Where is SUNDAY mentioned in the New Testament?Even if we searched day and night we would not find ANYWHERE in the New Testament any statement that clearly teaches God changed His day of rest to Sunday - a different day than what was commanded in the Old Testament. We also wouldn't come across any statements by Jesus that God has and would require a NEW day of rest for those who believe in Him. Our search would also lack ANY teaching of the apostles that specifically names Sunday as the new Bible Sabbath. How, then, is worship on Sunday instead of Saturday Biblically justified? One of the primary ways used to justify Sunday is to show that what occurred in the New Testament on this day MUST have meant the early church had some sort of worship service on it, thereby confirming the change in Sabbath days. So, let's take a look at ALL the places Sunday is referred to in the New Testament to see if what did happen on this day supports the belief that God changed the time we are to worship Him. Unfortunately, according to Strong's Concordance, the word "Sunday" never appears in the New Testament. Those who wrote in the first century A.D. didn't refer to the days of the week like we do (e.g. Monday, Wednesday, etc.). They referred to Sunday (actually, from Saturday sunset to Sunday sunset since Biblical days begin and end at sunset) by the phrase "first day of the week." Our study will be relatively brief since this phrase used for Sunday occurs only EIGHT times in the entire New Testament. References #1, #2, #3
When did the two Marys first visit Jesus' tomb? The first reference to Sunday in the New Testament is in the book of Matthew: "Now after the SABBATH, as the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK began to dawn (the Greek word for dawn means drawing toward and does not refer to the time just before sunrise), Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb." (Matthew 28:1)
Another translation of this verse gives a clearly picture of what it means: "Now late on the Sabbath, as the first day of the weeks was DRAWING NEAR . . ." (Holy Bible in Its Original Order, Second Edition)
Note that the above scripture says that after the Sabbath day it was drawing TOWARD the first day of the week. Days in the Bible did not begin at midnight as they do today. Days were reckoned from SUNSET to SUNSET, a natural, common sense way of determining when days started and stopped that didn't require wearing a watch! The seventh or Sabbath day ran from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. What does Matthew 28:1 tell us? It states that two "Marys," about the time the Sabbath was ending (Saturday evening) went to check on Jesus' tomb. The logical time sequence of this verse actually confirms that a Biblical sunset Friday to sunset Saturday was still being kept right after Jesus died. There is no support here whatsover for worshipping God on Sunday, since THIS visit to the tomb happened Saturday night! The second reference we will look at is in the book of Mark: "Very early in the morning, on the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, they (Mary Magdalene and the "other Mary" who first visited the tomb Saturday evening) came to the tomb when the sun had risen." (Mark 16:2)
This is merely Mark's version of the sunrise visit to the tomb. It was written several years after the crucifixion. Our third reference is also found in the book of Mark: "Now when He rose early on the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons." (Mark 16:9)
Nothing here calls the first day of the week the Christian Sabbath, we must admit. Nothing here calls it "The Lord's Day." Nothing here hallows Sunday or says God made it holy. Nothing here commands us to observe it. Nothing here sets it apart as a memorial of the Resurrection, or for any purpose. No command or example of REST on this day and no authority for observing Sunday here. References #4 and #5
Did the disciples WORK on Sunday?Our fourth "first day of the week" reference is found in the book of Luke: "Now on the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. " (Luke 24:1)
This text tells again the same event recorded by Matthew and Mark, and it shows that on THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK these women came to do the work of a common weekday, AFTER having rested the Sabbath day "according to the commandment." For we read, in the verse just before this, "Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment." (Luke 23:56). Shall we say these women did not yet know the commandment was abolished? No, we cannot, for this statement was not made by the women, but inspired by the HOLY GHOST, who did know it was not abolished. And it was written, at least twenty five years after the establishing of the New Testament Church! The Holy Ghost THEN inspired the direct statement that the rest of these women on the Sabbath day was according to the commandment, which statement would not be possible had the commandment been abolished. This text, then, establishes Sunday as a common work day, three days after the crucifixion, and it further established that at that time the command to rest on the Sabbath had not been abolished. Our fifth reference is found in the book of John: "Now the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb." (John 20:1)
