In the first four installments of this series, we addressed questions related to God’s command not to do “work” on the Sabbath; not to pursue our own “pleasure”; not to engage in “business”; whether it is permissible to eat out in a restaurant on the Sabbath; and attendance of and proper appearance in our Church worship services. In this final installment, we will address proper conduct during our Church services.

We need to understand that God has given His Church the responsibility to teach His law, including proper conduct during Sabbath services. In 1 Timothy 3:15, Paul tells Timothy: “I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground (or foundation) of the truth.” We are not to “despise the church of God” through improper conduct (compare 1 Corinthians 11:22).

God expects of members and attendees to KNOW how to conduct themselves in Church services, which are sacred convocations or assemblies, and to realize that God is to be “greatly feared,” respected, hallowed and “to be held in reverence” “in the assembly of the saints” (Psalm 89:7).

It should go without saying that we are not to come to services “drunk” (compare 1 Corinthians 11:21); nor should we even think of taking a break during services “for a cigarette.” But although we may not get drunk or smoke just before or during Sabbath services, if we have done so the night before, this will become obvious to the entire congregation (the smell of smoky garments cannot be hidden, nor the face of a person recovering from drunkenness). Even apart from Church services, getting drunk or smoking is sinful behavior and must be overcome. This means, we must work on getting rid of sin in our lives. Even if we appear properly dressed in Sabbath services, God will still not accept us if we show Him throughout the week that we are not serious about overcoming our sins and living His Way of Life (compare Isaiah 1:12, 16).

Paul had to deal with a terrible situation in the Corinthian Church, when he chided the members as follows: “I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you…” (1 Corinthians 11:17-18). It is critical that Church members, who assemble on the Sabbath, do not have any unresolved problems between them.

In a Q&A on proper appearance and conduct in our worship services, we stated the following:

“It is critically important to understand that we appear in front of God during the entirety of our worship service; and this means that every aspect of the service is to reflect our worship of God. This is true whether we are attending together with our brethren in a Church hall, or whether we are, due to necessity, listening in to live Church services from our homes. This means we stand up respectfully and humbly when participating in the opening or closing prayer, and we stand up and participate joyfully in the singing of the congregational hymns [in the Church hall AND at home].

“We concentrate on and listen carefully to the messages (including the announcements, as well as the sermonette and sermon). It is understood, of course, that parents will have to take care of their babies and young children, which might even require at times to take them out of the Church hall, when they get too loud and disturb others. But apart from these sometimes inevitable distractions, there is no excuse for not paying close and undivided attention to services. It would be highly inappropriate to engage in jokes or unnecessary conversation during services (except for unavoidable situations, such as when our technical staff may at times have to communicate with each other to make sure that the services are being properly broadcast, etc.). It would also be offensive to God if someone were to get up during services (whether in a Church hall or at home) [to engage in unnecessary conduct]…

“In services, most of us do not have many opportunities to audibly participate, except for saying ‘Amen’ to the opening and closing prayers, after having listened carefully and attentively to every word of the prayers, and for singing joyfully during the song service. We cannot overemphasize the importance of participation in the song service with all of our heart, concentrating on each word which we are singing, and agreeing with it completely, knowing that we are not doing so to impress others, but because we are worshipping God when we sing out loud [compare Psalm 26:12; 149:1].

“Church services ARE FORMAL WORSHIP services, in dedication to God and in fellowship with His holy people, and all of us must always keep this in mind throughout the entirety of the service…”

As mentioned, these statements also apply when we are participating in live services over the Internet. Even though we might be in the privacy of our homes, we should not think that we can therefore dishonor the sacred nature of services by “doing our own thing.” While no other human being might see us, God does, and He evaluates us as to how sincere and committed we are to Him and the holiness of His Sabbath days. In fact, when we attend Sabbath services, either in person or via the Internet, we are appearing before God and His heavenly throne and majestic surroundings, as we read in Hebrews 12:18-24. The New International Version renders verse 23: “You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly.” The Living Bible speaks of “the gathering of countless happy angels”; the New American Bible refers to the angels “in festal gathering”; and the New Jerusalem Bible states that angels “have gathered for the festival.”

