THE SABBATH HONORED BY CHRIST.
By John Nevins Andrews
JESUS did not violate the Sabbath. Or, to speak more strictly the perfect truth, our Lord kept all the commandments of God and taught men so to do. He testifies that he had kept his Father's commandments. John 15:10. Sin is the transgression of the law; but in Christ there is no sin. 1 John 3:4, 5. He taught the immutability of every jot and tittle of the moral law. He solemnly warned men not to break the commandments, and to teach men so. He promised that those who do and teach them shall be highly honored in the kingdom of God. Matt. 5:17-19. The son of God had his Father's law in his heart. Ps. 40:8. All who are saved by him will have that same law in their hearts also. Jer. 31:33; Luke 22:20; Heb. 8:10. Nor is this all. The New-Testament church are to fulfill the righteousness of the law; i. e., the right doing ordained in the law. Rom. 8:1-7. Such a church will assuredly obey the fourth commandment. The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath-day. Matt. 12:8. It is no disgrace to the Sabbath that Jesus is its Lord. Indeed, it is no dishonor to the Son of God to be the Lord of the Sabbath. The expression, "Lord even of the Sabbath-day," does certainly imply that it is a very high honor to be Lord of the Sabbath. Nor does it signify that because he is its Lord, he is307therefore to destroy it. The very opposite is implied. He "died and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living." Rom. 14:9. These are his people; and he did all this that he might be their Lord, and thus give them eternal life. As the Lord of the Sabbath, he was the right one to determine what was, and what was not, proper upon the Sabbath. And the very fact that he was engaged with the Father in the creation, shows that he was also concerned with him in ordaining the Sabbath. It is, therefore, with the strictest reason that he claims to be Lord of that institution which God calls my "holy day," the "holy of the Lord" and "honorable." The Sabbath is not an institution unknown to the New Testament, nor is it one peculiar to the New Testament. That book treats it as an existing institution; just as it alludes to the heavens and the earth as something in existence from ancient days. The Lord of the New-Testament church, is the Lord of the Sabbath. He honored it in his life by setting aside, as its Lord, the burdensome traditions by which it was encumbered. He honored it by performing on that day a very large portion of his works of mercy for the distressed. He honored it by teaching his disciples to pray that it should not become necessary for them to flee on that day, some forty years after his death. He honored it by his custom of devout attendance upon the synagogue on that day, from early life till the close of his work. He honored the Sabbath, and himself also, by claiming to be EVEN its Lord. He honored the Sabbath when he, the Lord of the Sabbath, lay in death, and those who had known him most intimately, and understood his teaching most perfectly, desisted from a work of love and reverence for him, not absolutely necessary, that they might rest the Sabbath-day according to the commandment. The book of Acts contains an inspired history of the first generation of the Christian church. It makes several important references to the Sabbath. Thus we read that Paul, having preached in the Jewish synagogue at Antioch on the Sabbath, when the congregation was broken up, was entreated by the multitude that these same words might be preached to them the next Sabbath-day. And the next Sabbath-day, came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God; and the hand of God was with his servants. Acts 13:14, 27, 42-44. It is evident therefore, that the day which was hallowed by the Jews, was, some fifteen years after the death of Christ, still known as the Sabbath. That Paul not only preached to the Jews on that day, but that he preached also, on the following Sabbath, to the Gentiles, and this at their own request, is strong proof that the apostles regarded the ancient Sabbath as the most suitable day for divine worship; and, also, that even the Gentiles of Antioch had some regard for the day. Paul was not compelled to use the Sabbath for this second meeting, for he was dealing with Gentiles; he did use it, however; which is a strong proof of his regard for the day, and even that the people of Antioch also had, to some extent, regard for the Sabbath. When the council assembled at Jerusalem to consider the question of circumcision, it is evident that the question of the Sabbath did not cause any difference of opinion at all. It was a trouble to certain ones that the Gentiles did not observe circumcision. Acts 15:1-5. Had they been neglecters, also, of the Sabbath, most certainly that fact would have been mentioned, for it could not but create even greater disturbance than the neglect of circumcision. And when the apostle James gives sentence in the council, he makes an important statement respecting the Sabbath. He says: "For Moses hath of OLD TIME in EVERY CITY them that preach