Blog 66: 2.8.33 - 2.8.38 (04-06-2009 09:56 AM)

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Paul Helm

Calvin's understanding of the Fourth Commandment is notably restrained. Its present rationale has chiefly to do with the ordering of public worship at a set time, appropriately enough a time (or times) during the day of the Lord's resurrection. But remembering...

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2.8.34

2.8.34

34. Spiritual observance of the sacred day*

However, the ancients did not substitute the Lord's Day (as we call it) for the Sabbath without careful discrimination. The purpose and fulfillment of that true rest, represented by the ancient Sabbath, lies in the Lord's resurrection. Hence, by the very day that brought the shadows to an end, Christians are warned not to cling to the shadow rite. Nor do I cling to the number "seven" so as to bind the church in subjection to it. And I shall not condemn churches that have other solemn days for their meetings, provided there be no superstition. This will be so if they have regard solely to the maintenance of discipline and good order.


To sum up: as truth was delivered to the Jews under a figure, so is it set before us without shadows. First, we are to meditate throughout life upon an everlasting Sabbath rest from all our works, that the Lord may work in us through his Spirit. Secondly, each one of us privately, whenever he has leisure, is to exercise himself diligently in pious meditation upon God's works. Also, we should all observe together the lawful order set by the church for the hearing of the Word, the administration of the sacraments, and for public prayers. In the third place, we should not inhumanly oppress those subject to us.

Thus vanish the trifles of the false prophets, who in former centuries infected the people with a Jewish opinion. They asserted that nothing but the ceremonial part of this commandment has been abrogated (in their phraseology the "appointing" of the seventh day), but the moral part remains-namely, the fixing of one day in seven. Yet this is merely changing the day as a reproach to the Jews, while keeping in mind the same sanctity of the day. For we still retain the same significance in the mystery of the days as pertained among the Jews. And we really see how they profit by such teaching. For those of them who cling to their constitutions surpass the Jews three times over in crass and carnal Sabbatarian superstition. Hence the reproaches that we read in The Book of Isaiah apply to them today just as much as they did to those whom the prophet rebuked in his own time [chs. 1:1315; 58:13]. But we ought especially to hold to this general doctrine: that, in order to prevent religion from either perishing or declining among us, we should diligently frequent the sacred meetings, and make use of those external aids which can promote the worship of God.​

I find understanding what Calvin writes concerning the Lord's Day / Sabbath to be difficult. I often think it is because of the culture, time, and language barrier (his use of certain words may have a different meaning in his time than they do now). Other times I think he is simply overreacting to superstition.

It seems like every other paragraph he writes he contradicts other ones in the very same chapter! For example, look at the underlined portion. Isn't that quote what modern day Sabbatarians would say? What in the world is his point after he described Sabbath observance earlier in paragraphs 29-33?