The Sabbath on Saturdays

versus
The Lord’s Day on Sundays
by Ven Dr Ifechukwu. U. Ibeme
Websites: http://priscaquila.6te.net ; http://www.scribd.com/ifeogo ;
Click Here For PriscAquila Christian Resource Centre
Comment on The Chapel of Grace Blog: http://thechapelofgrace.wordpress.com

“Sabbath holiday is not moral Law but ritual Law of the Jewish nation and not binding
on non-Jew Christians. Sunday worship is one out of the Church’s daily fellowship
meetings not Christian replacement of the Sabbath.”

1. Origin of the Seven-Day Week and the Sabbath Rest.

The Chaldeans of Mesopotamia used the seven-day week but did not observe or designate
any as the Sabbath or holiday. They simply called the days in numbers (i.e. first to seventh
day) as found in the creation poetry of Genesis 1. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did not
observe the Sabbath holiday. God first revealed the seventh day Sabbath Rest (Gen 2:1-3)
through Moses during the Exodus (Neh 9:11-14), when Israelites were commanded to
observe it as a weekly rest holiday (Exo 16:23; 20:8-11) and a national covenant sign (Exo
31:13-17). God did NOT command the weekly Sabbath holiday to be a WORSHIP-DAY
at the Tabernacle or Temple BUT to be a general REST-DAY at home.

It was during Babylonian exile that the Jewish rabbinate under Ezra decided to use the
Sabbath for worship fellowship in community assembly centres called Synagogues. There
was no Synagogue in the Old Testament Scriptures. The Apostolic Scriptures were careful
to point out everywhere that using Sabbath day for Synagogue activities was a Jewish
CUSTOM from their elders not a Divine commandment of God from Moses (Luk 4:6; Act
16:13; 17:2). And Christ and the Apostles insisted that Sabbath was meant for man and
therefore subject to man, but man was not meant to be subject to Sabbath (Mar 2:27-28;
Col 2:16-17).

Initially, the Apostolic Church used Sunday evening specifically for worship of braking of
bread (John 20:19, 26; Act 20:6-8) in addition to their daily evening meetings for other
matters (Act 2:41-47; 5:42; 6:1; 17:11, 17; 19:9). Later in 321 AD, when Sunday was
declared by Constantine to be an international public holiday for all religions to worship
and pray for the Roman Empire, Christians began to also use Sunday as a day of rest
similar to the Sabbath. The non-Christian public however misused Sunday holiday for
many frivolities which later led to prohibition of Sunday theatre and sports, to ensure that
people attend worship of their various religions to pray for the Empire.

Christ, the Apostles and Jewish Christians joined their fellow Jews at the Synagogues for
Sabbath worship in the Jewish homeland (Luk 4:15-16). But sometimes when necessity so
demands, they refused to fully observe the Rest of the Sabbath day as prescribed by the
tradition of the elders (Matt 12:1-12; Luk 6:1-11). Early Christian Jews joined the weekly
Jewish morning worship held on the Sabbath at the Synagogue if the other Jews allowed
The Sabbath on Saturdays versus The Lord’s Day on Sundays by Ven Dr I. U. Ibeme 1
them (Act 17:1-2; 21:20-26, but also had to fellowship daily with the Church in the
evenings. The Apostles taught that for the Church, every day is holy not only Sabbath or
even Sunday (Rom 14:5-6; Col 2:16-17).

As Europeans, the Romans did not have weeks but calends (Month beginning) and ides
(Mid-month) during the time of Christ and His Apostles. The Babylonians first began the
seven-day week and lunisolar year from antiquity long before Moses, and named the
week-days after the Sun and Moon and the then known five “wandering stars” called
planets. But it was from Egypt that the eight-day week (called nine-day cycle “Nundinae”)
and solar year calendar was first adopted by Rome in 45 BC by Julius Caesar. The seven-
day week came into Rome mainly by Christian influence from the time of Constantine in
the 4th century AD – long after the Apostles had all died designating the First day of the
week as the Lord’s Day. Before Constantine, the Apostolic Church had already established
Church Eucharistic “Breaking of Bread” worship at the Lord’s Table (Act 20:7; 1Cor
10:21) on the First Day of the Week which they called the Lord’s Day (Rev 1:10).

