Calvin on the Sabbath

[JM]

Doctrine :

"The two other cases ought not to be classed with ancient shadows, but are adapted to every age. The sabbath being abrogated,"

Pastoral Council :

"there is still room among us, first, to assemble on stated days for the hearing of the Word, the breaking of the mystical bread, and public prayer; and, secondly, to give our servants and labourers relaxation from labour. It cannot be doubted that the Lord provided for both in the commandment of the Sabbath. The former is abundantly evinced by the mere practice of the Jews."

Doctrine :

"It was not, however, without a reason that the early Christians substituted what we call the Lord’s day for the Sabbath. The resurrection of our Lord being the end and accomplishment of that true rest which the ancient sabbath typified, this day, by which types were abolished serves to warn Christians against adhering to a shadowy ceremony. I do not cling so to the number seven as to bring the Church under bondage to it, nor do I condemn churches for holding their meetings on other solemn days, provided they guard against superstition."

 

[heymikey80]

Geneva Catechism:

M. Let us come to the fourth commandment.
S. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: But the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
M. Does he order us to labor on six days, that we may rest on the seventh?
S. Not absolutely; but allowing man six days for labor, he excepts the seventh, that it may be devoted to rest.
M. Does he interdict us from all kind of labor?
S. This commandment has a separate and peculiar reason. As the observance of rest is part of the old ceremonies, it was abolished by the advent of Christ.
M. Do you mean that this commandment properly refers to the Jews, and was therefore merely temporary
S. I do, in as far as it is ceremonial.
M. What then? Is there any thing under it beyond ceremony?
S. It was given for three reasons.
M. State them to me.
S. To figure spiritual rest; for the preservation of ecclesiastical polity; and for the relief of slaves.
M. What do you mean by spiritual rest
S. When we keep holiday from our own works, that God may perform his own works in us.
M. What, moreover, is the method of thus keeping holiday?
S. By crucifying our flesh, — that is, renouncing our own inclination, that we may be governed by the Spirit of God.
M. Is it sufficient to do so on the seventh day?
S. Nay, continually. After we have once begun, we must continue during the whole course of life.
M. Why, then, is a certain day appointed to figure it?
S. There is no necessity that the reality should agree with the figure in every respect, provided it be suitable in so far as is required for the purpose of figuring.
M. But why is the seventh day prescribed rather than any other day?
S. In Scripture the number seven implies perfection. It is, therefore, apt for denoting perpetuity. It, at the same time, indicates that this spiritualrest is only begun in this life, and will not be perfect until we depart from this world.
M. But what is meant when the Lord exhorts us to rest by his own example?
S. Having finished the creation of the world in six days: he dedicated the seventh to the contemplation of his works. The more strongly to stimulate us to this, he set before us his own example. For nothing is more desirable than to be formed after his image.
M. But ought meditation on the works of God to be continual, or is it sufficient that one day out of seven be devoted to it?
S. It becomes us to be daily exercised in it, but because of our weakness, one day is specially appointed. And this is the polity which I mentioned.
M. What order, then, is to be observed on that day?
S. That the people meet to hear the doctrine of Christ, to engage in public prayer, and make profession of their faith.
M. Now explain what you meant by saying that the Lord intended by this commandment to provide also for the relief of slaves.
S. That some relaxation might be given to those under the power of others. Nay, this, too, tends to maintain a common polity. For when one day is devoted to rest, every one accustoms himself to labor during the other days.
M. Let us now see how far this command has reference to us.
S. In regard to the ceremony, I hold that it was abolished, as the reality existed in Christ. (Colossians 2:17.)
M. How?
S. Because, by virtue of his death, our old man is crucified, and we are raised up to newness of life. (Romans 6:6.)
M. What of the commandment then remains for us?
S. Not to neglect the holy ordinances which contribute to the spiritual polity of the Church; especially to frequent sacred assemblies, to hear the word of God, to celebrate the sacraments, and engage in the regular prayers, as enjoined.
M. But does the figure give us nothing more?
S. Yes, indeed. We must give heed to the thing meant by it; namely, that being engrafted into the body of Christ, and made his members, we cease from our own works, and so resign ourselves to the government of God.

