There may be no more heated topic in churchianity than this:
is Sunday the Lord's Day?
Today most all protestant, Baptist, evangelical and roman catholic organizations celebrate a day with a gathering of its people on Sunday as the Lords Day and they believe this is God inspired (taught) to them. This issue was raised recently in our circle and so I wanted to cover it from a Berean ( Acts 17 ) biblical perspective so we can understand clearly what we should believe on this matter.
There are several sides to this debate that I will explain and then we can see what God's Word says about it from the scriptures.
*As noted above you have the protestant denominations and the roman catholic bodies that believe Sunday is the Lord's Day for them to gather upon.
You also have those who believe that the Saturday Sabbath is still in place and it alone is the Lord's true day to be upheld (still) by all who claim Christ and then there are those who believe there is no longer any special day at all and that we are free to celebrate and worship as we please and that any and all days are for the worship and honoring of the Lord.
*********************************************************
So who is correct and what does the bible really say without adding to or taking away from its truth?
For this post let's focus on the Protestant/roman catholic view that Sunday is the Lord's Day.
First, does the bible teach us anywhere that Sunday is to be the Lord's Day? No, not one verse teaches us that. Most of the ammunition for making Sunday the new Lord's Day comes from several verses that we will look at and some early writings of certain men then traditions in history but not scripture (that were NOT inspired) after the Apostles died off.
One of the verses they say make Sunday the Lord's day is Acts 20:7
And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
Here we indeed see that the early church did gather on the first day of the week. But there is no evidence that this was a new special day at all. Perhaps with many followers being Jewish and going to the synagogues, the next day or Sunday was a logical one to assemble upon? Either way, to use this verse as evidence that Sunday is now the Lord's day is very weak at best! The same people who use this verse to say "see the early saints were gathering on Sunday so it is the new Lord's Day" seem to totally ignore the verses where it says they also gathered daily and house to house.
Acts 2:48
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart
By this they show their bent to prove their own view with some verses to uphold a Sunday gathering while they totally ignore other verses altogether. Do you ever hear them pushing for house to house daily meetings? No, not at all. (This is called Eisegesis which is pulling out what you want the bible to say and it is not good biblical study practice at all. Click HERE to learn about Exegesis and Eisegesis.)
They will also use this verse when Paul was talking about taking up money for needy saints.
1 Corinthians 16:2
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.
Again this verse talks about a first day of the week event but there is no mention of the Lord's day. It was merely a collection of items/goods/offering for needy saints, nothing more. Note: the words "let every one of you lay by him in store". This clearly shows that each believer was to set aside some aid/goods/offering but nowhere does it say they are to bring it to a weekly gathering as many say, thus they are adding to scripture. In the OT there was a Temple and a priest to bring offerings/tithes to. Today thanks to Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, the temple and the priest are the TRUE believer and not any building or modern pastor role made up by man and false religion. They have built a system to take your money and gain control over others.
The believer is to be a good steward with ALL of His money and not just hand it over for blacktop, salaries of men not needed at all ( like modern pastors / worship leaders) and the ever growing building complex that God never ordained!
Lastly, they will rest in this verse by John from 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
Here John is having a vision from the Lord and they claim the Lord's Day is now Sunday.
This verse itself with a “Loud voice” and “trumpet” suggests a end time event.
See 1 Thessalonians 4:16 for the same words about that same future event.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
We know that the book of Revelation is a futuristic prophetic book and so it seems John was likely talking about future events.
The fact is the bible talks over and over about a Day of the Lord and this is a future time when He returns; not Sunday at all.
Here is a post on when was Christ really resurrected?
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/2014/04/was-christ-really-crucified-on-good.html
They will also try to say that the day of Pentecost came on a Sunday. While this is true; it in no way gives us the authority to make a special Lord's day that isn't taught to us directly in the bible.
We must cling to what we have in the Word and not add it to make man's religious ways fit.
Did you know what is VERY clear in history is that the roman emperor Constantine legalized and then paganized Christianity and he was the one who made Sunday the official day of worship in 321-325 AD?
Fact: Sunday is named for the sun worship of the pagans and it was used to merge pagan ways into the body of Christ. That later grew into the unbiblical roman catholic faith of today. It was a pagan Constantine who made it law...NOT God. Do your research!
See out post on Roman Catholicism here and its many unbiblical ways:
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/2014/01/roman-catholicism-vs-gods-word.html
By using scripture to interpret scripture the bible just does not teach that Sunday is the NEW Lord's Day at all. There is no biblical support for Sunday being the “Lord’s Day” today and it is just a false tradition made up by men...pagan men in this case.
