A syndrome is "a set of symptoms indicating the existence of a condition or problem". There is a no-scissors-on-the-Sabbath syndrome. And it sums up an outlook towards the practice of Christian: obedience that we must avoid.

I'm glad to say that, though brought up to keep the Sabbath, I never was taught rules like "no- scissors-on-the-Sabbath". It was only later in life that I discovered that others had been required to give strict adherence to such regulations.

It somehow tickled me that the keeping of the Lord's Day had been codified in such a specific and trivial rule. Later still it seemed to me that this making of specific rules about details of Christian obedience exemplified a distinctive attitude of mind. Hence what in my own mind I called the no-scissors-on­-the-Sabbath syndrome.

Three components make up this syndrome.

• Firstly, it emphasises specific rules and regulations (often negative ones) rather than broad (positive) principles.

• Secondly, it exalts outward conformity (doing the right thing) over inward motive (doing things with the right motive).

• Thirdly, it derives precepts from an inherited human tradition rather than through the personal evaluation of ethical factors.

In looking at this, it is the balance and emphasis of our lives which is important. I'm not say­ing that specific personal rules are valueless, nor that motive is the only important factor in our obedience. Even human tradition may have a qualified usefulness in practice. But these aren't to be our priorities in our thinking or our teaching. The Biblical bal­ance is in favour of broad prin­ciples, spontaneity and personal evaluation rather than a rigorous rules-and-regulations mentality based on tradition.

Rules and Regulations or General Principles⤒🔗

Jesus clearly declared his attitude to the law in what is surely one of the most important passages of the Bible: "I have come not to abolish (the law and the prophets) but to fulfil them" (Matthew 5:17). What exactly that means is a much-debated question which we are not going to enter into here. But we can surely say with safety that the teaching which follows is an illustration of what he meant. For he goes on to speak of what our attitude to specific com­mands of the Old Testament should be.

It was said, 'Do not murder' ... But I tell you: that anyone who is angry with his brother ... anyone who says to his brother 'Raca' ... anyone who says 'You fool!' ... will be guilty. It was said, 'Do not commit adultery', but I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully...

Here Jesus goes behind the written precepts to bring out the basic principles. He is not intro­ducing a series of minute rule "Don't say 'fool'; don't use the word 'Raca'." He is simply giving these as illustrations of what it means to grasp the basic principle underlying the Old Testament precept. In doing this he is con­demning the legalistic spirit of Judaism which had reduced God's Old Testament moral law to a number of specific binding commands. Jesus is setting aside the attitude that is concerned only with the specific letter of the law. He wishes the law to be inter­preted in accordance with its inner spiritual principles. Our conduct must be moulded by the spirit of the law: obedience is not to be conceived of in terms of a specific written code that covers all situations and that can be automatically and thoughtlessly applied.

It is this attitude of mind that Paul also touches on, for ex­ample, in writing to the Colossians: "Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 'Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!'"  Such rules, he goes on to say, appear wise but actually have no value in restraining sensual indulgence (Colossians 2:20-23).

Whatever the exact situation that Paul is speaking about, his general outlook is clear. Dying with Christ — the basic experi­ence of every true believer — frees us from a morality that is simply a list of "do's and "don'ts", touching the externals of life. What was required was an attitude capable of restraining inner passion, and outward rules and regulations couldn't do that.

If Sabbath keeping has been reduced to keeping a series of regulations, like "no-scissors-on-the-Sabbath", the whole point of the ordinance has been missed and we are living under Judaism not Christianity. We are living according to the letter that kills and not the spirit that gives life. In regard to the Fourth Com­mandment and all others as well, we must redress the balance: towards positive, broad principle and away from narrow, negative precepts.

Obligation or Spontaneity←⤒🔗

An emphasis of the spirit over the letter will naturally result in a concern not just to do what is right, but especially to cultivate a proper state of the heart in our doing of it. We must cultivate delight and spontaneity in obedience rather than mere obligation. All we can do is touch on a couple of passages which suggest this.

Jesus teaches us to pray: "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). The emphasis here is not simply on the obedience we render to God's revealed will but on the manner in which that obedience is given. Obedience is not just measured by its quantity but by its quality. It is to be like heav­enly obedience: willing, speedy and spontaneous. Not oppressive obligation but load-lightening willingness is the type of obedience which the Christian makes his goal.