On March 7, 321 AD, Constantine declared the First Day of the Week called Sunday
(diēs Solis) and to be observed as holiday throughout the Roman Empire, beginning the
use of the Seven-Day Week in Rome. He and Licinius had earlier jointly promulgate the
Edict of Milan for Religious Toleration in 313 AD for both East and West Roman Empire,
which ended persecution of Christians and brought prestige for Christian clergy. When he
later vanquished all rivals to become the Sole Emperor in 324 AD, Constantine attributed
his victory to his conversion from Sun worship to the Christian Faith which began after he
claimed that the sign of the Cross (which the Church also used) was revealed to him in a
dream about 310 AD or 312 AD, as sign of conquest. However, Constantine was not
baptised until 337 AD, just before his death. He did not make Christianity the State
Religion for Rome as many peddle today; that was to be done much later by Theodosius
through the Edict of Thessalonica in 380 AD.

Today, apart from the English and Germans who still refer to the First Day of the
Week as Sunday and Sonntag respectively, many widely spoken languages of the
Roman Empire follow after the Apostles and the Church to call it the Lord’s Day –
Domhnaigh (Irish), Dominica (Latin), Domenica (Italian), Domingo (Portuguese,
Spanish and Galician), Dimanche (French), Duminica (Rumania).

The Jewish Christians outside the Jewish homeland continued to join their non-Christian
folks at the weekly Sabbath Synagogues, because the Roman Empire granted Jews the
rights of exemption from work on their Sabbath. Non-Jewish Christians, most of whom
were not prominent enough to have personal liberties, could not enjoy this privilege, but
had to work for their masters and so did not observe the Sabbath Rest with the Jews. These
only met with their Jewish Christian brethren at the evenings of the next day, being
Sundays (or the Lord’s Day), for Eucharistic worship (The Lord’s Supper Act 20:7; 1Cor
11:20) after their day’s work. For congregational activities other than the Lord’s Supper,
the early Church in the Apostolic period customarily met daily, usually in the evenings
after the day’s business (Acts 2:46-47; 5:42; 6:1; 16:5; 17:11&17; 19:9).

The Sabbath on Saturdays versus The Lord’s Day on Sundays by Ven Dr I. U. Ibeme 2
The Apostles clearly insisted that Gentile Christians are forbidden from keeping Gentile
rudimentary observances because they are against the tenets of the New Testament (Gal
4:3-11; Col 2:7-10,18-23); they also exempted Gentile Christians from Jewish observances
of circumcision and Sabbath because they are irrelevant in the New Testament (Act 21:20-
26; Rom 14:5-6; Gal 5:6; Col 2:9-17).

The Apostles did not forbid Jewish Christian from observing circumcision and the Sabbath
provided these are seen only as Jewish but not as necessary for the New Testament Church
(Act 15:5-11ff; 21:20-26; 1Cor 7:19; Gal 6:15). The Sabbath (Saturday) weekly rest
marked by rest and Synagogue Bible reading meetings celebrated God’s rest from the old
creation, but the new creation in Christ is celebrated on the Lord’s Day (first day of the
week, Sunday) with Eucharistic Fellowship. For this reason, the daily evening worship-
fellowship assemblies of the Church, the Apostles dedicated that of Sunday evenings to
celebrating Christ’s resurrection (victory over death) and marking the beginning of the
New Creation. This new creation victory of life over death was celebrated with the Lord’s
Supper and Agape Feast (Luk 24:28-32; 36-43; Act 20:7-8; 1Cor 11:18-33), with Word,
prayer and praise ministrations and weekly general collections (1Cor 14:12-19, 23-26;
1Cor 16:1-3). People could bring special donations during other daily meetings like
Barnabas and many others did in Act 4:34-37, and like Ananias and Sapphira tried to do in
Act 5.

The observation of the Lord’s Day (Sunday) for New Covenant resurrection rally on one
hand, and the Sabbath (Saturday) for Old Covenant creation rest on the other hand, is
better understood when examined on four grounds:
1. Commandments instituted by Christ and His Apostles.
2. Customs exemplified by Christ and His Apostles.
3. Civil liberties accorded the Church by the State.
4. Convention agreed upon by the Church to distinguish and express their Faith.