This, written many, many years after the crucifixion, is John's version, describing the same visit to the tomb. It confirms the facts above. Reference #6
Did the disciples celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Sunday? Our sixth reference is also found in the book of John: "Then, the same day at evening, being the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, 'Peace be with you.' " (John 20:19)
Let us examine this carefully, for some claim this was a religious service called for the purpose of celebrating the Resurrection. But notice this is the same first day of the week that FOLLOWED the Sabbath. It was Jesus' first opportunity to appear to His disciples. For three and a half years He had been constantly with them, on ALL days of the week. His meeting with them, of itself, could not establish any day as a Sabbath. Were they assembled to celebrate the Resurrection, thus establishing Sunday as the Christian Sabbath in honor of the Resurrection? The text says they were assembled "for fear of the Jews." The Jews had just taken and crucified their Master. They were afraid. The doors were shut because of their fear - probably bolted. Why were they assembled? "FOR FEAR OF THE JEWS" according to this text, and also because they all lived together in this upper room (Acts 1:13). They could not have assembled to celebrate the Resurrection for THEY DID NOT BELIEVE JESUS WAS RISEN (Mark 16:11; Luke 24-37, 39, 41). Nothing in this text calls this day "Sabbath," or "Lord's Day," or any sacred title. Nothing here sets it apart, makes it holy. No authority here for changing a command of God! Reference #7
Did the apostle Paul hold worship services on Sunday?"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. " (Acts 20:7-8)
Here, at last, in our seventh reference, we find a religious meeting on the first day of the week. But it was not a SUNDAY meeting! Notice, Paul continued his speech until midnight! "There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together." It was AFTER SUNSET, prior to midnight, the first day of the week. Now at that time the first day of the week did not begin at midnight, as men begin it today. It began, and the Seventh day ended, AT SUNSET! All Bible days begin and end at SUNSET. Throughout the Roman world at that time, and for a few hundred years afterwards, days began and ended at sunset. The practice of beginning the new day at midnight was started much later. Therefore this meeting, and Paul's preaching, took place during the hours we now call SATURDAY NIGHT - it was not a Sunday meeting at all! Why did Paul remain behind? Let us, now, pick up the thread of the narrative related in this passage. Begin verse 6: "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 . . ."
Paul and his companions had been in this town of Troas seven days. His companions had left by ship after sunset. Paul remained behind for a farewell meeting. He preached until midnight, "ready to depart the next day." At break of day - sunrise Sunday morning - Paul departed (verse 11). Now notice what his companions had done: "Then we went ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, there intending to take Paul on board; for so he had given orders, intending himself to go on foot. And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene." (Acts 20:13-14).
 Apostle Paul's foot trip from Troas to Assos Look at the above map. Paul's companions had to sail around the peninsula, a distance of roughly 50 miles (80.5 kilometers), while Paul walked across the peninsula a distance of about 21 miles (33.8 kilometers). He was able to walk this distance in shorter time than they could sail the longer distance, which gave Paul the opportunity to remain behind in Troas after they left to visit and give a last farewell message. Now do you see what actually happened? Paul's companions were engaged in the LABOR of rowing and sailing a boat while Paul was preaching that Saturday night and early Sunday morning - on the first day of the week. They had set sail Saturday night, AFTER THE SABBATH HAD ENDED. Paul remained behind for one more last farewell sermon. Then, at break of day Sunday morning, Paul set out afoot, indulging in the labor of a long walk from Troas to Assos! He waited till the Sabbath was past for this long walk - a good hard day's work, if you ever tried it! He did it on the first day of the week! Again, a common work day! What does BREAKING BREAD mean? But does this text not say, as many claim today, that the disciples always held communion every first day of the week! NOT AT ALL! In the first place, it says nothing about anything being done EVERY first day of the week. It relates the events of this one particular first day of the week, ONLY. It is not speaking of any CUSTOMS, but of the events occurring as Paul and his companions concluded their seven-day visit in passing by this town. Jesus had introduced the Lord's Supper as part of the Passover, at the beginning of the annual "days of unleavened bread." No longer could they kill