Why Do Christians Gather Together On Sundays

[Soldier4Christ]

I thought it appropriate to finish this study that I have been doing for some time in order to get it posted now. This study that I have been doing applies equally as well to those that preach the sabbath as it does to those that preach Sunday or any other day of the week as being a Holy Day.


Why do Christians gather together for worship on Sunday, the first day of the week?

First let me say that we as Christians are not under a specific "law" to worship on just one day. We through the loving, saving grace of our Lord are no longer under the law but under grace. If you want to gather on Saturday or Wendesday or any other day for worship as long as we worship in spirit and in truth it is still a day unto the Lord. We as Christians should worship our Lord and Saviour everyday of the week all year long, giving Him all praises and thanks for His wonderful mercies. With that said let's look at why and when Christians started the gathering together on Sunday as a special time together in our worship.


The first day of the week, Sunday, has been referred to by some as the Lord's Day. However we only see the useage of this term once in scripture.

Rev 1:10  I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,



Being isolated on the isle of Patmos John would have had difficulty worshipping with others on this day but still gave this day significant importance. We can tell he is referring to a specific day however in this verse alone we do not see which day of the week that John is referring to. It is believed though that it means the day that Jesus arose from the grave. That was His day, the day He overcame the curse of death which was the first day of the week.

Mar 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.



Some people associate this with "the day of the Lord". We know that this is not the case as "the day of the Lord" is clearly used to denote, not a specific day of the week, but his coming in judgment, wrath, vengeance, or retribution to offenders or in deliverance for his people.

2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.



In 325 AD Constantine, the Roman Emperor, declared Sunday as a holiday (holy day) throughout the empire. Many people claim that it was not held special before that but Constantine did not pick this day out of the air. He did this because the Christians of that time already considered it as a special day.

We also see the first day of the week mentioned in other places in the New Testament.

Joh 20:18  Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
Joh 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.
Joh 20:20  And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
Joh 20:22  And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
Joh 20:23  Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.


Joh 20:26  And after eight days again his disciples were within, 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 morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.


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.


As much as we may study these verses there is nothing concrete to say that the first day of the week was to be held as a special day. It was not a prescribed law. In fact not only were the apostles silent about obliging us to keep certain days, they actually warned us about observing days.

Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

Here Paul is saying that he was afraid for them that his labor (his teaching) had all been done in vain and that they were all returning themselves into bondage of the law.

Read the entire context of

 Col 2:16  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Col 2:17  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Paul did not add any exceptions here.

True apostolic teaching puts keeping of days and the eating of foods in the realm of indifference along with circumcision. Paul permits the weak brother to respect days but not to bind his scruple on others or condemn others who do not hold his conviction. He writes:

Rom 14:5  One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Rom 14:6  He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
Rom 14:7  For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
Rom 14:8  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

It is the whole person, not certain days or hours, who is sanctified. Every day is raised to the highest plane making us no closer to God or more priestly at one time than another.


If you are having difficulty in accepting this, let me ask you a few questions. Did Jesus die on the cross to sanctify a day? Is one day spiritual and another secular? Are some obligations bound on one day but loosed on the next? Are some actions holy if performed on a certain day but profane if done on another?


In a sense, all days (all time) are holy because our whole lives are dedicated to God. That sanctification is not segmented into days or time spans. In a more real sense, it is not time that is sanctified; it is the disciple who is holy when he or she can say,

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.


Please do not conclude that I am discouraging the need for assembling with other Christians. We all need the support that we gain from sharing with those of faith. I am saying, however, that these meetings and activities are no more effective on one day of the week than any other.

[nChrist]

Pastor Roger,

AMEN AND AMEN!!

You mentioned some huge differences between Law and Grace, and you also mentioned one that many Christians might or might not take for granted. I really can't overstate this enough and neither can anyone else. Coming into the HOLY OF HOLIES involved elaborate rituals, and only a few were acceptable to enter in, even after the elaborate cleansing rituals. A single and minute error meant immediate physical death. In short, the average person would never dream of entering into the HOLY OF HOLIES.

JESUS CHRIST dying on the Cross in our place was the most precious and significant event of human history. If a Christian today were able to go back 2,500 years and tell a devout Jew what Christians can do day in and day out, we would be crucified for speaking blasphemy. FIRST, I'm talking about the Holy Spirit of God HIMSELF living in the hearts of Christians, and we aren't even Jews - just unclean Gentiles. It would be a death sentence just to suggest such an abomination when talking about where GOD would or would not reside. SECOND, not only does the Holy Spirit of God live in our hearts, WE CAN PRAY DIRECTLY TO ALMIGHTY GOD 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK, and we don't have to perform a single cleansing ritual to COME TO THE THRONE OF GRACE OF ALMIGHTY GOD! Again, this would be blasphemy and an instant death sentence. Nobody would dare talk of such familiarity with ALMIGHTY GOD.

Brothers and Sisters, there's no way that we are fit to come into the presence of ALMIGHTY GOD in prayer. Further, we are an unclean earthen vessel, and it would be an insult to suggest that the Holy Spirit of God would consider living in our hearts. BUT, JESUS CHRIST died on the Cross in our stead, and the Law of Faith in JESUS CHRIST has set us free from the curse of sin and death. Believers who have accepted JESUS CHRIST as Lord and Saviour have their sins washed away, and they have been made fit to receive an inheritance from ALMIGHTY GOD ONLY because of the precious BLOOD OF JESUS ON THE CROSS.

So, JESUS made us fit for the Holy Spirit of God to live in our hearts. It certainly isn't anything we have done or could do. JESUS also made us fit to come into the presence of ALMIGHTY GOD and pray 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is unheard of for a sinner to even dream about, much less do it. BUT, this is TRUE - we can pray directly to ALMIGHTY GOD ONLY because of JESUS. The Holy Spirit of God lives in our hearts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are, IN FACT, a TEMPLE used as a permanent abiding place of GOD HIMSELF.

Many beautiful things happened at the Cross, but I only want to mention a couple more. IN ALL REALITY, the BLOOD of JESUS has purchased believers out of captivity, and we belong to HIM. Not only are we His Possessions, He abides in us. He is with us every second of every day, and WE ARE NO LONGER OUR OWN - WE WERE BOUGHT BY A PRICE - THE BLOOD OF JESUS.

NOW, get this and understand something beautiful: EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF OUR LIFE FROM THE TIME THAT HE BECAME LORD OVER OUR LIVES BELONG TO HIM. Our time belongs to HIM - our bodies belong to HIM - our minds belong to HIM - EVERYTHING BELONGS TO HIM! It would be silly for me to say that I will give HIM a couple of hours on a certain day of the week when HE OWNS ME ON ALL OF THEM.

Think about this one for a minute: I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO THE TEMPLE SINCE I AM THE TEMPLE!!!!! I can worship, pray, praise, and thank HIM EVERY DAY. It would be silly for me to say that I give HIM a day when HE GIVES ME ALL DAYS!!

EVERY DAY BELONGS TO JESUS - LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

Under the Law, the Sabbath was nothing but a shadow of things to come. JESUS CHRIST IS THE REALITY OF THAT SHADOW, AND HE LIVES IN MY HEART!!

Love In Christ,
Tom

Psalms 139:16 NASB  Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.

[Soldier4Christ]

Amen brother, there is beauty in those words. I thank God for His wonderful mercies that He has bestowed on us through the cross.

[Shammu]

AMEN and AMEN, Pastor Roger, and Beps!!