WCF, Chapter 21

[RandPhoenix]

Hi,

I was wondering about the meaning of Chapter 21, article 8, specifically where it talks about taking a break from not only worldly work, but also recreation. I was in something of a debate about whether or not someone can, for instance, bowl on the Sabbath or go to parks or go to the movies. What is the general consensus on this? Thanks.

 

[christianhope]

Charles,

As I understand it, there are two views, the puritan view, which is what is in the WCF, and then the continental view, which allows for recreation.

I believe the puritan view is the biblical view and agree with the WCF. According to that standard, bowling, and movies would definitely be sin. As to taking a walk at the Park, I think that would have to depend upon one's motives in going. The principle in the confession is that the 'whole day would be taken up in God's worship, both public and private.'

The continental view is by far the more popular view today.

 

[Willem van Oranje]

Charles,

As I understand it, there are two views, the puritan view, which is what is in the WCF, and then the continental view, which allows for recreation.

I believe the puritan view is the biblical view and agree with the WCF. According to that standard, bowling, and movies would definitely be sin. As to taking a walk at the Park, I think that would have to depend upon one's motives in going. The principle in the confession is that the 'whole day would be taken up in God's worship, both public and private.'

The continental view is by far the more popular view today.

Actually, this is a common misconception. The WCF goes farther than the Heidelberg, but that's not due to a distinction between a continential and a british reformed view. Rather the difference is due to an evolution of the theology of the Sabbath from the 16th to the 17th century, where reformed theologians worldwide came to recognize that the Sabbath was an ordinance begun at creation, and not merely a part of the Mosaic law. There was substantial agreement with the WCF on this issue among Dutch, German, and Swiss Reformed theologians in the 17th century.

 

[RandPhoenix]

But what about Hebrews which makes it pretty clear that Christ IS the Sabbath rest? I'm not necessarily disagreeing, but I've never really wrestled through this issue.

 

[Willem van Oranje]

But what about Hebrews which makes it pretty clear that Christ IS the Sabbath rest? I'm not necessarily disagreeing, but I've never really wrestled through this issue.

That's why we keep the Sabbath brother. It's a foretaste of our eternal rest in Christ, that we get to enjoy once a week while we are still here on earth by setting aside all secular work and recreation, and just communing with him for a day. In this regard the apostle explicitly states,

"There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." Hebrews 4:9

In other words, because of the future eternal rest in Christ, there is a regular Sabbath-keeping for Christians under the New Covenant. This the apostle states explicitly. It is clear if you follow his logic. And the original language sabbatismos = Sabbath-keeping or resting denotes as much.

 

[Romans922]

Isaiah 58:13ff, ""If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;
then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

 

[jwright82]

What is allowed on the Sabbath to me is like anyother ethical question for the christian it is always framed withen a general scheme or categories of ethical judgements: good things, bad things, and gray things. Good things would be like praying, going to church, singing hymns, worship, bible study. Bad things would be like working unecessaraly, not going to church other than for being sick or something, worshipping in another religion. Gray things are those activities that are not so easily definable like your going on a walk example. These are things that honest christians can honestly disagree over. It is not to say that they neither right or wrong in an ultimate sense its just that they are not so easily definable one way or another.

In my opinion the biggest shame over this issue is not so much what people do on Sunday but the fact that they don't even think about it. You may do something questionable on the Sabbath but if you honestly wrestled with it, sought Godly advice, studyed the bible over it than you are at least a step ahead of most people. We ought to be thinking about whether or not we should do something on Sabbath prior to doing it, that at least shows that our perspective is in the right spot.

So you must decide for yourself whether or not you should do a particuler activity on the Sabbath, God alone is Lord over the consceince so my guess is He'll convict you of those things that He doesn't want you in particulier to do on the Sabbath. Also what is your church's opinion on the matter. I'm not saying that you need to to get an OK for everything you want to do on the Sabbath, but you should know your church's general position on the matter and bring that into your decision proccess, after all you took vows and everything.

 

[Willem van Oranje]

What is allowed on the Sabbath to me is like anyother ethical question for the christian it is always framed withen a general scheme or categories of ethical judgements: good things, bad things, and gray things. Good things would be like praying, going to church, singing hymns, worship, bible study. Bad things would be like working unecessaraly, not going to church other than for being sick or something, worshipping in another religion. Gray things are those activities that are not so easily definable like your going on a walk example. These are things that honest christians can honestly disagree over. It is not to say that they neither right or wrong in an ultimate sense its just that they are not so easily definable one way or another.

