Subscription and Exception details

[rmwilliamsjr]

I need to get a few things straight for the Sunday School class this Sunday on Creeds Confession and Subscription.

My Pastor informs me that the most common exceptions/scruple in the Southwest Presbytery of the PCA is to the recreation clause of the Sabbath Observation paragraph of the WCF. 21.8


VIII. This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest, all the day, from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments and recreations,(o) but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of His worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.(p)

1. where is the day defined?
either Hebrew nightfall to nightfall
Roman(ours legally) midnight to midnight
Babylonian(ours commonly) morning to morning

it makes a difference. recreation Saturday night vs Sunday night

2. what are the limits of recreation?
by types? by organizational level? by group?
most extreme example is a church bowling league Sunday night ok?

3. i've never seen anyone bring up the fact that a Pastor/Preacher always works on Sunday, they usually calm down and take monday off. why don't people say this, the pastor does practice his job and employment on Sunday, he gets paid for being in the Church. since we have a paid professional ministry this would seem to be an exception to the WCF likewise an organist or anyone else who receives money for their sunday activities.

4. i realize the difference between continental and Puritan Sabbath observations, but we don't seem to practice either.

5. if mercy is required, why doesn't the church schedule nursing home visitations on Sunday afternoon to accent the requirement?

anyhow, i need to explain subscription, then the taking of exceptions/scruples, so i need to figure out these questions so i dont stumble.

tia.

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

This should be of some help:

http://www.apuritansmind.com/TheLordsDay/MatthewMcMahonSabbath.htm

I think the time of the day (evening to evening) is utterly refuted by the Exodus deliverance, the manna gathering, and the explanation of the rest in Hebrews 4.

Here is what Brian Schwertly says:

5. The time of the Lord´s day
The sabbath law teaches that man is to sanctify to the Lord one whole day in seven. A question that needs to be answered is: "œWhen does the Christian sabbath begin?" Some argue that the Christian sabbath begins on Saturday evening, while others argue that it runs from midnight Saturday to midnight Sunday. Those who argue that it runs from evening to evening point to the Jewish ceremonial sabbaths for support: "œOn the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord´s Passover" (Lev. 23:5). The Hebrew word translated "œtwilight" (NKJV, NASB, NIV, NTHSMT [114]) or "œevening" (RSV) literally means "œbetween the evenings." "œThe meaning of the phrase is much discussed. Most commentators think it means "˜in the evening´ (cf. Deut. 16:6, "˜at sunset´), or more precisely, the period between sunset and complete darkness. The orthodox Jewish view is that it means "˜between midday and sunset,´ and this is supported...on the grounds that it would have been impossible to kill all the passover lambs in the temple between sunset and darkness. In NT times the passover sacrifice began about 3 p.m." [115] The evidence for an old covenant evening-to-evening sabbath is quite strong (cf. Lev. 23:32; Ex. 12:6, 30:8). Hendriksen believes that the Jewish sabbath began at 6 o´clock Friday evening: "œAccording to the ancient Hebrew way of speaking, there were "˜two evenings´ (cf. Exod. 12:6 in the original). The first "˜evening´ which we would call "˜afternoon´ began at 3 p.m., the second at 6 p.m. Something of this is probably reflected in the phrase "˜When evening fell,´ for we cannot imagine that Joseph of Arimathea, a Jew, would have approached Pilate on Friday, 6 p.m., asking for the body of Jesus when the sabbath was beginning." [116]

Although the Jewish sabbath was probably from evening to evening (or sunset to sunset), the passages in the New Testament which discuss the Lord´s day (the new covenant sabbath) point to a midnight-to-midnight observance. A passage which indicates that the inspired apostles no longer held to the old covenant system of a sunset-to-sunset sabbath is John 20:19: "œThen, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "˜Peace be with you´" John is very specific in noting that this event took place on the first day of the week. "œ"˜On that day´ would be enough, yet John adds, "˜the first one of the week.´" [117] "œIt was evening. In light of Luke 24:29, 33, 36 we have a right to conclude that it was no longer early in the evening when the great event recorded in the present paragraph took place. As the Jews compute the days, it was no longer the first day of the week. But John, though a Jew, is writing much later than Matthew and Mark, and does not seem to concern himself with Jewish time-reckoning." [118] It is very significant that John emphasizes that the disciples gathered on the first day of the week, yet also records that it was evening, for if the apostolic church had maintained a sunset-to-sunset sabbath, then John would not have regarded it as the first day, but as the second. There then would be no reason at all for John to emphasize the time, for while the New Testament often emphasizes and singles out the first day (Mt. 28:1; Mk. 16:2; Lk. 24:1; Jn. 20:1, 19, 26; Ac. 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2; Rev. 1:10), the second day holds no significance at all.

