PAUL'S SABBATH by Annie Teague

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 14, 1879

PAUL'S SABBATH.

By Annie Teague

On what day did Paul rest? Many who desire to believe that the sanctity, blessing, and holiness of the Sabbath now attach to the first day of the week, will tell us that Paul was a devout and zealous apostle, inspired by Heaven to proclaim the truth fearlessly, and that while particularizing other commandments he did not speak of the fourth, but continually preached Christ and the resurrection; and from this they infer that in the mind of the great teacher, redemption was greater than creation, and the memorial of resurrection to be substituted for that of creation.

Let us consider the matter. Paul preached to both Jew and Gentile, repentance toward God and faith in Christ. When the Gentile was to be converted, what was he to do? Repent of his violation of God's law, and then believe in the Saviour. And every Gentile who had lived under the Jewish national laws, or where they were enforced upon others, necessarily knew about this law, as well as the Jew. What need, then, to emphasize to either Jew or Gentile what was so generally understood as the Sabbath commandment?

Paul had something new to tell them, glad tidings that the prophesied Saviour, the antitype of the ceremonial law, had fulfilled all things and redeemed them, and by his resurrection assured eternal life to all who believed on him. Necessarily he preached those things most which the people most neglected, and needed to be put in remembrance of. There is no inference of there being no longer a Sabbath, or of the day being changed. On the contrary, he gives it full recognition in his own language as still occupying its usual and time-honored place. See Acts 13:27. “Because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath day.”

The apostle and his companions abode certain days in the city of Philippi, but on the Sabbath they went out of the city, and sat down by a river side where prayer was wont to be made. In Acts 17:2, we read that it was Paul's habit to go into the synagogues and reason with the Jews out of the Scriptures on the Sabbath days; also in Acts 18 it is stated that Paul abode in Corinth a year and six months, and wrought at tent-making with those of his craft, but “he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.”

While we have no record that Paul ever disregarded God's holy day, we have evidence that he honored and observed it “according to the commandment.” As to Acts 20:7-13, and 1 Cor. 16:2, they show that he considered the first day of the week a secular day.

ANNIE TEAGUE.