WHY We Worship On A Sunday Part 1

Gregor Alfonsin C. Pondoyo

The shortest answer as to this is because of Jesus.

My longer answer or explanation will be divided in 2 parts. Part 1: Biblical Overview and
Part 2: Historical Witness and Practice. Below is the first part.
BIBLICAL Overview (of the Jewish Sabbath)
“God blessed the 7th day and made it holy because He rested from all the work He had done
in His creation” (Gen. 2:3). “On the 7 th day, you shall celebrate a solemn assembly in honor
of… your God” (Deut. 16:8). The numbering of days in creation DOES NOT LITERALLY
CORRESPOND TO ACTUAL HUMAN DAYS (24 hrs). This is a poetic or literary device
intended to DIVIDE and ORDER the creation process. “Do not forget, brothers, that with the
Lord, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day” (2 Pet. 3:8). For
in God “a thousand years are but a day that passes, or a watch of the night” (Ps. 90:4).
Again, the “days” in the Creation was a literary device. “The 7 th day means the day following
right after the six consecutive days. Hence, the 7th is the day of rest. THERE IS NO FIXED
DAY OF THE WEEK BEING IMPLIED” (Jewish Encyclopedia Vol. X page 604). Did the Jews
invent their own way of ordering the days of the week? NO. “They (the Babylonians)
devised the week of seven days, ending with a day of rest called SABATTU. Through Israel,
this institution of the week with sacred rest day became the heritage of the later world
culture” (General History by Philip Van Ness Myers page 41). Furthermore, not in all culture
was this arrangement of days applicable since in some culture Saturday was dedicated to a
pagan god named SATURN and it is not the 7 th day but the 1st day of the week (World
History by Webster page 53).
So WHY did Saturday become the SPECIFIC DAY for the Israelites? Because Saturday was
the day the Israelites were FREED from slavery in Egypt (Deut. 5:15). Thus, the Israelites
appointed FOR THEMSELVES Saturday as THEIR 7 th DAY and therefore THEIR SABBATH,
their day of REST.
Christ did not come to break the Law (Matt. 5:17). So why did early Christians insist that
worship, fellowship, and REST be done on a Sunday?
Christ did not break the Law concerning the necessity of REST. Instead, He FULFILLED it in
Himself. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you REST” (Matt.
11:28). Jesus became the SPECIFIC VANTAGE POINT of the Sabbath in the New Testament
NOT the Jewish day. Jesus became the New Temple (Jn. 2:21) not the Jewish temple. He also
became the New (and ultimate) Lamb of sacrifice not the Jewish animal sacrifices (Jn. 1:29).
Likewise, His RESSURECTION became the appointed REST and WORSHIP DAY of early
Christians because Christ HIMSELF is the VANTAGE POINT of Christian doctrine and
religious practice. Again, the core message of A DAY dedicated to God is not abrogated or
changed (as explained by St. Paul in Hebrews 4). What was changed was the SPECIFIC DAY
OBSERVED BY THE JEWS. “Therefore DO NOT let anyone JUDGE you by what you eat or
drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a SABBATH DAY.
These are a SHADOW of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in
CHRIST” (Col. 2:16-17). Read also Romans 14:5-6.
Is there a PROPHECY concerning the CHANGE of the SPECIFIC DAY of the Jewish Sabbath?
Yes. “I will put an END TO ALL her (Israel) exultation: her feasts, New Moons, and
SABBATHS- all her appointed feasts” (Hosea 2:11). These have become a BURDEN (Is.
1:14). “The Sabbath was made FOR MAN and not man for the Sabbath “(Mk. 2:27). For our
benefit Christ referred to HIMSELF: “I will give you REST… you will find REST for your
souls” (Matt. 11:28-30). Christ then is the FULLFILMENT and the VANTAGE POINT of every
