Hebrews 3–4 is primarily warning about unbelief and calling people into God’s eschatological rest. The single NT hapax σαββατισμός (sabbatismos) must be read in that paragraph’s flow; it does not force the meaning “literal weekly Sabbath-keeping” as a single, unambiguous doctrinal conclusion. Lexica (BDAG, Liddell-Scott) may list “Sabbath-observance” as one gloss, but a lexical gloss ≠ exegetical verdict. Context decides. When you read Hebrews in its grammar, literary shape, and theological purpose, sabbatismos functions as a theological figure of entrance into God’s rest (an eschatological reality), not simply a liturgical command to keep Saturday.
1) Begin with the lexicon: hapax + context
-
σαββατισμός is a hapax legomenon in the New Testament (occurs only in Heb 4:9). That fact cautions us against building major doctrine on the word alone.
-
BDAG and Liddell-Scott may render it “Sabbath-observance” or “keeping of a Sabbath.” That is a possible lexical meaning, not an exegetical ruling. The author of Hebrews intentionally uses a rare term. Why? The immediate argument, not dictionary entries, should answer that.
If a single lexical gloss settled doctrine, why did inspired authors often choose unusual words that require interpretation rather than blunt legal commands?
2) Read Hebrews 3–4 as a rhetorical unit (historico-grammatical)
-
Hebrews 3–4 runs this argument: Psalm 95 warns Israel for their unbelief in the wilderness (didn’t enter God’s rest). The author applies that warning to his readers: don’t repeat their unbelief; enter the rest that still remains.
-
The key semantic cluster: παρακαλέω/φοβηθῆτε/εἰσέλθῃτε call to faith and obedience. The point is pastoral and soteriological, not liturgical scheduling.
Therefore, σαββατισμός sits inside a warning about unbelief and perseverance, not inside an instruction manual about weekly worship logistics.
3) Two Greek words for “rest” don’t collapse them
Hebrews uses two related but distinct words:
-
κατάπαυσις (katapausis) — general rest; the reality of entering God’s rest.
-
σαββατισμός (sabbatismos) — the hapax term.
Some read v.9 as: “There remains therefore a Sabbath-observance for the people of God,” and convert that into “you must keep the weekly Sabbath.” But note the flow: the author moves from the reality of God’s rest (katapausis) to the remaining availability of that rest. The sabbatismos is best understood as the manifest, covenantal way God’s rest is signified and still available, not necessarily a legal prescription about the Saturday meeting schedule.
Analogy: If I say “there remains a feast for God’s people,” in context, that could mean a final banquet to enter, not an instruction about which tablecloth to use every Thursday.
4) Semantic caution on “Sabbath” language (Hebrew/Gk nuance)
-
Genesis 2 and Exodus 20 are important: creation language anchors Sabbath theology. But creation origin ≠ an automatic universal legal application in every context. Biblical authors often cite creation as the theological root for later covenant commands (e.g., marriage), but the later application (how that institution functions within covenant life) is shaped by further revelation. Moses himself in Exodus frames the Sabbath for Israel (a sign, covenant marker).
-
On Hebrew specifics: Be careful drawing rigid dichotomies from single verbal forms. The Old Testament uses several words and idioms to speak of God’s rest and human rest; the canonical theology must weigh uses across the corpus.
If Jesus and the apostles repeatedly root moral truth in creation, does that automatically make every ceremonial expression of Israel universal and unmodified for every age? Or does the New Testament reform how old institutions point us to Christ?
5) The author’s theological aim: eschatological rest, faith, and entering
Hebrews is preoccupied with entrance into promised rest (eschatological, realized/anticipated), and the moral corollary: persevere in faith; do not harden your heart. The weekly Sabbath can be one way a community shows this rest, but the thrust of the chapter is spiritual: rest in God’s finished work and perseverant faith, not ritual maintenance.
If the author meant “obligatory weekly Sabbath observance” as the point, why the extended wilderness-Israel typology and the pastoral admonition against unbelief? The chapter’s pastoral goal would be served more simply by a legal injunction; Hebrews is not structured like a code.
6) Colossians 2 and “shadows” don’t make the verses contradict
Some defenders insist that Hebrews affirms the literal Sabbath while Paul (Col 2:16–17) removes it as a binding norm. Those positions can be reconciled by careful exegesis: Colossians combats liturgical, legalistic rules (food laws, festival calendars, ceremonial sabbaths). Hebrews addresses faith-rest. The theological point: some Old Testament observances were typological and fulfilled in Christ; the creation-rooted pattern of rest is referred to in Hebrews as the pattern God intends for his people to enter by faith. That doesn’t force a simple “abolished vs. perpetual” either/or.
Which is a safer hermeneutic: forcing every NT text into a single liturgical program, or reading each book by its theological purpose and then harmonizing?
Appeal to early church writers complicated evidence, not support for a single practice
You cited Justin Martyr and the Apostolic Constitutions as if they settled the matter. But early church practice was diverse: many Christians honored both the Sabbath and the Lord’s Day in the second century; others increasingly emphasized the Lord’s Day (Sunday) as the primary weekly assembly. The existence of later texts that pair Sabbath and Lord’s Day shows development and diversity, not uniform proof that Hebrews mandates Saturday-keeping for all Christians in every era.
Finding both black and white garments in old closets doesn’t prove everyone preferred black; it shows historical variety.