1 Peter 1:10-12 states that angels “desire to look into” the things which are revealed to the Church of God; and Ephesians 3:8-10 adds that God reveals the truth to His Church, which proclaims it, including in Sabbath services, to angels and humans. God and His angels observe whether we eagerly and regularly attend Church services; whether we listen diligently and attentively to the messages and the prayers; and whether we participate whole-heartedly in the song service (perhaps even conducting at times special music).

These principles apply to our children and teens as well. When they are old enough, they should listen to the messages, and their parents should also teach them at home about God’s Way of Life (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; 32:46). Jesus was 12 years old when He was in the Temple, “listening to [the teachers] and asking them questions,” so that all “were astonished at His understanding and answers” (Luke 2:46-47). Our children and teens should be willing to listen and to learn (Proverbs 4:1-4; 5:7-14). They should rise up for (and, if possible, participate in) the song service and they should stand and listen to the opening and closing prayers (unless for little children who might be sleeping during services).

Our children and teens should not be doing school work or reading books or comics during Sabbath services, nor should they entertain themselves with video games during services. If they are old enough to read books, then they are also old enough to listen to the messages (they might even be old enough to read the Scriptures in their own Bibles together with the ministers who might read them from the pulpit).

Parents ought to supervise their children before, during and after services. Generally, our children should be sitting together with their parents. If, on occasion, they may want to sit together with another child, then at least one parent should be sitting with them; children should not be sitting together by themselves. They should also be responsible enough, if they have to go to the restroom during services, to immediately return to services; otherwise, a parent should accompany the child to and from the restroom. When the Church meets in a hotel, it is very important that children are not left to themselves before and after services (compare Proverbs 29:15), as disturbing or loud conduct and running in the hall ways of the hotel could even cause the Church to lose the opportunity of renting at the facility; in any event, it would not give a good impression to others when our children were to behave improperly.

At the same time, we must not forget that the Sabbath and the annual Holy Days are FEAST Days, as we explain in our free booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days.” We point out that Paul essentially told the members in Colossians 2:16-17: “Let no one judge you for keeping the Sabbath or the Holy Days with eating and drinking, rather than fasting, but let the Church determine or resolve this.”

Paul made clear that the Church is to resolve, settle or decide in what way we are to observe the Sabbath, which would also include our conduct during Sabbath services. Church members should not listen to those outside the Church or to attendees with different and strange ideas; nor should they devise their own concepts as to how to keep the Sabbath and how to observe Church services. Rather, they should listen to the Church leadership for the explanation and resolution of these questions, including administrative decisions in “gray” areas which may need clarification.

In conclusion, it is very important to God THAT and HOW we appear before Him in Sabbath services (that is, with clean garments AND clean hearts); and HOW we behave in God’s sacred assemblies—understanding how to conduct ourselves in the house of God.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

In the first three installments of this series, we addressed questions related to God’s command not to do “work” on the Sabbath; not to pursue our own “pleasure”; not to engage in “business”; whether it is permissible to eat out in a restaurant on the Sabbath; and attendance of Church services. In this installment, we will address guidelines for proper appearance in our worship services. The next and final installment in this series will address proper conduct during our Church services.

In addressing our proper dress code during Church services, we stated the following in our Q&A on wedding rings:

“Some have raised the issue that the wearing of rings… especially by women… allegedly violates biblical injunctions… This assumption is wrong… James 2:2-4 speaks about a ‘man with gold rings, in fine apparel,’ coming into our assembly or church services. James is not saying that the man should stop wearing gold rings or fine clothes; rather, his point is that the brethren should not show favoritism towards him and look down on those in the church who do not possess such fine things…”

We elaborated on this in our Q&A on James 2:2-4, as follows:

“If we apply James’ statements to worship services on the weekly or annual Sabbaths, two factors have to be kept in mind. First, James is drawing a comparison. He compares the appearance of a rich and prosperous man — who is aware of his riches and manifests them without any sense of recognition or compassion for others — with the appearance of a poor man. The translation of the words ‘with filthy clothes’ in James 2:2 (‘vile raiment’ in the Authorized Version) is somewhat misleading in the context. The Greek word for ‘filthy’ or ‘vile’ is ‘rhuparos’ and can ALSO have the meaning of ‘relatively cheap’ (compare Strong’s under No. 4508)…

“Second, if applied in that sense, it is important to note that the context speaks of a person ‘coming into your assembly.’ James does not seem to be talking about regular Church members (who know how they ought to dress when they appear before God), but a newcomer or a guest.

