Throughout Christian history, various groups have argued that the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday) remains binding for believers. Some Radical Reformers, such as the Sabbatarian Anabaptists and later the Seventh-Day Baptists, rejected both Catholic and Protestant traditions of Sunday worship, claiming that the biblical Sabbath established in Genesis 2:1-3 was perpetual. They insisted that Sunday worship was a Catholic invention and that the Church had no authority to change the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. However, the biblical and historical evidence strongly supports Sunday as the Lord’s Day, the designated day of Christian worship. This practice is not a human invention but is rooted in Christ’s resurrection, apostolic practice, and the teaching of the New Testament.
The Resurrection of Christ Established Sunday as a Day of Worship
The most significant reason for Christian worship on Sunday is that Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the first day of the week. All four Gospel accounts record that the resurrection occurred on the first day (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1, John 20:1). Christ’s resurrection is the cornerstone of the Christian faith, as the Apostle Paul affirms in 1 Corinthians 15:17: “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” By rising on the first day, Jesus signified the beginning of the new creation, fulfilling and surpassing the old covenant Sabbath. The resurrection marked the dawn of a new era, in which the ceremonial laws of the old covenant—including strict Sabbath observance—were fulfilled in Christ. Thus, Sunday became a day of rejoicing and worship, commemorating the most pivotal event in human history.
The Apostles and Early Church Worshiped on Sunday
The New Testament provides clear evidence that the early Church gathered for worship on the first day of the week. Acts 20:7 records that “upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them.” This passage demonstrates that the Christian community regularly assembled on Sunday for worship, the Lord’s Supper, and the preaching of God’s Word. Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 16:2, Paul instructs believers to set aside their offerings “upon the first day of the week,” indicating that this was the established day of gathering. This practice was not arbitrary but rooted in the resurrection of Christ, which gave new significance to the first day.
Another key passage is Revelation 1:10, where the Apostle John states, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.” While some Sabbatarians argue that this refers to the Sabbath, early Christian writings and tradition consistently identify the Lord’s Day as Sunday, the day of Christ’s resurrection. This designation reflects the understanding that Sunday had become the primary day of Christian worship by the end of the first century. The early Church did not see this as a violation of the Sabbath commandment but as the fulfillment of its ultimate purpose—rest in Christ.
Christians Are Not Bound by the Old Covenant Sabbath
The New Testament teaches that the Mosaic Law, including the requirement to observe the seventh-day Sabbath, was fulfilled in Christ and is no longer binding on believers. In Colossians 2:16-17, Paul explicitly warns against legalistic adherence to Old Testament ceremonial laws, stating, “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: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” This passage makes it clear that the Sabbath was a foreshadowing of Christ, who is the true rest for believers. Hebrews 4:9-11 confirms this by explaining that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Sabbath rest, and those who trust in Him have already entered into that rest.
Furthermore, Paul rebukes the Galatians for returning to legalistic observances, including strict Sabbath-keeping. In Galatians 4:9-10, he asks, “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? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.” Paul’s concern was that believers were returning to the legalistic observances of the Mosaic Law, failing to recognize the freedom they had in Christ. Romans 14:5 further emphasizes Christian liberty regarding the observance of specific days: “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” Rather than enforcing strict Sabbath-keeping, the New Testament allows for individual conviction while affirming that Christ is the fulfillment of the law.
The Early Church Fathers Affirmed Sunday Worship
Long before the rise of Roman Catholicism as an institution, the early Church consistently affirmed Sunday as the Christian day of worship. Ignatius of Antioch, writing around A.D. 110, stated, “Let every friend of Christ keep the Lord’s Day as a festival, the resurrection day, the queen and chief of all days” (Schaff P. , 1885). His words indicate that Sunday worship was already well established among early Christians. Similarly, Justin Martyr, writing around A.D. 150, described Christian worship in his time: “On the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together in one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read” (Schaff P. , 1885). This testimony affirms that Sunday was the primary day of Christian gathering, independent of later Catholic traditions.
Tertullian, writing around A.D. 200, further emphasized the distinction between Christian and Jewish Sabbath observance: “We solemnize the day after Saturday in contradiction to those who call this day their Sabbath” (Schaff P. , 1885). These writings demonstrate that Sunday worship was the norm in the early Church, not a later innovation. The idea that Sunday worship originated with the Catholic Church is historically inaccurate; rather, it was the practice of the apostolic Church from the beginning.
Conclusion: The Lord’s Day as the Christian Day of Worship
While some Sabbatarian groups have argued that observing Sunday is a Catholic invention, the biblical and historical evidence overwhelmingly supports Sunday worship as the Lord’s Day. The resurrection of Christ, apostolic practice, and the fulfillment of the old covenant Sabbath in Christ all point to Sunday as the rightful day of Christian gathering and rest. The Sabbath commandment, like other ceremonial aspects of the Mosaic Law, was a shadow pointing to Christ, who provides the true and ultimate rest for His people.
Sunday worship is not a human tradition but a Christ-centered practice rooted in Scripture. It is not a violation of God’s law but rather its fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Christians are not bound to observe the seventh-day Sabbath as under the old covenant but are invited to celebrate the Lord’s Day as a time of worship, fellowship, and reflection on the victory of Christ. Rather than being a legalistic burden, the Lord’s Day is a joyous commemoration of the resurrection and the new life found in Him.