Common Views
Within the Christian circles that I read and travel, I’ve met people who hold differing views on what Sabbath ought to be for a Christian.
Throughout most of church history, the body gathered together for services on Sundays. In some western countries, you can see this observance reflected in the workweek where businesses were, at one time, not allowed to operate on Sunday (generally called “Blue Laws”) and many still continue to have Sunday as a day off each week. The reasoning goes that, because Christ rose on Sunday, the church took that day to be the “Lord’s day” and therefore changed their Sabbath practices to be that day of the week.
Over time, many traditions which have historically held Sunday worship have adapted to the modern concept of a workweek (where some people now work nights, weekends, etc…) and have taken on a more flexible definition of Sabbath. Observing a day of Sabbath is still considered important, but perhaps we shouldn’t get too hung up on which day.
This idea could be supported somewhat from scripture. For instance:
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.
Colossians 2:16
You see a similar liberty in observance of days in the following verse.
The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
Romans 14:6
There are traditions (many originating from Adventism) which argue the idea of changing the Sabbath was a mistake made when Roman Catholicism imported pagan ideas and later inherited by Protestantism. Instead, they say, the change should never have occurred, and Saturday is the correct date for observance as it was prior to Christ. Some have gone to lengths to argue that, due to the nature of how days were observed at the time (with a day ending at sunset, and the new day including the entire night rather than the split being at midnight), the resurrection of Christ actually occurred on Saturday.
Another Way
While studying the discussions I had access to on this topic (online debates, articles, etc…) it seemed to me that the first two views usually came with a general disinterest in understanding the Hebrew culture from which the practice of the Sabbath originated, while the last tended to come from those who were very serious about reclaiming that culture in our understanding of the texts of the New Testament.
I tend to be more sympathetic to the later for this reason. The church was not a Gentile replacement for Israel. In fact, all of the disciples who were the original church were Jewish and it was something of a shock to the early church when Gentiles are first brought in (Acts 10). God had to give Peter a vision to confirm his will (even though many OT texts discuss how all nations would some day be brought in as Israel’s sons). Paul confirms this, when discussing how Gentiles have been grafted into the commonwealth of Israel in Romans 11.
However, we must also deal with the verses mentioned in the first section, which seem to suggest the rigid adherence to the old days and traditions is not necessary either!
A more satisfying interpretive method can be found in the very next verse of Colossians 2, however. Which can bridge this tension between respecting the Hebrew foundation of our faith and recognizing how the fullness of our faith doesn’t look like Judaizers.
These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
Colossians 2:17
We see this language also in Hebrews 8, which speaks of the temple, sacrifices, priesthood, etc… as being shadows of Christ and his ministry. Christ came to be the fulfillment of the law, not to undo it (Matthew 5:17)!
Christ is Lord of the Sabbath
In Hebrews 4, we see the foundation of understanding how the Sabbath is fulfilled in Christ.
Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
Hebrews 4:6-10
Which day is the day we can enter into the Sabbath rest through Christ? Today! Every day. In the days before Christ, the rest was observed by the priesthood of God working more than any other day, offering sacrifices while God’s people feasted and took a break from all earthly striving.
Who are the priests in the fullness of Christ?
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9
And what are the sacrifices we offer?
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1
How can we offer this sacrifice?
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31
With this in mind, we can then turn to Matthew 12. Here we find an account of Jesus and his disciples walking through a field on the Sabbath eating grain from the field as they went. Some Pharisees see them, and confront them.
We may expect him to argue that they’re being too strict in their observance. Sure, you’re not supposed to work on the Sabbath, but this isn’t really work right? Instead, he points first to David and his men eating the bread of the presence and then to the priests who work hardest of all on this day!
Now, the first impulse may be to just see this as him writing off the Sabbath as not really all that binding. “I’m Lord of the Sabbath, and I say chill out because it’s not a big deal! Even David and the priests don’t really care.” However, follow the arguments he’s actually making.
First, he points to David eating what is not lawful for any to eat besides the priests. Was David living against God in this? The only way he wouldn’t be is if he could be seen in some way to be operating as a priest. He then points out that the priests themselves “profane” the Sabbath by offering sacrifices on that day. Do we believe he actually means that they are doing that or that it’s not profane specifically because their service is to God rather than themselves?
He then points out that his disciples would be recognized as innocent if the Pharisees understood when God says “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice”. The mercy he desired was not at the hands of the endless sacrifices of the OT shadow, but in the sufficient sacrifice of Christ himself as the substance. He is Lord of the Sabbath because he suffered death for our sins, that we may eternally enter the rest of God. Our whole lives then become a service to God, making all that we do a priestly calling.
Work as unto the Lord, as a perpetual observance of his mercy! When, then, should we fellowship? As much as we are able! What a great opportunity is fellowship with other saints! While the early church observed communion on Sundays throughout history, in many past times they would gather daily to study scripture, work, and even live together.