2. Commandments instituted by Christ and His Apostles.

The disciple witnessed Sunday appearances of the risen Christ (to Mary Magdalene John
20:14-17; to the Ten John 20:19-22; and a week later to the Eleven John 20:26-29) though
He did not commanded Sunday meetings. But Sunday collection into the Church’s
common treasury was commanded by the Apostles (1Cor 16:1-3), because since Christ’s
resurrection day, they had observed Sunday as the Church’s day for worship assembly (Act
20:7-8).

The Apostles were led by the Holy Spirit to permit Jewish Christians to circumcise and
keep the Synagogue Sabbath, while exempting Gentile Christians from circumcision and
the Synagogue Sabbath (Act 15:19-21). This is because the Old Covenant signs of
circumcision and the Sabbath are neither forbidden nor necessary for the New
Covenant Salvation (Gal 6:15; Col 2:9-17). After all, Abraham had none of these yet,
when God accounted him justified by faith (Gen 15:6; Rom 4:9-12) and cut and entered
into a purifying and binding covenant with him (Gen 15:9-18). Circumcision sign was
only introduced later, after twenty four years (Gen 17:8-12) to confirm the covenant
familiarly with new personal names (Gen 17:1-7); while the Sabbath rest sign came even
much later, after five hundred years (Exo 16:23; 20:8-11) to fulfil the covenant nationally
The Sabbath on Saturdays versus The Lord’s Day on Sundays by Ven Dr I. U. Ibeme 3
in the newly settled Israel. Beginning from Adam through Abraham and the Patriarchs, the
Seventh Day was only for counting WEEKS not for observing REST until God made
Sabbath Rest on the Seventh Day a sign of the Sinai Covenant with Israel under Moses
(Exod 31:13,17; Ezek 20:12,20).

3. Customs exemplified by Christ and His Apostles.

The New Testament Church never at any time regarded Saturdays as their worship
holiday, in parallel to the Jewish Synagogue Sabbath. Sunday evening meetings for the
Christian Church was specially used for Holy Communion because Christ resurrected and
appeared to the disciples on the First Day of the Week, which later came to be known as
Sunday (Joh 20:19, 24-29).

The coming of the Holy Spirit (by Christ’s mediation Act 2:33) took place when the
Church worshipped together on the Pentecost day (i.e. 50 th Day from the First-Fruit Day),
which was also (and always is) on the First Day of the Week (Lev 23:10-17; Act 2:1-4).

Notice that the First-Fruit day (for harvest flag-off worship) is on the First Day of the
Week. So Christ rose on that day to be God’s First-Fruit (1Cor 15:20-23). It is therefore
proper that His Church should be endued with power on the Pentecost day (for harvest-end
worship), which was also on the First Day of the Week (Lev 23:15-21).

Since the Pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles always held New
Testament Church Eucharist fellowship on Sundays in addition to daily prayer and
teaching fellowships. Through out the Roman Empire, the Apostolic Churches met for
Holy Communion in the evenings of every first day of the week, because they had to work
for their masters during the day (Act 20:7-8). They referred to the First Day of the Week,
the day after the Sabbath as the Lord’s Day (Rev 1:10), because on this day Christ broke
the power of death (through His resurrection) and thereby opened the gates of heaven to all
believers (1Cor 15:19-23; 1Pet 1:3-4). At this time the Romans had not started using the
seven-day week: they used calends and ides but were also being influenced by the Jewish
and Christian Faiths. This Church meeting on the First Day of the Week was especially for
breaking of bread (Act 20:7). Other daily meetings were held for other purposes such as
welfare distribution, Bible teaching, Bible Study, fasting and prayer (Act 1:13-14; Act
2:41-47; Act 6:1-7; Act 13:1-3; Act 17:11).

Later, in the fourth century AD, the Lord’s Day (whence came the Latin Dominica, the
Italian Domenica, the Spanish Domingo or the French Dimanche) also began to be called
the Day of the Sun (Sunday) in the Roman Empire due to the influence of the Egyptian and
Babylonian calendars. But today apart from in England the pagan Rome’s “the Day of the
Sun” failed to gain prominence in Europe not even in Italy, over the Church’s “the Lord’s
Day”. The Babylonians, who first began the use of the seven-day week even before Moses,
had eventually named the days after the seven celestial planetary luminaries known to the
ancient world (though the Anglo-Saxons substituted four of these with their Teutonic
deities): Sun, Moon, Mars (Tiw), Mercury (Woden), Jupiter (Thor), Venus (Frigg) and
Saturn. It was Constantine who in 321 AD officially introduced the seven-day week in the
Empire, with Sunday as the first and foremost day.
The Sabbath on Saturdays versus The Lord’s Day on Sundays by Ven Dr I. U. Ibeme 4
4. Civil liberties accorded the Church by the State.
In addition to age-old Saturday holiday for Jews only, Emperor Constantine the Great and
co-Emperor Licinius, declared Edict of Milan 313 AD for freedom of religion or religious
toleration. Sunday was later designated as public holiday in 321 AD for all people of all
religions to pray for the Empire. From then, it became possible for Christians to meet in
the mornings of Sunday, no longer at nights. Hence Sunday also became a day of rest FOR
ALL in addition to being a day of worship for the Church.