“But others are not to condemn a ‘poor’ person who is visiting for the first time or who has just begun attending because he is not dressed in an appropriate way. In addition, the way in which he is dressed might be the best the person can do… rather than condemning a person or looking down on him for not dressing up, we should be lending a helping hand and give the needy what is necessary to meet the proper standard…”

Regarding proper standard and dress code for men and women in Church services, we continued to state the following in our Q&A on wedding rings:

“The… passages in 1 Peter 3:3-6 and 1 Timothy 2:9-10 do not prohibit women to wear jewelry or fine clothes or rings per se… but as we also read in Isaiah 3:16-23, they warn against the overemphasis and misuse of the same for wrong purposes, in order to draw undue attention to themselves and their riches…  the Living Bible renders 1 Peter 3:3 as follows, by accurately conveying the intended meaning: ‘Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on jewelry, or beautiful clothes, or hair arrangement. Be beautiful inside, in your hearts, with the lasting charm of a gentle and quiet spirit which is so precious to God.’

“At the same time, these passages do not say that women should dress inappropriately or sloppy, without adorning themselves in some way, when attending Sabbath services. The Sabbath is a holy feast day, and we are appearing in front of God on that day, who is our King. We would not appear before a worldly king with dirty clothes or in a sloppy and casual attire…

“When God gave instructions for the creation of ‘holy garments’ for the priests of Israel, He specifically wanted them made ‘for GLORY and for BEAUTY’ (Exodus 28:2). Regarding how both men and women dress when attending Church services, we find a meaningful example in the time when the children of Israel were commanded to wash their clothes in advance of appearing before God (Compare Exodus 19:10,14)…

“Likewise, the priests were to wash themselves when appearing before God (Compare Exodus 30:19-20); and, they were to wear special clothing… Note that we are today a ‘holy’ and a ‘royal priesthood,’ as 1 Peter 2:5, 9 points out, also showing our duty to appear before God during Sabbath services with washed and special clothing…

“It has been the practice of the Church of God to recognize that we are appearing before God when we assemble for Sabbath services along with other special commanded assemblies as given by God [such as commanded worship services throughout the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles, even though only the first day is a Holy Day]. As such, we do recommend that each person present himself or herself in the best apparel they have available. The foremost idea is to specially prepare to appear before God to honor HIM!”

In a related Q&A on proper appearance in our worship services, we stated the following:

“That we ought to appear properly dressed for worship services, has been the long-standing teaching of the Church of God, and for good reason:

“We must understand that we are appearing before GOD. God is a great King. God is the Creator of everything that is good and costly and priceless. He is the Creator of beauty. He most certainly is the Creator of quality. He owns all the gold and silver, and it is He who made it all. If we were to be invited by an earthly king, how would we appear in front of him?… Would you want to appear in unwashed, dirty clothing, wearing washed-out jeans, a T-shirt, and sneakers?

“How much more should we appear before GOD, the KING over His creation, in proper clothes! The famous parable in Matthew 22:10-13 about the king’s wedding feast for his son contains a spiritual lesson, but it also describes a physical principle–that we dress appropriately for the occasion. It DID matter to the king–God the Father–how the guests were dressed for the wedding of His Son, Jesus Christ.

“In this context, we must not neglect culture. In the Western World, it is normally appropriate for men to wear a suit, or a nice combination, with a shirt and a tie… In the U.S.A., Canada or in England [and we might include continental Europe as well], men don’t dress up, when they appear in worship services with an open shirt, a T-shirt or jeans.

