With the exception of a few small sects, Christians
universally regard Sunday as a sacred day. This has been
true down through the centuries from the days of the
apostles. The greatest reformers, such as Luther,
Melancthon, Zwingli, and Wesley, and great and good men
like John Bunyan and John Milton, all wrote in favor of
the observance of the Lord's Day. Surely there must be
some good reasons for such a universal practice. Yes, we
answer, and reasons which have been entirely satisfactory
to the deepest and ablest Christians of the church down
through the many centuries of the Christian era. A few of
these reasons I shall now submit to the reader.
First. Since the Jewish Sabbath was
abolished at the death of Christ, and we are now under a
new dispensation, the greatest of all institutions—the
gospel—the Lord has not left us without a memorial day,
a day to commemorate the greatest of all events—the
resurrection of Christ.
Let it be remembered that the
observance of days as mere rest days does not belong to
the gospel system. The Sabbath of the gospel is our
spiritual rest in Christ. The idea of Sabbath as enjoined
in the law is not connected with the Lord's Day. The
Gentile Christians never so regard it. All the early
church writers exclude this idea of the Lord's Day. They
simply held it sacred as a memorial day to commemorate
Christ's resurrection. The church Fathers plainly state
that they enjoyed a sweet perpetual Sabbath—meaning rest
in Christ. I quote from Smith's Dictionary of the Bible
(Art. "Lord's Day"): "It was not an
institution of severe sabbatical character, but a day of
joy and cheerfulness.... Religiously regarded, it was a
day of solemn meeting for the holy eucharist [communion],
for united prayer, for instruction, for alms giving; and
though being an institution under the law of liberty, work
does not appear to have been formally interdicted, or rest
formally enjoined." This expresses exactly the manner
in which the early church regarded the resurrection day.
It was regarded as a day of rejoicing, convocation,
religious devotion, in honor of the resurrection. At the
present time most people through tradition regard the
Lord's Day as a holy Sabbath Day. However, since the laws
of our land enjoin abstinence in general from manual
labor, we as a God fearing people and law abiding citizens
observe the laws of our land in this respect. But
religiously, we keep the Lord's Day only as the early
church did—as a memorial day of rejoicing, and of
religious assembly, in honor of the resurrection of
Christ.
Second. In the inspired history of
the church, which covers a period of about sixty five
years, not one exclusive meeting of the church of God on
the seventh day is recorded. Every exclusive meeting held
by the infant church in its virgin purity was upon the
first day of the week, the Lord's day. "After the
Lord Jesus had revealed himself to the two disciples with
whom he had walked out to Emmaus the day of his
resurrection, we are told, 'They rose up the same hour and
returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered, and
them that were with them' (Luke 24:33). Perhaps the entire
hundred and twenty made up that assembly. Here, then, we
have an example of the church assembled together in their
own meeting. They may only have been drawn together by the
Spirit of God. Nevertheless the fact is on record that the
very day that Jesus rose from the dead they assembled
together. And while the two disciples were rehearsing how
the blessed Savior had made himself known to them, lo!
'Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and said unto
them, Peace be unto you' (vs. 36). So the Lord met with
them and blessed this first meeting.
"Should the Saturday keeper
say that this first meeting was after night, and therefore
not on the first day, but the second, we shall let the
Word of God answer '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.' (John 20:19). It was the same day that Jesus
rose, and how particular the Spirit of inspiration is to
tell that it was on 'the first day of the week'! It must,
therefore, be conceded that they convened before the close
of the Jewish day, or else the text proves that right
there in the change of dispensation the Lord no longer
reckoned the day to sunset, but included it in the first
part of the night, as we do now. One thing is sure, this
meeting of the infant church was on the resurrection day
of our Lord.
"Neither is there a word said
about their assembling on the next Saturday. But we are
told, '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' (John 20:26). This evidently records a second
meeting one week from the former. The Jews were familiar
with the two great annual sabbaths connected with the
feast of unleavened bread, called the 'first day' and 'the
eighth day.' . . . What, therefore, would be more natural
than the use of such language?