lambs or eat the roasted body of Passover Lambs, after Christ, OUR Passover, had been once slain for us. yet the Passover was ordained FOREVER (Exodus 12:24). At His last Passover supper Jesus substituted the wine as the emblem of His blood, instead of the blood of the slain lamb. He substituted the unleavened bread for the roast body of the lamb as the symbol of His body, broken for us. The disciples continued to observe Passover annually, now in the form of the Lord's Supper using only the bread and wine, as a MEMORIAL (1Corinthians 11:24) of Christ's DEATH, (1Corinthians 11:26), showing His death till He come again. They continued to observe the days of unleavened bread (Acts 20:6). This year they had observed the days of unleavened bread and the Communion service at Philippi, after which they came to Troas in five days where they remained seven days. After the Sabbath day had ended, at sunset, "Now on the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, when the disciples came together to break bread" People have ASSUMED this expression means the taking of Communion. But notice! Paul preached, and continued preaching until midnight. They had no opportunity to stop and "break bread" until then. When Paul "had come up" (Acts 20:11) after restoring the one who had fallen down from the third balcony, they broken bread and ate. Note it! Verse 11 of Acts 20 states they "had broken bread and eaten" This breaking bread was not Communion - it was simply eating a meal. This expression was commonly used of old to designate a meal. It still is used in that sense in parts of even the United States. Notice Luke 22:16, where Jesus was introducing the Lord's Supper, taking it with His disciples. He said, "I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." Yet, the day alter His resurrection, after walking with the two disciples to Emmaus, "He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them." (Luke 24:30). Here Jesus "broke bread" but it was not the Lord's Supper, which He said He would NOT take again until all was fulfilled. It was a meal! Notice Acts 2:46 where the disciples: "continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart"
Here again "breaking bread" means EATING MEAT. Not on the first day of the week, but DAILY. Again, when Paul was shipwrecked on the voyage to Rome, the sailors had been fasting out of fright. But: "And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, 'Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and eaten nothing. Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you.' And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat. " (Acts 27:33-35).
Here Paul broke bread to give to unconverted sailors who were hungry. The truth is, NOWHERE IN THE BIBLE is the expression "breaking of bread," or "to break bread," used to signify observance of the Lord's Supper. In all these texts it means, simply, eating a meal. So, when we read in Acts 20:7, 11, "the disciples came together to break bread," and how Paul after he had "broken it," meaning the bread, "he began to eat," we know by Scripture interpretation it referred only to eating food as a meal, not to a Communion service. Reference #8
Did the apostle Paul take up a collection on Sunday? We come now to the 8th and last place where the term ''first day of the week" occurs in the Bible - the book of 1Corinthians: "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come." (1Corinthians 16:1-2)
Often we see this text printed on the little offering envelopes in the pews of popular churches, and we have been told that this text sets THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK as the time for taking up the church collection for the carrying on of God's work, paying the minister, etc. The above verses in 1Corinthians 16 speak of a collection — but for WHOM — for WHAT? Note it! Not for the preacher — not for evangelism — but "the collection FOR THE SAINTS." The poor saints at Jerusalem were suffering from drought and famine. They needed, not money, but FOOD. Notice Paul had given similar instruction to other churches. Now observe his instruction to the Romans: "But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem . . . Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain." (Romans 15:25-26, 28).
Ah! Did you catch it? It was not money, but FRUIT that was being sealed for shipment to the poor saints at Jerusalem! Now turn back to 1Corinthians 16. Paul is speaking concerning a collection FOR THE SAINTS. Upon the first day of the week each of them is instructed to do what? Look at it! Does it say drop a coin in the collection plate at a church service? Not at all! It says "let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper" Note it! LAY SOMETHING ASIDE! STORING UP! Store up as HE may prosper — at home! Now WHY? "that there be no collections when I come." Men GATHER fruit out of the orchard — they COLLECT vegetables out of the ground, to be STORED UP. But putting coins in a collection plate at church, or handing in your tithe envelope could not be called a GATHERING, but an offering. Notice further: "And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me." (1Corinthians 16:3-4).