Christian observance in the NEW TESTAMENT.
Sunday, the FIRST DAY of the Jewish week, was considered by early Christians as the Lord’s
Day or the Day of the Lord or the Resurrection Day. “When Jesus rose early ON THE FIRST
DAY of the week…” (Mk. 16:9). The Resurrection is ATTACHED on the FIRST DAY of the
week. Not only that, the FIRST WITNESSING of the Resurrection by Jesus’s followers was on
the FIRST DAY also “Now AFTER the Sabbath… the angel said to the women, ‘Jesus who was
crucified. He is not here, for He has risen…’” (Matt. 28:1-6; Mk. 16:1-6; Luke 24; John 20).
On the very same FIRST DAY (Sunday), Jesus appeared before the GATHERING disciples (Jn
20:19). 8 days after this, as recorded in Jn 20:26, the disciples with Jesus GATHERED again.
8 days after this incident is a SUNDAY or another FIRST DAY of the week. Hence, the FIRST
DAY OF THE WEEK became the SPECIFIC DAY on which the early Christians WORSHIPPED
or had FELLOWSHIP (the breaking of the bread in Acts 20:7). The FIRST DAY of the week
was the specific day for collection of contributions also (1 Cor. 16:2). That’s why Sunday
was later called as The Lord’s Day or the “Day of the Lord” (Rev. 1:10) because it was tied to
JESUS. He is our REST and RESURRECTION.
This fulfills the ABOLITION of the Jewish Sabbath DAY in Hosea 2:11. The Jewish Sabbath’s
reckoning DAY is the day the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt; the Christian
Sabbath’s reckoning DAY is the day the New Israel- the Church, the followers of Christ- were
freed from sin and death through the Resurrection. The Old Observances of the Jews
including the Saturday keeping ENDED in Jesus’s death and is SYMBOLIZED by the “veil of
the Old Temple torn in two” (Mt. 27:50-51; Mk. 15:38; Lk. 23:45). That is why when He died
on the cross He said: “IT IS FINISHED” (Jn. 19:30). The New Observance started in His
Resurrection when He raised His Body- the New Temple- “Destroy this temple (His Body),
and I will raise it again in three days." (Jn. 219). The OLD has been FULFILLED by the NEW;
the NEW is INCOMPATIBLE with the OLD (Matt. 9:14–17; Mark 2:21–22; Luke 5:33–39).
Let’s side track the first WITNESSING of the Resurrection for a while and touch another
event relevant to this topic. There is a feast in the Old Testament held by the Jews as
SACRED. This is the Day of the FIRSTFRUITS. This feast of the FIRSTFRUITS was held on
the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK where work is not to be done (REST) and sacred assembly
(WORSHIP) is to be held. This can be read in Numbers 28:18, Exodus 12:16, Leviticus
23:7, and Numbers 28:26.
During this feast of the FIRST FRUITS (1 st day of the week)- in the New Testament- the Holy
Spirit came down to Mary and the Apostles. This corresponds to the promise of Christ to
send the Spirit of Truth, His Holy Spirit (Jn. 14:16-17). This was later called the
PENTECOST and became the birth day of the Church. The Apostles together with their
coverts on that day became the FIRST FRUITS (Acts 2:1-31) of the Holy Spirit. Again, this
was on the FIRST DAY.
The Resurrection was on a Sunday. The FIRST WITNESSING of the Resurrection by the
believers of Jesus was on a Sunday. Jesus’s appearance and the gatherings of disciples also
fell on Sundays. The coming down of His Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church was on a
Sunday- the Pentecost. It becomes apparent why Sunday was venerated by the New Israel-
the Church- as the LORD’S DAY and the FULFILLMENT of the Jewish Sabbath. In this Lord’s
Day, they gathered and broke bread; on this day the early Christians worshipped (Acts 20:7;
1 Cor. 16:2). Jesus is our REST and RESURRECTION. ‘He is Lord even OVER the Sabbath’
(Matthew 12:8, Mark 2:28; Luke 6:5).

