03.12. Sabbath or Lord's Day, Which?

SABBATH OR LORD’S DAY, WHICH? To the Jews the Sabbath was a day of rest. This no one denies. Some, however, not realizing that Christianity is a new way (Hebrews 10:20), have sought to make the law of the Sabbath binding on us. Some of the arguments relied on by these semi-Judaizers have been considered in the preceding lesson. Study carefully SOUND DOCTRINE, Vol. I, pp. 70-81; Vol. II, pp. 54-67. In addition to the truths learned in the three lessons referred to, we offer the following. the sabbath a shadow. "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day: which are a shadow of the things to come" (Colossians 2:16). Paul speaks in this passage of meats, drinks, feast days, new moons, and the Sabbath. Sabbatarians make the contention that the word "Sabbath" as found here has reference to the Sabbaths of the feast days. This contention is born of the desire to substantiate a position to which they have subscribed. Paul here mentions the feast days and other things which were done away when Christ died, including the Sabbath, declaring that they were only a shadow. Christians are in no sense under the old law, and are, therefore, free from all demands of the law (Romans 3:19; Romans 6:15). severed from Christ. "Ye are severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace" (Galatians 5:4). The Sabbath was one of the commands of the law; Hence, those who observe the Sabbath are severed from God, have fallen from grace. dead to the law—married to Christ. "Are ye ignorant, brethren (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law hath dominion over a man for so long time as he liveth? For the woman that hath a husband is bound by the law to the husband while he liveth; but if the husband die, she is discharged from the law of the husband. So then if, while the husband liveth, she be joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if the husband die, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she be joined to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ; that ye should be joined to another, even to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God" (Romans 7:1-4). Paul is not here seeking to teach a lesson concerning the relation between husband and wife. He is simply using that well-known relation, and the law governing that union, to teach a lesson which all Judaizers then needed to know, and that all semi-Judaizers now need to know— namely, that as the death of the husband released the woman, so that she is at liberty to marry another man, so the death of the law released the people under it so that they might marry another, even the Lord Jesus Christ. He further emphasizes the thought by saying: "But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that wherein we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, not in oldness of the letter" (Romans 7:6). The law here referred to is clearly identified by the apostle in the next verse, where he says: "I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." This shows that the law concerning which he was speaking contained, at least, the Ten Commandments. He says we are discharged from that law, the one including the Sabbath.

Jesus and the sabbath. "And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a Sabbath" (Matthew 24:20). This does not mean, as Sabbatarians claim, that Jesus was teaching his disciples to have such regard for the Sabbath that, at the destruction of Jerusalem, they should pray that their flight be not on the Sabbath. If so, it proves that they were to have a similar regard for the winter. The facts are: During winter flight would be difficult and accompanied with suffering—pray that ye be not compelled to flee in that season; on the Sabbath the gates would be closed (Nehemiah 13:19), making flight difficult. Besides, the Jewish leaders would seek to interfere with their traveling on the Sabbath. Hence, pray that your flight be not on the Sabbath.

Jesus set forth the superiority of his teaching over the Ten Commandments (Matthew 5:21-27). In fact, in his teaching and practice he seemed to be preparing the people for an utter setting aside of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-2; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 13:10-16; Luke 14:1-6; John 7:22-23). the apostles and the sabbath. Sabbatarians argue that the following references prove that the apostles kept the Sabbath: Acts 13:14; Acts 13:42; Acts 13:44; Acts 16:13. In every city where there were Jews the apostles preached to them . first. The Jews gathered for synagogue worship on the Sabbath, and the apostles took advantage of the opportunity to preach to them. This fact no more proves that they kept the Sabbath than it proves they observed the synagogue worship. Sabbatarians do much preaching on Sundays these days. Does that fact prove them Sunday observers?

LORD’S DAY—FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK.

