The Sabbath-School by J. W. Scoles

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 17, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 23.

The Sabbath-School.

By J. W. Scoles

Notes on the International Lesson.

JESUS RISEN.

IN marked contrast with the gloom which burdened the hearts of the disciples upon the occasion of the death of their Lord, came the joy and gladness connected with his resurrection. And this gladness not only cheered them, but reaches on down through the centuries, and is shared by those who, to-day, rejoice in the hope of eternal life through the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord.

IT is the resurrection of Christ which gives us the assurance that through him we shall live also. When God pronounced the penalty of death upon our first parents because of their sins, they were left without hope, and had not Christ been promised, they would have sunk at death into a grave from which there would have been no resurrection, for it is only through Christ that a resurrection is promised. "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept." 1 Cor. 15:20. Then why is it that death seems so terrible? It is because that for a little while we are separated from everything pertaining to life, and, as we go down into the tomb, there comes a realizing sense that we are sinking under the power of death. The state of the dead is frequently represented in the Scriptures as a condition of unconsciousness. "For in death there is no remembrance of thee; in the grave who shall give thee thanks." Ps. 6:5. "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." Ps. 146:4. "For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun." Eccl. 9:5, 6. Paul recognized the fact that unless there be a resurrection, there is no future life: "If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we die." 1 Cor. 15:32. So that Christ not only becomes our Redeemer by virtue of his death, but stands in relation to us as Lifegiver also by virtue of his resurrection.

YET in our rejoicing over the resurrection of Christ we should not forget that it is not this alone which redeems us, but that it is through his blood that we are saved. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." Col. 1:14. The power of Christ to save comes to us primarily through virtue of his death. And while we would not disparage in any degree the resurrection of our Lord, we must not lose sight of the fact that the work of Christ as Redeemer must take its power from the fact of his having shed his blood for the sins of the world. Christ had the power to deliver himself up to death, and in this was manifested his great love for us. Having suffered and died, his work was finished, so far as the sacrifice was concerned; it now remained for God to raise him up, which he did, as we have seen.

BUT some reason that because such glorious results are comprehended in the doctrine of the resurrection, and that because Christ has conquered the power of death, we should observe a day in memorial of this event. They reason that redemption is greater than creation, and therefore the first day of the week instead of the seventh

should be observed as the Sabbath. But redemption was not completed by the resurrection of Christ, neither has it yet been completed. So long as Christ pleads as our great High Priest, so long there will be probation for sinful men, and not until his work in this particular is finished will redemption be completed; therefore it is incorrect to take the position that redemption was finished by Christ's resurrection. Not only so, but even if this were the case, how are we to know the comparative difference between creation and redemption when both are beyond the comprehension of finite minds? Who has given us the privilege of deciding upon this matter? Surely we will do well to abide by the testimony of God's word in such matters as this.

GOD has given us a far better memorial of the resurrection of Christ than to keep a day in his honor. That Christ rose from the dead upon the first day of the week we do not deny, but that he has ever made that day a memorial for the commemoration of the resurrection, we are not prepared to admit. Paul tells us that "we are buried with him by baptism into death," and that if "we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection." Baptism is a commemorative institution established by Christ himself and confirmed by both the precept and practice of his disciples.

IT is always dangerous to perform what are called "works of supererogation;" that is, to engage in any practices which are not required by the Scripture; the performing of more than is necessary according to the principles of Christianity. By so doing we are adding to the word of God. Not only is this the case, but we are also liable to leave undone duties which God has commanded, while we turn our attention to performances concerning which the Scriptures are silent. "Every word of God is pure; he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." Prov. 30: 5, 6. Sunday was never observed as a sacred day by the apostles, nor is there any intimation, either by virtue of Scripture to this effect nor by the practice of any of the early Christian church, that this day should ever be observed. So far as the observance of the day is concerned, it is purely of pagan origin. There are only eight texts in the entire New Testament which refer to the first day of the week, and in none of these is it called the Sabbath, nor is it represented anywhere in the New Testament as taking the place of the original Sabbath, the seventh day.

THE Sabbath was set apart in the beginning, before man had ever sinned, and the work of Christ as Redeemer of the world cannot antedate the time when sin rendered a Saviour necessary. The Sabbath stands as God's great memorial of his creative work, and as such must exist as long as creation endures. It is worse than absurd to talk about transferring the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day. The seventh day may be properly called the birthday of the world, as well as the rest-day of God. God recognizes the sacredness of this day in scores of places in both the Old and New Testaments, and also shows in words too plain to be controverted, that the seventh day, and not a seventh part of time, is to be observed forever as a memorial of the events just referred to. "Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work. . . . For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it." Ex. 20: 8-11. Until some direct reason is given by God himself why the observance of that day should cease, it will ever stand as a grand memorial in accordance with his own direct command; and until a "Thus saith the Lord" can be given for the observance of the first day, it will form no part of the duty of Christians to render obedience to the traditions of men by observing this day which God never commanded, nor blessed, nor sanctified.

SABBATH means rest, but so far from the day of Christ's resurrection being a day of rest, there was nothing like a spirit of rest connected with it. Having observed the seventh day, according to the commandment (Luke 23: 56), the disciples upon the first day of the week went about their work. The inhabitants of the whole country did likewise. All Jerusalem was astir over the rumor of the resurrection of the Nazarene. Not only so, but all hell was astir. The devil and his angels were furious with disappointment and rage over the event which had robbed them of their prey. Under these circumstances we may rest assured that this particular first day was the most singularly inappropriate of all days to be observed as a day of rest. Nor are the facts in the case any different to-day. The first day still remains as the day upon which God began his work; the seventh day is still the Sabbath by virtue of God resting upon it, and commanding us to keep it. Why should we to-day ignore these facts and virtually reverse his plan? Why should we do violence to his direct command by resting upon and observing a day which has never received his sanction, while we ignore the seventh day, the only day which God ever commanded, and the only day which Christ ever kept?

J. W. SCOLES.