The Sabbath

and the Lord's Day

The Law

  Sabbatarians are continually preaching, talking, writing, and arguing about "the law." Yet in all the New Testament, while we have "preach the kingdom" eight times, "preach the word" seventeen times, "preach Christ" twenty three times, "preach the gospel" fifty times, not once is it said "preach the law," or "preach the Sabbath"; but Paul boldly declares that all those who desire to be teachers of the law understand "neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm" (1 Tim. 1:7). This is really the truth. A clear comprehension of the law will convince all intelligent minds that modern Sabbath worshipers have not a peg in Scripture upon which to hang their doctrine. We shall consider the subjects under several propositions. I quote from Canright:

  Proposition 1. "The law" embraces the whole Mosaic law, moral, civil, and ceremonial.

  The term, "the law,') when used with the definite article and without qualifying words, refers "in nine cases out of ten, to the Mosaic law, or to the Pentateuch."— Smith's Bible Dictionary, Art. Law. Invariably the Adventists use the term "the law" for the Ten Commandments only. They hang up a chart of the Decalog and constantly point to it as "the law" (Matt. 5:17); "the law of the Lord" (Ps. 19:7); "the law of God" (Rom. 7:22). This is their fundamental error on the law. I affirm that "the law" included the whole system of law given to the Israelites at Sinai, embracing all those requirements, whether moral, civil, or ceremonial, Decalog and all. Look at the term "law," in a concordance, or in any Bible lexicon, dictionary, or encyclopedia. "The law" commonly included the whole of the five books of Moses. Even Butlet (Adventist) is compelled to make this confession: "The term, 'the law,' among the Jews generally included the five books of Moses, thus including the whole system, moral, ritual, typical, and civil."—Law in Galatians, page 70. That is the truth exactly.

  Now, bear in mind this one simple fact wherever you find the term "the law," and you will have no trouble I with Sabbatarian arguments on "the law." [53]

  Take a few examples of the use of the term "the law" (1 Cor. 14:34) . Women "are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law." Where does the law say this? Gen. 3:16. So Genesis is in the law. Again: "The law had said, Thou shalt not covet" (Rom. 7:7). Where? Exod. 20:17. So Exodus is in the law. Once more: "Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?" (Matt. 22:36). Jesus then makes two quotations from the law: First, "Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart." This is taken from Deut. 6:5. So Deuteronomy is in the law. Second, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." This is from Lev. 19:18. So Leviticus is a part of the law. And this: "Have ye not read in the law, how that on the Sabbath Days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are blameless?" (Matt. 12:5). It is from Num. 28:9. These, then, embrace all the five books of Moses as "the law." Observe a little where the law is spoken of and you will soon see that it refers indiscriminately to each and all the books of Moses as "the law." Of course, any verse in any of these books is quoted as "the law," because it is a part of the law. So the Ten Commandments are quoted as the law because they are a part of the law.

  Again, "the law" embraces all parts of the law, moral, civil, or ceremonial. Thus the ceremonial precepts: "The parents brought in the child Jesus to do with him after the custom of the law" (Luke 2:27). That is, to offer a sacrifice (vs. 24). Moral precepts: "The law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers" (1 Tim. 1:9). This is the Decalog. Civil precepts: "Commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?" (Acts 23:3). Notice that every time it is simply "the law." "Gamaliel, a doctor of the law" (Acts 5:34). Of what law? Every intelligent man knows that the law of which he was doctor or teacher, was the whole Pentateuch, Decalog included. The law, then, is the whole Jewish law, in all its parts. This one point, clearly settled, destroys nine tenths of all the Seventh Day Adventist argument for the Jewish Sabbath. [54]

  Proposition 2. There was no such thing as two separate laws given to the Jews.

 To sustain their doctrine, Sabbatarians have invented a theory of two laws given at Sinai; one the moral law, the other the ceremonial.

  Adventists attach the utmost importance to their theory of two laws, as well they may; for if this is wrong their cause is lost. U. Smith says: "No question, therefore, more vital to the interest of Sabbath keepers can be proposed."—Synopsis of Present Truth, page 258. But that they are wrong on this vital question is very easily shown.

  "Moral law," "ceremonial law." Adventists use these two terms as freely as though the Bible were full of them; yet, strange to say, the Scriptures make no such distinctions, and never once do we read of "moral" law and "ceremonial" law in the Bible. The place to find these terms is in Adventist literature. In the Bible the Old Testament is simply called "the law." Had the primitive Christians stood on the Adventist platform, when Paul and Christ were preaching concerning "the law," they would have been frequently interrupted with "What law?" "What law?" "The ceremonial or the moral?" But such questions were never asked, for all knew of but one law—the Pentateuch. Adventists severely criticize those who happen to use an unscriptural word or phrase; yet they themselves do that thing commonly, as in this case. It would be amusing to hear one of them try to preach on the "two laws" and confine himself to Bible language. He could not possibly do it. If there were two distinct laws given to Israel, so different in their nature, it is strange that there is no record of it, no reference to it in the Bible. If one was abolished and the other was not, strange that Paul should not make the distinction when he has so much to say about the law. Why did he not say, "we establish the moral law?" or "the ceremonial law was our schoolmaster"? No, he just says "the law," and leaves it there. He seems not to have been quite as clear on that point as Adventists are! "Neither Christ nor the apostle ever distinguished between the moral, the ceremonial. and the civil law, when they [55]

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