“Ladies should also wear appropriate clothing, of course. In addition, their dresses should not be too short or too tight or too revealing…

“God gives us the freedom to determine what is appropriate clothing, within the acceptability of proper dress in our cultures, but to clarify, God does not give us the freedom to violate His specific instructions so that we can follow our culture. For example, God has told us how to wear our hair. We are told that it is a shame for a man – young or old – to wear long hair…

“God takes great exception to the self-absorbed and self-willed practices of people who lose all restraint. This applies to inappropriate sloppy appearance, as well as to the over-emphasis on wealth and riches… Our responsibility is to dress modestly and yet to dress with quality garments that reflect our honoring of God…”

As we pointed out in our previous Q&A (“How Are We to Keep the Sabbath?,” Part 3), young children should attend Church services with their parents. The rules of proper dress code apply to our children as well. We are not saying, of course, that our young boys need to appear in a suit (even though some might wish to dress them up in such a “cute” way), nor, that our young girls need to wear a “wedding dress,” but our children should not appear sloppy and uncombed, wearing “every-day” street clothes, washed-out or torn jeans, T-Shirts or Sneakers. Their appearance should reflect the sanctity and holiness of Sabbath services.

Regarding the proper dress code during participation in our live Internet services, we stated the following in the above-mentioned Q&A:

“We realize that for some brethren, it is impossible or very difficult to attend our Church services in person. They might be scattered; they might be too sick or handicapped; or there might be other valid reasons preventing them to attend in person. Since they cannot physically join with other members on the Sabbath, they listen to sermon CDs, or they sit in and listen to live Internet worship services… if scattered brethren have Sabbath worship services ‘in their home,’ while listening to CDs, to our sermonettes and sermons which are posted online, or to live Internet Church services, they still appear before God during that time in a SACRED assembly, and we don’t want to appear before God uncombed, unshaved and unwashed, or by just wearing our pajamas.

“The requirement of proper attire does of course not apply to somebody who is sick and in bed; or to those who might be listening to CDs or tapes during the week or after the Sabbath is over. Nor does it apply to those who might be listening in to live services from overseas, after the Sabbath has already passed for them. We are strictly addressing live Internet services for those participating in Sabbath services in lieu of attending in person, simply because they are scattered or are suffering, for example, from a flu, which would not prevent them from being dressed appropriately…”

To emphasize the fact that participants in our live Internet services appear before God in a sacred assembly, we have published the following statement on our LiveStream page regarding “Attending Live Internet Church Services”:

“The Church of the Eternal God broadcasts weekly and annual live services over the Internet for those who are unable to attend our local services in person. We emphasize that the live broadcasts of our Church services are holy and sacred convocations. Participants over the Internet should conduct themselves appropriately during services, in accordance with our doctrines and practices, and this includes proper dress when we are appearing before God. We encourage any person interested in participating over the Internet to contact the ministry to receive guidance and answers to any questions.”

These same principles apply to those who use CDs or tapes for their Sabbath services at home, in lieu of participating in Church services in person.

Before ending this installment, we would like to make the following observations:

We are presenting these Q&A’s on proper Sabbath observance to provide a balanced approach, based on God’s Word. We also need to emphasize that God’s true ministers are the custodians or “stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1); and that God’s Church is the “pillar and ground of [God’s] truth” (1 Timothy 3:15), speaking with godly authority on administrative matters (Matthew 18:18), such as how to keep the Sabbath properly. The question arises whether God will accept worship from members or prospective members when they devise their own practices, and whether He will inspire and lead people who reject His ministry. The biblical record has strong warnings for those who refuse the clear instructions and principles established by God in His Word and faithfully taught by His ministers (Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 13:17).

The Jews of Jesus’ time had warped the keeping of the Sabbath by replacing the godly approach with their own customs and traditions. Those actions led them to seek to kill Jesus over the way He properly taught and kept the Sabbath. The keeping of the Sabbath in our generation is still the subject of false teachings, and the Church of God, under God’s inspiration, upholds the truth of correct Sabbath observance.

In addition, we need to ask whether knowledge of TRUE Sabbath observance has been lost and is being rejected by some. All kinds of people in their own groups and all kinds of people in their own minds talk about keeping the Sabbath. As Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong used to say about the differing “Christian” denominations—“they can’t all be right!”

After Mr. Armstrong’s death in 1986, the new administration of the Worldwide Church of God began to disembowel the Sabbath and the annual Holy Days—to water them down—to provide alternate observances, until it completely rejected the weekly and annual Sabbaths in their entirety. This was not unlike the way King Jeroboam set up more “convenient places” than Jerusalem and the Temple of God for worship.

