resolved by changing packages of laws? Such
distortions can only serve to make both the Old and New Covenants
ineffective for many people.
At Sinai, God invited His people to obey His commandments
because He had already saved them, not in order that they might
be saved by His laws. As George Eldon Ladd affirms in his classic
work, "A Theology of the New Testament," - "The Law was added
(pareiselthen) not to save men from their sins but to show them
what sin was (Rom 3:30; 5:13,20; Gal 3:19). By declaring the will
of God, by showing what God forbids, the Law shows what sin is."
15 Ladd continues noting that "the line of thought in Galatians
3 and Romans 4 is that all the Israelites who trusted God's
covenant of promise to Abraham and did not use the Law as a way
of salvation by works were assured of salvation." 16
Another point overlooked in the Pastor General Report is
that at Sinai, God revealed to the Israelites not only principles
of moral conduct but also provision of salvation through the
typology of the sacrificial system. It is noteworthy that when
God invited Moses to come up on the mountain, He gave him not
only "the tables of stone, with the Law and the commandment" (Ex
24:12), but also the "pattern of the tabernacle" (Ex 25:9) which
was designed to explain typologically His provision of grace and
forgiveness.
The major difference between the Old and New Covenants is
not one of methods of salvation, but of shadow versus reality.
The Old Covenant was "symbolic" (Heb 9:9) of the "more excellent"
redemptive ministry of Christ (Heb 8:6). Consequently, it was
necessary for Christ to come "once for all at the end of the age
to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Heb 9:26).
Greg Bahnsen rightly notes that "If we allow the Bible to
interpret itself and not infuse it with a preconceived
theological antithesis between the Old and New Covenants (Law and
Gospel), we are compelled to conclude that the Old Covenant -
indeed the Mosaic Law - was a covenant of grace that offered
salvation on the basis of grace through faith, just as does the
Good News found in the New Testament. The difference was that the
Mosaic or Law-covenant looked ahead to the coming of the Savior,
thus administering God's covenants by means of promises,
prophecies, ritual observances, types, and foreshadowings that
anticipated the Savior and His redeeming work. The Gospel or the
New covenant proclaims the accomplishments of that which the Law
anticipated, administering God's covenant through preaching and
the sacraments [baptism and the Lord's Supper]. The substance of
God's saving relationship and covenant is the same under the Law
and the Gospel." 17
The Old Testament does not offer a way of salvation or teach
justification differently than the New Testament. Justification
is grounded in the Old Testament in "the Lord our Righteousness"
(Jer 23:6). The saints of the Old Testament were people of faith,
as Hebrews 11 clearly shows. Abraham himself, the father of the
Jews, was a man of faith who trusted God's promises (Gen 15:6;
Rom 4:3; Gal 3:6). The prophet Isaiah proclaimed, "In the Lord
shall all the seed of Israel be justified" (Is 45:25; KJV). Paul
came to understand that in the Old Testament "the righteousness
of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written [in
Hab 2:4], 'He who through faith is righteous shall live'"(Rom
1:17. cf. Gal 3:11).
The result of Christ's coming is described as "setting
aside" (Heb 7:18), making "obsolete" (Heb 8:13), and "abolishing"
(Heb 10:9) all the Levitical services associated with the Old
Covenant. It is unfortunate that these statements are interpreted
as meaning that Christ by His coming abrogated the Mosaic Law, in
general, including the Sabbath. This interpretation, which is at
the heart of much misguided thinking about the Law today, ignores
the fact that the termination statements found in Hebrews refer
to the Levitical priesthood and services of the Old Covenant, not
to the principles of God's moral Law which includes the Sabbath
Commandment. Of the Sabbath the Book of Hebrews explicitly
states, as we shall see below, "a Sabbathkeeping is left behind
for the people of God" (Heb 4:9).
In many ways Ratzlaff' s view of the distinction between the
Old and New Covenants is strikingly similar to that of Joseph
Tkach, Jr. Consequently, there is no need to repeat what has
already been said. Ratzlaff's aim is to show that the New
Covenant is better than the Old because it is based no longer on
the Law but on love for Christ. Like Tkach, Ratzlaff reduces the
Old Covenant to the Ten Commandments and the New Covenant to the
principle of love in order to sustain his thesis that Christ
replaced both the Ten Commandments and the Sabbath with simpler
and better laws. For the purpose of this analysis, I focus on the
major contrast that Ratzlaff makes between the Old and New
Covenant in terms of Law versus Love.
(2) Dale Ratzlaff' s View of the Distinction Between the Two
Covenants
......................
To be continued
NOTE:
Such ideas as taught by the present WCG and people like Dale
Ratzlaff is so unsound, so crazy a theology, it would be
laughable if they did not take it so seriously, and want millions
to believe it. Salvation has from the beginning always been the
very same - saved by grace - faith and law as Paul in Romans and
James in the book by his name, make abundantly clear. The great
apostle John both in his Gospel and his 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
epistles makes it as clear as the sun in a cloudless sky, that
the commandments of the Lord stand fast forever, just as David
also wrote in the Psalms (just read the first Psalm for starters,
then try Psalm 119). It is the mind of heretics and the doctrine
of demons (see what Paul said in 1 Tim.4:1-2) that teaches the
Ten Commandments of God and the whole law of Moses is "done away
with" under the New Covenant. Nothing could be further from the
truth. Christ came to uphold and MAGNIFY the law (Isa.42:21)
which can be seen plainly, if you have a child's mind, from the
famous "Sermon on the mount" (Mat.5 through 7).
The far out, from planet Pluto (which they say is not a
planet) theology of some is so mixed up and plain stupid
reasoning, it blows the mind to think that some minds will do
anything to have no 4th commandment in this age of the New
Covenant. And that is the bottom line as to why they do it, why
they teach such dribble and corruptible theology, so they do not
have to obey the 4th commandment of the holy, just, and good law
of God (see Romans 7). They simply do not want to have ANY rest
day of the week, they want to do their own thing, at their own
time, on any and all days of the week.
Shame on them, they will be rewarded accordingly with
corruption and destruction if they do not REPENT!!
Keith Hunt
11. The Sabbath under Crossfire
The Old and New Covenants #2
Continued from previous page:
The Sabbath and the New Covenant
Law Versus Love.
Ratzlaff s fundamental thesis is that there is a radical
distinction between the Old and New Covenants because the former
is based on laws while the latter is based on love. Though he
acknowledges that an important aspect of the Old Covenant was
"the redemptive deliverance of Israel from Egypt," 18 he
concludes his study of the Old Covenant with these words: "We
found that the Ten Commandments were the covenant. They were
called the 'tablets of the testimony' (Ex 31:18), the 'words of
the covenant,' the 'Ten Commandments' (Ex 34:28), the 'testimony'
(Ex 40:20), the 'covenant of the Lord' (1 Ki 8:8, 9,21)." 19
"We also found that the other Laws in the books of Exodus through
Deuteronomy were called the 'book of the covenant' (Ex 24:7) or
'the book of the Law' (Deut 31:26). We saw that these Laws served
as an interpretation or expansion of the Ten Commandments." 20
Again Ratzlaff says that "The Ten Commandments were the words of
the covenant. There was also an expanded version of the covenant:
the Laws of Exodus through Deuteronomy." 21
By contrast, for Ratzlaff the essence of the New Covenant is
the commandment to love as Jesus loved. He writes: "Part of this
'new commandment' was not new. The Old Covenant had instructed
them to love one another. The part that was new was 'as I have
loved you' . . . In the Old Covenant what made others know that
the Israelites were the chosen people? Not the way they loved,
but what they ate and what they did not eat; where they
worshipped, when they worshipped, the clothes they wore, etc.
However, in the New Covenant, Christ's true disciples will be
known by the way they love!" 22
Ratzlaff develops further the contrast between the two
covenants by arguing that as the Old Covenant expands the Ten
Commandments in "the book of the Law, so the New Covenant
contains more than just the simple command to love one another as
Christ loved us. We have the Gospel records which demonstrate how
Jesus loved.... Then, in the epistles we have interpretations of
the love and work of Christ.... So the core, or heart, of the New
Covenant is to love one another as Christ loved us. This is
expanded and interpreted in the rest of the New Testament, and
also becomes part of the New Covenant." 21
According to Ratzlaff, the distinction between "Law" and
"Love" is reflected in the covenant signs. "The entrance sign to
the old Covenant was circumcision, and the continuing, repeatable
sign Israel was to 'remember' was the Sabbath.... The entrance
sign of the New Covenant is baptism [and] the remembrance sign
[is] the Lord's Supper." 22 The distinction between the two sets
of signs is clarified by the following simple chart:
"The Old Covenant:
Entrance sign Circumcision
Remembrance sign Sabbath
The New Covenant:
Entrance sign Baptism
Remembrance sign The Lord's Supper. 25
The above contrast attempts to reduce the Old and New
Covenants to two different sets of laws with their own
distinctive signs, the latter being simpler and better than the
former. The contrast assumes that the Old Covenant was based on
the obligation to obey countless specific laws, while the New
Covenant rests on the simpler love commandment of Christ. Simply
stated, the Old Covenant moral principles of the Ten Commandments
are replaced in the New Covenant by a better and simpler love
principle given by Christ.
Ratzlaff affirms this view unequivocally: "In Old Covenant
life, morality was often seen as an obligation to numerous
specific Laws. In the New Covenant, morality springs from a
response to the living Christ." 26 " The new Law [given by
Christ] is better that the old Law [given by Moses]." 27 "In the
New Covenant, Christ's true disciples will be known by the way
they love! This commandment to love is repeated a number of times
in the New Testament, just as the Ten Commandments were repeated
a number of times in the Old." 28
Evaluation of Ratzlaff s Covenants Construct.
The attempt by Ratzlaff to reduce the Old and New Covenants
to two different sets of laws with their own distinctive signs,
the latter being simpler and better than the former, is designed
to support his contention that the Ten Commandments, in general,
and the Sabbath, in particular, were the essence of the Old
Covenant that terminated at the Cross. The problem with this
imaginative interpretation is that it is devoid of biblical
support besides incriminating the moral consistency of God's
government.
Nowhere does the Bible suggest that with the New Covenant
God instituted "better commandments" than those of the Old
Covenant. Why would Christ need to alter the moral demands that
He has revealed in His Law? Why would Christ feel the need to
change His perfect and holy requirements for our conduct and
attitudes? Paul declares that "the [Old Testament] Law is holy,
and the commandment is holy and just and good" (Rom 7:12). He
took the validity of God's moral Law for granted when he stated
unequivocally: "We know that the Law is good, if one uses it
Lawfully" (1 Tim 1:8). Christ came not to change the moral
requirements of God's Law, but to atone for our transgression
against those moral requirements (Rom 4:25; 5:8-9; 8:1-3).
It is evident that by being sacrificed as the Lamb who takes
away the sins of the world (John 1:29; 1 Cor 5:7), Christ
fulfilled all the sacrificial services and Laws that served in
Old Testament times to strengthen the faith and nourish the hope
of the Messianic redemption to come. But the New Testament, as we
shall see, makes a clear distinction between the sacrificial laws
that Christ by His coming "set aside" (Heb 7:18), made "obsolete"
(Heb 8:13), "abolished" (Heb 10:9), and Sabbathkeeping, for
example, which "has been left behind for the people of God" (Heb
4:9).
Why should God first call the Israelites to respond to His
redemptive deliverance from Egypt by living according to the
moral principles of the Ten Commandments, and later summon
Christians to accept His redemption from sin by obeying simpler
and better commandments? Did God discover that the moral
principles He promulgated at Sinai were not sufficiently moral
and, consequently, needed to be improved and replaced with
simpler and better commandments?
Such an assumption is preposterous because it negates the
immutability of God's moral character reflected in His moral
laws. The Old Testament teaches that the New Covenant that God
will make with the house of Israel consists not in the
replacement of the Ten Commandments with simpler and better laws,
but in the internalization of God's Law. "This is the covenant
which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says
the, Lord: I will put my Law within them, and I will write it
upon their hearts; and I will be their God" (Jer 31:33).
This passage teaches us that the difference between the Old
and New Covenants is not a difference between "Law" and "love."
Rather, it is a difference between failure to internalize God's
Law, which results in disobedience, and successful
internalization of God's Law, which results in obedience. The New
Covenant believer who internalizes God's Law by the enabling
power of the Holy Spirit will find it hard to break the Law
because, as Paul puts it, "Christ has set him free from the Law
of sin and death" (Rom 8:2).
Internalization of God's Law.
The internalization of God's Law in the human heart applies
to Israel and the Church. In fact, Hebrews applies to the Church
the very same promise God made to Israel (Heb 8:10; 10:16). In
the New Covenant, the Law is not simplified or replaced but
internalized by the Spirit. The Spirit opens up people to the
Law, enabling them to live in accordance with its higher ethics.
Ratzlaff's argument that under the New Covenant "the Law no
longer applies to one who has died with Christ" 29 is mistaken
and misleading. Believers are no longer under the condemnation of
the Law when they experience God's forgiving grace and, by the
enabling power of the Holy Spirit, they live according to its
precepts. But this does not means that the Law no longer applies
to them. They are still accountable before God's Law because all
"shall stand before the judgment seat of God" (Rom 14:10) to give
an account of themselves.
The Spirit does not operate in a vacuum.
His function of the Spirit is not to bypass or replace the
Law, but to help the believer to live in obedience to the Law of
God (Gal 5:18, 22-23). Eldon Ladd notes that "more than once he
[Paul] asserts that it is the new life of the Spirit that enables
the Christian truly to fulfil the Law (Rom 8:3,4; 13:10; Gal
5:14)." 30
Any change in relation to the Law that occurs in the New
Covenant is not in the moral Law itself but in the believer who
is energized and enlightened by the Spirit "in order that the
just requirements of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk
not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (Rom
8:4). Guidance by the Spirit without respect for the Law of God
can be dangerous to Christian growth. This is a fundamental
problem of "New Covenant" theology espoused by the WCG, Ratzlaff,
and countless Evangelicals today: it is a theology that
ultimately makes each person a Law unto himself. This easily
degenerates into irresponsible behavior. It is not surprising
that America leads the world not only in the number of
evangelical Christians (estimated at almost 100 million) but also
in crime, violence, murders, divorces, etc. By relaxing the
obligation to observe God's Law in the New Covenant, people find
an excuse do what is right in their own eyes.
Perhaps as a reaction to the popular "abrogation of the Law"
perception, there is a hunger today for someone to help the
Christian community to understand how to apply the principles of
God's Law to their lives. To a large extent, this is what the
Basic Youth Conflict seminars have endeavored to accomplish since
1968, drawing thousands of people to its sessions in every major
city in North America. Referring to this phenomenon, Walter
Kaiser writes: "This is an indictment on the church and its
reticence to preach the moral Law of God and apply it to all
aspects of life as indicated in Scripture." 31
No Dichotomy Between Law and Love.
No dichotomy exists in the Bible between Law and Love in the
covenantal relationship between God and His people because a
covenant cannot exist without the Law. A covenant denotes an
orderly relationship that the Lord graciously establishes and
maintains with His people. The Law guarantees the order required
for such a relationship to be meaningful.
In God's relationship with believers, the moral Law reveals
His will and character, the observance of which makes it possible
to maintain an orderly and meaningful relationship. Law is not
the product of sin, but the product of love. God gave the Ten
Commandments to the Israelites after showing them His redeeming
love (Ex 20:2). Through God's Law the godly come to know how to
reflect God's love, compassion, fidelity, and other perfections.
The Decalogue is not merely a list of ten laws, but
primarily ten principles of love. There is no dichotomy between
Law and love, because one cannot exist without the other. The
Decalogue details how human beings must express their love for
their Lord and for their fellow beings. Christ's new commandment
to love God and fellow beings is nothing else than the embodiment
of the spirit of the Ten Commandments already found in the Old
Testament (Lev 19:18; Deut 6:5). Christ spent much of His
ministry clarifying how the love principles are embodied in the
Ten Commandments. He explained, for example, that the sixth
commandment can be transgressed not only by murdering a person
but also by being angry and insulting a fellow being (Matt
5:22-23). The seventh commandment can be violated not only by
committing adultery but also by looking lustfully at a woman
(Matt 5:28).
Christ spent even more time clarifying how the principle of
love is embodied in the Fourth Commandment. The Gospels report no
less than seven Sabbath-healing episodes used by Jesus to clarify
that the essence of Sabbathkeeping is people to love and not
rules to obey. Jesus explained that the Sabbath is a day "to do
good" (Matt 12:12), a day "to save life" (Mark 3:4), a day to
liberate men and women from physical and spiritual bonds (Luke
13:12), a day to show mercy rather than religiosity (Matt 12:7).
In Chapter 4, "The Savior and the Sabbath," we take a closer
look at how Jesus clarified the meaning and function of the
Sabbath.
Ratzlaff's attempt to divorce the Law of the Old Covenant
from the Love of the New Covenant ignores the simple truth that
in both covenants love is manifested in obedience to God's Law.
Christ stated this truth clearly and repeatedly: "If you love me,
you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15). "He who has my
commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me" (John 14:21).
"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love" (John
15:10). Christ's commandments are not an improved and simplified
set of moral principles, but the same moral principles He
promulgated from Mt.Sinai.
Under both covenants, the Lord has one moral standard for
human behavior, namely, holiness and wholeness of life. Wholeness
of life is that integration of love for God and human beings
manifested in those who grow in reflecting the perfect character
of God (His love, faithfulness, righteousness, justice,
forgiveness). Under both covenants, God wants His people to love
Him and their fellow beings by living in harmony with the moral
principles expressed in the Ten Commandments. These serve as a
guide in imitating God's character. The Spirit does not replace
these moral principles in the New Covenant. He makes the letter
become alive and powerful within the hearts of the godly.
Jesus and the New Covenant Law. The contention that Christ
replaced the Ten Commandments with the simpler and better
commandment of love is clearly negated by the decisive witness of
our Lord Himself as found in Matthew 5:17-19: "Do not think that
I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come
to abolish them but to fulfil them. I tell you the truth, until
heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the
least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law
until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the
least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same
will be called least in the kingdom of heaven" (NIV).
In this pronouncement, Christ teaches three important
truths: (1) Twice He denies that His coming had the purpose of
abrogating "the law and the prophets"; (2) all of the Law of God,
including its minute details, has an abiding validity until the
termination of the present age; and (3) anyone who teaches that
even the least of God's commandments can be broken stands under
divine condemnation. This indictment should cause "New Covenant"
Christians to do some soul-searching.
There is no exegetical stalemate here. Christ gave no hint
that with His coming the Old Testament moral Law was replaced by
a simpler and better Law. It is biblically irrational to assume
that the mission of Christ was to make it morally acceptable to
worship idols, blaspheme, break the Sabbath, dishonor parents,
murder, steal, commit adultery, gossip, or envy. Such actions are
a transgression of the moral principles that God has revealed for
both Jews and Gentiles.
It is unfortunate that Ratzlaff, the WCG, and Dispen-
sationalists try to build their case for a replacement of the Old
Testament Law with a simpler and better New Testament Law by
selecting a few problem oriented texts (2 Cor 3:6-11; Heb 8-9;
Gal 3-4), rather than by starting with Christ's own testimony.
The Savior's testimony should serve as the touchstone to explain
apparent contradictory texts which speak negatively of the Law.
In Chapter 5, "Paul and the Law," I examine Paul's apparently
contradictory statements about the Law. This study suggests that
the resolution to this apparent contradiction is to be found in
the different contexts in which Paul speaks of the Law. When he
speaks of the Law in the context of salvation (justification
--right standing before God), especially in his polemic with
Judaizers, he clearly affirms that Law-keeping is of no avail
(Rom 3:20). On the other hand, when Paul speaks of the Law in the
context of Christian conduct (sanctification --right living
before God), especially in dealing with antinomians, he upholds
the value and validity of God's Law (Rom 7:12; 13:8-10; 1 Cor
7:19).
Ratzlaff s Interpretation of Matthew 5:17-19.
Ratzlaff examines at some length Matthew 5:17-19 in chapter
14 of his book entitled "Jesus: The Law's Fulfilment." He bases
his interpretation of the passage on two key terms: "Law" and
"fulfil." A survey of the use of the term "Law" in Matthew leads
him to "conclude that the 'Law' Jesus makes reference to is the
entire Old Covenant Law, which included the Ten Commandments." 32
This conclusion per se is accurate, because Jesus upheld the
moral principles of the Old Testament, in general. For example,
the "golden rule" in Matthew 7:12 is presented as being, in
essence, "the Law and the prophets." In Matthew 22:40, the two
great commandments are viewed as the basis upon which "depend all
the Law and the prophets."
The problem with Ratzlaff's rationale is that he uses the
broad meaning of Law to argue that Christ abrogated the Mosaic
Law, in general, and the Ten Commandments, in particular. He does
this by giving a narrow interpretation to the verb "to fulfil."
