One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike.
Romans 14:5a
Paul tells us the disagreements in the early church weren't just about diet (which foods were acceptable to eat) but also regarding the specific day of the week to worship. Sounds a little like some of the discussions Christians have today, doesn't it? Today, we find there are some who passionately believe Saturday is the only appropriate day to worship the Lord because it is the traditional Sabbath Day. Others hold that Sunday is correct. Their reasoning is the early church met on Sunday to honor the resurrection of Jesus which took place on the first day of the week. What does the New Testament say regarding this subject? When Paul asked for a collection to be taken in advance of his arrival in Corinth, he instructed it to occur on the first day of the week (Corinthians 16:2): "On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come to no collections will have to be made." Acts 20:7 records that when Paul met with the believers in Troas it was on Sunday: "On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight." The Apostle John wrote in Revelation 1:10: "On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet." Many Biblical scholars think John was speaking of Sunday -- which is why it has since become known as "the Lord's Day". So does this mean we are only to worship on Sunday? After all, the "Sabbath" Day (Saturday) was, at one time, the only official day on which one could worship. Paul answers this question in Colossians 2:16: "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day." In other words, "Don't let anyone tell you what day is to be observed or what day is holy."
Comments