The early church didn't gather on Sunday nor did they ever call Sunday the Lord's Day.

[Scuba]

How many verses are there in the Bible that call Sunday the Lord's Day? None! That's a big red flag.

 

Did the early church gather on the first day? No they did not!

 

The words, "Day of the week" is the word "G4521 Sabbath" in the original language. In other words, they gathered on the first Sabbath, not the first day of the week,

 

Why did they call it the first Sabbath? Because they were counting the Sabbaths. According to Leviticus 23 they had to count seven Sabbath plus one day.

 

The Sabbaths were counted to determine which week it was. Listen to how they counted Sabbaths.

 

Luke 6:1 Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grain fields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands.

 

It happened on the second Sabbath after the first, in other words, it was the second week of the month. If it was the third week he would have said, "On the third Sabbath".

 

Acts 20:7 Now on the first Sabbath, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.

 

The early church never gathered on the first day of the week, but rather, they always gather on the Sabbath.

 

Acts 13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.

[Gregory Matthews]

Scuba said:

 

The words, "Day of the week" is the word "G4521 Sabbath" in the original language.

 

Where did you get that idea?

 

1) G4521, comes from Strong's Concordance.

2)  Strong tells us that G4521 occurs 68 times in 62 verses.

3) 37 times G4521 has been translated as "Sabbath Day," according to Strong, 22 times as "Sabbath" and 9 times as "Week."

4) Strong never tells us that G4521 has been translated as "Day of the week."

[Scuba]

Scuba said:

 

 

 

 

Where did you get that idea?

 

1) G4521, comes from Strong's Concordance.

2)  Strong tells us that G4521 occurs 68 times in 62 verses.

3) 37 times G4521 has been translated as "Sabbath Day," according to Strong, 22 times as "Sabbath" and 9 times as "Week."

4) Strong never tells us that G4521 has been translated as "Day of the week."

 

Dig a little deeper an you'll see it.

[Scuba]

The words, (day of the week) were added by man, not God. The word should be, Sabbath. The early church never gathered on Sunday they always gathered on the Sabbath.

Acts 13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.

And this was years after the resurrection.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

I'm by no means an expert on translations or the use of Strongs, but Scuba may be referring to 1 Cor. 16:2:  

 

 

[Scuba]

All the verses that are used to teach and support Sunday as the Lord's day should be used to support the seventh day Sabbath as the Lord's day.

[Gregory Matthews]

I, of course, believe that the Bible teaches that the 7th day of the week should be dedicated to our spiritual enrichment and communion with God.

[Scuba]

I, of course, believe that the Bible teaches that the 7th day of the week should be dedicated to our spiritual enrichment and communion with God.

 

Amen and you're in good company because Jesus, the Apostles and the early church thought so too.

[Sojourner]

Sorry Scuba, but the early church most certainly did gather together on Sunday as well as every other day of the week. Church fellowship and Sabbath Keeping are two different things. 

^{Acts 2:46-47  "}So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church^[h] daily those who were being saved".

[Scuba]

Sorry Scuba, but the early church most certainly did gather together on Sunday as well as every other day of the week. Church fellowship and Sabbath Keeping are two different things. 

^{Acts 2:46-47  "}So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church^[h] daily those who were being saved".

 

There is nothing wrong with getting together for fellowship everyday, I wish I could but I have to work but I most defiantly gather on the Sabbath that's what the Sabbath was designed for and that's why it was protected. I don't know why people are so protective of Sunday. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus never, not even once talked about Sunday. Jesus never once taught about Sunday. Just in the book of Acts alone the early church gathered on the Sabbath at least 84 times. The followers of Jesus continued to honor the Sabbath even after His death, that means He never changed it while He was living. 

 

Luke 23:56 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

 

Jesus was still confirming the Sabbath even forty years after His resurrection.

 

Matthew 24:20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.

 

The Sabbath is even going to be honored in the millennium. 

 

Isaiah 66:22-23 “For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord, “So shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.

 

The early church gathered every Sabbath.

 

Acts 20:7 Now on the first Sabbath, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.

 

1 Corinthians 16:2 On the first Sabbath let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.

 

Acts 13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.

 

So you see, there is nothing wrong with getting together for fellowship any day you want and as many times as you want but the seventh day Sabbath is still to be honored whether you fellowship the other day of the week or not. The Sabbath should be honored for what it represents and for what it bears witness to. Honoring the Sabbath is in itself a form of worship and love towards God.

