Old Testament laws can be divided into moral, civil, ceremonial, and health laws. Of these the moral and health laws continue to be valid under the new covenant. Thus rather than doing away with seventh-day Sabbath, the “new covenant” restores the heart of true Sabbath observance.
Is the Sabbath Part of the “New Covenant”?
By Roy Gane
Traditional Christian distinctions between moral, ceremonial, civil, and health categories of law are
interpretive classifications not explicitly stated in the Bible. However, Walter Kaiser has pointed out that
within the Pentateuch there are some terminological and conceptual indications of such differences between kinds of laws. These categories can be quite helpful, provided that they are defined and applied carefully and accurately.
The stakes are exceedingly high. Whether or not we believe that we should keep a divine command today
depends upon the category in which we place it. For example, if the command to observe the seventh-day
Sabbath is isolated from the other commands of the Decalogue as a ceremonial law, as many Christians
believe, it is no longer binding. Notice the potential danger of circular reasoning: An assumption regarding
whether or not a law is binding can influence the way we classify it, which in turn determines whether or not we believe that it is still applicable. Since we are dealing with divine commands that can vitally affect our daily lives, this is no casual matter. Here is a call for “handling accurately the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15)!
Continue here:
http://biblicalresearch.gc.adventist.org/documents/Is%20Sabbath%20Part%20of%20new%20covenant.pdf
Is the Sabbath Part of the “New Covenant”?
By Roy Gane
Traditional Christian distinctions between moral, ceremonial, civil, and health categories of law are
interpretive classifications not explicitly stated in the Bible. However, Walter Kaiser has pointed out that
within the Pentateuch there are some terminological and conceptual indications of such differences between kinds of laws. These categories can be quite helpful, provided that they are defined and applied carefully and accurately.
The stakes are exceedingly high. Whether or not we believe that we should keep a divine command today
depends upon the category in which we place it. For example, if the command to observe the seventh-day
Sabbath is isolated from the other commands of the Decalogue as a ceremonial law, as many Christians
believe, it is no longer binding. Notice the potential danger of circular reasoning: An assumption regarding
whether or not a law is binding can influence the way we classify it, which in turn determines whether or not we believe that it is still applicable. Since we are dealing with divine commands that can vitally affect our daily lives, this is no casual matter. Here is a call for “handling accurately the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15)!
Continue here:
http://biblicalresearch.gc.adventist.org/documents/Is%20Sabbath%20Part%20of%20new%20covenant.pdf