Lord's Day not observed in Nepal

[yeutter]

The weekly civic day off from work in Nepal is Saturday. All of the Churches in Nepal, with the exception of some right on the Indian border, worship on Saturday.
For my wife and I this is not a problem. I am retired; work is not an issue. We worship in Nepali on Saturday. On Sunday we observe the Lord's Day. I try to listen to a worship service on Sermon Audio.
I am concerned about what I should tell my Nepali friends.
Some Nepali Christians have advanced the Lutheran argument that the principle involved is that Christ is our Sabbath. One day out of seven observance is what is required, not a specific day.
What council should I give?

 

[NaphtaliPress]

I would tell them what you believe; maybe point them to Ryle or an article explaining what the Reformed and Presbyterian position is. Even after the restoration and then the glorious revolution the Anglican position was largely sabbatarian returning to what it was before Laud intervened.

 

[ProtestantBankie]

I would tell them what you believe; maybe point them to Ryle or an article explaining what the Reformed and Presbyterian position is. Even after the restoration and then the glorious revolution the Anglican position was largely sabbatarian returning to what it was before Laud intervened.

Bishop Wilson on the Lord's Day is a must read for those of a sabbath keeping conviction.

 

[Parakaleo]

Is the "Reformed and Presbyterian" position that the Sabbath is only to be on the first day of the week? I thought Calvin believed the day could be changed by consensus of churches and civil magistrates. I also thought the timing of the weekly Sabbath on the seventh day of the week was, like timing of the feasts and lesser sabbaths in Israel, a ceremonial aspect. I know it is moral to observe a weekly Sabbath, but how would it be moral (and not ceremonial) that this take place on the first day of the week? A concise explanation would be welcome.

 

[VictorBravo]

Is the "Reformed and Presbyterian" position that the Sabbath is only to be on the first day of the week? I thought Calvin believed the day could be changed by consensus of churches and civil magistrates. I also thought the timing of the weekly Sabbath on the seventh day of the week was, like timing of the feasts and lesser sabbaths in Israel, a ceremonial aspect. I know it is moral to observe a weekly Sabbath, but how would it be moral (and not ceremonial) that this take place on the first day of the week? A concise explanation would be welcome.

Maybe not concise, but essential reading for those interested in this issue--Jonathan Edwards on the perpetuity and change of the Sabbath:

http://www.biblebb.com/files/edwards/sabbath.htm

 

[NaphtaliPress]

Blake, some of the Reformed were less careful (Hospinian comes to mind, who did say that I think, others like Junius, Zanchi, etc. I don't think so), and the NR had its battles over the doctrine, but I thought very few thought the day should any longer be changed whether they assigned it as a custom, approved example or command from the Apostles. But if one doesn't want to complicate matters for the Nepalese I wouldn't get into that. See Woody Lauer's paper on Calvin where he brings Calvin closer to a Sabbatarian view than has been granted. While the Reformed might be divided; the nonAngloCatholic (Ryle, Wilson), Presbyterian and Nonconformist view is Puritan Sabbatarianism which emphatically denies the day can be changed as there can be no greater reason than what brought the change in the first place. This of course is implied in WCF 21 where they say the day is to continue as the Lord's Day until Christ's return.

VII. As it is the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in His Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment binding all men in all ages, He has particularly appointed one day in seven, for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him: which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week: and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week, which, in Scripture, is called the Lord's Day, and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath.
​

Here is what Bownd says:

The apostles by the direction of God’s Spirit (leading them into all truth) did change that day (which before was the seventh from creation, and in remembrance of it) into the eighth; even this which we now keep in honor of the Redemption. And therefore the same day ought never to be changed, but still to be kept of all nations unto the world’s end; because we can never have the like cause or direction to change it.
​

 

[Parakaleo]

Presbyterian and Nonconformist view is Puritan Sabbatarianism which emphatically denies the day can be changed as there can be no greater reason than what brought the change in the first place.

Excellent. I do not remember where I had heard or seen that about Calvin's view. This answer, however, is exceedingly simple and satisfying. 10/10.

 

[Jake]

What about places where Sunday is not the first day of the week? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday#Position_in_the_week

 

[Parakaleo]

What about places where Sunday is not the first day of the week?

