Old Paths Advocate - Church of Christ

3,
PAGE TWELVE THE OLD PATk3 ADVOCATE MARCH 1, .1946
One Bible translator renders Mk. 16:1, “And at
the lapsing of the Sabbath,” using “lapsing,” it
seems, with the design of making it appear that
the Sabbath had not yet passed when the women
came to the tomb. And since he had already risen,
therefore he arose on the Sabbath. Now see:
1. Luke tells us that the women saw how he
was laid, and returned and prepared to anoint the
body; “And 011 the Sabbath they rested according
to the commandment.” 23 :56. Hence, they did not
come to the tomb on the Sabbath.
2..The Sabbath closed at sundown; hence it
was about twelve hours from the time when the
Sabbath ended before the women arrived at the
tomb, “the sun having risen.” Mk. 16:2. He arose
about the time when the sun rose, for-
3. He did not rise even in the night part of “the
first day from the Sabbath” (the first day of the
week), for we read: “And having risen in the
morning (prooi) the first day from the Sabbath
(prootee sabbatou) the first day of the week, he
appeared to Mary,” etc. Mk. 16:9. It does not ap-
pear here nor any other place in the Bible that
Jesus arose on the Sabbath. (One has truly said,
“There is no going beyond the record.”)
* * *
Brother Harper, If the women came to the
tomb “In the end of the Sabbath,” as the Com-
mon version reads, or “Late on the Sabbath”
(Revised V.), and Jesus arose before they came,
did he not arise on the Sabbath?-James Hos-
tetter .
Answer. The Greek is opse sabbatoon. Thayer
defines opse, “adv. of time, after a long time, long
after, late.” And he says, “Opse foll. by a gen.
seems always to be partative, denoting late in the
period specified by the gen. (and consequently
still belonging to it).” This view, no doubt ac-
counts for the,renderings “In the end of the Sab-
bath” and “Late on the Sabbath.”
But in this opse sabbatoon there are at least
three barriers that preclude these renderings, one
of which is remarked by Thayer himself under
opse. He says, “opse sabbatoon, the Sabbath hav-
ing just passed, after the Sabbath, i. e. at the early
dawn of the first day of the week (an interpreta-
tion absolutely demanded by the Bdded specifica-
tion tee epiphoosk. ktl.) , Mt. XXVIII. Icf. Mk.
XVI-I.” This “specification” is rendered in the
versions you mention, “as it began to dawn toward
the first day of the week,” which would be im-
possbile if opse sabbatoon is “In the end of the
Sabbath” or “Late on the Sabbath.”
Now, looking at Mk. 16:1, we see it is plainly
Kai diagenomenou tou sabbatou, that is, And the
Sabbath being passes, about which there is no
dispute. And in the third place Luke says the
women returned from the tomb, “and rested on
the Sabbath, according to the commandment,”
23:56. Then the Sabbath was past, just as Mk.
16:l says it was. And in the 9th verse he says,
Anastas (Having risen) prooi (in the morning)>
prootee (the first day)-it can not be anything
else than day here-sabbatou (from the Sabbath,
Greek idiom, and idiomatic English-of the week.)
“Having risen in the morning the first day of the
week,” not only shows that “the Sabbath” was
past when he arose, but also shows the day on
which he arose, and-the time of the day, namely,
the first day of the week in the morning.
-H. C. Harper.
THE FLESH
I am the flesh and appear when life begins.
I enter men’s souls and tempt them to sin.
I manifest my spirit with pomp and zeal,
To me, I allure and draw with appeal..
I creep into men’s lives and tempt little at a time,
Till I break them down and their deeds become a
crime.
I turn their souls from bad to worse
Till their lives to their fellowman becomes a curse.
I cast them down in every conceivable.way:
They follow me till they lose sight of day.
I engulf them in darkness and destroy their ease,
Till they become o’erwhelmed and find no peace.
Finally when passed thru span of life,
And chances all gone to live for Christ,
They wake .on that morning and have no time
To make amends ‘for their awful crimes.
They stand and are judged-but dragged to their
fate,
Too late to correct thai awful mistake.
Their final abode is a home in hell
To spend eternity forever to weep aind wail.
-Mrs. W. J. Mustard.
DON’T ASK ME TO GIVE
I bought gasoline, I went to the show;
I bought new tubes for my old radio.
I bought candy, peanuts, nut bars and ice cream,
While my salary lasted life sure was a scream.
It takes careful planning to make money go
around.
One’s method of finance must always be sound.
With habits quite costly, it’s real hard to save.
My wifespent ten bucks on a permanent wave.
The Church came around begging; it sure made
me sore;
If they’d let me alone, I’d give a lot more.
They have plenty of nerve; they forgot all the
past.
