The Constitutional Amendment: or, The Sunday, the Sabbath, the Change, and Restitution: A discussion between W. H. Littlejohn, Seventh-day Adventist, and the editor of the Christian StatesmanLittlejohn, Wolcott H.
Religion
The Constitutional Amendment: or, The Sunday, the Sabbath, the Change, and Restitution: A discussion between W. H. Littlejohn, Seventh-day Adventist, and the editor of the Christian Statesman
Littlejohn, Wolcott H.
Sabbath; Seventh-Day Adventists -- Doctrinal and controversial works; Sunday; Sunday legislation -- United States
Advancing now to the remaining scripture, which is found in Acts 20:7,
we append its words as follows: “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.” By reading that which immediately follows the above, we shall
learn the following facts: First, that here is indeed a record of a
religious meeting upon the first day of the week (verse 7). Second, that
it was held in that portion of the day when the darkness prevailed,
since it was necessary to employ many lights (verse 8). Third, that Paul
preached unto them, and that, while he was speaking, Eutychus fell to
the ground; and Paul, having restored him to life, returned to his labor
(verses 7-11). Fourth, that he broke bread, or administered the Lord’s
supper (verse 11). Fifth, that he preached until break of day (verse
11). Sixth, that Luke, and the other disciples, preceding him, sailed
the vessel to Assos (verse 13). Seventh, that Paul, having preached all
night, until the dawning of the day, crossed the country on foot,
stepped aboard of the vessel, and went on his journey toward Jerusalem
(verses 13, 14). Now let it be borne in mind, that Troas was a city on
the west coast of Asia, located at the base of a peninsula, on the
opposite side of which lay the city of Assos; distant about nineteen and
a half miles in direct line from the former place. Let it also be
remembered that the promontory in question, projecting as it did into
the sea for some miles, made it necessary for a vessel, passing from
Troas to Assos, to traverse a much greater distance, and to consume more
time than one would be compelled to do in passing from one of these
points to the other by the overland route. This explains the reason why
Paul, who was exceedingly anxious to spend all the time he could with
the brethren, consented to perform the journey on foot; thus being
enabled to spend several additional hours with them, while Luke and his
associates were toiling to bring the boat around the headland to the
place of the apostle’s final embarkation.
Returning now to the consideration of the meeting in question, it
becomes important to know just when it was entered upon. Did it answer
to what we would call a Sunday-evening meeting? If so, then Paul resumed
his journey on Monday morning. But, before we give an affirmative
response to this question, would it not be well to inquire in relation
to the system for computing time which ought to be followed in this
case? We moderns have generally adopted that of the Romans. With it,
beginning the day, as it does, at midnight, we would naturally answer
the interrogatory above in the affirmative. Should we do this, however,
we should unquestionably fall into a grievous error. The days of the
Bible commenced invariably with the setting of the sun.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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