John said: "I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day" (Revelation 1:10). Though the early writers, some of whom heard some of the apostles preach, universally applied the term "the Lord’s day" to the first day of the week, yet Sabbatarians of all schools deny the correctness of this application. They argue that the Sabbath is the Lord’s day, but it is never so called. Though the Sabbath had been in existence for centuries, in the New Testament a new term was invented, a new word coined. The new word was coined to describe a certain day and a certain supper. This new word is kuriakos—kuriakos day and kuriakos supper. New institutions and new conditions introduce new ideas and new relations, making it necessary frequently to coin new words. If the student will reflect over a number of new words coined during the world war, he will see how true this is. Now, in the Christian religion there was introduced a new supper, a supper relating specially to the Lord, and a new day, a day relating specially to the Lord. No such supper and no such day were before known. Hence, a new word is coined. Had the Sabbath, an old institution, been meant, no such word would have been necessary to express that idea. Thayer defines the word: "Kuriakos, of or belonging to the Lord." memorable occurrences of the first day. Following are some of the occurrences of the first day, which distinguish it above all other days of the week and make it specially appropriate to call it the Lord’s day: (1) Christ arose. "Now when he was risen early the first day of the week" (Mark 16:9). (2) Many saints arose (Matthew 27:52-53). (3) Christ appeared to his disciples repeatedly on this day (Mark 16:9-14; Luke 24:13-36; Matthew 28:8-10; John 20:19-26). (4) Resurrection first declared (Luke 24:34). (5) Pentecost was the first day (Leviticus 23:15-16; Deuteronomy 16:9; see SOUND DOCTRINE, Vol. I., pp. 109-111). (6) Baptism of the Holy Spirit on the first day (Acts 2:1-4). (7) Peter refers to the first day as the beginning (Acts 11:15). (8) First fruits of Christian harvest on this day (Acts 2:1-47). (9) First public announcement of the resurrection and coronation of the Lord was on the first day (Acts 2:1-47). (10) Remission of sins in the name of Christ was first preached on this day (Luke 24:45-49; Acts 2:38). (11) Regular meeting of the disciples was on the first day (Acts 20:7.) disciples met on first day. "And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we tarried seven days. And upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul dis­coursed with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and prolonged his speech until midnight" (Acts 20:6-7). On this journey Paul was making haste to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost (Acts 20:16), and yet he tarried in Troas seven days. It is evident that he tarried that he might meet with the disciples in their regular meeting to break bread on the first day of the week, for immediately after the meeting he went on his journey. Having tarried in Troas seven days, he was there over a Sabbath day, but no reference is made to the Sabbath. If they held a meeting on the Sabbath, no Sabbatarian historian would have failed to mention it. Evidently Luke was not a Sabbatarian. But it is stated that they met on the first day of the week to break bread. Paul had remained seven days for this meeting, though in a hurry to reach Jerusalem. We know that Luke was present at the first part of this meeting, for he says: "When we were gathered together to break bread." The early sailing of the vessel made it necessary for some to leave the meeting that they might catch the ship before it weighed anchor (Acts 20:13). Paul finished his speech, intending to go by land to Assos and there join his companions (Acts 20:13). When Paul finished his speech at daybreak, he departed (Acts 20:11). One question that might disturb some is: If Paul could go on foot to Assos, why not all? In reply it is sufficient to suggest that Paul and his company were carrying offerings to Jerusalem for the poor, and that some one must go by ship to care for this offering. Besides, to carry it across the country, had they been able to do so, would have been to put this considerable sum at the mercy of robbers. Perhaps these companions left during the break in the meeting caused by the falling of Eutychus from the window. Also Paul, knowing that he must depart as soon as it was light, took advantage of this break in the services to take food before his twenty- mile walk to Assos (Acts 20:11). It has sometimes been thought that the eating referred to in this verse was the communion. But the circumstances are against that view. They all met to break bread. Evidently this would be attended to early in the meeting, and before part of the company had to leave. Besides, it is certain that only Paul ate the meal mentioned in Acts 20:11. This view is plainly indicated in the English translation, and made certain in the Greek text, where every action is expressed in the singular. Certainly Paul did not eat the Lord’s Supper alone. The meeting at Troas is spoken of in such terms as to reveal the fact that it was their custom to meet on the first day of the week to break bread—"when we were gathered together to break bread"—and such meeting of the disciples furnished Paul an opportunity to speak to them.

"come together." That the church in the days of the apostles had a regular time for meeting is revealed in the manner of referring to their meetings: "I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that divisions exist among you" (1 Corinthians 11:17-18). "If therefore the whole church be assembled together" (1 Corinthians 14:23). "When ye come together" (1 Corinthians 14:26). "Not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is" (Hebrews 10:25). "Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come" (1 Corinthians 16:2). "Upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread" (Acts 20:7). collections on the first day. "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I gave order to the churches of Galatia, so also do ye. Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come" (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). The saints in Jerusalem were in need of assistance, and Paul had directed the brethren in Galatia to make contributions to assist them, and in this passage he is asking that the brethren at Corinth have their offerings ready when he comes. There could be no more convenient time for this than in their regular meeting, and so he directs that they attend to it on the first day of the week. The passage is translated by Dr. Macknight: "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I ordered the churches of Galatia, so also do ye. On the first day of every week, let each of you lay somewhat by itself, according as he may be prospered, putting it into the treasury, that when I come, there may be then no collections."

Judge you, fellow Christians, is it not more seemly that Christians should celebrate the day of Christ’s resurrection than that they should celebrate the ending of creation.

TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION AND DISCUSSION.

• Superiority of Gospel Over Law.

• The Law a Schoolmaster.

• Days of Celebration Under the Law.

• First Day of the Week in the New Testament.

• Resurrection of Christ.

QUESTIONS.