On Keeping The Sabbath

[jezk]

There was this YouTube video that I saw recently that stated that keeping the Sabbath was a requirement for Christians because A. the principle preceded the law of Moses and B. it was also in the moral law (the 10 commandments).

If this is so, then should not Christians observe both the Sabbath (Friday to Saturday) - as do the Seventh Day Baptists - and the Lord's Day (Sunday)?
Also, at least part A. applies to circumcision: everyone under the Abrahamic covenant that certainly includes Christians. Then is not the proper thing infant circumcision and believer's baptism?

In my reading of the New Testament, I see warrant for annulling (i.e. the ceremonial law) and addition (i.e. communion) but no warrant for replacing anything.

The video also claimed that the New Testament was commentary on the Old Testament. My position: Jeremiah 31:31-34 disagrees and a number of texts - Matthew 26:28 and 2 Corinthians 3:6 - agree with Jeremiah.

 

[Jake]

I agree with these premises: yes, we should keep the Sabbath because it was founded at creation and because it is in the still binding Mosaic law.

I think what the "7th dayers" are missing is that the Sabbath is to be observed on/as the Lord's Day after Christ's resurrection. Your confession says it well (although it mirrors my own):

"As it is the law of nature, that in general a proportion of time, by God's appointment, be set apart for the worship of God, so by his Word, in 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 is called the Lord's Day: and is to be continued to the end of the world as the Christian Sabbath, the observation of the last day of the week being abolished." (London Baptist Confession of Faith, Chapter 22, Paragraph 7)

The Sabbath is not ceremonial law, so don't get confused there. It is correct that it is part of God's Moral law, although there are ceremonial commands given as well.
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As to why the Lord's Day is the Sabbath, I think a good, simple explanation is to be found in Fisher's Catechism. This is a commentary on the Westminster Shorter Catechism, specifically here Q. 59, which teaches the same as your Confession does on the point quoted.

https://reformed.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/FishersCatechism.pdf
Start on page 290 of the document, and it goes on for a few pages for a simple Q and A format outline going over this question.

A book I recommend if you want to go deeper than explores the Sabbath well, including the transition to the Lord's Day, is The Lord's Day by Joey Pipa. He goes into particular detail about several of the Sabbath passages in the Bible, including going over Hebrews 4 and how it shows (following the exegetical work of Puritan John Owen) how this text teaches a move from the 7th day to the 1st day for the day we observe the Sabbath on.

 

[Alexander Suarez]

Good day J.E.,

Just this week, someone asked me for resources on the topic of why Sunday vs Saturday as the Christian Sabbath. Thought I'd share with you, in case you should find them of use:

1. Matt Marino

Notes: https://www.reformedclassicalist.co...n-hath-god-appointed-to-be-the-weekly-sabbath

Class Audio/Video:

2. Matthew Henry, Thomas Vincent, & Thomas Watson:

Privacy Policy 1 — Bible Presbyterian Church General Synod

bpc.org

https://bpc.org/tvq59

Privacy Policy 1 — Bible Presbyterian Church General Synod

bpc.org

3. James Fisher (as mentioned by @Jake above)

On The Christian Sabbath

From The Assembly’s Shorter Catechism Explained, by Way of Question and Answer, by James Fisher and other Ministers of the Gospel.

www.reformedspirituality.org

4. D. Scott Meadows

A Simple Defense of Sunday, the Lord's Day, as the Christian Sabbath

D. Scott Meadows Reformed Christians have long held to the Christian Sabbath. For example, The Baptist Catechism of 1693 says, Q. 64. Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly Sabbath? A. Before the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week

heraldofgrace.org

5. A. A. Hodge (a longer piece)

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/590be125ff7c502a07752a5b/t/5a850e3724a69403d72443ea/1518669372364/Hodge%2C+AA+-+The+Day+Changed+and+The+Sabbath+Preserved.pdf

 

[jezk]

Thank you brothers for your replies

 

[pgwolv]

Hebrews 7:12
[12] For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.

What was that change with regard to the Sabbath? The change of which day; after all, “the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:8

Psalm 118:22-24
[22] The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
[23] This is the LORD’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
[24] This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

What day is this? The resurrection day!

Acts 4:10-11

[10] let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. [11] This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.

 

[pgwolv]

I find this sermon of Jonathan Edwards to be good: https://ccel.org/ccel/edwards/works2/works2.iv.xv.html

 

[jezk]

I find this sermon of Jonathan Edwards to be good: https://ccel.org/ccel/edwards/works2/works2.iv.xv.html

Thank you