If they did, we should see clear evidence of a distinct command or example of such a change. To start, let’s review the names of the weeks and their Biblical numbers. After all, the fourth commandment is about a day of the week that God proclaims as holy. God’s words are not arbitrary. He is the Creator, and He wants us to remember that!
Names and Numbers of the Week
The phrase “first day of the week” appears in the New Testament only nine (9) times in eight (8) verses. Of course, the word”Sunday” never appears because it is the pagan designation for the Sun’s day. The Bible refers to the day we now call Sunday as “the first day of the week.” The day Jesus was resurrected from the dead. Another question to consider: “Does the Bible call Sunday or the first day of the week, The Lord’s Day?” Sure, a man may make that designation, but does the Bible?
All of our English names of the days of the week are related to planetary gods of regional culture. (See the Appendix for further detail and the origin of these names)
Examples:
Tuesday: Tyr’s day.” Tyr was the Norse god of combat.
Wednesday is the day of the Woden or Odin, the father of the Gods.
The Creator God simply numbered the days of the week after the days of creation.
Example:
God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.
Genesis 1:5
Although the days were number one (1) through seven (7), the seventh day was blessed by the Creator when He ended His creative work. Only this particular day was given a name with meaning. He gave it the name “Sabbath” (Hebrew word: šabāṯ), meaning rest. Our calendar shows the end of the work week to be the seventh day or the Sabbath (pagan name: Saturday).
And on the seventh day, God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
Genesis 2:2
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. Exodus 20 8-10
While the Bible mentions the phrase “first day of the week” only nine (9) times in the New Testament, There are 59 verses in the New Testament about the Sabbath. Further, there is one (1) passage in Hebrews 4:4 that uses the phrase “the seventh day,” which points back to the seventh day of creation and God’s rest (Sabbath). So, there should be no doubt as to which day God designated as the Sabbath. We cannot make a day holy or proclaim any day we wish to be the Sabbath.
For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”
Hebrews 4:4
The first day of the week and the seventh day are not the same days; neither is Sunday and the Sabbath the same.
The Lord’s Day
The one phrase that stands by itself is “The Lord’s Day,” which is found only one (1) time in the Bible (Revelation 1:7)
“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet” Revelation 1:10
There is no clear designation for which day of the week John refers to, but within its context or the verse and the entire eschatology of Revelation, it appears John is referring to the day of Christ’s return which is accompanied by a loud trumpet.
For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
1 Thessalonians 4:16
While a good case could be made that the Sabbath is called the Lord’s day in the following passage, this is not the purpose of this article. I explore this in detail in the article called Patmos and the Lord’s day.
Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
Mark 2:28
Here Jesus proclaims to own or be the Lord of the Sabbath. Since He was the Co-Creator according to John 1: 1-13, Colossians 1: 15-17, and Hebrews 1: 8-10, He actually participated in the sanctification of the seventh day as a weekly memorial of His creatorship. Jesus claims the Sabbath day as His, for a good reason, but uses a different order of words.
But did the disciples change the First Day of the week into “the Lord’s Day” to refer to the resurrection of Christ? Let’s take a look at all the verses regarding the first day of the week (aka Sunday). On the flip side, was the Sabbath only for the Jews or stricken/changed from the ten (10) commandments? (This last question will be explored in a later article)
New Testament Passages on the First Day of The Week
Of the eight verses about the first day of the week, only three have any indication that the disciples met on the first day of the week for religious reasons. But were they really together to worship, or was it for some other reason?
Click here for all 8 verses. They are described below:
1.) Matthew 28:1 -Matthew recounts the time when the two Marys came to the tomb after the Sabbath, and early on the first day of the week. We know the rest of the story; they found an empty tomb. Jesus had risen from the dead! This resurrection of Christ is what separates the true religion of Christ from all the other false gods. Paul said it is so important that those who do not think it possible that Jesus was resurrected (that it didn’t happen), then all the preaching, including our faith, is empty, futile, and we are, of all men, the most pitiable. It would also mean that the disciples are all liars. Further, those who have died (fallen asleep) have perished.
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have [fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”
Did you catch that? If Jesus was not resurrected, then here are the effects on your Christianity:
1.) All the preaching you hear is empty
2.) Your faith in Christ is empty
3.) The eyewitnesses of the resurrection (disciples) are liars (False Witnesses).
4.) Your faith in Christ is futile
5.) Your loved ones who fell asleep (died) in Christ have perished. We have no hope of seeing them again
6.) We are still in our sins. The cross would mean nothing!
7.) We are, of all men, the most pitiable.
But praise God Jesus was resurrected, and this ensures we will be resurrected when He returns:
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thess 4: 16-18
If ever there was a reason to make the First Day of the week Holy, it would be the fact of Jesus’ resurrection. But look closely, there is not indication from this verse or any verse on the resurrection that Sunday has become a holy day for worship and that the Sabbath has been done away with.
2.) Mark 16:2 They came to the tomb The next two passages are Mark’s account of the resurrection on the 1st day of the week. Again, no indication of a change or pending change of the fourth commandment. the same for #3-6 below.
3.) In Mark 16:9, Jesus appears to Mary
5.) Luke 24:1 Luke’s account of the resurrection.
