p. 679 | SUNDAY A WORKING DAY

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

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

SUNDAY A WORKING DAY.

The seventh text in which “the first day of the week” occurs is Acts 20:7, before quoted. From this passage and its context the following conclusions can justly be drawn:—

1. This is the only religious meeting occurring on the first day of the week recorded in the New Testament.

2. It occurred on what would be our Saturday night, the Bible day beginning at sunset. It was therefore at the close of the Sabbath, Paul wishing to hold communion with them before he departed. That it was in the evening is indicated by the fact that there were “many lights.” Paul preached till midnight. At this time Eutychus fell from the window, and was restored to life by Paul. The breaking of bread then took place, after which Paul preached till day-break. Sunday morning then having been reached, Paul departed on his journey across the isthmus to Assos, a distance of some nineteen miles. Verses 8-14.

3. While Paul was holding his closing meeting at Troas, his companions, among them Luke, were navigating their boat around the promontory, a distance of some fifty miles, meeting Paul at Assos the next night. Verses 13, 14.

4. The reason why the narrative of the meeting is given is evidently to reveal the working of God’s power in the raising of the dead. We can come to no other conclusion than this. The day had nothing whatever of a sabbatarian character about it; for the meeting might have been held on any day by a traveling preacher. The whole of the day was spent in travel by Paul. For this reason the Holy Spirit mentions “the first day of the week” to forever show to the world that legitimate work on any working-day was just as legitimate on the first day. Would that our zealous Sunday-law advocates might heed the lesson.

The last text in which “the first day of the week” is found is 1 Cor. 16:2. What does it teach? that everyone was to put funds into the collection of the church as God prospered him? The text says, “Lay by him in store;” does this mean to lay away from him? To lay by him in store is to lay up in his own house, or in his own presence, as every version and translation proves. After the working-days of the previous week and the Sabbath were past, he would know what could be spent for the poor saints. The text teaches a secular duty by implication, namely, the reckoning up of accounts. This must be done in order to know how much they were prospered. Had the term “third day of the week” been in the text instead of “first day of the week,” those who now argue that it is a proof of Sunday sacredness would in that case consider the text of no importance as proving a Sabbath.

Here are the eight passages of Scripture which speak of the first day of the week. What do they teach? What is their import? Simply this: That the first day was not commanded as a Sabbath or holy day; that there is no example that it was regarded as a holy day by either Christ or his apostles; that instead of the first day of the week being the Sabbath it is the day immediately following the day which Inspiration called the Sabbath; that the only injunction we have concerning the first day in the New Testament is one which pertains to monetary matters; that the first day is only known by the term “first day of the week,” and never by any term which would indicate that it was in any wise sacred.