The residue of people who once attended the Worldwide Church of God have mostly thrown away Sabbath keeping. Various Church of God groups are hanging on, but the question must be asked whether the grip of some has been slipping with the passage of time. Right Sabbath keeping is so much more than just knowing ABOUT the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days—God expects obedience concerning the sacred times He has established!

When God looks across this earth during His weekly Sabbaths and His annual Holy Days, how many faithful Sabbath keepers does He see? Our series on the right way of Sabbath keeping should be viewed as a clarion call for the people of God to WAKE UP!

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writers: Norbert Link and Dave Harris

In the first installment of this series, we addressed questions related to God’s command not to do “work” on the Sabbath; not to pursue our own “pleasure”; and not to engage in “business.” In this installment, we will concentrate on the question as to whether it is permissible to eat out in a restaurant on the Sabbath. We addressed this question in a previous Q&A, stating the following:

“The Church of the Eternal God in the USA and its corporate affiliates in Canada and Great Britain have consistently taught that it is not wrong to eat out on the weekly Sabbath or annual Holy Days (which are also called ‘Sabbaths’ in the Bible), depending on the circumstances. At the same time, we must always keep firmly in mind that whatever we do or say or think on the Sabbath should be in realization of the fact that we are spending time that God has set aside for a holy purpose (Isaiah 58:13-14)… This is not to say, however, that a Christian should engage in shopping on the Sabbath [but see our comments below], except in a real emergency… Nor should this… be used as justification or an excuse for a refusal to prepare for the Sabbath on the previous day…

“If Church members today eat occasionally in a nice, quiet restaurant on the Sabbath or a Holy Day after Church services, for instance, while, at the same time fellowshipping with other brethren and speaking about the things that pertain to God, then we must not condemn them for that. For instance, Church members might be traveling for quite a distance to attend Church services, looking forward to spending additional time with their brethren after services…

“This teaching, that it is not wrong to eat out on the Sabbath, is in accordance with the long-held understanding of the Church of God. In a letter from the Letter Answering Department of the Worldwide Church of God, dated October 1988, this understanding was correctly explained, as follows: ‘The Church has long taught that it is not wrong to eat out on the weekly Sabbath occasionally or on the annual Holy Days, depending upon one’s circumstances and preferences. Those waiters, waitresses, chefs, and the like, who may serve in a restaurant, are not our ‘servants’ in the way described in the Fourth Commandment. They are the employees of the owner of the restaurant. They would be working regardless of whether or not we ate there. God does not hold us responsible for their working on the Sabbath just because we use their services — unless we are the only ones who ever ate in that restaurant on the Sabbath. Obviously, we make up a very small portion of the customers served in restaurants on the Sabbath or Holy Days. Further, eating out occasionally on the Sabbath can enhance spiritual fellowship with brethren and allow family members more time to be with one another.’

“Mr. Armstrong, the late human leader of the Church of God, who died in 1986, explained once during a Bible study that he did not feel that it was inappropriate to go to a restaurant on a Sabbath… [since] eating or not eating did not stop the cooks and servers at a restaurant from working on the Sabbath…  He would go out on a Friday night if he had guests, and if he had served his guests in his house, it would have meant a lot of work for Mr. Armstrong’s housekeeper and cook.

“The Church of God in Germany published a booklet in the early 70’s, titled ‘Gottes Sabbat–ein Tag der Freude’ (‘God’s Sabbath — A Day of Joy’). It reflected the Church’s understanding on the issue, and stated: ‘In Matthew 12:1-5, Christ shows clearly that it is not prohibited to acquire food on the Sabbath, when one is hungry and has nothing to eat. If one is not at home, it is not wrong to go to a restaurant on the Sabbath. There are people who do not have the means of cooking at home. In such cases it is permissible to buy food on the Sabbath.’…”

Some have no problem with going to a restaurant on the Sabbath to be with Church members, but reject the concept that when they get together for a picnic after Church services, some participating members, who have been traveling from a distance, go to a shop to buy some beer or some sandwiches for the picnic. Some may object to others stopping at a coffee shop on their way to Church services to drink coffee there or eat a sandwich, but they have no problem with buying coffee at the hotel where they are meeting, or at a restaurant where they might meet after services. We must not have double standards. If one set of actions is accepted, why not the other set? In addition, we do not know why the member would stop at a coffee shop on his way to services. Maybe, his family situation is such that he would rather enjoy peace at the coffee shop than having coffee at home, where he might be facing antagonism and rejection because of the Sabbath. As mentioned before, these are questions which must be answered pursuant to personal choices and convictions. It is not for us to condemn or criticize those who might not act in a way which we might approve or disapprove.

