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History of the Sabbath and First Day of the Week - John N. Andrews

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name, for it was not such. But if <strong>the</strong> Spirit <strong>of</strong> God<br />

designed at this point to create a new institution<br />

<strong>and</strong> to call a certain day <strong>the</strong> Lord’s <strong>Day</strong> which<br />

before had never been claimed by him as such, it<br />

was necessary that he should specify that new day.<br />

He did not define <strong>the</strong> term, which proves that he<br />

was not giving a sacred name to some new<br />

institution, but was speaking <strong>of</strong> a well-known,<br />

divinely appointed day. But after <strong>John</strong>'s return<br />

from Patmos, he wrote his gospel,[3] <strong>and</strong> in that<br />

gospel he twice had occasion to mention <strong>the</strong> first<br />

day <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> week. Let us see whe<strong>the</strong>r he adheres to<br />

<strong>the</strong> manner <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r sacred writers, or whe<strong>the</strong>r,<br />

when we know he means <strong>the</strong> first day, he gives to<br />

it a sacred name.<br />

<strong>John</strong>, A.D. 97. "The first day <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> week<br />

cometh Mary Magdalene early." <strong>John</strong> 20:1.<br />

"Then <strong>the</strong> same day at evening, being <strong>the</strong> first<br />

day <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> week." (Verse 19)<br />

These texts complete <strong>the</strong> Bible record <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

first day <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> week. They furnish conclusive<br />

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