Bible Readings — Bible Questions Answered

Debate on How to Keep Sabbath

Although Lord, Maker, and an observer of the Sabbath, how was He watched and spied upon on this day? BR-ASI9 293.9

“And the scribes and Pharisees watched Him, whether He would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against Him.” Luke 6:7. BR-ASI9 293.10

How did Christ meet their false ideas of Sabbathkeeping? BR-ASI9 293.11

“Then said Jesus, . . . Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life or to destroy it?” Luke 6:9. BR-ASI9 293.12

How did they manifest their displeasure at His healing the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath? BR-ASI9 293.13

“And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.” Luke 6:11. “And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel . . . , how they might destroy Him.” Mark 3:6. BR-ASI9 293.14

Note.—Although the miracle Christ performed had given evidence that He was from God, they were angry because He had shown their views of Sabbathkeeping to be wrong. Wounded pride, obstinacy, and malice, therefore, combined to fill them with madness; and they went out immediately and held counsel with the Herodians—their political enemies—for the purpose of accomplishing His death. BR-ASI9 293.15

Because Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath day, and told him to take up his bed and walk, what did the Jews do? BR-ASI9 294.1

“Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay Him, because He had done these things on the sabbath day.” John 5:16. BR-ASI9 294.2

How did Jesus answer them? BR-ASI9 294.3

“But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” John 5:17. BR-ASI9 294.4

Note.—The ordinary operations of nature, as manifested in God’s almighty, upholding, beneficent, and healing power, continue on the Sabbath. To cooperate with God and nature in the work of healing on the Sabbath cannot, therefore, be out of harmony with God’s Sabbath law. BR-ASI9 294.5

What effect did this answer have upon the Jews? BR-ASI9 294.6

“Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him.” BR-ASI9 294.7

Because the disciples plucked a few heads of grain on the Sabbath day to satisfy hunger, what did the Pharisees say? BR-ASI9 294.8

“And the Pharisees said unto Him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?” Mark 2:24. BR-ASI9 294.9

What was Christ’s reply? BR-ASI9 294.10

“And He said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? how he . . . did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? And He said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.” Mark 2:25-27. BR-ASI9 294.11

What was said of Christ’s healing a woman one Sabbath? BR-ASI9 294.12

“The ruler of the synagogue answered, . . . There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.” Luke 13:14. BR-ASI9 294.13

What was Christ’s answer? BR-ASI9 294.14

“Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? and ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?” Luke 13:15, 16. BR-ASI9 294.15

What effect did Christ’s answers have upon the people? BR-ASI9 295.1

“All His adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.” Luke 13:17. BR-ASI9 295.2

How did Christ justify acts of mercy on the Sabbath? BR-ASI9 295.3

“What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.” Matthew 12:11, 12. (See also Luke 14:5, 6.) BR-ASI9 295.4

Note.—“Jesus observed the Sabbath Day of his own people. It was his custom to worship in the synagogues on the Sabbath Day. After he entered upon his own ministry, he and his followers continued to recognize and use the Sabbath Day, but according to his own individual and spiritual insight and interpretation. Even when Sabbath observance was made one of the chief grounds of bitter antagonism to him by the Pharisees he continued his recognition of the Sabbath and uttered no word that can properly be construed as lacking in deep reverence. Apparently, he expected that his followers would continue to hold and inculcate the spirit of the historic Sabbath.”—W. O. Carver, Sabbath Observance, p. 25. Copyright, 1940, by the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission. BR-ASI9 295.5

What dispute did Christ’s miracles cause? BR-ASI9 295.6

“Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because He keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles?” John 9:16. BR-ASI9 295.7

Note.—By these miracles God was setting the seal of His approval to Christ’s views and teachings respecting the Sabbath, and to His manner of observing it, and thus condemning the narrow and false views of the Pharisees. Hence the division. BR-ASI9 295.8