To continue with the above-mentioned Q&A:

“[In years when] the Passover evening falls on the Sabbath… work will have to be done during the ceremony. In addition, the Night to Be Much Observed falls [in such a] year on an annual Holy Day, following a weekly Sabbath. Some members of the Church of the Eternal God keep the Night to Be Much Observed in a nice, quiet restaurant, so as to reduce the work load on the women that night. Otherwise, the ladies would have to work during the weekly Sabbath to prepare meals for the evening. To prepare meals on Friday might pose several problems, as Friday, being the preparation day for the Sabbath, should be spent more properly to spiritually prepare for the Passover evening (in addition to finishing removing all leavening from the house, which must be completed [in such a] year by Friday evening).

“In the early 70’s, it was the practice of the Church of God in Germany to meet together in a restaurant during the Night to Be Much Observed. This was always a most inspiring experience, and rightly observed, did not at all take away from the spirit of that occasion…”

The Church of the Eternal God in Germany has followed this example for several years, with great success. In addition, Church members meet for at least eight days in rented facilities during the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day. Some might object to this, claiming they can’t rent rooms at an hotel, as this would include renting on the weekly Sabbath and two annual Holy Days. They would rather stay home and just attend services. However, in doing so, they would violate God’s command to stay during the entire Feast of Tabernacles in temporary dwellings (excluding some extraordinary personal circumstances).

To elaborate on this, we should take note of the following comments from our free booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days“:

“God instructs us [in Exodus 35:3] not to kindle a fire for the purpose of working. He is not talking about kindling a fire to warm ourselves, or to cook a meal, or, as some interpret this today, to turn on a light switch. In the original Hebrew, the thought is conveyed of ‘kindling a consuming fire.’ The context in which this command was given was the work of building the tabernacle (compare Exodus 35:10–19)… heavy baking or boiling should be done on Friday, but… it is not prohibited to ‘kindle a fire’ to cook or heat a meal on the Sabbath day… ‘Customary work,’ by Biblical definition, does not include kindling a fire to warm oneself or cooking or heating a meal, and it does not include the bringing of sacrifices by the priests…

“[In Nehemiah 13:15-22], we see a description of a very common practice in our Western world today—a farmer’s market being conducted on the Sabbath. People were carrying burdens into the city to sell them there. But God did not—and does not—approve of such practices. If we want to be God’s people, we are not to participate in such activities… Further, the command against carrying burdens applies foremost, as we have seen, to carrying merchandise to be sold. This does not mean, however, that we should engage in the work of moving our belongings from one house to another on the Sabbath, except, of course, in a real emergency…

“Christ did not do His customary work as a carpenter—but He did do the work of God, that is, He did do good things on the Sabbath, including healing people…”

We may want to clarify here that this does not justify the work of a Church member as a doctor or a nurse on the Sabbath, since this is their customary work. This would also include an employed caretaker in a hospital or convalescent home for the elderly. In those cases, they need to find a replacement for their work on the Sabbath, as everyone needs to do, who does customary work.

Continuing with quoting from our above-mentioned booklet:

“Since both the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days are Feast days, the Christians in Colossae kept them of course as FEAST days. They would eat and drink on those days (except, of course, during the ‘Fast’—on the Day of Atonement). Some, though, apparently criticized them for that, teaching that no eating and drinking should take place on any of those days.

“Colossians 2:16, correctly translated from the Greek, states: ‘Let no one judge you regarding eating and drinking.’ Paul is addressing here the ACT of eating and drinking, not the KIND of food and drink being partaken of. Some critics felt, however, that Christians should fast on those days, rather than eating or drinking anything… Rather than agreeing with these human ideas, Paul states that this kind of philosophy is useless and is a doctrine of man that is derived from the ‘principles of this world.’ He specifically condemns such teaching in Colossians 2:8: ‘Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.’

