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THE TRUTH FOUND

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Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 17, 1856

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 7, No. 16.

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THE TRUTH FOUND.

By J. H. W.

A Short Argument for the Sabbath,

(Continued.)

II. WHAT DOES THE NEW TESTAMENT TEACH CONCERNING THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK?

As no argument is drawn directly from the Old Testament in favor of the first day or its observance, we have only to examine the testimony of the New. The phrase, "first day of the week" is used eight times in the New Testament: by Matthew and Luke once each; and by Mark and John twice each; all referring to one and the same day—the one next succeeding the crucifixion;—once in Acts, and once in 1 Corinthians. The following are the texts:— Matt. xxviii, 1. 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 sepulchre. Mark xvi, 2. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. Verse 9. 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. Luke xxiv, 1. Now upon the first day of the week very early in the morning they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. John xx, 1. The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, while it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Verse 19. 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 their midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. Acts xx, 7. 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. 1 Cor. xvi, 1, 2. 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. By an examination of the contexts of these passages it will be seen that there is no obligation expressed or implied to observe, in any manner, the first day of the week. But inasmuch as it has been supposed that there were some extraordinary coincidences connected with that first-day spoken of by the evangelists, I will here present their testimony, and show by a comparison, its intent and harmony. Luke xxiii, 56; xxiv, 1-11. And they 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 sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments; and as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words, and returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. Mark xvi, 9-11. 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. And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. Luke xxiv, 12. Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass. John xx, 3-10. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together; and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie. And the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed; for as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. Luke xxiv, 13-16. And behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about three-score furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. Here follows their relation of the events connected with his crucifixion, and his exposition of the prophecies, till they drew near to their own home. Verses 28-35. And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went; and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread and blessed, and brake and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. Mark xvi, 12, 13. After that, he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it unto the residue; neither believed they them. Luke xxiv, 36. And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. John xx, 19. 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. Mark xvi, 14. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. Now we have the testimony before us, and the queries arise, Does it contain any evidence that the day was, or was to be regarded, as a Sabbath? or, that the disciples in any way observed it as the Lord's day, or day of the resurrection? Or, that the meeting of the Saviour with them gave a warrant for the future observance of the day? In regard to the first question, the reading of the testimony must be sufficient to satisfy all that there is no intimation that it was thenceforth to be regarded as a Sabbath, or as a day in any wise to be observed. On the other let us briefly examine the testimony. 1. It was evidently not designed to be observed as the day of the resurrection; for the Holy Spirit, under whose influence the gospels were written, has not recorded it as a fact that he rose on the first day of the week, but only that they came to the sepulchre early on the first day of the week and he was not there. 2. That they did not observe it in honor of the resurrection, as is often claimed, is evident, from the fact that they did not believe that he was risen. The record presents the following points: After his resurrection he appeared first to Mary, who returned and told it to the apostles, but they did not believe her. Towards the close of the day he was manifested to two of the disciples, at a village upwards of seven miles from Jerusalem, who returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven and told them that they had seen the Lord; but they did not believe them. While they were yet speaking Jesus himself stood in their midst. John says it was "at evening," by which we understand that it was just at, or very near, the close of the day. Luke and John agree that he pronounced the benediction, Peace be unto you, which is supposed to convey a warrant for First-day observance. Thus Justin Edwards, in the Sabbath Manual, page 104, says: "On that First-day he not only met with the disciples—a thing which we have no account of his doing, after his resurrection, on that Seventh-day—but he blessed them in their meeting, saying, 'Peace be unto you,'—evidently