" 'The same day, being the
first day, the disciples were assembled.' 'And after eight
days again.' These expressions agree so perfectly with the
language of Lev. 23:35, 36 that it would seem that they
were selected purposely to connect in our minds type and
antitype. 'On the first day shall be an holy convocation,'
and 'on the eighth clay shall be an holy convocation.' As
certain as this eighth day was one week from the first
day, so also the eighth day of John 20:26 was one week
from the 'first day' of verse 19.... 'After eight days,'
meaning after the arrival of the eighth day, very
naturally fell into use to designate one week. The same
expression is in common use to this day in the German
language. Their regular way of saying in one week from
today is 'Heute ueber acht Tage' —today over eight days.
So the disciples assembled together upon the eve of the
resurrection day and in one week from that time again.
Here starts in the weekly worship of the Christians so
freely spoken of in early history."—The Sabbath.
"After eight days"
compared with the expression "after three days"
shows clearly that this meeting was held one week from the
former. The number of days after Christ's death till the
day on which he was to rise is expressed as follows:
"in three days" (Matt. 26:61; 27:40); "the
third day" (Matt. 16:21; 20:19); and "after
three days" (Mark 8:31). Thus, in their mode of
expression "three days," "the third
day," "after three days," all meant the
same. In the same manner, "in eight days,"
"on the eighth day," and "after eight
days" all refer to the same day, viz., the next
Sunday. Almost all the early Christian writers term the
resurrection day the "eighth day."
Six weeks later, on the day after
the Jewish Sabbath, the whole church was assembled in
meeting. "The number of names together were about one
hundred and twenty" (Acts 1:15). "And when the
day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one
accord in one place" (Acts 2:1). Pentecost fell on
the "morrow after the Sabbath" (Lev. 23:15,16).
This would be Sunday. All commentaries agree on this
point. Even the Adventists admit that the Pentecost of
Acts 2 fell on the fiftieth day after the resurrection of
Christ (Sanctuary, by Smith, page 283). This would be the
first day of the week.
Here, then, we have three clear
meetings of the Christian church upon the Lord's Day, the
first day of the week.
"We next come to a clear case
of the church of God meeting on the first day of the week
for worship, which Adventists themselves admit. 'And we
sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened
bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we
abode seven days. 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' (Acts 20:6, 7). This text is
very valuable in arriving at a knowledge of the day
observed by the apostolic church. It contains both a
negative and a positive testimony. Paul, in company with
seven other brethren, who were his companions in travel
(see verse 4), abode seven days at Troas. Nothing unusual
seems to have occurred on Saturday. If they had any
meeting at all, it was only such as they had daily. Surely
the mention of no meeting on that day is good evidence
that the church attached no special sanctity to the day
nor held any weekly services thereon.
" 'And upon the first day of
the week, when the disciples came together to break bread,
Paul preached unto them.' Reader, does not this prove in
inspired history just what we have seen in the writings
that immediately followed? 'The seventh day is a common
work day, but we keep the first day of the week, the day
upon which Jesus rose, and our life also sprang up.' Such
was the uniform testimony of the early Fathers, and what
little is said in the Word about these secondary elements
of Christianity all agrees in exactly the same thing.
'Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came
together.' 'And on the first day of the week, when we had
gathered together to break bread.'—Rotherham. The
language clearly indicates that their meetings were
regularly held on that day. It does not simply state that
they held a meeting on that day, but fairly intimates that
they were in the habit of doing so. 'When the disciples
came together.' This speaks as though it were a matter of
course that they would assemble on that day. No such
example can be found in the New Testament of the holy
church meeting on Saturday. Nay, they passed it by and met
on the Lord's Day.
"This communion meeting
occurred in A. D. 60. The year before, the same apostle
wrote his first Epistle to the Corinthians, in which he
gave directions respecting their duty on the day as
follows: '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. And when I come, whomsoever
ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to
bring your liberality unto Jerusalem' (1 Cor. 16:1-3). The
subject is 'concerning collections for the saints.' The
word 'collections,' financially speaking, means the
gathering of means together into a treasury, ready to be
disbursed for the designed object. This collection was to
be taken up on the first day of the week, and the object
is clearly stated; namely, 'that there be no gatherings
when I come.' Let us read some other translations.
" 'And concerning the
collection which is for the saints; —as I directed the
congregations of Galatia, so also do you. Every first day
of the week, let each of you lay something by itself,
depositing as he may be prospered, so that when I come
collections may not then be made' (1 Cor. 16:1, 2—
Emphatic Diaglott).
" 'But concerning collections
. . . on the first day of the week, let each one of you
put by itself, treasuring up, whatsoever he may be
prospered with; lest, whensoever I may come, then
collections may be in progress.'—Rotherham."