“Some were apparently trying to introduce those philosophies into the Church, especially pertaining to how to keep the Sabbath and the Holy Days. Paul, in addressing these attempts, essentially told the Colossians: ‘Let no one judge you for keeping the Sabbath or the Holy Days with eating and drinking, rather than fasting, but let the Church determine or resolve this.'”

The Church has resolved that the Sabbath should be kept as a Feast day, with eating and drinking. Occasional fasting on the Sabbath may be in order, but it should not become a habit. In addition, the Church has also resolved that it is not wrong, in certain circumstances, to eat out in a restaurant on the Sabbath.

In the next installment, we will begin to address God’s teaching on Church attendance.

(To be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

True Christians know and have proven for themselves from the pages of the Bible THAT they are still duty-bound today to keep the weekly Sabbath–the time from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset–as it is holy time.  But often questions may arise as to HOW to keep the Sabbath. Are there any principles or passages in the Bible which tell us what kind of activities are permitted, and which are prohibited? Are we told how to apply those passages and concepts practically, in an individual situation?

In this new series, we will address many of those questions which have puzzled and perplexed Christians for decades. We will begin with quoting statements which we have made through the years in our literature regarding proper Sabbath observance. In this installment and the next one, we will concentrate primarily on God’s command not to do “work” on the Sabbath; not to pursue our own “pleasure”; not to engage in “business”; and we will discuss whether or not we should eat out in a restaurant on the Sabbath. We will address and answer specific questions which we may not have addressed before in writing.

We stated the following in our Q&A on Mark 2:27-28:

“The Fourth Commandment says very clearly that we are not to do servile or customary work on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15). As God rested on the seventh day from His ordinary work of creating plants, animals and men, so we are to rest from our ordinary labor and to be spiritually refreshed on the Sabbath.

“Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for man. It was God’s gift to man. It was not supposed to be a burden, but a blessing. As God blessed and sanctified for holy use the seventh day (Genesis 2:3), He did so for man, so man will be blessed when he properly keeps and enjoys the seventh day.

“However, the Pharisees at the time of Jesus Christ had made a burden out of the Sabbath… they criticized the disciples of Christ for plucking the heads of grain on the Sabbath, to satisfy their hunger (Mark 2:23-24; Matthew 12:1-2). It was their position that they should rather go hungry than to pluck a few heads of grain, falsely interpreting such conduct as prohibited ‘harvesting.’ …

“Christ placed mercy over strict pharisaical restrictions, pointing out that David ate from the showbread of the [tabernacle], when he was hungry, although it was not ‘lawful’ for him to eat it (Matthew 12:3-4). But Christ did not condemn David for this. He also taught that the priests in the temple had to fulfill their responsibilities on the Sabbath, which—according to pharisaical consequential reasoning–would have been tantamount to ‘breaking’ or ‘profaning’ the Sabbath, but Christ said they were ‘blameless’ in doing so (Matthew 12:5). When today God’s ministers ‘work’ on the Sabbath in preparing and delivering sermons, they are equally blameless and guiltless.

“On the other hand, Christ did not teach that we can violate God’s Sabbath by just trampling it under foot—by working in our jobs to earn a living and by pursuing our own pleasures and hobbies. Isaiah 58:13 states to you (according to the New International Version) that you are to ‘keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day’ and to ‘call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable’ and to ‘honor it by not doing as you please or speaking idle words.’ The Living Bible clarifies that ‘doing as you please’ refers to ‘your own fun and business.’”

We also stated the following in our free booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days“:

“When we keep the Sabbath, it will be noticeable to those with whom we have close relationships—our family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Our lack of participation in sports, school or college events that are scheduled on the Sabbath, as well as not going to theaters or working on the Sabbath, will become very obvious, and so these people will come to realize our commitment to God…”

To elaborate at this point, it is obvious that we must not work on the Sabbath to earn money, and if we operate our own business, we need to close it during the Sabbath. This would mean that we could not keep it open for our employees to run the business and keep the money for themselves. The same principle would apply for a business “partnership.” First of all, we would strongly recommend against a business partnership between a Church member and an “unbeliever” who does not believe in the Sabbath. In any event, a Church member could not agree that his partner operates the business on the Sabbath, even if he was to forgo any share of proceeds received on the Sabbath. As a partner, he would still be responsible for the operation of his business on the Sabbath. The situation would be different, if a Church member was an employee and would not work on the Sabbath for the business, even if the business was to stay open on that day.

