THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH DAY OF WORSHIP


         Jesus was raised from the dead on the first day of the week. In
    the language of Paul, He was thus "declared to be the Son of God with
    power...by the resurrection from the dead" (Rom 1:4). It was on this
    day that He first appeared to His disciples. One week later He
    appeared to them again--on the first day of the week.
         The church was begun on the day of Pentecost, which also fell on
    the first day of the week--fifty days after the feast of passover
    which ended with the Sabbath (Lev. 23:15,16).
         The Seventh day Sabbath was given to the Jews in commemoration
    of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage (Deut. 5:15). The
    resurrection of our Lord signified our deliverance from sin and the
    grave. It was fitting, therefore, that the church should have it's
    beginning on the first day of the week, and that thereafter
    Christians should assemble on this day for the express purpose of
    worshipping God, in commemorating the sufferings and death of the
    Lord Jesus Christ, in the observance of His supper, which today not
    only looks back to His death for our sins, it also looks forward to
    His coming again (1Cor. 11:26), at which time "all that are in the
    graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth..." (John 2:28,29)
         Though we sometimes find Paul going into the Jewish synagogues
    in different cities on the Jewish Sabbath, he did so for the express
    purpose of preaching the gospel to the Jews; persuading them to give
    up their former manner of worship and of turning to the Lord Jesus
    Christ. As for the Christians, we never find them meeting for the
    express purpose of worshipping on the Jewish Sabbath, but always on
    the first day of the week. Thus we read:"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" (Acts 20:7). While
    the early Christians engaged in other acts of worship when they came
    together at the set time ("upon the first day if the week"), the
    apostle Paul specifically states that the PURPOSE of such meetings
    was "to break bread." Thus, in all other stated meetings for worship,
    "upon the first day of the week," the early disciples partook of the
    Lord's supper.
         If it be argued that the early Christians did not necessarily
    meet the first day of "EVERY week," we have only to recall that in
    the giving of the Decalogue the Israelites were merely told to
    "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Ex 20:8). One man in the
    camp it seems, felt that because the Lord did not specify "EVERY
    Sabbath day" that he might not have to keep each and every one. But
    when he violated just one Sabbath by going out and gathering up some
    sticks he was stoned to death, as God commanded Moses (Num. 15:32-36)
         The writer of the book of Acts (ch 20:7) specifically states the
    purpose of the meeting of the early disciples "upon the first day of
    the week." It was TO BREAK BREAD. From 1 Cor. 16:1,2 we learn that it
    was the custom of the early church to meet upon the first day of the
    week, at which time they were to make their contribution for the work
    the Lord had laid upon the church. Thus Paul wrote:"Now concerning
    the collection for the saints, as I have given orders 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 has prospered him, that there
    be no gatherings (collections) when I come." Many translations read:
    "Upon the first day of EVERY week," which is precisely what the
    original language here signifies.
         Never was the first day of the week referred to as the
    "Christian Sabbath." Indeed, it was never spoken of as the "Sabbath"
    at any time, or even alluded to in this manner in a single instance.
    Furthermore, all references to the stated occasions for Christian
    worship indicate that it was done on "the first day of the week," but
    never on the seventh day, or the Jewish Sabbath. With the death of
    Christ the Sabbath day, which was given to the Jews in commemoration
    of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage, lost its meaning. In
    truth, it never had any significance whatsoever FOR CHRISTIANS (Col.
    2:14-16).
         It is inaccurate to say that Emperor Constantine "changed" the
    Sabbath to the first day of the week. All he did was to OFFICIALLY
    RECOGNIZE the day upon which Christians had been accustomed to meet
    for worship since the church was begun. While the Jewish Sabbath was
    never any part of the Roman law, the Romans did recognize the fact
    that the Jews were accustomed to observe the seventh day of each
    week, and did not forbid such until after the Jewish nation as a
    whole was destroyed, their temple razed to the ground, and the day
    had lost its significance for them.
         Although Christians do not observe the first day of the week in
    the same manner that the Jews observed their Sabbath, yet, because of
    its significance, all Christians should be faithful in their meetings
    upon this day to worship God, to commemorate the sufferings and death
    of our Lord, while looking forward to His coming again.


    Copyright by Haun Publishing Co. * Box 3426 * Pasadena, Texas 77501



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