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Signs of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 42.

WE CANNOT TEAR IT OUT

Signs of the Times

Aug 28, 1898

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 28, 1898

WE CANNOT TEAR IT OUT.

By Editor

THE Cottage Pulpit is a brave little paper, published at Nashville, Tenn. It is doing good service for the cause of Sabbath truth, and in preaching the gospel as far as it is understood. In its issue of July it has the following:—
Cannot our Seventh-day Adventist friends see that while they are accomplishing a good work for God in the line of Sabbath reform, in contending for the true instead of the false as to the Lord's day, yet in their materialistic, semi-Sadducean, unscriptural doctrine about soul and spirit, their denial of either as possibly separable from the material structure of flesh, bone, and muscle, they practically destroy the new birth, the new being, the Christ? in their effort to head off Rome by making purgatory a moral impossibility, they effectually cut off the Christian's hope in dying, of "departing to be with Christ," as said of the apostle Paul? Peter's assurance that he would shortly "put off this tabernacle," meaning the body and form he received from the earthly Adam? And they make our Lord's promise, "I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am there ye may be also," not to have reference to his being at the bedside of the departing saint to receive—as the dying Stephen said—"my spirit," but to his coming at the end of the world, to "judge the quick and the dead."
1. Now just what our brother means by "materialistic, semi-Sadducean, unscriptural doctrine," we do not know in detail. We will let him define that himself. But that our view—what we believe is the Bible view—of soul and spirit destroys the new birth, we emphatically deny. In fact, the mortality of man, in consequence of sin, is what makes the new birth an absolute necessity. If man is not mortal, if he is by his own inherent powers destined to live forever, why should he need the life of Christ? Why is it necessary that he should be born again? Man sinned, and sin cut him off from God (Isa. 59:1, 2), and, cutting him off from God, it cut him off from the life of God (Eph. 4:18), and doomed him to death, the wages of sin (Rom. 6:23). His only means of obtaining life is through faith in Christ. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life." John 3:36. "And this life is in his Son." 1 John 5:11.
2. This life is inseparably connected with character. All the righteousness we have which is of any worth in God's sight comes through faith in Christ (Rom. 3:22); and this righteousness is wrought in us by the power of his Spirit (Eze. 36:26, 27); and with that righteousness the Spirit brings life (Rom. 8:10). But this Spirit, this new life, is not broken up in various little fragments and distributed among the people of God. God is one. His Spirit is one. His righteousness is one. His life is one. His people are one with him, bound by that one righteousness and life. Eph. 4:3-7; John 17:21-23. And as long as faith holds Christ, it holds the righteousness and life. When the soul dies, his life, his spirit, his character, is committed to God, not, however, as a separate, conscious entity. His character is photographed in his record on high. The care of his sleeping dust rests with God; and when Christ shall come, in whom our life is hid, then will he raise each loved one from the sleep of death, clothe him with immortality, stamp his whole being with his own righteousness, and interfuse his own life. Col. 3:3, 4; Phil. 3:21.
3. We are making no effort to head off Rome. Our work is not negative, but positive. It is to preach the Way, the Truth, the Life, to a world dying in sin. And what makes it more difficult for the world to believe the Truth, the Way, and the Life, is the old falsehood which has been taught from the beginning, that man has life in himself. The great majority, therefore, reason: If we cannot die, if we are destined to live forever, we know that a just and merciful God will not doom us to an eternity of torment for "the deeds done in the body." Truly does the Lord say to those who perpetuate the old prolific falsehood: "Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and [with lies ye have] strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life." And the saddest of allis that this error should be taught by those who are earnestly endeavoring to teach the precious truth of the gospel.
4. The "being with Christ" was what Paul chose in preference to either life or death. He says of life and death that which he should choose he did not know, but he preferred a third thing, and that was to "be with Christ," which is far better than either life or death. See Phil. 1:21-23. The faithful will be with Christ when he shall come the second time. See 1 Thess. 4:15-17; Matt. 16:27; Phil. 3:20, 21.
5. Yes, we make our Lord's promise, "I will come again and receive you unto myself," just what he made it,—a promise of the coming back again of the "same Jesus" which the disciples saw ascend. See Acts 1:9-11. Christ's coming meant life to Lazarus. "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died," said the mourning sisters. But Jesus came, and he lived again. Death is the fruit of sin and Satan, the enemy of God. Christ does not represent himself in that way. Neither did his disciples understand his coming to mean that. When Jesus intimated that John might abide till he came again, they thought John would never die (John 21:22, 23); they never would have thought thus if they had supposed that Christ's coming meant death.
Says our brother again:—
We pray you, Seventh-day Adventist friends and brethren, as you love truth and hate falsehood, tear out that plank from your platform of faith! We do not say, Stand with Rome, or anywhere near them, or with Protestants who do; but we say, Stand with Peter and Paul, stand with Stephen, the protomartyr, stand with JESUS! Recognize that something called the spirit of a man, as these did, two of them, our Lord and his martyred servant, with their dying breath!
We cannot tear that out. Our faith is in Christ. Our platform is the rock of his truth. The only platform of faith is God's word. He who builds on any other, builds on presumption. We may say, "I believe it not," but the word still stands. Life is not in us, but in Christ. That life is not a conscious entity, but the vital energy of God, which makes his creature, man, a living, conscious, intelligent entity. That life, if we die, we commit to the great Source of life. That life, if we live, blooms into immortality at His coming.