For I gave them a quarter, the year before last.”
-Selected by Homer A. Gay.
Not many of us would have the courage to “live
our insides out.”
,
Our Purpose is to “earnestly
contend for the
faith which was once delivered
unto the saints,”
n~ld to “prove all things;
I the truth in love,” “
I deavoring to keep the
unity of the spirit in the
bond of peace”; “keeping
I the ordinances as deliv-
1 ered.” I
hold fast that which is.
good.“
! I’ -
“Thus saith the Lord, ‘Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the Old Paths, where is the good way, and walk therein,
and ye shall find rest for your souls.”(Jer. 6;16) “And they that be of Thee shall build the old waste places: thou
shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer
of Paths to Dwell in.” (La. 58:12).
VOl. XIX Route 2, Lehanon, Missouri, April 1, 1946 No. 4
“THE ROCK OF MY REFUGE”-Psa. 94:22
M. Lynwood Smith
Last year while I was holding a meeting in the
beautiful Ozark Mountains of Northern Arkan-
sas, I made my home with Brother Harvey Chap-
man, a man who has wholly given himself to the
Christ. Brother Chapman lives in a little moun-
tain village named “Lone Rock.” Quiet and peace-
ful is this little village so beautifully decorated by
the skillful hand of Mother Nature.
One day brother Chapman and I were out for a
walk. He was pointing out some of the points of
interest in the little settlement. After awhile he
stated he would show me what the village was
named for. Then he pointed out a very large rock
that was situated in the midst of the little village.
This was a gigantic rock and it towered high
above the trees and rocks of its surroundings. TO
see it stand so high and lone one would naturally
give it the name, “Lone Rock.” Then the little
village became known after this name.
Then we climbed to the summit of this rock.
I found that in the midst of this great rock there
was a great crack, or a cleft. It looked as though
this rock had been riven apart and this great cleft
was left.
But the thing that interested me most was the
story that my companion told me in regard to
things I was thinking how beautifully this teach-
es the lesson that God is our Rock and refuge, and
how we could find shelter there from all harm.
David pictured this in these words, “My God is
the rock of my refuge” (Psa. 9422). I also
thought the words of that grand old hymn fit
well there and I was humming to myself:
“Rock of Ages, Cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.”
Many are the times when the cruel tempest
of life seems to press hard upon us, and it seems,
will crush our spirits until all hope and joy will
be taken from life. We all meet those places in
life when the tempest clouds cover our paths and
the dangers seem unbearable. Often w? are made
to grow weak and faint because of some trouble
and fear with which we are confronted. Then it is
that we need the words of David, “When from
the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when
my heart is overwhelmed: LEAD ME TO THE
ROCK THAT IS HIGHER THAN I” (Psa. 61:2).
“0 sometimes the shadows are deep,
And rough seems the path to the goal!
And sorrows, how often they sweep
Like tempest down over the soul !
0 - then - - - ___ to the Rock let me flv.
To the Rock that is higher than I!
0 then to the Rock let me fly,
To the Rock that is higher than I!”
this rock. He said in years past the people of this yes, in the midst of all troubles and sin let us
little hamlet were happily engaged in the activi- ’ever flee unto God, oul. Rock and hiding place.
ties of their mountain life when the skies became me, 0 Lord, from mine enemies: I flee
Overcast with clouds. The trees began to bend unto Thee to hide (psa. 143:g). Then while
and sway for a mighty was tearing its we are safeJy sheltered in the cleft of the Rock of
through the mountains, leaving destruction we need have no fear. Dangers cannot harm
and ruin in its path. All seemed hopeless! All us there, The storms of sin may rage and roar,
seemed lost! What be done? The but so long as we humbly wait in the cleft of our
Was madly making it’s way directly to the little . Rock of refuge, they must pass US by, We can
hamlet in which these good people lived. It is safely say, “Thou art my Father, my God, and
said that there was a man in this village who had the OF MY SALVATION;, M~~ we ever
a very wise thought. “The ROCK; THE ROCK,” cleave unto this ROCK OF OUR REFUGE which
he thought. Then he straightway m?de his way was Once cleft for US. May we ever be possessed
to cleft this thereof, mighty where rock, he hiding was himself safe from the all harm. meat es: with the spirit that the following old hymn teach-
The raging tempest howled and moaned and roar- “I am clinging to the Rock, blessed saving
ed as it passed. Trees were blown up, houses D-JF
nuc.n,
were torn into splinters and, perhaps, lives were
!estroyed. But this man, securely sheltered While the angry storms may o’er me roll;
neath the cleft of this rock, was unharmed and I am sheltered .. ’neath the cleft from the temuntouched
by the dangers that had passed.
gest’s shock,
.While the brother yet spoke these interesting Blessed refuge to my weary soul.”