I am not a big football fan, never have been. I was not a fan before I became a Christian in 1996 and am not a fan now. But here is my question:

Is watching NFL football a violation of the 4th commandment? Why or why not?

I know a number of Reformed men and women that watch NFL games on Lord's Day night. Personally, I think that it is an offense to the 4th commandment, but what are your thoughts?

Humbly,

nate

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Nathan Eshelman
Grand Rapids, MI
First Reformed Presbyterian Church

PRESBYTERIAN THOUGHTS

First Reformed Presbyterian Church

Its a violation if there is a Hail Mary pass in the last two minutes!

Watch away! I don't see sports as a violation of the 4th commandment. The children of Israel were killed by doing blasphemous activities. What did they do all day in their tents is not spelled out. So it seems that they spent all day with families. Therefore, I think Sun is a time for God and to be spent with family. I would be more concerned if a person was watching sports alone, while their family did something else, or everybody went their seperate ways. Sports (NASCAR) is something my family does together.

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Timothy Johnson
First United Presbyterian of Moline
PCUSA (Yea, I know)
Theology/Philosophy Sunday School Teacher
Davenport, IA

Isaiah 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: 14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

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Chris Thomas | SBC-Founders | Fairbanks, AK

Q. How many things are necessary for thee to know, that thou, enjoying this comfort, mayest live and die happily?
A. Three, the first, how great my sins and miseries are, the second, how I may be delivered from all my sins and miseries, the third, how I shall express my gratitude to God for such deliverance.

Blog: http://johngillisdead.blogspot.com/

Yes for the games on the Lord's Day. No on games on other days.

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Benjamin P. Glaser
Pittsburgh, PA,
Fairmount ARP Church
Candidate Under Care Pittsburgh Theological Seminary & Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
"The benefit of deliverance becomes the more precious in the same proportion in which we are brought to apprehend the magnitude of the evil from which we have been rescued"
-- Zacharias Ursinus, Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism

The Summary of doctrine of Scripture in the Westminster Confession says that to seek entertaining oneself through thought, word or deed on the Lord's Day is a violation of the Fourth Commandment. The Day is to be kept holy, set apart, different from the other days so that you can focus on God.

This is difficult to do, even impossible. But by calling on God's grace, there is great reward and benefit for obedience.

My understanding is the Commandment to "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it Holy..." ends at sundown so the entire day is focused on God.

This will effect your life pattern as few other things. It is a testimony of God's ownership of "your" time and will give much opportunity to read, study and meditate on God's Word, pray, worship corporately and lead your family in worship.

How can one sanctify the day, meditate on God and His works, truth, and justice while watching TV on the Lord's day afternoon? How does that prepare your mind and spirit for worship? It is the Lord's day and not your day. Of course I understand, having once been of the opinion myself that the sabbath was abrogated that some feel they have liberty to do about anything they wish. I pray that you will examine this. Not setting the day apart dishonors Christ and robs you of a blessing. Time has not made the 4th comandment optional.

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1689 Baptist Confession

Psa 55:16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
Psa 55:17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
James Farley, Wilderness Road Baptist Assembly.
Husband of Melissa and father of Ann.
www.wildernessroadbaptist.org

There are numerous older threads on this issue, but after clarifying a few points, it can be said that watching NFL football on the Lord's Day is certainly a violation of the Fourth Commandment.

1) There are many lawful recreations and activities that are fine at other times, but prohibited on the Lord's Day. We set aside our own (lawful) pleasures on that day, because the day belongs to Him, not us, and is primarily set apart as holy, consecrated to His worship.

2) The NFL does play games on days besides the Lord's Day. There are Monday night games, and occasional Saturday, Thursday and other days for NFL football.

3) There are other things to watch out for at NFL games, the cheerleaders, the pride, the vanity. Football is a great (lawful) sport, imo, but there are spiritual minefields that most athletics encounter, and pro football in a big way.

4) Some will argue the Sabbath runs from sundown on Saturday to sundown on Sunday so a late Sunday night game is ok to watch. I believe Scripture teaches that the Lord's Day should be reckoned the same way we reckon other days, ie., midnight to midnight.

