Why We Worship on Sunday

This short study guide is designed to answer the question that many have about the day of worship. Often, people feel that since the Sabbath was the holy day of the Old Testament, that it should be the day of worship in the New Testament. I am often asked why did it change to Sunday? Who changed it? I have even heard the charge that the Catholics changed it from Saturday to Sunday.

Let’s consider the question, “Why worship on Sunday?”

SUNDAY IS A SPECIAL DAY TO CHRISTIANS

  1. Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday (Mark 16:9).

  2. Holy Spirit came upon the apostles on Sunday (Acts 2:1-4). We can determine that Pentecost was a Sunday from Leviticus 23:11-16 (Pentecost means fifty days).

  3. The church began that day (Acts 2:37-42).

  4. The churches met on Sunday to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus (to break bread…Acts 20:7).

  5. Christians continued to meet together on Sundays and were given additional instructions (1 Cor.16:1-2).

  6. They were directed to continue to meet together (Heb.10:25).

CHRISTIANS FOLLOW THE APOSTLES’ TEACHING
  1. Jesus commanded the apostles to teach everything He commanded (Matthew 28:18-20)

  2. Jesus also told the apostles that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth (John 16:12-13).

  3. Since the apostles were teaching the early Christians to meet on the first day of the week, Sunday, we are following Jesus and the Spirit when we follow their example/teaching.

HISTORICAL EVIDENCE: 1st AND 2nd CENTURY
  1. Ignatius (37-108 A.D.) of Antioch said, “Let every friend of Christ keep the Lord’s Day as a festival, the resurrection day, the queen and chief of all days of the week.” 1

  2. Justin Martyr (100-165 A.D.) stated, “And on the day called Sunday, all who live in the cities and the country gather together to one place…bread and wine and water are brought…there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given…But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God…made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour in the same day rose from the dead.” 2

THE OLD TESTAMENT SABBATH
  1. The Law taught the Jews to “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8).

  2. Who was this Law given to? The Law given on Mt. Sinai (also called Horeb) was given to the Israelites (Deut. 5:1-3).

  3. The Law was not given to people before Israel received the Law from God at Mt. Sinai (Nehemiah 9:13-14).

  4. The Law was not given to Christians. In fact, Christians are taught that the Law was the Old Covenant and they are under a New Covenant (Romans 7:1-6; Ephesians 2:14-16).

  5. The Old Testament law was fulfilled and ceased at the cross (Colossians 2:14).

  6. Christians follow Jesus (Heb.1:1-2) and following Jesus puts us in His New Covenant (Heb.8:6-8). Jesus led the early Christians to worship on Sunday.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH?

The Bible teaches us to assemble for worship on Sunday, the first day of the week. On that day, Christians remember the sacrifice of Jesus, teach and encourage one another, give in keeping with their income, sing and pray.

If we intend to imitate them and restore the practices of the early church, we will meet on Sunday and worship the Lord. 3

1 The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, page 63.
2 The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, page 186.
3 Introducing the Church of Christ, John Waddey, editor; Star Bible Pub., 1981, p.140-143.



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