Did Christ Stay in the Grave Exactly 72 Hours?

Herbert W. Armstrong and His Radio Church of God—Part II: Did Christ Stay in the Grave Exactly 72 Hours?

DID Christ die and receive burial on Wednesday afternoon? Did He stay in the grave exactly seventy-two hours? Did His resurrection take place on Saturday afternoon?

Editor of the "Index to the Writings of Ellen G. White"

DID Christ die and receive burial on Wednesday afternoon? Did He stay in the grave exactly seventy-two hours? Did His resurrection take place on Saturday afternoon?

Herbert W. Armstrong, leader of the Radio Church of God pro­gram broadcast from Pasadena, California, affirms: (1) that "Jesus was crucified on Wednesday," (2) that "Jesus was exactly three days and three nights—three full twenty-four-hour days—seventy-two hours in the grave," and (3) that "the resurrec­tion of Christ occurred late Saturday after­noon." 1 Two or three other small religious groups in the United States likewise advo­cate this theory concerning Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.

The proponents of that doctrine base it primarily on two statements found in the Gospel of Matthew, which are the follow­ing:

1. "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." 2 On the basis of that statement by Christ rests the conjec­ture that He stayed in the tomb exactly seventy-two hours.

2. "In the end of the sabbath, as it be­gan to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. . . . And the an­gel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said." 3 On the premise of this statement by Matthew, rests the assumption that Christ rose from the grave late on Sat­urday afternoon. Its advocates simply reckon back seventy-two full hours from that time to late Wednesday afternoon and then allege that this was the day of the week on which Christ died and received burial.

Is that doctrine sound? The vast ma­jority of Christians have long affirmed that it is not. They allege, on the contrary: (1) that Christ died and received burial on Friday afternoon, (2) that He lay in the grave during a period involving three cal­endar days, and (3) that He rose from the grave early on Sunday morning. Can this view of Christian people in general be harmonized with the two statements that have been quoted above from Matthew's Gospel?

The best way to solve the problem posed by the foregoing questions is to weigh all the evidence, including the testimony of Matthew 12:20 and 28:1-6. In doing this, we shall begin by attempting to find out what is meant by the expression "three days and three nights" as used in Matthew 12:40. This terminology, if it were used originally by a Western writer today, would naturally and correctly be understood to mean pre­cisely three full days of twenty-four hours each, or seventy-two hours. However, when we read our Bible in the English language, which is a Western tongue, we must remem­ber that it is a translation of writings that were originally penned in Hebrew, Ara­maic, or Greek by Hebrew writers born and reared in the Near East many, many centuries ago. It does not necessarily fol­low, therefore, that any and every expres­sion found in our English Bible must be understood, without any exception whatso­ever, as expressing precisely the same thought that it would convey if the original writer had been born and reared in one of the leading English-speaking countries of the twentieth century. Hence it behooves the careful and prayerful reader of the Word of God to follow the example of those noble Bereans who "searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." 4

The Hebrew writers sometimes enumer­ated both the light (day) and the dark (night) portions of the natural day in stating how many calendar days were involved in certain historical happenings. The earli­est example of this is the use of the words "the evening and the morning" in telling us how many calendar days were involved in the creation of our world .5

The expression "forty days and forty nights" is employed to state how many cal­endar days were involved in the downpour of rain when the Flood came,6 in the stay of Moses with God in the mount on two occasions,7 and in Elijah's stay at Mount Horeb.8 We read also that "forty days and forty nights" were spent by Christ in the wilderness of temptation.9 However, the writers of two of the Gospels state it simply as a period of "forty days,"10 show­ing that the Spirit of Inspiration was not pinpointing precisely the number of hours, minutes, and seconds that the Saviour was in the wilderness. The expression "seven days and seven nights" 11 reveals the num­ber of calendar days that Job's friends stayed with him before they began their long discussion. The phrase "three days and three nights" tells how many calendar days were involved in the Egyptian slave's going without food and water,12 and in Jonah's internment in the big fish that swallowed him.13

The expression "two thousand and three hundred days" in Daniel 8:14 appears in the Hebrew text literally as "evening morn­ing two thousand and three hundred." 14  Hence the angel, in his subsequent refer­ence to this time period, refers to it as "the vision of the evening and the morning." 15 Paul tells of having been "a night and a day" in the deep.16 In the original text the apostle expresses the thought of that phrase in a single Greek word—nuchthemeron—which literally means "a night-day" or "a night and a day."