Editorial.

By Editor

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable."—2 Tim. 3:16.
"AND thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins." Christ came to save us from sin and not in sin. God's love could not permit us to perish in sin, and his purity and righteousness could not save us in sin. He therefore saves his people not only from the penalty of sin,—eternal death,—but from sin itself. In this his great love and infinite power are manifest.
EVERY victory strengthens the soul for future conquests. The impatient word unuttered, the uncharitable thought repressed, the evil impulse held in check, the impure suggestion banished from the mind,—such victories, though seemingly small in their scope and importance, fit the soul for greater triumphs, and enable it to stand amid the great crises of life, even as the oak in storm and tempest.
"AND He rested on the seventh day from all his work which He had made." The nature of God, immortal and infinite as he is, can know nothing of physical weariness. Hence God's rest was a spiritual rest, and his refreshing in consequence was a spiritual refreshing. This, then, is the primary reason why the Sabbath was given to man, that he in it might find spiritual rest. But man is so constituted physically that physical rest is necessary to the highest attainment of spiritual rest, hence in God's order both physical rest is obtained at night, and also in the refreshing obtained from the Sabbath rest. The physical rest is material, and embraces in its scope the whole animal kingdom. Not so, however, with the spiritual rest. It only can be obtained by those possessing spiritual natures, those in whom dwells the Spirit of Christ and the word of righteousness. Then it is only those created in the image of God anew in Christ Jesus who can obtain from God's holy rest day the fullness of blessing in the spiritual refreshing it is designed to give. Christ in the Sabbath and Christ in us will bring into the holy day a heavenly union and a spiritual communion of which the world could never know. Only in realizing and experiencing this blessed relationship can we truly exclaim with David, "O, how love I thy law!" Then will the Sabbath be indeed "a delight, the holy of the Lord and honorable."
THE truth of doctrine is not measured by its following in the world nor by its popularity among men. The test of its genuineness is its correspondence with God, its harmony with the principles of truth and righteousness. A doctrine may be scouted by the wisdom of this world—indeed this has ever been the reception met by God's truth—but the Infinite Word may hold that doctrine as a part and parcel of its sacred self. The word of God is the test of every doctrine. It is the test of every word and work, the gauge of every character; characters wrought by its instructions here will stand the test of the hereafter. All others will be found wanting in the final test.

Burdened

Burdened.—There are many burdened Christians, many who wish they could be relieved of their burdens. They do not realize that these burdens may be necessary. It may be infirmity in themselves; it may be some member of the family who is sick. God permits it, and out of it may good come to us if we will trust. Do not murmur. The burden may be to us what stones are to the Kaffir when crossing a swift-flowing stream. It is said that on entering the water they get a huge stone, sometimes as heavy as themselves, and with the help of a companion place it upon the head. A weight like this gives the boy balance, and he can keep his footing against the heaviest stream. If he were to drop the stone, he would be so light the water would sweep him off his feet. And so there are thousands of souls who would be swept into eternity were it not for their burdens, which hold them to the foundation. The ship needs ballast; and if gold cannot be obtained, get stone. Better some burden, even if we see no worth in it, than to capsize and be destroyed.

