作者: William Ames 摘錄: shane lems 譯者: Maria Marta
從教會歷史來看，基督教會為什麼稱禮拜天（七日的第一日）為「主日」，或「基督徒的安息日」？基督徒為什麼在禮拜天聚會和休息?
威廉阿姆斯（William Ames）在他的《神學精髓》（暫譯）（Marrow of Theology）(II.XV.27-29)裏有很好的解釋:
是上帝的權威,而不是人的權威把一周的最後一日換到一周的第一日-------唯獨祂, 安息日的主, 即，基督, 能轉換安息的日子（太12:8）。因此，第一日……被適當地稱為主的日子。退一步來說，即使我們承認主的日子是使徒的慣例（apostolic institution），但它所依靠的權威仍然是來自上帝，因為使徒在聖靈的帶領下實踐聖潔,正如他們在聖靈的帶領下用口頭和書面兩種形式,提出福音教義。
阿姆斯繼續列出九點, 為一周的第一天是主日這神聖的制度作辯護。我總結出以下九點：
1）在管理上帝的全家（上帝的教會）和一切普遍有益和必要的事上, 基督的盡忠不亞於摩西（來三2，6）。沒有一個基督徒能提出站得住腳的理由來否認遵守主日是有益的，和在某種程度上對基督的教會是必要的。
基督覆活之後, 祂經常就在這一天（一周的第一天）,
在門徒聚在一起的地方向門徒顯現。（約廿19, 26）
3）就在這一天（一周的第一天）, 聖靈降臨在他們身上（徒二4）。
4）使徒時代, 在教會實踐中, 當提及第一天的慶祝時（徒廿7，林前十六2），並不是紀念新近條例的頒布施行，而是紀念基督門徒長期以來所接受的慣例。
5）使徒傳交給教會的一切事情都是從基督領受的。（林前十一23）
6）猶太人聖安息日的第七日安排被基督的死廢除了。
7）基督的死與第一天的慶祝相隔有幾年的時間，這種說法是無意義的, 因為它好象是說, 在這段時間裡只有九條誡命。
8）經一致同意, 轉換的理由是基督的復活，基督的復活本身就是一個確認。這一天, 基督完成「一切都變成新的了」的工作（林後五17）, 世界進入新創造或將來的世界時期（來二5），基督從死裏復活, 上帝完成祂最偉大的工作，就歇息了。正因為這一天是開始, 所以在基督停了祂的工作之時, 我們應該 歡喜快樂。（詩篇一一八24和太廿一42）。
9）這也是最合適不過的事, 新約聖經中的敬拜日, 應該由命定敬拜本身的基督來命定, 在敬拜中, 我們可以期待從祂而來的祝福和恩典。
這些要點很有幫助！有時我們可能會懷疑「第一天安息日」的原則，因為沒有一句或兩句清楚的經文這樣教導。然而，當考慮到聖經更廣闊的藍圖和以基督為中心的救贖歷史,
稱一周的第一天為主日、休息和敬拜之日, 蘊含著符合聖經真理的重要意義。畢竟，在上帝把百姓從埃及拯救出來後,
百姓得到新的日程表（出十二章），所以上帝的子民從罪和地獄中獲得拯救-----新出埃及記之後,
得到新的日程表,
這當然具有重大意義！
Sabbath: The First Day of the Week
by Reformed
Why has the Christian church
historically called Sunday “the Lord’s Day” or “The Christian Sabbath?” Why do we meet for worship on the first day
of the week, and rest on it? William
Ames explains this well in his Marrow of Theology (II.XV.27-29):
“Divine not human authority has now
changed the last day of the week to the first day – only he can change the day
of the Sabbath who is the Lord of the sabbath, namely, Christ (Mt. 12:8). Therefore, the first day… is properly called
the Lord’s Day. Even though the Lord’s
Day is granted to have been of apostolic institution, yet the authority on
which it rests is nonetheless divine, for the apostles were guided by the
Spirit in holy practices just as they were in propounding the doctrine of the
gospel by word of mouth and writing.”
Ames goes on to give nine points to
defend the divine institution of the Lord’s Day as the first day of the
week. I’ll summarize the nine points
here:
1) Christ was no less faithful than
Moses in ordering his whole house (the church of God) in all things generally
necessary and useful (Heb. 3:2, 6). No
Christian can reasonably deny that the observance of the day is useful and in
some way necessary for the churches of Christ.
2) Christ himself often appeared
upon this very day to the disciples gathered in one place after the
resurrection (Jn. 20:19, 26).
3) The Holy Spirit came upon them
this very day (Acts 2:4).
4) In the practice of the churches
in the apostles’ time when mention is made of the observance of the first day (Acts
20:7, 1 Cor. 16:2), it isn’t remembered as a recent ordinance but as something
long accepted by the disciples of Christ.
5) All things the apostles
delivered to the churches were from Christ (1 Cor. 11:23).
6) The placing of the holy sabbath
of the Jews on the seventh day was abrogated by the death of Christ.
7) It does not make sense to say
that there were several years between Christ’s death and the observance of the
first day, because it would be like saying there were only nine commandments
during this time.
8) The reason for the change by the
consent of all is the resurrection of Christ which itself is a
confirmation. On this day the creation
of anew world, or world to come (Heb 2:5), wherein all things are made new (2
Cor. 5:17) are completed, and God in Christ’s rising from the dead ceased and
rested from his greatest work. Just as
it was in the beginning, so it is also right that the very day wherein Christ
rested from his labors should be hallowed (cf Ps. 118:24 and Mt. 21:42).
9) It was also most appropriate
that the day of worship in the NT should be ordained by him who ordained the
worship itself and from whom all blessing and grace is to be expected in
worship.
These are some helpful points! Sometimes we may doubt the “first day
sabbath” principle because there isn’t one or two clear texts that teach
it. However, when considering the
Bible’s bigger picture and the flow of redemptive history centered around
Christ, it does make biblical sense to call the first day of the week the
Lord’s Day, the day of rest and worship.
After all, the people of God received a new calendar after God rescued
them from Egypt (Ex. 12), so it surely makes sense that his people would get a
new calendar after the New Exodus: rescue from sin and hell!
shane lems
hammond, wi