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1689 Confession of Faith

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Ομολογία Πίστεως του 1689

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Chapter 22

 

OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP

ANDTHE SABBATH DAY

 

Paragraph 1. The light of nature shows that there is a God, who has lordship and sovereignty over all; is just, good and does good to all; and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart and all the soul, and with all the might.1 But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God, is instituted by himself,2 and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshipped according to the imagination and devices of men, nor the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representations, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures.3

1 Jer. 10:7; Mark 12:33

2 Deuteronomy 12:32

3 Exodus 20:4-6

 

Paragraph 2. Religious worship is to be given to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to him alone;4 not to angels, saints, or any other creatures;5 and since the fall, not without a mediator,6 nor in the mediation of any other but Christ alone.7

4 Matthew 4:9,10; John 6:23; Matthew 28:19

5 Rom. 1:25; Colossians 2:18; Revelation 19:10

6 John 14:6

7 1 Tim. 2:5

 

Paragraph 3. Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one part of natural worship, is by God required of all men.8  But that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son,9 by the help of the Spirit,10 according to his will;11 with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance; and when with others, in a known tongue.12

8 Psalms 95:1-7; Psalms 65:2

9 John 14:13,14

10 Rom. 8:26

11 1 John 5:14

12 1 Cor. 14:16,17

 

Paragraph 4. Prayer is to be made for things lawful, and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter;13 but not for the dead,14 nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death.15

13 1 Tim. 2:1,2;  2 Sam. 7:29

14 2 Sam. 12:21-23

15 1 John 5:16

 

Paragraph 5. The reading of the Scriptures,16 preaching, and hearing the Word of God,17 teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord;18 as also the administration of baptism,19 and the Lord’s supper,20 are all parts of religious worship of God, to be performed in obedience to him, with understanding, faith, reverence, and godly fear; moreover, solemn humiliation, with fastings,21 and thanksgivings, upon special occasions, ought to be used in an holy and religious manner.22

16 1 Tim. 4:13

17 2 Tim. 4:2; Luke 8:18

18 Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19

19 Matthew 28:19,20

20 1 Cor. 11:26

21 Esther 4:16; Joel 2:12

22 Exodus 15:1-19; Psalm 107

 

Paragraph 6. Neither prayer nor any other part of religious worship, is now under the gospel, tied unto, or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed; but God is to be worshipped everywhere in spirit and in truth;23 as in private families24 daily,25 and in secret each one by himself;26 so more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly nor wilfully to be neglected or forsaken, when God by his word or providence calls thereunto.27

23 John 4:21; Mal. 1:11;  1 Tim. 2:8

24 Acts 10:2

25 Matthew 6:11; Psalms 55:17

26 Matthew 6:6

27 Heb. 10:25; Acts 2:42

 

*Paragraph 7. As it is the law of nature, that in general a proportion of time, by God’s appointment, be set apart for the worship of God, so by his Word, in a positive moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men, in all ages, he has particularly appointed one day in seven for a sabbath to be kept holy unto him,28 which from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ was the last day of the week, and from the resurrection of Christ was changed into the first day of the week, which is called the Lord’s Day:29 and is to be continued to the end of the world as the Christian Sabbath, the observation of the last day of the week being abolished.

28 Exodus 20:8

29 1 Cor. 16:1,2; Acts 20:7; Revelation 1:10

 

Paragraph 8. The sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering their common affairs aforehand, do not only observe a holy rest all day, from their own works, words and thoughts, about their worldly employment and recreations,30 but are also taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.31

30 Isa. 58:13; Neh. 13:15-22

31 Matthew 12:1-13

 


 

*Editor’s Notes:

 

Chapter 22 and paragraph 7, speaks of the Sabbath having been “changed into the first day of the week which is called the Lord’s day”.

 

  • Proof text 1 : Revelation 1:10

 

 

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet

Maybe the Apostle does call it the Lord’s day because our Lord rose on that day, which would make it the 1st day of the week; but it doesn’t say that, nor does the verse give us any indication whatsoever as to what day of the week this was.

This is an assumption.

 

 

 

  • Proof text 2 : Acts 20:7

    Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.

    Maybe they did meet every Sunday to break bread; but it doesn’t say that. Maybe the 1st day of the week was the one day out of seven in which they came together to worship; but it doesn’t say that. All this verse tells us, is that 2000 years ago, on one Sunday the disciples broke bread. It does not tell us that the Sabbath had been changed from Saturday to Sunday and called the Christian Sabbath.

    This is an assumption.

     

     

  • Proof text 3 : 1 Corinthians 16:2

    On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come

    If we want to be strict, this verse mentions nothing about their meeting on the 1stday of the week. It simply says to put something aside on that day. Maybe they did meet every Sunday and that’s why the Apostle tells them to put something aside on that day. But it doesn’t say that. It certainly says nothing about the Sabbath being moved.

    This again is an assumption.

     

    The most we can get from these verses (actually only the Acts passage) is that Christians most assuredly, ALSO met on Sundays, which we could already assume from Acts 2:46, where it says that the disciples met daily. All else is assumptions which cannot be proven biblically.