He argues that "in the book of Matthew every time the word
'fulfil' is used, it is employed in connection with the life of
Christ, or the events connected with it. In every instance it was
one event which 'fulfilled' the prophecy. In every instance
Christians are not to participate in any ongoing fulfilment." 33
On the basis of these considerations, Ratzlaff concludes
that the word "fulfil" in Matthew 5:17-19 refers not to the
continuing nature of the Law and the prophets but to the
fulfilment of "prophecies regarding the life and death of
Messiah." 34
To support this conclusion, Ratzlaff appeals to the phrase
"You have heard ... but I say unto you," which Jesus uses six
times in Matthew 5:21-43. For him, the phrase indicates that the
Lord was asserting His authority to "completely do away with the
binding nature of the Old Covenant. This He will do, but not
before He completely fulfils the prophecies, types and shadows
which pointed forward to His work as the Messiah and Savior of
the world which are recorded in the Law. Therefore, the Law must
continue until he has accomplished everything. This happened,
according to John, at the death of Jesus." 35 The conclusion is
clear. For Ratzlaff, the Cross marks the termination of the Law.
The Continuity of the Law.
Ratzlaff's conclusion has several serious problems which
largely derive from his failure to closely examine a text in its
immediate context. The immediate context of Matthew 5:17-19
clearly indicates that the fulfilment of the Law and the prophets
ultimately takes place, not at Christ's death as Ratzlaff claims,
but at the close of the present age: "I tell you the truth, until
heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the
least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law
until everything is accomplished" (Matt 5:18). Since, at Christ's
death, heaven and earth did not disappear, it is evident that,
according to Jesus, the function of the Law will continue until
the end of the present age.
Ratzlaff's claim that the six antitheses, "You have heard
... but I say unto you," indicate that Jesus intended to do away
completely "with the binding nature of the Old Covenant" is
untenable because in each instance Christ did not release His
followers from the obligation to observe the six commandments
mentioned. Instead, He called for a more radical observance of
each of them. As John Gerstner points out, "Christ's affirmation
of the moral Law was complete. Rather than setting the disciples
free from the Law, He tied them more tightly to it. He abrogated
not one commandment but instead intensified all." 36
Christ did not modify or replace the Law. Instead, He
revealed its divine intent which affects not only the outward
conduct but also the inner motives. The Law condemned murder;
Jesus condemned anger as sin (Matt 5:21-26). The Law condemned
adultery; Jesus condemned lustful appetites (Matt 5:27-28). This
is not a replacement of the Law, but a clarification and
intensification of its divine intent. Anger and lust cannot be
controlled by Law, because legislation has to do with outward
conduct that can be controlled. Jesus is concerned with showing
that obedience to the spirit of God's commandments involves inner
motives as well as outer actions.
The Continuation of the Law.
Ratzlaff is correct in saying that "to fulfil" in Matthew
generally refers to the prophetic realization of the Law and
prophets in the life and ministry of Christ. This implies that
certain aspects of the Law and the prophets, such as the
Levitical services and messianic prophecies, came to an end in
the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. But this
interpretation cannot be applied to the moral aspects of God's
Law mentioned by Jesus, because verse 18 explicitly affirms that
the Law would be valid "till heaven and earth pass away." In the
light of the antitheses of verses 21-48, "to fulfil" means
especially "to explain" the fuller meaning of the Law and the
prophets. Repeatedly, in Matthew, Jesus acts as the supreme
interpreter of the Law who attacks external obedience and some of
the rabbinical (Halakic) traditions (Matt 15:3-6; 9:13; 12:7;
23:1-39).
In Matthew, Christ's teachings are presented not as a
replacement of God's moral Law but as the continuation and
confirmation of the Old Testament. Matthew sees in Christ not the
termination of the Law and the prophets but their realization and
continuation. The "golden rule" in Matthew 7:12 is presented as
being the essence of "the Law and the prophets." In Matthew
19:16-19, the rich young man wanted to know what he should do to
have eternal life. Jesus told him to "keep the commandments," and
then He listed five of them.
In Matthew 22:40, the two great commandments are viewed as
the basis upon which "depend all the Law and the prophets."
Ratzlaff should note that a summary does not abrogate or discount
what it summarizes. It makes no sense to say that we must follow
the summary command to love our neighbor as ourselves (Lev 19:19;
Matt 22:39) while ignoring or violating the second part of the
Decalogue which tells us what loving our neighbor entails. We
must not forget that when the Lord called upon people to
recognize "the more important matters of the Law" (Matt 23:23),
He immediately added that the lesser matters--should not be
neglected.
We might say that, in Matthew, the Law and the prophets live
on in Christ who realizes, clarifies, and, in some cases,
intensifies their teachings (Matt 5:21-22, 27-28). The
Christological realization and continuation of the Old Testament
Law has significant implications for the New Testament
understanding of the Sabbath in the light of the redemptive
ministry of Jesus. This important subject is investigated in
Chapter 4 of this study, "The Savior and the Sabbath."
PART 2
THE OLD AND NEW COVENANTS IN THE BOOK OF HEBREWS
Considerable importance is attached to the book of Hebrews
in defining the relationship between the Sabbath and the
covenants. Why? First, because Hebrews deals more with the
relationship between the Old and New Covenants than any other
book of the New Testament; and second, because Hebrews 4:9
clearly speaks of a "'Sabbathkeeping that remains for the people
of God." If the reference is to a literal Sabbathkeeping, this
text would provide a compelling evidence of the observance of the
Sabbath in the New Testament church.
The WCG Interpretation of the Sabbath in Hebrews 4:9.
The Worldwide Church of God acknowwledges the importance of this
text, saying: "If this passage [Heb 4:9] requires Christians to
keep the seventh day Sabbath, it would be the only direct
post-resurrection Scriptural command to do so. If it doesn't,
then we have no existing proof-text command specifically written
to the New Testament church mandating the keeping of the Sabbath.
In view of this, it is extremely important that we understand
clearly what the verses in question are telling us." 37
There is no question that "it is extremely important" to
understand the meaning of Hebrews 4:9 in the context of the
author's discussion of the Old and New Covenants.
...................
To be continued
NOTE:
Any Bible Commentary worth its salt will uphold the moral Ten
Commandment law in the New Testament. The Old Bible Commentaries
like that of Albert Barnes never come close to making the "law of
the Lord" - the Ten Commandments - VOID under the New Testament.
It is true that Albert Barnes believed Sunday had replaced the
7th day Sabbath, but ministers like him back one, two, and three
hundred years, taught Sunday was a holy day, to be observed as
the Sabbath of the Lord. They had no thoughts that the Ten
Commandments were abolished under the New Covenant. Such ideas
have come about in popularity through dispensational teaching
over the last 100 years in particular where it is popular to
teach "Law verses Grace." The truth of the matter is that it is
"Law AND grace" as fully expounded in my study "Saved by Grace"
and the Appendixes of note from various sound commentators who
know it is "law and grace" and NOT "law verses grace."
The Lord does NOT have to repeat in detail all the Ten
Commandments in the New Testament to still make them valid. There
is NOT ONE verse in the New Testament to abolish the Ten
Commandments or any ONE of them. There is not one word in the New
Testament to state the fourth commandment has been abolished or
changed from the 7th day to the 1st day of the week. There was no
"ministerial conference" (as like that for "the circumcision
question" in Acts 15) to argue over the Sabbath question, if, or
if not, it was still valid. All arguments to "do away with" God's
law of the Ten Commandments is usually, if not always, because
people do not want to observe the FOURTH commandment. They will
not tell you they argue so no fourth commandment needs to be
observed, so they try to argue that the whole law is abolished
under the New Testament and some vague (set your own standards)
law of love has taken its place.
Such is the foolishness and twisted mind-set of the human heart,
that can be deceitful and desperately wicked, dressing up sin and
coming to you as an angel of light.
Keith Hunt
12. The Sabbath under Crossfire
Answer to New Covenant theology Teachers #3
by Samuele Bacchiocchi PhD
Continued from previous page:
The Sabbath and the New Covenant
This is indeed what we intend to do now by examining the
text in the light of its immediate and larger contexts. The
interpretation given by the WCG to the Sabbath in Hebrews can be
summarized in a simple syllogism.
First premise:
Christ made the Old Covenant obsolete.
Second premise:
The Sabbath was part of the Old Covenant.
Conclusion:
Therefore, the literal observance of the Sabbath is obsolete. 38
The WCG interprets the "Sabbathkeeping--sabbatismos--that
remains for the people of God" (Heb 4:9) as a daily experience of
spiritual salvation rest, not the keeping of the seventh-day
Sabbath. "The spiritual rest of salvation into which God's people
are entering is a sabbatismos-'a Sabbathkeeping.' . . . In
summary, the verses in question do not exhort us to keep the Old
Covenant Sabbath, but they do admonish us to enter the spiritual
'rest' of God by having faith in Christ." 39 The evaluation of
the WCG interpretation of the Sabbath in Hebrews 4:9 is given in
the context of the analysis of Ratzlaff's interpretation, since
the two are similar.
Ratzlaff' s Interpretation of Hebrews 4:9.
Like the WCG, Ratzlaff attaches great importance to the
teachings of the book of Hebrews regarding the covenants and the
Sabbath. His reason is clearly stated: "The contextual teaching
of this book deals with the very point of our study: how
Christians were to relate to the Old Covenant Law. Therefore, we
should accept the following statements as having the highest
teaching authority." 40
Ratzlaff's argument is essentially identical to that of the
WCG. He argues that the Sabbath was part of the Old Covenant Law
which became obsolete and was done away with the coming of
Christ. He states his view clearly in commenting on Hebrews 9:1:
"Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship
(Greek word is service) (Heb 9:1). It is unquestionably clear
that the Sabbath was one of those regulations of divine worship
or service (Lev 23).... Let me clarify by reviewing what is said
here... First, our author calls the Sinaitic Covenant the 'first
covenant' (called old in other places). Then he says that it had
regulations for divine worship. He goes on to list the things
included in this 'first covenant,' including 'the tables of the
covenant'--a clear reference to the Ten Commandments. These are
the facts of Scripture in their contextual setting. Thus the
'tables of the covenant,' which include the Sabbath commandment,
and the `Laws for divine worship,' which include the Sabbath, are
old and ready to disappear." 41
Discontinuity in Hebrews.
Ratzlaff is right in pointing out the discontinuity taught
by Hebrews between the Old and New Covenant as far as the
Levitical services are concerned. These were brought to an end by
Christ's coming. But he is wrong in applying such a discontinuity
to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments, especially the
Sabbath. There is no question that the author of Hebrews
emphasizes the discontinuity brought about by the coming of
Christ when he says that "if perfection had been attainable
through the Levitical priesthood" (Heb 7:11), there would have
been no need for Christ to come. But because the priests, the
sanctuary, and its services were "symbolic" (Heb 9:9; 8:5), they
could not in themselves "perfect the conscience of the
worshipper" (Heb 9:9). Consequently, it was necessary for Christ
to come "once for all at the end of the age to put away sin by
the sacrifice of himself" (Heb 9:26). The effect of Christ's
coming, as Ratzlaff notes, is described as "setting aside" (Heb
7:18), making "obsolete" (Heb 8:13), "abolishing" (Heb 10:9) all
the Levitical services associated with the sanctuary.
The problem is that Ratzlaff interprets these affirmations
as indicating the abrogation of all the Old Testament laws,
including the Sabbath. Such an interpretation ignores that the
statements in question are found in chapters 7 to 10 which deal
with the Levitical, sacrificial regulations. In these chapters,
the author uses the terms "Law" (Heb 10:1) and "covenant" (Heb
8:7, 8,13) specifically with reference to the Levitical
priesthood and services. It is in this context--that is, as they
relate to the Levitical ministry--that they are declared
"abolished" (Heb 10:9). But this declaration can hardly be taken
as a blanket statement for the abrogation of the Law, in general.
Walter Kaiser emphasizes this point: "The writer to the Hebrews
clearly shows that what he saw as being abrogated from the first
covenant were the ceremonies and rituals - the very items that
had a built-in warning from God to Moses from the first day they
were revealed to him. Had not God warned Moses that what he gave
him in Exodus 25-40 and Leviticus 1-27 was according to the
'pattern' he had shown him on the mountain (e.g., Ex 25:40)? This
meant that the real remained somewhere else (presumably in
heaven) while Moses instituted a 'model,' 'shadow,' or
'imitation' of what is real until reality came! The net result
cannot be that for the writer of Hebrews, the whole Old Covenant
or the whole Torah had been superseded." 42
Ratzlaff ignores the fact that the reference to "the tables
of the covenant" in Hebrews 9:4 is found in the context of the
description of the contents of the ark of the covenant, which
included "the tables of the covenant." The latter are mentioned
as part of the furniture of the earthly sanctuary whose
typological function terminated with Christ's death on the Cross.
However, the fact that the services of the earthly sanctuary
terminated at the Cross does not mean, as Ratzlaff claims, that
the Ten Commandments also came to an end simply because they were
located inside the ark.
Continuity of the Ten Commandments in the New Covenant.
Hebrews teaches us that the earthly sanctuary was superseded
by the heavenly sanctuary where Christ "appears in the presence
of God on our behalf" (Heb 9:24). When John saw in vision the
heavenly Temple, he saw within the Temple "the ark of the
covenant" which contains the Ten Commandments (Rev 11:19). Why
was John shown the ark of the covenant within the heavenly
temple? The answer is simple. The ark of the covenant represents
the throne of God that rests on justice (the Ten Commandments)
and mercy (the mercy seat).
If Ratzlaff's argument is correct that the Ten Commandments
terminated at the Cross because they were part of the furnishings
of the sanctuary, then why was John shown the ark of the covenant
which contains the Ten Commandments in the heavenly Temple? Does
not the vision of the ark of the covenant in the heavenly
sanctuary where Christ ministers on our behalf provide a
compelling proof that the principles of the Ten Commandments are
still the foundation of God's government?
It is unfortunate that in his concern to argue for the
discontinuity between the Old and New Covenants, Ratzlaff ignores
the clear continuity between the two. The continuity is expressed
in a variety of ways. There is continuity in the revelation which
the same God "spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets" and
now "in these last days has spoken to us by a Son" (Heb 1:1-2).
There is continuity in the faithfulness and accomplishments of
Moses and Christ (Heb 3:2-6). There is continuity in the
redemptive ministry offered typologically in the earthly
sanctuary by priests and realistically in the heavenly sanctuary
by Christ Himself (Heb 7-10). There is continuity in faith and
hope as New Testament believers share in the faith and promises
of the Old Testament worthies (Heb 11-12). More specifically,
there is continuity in the "Sabbathkeeping--sabbatismos" which
"remains (apoleipetai) for the people of God" (Heb 4:9). The verb
"remains--apoleipetai" literally means "has been left behind."
Literally translated, verse 9 reads: "So then a Sabbath-keeping
has been left behind for the people of God." The permanence of
the Sabbath is also implied in the exhortation to "strive to
enter that rest" (Heb 4:11). The fact that one must make efforts
"to enter that rest" implies that the "rest" experience of the
Sabbath also has a future realization and, consequently, cannot
have terminated with the coming of Christ.
It is noteworthy that while the author declares the
Levitical priesthood and services as "abolished" (Heb 10:9),
"obsolete," and "ready to vanish away" (Heb 8:13), he explicitly
teaches that a "Sabbathkeeping has been left behind for the
people of God" (Heb 4:9).
Ratzlaff's Objections to Literal Sabbathkeeping.
Ratzlaff rejects the interpretation of "sabbatismos" as
literal Sabbathkeeping because it does not fit his "New Covenant"
theology. He goes as far as saying that sabbatismos is a special
term coined by the author of Hebrews to emphasize the uniqueness
of the salvation rest of the New Covenant. "The writer of Hebrews
characterizes this rest as a 'Sabbath rest' by using a word which
is unique to Scripture. I believe he did this to give it special
meaning just as we do when we put quotation marks around a word
as I have done with the term 'God's rest.' As pointed out above,
the author is showing how much better the new covenant is over
the old. I believe the truth he is trying to convey is that the
`'abbath' (sabbatismos, Gr) of the New Covenant is better than
the Sabbath (sabbaton, Gr) of the Old Covenant." 43
The truth of the matter is that the author of Hebrews did
not have to invent a new word or use it with a unique meaning
because the term sabbatismos already existed and was used both by
pagans and Christians as a technical term for Sabbathkeeping.
Examples can be found in the writings of Plutarch, Justin,
Epiphanius, the Apostolic Constitutions, and the Martyrdom of
Peter and Paul. 44 The one who is inventing a new meaning for
sabbatismos is not the author of Hebrews but Dale Ratzlaff
himself, in order to support his unbiblical "New Covenant"
theology.
Professor Andrew Lincoln, one of the contributors to the
scholarly symposium "From Sabbath to the Lord's Day," a major
source used by Ratzlaff, acknowledges that in each of the above
instances "the term denotes the observance or celebration of the
Sabbath. This usage corresponds to the Septuagint usage of the
cognate verb sabbatizo (cf. Ex 16:23; Lev 23:32; 26:34f.; 2 Chron
36:21) which also has reference to Sabbath observance. Thus the
writer to the Hebrews is saying that since the time of Joshua an
observance of Sabbath rest has been outstanding." 45
Lincoln is not a Sabbatarian but a Sundaykeeping scholar who
deals in a responsible way with the linguistic usage of
sabbatismos. Unfortunately, he chooses to interpret spiritually
the ceasing from one's works on the Sabbath (Heb 4:10) as
referring to the spiritual cessation from sin rather than to the
physical cessation from work. 46 This interpretation, as we see
below, is discredited by the comparison the author of Hebrews
makes between the divine and human cessation from "works."
Ratzlaff's Five Reasons Against Literal Sabbathkeeping.
Ratzlaff submits five reasons to support his contention that
sabbatismos "cannot be the seventh-day Sabbath of the fourth
commandment." 47
The first and second reasons are essentially the same.
Ratzlaff argues that since Hebrews states that the Israelites at
the time of Joshua and, later, the time of David "did not enter
the rest of God," though they were observing the Sabbath, then,
the sabbatismos has nothing to do with literal Sabbathkeeping. 48
This conclusion ignores the three levels of meaning that the
author of Hebrews attaches to the Sabbath rest as representing
(1) the physical rest of the seventh day, (2) the national rest
in the land of Canaan, and (3) the spiritual (messianic) rest in
God. The argument of Hebrews is that though the Israelites did
enter into the land of rest under Joshua (Heb 4:8), because of
unbelief they did not experience the spiritual dimension of
Sabbathkeeping as an invitation to enter God's rest (Heb 4:2,6).
This was true even after the occupation of the land because, at
the time of David, God renewed the invitation to enter into His
rest (Heb 4:7). The fact that the spiritual dimension of the
Sabbath rest was not experienced by the Israelites as a people
indicates to the author that "a sabbatismos-sabbathkeeping has
been left behind for the people of God" (Heb 4:9). It is evident
that a proper understanding of the passage indicates that the
sabbatismos-sabbathkeeping that remains is a literal observance
of the day which entails a spiritual experience. The physical act
of rest represents a faith response to God.
The third reason given by Ratzlaff is his assumption that
"the concept of 'believing' is never associated with keeping the
seventh-day Sabbath in the old covenant." 49 This assumption is
negated by the fact that Sabbath is given as the sign "that you
may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you" (Ex 31:13). Is it
possible for anyone to experience God's sanctifying presence and
power on the Sabbath without a "belief" or "faith response" to
God? Furthermore, does not the prophet Isaiah summon the people
to honor the Sabbath by "taking delight in the Lord" (Is 58:14)?
Can one delight in the Lord on the Sabbath without believing in
Him?
The fourth reason advanced by Ratzlaff relates to the verb
"has rested" in Hebrews 4:10 which is past tense (aorist tense in
Greek). To him the past tense indicates "that the believer who
rests from his works did so at one point in time in the past." 50
In other words the past tense "has rested" suggests not a weekly
cessation from work on the Sabbath but a rest of grace already
accomplished or experienced in the past.
This interpretation ignores two important points. First, the
verb "has rested-katepausen" is past simply because it depends
upon the previous verb "eiselthon-he that entered," which is also
past. The Greek construction (aorist participle) makes it clear
that some have already entered into God's rest. It is evident
that he who "entered" into God's rest in the past has also
"rested from his works" in the past.
Second, the text makes a simple comparison between the
divine and the human cessation from "works." In the RSV the text
reads: "For whoever enters God's rest also ceases from his labors
as God did from his" (Heb 4:10). The point of the analogy is
simply that as God ceased from His work on the seventh day in
order to rest, so believers who cease from their work on the
Sabbath enter into God's rest. If the verb "has rested" referred
to the "rest of grace," as Ratzlaff claims, then by virtue of the
analogy God also has experienced "the rest of grace," an obvious
absurdity. All of this shows that the analogy contains a simple
statement of the nature of Sabbathkeeping which essentially
involves cessation from work in order to enter God's rest by
allowing Him to work in us more fully and freely.
The reason both verbs "entered-eiselthon" and "rested-
katepausen" are past tense (aorist) may be because the author
wishes to emphasize that the Sabbathkeeping that has been left
behind for the people of God has both a past and present
dimension. In the past, it has been experienced by those who have
entered into God's rest by resting from their work (Heb 4:10). In
the present, we must "strive to enter that rest" (Heb 4:11) by
being obedient. Both the RSV and the NIV render the two verbs in
the present ("enters-ceases") because the context underlines the
present and timeless quality of the Sabbath rest (Heb 4:1,3,6)
Is the Sabbath Rest a Daily Rest of Grace?
