When ever we have truth, there are those who like to take and twist it just enough so that it still seems believable and therefore truth as well. We know that there is only ONE true among MANY counterfeits. The counterfeits that come closest to appearing true are the ones that are believed. We must not be deceived by ANY counterfeits but seek to believe only the TRUTH.
We are going to continue on with lessons from the Bible Study Guide put out by the Late Elder William Grotheer. He was a Biblical scholar on the scale I don't even register on. He always voiced His desire for people to STUDY for THEMSELVES. He never told anyone to believe him and what he said but rather study and come to the truth on their own. He wanted people to think for themselves. Never claiming perfection, for who among us is perfect, he ultimately had an amazing mind for Biblical study that I haven't found elsewhere.
We know that the closer we are to Christ the harder Satan will work to exploit our every weakness so that we fall away from Christ. All of us can only go to Christ and beg His forgiveness when we fail. Do our failings erase all the truth from us? Are only the perfect (who don't really exist) allowed to claim to know and teach truth? If that were the case than not a single Apostle could have preached the truth. Paul, himself, claimed to be nothing more than a wretched man, and yet he preached the truth. Do you suppose that those who looked only at Paul's sins, his shortcomings, and decided he no longer had any truth to give because of them, were in the right? We are but sinners claiming no righteousness of our own, but begging for forgiveness and laying hold of Christ's righteousness.
May we NEVER let anything keep us from studying the Bible and coming to the truth as the Holy Spirit guides us! May we never shut our minds to truth, but take all theories that come our way and hold them up to the only standard that exists, God's Holy Word. When they fail that test, discard them. Never discard truth because of the imperfection of the truth giver.
With that all said, let us take this study and dig into our Bibles for the knowledge God would have us possess. His truth and ONLY His truth by the grace and mercy of our Lord!
*******
Lesson #5 -- THE FIRST DAY TEXTS IN THE BIBLE
Introduction - In our previous study, we noted the doctrine of the Sabbath, and by following the Bible method for understanding doctrine - "line upon line and precept upon precept" - we brought together the outstanding verses in the Bible on that subject. Now in all fairness, because so many people observe the first day of the week in honor of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, making it a Sabbath for worship, we need to note all the verses in the Bible which mention the first day of the week. As we study these verses, we should ask ourselves a question. Do these texts give me a command to observe the first day of the week in place of the seventh day?
Genesis 1:5 -- And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Note - This is the only verse in the entire Old Testament which mentions the first day of the week. It is referring to the first day of Creation on which God brought into existence the mass of the earth, and set it in motion, thus along with the creation of light, established day and night.
Section #2 -- THE FIRST DAY IN THE GOSPELS
Note - In the New Testament, there are eight references to the first day of the week, six of which are to be found in the Gospels and apply to the same first day, namely, the day on which Christ arose from the dead. Let us examine these.
Mark 16:1-2 -- And when the Sabbath was past ... very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came to the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
Note - This text merely tells us that when the women came to the sepulchre on the first day of the week to anoint Jesus' body, the Sabbath was past.
Mark 16:9 -- Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week.
Matthew 28:1 -- In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week.
Note - This is merely stating the same thing we found in Mark 16. Jesus arose on the first day of the week, and certain women came after the Sabbath to the tomb in the early hours of Sunday morning. Weymouth translates this verse thus - 'After the Sabbath, in the early dawn of the first day of the week."
Luke 24:1 -- Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the sepulchre.
Note - We noted this verse carefully in our previous lesson, and found that it was one of a series which outlines the days connected with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the previous chapter, it is clearly stated that the day before the first day is "the Sabbath day according to the commandment." (Luke 23:56) In this verse, there is no intimation that the command had been changed.
p 21 -- John 20:1 -- The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdaline early unto the sepulcher.
Note - This verse says nothing more than the other verses noting the activities of Christ's followers on the resurrection morning.