Apparently it was going to require several men to carry this collection, gathered and stored up, to Jerusalem. If it were tithe or offering for the minister or the spread of the Gospel, Paul could have carried the money alone. So, once again, the last and final text in the Bible where we find "THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK" mentioned, it is a WORK DAY — a day for gathering fruit and food out of the orchards and the fields and gardens, and storing it up. It was to be the FIRST labor of the week, hence the first day of the week, as soon as the Sabbath was past! Is there any Biblical authority for a Sunday Sabbath? So, finally, we find upon honest examination that NOT ONE of the texts speaking about the "first day of the week" sets it apart as a rest day. Not one makes it holy, calls it the Sabbath or by any other sacred title. In EVERY case, the first day of the week was a common work day. In NONE of them was there a religious meeting and preaching service being held on the hours we now call SUNDAY. In NONE of them can we find a single shred of Biblical authority for Sunday observance! There is also NO record in the Bible that the early church celebrated the resurrection of Jesus - on Sunday or any other day! Sometimes Revelation 1:10 is used as Biblical authority for calling Sunday "The LORD'S DAY." It says: "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a loud voice."
But this does not say the "first day of the week," or "Sunday" is the "day" here called "the Lord's day." As a matter of fact, it is not speaking of ANY particular day of the week at all, but of "the Day of the Lord," — the time of the coming plagues, climaxing in the coming of Christ, and the millennium. This is the theme of the Revelation. But, if one wants to argue, and insist upon this text applying to some definite day of the week, he shall have to look elsewhere to see which day the Bible calls "the Lord's day." For this text does not designate any day of the week as special. But Jesus said He was Lord of the SABBATH, and if He is LORD of that day, then it belongs to Him, and is His day, and therefore the Sabbath is the Lord's Day (Mark 2;28). Isaiah 58 states God calls the Sabbath (the seventh day of the week) "my holy day" and "the holy day of the Lord" in a single verse!: "'If you turn away your foot from THE SABBATH, from doing your pleasure on MY HOLY DAY, and call the Sabbath a delight, THE HOLY DAY OF THE LORD honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways . . . Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord;'" (Isaiah 58:13-14)
God here is rightfully claiming that the Sabbath is HIS holy day - the true Lord's day! In the original commandment in Exodus 20:10, we read: "but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. " No MY day, or your day. The seventh day is NOT mine or yours— it is THE LORD'S! It belongs to HIM, and He made it HOLY, and commanded us to KEEP it that way. We have no right to use it for ourselves. It is HIS DAY! What day did Paul endorse as the day to worship God? Now briefly let us look thru the New Testament to find WHICH DAY Paul kept, and taught Gentile converts to keep. Notice which day Paul and Barnabas worshipped on: "Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue ON THE SABBATH DAY and sat down. " (Acts 13:13-14)
They, as their custom was, attended services and worshipped God on the SEVENTH day of the week (Saturday) just like the Jews. After services were over Paul and Barnabas were free to discuss the gospel with the Gentiles (non-Jews) without any possible hindrance: "So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them THE NEXT SABBATH. Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God." (Acts 13:42-43) Now since Paul was preaching "the grace of God" here was a golden opportunity to straighten out these Gentiles, and explain that the seventh-day Sabbath the Jews kept was DONE AWAY - was no longer required to be kept - and that a NEW DAY of worship (Sunday) was instituted for believers in Jesus. If Paul kept a Sunday Sabbath then WHY didn't he tell the very zealous Gentiles believers (who BEGGED him to teach them), who had just attended a SATURDAY service, to come back THE VERY NEXT DAY for "Christian" services? WHY would they have to wait a whole WEEK before being taught the word of God? Why didn't Paul correct their request to be taught "the next sabbath" by stating something about how God CHANGED the day He now wanted to be worshipped from Saturday to Sunday? Notice what happened next: "On THE NEXT SABBATH almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God." (Acts 13:44) Paul waited a whole week, passing up a Sunday, in order to preach the gospel not only to Gentiles but to the entire CITY on the still in force Saturday Sabbath of the fourth commandment! Did the Jerusalem conference CHANGE the day to worship God?What is called the "Jerusalem conference" (because it took place in Jerusalem) is discussed in Acts 15: "And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, 'Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.' Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question." (Acts 15:1-2)