The fifth reason given by Ratzlaff for negating the literal
meaning of "sabbatismos-Sabbathkeeping" in Hebrews 4:9 is his
contention that, since "the promise of entering God's rest is
good 'today,'" the author of Hebrews is not thinking of the
seventh day Sabbath rest but of the "'rest' of grace" experienced
by believers everyday. 51 "The writer of Hebrews stresses the
word 'today' on several occasions. In the New Covenant, one can
enter into God's rest 'today.'" He does not have to wait until
the end of the week. ... The New Covenant believer is to rejoice
into God's rest continually." 52
It amazes me how Ratzlaff can misconstrue the use of "today"
to defend his abrogation view of the Sabbath. The function of the
adverb "today-semeron" is not to teach a continuous Sabbath rest
of grace that replaces literal Sabbathkeeping; it is to show that
Sabbathkeeping as an experience of rest in God was not
experienced by the Israelites as a people because of their
unbelief (Heb 4:6). To prove this fact, the author of Hebrews
quotes Psalm 95:7 where God invites the people to respond to Him,
saying: "Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your
hearts" (Heb. 4:7, cf. Ps. 95:7).
The "today" simply serves to show that the spiritual
dimension of the Sabbath as rest in God still remains because God
renewed the invitation at the time of David. To argue that
"today" means that "New Covenant" Christians observe the Sabbath
every day by living in God's rest is to ignore also the
historical context - namely, that the "today" was spoken by God
at the time of David. If Ratzlaff's interpretation of "today"
were correct, then already, at the time of David, God had
replaced the literal observance of the Sabbath with a spiritual
experience of rest in Him. Such an absurd conclusion can be
reached only by reading into the text gratuitous assumptions.
Three Levels of Interpretation of the Sabbath Rest in the Old
Testament.
To understand better the preceding discussion about the
Sabbath rest in Hebrews 3 and 4, it is important to note three
levels of meaning attached to the Sabbath rest in the Old
Testament and in Jewish literature. In the Old Testament, we find
that the Sabbath rest refers first of all to the physical
cessation from work on the seventh day (Ex 20:10; 23:12; 31:14;
34:21). Second, the Sabbath rest served to epitomize the national
aspiration for a peaceful life in a land at rest (Deut 12:9;
25:19; Is 14:3) where the king would give to the people "rest
from all enemies" (2 Sam 7:1; cf. l Kings 8:5), and where God
would find His "resting place" among His people and especially in
His sanctuary at Zion (2 Chron 6:41; 1 Chron 23:25; Ps 132:8,13,
14; Is 66:1).
The fact that the Sabbath rest as a political aspiration for
national peace and prosperity remained largely unfulfilled
apparently inspired the third interpretation of the Sabbath rest
- namely, the symbol of the Messianic age, often known as the
"end of days" or the "world to come." Theodore Friedman notes,
for example, that "two of the three passages in which Isaiah
refers to the Sabbath are linked by the prophet with the end of
days (Is 56:4-7; 58:13, 14; 66:22-24) .... It is no mere
coincidence that Isaiah employs the words 'delight' (oneg) and
'honor' (kavod) in his descriptions of both the Sabbath and the
end of days (Is 58:13--'And you shall call the Sabbath a delight
... and honor it'; Is 66: 11 - 'And you shall delight in the glow
of its honor'). The implication is clear. The delight and joy
that will mark the end of days is made available here and now by
the Sabbath." 53
Later rabbinic and apocalyptic literature provide more
explicit examples of the Messianic/eschatological interpretation
of the Sabbath. For example, the Babylonian Talmud says: "Our
Rabbis taught that at the conclusion of the septennate the son of
David will come. R. Joseph demurred: But so many Sabbaths have
passed, yet has he not come!" 54 In the apocalyptic work known
as "The Book of Adam and Eve" (about first century A.D.), the
archangel Michael admonishes Seth, saying: "Man of God, mourn not
for thy dead more than six days, for on the seventh day is a sign
of the resurrection and the rest of the age to come." 55
How did the Sabbath come to be regarded as the symbol of the
world to come? Apparently the harsh experiences of the desert
wandering, first, and of the exile, later, inspired the people to
view the Edenic Sabbath as the paradigm of the future Messianic
age. In fact, the Messianic age is characterized by material
abundance (Am 9:13-14; Joel 4:19; Is 30:23-25; Jer 31:12), social
justice (Is 61:1-9), harmony between persons and animals (Hos
2:20; Is 65:25; 11:6), extraordinary longevity (Is 65:20; Zech
8:4), refulgent light (Is 30:26; Zech 14:6,7), and the absence of
death and sorrow (Is 25:8).
This brief survey indicates that both in the Old Testament
and in later Jewish literature, the weekly experience of the
Sabbath rest served not only to express the national aspirations
for a peaceful life in the land of Canaan (which remained largely
unfulfilled), but also to nourish the hope of the future
Messianic age which came to be viewed as "wholly sabbath and
rest." 56
Three Levels of Interpretation of the Sabbath Rest in Hebrews.
The existence in Old Testament times of three levels of
interpretation of the Sabbath rest as a personal, national, and
Messianic reality provides the basis for understanding these
three meanings in Hebrews 3 and 4. By welding two texts together-
-namely, Psalm 95:11 and Genesis 2:2-the writer presents three
different levels of meaning of the Sabbath rest. At the first
level, the Sabbath rest points to God's creation rest, when "his
works were finished from the foundation of the world" (Heb 4:3).
This meaning is established by quoting Genesis 2:2.
At the second level, the Sabbath rest symbolizes the promise
of entry into the land of Canaan, which the wilderness generation
"failed to enter" (Heb 4:6; cf. 3:16-19), but which was realized
later when the Israelites under Joshua did enter the land of rest
(4:8).
At the third and most important level, the Sabbath rest
prefigures the rest of redemption which has dawned and is made
available to God's people through Christ.
How does the author establish this last meaning?
By drawing a remarkable conclusion from Psalm 95:7,11 which
he quotes several times (Heb 4:3,5,7). In Psalm 95, God invites
the Israelites to enter into His rest which was denied to the
rebellious wilderness generation (Heb 4:7-11). The fact that God
should renew "again" the promise of His rest long after the
actual entrance into the earthly Canaan--namely, at the time of
David by saying "today" (Heb 4:7)--is interpreted by the author
of Hebrews to mean two things: first, that God's Sabbath rest was
not exhausted when the Israelites under Joshua found a resting
place in the land, but that it still "remains for the people of
God" (4:9); and second, that such rest has dawned with the coming
of Christ (Heb 4:3,7).
The phrase "Today, when you hear his voice" (Heb 4:7) has a
clear reference to Christ. The readers had heard God's voice in
the "last days" (Heb 1:2) as it spoke through Christ and had
received the promise of the Sabbath rest. In the light of the
Christ event, then, ceasing from one's labor on the Sabbath (Heb
4:10) signifies both a present experience of redemption (Heb 4:3)
and a hope of future fellowship with God (Heb 4:11). For the
author of Hebrews, as Gerhard von Rad correctly points out, "the
whole purpose of creation and the whole purpose of redemption are
reunited" in the fulfillment of God's original Sabbath rests 57
The Nature of the Sabbath Rest in Hebrews.
What is the nature of the "Sabbath rest" that is still
outstanding for God's people (Heb 4:9)? Is the writer thinking of
a literal or spiritual type of Sabbathkeeping? The answer is
both. The author presupposes the literal observance of the
Sabbath to which he gives a deeper meaning--namely, a faith
response to God. Support for a literal understanding of
Sabbathkeeping is provided by the historical usage of the term
"sabbatismos-sabbathkeeping" in verse 9 and by the description of
Sabbathkeeping as cessation from work given in verse 10: "For
whoever enters God's rest also ceases from his labors as God did
from his."
We noted earlier that sabbatismos is used in both pagan and
Christian literature to denote the literal observance of the
Sabbath. Consequently, by the use of this term, the writer of
Hebrews is simply saying that "a Sabbathkeeping has been left
behind for the people of God." The probative value of this text
is enhanced by the fact that the writer is not arguing for the
permanence of Sabbathkeeping; he takes it for granted.
The literal nature of Sabbathkeeping is indicated also by
the following verse which speaks of the cessation from work as
representing entering into God's rest. "For whoever enters God's
rest also ceases from his labors as God did from his" (Heb 4:10).
The majority of commentators interpret the cessation from work of
Hebrews 4:10 in a figurative sense as "abstention from servile
work," meaning sinful activities. Thus, Christian Sabbathkeeping
means not the interruption of daily work on the seventh day, but
the abstention from sinful acts at all times. In other words,
"New Covenant" believers experience the Sabbath rest not as a
physical cessation from work on the seventh day but as a
spiritual salvation rest every day. As Ratzlaff puts it, "The New
Covenant believer is to rejoice in God's rest continually." 58
To support this view, appeal is made to the reference in
Hebrews to "dead works" (Heb 6:1; 9:14). Such a concept, however,
cannot be read back into Hebrews 4:10 where a comparison is made
between the divine and the human cessation from "works." It is
absurd to think that God ceased from "sinful deeds." The point of
the analogy is simply that as God ceased on the seventh day from
His creation work, so believers are to cease on the same day from
their labors. This is a simple statement of the nature of
Sabbathkeeping which essentially involves cessation from works.
The Meaning of Sabbathkeeping in Hebrews.
The concern of the author of Hebrews, however, is not merely
to encourage his readers to interrupt their secular activities on
the Sabbath, but rather to help them understand the deeper
significance of the act of resting for God on the Sabbath. The
recipients of the book are designated as "Hebrews" presumably
because of their tendency to adopt Jewish liturgical customs as a
means to gain access to God. This is indicated by the appeal in
chapters 7 to 10 to discourage any participation in the Temple's
sacrificial services. Thus, these Hebrew-minded Christians did
not need to be reminded of the physical-cessation aspect of
Sabbathkeeping. This aspect yields only a negative idea of rest,
one which only would have served to encourage existing Judaizing
tendencies. What they needed, instead, was to understand the
meaning of the act of resting on the Sabbath, especially in the
light of the coming of Christ.
This deeper meaning can be seen in the antithesis the author
makes between those who failed to enter into God's rest because
of "unbelief-apeitheias" (Heb 4:6,11), that is, faithlessness
which results in disobedience, and those who enter it by "faith
--pistei" (Heb 4:2,3), that is, faithfulness that results in
obedience.
Chapter 4 covers more fully the meaning of Sabbathkeeping as
a faith response to God in conjunction with the relationship
between the Savior and the Sabbath. There we see that Hebrews'
deeper meaning of Sabbathkeeping reflects to a large extent the
redemptive understanding of the day we find in the Gospels.
Christ's offer of His "rest" (Matt 11:28) represents the core of
the "Sabbath rest" available "today" to God's people (Heb 4:7,
9).
The act of resting on the Sabbath for the author of Hebrews
is not merely a routine ritual (cf."sacrifice"--Matt 12:7) but
rather a faith response to God. Such a response entails not the
hardening of one's heart (Heb 4:7) but being receptive to "hear
his voice" (Heb 4:7). It means experiencing God's salvation rest,
not by works but by faith - not by doing but by being saved
through faith (Heb 4:2,3,11). On the Sabbath, as John Calvin
aptly expresses it, believers are "to cease from their work to
allow God to work in them." 59
This expanded interpretation of Sabbathkeeping in the light
of the Christ event was apparently designed to wean Christians
away from a too materialistic understanding of its observance. To
achieve this objective, the author, on the one hand, reassures
his readers of the permanence of the blessings contemplated by
Sabbathkeeping and, on the other hand, explains that such a
blessing can be received only by experiencing the Sabbath as a
faith response to God.
It is evident that for the author of Hebrews the
Sabbathkeeping that remains for "New Covenant" Christians is not
only a physical experience of cessation from work on the seventh
day but also a faith response, a yes "today" response to God.
Karl Barth puts it eloquently. The act of resting on Sabbath is
an act of resignation to our human efforts to achieve salvation
in order "to allow the omnipotent grace of God to have the first
and last word at every point." 60
Conclusion
The preceding study of the Sabbath in its relationship to
the New Covenant has shown that there is an organic unity between
the Old and New Covenants--a unity which is reflected in the
continuity of the Sabbath. Both covenants are part of the
everlasting covenant (Heb 13:20), that is, of God's commitment to
save penitent sinners. In both covenants, God invites His people
to accept the gracious provision of salvation by living in
accordance with the moral principles He has revealed. Christ came
not to nullify or modify God's moral Law but to clarify and
reveal its deeper meaning. Christ spent much of His ministry
clarifying how the love principle is embodied in the Ten
Commandments, in general, and in the Sabbath, in particular.
Of all the commandments, the Sabbath offers us the most concrete
opportunity to show our love to God because it invites us to
consecrate our time to Him. Time is the essence of our life. The
way we use our time is indicative of our priorities. A major
reason why the Sabbath has been attacked by many throughout human
history is that sinful human nature is self-centered rather than
God-centered. Most people want to spend their Sabbath time
seeking for personal pleasure or profit rather than for the
presence and peace of God.
New Covenant believers who on the Sabbath stop their work to
allow God to work in them more fully and freely tangibly show
that God really counts in their lives. They make themselves
receptive and responsive to the presence, peace, and rest of God.
At a time when so-called "New Covenant" theology is deceiving
many Christians into believing in the "simpler" and "better"
principle of love, the Sabbath challenges us to offer to God not
just lip-service, but the service of our total being by
consecrating our time and life to Him.
NOTES TO OLD AND NEW COVENANTS
1. Lewis Sperry Chafer, Dispensationalism (Dallas, 1936), p.107.
2. A study paper on "The Sabbath" released by the Worldwide
Church of God on 1995, lists Dale Ratzlaff's book, Sabbath in
Crisis, as one of the major sources used. The other two sources
are the special issue of Verdict (vol. 4), entitled
"Sabbatarianism Reconsidered," published by Robert Brinsmead on
June 4, 1981, and the symposium From Sabbath to the Lord's Day,
and published by Zondervan in 1982.
3. Clay Peck, "New Covenant" Christians (Berthoud, Colorado,
1998), p.2.
4. Joseph Tkach, Jr., "The New Covenant and the Sabbath," Pastor
General Report (December 21, 1994), pp.8,11.
5. Joseph Tkach, Jr., Pastor General's Report (January 5, 1995),
p. 1.
6. "Covenant in the Bible," a Bible study prepared by the
Worldwide Church of God and posted in their Web page (www.wcg.org
- September 15, 1998), p.3.
7. Ibid., p.4.
8. Joseph Tkach, Jr., (note 4), p.2.
9. Ibid., p.11.
10. Ibid., p.6.
11. Ibid., p.7.
12. "The Sabbath in Acts and the Epistles," a Bible study
prepared by the Worldwide Church of God and posted on their web
page (www.wcg.org, September 1998), p.3.
13. Ibid., pp.3-4.
14. Pierre Grelot and Jean Giblet, "Covenant," Dictionary of
Biblical Theology, ed., by Xavier Leon-Dufour (New York, 1970),
p.95.
15. George Eldon Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament (Grand
Rapids, Michigan, 1974), p.507.
16. Ibid., p.507.
17. Greg L. Bahnsen, "The Theonomic Reformed Approach to the Law
and Gospel," in The Law, the Gospel, and the Modern Christian
(Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1993), p.97.
18. Dale Ratzlaff, Sabbath in Crisis: Transfer/lModification?
Reformation/Continuation? Fulfilment/Transformation? (Applegate,
California, 1990), p.73.
19. Ibid., p.78, emphasis supplied.
20. Ibid., p.78.
21. Ibid., p.180.
22. Ibid., p.181.
23. Ibid., p.182.
24. Ibid., pp.182,183,185.
25. Ibid., p.185.
26. Ibid., p.74.
27. Ibid., p.73.
28. Ibid., p.185.
29. Ibid., p.207.
30. George Eldon Ladd (note 15), p.128.
31. Walter C. Kaiser, "The Law as God's Gracious Guidance for the
Promotion of Holiness," in The Law, the Gospel, and the Modern
Christian (Grand Rapids, 1993), p.198.
32. Dale Ratzlaff (note 18), p.228.
33. Ibid., p.228.
34. Ibid., p.229.
35. Ibid., p.229.
36. John H. Gerstner, "Law in the NT," International Standard
Bible Encyclopedia, revised edition, (Grand Rapids, 1960), vol 3,
p.88.
37. "Does Hebews 4:9 Command Us to Keep the Sabbath?" A Bible
study prepared by the Worldwide Church of God and posted on their
Web page (www.wcg.org - September, 1998), p.1.
38. "The New Covenant and the Sabbath," a Bible study prepared by
the Worldwide Church of God and posted on their Web page
(www.wcg.org - September, 1998), pp.9-10.
39. "Does Hebrews 4:9 Command Us to Keep the Sabbath?" (note 37),
pp.8-9.
40. Dale Ratzlaff (note 18), p.197.
41. Ibid., p.198.
42. Walter C. Kaiser (note 31), p.186.
43. Dale Ratzlaff (note 18), p.246.
44. Plutarch, De Superstitione 3 (Moralia 1660); Justin Martyr,
Dialogue with Trypho 23, 3; Epiphanius, Adversus Haereses 30, 2,
2; Apostolic Constitutions 2,36.
45. Andrew T. Lincoln, "Sabbath, Rest, and Eschatology in the New
Testament," in From Sabbath to the Lord's Day, ed. Donald A.
Carson (Grand Rapids, 1982), p.213.
46. Ibid.
47. Dale Ratzlaff (note 18), p.243.
48. Ibid., pp.243-244.
49. Ibid., p.244.
50. Ibid.
51. Ibid.
52. Ibid., p.247.
53. Theodore Friedman, "The Sabbath: Anticipation of Redemption,"
Judaism 16 (1967), p.445. Friedman notes that "at the end of the
Mishnah Tamid (Rosh Hashanah 31 a) we read: 'A Psalm, a song for
the Sabbath day--a song for the time-to-come, for the day that is
all Sabbath rest in the eternal life.' The Sabbath, the Gemara
asserts, is one-sixtieth of the world to come" (ibid., p.443).
54. Sanhedrin 97a.
55. The Books of Adam and Eve 51:1,2 in R. H. Charles, ed., The
Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament (Oxford, 1913),
vol 2, p.153. Cf. Apocalypsis of Mosis 43:3. A similar view is
found in Genesis Rabbah 17:5: "There are three antitypes: the
antitype of death is sleep, the antitype of prophecy is dream,
the antitype of the age to come is the Sabbath." Cf. Genesis
Rabbah 44:17.
56. Mishnah Tamid 7:4. The viewing of the Sabbath as the symbol
and anticipation of the Messianic age gave to the celebration of
the weekly Sabbath a note of gladness and hope for the future.
Cf. Genesis Rabbat 17; 44; Baba Berakot 57f. Theodore Friedman
shows how certain Sabbath regulations established by the school
of Shammai were designed to offer a foretaste of the Messianic
age (note 53, pp.447-452).
57. Gerhard von Rad, "There Remains Still a Rest for the People
of God," in The Problem of the Hexateuch and Other Essays (New
York, 1965), p.94-102.
58. Dale Ratzlaff (note 18), p.247.
59. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Grand
Rapids, Michigan, 1965), vol. 2, p.337. Karl Barth keenly
observes that by resting on the Sabbath after the similitude of
God (Heb 4:10), the believer "participates consciously in the
salvation provided by him [God]" (Church Dogmatic [Edinburgh,
1961], vol.3, part 2, p.50).
60. Karl Barth (note 59), p.51.
......
To be continued
NOTE:
Once more I submit that a small child can understand Hebrews 4.
The "rest" of God is clearly associated with the "seventh day" -
as those words are specifically used, along with God resting from
His works, a clear reference to Genesis 2 and the seventh day
that God sanctified and rested upon, which to Paul the author of
Hebrews, is still in function and using the "present" tense -
there REMAINS (presently) a sabbath-keeing to the people of God,
and he who enters that Sabbath rest has ceased from His labor,
his literal secular work just as God did from His.
We are to labor, put some effort into, entering that rest of God,
lest we also fall after the same example of the Israelite
unbelief, who many times in their history departed from literal
Sabbath keeping to follow the ways and customs of the pagan
nations around them.
A child can see the SEVENTH day was made holy and sanctified from
the beginning of creation week in Genesis 1 and 2. As a child of
6 and 7 years old reading my Bible in a Church of England school
(first half hour of the day was spent reading the Bible) it was
as clear as day to me that the seventh day was set aside,
sanctified and made holy, in Genesis 2. Then as I was taught to
remorize and recite the Ten Commandments of Exodus 20 (full
version), it was as clear as day to me that the FOURTH
commandment talked about this seventh day Sabbath as being made
holy and as meaning we are to remember to keep it holy; that we
are to refrain from our secular work, even our servants and
cattle are to rest from physical labor.
