In Defense of the Faith

Canright Examines First-Day Texts

“Let us examine every text in which the first day of the week is mentioned in the New Testament, and we shall thus learn all the Lord has said about it. There are but eight texts. Here is the first: ‘In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher.’ Matthew 28:1. This is all that Matthew says about it. He relates that the angel opened the tomb; that the women saw him, ran to tell the apostles, and met Jesus on the way; but not a hint is given ‘that there is to be any change of the Sabbath, not a word is said about keeping the first day in honor of the resurrection. Think of this. DOF 131.2

“Next, Mark mentions the first day twice. ‘And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun.’ ‘Now when Jesus was risen,early the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene.’ Chap. 16:2, 9. This is all the mention he makes of the day. Here, again, there is a profound silence as to any change of the Sabbath or any sacredness for the first day. There is not the slightest intimation of any such thing. Read the whole chapter and see for yourself. DOF 131.3

“Luke mentions the first day only once. ‘Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, ‘they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.’ Chap. 24:1. What does this say about the change of the Sabbath? Nothing. They had kept the Sabbath according to the commandment the day before. Chap. 23:56. What intimation is there here that the first day then became a holy day? The candid reader will admit that there is not the slightest reference to such a thing. Yet these are the texts always relied upon by Sunday keepers to sustain their position. Luke does state that two of the disciples went that day seven and a half miles, on foot, to Emmaus. Verse 13. What were they going there for? The circumstances indicate that they resided there, and they were going home. Jesus walked with them and made Himself known to them. Verses 15-31. Then they went back to Jerusalem to tell the others. Fifteen miles they walked that day.... Mark 16:12, 13. While they were eating supper, and doubting and disputing about the resurrection, Jesus came in and upbraided them for their unbelief.... Luke 24:38-43. Certainly, then, they were not keeping that day to commemorate an event in which they did not yet believe! ... DOF 131.4

“John mentions the first day twice, stating substantially the same facts as the others. ‘The first day of the week comes Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and sees the stone taken away from the sepulcher.’ Chap. 20:1. She ran and told Peter and John. Then they went to see if it was so. Later, Jesus appeared to Mary, and sent her to tell the others. Verses 11-18. ‘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 says unto them, Peace be unto you.’ Verse 19. This is all that John says of the first day. Reader, how much do you find here about the change of the Sabbath? Like the others, John is silent upon this subject. He makes no reference to it; he simply states the events that occurred at the resurrection of Jesus. There he leaves it. DOF 132.1

“But were not the apostles assembled together when Jesus met them? Yes, at their own home, eating supper. John 20:10; Mark 16:14. (See Acts 1:13) And, where else should they be? So there is no evidence here of any religious meeting held on that day. DOF 132.2

“John mentions the first day twice, but does not call it the Sabbath, the Lord’s day, nor by any other stated title. He says nothing about the disciples’ keeping it, nor does he record any intimation from the Lord that they should keep it. There is not even an inference to that effect in the four Gospels, and the whole argument in favor of it is pure assumption. DOF 133.1

“Another Sunday meeting is claimed from verse 26: ‘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.’ This did not occur on Sunday, but as late as Monday evening. Verse 19. After eight days is not on the eighth day.... DOF 133.2

“But suppose it had been the first day of the week; that does not prove that it was the Sabbath, nor that there was any sacredness to the day. The disciples were not even holding a meeting. They were ‘within,’ that is, at home. Verse 10, ‘Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.’ This is where they were when the event occurred which is ‘recorded in verse 26. (See Acts 1:13.) Jesus came because Thomas was there; but there is not a word, or even a hint, that the day was sacred. DOF 133.3

“The next time Jesus met them was on a fishing day. John 21:16. They all went fishing, and toiled all night, but caught nothing. In the morning Jesus stood on the shore, and told them where to cast the net to get a good draught. Was this on Sunday? Then it is a working day. DOF 133.4

“If it were not on Sunday, then Jesus met them on any day, just as it happened. So we see from Acts 1:1-4 that His farewell meeting with them was on Thursday. It was on the fortieth day after His resurrection. Verse 3. By a moment’s reckoning it will be seen that it fell on Thursday, as all agree. Thursday is ascension day the world over. So the aim that Jesus always met with His disciples on the first day of the week is utterly false. As we have seen, the day of His resurrection was one of the greatest confusion among His disciples; the next time He met them was on Monday evening, the next time was on a fishing day, and the last was on Thursday. So much for the example of Christ in favor of Sunday keeping.... DOF 133.5

“Next, Acts 20:7-11 is supposed to furnish some little proof for first-day observance. ‘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. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.’ Then a young man fell from a window, and being taken up dead, was restored to life by Paul. And when he ‘had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.’ We notice these facts: 1. The first day is not called the Sabbath, Lord’s day, or by any other sacred title. 2. This is the only religious meeting upon the first day of the week of which we have any record in the New Testament. This is remarkable, if that were the common day of meeting. But we have a record of eighty-four Sabbaths which Paul kept, and on which he preached. (See Acts 13:14, 44; 16:13; 17:2; 18:14, ll.) 3. Nothing is said about its being their custom to meet on that day. 4. There is no record that they ever met on that day before this occasion or afterward. 5. But what settles the whole matter is the simple fact that it was only an evening meeting. When they assembled, Paul began to preach to them, and ‘continued his speech till midnight.’ After breaking bread, he again talked till break of day,’ and then went on his journey. Evening meetings are frequently held, on all days of the week. No one thinks of calling a day holy for this reason. So in the above case this meeting does not furnish the slightest evidence that Sunday was a holy day. Moreover, this was not an ordinary meeting, but a very uncommon one. It was Paul’s farewell meeting (verse 25); hence it lasted all night. A dead man was raised. It was for these reasons that it was mentioned, and not because of any sacredness belonging to the day. Then there is not an article of evidence here for Sunday observance.’ DOF 134.1