Another passage which indicates that the apostolic church had forsaken the sunset-to-sunset sabbath for a midnight-to-midnight [119] sabbath is Acts 20:7: "œNow on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight." Luke describes a church service that occurred on the first day of the week, yet says very specifically that Paul did not finish his message until midnight. If the Christian church had followed the Jewish synagogue practice, Paul would have concluded his message before sunset on Sunday, and not late at night. [120] "œCertainly, one would almost expect the midnight-to-midnight demarcation, not only in the light of the particulars surrounding Resurrection Sunday, but especially considering that Troas was a Roman colony possessing the Jus Italicum and which therefore certainly followed the Roman midnight demarcation as a colony. It is clear that the congregation at Troas met for worship at night well after sunset, for "˜there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together´ (Acts 20:8). Seeing that "˜the disciples came together to break bread´ in "˜the upper chamber,´ and seeing that there is no instance whatsoever in Scripture of religious meetings on Saturday night after sunset, it is reasonably certain that the disciples at Troas gathered on Sunday nights perhaps even before and certainly after sunset, even as their risen Lord had appeared to His Emmaus disciples on Resurrection Sunday and broken bread with them in the late afternoon, and long after the sunset of "˜the same day at evening, (still) being the first day of the week,´ had congregated with the Jerusalem disciples in the upper room." [121]

Furthermore, it is recorded that Paul departed at daybreak, or the break of the next day. If Luke had been following the sunset-to-sunset day demarcation system of the Jews, Paul would be described as leaving "œlater on the same first day of the week." [122] But Luke says of Paul on Sunday evening that he was "œready to depart the next day" (i.e., early Monday morning at daybreak). Thus there is considerable evidence that the inspired apostles abandoned the Jewish method of day demarcation for a midnight-to-midnight system. Although the matter of sabbath day demarcation may seem trivial, it is important that the church and society follow the inspired apostles´ example for the sake of uniformity, determining when church discipline is appropriate, preparing properly for the Sabbath, and refuting heretics (such as Seventh-day Adventists). "œThe Jews are supposed to begin every day, and consequently their sabbaths, at the evening, in remembrance of the creation, Gen. i. 5, as Christians generally begin their days and sabbaths with the morning, in memory of Christ´s resurrection." [123]

 

[rmwilliamsjr]

thank you very much. this will help.
do you have a link for Schwertly's essay and the footnotes this references?

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

Here ya go:

http://www.reformed.com/pub/sabbath2.htm

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Thanks, Matt, for the references to your article and Brian's. Looks like great reading!

I would also recommend Greg Price's article on when the Sabbath begins.

On another point, an RPCNA church near where I live does make a point to visit a local nursing home every Lord's Day as a group.

 

[crhoades]

Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot
On another point, an RPCNA church near where I live does make a point to visit a local nursing home every Lord's Day as a group.

Read this communication from my pastor this week for encouragement regarding this.

We have two services every Sunday.

Lately, I have been impressed with the privilege that has been mine to serve a church that has so well-served the Lord and a little, ever-changing flock. The shifting of this little flock they serve is not due to the consumer church-hop that plagues the local church today, but rather to the ravages of Alzheimer's Disease. You see, the members of Good Shepherd Presbyterian go to a local Alzheimer's nursing home each Sunday to minister to the residents. For two and a half years, now, her members have gone over to sing, pray, recite the 23rd Psalm, preach a little homily, hold and steady hands, listen, smile, hug, and promise that they will be back next Sunday.

It's not a sexy, glamorous kind of ministry, if you know what I mean. In fact, we are sworn to secrecy in respect of the privacy of the residents struggling with this disease that seeks to dehumanize. I know what I am saying - my Daddy had it, too. So, there will be no front-page spreads about the little church with the big heart. There needn't be. That suits her members just fine.

