First things first

FIRST THINGS FIRST
Producer: LDOS Day One
HCVF Television. 20 minutes

According to the blurb on the cover, 'The fourth commandment is about the Lord's Day - our Sunday, a special day given by God'.

That is the assumption made throughout the video. No attempt has been made to demonstrate this biblically. No reference has been made to the Sabbath legislation having been introduced as a sign of the covenant God made with Israel. Nor have the distinctive responses of the New Testament to the Sabbath been noted. For example, the Lord's attitude to Sabbatarianism (e.g. in John 5.16-17), together with Paul's treatments of it in Romans 14 and Colossians 2.16-17, and that of the writer of the letter to the Hebrews (4.1-11), have not been brought to bear upon the subject.

Although the disciples at Troas broke bread on the first day of the week, they had probably worked all day beforehand; for Sunday was not a recognised holiday for about the first 300 years of the church's history. This may be an encouragement to many believers who find themselves struggling with this issue.
The video is mostly taken up with testimonies of the benefits experienced by people who have resisted the temptation to work seven days a week. This is important. But a lot more has to be done in helping believers whose break in the work cycle is not always on a Sunday. This will be an increasing difficulty which needs to be handled with care.

If you are a convinced Sabbatarian you may derive much satisfaction from this video. If you are not, you will probably need a lot more convincing.

Malcolm Jones, New Eltham, London

Malcolm Jones,
New Eltham, London