With the exception of a few small sects, Christians universally regard Sunday as a sacred day. This has been true down through the centuries from the days of the apostles. The greatest reformers, such as Luther, Melancthon, Zwingle, and Wesley, and great and good men like John Bunyan and John Milton, all wrote in favor of the observance of the Lord’s Day. Surely there must be some good reasons for such a universal practice. Yes, we answer, and reasons which have been entirely satisfactory to the deepest and ablest Christians of the church down through the many centuries of the Christian era. A few of these reasons I shall now submit to the reader.
First. Since the Jewish Sabbath was abolished at the death of Christ, and we are now under a new dispensation, the greatest of all institutions—the gospel—the Lord has not left us without a memorial day, a day to commemorate the greatest of all events—the resurrection of Christ.
Let it be remembered that the observance of days as mere rest-days does not belong to the gospel system. The Sabbath of the gospel is our spiritual rest in Christ. The idea of Sabbath as enjoined in the law is not connected with the Lord’s Day. The Gentile Christians never so regard it. All the early church writers exclude this idea of the Lord’s Day. They simply held it sacred as a memorial day to commemorate Christ’s resurrection. The church Fathers plainly state that they enjoyed a sweet perpetual Sabbath—meaning rest in Christ. I quote from Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible (Art. “Lord’s Day”): “It was not an institution of severe sabbatical character, but a day of joy and cheerfulness.…Religiously regarded, it was a day of solemn meeting for the holy eucharist [communion], for united prayer, for instruction, for alms-giving; and though being an institution under the law of liberty, work does not appear to have been formally interdicted, or rest formally enjoined.” This expresses exactly the manner in which the early church regarded the resurrection day. It was regarded as a day of rejoicing, convocation, religious devotion, in honor of the resurrection. At the present time most people through tradition regard the Lord’s Day as a holy Sabbath Day. However, since the laws of our land enjoin abstinence in general from manual labor, we as a God-fearing people and law-abiding citizens observe the laws of our land in this respect. But religiously, we keep the Lord’s Day only as the early church did—as a memorial day of rejoicing, and of religious assembly, in honor of the resurrection of Christ.
Second. In the inspired history of the church, which covers a period of about sixty-five years, not one exclusive meeting of the church of God on the seventh day is recorded. Every exclusive meeting held by the infant church in its virgin purity was upon the first day of the week, the Lord’s day. “After the Lord Jesus had revealed himself to the two disciples with whom he had walked out to Emmaus the day of his resurrection, we are told, ‘They rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered, and them that were with them’ (Luke 24:33). Perhaps the entire hundred and twenty made up that assembly. Here, then, we have an example of the church assembled together in their own meeting. They may only have been drawn together by the Spirit of God. Nevertheless the fact is on record that the very day that Jesus rose from the dead they assembled together. And while the two disciples were rehearsing how the blessed Savior had made himself known to them, lo! ‘Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and said unto them, Peace be unto you’ (vs. 36). So the Lord met with them and blessed this first meeting.
“Should the Saturday-keeper say that this first meeting was after night, and therefore not on the first day, but the second, we shall let the Word of God answer ‘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). It was the same day that Jesus rose, and how particular the Spirit of inspiration is to tell that it was on ‘the first day of the week’! It must, therefore, be conceded that they convened before the close of the Jewish day, or else the text proves that right there in the change of dispensation the Lord no longer reckoned the day to sunset, but included it in the first part of the night, as we do now. One thing is sure, this meeting of the infant church was on the resurrection day of our Lord.
“Neither is there a word said about their assembling on the next Saturday. But we are told, ‘And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you’ (John 20:26). This evidently records a second meeting one week from the former. The Jews were familiar with the two great annual sabbaths connected with the feast of unleavened bread, called the ‘first day’ and ‘the eighth day.’…What, therefore, would be more natural than the use of such language?
“‘The same day, being the first day, the disciples were assembled.’ ‘And after eight days again.’ These expressions agree so perfectly with the language of Lev. 23:35, 36 that it would seem that they were selected purposely to connect in our minds type and antitype. ‘On the first day shall be an holy convocation,’ and ‘on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation.’ As certain as this eighth day was one week from the first day, so also the eighth day of John 20:26 was one week from the ‘first day’ of verse 19.…‘After eight days,’ meaning after the arrival of the eighth day, very naturally fell into use to designate one week. The same expression is in common use to this day in the German language. Their regular way of saying in one week from today is ‘Heute ueber acht Tage’—today over eight days. So the disciples assembled together upon the eve of the resurrection day and in one week from that time again. Here starts in the weekly worship of the Christians so freely spoken of in early history.”—The Sabbath.
