02.12. The Lord's Day: The Teaching of Scriptures on the Day of Christian Worship

CHAPTER V
THE TEACHING OF THE SCRIPTURES RESPECTING THE DAY ON WHICH CHRISTIANS SHOULD MEET FOR WORSHIP The Scriptures are the only infallible rule of faith and practice. Just to the extent that they teach us on this subject we will feel warranted in asking that the practice of the whole church shall agree. We know that the early Christians did not keep the Sab­bath. We know that the apostles taught them that they were free from the law by the body of Christ, and hence that no one should be permitted to judge them in meat or drink, or in respect of a new moon or of a Sabbath. We know, too, that the early Christians understood that they were free from the law, and that they did not keep the seventh day, except a few Judaizing persons, who also kept Lord’s Day. But the question which now remains is what day should we keep? or should we keep any? Now, let it be said in fairness that the Scriptures are not very abundant an this subject. Happily, however, we are dealing now with believers, who will be satisfied with one full statement of com­mand from Christ or anyone of the apostles, or any clear and certain practice. Those to whom we now appeal do not suppose that a great number of statements are necessary to make the Word of God true.

I. The first fact that seems to govern in the matter, in the primitive church, was the resurrection of Christ on the first day of the week.

Let me cite a few verses in Luk 24:1-53, which I think will be sufficient to prove that it was on the first day of the week that Jesus rose from the dead:

"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 he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass in these days? And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Naza­reth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: And beside all this, to-day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive."

There can be no doubt in the mind of anyone who believes this account to be correct, that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. This event is of the greatest importance. It was his victory over death that was to be celebrated to the end of time. It was great to speak a world from naught, but it was greater to redeem. And no event so concerned the race as the resurrection; overcoming the unseen; conquering the last enemy. Israel had been commanded to keep the Sabbath because they had been delivered from the bondage of Egyptian slavery, but while their Sabbath was a fitting rest from the toils and hard­ships of the merciless lash of the taskmaster, the Christian’s first day is a fitting symbol of that new life and new joy which we have in Christ; and while their Passover might tell surely enough of that mercy which had spared them while God admin­istered justice to Egypt, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the earth, seen in the Lord’s supper, is the chosen mark of the purchase price which redeems from sin and death.

It would seem most unreasonable that we, having come to the Antitype should now return to the shadow.

Jesus appeared to His disciples several times that day in a way to enlighten them upon the subject of the purpose had in view in his coming into the world. He showed himself to them by many infallible proofs, to Mary, to other women, to Peter, to two disciples as they walked into the country, and then again to the ten as they sat at meat that evening. And at last He opened their minds that they might understand the Scriptures, as He rehearsed to them what was said of Him in the Law and in the Prophets and in the Psalms.

II. Christ met especially with His apostles on the first day of the week. See John 20:19-29.

“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. And when He had so said, he shewed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust zt into my side; and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." The first meeting of the Master with His apostles must have been of the most joyous character. His breathing on them, and promising to them the Holy Spirit; the commission which He gave them must have inspired them with new thoughts and pur­poses. The recollections of the occasion would never depart from them during their lives; and they would fill the first day of the week with sacred and holy thought. They could not fail to see in it connections with the new life in Christ.

It seems, too, that the Master was intending to impress this thought and feeling on their hearts by appearing to them in a remarkable way on the next first day. But when we speak of Jesus appearing to the disciples "after eight days," and yet on the first day of the week, our Advent friends make quite a stir about our assumption. They claim that the language cannot mean less than an intervention of eight days, and that this second meeting was therefore near the middle of the week.

It seems as nothing to them for us to say that the critics in all ages of the church have regarded it as equal to saying, that on the next first day of the week, Thomas being with them, Jesus came, etc., for the literal interpretation, according to our way of computing time, will suit their theory better. I will quote Dr. Barnes on this passage, as a sample of the whole number of com­mentators. He says:

“And after eight days again—that is, on the return of the first day of the week. From this it appears that they thus early set apart this day for assembling together, and Jesus countenanced it by appearing twice with them. It was natural that the apos­tles should observe this day, but not probable that they would do it without the sanction of the Lord Jesus. His repeated presence gave such a sanction, and the historical fact is indisput­able that from this time this day was observed as the Christian Sabbath. See Acts 20:7; 1Co 16:2; Rev 1:10." From this decision I know of no author of note who dissents. One would naturally suppose that they have had some reasons for this unanimity of opinion. But as our Sabbatarian friends are not willing to grant that these men have had any reason for their conclusions, except the necessity of finding authority for an un­scriptural service, it seems proper and right that we should turn aside for a moment and ask upon what authority they all suppose that "after eight days" means on the next first day of the week.

