Saturday, March 22, 2008

Holy Days?


Here is a link to an extract from Samuel Miller's book Presbyterianism the truly primitive and Apostolical Constitution of the Church of Christ. Miller is discussing “The Worship of the Presbyterian Church.” Miller in 1813 was appointed professor of church history and government at the newly established Princeton Theological Seminary.

This excerpt is timely as we are in the heart of the Christian 'holy season' of Easter. Many in the Church today think that discussions like these are pointless, but our Reformed ancestors did not agree. They spent much time and energy in this important issue that needs to be brought back to the forefront of American Presbyterianism. Our worship needs to be governed by God in his word. We have no right telling God how he is to be worshiped.

Miller starts this section with this confession.
We believe, and teach, in our public formularies, that there is no day, under the Gospel dispensation, commanded to be kept holy, except the Lord's day, which is the Christian 'Sabbath.'

We believe, indeed, and declare, in the same formula, that it is both scriptural and rational, to observe special days of Fasting and Thanksgiving, as the extraordinary dispensations of Divine Providence may direct. But we are persuaded, that even the keeping of these days, when they are made stated observances, recurring, of course, at particular times, whatever the aspect of Providence may be, is calculated to promote formality and superstition, rather than the edification of the body of Christ.

He then gives seven reasons why this is the case. Points three and six are of particular interest.

3. The observance of Fasts and Festivals, by divine direction, under the Old Testament economy, makes nothing in favor of such observances under the New Testament dispensation. That economy was no longer binding, or even lawful after the New Testament Church was set up. It were just as reasonable to plead for the present use of the Passover, the incense, and the burnt offerings of the Old economy, which were confessedly done away by the coming of Christ, as to argue in favor of human inventions, bearing some resemblance to them, as binding in the Christian Church.

6. It being evident, then, that stated fasts and festivals have no divine warrant, and that their use under the New Testament economy is a mere human invention; we may ask those who are friendly to their observance, what limits ought to be set to their adoption and use in the Christian Church? If it be lawful to introduce five such days for stated observance, why not ten, twenty, or five score? A small number were, at an early period, brought into use by serious men, who thought they were thereby rendering God service, and extending the reign of religion. But one after another was added, as superstition increased, until the calendar became burdened with between two and three hundred fasts and festivals, or saint's days, in each year; thus materially interfering with the claims of secular industry, and loading the worship of God with a mass of superstitious observances, equally unfriendly to the temporal and the eternal interests of men. Let the principle once be admitted, that stated days of religious observance, which God has no where commanded, may properly be introduced into the Christian ritual, and, by parity of reasoning, every one who, from good motives, can effect the introduction of a new religious festival, is at liberty to do so. Upon this principle was built up the enormous mass of superstition which now distinguishes and corrupts the Romish Church.

19 comments:

  1. I think there is much value in "holy days" and the use of the church calendar. The primary value being within the realm of private family worship. Let me explain.

    The church calendar, particular in the ancient Eastern Orthodox church served to instill within congregants and the clergy a sense of divine omnipresence and omnipotence. God was to be seen controlling everything - He was to be the center of their lives. One way of instilling this is to follow a church calendar. Everyday or week is centered on some aspect of God's character and work.

    I would much rather have my children looking forward to Reformation Sunday or Good Friday instead of Super Bowl Sunday.

    Of course, I am not arguing for all the abuses that came out of the use of the church calendar and how it progressed into a works-based righteousness. However, like all things, it is the way we use them and our human motives that make them evil.....

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  2. I think that under the gospel every day is "holy" and to make one day different than anther (the Christian Sabbath being the exception) is to miss the point of the cross that fulfilled the holy days of the Old Testament.

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  3. I usually appreciate Miller. But he is wrong here. I have little interest in debating this issue, because I don't have the time, but a few things are worth mentioning.

    1.On such principles, there really is little warrant for switching the "Sabbath" from Saturday to Sunday. Such a practice is devoid of divine precept, and ought to be abolished, if we are only looking to observe those days which we are "commanded by the Lord" to observe. If I were to accpet Miller's presentation, I'd seriously try to find a church that worships on Saturday instead of Sunday.

    2. Setting apart special days of commemoration does not give them an ontological holiness which other days do not possess inherently. It simply provides special occasion to commmorate, celebrate, and participate in certain key events of our redemption. Yes, everyday should be lived to the glory of God. But in a secular society, it is not possible to gather with the entire church for worship everyday, and commemorate one particular aspect or event of redemption all day every day.