It was clear to me as a young boy that NOT ONE word of the Ten
commandments had EVER been "done away with" - it never ever
entered my head (and it was not taught to me either) that ANY of
the Ten Commandments were not to be observed or were changed in
any way. As a child I can remember thinking that if all nations
and peoples on earth observed the Ten Commandments, what a
WONDERFUL and SAFE and PEACEFUL world we would live in.
It is most shocking and disgussing to me now, to hear/see the
arguments of some who would try and abolish the Ten commandments,
the law that Paul said was HOLY, JUST and GOOD!! The plain truth
is that such people come up with crazy theology to "throw out the
Ten Commandments" BECAUSE they will not submit themselves to
observing the FOURTH commandment, which is as plain as the nose
on their face, telling people to remember to keep holy the
SEVENTH day of the week ... not the 6th day, not the 1st day, not
just any day, BUT THE 7TH DAY!!
Such is the rebellious carnal heart, such is the darkness of the
mind, such is the working of the spirits of darkness that come
with cleaver/twisted sounding theology and appear as angels of
light.
You need to read the Bible as a child would read it. You need to
come to God and Christ as a child, for Jesus said such would be
in the Kingdom, unless you are as such you will not inherit the
Kingdom. And if you see these things, the simple truths of God as
expounded on this Website, then PRAISE THE LORD! For it is as our
Savior said, "I thank you Father, that you have hid these things
from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them unto babes."
Keith Hunt
13. The Sabbath under Crossfire
The Sabbath and the Savior #1
CHAPTER 4
by Samuele Bacchiocchi PhD
THE SAVIOR AND THE SABBATH
The human heart longs for constant reassurance of divine
forgiveness, acceptance, and salvation. We each want to know,
"Has God really forgiven and saved me?" In Scripture, the
reassurance of divine forgiveness and salvation is communicated
not only verbally but also through types and symbols. The
sacrificial system, baptism, the Lord's Supper, footwashing, and
the Sabbath are all institutions established by God to help
believers conceptualize and experience the assurance of
salvation.
The Sabbath occupies a unique place among the various
Godgiven institutions. It is unique in its origin, nature,
survival, and function. It is unique in its origin because it is
the first institution established by God to invite His people to
enter into the joy of His rest and fellowship (Gen 2:23; Heb
4:3-10). It is unique in its nature because it is not a material
object or a place accessible only to few, but a day (time)
available to all. Being time, the Sabbath invites the believers
to experience divine fellowship not through "holy objects," but
in time shared together.
The Sabbath is unique in its survival because it has
survived the Fall, the Flood, the Egyptian slavery, the
Babylonian exile, the Roman anti-Sabbath legislation (promulgated
by Emperor Hadrian in A.D.135), the French and Russian temporary
introduction of the ten-day week, and the recent attempts to
negate its validity for today by numerous Catholic and Protestant
doctoral dissertations, the Pope's Pastoral Letter "Dies Domini,"
and anti-Sabbath publications produced by former Sabbatarians. It
is unique in its function because it has helped Jews and
Christians to conceptualize, internalize, and experience the
reality of God's creative and redemptive accomplishments.
Importance of This Study.
This study derives its importance from the fact that many
Christians believe the Sabbath is an Old Covenant institution
that pointed to the Savior to come. Christ fulfilled the typolog-
cal function of the Sabbath through His redemptive mission. The
way Christ fulfilled the Sabbath, however, is understood
differently by different Christians. For some, Christ fulfilled
the Sabbath commandment by terminating its observance altogether
and by replacing it with an existential experience of salvation-
rest available to believers every day. This is essentially the
Lutheran position which recently has been adopted by the
Worldwide Church of God, Dale Ratzlaff in his book "Sabbath in
Crisis," and several independent "Adventist" congregations.
For other Christians, Christ fulfilled and terminated only
the ceremonial aspect of the Sabbath commandment - namely, the
specific observance of the seventh day which foreshadowed the
salvation rest offered by Christ. However, they believe that the
moral aspect of the Sabbath commandment, consisting in the
principle of observing one day in seven, was not abrogated by
Christ but was transferred to the observance of the first day of
the week, Sunday. This is essentially the Catholic and
Calvinistic position which has been adopted by churches in the
Reformed tradition.
The common denominator of both positions is the belief that
Christ fulfilled the ceremonial-typological function of the
Sabbath, thus releasing His followers from the obligation to
observe the seventh-day Sabbath. During the course of our study,
we have found that this prevailing view constitutes a major
attack against the validity and value of Sabbathkeeping for
Christians today and, consequently, deserves careful analysis.
Objective of This Chapter.
This chapter explores how the Sabbath relates to the Savior
to come in the Old Testament and to the Savior who has come in
the New Testament. The first part examines the sabbatical
typologies of Messianic redemption in the Old Testament and
Jewish literature. Here we focus on some significant Sabbath
themes that nourished the hope of redemption in the heart of
God's people in Old Testament times. The second part considers
the redemptive meaning and function of the Sabbath in the New
Testament. Our focus in this section is on the meaning of the
Sabbath for Christians today in the light of the Sabbath teaching
and ministry of Jesus.
The question at hand is the relationship between the
Messianic redemption foreshadowed by the Sabbath and Christ's
redemptive ministry. Simply stated, the question we wish to
address in this chapter is this: Did Christ fulfill the
sabbatical typologies of Messianic redemption by terminating the
function of the Sabbath, as in the case of the Temple's services
(Heb 8:13; 9:23-28), or by actualizing and enriching its meaning
and observance through His redemptive ministry?
Surprisingly, Sabbatarian literature largely ignores this
important aspect of the redemptive meaning and function of the
Sabbath in the Old and New Testaments. Its focus is primarily on
the creational origin of the Sabbath and its continuity during
the course of redemptive history. Yet an appreciation for the
theological development of the Sabbath, from a memorial of
perfect creation to a celebration of complete redemption and of
final restoration, can provide believers with a richer meaning
and experience of Sabbath observance.
PART 1
THE SABBATH AND THE SAVIOR
OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
The story of creation is in a sense a redemption story:
redemption from disorder into order, from chaos into cosmos.
Within the creation event, the Sabbath reveals the purpose of
God's first redemptive act. It tells us that God created this
world not merely for the enjoyment of making something new and
beautiful out of formless matter (Gen 1:2) but for the special
pleasure of sharing Himself with His creatures.
This truth is reflected especially in the blessing and
sanctification of the Sabbath. Since it is the manifestation of
God's holy presence that makes a day or a place holy, the
sanctification of the Sabbath reveals God's commitment to bless
His creatures with abundant life through His holy presence. God
"sanctified" or "made holy" the seventh day (Gen 2:3) by setting
the day apart for the manifestation of His Holy presence among
His creatures. To put it differently, by blessing and sanctifying
the seventh day; God revealed His intent to offer mankind not
only beautiful things, but also the sweet experience of His
fellowship.
A Promise of Emmanuel.
When the prospect of a joyous life in the presence of God
was shattered by sin, the Sabbath became the symbol of divine
commitment to restore broken relationships. From being the
symbol of God's initial cosmological accomplishments (that is,
bringing into existence a perfect cosmos out of chaos), the
Sabbath became the symbol of God's future soteriological
activities (that is, the redemption of His people from bondage
into His freedom). From serving as a symbol of God's initial
entrance into human time to bless and sanctify human beings with
His divine presence, the Sabbath became a symbol of God's future
entrance into human flesh to become "Emmanuel - God with us." The
first as well as the second coming of Christ represents the
fulfillment of God's purpose for this world expressed initially
through the blessings and sanctification of the Sabbath.
In his book "Toward an American Theology," Herbert W.
Richardson rightly emphasizes the connection between the
sanctification of the creation Sabbath and the incarnation of
Christ. He writes: "God created the world so that the Sabbath
guest, Jesus Christ, might come and dwell therein. That is, the
world was created for the sake of 'Emmanuel, God with us.' The
incarnation is, therefore, not a rescue operation, decided upon
only after sin had entered into the world. Rather, the coming of
Christ fulfills the purpose of God in creating the world." 1
To trace how the Sabbath has fulfilled this redemptive
function in the Old and New Testaments is not an easy task for
three major reasons. First, the Sabbath has provided the basis
for constant new reflections. Various strands of sabbatical
concepts such as the themes of Sabbath "rest," "peace," and
"delight;" the cosmic week; the liberation experience of the
Sabbath years; and the sabbatical structure of time have all been
used to express the future (eschatological) expectations of
divine deliverance. Second, the liberation message of the Sabbath
has been applied, as we shall see, both to immediate national
concerns for political restoration and to future expectations of
Messianic redemption. This dual application to the same theme
readily creates confusion in the mind of an unwarned reader.
Third, the biblical and extrabiblical sources provide us with
fragmented information rather than systematic explanation of the
various levels of meanings attributed to the Sabbath. Also,
certain allusions to sabbatical themes in the Old Testament
become clearer in the light of their New Testament
interpretation, especially in Hebrews 3 and 4.
Adam's First Day.
In Old Testament times, the Sabbath served not only to
provide personal rest and liberation from the hardship of work
and social injustices, but also to nourish the hope for a future
Messianic peace, prosperity, and redemption. 2 The latter
function was apparently inspired by the role of the Sabbath in
God's original creation.
Genesis provides no information on the actual observance of
the Sabbath by Adam and Eve before their expulsion from the
Garden of Eden. Yet the picture of perfection and satisfaction
(note the sevenfold repetition of the phrase "it was good" - Gen
1:4,10,17,18,21,24,31) it portrays, especially through the divine
blessing and sanctification of the seventh day (Gen 2:3), could
easily offer to believers the basis for a vision of the Messianic
age.
The parallels and equivalences between the Sabbath of
Genesis, Adam's First Day after his creation, and the Last Days
of the Messianic age, though not always explicitly made, are
implicitly present in biblical and extrabiblical sources. To
illustrate how the creation Sabbath became the symbol of
Messianic redemption and restoration, we briefly examine a few
significant themes.
Sabbath Peace and Harmony.
The peace and harmony that existed between Adam and the
animals at the creation Sabbath will be restored in the Messianic
age when "the wolf shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard
shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the
fatling together, and a little child shall lead them" (Is 11:6).
At that time, according to the same prophet, "the earth shall be
full of the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea" (Is
11:9). 3 This vision of the earth full of peace and of the
knowledge of God in the Last Days may well have been inspired by
the view of the First Days, of which the Sabbath is the epitome.
The link between the First Sabbath and the Last Days or world to
come, is suggested by those rabbinical Sabbath regulations which
prohibited killing insects or carrying weapons on the Sabbath
because the day represents a foretaste of the world to come. For
example, Rabbi Simeon B. Eleazar taught that "Vermin must not be
killed on the Sabbath: this is the view of Beth Shammai [a
leading rabbinical school].... If one kills vermin on the
Sabbath, it is as though he killed a camel." 4
The Mishnah, an ancient collection of Jewish laws, similarly
states that on the Sabbath, "A man may not go out with a sword or
a bow or a shield or a club or a spear... for it is written, 'And
they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears
into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against
nation, neither shall they learn war any more.'" 5 These
rabbinical injunctions are derived from the notion of the absence
of death during the primordial Sabbath which served as a paradigm
of the world to come. The abstention from any form of killing on
the Sabbath represents a foretaste of that world.
Sabbath Prosperity.
The material prosperity and abundance which characterized
the creation Sabbath inspired the prophetic vision of
extraordinary material abundance during the Messianic age. Amos
declares: "'Behold, the days are coming,' says the Lord, 'when
the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes
him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine and
the hills shall flow with it'" (9:13). Similar descriptions are
found in Isaiah (4:2; 7:22; 30:23-25), Joel (4:19), Zephaniah
(3:13), Jeremiah (30:19; 31:24), and Ezekiel (34:13-14; 47:12).
Later Jewish and Christian works abound with descriptions of
the material prosperity of the world to come, often equated with
the cosmic Sabbath. 6 For example, The Epistle of Barnabas (c.
A.D. 135), included among the writings of the "Apostolic
Fathers," interprets the millennium as the cosmic Sabbath which
will follow the six thousand years typified by the six days of
creation and which will be characterized by the peaceful,
prosperous, and luminous reign of Christ upon this earth ("He
changes the sun and moon and stars, then he will rest well on the
seventh day" - 15:5).7
The typological meaning of the Sabbath, as a symbol of the
future age of rest and prosperity, presumably explains why the
rabbinical school of Shammai prohibited contributions for the
poor on the Sabbath in the synagogue or even the giving of a
dowry to an orphan to be married. 8 In rabbinical thinking, acts
of charity on the Sabbath would negate its prefiguration of the
material prosperity of the Messianic age.
Sabbath Delight.
The delight and joy of the Edenic Sabbath also inspired the
prophetic vision of the Messianic age. Theodore Friedman notes
that "two of the three passages in which Isaiah refers to the
Sabbath are linked by the prophet with the end of days (Is
56:1-7; 58:13-14; 66:20-24) .... It is no mere coincidence that
Isaiah employs the words 'delight' (oneg) and `'honor' (kavod) in
his description of both the Sabbath and the end of days
(58:13--'And thou shalt call the Sabbath a delight ... and honor
it'; 66:11-'And you shall delight in the glow of its honor'). The
implication is clear. The delight and joy that will mark the end
of days is made available here and now by the Sabbath." 9
The concept of "Sabbath delight" appears to derive from the
vision of the Edenic Sabbath - a day of joy, light, harmony, and
peace which serves as a paradigm of the Messianic age.
Sabbath Lights.
Sabbath delight is expressed in the Jewish tradition
especially by kindling lights on that day. This act, a
prerogative of the Jewish woman, is interpreted as symbolic of
the extraordinary light that God caused to shine out for 36 hours
in consideration of the Sabbath (that is, from Friday morning to
Saturday night). This conclusion is drawn from a curious rabbinic
interpretation of the title of Psalm 92: "A Psalm, a song for the
Sabbath day." "R. Levi said in the name of R. Zimra: 'For the
Sabbath day,' that is, for the day which darkness did not attend.
You find that it is written of other days 'And there was evening
and there was morning, one day' but the words 'There was evening'
are not written of the Sabbath ... The Sabbath light continued
throughout thirty-six hours." 10
The Midrash, an ancient Jewish commentary of the Old
Testament, interprets the text "God blessed the seventh day" (Gen
2:3) as meaning He blessed it with the blessing of light." Adam
was the first to benefit from such a blessing because God let His
light shine upon him though he deserved to be deprived of it by
reason of his disobedience." The redemptive role of the
primordial Sabbath in the Jewish tradition is impressive. 13
Being viewed as the symbol of primordial redemption from chaos to
a perfect cosmos, the Sabbath could effectively typify the future
Messianic restoration. The tradition of kindling lights on the
Sabbath was symbolically linked both to the supernatural light
that shone upon Adam during the first Sabbath as an assurance of
salvation and of the extraordinary light of the Messianic age.
The prophets envision the appearance of refulgent light
during the latter days: "Moreover the light of the moon will be
as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be
sevenfold, as the light of the seven days" (Is 30:26). The
comparison with "the light of the seven days" is presumably an
allusion to the seven days of creation, which, according to an
ancient Midrash, were bathed by extraordinary light more
brilliant than the sun. 14
Zechariah's remark that "there shall be continuous day ...
not day and not night, for at evening time there shall be light"
(Zech 14:7) probably refers to the seventh day of creation which
in Genesis has no mention of "evening and morning." Such a detail
was interpreted as signifying that the Sabbath was especially
blessed by supernatural, continuous light.
One should note that while Dale Ratzlaff appeals to the
absence of the phrase "evening and morning" for the seventh day
to argue that God sanctified not a literal seventh day but a
continuous condition of open fellowship with God irrespective of
the Sabbath 15 the Jewish tradition consistently interprets such
a detail as indicative of the extraordinary light that bathed the
seventh day. The prophetic vision of the extraordinary light of
the Messianic age most likely derives from the notion of the
supernatural light experienced by Adam on the first Sabbath -
light which, according to Jewish tradition, disappeared at the
close of the creation Sabbath because of his disobedience, but
which is expected to reappear in the Messianic age. 16
Sabbath Rest.
The theme of Sabbath rest (menuhah) which to "the biblical
mind," as Abraham Joshua Heschel explains, "is the same as
happiness and stillness, as peace and harmony," 17 has served as
an effective typology of the Messianic age, often known as "the
end of days" or "the world-to-come."
In the Old Testament, the notion of "rest" is utilized to
express both national and Messianic aspirations. As a national
aspiration, the Sabbath rest served to typify a peaceful life in
a land of rest (Deut 12:9; 25:19; Is 14:3) where the king would
give to the people "rest from all enemies" (2 Sam 7:1) and where
God would find His "resting place" among His people and
especially in His sanctuary at Zion (2 Chron 6:41; 1 Chron 23:25;
Ps 132:8, 13, 14; Is 66:1). 18
These references to political "rest" (menuhah) do not
mention specifically the Sabbath rest. However, it is reasonable
to assume, as noted by Ernst Jenni, 19 that it was the weekly
Sabbath rest experience that served as a model to typify the
larger aspiration for national rest. The two themes are often
connected in rabbinic literature. For example, in a rabbinic
comment on Psalm 92, we read: "A Psalm, a song for the Sabbath
day for the day when God's people abide in peace as is said: 'And
my people shall abide in a peaceable habitation, and in secure
dwellings, and in quiet resting-places" (Is 32:18). 20 This
comment clearly links together Isaiah's vision of messianic
peace, security, and quiet resting places with the notion and
experience of the Sabbath rest.
The connection between Sabbath rest and national rest is
also clearly established in Hebrews 4:4,6,8 where the author
speaks of the creation-Sabbath rest as the symbol of the promised
entrance into the land of Canaan. Because of disobedience, the
wilderness generation "failed to enter" (v.6) into the land of
rest typified by the Sabbath. Even later, when the Israelites
under Joshua did enter the land of rest (v.8), the blessings of
the Sabbath rest were not fulfilled because God offered His
Sabbath rest again long afterwards through David, saying, "Today,
when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts" (Heb 4:7)? 21
The fact that the blessings of the Sabbath rest were never
realized as a political condition of rest and peace challenged
God's people to look for their future fulfillment at and through
the coming of the Messiah. In Jewish literature we find numerous
examples where the Sabbath rest and the septenary structure of
time are used to signify the rest, peace, and redemption of the
messianic age.
For example, the Babylonian Talmud says "Our Rabbis taught:
at the conclusion of the Sabbath the son of David will come. R.
Joseph demurred: But so many Sabbaths have passed, yet has he not
come!" 22 The age of the Messiah is often described as a time of
sabbatical rest. At the end of the Mishnah Tamid we read: "A
Psalm, a song for the Sabbath day - a song for the time to come,
for the day that is all Sabbath rest in the eternal life." 23
These few examples suffice to show that the rest experience
of the Sabbath nourished the hope and strengthened the faith of
the future Messianic peace and rest. The time of redemption came
to be viewed, as stated in the Mishnah, as "all Sabbath and rest
in the life everlasting." 24
Sabbath Liberation.
The freedom, release, and liberation which the weekly and
annual Sabbaths were designed to grant to every member of the
Hebrew society also have served as effective symbols of the
expected Messianic redemption.
In the Deuteronomic version of the Fourth Commandment, the
Sabbath is explicitly linked to the Exodus liberation by means of
the "remembrance clause": "You shall remember that you were a
servant in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you
out thence with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore,
the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath" (Deut 5:15).
The connection between the Sabbath and the Exodus
deliverance may explain why the Sabbath became ideologically
connected with the Passover, the annual celebration of the
deliverance from Egypt. 25 In a sense, the Sabbath came to be
viewed as a "little Passover" in the same way as many Christians
have come to view their weekly Sunday as a "little Easter."
The Sabbath was a real liberator of the Hebrew society by
providing a release from the hardship of life and social
inequalities, not only every seventh day but also every seventh
year, on the sabbatical year (Lev 25:8), and every "seven
sabbaths of years," on the jubilee year (Lev 25:8). At these
annual institutions, the Sabbath truly became the liberator
of the oppressed in Hebrew society. The land was to lie fallow to
provide free produce for the dispossessed and animals. The slaves
were emancipated and the debts owed by fellow citizens were
remitted. Though seldom observed, these annual Sabbaths served to
announce the future liberation and redemption to be brought about
by the Messiah. One reason for the Messianic function of the
Sabbath years is found in three significant features they
contained.
First, the annual Sabbaths promised release from personal
debts and slavery. Such a release provided an effective imagery
to typify the expected Messianic deliverance (Is 61:1-3, 7;
40:2). 26 In his dissertation on the jubilary theology of the
Gospel of Luke, Robert Sloan shows how the New Testament concept
of forgiveness ("aphesis") is derived largely from the release
from financial indebtedness and social injustices of the annual
Sabbaths. 27 These are referred to as "the release," "the Lord's
release," and "the year of release" (Deut 15:1,2,9; 31:10; Lev
25:10).
In the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old
Testament), the Hebrew term for "release" (deror), is translated
as aphesis - "release," which is the New Testament word for
"forgiveness." Thus, the Lord's Prayer's phrase "forgive us our
debts" (Matt 6:12) derives from the release from financial
indebtedness of the annual Sabbaths. The sabbatical release from
financial endebtedness and social injustices came to be viewed as
the prefiguration of the future Messianic release from the moral
indebtedness of sin.