It seems to be known to everyone except Sabbatarians that the ancients were accurate in the use of ordinals—first, second, third, etc.—but in the use of the cardinals—one, two, three, etc. —they were quite inaccurate, as we decide accuracy. It is on account of this looseness of speech that Mat 17:1—"six days after "—is equal only to about "eight days after"—Luk 9:26.

Compare a few passages on the resurrection of Christ and it will be clear that the cardinal eight days after is the eighth day, put in ordinals. In John 2:19 : "Destroy this temple, and after three days I will raise it up again." With Adventist count this would require three full days to intervene, counting the day of crucifixion one, and the day of rising would be the fifth. And yet in Mat 27:63-64 the promise was made that He would rise again on the third day. Hence their cardinal “after three days” was exactly equal to their ordinal, “on the third day." Compare Mark 8:31 with Mat 16:21, and we have these two ways of computing time fairly contrasted. Accord­ing to Mark, Jesus said “after three days," but according to Matthew he said, "on the third day." Now the only way these statements can be reconciled is by acknowledging the different modes of counting time. That these were the exact equal of each other, no man who believes the records dares to deny. And yet according to Advent calculation they would differ two days. “After three days “would place three whole days be­tween the death and the resurrection of the Savior; “on the third day" makes the number two less. According to 1Ki 12:5-12, we read:

"And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed. And king Reho­boam consulted with the old men that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants forever. But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consult­ed with the young men that had grown up with him, and which stood before him: and he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter? And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. And now where­as my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day."

Here again it is seen that “after three days “means the same in their style of computation as “on the third day." And in Est 4:15; Est 5:1, the same manner is preserved:

“Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish. Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house."

Mat 27:62-64 is a case in hand:

"Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, say­ing, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first."

Now by every rule known to hermeneutics we are compelled to say that in their manner the cardinal “after three days,’’ or “after eight days," was only equal to their ordinal “on the third day," or “on the eighth day." Hence it is that all the critics have regarded the language of John to mean on the eighth day after, which could mean nothing else than on the next first day.

This, too, accounts for Tertullian making use of the eighth day for the resurrection day. This language was common also to many others.

III. The Holy Spirit came, to remain on the earth, on the first day of the week. For the present we take it for granted that the day of Pente­cost was the first day, for we will argue that point in another and more proper place.

Jesus had promised them a new Helper or Comforter, one that would remain with them forever, who would guide them into all truth, who would receive the things of Christ and deliver them to the apostles, and bring all things to their memories that he had taught them. This was the meaning of His command to them to tarry in Jerusalem till they were endued with power from on high. This is not to say that no mortal had ever received the Spirit before that in any way, though it was said (John 7:39) that the Holy Spirit was not yet given. It must mean therefore that He had not been given in the way and for the purpose con­tained in the promise of Jesus to His apostles. On the day of Pentecost they were baptized in that Spirit—put entirely under His control. Joel had seen this event in connection with those appointments by which the world should be furnished with the light of God that bringeth salvation to all men. (See Joe 2:28-29.) This day was regarded by the apostles as their beginning of the new system of religion in Christ. Peter, after he had been to the house of Cornelius, defended himself for going in unto one who was uncircumcised, and especially for admitting them to gospel privileges. His appeal was to the baptism of the Spirit, which he says was like that which had been granted to the Jew­ish brethren "at the beginning." We know then that they regarded this new state of things, witnessed by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, as beginning on the Pentecost, which we shall see was on the first day of the week. This leads us to notice that it was on this occasion that the new law went forth. A law had been given from Sinai, which had served as a schoolmaster, in preparing the people for the acceptance of Christ that they might be justified by faith. But all through the period of Israelitish prophets they were being informed that there was a coming One, who should establish His throne with justice and judgment, in whom the Gentiles would trust, and for whose law the isles of the sea should wait; whose right it should be to rule, who would overturn and over­turn till all things should be put under his authority. The very time, place and circumstances of the going forth of this new law was seen by the prophets. In Isa 2:1-5, we have an inspired view of this topic:

“The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge from among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plow-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 0 house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord." To the same effect, and in almost the same language, is the statement made by the prophet Micah, (Mic 4:1-2):

"But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountains Of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."