8) Use of SDA sources (Ministry, SDA Bible Commentary, Ellen White), they help but don’t settle the exegetical question for non-SDA readers
SDA sources like Ministry magazine, the SDA Bible Commentary, and Ellen White’s writings affirm the theological value of the Sabbath, but they also acknowledge that Hebrews 4 primarily emphasizes eschatological rest—not merely a command to “keep Saturday.” These sources offer theological coherence for Adventists but do not provide a unanimous or unambiguous exegetical conclusion for all readers.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown with actual quotes and references:
Ministry Magazine (August 2024): Hebrews 4:9 Yes, It Is a Key Text
In a recent Ministry article, the author affirms the significance of Hebrews 4:9 for Adventist theology but also acknowledges the broader context of the epistle:
“The ancient prophetic revelation, ceremonies, priesthood, and covenants have been superseded by new and better things: the revelation of the Son, the divine sacrifice, the heavenly priesthood and sanctuary, and the new covenant. In contrast to all this, one Jewish practice endures: the Sabbath” Ministry Magazine.
Yet the article also notes that:
“Even some Adventists took the position that sabbatismos in Hebrews 4:9 does not refer to the seventh-day Sabbath per se, but to a broader, spiritual rest.”
This demonstrates that within SDA scholarship, there is a recognition of sabbatismos as a theological symbol of rest in Christ, not merely a command to observe a literal Saturday Sabbath.
SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 7 (on Hebrews 4:9, 11)
Ellen White’s commentary, as included in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, offers a spiritualized interpretation of the rest in Hebrews 4:
“The rest here spoken of is the rest of grace, obtained by following the prescription, Labor diligently. Those who learn of Jesus His meekness and lowliness find rest in the experience of practicing His lessons” (7BC, p. 928.6) Ellen G. White Writings.
This aligns with the eschatological and spiritual rest motif of Hebrews 4, rather than a direct command to observe the weekly Sabbath. The commentary continues:
“It is not in indolence, in selfish ease and pleasure-seeking, that rest is obtained... Only from earnest labor comes peace and joy in the Holy Spirit—happiness on earth and glory hereafter” (7BC, p. 928.7).
Thus, even Ellen White’s remarks while affirming the Sabbath’s spiritual value do not reduce Hebrews 4 to a legalistic command to keep Saturday.
Ellen White’s Broader Writings
Ellen White consistently presents the Sabbath as a symbol pointing to Christ:
“The Sabbath calls our thoughts to nature, and brings us into communion with the Creator... It points to Him as both the Creator and the Sanctifier” (The Desire of Ages, p. 281).
But she also affirms that:
“The rest of faith is found when all self-justification is renounced, and the soul rests entirely upon Christ” (Faith and Works, p. 36).
This reinforces the idea that Sabbath rest, in its fullest sense, is not merely about a day but about a relationship with Christ.
Exegetical Implications
The Greek term sabbatismos (Hebrews 4:9) is used only once in the New Testament. While Adventist scholars often interpret it as supporting Sabbath continuity, even respected SDA sources admit the term’s primary referent is spiritual rest in Christ. The Complete Word Study Dictionary notes:
“In the NT used only of an eternal rest with God (Hebrews 4:9)... the Sabbath was instituted as a symbol of that eternal rest” in-him.com.
Given this diversity within SDA scholarship, it is intellectually dishonest to quote these sources as if they offer a unanimous, unambiguous interpretation that Hebrews 4 mandates Saturday observance for all Christians. If even the Ministry and the SDA Bible Commentary acknowledge eschatological and spiritual dimensions, then selective proof-texting misrepresents the Adventist scholarly tradition.
A fair dialogue must reflect the nuance and plurality within one’s own tradition. As I rightly imply, if this SDA defender's own reference works include caveats and nuance, is it honest to quote them selectively as if they are unanimous? The answer is no. This simply demonstrates that the SDA defenders' claim that sabbatismos always refers to the weekly seventh-day Sabbath is merely one among several interpretations held within the SDA community. It does not represent the official or final doctrinal position of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but rather reflects his personal theological opinion.
9) Logical fallacy to avoid: proof-texting a hapax
Constructing a major doctrine by isolating one rare word in one epistle and reading it outside the book’s rhetorical aim is classic proof-texting. The better method is grammatical-historical reading of the flow, intertextual relationships (Genesis–Exodus–Hebrews), and canonical purpose. The author of Hebrews writes to call persecuted, wavering believers to perseverance in faith; that pastoral aim shapes his vocabulary.
Reduce to absurdity: If every rare word became decisive, legal systems would be rebuilt on a single dictionary entry of chaos.
10) Practical pastoral conclusion
-
Affirm: Sabbath language in Scripture is serious; creation and covenant are real anchors. The Sabbath points to God’s order and to the Creator-Redeemer.
-
Caution: Hebrews 3–4 should not be pressed into a narrow legalistic proof for Saturday-obsession. The chapter’s pastoral heart is faithful perseverance into God’s rest in Christ.
-
Pastoral posture: Christians who keep Saturday as a meaningful sign of God’s creational and redemptive work should be humble and careful not to claim Hebrews as an airtight legal warrant that excludes other faithful practices. Christians who do not keep Saturday should not weaponize Hebrews to erase the chapter’s call to enter God’s rest.
Do we want Hebrews to make people proud about a day or humble about entering God’s rest by faith? Which better serves the book’s pastoral plea?
Former Adventists Philippines
“Freed by the Gospel. Firm in the Word.”
For more inquiries, contact us:
Email: formeradventist.ph@gmail.com
Website: formeradventistph.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/formeradventistph
No comments:
Post a Comment