*Over the next few weeks, I want to post a series of articles on the importance of the Lord’s Day in the life of the Christian.
I want to begin this series of posts with more of an apologetic (defense) for worshipping on Sunday. While this is by no means an exhaustive study, I intend to clearly and concisely give a basic overview answering the question: Why do Christians worship on Sunday? Is it based on Scripture or is based on the traditions of men?
Refuting Erroneous Accusations
There is a common accusation that Constantine the Great (Roman Emperor in the 4th Century) changed the day of Christian worship from Saturday (Jewish Sabbath) to Sunday.
Yet, a study of Scripture and early church history reveals that this accusation is simply NOT true!
It is true that Constantine in 321 AD made Sunday the official day of rest for the Roman Empire. Constantine decreed, “On the venerable day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed” (Codex Justinianus lib. 3, tit. 12, 3; trans. in Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 3, p. 380, note 1). Constantine was merely adopting for the Roman Empire what Christians had already been doing for nearly two and a half centuries before that.
The early church adopted Sunday as their day of worship long before Constantine was ever around- Worshipping on Sunday was based on the resurrection of Christ NOT on a decision by Constantine.
A Biblical Basis
Mark 16:9 says- “Jesus was risen early the first day of the week” (also see Mt. 28:1; Lk. 24:1; Jn. 20:19). On the first day of the week, Jesus rose triumphantly from the grave. The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ has been referred to as “the crowning proof of Christianity”. Without the resurrection, our “faith is vain” and we are “yet in [our] sins” (1 Cor. 15:17). But thanks be to God that on the first day of the week, “God raised him from the dead” (Acts 13:30).
The early Christians during the apostolic era of the church worshipped God on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2) in commemoration of the Lord’s resurrection on Sunday. Though we find Paul going into the Jewish synagogues on the sabbath, his purpose was always evangelistic- to preach Christ to the Jews. Nowhere do we find the saints gathering to worship on the seventh day sabbath, but rather, on Sunday. In Rev. 1:10, John refers to Sunday as “the Lord’s Day”. Everyday belongs to God, yet the Lord’s Day is elevated above the rest as one that is to be totally set apart for the purpose of worshipping the Lord with other believers (Heb. 10:25).
Historical Confirmation
While history is not our final authority (only God’s Word is), it is helpful to understand history to know how churches operated following the time of the apostles and to refute to claim that Sunday worship was invented by Constantine in the fourth century. History shows that Christians were worshipping on Sunday as their weekly day of worship long before Constantine.
Consider a few quotes from early church Christians:
The Epistle of Barnabas (about A.D. 100) — “Wherefore, also we keep the eighth day with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead.”
Ignatius (d., A.D. 110)- “Let us no longer keep the sabbath after the Jewish manner…but keep it after a spiritual manner…let every friend of Christ keep the Lord’s Day, the resurrection day, the queen and chief of all days…”
Justin Martyr (A.D. 100-A.D. 165) – “And on the day called Sunday all who live in cities or in the country gather together in one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read. … But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day of the week on which God … made the world; and Jesus Christ our Savior on the same day rose from the dead.”
Irenaeus (A.D. 130-A.D. 202)- “The Mystery of the Lord’s Resurrection may not be celebrated on any other day than the Lord’s Day, and on this alone should we observe the breaking off of the Paschal Feast.”
Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 150-A.D. 215) — “He, in fulfillment of the precept, according to the gospel, keeps the Lord’s Day … glorifying the Lord’s resurrection in himself.”
Tertullian (A.D. 155-A.D. 220)- “…to [us] Sabbaths are strange and fulfilled…we worship on the Lord’s day of resurrection.”; “We solemnize the day after Saturday in contradiction to those who call this day their sabbath.”
Eusebius (A.D. 260-A.D. 340)- “…the sabbath has been transferred to Sunday.”
Every Sunday is ‘Resurrection Sunday’ for the New Testament Church! Every Sunday we gather for worship we are commemorating the fact that we serve a Risen Savior who triumphed over grave on the first day of the week! Let us honor Christ by honoring the Lord’s Day! Let us set it apart as a special day to worship our Risen Savior and Lord Jesus Christ!
~Pastor Aaron Francis