In all the instances cited above, as also in Matthew 12:40, the word hour is not used in either the original text or in the trans­lation of it. The Bible writers were not trying to specify precisely the number of hours, minutes, and seconds involved in each historical happening referred to, but were telling the exact number of calendar days involved in each occurrence.

Furthermore, in Hebrew usage it has been a common practice since ancient times to count a portion of a twenty-four-hour day sometimes as a whole calendar day in reckoning or stating the number of calendar days involved in the occurrence of an event.

One of the best and most widely known Jewish authorities says:

In Jewish communal life part of a day is at times reckoned as one day; e.g., the day of the funeral, even when the latter takes place late in the after-noon,17 is counted as the first of the seven days of mourning; a short time in the morning of the sev­enth day is counted as the seventh day; circum­cision takes place on the eighth day, even though of the first day only a few minutes remained after the birth of the child, these being counted as one day. Again, a man who hears of a vow made by his wife or his daughter, and desires to cancel the vow, must do so on the same day on which he hears of it, as otherwise the protest has no effect; even if the hearing takes place a little time before night, the annulment must be done within that little time.18

Another standard Jewish reference work states:

In religious practices a part of a day is some­times counted as a full day. Thus, in the case of the seven days of mourning, if the funeral takes place in the afternoon, the short portion of the day remaining 19 is counted as a whole day; in the same way a very short part of the morning of the seventh day is considered to be a whole day. In reckoning the date of circumcision as the eighth day after birth, even a few minutes of the day that remains after the birth has taken place are considered to be a full day.20

This inclusive counting of a part of a day as a whole calendar day in reckoning or stating how long something happens is very ancient in Hebrew usage. For example, God said to Noah: "For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth." 21 "And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth."  22 The marginal reading expresses the Hebrew text more accurately, saying that it was "on the seventh day."

The law concerning the male Hebrew baby was that "he that is eight days old shall be circumcised." 23 Again: "And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." 24 And in the case of John the Baptist we read that "on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child." 25 The story of Christ states that "when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus." 26 Ac­cording to this inclusive counting or reck­oning of time, as used by the Jews and many other peoples of ancient times, the baby boy was to be circumcised on the eighth calendar day counted from and in­cluding the one on which his birth oc­curred, regardless of the particular hour, minute, or second when the birth took place.

We read in Joseph's dealings with his brothers, that "he put them all together into ward three days. And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God. If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison; go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses." 27 Those men were imprisoned three calendar days, but not seventy-two full hours, for they were re­leased on "the third day" of their confine­ment.

Consider the tax issue between King Re-hoboam and his subjects. "He said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed." "So Jero­boam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day." 28 Another account of this experience reads: "And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed." "So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day." 29 It is very clear, therefore, that such expressions as "after three days," "yet for three days," and the "third day" were understood by the people of Bible times to mean "on the third day"—that is, on the third calendar day from and including the one on which Rehoboam dismissed the petitioners. This is what is called inclusive counting or reck­oning of time, without attempting to com­pute the precise number of hours, minutes, or seconds involved in the occurrence.

When Queen Esther was informed by Mordecai's messengers that a plot had been made to exterminate the Jews in Persia, she "bade them return Mordecai this an­swer, Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me . . . three days . . . : I also and my maidens will fast likewise." 30 And "it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel" 31 and courageously went into the king's throne room to seek his favor in behalf of her people in that crisis; and she got it. The "three days," in this case meant three calendar days counting from and including the one on which Esther sent her message to Mordecai.

In an effort to frighten Christ into flight one day, some Pharisees said to Him: "Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee." To this He replied: "Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. Neverthe­less I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following." 32 In the thinking of the people of Bible times "the third day" was simply what we think of when we speak of the "day after tomorrow," that is, the third calendar day from and including today.

When some Jews demanded of Him a sign one day, Christ replied: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was

this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body." 33 When the Lord was tried at a later date, a false witness testi­fied: "This fellow said, I am able to de­stroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days." 34 Others said: "We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands."35 While He hung on the cross, His enemies revilingly said to Him: "Thou that de-stroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself." 36 Also: "Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself, and come down from the cross." 37 And on "the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came to­gether unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remem­ber that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disci­ples come by night and steal him away." 38 Thus we see that the expressions "in three days," "within three days," and "after three days" simply meant "until the third day," that is, the third calendar day from and including the one on which He had been put to death.

