The Christian Sabbath by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 5, 1872

The Christian Sabbath.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

The opponents of God's holy Sabbath always have much to say about the “Christian Sabbath,” as though this was something different from God's ancient Sabbath. While we prefer to call Bible things by Bible names, and while we farther know that the terms “Jewish Sabbath,” and “Christian Sabbath” are neither of them in the Bible, yet, if there is any propriety in calling one day of the week above another the Christian Sabbath, we believe that this term should be applied to the seventh day and not to the first day. Let us look at the facts a moment. What does the word Christian mean? That which belongs to Christ, or, in other words, something that is Christ's. A Christian church is Christ's church. The Christian Sabbath is Christ's Sabbath. The Christian's Sabbath day, then, would be Christ's Sabbath day. Sabbath signifies rest; hence Christ's rest day.

Now we ask, Did Christ ever rest from his work upon the first day of the week? No living man can prove that he did. The Bible never names any such rest on that day. In short, there is no record of it. If a man claims that he did, it is pure assumption. He cannot prove it.

But did Christ have anything to do in making the seventh-day Sabbath by resting upon it? Most certainly he did. Look at the facts a moment. When was the seventh day made the Sabbath of the Lord? Answer: At the creation of the world, when God made everything in six days and rested on the seventh. Did not that make it God's Sabbath day? The Bible says so, and no one will dispute that. Now we ask another question. Who rested on the seventh day? Did not the same one who made the world in six days? Certainly. Then we ask further, Who made this world? The Bible is explicit on this point. It declares that Jesus Christ made it. Read a few testimonies. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” John 1:1-3.

“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature; for by him were all things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in earth, visible, and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Col. 1:15-17. See also Heb. 1:1, 2, 8-12.

Nothing could be plainer than these statements proving that Jesus Christ made our world. But does not the Bible say that the Father did it? Yes; but it tells us how he did it, that is by Jesus Christ, or through his agency. “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” Eph. 3:9.

Jesus Christ, then, created the world by the authority of the Father; or, to say the very least, in connection with his Father. Then did he not work the first six days? Certainly. Then did he not here rest on the seventh day? Most assuredly. Then did not that make it his rest day, his Sabbath day as much as it did the Sabbath day of his Father? None can deny this. Then is not that the Christian Sabbath? The conclusion seems as plain to us as the shining sun. This fact shows further that Christ is as much interested in the holiness of the seventh-day Sabbath as the Father is. Hence he could truly say, Mark 2:28, “The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath day.” This is indeed the Lord's day whether we speak of the Father or the Son. D. M. CANRIGHT.