SUNDAY VOICES.

By Editor

EVER and again some of the religious press persist in speaking of Sunday as the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and the "violation" of Sunday as a transgression of the Decalogue, of the law of God, etc. Here is what the Western Christian Advocate (Methodist), of Cincinnati, says on the Sunday closing of the World’s Fair:—
The Directory has not repented of violating its contract with the government, and is innocent of any respect for the fourth commandment. It disregarded both when it believed there was money in doing so.
The New York Observer says:—
In closing the Exposition on the Sabbath [the Directory] has regard only to the pecuniary profits of the enterprise. . . . Had open gates on the Lord’s day proved remunerative, they would have remained open throughout the Fair, and the laws of God, of Congress, and of the Directory itself would have been defied and trampled on.
The Christian at Work (Presbyterian) said in January, 1884:—
We hear less than we used to about the apostolic origin of the present Sunday observance, and for the reason that while the Sabbath and Sabbath rest are woven into the warp and woof of the Scripture, it is now seen, as it is admitted, that we must go to later than apostolic times for the establishment of Sunday observance.
In its issue of Jan. 8, 1885, the same paper says:—
The selection of Sunday, thus changing the particular day designated in the fourth commandment, was brought about by the gradual concurrence of the early Christian church, and on this basis, and none other, does the Christian sabbath, the first day of the week, rightly rest.
He who works Sunday violates no law of God. Whatever work is not sin on Monday or Tuesday is not sin on Sunday. Really, we cannot help questioning at times as to whether the Bible means anything to these Sunday-law people at all. If Sunday observance is taught in God’s word, where is it? Assumption is not proof.
THE Literary Digest of July 15 presents an article from the Revue Bleue (Paris) of June 24, on the German elections. It has one significant paragraph which we here reproduce, merely remarking that the Centre party of the German Reichstag, or Parliament, is the Roman Catholic party:—
The party of which all the world predicted the decay and the dissolution was that of the Centre. All the world was mistaken. The Centre has changed its character, but it remains unshakable. Herr Lieber, who has succeeded Herr Windthorst in the leadership of the Centrists, is trying to make his party perhaps too exclusively popular and democratic. For this time, however, the tactics of Herr Lieber have been successful; the Centre has remained the “unshakable tower;” at the first balloting, as usual, it has obtained more seats than any other party, and eighty-one of its members have already been elected.
It is doubtless more democratic; the Vatican is much more democratic; for the drift lies in that direction.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL R. F. WALKER, of Missouri, in a recent opinion on opening schools and educational institutes with singing and prayer, has decided that, while there is no express law violated by so doing, it is no part of the regular exercises of such body. Institutes are purely creatures of the statute; as such, their proceedings must, in accordance with both the letter and spirit of the Federal and State constitutions, be secular. Any other course would subject those in attendance, no matter how diverse their religious beliefs, to the spiritual direction of the conductor then in charge. While the State spreads its protecting arm over every citizen, irrespective of his faith, and extends ample aid for the education of its children, it has in its organic law expressly forbidden the recognition of any religion or form of worship.
We take this from the Kansas City Journal of July 8. Mr. Walker is sensible, and his utterance shows that he has not been blinded by the false sentiment expressed in “common law,” “Christian nation,” “Christian people,” etc. It would be a blessing to this land if he numbered millions, that is, if he is equally good all the way through. This opinion would shut out all Sunday laws.
RELIGION is of the head as well as of the heart. While the affections must twine around Christ and enthrone him within, the intellect, guided and quickened by the Spirit of God, must study his life and analyze his teachings. Growth in grace is in proportion to the growth in knowledge. 2 Peter 3:18. The man who stops studying Christ will stop growing up into his image. The revelation of God in the gospel of his dear Son is the spiritual meat and sustenance provided for the spiritual natures of his children. Let us look and live, eat and grow, study and imitate. Thus will the gospel become to us the “power of God unto salvation,” and Jesus Christ our righteousness, redemption, and salvation.

THE SPIRIT OF SUNDAY LAWS.