John 20:19 -- Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, ... the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus ... and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Note - This is the first appearance of Jesus to His disciples- as a group after His resurrection. Mary had seen Him. (John 20:11-18) He had appeared to two disciples as they walked home to Emmaus. (Luke 24:13-32) It appears that Simon Peter also saw Him. (Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5). However, all of this testimony had not convinced the group that Jesus had indeed risen. Thus their gathering together was not to celebrate the resurrection, but "for fear of the Jews." Jesus' appearance was to quiet their fears and to convict their hearts. (Mark 16:12-14) The time of this meeting would correspond to our Sunday night. This is the last text in the Gospels which mentions the first day of the week.
Section #3 -- PAUL AND THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK
Acts 20:7 -- 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 till mid-night.
Note - This is the only recorded religious service in the New Testament to be held on the first day of the week. It was a night meeting, corresponding to our Saturday night. (Bible reckoning of time places the first day of the week from sundown Saturday till sundown Sunday.) A careful study of the context of this verse reveals some very interesting facts:
(1) Paul was on his way to Jerusalem. (verse 16) He stayed in Troas seven days. (Verse 6)
(2) The group of men Paul had with him left by boat that night for Assos, and planned to pick Paul up the next day. (Verse 13)
(3) Paul's service was interrupted, by the accident of Eutychus, who, because of Paul's long preaching, had fallen asleep while sitting in a window. (Verse 9)
(4) After this incident, Paul broke bread with them, and preached till the break of day. (Verse 11)
These verses are merely recording a farewell meeting Paul had with the believers at Troas. However, it is also an incident of humor found in the Bible. You will observe that prior to this recorded experience, the narrative is in the first Person plural - "we" - and resumes with verse 13. The experience itself is told in the third person - "Paul." Naturally as Paul again joins his traveling companions, they ask him about the meeting the night before. He told them about the traumatic experience with Eutychus. But they asked Paul as to why this should have happened. He had to confess it was because he was a long-winded preacher. No doubt on other occasions they had chided him about going "over-time." Luke could not pass up this opportunity of telling about it.
I Corinthians 16:2 -- 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.
Note - Paul had placed a burden upon the individual members of the churches to have an offering ready for the poor believers in Jerusalem (I Cor. 16:1, 3) This verse is not a command for a collection to be received at a church service, but asking that each one from his own funds, set aside a gift each week, and let it accumulate at home, so that the sum might be placed in the hands of representatives when Paul would come by on his way to Jerusalem. Two other translations of this verse will aid in our understanding of it.
Weymouth reads: - "On the first day of the week, let each of you put up and keep any profit he may have made: so that there may be no collections made after I come." Lamsa, basing his translation on the Eastern Text, renders the verse thus - "Upon the first day of the week, let each of you put aside and keep in his house whatever he can afford, so that there may be no collections when I come."
Section #4 -- ANOTHER TEXT
Note - With I Cor. 16:2. we have surveyed all the verses in the entire Bible which mention the first day of the week. In none of them do we find an express command authorizing the observance of the first day in honor of the resurrection of Jesus: nor do we find the least suggestion that the first day was to replace the Sabbath of the Law of God as given at Mt. Sinai. There is, however, another text which is sometimes used to suggest this idea. We shall note it also.
Revelation 1:10 -- I was in the spirit on the Lord's day.
Note - Which day is the Lord's day? Using the analogy of Scripture - the comparing of spiritual things with spiritual - we can find our answer in Mark 2:28, where Jesus declared - "Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." So instead of this verse applying to the first day of the week, it in reality refers to the Sabbath as the true Lord's day.
Section #5 -- HOW DID SUNDAY WORSHIP BEGIN?
Acts 20:29-30 -- For I know this, that after my departing ... of your own-selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things.
Note - Paul states that after his death, men would arise in the Church itself speaking perverse, that is,. erroneous things, which would be contrary to what he himself had taught. This is what has occurred. The Roman Catholic church, professing to be the true successor to the apostles, has altered the day of worship, and boasts about it. (See Insert - next page.)
