Topical Bible: The Sabbath: Works Connected With Religious Service Lawful On

◄ The Sabbath: Works Connected With Religious Service Lawful On ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The Sabbath, a day of rest and worship, is a central aspect of Judeo-Christian tradition, rooted in the creation narrative and the Ten Commandments. The observance of the Sabbath is commanded in Exodus 20:8-11, where it is stated, "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work..." . However, the interpretation of what constitutes "work" has been a subject of theological discussion, particularly concerning activities connected with religious service.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, the Sabbath is primarily a day of rest, yet certain works related to religious service are considered lawful. The priests in the temple, for instance, were required to perform sacrifices and other duties even on the Sabbath. Numbers 28:9-10 prescribes additional offerings for the Sabbath, indicating that the work of the priests was not only permitted but commanded. This exception underscores the principle that activities directly related to worship and the maintenance of religious observance are permissible.

New Testament Clarification

The New Testament provides further clarification on the nature of Sabbath observance, particularly through the teachings and actions of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 12:5, Jesus refers to the work of the priests on the Sabbath, saying, "Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are innocent?" . Here, Jesus highlights that the work of the priests is not a violation of the Sabbath law, emphasizing the priority of religious service.

Jesus also addresses the broader principle of mercy and necessity over rigid Sabbath observance. In Matthew 12:11-12, He states, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath" . This teaching suggests that works of necessity and mercy, which align with the spirit of the Sabbath, are lawful.

Apostolic Practice

The early church continued to observe the Sabbath, with activities centered around worship and teaching. Acts 13:14-15 describes Paul and his companions attending the synagogue on the Sabbath, where the reading of the Law and the Prophets took place, followed by teaching and exhortation. This practice indicates that religious instruction and communal worship were integral to Sabbath observance.

Theological Implications

The allowance for works connected with religious service on the Sabbath reflects a broader theological understanding that the Sabbath is not merely a cessation of labor but a day dedicated to the Lord. The focus is on worship, community, and acts of mercy, aligning with the purpose of the Sabbath as a time for spiritual renewal and reflection. The principle that religious service is lawful on the Sabbath underscores the priority of worship and the communal aspects of faith, which are central to the observance of this holy day.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Numbers 28:9
And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 12:5
Or have you not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 7:23
If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are you angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Letter viii. Public and Social Worship, and Sabbath Employments.
... Intimately connected with public worship are social meetings ... There are many works
published on the subject ... are especially designed for Sabbath school teachers. ...
/.../letter viii public and social.htm

Appendix xvii. The Ordinances and Law of the Sabbath as Laid Down ...
... The thirty-nine principal works have been arranged in four ... the third (25-33) to all
connected with writing ... in childbrith, for whose sake the Sabbath might be ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix xvii the ordinances and.htm

Manner of Covenanting.
... servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting ... that so rendered is
intimately connected, difficult to ... revealed after the breach of that of Works. ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter ii manner of covenanting.htm

Analysis of the Westminster Confession.
... particularism the limitation of redemption [1478] is closely connected. ... of justification
by faith and works is on ... Christ, as Lord of the Sabbath, had removed ...
/.../creeds of christendom with a history and critical notes/ 95 analysis of the.htm

Covenanting a Duty.
... execution of his purposes in the works of creation ... dutiful for all to vow to keep
the sabbath. ... But whatever difficulties may be connected with its application ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter iii covenanting a duty.htm

Mothers, Daughters, and Wives in Israel
... the rearing of the Tabernacle; Deborah works deliverance, and ... a near relative, nor
yet on the Sabbath, nor on ... the practice was considered as connected with the ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 9 mothers daughters and.htm

The Conversion of the Jailor of Philippi.
... addressed the women who were assembled there on the sabbath. ... regard for religion
is as little connected with the ... the idea of obedience or good works, as the ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xviii the conversion of.htm

Second visit to Nazareth - the Mission of the Twelve.
... with which they heard Him on that Sabbath was that ... visit passed away without such
mighty works' as the ... Coming to Palestine, since the woes' connected with it ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxvii second visit to.htm

The Synagogue at Nazareth - Synagogue-Worship and Arrangements.
... day, and every day, renewest the works of creation. ... made in the second Benediction,
as connected with the ... any rate, as regarded the ordinary Sabbath days, [2142 ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter x the synagogue at.htm

Appendix v. Rabbinic Theology and Literature
... that it was duty on the Sabbath to save ... Special works on various branches of the
subject cannot ... Some brief notices connected with Rabbinic Commentaries quoted ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix v rabbinic theology and.htm