Dr Asangba Tzudir
The question of Sabbath observance is not new among Naga Christians. Historical records indicate that as early as 1873, newly converted Christians who refrained from working on the Sabbath were fined in kind by their villages, as their absence from communal labour was believed to disrupt the village economy. Caught between deeply rooted customary practices and the demands of their new faith, the early converts faced difficult questions regarding the proper observance of the Lord's Day. These tensions persisted, and the issue of Sunday markets and Sabbath-breaking emerged as a major subject of discussion at the 1886 Assam Mission Jubilee Conference of the American Baptist Missionary Union, held at Nowgong from 18–28 December 1886.
The deliberations of that conference continue to offer valuable insights for contemporary Naga Christians as they wrestle with similar questions concerning Sunday shopping, travel, commercial activities, and the Biblical meaning of keeping the Sabbath holy. In that conference, missionaries debated whether attending Sunday markets constituted "Sabbath-breaking." Remarkably, the concerns they raised remain relevant today as many Naga Christians shop in Sunday markets, travel on Sundays, and engage in commercial activities after church. Revisiting the wisdom of that conference offers valuable guidance.
Exposing the topic of discussion, Rev. Rivenburg expressed deep concern that Sunday markets compelled Christians to sell their produce on the Lord's Day, arguing that such practices undermined the sanctity of the Sabbath and warranted Church discipline. Yet, others urged caution. Mr. Mason warned against creating rigid rules beyond Scripture, observing that "there is danger in laying down specific rules." Christian discipline, he argued, should be governed by Biblical principles rather than missionary preferences.
E. W. Clark offers an even more balanced perspective while acknowledging that the issue was not straightforward because the Sunday markets had been arranged by the British tea planters, leaving the Nagas with little practical choice. Most importantly, Clark reminded the conference that Jesus Himself challenged the legalistic understanding of the Sabbath held by the Pharisees. “The Sabbath,” Clark argued, “is on the ground of law for man’s good.” In other words, the Sabbath was given for human well-being, not as a burden of endless prohibitions. Clark insisted that church discipline must rest upon Scriptural authority rather than mere opinion of missionaries.
Biblically, “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”, and which demonstrated that acts of necessity, mercy, and worship are entirely consistent with keeping the Lord’s Day holy. Therefore, Sabbath-breaking is not simply defined by movement, travel, or purchasing goods. Rather, it occurs when people deliberately neglect the worship of God, treat the day like any other working day for personal profit, or allow worldly pursuits to crowd out devotion, fellowship, and rest in God. One of the Commandment calls believers to “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” a command that emphasizes sanctification rather than legalism.
Today, Sunday marketing is generally seen as unbecoming of a Christian. A Naga family strictly observes Sabbath going to the extent of not accepting from anyone any item bought from market on Sunday. Another says, “regarding Sunday marketing, my parents always taught us that we don't buy anything on Sundays so that's how it is practiced till today though at times I trespass what my parents taught us.” Now, should Naga Christians stop going to Sunday markets? The answer requires wisdom rather than absolute rules. If shopping becomes such an unnecessary habit replacing worship while encouraging commercialism, or which diminishes the sacred character of Sunday, then Christians should certainly review and reconsider their priorities. Instead of Sunday marketing, purchases may be planned on other days, and where its avoidance should be encouraged as a testimony to the value attached on the Lord’s Day.
However, not every visit to a Sunday market is necessarily sinful. Some people have limited opportunities to purchase essentials, or tight work schedules that leaves them no choice. The Bible does not prohibit every act of buying or travelling on the Lord's Day, rather calls upon believers to honour Christ above all conveniences and to act according to a one’s conscience that is shaped by Scripture.
The 1886 Jubilee Conference ultimately chose a path of biblical restraint rather than rigid legalism. Naga Christians should not reduce Sabbath observance to a checklist of prohibited activities while not allowing Sunday to become indistinguishable from any other day. Worship, rest, family fellowship, and joyful devotion to God should remain the defining parameters of the Christian Sabbath. In creating this balance, the Church honours both the spirit of Christ's teaching and the thoughtful legacy of the pioneer missionaries who wrestled with these very questions.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir writes weekly guest editorials for The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