THIS is what the San Francisco Argonaut said some time ago with reference to Sunday laws; and who can say that it is not true:—
To revive Sabbatarianism to-day is like restoring the Spanish Inquisition and stretching a man on the rack because he could not understand the Trinity. It implies a denial of the proposition that the world has learned anything in the past three centuries. It asserts a spirit of intolerant interference with personal liberty, which the men who established the independence of the colonies would not have endured for a moment. It gives the lie to the teaching of every American moralist who ever wrote. It is a flat denial of the article of the Bill of Rights, which concedes to everyone the right of happiness provided he injures no one else.
And of the class which advocate them, it declares that they would relight the fires of Smithfield if they dared, and would restore the thumbscrew and the boot as means of salvation. They base their impudent interference with personal liberty on the proposition that they alone know what is right, and that all who differ with them should be punished for so doing. They are the lineal descendants of that Archbishop Fonseca, who, if he could have had his way, would have sent Columbus to prison for life for the crime of discovering America. Other progenitors of theirs were the members of the Holy Office, who tortured Galileo for discovering that the world moved. Such bigots claim to have a monopoly of religious truth, and to be the sole depository of the purposes of the Almighty. It is they, and not the agnostics, who are emptying the churches. Colonel Ingersoll might discourse for years without affecting more minds than Rochester did in his day. But when the great preachers of the day, the ministers of God, standing in their pulpits, proclaim that the workingman shall be barred out from the Exposition on the seventh day of the week, it is small wonder that these same ministers preach to half-empty churches.

CHRIST THE KING-PRIEST.

By Editor

HIS RELATIONS TO CIVIL GOVERNMENT.

WE need not in this study consider the work of Christ as Mediator between God and man through all ages, but simply during the time of his priesthood in the heavenly sanctuary, "which the Lord pitched and not man." That priesthood began when God raised Christ "from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all." Eph. 1:20-23.
In the epistle to the Hebrews we learn that before he began his priesthood, he passed through all the temptations and trials to which man is subject, and in this trial he conquered. The record reads: "Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that [wherein] he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted." Heb. 2:17, 18.
In chapter 5 we are told that Christ is a high priest after the order of Melchizedek, and also of the suffering and trial which preceded that position:—
"Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; called of God an high priest after the order of Melchizedek."
Melchizedek was both "priest and king," "first being by interpretation also king of righteousness, and after that king of Salem, which is, king of peace." Chapter 7:2. As a priest-king Christ had no predecessors. The priesthood before him was of the tribe of Levi, while he, according to the flesh, was of the tribe of Judah. And on the throne where he reigns as priest no one has preceded him; for his reign on the throne of David is yet future. He now reigns, but on his Father's throne. Says the same epistle: "Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens." Chapter 8:1. The same truth is stated in the text before quoted from Ephesians. Thus, also, the prophet speaks of Christ's reign upon the throne of God:—
"Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple [church, 1 Cor. 3:16] of the Lord; even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory [or character of God], and shall sit and rule upon his [the Father's] throne; and he shall be a Priest upon his [the Father's] throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both." Zech. 6:12, 13.
The Psalmist says: "The Lord [Jehovah] said unto my Lord [Addonai, Christ], Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." "Thou art a priest forever [for the age] after the order of Melchizedek." Ps. 110:1, 4. And this text shows, as the others have done, that the kingdom of Christ is not yet; that his reign is that of a priest on the throne of his Father. Thus he speaks: "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." Rev. 3:21.
Many other scriptures might be given to show that Christ is now reigning as priest, a royal priest, on his Father's throne, the present kingdom and throne of grace. Heb. 4:16. His own kingdom is yet future, as we shall show in our next.

WHAT IS THE NATURE OF HIS PRESENT REIGN?

