1695 Baptist Catechism · 1695

Q65. How is the Sabbath to be sanctified?

The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy Resting all that Day, even from such worldly Employments and Recreations as are lawful on other Days; and spending the whole Time in the Public and Private Exercises of God's Worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the Works of Necessity and Mercy.
Answer · 1695 Baptist Catechism

Scripture proofs

  1. [1]
    Exodus 20:8

    Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

    Exodus 20:10

    But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

  2. [2]
    Exodus 16:25-28

    And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. …

    Nehemiah 13:15-19

    In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day? …

    Nehemiah 13:21-22

    Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath. And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.

  3. [3]
    Luke 14:16

    Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

    Acts 20:7

    And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

    Psalms 92

    A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.

    Isaiah 66:23

    And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.

  4. [4]
    Matthew 12:1-13

    At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; …

Proof texts as given in the original; verse text from the King James Version.