From P. T. M. I copy the following. These people of the Second Advent Christian Church oppose the Seventh Day Adventists; but do the N T. writers call the first day of the week Sabbath, chief Sabbath, or Christian Sabbath? Read it.

The day we call Sunday is called the sabbath by five New Testament writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul. Each of these in referring to the day we call Sunday, speak of it by no other title than Sabbath so that with one exception, (Rev. 1:10) it is called sabbath every time it occurs in the New Testament. It is not only called the sabbath, but it is called the first or chief sabbath. Matthew 28:1 is a good illustration. It reads: "In the end of the sabbath (Greek sabbaton) as it began to dawn toward the first (chief) day of the week." In this expression "day of the week" the word day is supplied, it is not in the original, it is written in italics; and the phrase "of the week" is translated from the word sabbaton, exactly as the word sabbath, in the first part of the text is translated from. Then the passage would read, "In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the chief sabbath." But the word sabbath is plural, and so the thought is "In the end of the Jewish sabbaths, as it began to dawn toward the chief sabbaths" or Christian sabbaths.

It is contended by Saturdarians that Matthew intended to say, "as it began to dawn toward the first day after the sabbath." Now the Greek language is capable of expressing any and every shade of meaning. Matthew could have said: a. "First day of the week." b. "Day one of the week." c. "Day following the sabbath." d. "First day after the sabbath." But he said no such thing.

Christ has made another day. And the proposition of Mr. Haines is quite to the point. "It is clear that unless he later made another day to take the place of the seventh day, the seventh day is still the Christian Sabbath." But thanks to the Lord of the Sabbath, he has made another day.

Reply: He refers to Mt. 28:1, and says, "It is not only called the sabbath, but it is called the first or chief sabbath."

But the Greek here can not be made to mean this. Mian, one of first here, is femine, and can not modify the neuter that follows. Furthermore, the noun following is genitive in case, making it of or from the sabbath. This shows that one or first modifies some noun before the of or from. (There being no ablative case in Greek, the genitive is expressed in English by of or from.)

Now, first what? Is it: first sabbath of the sabbath? It can not be, for in Greek first and sabbath do not agree in gender. Then it can not be: first sabbath of the sabbaths. Moreover, such expressions make nonsense.

It is the femine eemera, day. "In the partitive genitive the word denoting the part is sometimes understood."—White, p. 32g. And Mt. 28:1 is a partitive genitive. Then we have it either: the first (day) from the sabbath, or: the first (day) of the week. (See sabbaton, 2, "a week." (Thayer, p. 565.) And this is not calling the day sabbath, first or chief sabbath, nor Christian sabbath, by a long way. It is the first day of the week, the first day Irom or a1t~i, the day" (Rev. 1:10), the day in which the Lord Jesus "abolished death" and brought "life and immortality to light" (2 Tim. 1:10), being "the first fruits of them that are asleep." (I Cor. 15:20.)

Let us see. De, "now"; opse, "after a long time, long after, late"; sabbatoon, from the sabbath, or of the week; (a plural for the singular, "the plural being occasioned either by the plural names of festivals, or by the Chaldaic form."—Thayer, p. 565); tee epiphooskousee, "at the lighting up";eis, "into"; mian, one, or first (day); sabbatoon, from the sabbath, or of "the week." (Mt. 28:1.)

So it reads: Now, after a long time from the sabbath, at the lighting up into the first day from the sabbath (or into the first day of the week) came Mary .…."

The "after a long time from the sabbath" here was about twelve hours after the sabbath, the interim from the time when the sabbath closed at sunset and the beginning of daylight thereafter. Jesus was crucified on the "preparation" day, John 19:14-31, 42. This was the day before the sabbath, John 19:31; Lk. 23:54; Mk. 15:42. The women saw how he was laid away, Lk. 23:55. They returned and prepared ointments, and rested on the sabbath, Lk. 23:56. They came to the tomb "at the lighting up into the first day from the sabbath (or into the first day of the week)" (Mt. 28:1), and found the vacant tomb; for, as Mark says (16:9):

De, now; anastas, having risen; prooi, in the morning, early; prootee, the first (day); sabbatou, from the sabbath, or of the week. And it reads:

Now, having risen in the morning early the first day from the sabbath (or of the week), he appeared first to Mary . .

"The stone the builders refused is become the head of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (Ps. 118:22-24; Acts 4:11; Rev. 1:10; Jn. 20: 19; Jn. 20:26; Acts 2:1; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1, 2.)

"The Lord’s day," John in Rev. 1:10. "The Lord’s day," Ireneus, A. D. 167; "the day on which Jesus arose from the dead, "Barnabas, A. D. 140. "The Lord’s day," Tertullian, A. D. 200." "The Lord’s day," Origin, A. D. 225.

"Those who were concerned with old things have come to newness of confidence, and no longer keep sabbaths, but live according to the Lord's day, on which our life, as risen again through him depends."—Ignatius, A. D. 101.

H. C. Harper