p. 42 | IS SUNDAY THE SABBATH?-2 by Dudley Marvin Canright

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Michigan · Mar 15, 1887

IS SUNDAY THE SABBATH?—2.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

BY D. M. CANRIGHT.

The next time that Jesus met with the apostles was on a fishing day. John 21:1-6. They all went fishing, and toiled all night, but caught nothing. In the morning Jesus stood on the shore, and told them where to cast the net to get a good draught. Was this on Sunday? Then it is a working-day. If it were not on Sunday, then Jesus met them on any day, just as it happened. So we see from Acts 1:1-4, that his farewell meeting with them was on Thursday. It was on the fortieth day after his resurrection. Verse 3. By a moment’s reckoning it will be seen that it fell on Thursday, as all agree. Thursday is Ascension Day the world over. So the claim that Jesus always met with his disciples on the first day of the week is utterly false. As we have seen, the day of his resurrection was one of the greatest confusion among his disciples; the next time he met them was on Monday evening, the next time was on a fishing day, and the last was on Thursday. So much for the example of Christ in favor of Sunday-keeping.

A desperate endeavor is made to find evidence for Sunday-keeping from the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4); but there is not the remotest hint of it here. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing, mighty wind.” Verses 1, 2. Then the Holy Spirit rested upon them. But what has that to do with Sunday-keeping? Sunday observance is not mentioned, nor even referred to. It is not stated what day of the week it was, as that was a matter of no importance; for it was the Pentecost which was to be signalized, and not the day of the week.

The very best scholars, even among the observers of Sunday, admit that Pentecost fell that year upon the Sabbath, or Saturday. Prof. Hackett, in his comments on the original text, says, “It is generally supposed that this Pentecost, signalized by the outpouring of the Spirit, fell on the Jewish Sabbath, or Saturday.” Olshausen says, “The fiftieth fell, therefore, it appears, upon Saturday.” Dean Alford, in his “New Testament for English Readers,” remarks, “It is probable, however, that it was on the Sabbath, i. e., if we reckon from Saturday, the 16th of Nisan.” If the day of the week in which that Pentecost fell was to be observed, we should at least expect that we should be informed which day it was. But we are not.

Next Acts 20:7-11 is supposed to furnish some little proof for first-day observance. “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.” Then a young man fell from the window, and being taken up dead, was restored to life by Paul. And when he “had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.” We notice these facts: 1. The first day is not called the Sabbath, Lord’s day, or by any other sacred title. 2. This is the only religious meeting upon the first day of the week of which we have any record in the New Testament. This is remarkable, if that were the common day of meeting. But we have a record of eighty-four Sabbaths which Paul kept, and on which he preached. See Acts 13:14, 44; 16:13; 17:2; 18:1-4, 11. 3. Nothing is said about its being their custom to meet on that day. 4. There is no record that they ever met on that day before this occasion or afterward. 5. But what settles the whole matter is the simple fact that it was only an evening meeting. When they assembled, Paul began to preach to them, and “continued his speech till midnight.” After breaking bread, he again talked “till break of day,” and then went on his journey. Evening meetings are frequently held on all days of the week. No one thinks of calling a day holy for this reason. So in the above case; this meeting does not furnish the slightest evidence that Sunday was a holy day. Moreover, this was not an ordinary meeting, but a very uncommon one. It was Paul’s farewell meeting (Acts 20:25); hence it lasted all night. A dead man was raised also, and it was for those reasons that it was mentioned, and not because of any sacredness belonging to the day. Then there is not a particle of evidence here for Sunday observance.

Only one more text mentions the first day, viz., 1 Cor. 16:2: “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.” From this a public meeting for Sabbath worship on the first day is inferred. But what is said here about keeping that day as the Sabbath, or even holding meetings on that day? Not an intimation of such a thing is given. Paul does not say that when they came together for meetings they should bring their gifts, nor that they should put them into the public collection box, nor anything of that nature. “Let every one of you lay by him in store,” is the direction; that is, at home, by himself. The original Greek term means by himself, at home, as the best critics on this passage admit.

Now, reader, you have before you all the texts in the New Testament that mention the first day of the week in any manner. You must see that they do not intimate that the day has any sacredness, or that there is an example for keeping it, or any commandment that any one should observe it. The “Lord’s day” of Rev. 1:10 is the seventh day, as may be seen by Ex. 20:8-11; Isa. 58:13; Mark 2:28.

But should we not, then, celebrate the resurrection of Christ?—Yes; but the Lord never told us to keep Sunday for that purpose. God has given us baptism, burial in water, as the fitting memorial of this. “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism,” Rom. 6:4. We are buried in the water just as Jesus was in the earth. Then we are raised up out of the water “also in the likeness of his resurrection.” Verse 5. Again, “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him.” Col. 2:12. Baptism, then, is the divinely appointed memorial of the burial and resurrection of Jesus. It is appropriate. To be buried in the water and raised out of it, resembles the burial and resurrection of Christ, which it commemorates.

Then why do you keep the first day?—It is simply because you have been brought up to do it. It is a Catholic tradition, without any foundation in the word of God. Do not make void the law by your traditions.