Debating the Sabbath

DEBATING THE Sabbath was the focus of last week Tuesday's Religious Hardtalk between Everald Allen, Baptist minister, and Ian Boyne, Armstrongite and veteran host.

I watched based on the promotion of the programme, being interested in what was the position of Allen, a biblical scholar, to ascertain if we had similar views as Baptists. Unfortunately, this was a very weak programme because the host was playing the role of moderator and debater and his bias was patently obvious. In addition, he did not allow Allen to finish most of his sentences and points. Just watch the tape again. Furthermore, Boyne spent time outlining what he thought was Allen's points rather than allowing Allen to state his position.

Therefore, the hour long programme did not get to the expected depth. However, one of Allen's points was that the old covenant is obsolete and under the new covenant there is a reinterpretation. Boyne agreed with Allen that the old covenant is obsolete. However, he claimed that the Sabbath is perpetual. Furthermore, Boyne claimed that the Sabbath is a creation ordinance and, therefore, predates the old covenant and is, therefore, still valid.

The weakness of the argument that the Sabbath is permanently valid is that the requirements would also be valid. For example, in the Old Testament, there is death to violators of the Sabbath, "Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death ..." (Exodus 31:14). Nobody believes or practises that.

Furthermore, Sabbath is not a creation ordinance. It is very important to remember that the Mosaic covenant with the Sabbath requirement at its centre was not made with anyone prior to the Israelites, and the first mention of the word 'Sabbath' is not in Genesis but Exodus 16.

Egyptian emancipation

Additionally, the only reason given for the observance of the Sabbath according to the Ten Commandments is Egyptian emancipation from slavery. Deuteronomy 5:12-15 states, "Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you ... . Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day." There are two clear points from these verses. This record of the Decalogue shows that it is between God and the Israelites who experienced Egyptian slavery, and the reason for the observance of the Sabbath was emancipation from Egyptian slavery.

It was not clear why Boyne thought it necessary to raise the Sabbath issue at this time, save and except he perhaps wanted to promote his lectures on Sabbath. But the emphasis on Sabbath is misplaced and not reflected by Christ's teachings. When Christ was asked what was the greatest commandment, he did not mention the Sabbath or even one from the Decalogue (Matthew 20:36-40). Jesus mentions two, namely, Love God with the entirety of your being, which comes from Deuteronomy 6:5, and love neighbour as the self, which comes from Leviticus 19:18. Therefore, both commands are in the Law but neither can be found in the 10 commandments.

Finally, in Acts 15, there were some Christians who were demanding that Gentiles keep the Mosaic Law, including Sabbath observance, and be circumcised. And the decision of the Jerusalem Council was that all that was necessary was "that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication" v29.

Debating the Sabbath on Religious Hardtalk needs to allow for alternative arguments that are biblically sound.

Rev Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church in St Andrew. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.