Christian _______ Institute: The Sabbath

Hank Hanegraaff, the self-proclaimed “Bible Answers Man” falls quite short in his treatment of Seventh-day Adventists (SDA’s) and Seventh-day Baptists (SDB’s) on the issue of the Sabbath. What follows are some excerpts and my comments on an article found on his website, Christian Research Institute, written by James A. Borland. (Background: the CRI was originally started by Walter Martin, author of Kingdom of the Cults and one who was intimately involved with the Questions on Doctrine controversy in the Adventist Church. Since Hanegraaff took over in 1989 following Walter’s death, the Martin family has distanced themselves from CRI and specifically Hank Hanegraaff’s leadership.)

“There is no question that the Bible teaches that God made the seventh day, blessed it, and sanctified it. All this can be learned from Genesis 2:1–3; however, there is no further mention of the Sabbath in Genesis, or in Exodus…”

How about the Ten Commandments? Or even Exodus 16, which you acknowledge below…

“We never read that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or the patriarchs ever kept the Sabbath for even one day.”

We never read that the patriarchs were against gambling and drugs, either.

“In that final state of God’s kingdom, which Revelation 21:3 tells us will have no need of sun or moon, there will be one perpetual day. John added that ‘there shall be no night there’ (Rev. 21:25). How then could there be a cycle of seven days that would allow for a literal Sabbath?”

Actually, John is talking about the New Jerusalem and the point he is trying to make is that we will no longer have to depend on the celestial bodies for warmth, light, etc. We will be dependent on Christ. Either way, it’s ultimately a moot point due to the amount of speculation required on both sides.

“We do not read of Adam and Eve having a barbeque prior to the Fall. After the Fall, however, they had to offer animal sacrifices. The sweet and delicious aroma of roasting meat would have filled the air.”

OK, this has nothing to do with the Sabbath, but I find it extremely offensive. I find it difficult to believe that Adam and Eve, born in a perfect world and formed by the very hand of God, would consider roasting meat “sweet and delicious.” Do you think that when the Lord killed the first animal to make them tunics of skin that they said, “Oh, finally! Now we can have hamburgers”? More likely they associated the eating of meat with the result of their sin, like a lot of other things, and thus it likely didn’t hold great pleasure for them.

“What would Sabbath keeping look like today if one were to practice it? Let us not discuss Pharisaical perversions or additions to the Sabbath, but just what God’s Word teaches. According to Exodus 16:29, God required strict home-abiding on the Sabbath for all Israelites. In today’s economy the airlines, buses, trains, and roadways would be empty….Nehemiah took stern action against buying and selling on the Sabbath (Neh. 10:31; 13:15–22). Department stores and the malls would need to remain closed. Restaurants and individuals would fall under the ban on baking and boiling food (Exod. 16:23). Seeking and finding one’s “own pleasure” and doing one’s “own ways” were also prohibited on the Sabbath (Isa. 58:13). Death was exacted on any violators, including whoever performed any work (Exod. 31:14–15; 35:2), even gathering sticks (Num. 15:32, 35).”

Notice how James Borland portrays biblical Sabbath-keeping in this age. Can you imagine it? Trains, buses, stores, restaurants and, gasp, you can’t even gather sticks!

1. Ex. 16:19 does NOT command people to stay home. No Jew has ever believed this. The command was given in the context of the Israelites were not to go out on the Sabbath and look for manna.
2. No buying or selling? That’s not so bad.
3. Ex. 16:23’s ban is on baking or boiling food (in ancient times, a very long and laborious process) on the Sabbath because it was meant to rest.
4. The same thing with getting sticks, or wood for the fire. It could be labor-intensive or at least time consuming. The principle of the Sabbath was to spend time with God and find Him in community with fellow believers…not to go to your job or hunt for firewood or to be cooking all day

I understand that Sabbath-keeping is a minority thing. But I am alarmed that such literature as quoted above is coming from an organization called the “Christian Research Institute.” They made some fair points, but too often these were supported with the most biblically-illiterate examples and statements that it totally blew me away. I like some of their other articles but this one is remarkably lacking in any serious research. Henceforth, I shall refer to it in all blog posts as the “Christian _____ Institute” until they get back on track.

~ by doclucio on January 13, 2008.