Isaiah 61:1-3 employs the imagery of the sabbatical release
to describe the mission of the Messiah who would bring jubilary
amnesty and release from captivity. Christ, as we shall see,
utilized this very passage to announce and explain the nature of
His redemptive mission.
A second Messianic feature of the Sabbath years is the
trumpet blast by means of a ram's horn (yobel - from which
derives the term "jubilee") which ushered in the Sabbath years.
28 The imagery of the Jubilee's trumpet blast is used in the Old
Testament to describe the Messianic ingathering of the exiles (Is
27:13; cf. Zech 9:9-14) and in the New Testament to announce the
return of Christ (1 Cor 15:52; 1 Thess 4:16; Matt 24:31).
A third Messianic feature of the Sabbath years is the date
of the tenth day of the seventh month (Atonement Day) on which
the ram's horn was blown to inaugurate the year of jubilee (Lev
25:9). It was the cleansing and new moral beginning offered by
God to the people on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:13-19) which
inaugurated the sabbatical release of the Jubilee year.
The connection between the Day of Atonement and the Jubilee
year was noticed by rabbis who said: "The Lord would forgive
Israel's debt on the seventh month, which is Tishri, at the blast
of the shofar, and just as the Holy One blessed be He has had
mercy on Israel in this age at the blast of the shofar, also in
the future I will have mercy on you through the shofar and bring
your redeemed ones near." 29
Sabbatical Structure of Time.
The unique Messianic features of the Sabbath years
apparently inspired the use of the sabbatical structure of time
used to measure the waiting time to the Messianic redemption.
Some scholars call this phenomenon "sabbatical Messianism" 30 or
"chronomessianism." 31
The classical place of sabbatical Messianism is found in
Daniel 9 where two sabbatical periods are given. The first refers
to the 70 years of Jeremiah's prophecy (Jer 29:10) regarding the
length of the exile before the national restoration of the Jews
(Dan 9:3-19) and consists of 10 sabbatical years (10 x 7). The
second period is of "seventy weeks (shabuim)" - technically
"seventy sabbatical cycles" - which would lead to Messianic
redemption (Dan 9:24-27). This sabbatical Messianism is found in
later Jewish literature such as "The Book of Jubilees" (1:29) and
a fragmentary text discovered in 1956 in Qumran Cave II (known as
11Q Melchizedek). 32 Other examples are present in rabbinic
tradition. For example, the Talmud says: "Elijah said to Rab
Judah... 'The world shall exist not less than eighty-five
jubilees, and in the last jubilee the son of David will come.'"
33
Conclusion.
This brief survey of Old Testament Sabbath themes shows that
in Old Testament times the weekly and annual Sabbaths served not
only to provide physical rest and liberation from social
injustices but also to epitomize and nourish the hope of future
Messianic redemption. Rabbi Heschel captures vividly the Old
Testament messianic function of the Sabbath in this way: "Zion is
in ruins, Jerusalem lies in the dust. All week there is only hope
of redemption. But when the Sabbath is entering the world, man is
touched by a moment of actual redemption; as if for a moment the
spirit of the Messiah moved over the face of the earth." 34 The
sabbatical typologies of messianic redemption we have found in
the Old Testament help us to appreciate the relationship between
the Sabbath and the Savior in the New Testament.
................
To be continued
14. The Sabbath under Crossfire
Christ and the Sabbath #2
Continued from previous page:
by Samuele Bacchiocchi PhD
PART II
THE SABBATH AND THE SAVIOR IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
The existence in the Old Testament of a Messianic/redemptive
typology of the Sabbath has led many Christians to conclude that
the Sabbath is an Old Testament institution given specifically to
the Jews to remind them of God's past creation and of the future
Messianic redemption. Calvin, for example, describes the Old
Testament Sabbath as "typical" (symbolic), that is, "a legal
ceremony shadowing forth a spiritual rest, the truth of which was
manifested in Christ." 35 Therefore, Christians no longer need
to observe the Sabbath because Christ has fulfilled its
Messianic/redemptive typology. As Paul K. Jewett puts it, "by his
redemptive work, Jesus sets aside the Sabbath by fulfilling its
ultimate divine intent." 36
The view that Christ fulfilled the Sabbath by terminating
its observance is very popular today among both Catholics and
Protestants. During the course of this study, we noted that
recently this view has been adopted even by former sabbatarians
like the Worldwide Church of God, Ratzlaff in his book "Sabbath
in Crisis," and some newly organized independent "Adventist"
congregations. The popular acceptance of this view calls for
close examination of the New Testament teachings regarding the
relationship between the Sabbath and the Savior.
The basic questions addressed here are these: Did Christ's
redemptive mission fulfill the eschatological expectations
inherent in the Sabbath by terminating its function and
observance, as in the case of the Temple's services (Heb 8:13;
9:23-28), or by expanding its meaning and enriching its
observance as the celebration of His redemptive accomplishments?
Did Christ view the observance of the Sabbath as the
unquestionable will of God for His followers? Or, did Christ
regard the obligation of Sabbathkeeping as fulfilled and
superseded by His coming, the true Sabbath? Did Christ teach that
"New Covenant" Christians are to observe the Sabbath by
experiencing the "rest of salvation" every day rather than by
resting unto Lord on the seventh day? To find answers to these
questions, we briefly examine some Sabbath passages found in
Luke, Matthew, John, and Hebrews.
1. The Sabbath in Luke
Christ: A Model of Sabbathkeeping.
Luke's account of the opening scene of Christ's ministry
provides a suitable starting point for inquiring into the
relationship between the Savior and the Sabbath. According to
Luke, it was "on a Sabbath day" that Jesus officially inaugurated
His ministry in the synagogue of Nazareth, making a programmatic
speech. It is noteworthy that Luke introduces Christ as an
habitual observer of the Sabbath ("as his custom was"--Luke
4:16). Does Luke intend by this to set Christ before his readers
as a model of Sabbathkeeping? Max B. Turner, a contributor to the
scholarly symposium "From Sabbath to the Lord's Day," rejects
this possibility, maintaining instead that it is "Jesus' more
recently acquired habit of teaching in the synagogues that is
primarily in view," especially since Luke uses the same
expression in "Acts 17:2 in respect of Paul's (Sabbath) synagogue
ministry." 37
Without denying the possibility that Luke may have also
thought of Christ's custom of teaching on the Sabbath, it hardly
seems justifiable to conclude that the phrase "as his custom was"
"provides little real evidence of theological commitment on
behalf of Jesus to Sabbath worship." 38 Why? For at least five
reasons.
First, Luke speaks of Christ's customary Sabbathkeeping in
the immediate context of His upbringing in Nazareth ("where he
had been brought up"--v.16). This suggests that the allusion is
especially to the custom of Sabbath observance during Christ's
youth.
Second, if the phrase referred exclusively to Christ's
habitual Sabbath teaching in the synagogue, would not this also
provide a theological model? Has not the Christian Church adopted
the teaching model of the Sabbath (whether it be Saturday or
Sunday) by reading and expound the Scripture during the divine
service?
Third, the word "Sabbath" occurs in Luke's Gospel 21 times
and 8 times in Acts. 40 That is approximately twice as often as
in any of the other three Gospels. This surely suggests that Luke
attaches significance to the Sabbath.
Fourth; Luke not only begins but also closes the account of
Christ's early ministry on a Sabbath by mentioning that His
entombment took place on "the day of Preparation and the Sabbath
was beginning" (Luke 23:54). A number of scholars recognize in
this text Luke's concern to show that the Christian community
observed the Sabbath 41
Lastly Luke expands his brief account of Christ's burial by
stating emphatically that the women "rested on the sabbath in
obedience to the commandment" (23:56b--NIV). Why does Luke
present not only Christ but also His followers as habitual
Sabbathkeepers. This consistent pattern can hardly be construed
as insignificant or incidental. The many examples and situations
of Sabbathkeeping reported by Luke strongly suggest that Luke
intended to set before his readers Christ as "a model of
reverence for the Sabbath. 42
To understand such a "model," however, it is necessary to
study how Luke and the other evangelists relate the Sabbath to
the coming of Christ.
Messianic Fulfillment of Sabbath Liberation.
In His inaugural Nazareth address, Christ read and commented
upon a passage drawn mostly from Isaiah 61:1-2 (also 58:6) which
says: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed
me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim
release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to
set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the
acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:18). 43
The vital function of this passage has been noticed by many
scholars. Hans Conzelmann correctly views it as a nutshell
summary of the "Messianic program." 44 The original passage of
Isaiah, as noted earlier, describes by means of the imagery of
the Sabbath year the liberation from captivity that the Servant
of the Lord would bring to His people. The fact that the language
and imagery of the Sabbath years found in Isaiah 61:1-3 (and
58:6) were utilized by sectarian and mainstream Jews to describe
the work of the expected Messiah makes Christ's use of this
passage all the more significant. This means that Christ
presented Himself to the people as the very fulfillment of their
Messianic expectations which had been nourished by the vision of
the Sabbath years.
This conclusion is supported by what may be regarded as a
brief summary of Jesus' exposition of the Isaianic passage which
is recorded in Luke 4:21: "Today this scripture has been
fulfilled in your hearing." In other words, the Messianic
redemption promised by Isaiah through the imagery of the Sabbath
year is "now" being fulfilled. As Paul K. Jewett aptly comments,
"The great Jubilee Sabbath has become a reality for those who
have been loosed from their sins by the coming of the Messiah and
have found inheritance in Him." 45
The theme of promise and fulfillment recurs in all the
Gospels. Many aspects of Christ's life and ministry are presented
repeatedly as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. The
risen Christ Himself, according to Luke, explained to His
disciples that His teaching and mission represented the
fulfillment of "everything written about me in the law of Moses
and the prophets and the psalms" (Luke 24:44; cf. 24:26-27).
How does the Sabbath fit into this theme of promise and
fulfillment? What did Christ mean when He announced His mission
to be the fulfillment of the sabbatical promises of liberation?
Did He intend to explain, perhaps in a veiled fashion, that the
institution of the Sabbath was a type which had found its
fulfillment in Himself, the Antitype, and therefore its
obligations had ceased? In such a case, Christ would have paved
the way for the replacement of the Sabbath with a new day of
worship, as many Christians believe. Or did Christ through His
redemptive mission fulfill the promised sabbatical rest and
release in order to make the day a fitting channel through which
to experience His blessings of salvation?
To find an answer to these questions, it is necessary to
examine the Sabbath teaching and ministry of Christ reported in
the Gospels. So far we have noticed that, according to Luke,
Christ delivered His programmatic speech on a Sabbath claiming to
be the fulfillment of the Messianic restoration announced by
means of the Sabbath years (Is 61:1-3; 58:6).
Early Sabbath Healings.
Christ's announcement of His Messiahship (Luke 4:16-21) is
followed in Luke by two Sabbath healing episodes. The first took
place in the synagogue of Capernaum during a Sabbath service and
resulted in the spiritual healing of a demon-possessed man (Luke
4:31-37; Mark 1:21-28).
The second healing was accomplished immediately after the
religious service in Simon's house and brought about the physical
restoration of Simon's mother-in-law (Luke 4:38-39; Mark
1:29-31). The result of the latter was rejoicing for the whole
family and service: "immediately she rose and served them" (Luke
4:39). The themes of liberation, joy, and service present in
embryonic form in these first healings are more explicitly
associated with the meaning of the Sabbath in the subsequent
ministry of Christ.
The Crippled Woman. The healing of the crippled woman,
reported only by Luke, further clarifies the relationship between
the Sabbath and the Savior's saving ministry. In the brief
narrative (Luke 13:10-17), the Greek verb "luein," usually
translated "to free, to untie, to loose," is used by the Lord
three times, thus suggesting intentional rather than accidental
usage of the term.
The first time, the verb is used by Christ in addressing the
woman: "You are freed from your infirmity" (Luke 13:12,). Twice
again the verb is used by Christ to respond to the indignation of
the ruler of the synagogue: "You hypocrites! Does not each of you
on the Sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead
it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of
Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this
bond on the Sabbath day?" (Luke 13:15-16).
Arguing from a minor to a major case, Christ shows how the
Sabbath had been paradoxically distorted. An ox or an ass could
be legitimately untied on the Sabbath for drinking purposes
(possibly because a day without water would result in loss of
weight and, consequently, of market value), but a suffering woman
could not be released on such a day from the shackles of her
physical and spiritual infirmity.
Christ acted deliberately against prevailing misconceptions
in order to restore the day to God's intended purpose. It should
be noted that in this as well as in all other Sabbath healings,
Christ is not questioning the validity of the Sabbath
commandment; rather, He argues for its true values which had been
obscured by the accumulation of traditions and countless
regulations.
Sabbath Redemption.
The imagery of loosing on the Sabbath a victim bound by
Satan's bonds (Luke 13:16) recalls Christ's announcement of His
mission "to proclaim release to the captives ... to set at
liberty those who are oppressed" (Luke 4:18). Does not Jesus' act
of freeing a daughter of Abraham from her physical and spiritual
bonds on the Sabbath exemplify how the Messianic liberation
typified by the Sabbath was being fulfilled (Luke 4:21)?
The connection between the redemptive typology of the
Sabbath and Jesus' healings on the Sabbath is recognized, for
example, by Paul K. Jewett who rightly observes that "We have in
Jesus' healings on the Sabbath, not only acts of love,
compassion, and mercy, but true 'sabbatical acts,' acts which
show that the messianic Sabbath, the fulfillment of the Sabbath
rest of the Old Testament, has broken into our world. Therefore,
the Sabbath, of all days, is the most appropriate for healing."
46
This fulfillment by Christ of the Old Testament Sabbath does
not imply, as argued by the same author, that "Christians
therefore are ... free from the Sabbath to gather on the first
day," 47 but rather that Christ by fulfilling the redemptive
typology of the Sabbath made the day a fitting memorial of His
redemptive mission. The redemptive meaning of Christ's Sabbath
healings can be seen also in the spiritual ministry Jesus
provides to those whom He heals (cf. Mark 1:25; 2:5; Luke 13:16;
John 5:14; 9:38).
Acts of healing people such as the crippled woman are not
merely acts of love and compassion but true "sabbatical acts"
which reveal how the Messianic redemption typified and promised
by the Sabbath was being fulfilled through Christ's saving
ministry. For all the people blessed by Christ's Sabbath
ministry, the day became the memorial of the healing of their
bodies and souls, the exodus from the bonds of Satan into the
freedom of the Savior.
Some scholars reject this interpretation, arguing that the
comparison between the loosing on the Sabbath of oxen and donkeys
from their cribs for drinking purposes and the freeing of a woman
from Satan's bond suggests that the Sabbath was not a
particularly appropriate day for Christ's works of mercy. They
reason that since the untying and watering of animals took place
daily, irrespective of the Sabbath, Christ's saving acts are
performed, not because it is Sabbath, but in spite of it. 48
Such an argument comes short on at least two counts.
First, the animals are explicitly included among the
beneficiaries of the Sabbath commandment ("your ox, or your ass,
or any of your cattle," - Deut. 5:14; cf. Ex. 20:10). Thus
showing kindness even to dumb beasts was especially appropriate
on the Sabbath. 49
Second, Christ challenges the contention of the ruler of the
synagogue that healing ought to take place only during the "six
days" rather than "on the sabbath day" (Luke 13:14) by affirming
exactly the contrary, namely, that the woman ought to be loosed
from her bond "on the sabbath day" (v.16). This implies that
Christ chose to heal her not in spite of the Sabbath but rather
because the day provided a most fitting occasion. 50
The physical and spiritual freedom that the Savior offered
to that sick woman on the Sabbath represents a token
manifestation of Christ's proclaimed fulfillment of the Sabbath
liberation (Luke 4:18-21), which had dawned with His coming. This
redemptive meaning of the Sabbath is further clarified in other
incidents to be examined. But, before leaving this episode, we
may ask, How did the woman and the people who witnessed Christ's
saving interventions come to view the Sabbath? Luke reports that
while Christ's "adversaries were put to shame; all the people
rejoiced" (Luke 13:17) and the woman "praised God" (Luke 13:13).
Undoubtedly for the healed woman and for all the people blessed
by Christ's Sabbath ministry, the day became the memorial of the
healing of their bodies and souls, of the exodus from the bonds
of Satan into the freedom of the Savior.
Sabbath in Matthew
The Savior's Rest.
Matthew does not introduce any Sabbath episode until almost
halfway through his Gospel. Then he relates two Sabbath pericopes
(Matt 12:1-14) which he connects temporally to Jesus' offer of
His rest: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for
I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matt
11:28-30). To understand the nature of the Savior's rest, it is
important to look at the wider and immediate context.
In the wider context, Jesus' offer of His rest is sandwiched
between several accounts of rejection or opposition: the doubting
of John the Baptist (11:1-6), the rejection by an unbelieving
generation (11:7-19) and by the Galilean cities (11:20-24), the
plotting of Pharisees (12:14), the rejection of Christ's healing
by Pharisees (12:22-37), the rebuke to an unbelieving generation
(12:38-45), and the misunderstanding by His relatives (12:46-50).
In this context of unusual opposition and misunderstanding,
Jesus disclosed His Messianic identity by proclaiming Himself to
be "the Son" who "knows" and "reveals" "the Father" in a unique
way (11:27). To support this Messianic claim, Christ offered the
Messianic rest typified by the Sabbath (11:28-30).
We noted earlier that the Sabbath rest in Old Testament
times served to nourish the hope of Messianic redemption. The
messianic age was expected to be "wholly Sabbath and rest in the
life everlasting." 51 In the light of the existing Messianic
understanding of the Sabbath rest, it appears that Christ, by
offering His rest immediately after His Messianic disclosure
intended to substantiate His Messianic claim by offering what the
Messiah was expected to bring--namely, the peace and rest
typified by the Sabbath.
The Savior's Rest and the Sabbath.
The connection between Jesus' rest and the Sabbath is also
indicated in Matthew by the placement of the former (11:28-30) in
the immediate context of two Sabbath episodes (12:1-14). The two
are connected, as noted by several scholars, not only
structurally but also temporally by the phrase "at that time"
(12:1). 53 The time referred to is a Sabbath day when Jesus and
the disciples went through a field.
The fact that, according to Matthew, Christ offered His rest
on a Sabbath day suggests the possibility that the two are linked
together not only temporally but also theologically. The
theological connection between the two is clarified by the two
Sabbath episodes which serve to explain how the Messianic rest
offered by Jesus is related to the Sabbath. The first story about
the disciples plucking ears of corn on a Sabbath (Matt 12:1-8)
interprets Jesus' rest as redemption-rest, especially through
Christ's appeal to the example of the priests who worked
intensively on the Sabbath in the Temple and yet were "guiltless"
(Matt 12:5). The second story about the healing of the man with
the withered hand interprets Jesus' rest as restoration-rest,
especially through Christ's illustration of the rescuing of a
sheep from a pit on the Sabbath (Matt 12:11-12).
Why were the priests "guiltless" though offering more
services and sacrifices on the Sabbath (Num 28:8, 9)? Certainly
it was not because they took a day off at another time during the
week. No such provision is contemplated in the Old Testament. The
absence of such a provision constitutes a direct challenge to the
one-day-in-seven principle so greatly relied upon by many
Christians to justify Sunday observance on the basis of the
Sabbath commandment. Donald Carson, editor of the scholarly
symposium "From Sabbath to the Lord's Day," acknowledges that "if
the Old Testament principle were really 'one day in seven for
worship and rest' instead of 'the seventh day for worship and
rest,' we might have expected Old Testament legislation to
prescribe some other day off for the priests. The lack of such
confirms the importance in Old Testament thought of the seventh
day, as opposed to the mere one-in-seven principle so greatly
relied upon by those who wish to see in Sunday the precise New
Testament equivalent of the Old Testament Sabbath." 54
The priests performed activities on the Sabbath which per se
were rightly condemned by the commandment; yet they were
guiltless because they were fulfilling the purpose of the
Sabbath, which is to supply the spiritual needs of the people.
But, how could Christ defend His actions as well as those of His
disciples by this example of the service performed by the priests
on the Sabbath, when neither He nor His disciples were fulfilling
the divine law of sacrifices on that day? The answer is found in
the subsequent statement Christ made: "I tell you something
greater than the temple is here" (Matt 12:6).
The symbolic function of the temple and its services had now
found its fulfillment and were superseded by the service of the
True High Priest. Therefore, on the Sabbath, and even by
preference on the Sabbath, Christ also must intensify His
"sacrificial offering," that is to say, His ministry of salvation
on behalf of needy sinners; and what He does His followers, the
new priesthood, must do likewise. In John 7:22-23 Christ
expresses the same concept. As the priest on the Sabbath extends
the blessing of the covenant to the newborn through the act of
circumcision, so Christ on the Sabbath must work for the
salvation of the entire person.