    3. The objection that the observance has been abused in the past is no objection at all. Such an objection if followed through to all areas of Christian doctrine and life would effectively do away with Christianity itself. Many examples could be given, but I don't have time. Use your imagination.

    4. It is hard to see how a Christian can justify having a secular calendar full of "holy days" set apart for observance, such as Memorial day, Labor day, Veteran's day, MLK Jr. day, etc. (all fine in themselves), but then say that we ought to abolish all Christian holy days because they are "unnecessary." Well, of course they are "unnecessary." But since when has the Christian life and the worship of God been only about doing what is "necessary"? Why would we not want to join with the Church of God to celebrate and commemorate the central themes of our redemption?

    Man, those back yard labor day BBQ's are great, but gathering with loved ones in remembrance of the Annunciation (this Tuesday)--utter hogwash!

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  4. Johnathan,

    Miller's views are based strongly on the regulative principle. Do you hold to this view or are you more in line with Lutherans on this point?

    Also, I am not sure that Miller is arguing for a secular calender. I think his point is we should have a holy calender where everyday is holy. This seems to be a better representation of his point.

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  5. Noting that you don't wish to debate, here are some points for thought, in response to your four points:

    1. Actually, we find divine precept for worshiping on the first day of the week as opposed to the last. This is not a matter of mere conscience, but of following the teaching of the New Testament on this issue.

    2. This is the very issue. In setting apart days and calling them “holy” the church would be saying that the determinative factor in whether or not a day is holy is the church's designation.

    3. The abuse in the past is the binding of Christian consciences to follow a particular pattern of worship where the Scripture alone should be the only rule of faith and practice, not the least with regard to how to worship God. Certainly, a private person can determine to set aside a particular day for private worship. However, it is a very different thing for the Church to say that we will gather for a Maundy Thursday celebration, or for a Good Friday service, or a Christmas Eve service. None of these are commanded in Scripture. The abuse is an abuse of conscience.

    4. So the determinative factor in how we worship God is the way in which the secular nation we happen to live in decides to handle special days throughout the year? You are perfectly free to celebrate the Ascension. However, your church would be unduly binding consciences if it decided to gather on that day and have a worship service. The Christian life is about doing what God commands his people to do, especially corporately in worship.

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  6. Josh,

    Yes, I am more in line with the Lutherans, the Reformed Anglicans (yes, there is such a thing: Cranmer, Ridley, Jewell, Hooker, et al., were all distinctively Reformed theologians), and the German Reformed tradition on this point.

    I recognize that Miller would argue that every day is holy, and I don't think my response betrays an ignorance of this point. But no orthodox Christian would disagree with him in this regard. Where he goes astray is with the assertion that this does away with any warrant for setting aside certain days for the purpose of the remembrance and celebration of specific redemptive events.

    And as American Christians, *we generally do* live our lives around a secular calendar, where Monday is effectively (though not "technically") the first day of the week, and the entire "weekend" (Fri. night through Sunday night) is a time to celebrate our consummerism and leisure, and our special days are the aforementioned days with a few others thrown in (Jason's example of the Super Bowl is an excellent one).

    The fact of the matter is that all human societies set apart certain days for special observance. God did not declare with the coming of Christ that we cease being human. And I would contend that the recovery of a healthy observance of days of special remembrance would serve the church in our day well, for it would combat the secularization and Americanization of the Church.

    Generally, the things that most Christians in our society really look forward are those things which most celebrate our "Americanness": the weekend BBQ, the big game, the two week vacation this summer at Disney World, eggs and bunnies, blah blah blah. And we wonder why the church is so unhealthy! I would contend that in the midst of this nonsense, to tell my friends and family that I'm having a gathering at my place this Tuesday evening to celebrate the Annunciation of the Savior is a witness to both the Church and to the world of what is truly important.

    And as I said, setting aside particular days for the purpose of remembrance and celebration does not grant them a sort of ontological holiness which other days do not possess. No Protestant would ever contend for such a thing.

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  7. Steve,

    Where do you see a divine *precept* which says that the Sabbath has shifted to Sunday?

    I agree that there is biblical *warrant* which makes continuing this shift right (just as I see biblical warrant for setting aside other days of special remembrance). But this is not the same thing as a divine *precept*.

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  8. For reference purposes, here's a take I find persuasive:

    http://www.hornes.org/theologia/jeffrey-meyers/is-the-church-year-biblical

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  9. To the thought that the Sabbath (Lord's Day) is not the first day of the week:

    WCF 21.7 - "As it is the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in His Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment binding all men in all ages, He has particularly appointed one day in seven, for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him:[34] which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week: and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week,[35] which, in Scripture, is called the Lord's Day,[36] and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath."

