THe Christian Sunday

Abstract

"MOST POPULAR DISCUSSION on this subject starts from the Old Testament Commandment (Exodus xx, 8) 'Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy'. And in many cases the argument revolves around. the meaning of 'Holy' and the extent to which the great mass of Levit1cal, Scribal and Puritan tradition is really necessary to a worthy observance of Sunday. But it is, to say the least, a very moot point whether the Commandment, even in its barest form, let alone the traditional interpretations of it, has any relevance to the Christian Sunday. Whatever religious sanctions may attach to one day's rest in seven, · and what ever benefits may be conferred upon mankind by its scrupulous observance, it was clearly not the intention of the early Christians to regard the first day of their week as another Sabbath, either in lieu of or in addition to that enjoyed by the Jews on the seventh day. 'It is said that the ancient Fathers nowhere cite the fourth Commandment as an authority for observing Sunday' (H. B.Porter, The Day of Light, p. 22). Sunday is a different day from the Sabbath, not only numerically, but also in kind. The institution of the Sabbath among the Hebrews was above all a piece of humanitarian legislation to ensure that slaves and working animals received at least one day's break in seven from their daily toil, and were not, as in other nations where the seven-day week was not observed, dependent upon the whim of their masters and occasional public festivals for such reliefas they obtained (Deuteronomy v, 14-15)"