Christ finds in the redemptive work performed typologically
by the priests on the Sabbath a valid basis to justify His own
Sabbath ministry because He views it as "something greater than
the temple" (12:6). The redemption offered typologically through
the Temple services and sacrifices performed by the priests 55
is now being provided realistically through the saving mission of
the Son of Man, the Messiah. 56 Therefore, just as the priests
were "guiltless" in-performing their Sabbath services in the
Temple, so were Jesus' disciples in serving the One who is
greater than the Temple. 57
The Temple and its services provide Jesus with a valid frame
of reference to explain His Sabbath theology. This is because
their redemptive function best exemplified both His Messianic
mission and the divine intended purpose for the Sabbath. In fact,
by identifying His saving mission with the Sabbath, Christ
reveals the ultimate divine purpose of the commandment, namely,
fellowship with God. Through Christ's redemptive ministry, the
Sabbath becomes a time not only to commemorate God's past
creation but also to experience the blessings of salvation by
ministering to the needs of others.
The humanitarian dimension of the Sabbath unfortunately had
largely been forgotten in Christ's day. The claims of rituals had
taken the place of the claims of service to human needs. In the
statement reported by Matthew, Christ openly attacks this
perversion of the Sabbath, saying, "If you had known what this
means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have
condemned the guiltless" (Matt 12:7). For Christ, the disciples
are "guiltless" though they had contravened the Sabbath law of
complete rest because the true meaning of the commandment is
"mercy and not sacrifice."
What do "mercy" and "sacrifice" stand for? The prophet
Hosea, from whose book these words are quoted, rebukes his people
for "seeking the Lord ... with their flocks and herds" (5:6) as
if God could be propitiated by the many costly sacrifices (cf. l
Sam 15:22). The prophet reminds them that what God desires is
"mercy and not sacrifice" (Hos 6:6). This mercy desired by God is
characterized both in the Old and New Testaments by a
compassionate attitude that finds expression in helpful acts. In
the Gospel of Matthew, especially, "mercy" denotes the acts of
aid and relief that members of the covenant community owe to one
another (Matt 5:7; 9:13; 12:7, 23:23). It was this pity and
sympathy for anyone in distress that the Pharisees lacked.
Therefore, the hunger experienced by Christ and His disciples did
not kindle within their hearts any feeling of tenderness or
eagerness to help. Instead, they were condemning the disciples.
This showing of love by acts of kindness represents for
Christ the true observance of the Sabbath, since it acknowledges
the very redemptive activity of God, which the day commemorates.
In fact, as memorial of the divine redemption from both the
bondage of Egypt (Deut 5:15) and the bonds of sin (Luke 4:18-19;
13:16; John 5:17), the Sabbath is the time when believers
experience God's merciful salvation by expressing kindness and
mercy toward others. Therefore, the order of the true Sabbath
service which Christ sets up requires first the living-loving
service of the heart and then the fulfillment of cultic
prescriptions. It is a sobering thought that in the Gospels is
less said about the preaching ministry of Christ on the Sabbath
in the Synagogue and more about His ministry of compassion and
mercy on behalf of needy sinners.
Authority or Legality?
Some scholars argue that Christ used the example of David
and of the priests in order to show His authority to transcend
the Sabbath law rather than to prove the legality of the
disciples' action within that law. For them, "it is a question of
authority rather than of legality" that is at stake in this
passage. 58 The comparison between the priests and Christ is
allegedly supposed to show that "persons with authority" can
override the Sabbath. 59 The ultimate conclusion drawn from such
reasoning is that Christ's authoritative teaching supposedly
anticipates the change in the day of worship, which, however, did
not actually occur until after the resurrection. 60 Such
reasoning reveals a genuine desire to find grounds for Sunday
observance in Christ's teaching, but it cannot be legitimately
supported by Christ's arguments.
Did Christ appeal to the example of David and of the priests
to show that persons of authority have the right to supersede the
Sabbath law? Can human authority per se be regarded as a valid
criterion to transcend God's law? If this were true, there would
be constant conflict between human authority and divine precepts.
Such a conflict, however, does not exist in Jesus' reasoning.
What He tells the Pharisees is not that the law does not apply to
important persons such as David or the priests but, on the
contrary, that their exceptional conduct, like that of the
disciples, is contemplated by the law. This is clearly indicated
by the counter-question Christ asks twice: "Have you not read in
the law ... ?" (Matt 12:5; cf. v.3).
Note that it is within the law (not outside it) that Jesus
finds precedents to defend the legality of the disciples'
conduct. The disciples were "guiltless" then, not because their
authority (or that of Christ) transcended the law, but because
their action fell within the intention of the law itself. David
Hill stresses this point in his comment on Matthew 12:5: "The
verse provides a precedent for the action of the disciples within
the Law itself, and therefore places Jesus securely within the
Law." 61
Christ, the Interpreter of the Law.
All laws must be interpreted. The case of the priests
provides a fitting example. The law ordered them to work on the
Sabbath (Num 28:9; Lev 24:8), thus causing them to break another
law - that of the Sabbath rest (Ex 20:8-10). This means that the
letter of the law cannot be applied indiscriminately, but must be
interpreted discriminately when applied to specific cases. In
American society, the Supreme Court acts as the final interpreter
of the intent of the laws of the land. This is the authority that
Christ claims by proclaiming Himself "Lord of the Sabbath" (Matt
12:8; Mark 2:28). It is not the authority to abrogate or
substitute the Sabbath commandment but rather to reveal its true
divine intention. 62
Christ demonstrates this authority as interpreter of the
true meaning of the Fourth Commandment by presenting five
significant arguments to defend the innocence of His disciples.
First, the Lord refers to David to validate the general
principle that the law admits exceptions (Matt 12:3;
Mark 2:25).
Second, Christ provides a specific example of exceptional
use of the Sabbath by the priests to prove that the commandment
does not preclude but contemplates ministering to the spiritual
needs of people (Matt 12:5).
Third, Christ claims for Himself and His disciples the same
Sabbath privilages of the priests because, as the superior
Antitype of the Temple and its priesthood (Matt 12:6), He and His
followers also, like the priests, must provide a ministry of
salvation to needy sinners.
Fourth, by citing Hosea's statement, "I desire mercy, and
not sacrifice" (Matt 12:7), Jesus explains that the order of
priorities in the observance of the Sabbath is first a loving
service to needy persons and then the fulfillment of ritual
prescriptions.
Lastly, Jesus asserts His lordship over the Sabbath - that
is, His prerogatives interpret its meaning by reaffirming the
fundamental principle that the Sabbath was instituted to insure
human well-being (Mark 2:28). Consequently, to deny human needs
on account of the Sabbath is a perversion of its original
purpose.
The Man with the Withered Hand.
Christ's proclamation of lordship over the Sabbath is
followed immediately by a second healing episode of the man with
the withered hand (Matt 12:9-21; cf. Mark 3 :1 6). The function
of this healing was to demonstrate how Christ exerted His
lordship over the Sabbath by offering Messianic healing and
restoration on that day.
Jesus finds Himself in the synagogue before a man with a
paralyzed hand, brought there in all probability by a deputation
of Scribes and Pharisees. They came to the synagogue, not to
worship, but to scrutinize Christ and "see whether he would heal
him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him" (Mark 3:2).
According to Matthew, they ask Christ the testing question: "Is
it lawful to heal on the sabbath?" (Matt 12:10). Their question
is not motivated by a genuine concern for the sick man, nor by a
desire to explore how the Sabbath is related to the healing
ministry. Rather, they are there as the authority who knows all
the exemptions foreseen by the rabbinic casuistry and who wants
to judge Christ on the basis of the minutiae of their
regulations.
Christ reading their thoughts is "grieved at their hardness
of heart" (Mark 3:5). He accepts the challenge and meets it
fairly and squarely. First, He invites the man to come to the
front, saying, "Come here" (Mark 3:3). This step is possibly
designed to waken sympathy for the stricken man and at the same
time to make sure all are aware of what He is about to do. Then
He asks the experts of the law, "Is it lawful on the sabbath to
do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" (Mark 3:4). To
bring this question into sharper focus, according to Matthew,
Christ adds a second question in the form of a parabolic saying:
"What man of you, if he has one sheep and it falls into a pit on
the sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much
more value is a man than a sheep?" (Matt 12:11,12).
These questions raise an important issue. By the question of
principle, which Christ illustrated with the second question
containing a concrete example, did He intend to abrogate
radically the Sabbath commandment or did He aim at restoring the
institution to its original divine value and function? Most
scholars subscribe to the former option. For example, Leonard
Goppelt emphatically states that "Jesus' double question marks
the end of the Sabbath commandment: it is no longer a statutory
ordinance and it no longer has absolute validity if this
all-embracing, overlapping alternative is valid - namely to save
life." 63
This interpretation rests on the assumption that "to save
life" is contrary to the spirit and function of the Sabbath. Can
this be true? It may perhaps reflect the prevailing misconception
and misuse of the Sabbath, but not the original purpose of the
Sabbath commandment. To accept this supposition would make God
guilty of failing to safeguard the value of life when instituting
the Sabbath.
The Sabbath: A Day to Show Concern.
The original purpose of the Sabbath and its related
institutions is to emphasize the importance of loving one's
neighbor, especially the defenseless. In the various versions of
the Sabbath commandment, for instance, a recurring list of
persons appears to whom freedom to rest on the Sabbath is to be
granted. The ones particularly singled out are usually the
manservant, the maidservant, the son of the bondmaid, the cattle,
and the sojourner and/or alien. This indicates that the Sabbath
was ordained especially to show compassion toward defenseless and
needy beings. "Six days you shall do your work, but on the
seventh you shall rest; that your ox and your ass may have rest
and the son of your bond-maid and the alien may be refreshed" (Ex
23:12).
Niels-Erik Andreasen aptly comments that "the landlord must
be concerned with the human value of his subjects, just as Yahweh
was when he secured freedom for his people." 64 It is indeed
moving that the Sabbath was designed to show concern even for the
cattle, but, Hans Walter Wolf points out, "It is even more
touching that, of all the dependent laborers, the son of the
female slave and the alien are especially singled out. For when
such persons are ordered to work, they have no recourse or
protection. 65
This original dimension of the Sabbath as a day to honor God
by showing concern and compassion to fellow beings had largely
been forgotten in the time of Jesus. The Sabbath had become the
day when correct performance of a ritual was more important than
a spontaneous response to the cry of human needs. Our story
provides a fitting example of this prevailing perversion by
contrasting two types of Sabbath-keepers. On one side stood
Christ "grieved at the hardness of the heart" of his accusers and
taking steps to save the life of a wretched man (Mark 3:4-5). On
the other side stood the experts of the law who, even while
sitting in a place of worship, spent their Sabbath time looking
for faults and thinking of methods to kill Christ (Mark 3:2,6).
This contrast of attitudes may well provide the explanation
to Christ's question about the legitimacy of saving or killing on
the Sabbath (Mark 3:4); the person who is not concerned for the
physical and spiritual salvation of others on the Sabbath is
automatically involved in destructive efforts or attitudes.
Christ's program of Sabbath reform must be seen in the context of
His overall attitude toward the law. In the Sermon on the Mount,
Christ explains that His mission is to restore the various
prescriptions of the law to their original intentions (Matt 5
:17,21ff.). This work of clarifying the intent behind the
commandments was a dire necessity since the accumulation of
traditions had in many cases obscured their original function. As
Christ put it, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment
of God, in order to keep your tradition!" (Mark 7:9).
The fifth commandment, for instance, which enjoins one to
"honor your father and your mother," according to Christ, had
been made void through the tradition of the Corban (Mark
7:12-13). This practice consisted in translating a service or an
obligation to be rendered to one's parents into a gift to be
given to the temple. Likewise, the Sabbath commandment, unless
liberated from the many senseless casuistic restrictions, would
have remained a system for self-righteousness rather than a time
for loving the Creator-Redeemer and one's fellow beings.
By healing the man with the withered hand, Christ not only
clarified the intent of the Sabbath commandment but also
demonstrated how He fulfilled the Messianic restoration which had
been nourished by the celebration of the Sabbath. These
intentional healing acts performed by Christ on behalf of
incurable persons serve to clarify the relationship between the
Savior's rest and the Sabbath.
Summing up, in Matthew the Old Testament Sabbath rest is
seen as being actualized by Christ who offers to His followers
the Messianic rest. The two Sabbath episodes reported by Matthew
qualify the meaning of the Sabbath rest, first as Messianic
redemption through its references to mercy and to Sabbath
services performed by priests, and second, as Messianic
restoration through the example of the Sabbath rescuing of a
sheep and the restoring to health of a sick man. In the light of
this redemptive/Messianic understanding of the Sabbath, how was
the Sabbath observed in the Matthean community and in the
apostolic church as a whole? This question is addressed below in
the final section of this chapter dealing with the manner of
Sabbathkeeping in the Apostolic Church.
.......................
To be continued
NOTE:
The explanations given by Bacchiocchi on Christ and the Sabbath
is EXACTLY as I read and understood them as a young boy. Reading
with a child's mind at age 8,9,10,11 years old, in my "Red-letter
New Testament" (words of Christ in red) given to me as a gift, I
understood the work Jesus did on the Sabbath was intended to
instruct us in the correct way to observe the Sabbath as in
contradiction to the "man made laws of the Jews" via the scribes,
Pharisees, Sadducees, who had perverted the principles and heart
of the fourth commandment. As a child I NEVER thought of these
Christ/Sabbath passages as teaching us that the Sabbath can be
any day of the week or that this fourth commandment was now
"abolished" and hence we could forget about it, as to being
observed. The life and teaching of Christ to me in the Gospels,
as I read it from the mind of a child, was a life and teaching of
the perfect example of obeying all the Ten Commandments,
including the fourth one, which had respect to the 7th day of the
week. It was not until I was 18 (in 1961) years old that the
truth of Sunday being the first day of the week and not the 7th
day, was given to me through my Baptist landlord. Until that time
I believed all that I knew of the "Christian world" was observing
the 7th day of the week in accordance with the words of the
fourth commandment as stated in Exodus 20, and hence that
Christianity was also believing that Jesus in the Gospels taught
NOT that the Sabbath day was abolished, but taught HOW to observe
the Sabbath day in the correct attitude that God had always
wanted mankind to observe it.
What a disgusting SHOCK it was to me to find and read all the
arguments used to either CHANGE the Sabbath from the 7th day to
the 1st day, or to ABOLISH it completely!!
Oh, the heart of man, how deceitful and twisted it can get at
times. But, if you let in the light and Spirit of God, to work in
your mind and heart, you can know the truth and the truth will
set you free. You will then rejoice in the blessedness of the
fourth commandment; you will find rest, and peace, and
refreshment, as you observe the 7th day Sabbath.
Keith Hunt
15. The Sabbath under Crossfire
Christ and Hebrews #3
Continued from previous page:
3. The Sabbath in John
In John's Gospel, the relationship between the Sabbath and
Christ's work of salvation is alluded to in two Sabbath miracles:
the healing of the paralytic (John 5:1-18) and of the blind man
(John 9:1-41). The two episodes are examined together since they
are substantially similar. Both healed men had been chronically
ill: one an invalid for 38 years (John 5:5) and the other blind
from birth (John 9:2). In both instances, Christ told the men to
act. To the paralyzed man He said, "Rise, take up your pallet,
and walk" (John 5:8); to the blind man, "Go, wash in the pool of
Siloam" (John 9:7). Both of these actions represent breaking
rabbinical Sabbath laws, and thus both are used by Pharisees to
charge Christ with Sabbath-breaking (John 5:10,16; 9:14-16). In
both instances, Christ repudiated such a charge by arguing that
His works of salvation are not precluded but rather contemplated
by the Sabbath commandment (John 5:17; 7:23; 9:4). Christ's
justification is expressed especially through a memorable
statement: "My Father is working until now and I am working"
(John 5:17; cf. 9:4).
Negation or Clarification of the Sabbath?
What did Christ mean when He formally defended Himself
against the charge of Sabbathbreaking by appealing to the
"working until now" of His Father? Did He use the example of His
Father to rescind the obligation of Sabbathkeeping both for
Himself and for His followers or to clarify its true nature and
meaning? To put it bluntly, does Christ's statement represent a
negation or a clarification of the Sabbath law?
In a previous study I showed that the "working until now" of
the Father and of the Son has historically received three basic
interpretations: (1) continuous creation, (2) continuous care,
and (3) redemptive activities. 66 The exponents of these three
views basically agree in regarding Christ's pronouncement as an
implicit (for some, explicit) annulment of the Sabbath
commandment. Does such a conclusion reflect the legitimate
meaning of the passage or rather arbitrary assumptions which have
been read into the passage? To answer this question and to
understand the significance of Christ's saying, we briefly
examine the role of the adverb "until now" - heos arti, the
meaning of the verb "is working"--ergazetai, and the theological
implications of the passage.
The Adverb "Until Now."
Traditionally, the adverbial phrase "until now" has been
interpreted as the continuous working of God (whether it be in
creation, preservation, or redemption) which allegedly overrides
or rescinds the Sabbath law. But the adverb itself ("until"),
especially as used in Greek in its emphatic position before the
verb, presupposes not constancy but culmination. The latter is
brought out by some translators through the use of the emphatic
form "even until now." 67
This adverbial phrase presupposes a beginning (terminus a
quo) and an end (terminus ad quem). The former is apparently the
initial creation Sabbath (Gen 2:2-3) and the latter the final
Sabbath rest envisaged in a similar Sabbath pronouncement as the
"night ... when no one can work" (9:4). What Jesus is saying,
then, is that though God rested on the Sabbath at the completion
of creation, because of sin He has been "working until now" to
bring the promised Sabbath rest to fruition.
The Verb "Is Working."
The meaning of the verb "is working" until now of the Father
is clarified by John's references to the working and works of God
which are repeatedly and explicitly identified, not with a
continuous divine creation nor with a constant maintenance of the
universe, but with the saving mission of Christ.
Jesus explicitly states: "This is the work of God, that you
believe in him whom he has sent" (John 6:29). And again, "If I am
not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if
I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works,
that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I
am in the Father" (John 10:37,38; cf. 4:34; 14:11; 15:24;).
The redemptive nature of the works of God is evident in the
healing of the blind man since the act is explicitly described as
the manifestation of "the works of God" (John 9:3). This means
then that God ended on the Sabbath His works of creation but not
His working, in general. Because of sin, He has been engaged in
the work of redemption "until now." To use the words of A. T.
Lincoln, one might say, "As regards the work of creation God's
rest was final, but as that rest was meant for humanity to enjoy,
when it was disturbed by sin, God worked in history to accomplish
his original purpose." 68
Theological Implications.
Christ appeals to the "working" of His Father not to nullify
but to clarify the function of the Sabbath. To understand
Christ's defense, one must remember that the Sabbath is linked
both to creation (Gen 2:2-3; Ex 20:11) and redemption (Deut
5:15). While by interrupting all secular activities the Israelite
was remembering the Creator-God, by acting mercifully toward
fellow-beings he was imitating the Redeemer-God. This was true
not only in the life of the people, in general, who on the
Sabbath were to be compassionate toward the less fortunate, but
especially in the service of the priest who could legitimately
perform on the Sabbath works forbidden to other Israelites,
because such works had a redemptive function.
On the basis of this theology of the Sabbath admitted by the
Jews, Christ defends the legality of the "working" that He and
His Father perform on the Sabbath. In John, Christ appeals to the
example of circumcision to silence the echo of the controversy
over the healing of the paralytic (John 7:22-24). The Lord argues
that if it is legitimate on the Sabbath for the priests to care
for one small part of man's body (according to rabbinic
reckoning, circumcision involved one of man's 248 members) 69 in
order to extend to the newborn child the salvation of the
covenant, 70 there is no reason to be "angry" with Him for
restoring on that day the "whole body of man" (John 7:23).
For Christ, the Sabbath is the day to work for the
redemption of the whole man. This is borne out by the fact that
in both healings, Christ looked for the healed men on the same
day and, having found them, He ministered to their spiritual need
(John 5:14; 9:35-38). Christ's opponents cannot perceive the
redemptive nature of His Sabbath ministry because they "judge by
appearances" (John 7:24). For them, the pallet and the clay are
more important than the social reunion (5:10) and the restoration
of sight (John 9:14) which those objects symbolized. It was
necessary therefore for Christ to act against prevailing
misconceptions in order to restore the Sabbath to its positive
function.
In the Sabbath healing of the blind man recorded in John 9,
Christ extends to His followers the invitation to become links of
the same redemptive chain, saying: "We must work the works of him
who sent me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work"
(v.4). The "night" apparently refers to the conclusion of the
history of salvation, a conclusion which we found implied in the
adverbial phrase "until now." Such a conclusion of divine and
human redemptive activity would usher in the final Sabbath of
which the creation Sabbath was a prototype.
To bring about that final Sabbath, the Godhead "is working"
for our salvation (John 5:17); but "we must work" to extend it to
others (John 9:4).
The foregoing considerations indicate that the two Sabbath
healings reported by John substantiate the redemptive meaning of
the Sabbath we found earlier in Luke and Matthew--namely, a time
to experience and share the blessings of salvation accomplished
by Christ.
4. The Sabbath in Hebrews
The redemptive meaning of the Sabbath we found in the
Gospels is reflected in Hebrews 4:1-11 where the author draws
upon existing eschatological understandings of the Sabbath rest
to relate God's rest of the seventh day of creation (Heb 4:4) to
all the rest and peace God intends to confer on His people. The
discussion of the Sabbath in Hebrews is crucial to our study
because it reveals how Sabbathkeeping was understood and
experienced by the New Testament church.
