Posted on 05/04/2015 6:23:01 AM PDT by Gamecock
Why do Christian churches meet and worship on Sunday? After all, doesn’t the fourth commandment clearly say “the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God?” So is Sunday worship just a Christian tradition? Did we not want to get mistaken for Jews? Or perhaps there was a church council that met to decide the day should be moved?
Well no, none of those is the reason that Sunday became the day upon which Christians worship. Sunday worship was not fixed by a church council and as William Perkins points out, “The church, has no power to ordain a Sabbath.” The only authority who can tell us when to worship is the true head of the church, Jesus Christ, and He has done that in His word.
So together let’s take a look at the example of worship in the Apostolic church that we read about in Acts 20:
“But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days. Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together. And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.” Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted” (NKJV Acts 20:6-12).
Here Paul sails with Luke, the author of Acts, to Troas, a church which he had planted, and stays for 7 days. Now Paul was there on Saturday, but that is not when Luke tells us the church worshiped. Saturday was not their customary day for worship. When was the day when the disciples came together to worship? We read the answer in verse 7, it was first day of the week, and the first day of the week is NOT Monday, the first day of the week is Sunday. That is when they had their corporate worship including the Lord’s Supper (hence the reference to the breaking of bread) and preaching, and a very long sermon. But why had they made that change?
They had made the change because it was on the first day of the week that Jesus Christ forever set that day apart from all the others by rising from the dead. From that point onwards Sunday became a memorial to the turning point in the history of redemption. The Sabbath day from the beginning was the Seventh Day, and hearkened back to the Creation. The original Sabbath pointed to God’s creating work, but the Christian Sabbath points us to God’s redeeming work. It marks the great transition in the bible from redemption promised to redemption accomplished.
As RC Sproul put it: “In Christian history the sacred time of the Sabbath has three distinct orientations. The first is the commemoration of God’s work of creation. The second is the celebration of God’s work of redemption. The third is the celebration of the future promise of the consummation of redemption when we enter our Sabbath rest in heaven. Thus the whole scope of redemptive history, from start to finish, is made sacred in the observance of the Sabbath.”
Jesus also marked that day by appearing to his disciples after his resurrection on successive Sundays in John 20:19 and John 20:26 and it was why they called that day the Lord’s Day as John did in Revelation 1:10 – “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet”
All the references in early Christian writings also make reference to Christian worship being held on the Lord’s Day, for instance the Didache – which dates back to either the late 1st or early 2nd century states, “Chapter 14. Christian Assembly on the Lord’s Day. But every Lord’s day gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure.”
Ignatius, the celebrated martyred bishop of Antioch, says, in his epistle to the Magnesians, written somewhere between 107-116 AD, that this is “the Lord’s day, the day consecrated to the resurrection the queen and chief of all the days.”
Justin Martyr, who died about A. D. 160 says that the Christians “neither celebrated the Jewish festivals, nor observed their Sabbaths, nor practiced circumcision.” And in another place, wrote that “they, both those who lived in the city and those who lived in the country, were all accustomed to meet on the day which is denominated Sunday, for the reading of the Scriptures, prayer, exhortation and communion. The assembly met on Sunday, because this is the first day on which God, having changed the darkness and the elements, created the world; and because Jesus our Lord on this day rose from the dead.”
The law doesn’t help us; it just leaves us helpless. It doesn’t justify us; it just leaves us guilty before the judgment bar of a holy God. By its operation, it leaves us with no other option than to run to Christ on the cross – the cure for our otherwise fatal disease of sin. Grace to the humble; the Law to the proud.
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Wow, I don’t know where you found this gem or if you came up with it yourself but it is a very powerful statement.
HAHAHA!!!!!
Best response to anything I have EVER posted here.
Touche!!!!
Jesus told his apostles not to forsake the gathering, if they had of forsaken it there would have been no Pentecost which is when the first day of the week gathering started.
It did not change the Sabbath.
What translation are you finding that in?
Greek manuscript, Majority Text and also Textus Receptus.
Chapter and Verse then in something (a translation) I can verify.
When you fulfil your obligation to pay for your house do you still intend to keep paying?
Never mind. I found it in Acts with an explanation that “A Sabbath day’s journey = 1/2 mile of walking” — all that was allowed by the Old Law.
Jesus and the Apostles being of Jewish descent, of course, followed the Law.
Jesus clearly answered your question: Matthew 7:21-23 - 21”Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22”Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23”And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
This is because a real Christian (not in name only) is a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Bible declares that a true Christian will not live a state of continual, unrepentant sin (1 John 3:6). The Bible also says that anyone who departs the faith is demonstrating that he was never truly a Christian (1 John 2:19). He may have been religious, he may have put on a good show, but he was never born again by the power of God. “By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:16).
Right. So, not wanting to follow Jesus’ and the first disciples’ example, the church made up new stuff, like treating the first day of the WORK (six days shall you labor).
Thanks for making my point. And you guys criticize the Pharisees...
Pentacost is not on a Sunday, except by accident. In the 1st century they started counting 49 days the day after Passover, no matter what the day of the week. It comes from reading Lev 23:10-11 and Joshua 5 to see how the Israelites actually did it when they first came into the Land.
Chrisst fulfilled the Old Law and brought the New Covenant into being.
It was and is following Christ that is most important. I have said before, after the Ascension of Jesus the apostles attended the Synagogue on the Sabbath and then met in home churches on Sunday — the day of the Resurrection — for a meal and what at that time was the beginning of the Mass — indeed, following Christ.
John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
You want to keep people under the law?
Galatians 4:9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.
Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the law. We are no longer under those laws but are under grace. And please don't go down that road of "well then we can do anything we please" nonsense. Anyone who understands the indwelling of he Holy Spirit and it's results understands.
Jesus said he did not abolish the law and those who violate it will not enter heaven. The issue is just giving lip service to Jesus does not make one a Christian anymore then standing in a garage makes one a car.
Yes we do not have to follow to law to obtain righteousness, however the law is still in effect and a Christian wants to please God so will follow it and not live in unrepentant sin.
This is stated in the scripture I already posted.
Wha???
1 John 3:6 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
Colossians 2:13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having blotted out the handwriting in the ordinances that is against us, that was contrary to us, and he hath taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross;
Jesus took the penalties of the law upon Himself. If you think not you may want to check back how breaking only one made you guilty of breaking them all. And that even thinking was considered breaking the law.
Galatians 3:10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."
Jesus came to “fulfil” the law. People always try to make that mean we are still under the law.
You can try to make every spin you want to support lawlessness - its is the apostate argument of Jude 1:4 to claim God’s grace licenses immorality. And those who ignore the plain language of Jesus on not abolishing the law and rejecting those who although claiming to be christian practice “Lawlessness.”
Matthew 5:17-18: “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”
1 Corinthians 6:9-10; “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 7:21-23 - 21”Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22”Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23”And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
And I will add the one that is behind the Apostate twist of scripture to ignore what is so clearly stated above; Jude 1:4; For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Romans 6:1-2: What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it
“Jesus came to “fulfill” the law. People always try to make that mean we are still under the law.”
Amen Sister/ brother. This is actually my ministry on Earth to get off this Old Testament legalism. It is gone. What drives it is “tithing” which is not in the New Testament. The “professional Christians’ ( my term) can’t make their house payments and 401K investments unless you give to THEM “the temple tax “ ( which Christ hated in Matthew 17) as agents for “Gawd”. It is very clear when you view it through the lens of Christ and his atonement for YOUR SINS!! No more legalism or Jesus meant nothing!
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