Nonsabbatarianism

Yemenite Jew blowing the shofar (ram's-horn trumpet) for Sabbath in the 1930s.

Nonsabbatarianism is the affirmation of the religious liberty not to observe a weekly rest or worship day (Sabbath), usually in Christianity. While keepers of weekly days usually also believe in religious liberty,^[1] nonsabbatarians believe themselves particularly free to uphold Sabbath principles, or not, without limiting observance to either Saturday or Sunday.

St. Paul enumerates Sabbath keeping among the Jewish observances which are not obligatory on Christians (Cl. 2:16); Gl. 4:9-10; Rn. 14:5). The gentile converts held their religious meetings on Sunday (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2) and with the disappearance of the Jewish Christian churches this day was exclusively observed as the Lord's Day.^[2] In the Sabbath in Christianity, religious obligations transferred from Saturday to Sunday observance.

History

The Biblical Sabbath is informed by the Genesis creation narrative and has a formal origin before the giving of the Ten Commandments. By the time of Jesus, an emphasis on freedom from legalistic Sabbaths had arisen (compare Is. 1:13). Some of Jesus's teachings are considered^{[by whom?]} as redefining the Sabbath laws of the Pharisees (Lk. 13:10-17, Jn. 5:16-18, 9:13-16). Since Jesus is understood to have fulfilled the Law of Moses (Mk. 2:28, Mt. 5:17), non-Sabbatarian Christians believe that they are not bound by Sabbath as legalists consider themselves to be. Non-Sabbatarians can thus exhibit either Christian liberty or antinomianism. The Council of Laodicea, held toward the end of the fourth century, prescribed that on the Lord's Day the faithful were to abstain from work as far as possible.^[3] The 29th canon of that council states Christians must not Judaize by resting on Sabbath but must work that day and then if possible rest on the Lord's Day and any found to be Judaizers are anathema from Christ.^[4][5]

On principles of religious liberty, non-Sabbatarian Jews similarly affirm their freedom not to observe Shabbat as Orthodox Jews do.

Historical figures such as Justin Martyr, Augustine, and Luther taught that the Sabbath commandment of the Decalogue does not apply in a binding fashion to Christians. Historical non-Sabbatarians from later times include the Anglicans Peter Heylin, William Paley, and John Milton; the nonconformist Philip Doddridge; the Quaker Robert Barclay; and the Congregationalist James Baldwin Brown.^[6] Some Christians as of 2011^[update] do not see themselves as required to observe a day of rest either on Saturday or Sunday.^[7]

Theology

See also: Biblical law in Christianity

Many Christian theologians believe that Sabbath observance for Christians is not binding.^[8][9]

Some Christian non-Sabbatarians advocate physical Sabbath rest on any chosen day of the week, and some advocate Sabbath as a symbolic metaphor for rest in Christ; the concept of "Lord's Day" is usually treated as synonymous with "Sabbath". This non-Sabbatarian interpretation usually states that Jesus's obedience and the New Covenant fulfilled the laws of Sabbath, the Ten Commandments, and the Law of Moses, which are thus considered not to be binding moral laws, and sometimes considered abolished or abrogated. While Sunday is often observed as the day of Christian assembly and worship, in accordance with church tradition, Sabbath commandments are dissociated from this practice.

Non-Sabbatarian Christians also cite 2 Cor. 3:2-3, in which believers are compared to "a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written ... not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts"; this interpretation states that Christians accordingly no longer follow the Ten Commandments with dead orthodoxy ("tablets of stone"), but follow a new law written upon "tablets of human hearts". 3:7-11 adds that "if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory ..., will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? .... And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!" This is interpreted as teaching that new-covenant Christians are not under the Mosaic law, and that Sabbath-keeping is not required. Further, because "love is the fulfillment of the law" (Rom. 13:10), the new-covenant "law" is considered to be based entirely upon love and to rescind Sabbath requirements.

