DISPUTED DOCTRINES -- Chapter Twelve

DOCTRINE OF THE LORD'S DAY

On this doctrine the Reformed influence is strong. This is seen in the substitution of the words of Luther's rendering, "Thou shalt sanctify the holy day," by the words of the Old Testament "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," in practically all of our English catechisms. It is a concession to the Reformed influence also in the incorporation, even though usually in brackets, of the words that follow the Third Commandment in Exodus 20. And it is seen also in the great stress laid in the explanations on ceasing from all kinds of labour on the Lord's Day. It is seen also in the frequent use of the word Sabbath by Lutheran pastors when referring to the Lord's Day. The evangelical understanding of Luther seems to be altogether lost and the conception of the Reformed that Sunday is a substitute for the Sabbath is in too many cases accepted in practice, if not in theory. As a consequence, there are Sabbatarians in the Lutheran Church also.

There should be no division in the Lutheran Church on this doctrine. Luther, as is well known, does not even mention the word "day" in his explanation of this commandment in the Small Catechism, but goes to the heart of things by saying, "We should so fear and love God as not to despise His Word and the preaching of the Gospel, but willingly hear and learn it." On the basis of Gal. 4:10-11, "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain"; and of Col. 2:16, "Let no man therefore judge you in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days; which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ," Luther clearly recognized the complete abrogation of the Sabbath and of any and every distinction among the days of the week.

The same conception is set forth quite as strongly in the 28th Article of the Augsburg Confession, which places the observance of the Lord's day on precisely the same level as other Church festivals, saying, "Such is the observance of the Lord's day, of Easter, of Pentecost, and like holidays and rites. For they that think that the observation of the Lord's day was appointed by the authority of the Church instead of the Sabbath as necessary, are greatly deceived. The Scripture, which teaches that all the Mosaic ceremonies can be omitted after the Gospel is revealed, has abrogated the Sabbath. And yet because it was requisite to appoint a certain day, that the people might know when they ought to come together, it appears that the Church did for that purpose appoint the Lord's day: which for this cause also seemed to have been pleasing, that men might have an example of Christian liberty, and might know that the observation neither of the Sabbath, nor of any other day, was of necessity."

Luther gives expression again to the same thought when he says in his Large Catechism: "This commandment therefore, according to its gross sense does not pertain to us Christians; for it is altogether an external matter, like the other ordinances of the Old Testament, which are bound to particular customs, persons, times, and places, and all of which now have been made free through Christ." This does not mean that the Third Commandment has dropped out of the Decalogue, and that we now have only nine. Only externals have been abrogated. That which is abiding in the commandment has been retained, viz., the worship of God. This day is sanctified, like everything else, by the Word of God and prayer.

As Luther says again in his Large Catechism:

"For the Word of God is the sanctuary above all sanctuaries, yea, the only one which we Christians know and have. But God's Word is the treasury which sanctifies everything whereby even all the saints themselves are sanctified. Whatever be the hour when God's Word is taught, preached, heard, read or meditated upon, person, day and work are then sanctified thereby, not because of the external work, but because of the Word, which makes saints of us all. . . Notice therefore that the power and efficacy of this commandment consist not in resting, but in sanctifying, so that to this day belongs a special holy exercise. But here is a work to be done whereby man is himself made holy, which occurs alone through God's Word. For this, then, fixed places, times, persons, and the entire external order of divine service have been created and appointed so that it may be publicly and constantly exercised."

There is not the slightest proof or intimation in the N. T. Scriptures that the Sabbath was changed from Saturday to Sunday; but Sunday has been observed in the Church from the earliest times and even in the days of the apostles as a most appropriate day for Christian worship, and all the more because Sunday was the day of the Lord's resurrection, commemorating His great victory for us over the devil and hell and all hostile powers; so that every Sunday becomes for us a little Easter and assures us of our own victory at last over death and the devil. If we have the right attitude toward God's Word and the preaching of the Gospel, we will not despise this holy day of the Church; but we will be glad to embrace the opportunity of coming together Sunday after Sunday for prayer, for the hearing of the gracious Gospel message, for the reception with our brethren of the Holy Sacraments, and for the edifying of one another in love. If we do not have this spirit no Sabbath-keeping by us will ever avail.

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