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OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP

ANDTHE SABBATH DAY

 

Paragraph 1. The light of nature shows that there is a God, who has lordship and sovereignty over all; is just, good and does good to all; and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart and all the soul, and with all the might.1  But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God, is instituted by himself,2 and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshipped according to the imagination and devices of men, nor the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representations, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures.3
1 Jer. 10:7; Mark 12:33
2 Deuteronomy 12:32
3 Exodus 20:4-6

 

Paragraph 2. Religious worship is to be given to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to him alone;4 not to angels, saints, or any other creatures;5 and since the fall, not without a mediator,6 nor in the mediation of any other but Christ alone.7
4 Matthew 4:9,10; John 6:23; Matthew 28:19
5 Rom. 1:25; Colossians 2:18; Revelation 19:10
6 John 14:6
7 1 Tim. 2:5

 

Paragraph 3. Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one part of natural worship, is by God required of all men.8  But that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son,9 by the help of the Spirit,10 according to his will;11 with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance; and when with others, in a known tongue.12
8 Psalms 95:1-7; Psalms 65:2
9 John 14:13,14
10 Rom. 8:26
11 1 John 5:14
12 1 Cor. 14:16,17

 

Paragraph 4. Prayer is to be made for things lawful, and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter;13 but not for the dead,14 nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death.15
13 1 Tim. 2:1,2;  2 Sam. 7:29
14 2 Sam. 12:21-23
15 1 John 5:16

 

Paragraph 5. The reading of the Scriptures,16 preaching, and hearing the Word of God,17 teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord;18 as also the administration of baptism,19 and the Lord’s supper,20 are all parts of religious worship of God, to be performed in obedience to him, with understanding, faith, reverence, and godly fear; moreover, solemn humiliation, with fastings,21 and thanksgivings, upon special occasions, ought to be used in an holy and religious manner.22
16 1 Tim. 4:13
17 2 Tim. 4:2; Luke 8:18
18 Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19
19 Matthew 28:19,20
20 1 Cor. 11:26
21 Esther 4:16; Joel 2:12
22 Exodus 15:1-19; Psalms 107

 

Paragraph 6. Neither prayer nor any other part of religious worship, is now under the gospel, tied unto, or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed; but God is to be worshipped everywhere in spirit and in truth;23 as in private families24 daily,25 and in secret each one by himself;26 so more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly nor wilfully to be neglected or forsaken, when God by his word or providence calls thereunto.27
23 John 4:21; Mal. 1:11;  1 Tim. 2:8
24 Acts 10:2
25 Matthew 6:11; Psalms 55:17
26 Matthew 6:6
27 Heb. 10:25; Acts 2:42

 

*Paragraph 7. As it is the law of nature, that in general a proportion of time, by God’s appointment, be set apart for the worship of God, so by his Word, in a positive moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men, in all ages, he has particularly appointed one day in seven for a sabbath to be kept holy unto him,28 which from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ was the last day of the week, and from the resurrection of Christ was changed into the first day of the week, which is called the Lord’s Day:29 and is to be continued to the end of the world as the Christian Sabbath, the observation of the last day of the week being abolished.
28 Exodus 20:8
29 1 Cor. 16:1,2; Acts 20:7; Revelation 1:10

 

Paragraph 8. The sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering their common affairs aforehand, do not only observe a holy rest all day, from their own works, words and thoughts, about their worldly employment and recreations,30 but are also taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.31
30 Isa. 58:13; Neh. 13:15-22
31 Matthew 12:1-13

 


 

*Editor’s Notes

Chapter 22 and paragraph 7, speaks of the Sabbath having been “changed into the first day of the week which is called the Lord’s day”.

 

  • Proof text 1 : Revelation 1:10

 

 

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet

Maybe the Apostle does call it the Lord’s day because our Lord rose on that day, which would make it the 1st day of the week; but it doesn’t say that, nor does the verse give us any indication whatsoever as to what day of the week this was.

This is an assumption.

 

 

 

  • Proof text 2 : Acts 20:7

    Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.

    Maybe they did meet every Sunday to break bread; but it doesn’t say that. Maybe the 1st day of the week was the one day out of seven in which they came together to worship; but it doesn’t say that. All this verse tells us, is that 2000 years ago, on one Sunday the disciples broke bread. It does not tell us that the Sabbath had been changed from Saturday to Sunday and called the Christian Sabbath.

    This is an assumption.

     

     

  • Proof text 3 : 1 Corinthians 16:2

    On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come

    If we want to be strict, this verse mentions nothing about their meeting on the 1stday of the week. It simply says to put something aside on that day. Maybe they did meet every Sunday and that’s why the Apostle tells them to put something aside on that day. But it doesn’t say that. It certainly says nothing about the Sabbath being moved.

    This again is an assumption.

     

    The most we can get from these verses (actually only the Acts passage) is that Christians most assuredly, ALSO met on Sundays, which we could already assume from Acts 2:46, where it says that the disciples met daily. All else is assumptions which cannot be proven biblically.

    [print_link]