I've looked in to this some more since this morning and my own question about the morality of what day of the week the Sabbath is observed. I have found that the Christian Sabbath commandment is more than just observing on the first day of the common week of whatever land you are in. It is better understood by the Hebrew reckoning of the seventh day after creation. The Christian reckons the seventh day after the resurrection. This also answers that curiosity about whether the faithful Christian would have observed back-to-back Sabbaths if they understood the change to the first day of the week upon learning of the resurrection. The answer, I believe, is they would have observed the seventh-day Sabbath when Christ was in the tomb, no Sabbath at all on the day He resurrected, then their first Christian Sabbath on the seventh day after the resurrection. Does that make any sense at all?

From William Perkins:

If it be said that Christ changed the moral law in changing the Sabbath day from the seventh day to the eighth; I answer Christ did so indeed by His apostles, but that is no change of the substance, but of the ceremony of the Sabbath; for the substance of that law is the enjoining of a seventh day’s rest unto the Lord. Now though the seventh day from the creation be not kept, yet a seventh day is kept still.

 

[MichaelNZ]

What about places where Sunday is not the first day of the week? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday#Position_in_the_week

I looked up a couple of churches in the Malaysian state of Kelantan, where the weekend is Friday and Saturday, and it looks like they have their main worship service on Friday morning.

 

[yeutter]

What about places where Sunday is not the first day of the week? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday#Position_in_the_week

I looked up a couple of churches in the Malaysian state of Kelantan, where the weekend is Friday and Saturday, and it looks like they have their main worship service on Friday morning.

That is true elsewhere in the Islamic world

 

[yeutter]

Blake, some of the Reformed were less careful (Hospinian comes to mind, who did say that I think, others like Junius, Zanchi, etc. I don't think so), and the NR had its battles over the doctrine, but I thought very few thought the day should any longer be changed whether they assigned it as a custom, approved example or command from the Apostles. But if one doesn't want to complicate matters for the Nepalese I wouldn't get into that. See Woody Lauer's paper on Calvin where he brings Calvin closer to a Sabbatarian view than has been granted. While the Reformed might be divided; the nonAngloCatholic (Ryle, Wilson), Presbyterian and Nonconformist view is Puritan Sabbatarianism which emphatically denies the day can be changed as there can be no greater reason than what brought the change in the first place. This of course is implied in WCF 21 where they say the day is to continue as the Lord's Day until Christ's return.

VII. As it is the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in His Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment binding all men in all ages, He has particularly appointed one day in seven, for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him: which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week: and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week, which, in Scripture, is called the Lord's Day, and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath.
​

Here is what Bownd says:

The apostles by the direction of God’s Spirit (leading them into all truth) did change that day (which before was the seventh from creation, and in remembrance of it) into the eighth; even this which we now keep in honor of the Redemption. And therefore the same day ought never to be changed, but still to be kept of all nations unto the world’s end; because we can never have the like cause or direction to change it.
​

Thank you Chris. This is very helpful

 

[jwithnell]

Gentlemen, I understood the early church was often under some privation regarding the full observation of the first day of the week -- Roman rule often pushed worship out to nonworking hours before and after dark. especially for the lower classes. I'd never consider this (or an observance on another day) as ideal, but if we are caught in a pagan culture, should we not observe a sabbath as circumstances would permit? To clarify, given we generally have our choice of jobs in the west, we should by all means seek God's kingdom first and make ourselves available to work Mon.-Sat. and worship on Sunday. But some place like Nepal may not afford such consistency.

 

[Parakaleo]

I'd never consider this (or an observance on another day) as ideal, but if we are caught in a pagan culture, should we not observe a sabbath as circumstances would permit?

No. We should be prepared to sacrifice.

 

[yeutter]

I had suggested Saturday evening, after sunset, worship services. One of the problems with this is that people are resistant to worship after sunset; as they are traveling long distances on foot. Places of worship would have either use candles or connect to electricity for night time worship

 

[jwithnell]

Rev. Law, there seems to be evidence for early Christians working on the Lord's day because they were constrained to do so. While I generally have a robust view of preserving Sundays (I once left a church and community I loved because I could not find a job there that did not require Sunday hours) but I had choices in the US to move to another job and community. Clearly Christians are sometimes placed in situations where they would give their lives rather than bow to Caesar, but would have to show prudence in "lesser" regards. I'm concerned we will face similar choices here in the US before many more years pass.

 

[yeutter]

The parents of the Pastor, which we are working with, remember the old days, thirty years or so ago, when they would go into the jungle and meet secretly in a cave. The Christians in Nepal still face hardships. May God give them grace to come to come to an understanding of the need to adopt Lord's day observance.