Acts 20:7 — “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them…”
Introduction
The question of why Christians gather for worship on Sunday rather than the seventh-day Sabbath has been raised throughout church history. Some argue that Saturday—the seventh day—was the only biblically sanctioned day of rest and worship. Others note that the New Testament church consistently gathered on the first day of the week. This paper aims to provide a definitive, doctrinal, and prophetic explanation from Scripture, showing why believers in Jesus Christ worship on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, and not on Saturday.
The Old Testament Sabbath: A Covenant Sign with Israel
Exodus 31:16–17 declares, “Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath… It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever.” The Sabbath was a covenantal sign specifically between God and the nation of Israel—not the Gentiles, not the church, and not humanity in general.
The Sabbath Was a Shadow, Not the Substance
Paul writes that the Sabbath was part of the ceremonial shadow system that pointed forward to Christ:
Colossians 2:16–17 — “Let no man therefore judge you… in respect of… the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”
The seventh-day Sabbath pointed to rest in Christ, fulfilled through His finished work (Hebrews 4:9–10). Once the substance—Christ Himself—arrived, the shadow no longer governed the believer’s gathering.
The Resurrection of Christ Established a New Pattern
The foundation for Christian Sunday worship is not tradition, but the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Christ Rose on the First Day
Mark 16:9 — “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week…”
The resurrection is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. The day of resurrection became the day of new creation, new covenant life, and new identity for God’s redeemed people.
Christ Appeared Repeatedly to His Disciples on the First Day
- John 20:19 — Jesus appeared to the gathered disciples “the first day of the week.”
- John 20:26 — “After eight days” (a Jewish expression meaning the next Sunday), He appeared to them again.
These repeated first-day appearances established a divine rhythm for the newborn church.
The Apostolic Church Worshiped on the First Day
The consistent pattern of the early church is unmistakable.
They Gathered to Break Bread on the First Day
Acts 20:7 — “Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread…”
Breaking bread refers to communion—the central act of Christian worship.
They Gave Offerings on the First Day
1 Corinthians 16:2 — “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store…”
Paul commands that offerings be gathered on the day the church met. The text assumes first-day gathering as universal practice.
John Calls Sunday “The Lord’s Day”
Revelation 1:10 — “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day…”
From the earliest days of the church, the first day of the week was uniquely recognized as belonging to the risen Lord—distinct from the Sabbath.
Sunday Worship Reflects the New Creation
The seventh day commemorated the completion of the old creation. The first day commemorates the beginning of the new creation in Christ.
From Law to Life
- The Sabbath pointed backward to physical creation.
- The Lord’s Day points forward to spiritual resurrection life.
Christians worship on Sunday because the resurrection inaugurated a new covenant where life—not law—is the governing principle (Romans 8:2).
Prophetic Significance of First-Day Worship
Sunday worship is not an accident of history—it reveals prophetic truth.
It Foreshadows Eternal Resurrection Life
Christ’s resurrection on the first day foreshadows the final resurrection of believers, which Scripture associates with the power of His rising (Philippians 3:10–11).
It Anticipates the Eternal Day of the Lord
The Lord’s Day is a weekly reminder of the soon-coming Day of the Lord, when Christ will reign openly and eternally (Revelation 19–20).
Sunday worship keeps the church oriented toward the prophetic hope of Christ’s return.
Christians Are Not Under the Sabbath Law
The Law Was Fulfilled in Christ
Romans 10:4 — “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”
Believers Are Not to Be Judged by Sabbath Keeping
Paul writes with authority:
Colossians 2:16 — “Let no man therefore judge you… in respect of… the sabbath days.”
The apostle makes it clear that Sabbath observance is not binding upon the church.
The Early Church Fathers Confirm the Practice
While Scripture is fully sufficient, history confirms that Christians universally worshiped on Sunday from the first century onward—even while many Jewish believers still personally kept the Saturday Sabbath. Their worship gathering, however, was on the Lord’s Day.
Why Christians Do Not Worship on Saturday
- The Saturday Sabbath was a covenant sign for Israel, not the church.
- The Sabbath was a shadow fulfilled in Christ.
- Christ rose from the dead on the first day of the week.
- Christ appeared to His assembled disciples on the first day.
- The apostles established first-day worship for preaching, communion, and offerings.
- John identified the first day as “the Lord’s Day.”
- The first day reflects the new creation and prophetic future in Christ.
The Christian gathers on Sunday not in rejection of Scripture, but in submission to Christ’s resurrection, apostolic instruction, and the revealed pattern of the New Testament.
Conclusion
Christians worship on Sunday because the resurrection of Jesus Christ inaugurated a new covenant reality built not upon shadows but upon fulfilled truth. The apostles—under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit—set the pattern of first-day worship, and the church has followed that divine pattern ever since. The Lord’s Day reminds us weekly of the empty tomb, the new creation, and the soon-coming return of Christ.
Sunday worship is not a departure from Scripture—it is obedience to the revelation of the risen Lord and the practice of the Spirit-filled early church.