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IS SUNDAY THE SABBATH?

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International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 11, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 43.

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IS SUNDAY THE SABBATH?

Is Sunday the Sabbath of the Lord? Is it the "Lord's day"? Is it holy? In replying to these questions the first thing which confronts us is the fact that the great majority of the Christian church regard Sunday as holy. Many of these men are eminently learned and great, many are as truly conscientious in this observance as are any Christians in any observance. Surely this wealth of numbers and power and influence all upon one side may well make us pause to consider whether the question is worth asking, Is Sunday the Sabbath, or Lord's day? A very small part of the great body of Christians observe the seventh day. Why do they do this, thereby bringing to themselves great inconvenience?
Were these questions to be decided by the preponderance of numbers, there would not be needed a moment's consideration. We could decide only in favor of Sunday. But this manner of deciding would satisfy no true Protestant among Sunday observers. They well know that the majority in this sinful world has, on great and important questions, been too often upon the side of error to place any reliance upon the testimony of mere numbers. Neither are we to accept of the seventh-day Sabbath, because it is held by the minority. Numbers are of no value whatever in such questions as the above. The Scriptures expressly declare that we shall not follow a multitude to sin (Ex. 23:2), and the Lord tells Israel that they have eaten the fruit of lies, because they trusted in the multitude of their mighty men. Hosea 10:13. The principle would hold just as good as regards following or trusting a minority. Numbers are nothing in deciding duty to God. What is the truth of the matter? will be what the honest in heart will ask.
The question of the Sabbath is a Bible question. The Sabbath originated with God; to the revealed will of God we must go to ascertain the truth.
What say the Scriptures? will be the question of every true Protestant, will be the question of every true Bible believer, will be the question of every Christian. How was it regarded by the Lord Jesus Christ, our only perfect pattern? What was his example? All other considerations sink into insignificance compared with these. Where the word of the Most High speaks, where the example of the Divine Word is before us, what are numbers, or customs, or anything human?
Let us, then, come to the Scriptures of truth with unprejudiced mind, with a desire to know what is the will of God, with the purpose to do that will, because God's will is always best, however better man's ways may seem to the human judgment, or to a conscience perverted or blinded by sin, or warped by education. In the Scriptures, God has revealed not only man's duty but his whole duty. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Tim. 3:16, 17. If the Scriptures thoroughly furnish to perfection the man of God "unto all good works," his whole duty is most certainly contained therein.

THE FACTS OF SCRIPTURE.

What the Scriptures say concerning the first day of the week is very brief. It is mentioned only eight times in all the New Testament, as follows:—
"In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher." Matt. 28:1.
"And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him [Jesus]. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun." Mark 16:1, 2.
"Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils." Mark 16:9.
"And they [the women who followed Jesus] returned and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath-day according to the commandment. Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them." Luke 23:56; 24:1.
"The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher." John 20:1.
"Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you." John 20:19.
"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." Acts 20:7.
"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 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." 1 Cor. 16:1, 2.
Here is every instance in which "the first day" occurs in the entire New Testament. The first six of these instances refer to one and the same first day, the day on which our Saviour rose from the dead, though it is from these texts we must learn the sacredness or non-sacredness of the day. It is upon these texts that first-day observance as a Christian duty, or a moral obligation, must be based. It is argued from these texts that Christ rose from the dead on that day; that he sanctioned the day as one of religious observance by repeatedly (some say, "invariably") meeting with his disciples on that day, thus leaving us a divine example of our duty with reference to first-day obligation. But do these texts reveal this? Have we a right to draw from them unwarranted conclusions?
The first, second, fourth, and fifth texts record the simple fact that after the Sabbath, on the morning of the first day, those women who loved our Saviour went to the sepulcher and found he was not there. The third text declares that Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene. The sixth text (John 20:19) speaks of a gathering on that day, that Jesus met with that gathering, and said, "Peace be unto you." There is no precept or example thus far which proves first-day sacredness, unless it be the last text. The above, of course, would not be a fair examination of these passages. We must take the context into consideration. What lessons can we draw from these accounts of that first day?

LEGITIMATE CONCLUSIONS.

1. We learn from the record that the first day of the week was not the Sabbath, but was the day following the Sabbath. See the first three texts. Therefore, as the next day after the day called by the New Testament writers "the Sabbath," was "the first day of the week," it follows without controversy that the Sabbath was the seventh or last day of the week in the time when the gospels were written, namely, Matthew in A.D. 38, Mark in A.D. 61, Luke in A.D. 63, John in A.D. 97. And it certainly follows that as the seventh day was the Sabbath, the first day was not the Sabbath.
2. We learn from the sacred record that there was no meeting on that first day until its very close, or evening. Luke 24:29-36; John 20:19.
3. The first part of this day was spent by two of the disciples in going to Emmaus, some seven and one-half miles from Jerusalem. Luke 24:13-35.4. Those women who had seen Christ after he had risen, and the two who had met with Jesus at Emmaus, told the eleven, "neither believed they them." Jesus soon after met with them and "upbraided them for their unbelief." Mark 16:9-14.
5. The meeting of the eleven was not a religious meeting in honor of the day; for (1) the disciples did not believe that Jesus had risen; and (2) they were only gathered in their own common abode (Acts 1:13), at the very close of that day, and had shut the door for fear of the Jews. John 20:19.
6. When Jesus met them, they supposed that he was an apparition. Luke 24:36-41. They were certainly not met together to honor the day, for they knew no reason why it should be honored.
7. If it was designed of God to set apart Sunday as his Sabbath, he would (reasoning from analogy) have performed some act connected with this object, something which would show the connection between the resurrection and Sunday-keeping. Now there is nothing whatever to indicate this. The record does not say when Jesus rose. He had risen early Sunday morning; that is all. The disciples met at their own room, and when Jesus met with them, the day must have closed or have been closing. It was "far spent" when the disciples were at Emmaus, before their evening meal. Luke 24:29. From that meal they walked seven and one-half miles back to Jerusalem, when they told the story to the eleven, who did not believe. Mark 16:12, 13. Afterward Jesus appeared. A few possible moments of Sunday is a poor foundation for a Sabbath.
The record of six texts teaches no more than the above. The entire day was one of busy activity or settled despair on the part of the disciples, with that almost universal belief that he had not risen; and the meeting of Jesus with them indicated in no way that he designed to honor the day, or that he was laying the basis of a religious institution. His appearance was to convince them by "many infallible proofs" that he had risen. Acts 1:3.
His next meeting with his disciples was when Thomas was present, after eight days from the time he first met with them. "After eight days" from Sunday night would carry it at least over to the next Monday or Tuesday. John 20:26. The reason why Jesus appeared this time is expressly stated. Thomas, who had doubted the testimony of his brethren, was present. There is not a shadow of inference for first-day sacredness here.
The third meeting with his disciples is recorded in John 21, and was on a fishing occasion, certainly not on that of a religious meeting. The time might have been the first day of the week, but it certainly was not a day holy unto the Lord.