While it is true there were various early 2-3rd century writers who claimed Sunday was the Lord's Day and many who practiced it then; we cannot take their views and idea's as infallible truth. They also had many unbiblical doctrines that also eventually led to error and the false roman catholic system we see alive still today. This still does not make Sunday the Lord's day and to do so is to add to God's Word when Revelation 22:19 warns against this.
Now as far as the view of the Sabbath still being in place for today this just does not hold up to the writings of Paul who was commissioned by Christ Himself to go to the gentiles with the gospel.
The Sabbath was given to the Israelites and the word means intermission. It was a resting from physical labor. Now in Christ, it is a eternal rest for all of those who are in Jesus Christ as He finished His work, our redemption on the cross.
Hebrews 4:3
You can also read in Galatians 2 where Paul scolds Peter for forcing the gentiles to still keep Israelite ways and customs.
We, ourselves, must reject that the Lord's Day as Sunday and we also reject those who claim we all must keep the Sabbath to fully honor God. The bible does not teach either of those positions. There are many verses we could use but this is just one where Paul said in Romans 14:5-6
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.
In the end, the only biblical position of the three thoughts regarding any special day to gather the body is the one that allows for others to hold a day they decide is special (if they choose to do so) and to never claim or hold other people to what the bible clearly does not teach at all. This is what is done by protestants and roman catholics regarding the Sunday gathering as the Lord's Day. It is yet another example of them using false man made traditions vs the truth of God's Holy Word.
Here is a refuting in detail of a false man who twists and turns Gods Word to make his beloved Sunday Lords Day stick but I refute it easily:
Today most all protestant, Baptist, evangelical and roman catholic organizations celebrate a day with a gathering of its people on Sunday as the Lords Day and they believe this is God inspired (taught) to them. This issue was raised recently in our circle and so I wanted to cover it from a Berean ( Acts 17 ) biblical perspective so we can understand clearly what we should believe on this matter.
There are several sides to this debate that I will explain and then we can see what God's Word says about it from the scriptures.
*As noted above you have the protestant denominations and the roman catholic bodies that believe Sunday is the Lord's Day for them to gather upon.
You also have those who believe that the Saturday Sabbath is still in place and it alone is the Lord's true day to be upheld (still) by all who claim Christ and then there are those who believe there is no longer any special day at all and that we are free to celebrate and worship as we please and that any and all days are for the worship and honoring of the Lord.
*********************************************************
So who is correct and what does the bible really say without adding to or taking away from its truth?
For this post let's focus on the Protestant/roman catholic view that Sunday is the Lord's Day.
First, does the bible teach us anywhere that Sunday is to be the Lord's Day? No, not one verse teaches us that. Most of the ammunition for making Sunday the new Lord's Day comes from several verses that we will look at and some early writings of certain men then traditions in history but not scripture (that were NOT inspired) after the Apostles died off.
One of the verses they say make Sunday the Lord's day is Acts 20:7
And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
Here we indeed see that the early church did gather on the first day of the week. But there is no evidence that this was a new special day at all. Perhaps with many followers being Jewish and going to the synagogues, the next day or Sunday was a logical one to assemble upon? Either way, to use this verse as evidence that Sunday is now the Lord's day is very weak at best! The same people who use this verse to say "see the early saints were gathering on Sunday so it is the new Lord's Day" seem to totally ignore the verses where it says they also gathered daily and house to house.
Acts 2:48
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart
By this they show their bent to prove their own view with some verses to uphold a Sunday gathering while they totally ignore other verses altogether. Do you ever hear them pushing for house to house daily meetings? No, not at all. (This is called Eisegesis which is pulling out what you want the bible to say and it is not good biblical study practice at all. Click HERE to learn about Exegesis and Eisegesis.)
They will also use this verse when Paul was talking about taking up money for needy saints.
1 Corinthians 16:2
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.
Again this verse talks about a first day of the week event but there is no mention of the Lord's day. It was merely a collection of items/goods/offering for needy saints, nothing more. Note: the words "let every one of you lay by him in store". This clearly shows that each believer was to set aside some aid/goods/offering but nowhere does it say they are to bring it to a weekly gathering as many say, thus they are adding to scripture. In the OT there was a Temple and a priest to bring offerings/tithes to. Today thanks to Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, the temple and the priest are the TRUE believer and not any building or modern pastor role made up by man and false religion. They have built a system to take your money and gain control over others.
