Facts of Faith

Sunday in the Early Church

THE word “Sunday” is not found in the Bible, but the “first day” of the week is mentioned just nine times. Let us examine these nine texts. FAFA 88.1

1. The first day of the week originated as a work day. This world was created on a Sunday, so that, wherever one goes, he is reminded of God’s Sunday work. (Genesis 1:1-5.) FAFA 88.2

2. “In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene.” Matthew 28:1. Here we notice that Sunday is an ordinary “week” day, not a holy day, and that the New Testament says the Sabbath is over when the first day begins. FAFA 88.3

3. “When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone.” Mark 16:1-3. Here again we see that Sunday is a working day on which work was resumed. FAFA 88.4

(The fourth text we will examine a little later.) FAFA 88.5

5. Christ was buried on Friday, “and that day was the preparation” for the Sabbath. After the burial, His followers returned home “and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment. Now, upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices.” Luke 23:54-56; 24:1. Here three consecutive days are mentioned: They prepared the spices on Friday, rested on the Sabbath, and early Sunday morning they went to finish the work left over from Friday. So we see that Sunday is a working day, which follows immediately after the Sabbath of the New Testament. FAFA 88.6

6. “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the supulcher.” John 20:1. This is simply a repetition of the other texts. FAFA 89.1

7. “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,” Jesus appeared. John 20:19. “Here,” says some one, “you see the disciples were gathered to keep the new Sabbath in memory of the resurrection.” But the text does not say that they were gathered in honor of the day, but “for fear of the Jews.” Let us now examine the fourth text. FAFA 89.2

4. “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene... She went and told them that had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that He was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. After that He appeared” to the two who went to Emmaus. They returned and told the rest: “neither believed they them. Afterward He appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen.” Mark 16:9-14. This is the same meeting which is recorded in John 20:19. We ask: How could they be gathered to celebrate Sunday in honor of Christ’s resurrection, when they did not believe He had risen? No, the disciples were simply in their common living quarters, and were having their evening meal when Jesus came, and they gave Him some fish and honey that was left. (Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36-43) FAFA 89.3

8. In Acts 20:7 we have the only place in the New Testament where a religious meeting is said to be held on the “first day of the week,” and this was a farewell meeting, when, of course, it was natural to celebrate the Lord’s supper in parting. (Vs. 7, 25) Besides this, the believers gathered “daily,” “breaking bread” (Acts 2:46), so there was nothing in the act to indicate that the day was holy. Then too, the meeting at Troas was held on Saturday night. In the Bible reckoning, every day begins and ends at sunset, because God began the work of creation with the dark part and ended the day with the light part. “The evening and the morning were the first day.” Genesis 1:1-5. “From even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath!’ Leviticus 23:32. FAFA 89.4

“And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto Him all that were diseased.” Mark 1:32. They would not bring them until after the Sabbath; but “at even, when the sun did set,” the first working day of the week began. Therefore the Sabbath began at sunset Friday, and ended at sunset Saturday, and the first day of the week began at sunset on our Saturday evening, and ended at sunset on our Sunday evening. The only dark part of the first day, was therefore the night that preceded it, as the night following it was part of the second day. The meeting at Troas was held at night, for “there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together,” and Paul “continued his speech until midnight.” Being “the first day of the week,” it must have been our Saturday night. (Acts 20:7, 8) Having spent the Sabbath together, they simply had a farewell meeting in the evening. Professor McGarvey says: FAFA 90.1

“I conclude that the brethren met on the night after the Jewish Sabbath which was still observed as a day of rest by all of them who were Jews or Jewish proselytes; and considering this the beginning of the first day of the week, spent it in the manner above described. On Sunday morning Paul and his companions resumed their journey.” — Commentary on Acts”, under Acts 20:7. FAFA 90.2

Conybeare and Howson write: FAFA 90.3

“It was the evening which succeeded the Jewish Sabbath.... On the Sunday morning the vessel was about to sail. The Christians of Troas were gathered together at this solemn time.... The night was dark.... Many lamps were burning in the room where the congregation was assembled.” — “Life and Epistles of the Apostle Paul,” pp. 520, 521. New York. FAFA 90.4

If Sunday was their holy day, why then would Paul stay with the brethren at Troas seven days, and leave them on Sunday morning to walk eighteen and one-half miles that day, “for so had he appointed.” This was planning quite a work for Sunday! (Acts 20:6, 13) FAFA 90.5

9. “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store.” 1 Corinthians 16:2. This text says that every one should “lay by him in store.” The new Swedish and new Norwegian Bibles read, at “home by himself.” Weymouth’s reads: “Let each of you put on one side and store up at his home.” Ballantine’s translation reads: “Let each of you lay up at home.” And the Syriac has it: “Let every one of you lay aside and preserve at home.” So the text proves the opposite of what is often claimed for it. FAFA 91.1

The apostle Paul was instructing the believers to take time on Sunday to lay aside at home from the wages received during the preceding week, such an amount as they could afford to give for the relief of their poor brethren at Jerusalem. If we always remembered on Sunday to take something from our previous week’s earnings and lay it up at home, we would find a larger ready offering at hand, when the call comes, than if we wait, and give what we happen to have on hand. The fact that they should sit down and figure up their accounts to see how “God bath prospered” them, and give accordingly, would indicate that the day was not considered a holy day. Then, too, Sunday is never given a sacred title in the New Testament. FAFA 91.2