Even in such a "mundane" matter as that of Christian giv­ing, you might have thought that £1,000 is £1,000, gratefully received whether gratefully or grudgingly given. But not so in the Bible's teaching. Paul says: "if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have" (2 Cor­inthians 8:11). In other words, why we give is more important than what we give. So he says specifically that they should give: "not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7). If that is God's standard with respect to the giving of money, how much more so is it in others areas of obedience. There is no place for doing things because we've got to. The burdensomeness, associ­ated with Old Testament law, has to be dispelled. The law's yoke is broken. Christ's yoke is light, because what he requires from us is to be joyfully and enthusiastically embraced.

This inner dimension of true obedience is the essence of Christian experience. The cen­tral feature of Christian experi­ence is not a change of actions but a change of heart. It is not essentially a reformation of life but a regeneration — the im­planting of a new heart and outlook. Non-Christians can, to a certain degree, do what Chris­tians do. They cannot however do it for the motives that Chris­tians can. Cheerful, spontaneous, willing obedience is therefore the distinguishing feature of Christian obedience. It is the state of the heart that counts.

The "no-scissors-on-the-Sabbath" approach to Christian living contains no reference to this aspect. It comes over as a strict moral code, imposed as a yoke of bondage. Joy in obedi­ence? It doesn't seem to matter. Conformity to the outward code is all that counts. Cheerfulness is chased away; spontaneity squashed. The essence of true Christian obedience is omitted.

Human Tradition or Personal Evaluation←⤒🔗

Jesus lambasted the legalistic enactments of the Judaism of his day because they represented mere human tradition. He sets this tradition in the sharpest possible contrast with the bind­ing authority of God's Word. The two are enemies. "You have let go the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men" (Mark 7:8). And that is no light matter. It leads to the charge:

These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.Mark 7:6-7

The rules which the Colossians were in danger of submitting to were similarly stigmatized as being "based on human commands and teaching".

Not all codification of gen­eral moral principles will result in an exaltation of human tra­dition, but the tendency of that approach is to supplement Scripture with tradition. This happens for various reasons.

There are, for example, areas of human life that we want guidance for and there are no specific commands of the Scrip­tures which supply that guidance. The tendency is to push prin­ciples to such a degree that all these areas are covered by spe­cific rules and regulations. How we got to these — through the applying of principles — is for­gotten and all we are left with are human rules that are given the same authority as Scriptural commands. "No-scissors-on-the-Sabbath" is presented as binding — as binding as anything spe­cifically laid down in Scripture. Too often we have been left with useless twigs, having lopped off the branches which originally supported them. Man's word held on to; God's Word discarded.

Again, such rules have too often been made up, not only in areas where Scripture is silent, but in areas which, according to the Bible, are personal matters, not susceptible to the application of rules and regulations.

There are wide areas of life which are largely a matter of personal taste. In general, the way in which we use the rich resources of the world that God has granted to our care is an area for the exercise of Christian liberty. Food and drink, clothing and cultural activities, are not areas governed by universally-applicable specific rules. One man's meat is another man's poison. Mahler may arouse morbid thoughts in some; to others he may be simply boring. Some self-respecting men wouldn't be seen in a kilt; to others it is just national dress. General principles there are: the laying down of minute rules in these areas is mere human tra­dition. A man may throw his bagpipes in the Minch if he wishes; but he can't insist that I throw my violin in the Clyde. I'm not accountable to him. We're both accountable to the same Lord for the way in which we use the resources he has put at our disposal.

The "no-scissors-on-the-Sabbath" approach to morality presents everything as cut and dried, uniform and unquestion­able, eternal and unchangeable. Not so the Scriptures. "Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind" (Romans 14:5) is a Biblical principle of wide ap­plication, deserving of far greater prominence than it is usually accorded. It involves the sifting of manmade rules in the light of the Scriptures; the hon­est assessment of one's conduct in things indifferent in the light of the general principles of the Word; the adoption of whatever conduct one sees to be pleasing in the sight of God — and the granting of liberty to others to do the same for themselves. Per­sonal assessment is the key to obedience in these indifferent areas, not human tradition however time-honoured. Put forward the spiritual principles. Let them be binding on all. But when it comes to remote appli­cations of these, let each act responsibly before God, firmly persuaded in one's own mind. Thus we will do justice to God's Word and not be ruled by human tradition.

To conclude we reiterate what we said at the start: it is a matter of balance. Jesus' complaint against the Pharisees was that they took pains to tithe their garden herbs, but they neglected justice, mercy and faithfulness. His advice to them was: "you should have practised the latter, without neglecting the former". It was this lack of balance in their approach to moral conduct that brought Jesus' woe upon them: "You blind guides! You strain out a gnat, but swallow a camel!" (Matthew 23:23). The same lack of balance today will bring a similar condemnation.