Matthew 15:9 -- In vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Note - We love Jesus because He has done so much for us. Because of this, we do not desire to offer before Him a vain worship. But He stated plainly that if our worship is according to the doctrines of men, it is vain worship. Thus we are presented with a choice of worship, that which is of men, or that which is in spirit and in truth, according to the Word of God. We must keep in mind that God cannot accept from us worship contrary to His word, any more than He would accept the worship of Cain.
(Webmaster Note: See also Hebrews chapter 4 - Here Paul is talking specifically about the Sabbath; note especially verse 8-11. Also see Facts of Faith, by C. Edwardson)
(Webmaster note: Interesting to note in this letter is the date of 1905 and the amount offered ($1,000). In today's money that would maybe be close to $1 Million offered by a Catholic Priest for Protestants to prove from the Bible only where they are obligated to God to keep Sunday holy, which Father Enright here shows is a sign of the Roman Catholic's power to think to alter God's law. As he states, he offered this amount over and over again, and nobody stepped forward to prove it.)
*******
Truth.
By the grace of God we learn truth.
No where in our Bible, no where in God's Holy Word is the command to keep the first day of the week holy. God did NOT sanctify the first day. God did NOT make the first day holy. God did not go on and on about Jesus' resurrection warranting a change in the Sabbath day of rest, a day that will always and forever point to CREATION, and as such REDEMPTION. There need be NO change to comprehend that our Savior was there during Creation, all things were created by Him. Knowing this, we have to comprehend that our Savior who was there in Creation, our Savior who was there as the Ten Moral Laws were written in stone by the finger of God, would NOT alter one of those commandments without making it very, very clear. It would have been well known. There would have been volumes written upon this so that it was perfectly clear to us, not hidden in the shadows, not left to speculation, God does NOT work that way.
We must comprehend the importance of all of this! We must! Our Savior tells us if we love Him we will keep His commandments. People want to say He changed the commandments because He stressed loving God and loving our fellow man, they're wrong. He didn't change ONE jot (dot of an i) or one tittle (the cross of a t).
Mat_5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Jesus' words!
More tomorrow on all this, by the GRACE of our LORD, our SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST!
All in HIS LOVE!
We are going to continue on with lessons from the Bible Study Guide put out by the Late Elder William Grotheer. He was a Biblical scholar on the scale I don't even register on. He always voiced His desire for people to STUDY for THEMSELVES. He never told anyone to believe him and what he said but rather study and come to the truth on their own. He wanted people to think for themselves. Never claiming perfection, for who among us is perfect, he ultimately had an amazing mind for Biblical study that I haven't found elsewhere.
We know that the closer we are to Christ the harder Satan will work to exploit our every weakness so that we fall away from Christ. All of us can only go to Christ and beg His forgiveness when we fail. Do our failings erase all the truth from us? Are only the perfect (who don't really exist) allowed to claim to know and teach truth? If that were the case than not a single Apostle could have preached the truth. Paul, himself, claimed to be nothing more than a wretched man, and yet he preached the truth. Do you suppose that those who looked only at Paul's sins, his shortcomings, and decided he no longer had any truth to give because of them, were in the right? We are but sinners claiming no righteousness of our own, but begging for forgiveness and laying hold of Christ's righteousness.
May we NEVER let anything keep us from studying the Bible and coming to the truth as the Holy Spirit guides us! May we never shut our minds to truth, but take all theories that come our way and hold them up to the only standard that exists, God's Holy Word. When they fail that test, discard them. Never discard truth because of the imperfection of the truth giver.
With that all said, let us take this study and dig into our Bibles for the knowledge God would have us possess. His truth and ONLY His truth by the grace and mercy of our Lord!
*******
Lesson #5 -- THE FIRST DAY TEXTS IN THE BIBLE
Introduction - In our previous study, we noted the doctrine of the Sabbath, and by following the Bible method for understanding doctrine - "line upon line and precept upon precept" - we brought together the outstanding verses in the Bible on that subject. Now in all fairness, because so many people observe the first day of the week in honor of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, making it a Sabbath for worship, we need to note all the verses in the Bible which mention the first day of the week. As we study these verses, we should ask ourselves a question. Do these texts give me a command to observe the first day of the week in place of the seventh day?
