If you ever engage in discussions with Sunday keepers about the Sabbath, you will almost certainly
be confronted with passages from the New Testament in support of Sunday as the Sabbath.
Let us ask a couple of questions before we begin, "Why do New Testament Church's
keep Sunday?" and "Is the authority for this found in the
Bible?"
The following are the most common reasons that are used for keeping of Sunday
over Saturday,
PAUL HELD CHURCH SERVICES ON A SUNDAY
"And upon the first day of the week G4521, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.." (Acts 20:7)
We find here that the disciples had come together to eat a meal together because Paul was
leaving them in the morning for Assos (20:13). Paul spent his time with them preaching before he
left to encourage them and he wanted to spend time with them because did not
know when he would be returning.
The word “day” in the King James Version, was added by translators,
and the word “week G4521” in
Strong’s Dictionary is Sabbaton, or Sabbath. Therefore, it literally reads “And upon the first of the
Sabbath”.
So if someone talks religion during a meal does that make
it a church service?
WHICH DAY TO KEEP IS UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL
"One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks." (Romans 14:5-6)
Paul is not speaking about the Sabbath, but about fasting. The subject of the chapter is vegetarianism (see verses 2-3). “For one believes that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eats herbs.” Then in verse 3 Paul admonishes that eating or not eating is up to the individual.
The keeping of Sabbath is not even in this passage, but what is being discussed in verse 5 is the practice of some who choose one day over another to fast. The next verse (6) shows that some people placed one day over another in their devotion to fasting.
Some in Rome were being judged for doing so, thus Paul says not to judge one another regarding
the eating or fasting. Nothing in this chapter speaks of observing a Sabbath day.
PAUL ORDERED CHURCH COLLECTIONS ON A SUNDAY
"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem." (1 Corinthians 16:1-3)
This passage is talking about gathering aid for the brethren who were suffering from famine,
and hunger (see Acts 11:28-29). It was a collection for the saints, not for the
church He had also given orders to those in Galatia to help out the brethren in their plight.
Note that he tells the Corinthians to gather beginning on the first of the week (again, “day” was added by
translators), coming together on Sunday for a collection for those
who were in need in Jerusalem so that when he arrived things would be ready for
him. So by taking up collections for the needy
always have to be done on Sunday or during church services because Paul chose
Sunday?
GOD HAS FREED US FROM THE BONDAGE OF SABBATH KEEPING
"But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years." (Galatians 4:9-10)
Paul is addressing those who had been converted from paganism. Paul was concerned that some of them
were going back (“turn again”) to their old, superstitious worship, and false
gods, whose slaves they once were, observing their own days, months, times, and years in place of
God’s commanded observances.
JESUS APPEARED TO HIS FOLLOWERS ON A SUNDAY
"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, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you." (John 20:19)
It says that the disciples were assembled in fear for their lives, not for services, so Jesus appeared to them in order to calm their fears. Does Jesus appearing to the disciples change the Sabbath or change the commandment of God to Saturday?
THE LAWS AND SABBATH WERE NAILED TO THE CROSS
"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;...Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:" (Colossians 2:14, 16)
He brought an end to the old system of animal sacrifices for sin, as well as,
the added man made laws. We see this in verses 21-22: “Touch not; taste not; handle not; which are all to perish with the using; after the commandments and doctrines of men.” These were not
God’s laws, but were man’s made up laws. He was also telling them not to let anyone outside the faith criticize them for
keeping the Sabbath, Feasts, and food laws.
PEOPLE WERE BAPTIZED ON PENTECOST SUNDAY
"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." (Acts 2:41)
What's being missed here is that they were gathered together for the Festival of Weeks
also know as Pentecost, the reason it is called the Festival of Weeks is that gets its name from the fact that it starts seven full weeks, or exactly 50 days, after the Feast of Firstfruits. Since it takes place exactly 50 days after the previous
feast. “Pentecost” means fifty. Unlike other feasts that began on a specific day of the Hebrew calendar,
this one does not. Scripture doe's not say this Pentecost was a Sunday. So does baptizing people on a Sunday, Tuesday, or Wednesday make the day
holy and to be kept as church time?
JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD ON A SUNDAY
"Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher." (Luke 24:1,2)
This one is just out and out wrong, Jesus did not rise from the grave on
Sunday, he rose three days to the second after his death. He did not die in the
early morning. For a more detailed explanation on this one click
here.
WHEN AND HOW DID IT CHANGE TO SUNDAY?
It was the emperor Constantine in his edict of 321 CE, “On the Venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be
closed".
And then again at the Council of Laodicea in 364 CE, it was decreed by the counsel of bishops, “Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday, but shall work on that day; but the Lord’s day they shall especially
honour, and as being Christians, shall, if possible, do no work on that day. If, however, they are found Judaizing, they shall by shut out from Christ.”
This became the dogma of the Roman Church. The observance of the seventh-day sabbath did not
end until it was abolished by the Roman empire.
There is no basis for Sunday-keeping anywhere to be found in Scriptures. The Sabbath is a part of
the Ten Commandments, and this alone should settles the question as to the eternity of the
Sabbath.
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease being honest.