Dimanche by John Nevins Andrews

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Apr 6, 1882

Dimanche.

By John Nevins Andrews

(Concluded.)

IV.

It is by fraud that Ignatius, Theophilus and Irenaeus are made to call the first day the Lord's day.

But it is said that, although none of the sacred writers have given the name of Lord's day to the first day of the week, we have positive proof from the Fathers of the church that John intended to designate the first day of the week when he spoke of the Lord's day. The first of the Fathers who is quoted to prove that John must have meant the first day of the week when he spoke of the Lord's day, is Ignatius Bishop of Antioch. He was the disciple and companion of St. John. His testimony is taken from the epistle which it is said that he wrote to the Magnesians.

The words ascribed to Him are these: "No longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord's day," This testimony is offered as decisive proof that Ignatius had learned from John to call the first day of the week the Lord's day. But there are two fatal objections to this argument. First, that the epistle to the Magnesians is by the general consent of scholars and critics condemned as a production which falsely pretends to be the work of Ignatius, but which was actually written in a later age. Second, that even this epistle would say nothing concerning the Lord's day were it not for an inexcusably false translation. The words of this epistle are "living according to the Lord's life," but this is translated "living in the observance of the Lord's day." But the writer of this epistle did not use the word hemera, day, but the word zoe, life. There is therefore no excuse for asserting that Ignatius calls the first day of the week the Lord's day; for it is only by means of fraud that he is made to do this. We shall speak more at length concerning Ignatius at another time.

It is also said that Theophilus, who became bishop of Antioch in A. D. 168, bears the following testimony:— "Both custom and reason challenge from us that we should honor the Lord's day, seeing on that day it was that our Lord Jesus completed his resurrection from the dead."

Those who quote Theophilus give no reference to the particular place in his writings where this passage is to be found. I have carefully examined every paragraph of all the writings of this Father and that several times over without discovering any such statement. I am constrained therefore to state that nothing of the kind above quoted is to be found in Theophilus. The quotation is a fraud for which no excuse can be offered.

The testimony of Irenaeus is also cited with the utmost confidence as follows:— "Hence Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons, a disciple of Polycarp, who had been the companion of the apostles, says (A. D. 178), that the Lord's day was the Christian Sabbath. His words are, 'On the Lord's day every one of us Christians keep the Sabbath, meditating on the law and rejoicing in the works of God.'" This witness is brought forward in a manner as to give the utmost weight and authority to his words. He was the disciple of that eminent Christian martyr Poly-

carp, and Polycarp was the companion of the apostles. What Irenaeus says is supposed by many to be as worthy of our confidence as though we could read it in the writings of the apostles. Does not Irenaeus call Sunday the Christian Sabbath and the Lord's day? Did he not learn these things from Polycarp? And did not Polycarp learn them from the apostles? What need have we of further witness that Lord's day is the apostolic name for Sunday? But I am obliged to say concerning this remarkable testimony of Irenaeus, that every word of it is a fraud. And I respectfully request those who think my statement false to specify the place in Irenaeus where such language can be found.

V.

Tertullian, A. D. 200, is the first who definitely calls the first day Lord's day.

It is not till we come to the time of Tertullian, A. D. 200, that we find any clear definite statement in which the first day of the week is called the Lord's day. Dr. Kitto says that we have in Tertullian the earliest authentic instance in which the title of Lord's day is applied to the first day of the week. Tertullian in his "Treatise on Prayer," chapter 23, says:— "On the Lord's day of the resurrection [die dominico resurrexionis] we ought to guard not only against kneeling, but every posture and office of solicitude; deferring even our business, lest we give any place to the devil. Similarly, too, in the period of Pentecost; which period we distinguish by the same solemnity of exultation."

It is to be observed that Tertullian places what he calls the Lord's day in the same rank, with the festival of Pentecost: In his treatise entitled, "De Corona," sections 3 and 4, he gives us further important information. He says, We count fasting or kneeling in worship on the Lord's day to be unlawful. He also says that they honored the period from Easter to Pentecost in the same manner, and that they made offerings for the dead, and that in all the ordinary actions of daily life they traced upon the forehead the sign of the cross. Next Tertullian gives us the reasons why they observed the first day of the week as the Lord's day, and why they made offerings for the dead and the sign of the cross:— "If for these and other such rules, you insist upon having positive Scripture injunction you will find none. Tradition will be held forth to you as the originator of them, custom as their strengthener, and faith as their observer."

As Tertullian furnishes us with the first authentic instance in which the term Lord's day is applied to the first day of the week, and as the application became general not long after his time, we are interested to know what reason he had for this use of the term Lord's day. He classes the observance of the day with offerings for the dead and with the use of the sign of the cross in the forehead, and then says that there is no scriptural authority for these things, and that they rest upon tradition and custom. If it be said that the authority given by Tertullian ought to satisfy us that Sunday is the Lord's day, we answer that, according to the same authority, we ought to make the sign of the cross in our foreheads and to make offerings for the dead. But it will be asked, Are there no authentic instances between the time of John and that of Tertullian, in which the first day of the week is mentioned? We answer, Certainly there are; but in none of them is a sacred title applied to that day.

