In the November 19, 1970 issue of TRUTH MAGAZINE brother James P. Needham responded to a question regarding the observance of the Lords supper - whether we should use Jewish sunset to sunset time or the midnight to midnight time of the Romans. I agree completely with brother Needham's answers, but I believe the whole matter can be simplified with this additional matter:

1. To show that it is immaterial which time system we use, we only need to show that different New Testament writers used different time reckonings. Since their writing is inspired, then it would thus prove that the Lord recognizes either time that prevails.

2. In John 19:14 we are told that Jesus was before Pilate for trial at the sixth hour. But in Mark 15:25 we are told that it was the third hour when he was crucified. The explanation is simple: John described the events by using the Roman time while Mark, who wrote much earlier, described the same events by using Jewish time. Otherwise there is a contradiction and Jesus was crucified before he was tried. Actually he was before Pilate at about 6: 00 A.M. and crucified at about 9: 00 A.M. If one does not recognize this principle, there is no sensible explanation possible.

TRUTH MAGAZINE, XV: 9, p. 12
January 7, 1971