1st, I admit inferences are unavoidable and at times are required. Inferences shape our unstated and underlying presuppositions. However as coming from a Baptist background, though now Presbyterian, I had and still have a strong bias for imperatives and a strong skepticism of inferences.
a. You all must sit. --- (I prefer exposition to be from such texts, if in context.)
b. You all can sit.
c. You all did sit. --- (I am nervous to infer here that readers must sit from this indicative, etc.)
So, recently I have accepted the warrant for covenant baptism of offspring; But Now, I am finding difficult understanding the "Creation Ordinance of the Sabbath".
How many things can one infer from Creation or ANY text(s). and have it "Binding" upon men. I still want to see imperatives, and hesitate to make inferences as binding. I want to throw out intentionally bizarre and hypothetical inferences, that may APPEAR to be audacious, but it is just that point that for the Baptist background that we are ultra nervous in finding legitimate inferences.
(I know these are wrong, but why?) One infers that if a person:
1. remains single, even Jesus, then they are breaking the marriage ordinance of creation.
2. fasts, not eating of the Garden, then they are breaking the Creation design and call to eat.
3. takes on last and middle names, then they are breaking a naming ordinance, if Adam and Eve had no last name.
4. does not have Adam's occupation they are breaking an occupation ordinance.
5. stays up 30 hours they are breaking a sleeping ordinance as creation's design.
6. eats meat, they are breaking a vegetarian ordinance as pre-fall design.
7. watches ballet, they are breaking an intelligence ordinance as pre-fall Adam would do no such thing.
Okay, I suspect our answer is: We look to OTHER texts like Exodus, or the Gospels, or the Epistles and create a systematic approach which quickly rules out at least the first 6 of my conclusions. I think the Westminster Assembly advocated number 7.
I am going to avoid in this thread (for now) addressing Lord's Day Observance issues, that is too long of a divergence at this stage; However in short, I profess, I have difficulty importing the entire Exodus Sabbath into the NT Lord's Day, just as this does not occur in how baptism is administered in comparison to circumcision, or even how the Lord's Table is administered in comparison to Passover. I don't see the elders and deacons as being a full-and-direct parallel to the OT priests in duty and function either.
So, I find it difficult to think Adam could not have corporate worship and family worship and Private worship before the Fall on 7 days a week. He could have technically gathered at 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. for corporate worship, worked 8 hours, get home at 6 p.m. and slept from 9 pm to 5 a.m. and done this 6 days, and spend the Sabbath as the Puritans would assert.
Finally, I am not asking anyone to chase the tangent of Lord's Day Observance issues,
*** I am focusing on: ***
a. Exposition.
b. Imperatives as primary.
c. Inferences as unavoidable.
*** d. which Inferences are Binding, or which inferences are as equal in authority to imperatives
*** i. how do we find them, discern them; how do we know them to be binding and equal as imperatives.
This will impact many things: the Regulative Principle; how and when church discipline is administered; Exclusive Psalmody, to name a few.
a. You all must sit. --- (I prefer exposition to be from such texts, if in context.)
b. You all can sit.
c. You all did sit. --- (I am nervous to infer here that readers must sit from this indicative, etc.)
So, recently I have accepted the warrant for covenant baptism of offspring; But Now, I am finding difficult understanding the "Creation Ordinance of the Sabbath".
How many things can one infer from Creation or ANY text(s). and have it "Binding" upon men. I still want to see imperatives, and hesitate to make inferences as binding. I want to throw out intentionally bizarre and hypothetical inferences, that may APPEAR to be audacious, but it is just that point that for the Baptist background that we are ultra nervous in finding legitimate inferences.
(I know these are wrong, but why?) One infers that if a person:
1. remains single, even Jesus, then they are breaking the marriage ordinance of creation.
2. fasts, not eating of the Garden, then they are breaking the Creation design and call to eat.
3. takes on last and middle names, then they are breaking a naming ordinance, if Adam and Eve had no last name.
4. does not have Adam's occupation they are breaking an occupation ordinance.
5. stays up 30 hours they are breaking a sleeping ordinance as creation's design.
6. eats meat, they are breaking a vegetarian ordinance as pre-fall design.
7. watches ballet, they are breaking an intelligence ordinance as pre-fall Adam would do no such thing.
Okay, I suspect our answer is: We look to OTHER texts like Exodus, or the Gospels, or the Epistles and create a systematic approach which quickly rules out at least the first 6 of my conclusions. I think the Westminster Assembly advocated number 7.
I am going to avoid in this thread (for now) addressing Lord's Day Observance issues, that is too long of a divergence at this stage; However in short, I profess, I have difficulty importing the entire Exodus Sabbath into the NT Lord's Day, just as this does not occur in how baptism is administered in comparison to circumcision, or even how the Lord's Table is administered in comparison to Passover. I don't see the elders and deacons as being a full-and-direct parallel to the OT priests in duty and function either.
So, I find it difficult to think Adam could not have corporate worship and family worship and Private worship before the Fall on 7 days a week. He could have technically gathered at 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. for corporate worship, worked 8 hours, get home at 6 p.m. and slept from 9 pm to 5 a.m. and done this 6 days, and spend the Sabbath as the Puritans would assert.
Finally, I am not asking anyone to chase the tangent of Lord's Day Observance issues,
*** I am focusing on: ***
a. Exposition.
b. Imperatives as primary.
c. Inferences as unavoidable.
*** d. which Inferences are Binding, or which inferences are as equal in authority to imperatives
*** i. how do we find them, discern them; how do we know them to be binding and equal as imperatives.
This will impact many things: the Regulative Principle; how and when church discipline is administered; Exclusive Psalmody, to name a few.