In Chapter 3, we examined how the Sabbath in Hebrews relates
to the discussion about the Old and New Covenants. At this
juncture, our concern is to establish if the meaning of
Sabbathkeeping in Hebrews reflects the same redemptive meaning of
the Sabbath we have found in the Gospels.
The relationship between the Sabbath and the Savior is
established by the author of Hebrews by linking together Genesis
2:2 with Psalm 95:7,11. By means of these two texts the writer of
Hebrews explains that the Sabbath rest offered at creation (Heb
4:4) was not exhausted when the Israelites under Joshua found a
resting place in Canaan, since God offered again His rest "long
afterwards" through David (Heb 4:7; cf. Ps 95:7). Consequently,
God's promised Sabbath rest still awaited a fuller realization
which has dawned with the coming of Christ (Heb 4:9). It is by
believing in Jesus Christ that God's people can at last
experience ("enter"--Heb 4:3,10,11) the "good news" of God's rest
promised on the "seventh day" of creation (Heb 4:4).
Literal or Figurative Sabbathkeeping?
What inference can be legitimately drawn from this passage
regarding the actual observance and understanding of the Sabbath
among the recipients of Hebrews? The position of the majority of
commentators is that this passage provides no indication that
these "Hebrew" Christians actually observed the Sabbath or that
the author intended to give a Christian interpretation to such an
observance. We find this to be the position of Ratzlaff who
submits five reasons against a literal interpretation of
"sabbatismos--Sabbathkeeping" (Heb 4:9). Since we have already
dealt with Ratzlaff s reasons in chapter 3, at this juncture we
wish to consider three other basic reasons advanced to support a
figurative interpretation of the Sabbath rest in Hebrews.
First, some argue that since the author of Hebrews discusses
not the actual observance of the Sabbath but the permanence and
the fulfillment of its rest through the Christ-event, no
inference can be drawn regarding its literal observance.
Second, some point out that since "the Sabbath rest that
remains for the people of God" (Heb 4:9) is a future realization,
the exhortation to enter God's rest (Heb 4:10, 11) has no
implication for the present observance of the day.
Third, some assume that since the author of Hebrews in a
number of instances indicates that, with the coming of Christ,
certain Old Covenant institutions were made "obsolete" (Heb 8:13;
7:11-9:28), the Sabbath was presumably among those "obsolete"
institutions.
None of these arguments are convincing. The first argument
fails to recognize that the recipients of the Epistle (whether
Gentiles or Jewish-Christians) were so attracted to Jewish
liturgy (of which the Sabbath was a fundamental part) that it was
unnecessary for the author to discuss or to encourage its actual
observance. What those "Hebrew" Christians actually needed,
tempted as they were to turn back to Judaism 73 was to
understand the meaning of Sabbath observance in the light of
Christ's coming.
With regards to the second argument, one can hardly say that
in Hebrews the Sabbath rest is viewed primarily as a future
benefit, unrelated to the present observance of the day. The
Sabbath rest that "remains for the people of God" (Heb 4:9) is
presented primarily as a present experience into which those "who
have believed are entering" (Heb 4:3). The verb "are entering"
(Heb 4:3) is in the present tense and, in Greek, is placed first
in the sentence to stress the present reality of this "rest"
experience. The same is true of the verb "remains" (Heb 4:9). If
taken out of context, it could imply a future prospect; but in
its present context, it refers back to the time of Joshua (Heb
4:8) in order to emphasize the present permanence of the Sabbath
rest for God's people.
Obsolete or Remaining?
This leads us to the third argument, which maintains that
the Sabbath is an Old Testament shadow or type of the salvation
rest which Christ has fulfilled and, consequently, its function
terminated with His coming.
Does Hebrews teach that the Sabbath, like the temple and its
services, lived out its function with the coming of Christ? Or
did the Sabbath acquire fresh meaning and function with His
coming? Our study of the Sabbath material of the Gospels shows
that Christ fulfilled the typological and eschatological
Messianic Sabbath rest and release, not by annulling the actual
observance of the day, but by making it a time to experience and
share His accomplished salvation.
Let us now look at what Hebrews has to say on this point.
There is no question that the author clearly teaches that
Christ's coming has brought about "a decisive discontinuity" with
the sacrifical system of the Old Covenant. In chapters 7 to 10,
the writer of Hebrews explains at great length how Christ's
atoning sacrifice and subsequent heavenly ministry have replaced
completely the typological ("copy and shadow"-Heb 8:5) function
of the levitical priesthood and its Temple. These services Christ
"abolished" (Heb 10:9). Thus they are "obsolete" and "ready to
vanish away" (Heb 8:13). But, does the writer of Hebrews place
the Sabbath in the same category, viewing it as one of the
"obsolete" Old Covenant institutions? This is indeed the
conclusion that many have drawn, but it can hardly be supported
by a careful study of the passage.
The "sabbatismos-Sabbath rest" is explicitly and
emphatically presented, not as being "obsolete" like the Temple
and its services, but as being a divine benefit that still
"remains" (Heb 4:9). We noted in Chapter 3 that the verb
"remains--apoleipetai" is a present passive tense which literally
translated means "has been left behind." Thus, literally
translated, Hebrews 4:9 reads as follows: "So then a
Sabbath-keeping has been left behind for the people of God."
The contrast between the Sabbath and the sanctuary services is
obvious. While the latter are "obsolete," the former is "left
behind" and, therefore, is still relevant. A similar contrast is
found in the Gospel of Matthew. There the rending of the Temple
curtain in conjunction with Christ's death (Matt 27:51) indicates
the termination of the Temple services. On the other hand,
Christ's warning about the possibility that the future flight out
of the city might occur on a Sabbath (Matt 24:20) takes for
granted the permanence of its observance.
The exhortation given in verse 11 to "strive to enter that
rest" provides an additional indication of the permanence of the
Sabbath. The fact that one must make an effort "to enter that
rest" implies that the "rest" experience of the Sabbath is not
exhausted in the present but has a future realization also. This
Christian view of the Sabbath rest as representing not only a
present but also a future "rest" experience reflects to a large
extent what we have already found in the Old Testament and in
later Jewish literature. There we noted that the Sabbath was
understood not only as a present experience of personal rest and
liberation from social injustices but also as the anticipation of
the future rest and peace to be realized by the Messiah. Thus, in
his own way, the author of Hebrews reaffirms the Old Testament
understanding of the Sabbath in a fresh Christian settingnamely,
a day to experience the present rest of salvation while looking
forward to the future and final rest in the heavenly Canaan.
Literal or Spiritual Sabbathkeeping?
What is the nature of the "Sabbath rest" that is still
outstanding for God's people (4:9)? Is the writer thinking of a
literal or spiritual type of Sabbathkeeping? The passage provides
two important indications that support a literal understanding of
Sabbathkeeping as a faith response to God. Since we have already
discussed at some length both of these indications in Chapter 3,
we only briefly mention them in this context.
The first indication is the usage of the term "sabbatismos-
Sabbathkeeping" found in Hebrews 4:9. Though the term occurs only
in Hebrews 4:9 in the New Testament, it is used in secular and
Christian literature as a technical term for literal
Sabbathkeeping? 74 Consequently, the usage of
"sabbatismos-Sabbathkeeping" in verse 9 makes it abundantly clear
that the writer of Hebrews is thinking of a literal Sabbath
observance.
The second indication is the description of the Sabbath rest
as cessation from work which is found in verse 10: "For whoever
enters God's rest also ceases from his labors as God did from
his" (Heb 4:10). Historically, the majority of commentators have
interpreted the cessation from work of Hebrews 4:10 in a
figurative sense, as "abstention from servile work," meaning
sinful activities. 76 Thus, Christian Sabbathkeeping means not
the interruption of daily work on the seventh day but the
abstention from sinful acts at all times.
In support of this view, appeal is made to Hebrews'
reference to "dead works" (Heb 6:1; 9:14). Such a concept,
however, cannot be read back into Hebrews 4:10 where a comparison
is made between the divine and the human cessation from "works."
It would be absurd to think that God ceased from "sinful deeds."
The point of the analogy, as indicated in Chapter 3, is simply
that as God ceased on the seventh day from His creation work, so
believers are to cease on the same day from their labors.
This is a simple statement of the nature of Sabbathkeeping
which essentially involves cessation from works.
The Meaning of Sabbathkeeping.
Is the author of Hebrews merely encouraging his readers to
interrupt their secular activities on the Sabbath? Considering
the concern of the writer to counteract the tendency of his
readers to adopt Jewish liturgical customs as a means to gain
access to God, he could hardly have emphasized solely the
physical "cessation" aspect of Sabbathkeeping. This aspect yields
only a negative idea of rest, one which would only serve to
encourage existing Judaizing tendencies. Obviously, then, the
author attributes a deeper meaning to the act of resting on the
Sabbath.
The deeper meaning can be seen in the antithesis the author
makes between those who failed to enter into God's rest because
of "unbelief-apeitheias" (Heb 4:6,11) - that is, faithlessness
which results in disobedience - and those who enter it by "faith-
pistei" (Heb 4:2,3) - that is, faithfulness that results in
obedience.
The act of resting on the Sabbath for the author of Hebrews
is not merely a routine ritual (cf. "sacrifice"--Matt 12:7), but
rather a faithresponse to God. Such a response entails not the
hardening of one's heart (Heb 4:7) but the making of oneself
available to "hear his voice" (Heb 4:7). It means experiencing
God's salvation rest not by works but by faith, not by doing but
by being saved through faith (Heb 4:2,3,11). On the Sabbath, as
John Calvin aptly expresses it, believers are "to cease from
their work to allow God to work in them." 77
The Sabbath rest that remains for the people of God (4:9) is
not a mere day of idleness, for the author of Hebrews, but rather
an opportunity renewed every week to enter God's rest - to free
oneself from the cares of work in order to experience freely by
faith God's creation and redemption rest. The Sabbath experience
of the blessings of salvation is not exhausted in the present,
since the author exhorts his readers to "strive to enter that
rest" (Heb 4:11). This dimension of the future Sabbath rest shows
that Sabbathkeeping in Hebrews expresses the tension between the
"already" and the "not yet," between the present experience of
salvation and its eschatological consummation in the heavenly
Canaan.
This expanded interpretation of Sabbathkeeping in the light
of the Christ event was apparently designed to wean Christians
away from a too materialistic understanding of its observance. To
achieve this objective, the author of Hebrews on the one hand
reassures his readers of the permanence of the blessings
contemplated by the Sabbath rest and, on the other hand, explains
that the nature of these blessings consists in experiencing both
a present salvation-rest and the future restoration-rest which
God offers to those "who have believed" (Heb 4:3).
It is evident that for the author of Hebrews, the
Sabbathkeeping that remains for New Covenant Christians is not
only a physical experience of cessation from work on the seventh
day, but also a faith response, a yes "today" response to God. As
Karl Barth eloquently explains it, the act of resting on Sabbath
is an act of resignation to our human efforts to achieve
salvation in order "to allow the omnipotent grace of God to have
the first and last word at every point." 78
Hebrews' interpretation of the Sabbath rest reflects to a large
extent the redemptive understanding of the day we found earlier
in the Gospels. Christ's great promise to have come to offer the
expected sabbatical "release" (Luke 4:18) and "rest" (Matt 11:28)
represents the core of the "Sabbath rest" available "today" to
God's people (Heb 4:7, 9). Similarly, Christ's assurance that He
and His Father are "working until now" (John 5:17) to realize the
final Sabbath rest is reflected in the exhortation to "strive to
enter that rest" (Heb 4:1).
The fact that Hebrews 4 reflects the gospel understanding of
the Sabbath as a time to experience the blessings of salvation,
which will be fully realized at the end of our earthly
pilgrimage, shows that the Sabbath was understood in the
Apostolic Church as a time to celebrate God's creative and
redemptive love.
How did New Testament believers observe the Sabbath in the
light of its expanded redemptive meaning derived from Christ's
ministry? Initially, most Christians attended Sabbath services at
the Jewish synagogue (Acts 13:14,43,44; 17:2; 18:4). Gradually,
however, Christians established their own places of worship.
Matthew suggests that the process of separation had already begun
at the time of his writing, because he speaks of Christ entering
"their synagogue" (Matt 12:9). The pronoun "their" suggests that
the Matthean community as a whole no longer shared in Sabbath
services at the Jewish synagogue by the time the Gospel was
written. Presumably, they had organized their own meeting places
of worship by then.
5. The Manner of Sabbathkeeping
The distinction in Sabbathkeeping between Christian and
Jewish communities soon became not only topological but also
theological. The various Sabbath pericopes reported in the
Gospels reflect the existence of an ongoing controversy between
the Christian congregations and the Jewish synagogues which, in
some cases, may have been located across the street from one
another. The controversy centered primarily on the manner of
Sabbathkeeping in the light of Christ's teachings and example.
Was the day to be observed primarily as "sacrifice," that is, as
an outward fulfillment of the Sabbath law? Or was the Sabbath to
be observed as "mercy," that is, as an occasion to show
compassion and do good to those in need? (Matt 12:7).
A Day to Do Good.
To defend the Christian understanding of Sabbathkeeping as a
day to celebrate Messianic redemption by showing "mercy" and
doing "good" to those in need, the Evangelists appeal to the
example and teaching of Jesus. For example, in the healing of the
crippled woman, Luke contrasts two different concepts of
Sabbathkeeping: that of the ruler of the synagogue versus that of
Christ. For the ruler, the Sabbath consisted of rules to obey
rather than people to love (Luke 13:14). For Christ, the Sabbath
was a day to bring physical and spiritual liberation to needy
people (Luke 13:12, 16).
Christ challenged the Ruler's misconception by appealing to
the accepted customs of watering animals on the Sabbath. If the
daily needs of animals could be met on the Sabbath, how much more
the needs of "a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen
years"! Shouldn't she "be loosed from this bond on the sabbath
day?" (Luke 13:16).
This humanitarian understanding of the Sabbath is also
expressed in the episode of the healing of the man with the
withered hand, reported by all the three Synoptics (Mark 3:1-6;
Matt 12:9-14; Luke 6:6-11). In this instance, Jesus responds to
the testing question posed by a deputation of Scribes and
Pharisees regarding the legitimacy of healing on the Sabbath by
asking a question of principle: "Is it lawful on the sabbath, to
do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" (Mark 3:4; Luke
6:9).
It is noteworthy that in both Mark and Luke, Christ
substitutes for the verb "to heal" (therapeuein), used in the
question, the verbs "to do good" (agathopoiein) and "to save"
(sozein). The reason for this change is Christ's concern to
include not one type but all kinds of benevolent activities
within the intention of the Sabbath commandment. Such a broad
interpretation of the function of the Sabbath finds no parallel
in rabbinic concessions.
A Day of Benevolent Service.
According to Matthew, Christ illustrated the principle of
Sabbathkeeping as a time of benevolent service by adding a second
question that contains a concrete example: "What man of you, if
he has one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath, will not
lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man
than a sheep!" (Matt 12:11-12). Both by the question of principle
and by its illustration, Christ reveals the original value of the
Sabbath as a day to honor God by showing concern and compassion
for others. The believer who on the Sabbath experiences the
blessing of salvation automatically is moved "to save" and not
"to kill" others.
Christ's accusers, by failing to show concern for the
physical and spiritual well-being of others on the Sabbath,
revealed their defective understanding and experience of God's
Holy Day. Rather than celebrating God's goodness on the Sabbath
by being involved in a saving ministry, they engaged in
destructive efforts, looking for faults and devising methods to
kill Christ (Mark 3:2-6).
The new Christian understanding of the Sabbath as a time of
active, loving service to needy souls, rather than of passive
idleness, represents a radical departure from contemporary Jewish
Sabbathkeeping. This is attested to also in an early document
known as the "Epistle to Diognetus" (dates between A.D. 130-200),
where the Jews are charged with "speaking falsely of God" because
they claim that "He [God] forbade us [Christians] to do what is
good on the Sabbath-day - how is not this impious?" 79 This
positive humanitarian understanding of Sabbathkeeping is rooted
in Christ's fulfillment of the redemptive typology of the
Sabbath, which is brought out in the Gospels.
Conclusion
The preceding study of the relationship between the Sabbath
and the Savior shows that both in the Old and New Testaments the
Sabbath is closely linked to Christ's redemptive mission. In the
Old Testament, various themes - such as Sabbath peace and
prosperity, the Sabbath rest, the Sabbath liberation, and the
sabbatical structure of time - indicate that, in Old Testament
times, the weekly and annual Sabbaths served to epitomize and
nourish the hope of Messianic redemption.
In the New Testament, the coming of Christ is seen as the
actualization, the realization of the redemptive typology of the
Sabbath. Through His redemptive mission, Christ offers to
believers the expected sabbatical "release" (Luke 4:18) and
"rest" (Matt 11:28). In the light of the Cross, the Sabbath
memorializes not only God's creative but also His redemptive
accomplishments for mankind. Thus, "the Sabbath rest that remains
for the people of God" (Heb 4:9) is not only a physical cessation
from work to commemorate God's perfect creation, but also a
spiritual entering into God's rest (Heb 4:10) made possible
through Christ's complete redemption. The physical act of resting
becomes the means through which believers experience the
spiritual rest. We cease from our daily work on the Sabbath to
allow God to work in us more freely and fully.
In the New Testament, the Sabbath is not nullified but
clarified and amplified by Christ's teaching and saving ministry.
Viewing the rest and redemption typified by the Old Testament
Sabbath as realized by Christ's redemptive mission, New Testament
believers regarded Sabbathkeeping as a day to celebrate and
experience the Messianic redemption-rest by showing "mercy" and
doing "good" to those in need. This means that for believers
today, the Sabbath is the day to celebrate not only God's
creation by resting, but also Christ's redemption by acting
mercifully toward others.
In an age when the forces of chaos and disorder increasingly
appear to prevail - when injustice, greed, violence, corruption,
crime, suffering, and death seem to dominate - God through the
Sabbath reassures His people that these destructive forces will
not triumph because "there remains a sabbath rest for the people
of God" (Heb 4:9). Through the Sabbath, God reassures us that He
is in control of this world, working out His ultimate purpose.
God tells us that He conquered chaos at creation, that He has
liberated His people from the bonds of sin and death through the
saving mission of His Son, and that He "is working until now"
(John 5:17) in order to establish a New World where "from sabbath
to sabbath all flesh shall come to worship before God" (Is
66:23). In that final Sabbath, as eloquently expressed by
Augustine, "we shall rest and see, see and love, love and
praise."
.......................
NOTE:
Notes to chapter 4 are on the next page.
It is mind-blowing how many arguments people come up with to "do
away with" the FOURTH commandment. I think Samuele Bacchiocchi
and myself have answered just about all of them in the studies
under the Sabbath question on this Website. The 7th day Sabbath
was sanctified and holy from the beginning in the work God did to
create the present world in its physical state. The Sabbaths of
the Lord were a very important part of the type of the Kingdom of
God on earth under the nation of Israel. Jesus in His life time
on earth made it a custom to attend the synagogue on the Sabbath.
He upheld the Sabbath, gave not one word that it was ever going
to be abolished in this New Covenant age. Not one single verse in
the NT says the 4th commandment is abolished or changed from the
7th day to the 1st day of the week. There was never any
"ministerial conference" (like for the issue of physical
circumcision - Acts 15) to debate or officially render the 7th
day Sabbath as obsolete or taken out of the list of the Ten
Commandments or changed to the 1st day of the week.
Those who sit up nights dreaming up ideas to teach people that
the 7th day Sabbath is NOT to be obeyed by Christians today, are
very much in danger of what Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-20 and
will be on the outside looking in and saying, "But we did this in
your name, and we did works in your name." And Jeuss will look at
them and say, "I do not know you; depart from me you workers of
lawlessness (as the Greek is) - Mat.7:21-23.
You can soon find the Bible definitions of "law" -
"righteousness" - "sin" - "commandments" - "unrighteousness" -
"lawlessness" - by taking some time with Strong's Concordance of
the Bible and looking up every place in the Bible where those
words can be found. Now that is real Bible study work. Why not
put down and stop reading the books on "How to Study the Bible"
by this guy and that fellow, and just do some simple old
fashioned Bible study as mentioned above.
For those with a mind of a child, the fourth commandment is still
a part of the great Ten Commandments, simple to read, and
understand, and obey. But the carnal mind just does not want to
give up 24 hours to God and working the work of the Sabbath. The
carnal mind wants every single minute of every single day, every
single day of the week, to itself, to do what it wants to do.
I pray you will overcome your carnal mind and let the mind of
Christ be in you (Philip.2:5).
For the notes of Bacchiocchi's chapter 4 see the next page.
Keith Hunt (September 2009)
The Sabbath under CrossfireNotes for Chapter 4
NOTES FOR CHAPTER 4
1. Herbert W. Richardson, Toward an American Theology (New York,
1967), p. 139.