He, like Melchizedek, is King of Righteousness; he dispenses it to whomsoever he will. He is King of Peace; and peace he gives to all who will come into right relation to him. His sufferings here on earth were for the very purpose of reconciling men to God. Heb. 2:17. And by reconciling men to God by his death (2 Cor. 5:18), by justifying them or making them righteous by his life as priest (Rom. 3:24), and by building them up through his word of reconciliation (Acts 20:32), he builds the temple or spiritual house of God (Zech. 6:12, 13; Eph. 2:19, 20). But though he is a King, he does not build this temple of the Lord, he does not prosecute his work, by force of arms or physical power; for he is the King of Peace. The nature of his kingdom may be learned from his ambassadors. What do they say to the rebellious world? Let one of them answer:—
"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." 2 Cor. 5:18-20.
Notice (1) that the apostle states that they, the ministers of Christ, are ambassadors for Christ; (2) that what is given or committed to them is the work and word of reconciliation; (3) that the way men are to be reconciled is by appeal to them and willing acceptance by them, not by coercion; (4) that the world may accept or reject this if they please. The ministry of reconciliation cannot, in its very nature, compel. It is love that reconciles; and love compels by winning, not by coercion. Its weapons, though mighty, "are, not carnal." 2 Cor. 10:4. Therefore, says Paul, concerning the motive power that prompted his ministry, "For the love of Christ constraineth us" (2 Cor. 5:14); and of the nature of his work he declares, "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord [the future judgment day, verse 10; 1 Cor. 4:5], we PERSUADE men" (verse 11).
That Christ might win men he died, "gave himself for our sins." Gal. 1:4. In fact, he came to save sinners, to call sinners to repentance; and he himself declares: "And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not; for I came not to judge [condemn] the world, but to save the world." John 12:47. Therefore he rebuked Peter when he drew the sword to defend his Lord. Therefore says Paul: "Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy; for by faith ye stand." 2 Cor. 1:24.
Furthermore, the ministers of Christ are not the ministers of the law, but the gospel. "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel" is the commission of Christ. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." But the judgment rests with God. 1 Cor. 4:5; Rom. 14:10. That gospel is "the word of reconciliation," "the gospel of peace;" it is the word of good tidings; it is the news of a divine Redeemer and Saviour from sin, a helpful, loving Saviour.
During this priesthood his disciples are "pilgrims and strangers here" (1 Peter 2:11; Heb. 11:13); their citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20); their life is from God, and their affections should be there (Col. 3:1-5); their duty is to submit to human laws and ordinances, oppressive though they may be, for the Lord's sake (1 Peter 2:13), unless to obey them is to transgress God's law, and then they are to obey God rather than men (Acts 4:19; 5:29); they are to pray that governments may be so conducted that they may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness (1 Tim. 2:1, 2); they are not to seek for ruling positions, or chief places, but to do service to men (Matt. 20:25-28); in short, they are to follow the Master in a holy, humble life of self-denial, self-sacrifice, self-abnegation, showing forth his praises to men.
Therefore, Christ in his priesthood has committed no authority to his servants to coerce or compel men to render any form of worship to him, or to do one single act of devotion. This work is wholly a work of peace. If men blaspheme, Christians should pray for them and teach them the better way. If men turn from God to worship idols, Christians should teach them the true God. If men violate the Sabbath, the truth, the persuasion of the gospel may be used to turn them into the right way. But under no circumstances has the civil law a right to coerce men in these respects. And for Christians to attempt such a thing is to deny the gospel of Christ and the efficacy of his power as a priest. That power which has attempted such a work Inspiration calls "the man of sin," "the mystery of iniquity."

IT IS THE LORD.

By Mrs. M. L. W. Towle

BY MRS. M. L. W. TOWLE.
WHEN toiling vainly on the restless tide, You cast your net upon the "other side," And find your draught of fishes multiplied, "It is the Lord."
When oft from nights of sorrow you arise, Greeting the brightness of the morning skies, Which flood you with a new and glad surprise, "It is the Lord."
When morning dawns upon a night of pain, And hope replumes your drooping wing again, And sunshine breaks the spell of cloud and rain, "It is the Lord."
When winds have blown some bright-eyed flower to you, Charged with a cup of fragrance and of dew, As though the asking of your heart it knew, "It is the Lord."
When you have bid the voice of self be still, And, in your earthly lot of good or ill, From a full heart declare, "Not as I will," "It is the Lord."
When, through the valley of the shadow way, You pass the portals of the glad new day, Awaking in his likeness, you will say, "It is the Lord."
—California Christian Advocate.

SUNDAY TO BE KEPT AT HOME.