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Andrew Myers
Husband of Jessica, Father of Jackson, Katie and Samuel
Member, Presbyterian Reformed Church of Northern Virginia
Warrenton, VA USA
Editor, The Matthew Poole Project

"Let your Morning Thoughts, and your last Evening Thoughts, be what shall become of you to all Eternity." -- Matthew Poole

Thanks for that, Andrew! I know that you do not throw your opinions into the ring willy nilly so you must feel very strongly about this.

I agree with Andrew that if you have worked hard for 6 days in worldly things that you will want to spend all day on the seventh in heavenly things.

If I have been on a business trip for 6 days, you won't find me watching football on the seventh because I will be with my wife making up for lost time. I think it is the same principle.

Of course, the root of the problem is the heart. A heart that desires, and a mind that plans to watch football on Sunday instead of fellowship, prayer, Bible study, mercy etc has a problem.

And this is coming from a guy with a serious NFL addicition. I finally had to go 'cold turkey' when Elway retired. It was affecting my marraige.

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http://www.villagecommunitychurch.org/

I wish they would just move NFL games to Saturday. I've heard they couldn't because of conflicts with college ball, but hey, they could have college games in the morning, and NFL afternoons.

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Bob Howes
Framingham, MA

A reoccurring thought:

Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

It's all part of rebellion against God imo. Whether if be football, Nascar, or any other amusment it is designed to get your mind OFF of GOD and ON yourself. Anything Satan can do to get man to dishonor his creator and violate His law he will do.

I believe it is a violation of the 4th Commandment. Many times I have to slap myself when I consider I've had six days out of seven to sow my own oats and I'm going out of my way to justify using the seventh for myself also.

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Josh Hicks, Chloë's Dad
Attending CCRPC, Member of TRBC
Reformers & Puritans -lllll- Puritan Pub
Board Rules - Signature Rules - Suggestion Box

No, it is not a violation of the 4th commandment so long as the worshipping God is the priority on Sunday.

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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

Remember also that our behavior as consumers, sports fans, etc. can effect this. If we do not support support sports on Sunday, they will lessen and move to other days.

This is hard to do, but as part of our sanctification, this is a big area of growth. Really looking unto God in faith on keeping this Fourth Commandment results in personal (maybe even community) blessing.

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Scott
PCA
North Carolina

I like the way you put this Ken, and to extend your analogy further it makes sense biblically. We know the scriptures teach us that as Christians, as a body of believers, we are the "bride of Christ". Any relationship requires us to spend time with that loved one to develop it. The Lord's Day is that time that God knows we need to devote to him (after all, the Sabbath was made for man, not God). If we are to be a faithful "wife" to Christ we should seek the day spending it with Him.

Can we do this perfectly? Of course not. But we are also commanded to be perfect.

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Ed Asano
Center Grove Presbyterian (PCA)
Edwardsville, IL

"You may choose to look the other way, but you can never again say you did not know.” - William Wilberforce (1789) In his conclusion to his three-hour abolition debate in the Houses of Parliament.

A related question:

If we assume that watching NFL on Sunday is a violation of the 4th commandment (which I do, and don't wish to argue here), then what of DVR recording a game and watching it on Tuesday or Wednesday?

Serious question.

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Fredrick T. Greco
Senior Pastor, Christ Church PCA (Katy, TX)
Christ Church Blog

"The heart is the main thing in true religion...It is the hinge and turning-point in the condition of man's soul. If the heart is alive to God and quickened by the Spirit, the man is a living Christian. If the heart is dead and has not the Spirit, the man is dead before God." (J.C. Ryle)

Good question, Fred. And maybe, more specifically,

By DVRing it and watching it on another day, have we violated the principle of the Sabbath by approving the watching of someone else violate the 4th Commandment (i.e. working on the Sabbath by playing football), regardless of the day we decide to watch it?

Indirectly, the Westminster Larger Catechism and Scripture proofs provide guidance on the biblical principle.


If we cause someone else to violate the Fourth Commandment, we are sinning.

This gets difficult for me here in application, but I think this principle allows others to work for you for "necessity" and "mercy" and what some call "piety" (e.g. a minister teaching on Sunday). However, football, as entertainment, does not fall under any of these.

The surface level response here is to focus on the act of video recording the game, but the deeper issue is what we are requiring others to do. (cf "Love thy neighbor as thyself).