Let us note a few facts in these prophetic statements:

Now, as we know that the law of Christ is the last revelation of God to the race,it follows that it was his law which was referred to. It was offered first to the seed of Israel; it went forth from Zion; it was shortly before the fall of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jewish people, and all nations were present (by representa­tives) at that time. (See Acts 2:5). The gospel, the law of Christ, which went forth on that occasion, is the law of peace; its justice and mercy will remove cruelty and bloodshed. Indeed, every feature of these predictions has its fulfillment in the occa­sion of the Pentecost. Not only so, but the comment of the Master on these Scrip­tures fixes their meaning beyond a peradventure. See Luk 24:44-49 :

“And he said unto them, These are the words that I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus.it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." When we search for the “thus it is written “for the condi­tions of pardon being preached among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, we are taken right back to the Scriptures which I have quoted from Isaiah and Micah. Hence we have the com­ment of Jesus respecting those prophecies. This enduement for which they were to wait had been prom­ised by the prophet Joel (2. 28, 29), and reiterated by the Master (John 14:15-16; John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:7-14). All these promises were fulfilled on the Pentecost. Acts 2:3-4; Acts 2:14-18 :

"And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spipt gave them utterance.... But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: for these are not drunken’ as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel, And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants, and on my handmaidens, I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy."

Now, when an inspired apostle says, “This is that which was spoken of," etc., it is not safe to say it was not. Hence we are bound to see in the events of the Pentecost the fulfillment of Joel’s prediction, or deny the inspiration of Peter. And that they understood this also to be the fulfillment of the promise of the Lord to them, there can be no doubt. They now act under the commission in preaching repentance and remissions of sins to the people. And afterward, when like demonstration attended him at the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:44-48; Acts 11:15-18), both Peter and the other apostles understood it to mean that to the Gentiles were granted repentance to life. This question was settled by showing that the same manifesta­tion was there which attended them “at the beginning."

There is, therefore, no other conclusion possible, but that the first Pentecost after the ascension of Jesus was the time of the beginning of the gospel being preached in its facts. See 1Co 15:1-4. This event was never lost sight of by the apostles and early Christians. The new law of the newly coronated King now goes forth. Hence it is the birth-day of the kingdom of Christ, the Church of Christ on earth.

Jesus had said, "On this Rock I unli build my church," and now, the foundation having been laid, the structure begins to rise, constituted of lively stones, built up an spiritual house, as God’s dwelling place upon the earth. But someone denies, perhaps, that the Pentecost came on the first day of the week. To this let us devote a little attention, The institution of the Pentecost, or the feast of weeks, shows that it always occurred on the first day of the week. See Lev 23:15-21 :

“And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave-offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: even unto the mor­row after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat-offering unto the LORD. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave-loaves of two tenth-deals: they shall be of fine flour, they shall be baken with leaven, they are the first-fruits unto the LORD. And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt-offering unto the LORD, with their meat-offering, and their drink-offerings, even an offering made by fire of sweet savour unto the LORD. Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin-offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace-offerings. And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the first-fruits for a wave-offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. And ye shall proclaim on the self-same day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations." The meaning of Pentecost is fiftieth, and having numbered seven Sabbaths, the day following, the fiftieth, would be the Pentecost, as seen in the sixteenth verse. Hence the giving of the law of Christ, the beginning of the gospel, the descent of the Spirit, the birth of the reign of Christ on the earth, came on the first day of the week.

Indeed, the law from Mt. Sinai seems to have been given on the first day of the week. Compare Exo 12:18; Exo 19:1; Exo 19:14-16, and the following facts appear: the lamb was killed on the 14th of the first month; it was on the third day of the third month that the law was given. “The self-same day “does not mean the day of the month on which Israel started from Egypt, for there is no reference to that event. It means the first day of the month. Add two to this, then thirty for the previous month, then seventeen for the first month (for only thirteen are to be subtracted, seeing that the lamb was slain on the 14th), and you have the law given on the fiftieth, which, in itself, seems to be the origin of the Pentecost