"James McKnight renders: 'On
the first day of every week, let each of you lay somewhat
by itself, according as he may have prospered, putting it
into the treasury, that when I come there may be then no
collections.'
"The law teachers argue that
this means only that each one should put something in a
treasury at home every first day; but the Word is too
plain to be thus twisted. The following facts prove their
interpretation wrong: Two things were to be done: first,
'lay somewhat by itself'; second, 'putting it into the
treasury,' 'depositing.'
"Now we shall prove that the
church in every city kept one general treasury; and there
is not the slightest hint of every man's keeping a private
treasury at home. The order of the apostle to deposit in
the general chest at the weekly meetings every first day
we find regularly carried out from that time on through
the first centuries.
"Thus says Justin in the
middle of the second century, under the head of 'The
weekly worship of the Christians': 'And on the day called
Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country, gather
together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or
the writings of the prophets are read as long as time
permits. And they who are well to do, and willing, give
what each thinks fit and what is collected is deposited
with the president, who succors the orphans and widows,
and those in want.' Here is the practice of the very same
thing recorded in 1 Cor. 16: 1, 2.
"Says the writer of Ancient
Christianity Exemplified, page 73, 'The custom in these
primitive times seems to have been for everyone, on the
Lord's Day, at the close of public worship, to bring to
the notice of the assembly the case of the poor, the aged,
the widow, or the orphan of whose necessities he has any
knowledge; and forthwith provision was made for such from
the public fund created by their weekly contributions.'
"Tertullian, at the close of
the second century, says, 'What is collected in the public
chest is no dishonorable sum, as if it belonged to a
purchased religion. Every one makes a small contribution
on a certain day or when he chooses; provided only he is
willing and able, for no one is compelled, all is
voluntary.' He further says that upon this general fund
was drawn to feed the poor, etc.
"Many other ancient writers
speak of this collection on the first day for the needy.
This fund was kept in the church, and only at the time of
assembling together were the voluntary collections made by
which it was kept up.
"What reason or object could
there be in requiring everyone to deposit something at
home every first day? Why single out that day? Would not
on any other day do as well? Would it not be better to
leave the day optional, so they could make the deposit
whenever most able to give? Nay, that day was pointed out
as the time to give, because the treasury chest was kept
in the place of public meeting, and being assembled, they
had an opportunity to deposit what they had separated for
that purpose. Remember the subject is 'concerning
collections.' But nothing of that kind could occur if
there were no assembly on that day. Every man putting
something away at home is no collection at all. The
Adventist theory is directly opposite to the apostolic
order. It would require, the first thing after the
apostle's arrival, that collections be made of all the
home deposits. But the system enjoined by the apostle was
to avoid that very thing 'that there be no gatherings when
I come.' 'So that when I come collections may not then be
made.'—Emphatic Diaglott. The collections were to be
made on the first day of the week 'in order that when I
come collections must not first of all be taken.'
—German
"Had this modern theory been
in Paul's mind, he would naturally have explained the
object of laying their benefactions in store at home in
language something like this: 'That when I come
collections of the same may, for the first thing, take
place.' But no, the whole matter of collections was to be
accomplished before his arrival— 'lest whensoever I
come, then collections may be in progress.' He speaks of
only one thing in reference to the matter to be attended
to after his arrival at Corinth. 'But whensoever I may
arrive, whomsoever ye may approve, the same will I send to
bear away your favor unto Jerusalem.'—Rotherham (vs. 3).
"These few instances of the
church's assembling on the first day, with this apostolic
law pointing out a duty to be performed upon 'every first
day,' which could be done only in public meeting, are
sufficient to convince any humble, honest mind of the
Lord's Day, especially since the inspired record furnishes
not one instance of the church's meeting on any other
day."—The Sabbath.
Third. The day of the resurrection,
on which the Christian church regularly met for divine
worship, is termed in Scripture "the Lord's Day"
(Rev. 1:10).
Fourth. The uniform testimony of
the early Christian writers that lived immediately after
the death of the apostles and during the first centuries
of the Christian era is that the church universally
regarded Sunday as a memorial day of the resurrection, and
held their weekly meetings on that day, calling it
"the Lord's Day."
Fifth. The first day of the week is
preeminently the great memorial day of the gospel because
of what occurred on it. In the new dispensation, under the
gospel, what is there in the events of the seventh day to
inspire the Christian or to make it a memorial day?
