Not sure whether to stick this in Law of God, Ecclesiology or General.

Your wish is my command, Pergy.

Is it lawful for a church to sell books on Sunday?

sure why not. Just don't charge for profit and make sure to have free stuff also for those people who cannot afford it (i.e. the cheap 1.50 dollar version of Holliness of God, sermon CDs, Tracts, copies of Sinner's in the Hands of the Angry God, ect...). But I would be careful because my former church had a problem of people (professing Christians) stealing books and doing it in the name of "tools for sanctification and its wrong to charge" even though my pastor sold under cost.

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Joseph P. Grigoletti II
Lay-person
OPC
Québec, Québec Canada

"The best and final gift of the gospel is that we gain Christ." John Piper. God is the Gospel. Page 11. Crossway Books Wheaton,IL 2005.

I have been in a Church where study materials have been sold for Sunday School courses, I do not have a real issue as long as books are sold at cost, it is in another area AWAY from the Sanctuary, books are made free to those who cannot afford them, and it is not disruptive.

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~etexas~

This is sort of sticky. Is it a "work of necessity ... mercy?" Is it something that could be more readily done Saturday evening or Monday morning? Could a person just get the book and pay for it later, so folks don't have to work and make transactions?

My church has a book room, and there is a "petty cash" box, wherein people put their money for the books bought. If someone doesn't have the money, they can take the book, and record the book bought and how much they owe, if they want to pay for it later. I think this is good because people can get a good book to read on the Lord's Day, but don't have to engage in "business" to carry it out. So, I suppose it's an honor code sort of system.

However, if such is not possible for a church, maybe they should consider opening the book room/store Saturday evenings, Monday mornings, and at any mid-week services that might occur.

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Josh Hicks, Chloë's Daddy
Member of TRBC. My Blog
The Puritan Pub (Team Blog)
Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Selling Christian books should only be done on the other 6 days.

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Richard
CofE
UK

This may be somewhat of a side note to the question.

Personally I don't feel that the Church can or should enforce any sabbath laws in any way shape or form. The sabbath was not given to the Church. The sabbath was given to Adam (mankind) in the creation. Jesus also confirms this when he say's "the sabbath was made for man."
The commandment is to work 6 days and rest the 7th..thus keeping the sabbath (rest day) seperate (holy) from the other 6.

I suppose that if your normal 6 day work is buying books, then buying books on the sabbath would be breaking the sabbath. Or, if someones 6 day work week was selling books in the church book store, then doing so on the sabbath would be breaking the sabbath. But, a blanket statement or binding law that buying a book on Sunday is sin is pharisaical, imo.

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Shawn Atkins
Member, Parkhill Presbyterian Church (OPC)
Denver, Colorado

Open my eyes Lord, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. Psalm 119:18

I believe that if a person desires to stay consistent with the ordinances involved in moving the Sabbath to the Lord's Day that a person would not buy on Sunday.

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Bryan Wiley
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Reformed Baptist Church
Louisville, Kentucky

This is a work of mercy in my understanding as long as it is not for profit, this would take away the business aspect. I also like Joshua's idea, this further's it as a work of mercy by giving people the option of paying later. Some folks travel 50 miles to church on Sunday, I think they should be allowed to purchase a book for there edification.

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Paul W.
Pastor, SBC, soon to be leaving
Girard, Illinois

We have a book table where people can purchase books on the honor system, and we have a library table where people can check books out to read..most people check them out and read them as opposed to buying them.

We also have a small table with various reformed bible studies for sale for like $4 per book, with a cash box sitting on the table, but I think they took the cash box down recently, because we've had people come in during the service (who we assume are not members) and steal some things that were left out..

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Bobbi Clark
Covenant Member
Pinewood Pres. (PCA) Middleburg

When I kept Silent, My bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. Psalm 32:3

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Sterling Harmon
Coventry, CT
PCA
Deacon
________________

"Whatever is laudable in our works proceeds from the grace of God."
-- John Calvin, Institutes III:xv.3.

"Our Lord God must be a good man, to be fond of worthless fellows. I cannot like them, and yet I, myself, am one."
-- Martin Luther, Table Talk

Yes, and someone may lawfully staff the store on the Lord's Day.

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J. M. - Baptist - Ontario, Canada - Feileadh Mor

I have a hard time understanding why it would be necessary for a church bookstore to be open on the Lord's day. In a day and age where books are so abundant and easily obtained (internet, counteless bookstores etc.), it seems that it is not a lack of availability of them, but rather a lack of them being read (an appropriate activity for the Lord's day).