Genesis 1:5 -- And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Note - This is the only verse in the entire Old Testament which mentions the first day of the week. It is referring to the first day of Creation on which God brought into existence the mass of the earth, and set it in motion, thus along with the creation of light, established day and night.
Section #2 -- THE FIRST DAY IN THE GOSPELS
Note - In the New Testament, there are eight references to the first day of the week, six of which are to be found in the Gospels and apply to the same first day, namely, the day on which Christ arose from the dead. Let us examine these.
Mark 16:1-2 -- And when the Sabbath was past ... very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came to the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
Note - This text merely tells us that when the women came to the sepulchre on the first day of the week to anoint Jesus' body, the Sabbath was past.
Mark 16:9 -- Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week.
Matthew 28:1 -- In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week.
Note - This is merely stating the same thing we found in Mark 16. Jesus arose on the first day of the week, and certain women came after the Sabbath to the tomb in the early hours of Sunday morning. Weymouth translates this verse thus - 'After the Sabbath, in the early dawn of the first day of the week."
Luke 24:1 -- Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the sepulchre.
Note - We noted this verse carefully in our previous lesson, and found that it was one of a series which outlines the days connected with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the previous chapter, it is clearly stated that the day before the first day is "the Sabbath day according to the commandment." (Luke 23:56) In this verse, there is no intimation that the command had been changed.
p 21 -- John 20:1 -- The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdaline early unto the sepulcher.
Note - This verse says nothing more than the other verses noting the activities of Christ's followers on the resurrection morning.
John 20:19 -- Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, ... the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus ... and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Note - This is the first appearance of Jesus to His disciples- as a group after His resurrection. Mary had seen Him. (John 20:11-18) He had appeared to two disciples as they walked home to Emmaus. (Luke 24:13-32) It appears that Simon Peter also saw Him. (Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5). However, all of this testimony had not convinced the group that Jesus had indeed risen. Thus their gathering together was not to celebrate the resurrection, but "for fear of the Jews." Jesus' appearance was to quiet their fears and to convict their hearts. (Mark 16:12-14) The time of this meeting would correspond to our Sunday night. This is the last text in the Gospels which mentions the first day of the week.
Section #3 -- PAUL AND THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK
Acts 20:7 -- 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 till mid-night.
Note - This is the only recorded religious service in the New Testament to be held on the first day of the week. It was a night meeting, corresponding to our Saturday night. (Bible reckoning of time places the first day of the week from sundown Saturday till sundown Sunday.) A careful study of the context of this verse reveals some very interesting facts:
(1) Paul was on his way to Jerusalem. (verse 16) He stayed in Troas seven days. (Verse 6)
(2) The group of men Paul had with him left by boat that night for Assos, and planned to pick Paul up the next day. (Verse 13)
(3) Paul's service was interrupted, by the accident of Eutychus, who, because of Paul's long preaching, had fallen asleep while sitting in a window. (Verse 9)
(4) After this incident, Paul broke bread with them, and preached till the break of day. (Verse 11)
These verses are merely recording a farewell meeting Paul had with the believers at Troas. However, it is also an incident of humor found in the Bible. You will observe that prior to this recorded experience, the narrative is in the first Person plural - "we" - and resumes with verse 13. The experience itself is told in the third person - "Paul." Naturally as Paul again joins his traveling companions, they ask him about the meeting the night before. He told them about the traumatic experience with Eutychus. But they asked Paul as to why this should have happened. He had to confess it was because he was a long-winded preacher. No doubt on other occasions they had chided him about going "over-time." Luke could not pass up this opportunity of telling about it.
I Corinthians 16:2 -- 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.