approving of what they were doing." But Mark, whose brief account is parallel with that of Luke, further says that he proceeded to upbraid them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe that he was raised—they not even believing the word of them who had seen him. This does not look much like celebrating his resurrection, or a divine approval of such celebration. And what were they doing, Mark says, "They sat at meat." On this text the Comprehensive Commentary says: "He appeared to them as they sat at meat, which gave him an opportunity to eat and drink with them, for their full satisfaction;" and Dr. Barnes remarks: "The word meat here means food or meals: as they were reclining at their meals." By referring to Acts i, 13, we find that they "abode" together; so it is not to be wondered at that they were found together at that time, as their residence was at the same place, and it was the hour for their evening meal. By this it will also be perceived that they did not meet for fear of the Jews, as has been inferred from John xx, 19; but that they shut the doors where they were for fear of the Jews. Again, the inference claimed that the Saviour met with them on the first day, but not on the seventh day, after his resurrection, is unwarranted, as will be seen by referring to Acts i, 3, where it says he was "seen of them forty days;" which includes every day between his resurrection and ascension. That there is nothing in the gospels to favor the observance of the first day of the week must be admitted by every candid mind. Two other passages in the New Testament mention the first day of the week. On these is founded the argument for what has been termed "Apostolic preference." But the argument would never have been claimed on the authority of these alone. It is first claimed that the actions of Christ and his apostles on that first day of his resurrection warranted its observance, and then these texts are offered to show that their practice was in accordance with that warrant; but the testimony clearly shows that no such warrant exists in the gospels; therefore these texts must sustain the whole burden of Sunday proof. Now I would ask, What sanctity was conferred on the first day of the week by the church at Troas meeting on it to break bread? or, Does that one act of that one church bind all the churches, in all time, to that custom, without even an intimation being given that such was the custom or practice of that church? Surely, that is drawing great conclusions from small premises. So in 1 Cor. xvi, 2, we find nothing in the record to show a custom of the church, or to show that it was to be followed by other churches. In neither case is there any reference made to a Sabbath, or to sacred time, or anything to show that that day was to be regarded in any different light from any other working day. What is the weight and nature of Apostolic preference? Does it contain an explicit or implicit duty? and is it stronger than the commandments of God? The term Sabbath, Sabbath-day, or sabbath-days, occurs forty-three times in the New Testament: in Matthew eight times; in Mark eight times; in Luke thirteen times; in John five times; and in the Acts nine times. All the cases of its occurrence in the gospels refer to the use of the term prior to the crucifixion of the Saviour except the Sabbath that succeeded the crucifixion—the one on which he laid in the grave. All the cases of its occurrence in the Acts (except Chap. i, 12—Sabbath-day's journey) refer to times and events subsequent to the crucifixion, in the history of a period of about fifteen years—from A. D. 45 to A. D. 60. And it is so used at that date as to show that in the gospel dispensation, and in the gospel record, THE SABBATH IS THE TITLE OF THE SEVENTH DAY. I will now briefly compare the claims of the two days, by the light of the Word, that we may see at a glance where the weight of argument lies. The Scriptures say, in regard to the Sabbath institution, that God rested from his work on the seventh day: they do not thus particularize in regard to the first day. He claimed the seventh day as his own; he did not so claim the first day, but gave it to man for labor. He blessed and sanctified the seventh day: he did not sanctify the first day. He commanded that the seventh day be kept holy: he did not command to keep the first day. He has uttered fearful threatenings against those who profane the seventh day: he has not spoken aught against those who labor on the first day. He has given special and great promises to those who keep holy the seventh day: he has not uttered one word of promise or blessing for keeping the first day. Everything that is necessary to give importance to the day—that is calculated to induce a proper observance of the day, is produced in favor of the seventh day: nothing of the kind can be produced in favor of the first day. No institution—no sanctity—no command—no penalty. Readers, are you, or do you desire to be, "followers of God as dear children?" Are you believers of the word of God? Then you will surely, with me, consider as unavoidable the following: CONCLUSION.—No obligation exists to observe, in any manner, as a rest-day or holy day, the first day of the week. But it has been shown that we are under obligation to observe the seventh day; and as the observance of the first day infringes upon the commandment of God which enjoins the observance of the seventh day, and interferes with such observance, all who bow to the authority of the Word must also admit this CONCLUSION.—It is wrong to keep the first day of the week, or to give it the honor, place, or title of the Lord's day, or Sabbath of the Lord. MATT. xv, 7-9. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. J. H. W. (To be Continued)