6.) John 20:1 John’s Account of the resurrection
If we are going to find an example or command for the change from the Sabbath to the first day of the week, it will be clear in the only two verses remaining:
7.) John 20:19 The disciples gathered together on the first day of the week. It was not for the reason of worship at this point but because of “fear of the Jews.” In the midst of their fear gathering, Jesus appears to them. No indication of a change of the day of worship here.
8.) Acts 20:7 The disciples came together on the first day of the week to break bread. Was it a Sunday morning communion service? There is nothing to indicate it was. The breaking of bread can also refer to eating together. This they did daily.
So continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, Acts 2:46
The reason they came together? Paul was preparing to leave the next day. This text is part of a running narrative describing various incidents of Paul’s homeward trip to Jerusalem at the close of his third missionary journey. The whole story requires two chapters.
Notice there is no holy title (Lord’s Day) given to the time they came together. Also, the Lord’s supper is the description of what we often call the communion service of eating bread and wine. This is not limited to any particular day.
“In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
1 Corinthians 11:25
No mention as a requirement of each Sunday. It is as “often” or” when”you do this. It is apparent that celebrating the Lord’s supper can be any day of the week.
As you read the verse, you see that this is a night gathering (many lights in the chambers), and Paul preached into the night (midnight). Wow! long sermon! But notice that this was the “dark part” of the first day of the week. This is important because the day (in biblical reckoning) always changed at sunset. See Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31, Leviticus 23:32
Therefore, the dark part of that “first day of the week” was what we would describe as Saturday night.” This was a Saturday night service!
Conybeare and Howson, in their authoritative work, Life and Epistles of the Apostle Paul, write as follows concerning the time of the meeting:
“It was the evening which succeeded the Jewis sabbath. On the Sunday morning the vessel was about to sail”
Life and Epistles of the Apostle Paul, Page 520 (1-vol. edition)
Some translations of the Bible rightly translate this late evening meeting as Saturday night.
On Saturday evening, we gathered together for the fellowship meal. Paul spoke to the people and kept on speaking until midnight since he was going to leave the next day.
Acts 20: 7 (Good News Translation)
Notice the footnote reference in the Expanded Bible.
On the first day of the week Sunday; or perhaps Saturday night since the Jewish day began in the evening (Greeks reckoned from the morning)],
Acts 20:7 (Expanded Bible)
Whatever the time, there is no evidence that this meeting is an example of the Sabbath being rejected and the first day of the week becoming a holy day. Only one day was proclaimed holy by God Himself, the seventh day Sabbath.
9.) 1 Corinthians 16:2– Paul is instructing the Corinthian church “lay aside or store up something (offerings for the poor in Jerusalem) so that there would be no collections when Paul arrived. So they are not taking up an offering in a church service but storing it up to give to Paul whenever he arrives. This was more of a bookkeeping type of instruction rather than an act of worship. Doing this at the start of the week made since it was after the rest day of the Sabbath.
Speaking of this text, the commentator declares that, as to the practice of Christians to meet on the first day of the week, “we cannot infer it from this passage.”
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Published by the Cambridge University Press and edited by Church of England clergymen.
This follows the comment on the phrase “lay by him”
i.e. at home, not in the assembly, as is generally supposed….He (Paul) speaks of a custom in his time of placing a small box by the bedside into which an offering was to be put “whenever prayer was made”
The First Epistle to the Corinthians, edited by J. J. Lias, p. 164
So, there is no evidence that Jesus or His apostles ever changed the solemnity of the Sabbath as found in the 10 commandments in favor of a different day of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus is celebrated as the symbol of baptism and the rebirth experience:
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:4
So, Who Made the Change from Sabbath to the Lord’s Day?
Pope Sylvester officially named Sunday “the Lord’s Day,” and in A.D. 338, Eusebius, the court bishop of Constantine, wrote, “All things whatsoever that it was the duty to do on the Sabbath (the seventh day of the week) we (Constantine, Eusebius, and other bishops) have transferred to the Lord’s Day (the first day of the week) as more appropriately belonging to it.”
From the Catholic Catechism of Catholic Doctrine. “We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea (336 A.D.) transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday…” “The Church substituted Sunday for Saturday by the plentitude of that divine power which Jesus Christ bestowed upon her.” Rev. Peter Geiermann, C.SS.R., (1946, p. 50.
Wjo is our authority on religious matters? Tradition, Popes? Preachers? Wikipedia? Google? No! It is the infallible word of God.
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Appendix
Brief description of the meaning of the names of the week:
- Sunday-Sun’s day. The Papacy didn’t like this name, so they attempted to change it to the Lord’s day.
- Monday-Monandæg, meaning “day of the Moon”
- Tuesday-Tiwesdæg, meaning “Tyr’s day.” Tyr was the Norse god of combat.
- Wednesday-Wodnesdæg means the day of the Woden or Odin, the father of the Gods.
- Thursday Þunresdæg, or Thor’s day. Thor was the Germanic and Norse god of thunder.
- Friday-Frigg, the Norse goddess of beauty Frigg
- Saturday-Saturday is the only English day of the week to retain its Roman origin. Saturday “Day of Saturn”