I don’t remember such posts would you either repeat or tell me the number? I have looked through the thread but cannot find the answers you are referring to.
Scriptures you want me to comment on:
Matthew 28:1
And in the end of the sabbath, when it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalen and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre.
Mark 16:2
And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen.
Mark 16:9
But he rising early the first day of the week, appeared first to Mary Magdalen, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
Luke 24:1
And on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared.
John 20:1
And on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalen cometh early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre; and she saw the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
These verses show that it was already the practice of the Early Church.
My reply
I don’t see how the above verses have anything to do with worshiping on the first day of the week. Jesus could have rose on Saturday. I believe He was honoring His fathers commandment and observing the Sabbath day.
As a side note: Luke wrote about 30 years after the death of Christ, the Sabbath Day commandment ( Decalogue) was still observed by Luke. Notice the words " rested on the sabbath day according to the commandment." It is believed that the book of Luke was written in the early 60’s. Therefore, Luke did not say they rested on the commandment that “was”, which would indicate that the sabbath is no longer observed. If the sabbath was no longer observed at the time of Luke’s writtings in the early 60’s, Luke would have written the verse as … rested on the sabbath that “was” according to the commandment.
Luke’s statement is that they rested on the sabbath day “according to the” commandment ( that still is being observed during Luke’s time).
**You stated ** Acts Of Apostles 20:7
And on the first day of the week, when we were assembled to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, being to depart on the morrow: and he continued his speech until midnight.
**My reply ** n the first place we wonder if the writer of the tract realized that the meeting in question was not on what is now known as Sunday at all, but was at the time we now speak of as Saturday night, or Saturday evening!
According to the Bible method of reckoning time, each day began at sundown. (Leviticus 23:32; Mark 1:32) Hence the evening of the first day was the evening preceding the first day, and not the evening following the first day, which was part of the second day. The meeting was therefore on the evening after the Sabbath, now known as Saturday evening. And to make matters worse for those who try to see in this some evidence that Paul was then keeping the first day, the record plainly reads that Paul was then planning to travel the next day! This he would not have done at all if their supposition were correct that he was then a Sunday observer!
Should the writer insist upon our using in this single particular instance the Roman reckoning of time, in order to help out in his impossible quest for evidence for Sunday keeping, he will then get into still deeper difficulties, for the principal feature of the meeting, the breaking of bread, took place after midnight and hence on Monday, and Monday would be the day he should observe if he prefers to follow such flimsy inferences! After all there is nothing in the Scriptures to show that the celebration of the Lord’s Supper was confined to any particular day of the week.
- Hard Nuts Cracked, H.M.S. Richards,
Also, Paul met with them till late at night. Would this be a custom of worshiping? And Paul was getting older at this time, and he probably knew it would be his last talk with them… as it was, this was the last time Paul spoke with them. And last, the breaking of bread was a daily custom at that time…Acts 2:46.
**You stated ** 1 Corinthians 16:2
On the first day of the week let every one of you put apart with himself, laying up what it shall well please him; that when I come, the collections be not then to be made.
**My reply ** Lets read precept upon precept, line upon line
(1Co 16:1) Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. (1Co 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.(1Co 16:3) And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.
Paul was writing special appeals to the churches in Asia Minor, because many of the Christians in Jerusalem were suffering greatly for lack of food and daily necessities. Paul asked the church at Corinth to gather food, clothing, etc., and store it up at home until he could send men to transport it to Jerusalem. The expression “lay by him in store” in the original Greek gives the clear connotation of putting aside at home.
There was no service held on the first day of the week. The gathering up and storing was to be done on that day. Why did Paul suggest that this work be done on Sunday, and what was involved in getting it done?
First of all, the letter would have been shared with the church on the Sabbath when they were all gathered for worship. The first opportunity to do the work would be the next day - the first day of the week. Keep in mind that there was an apparent food shortage in Jerusalem, and the need was not primarily for money. Such famine conditions were not unusual in areas of the Middle East, as Luke reminds us in Acts 11:28-30.
written with love
I can speculate further on this as well, the exact time of Jesus’s resurrection and the correlation to the Sabbath ending and the new day beginning, … I can almost bet our Lord did not pick some abjuratory random time on that one!