These companion booklets (see also The Lord’s Day: why we go to church twice on Sundays ) provide teaching on an important subject that needs to be re-emphasised in our present age: the significance of the Lord’s Day for believers, and the desirability of meeting for worship twice each Sunday.
In our present ecclesiastical situation, each of these publications are of value, particularly to younger believers. The content in both cases is theologically conservative, but also pastorally sensitive. The style is lucid and engaging.
Iain Campbell spends six chapters explaining the origin and value of the sabbath for God’s ancient people, and a further five chapters on the Lord’s Day.
Jesus greatly valued the sabbath day. However, it was not long into his ministry before he experienced problems with those who had too narrow a view of the fourth commandment. He healed on the sabbath, in opposition to the Pharisees’ interpretation. As Lord of the sabbath, he alone could inform people what they could and could not do on this day. Iain Campbell recalls the principle that the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
He handles the transition to the Lord’s Day well, avoiding an overly legalistic interpretation and rightly extolling the spiritual benefits to the believer. He emphasises the importance of the first day of the week in the early church.
John A. Crosby
Carlisle
