SUNDAY SPORT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 88, 18 May 1949, Page 4

SUNDAY SPORT

Sir, —I thank the Presbytery and L. C. Elphick for their replies. A layman naturally feels reserved in discussing with ministers, but I am distressed that my question has been made the excuse to straffe a fellow Christian church. I sincerely apologise to the Seventh Day, Advenists for this un-Christian attack. Your correspondents quote: “Never since in the whole New Testament are we enjoined to keep the Jewish Sabbath.” When one realises that the term “Jewish Sabbath” is unknown to Scripture their statement becomes meaningless, just empty words intended to impress the ignorant. I protest at such misuse of Sacred Writ.

Far from being opposed to honouring God’s day I simply requested Scripture reference for. divine authority for Sunday, from those best qualified to give it. By theological disputation the point of my question is evaded, thus admitting no such authority exists. However, they have made it a question of law, or no law. If the law of God is binding, then the seventh-day Sabbath is equally binding, for “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” (Exodus 20:8-11); if abolished, then one can do as one pleases, even sports on Sunday. The statement that “believers in Christ are no longer under law” astounds and confuses me. Before me a book' used in Presbyterian (and Methodist) Sunday Schools, the Junior Teachers’ Handbook (1945). Eight weeks Presbyterian studied “Obeying God’s Laws for His World” in detail. I quote: “Do you think these rules or commandments were for the Israelites alone? No, they are for all people. They are for us. We will find we are happiest when we are obeying God’s laws for our lives.” . . . “Draw a mountain and name it Sinai; at its. foot draw a signpost, and print the words ‘God’s Ten Commandments’ upon it. Show; a road leading from the signpost, and name it ‘The Road of Life,’ ”

. . . “Aim. To show that obedience to God’s laws is the basis of a nation’s greatness.” . . . ‘Aim. To show that if we want to work for God in His world we must obey His laws.”

. . . “Each of us has to choose whether our life will have good foundations or not: The Ten Commandments are good foundations.” So the law of God is binding, at least as recently as 1945. The Presbytery says, “No!” But has not the binding obligation of the law of God always been Presbyterian teaching in Sunday School, Bible Class, Church and Mission? If the Presbytery is correct, then the Church on this question was necessarily wrong, and its teaching falsehood! A law was abolished at the cross (the law of Moses), but of the law of God our Lord said: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-19). While appreciating the Presbytery’s attempted answer, one is much more impressed with this truph of Scripture, where Jesus so definitely upholds the complete Law; of God, and therefore the seventh-: day SabbathYours etc.. CHRISTIAN. Sir, —Recently in your “Public Opinion” column, there appeared a statement that “Mosaic legalism was finished at Christ’s Cross.” Perhaps the correspondent means that the Law of God was abolished. It would be helpful if the remark could be defin’ed and supported by Scripture. It is sometimes thought that this is actually so, but to the contrary we find that the New Testament, teaches differently. For example when Paul wrote Romans 7:12 about \ A.D. 60 he refers to the Law" as be-j ing “holy, just, and good.” Also in John 15:10 the Bible states that' Christ kept the commandments. : If this no-law theory is correct, then in abolishing the Law sin also; must vanish, for as Paul says . . . “for where no law is, there is no transgression, Romans 4:15.” I: would admonish the writers to use; the Bible as basis of discussion and not the traditions and thoughts of men.

Yours etc., TRUST AND OBEY.