SUNDAY, THE 1st DAY OF THE WEEK

Contrary to the Constitution of the United States, the Christian churches of America have been making a strong push for Sunday legislation. Advocates for Sunday closure and Sunday laws say it is crucial to understand the significance of this advocacy for protecting religious freedom. This is very questionable as a reason for Sunday enforcement. The push for policies that promote the observance of Sunday as a day of rest and worship will in itself work against religious freedom. Despite Sunday being deeply rooted in the values and beliefs of many Christian communities, there MUST be no enforcement of this day over any other day of worship.

The major Christian denominations, both Roman Catholic and Protestant who worship their God on Sunday, the first day of the week instead of Saturday, the Seventh Day Sabbath as advocated by the Bible will become the perpetrators of religious intolerance and persecution against those who worship contrary to their Sunday Laws. see Revelation 13 study at www.returnofelias.org

The Bible is clear, the Roman Catholic Church is clear and the various Protestant churches admit that nowhere in the Bible can be found a change in the Sabbath from Saturday, the seventh day of the week to Sunday, the first day of the week. And Jesus said: "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4

NOTE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK

There is no intimation of a change of the Sabbath Day from Saturday to Sunday in the following verses.

1. Mark 16:2

And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

2. Mark 16:9

Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

3. 1 Corinthians 16:2

Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

4. John 20:19

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 saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

5. Matthew 28:1

In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

6. John 20:1

The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

7. 1Corinthians 16:2

Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

8. Acts 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 morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

9. Luke 24:1

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

The above are the only texts in the New Testament which mention "the first day of the week". None of these texts can be interpreted to mean that God changed the Sabbath Day from Saturday the Seventh day of the week to Sunday the first day of the week.

Seven texts have to do with the resurrection of Jesus while Acts 20:7 was a get together of the disciples for a meal with Paul who was about to depart on the morrow. The first day of the week commences at sunset. This meeting occurred at night, Saturday night after the Sabbath, as there were many lights in the upper chamber (v9) The disciples have a meal with Paul, who then preaches until midnight. The young man Eutychus falls out of the window and dies on landing. Paul declares he is alive via a miracle. There is nothing here which says God changed the Sabbath.

There is one other text which simply states that the evening and the morning were the first day of creation:

10. Genesis 1:5

And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

These friends are the only texts speaking specifically of the first day of the week, the day we know as Sunday.

ROME'S CHALLENGE

The Roman Catholic Church rightly challenges the Protestant churches as follows:

"...you may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify." — The Faith of Our Fathers, by James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, 88th edition, page 89. Originally published in 1876,

"Deny the authority of the Church and you have no adequate or reasonable explanation or justification for the substitution of Sunday for Saturday in the Third - Protestant Fourth - Commandment of God... The Church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact.' — Catholic Record, September 1, 1923.

"All of us believe many things in regard to religion that we do not find in the Bible. For example, nowhere in the Bible do we find that Christ or the Apostles ordered that the Sabbath be changed from Saturday to Sunday. We have the commandment of God given to Moses to keep holy the Sabbath Day, that is the 7th day of the week, Saturday. Today most Christians keep Sunday because it has been revealed to us by the Church outside the Bible." —The Catholic Virginian, To Tell You The Truth,” Vol. 22, No. 49 (Oct. 3, 1947).

"The [Roman Catholic] Church changed the observance of the Sabbath to Sunday by right of the divine, infallible authority given to her by her founder, Jesus Christ. The Protestant claiming the Bible to be the only guide of faith, has no warrant for observing Sunday. In this matter the Seventh-day Adventist is the only consistent Protestant." — The Catholic Universe Bulletin, August 14, 1942, p. 4

"Question: Which is the Sabbath day?

Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day.

Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?

Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday." — Rev. Peter Geiermann C.SS.R., The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, p. 50

May God bless you as you study into these things and draw close to Jesus through His word, the Holy Scriptures.

The Sunday Times team