Question Corner by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 29, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 51.

Question Corner.

By Editor

"If ye will inquire, inquire ye." "But avoid foolish questions."

[From time to time we will reply under this head, if deemed advisable, to such candid inquiries as may be sent us. Correspondents wishing a reply to their questions must give their full name and address, not for publication unless they wish, but as an evidence of good faith on their part, and to give us opportunity to reply by letter if deemed best. It is always well to inclose stamp. Let the questions be short and pointed, and such as may be answered in limited space. The questions will be numbered continuously.]

153. ON WHAT DAY OF THE WEEK DID CHRIST RISE FROM THE DEAD?

Is there any proof in Scripture that Christ rose on the first day of the week, according to the present way of reckoning time, from midnight to midnight? My opinion is that the grave could not hold him any longer than to have the Scripture fulfilled that he should rise again the third day according to the Scripture.

Our common version, Mark 16: 9, reads, "Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene." While this does not positively state that he rose early on the first day, yet that is the obvious sense of the passage, but other translations make it positive. The Diaglott reads, "And having risen early the first day of the week." Rotherham's emphatic translation reads, "And arising early on the first day of the week, he was manifested first to Mary of Magdalene." Murdock's Syriac translation reads, "And in the morning of the first day of the week he arose." This is very positive, and there are no other translations which are opposed to it, so far as we are aware. This was on the third day from the time when he was delivered into the hands of the powers of darkness. Now while it is clear that Jesus arose on the first day of the week, that has nothing whatever to do with the first day of the week as a holy day or as a Sabbath. He was doubtless betrayed Thursday, and he ascended on the same day, but that does not make Thursday a holy day. He was crucified on Friday, and redeemed us by his death, but that does not make Friday a holy day. In fact, there is nothing in the keeping of the day which would make it at all applicable to an event which occurred in the first part of that day, before even it was light. With the Sabbath it was far different. God rested the entire day and blessed and hallowed it, and the Scripture plainly declares it. But Jesus was not an entire day in rising from the dead, nor did he bless or set apart the day in any way. In fact, it is only by perversion of the Scripture record that Sunday can find the least warrant of support therein, and a perversion is not support.

154. HIVING BEES ON THE SABBATH.

Is it right to hive bees on the Sabbath, providing we have the hive all ready on Friday, and only need to set it in the right place on the Sabbath?

God's command is to "remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." An inspired commentary upon this command, in Isa. 58: 13, reads, "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord." It would seem that hiving bees would be doing one's own work, following one's own ways. Would it not be much better to do everything that could be done to meet all eventualities of that kind on "the six working days" of the week, and then leave the rest with the Lord. He certainly can prevent bees from swarming if he will, and his blessing with a swarm less would be worth much more than the added swarm without his blessing. Of course Satan will suggest to us the question of loss. That was the question which Amaziah asked at one time. He had hired the rebellious children of Israel to go with him to war against the Edomites. The prophet of the Lord told him that the army of Israel should not go with him, and if he went, although his army was greater, he should certainly fall before the enemy. Amaziah immediately asked, "What shall we do for the one hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel?" And God's answer was, "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this" (2 Chron. 25: 9); and that is God's answer to every similar suggestion which Satan may present to us. Worldly profit may say that it is all right to do some work that is not necessary on the Sabbath day, in order to prevent loss, but where the loss comes in the regular course of nature, as in the case of bees swarming, to us it would seem to be better to let them go, trusting the Lord to be able to make up all the loss of that kind. This would not be a parallel case to having a horse or a cow fall into a pit. Mercy would demand the measures for their relief, as it also demands the feeding and care of such animals. It is always well in such cases as that to ask the question, Is it for God's glory?