Justin Martyr several times calls the first day of the week the day of the sun. He twice calls it the "day after the Sabbath," and twice also he calls it the "eighth day." The so-called epistle of Barnabas written probably as early as A. D. 140, calls the first day of the week the eighth day. And Bardesanes, about A. D. 180, calls it simply "the first day of the week." These men certainly mention the first day of the week, but it is evident that they knew of no sacred title for the day.

VI.

The Sabbath commemorates the work of Christ as the Creator.

It will be asked, "Is there then no means of determining what John meant by the term Lord's day?" We answer that the Bible furnishes us the most decisive testimony upon this point. John recognizes the fact that in the gospel dispensation the Lord claims one day as his, but we must decide by the Bible what day it is that is entitled to this high honor. It is not only true that the Lord has never called the first day of the week by the title of Lord's day, but it is also true that he has never in any way claimed that day as his day.

Has the Lord ever claimed any day as his? In the beginning God sanctified the seventh day, that is, he reserved it to himself by setting it apart to a holy use. The first six days of the week were given to man for the affairs of this life. But the seventh day was to be devoted only to the worship of the Creator. Gen. 2: 2, 3. When the moral law was given all this was renewed. God told the people that they might employ six days in their own affairs, but that they must devote the seventh day to him in memory of the creation. Ex. 20: 8-11.

Many centuries after this, God spoke to the people by the prophet Isaiah calling the Sabbath his holy day. Isa. 58: 13. About 800 hundred years after this, our Lord had a remarkable controversy with the Pharisees concerning the right manner to observe the Sabbath. He asserted that it was proper to perform acts of mercy on the Sabbath for those who are in distress. They asserted that it was necessary to neglect such cases in order to observe the Sabbath. He asserted his authority to decide with respect to the right observance of the Sabbath, by saying that the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath-day. Mark 2: 28. Christ claimed the Sabbath as his day by virtue of its original appointment. His language that he is "Lord even of the Sabbath day," implies that he regarded this office as one of high honor.

It is not difficult to understand why this day should belong to Christ, and that he should be entitled to be called Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was set apart to commemorate the creation of the heavens and of the earth, and we know that God created all things by Jesus Christ. Col. 1: 15, 16; Eph. 3: 9; John 1: 3. The Sabbath then was by divine authority entitled to the name of Lord's day when Christ dwelt among men; and it had been entitled to that high honor for more than 4,000 years.

It is a strange perversion of language to assert as many do, that if the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath, it signifies that he must change or destroy the institution. On the contrary the Lord of the Sabbath must be the protector and guardian of that institution as being its rightful sovereign. The Sabbath day belongs to Christ as his day, because it commemorates the creation of the heavens and of the earth, and it was Christ by whom all things were created. These facts are recorded in the Bible. The distinction between the day which the Creator has reserved for himself, and the six days which he gave to man, is marked in the fourth commandment of the law of God; and as long as the law of God shall maintain its authority, so long will the seventh day remain the Lord's day, and so long will the first six days of the week remain appropriated to man's use as the six working days. Eze. 46: 1.

VII.

The Bible testifies that the Creator chose the seventh day and gave to man the other six; if he has since put away the seventh day and chosen one of the six, we must have the Bible and not tradition to assure us of this fact.

Since the time of Tertullian, the first day of the week has risen up to claim the title of Lord's day, on the authority of tradition, as Tertullian himself testifies. But the day itself is not more memorable in the history of Christ than is the day of his birth, recorded in Luke 2, or the day of his crucifixion, recorded by each of the four evangelists, or the day of his ascension, recorded in Acts 1. But no one of these days is the Lord's day, because the Lord has never claimed any one of them as his, and this is true with respect to the day of Christ's resurrection as it is with respect to the other three memorable days which we have here mentioned.

We have the authority of the Bible for asserting that the seventh day belonged to the Lord and the first six days belong to man. Those, therefore, who assert that the Lord has put away his holy day and chosen another, must bring forward the authority of the Bible, and establish the change with as great clearness as the original appointment is established. They must show that he has debased the day which he once sanctified and the day which he gave to the one of the six working days. They must show that he has elevated one of the six working days to be his holy, sanctified day. Those who think themselves capable of doing this are invited to undertake the task.

If the claim of the first day of the week to be called the Lord's day can be sustained from the Bible, let it be done. But if this be wholly impossible then let those who fear God, obey the fourth commandment instead of following the tradition by which the first day of the week is established. Finally, we say that it was in the highest degree proper, that that evangelist who begins his gospel with the declaration that Christ was with the Father in the beginning, and that by him all things were created, should speak of the day which commemorates that creation as the Lord's day.