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THE LAW OF GOD

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International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 2, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 34.

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THE LAW OF GOD.

The First Day of the Week.

(Lesson 22.—Sabbath, September 18.)
1. On what day of the week did Christ rise from the tomb? “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.” Mark 16:9.
2. Did the disciples whom Mary Magdalene saw believe that he was risen? “And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.” Mark 16:10, 11.
3. Where did two of the disciples go that same day? “And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.” Luke 24:13.
4. Who joined them on the way? “And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.” Luke 24:15, 16.
5. After Jesus had made himself known to them, what did they do? “And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them.” “And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.” Luke 24:33, 35.
6. Did the other disciples believe what these two told them? “After that he had appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it unto the residue; neither believed they them.” Mark 16:12, 13.
7. What time of day was it when the disciples were thus gathered together? “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.” John 20:19.
8. Why is it impossible to suppose that they were celebrating the resurrection of Christ?—Because they did not believe that he had risen.
9. How did it happen that they were all together at that time?—They had a common dwelling-place. Acts 1:13.
10. Who appeared to them on the first day evening? “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.” John 20:19.
11. Were the disciples expecting him? “And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.” Luke 24:36, 37.
12. What did Jesus do to assure them that he was a real being and not a phantom? “And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of a honey-comb. And he took it, and did eat before them.” Luke 24:38-43.
13. How was it that they had food so handy? “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.” Mark 16:14.
14. What is the only recorded instance of a religious meeting on the first day of the week? “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.” Acts 20:7.
15. On what part of the day was this meeting held? “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. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.” Acts 20:7, 8.
16. What part of the day comes first? “And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.” “And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.” “And the evening and the morning were the third day.” Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, etc.
17. With what does the day begin? “It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls; in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.” Lev. 23:32.
18. When is it evening? “But at the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.” Deut. 16:6. “And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide; and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcass down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day.” Josh. 8:29. “And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.” Mark 1:32.
19. Then since this meeting was on the dark part of the first day of the week, when would we say it was held?—On what is commonly known as Saturday night.
20. How long did the meeting last? “When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.” Acts 20:11.
21. For what place did Paul start on the first day morning after the meeting closed? “And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul; for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot. And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene.” Acts 20:13, 14.
22. While Paul was preaching what were his companions doing? “And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul.” Acts 20:13.
23. What is the only command in the Bible concerning the first day of the week? “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” 1 Cor. 16:2.
24. Can a person “lay by him in store” that which he puts in a contribution box at church?
25. How is each one to know how much to“lay by”?—“As God hath prospered him,” after examining his accounts, he is to lay aside a certain per cent. of the profits.
26. From all these things, among what must the first day of the week be classed?—Among “the six working days.” Eze. 46:1.

Notes.

THE student, after learning that the evening begins the day, may wonder how the disciples could be gathered together “at evening near the close of the day of the resurrection, and it still be the first day of the week.” John 20:19. This is made clear when we remember that the Jews reckoned two evenings to each day. Dr. Clarke, on Ex. 12:6, says: “The Jews divided the day into morning and evening; till the sun passed the meridian, all was morning or forenoon, after that all was afternoon or evening. Their first evening began just after twelve o’clock, and continued till sunset; their second evening began at sunset, and continued till night, i. e., during the whole time of twilight.” See also Scott, McClintock and Strong’s cyclopedia, etc. Ex. 12:6, margin, reads: “Return between the two evenings.” It will be seen that the day began and ended with an evening. The evening at the close of the day was the first of “the two evenings,” and the one at the beginning of the following day, from sunset onward, was the second evening. When John speaks of the evening of the first day of the week, referring to the close of the day, he evidently means the first evening. But when Luke (Acts 20:7) speaks of a meeting on the first day of the week, we know that he refers to the second evening, the one which began the day, because lights were then required. But when we say that “when John speaks of the evening of the first day of the week, referring to the close of the day, he evidently means the first evening,” we do not mean that all the events of that evening took place before sunset, nor that it was before sunset when Jesus met with the disciples in their room in Jerusalem. The language of John 20:19 does not demand such a conclusion. The disciples assembled in their room for their evening meal while the sun was yet above the horizon; their hour for eating being doubtless about the same as that of the disciples who lived in Emmaus. But as in that country darkness very quickly follows the setting of the sun, it must have been some time after dark when the two disciples returned from Emmaus. Still it was the first day of the week when the disciples assembled.
IN chapter 20 of Conybeare and Howson’s “Life and Epistles of the Apostle Paul,” we find the following in regard to the meeting spoken of in Acts 20:7: “It was the evening which succeeded the Jewish Sabbath. On the Sunday morning the vessel was about to sail. The Christians of Troas were gathered together at this solemn time to celebrate the feast of love which the last command of Christ has enjoined on all his followers.” A few paragraphs further on we find the following: “Strength and peace were surely sought and obtained by the apostle from the Redeemer, as he pursued his lonely road that Sunday afternoon, in spring, among the oak woods and the streams of Ida.”
FROM Troas to Assos is at least nineteen miles, and therefore Paul must have been still on the way in the afternoon of that Sunday, although he started at break of day. Acts 20:11. On the supposition that he recognized Sunday as the Sabbath, is it not strange that he should leave the church at Troas on Sunday morning, and spend the entire day in traveling? And this, we remember, is the only time when the first day of the week is mentioned in connection with a religious meeting.