him, being read in the synagogues EVERY SABBATH-DAY." Acts 15:21. He assigns this as a reason why the points named by him, and no others, should be inserted in the letter of instruction to the Gentiles. It is evident that the Jews, in their dispersion, had carried the Sabbath with them into every city of the Gentiles, and that the Gentile Christians were, even before their conversion, acquainted with the Sabbath, and were still receiving the benefit of this Sabbath instruction from the books of Moses. When Paul arrived at Philippi to preach Christ, his labors began with a small company of devout Gentiles, mostly women, who were wont to assemble for prayer, upon the Sabbath, by the river side. The first convert was a Grecian woman named Lydia, of the city of Thyatira. Acts 16:12-15. With this company of Sabbath-keepers, began the Philippian church. Next, the apostle "came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath-days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures." Acts 17:1, 2. This was Paul's "manner," even as it was the "custom" of Jesus. Luke 4:16. We never read of his having a similar custom respecting any other day of the week. As the result of his preaching, "some" of the Jews, "and of the devout Greeks, a great multitude, and of the chief women, not a few," became obedient to the faith. These "devout Greeks" were men, who not only feared the true God, but kept his commandments. And thus we see that the Thessalonian church also began with a company of Sabbath-keepers, part of whom were Jews, but the most, devout Gentiles. The origin of the Corinthian church is very similar to that of the church of Thessalonica. We learn that Paul came to Corinth, and finding Aquila and Priscilla, he came unto them, "and because he was of the same craft, he abode with them and wrought; for, by their occupation, they were tent makers. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks." Acts 18:1-4. Here, as at Corinth, some of the Jews and Greeks who thus worshiped God in the synagogue were the first converts to the gospel. And this church also began, not merely from the labors of a man who kept the commandments of God, but with those who were already the worshipers of God upon his sacred day. This was Paul's manner in every place. He began with the Jews who feared God, and with whom, in every case, there appears to have been associated devout Gentiles, and with this kind of converts laid the foundation of his churches. It is certainly worthy of notice, that the day observed by the Jews is ever called the Sabbath by Luke, who writes by the Spirit of inspiration some thirty years after the abrogation of the Sabbath, as some say; or, that time after its change, as say others. We can judge how Paul preached respecting the law by what he has written respecting it in his epistles. He represents the whole world as condemned by the law, and every mouth shut by it. Rom. 3:19. He tells us that by the law is the knowledge of sin. Verse 20. So that when he wished to instruct men as to the nature of sin, he opened to them the law of God. He shows how men, thus condemned, can be pardoned, and yet God maintain his justice as represented in his law. It is through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus that God can be just, and yet justify the sinner who believes in Jesus. Verses 23-26. And thus he states the immutability of the law in the strongest language: "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law." Rom. 3:31. Paul held to the abrogation of the ceremonial law, with its numerous sabbaths, new moons, and feast days (compare Eph. 2:14, 15; Col. 2:14-17; Lev. 23:4-44); but he did sacredly maintain the moral law of God as the unchangeable rule of right. The language of James is the most convincing testimony to the perpetual obligation of the ten commandments: "If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well; but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty." James 2:8-12. There can be no mistake that what James calls the royal law is still in full force, and that this law embodies the ten commandments. It is also certain that to violate one of those commandments makes us guilty of violating the ten of God. So long, therefore, as this code of moral laws endures, so long will the Sabbath of the Lord remain. It is a part of that code which shall stand fast until heaven and earth shall pass away. The last book of the Bible was given upon the Lord's day. Rev. 1:10. It is a revelation made by Christ to John. As none but the Lord of the Sabbath was counted worthy by God, the Father, to receive this book to give to man (compare Rev. 1:1; 5:1-7), so he chose, as the most suitable day to give this to man, that day which the Bible designates as his. As only one such day is revealed in the Bible (Gen. 2:1-3; Ex. 20:8-11; Isa. 58:13; Mark 2:28), we may be certian, not only that such a day existed at the close of the first century of the Christian church, but that this is the very day hallowed by the Father and the Son in the beginning, and jointly recognized in the Scriptures as theirs.