The issue of Saturday’s observance [1] has historically provoked many debates and controversies involving various problems. The first important debate about saturday is whether, as an Old Testament ordinance particularly emphasized in the mosaic covenant, it is still obligatory in the context of Christianity of the new covenant. Augustine, for example, believed that nine of the Ten Commandments (the so-called “moral law” of the Old Testament) remained intact and fell upon the Christian Church. His only exception was saturday’s commandment. Because Paul had spoken of observing or not observing the Sabbath as a matter of deferment (indifferent), Augustine was convinced that the Law of the Sabbath of the Old Testament had been repealed. , on Saturday it retains its moral law character as long as creation is intact.
The second main controversy is the issue of the day of the week on which Saturday should be observed. Some insist that since the Sabbath was instituted on the seventh day of the week, when God rested from his work, and since the Old Testament Israelites celebrated the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week, which is the Sabbath, we must follow this pattern. . Others insisted that the New Testament changed on saturday to the first day of the week, due to the meaning of Jesus’ resurrection on that day. They also highlight the New Testament’s practice of Christians meeting on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, to worship. The discussion revolves around whether Saturday is a cyclical commandment that requires worship and rest every seven days, or whether it should be kept on a particular day of the week. He argued that it would be legitimate to have a Saturday on a given day, if there was a consensus of all the churches, because the principle in view would be the regular gathering of the Saints for collective worship and for the observance of rest.
- In the reformed tradition.
- The most important controversy that has arisen over the centuries is the question of how saturday should be observed.
- There are two important positions in the reformed tradition on this subject.
- For simplicity.
- We will call them the continental vision of Saturday and the puritanical vision of Saturday.
- Both views recognize that Saturday remains in force.
- Both views agree that Saturday is a time of collective worship.
- Both agree that Saturday is a day of rest during which believers must refrain from unnecessary activities.
- But there are two areas of discord between the two schools and the most important of them is the question of recreation.
- Is recreation a legitimate way to enjoy rest.
- Or is recreation something that ruins the observance of the Holy Saturday?.
The Puritan point of view is contrary to the acceptability of recreation on Saturday. The most frequently quoted text to support this view is Isaiah 58:13-14, which says, “If you turn your foot away from desecrating the Sabbath and caring for interests on my holy day; If you call the Sabbath a delicious and holy day of the Lord, worthy of honor, and honor him by not following your ways, by not wanting to do your own will, or by uttering vain words, then rejoice in the Lord. I will bring you up to the heights of the earth and sustain you with your father Jacob’s inheritance, why did the Lord’s mouth say that?
The crucial point of this passage is prophetic rebuke to people who took care of their own interests on Saturday. The assumption that many make in this text is that dealing with one’s own interests relates to leisure. If this is the case, the prophet Isaiah adds new dimensions to Old Testament law with respect to Sabbath observance. While the rest of the Old Testament is virtually silent about recreation, is this text quoted from Isaiah to indicate an additional revelation from God about Sabbath observance?
There is, however, another way of understanding Isaiah 58, following the thought of those who maintain the continental vision of the Sabbath: the distinction in Isaiah 58 is between doing what pleases God and doing what we like as opposed to what pleases God. , what is under discussion in the prophet’s rebuke is God’s judgment against the Israelites for violating Mosaic law with respect to the Sabbath, especially with regard to participation in trade. There were Israelis who wanted to be able to buy and sell seven days to Therefore, they violated Saturday’s commandment by pursuing their own interests, which was doing business on a Saturday rather than doing what God wanted. From this point of view, the text says nothing, directly or indirectly, about recreation on Saturday.
There is an ancient story, perhaps apocryphal, that when John Knox came to Geneva to visit John Calvin at his home on Saturday, he would have been surprised to find Calvin participating in a boules game. If this is true, the event may indicate that the most devoted theologian of Sabbath observance in history, Calvin, did not regard recreation as a Saturday break, but as part of the rest or recreation that should be part of that day. Recreation would never be acceptable to Calvin if he interrupted or transplanted the time devoted to Sabbath worship.
Another point of discussion remains between the two sides of this controversy: it refers to the works of mercy carried out on Saturday. Jesus’ example is cited to declare that, on Saturday, he was involved not only in worship and rest, but also in works of mercy. This work brought him into conflict with the Pharisees on the issue of Sabbath observance. Some have concluded that since Jesus performed works of mercy on a Saturday, the Christian is obliged to do the same. The fact that Jesus did works of mercy on a Sabbath, although he makes it clear that it is lawful to do so, does not compel us to do such works on a Sabbath. In other words, Jesus’ example teaches us that we can do works of mercy on a Sabbath, but not that we should do such works on a Sabbath.
All of these topics continue to be discussed and discussed as the church seeks to understand how God is most honored that day.
Grades:
[1] NE: Salu is the Portuguese transliteration of the Hebrew term. Some texts use Saturday or Saturday. We chose Saba because it is a Portuguese term and different from the day of the week. However, it should not be confused with Queen. Sabá of 1 Kings 10: 4.
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This article is part of the series “Sabbat: The Tireless Debate”, in which articles will be published defending different positions so that our reader has a more complete understanding of the topic. Therefore, publishing a specific position does not indicate the position of that department View the list of articles on the subject:
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By: R. C Sproul. © 2011 Ligonier Ministries. Original: Definition of debate.
This article is part of the June 2011 issue of Tabletalk magazine
Translation: Vin-cius Silva Pimentel. © 2014 Faithful Ministério. All rights reserved. Website: MinistryFiel. com. br. Original: Saturday: define the debate.