Studies on the Sabbath by R. A. Underwood

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 14, 1911

Studies on the Sabbath

By R. A. Underwood

VI. The First Day of the Week in the New Testament

“WHERE no law is, there is no transgression.” Rom. 4:15. According to this scripture, which enunciates a great principle, if there is no law given in the Bible for first-day observance as a Sabbath or for Christian worship, no one can be judged as guilty in the court of heaven for not regarding it as a sacred day. We find the first day of the week mentioned just eight times in 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.

This is all that Matthew says about it; and Mark, Luke, and John make similar brief mention of the day, as follows:

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. And VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun. . . . 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 16:1, 2, 9.

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 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. . . . 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 20:1, 19.

The claim is sometimes made on this last text that the disciples had assembled to worship on the new sabbath to commemorate the resurrection of Christ; but a careful reading of the whole story not only shows that they had assembled with closed doors for fear of the Jews, but that they did not believe that Christ had risen from the dead, hence they could not be celebrating an event they did not believe had occurred. See Luke 24:36-41; Mark 16:9-14.

Thus we have already quoted six of the eight texts referring to the first day of the week in the New Testament, and not one hint or intimation of a law for first-day observance is seen. If there is any Bible for Sunday keeping, it must be found in the next two references to the day. I now quote the text that is most frequently used as having some weight on this subject:

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. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted. And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot. Acts 20:7-13.

This was a night meeting. The days of the week according to Bible time began at sundown. See Gen. 1:5, 8, 13; also Lev. 23:32; Mark 1:21, 29-32. This being so, this meeting took place on what we now call Saturday night.

By reading verses 4-6 it will be seen that Paul, with a company of eight ministers, including Luke, had been with the church at Troas seven days. Paul was on his way to Jerusalem at this time, and was paying the churches his last visit, knowing that they would never see his face again. This was a farewell meeting, and no doubt the last of a series that had been held during the week. Arrangements had been made for the celebration of the ordinances at this meeting, before Paul and his company took their departure.

Before the meeting closed, Paul's companions in travel left the place of worship to take ship for Assos. Paul continued the meeting until daybreak, and then started for Assos on foot. After a wearisome journey of nineteen miles across the peninsula, he reached Assos, where he joined the rest of the company, and the same day came to Mitylene—a distance of forty-five miles farther. This entire procedure was arranged by Paul ("for so had he appointed"); and it took place about twenty-seven years after the resurrection of Christ. Let the reader keep in mind the fact that this traveling was all done on Sunday; for having held an all-night meeting on what we call Saturday night, they began their journey early Sunday morning. Here we have Paul, nearly thirty years this side of the resurrection, not only laying plans to do a hard day's work himself on Sunday, but also planning for the whole company to travel on the same day. This could not possibly be so if the first day had been observed by them as the Sabbath.

Thus this meeting, instead of furnishing any proof for apostolic observance of Sunday, on the contrary furnishes positive proof that they did not keep it; for Paul not only worked on that day, but planned for others to work.

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. 16:2.

This text, instead of giving proof that the early Christians observed the first day as a rest day, affords positive proof to the contrary.

Barnes says, "Let him do this by himself when he is at home."

Every one was to lay by in store, have a treasure or fund WITH HIMSELF for this purpose.—Matthew Henry's Commentary.

Let every one of you put ASIDE AT HOME, and lay up whatever he thinketh meet.—Tyndale.

Some are of the opinion that the sums thus set apart were brought to the treasury of the church at the time; but the words do not seem to admit of that interpretation.—Comprehensive Commentary.

Admissions of First-Day Writers

Speaking of the observance of the first day, Sir William Domville says:

History does not furnish us with a single proof or indication that it was at any time so observed previous to the sabbatical edict of Constantine, in A. D. 321.—"Examination of Six Texts," page 291.

But whatever may have been the opinion and practise of these early Christians in regard to cessation from labor on Sunday, unquestionably the first law, either ecclesiastical or civil, by which the sabbatical observance of Sunday is known to have been ordained, is the sabbatical edict of Constantine, A. D. 321.—"Chambers's Encyclopedia," article "Sabbath."

The prize essay by Rev. E. A. Waffle, for which he was awarded $1000 for giving the best essay on the "Lord's Day," was printed by the American Sunday School Union, and quoted in "Lord's Day," pages 186, 187. It says:

Up to the time of Christ's death no change had been made in the day. The authority must be sought in the words or in the example of the inspired apostles. . . . So far as the RECORD SHOWS, THEY DID NOT, however, GIVE ANY EXPLICIT COMMAND enjoining the abandonment of the seventh-day Sabbath, and its observance on the first day of the week.

The Methodist Episcopal "Theological Compendium," page 103, says:

It is true THERE IS NO POSITIVE COMMAND for infant baptism, . . . NOR IS THERE ANY FOR KEEPING HOLY THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK.

These are candid admissions from first-day observers. The facts show that those who observe the first day of the week as a rest day, or sacred day, must go to other sources than the Bible for authority for its observance.

In this important question of the observance of the Sabbath, shall we stand upon Protestant ground, expressed by the fathers of the Reformation in their Protest at the Diet of Spires, April 19, 1529, when they said, "We are resolved, with the grace of God, to maintain the pure and exclusive preaching of His Holy Word, such as it is contained in the Biblical books of the Old and New Testaments, without adding anything thereto that may be contrary to it"? Reader, do you say Amen?