SUNDAY – THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK

Those who regard Sunday as their day of worship believe that the New Testament supports them in observing it. Many clergymen lead their hearers to believe that the Scriptures condone Sunday-keeping.

Only 8 places in the New Testament mention the first day of the week, but you will learn these aren’t even first day texts. Let us examine each text prayerfully and carefully to find out if Sunday is sacred and if the apostles esteemed it as a holy day.

"In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre."Matthew 28:1.

The Sabbath passed before the 1st day of the week came in. There is nothing in this text that would indicate Sunday should be regarded as holy. Notice the word "day" was supplied by the translators in every Scripture we will reference here.

"And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Jacob , and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him. {2} And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came to the tomb at the rising of the sun. {9} Now when Yasha was risen early the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast 7 devils." Mark 16:1, 2, 9.

No intimation that the first day of the week was to be observed as the Sabbath in these Scriptures. It is simply called the ‘first of the week’, in the original manuscripts.

"Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them." Luke 24:1.

Mary would do on the first day of the week that which she would not do on the blessed Sabbath.

"The first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early, when it was yet dark, to the tomb, and saw that the stone was taken away from the tomb. {19} 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 Pharisees, came Yasha and stood in the midst, and said to them, ‘Peace be to you’."John 20:1.

Some try to teach from this text that the disciples were having a religious meeting in honor of the resurrection. They were in the upper room behind bolted doors for fear that what had happened to Yasha would also befall them.

"Now when Yasha was risen early the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast 7 devils. {10} And she went and told them that had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. {11} And they, when they had heard that He was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. {12} After that He appeared in another form to 2 of them, as they walked, and went into the country. {13} And they went and told it to the others, but they didn’t believe either. {14} Afterward He appeared to the 11 as they sat at dinner, 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.

How could they be celebrating the resurrection when they did not believe Yasha had risen from the dead? They refused the testimony of Mary and the 2 disciples who had seen Him. They were "upbraided" by Yasha for their unbelief.

None of the 4 writings of the glad tidings of salvation intimates that the first day is to be regarded as the Sabbath.

Did Paul Keep Sunday?

"And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came to them at Troas in 5 days; where we abode 7 days. {7} And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. {8} And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. {9} And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. {10} And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, ‘Trouble not yourselves; for His life is in him.’ {11} When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. {12} And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted. {13} And we went before to ship, and sailed to Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot. {14} And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene. {15} And we sailed there, and came the next day over against Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus." Acts 20:6-15.

Paul spent 7 days at Troas, which included the Sabbath. He had arranged with the other disciples to meet them in Assos, 20 miles away. As it was his last meeting at Troas, he spent what we call Saturday [or Sunday] night with the members of the assembly and preached until the break of day, which was Sunday [or Monday] morning. Then he started out on his long journey. Paul did not regard the day that he traveled as holy, or he would not have profaned it by traveling such a distance.

Breaking Bread

"The tongue of the sucking child cleaves to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaks it to them." Lamentations 4:4.

Some claim that the breaking of bread by Paul meant that they were celebrating the first day of the week; but the expression "breaking bread" was quite common among those of Judah with reference to ordinary meals

"And they, continuing daily with one accord in the Temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their food with gladness and singleness of heart." Acts 2:46.

If the breaking of bread on a certain day made it a Sabbath, then every day was a Sabbath in the times of the apostles.

Collection of the First Day

"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the assemblies of Galatia, even so do you. {2} Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as Yah has prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2.

Collection for the saints. Paul admonished each to "lay by him in store, as Yah had prospered." This would require them to do some bookkeeping to find how business had been during the week so that they could tithe their increase.

Such business would not go with keeping the Sabbath. It shows that Paul did not respect the first day of the week when he encouraged the members of the assembly to take inventory.

Furthermore, it was not a collection in the congregation that Paul said should be taken, but gifts to add to a fund he was taking to the poor saints at Jerusalem.

The people were to "lay by" at home the money they wished Paul to take. He did not have much time to delay when passing through, so he wrote ahead, urging them to have their gifts all ready.

No honest mind would gather from the evidence here presented that the first day of the week was regarded as a blessed day.

How Many Sabbaths Did the Apostle Paul Keep?

"But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath, and sat down." Acts 13:14.

Paul kept the Shabat at Antioch. [1]

"And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. {43} Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of Yah. {44} And the next Sabbath came almost the whole city together to hear the Word of Yah." Acts 13:42-44.

The following Sabbath he also observed. [1]

"And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. {13} And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer we believed was to be made; and we sat down, and spoke to the women which resorted there." Acts 16:12, 13.

Paul did not have any "church" building in which to worship on the Sabbath at Philippi, so he went out of the city by the riverside. This is conclusive evidence that he was a keeper of the Sabbath. [1]

"Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: {2} And Paul, as his manner was, went in to them, and 3 Sabbaths reasoned with them out of the Scriptures." Acts 17:1, 2.

He spent 3 Shabats at Thessalonica, where he raised up an assembly of believers. [3]

"And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks." Acts 18:4.

"Every Sabbath" while in the city of Corinth.

"And he continued there 1 year and 6 months, teaching the Word of Yah among them." Acts 18:11.

He was 1 year and 6 months at Corinth. [78]

Following Paul in his travels, we find that he observed 2 Sabbaths in Antioch; 1 in Philippi; 3 in Thessalonica, and 78 in Corinth; a total of 84. Yes, the great apostle was a 7th day Sabbath keeper. [See "the Mark of the Beast".]

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