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Jeff Bartel
Mechanical Engineer
Member - Trinity Reformed Church - RPCNA

"To believe in the power of man in the work of regeneration is the great heresy of Rome, and from that error has come the ruin of the Church. Conversion proceeds from the grace of God alone, and the system which ascribes it partly to man and partly to God is worse than Pelagianism" (The Reformation in England (London, 1962), Vol. 1, p. 98)

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Not very sure, but would this verse have any bearing?

Matthew 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

If this church bookstore is being run as a part of the ministry of the church, would it be allowable even on the sabbath day?

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Mark Li
International University Church
New South Wales, Australia

I was wondering the same thing myself. In the same vein? free books?

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Paul W.
Pastor, SBC, soon to be leaving
Girard, Illinois

If there is a class at church using a book, if the class members are drawn from a large geographic area, if the class only meets Sundays and the book is sold below cost, I see no problem with having a spot in or next to the church office to receive payments. Since checks are written and tithing receipts are counted, how would this be different?

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If the bookstore is non-profit and the workers are volunteers, I don't see a problem with a church selling edifying books on the Lord's Day...

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Mason
Member, Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA)
New York, NY

"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool." - Isaiah 1:18

Richard my friend, I would agree as a "general principal" but in the example that I used it was where I went to a tiny Anglican Church that was so small, we only had Sunday services, as for ordering the books elsewhere, well, some were written by our Bishops or old reprints from a small press held by the denomination, there really were not many options! Pax.

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~etexas~

I would consider it a work of mercy because the book table/store just might attract new believers, or even sincerely curious unbelievers, who might be visiting the church on the Lord's Day. Both of these categories of people especially need edifying Christian literature to read.

Also, why should the table/store be open on Saturday evenings or Monday mornings? Why should people have to make a special trip to the church, when they're going to be there on Sunday anyway? And who's going to staff such a store on Monday, when most people who could do that have to go to work?

Selling edifying Christian literature (no "Jesus junk" please!) should be considered a ministry of the church, in my opinion.

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Richard T. Zuelch, M.Div
Ruling Elder, OPC (not currently serving)
Westminster Presbyterian Church, CA (OPC)
www.reiterations.wordpress.com
www.foft.wordpress.com

Faith and repentance are born together and aid the health of each other. - Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), on July 23, 1865

Except, at most churches, the church property is pretty much deserted for most of the other six days...

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Richard T. Zuelch, M.Div
Ruling Elder, OPC (not currently serving)
Westminster Presbyterian Church, CA (OPC)
www.reiterations.wordpress.com
www.foft.wordpress.com

Faith and repentance are born together and aid the health of each other. - Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), on July 23, 1865

The confession states that the Lord's Day is for worship, and works of necessity and mercy. All books sold at a Church bookstore (is this a biblical ministry?) are available at other venues and outlets any other day of the week, where they can be bought--there is no necessity to buy on the Sabbath. As for mercy, if a book is really needed, give it away, or loan it. We have a Church library where the people are encouraged to check out books for their study. (Nehemiah 13.10ff)

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Rev. Todd Ruddell
Pastor, Christ Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCGA)
Wylie, TX
www.christcovenantreformedpc.org

Our best marks can contribute nothing to our justification, ...that is proper to faith. Faith cannot lodge in the soul alone, and without other graces; yet faith alone justifies before God.--G. Gillespie

With due respect I would like you to consider Post 17, we did not have a true library, the books sometimes needed for Sunday School were self published and the church was SO tiny, it only had Sunday services, we had no other options. Grace and Peace.

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~etexas~

I was a member of a large church in london which has a big bookshop which runs as a business and has a paid staff - except it does not make profits, it just pays for its premises and salaries. However, on saturdays for four hours and sundays for one hour after the evening meeting, it is staffed on a voluntary basis.

The church discourages members who could purchase on other days from doing so, but recognises that many come a distance and have no other opportunity due to their busy schedules etc. Mostly folk meet in the 'shop' to fellowship and talk about books together. The church also withdraws from the shop anything that is secondary - like book covers, pencils, bookmarks etc - just for the Lord's Day, so that they can say that people are only purchasing what they need and could not defer to another time.

I tend to agree with this balanced approach.

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Jonathan Hunt

Preaching Elder
Cheltenham Evangelical Free Church (Confessionally Based)
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

Logic is a systematic method of coming to the wrong conclusion with confidence.
-- Thomas Elsworth