Spiritual rest

Non-Sabbatarians who affirm that Sabbath-keeping remains for God's people (as in Heb. 3:7-4:11) frequently regard this as present weeklong spiritual rest and/or future heavenly rest rather than as physical weekly rest. For instance, Irenaeus saw Sabbath rest from secular affairs for one day each week as a sign of the way that Christians were called to permanently devote themselves to God^[10] and an eschatological symbol.^[11] One such interpretation of Hebrews states that seventh-day Sabbath is no longer relevant as a regular, literal day of rest, but instead is a symbolic metaphor for the eternal salvation "rest" that Christians enjoy in Christ, which was in turn prefigured by the promised land of Canaan.

"The NT indicates that the sabbath followed its own channel and found its goal in Christ's redemptive work. Here is where John 5:17 should be discussed (cf. also Jn 7:23), as also Colossians 2:16, to which we have already referred, and Matthew 11:28–12:14. It is less evident that controversy over sabbath observance gave any impetus to that treatment of the topic in Hebrews 3:7–4:11 (Laansma), yet there at least we are pointed to the ultimate goal of the creation sabbath (here an exclusively future Heilsgut) and are thus reminded that the sabbath was by no means a cul-de-sac. It is true to the NT to say that the Mosaic sabbath as a legal and weekly matter was a temporary symbol of a more fundamental and comprehensive salvation, epitomized by and grounded in God's own creation sabbath, and brought to fulfillment (in already–not yet fashion) in Christ's redemptive work. Believers are indeed to 'keep sabbath,' no longer by observance of a day of the week but now by the upholding of that to which it pointed: the gospel of the ['Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ', Acts 8.12]."^[12]

Millennium

Many early Christian writers from the second century, such as pseudo-Barnabas, Ireneaus, Justin Martyr, and Hippolytus, followed rabbinic Judaism in interpreting Sabbath not as a literal day of rest, but as a thousand-year reign of Messiah, which would follow six millennia of world history.^[13]

See also

• High Sabbath
• Jewish Sabbath
• Sabbath in Judaism
• Sabbath in Christianity
• Sabbath in seventh-day churches
• Sabbath year
• Seventh-day Sabbath

