God’s New Day--Sunday

     Upon learning the distinction between the Old and New Covenants, a proper perspective is gained in understanding God’s Word. Failure to understand this distinction has fostered various religious errors, which persist even to the present. One such error pertains to the day on which Christians should worship.

    

      As considered in a previous article, God gave the Israelites a law exclusively for them. That law ended on Pentecost (Acts 2). With the end of the old law, every part of that law ceased being a requirement of God. Of interest, presently, is that observing the Sabbath was part of the old law (Exodus 20:8). Since the Sabbath was part of the law which ended, the Sabbath is not a requirement for Christians today.

    

     Within His new law, God has chosen a new day for Christians to observe: Sunday. Some, however, believe the Sabbath was changed to the first day of the week (Sunday) by Constantine, centuries after Christianity’s birth. Three significant facts, though, indicate that Sunday would be the Lord’s Day.

    

    Initially, please observe that Sunday is the day Jesus was raised from the dead (Mt. 28:1; Mk. 16:1-2). After dying and being buried on Friday, Jesus came forth from the tomb--victorious over death--on Sunday. God operates by design, and Christ’s resurrection on Sunday was intentional.

    

    In the second place, God’s new law came into effect on Pentecost, which was on Sunday (Acts 2). Of additional interest is the fact that, not only did the new law begin on Pentecost, but the church of Christ was also established on Pentecost (Acts 2:47).

    

    Lastly, the New Testament documents Sunday as the day Christians met for worship. The Christians at Troas met on that day to “break bread,” (Acts 20:7). Paul instructed the churches of Christ at Galatia and Corinth to take up a collection on that day (1 Cor. 16:1-2). These passages demonstrate a first-century practice of Christians meeting for worship on Sunday.

    

    Avoid the deception of what others teach, by checking the Text yourself (1 John 4:1). By so doing, you will have the knowledge God intends every person to have and the confidence to share that knowledge with those who may be searching. May God bless your study of His Word!

 

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