 

[JM]

M. Do you mean that this commandment properly refers to the Jews, and was therefore merely temporary

S. I do, in as far as it is ceremonial.

I believe it was posted before, how do you keep the Sabbath in the NT context?

 

[heymikey80]

M. Do you mean that this commandment properly refers to the Jews, and was therefore merely temporary

S. I do, in as far as it is ceremonial.

I believe it was posted before, how do you keep the Sabbath in the NT context?

Y'keep resting from your works as God did from His. That is, the spiritual sense of resting is that of turning from egotistical works.

As far as observance of actual rest on the day of worship, Calvin was actually more of a stickler than we might think. If you've run across a citation of Calvin bowling on Sunday -- it doesn't seem to be authentic.

While I disagree with his conclusions on subtle points, I think Richard Gaffin's book "Calvin and the Sabbath" is good as far as historical and theological background and support.

 

[JM]

I have read Gaffin's book and forgot until you mentioned it. Coldwell takes another look from a traditional Puritan view here : Faith Presbyterian Church Reformed

The best work on the subject of the Sabbath is Carson's work. It's been largely ignored by the Reformed church but "From Sabbath to Lord's Day" is very complete and convincing.

j

 

[heymikey80]

Actually I've heard a lot about the book, though I've not read it (for some ... intramural ... reasons that no longer exist). I should probably pick it up? My position is only slightly different from Calvin's at this time.

 

[JM]

John Gill is enlightening,

The Sabbath was Not a 'Creation Ordinance'
John Gill: Sabbath Observance

 

[xapis]

Check out the April '09 issue of New Horizons on the Sabbath:
New Horizons

I agree that Gaffin's book is helpful.

 

[JM]

Does it tell you where to find the Sabbath being observed before Moses and after Christ...in scripture?

 

[xapis]

Does what tell you, JM?

 

[JM]

Doesn't Gaffin basicly say Calvin was a non-sabbatarian?

 

[xapis]

Yes. Sorry for answering sooner. I was out of town all last week.

 

[JM]

I think Luther and Calvin were close on this issue, closer then Calvin and the Puritans.

In Luther’s works we see him following the example of Aquinas believing Christ abrogated the ceremonial aspects of the Decalogue. The 10 were broken into two tables with the Sabbath being on the first table not being supported by natural law or natural theology. Instead of going to secular sources Luther, as did Aquinas before him, used the New Testament (Rom. 14:5-6; Col. 2:16-17; Gal. 4:10-11) to find examples of natural law. Andreas Karlstadt was teaching a view similar to that taught by latter protestants and Luther wrote in protest,

• “If anywhere the day is made holy for the mere day’s sake – if anywhere anyone sets up its observance on a Jewish foundation, then I order you to work on it, to ride on it, to dance on it, to feast on it, to do anything that shall remove this encroachment on Christian liberty.”

Of course Luther did not disagree with the idea of rest and worship but did not believe it could be instituted by the Church as a Sabbath since it was a ceremony in itself. The whole idea of the Sabbath rest is ceremonial for Luther. The need for rest and worship of God can be found in natural law but not “one day in seven” and states,

• “For where it is kept for the sake of rest alone, it is clear that he who does not need rest may break the Sabbath and rest on some other day, as nature allows.” (Luther’s Works)

He is basically saying that natural law requires man to rest but it’s not prescribed rest. Luther declared,

• “Moses is dead. We would rather not preach again for the rest of our life than to let Moses return and have Christ be torn out of our hearts. We will not have Moses as ruler or lawgiver any longer.” (Luther, How Christian Should Regard Moses, Luthers Works, vol. 35)

In another section, “God has not led the Germans out of Egypt.”

jm