“After eight days” compared with the expression “after three days” shows clearly that this meeting was held one week from the former. The number of days after Christ’s death till the day on which he was to rise is expressed as follows: “in three days” (Matt. 26:61; 27:40); “the third day” (Matt. 16:21; 20:19); and “after three days” (Mark 8:31). Thus, in their mode of expression “three days,” “the third day,” “after three days,” all meant the keep the first day of the week, the day upon which Jesus rose, and our life also sprang up.’ Such was the uniform testimony of the early Fathers, and what little is said in the Word about these secondary elements of Christianity all agrees in exactly the same thing. ‘Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together.’ ‘And on the first day of the week, when we had gathered together to break bread.’—Rotherham. The language clearly indicates that their meetings were regularly held on that day. It does not simply state that they held a meeting on that day, but fairly intimates that they were in the habit of doing so. ‘When the disciples came together.’ This speaks as though it were a matter of course that they would assemble on that day. No such example can be found in the New Testament of the holy church meeting on Saturday. Nay, they passed it by and met on the Lord’s Day.
“This communion meeting occurred in A. D. 60. The year before, the same apostle wrote his first Epistle to the Corinthians, in which he gave directions respecting their duty on the day as follows: ‘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. And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem’ (1 Cor. 16:1-3). The subject is ‘concerning collections for the saints.’ The word ‘collections,’ financially speaking, means the gathering of means together into a treasury, ready to be disbursed for the designed object. This collection was to be taken up on the first day of the week, and the object is clearly stated; namely, ‘that there be no gatherings when I come.’ Let us read some other translations.
“‘And concerning the collection which is for the saints;—as I directed the congregations of Galatia, so also do you. Every first day of the week, let each of you lay something by itself, depositing as he may be prospered, so that when I come collections may not then be made’ (1 Cor. 16:1, 2— Emphatic Diaglott).
“‘But concerning collections…on the first day of the week, let each one of you put by itself, treasuring up, whatsoever he may be prospered with; lest, whensoever I may come, then collections may be in progress.’—Rotherham.”
“James McKnight renders: ‘On the first day of every week, let each of you lay somewhat by itself, according as he may have prospered, putting it into the treasury, that when I come there may be then no collections.’
“The law-teachers argue that this means only that each one should put something in a treasury at home every first day; but the Word is too plain to be thus twisted. The following facts prove their interpretation wrong: Two things were to be done: first, ‘lay somewhat by itself’; second, ‘putting it into the treasury,’ ‘depositing.’
“Now we shall prove that the church in every city kept one general treasury; and there is not the slightest hint of every man’s keeping a private treasury at home. The order of the apostle to deposit in the general chest at the weekly meetings every first day we find regularly carried out from that time on through the first centuries.
“Thus says Justin in the middle of the second century, under the head of ‘The weekly worship of the Christians’: ‘And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country, gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read as long as time permits. And they who are well-to-do, and willing, give what each thinks fit and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succors the orphans and widows, and those in want.’ Here is the practice of the very same thing recorded in 1 Cor. 16: 1, 2.
“Says the writer of Ancient Christianity Exemplified, page 73, ‘The custom in these primitive times seems to have been for everyone, on the Lord’s Day, at the close of public worship, to bring to the notice of the assembly the case of the poor, the aged, the widow, or the orphan of whose necessities he has any knowledge; and forthwith provision was made for such from the public fund created by their weekly contributions.’
“Tertullian, at the close of the second century, says, ‘What is collected in the public chest is no dishonorable sum, as if it belonged to a purchased religion. Every one makes a small contribution on a certain day or when he chooses; provided only he is willing and able, for no one is compelled, all is voluntary.’ He further says that upon this general fund was drawn to feed the poor, etc.
“Many other ancient writers speak of this collection on the first day for the needy. This fund was kept in the church, and only at the time of assembling together were the voluntary collections made by which it was kept up.
“What reason or object could there be in requiring everyone to deposit something at home every first day? Why single out that day? Would not on any other day do as well? Would it not be better to leave the day optional, so they could make the deposit whenever most able to give? Nay, that day was pointed out as the time to give, because the treasury-chest was kept in the place of public meeting, and being assembled, they had an opportunity to deposit what they had separated for that purpose. Remember the subject is ‘concerning collections.’ But nothing of that kind could occur if there were no assembly on that day. Every man putting something away at home is no collection at all. The Adventist theory is directly opposite to the apostolic order. It would require, the first thing after the apostle’s arrival, that collections be made of all the home deposits. But the system enjoined by the apostle was to avoid that very thing—‘that there be no gatherings when I come.’ ‘So that when I come collections may not then be made.’—Emphatic Diaglott. The collections were to be made on the first day of the week ‘in order that when I come collections must not first of all be taken.’—German
“Had this modern theory been in Paul’s mind, he would naturally have explained the object of laying their benefactions in store at home in language something like this: ‘That when I come collections of the same may, for the first thing, take place.’ But no, the whole matter of collections was to be accomplished before his arrival—‘lest whensoever I come, then collections may be in progress.’ He speaks of only one thing in reference to the matter to be attended to after his arrival at Corinth. ‘But whensoever I may arrive, whomsoever ye may approve, the same will I send to bear away your favor unto Jerusalem.’—Rotherham (vs. 3).