It is a sweet, glorious kind of ministry, if you know what I mean. No? You don't? Well, let me explain. Once a week, we have the privilege of coming into communion with believers, who may have forgotten their names, but someway, somehow, they remember Amazing Grace. We have the high calling of bringing a little, simple, clear gospel message. We tend to stick with a reminder of the comforts of Psalm 23, with which they love to play "memory." Or, sometimes, we will "preach" from Jn 10, and let them know they are the sheep, whose Good Shepherd will never lose. It is a high calling, because for many of them, we will be their last regular encounter with "beautiful feet" (Ro 10:15), their last hearing of the gospel, before they hear the Savior say, "Come home!" And, with perfect clarity of mind, they perpetuate the ever-changing nature of that little flock we serve.

How they love to sing! The same old gospel hymns and songs, we sing, Sunday in and Sunday out. Holy, Holy, Holy, Rock of Ages, Just a Closer Walk with Thee, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, He's Got the Whole World in His Hands, and The Old Rugged Cross, just to name a few. They love to end with a barn-burner rendition of When the Saints Go Marching In. What an honor to help them find their pages. What a privilege to look at their faces, as they sing, often from memory, lyrics they have loved since childhood. I love to look at their faces and smile, as we sing - almost like we are gathered around at an old campfire hymnsing. One man, the singer of the bunch, loves for me to sing "at" him from time to time, almost like we are doing a duet for everyone else. It is bitter-sweet, when certain ones become your special friends.

Our service at GSPC is long and intensely corporate. It is involved. If you really participate, you are at once energized and spent by the time it is over. Some Sundays come after a long, hard week for my members. Yet, faithfully, diligently, they let God's grace take them down Bellevue Road, and on over to the nursing home for yet another hour, and they sing above their growling stomachs.

To Tom , Brian, Valerie, the Ferriss', the Joye's, the Stuart's, the Rhoades', my wife and children, the Goddard's, Brent, Al and Ruth, and any others past and present, never grow weary in well-doing (Heb 12:3). Yours is a high calling and an awesome privilege. Yours are the final God-appointed voices of gospel-truth and comfort for those, who have become the "least of these." You are conducting them in their last choir, before they join the chorus of the Church-triumphant in antiphony with the six-winged creatures, "Holy! Holy! Holy!"

The dictionary defines "boast," as "speaking too much in praise of one's self or one's possessions." Well, I will boast not of myself, but of my Savior, and his faithfulness in and through you, GSPC (1Co 1:31; 2Co 10:17). I will boast of our possession - the cross (Gal 6:14), for this is true ministry in the light of the shadow of the cross. And, if you will indulge me, I will just outright brag on you - two and a half years, and not a single Sunday missed!

With all we have been through, GSPC, who would have thought that we would be at a place where we could say that we have two services every Sunday - one at 10:00am, the other around noonish, both equally precious in the sight of our Lord? Go this coming Sunday, and be kings and priests to our God (Rev 5:10), where our aged friends sit in that familiar little circle of chairs, awaiting your arrival.

The Lord sees. The Lord sees his glory where we sometimes may not. May he give each of you eyes to see what he is doing in and through you.

 

[Peter]

Recreation on the Sabbath is a sin. Bowling on the Sabbath is sin. Visiting a nursing home on the Sabbath is a work of mercy.

Jam 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

 

[Peter]

"3. i've never seen anyone bring up the fact that a Pastor/Preacher always works on Sunday, they usually calm down and take monday off. why don't people say this, the pastor does practice his job and employment on Sunday, he gets paid for being in the Church. since we have a paid professional ministry this would seem to be an exception to the WCF likewise an organist or anyone else who receives money for their sunday activities."

The pastors work on the Sabbath is facilitating the public worship of God, which is the purpose of the Sabbath.

 

[fredtgreco]

Originally posted by Peter
"3. i've never seen anyone bring up the fact that a Pastor/Preacher always works on Sunday, they usually calm down and take monday off. why don't people say this, the pastor does practice his job and employment on Sunday, he gets paid for being in the Church. since we have a paid professional ministry this would seem to be an exception to the WCF likewise an organist or anyone else who receives money for their sunday activities."

The pastors work on the Sabbath is facilitating the public worship of God, which is the purpose of the Sabbath.

Correct.

It is analogous to the priests in the temple:

Matthew 12:5 "Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?

 

[rmwilliamsjr]

thank you very much for your help.
the class went ok. even our Pastor sat in. Something that he was too busy to do last summer with the Calvin's Institutes.

i'd love to get help on the class notes, next week is New Side/Old Side split. i am neither a writer nor a teacher and all of this effort is unusual and just a little scary for me.