Change of the 'DAY'
Why do most Christians worship on Sunday?
Review: Last lesson we saw that God's holy day, the Sabbath, was the seventh day of the week - Saturday. Most people, however, don't worship on that day. Therefore, this week, we shall read every text in the New Testament that has to do with the first day of the week, to see if there is any scriptural basis for Sunday worship AND we will discover HOW the day got changed for so many Christians.
INTRODUCTION - PART 1: There are only eight texts which mention the first day.
FDT-1 Let’s read the first such text found in Matthew 28:1
1. When the Sabbath ends, the first day of the week begins.
2. This text emphasizes that the Sabbath precedes the first day of the week.
FDT-2 Let’s look at the second and third references to the first day of the week.
Mark 16:1,2,9
1. The Gospel of Mark here is stating the same facts we found in our previous text.
2. The women came to the tomb early in the morning on the first day after the Sabbath was past.
3. Verse 9 gives the third reference to the first day of the week by merely stating that Jesus arose on that day.
FDT-3 Have you ever wished that God would have put the days side by side so there could be no question as to which day it is? Well, He did: Luke 23:54-56; 24:1
1. The "Preparation day" is the day before the Sabbath. The same word is used in Greece today for Friday.
2. The day following the Sabbath is the first day of the week.
3. The book of Luke was written about thirty years after Christ's resurrection. No change in the day of worship is mentioned.
FDT-4 Two more references to the first day of the week are found in
John 20:1,19, 24-28
1. Verse 1 merely states that the women came to the tomb on the first day of the week. No reference is made to any act of worship.
2. Verse 19 mentions the evening of the first day referred to in verse 1
a. The disciples were gathered behind shut doors for fear of the Jews.
b. They were afraid they would receive the same treatment as had Jesus.
3. Verses 24-28 describe the second meeting of Jesus with the disciples.
a. Again, the doors were shut.
b. This is hardly a resurrection rally, for Thomas still didn't believe Christ had risen.
FDT-5 Let’s look at a quote that is often used in support of the change from Sabbath to Sunday worship. I Corth 16:1,2
1. This was not an order for a public collection in church.
2. The work was to be done at home.
3. This was a plea for the Corinthians to prepare gifts for the needy believers in Jerusalem.
Paul, when he returned to Corinth, could merely pick up the gifts and not have to wait for the funds to be collected.
FDT-6 The eighth, and last. New Testament reference to the first day of the week is: Acts: 20:7
1. Paul is preaching his farewell sermon on the first day of the week.
2. He preached until midnight, that is, during the dark part of the day, corresponding to our Saturday night. (The New English Bible translates It "Saturday night")
3. Verses 11, 13 and 14 tell us that in the light part of Sunday, Paul journeyed from Troas to Assos, a distance of nineteen miles. This shows that Paul did not consider this a rest or holy day.
4. No sanction is here given to worship on the first day.
5. In fact, eight different times in the Book of Acts - from thirteen to twenty-three years after Christ's resurrection - it plainly refers to the seventh day, the identical day on which the Jews met to worship, as the Sabbath day.
FDT-7 Many Christians keep Sunday in honor of Christ's resurrection. Let’s see if Christ gave us a memorial of His Death and Resurrection. I Corth 11:26
1. The communion service, or the Lord's supper, was instituted for the purpose.
FDT-8 Was the Lord’s Supper the only memorial of Christ's resurrection ?
Colossians 2:12
1. Baptism is a memorial of Christ's resurrection, especially to those who have just had the new birth experience.
SUMMARY: We have examined every text dealing with the first day of the week in the New Testament. We have found no sanction for keeping it holy.
NTRODUCTION - PART 2: This lesson, we will discover that the Bible writers predicted a change, but they did not authorize a change.
CS-1 Let’s review God's Command with regards to the Sabbath. Exodus 20:8-11
1. The only weekly Sabbath, or weekly holy day, ever mentioned in the Bible is the seventh day.
2. Jesus, as creator, blessed and set apart this special day, so man could spend it with Him.
3. In fact, He asks us to remember this special memorial of His creative power.
CS - 2 Could it be that God later changed His mind? Psalms 89:34
1. The Lord does not change what He has spoken. Remember, He is all knowing and He knows the future.
2. Knowing God's characteristics we can expect that the Sabbath, one of His commands, would stand forever.
CS - 3 Did the apostles infer any change in the Sabbath? What day did they keep after the resurrection? Acts 13:14,42; 18:4
1. Fifteen to twenty-three years after Christ's ascension, Luke, the author of Acts, talks about the same seventh-day Biblical Sabbath being kept.
2. Thus, it becomes evident a change was not made during the time of the apostles.
CS - 4 Did God predict that a power would arise, who would attempt to change God's Laws? Dan 7:25
1. "He" refers to activities of the little horn power (verses 8, 24).
2. God foretold that this Roman power would think to change times and laws. Since the only commandment in the law that has to do with time is the fourth, this change involves the seventh-day Sabbath.
3. This power would successfully obscure the true Sabbath for a time, times, and the dividing of times - a period commonly known as the Dark ages, A.D. 538 to A.D. 1798.
4. History tells us that Constantine in A.D. 321 issued the first Sunday Law. The first law commanding Christians to worship on that day in place of the seventh, was issued at the Council of Laodicea,
A.D. 364.
5. "The Catholic Church, for over one thousand years before the existence of a Protestant, by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday." - Catholic Mirror, September 23,1893
CS - 5 What about our Christian friends who keep Sunday, will they all be lost?
John 9:41
1. None will be condemned for keeping the wrong day in ignorance.
2. However, as we see new truths, we need to allow Jesus to make changes in our lives.
CS - 6 What is the Bible definition by which we can know what is sin for us? James 4:17
1. When a person knows, or has the opportunity to know what is right and doesn't do it, that person sins.
CS -7 If the laws of the land conflict with the law of God, what is our responsibility? Acts 5:29
1. When faced with a conflict between man's tradition and God's law, then we ought to follow God.
CS -8 How important is our obedience to Christ's commands? Hebrews 5:9
1. We should obey Him who died to save us.
2. Therefore, we should honor God, the ruler of heaven and earth, by keeping the day He has given as a memorial of His creative acts.
SUMMARY: We can have confidence that if we keep God's holy day, the seventh day - Saturday - we are doing His will. The choice is ours. Will we follow tradition or will we follow our Savior? Learn more about the Sabbath and how the day was changed here - www.SabbathTruth.com.
PREVIEW: Next lesson, we will learn about how our Saviour is coming soon.
PS: To learn more about prophecy - please do our complete Bible Marking study here - some you wil have already done, some are new - or visit www.BibleUniverse.com.