Next: Supporting Evidence From History (And no! Constantine did not influence the
Church)
Why We Worship On A Sunday Part 2
Historical Witness and Practice
Gregor Alfonsin C. Pondoyo

If I don’t support my previous presentation with additional HISTORICAL evidence, then it

remains to be just “my” interpretation. In order to have a grounding with reality, we must
examine HISTORY. To be specific, we must scan just SOME (because there are a lot of
documents) of the writings of earliest Christians. I will start from a later date then go back
in time to earlier ones. TAKE NOT OF THE DATE!
“The sixth day [Friday] is called parasceve, that is to say, the preparation of the kingdom. . . .
On this day also, on account of the PASSION of the Lord Jesus Christ, we make either a
station to God or a fast. On the seventh day [Saturday] he rested from all his works, and
blessed it, and sanctified it. On the former day we are accustomed to fast rigorously, that on
the Lord’s Day [Sunday] we may go forth to our bread with giving of thanks”. (Victorinus,
A.D. 300)
Let’s get earlier in date. Justin Martyr in A.D. 155 wrote: “But Sunday is the day on which
we all hold our common assembly, because it is the FIRST DAY on which God, having
wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Savior
on the same day ROSE FROM THE DEAD”.
Let’s get earlier still and consider the apostle of St. John the Evangelist (the author of the
Gospel according to John and the author of the Book of Revelations). Who is this apostle of
St. John? His name is Ignatius of Antioch. In his letter to the Magnesians dated A.D. 110 he
said: “Those who were brought up in the ancient order of things [i.e. JEWS] have come to
the possession of a new hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance
of the LORD’S DAY [Sunday or Resurrection Day], on which also our life has sprung up again
by him and by his death”.
Finally, let’s consider another document attributed to the Apostles’ teachings- the Didache-
written approximately on 70 A. D.: “But every LORD’S DAY [Sunday] . . . gather yourselves
together and BREAK BREAD, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your
transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure”.
Bear in mind that the Bible was compiled by the Catholic Church only on 393 A.D. at the
Synod of Hippo and 397 A. D. at the Council of Carthage (see my article on this topic here:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
fbid=10201826048513147&set=a.10200714481164658&type=3&theater). Before these
dates, the early Christians relied on partial and scattered New Testament writings, the Old
Testament documents, and most importantly on the ORAL teachings of the Apostles, their
SUCCESSORS, and their subsequent writings as presented above.
If you want your Bible study to have a grounding on REALITY, then you have to take into
account what early Christians taught and PRACTICED. You don’t simply take the Bible
ALONE and go on reading it without actually knowing and understanding the background
of its human authors and the then surrounding conditions. Otherwise, you will NOT be
interpreting the Scriptures but instead be only putting your own ideas (and bias) in the
Scriptures in order to support your own bias.
History attests that early Christians gathered and worshipped in the 1 st day of the week-
Sunday. This was the PRACTICE even before Emperor Constantine adopted Sunday as the
rest day of his kingdom in 321 A. D.! “Sunday was kept holy from the time of the apostles”
(World History by Obrien page 146, par. 3). “The faithful in Jerusalem were united in heart
and mind. In the beginning, they continued to attend worships inside the temple together
with their neighbors, and followed the manner of the Lord who also went to the synagogue.
But they had their own period of gathering usually on the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK when
to worship God ACCORDING TO THEIR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST” (Church History by Laux
page 9).
Christ promised His Church, his followers, that He will be with them ALWAYS (Matt. 28:20)
and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18). If the early Christians were
wrong on worshipping on a Sunday then Christ became a failure for He allowed His Church
to fall into error and therefore to fall before the “gates of Hell”. Furthermore, the NEW
SECTS proposing that Saturday is to be kept and Jewish customs and practices be retained
(for they are necessary for salvation) makes Christ and His Church- which is His Body- (1
Cor. 12:12-14) insufficient. Also, these New Sects propose indirectly that the Scripture is
wrong when it provides that the Church is the pillar and foundation of TRUTH (1 Tim.
3:15).