Sabbath vs Sunday: Part 2 - The Claim that Sunday Worship is the New Testament Biblical Pattern

Most Christians assemble for worship on Sundays.  We understand as we too used to meet on Sunday. 

The common argument is that worshipping on Sunday is what one sees as the New Testament pattern.  But is it?  Consider the proofs typically offered:

1.       Jesus was resurrected on Sunday.  It is presented that this fact shows the new importance of Sunday.

In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. - Matthew 28:1

2. The disciples were assembled together on Pentecost (i.e., Sunday) when the Holy Spirit was given.  It is assumed that they met on Sunday because this was the new day of worship.

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. - Acts 2:1

3.       Disciples were meeting together on the “first day” of the week in Troas when Paul was visiting.  This is argued to show that Sunday meeting was the established pattern for worship.

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. - Acts 20:7

4.       Jesus met with his disciples on the evening of the resurrection.  This is argued to show Jesus was making a point to meet with them on 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

5.       Paul instructs an offering be collected on the “first day” of the week.  This is argued to show that since offerings are a part of worship, this indicates that the disciples were worshipping on 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. - 1 Corinthians 16:1-2

6.       The Apostle John was in the Spirit on the “Lord’s Day”.  It is argued that Sunday is the “Lord’s Day” and is different than the Sabbath.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet - Revelation 1:10

Something important to notice is that in none of the above texts, nor anywhere else in Scripture, does it say that God has changed the day or days he desires for his people to worship.  That idea is read into the text.  

Many simply worship on Sunday because of the fact that the Messiah was resurrected on Sunday.  That is reason enough for them.  But what is often overlooked is that the Messiah was prophesied to be raised on the Feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14, 1Corinthians 15:20) which was always on the Sunday following Passover and within the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  The Messiah was not resurrected on Sunday to change the day of worship.  Rather he was resurrected on Sunday because the Messiah was obedient to the law and would therefore do not work on the Sabbath.  He did not violate the law before or after his death. 

Connected with the day our Messiah was resurrected (i.e., Feast of Firstfruits) is the Feast known as Pentecost which means 50.  It was called Pentecost because it was 50 days after the Feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:15-22).  It was also known as the Feast of Weeks because it was 7 weeks and a day (i.e., 49 + 1 = 50).  Since the Feast of Firstfruits always fell on the day after the Sabbath (i.e., Sunday), 50 days later means that the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost would also always fall on a Sunday.  Thus, to see the faithful disciples of the Messiah meeting on Pentecost in the upper room in Acts 2, which was on a Sunday, is exactly what one would expect.  Meeting on this particular Sunday does not mean they were or had changed the day of worship to Sunday.  Rather, they were assembling on the day God had instructed them to do so in Leviticus 23. 

As mentioned above, Pentecost is also called the Feast of Weeks because God instructs his people to count 7 sabbaths after the Feast of Firstfruits which fell within the week of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:15).  This counting of sabbaths is the very thing that Luke mentions in his record of Paul’s journeys in Acts 20.  Notice how Luke met up with Paul in Troas 5 days after the Feast of Unleavened Bread:

And we [Luke and his companions] sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them [Paul and his companions] to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. - Acts 20:6

The next verse explains that there was a gathering within the 7 days after they had arrived in Troas:

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. - Acts 20:7

What is often assumed is that “the first day of the week” is a reference to Sunday.  However, upon a closer examination of the underlying text, the English translation has been biased towards a Sunday interpretation.  It is important to note that in the English translation, the word “day” is supplied by the translators but is not found in the underlying Greek text from which it is translated.  Another important consideration is that the Greek word behind “week” is sabbaton (σάββατον) which is the plural form of the word, sabbath.  In other words, the phrase literally reads, “And upon the one of the sabbaths”.  When one understands how God instructed his people to count the sabbaths after the Feast of Firstfruits within the Feast of Unleavened Bread, it is not surprising to see reference to the disciples meeting on the first of the sabbaths (Acts 20:7) following Unleavened Bread (Acts 20:6).  Thus rather than Acts 20:7 showing the disciples meeting on a Sunday, it in fact shows them meeting on a Sabbath!

The fourth proof cited above is that Jesus met with his disciples the evening of his resurrection, which was a Sunday.  What is often overlooked here is that the biblical day does not start at midnight, but rather at sunset (cf. Genesis 1:1-5).  This means that the evening of the “day” the Messiah was resurrected was actually the first part of the second day of the week (i.e., Monday).  Although this at first is confusing to today’s readers of the Bible, this is how the Bible defines a biblical day and how the original audience would have understood it.  Thus, if the argument is that Jesus is laying out a pattern for when he wants his people to meet with him, then it should be after the sun goes down which is technically the start of Monday.  However, if this were to be correctly understood, this verse would not be used as an argument for Sunday worship.

Regarding 1Corinthians 16:1-2 and the collection that was to be purposely gathered prior to Paul’s arrival, it is important to realize that it is not clear that this is referring to an assembling together for worship.  Although it is possible, it conveniently assumed.  Also, like Acts 20:7, the word, “day” is supplied by the translators and could be simply translated as “one of the sabbaths”.   There is too much ambiguity about these verses to leverage them as a proof text to demonstrate Sunday worship.

Lastly John’s reference to being in the Spirit on the Lord’s day as indicating he worshipped on Sunday does not fit biblical terminology.  The logic is that since the Messiah rose on Sunday, it means that Sunday is the Lord’s day.  However, Scripture never makes this connection.  Rather than make this sort of leap in logic, it would be better to recognize that the Messiah had stated that he was the Lord of the sabbath day (cf. Matthew 12:8, Mark 2:28, Luke 6:5).    The Old Testament and New Testament also refers to the Day of the LORD (e.g., Joel 2:11, Zephaniah 1:14, 1 Corinthians 5:5, 1 Thessalonians 5:2) which is a reference to the 1,000 year reign of the Messiah on earth which starts with his judgement upon the entire earth.  All of this is connected to the prophetic picture of the creation week which points to God’s 7,000-year program (Isaiah 46:9-10, 2 Petere 3:8, Psalm 90:4).  The 7th day of creation (i.e., the Sabbath) pictures the final 1,000 years which is the period of rest God promises to his people (Hebrews 4:4, 8-9).  The Lord’s day (Sabbath) is the picture of the future Day of the Lord. 

I do not believe that those that propose that the New Testament indicates a pattern for Sunday worship have rightfully divided the Scriptures but are rather reading what they want to see into Scripture.  Also, if one wants to argue that we should follow the pattern that is shown, then one should seriously consider the actual pattern seen in the New Testament.  Part 3 in this series will present this for consideration.