References

1. ^ Berkowitz, Richard & Michele (1991). Shabbat. Baltimore: Lederer Publications. pp. 11–2. ISBN 1880226006. "We have a remembrance–a physical Sabbath day–to remind us anew of our spiritual freedom in him .... Observance paints a sacred picture of what it is like to be united in faith with Messiah Yeshua. One other reason to observe Shabbat is God has a blessing for us." 
2. ^ New Advent - Sabbath.
3. ^ New Advent - Sabbath.
4. ^ NPNF2-14. The Seven Ecumenical Councils | Christian Classics Ethereal Library
5. ^ Eusebius, in Life of Constantine, claims Constantine stated: "Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd; for we have received from our Saviour a different way."http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/25023.htm Book III chapter 18
6. ^ Bauckham, R. J. (1982). "Sabbath and Sunday in the Protestant Tradition". In Carson, D. A. From Sabbath to Lord's Day. Zondervan. pp. 311–342. 
7. ^ e.g. Ashton, Michael. Sunday and the Sabbath - Bible teaching about God's day of rest The Christadelphian Magazine and Publishing Association, Birmingham 1993.
8. ^ R. J. Bauckham, "The Lord's Day" and "Sabbath and Sunday in the Postapostolic Church" in From Sabbath to Lord's Day, ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1982) 221–98; R. T. Beckwith and W. Stott, This Is the Day (London: Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1978); H. Bietenhard, "Lord, Master," NIDNTT, 2:508–20; D. A. Carson, ed., From Sabbath to Lord's Day (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1982); R. H. Charles, Revelation of St. John (2 vols.; ICC; Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1920); J. S. Clemens, "Lord's Day" in Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, ed. J. Hastings (2 vols.; Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1915) 1:707–10; A. Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1965, repr.); J. D. G. Dunn, The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon (NIGTC; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996); T. C. Eskenazi et al., eds., The Sabbath in Jewish and Christian Traditions (New York: Crossroad, 1991); J. A. Fitzmyer, "κύριος, κυριακός," EDNT 2:331; W. Foerster, "κυριακός," TDNT 3:1095–96; C. N. Jefford, "Did Ignatius of Antioch Know the Didache?" in The Didache in Context, ed. C. N. Jefford (NovTSup 77; Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1995), 330–51; J. Jeremias, "πάσχα," TDNT 5:896–904; P. K. Jewett, The Lord's Day (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971); J. Laansma, " ‘I Will Give You Rest’: The Background and Significance of the Rest Motif in the New Testament with Special Reference to Mt 11 and Heb 3–4" (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Aberdeen, 1995; Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr, forthcoming); J. Murray, "Romans 14:5 and the Weekly Sabbath" in Epistle to the Romans (NICNT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959, 1965) 257–59; W. Rordorf, Sabbat und Sonntag in der Alten Kirche (Zürich: Theologischer Verlag, 1972) [texts of primary sources]; idem, Sunday (London: SCM, 1968); idem, "Sunday: The Fullness of Christian Liturgical Time," StudLit 14 (1982) 90–96; W. R. Schoedel, Ignatius of Antioch (Herm; Philadelphia: Fortress, 1985); C. Spicq, "κυριακός" in Theological Lexicon of the New Testament (3 vols.; Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson, 1994) 2:338–40; W. Stott, "A Note on the Word ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ in Rev. 1:10, " NTS 12 (1965) 70–75; idem, "Sabbath, Lord's Day," NIDNTT 3:405–15; K. A. Strand, ed., The Sabbath in Scripture and History (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1982); M. M. B. Turner, "The Sabbath, Sunday and the Law in Luke-Acts" in From Sabbath to Lord's Day, ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1982) 99–157. Martin, R. P., & Davids, P. H. (2000, c1997). Dictionary of the later New Testament and its developments (electronic ed.). Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press.
9. ^ P. S. Alexander, "Aqedah" in Dictionary of Biblical Interpretation, ed. R. J. Coggins and J. L. Houlden (Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1990) 44–47; J. Behm, "θύω κτλ," TDNT III.180–90; R. J. Daly, The Origins of the Christian Doctrine of Sacrifice (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1978) 59–65; idem, "The Soteriological Significance of the Sacrifice of Isaac", CBQ 39 (1977) 45–75; P. R. Davies and B. D. Chilton, "The Aqedah: A Revised Tradition History", CBQ 40 (1978) 514–46; G. D. Fee, "II Corinthians vi.14—vii.i" NTS 23 (1976–77) 140–61; E. Ferguson, "Spiritual Sacrifice in Early Christianity and Its Environment", ANRW 2.23.2.1151–89; M. Hengel, The Atonement: The Origins of the Doctrine in the New Testament (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1981); J. Jeremias, "πάσχα" TDNT V.896–904; E. L. Kendall, A Living Sacrifice (London: SCM, 1960); H.-J. Klauck, "Kultische Symbolsprache bei Paulus" in Gemeinde—Amt—Sacrament: Neutestamentliche Perspektiven, ed. H. J. Klauck (Würzburg: Echter, 1989) 348–58; J. Lambrecht, "‘Reconcile Yourselves’ … A Reading of 2 Cor 5:11–21" in The Diakonia of the Spirit (2 Cor 4:7–7:4) (Rome: Benedictina, 1989); S. Lyonnet and L. Sabourin, Sin, Redemption and Sacrifice (AnBib 48; Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1970); L. Morris, The Atonement (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity, 1983) 43–67; F. Thiele and C. Brown, "Sacrifice etc.," NIDNTT 3.415–38; H. Thyen, "θυσία, θύω" EDNT 2.161–63; R. K. Yerkes, Sacrifice in Greek and Roman Religions and Early Judaism (New York: Scribners, 1952); F. M. Young, Sacrifice and the Death of Christ (London: SCM, 1975). Hawthorne, G. F., Martin, R. P., & Reid, D. G. (1993). Dictionary of Paul and his letters (857). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.
10. ^ Against Heresies. 3.16.1. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.ix.vi.xvii.html. 
11. ^ Against Heresies. 4.33.2. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.ix.vii.xxxiv.html. 
12. ^ Martin, R. P., and Davids, P. H. (2000) [1997]. Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments (Electronic ed.). Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press. 
13. ^ Bauckham, R. J. (1982). "Sabbath and Sunday in the Postapostolic Church". In Carson, D. A. From Sabbath to Lord's Day. Zondervan.