Nothing. Jesus was in the grave.
1. "On S u n d a y Jesus rose
from the dead (Mark 16:9).
2. "On this day he first
appeared to his disciples.
3. "On this day he met them at
different places and repeatedly (Mark 16:9 11; Matt.
28:8-10; Luke 24: 34, Mark 16: 12, 13; John 20: 19-23) .
4. "On this day Jesus blessed
them (John 20:19)."
5. "Here he first commissioned
them to preach the gospel to all the world (John 20:21;
with Mark 16:9-15).
6. "Here he gave the apostles
authority to legislate for and guide the church (John
20:23).
7. "Peter says God 'hath
begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead' (1 Pet. 1:3).
8. "Here this day became the
day of joy and rejoicing to the disciples. 'Then were the
disciples glad when they saw the Lord' (John 20:20).
'While they yet believed not for joy' (Luke 24:41).
9. "On that day the gospel of
a risen Christ was first preached, saying: 'The Lord is
risen indeed' (Luke 24:34).
10. "On that Sunday Jesus
himself set the example of preaching the gospel of his
resurrection by explaining all the scriptures on that
subject and by opening the minds of the disciples to
understand it (Luke 24:27, 45)."
11. On that day the early church
were assembled in meeting, and Jesus met with them, and
said, "Peace be unto you" (Luke 24: 33-36).
12. On Sunday the Holy Ghost was
poured out upon the infant church, and it was fully
organized and set in working order (Acts 2).
13. On that day three thousand
souls were added to the number of believers—"a
nation was born in one day."
14. Finally, on this day the
purchase of our redemption was completed.
"With all these thrilling
events of g o s p e 1 facts crowded into that one
resurrection day, making it memorable above all days in
the history of the world, how could it but become the
great day in the memory of the church? The facts of that
one day became the theme of the church ever since. The
great battle between the apostles and the unbelieving Jews
was concerning the events of that day; did Jesus rise, or
did he not? The Jews gave 'large money' to disprove it
(Matt. 28:12), while the apostles built the church and
staked their lives upon it. Thus in God's own providence,
the Jewish Sabbath was thrown into the shade, while all
the hopes and thoughts and arguments and songs of the new
church were necessarily turned to another day, the
resurrection day.
"Memorial day, one that should
stir the heart of every Christian and move sinners to
repentance, as indeed it has done every week from that day
on. 'The Lord's Day,' how appropriate the title for that
grand day on which our Lord triumphed over all and laid
deep and secure the foundation of the Christian church!
Most appropriately, then. has it become the one memorial
day of the gospel, the day of gladness and
rejoicing."— Seventh day Adventism Renounced.
Sixth. The testimony of lexicons,
cyclopedias, and commentaries is uniform in applying the
Lord's Day to Sunday.
"The Lord's Day.
The first day of the week."— Dr. Clarke (on Rev.
1:10).
"The Lord's Day . . .
the first day of the week." —Eclectic Commentary
(on Rev. 1:10).
"Lord's Day, namely, the
first day of the week."— Burkett's Notes (on the N.
T.)
"The Lord's Day. The
first day of the week, commemorating the Lord's
resurrection." — Family Bible (Notes on Rev. 1:10).
"On the Lord's Day, which can
be meant of no other than the day on which the Lord Jesus
arose from the dead, even the first day of the
week."—Scott (on Rev. 1:10).
Dr. Barnes testifies the same.
"Sunday, the first day of the
week; . . . the Lord's Day."—Webster.
"Lord's Day. The first
day of the week, or Sunday, of every age of the
church."—Smiths Dictionary of the Bible.
"It is called the Lord's
Day."—Buck's Theological Dictionary.
"Lord's day, a name for
the first day of the week, derived from Rev.
1:10."—Johnson's New Universal Cyclopedia.
The same will be found in
Greenfield's, Robison's, Liddel & Scott's, Parkhurst's,
Bagster's, and all other lexicons. There is reason why all
these learned men who have thoroughly investigated the
matter agree that Sunday is the Lord's Day. The testimony
of truth and that of the early church is overwhelming on
this point.
Many other sound reasons could be
given why Christians keep the Lord's Day as a memorial
day, but we deem the six foregoing reasons a sufficient
apology for our regard for the resurrection day.
