11-28-2007, 06:51 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnOwen007  Dear Rich, Quote:
Originally Posted by SemperFideles I'm not interesting in debating this point. It's off topic. It is the Confessional view of the Scriptures that the actual day of the Sabbath was not the principle that was perpetual as much as the principle that one day in seven be consecrated. [...] As I said, however, this is off topic. If you're not even convinced that the Lord's Day needs to be consecrated then it's an interesting opinion but not something I'm interested in discussing in this thread. | Thanks for your response. I really don't want to be a pain here, but I'm not sure I understand why this is "off topic"--aren't we discussing the liberty of Sabbath keeping? If we are, then how the Sabbath commandment relates to the New Covenant surely is critical to the discussion.
For what it's worth I believe that one day in seven is for rest. However, I don't arrive there from the 4th commandment alone. And again, I'm not sure you appreciate that the fourth commandment isn't teaching the principle of one day off in seven, it's teaching that the the seventh day (Saturday) and not any other day is a Sabbath for Israel. This may be a subset of a general principle, but that general principle is not articulated in the 4th commandment itself. We must go beyond it. This is critical in understanding how the Torah relates to the New Covenant, which is at the heart of our discussion.
Hence, I don't think we can start with the 4th commandment and argue for liberty / non-liberty of the Sabbath. Rather, we start at creation, go through Cain and Abel, onto the command to rest from collecting manna (before the Torah was given), through the 10 words given at Sinai, and into Christ's statement that "the Sabbath was made for humanity ( anthropos -- not just Israel)" and not vice-versa.
Every blessing dear brother,
Marty. | It's off topic because it's too much for one thread to unpack. Also, I'm not aware of any Reformed Confessions that agree with your view that the Law of God taught that the Sabbath is constricted to Saturday. The command is to labor for six days and to rest on the seventh. Reformed Commmentators, in light of the New Covenant, have seen this as still perpetual but that the 6 days of labor follow the rest we celebrate now on the Lord's Day. Here is what the Heidelberg states: Quote:
Question 103. What does God require in the fourth commandment?
Answer: First, that the ministry of the gospel and the schools be maintained; (a) and that I, especially on the sabbath, that is, on the day of rest, diligently frequent the church of God, (b) to hear his word, (c) to use the sacraments, (d) publicly to call upon the Lord, (e) and contribute to the relief of the poor. (f) Secondly, that all the days of my life I cease from my evil works, and yield myself to the Lord, to work by his Holy Spirit in me: and thus begin in this life the eternal sabbath. (g)
| I would also note that the Heidelberg in Question 92 also lists the fourth commandment as part of the Law of God. Under What is the Law of God and not what was the Law of God.
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