A related question may arise when Christians rent out their houses or apartments. It is obvious that they cannot demand from their renters to leave the house on Fridays and return on Sundays. Once houses or apartments are rented out, the owners are no longer responsible for the conduct of their renters (as long as it is not illegal). It would be advisable, however, to carefully scrutinize prospective renters to guarantee that they are not engaging in conduct which would have to be rejected by a Church member. One might say that since no profit may be earned on the Sabbath, a landlord could not rent out a house or apartment since the rent would always include the time for the weekly and annual Sabbaths. Therefore, some have suggested that a Church member could or should never rent out a house or apartment, or should never begin to run a motel or a hotel, or if he had done so, to sell such an establishment.

This seems to be too restrictive. We read in the parable about the merciful Samaritan that he took care of the man fallen under the robbers; that he brought him to an inn; and that he paid the innkeeper for weeks (including the Sabbaths), until he returned. We also read that during the time of taxation (which fell apparently during the fall festivals), no room was found in the inn for Mary and Joseph, showing that inns were rented out in Judea, and they would have been rented out for profit. It is up to the individual Church member to determine how to calculate the rent, keeping the Sabbath question in mind, but it would be too restrictive to demand that he could not rent out his house or apartment.

Addressing activities of “pleasure” and “sports,” it would generally be ill advised to attend a birthday party or parties in general on the Sabbath; especially, if the parties involve unconverted family members or unbelieving friends. Even driving to such parties on the Sabbath (although one may attend after the Sabbath) might create a problem, depending on how long one may be on the road. It would always be better to ask for accommodation, explaining to the relatives and friends that the Sabbath was not really the day when one would want to attend, and whether the event could not be held on another day, such as Sunday. But as in so many cases, this would have to be a personal decision, based on the circumstances, the persons involved, and one’s own conscience. We must not neglect the fact, however, that the Sabbath is holy time to be dedicated to God.

This means that we may even have to look much more carefully at weddings and wedding receptions on the Sabbath, for both Church members and non-members (given the enormous work involved for Church members if they need to prepare for those occasions). The same general considerations would apply as discussed above regarding birthday parties and other parties. One would need to ask why one would want to conduct a wedding on the Sabbath in the first place, and if arrangements couldn’t be made to conduct it on a different day. Again, whether one would want to conduct or attend a wedding on the Sabbath would have to be a personal decision, based on the circumstances, the persons involved, and one’s own conscience.

To be clear, we do not say that it would be prohibited spending time together with unconverted parents or family members on the Sabbath, including for coffee or a meal.

Regarding sporting events, it should be obvious that we would not watch a football game, a basketball game or a soccer game on the Sabbath. Neither would we participate in such games; which is not to say that we could not “kick the ball around” for a short while with our children or grandchildren. We would also not go to an amusement park or a sporting event or a theater on the Sabbath, but how would we feel if a Church member would drop off or pick up their unbelieving relatives at an amusement park, a sporting event or a theater on his or her way to or from Church services? First of all, it is not our task to condemn anyone, but in case of a request for counseling, we would need to carefully evaluate the individual circumstances, taking into consideration the family situation and other aspects.

The same is true when a Church member is asked by his parents who are returning from vacation to pick them up at the airport on the Sabbath. Again, it would be advisable to explain to the parents ahead of time that the scheduling of the trip should be made in such a way that the flight does not fall on the Sabbath, but circumstances might have existed when such scheduling was not possible.

It would also be advisable for a Church member not to fly at all on the Sabbath, for any reason, if it can be avoided. Experience has shown that flights on the Sabbath are simply not the best way of keeping the Sabbath (especially considering the time at the airport, including security procedures, before entering or after leaving the plane).

It would not be wrong to view certain TV programs or Internet postings on the Sabbath, which would inform us about world news or which would show us God’s beauty of creation; nor would it be wrong to go to a park for a picnic after Church services, or drive to a beautiful scenery (watching the ocean, a waterfall, a forest etc.).

In the next installment, we will answer the question as to whether it is permissible to eat out in a restaurant on the Sabbath.

(To be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link