Note - Paul had placed a burden upon the individual members of the churches to have an offering ready for the poor believers in Jerusalem (I Cor. 16:1, 3) This verse is not a command for a collection to be received at a church service, but asking that each one from his own funds, set aside a gift each week, and let it accumulate at home, so that the sum might be placed in the hands of representatives when Paul would come by on his way to Jerusalem. Two other translations of this verse will aid in our understanding of it.
Weymouth reads: - "On the first day of the week, let each of you put up and keep any profit he may have made: so that there may be no collections made after I come." Lamsa, basing his translation on the Eastern Text, renders the verse thus - "Upon the first day of the week, let each of you put aside and keep in his house whatever he can afford, so that there may be no collections when I come."
Section #4 -- ANOTHER TEXT
Note - With I Cor. 16:2. we have surveyed all the verses in the entire Bible which mention the first day of the week. In none of them do we find an express command authorizing the observance of the first day in honor of the resurrection of Jesus: nor do we find the least suggestion that the first day was to replace the Sabbath of the Law of God as given at Mt. Sinai. There is, however, another text which is sometimes used to suggest this idea. We shall note it also.
Revelation 1:10 -- I was in the spirit on the Lord's day.
Note - Which day is the Lord's day? Using the analogy of Scripture - the comparing of spiritual things with spiritual - we can find our answer in Mark 2:28, where Jesus declared - "Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." So instead of this verse applying to the first day of the week, it in reality refers to the Sabbath as the true Lord's day.
Section #5 -- HOW DID SUNDAY WORSHIP BEGIN?
Acts 20:29-30 -- For I know this, that after my departing ... of your own-selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things.
Note - Paul states that after his death, men would arise in the Church itself speaking perverse, that is,. erroneous things, which would be contrary to what he himself had taught. This is what has occurred. The Roman Catholic church, professing to be the true successor to the apostles, has altered the day of worship, and boasts about it. (See Insert - next page.)
Matthew 15:9 -- In vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Note - We love Jesus because He has done so much for us. Because of this, we do not desire to offer before Him a vain worship. But He stated plainly that if our worship is according to the doctrines of men, it is vain worship. Thus we are presented with a choice of worship, that which is of men, or that which is in spirit and in truth, according to the Word of God. We must keep in mind that God cannot accept from us worship contrary to His word, any more than He would accept the worship of Cain.
(Webmaster Note: See also Hebrews chapter 4 - Here Paul is talking specifically about the Sabbath; note especially verse 8-11. Also see Facts of Faith, by C. Edwardson)
(Webmaster note: Interesting to note in this letter is the date of 1905 and the amount offered ($1,000). In today's money that would maybe be close to $1 Million offered by a Catholic Priest for Protestants to prove from the Bible only where they are obligated to God to keep Sunday holy, which Father Enright here shows is a sign of the Roman Catholic's power to think to alter God's law. As he states, he offered this amount over and over again, and nobody stepped forward to prove it.)
*******
Truth.
By the grace of God we learn truth.
No where in our Bible, no where in God's Holy Word is the command to keep the first day of the week holy. God did NOT sanctify the first day. God did NOT make the first day holy. God did not go on and on about Jesus' resurrection warranting a change in the Sabbath day of rest, a day that will always and forever point to CREATION, and as such REDEMPTION. There need be NO change to comprehend that our Savior was there during Creation, all things were created by Him. Knowing this, we have to comprehend that our Savior who was there in Creation, our Savior who was there as the Ten Moral Laws were written in stone by the finger of God, would NOT alter one of those commandments without making it very, very clear. It would have been well known. There would have been volumes written upon this so that it was perfectly clear to us, not hidden in the shadows, not left to speculation, God does NOT work that way.
We must comprehend the importance of all of this! We must! Our Savior tells us if we love Him we will keep His commandments. People want to say He changed the commandments because He stressed loving God and loving our fellow man, they're wrong. He didn't change ONE jot (dot of an i) or one tittle (the cross of a t).
Mat_5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Jesus' words!
More tomorrow on all this, by the GRACE of our LORD, our SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST!
All in HIS LOVE!
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