Are We Right? by G. W. Colcord

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 15, 1863

Are We Right?

By G. W. Colcord

THIS question has reference to our keeping the Sabbath from sunset to sunset. We believe that the Sabbath begins thus: > "The sun rolls down the distant west, > Soft twilight steals abroad, > To welcome in the day of rest, > The Sabbath of the Lord."

Our opponents know that we are great sticklers for the observance of the Sabbath, and so they would fain prove us wrong. Are we wrong? Before we give up our position, let us look around. Let us see if we can better ourselves, or find a more rational position.

Sunday-keepers would have us do thus: Work on Friday till dark, attend to minor matters through the evening, then retire, and at midnight, when in sound slumber, the Sabbath begins! Thus they would make the workmanship of man, the clock, the great ruler of the day. Is this right? No; for God made "two great lights; the greater light to rule the day," &c. Undoubtedly "the greater light" is the sun. Then if the sun rules the day, we may expect that it will mark the beginning of the same. Which position looks the most reasonable?

Others would have us commence in the morning: they don't know exactly when, but somewhere about daybreak, or maybe not till sunrise! See their proof in Matt. xxviii, 1; Mark xvi, 2; Luke xxiv, 1; John xx, 1. We will look at this after a little. Have we such an indefinite position as that? No; we say sunset, which is definite; and a definite position is better than an indefinite one. Which position of the three dates back the farthest? Webster says, "The Babylonians begin the day at sun-rising; the Egyptians at midnight, as do several nations in modern times, the British, French, Spanish, American," &c. Thus we hear of the sunset position among the Jews as far back as any of the three, and when we take into consideration the fact that God told the Jews how to keep a certain Sabbath, which agrees with the manner in which they kept the seventh-day Sabbath, we may conclude that they kept it right; i. e., right with reference to time, and that this manner agrees with the way God kept the first Sabbath. If this reasoning is correct, we find that the sunset position dates as far back as creation-week. The certain Sabbath that I had reference to was one which is spoken of in Lev. xxiii, 26-32.

There are texts that are seeming objections. But when we consider that God instituted sunset time at creation, and since we have no information of his ever revoking it, we may rest assured that to commence to keep the Sabbath other than at sunset is incorrect. As for midnight-time, there is not the least shade of an argument in the Bible to sustain it, so I will pass that by as fabulous. But what shall we say for those who plead for us to commence resting at day-break? What shall we offer to explain those texts above referred to? The text most relied on is Matt. xxviii, 1. "In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week," &c. Here they say in proof for the ending of the Sabbath at dawn of day; but stop a moment! Look at your other proof-text in Mark xvi, 1. Mark says, "And when the Sabbath was past," &c. Also in verse 2, "The first day of the week they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun." So we see that from Mark's testimony alone, they would fail to prove the point; i. e., of the day's commencing

in the morning.

But, say you, is not one text as good as a dozen? But I ask, Can you prove from Matt. xxviii, 1, that the day begins at sunrise? I think not. The Greek from which the word Sabbath is taken, is Sabbaton. In the Glossary of the Polymicrian Greek Testament is the following definition of Sabbaton: Cessation from labor, rest; the Sabbath, . . . . the seventh day of the week both in the singular and plural. Matt. xii, 2, 5, 8; xxviii, 1; Luke iv, 16. A period of seven days, a week, singular and plural; Matt. xxviii, 1; Mark xvi, 9, . . . all the Sabbaths or times of sacred rest. Col. ii, 16. So we see that the word Sabbath does not necessarily imply the seventh day every time it is used. It is also evident that the word day has more than one meaning. In Matt. xxviii, 1, it evidently means the light part of the twenty-four hours. I understand Matt. xxviii, 1, to teach the following: In the end of the week as it began to dawn toward the first day (not the twenty-four-hour day, but the same one as is spoken of in Gen. i, 5) of the week. Take that position and all is plain. If the Sabbath does in reality last till daylight, then the disciples went to the tomb on the seventh, instead of the first, day, according to John's testimony. See John xx, 1. They came when it was yet dark. But John, with all the rest, claims that they came on the first day. But I think this text, without further comment, is clear enough.

We will now look at one more supposed proof-text. See Acts xx, 7. "And upon the first day of the week, . . . Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight." Here, they claim, they have us fast. They ask, How could Paul preach in the evening, and leave in the morning, and still depart on the morrow, if the day begins at sunset? I answer, If there is but one definition to the word day, then your question is a hard one to solve. As we have shown before, the word day may mean twenty-four hours, or only the light part of the twenty-four hours. It is plain from the text that the day does not begin at midnight. And hence the text does not prove what is anticipated. Paul preached unto them, and continued his speech until midnight, then Eutychus fell from the loft, was taken up dead, and restored to life by Paul; after which they broke bread, and Paul talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed; hence we have the first day of the week extending till after midnight. They met to break bread on the first day of the week, and do you suppose that they broke it on the second? Because Paul was to depart on the morrow, does it of necessity mean the second day? I think not. Morrow signifies, the day next after the present. Webster. Now it remains for our opponents to answer this question. If one definition of day is the light, was not another day ushered in when light again dawned? I conclude therefore that when the light returned another day came; i. e., the day spoken of in Gen. i, 5. I will close by giving a few texts in proof of sunset time. Gen. i, 5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31; Lev. xxiii, 32; Joshua viii, 29; x, 26, 27; Eze. xlvi, 1, 2; Luke xxiii, 54, 56; xxiv, 1. G. W. COLCORD.