The believer is to be a good steward with ALL of His money and not just hand it over for blacktop, salaries of men not needed at all ( like modern pastors / worship leaders) and the ever growing building complex that God never ordained!
Lastly, they will rest in this verse by John from 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
Here John is having a vision from the Lord and they claim the Lord's Day is now Sunday.
This verse itself with a “Loud voice” and “trumpet” suggests a end time event.
See 1 Thessalonians 4:16 for the same words about that same future event.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
We know that the book of Revelation is a futuristic prophetic book and so it seems John was likely talking about future events.
The fact is the bible talks over and over about a Day of the Lord and this is a future time when He returns; not Sunday at all.
1 CORINTHIANS 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
2 CORINTHIANS 1:14 As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
2 PETER 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Many will say "since the Lord was resurrected on Sunday it makes it His Day". But who can say for sure He "was raised on Sunday"? In fact the evidence says He was not raised on that day at all? Here is a post on when was Christ really resurrected?
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/2014/04/was-christ-really-crucified-on-good.html
They will also try to say that the day of Pentecost came on a Sunday. While this is true; it in no way gives us the authority to make a special Lord's day that isn't taught to us directly in the bible.
We must cling to what we have in the Word and not add it to make man's religious ways fit.
Did you know what is VERY clear in history is that the roman emperor Constantine legalized and then paganized Christianity and he was the one who made Sunday the official day of worship in 321-325 AD?
Fact: Sunday is named for the sun worship of the pagans and it was used to merge pagan ways into the body of Christ. That later grew into the unbiblical roman catholic faith of today. It was a pagan Constantine who made it law...NOT God. Do your research!
See out post on Roman Catholicism here and its many unbiblical ways:
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/2014/01/roman-catholicism-vs-gods-word.html
By using scripture to interpret scripture the bible just does not teach that Sunday is the NEW Lord's Day at all. There is no biblical support for Sunday being the “Lord’s Day” today and it is just a false tradition made up by men...pagan men in this case.
While it is true there were various early 2-3rd century writers who claimed Sunday was the Lord's Day and many who practiced it then; we cannot take their views and idea's as infallible truth. They also had many unbiblical doctrines that also eventually led to error and the false roman catholic system we see alive still today. This still does not make Sunday the Lord's day and to do so is to add to God's Word when Revelation 22:19 warns against this.
Now as far as the view of the Sabbath still being in place for today this just does not hold up to the writings of Paul who was commissioned by Christ Himself to go to the gentiles with the gospel.
The Sabbath was given to the Israelites and the word means intermission. It was a resting from physical labor. Now in Christ, it is a eternal rest for all of those who are in Jesus Christ as He finished His work, our redemption on the cross.
Hebrews 4:3
For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
While you can gather on the Sabbath if you desire to, but it is not a mandate in the Word. It does appear that some of the Israelites may continue it as Jesus mentions the Sabbath in Matt 24 and the end time events to come. Clearly the Sabbath is not taught in the New Testament for those early gentile believers. Paul in Colossians 2:16-17 really destroys those who claim it must to held to yet today.
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: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.While you can gather on the Sabbath if you desire to, but it is not a mandate in the Word. It does appear that some of the Israelites may continue it as Jesus mentions the Sabbath in Matt 24 and the end time events to come. Clearly the Sabbath is not taught in the New Testament for those early gentile believers. Paul in Colossians 2:16-17 really destroys those who claim it must to held to yet today.
You can also read in Galatians 2 where Paul scolds Peter for forcing the gentiles to still keep Israelite ways and customs.
We, ourselves, must reject that the Lord's Day as Sunday and we also reject those who claim we all must keep the Sabbath to fully honor God. The bible does not teach either of those positions. There are many verses we could use but this is just one where Paul said in Romans 14:5-6
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.
In the end, the only biblical position of the three thoughts regarding any special day to gather the body is the one that allows for others to hold a day they decide is special (if they choose to do so) and to never claim or hold other people to what the bible clearly does not teach at all. This is what is done by protestants and roman catholics regarding the Sunday gathering as the Lord's Day. It is yet another example of them using false man made traditions vs the truth of God's Holy Word.
Here is a refuting in detail of a false man who twists and turns Gods Word to make his beloved Sunday Lords Day stick but I refute it easily:
Don't be fooled into vain traditions not rooted in the Word. That is bondage when Jesus Christ has set free those who are born again. We suggest that all of your days and "any day" are ones to serve, worship and know Him in total obedience to His Word; until till He comes for His elect.
God be praised
www.dontperish.com
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