Rev John Graham, a missionary to the Jews in Sydney, has resigned from the ministry of the Free Church of Scotland because he no longer accepts the teaching of the Westminster Confession of Faith on the Sabbath. He is prepared to accept that the first day of the week is the proper time for believers to assemble “to worship the risen Christ”, but “it should not be imposed on unbelievers because they do not know the risen Christ”. He refuses the claim of the Sabbath to be a Creation ordinance, in spite of the example of the Most High, who rested on the seventh day. Despite the
evidence noted elsewhere in this issue that the Sabbath predated the giving of the Ten Commandments, he claims that the Sabbath was only for the Jews. But the Saviour told the Jews that the Sabbath was made for man, that is, for his good, physical as well as spiritual, and not for the Jews only.
It is a matter of concern that the official announcement of this resignation in The Monthly Record of the Free Church seems to treat this doctrinal error complacently. The chairman of the Church’s Foreign Missions Board commends Mr Graham’s honesty in acknowledging his changed views and wishes him every blessing in the Lord’s work. We are not, of course, suggesting that he should wish any ill whatever to Mr Graham. But we have the example of Paul, who withstood Peter to the face because he was to be blamed. This did not cause a permanent breach, and Peter never again, one would believe, went astray as when he refused to eat with the Gentiles. Surely the best that anyone can wish for someone who has gone wrong is that he would be brought back to the truth. No one can do the Lord’s work satisfactorily if he cannot bring others to a proper understanding of the blessings of the Sabbath. KDM