    [34] EXO 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 10 But the seventh day 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 maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 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. ISA 56:2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. 4 For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant. 6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; 7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

    [35] GEN 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. 1CO 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. ACT 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

    [36] REV 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.

    [37] EXO 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 10 But the seventh day 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 maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. MAT 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.



    DIVINE PRECEPT = GOD's Word!!! All Scripture is God-breathed!!! The Apostles acted like it was the first day of the week, so did the early church...

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  10. The whole point of the Lord's Day is the celebration of the Gospel (Incarnation, Life, Death, Resurrection, Ascension, etc.). It isn't there to fit your fancy, it isn't there to worship the way you want to. "Well I find much value in 'holy days'." God don't care if you find much value in holy days son! He don't care if you like drama in worship and you value that, He don't care if you value interpretive dance and women preaching from pulpits.

    He cares that He is worshipped as He has declared by Himself that He ought to be worshipped!

    Examples in Scripture: Cain and Abel (ended in excommunication), Nadab and Abihu (ended in death), etc.

    And how do you get from this: "God was to be seen controlling everything - He was to be the center of their lives.", which is all well and true --> AMEN! <-- Principle in God's Word

    To this: "One way of instilling this is to follow a church calendar." <-- MAN MADE!!! (Col. 2:16-23; Gal. 4:9-11).


    "I would much rather have my children looking forward to Reformation Sunday or Good Friday instead of Super Bowl Sunday."

    Days of Worship:
    Reformation SUNDAY = MAN MADE
    Good Friday = MAN MADE
    Super Bowl Sunday = MAN MADE

    "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." There is ONE DAY to look forward to, there is ONE DAY your children are to look forward to more than any other and that is the Lord's Day, it is a holy day. That is the ONLY holy day commanded by God.

    Every Sunday, we celebrate the Gospel, particularly the resurrection, why would anyone want to scratch that and wait for 1 day a year to celebrate it? Why would anyone want to wait for 1 day a year to celebrate the birth of Christ? Every Sunday my brother, is a holy day to celebrate the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Thus, the biggest issue here is the abuse of the conscience as Steve already stated. By having 'holy days' not commanded in Scripture, those practicing these days are binding the conscience of others with man-made things. This is wholly against Reformation and Puritan thought (not that that is the Word of God, but they strove for Liberty of Conscience based solely on God's Word alone (Scripture Alone)).

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  11. Andrew, I'm curious how you would understand the following passage.

    Romans 14:5,6
    "One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God."

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  12. Andrew,

    Frivolous use of exclamation marks aside, you still haven't provided a positive biblical precept which teaches a shift of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week. You have provided instances of the church gathering the first day. You have cited custom. You have provided no positive precept, which is what I asked for.

    I agree that the Sabbath has shifted to the first day of the week. But the reason I believe this is because of the significance of Christ's coming and because of ancient custom, as the early church was led by the Spirit into all the truth. I do not believe this on the sole basis of a biblical *precept*, because there is none. And this is precisely my point.

    As for the other points: I refuse to engage such childish banter.

    I'm out.

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  13. Faris,
    He is talking about the same thing in Romans 14 that he is talking about in Colossians 2 and Galatians 4 (Days celebrated under the ceremonial law, fulfilled in Christ).

    Sorry for the exclamation marks, I was in the middle of writing a sermon when I stopped to post.

    The Scripture is right here:

    [35] GEN 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. 1CO 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. ACT 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

    WCF 1:6 The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or BY GOOD AND NECESSARY CONSEQUENCE MAY BE DEDUCED FROM SCRIPTURE:unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men (Gal_1:8, Gal_1:9; 2Th_2:2; 2Ti_3:15-17). [Emphasis mine]

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  14. Johnathan,

    I think the whole argument is going to come down to the regulative principle. If you hold it, holy days are out and if you do not hold it holy days are in.

    The thing that is most interesting to me is just how many Presbyterians are leaving their historical roots on this issue. Knox, for one, was strongly against this point. He argued vigorously that we are not to observe holy days as a Church.

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  15. Josh,

    I agree. But I don't buy into the "leaving my roots" charge. I am a believer in the teaching of Scripture and a catholic and even broadly Reformed Christian before I am more specifically an American Presbyterian. As I believe that the Spirit of God has been leading the entire Church through history, not just my little corner of it, I don't see the need to say "Knox said it, I believe it, that settles it." I formulate my theological positions as an ongoing interpretation of Scripture in light of the historical interpretations of those who have gone before me. Knox holds no more authority with me than Luther, Melanchthon, Cranmer, Bucer, Ursinus, Zanchi, Hooker, Schaff, Nevin, et al. For true authority comes from the word of God, and those who have rejected the regulative principle (btw, FAR outnumbering those who accept it) were interpreters of Scripture led by the Spirit of God just as much as those who have contended for the regulative principle were.