Certain men had come down from Judea to Antioch, teaching that Gentile converts MUST be circumcised and keep the law of Moses to be saved. Quite a dissension arose between them and Paul and Barnabas. So it was decided Paul and Barnabas should go to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about the question. At the conference at Jerusalem James summed up the decision made by the church: "'Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.'" (Acts 15:19-21)
He did NOT say they should not keep the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments were not in question — the issue was CIRCUMCISION and its role in salvation, (Acts 15:1), which was an altogether DIFFERENT law than the Ten Commandments. But why WRITE this sentence to them? Note it again: "For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues EVERY SABBATH." (Acts 15:21)
Do you see it? Judaizing teachers were reading the Law of Moses and teaching people in the synagogues every Sabbath day. The apostles were writing this decision concerning the Law of Moses, because Gentile converts were going to church on the Sabbath day, and would hear this false teaching. In order to counteract it, and protect the Gentiles from it, a written message was sent. It shows that the Gentile converts had started keeping the Saturday Sabbath day, and went to church on that day! And the Apostles' letter did not reprove them for this Sabbath-keeping, or even mention it. This is very significant, since Gentiles (non-Jews) had never kept the Sabbath throughout their lives like the Jews. Keeping the Sabbath day was something these Gentiles had STARTED doing after they were converted under the teaching of Paul and Barnabas! Was it Paul's custom to meet on the Sabbath? In Acts 16 we find Paul and Silas at Philippi: ". . . And we were staying in that city (Philippi) for some days. And ON THE SABBATH DAY we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized . . . " (Acts 16:12-15)
Here again Paul and his companions waited until the Sabbath and THEN went to a place where people gathered to worship in order to preach the gospel. The fruit of Paul's labor was that a woman named Lydia AND HER ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD were converted and baptized. The passage indicates it was the CUSTOM to meet at the riverside on the Sabbath, and that it was CUSTOM for Paul and his companions to go to a place of prayer and worship when the Sabbath day came. On what days did the apostle Paul WORK?Did the apostle Paul WORK, meaning make a living, on the Saturday Sabbath? Let's find out: "After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila . . . with his wife Priscilla . . . and he came to them. So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers. And he reasoned in the synagogue EVERY SABBATH, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles!)" (Acts 18:1-4)
If we could find one text in the New Testament giving as strong authority for Sunday observance as this one does for Sabbath-keeping, we should certainly have Bible authority for it! Here Paul WORKED weekdays, but went to church and taught Gentiles as well as Jews every SABBATH. Now the Commandment says: "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, " (Exodus 20:9) just as much as it says "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." (Exodus 20:8). There is just as much command to work six days as there is to rest the seventh. And so if the day had been changed, Paul would have had to work Sabbaths, in order to go to church and preach every Sunday. But here he WORKED week days and went to church and preached EVERY SABBATH — not just on one particular occasion — it says EVERY SABBATH. He preached Christ, and the Gospel of the Kingdom. And when the Jews became offended and blasphemed, he turned away from the Jews altogether, and from then on preached to Gentiles ONLY (verse 6), and he continued there a year and six months (verse 11): "But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, 'Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to THE GENTILES.' . . . And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them." (Acts 18:6, 11)
Paul worked weekdays, preaching to Gentiles only on the Sabbath! What MORE conclusive proof could we desire? What stronger Bible evidence than this, as to the true Sabbath of the New Testament? For a year and a half Paul continued working week-days — six days — including Sundays — and preaching to Gentiles exclusively EVERY SABBATH! Certainly it was his custom and manner! Certainly he could not have done this had the Sabbath been done away, or changed. Did Paul COMMAND Gentiles to keep the Bible Sabbath? To those who were born as Gentiles in Corinth Paul commanded: "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." (1Corinthians 11:1).
And Paul "as his custom was, went in to them, and for THREE SABBATHS reasoned with them from the Scriptures," (Acts 17:2). It was his MANNER -- his CUSTOM, as we have seen by ample evidence. Did he follow Jesus in this? Why, CERTAINLY! Jesus, as HisCustom was: "So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the SABBATH DAY, and stood up to read." (Luke 4:16).
It was Jesus' custom. Paul followed Him, and commanded the Gentile converts to follow Him, even as he followed Christ. The question for us is are WE willing to follow in the steps of Jesus and Paul? |