With these facts in mind, let us examine closely what Christ said about His death, burial, and resurrection in so far as the time involved is concerned. After closing His ministry in Caesarea Philippi, He pro­ceeded toward Jerusalem, and from "that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusa­lem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day." 39 An­other writer reports Him as saying that He must "be killed, and after three days rise again." 40 A third account reports Him as saying that He must "be slain, and be raised the third day." 41 Thus Christ makes it clear that "the third day" and "after three days" are expressions meaning three calendar days counted from and including the one on which He was "killed" or "slain." In other words, He was stressing the fact that the time from His death to His resurrec­tion would involve three calendar days, with no pinpointing of the particular hour, minute, or second when these events would occur.

Not long after His transfiguration, Christ said to His disciples: "The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: and they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again." 42 Another account reports Him as saying that "they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.43 This also makes it very clear that the third day was the one counted from and including the one on which He was killed.

As the time drew still nearer for Him to die, Christ said to His followers: "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again." 44 Another account reports Him as saying that "they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: and they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again."45 The third reports Him as saying that "he shall be delivered unto the Gen­tiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: and they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again." 46" Thus it is made clear again that the "third day," on which He would rise from the grave, was the one counted from and including the one on which He was killed.

The statement of Matthew 12:40, consid­ered in the light of these eight other state­ments by Christ, shows that in accord with Hebrew usage in counting, or reckoning, time inclusively, three calendar days were involved in the period from His crucifix­ion to His resurrection, without particular regard for the exact number of hours, min­utes, and seconds thereof.

When Peter, at a later date, told Corne­lius and his household the story of Christ, he explained to them "all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly." 47 Paul, at a still later date, wrote about "how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scrip­tures.48 This shows that these two great apostles understood that "the third day" was the one counted from and including the one on which Jesus died. They at­tached no importance to the precise num­ber of hours, minutes, or seconds that oc­curred between His death and resurrection.

John, telling about the crucifixion of Christ, says that "it was the preparation of the passover" 49 when it happened. The preparation of the Passover lamb by killing, dressing, and roasting took place on Abib (Nisan) 14, the first month of the Jewish year. 50 Jewish calendars still mark this date of Abib (Xisan) as the Eve of Passover, or the day before the Passover Supper is eaten. Although the Passover lamb was slain in the afternoon of Abib (Nisan) 14, it was not eaten until after sunset—the close of the day—or on Abib (Nisan) 15. The Jews still speak of Abib (Nisan) 15 as the "feast of Passover" because this was the date on which the lamb was to be eaten.

Inasmuch as He would be nailed to the cross on the afternoon of "the preparation of the passover," and would be lying in the tomb during the evening following it, Christ ate His last Passover Supper with His disciples some hours earlier than the Jews in general did. John not only says that Christ did this "before the feast of the passover," 51 but he adds that when Christ was taken to Pilate for trial, the Jews "went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be denied; but that they might eat the passover." 52 This makes it very clear that although Christ had eaten His last Passover Supper with His disciples prior to His trial before Pilate, the rest of the Jews had not yet eaten theirs. 53

While the Gosnels inform us that it was after the ninth hour 54 (or midafternoon) that Christ died, they do not pinpoint the time precisely. However, they do specify the day of the week on which His death oc­curred. On this point they are quite precise. He died on the Friday, the sixth day of the week, which the Jews called "the prepara­tion," because it was on this day that prep­arations were to be made for observing the next day, 55 the Sabbath, which was the sev­enth day of the week.

The Jews did not want the bodies of the crucified to be on the cross on the Sabbath day. "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not re­main upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away." 56 That was indeed a "high day," for it was an instance when a yearly sabbath —Abib (Nisan) 15—fell on the weekly Sab­bath day. 57

However, "when the even was come, be­cause it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, . . . went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus." 58 His request was granted, and with the help of others, he buried the corpse. "And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on." 59

The followers of Christ, "having witnessed His burial, "returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment." 60 Accord­ing to the commandment, "The seventh day is the sabbath." 61

"In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. . . . And the angel answered and said, . . . Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said." This scrip­ture does not say when Christ rose from the grave, but it does make it clear that His resurrection occurred prior to the arrival of the women at the tomb. The first ques­tion that we must decide is this: When did thev arrive at the tomb? Was it on the Sab­bath or on Sunday? As it reads in our King James Version, this passage of scripture is not clear. The Revised Standard Version reads: "Now after the sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulchre."

