Acts 20 7.
1st Corinthians 16 1,2.
and, not to mention, Luke 24 1, " now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning...."
1st Corinthians 16 1,2.
and, not to mention, Luke 24 1, " now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning...."
Luke 24:
1Now 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.
Surely the disciples going to the tomb,to anoint the Lord,cannot be considered to be a meeting. As for Acts 20:7 and I Corinthians 16:1,2, see below:
The failure to locate any scripture which states that Christians were instructed to assemble for fellowship and worship on the first day, has caused the proponents of Sunday,as the Lord's day to clutch at straws in their attempt to validate their actions. However, the scriptures which are used to do this,if carefully examined, show that the teaching on Sunday being the Lord's day is without any scriptural basis.
Many persons look at the book of the Acts of the Apostles as a guide to the way the early church operated. In doing this the Sunday enthusiasts turn to Acts 20: 7, as a passage which,they say, shows that the Apostles i.e. disciples, regularly met on the first day of the week for the celebration of the Lord's supper and for worship.
"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.'" [Acts 20: 7.]
The proper use of this verse as an example for the church would cause much change in the way things are being done now. Christians who claim their gathering on the 1st day,is to observe the Lord's day,gather on the morning of the 1st day.However according to the scriptures the beginning of the day is the evening and so the 1st day begins on what we call Saturday evening.
".. .And the evening and the morning were the first day." [Genesis 1: 5.]
Midnight on the 1st day would then be what we call midnight Saturday. Hence the gathering on the first day of the week and the preaching to midnight shows Paul and the brethren meeting on a Saturday night and Paul spoke to the gathering right through the night. He was to depart on the morrow i.e. on the morning of the 1st day or Sunday morning as we know it. He did depart at that time. [See Acts 20: 11-13.] It is clear therefore that what is being practiced here is contrary to the practice of Christians today. On the much revered, so called, Lord's day, Paul is found traveling instead of being in church as is the practice of Christians today. Another contradiction is then found in the fact that,when Paul is preaching and having "church," Christians today are found doing their own business and also most would be fast asleep on a Saturday night,which is the evening of the first day. Why isn't this, "example of worship on the Lords day," followed perfectly?
The Facts are:
The brethren had gathered for the evening meal which is denoted by the breaking of bread. If this was the Lord's supper and from this account many claim it is to be done every "Lord's day," then how it is the disciples also broke bread daily?
"And they continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking of bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart." [Acts 2: 46.]
And why is it that on the same night they partook in another Lord's supper?
"When He therefore was come up again and broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while even till daybreak." [Acts 20:11.]
The term breaking of bread is used to identify the beginning of the meal and is not exclusive to the Lord's supper. The loaf of bread used in the meal is blessed and then broken (not cut) and distributed to those partaking of the meal. [See Mark 6: 41; Luke 9:16; Luke 24: 30, 35.] This is why it seemed important to wash the hands before having a meal. [Matthew 15: 2.] Paul certainly had much less reverence for Sunday than many today as neither he nor the brethren were in "church" but were looking about his going on his journey to Assos. [Acts 20: 11-14.]
Another mention of the first day in the scriptures,used to justify the regular meeting of Christians on Sunday,is found in I Corinthians 16:1, 2. It is said by eminent Theologians that this shows that Christians met regularly for worship on the first day and that this passage also refers to the collection of the offering on that day. This is far from the truth.
"Upon the first day of the week let everyone of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." [I Corinthians 12: 2.]
Who was this collection for? It was for the saints in Jerusalem who had fallen on hard times due to a famine. [See I Corinthians 16:1, 3; II Corinthians 9:1-9; Acts 11: 27-30; Galatians 2:1,7-10.] This collection was not for the coffers of the church in Corinth and hence churches which gather on Sundays and collect money to see about their own business are not following this example.
What does "lay by him in store" refer to? This speaks of the persons in Corinth storing whatever he had collected for the saints, in his own home and not in some church building. If the church is meeting why is each person told to put the things collected in their own home? Why not place them in a central location? Why is it Paul wanted no gatherings when he came? What are gatherings? The gatherings refer to the action of getting the things for the saints together at their homes. Paul wanted them to collect (gather) everything before he came so that everything would be in place when he came. He would not have to wait until they gathered the bounty. (e.g. food items, clothing, etc.)
He told them to use Sundays to look about these things and not wait until he came, to do so. Hence this infers that the nature of the things to be collected is not only money but the things wrought from the occupations of the people of Corinth. Hence they were to be working on the "blessed Lord's day," toiling on that day in order to supply the needs of the brethren in Jerusalem. If this was only money there would be no great need to prepare the bounty before hand, and in fact money would be of limited use in a famine. [II Corinthians 9: 5.] The fact is that this was not an instruction about a church service or meeting but instructions about alms gathering, for the Christians in Jerusalem,which was to be done upon the first day of the week.