“Only one more text mentions the first day; viz., 1 Corinthians 16:2: ‘Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God bath prospered him, that there he no gatherings when I come.’ From this a public meeting for Sabbath worship on the first day is inferred. But what is said here about keeping that day as the Sabbath, or even holding meetings on that day? Not an intimation of such a thing is given. Paul does not say that when they came together for meetings they should bring their gifts, nor that they should put them into the public collection box, nor anything of that nature. ‘Let every one of you lay by him in store,’ is the direction; that is, at home, by himself. The original Greek term means by himself, at home, as the best critics say on this passage. DOF 135.1

“Now, reader, you have before you all the texts in the New Testament that mention the first day of the week in any manner. You must see that they do not intimate that the ay has any sacredness, or that there is an example for keeping, or any commandment that any one should observe it. The Lord’s day’ of Revelation 1:10 is the seventh day, as may be seen by Exodus 20:8-11; Isaiah 58:13; Mark 2:28.”—D. M. Canright, Sunday Not the Sabbath, pp. 1-8. DOF 135.2

That is well done, Mr. Canright. Now we will give you an opportunity to answer another one of your Sabbath objections. In his book under review Mr. Canright the Baptist declares: DOF 135.3

“That the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) fell on Sunday has been believed and maintained by Christians in all ages.”—Seventh-day Adventism Renounced, p. 200. DOF 135.4

But just a few years before, he had completely exploded this theory in a leaflet entitled Sunday Not the Sabbath, from which we quote the following: DOF 135.5

“A desperate endeavor is made to find evidence for Sunday keeping from the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14); but there is not the remotest hint of it here. ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind.’ Verses 1, 2. Then the Holy Spirit rested upon them. But what has that to do with Sunday keeping? Sunday observance is not mentioned, nor even referred to. It is not stated what day of the week it was, as that was a matter of no importance. DOF 135.6

“It was the Pentecost which was to be signalized, and not the day of the week. The very best scholars, even among the observers of Sunday, admit that Pentecost fell that year upon the Sabbath, or Saturday. Professor Hackett says, ‘It is generally supposed that this Pentecost, signalized by the outpouring of the Spirit, fell on the Jewish Sabbath, or Saturday.’ Comment on original text. DOF 136.1

“Shausen says, ‘The fiftieth fell; therefore, it appears, upon Saturday.’ DOF 136.2

“Dean Alford, in his ‘New Testament for English Readers,’ remarks, ‘It is probable, however, that it was on the Sabbath, i.e., if we reckon from Saturday, the 16th of Nisan.’ If the day of the week on which that Pentecost fell was to be observed, we should at least expect that we should be informed which day it was. But we are not.” Pages 5, 6. DOF 136.3

In the last analysis Seventh-day Adventists are not really concerned at all as to whether Pentecost came on Sabbath, Sunday, or some other day of the week, for they have never rested their case on so uncertain and vague a basis as the supposed relationship of the Sabbath to various ceremonial festivals of the Jews, such as Pentecost. Seventh-day Adventists build their claim for the sacredness of the Sabbath in the Christian Era on the firm foundation of a clear-cut. “Thus says the Lord,” found in the fourth precept of the divinely given Ten Commandments, which commandments virtually all the Christian world confesses to be the moral code for all time and all ages. It is interesting to note, however, that opponents such as Mr. Canright attempt to make a, last stand on the claim that Pentecost came on Sunday, but even among Sunday keeping theologians themselves there is no agreement that Pentecost came on Sunday. This is a strange plight indeed for the advocates of Sunday! DOF 136.4

In renouncing Seventh-day Adventism, Mr. Canright argues that Sunday should be kept as a memorial of Christ’s resurrection, saying: DOF 137.1

“It is the grandest and best-known fact in all the earth today, that the Christian church has a memorial day, the day of the Lord’s resurrection.”—Seventh-day Adventism Renounced, p. 196. DOF 137.2

To which argument he himself had formerly replied as follows: DOF 137.3

“Should we not, then, celebrate the resurrection of Christ? Yes, but the Lord never told us to keep Sunday for that, purpose. God has given us baptism, burial in water, as the fitting memorial of this. ‘Therefore we are buried with Him,by baptism.’ Romans 6:4. We are buried in the water just as ‘Jesus was in the earth. Then we are raised up out of the Water, also in the likeness of His resurrection.’ Verse 5. Again, ‘Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with Him.’ Colossians 2:12. Baptism, then, is the divinely pointed memorial of the burial and resurrection of Jesus. It is appropriate. To be buried in the water and raised out of it, resembles the burial and resurrection of Christ, which commemorates.”—Sunday Not the Sabbath, p. 8. DOF 137.4