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In spite of the fact that the Lord kept every jot and tittle of the law, the Pharisees
refused to recognize in His actions any observance of the sabbath. They said: "This man
is not of God, because He keepeth not the sabbath day" (John 9: 16). While these things
are important, and have in view the great sabbath rest that awaits the children of God
(Heb. 4: 9-11), we must not omit the statements concerning the sabbath and other holy
days and feasts that are found in Paul's epistles.
The Sabbath, Sunday and the Church.
It is evident that Paul could not have written Rom. 14: had the sabbath day been
binding upon the church. The law of the sabbath does not leave room for "esteeming
every day alike" (Rom. 14: 5), and if this be true regarding such an established
institution as the sabbath, it is also most true regarding the first day of the week. When
Paul said to the Galatians:--
"Ye observe days, and months, and times and years, I am afraid of you, lest I have
bestowed upon you labour in vain" (Gal. 4: 10, 11).
he made no exception of the sabbath day. His words in Col. 2:, however, leave one
without a doubt as to the purport of his teaching:--
"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or
of the new moon, or of the sabbaths, which are a shadow of good things to come: but the
body is of Christ" (Col. 2: 16, 17).
With the coming of the full truth of the mystery, there passed off the scene all types
and shadows. The inclusion of the "sabbaths" in such a context as Col. 2: should make
us doubly on our guard against any specious arguments that "have a show of wisdom",
but which lead away from our full and complete position in Christ.
We respect the conscience of the weaker brother regarding the observance of days, the
abstaining from meats, and other items that have no longer any value for us. Sunday is
not the sabbath, and no manipulation of the references to the first day of the week can
make it so. Moreover, we do not seek to impose Sunday observance upon the world of
the ungodly, for we realize that no such claim belongs to our calling, or to them. We
thankfully accept Sunday as an opportunity for obtaining that necessary one day's rest in
seven which our physical nature demands. We, moreover, welcome the opportunity it
provides for more completely turning aside from the things of everyday life to the
worship of God, and the ministry of His Word, but we see no special sanctity in a
meeting held on Sunday, neither would we allow any thought of the "day" to influence
our attitude or witness. Concern for the conscience of others is the only bondage to
which we are willing to submit in this matter. The bondage of "holy days" is "not after
Christ" and is to be rejected.
Whatever the sabbath meant to Israel a rest, a delight, a prophecy of the rest that
remaineth, a sign, a covenant, a mark of the high calling of God, this, like circumcision
and other rites, we find in full measure in Christ. He is our Sabbath, and we need no