I know there are already a few threads on Saturday/Sabbath stuff, but I had a question that came out of that discussion that seems to deserve separate consideration.
Is Sunday-observance the same as Sabbath-rest?
There seems to be much ballyhoo about Sunday replacing Saturday, but that doesn't make sense if they aren't the same thing. And... I don't think they are. At least they shouldn't be. They certainly didn't start out to be...
The commandment for Sabbath is a worker's right. The Sabbath is for REST. The intention of the commandment seems to be that workers are not worked to death.
The New Testament practice of observing The Lord's Day was NOT for rest. It was for the church's business - the collection and distribution of alms, teaching, prayer, the sharing of testimonies and psalms - all the things that we normally associate with church.
While the day is nominally the day of the Lord's resurrection, history tells us that this timing was also chosen so that the assembly would compete with the pagan practice of Market Day in the New Testament era. The Greeks and Romans assembled at the town center on the 1st day of the week to sell their goods, including the meats-sacrificed-to-idols that Paul addresses at some length. By meeting outside the city, the church assured that its members couldn't attend Market Day and limited the purchase of idol-meat and other items dedicated to demons. It also had the happy side-effect of forcing Christians to give business to each other.
Today, we still have a two-day weekend, with one day being for REST (Saturday) and one for SERVICES (Sunday). And I don't think this represents a replacement of Sabbath-rest, because the two things are not the same.
Is Sunday-observance the same as Sabbath-rest?
There seems to be much ballyhoo about Sunday replacing Saturday, but that doesn't make sense if they aren't the same thing. And... I don't think they are. At least they shouldn't be. They certainly didn't start out to be...
The commandment for Sabbath is a worker's right. The Sabbath is for REST. The intention of the commandment seems to be that workers are not worked to death.
The New Testament practice of observing The Lord's Day was NOT for rest. It was for the church's business - the collection and distribution of alms, teaching, prayer, the sharing of testimonies and psalms - all the things that we normally associate with church.
While the day is nominally the day of the Lord's resurrection, history tells us that this timing was also chosen so that the assembly would compete with the pagan practice of Market Day in the New Testament era. The Greeks and Romans assembled at the town center on the 1st day of the week to sell their goods, including the meats-sacrificed-to-idols that Paul addresses at some length. By meeting outside the city, the church assured that its members couldn't attend Market Day and limited the purchase of idol-meat and other items dedicated to demons. It also had the happy side-effect of forcing Christians to give business to each other.
Today, we still have a two-day weekend, with one day being for REST (Saturday) and one for SERVICES (Sunday). And I don't think this represents a replacement of Sabbath-rest, because the two things are not the same.