5. Convention agreed upon by the Church as means to distinguish and

express their common Faith.
When Sunday became a public holiday, the Church began to adopt Sabbath Rest ideas
from the Jews in determining the extent to which Christians were to rest on Sundays. This
was enhanced by the Emperor’s prohibition theatre and sports on Sundays which was
meant to ensure that people attend worship and pray for the Empire according to their
individual religions. Today the Church generally believes that the Sabbath is now observed
on Sunday, some even argue without any historical evidence that Sabbath was the Lord’s
Day, but the truth is that the Sabbath is different from the Lord’s Day. While the Jewish
(Old Covenant) Sabbath Rest commemorates the finishing of the old creation with Adam,
the Christian (New Covenant) Sunday Worship celebrates the finishing of the new creation
in the risen Christ and the opening of the door into the realm of resurrection power.

The Church has always been known to observe Sundays for common spiritual worship
(from Apostolic times) and for common social holiday (from the Patristic times). Today,
the State usually grants Sunday holiday to the Church internationally. Thus, it is not
proper or profitable for any Christian today to withdraw from partaking in such apostolic
common spiritualities and patristic common rest with the Church in order to rather pursue
selfish endeavours or personal enterprise. It is also not wise for any Christian to give the
impression that the Church is disunited and does not really deserve or need Sunday holiday
from the State. Therefore, though Sunday is not the replacement of Jewish Sabbath, it is
selfish, dissentious, unwise and improper for any Christian to openly pursue personal
business on the weekly Sunday holidays, except for rendering life saving and inevitable
essential services. Unity is the Church’s evangelistic glory in this world (Joh 17:21-22).
We must cherish what we have lest we lose it.

6. Scriptural instances of closed Eucharist Services on SUNDAYS, and

open DAILY Church meetings in the Apostolic Church.
(Joh 20:19, 26)
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 Jews, came
Jesus and stood in the midst, and said unto them, Peace be unto you.
…

The Sabbath on Saturdays versus The Lord’s Day on Sundays by Ven Dr I. U. Ibeme 5
And AFTER EIGHT DAYS again his disciples were inside, and Thomas with
them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said,
Peace be unto you.
(Act 20:7)
And upon the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, when the disciples came together to
break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the next day; and
continued his speech until midnight.

(1Co 16:2)
Upon the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK let every one of you lay by him in store,
as God has prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

(Act 2:46)
And they, continuing DAILY with one accord in the temple, and breaking
bread from house to house, did eat their food with gladness and sincerity of
heart,

(Act 2:47)
Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the
church DAILY such as were being saved.

(Act 5:42)
And DAILY in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and
preach Jesus Christ.

(Act 6:1)
And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there
arose a murmuring of the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their
widows were neglected in the DAILY distribution.

(Act 16:5)
And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number
DAILY.

(Act 17:11)
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the
word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures DAILY, whether
those things were so.

(Act 17:17)
Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout
persons, and in the market DAILY with them that met with him.

(Act 19:9)

The Sabbath on Saturdays versus The Lord’s Day on Sundays by Ven Dr I. U. Ibeme 6
But when some were hardened, and believed not, but spoke evil of that way
before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples,
arguing DAILY in the school of one Tyrannus.

(2Co 11:28)
Besides those things that are outside, that which comes upon me DAILY, the
care of all the churches.

Last Updated January 27, 2019

By Venerable Dr I. U. Ibeme
Copyright © PriscAquila Publishing, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
Click Here For PriscAquila Christian Resource Centre

The Sabbath on Saturdays versus The Lord’s Day on Sundays by Ven Dr I. U. Ibeme 7