[Gregory Matthews]

In all of the Biblical texts, the focus is on the 7th day, regardless of the name of  that day.  The 7th day dates back to creation week and we only need to go back to the time of  Christ to see what day was the 7th day when Christ lived on Earth.  Generally, in our day that 7th day is named Saturday, in English.  So, that is the day that we believe is the day of Biblical focus.  But, if due to some political change the order of the days of the week were to be changed and the 7th day of the week were to be named Friday, then that would be the Biblical day.  Or, if the 7th day were to be named Sunday, than that would be the Biblical day. We should not get hung up on the actual name of the 7th day to the extent that we lose sight of the fact that the Biblical focus is on the 7th day that is traced back to creation week and the time of Christ.

[Scuba]

In all of the Biblical texts, the focus is on the 7th day, regardless of the name of  that day.  The 7th day dates back to creation week and we only need to go back to the time of  Christ to see what day was the 7th day when Christ lived on Earth.  Generally, in our day that 7th day is named Saturday, in English.  So, that is the day that we believe is the day of Biblical focus.  But, if due to some political change the order of the days of the week were to be changed and the 7th day of the week were to be named Friday, then that would be the Biblical cay.  Or, if the 7th day were to be named Sunday, than that would be the Biblical day. We should not get hung up on the actual name of the 7th day to the extent that we lose sight of the fact that the Biblical focus is on the 7th day that is traced back to creation week and the time of Christ.

 

Amen!

 

The thing that gets me is that so much of God's timeline and plan has been distorted that to follow what mainline church is teaching today one would not be following God. They say Jesus died on Friday, which is wrong. They say the Lord's supper was on Thursday night, which is wrong. They say Jesus rose on Sunday, which is why Sunday is now called the Lord's Day, which is wrong. They say Jesus was born on December 25th, which is wrong. They say Jesus is co-eternal and co-equal in all things with the Father, which is wrong. If the police arrested Jesus and compared what people say about Jesus with the Bible the police would have to say they had the wrong guy and would have to let Him go. All of God's prophecies and timeline concerning Jesus was meant to help us identify the Messiah. Today's church has a different Jesus, a different Spirit and a different Gospel. Paul said this would happen. 

[Sojourner]

^{Acts 2:46-47  "}So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church^[h] daily those who were being saved".

 

Why was it that the church met daily in the actual Temple as described here in Acts? 

[Scuba]

Why was it that the church met daily in the actual Temple as described here in Acts? 

 

I go to my church building for Wednesday night Bible study does that mean the Sabbath is done away with? No! 

[Sojourner]

I go to my church building for Wednesday night Bible study does that mean the Sabbath is done away with? No! 

 

You are missing the point, what were the Early Church doing gathering in the temple each day and how was it different from what they did there on Sabbath? 

[Scuba]

You are missing the point, what were the Early Church doing gathering in the temple each day and how was it different from what they did there on Sabbath? 

 

The Apostles went about preaching Christ all over the place but that does not mean they didn't keep the Sabbath as well. It would be like if the Apostles came to your neighborhood and preached Jesus to you in your house and then went to your neighbor's house and then across the street. They would do this everyday but then everyone, including those they preached to from house to house, would come out and gather as a congregation on the Sabbath.

 

Acts 13:42 So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.

 

Notice the Gentiles gathering on the Sabbath? Notice how they begged the Apostles to teach them again the next Sabbath? Why not the next day, which would have been Sunday? Why wait all week to hear the word of God? 

 

Now watch this. Someone went out preaching and inviting people to come and gather on the next Sabbath because just about the whole city came together the next Sabbath. So either the Apostles were inviting them as they went house to house or the Gentiles invited them either way someone invited them to join with them in Sabbath fellowship because the next Sabbath just about the whole city showed up. Praise God!

 

Acts 13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.

 

Now notice one more thing. There were so many non-Jews gathering on the Sabbath that it made the Jews full of envy that they started making up stories about Paul.

 

Acts 13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul.

 

So yes, I agree that the Apostles went house to house and taught daily but they invited those they witnessed to to come and join them in Sabbath fellowship. 

[Sojourner]

Scuba, never once have I disputed with you that the disciples and the early church kept the Sabbath.. You are preaching to the converted on that score! 

The point that I am making is that the early church also met every other day. Many of them gave up their worldly possessions and lived communally also, - not unlike this Seventh Day Dunker - Baptist group - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephrata_Cloister

[Scuba]

Not sure what you want me to see on the link you gave me. I use to be a Seventh Day Baptist.

[Robert]

I, of course, believe that the Bible teaches that the 7th day of the week should be dedicated to our spiritual enrichment and communion with God.

That's not the reason believers rest....

[Scuba]

Talking the day off from work is not what makes the day special, the day is special so we take the day off from to celebrate the fact that it is special.