However, we need not remain in any doubt whatever regarding the meaning of Matthew 28:1, for the testimony of other New Testament writers speaks of that same event in unmistakably clear language. Mark declares that "when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun." 62 And Mark also agrees with Matthew in saying that the angel said to the women: "Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here." 63 John says: "The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre." 64 Mary Magdalene, finding that the body of Christ was not in the tomb, hastened back to report this to the apostles. 65 In the meantime another group of women, who had come from Galilee 66 with Christ and His apostles, visited the tomb also. "Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had pre­pared, and certain others with them." 67 Two angels said to them: "He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." 68 These women also hurried away to the city to report all this to the apostles.

In the meantime, Mary had already in­formed the apostles that Christ's body was missing from the tomb. Peter and John raced with her to the tomb, and when they found it empty, they went back to the city to their place of abode.69 Mary remained at the tomb to weep for her missing Lord. And it was then that He appeared to her, and gave this devoted woman the honor of being the first of His followers to see Him after His resurrection. 70

In this connection, the Bible is very spe­cific in informing us what day of the week it was that Christ rose from the dead. It says: "Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene." 71 The American Standard Version renders this passage thus: "Now when he was risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Mag­dalene." The Greek text literally reads: But having risen early the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary the Mag­dalene."

There is still further evidence that Christ rose from the grave on Sunday. When Luke tells us that "upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning they [the women] came to the sepulchre," he adds that two disciples of Christ "went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from. Jerusalem about threescore fur­longs." 72 As these two disciples walked along the road and sadly recounted the re­cent happenings in Jerusalem, Christ Him­self walked along near them, but they did not recognize Him. When He asked them what they were talking about, they replied:

"Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, . . . and how the chief priests and our rulers deliv­ered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done." 73 That same day—the first day of the week according to those two followers of Christ —was the third day since the Jewish leaders had crucified Christ.

After weighing all the evidence presented in the Scriptures on the subject, we have found conclusively that Christ died and was given burial late on Friday, the day before the Sabbath; that His followers rested the Sabbath day according to the command­ment, while He lay in the tomb; and that He rose from the dead early in the morning on Sunday, the first day of the week. His resurrection occurred shortly before the women came to the tomb and found it empty. Although He did not stay in the tomb exactly seventy-two full hours, Christ was in it three calendar days counted from and including the one on which He was put to death, as He predicted He would be. The testimony of Matthew 12:40 and 28: 1-6 is in harmony with the other New Testa­ment writers concerning the time of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.

Furthermore, the notion that Christ's death, burial, and resurrection involved a period of four calendar days—that is, Wed­nesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday— not only is wholly without foundation in the Scriptures but it is also contrary to their teaching.

REFERENCES

1 Herbert W. Armstrong. "The Resurrection Was Not on Sunday!" in The Plain Truth, April, 1954, pp. 2, 15. (Radio Church of God, Pasadena, California.)

2 Matt. 12:40.

3 Matt. 28:1-6.

4 Acts 17:11.

5 Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31.

6 Gen. 7:4, 12.

7 Ex. 24:18; 34:28; Deut. 9:9, 11, 18, 25.

8 1 Kings 19:8.

9 Matt. 4:2.

10 Mark 1:13; Luke 4:2.

11 Job 2:13.

12 Sam. 30:12, 13.

13 Jonah 1:17.

14 See also the marginal reading of the King James Version

15 Dan. 8:26.

16 Cor. 11:25.

17 Note.—In Bible times the day was reckoned from sun­set to sunset, and not from midnight to midnight as is done today. See Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 31; Lev. 23:32; Neh. 13:19; Mark 1:21, 32; Luke 4:40.

18 The Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. 4, p. 475, col. 1, art. "Day." (Funk and Wagnalls Co., New York City, 1903.)

19 Note.—The Jews still reckon the day from sunset to sunset for religious purposes as they did in Bible times.

20 The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. 3, p. 493, art. "Day." (The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Inc., New York City, 1941.)

21 Gen. 7:4.

22 Gen. 7:10.

23 Gen. 17:12.

24 Lev. 12:3.

25 Luke 1:59.

26 Luke 2:21.

27 Gen. 42:17-19.

28 2 Chron. 10:5, 12.

29 1 Kings 12:5, 12.

