The Troas Meeting by N. J. Bowers

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 23, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 40.

The Troas Meeting.

By N. J. Bowers

Acts 20 : 7-11 is considered by those holding to Sunday holiness as supplying the evidence that the first day of the week was the day of assembling and worship among the early Christians, and therefore it should be considered the holy day of the Christian church now. I wish to make some observations relative to the Troas meeting, which will aid in deciding the truth or falsity of these positions.

1. The record does not state that the brethren met together for religious worship, to sing, to pray, to exhort, and to hear preaching, but, to break bread. Verse 7. This should be borne in mind.

2. This was probably a special and parting meeting with the brethren. The apostle did not expect to see them any more. Verse 25. If the breaking of bread here mentioned means the Lord's supper, how appropriate for the apostle to celebrate it with them on such an occasion. When they had come together for this purpose he improved the opportunity to preach to them his farewell sermon. Having spent the Sabbath in religious exercises, and the apostle expecting to leave in the morning, the intervening time was spent doubtless in warning, advising, encouraging, counseling, and instructing personally for the last time, as was then designed.

3. There is no evidence that the brethren ever met before or afterward on this day.

4. We are not informed that it was their custom, manner, habit, or practice to meet together on this day. In this same book of Acts we are informed that it was the "manner" of Paul to preach on another day, and that was the Sabbath. Chap. 17 : 2. Others assembled on this day, where prayer was "wont to be made." Chap 16 : 13.

5. There is no more evidence that the brethren at Troas regarded the first day of the week holy, than that the brethren at Jerusalem regarded the fifth day of the week holy, although they all continued "with one accord in prayer and supplication" (Acts 1 : 13, 14), and Jesus "assembled together with them" (verse 4), and holy angels proclaimed his coming again to them (verses 10, 11) all on this day.

6. This was an evening meeting (verses 7, 8, 11), and on what we call Saturday night. Read the statements of Hackett, Kitto, and Prynne, in the "History of the Sabbath," by J. N. Andrews, p. 181.

7. If the brethren had come together on what we call Sunday night, it would have been on the second day of the week, and not on the first. The day began at sunset, Bible time. Lev. 23 : 32; Deut. 16 : 6; Josh. 8 : 29; 10 : 26, 27; Mark 1 : 32, show when the evening is. Saturday at sunset would be the time when the first day of the week began, and it would of course end at the next sunset, when the second day of the week would begin. This order had its beginning at creation. Gen. 1 : 5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31. So this meeting began not on Sunday morning, but on the evening preceding.

Again, if the present mode of reckoning time was in use by the Christians of the time in question, and if they came together on Sunday evening, then the meeting closed on Monday morning. The apostle "talked a long while, even till break of day." Verse 11.

8. Question.—If a meeting held on Sunday evening up to midnight proves that the day is holy, and that Christians ought now to regard it, will not this same meeting continued after midnight into Monday and on to daylight prove the same for Monday? If not, why not? Or, if a meeting begun and continued on a certain day proves that it is a holy day, why will not this same meeting continued and ended on the next day prove as much for it?—Or, if a meeting held on the last six hours of Sunday proves that it is the "Christian Sabbath," why will not this same meeting held on the first six hours of Monday prove the same for it?

9. The apostle traveled on Sunday to Assos, about nineteen miles. See Conybeare and Howson's "Life and Epistles of St. Paul."

10. This, the only religious assembly held on the first day of the week mentioned in all the New Testament, was an all-night meeting. Do the Sunday-observing churches follow this apostolic example?

11. Suppose it could be proved positively that this meeting was held in honor of Jesus' resurrection, would that fact prove that the day was to be devoted to rest from our daily duties? Or, does holding a special meeting on a certain night prove that a certain day is the Sabbath of the Christian church?

12. Do not the facts and particulars of the Troas meeting show that the Sabbath character of Sunday, sought to be derived from it, is of a negative kind?

N. J. BOWERS.

Bull City, Kansas.