“These few instances of the church’s assembling on the first day, with this apostolic law pointing out a duty to be performed upon ‘every first day,’ which could be done only in public meeting, are sufficient to convince any humble, honest mind of the Lord’s Day, especially since the inspired record furnishes not one instance of the church’s meeting on any other day.”—The Sabbath.
Third. The day of the resurrection, on which the Christian church regularly met for divine worship, is termed in Scripture “the Lord’s Day” (Rev. 1:10).
Fourth. The uniform testimony of the early Christian writers that lived immediately after the death of the apostles and during the first centuries of the Christian era is that the church universally regarded Sunday as a memorial day of the resurrection, and held their weekly meetings on that day, calling it “the Lord’s Day.”
Fifth. The first day of the week is preeminently the great memorial day of the gospel because of what occurred on it. In the new dispensation, under the gospel, what is there in the events of the seventh day to inspire the Christian or to make it a memorial day? Nothing. Jesus was in the grave.
- “On Sunday Jesus rose from the dead (Mark 16:9).
- “On this day he first appeared to his disciples.
- “On this day he met them at different places and repeatedly (Mark 16:9-11; Matt. 28:8-10; Luke 24:34; Mark 16:12, 13; John 20:19-23).
- “On this day Jesus blessed them (John 20:19).”
- “Here he first commissioned them to preach the gospel to all the world (John 20:21; with Mark 16:9-15).
- “Here he gave the apostles authority to legislate for and guide the church (John 20:23).
- “Peter says God ‘hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead’ (1 Pet. 1:3).
- “Here this day became the day of joy and rejoicing to the disciples. ‘Then were the disciples glad When they saw the Lord’ (John 20:20). ‘While they yet believed not for joy’ (Luke 24:41).
- “On that day the gospel of a risen Christ was first preached, saying: ‘The Lord is risen indeed’ (Luke 24:34).
- “On that Sunday Jesus himself set the example of preaching the gospel of his resurrection by explaining all the scriptures on that subject and by opening the minds of the disciples to understand it (Luke 24:27, 45).”
- On that day the early church were assembled in meeting, and Jesus met with them, and said, “Peace be unto you” (Luke 24:33-36).
- On Sunday the Holy Ghost was poured out upon the infant church, and it was fully organized and set in working order (Acts 2).
- On that day three thousand souls were added to the number of believers—”a nation was born in one day.”
- Finally, on this day the purchase of our redemption was completed.
“With all these thrilling events of gospel facts crowded into that one resurrection day, making it memorable above all days in the history of the world, how could it but become the great day in the memory of the church? The facts of that one day became the theme of the church ever since. The great battle between the apostles and the unbelieving Jews was concerning the events of that day; did Jesus rise, or did he not? The Jews gave ‘large money’ to disprove it (Matt. 28:12), while the apostles built the church and staked their lives upon it. Thus in God’s own providence, the Jewish Sabbath was thrown into the shade, while all the hopes and thoughts and arguments and songs of the new church were necessarily turned to another day, the resurrection day.
“Memorial day, one that should stir the heart of every Christian and move sinners to repentance, as indeed it has done every week from that day on. ‘The Lord’s Day,’ how appropriate the title for that grand day on which our Lord triumphed over all and laid deep and secure the foundation of the Christian church! Most appropriately, then, has it become the one memorial day of the gospel, the day of gladness and rejoicing.”—Seventh-day Adventism Renounced.
Sixth. The testimony of lexicons, cyclopedias, and commentaries is uniform in applying the Lord’s Day to Sunday.
“The Lord’s Day. The first day of the week.”— Dr. Clarke (on Rev. 1:10).
“The Lord’s Day…the first day of the week.” —Eclectic Commentary (on Rev. 1:10).
“Lord’s Day, namely, the first day of the week.”— Burkett’s Notes (on the N. T.)
“The Lord’s Day. The first day of the week, commemorating the Lord’s resurrection.” — Family Bible (Notes on Rev. 1:10).
“On the Lord’s Day, which can be meant of no other than the day on which the Lord Jesus arose from the dead, even the first day of the week.”—Scott (on Rev. 1:10).
Dr. Barnes testifies the same.
“Sunday, the first day of the week;…the Lord’s Day.”—Webster.
“Lord’s Day. The first day of the week, or Sunday, of every age of the church.”—Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible.
“It is called the Lord’s Day.”—Buck’s Theological Dictionary.
“Lord’s day, a name for the first day of the week, derived from Rev. 1 :10.”—Johnson’s New Universal Cyclopedia.
The same will be found in Greenfield’s, Robison’s, Liddel & Scott’s, Parkhurst’s, Bagster’s, and all other lexicons. There is reason why all these learned men who have thoroughly investigated the matter agree that Sunday is the Lord’s Day. The testimony of truth and that of the early church is overwhelming on this point.
Many other sound reasons could be given why Christians keep the Lord’s Day as a memorial day, but we deem the six foregoing reasons a sufficient apology for our regard for the resurrection day.
All chapters from The Sabbath and the Lord’s Day.
The Sabbath and the Lord’s Day. By H. M. Riggle, 1922. Life Assurance Ministries, Inc.
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