Should Christians keep Saturday (the seventh day) as the Sabbath, or is it acceptable to worship on Sunday (the first day)?
Some claim that the Catholic Church "changed" God's law by shifting the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. But what does the Bible, Church history, and early Christian practice actually say?
Let’s explore whether it is wrong to observe Sunday as the Lord’s Day, when this practice began, and what evidence exists from Scripture and the early Church.
🕊️ Is It a Sin to Observe Sunday Instead of Saturday?
No, it is not a sin. Observing Sunday as the Christian day of worship is a legitimate and biblically rooted practice that traces back to the Apostolic Age.
While the seventh day (Saturday) was the original Jewish Sabbath (Exodus 20:8–11), the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the first day of the week (Sunday) became the foundation for Christian worship. The early Church did not abolish the Sabbath but fulfilled its meaning in the light of the New Covenant.
✅ Key Point: Christians observe Sunday not as a replacement Sabbath, but as the “Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10), commemorating the resurrection of Christ.
📖 Biblical Basis for Worship on Sunday
Several New Testament passages show that Christians gathered for worship on Sunday:
1. The Resurrection Happened on Sunday
Matthew 28:1 – “Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.”
Jesus rose on the first day of the week — Sunday — which became central to Christian identity.
2. Early Christians Gathered on Sunday
Acts 20:7 – “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread...”
This shows a liturgical gathering, likely the Eucharist, on Sunday.
1 Corinthians 16:2 – “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money...”
This indicates organized worship and offering on Sunday.
3. The “Lord’s Day” Is Sunday
Revelation 1:10 – “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day...”
From the earliest times, Sunday was referred to as the Lord’s Day — not Saturday.
🏛️ What Did the Early Church Fathers Teach?
The early Christians — including those taught directly by the Apostles — affirmed Sunday as the day of worship, long before Constantine or the institutional Church.
📝 St. Ignatius of Antioch (c. 107 A.D.)
“If then those who had walked in ancient practices attained unto newness of hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord’s Day...”
(Letter to the Magnesians, 9)
📝 St. Justin Martyr (c. 155 A.D.)
“We all gather on the day of the sun [Sunday], because it is the first day when God... created the world, and Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead on the same day.”
(First Apology, Ch. 67)
📝 Didache (Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, late 1st century)
“On the Lord’s Day, gather together, break bread, and give thanks...”
One of the earliest Christian documents outside the Bible.
📝 Tertullian (c. 200 A.D.)
“We solemnize the day after Saturday in contradiction to those who call this day their Sabbath.”
(Apology, Ch. 16)
These testimonies show that Sunday observance was apostolic in origin, not a later invention.
🏰 Did the Catholic Church Change the Sabbath?
Some critics argue that Constantine or the Catholic Church changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday.
✅ Historical Fact:
-
Constantine's Edict of Milan (313 A.D.) legalized Christianity but did not invent Sunday worship.
-
The Council of Laodicea (c. 363 A.D.) affirmed what was already practiced: Sunday worship.
-
The Church recognized, not invented, the sanctity of Sunday.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2175) explains:
“Sunday is expressly distinguished from the Sabbath which it follows chronologically every week… Sunday is the fulfillment of the Sabbath, in Christ’s Passover.”
🙏 What Is the Meaning of Sunday for Christians?
1. It is the Day of Resurrection
Every Sunday is a “little Easter,” celebrating Jesus’ victory over sin and death.
2. It Represents the “Eighth Day”
In theology, the eighth day signifies new creation — the beginning of eternal life.
CCC 349 – “Sunday symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ’s Resurrection.”
3. It Is a Day of Eucharistic Celebration
From the earliest times, Christians gathered to celebrate the Eucharist on Sunday (cf. Acts 20:7).
✅ Conclusion: Sunday Worship Is Biblical, Apostolic, and Spiritually Profound
To observe Sunday as the Lord’s Day is not a violation of God’s command, but rather the fullness and fulfillment of the Sabbath in Christ.
While the seventh-day Sabbath honored God's rest after creation, the first day — Sunday — honors God’s new creation in Christ’s Resurrection.
✝️ “Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:28)
✝️ “Let no one pass judgment on you… with regard to a Sabbath.” (Colossians 2:16)
No comments:
Post a Comment