By William Covert

BY ELDER WILLIAM COVERT.
In his labors Paul gave instruction to the churches concerning systematic giving.
He said that upon the first day of the week everyone should lay by him in store such things as he could afford, according to the prosperity of the Lord upon him. Such accumulation of goods was finally to be distributed among the saints at Jerusalem. 1 Cor. 16:1–3.
From this instruction it is claimed that those churches were holding their regular weekly meeting upon the first day of the week, else the apostle would not have specified this time for these collections.
But does not the apostle enjoin a work to be done at home on the first day of the week? The instruction is, "Let every one of you lay by him in store." The admonition means, "to treasure up."—Young. This treasure was to be stored away at home. This advice shows that the apostle admonished his brethren to be at home on the first day of the week attending to secular matters.
In "Vindication of the True Sabbath," pages 51, 52, the author says:—
The apostle simply orders that each one of the Corinthian brethren should lay up at home some portion of his weekly gains on the first day of the week. The whole question turns upon the meaning of the expression "by him;" and I marvel greatly how you can imagine that it means in the collection box of the congregation. Greenfield in his Lexicon translates the Greek term "by one's self, i. e., at home." Two Latin versions, . . . "with one's self, at home." Three French translations, . . . "at his own house, at home." The German of Luther, . . . "by himself, at home." The Dutch, the same as the German. The Italian of Diodati, "in his own presence, at home." The Spanish of Felipe Scio, "in his own house." The Portuguese of Ferreira, "with himself." The Swedish, "near himself." I know not how much this list of authorities might be swelled, for I have not examined one translation that differs from those quoted above.
When rightly understood, there is seen in it the reverse of a public collection to be taken up at meeting.
Verse 3 reads: "When I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem." Had the apostle meant that a Sunday collection was to be taken up at the church for the purpose of gathering in some money for the cause of Christ, it would not have been necessary to have a delegation of brethren chosen to carry it up to Jerusalem. The apostle could have taken that himself. But the appointment of a number of brethren to carry the things to Jerusalem, shows that goods of different kinds would finally be gathered together and sent to Jerusalem, for the benefit of the needy saints at that place. In such gatherings a variety of articles would be offered for distribution, consisting of grains, fruits, clothing, etc., besides the money that would be given. This being the character of the gift, it would of course be necessary to select men to carry these things to their destination.
It will be noticed, by reading the purpose and expectations of the apostle in subsequent verses, that he did not expect to call for the goods immediately, not for several months at least. And by the statements made in his next letter to the church (2 Cor. 9:1–5), it appears that a year or more intervened before the goods were finally sent forward. Suppose that during all this time the whole church had been carrying in such articles to their place of meeting as were finally distributed at Jerusalem, would they not have had quite a medley of a collection in church at the end of the year?
But some of our readers will say that Paul wrote as he did to avoid a gathering when he should come, and if what has been written be true, then the gathering that he intended to avoid when he came, would be a necessity.
Will the one who raises this objection please notice that the apostle subsequently planned to avoid the gathering up of all these bounties at the time that he should be with that church? He writes this about it: "I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty." 2 Cor. 9:5.
They had the bounty ready at their homes, because they had notice before to lay by them in store, but now, to get it all ready for sending off by gathering it together at one point ready for freighting, it was necessary to give subsequent directions.
This latter instruction shows clearly that they had been storing away at their homes from week to week, in harmony with the apostolic instruction. To do this as they were admonished to do would encourage a systematic giving. It would cause these Christians to take an account of how much God was prospering them in temporal things. They would be under the necessity of figuring up their gain in secular things every Sunday. But that was a very proper thing for them to do, as the first day of the week is one of the laboring days of the week. In fact, it would have been impossible for these people to have carried out the instruction that the apostle gave them, without doing that on Sunday which its defenders condemn. The whole affair shows that the apostle expected and advised that Christians be at home at work on the first day of the week.
But the first thing to be done each week was to remember the needs of the cause of God. The preparation day is usually quite a busy time with those who keep the Sabbath, and is therefore not a convenient time for a reckoning of gains for the week. Of course it is not proper to attend to such things on the Sabbath day. Therefore the apostle gave instruction to attend to this business on the first day of the week.
Continue reading: SOME MORE SIGNS OF CHRIST'S COMING