STATESMAN’S REPLY.
ARTICLE SIX
TESTIMONY OF PAUL AND JOHN TO THE FIRST-DAY SABBATH.
Two important portions of the inspired records remain to be considered. The first of these reads 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.” (1 Cor. 16:1, 2.)
From this passage it is clear that the churches of Galatia, as well as the church at Corinth, or that Christians generally, were required to set apart a proportion of their worldly goods, as God prospered them, for benevolent purposes. It is also clear that the act of setting apart the required proportion of means was to be performed statedly, every week, on the first day of the week.
Whatever may be the correct interpretation of the words, “lay by him in store,” enough is beyond all doubt and agreed upon by all, to show that the first day of the week was regarded by the apostle and the Christian churches as a special day, and one more fitting than others for the benevolent and religious duty enjoined.
The phrase rendered in our version “by him,” is unquestionably an idiomatic Greek expression for “at home.” (Compare Luke 24:12, and John 20:10.) And even if we understand this phrase to be connected with the word rendered, “in store,” which is a participle signifying “treasure up,” the proof of first-day sacred observance is still clear and strong. But the true connection of the words, “at home,” is with what precedes. “Let every one place or devote at home.” Place what? The answer is not hard to find—a proportion of the weekly earnings; a suitable part of what God in his bounty had given. When this proportion was separated by each Christian at home, from the rest of his weekly earnings, it was to be treasured up. But where? This is the important question. Where was the money each Christian set apart at home on the first day of the week, from his weekly receipts, to be kept in store? It appears that this treasuring up was not at each Christian’s home:
1. Because the phrase, “at home,” grammatically connects, not with the word “treasuring,” but with the preceding verb. This verb does not mean “lay by,” but “lay,” or “place.” The preposition rendered “by” is part of the phrase, “at home.” If it is insisted that the idea of treasuring in store is in the word rendered “lay,” then we have this tautology: “Let every one place in store or lay by at home, placing in store.” Paul did not write in this way.
2. The first day of the week must have offered a special facility for doing what was required. True, if nothing more is meant than laying by at home, even that marks the first day with distinguishing honor. But the placing or putting of God’s portion by itself; separated from the remainder of the receipts of the past week, on each first-day, in each Christian’s home, was in order to something else, for which the first day alone gave opportunity. On that day, as we have learned from Acts 20:7, and other portions of Scripture, Christians were accustomed to meet for public religious services, and at these public gatherings, each Christian put into the treasury of the church what he had set apart at home from the rest of the gains of the week.
3. The most conclusive argument, however, is drawn from the end that Paul desired to accomplish. He states expressly that his aim in giving his directions was to avoid the necessity of gatherings or collections when he should come. The force of this consideration is evaded by explaining the apostle’s words as meaning “small collections.” But if every Christian had his money laid by at home, whether it were much or little, the “collections” would still have to be made. Each Christian, it is true, would have his sum already made up, and would need to make no personal gathering. But the apostle’s word is much more naturally and fittingly applied to collections on a larger and wider scale. And to effect the apostle’s end, and avoid such collections at his coming, the Corinthians, like the Galatians, were to make a collection every Lord’s day, of what each one at home had set apart or placed aside from the proceeds of his business during the preceding week. In no other way would the moneys needed be in perfect readiness for the apostle. If left in the hands of individuals scattered around, there would be uncertainty about the apostle’s receipt of them, and there would still be trouble in connection with collections on his arrival. But with the moneys already gathered, at the regular weekly meetings, into the common treasury of the church, and there waiting his coming, his aim is satisfactorily accomplished.
The only remaining passage is Rev. 1:10: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.” It has been admitted by opponents of the first-day Sabbath, that if, by the Lord’s day in this passage, the first day of the week is meant, their cause is lost. And lost it is; for no other day can be meant. Three interpretations have been given of John’s words:—
1. By the Lord’s day is meant the day of Judgment. Wetstein, in his elaborate edition of the Greek New Testament, in the year 1752, first advanced this view. His comment is; “Hunc diem judicii vidit in spiritu; i. e., prævidit representatum.” “John saw in Spirit the day of Judgment; that is, he foresaw it represented.” The phrase, “the day of the Lord,” does mean in the Scriptures the day of Judgment. But that phrase is different from the one here employed. The literal rendering of the former is, “the day of the Lord.” The literal rendering of the other is, “the dominical day.” This was not a day foreseen, but a day on which John was in the Spirit—a day of weekly recurrence which the Lord claims as his own, as he claims the dominical supper.