30 Esther 4:15, 16.

31 Esther 5:1, 2.

32 Luke 13:31-33.

33 John 2:19-21.

34 Matt. 26:61.

35 Mark 14:58.

36 Matt. 27:40.

37 Mark 15:29, 30.

38 Matt. 27:62-64.

39 Matt. 16:21.

40 Mark 8:31.

41 Luke 9:22.

42 Matt. 17:22, 23.

43 Mark 9:31.

44 Matt. 20:18, 19.

45 Mark 10:33, 34.

46 Luke 18:32, 33.

47 Acts 10:39, 40.

48 1 Cor. 15:3, 4.

49 John 19:14. Note.—The Babylonian Talmud agrees with the New Testament testimony regarding the date of Christ's death, saying: "On the eve of Passover Yeshu was hanged. . . . Since nothing was brought forward in his favour he was hanged on the eve of Passover!"—Talmud Sanhedrin 43a, Soncino ed., p. 281.

50 Ex. 12:2-6; 13:4; 34:18; Lev. 23:5; Num. 28:16; Deut. 16:1-7. Note.—Leviticus 23:4-44 presents the calendar of the Jewish yearly festivals as appointed by the Lord through Moses. The Passover Supper—consisting of roast lamb, un­leavened bread, and bitter herbs—was eaten on the night (or forepart) of Abib (Nisan) 15. This date was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, an annual sabbath on which secular labor was forbidden (Lev. 23:6, 7).

51 John 13:1.

52 John 18:28.

53 Note.—Although Jesus ate His last Passover Supper earlier than the Jews in general did, He died on the same day that the Jews sacrificed their Passover lambs. It was His death, and not His eating of the Passover Supper, that ful­filled the type. "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Cor. 5:7). Christ, on the occasion of His last Passover Supper, established the Lord's Supper before the event it commemorates actually happened.

54 Matt. 27:45, 46; Mark 15:33, 34; Luke 23:44.

55 Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; Ex. 16:22-26.

56 John 19:31.

57 Lev. 23:6. 7.

58 Mark 15:42, 43.

59 Luke 23:54.

60 Luke 23:56.

61 Ex. 20:8-11.

62 Mark 16:1, 2.

63 Mark 16:6.

64 John 20:1.

65 John 20:2.

66 Luke 23:55.

67 Luke 24:1.

68 Luke 24:6, 7.

69 John 20:2-10.

70 John 20:11-18.

71 Mark 16:9.

72 Luke 24:1, 13.

73 Luke 24:19-21.

[The material presented in these two articles will be made available in mimeographed form in single copies to ministers, if requested.—Editors.]


Ministry reserves the right to approve, disapprove, and delete comments at our discretion and will not be able to respond to inquiries about these comments. Please ensure that your words are respectful, courteous, and relevant.

comments powered by Disqus

Editor of the "Index to the Writings of Ellen G. White"

April 1961

Download PDF
Ministry Cover

More Articles In This Issue

Pointers for Preachers

The Spark That Powers, Fresh Every Day, Winnowing The Church

The Minister's Wife and Her Husband *

How can we best help the ones we promised to love and cherish?

A Minister Should Tell the Truth

The work of the minister is to make people happy, not sad; to strengthen the home, not weaken it; to encourage children to have greater love and respect for their parents, not less.

Expanding Methods in City Evangelism

New methods must speedily be devised by experienced and ingenious workers. A stimulating fellowship of city evangelists might well give special study to successful city evangelism, which is still one of the greatest problems our denomination has to solve.

Child Evangelism Breaks Down Prejudice

In any series of evangelistic meetings, children usually cause a certain number of problems. Why not use the evangelistic technique Jesus used, as He said in Matthew 19:14?

From TV Screen to Harvest

This is the first of a series of three articles prepared from the combined experience of the "It Is Written" staff and field of coordinators.

The Apocalypse and the Day of Atonement: Concluded

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that the reasons for a special latter day application of the Day of Atone­ment are sound. To this end significant statements from Scripture and from non-Adventist scholars will be quoted.

Walter Martin and the Nature of Man*

Conclusion of an unsolicited article in answer to Walter Martin's criticisms of Seventh-day Adventist belief on the doctrine of the nature of man.

Tame Talk

TAME talk is excusable in tame times. But these are not tame times. There is desperate need that a voice be raised with a message of hope for the hopeless.

View All Issue Contents

Digital delivery

If you're a print subscriber, we'll complement your print copy of Ministry with an electronic version.

Sign up

Recent issues

See All
Advertisement - SermonView - WideSkyscraper (160x600)