In my opinion the biggest shame over this issue is not so much what people do on Sunday but the fact that they don't even think about it. You may do something questionable on the Sabbath but if you honestly wrestled with it, sought Godly advice, studyed the bible over it than you are at least a step ahead of most people. We ought to be thinking about whether or not we should do something on Sabbath prior to doing it, that at least shows that our perspective is in the right spot.

So you must decide for yourself whether or not you should do a particuler activity on the Sabbath, God alone is Lord over the consceince so my guess is He'll convict you of those things that He doesn't want you in particulier to do on the Sabbath. Also what is your church's opinion on the matter. I'm not saying that you need to to get an OK for everything you want to do on the Sabbath, but you should know your church's general position on the matter and bring that into your decision proccess, after all you took vows and everything.

Yesterday, on the Sabbath, I took my wife, sister-in-law, and three oldest kids on a walk on a trail through the woods behind our house to the river. On the way down I told them stories about the courage, suffering, and faith of the Scottish Covenanters during the killing times. On the way back, I drilled the kids in the Shorter Catechism.

 

[jwright82]

Yesterday, on the Sabbath, I took my wife, sister-in-law, and three oldest kids on a walk on a trail through the woods behind our house to the river. On the way down I told them stories about the courage, suffering, and faith of the Scottish Covenanters during the killing times. On the way back, I drilled the kids in the Shorter Catechism

Good, you obviously made very good use of your time, you turned a reguler activity into a fun, family, theologically educational experience. I apluad you for that and I hope you and your family had a wonderful time. I personally didn't have my daughter, everyother weekend, so I tried to finish reading Guy Water's book on FV because an elder from my church lent it to me and I am trying to get it back to him, it is a wonderful read by the way.

 

[Wayne]

Dr. Robert G. Rayburn, first president at Covenant College and Seminary, was fond of telling about the little Scottish girl who asked her grandfather if she could walk down to the pond on the Lord's Day.
To which her grandfather sternly replied: "Aye, lassie, ye main gang, sae lang as ye dornt hae fin." [you may go, so long as you don't have fun]

All joking aside, see Chris Coldwell's classic study which I will remember as being titled "Did Calvin Bowl on the Sabbath?" [He did not. Plus it would have been bocce ball, not bowling]

 

[jwright82]

Dr. Robert G. Rayburn, first president at Covenant College and Seminary, was fond of telling about the little Scottish girl who asked her grandfather if she could walk down to the pond on the Lord's Day.
To which her grandfather sternly replied: "Aye, lassie, ye main gang, sae lang as ye dornt hae fin." [you may go, so long as you don't have fun]

All joking aside, see Chris Coldwell's classic study which I will remember as being titled "Did Calvin Bowl on the Sabbath?" [He did not. Plus it would have been bocce ball, not bowling]

I love that joke by the way!

 

[Scott1]

Hi,

I was wondering about the meaning of Chapter 21, article 8, specifically where it talks about taking a break from not only worldly work, but also recreation. I was in something of a debate about whether or not someone can, for instance, bowl on the Sabbath or go to parks or go to the movies. What is the general consensus on this? Thanks.

Westminster Confession of Faith

Chapter XXI
Of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day

....

VIII. This Sabbath is to be kept holy unto the Lord when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts about their wordly employments and recreations,[38] but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of His worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.[39]

You may find helpful doing an advanced search (upper right)- there have been several good threads on this and topics related to sabbath/Lord's Day/fourth commandment.

This chapter of the Confession summarizes the doctrine of Scripture about what we sometimes call the regulative principle, with the sabbath being an important part of that. It regulates the way God's creatures live.

Study the Scripture proofs for each statement and/or proposition of doctrine and this will help seeing the biblical basis.

The heart of the forth commandment, applicable to all men perpetually is to cease (sabbath) and make holy (set aside) one day in seven from the ordinary work and recreation that consumes much of the rest of the week. This requires advance preparation so these ordinary things do not interfere.

We are commanded to do this so that we might prioritize the worship of God (individual, family, and corporate) all the day.

That means, by God's grace, setting aside the thoughts, words and deeds about work and entertaining ourselves that are fine the rest of the week, so the day can be holy. Something of a taste of what heaven will be like begins now, and is reflected in the Lord's Day.

You may find helpful, The Lord's Day, by Dr. Joseph Pipa
http://www.wtsbooks.com/product-exec/product_id/1352/nm/Lord_s_Day_Paperback_