    The question ultimately comes down to this: do the Scriptures teach the regulative principle? I don't think they do (at least if we are talking about an "unless the Bible commands it" construction of that principle). Did the pre-Reformation church ever teach the regulative principle? No. Even in the Reformation Church, did the majority of Protestants accept the regulative principle? No.

    Forsaking my roots? Well, only if I buy into the notion that my roots are to be equated with Puritanism. But it is precisely this which I deny. I could argue just as easily, and more effectively, that it is the Puritans who foresook *their* roots on this particular issue.

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  16. Does the regulative principle really apply to holidays which have been set aside? I mean, the regulative principle refers to how we worship God. It seems the regulative principle would apply to things like Lent, since people actually set the day aside to worship and abstain from this or that (or in my friends' case, no TV; what a horrible idea). But it doesn't seem it would universally apply to all holidays. Even easter holds no special occasion for worship since we already meet on Sundays to worship anyway. It is true that the church has historically regarded it as the time when we remember the resurrection, but even then we are still meeting on a Sunday as we always have.

    What do I do differently on Easter? Well, this year I went to church and then had a barbecue for all of my friends. Just like a lot of other Sundays.

    What I'm really saying is, doesn't the regulative principle apply primarily to the forms of worship which take place during our church services? I may just be in need of some education here, because this is simply my prima facie response to this whole discussion that's going on here.

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  17. One last comment.

    The bottom line for me is this: there is nothing which prohibits the observance of special days of commemoration and celebration in Scripture, and in fact Scripture holds such things as a matter of Christian liberty. The special celebration of certain days is therefore adiaphora, and ought neither be made obligatory nor prohibitted. It would be wrong for a the church of a given land to pass the observance of certain days as a requirement for communicant membership. It would also be wrong for a denomination to make the prohibition their observance a legal requirement. Local congregations ought to be free to worship as they feel the Lord is leading their community, so long as they are not transgressing any biblical precepts in so doing, and so long as the pure preaching of the Gospel and the right administration of the sacraments remains.

    Thus, I agree wholeheartedly with Martin Bucer, who stated in his treatise "Concerning Genuine Pasotal Ministry and the True Care for Souls":

    "Those who call upon our Lord Jesus Christ in truth, whatever their outward customs and identity may be, we wish to acknowledge and love as our members in Christ the Lord. And they will also treat us in the same way, irrespective of the fact that we may not share the same ceremonies and church practices. For the fellowship of the Christian church consists not in ceremonies and outward practices, but in true faith, in obedience to the pure gospel, and in the right use of the sacraments as the Lord has ordained them. Everything else each church has to arrange as it finds best for itself. In any case this is something which the old holy fathers recognized and maintained."

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  18. Jonathan,

    If you choice not to respond I understand. You are busy, as am I. But since this is my blog I feel some kind of obligation to respond to your thoughtful comments. So, here is go…

    You said, “But I don't buy into the "leaving my roots" charge.”

    I was not referring to you specifically. I was mainly lamenting that when a person (me in this case) stands up for historic Presbyterian doctrines and then gets stoned by fellow Presbyterians, it can be shocking.

    You said, “those who have rejected the regulative principle were interpreters of Scripture led by the Spirit of God just as much as those who have contended for the regulative principle were.”

    This is unclear to me. Are you saying that men that come to wrong theological conclusions were lead there by the Spirit? Or are you saying that men that come to wrong conclusions are still Christians? I hope, and think, you mean the latter. I for one agree with the latter. Godly men can disagree.

    You said, “there is nothing which prohibits the observance of special days of commemoration and celebration in Scripture, and in fact Scripture holds such things as a matter of Christian liberty”

    I agree that the Bible does not out right prohibit holy days, but that is the point at issue—how are we to rightly worship God. I also agree what this is an issue of Christian liberty. Let me make my point by way of illustration. The consumption of alcohol is a matter of Christian liberty, but a Church would never make it mandatory for its members to drink it. The same it true with holy days. If you personally want to observe these days that is fine and great, but for a Church to bind the conscience of its members to observe these days is a different thing.

    You said, “It would be wrong for a the church of a given land to pass the observance of certain days as a requirement for communicant membership.”

    What is a session doing by having a good Friday service, if not saying all members ought to be at this service?

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