TEN COMMANDMENTS - THE BATTLE RAGES ON

By Dr. Hoyt W. Allen, Jr.

The battle over the display of the Ten Commandments on government buildings has gone to the U.S. Supreme Court. Christians are greatly concerned over this battle?

Many Christians have a sign in their yard saying, “I Believe In The Ten Commandments”. Yet there is one of the commandments which needs some clarification. That is the fourth one, “Remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy... no work is permitted on it... .” Exodus 20:8-11 Now the Christian can not keep this one.

Paul, the inspired apostle, did not command or try to enforce Sabbath keeping. While his epistles have much to say about the passing away of the old covenant and the ushering in of the new covenant, he does not refer to Sabbath keeping as a part of the new covenant.

Actually, he seemed to be "afraid" of those who were trying to revert to the law. "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain. (Galatians 4:10,11)".

The writers of early church history are agreed that Christians met on Sunday to worship. Justin Martyr (A.D.145) said, "But Sunday is the day, because it is the first day of the week and Jesus our Savior on the same day rose from the dead." Iraneus (A.D.160) wrote, "The mystery of the Lord's resurrection may not be celebrated on any other day than the Lord's Day and on this day alone should we observe the breaking of the Paschal feast." These men and scores of others say that the early church worshipped on Sunday. Since the apostles were inspired men, we are correct in following their precedent. Clement of Alexandria (A.D.194) said that the Jewish Sabbath was "nothing more than a working day."

Christians contend that Sunday is to be used for; worship first of all, a day of rest, a family day - a day apart from one’s normal day of activities. Yet many have forgotten it is a day of worship and have used it for everything else (sports, shopping, business as usual, etc.). Christians may not have a legalistic code to live by, but may we never forget God.

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