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.