2. For my analysis of the Messianic typologies of the Sabbath in
the Old Testament, see Divine Rest for Human Restlessness (Rome,
1980), pp.134-145; also "Sabbatical Typologies of Messianic
Redemption," Journal for the Study of Judaism, vol. 17, no. 2
(1987).
3. See also Is 11:7-9; 65:25; Hos 2:20.
4. The Babylonian Talmud, Shabbath 12a; cf. also 12b.
5. Mishnah, Shabbath 6:2. The quotations are taken from The
Mishnah, ed. Herbert Danby (London, 1933).
6. For a convenient collection of texts, see Joseph Klausmer, The
Messianic Idea in Israel (New York, 1955), pp.43-44, 62-63,
85-86, 99101, 158-160, 175-177, 283-284, 342-345, 377-378,
409-410, 505-512. The Book of the Secrets of Enoch, an apocryphon
of the Old Testament composed between A.D. 1-50, alludes to the
seven-day millennial scheme. It says: "And I blessed the seventh
day which is the Sabbath ... God shows Enoch the age of this
world, its existence of seven thousand years" (32:3). A similar
scheme was developed by the rabbis. Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer
asserts: "The Holy One, blessed be He, created seven aeons, and
of them all He chose the seventh aeon only; the six aeons are for
the going in and coming out .... The seventh aeon is entirely
Sabbath and rest in the life everlasting" (trans. Gerald
Friedlander [New York, 1971], p.141). See also Shabbath 30b;
Kethubboth l l lb.
7. For my analysis of Barnabas and of the patristic
interpretation of the cosmic Sabbath, see From Sabbath to Sunday
(Rome, 1977), pp. 218-223, 278-285.
8. Tosephta Shabbat 16:22 reads: "Beth Shammai says:
'Contributions for the poor are not allotted on the Sabbath in
the synagogue, even a dowry to marry an orphan young man to an
orphan young woman. Quarrels between husband and wife are not
adjudicated and one does not pray for the sick on the Sabbath.'
Beth Hillel permits these activities."
9. Theodore Friedman, "The Sabbath: Anticipation of Redemption,"
Judaism 16 (1967): 445.
10. The Midrash on Psalms, trans. William G. Braude (New Haven,
1959), vol.2, p.112. In a similar vein, Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer
says: "He created the seventh day, (but) not for work, because it
is not said in connection therewith, `And it was evening and it
was morning.' Why? For it is reserved for the generations (to
come), as it is said, `And there shall be one day which is known
unto the Lord; not day and not night' (Zech 14:7)" (trans. Gerald
Friedlander [New York, 1971], p.137). Cf. also Shabbath 1 lb;
Berakhoth 58b; Rosh Hashanah 31a. Church Fathers also took notice
of the absence of any mention of "evening and morning" in
conjunction with the seventh day of creation and interpreted it
as representing the future eternal peace and rest of the saints.
For example, Augustine in his Confessions offers this sublime
prayer: "O Lord God, grant Thy peace unto us ... the peace of
rest, the peace of the Sabbath, which hath no evening. For all
this most beautiful order of things ... is to pass away, for in
them there was morning and evening. But the seventh day is
without any evening, nor hath any setting, because Thou hast
sanctified it to an everlasting continuance; that that which Thou
didst after Thy works, which were very good, resting on the
seventh day ... that we also after our works (therefore very
good, because Thou has given them unto us) may repose in Thee
also in the Sabbath of eternal life" (The Confessions of St.
Augustine 13, 50-51, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, ed. Philip
Schaff [Grand Rapids, 1979], first series v.l , p.207). See also
Augustine's City of God, book 22, chapter 30.
11. Bereshith Rabbah 12:6.
12. According to the Midrash, the Sabbath acted as Adam's savior
when God was about to destroy him on Friday evening on account of
his sin: "At that moment the Sabbath arrived and became Adam's
advocate, saying to the Holy One, blessed be He: `During the six
days of Creation no one suffered punishment. And wilt Thou begin
it with me? Is this my holiness? Is this my rest?'And thus Adam
was saved by the Sabbath's plea from destruction in Gehenna. When
Adam saw the power of the Sabbath, he was about to sing a hymn in
her honor"( The Midrash on Psalms, trans. William G. Braude [New
Haven, 1959], vol, 2, p.112).
13. The redemptive role of the Sabbath is reflected especially in
the belief expressed by R. Eliezer of Modihim, that if Israel
kept the Sabbath, the Lord would give her the land of Israel, the
kingdom of the house of David, the future world, the new world
(Mekilta, Vayassah 5:6673). See also Shabbath 118b, 119b, 3a;
Mishnah Aboth 5:8; Jubilees 2:28. 14. See, for example, Bereshith
Rabbah 3:6; 11:2. For other sources, see Louis Ginzberg, Legends
of the Jews (Philadelphia, 1946), vol.5, p.8, n. 19.
15. Dale Ratzlaff, Sabbath in Crisis (Applegate, California,
1990), p.24.
16. See The Midrash on Psalms (n. 12), vol.2, p.112; Pirke de
Rabbi Eliezer (n. 10), p.144.
17. Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern
Man (New York, 1951), p.23.
18. On the development of the rest-theme in the Old Testament,
see Gerhard von Rad, "There Remains Still a Rest for the People
of God," in The Problem of the Hexateuch and Other Essays (New
York, 1966), pp.94-102.
19. Ernst Jenni, Die Theologische Begrundung des Sabbatgebotes im
Alten Testament (Zurich, 1956), p.282.
20. The Midrash on Psalms (n. 12), vol.2, p.113.
21. The author of Hebrews presents what may be called three
different levels of meaning of the Sabbath rest: creation-rest
(4:3), national-rest (4:6, 8), redemption-rest (4:3,7,9,10). For
my analysis of the passage, see Samuele Bacchiocchi, Divine Rest
for Human Restlessness (Rome, 1980), pp.135-136, 164-170; idem,
From Sabbath to Sunday (Rome, 1977), pp.63-69.
22. Sanhedrin 97a.
23. Mishnah Tamid 7:4. 24. Ibid.
25. See Mishnah Pesahim 10:5. The underlying connection among the
Sabbath, Passover, and the Day of Atonement appears to be not
only theological (i.e., redemption motif) and terminological
(i.e., Shabbath designation) but presumably also numerical. Saul
J. Berman notes that "The fact that the Jewish calendar can be
begun with either the month of Tishrei or with the month of
Nissan will allow us to recognize a further relationship of the
term, 'Shabbat,' to the number seven. Counting from the month of
Tishrei, the seventh month, Nissan, contains a Shabbat, namely
Pesah. Counting the months of the year from Nissan yields Tishrei
as the seventh month, and that month too, contains a Shabbath,
Yom Kippur ... Pesah, in the seventh month from Tishrei, and Yom
Kippur, in the seventh month from Nissan, together constitute the
Sabbath of months" ("The Extended Notion of the Sabbath," Judaism
22 (1973): 343). The weekly Sabbath appears then to share in
common the theme of redemption with the Sabbath of months and the
Sabbath of years (sabbatical and jubilee years).
26. For a perceptive discussion of the redemptive features of the
Sabbath years, see George Wesley Buchanan, Revelation and
Redemption (Dillsboro, North Carolina, 1978), pp.9-10; idem, The
Consequences of the Covenant (Leiden, 1970), p.18.
27. Robert B. Sloan, The Favorable Year of the Lord: A Study of
Jubilary Theology in the Gospel of Luke (Austin, Texas, 1977).
28. Julian Morgenstern maintains that "in all likelihood the
'great trumpet' (Is 27:13), a blast from which would inaugurate a
new and happier era for conquered and dispersed Israel, was a
yobel. All this suggests cogently that the ram's-horn trumpet was
of unusual character, used only upon extraordinary occasions and
for some particular purpose (cf. Ex 19:13) ... This year acquired
its name just because this unique, fiftieth year was ushered in
by this blast upon the yobel, whereas the commencement of
ordinary years was signalized only by a blast upon a shophar (2
Sam 15:10; cf. Lev 23:24)" (The Interpreter's Dictionary of the
Bible [Nashville, 1962], s. v. "Jubilee, Year of," vol.2, p.
1001).
29. Behodesh Hashebihi 172a, cited in George W. Buchanan,
Revelation and Redemption (Dillsboro, North Carolina, 1978), p.
13.
30. The term and concept of "sabbatical eschatology" is used and
explained by Buchanan, in Revelation and Redemption (note 26),
pp.3-6; also idem, The Consequences of the Covenant (note 30),
pp.9-17.
31. The terms "sabbatical messianism" and "chronomessianism" are
used by Ben Zion Wacholder in his article, "Chronomessianism. The
Timing of Messianic Movements and the Calendar of Sabbatical
Cycles," Hebrews Union College Annual 46 (1975), p.201.
32. For an edition and analysis of I IQ Melchizedek, see Joseph
A. Fitzmyer, "Further Light on Melchizedek from Qumran Cave II,"
Journal of Biblical Literature 86 (1967), p.25-41; M. de Jonge
and A. S. van der Woude, "11 Q Melchizedek and the New
Testament," New Testament Studies 12 (1865-1966), p.301-326.
33. Sanhedrin 97b.
34. Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern
Man (New York, 1951), p.68.
35. John Calvin, Commentaries on the First Book of Moses Called
Genesis, trans. John King (Grand Rapids, 1948), p.106.
36. Paul K. Jewett, The Lord's Day: A Theological Guide to the
Christian Day of Worship (Grand Rapids, 1972), p.86.
37. M. Max B. Turner, "The Sabbath, Sunday, and the Law in
Luke/Acts," in the symposium From Sabbath to the Lord's Day
(Grand Rapids, 1982), p.102.
38. Ibid.
39. On the influence of the synagogue upon the Christian divine
service, see C. W. Dugmore, The Influence of the Synagogue upon
the Divine Office, 1964; A. Allan McArthur, The Evolution of the
Christian Year, 1953; Dom Benedict Steuart, The Development of
Christian Worship, 1953.
40. Luke 416,31; 6:1,2,5,6,7,9; 13:10,14,15,16; 14:1,3,5; 23:54,
56; Acts 1:12; 13:14,27,42,44; 15:21; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4.
41. See, for example, 1. Howard Marshall, The Gospel of Luke (New
York,1978), p.883; F. Godet, A Commentary on the Gospel of Saint
Luke, (London, 1870), 11, p. 343; A. R. Leaney, A Commentary on
the Gospel According to Saint Luke (Grand Rapids, 1966), p.288.
The same view is implied by the translators of the New
International Version: "Then they went home and prepared spices
and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the
commandment" (Luke 23:56).
42. M. Max B. Turner (note 37), p.102.
43. The two crucial terms of the passage are "to proclaim" and
"release." Both of these terms, which recur twice, are technical
terms for the Sabbath years. For an informative treatment of this
question, see Robert B. Sloan (note 27), pp.32-42. P. Miller
rightly notes: "The tie that binds Isaiah 61:1-2 and 58:6
together in Luke 4 is the small word aphesis, the word translated
'release' for the captives and `liberty' for the oppressed ....
it is the catchword binding the two quotations together. Out of
the four sentences in Isaiah 58:6 that all say essentially the
same thing, the one chosen here in the gospel quotation is the
one that in the Greek translation uses aphesis" ("Luke 4:16-21,"
Interpretation 29 [October, 1975], p.419).
44. H. Conzelmann, The Theology of St. Luke (New York, 1960), p.
180. Similarly, G. B. Caird points out that Luke "places the
incident at the beginning of his story of the Galilean ministry
because it announces the pattern which the ministry is to follow"
(Saint Luke [Grand Rapids, 1963], p. 86). Robert C. Tannehill
also writes: "These words and acts [Luke 4:1630] have typical
programmatic significance for the whole of Jesus' ministry as
Lukes understands it . . . Luke chose to make this quotation
[Luke 4:18-19] the title under which the whole ministry of Jesus
is placed. He did so because it expresses clearly certain
important aspects of his own understanding of Jesus and his
ministry" ("The Mission of Jesus according to Luke 4:16-30," in
Jesus in Nazareth [Grand Rapids, 1972], pp.51,72).
45. Paul K. Jewett (note 36), p. 27. A. Strobel argues that
behind Christ's quotation lay an actual historical jubilee year
which is dated in A.D. 26-27 (Kerygma und Apokalyptik, [1967], p.
105-111). If this were the case, then Christ's speech would have
added significance since it would have been delivered in the
context of an actual jubilee year.
46. Paul K. Jewett (note 36), p.42.
47. Ibid., p.82.
48. This view is expressed, for example, by M. M. B. Turner who
writes: "There is no question here of the Sabbath being
particularly appropriate for such healing; any more than it is
particularly appropriate on that day to loose oxen and donkey
from their crib and to water them. The argument, in other words,
is not that the Sabbath is a special day, in this respect, but
precisely that it is not. The inbreaking kingdom, the loosing of
Satan's captives, is no respecter of days" (note 37, p.107).
49. Nathan A. Barack correctly affirms: "The Sabbath inspires its
beneficiaries to feel that the universe is the work of a
purposeful Creator, that human life has meaning and sanctity,
that all life must be preserved, and that even animals must be
provided with their necessary rest" (A History of the Sabbath
[1965], p. xii).
50. Robert Banks comments in this regard: "Luke desires to
highlight those works of Jesus which bring salvation and healing
to men, which as v. 16 makes clear, especially occur on that day"
(Jesus and the Law in the Synoptic Tradition [1985], p.131).
Similarly, I. Howard Marshall writes: "Hence it was necessary for
her to be released immediately, even though it was Sabbath,
perhaps indeed all the more fitting on the Sabbath" (The Gospel
of Luke [1978], p.559).
51. Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer (note 10), p.141.
52. For my extensive analysis of the literary context and of the
sabbatical nature of Christ's rest, see "Matthew 11:28-30: Jesus'
Rest and the Sabbath," Andrews University Seminary Studies 24
(Summer 1984), p.1-23.
53. See, for example, J. Danielou, Bible and Liturgy (South Bend,
Indiana, 1956), p.226; David Hill, The Gospel of Matthew (London,
1972), pp.209-210; D. A. Carson, "Jesus and the Sabbath in the
Four Gospels," in From Sabbath to Lord's Day. A Biblical,
Historical, and Theological Investigation (Grand Rapids, 1982),
p.66.
54. Donald A. Carson, "Jesus and the Sabbath in the four
Gospels," in the symposium From Sabbath to the Lord's Day (Grand
Rapids, 1982), p.102.
55. The book of Jubilees explains that "burning frankincense and
bringing oblation and sacrifices before the Lord ... shall be
done on Sabbath-days in the sanctuary of the Lord your God; that
they may atone for Israel with sacrifice" (50:10-11).
56. This view is held by various scholars. Gerhard Barth, for
example, comments that by the phrase "something greater than the
temple is here ... undoubtedly Jesus is meant, for in him the
Messianic fulfillment and consummation has come and he is
therefore more than the Temple" (Tradition and Interpretation in
Matthew [Philadelphia, 1963], p.82).
57. Ellen G. White perceptively notes: "The priests were
performing those rites that pointed to the redeeming power of
Christ, and their labor was in harmony with the object of the
Sabbath. But now Christ Himself had come. The disciples, in doing
the work of Christ, were engaged in God's service, and that which
was necessary for the accomplishment of this work it was right to
do on the Sabbath" (The Desire of Ages [Mountain View,
California, 1940], p.285).
58. Robert Banks, Jesus and the Law in the Synoptic Tradition
(Grand Rapids, 1967), p.117. Cf. Morna D. Hooker, The Son of Man
in Mark (New York, 1967), p.98; P. K. Jewett (note 36), p.37.
59. D. A. Carson (note 54), p.67.
60. Ibid., p.79. Cf. W. Rordorf, Sunday: The History of the Day
of Rest and Worship in the Earliest Centuries of the Christian
Church (Philadelphia, 1968), pp.70, 296.
61. David Hill, The Gospel of Matthew (1972), p.211.
62. This view is emphatically stated by Etan Levine: "The
Pharisees are not being told that the Sabbath injunctions should
be abrogated; rather, within their own realm of discourse they
are being reminded that plucking grain on the Sabbath is
legitimate for sacred purposes. Thus, Jesus does not abrogate the
Torah, but exercises his prerogative to interpret it, in this
case defining the `sacred' in term other than the Temple ritual,
as the text explicitly states" ("The Sabbath Controversy
According to Matthew," New Testament Studies 22 [1976]: 482).
Similarly, William L. Lane writes: "The divine intention was in
no way infringed by the plucking of heads of grain on the part of
Jesus' disciples" (The Gospel According to Mark [New York, 1974],
p.120).
63. L. Goppelt, Christentum and Judentum im ers ten and zweiten
Jahrhundert (Berlin, 1954), p.46, as cited in W. Rordorf (note
60), p. 71. Rordorf himself defends this view and goes so far as
to acuse Matthew of "beginning the moralistic misunderstanding of
Jesus' attitude toward the Sabbath" (note 60, p.68). This
misunderstanding allegedly consists in assuming "that the
obligation to love one's neighbour dispiaces in certain
circumstances the command to keep a day of rest" (ibid.).
One wonders whether Matthew really misunderstood or truly
understood Christ's meaning and message of the Sabbath, when he
wrote, "It is lawful to do good on the sabbath" (Matt 12:12). It
is true that in post exilic Judaism an elaborate fence had been
erected around the Sabbath to assure its faithful observance. The
multitude of meticulous and casuistic regulations, produced to
guard the Sabbath, turned the observance of the day into a
legalistic ritual rather than into a loving service. It was
Christ's intent to restore the Sabbath to the original divine
design.
64. Niels-Erik Andreasen, "Festival and Freedom," Interpretation
28 (1974), p.289.
65. Hans Walter Wolff, "The Day of Rest in the Old Testament,"
Concordia Theological Monthly 43 (1972), p.504.
66. For my analysis of John 5:17, see my article "John 5:17:
Negation or Clarification of the Sabbath?" Andrews University
Seminary Studies 19 (Spring 1981), p.3-19.
67. See, for example, George Allen Turner, Julius R. Mantey, O.
Cullman, E. C. Hoskyns, F. Godet on John 5:17.
68. A. T. Lincoln, "Sabbath, Rest, and Eschatology in the New
Testament," in From Sabbath to Lord's Day, ed. Donald A. Carson
(Grand Rapids, 1982), p.204.
69. Yoma 85b.
70. On the redemptive meaning of circumcision, see Rudolf Meyer,
"peritemno," Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. G.
Kittel (Grand Rapids, 1973), vol. 6, pp.75-76.
71. For a presentation of the three reasons, see A. T. Lincoln
(note 68), pp.212-214.
72. Among the commentators who view the fulfillment of the
Sabbath rest as an exclusive fut ure experience are E. Kasemann,
O. Michel, H. Windisch, W. Manson; F.F. Bruce; Delitzsch, and R.
C. H. Lenski.
73. Bruce Metzger rightly remarks: "Many of them felt themselves
drawn to Jewish liturgy and were on the point of renouncing
Christianity and returning to their ancestral Jewish faith" (The
New Testament: Its Background, Growth and Content [Nashville,
1965), p.249).
74. The term sabbatismos occurs in the following works: Plutarch,
De Superstitione 3 (Moralia 1660); Justin Martyr, Dialogue with
Trypho 23, 3; Epiphanius, Adversus Haereses 30, 2, 2; Apostolic
Constitutions 2,36.
75. Andrew T. Lincoln, a contributor to the scholarly symposium
From Sabbath to the Lord's Day acknowledges that in both secular
and Christian literature "the term [sabbatismos] denotes the
observance or celebration of the Sabbath. This usage corresponds
to the Septuagint usage of the cognate verb sabbatizo (cf. Ex
16:23; Lev 23:32; 26:34f; 2 Chron 36:21) which also has reference
to Sabbath observance. Thus, the writer to the Hebrews is saying
that since the time of Joshua an observance of Sabbath rest has
been outstanding" (note 68), p.213.
76. For examples and discussion of the spiritual interpretation
of the Sabbath commandment, see W. Rordorf (note 60), pp.
100-108. Franz X. Pettirsch also notes: "The early fathers of the
Church applied the law of Sabbath rest only allegorically to
absention from sin; a literal application to work was foreign to
their thinking" ("A Theology of Sunday Rest," Theology Digest 6
[1958], p.116). The author explains how during the Middle Ages
the formula "servile work" was interpreted in a literal sense as
meaning "field work, any heavy work" (p.117). The spiritual
interpretation of the Sabbath rest as "self-renenciation" is
advocated also by John Calvin, in Commentaries on the Four Last
Rooks of Moses, trans. C. W. Bingham (Grand Rapids, 1950), p.
436.
77. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Grand
Rapids, 1972), vol.2, p.337. Karl Barth keenly observes that, by
resting on the Sabbath after the similitude of God (Heb 4:10),
the believer "participates consciously in the salvation provided
by him [God]" (Church Dogmatics [Edinburgh, 1961], vol.3, part 2,
p.50).
78. Karl Barth (note 77), p.51.
79. Epistle to Diognetus 4, 3, The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Grand
Rapids, 1973 reprint), vol.l, p.26.
80. Augustine, City of God, XXII, 30, trans. Gerald Walsh,
Demetrius B. Zema, Grace Monahan (New York,1958), p.544.
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