“Sunday is the Lord's Day!” This is the claim exclaimed throughout Christianity.
While the Roman Catholic Church recognizes the Bible clearly marks the seventh day of the week, our Saturday as the biblical Sabbath, past church leadership made a determination that Sunday is the Lord’s Day based on the unbiblical fallacy that Christ rose on Sunday. The only place in Scripture where the Lord’s Day is mentioned is found in Revelation.
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
Revelation 1:10 (NKJV) (emphasis mine)
This verse is not telling us that John was in the Spirit on Sunday. This verse is explaining the events he would be revealing over a period of time that is at our doorstep. This verse coincides with others such as Amos 5 verse 18.
18 Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! For what good is the day of the Lord to you? It will be darkness, and not light.
Amos 5:18 (NKJV) (emphasis mine)
The only other verse that Christians site as proof to change God’s day of rest from Saturday the 7th day to the 1st day calling it the Lord’s Day, Sunday, is Acts 20, verse 7.
7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.
Acts 20:7 (NKJV) (emphasis mine)
The majority of translations follow the same wording, which appears to be a direct proof statement that the early Christian church observed Sunday as the day of rest, not keeping the seventh day Sabbath. A deeper study into this Scripture reveals that there was no change of the Sabbath day of rest to Sunday.
As with all Scripture the context and intent of the Author is imperative for understanding. Looking at what this verse is saying, the word “week” in verse 7 of Acts 20 is Strong’s #G4521 and has the following meaning as found in The New Englishman’s Greek Concordance and Lexicon: “Transliteration from the Hebrew, the Jewish Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, i.e., Saturday.”
Based on this information the following translation from the Interlinear Bible [Jay P. Green, Sr.] is what should be used. “And on the first of the Sabbaths, the disciples assembled to break bread, being about to depart on the morrow, Paul reasoned to them. And he continued his speech until midnight.” Something that is not clear to the present day reader is that in Bible time the day ends and begins at sunset, not at midnight as we presently keep time. For clarity read the article How Does God Mark The Day? at: https://www.biblicalcalendarproof.com/articles/how-does-god-mark-day.
Besides the word “week” for understanding the context and intent of the Author, we also need to understand the word “first” – Strong’s #G3391 which implies that there are more to follow. As already noted #G4521 is properly translated as Sabbaths. Therefore, what is being counted are Sabbath days. The only other place in the Bible where God commands to count Sabbaths is in Leviticus.
15 ‘And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. 16 Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord.
Leviticus 23:15-16 (NKJV)
As with any verse, we need to be careful interpreting on a stand-alone basis. Each and every verse has pre- and post-text giving clarity to the intention of the message. Act 20:7 is no different. Simply continuing down a few verses, the context of the count is revealed. This count of Sabbaths brings us to Pentecost, an important day to the New Testament body of believers.
16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.
Acts 20:16 (NKJV)
This makes it plain that the Bible is speaking of the number of Sabbaths to Pentecost with Acts 20:7 speaking of the first in count and not a change in the day of worship from the weekly [Saturday] Sabbath to the keeping of Sunday as the Lord’s Day.
One’s established bias needs to be overcome when reading Scripture. In this case, the bias of looking to support the lawless teaching of Sunday worship was established by the Roman Catholic Church and the continuation of unrighteousness within the Protestant churches. Having rooted this doctrine in their business models, instead of humbling to Scripture, they look to distort Scripture into continually supporting their sins.
This article would not have been needed if these “churches” had taught the simplest understanding from the very beginning, 7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. The day did not start at midnight at this time, it started at sunset. Bible scholars know this fact, yet distort the interpretation to fit their Sunday worship narrative. If this verse were taught accurately, they would teach this time was our Saturday night when they got together to teach and eat until midnight, at which time would be the start of Sunday!
One last point of note that correlates with established bias. Nowhere is it found in the timing of these events, much less anywhere else in the New Testament, is a keeping or celebrating Christ’s resurrection by the newly formed Christians. As has just been shown, careful study is needed beyond simply reading the Bible. Easter is not mentioned in the Bible except for one verse (Acts 12:4) in one English translation which is the King James Version.
4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
King James Version
Easter was translated from Strong’s #G3957, ‘pascha’ which means Passover. Every other time, including in the King James Version, this Greek word was translated properly as Passover. Even the organization which brought us the pagan Easter holiday translates this word correctly as shown in these two examples
4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.
Revised Standard Catholic Version
4 he imprisoned him and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to subject him to a public trial after Passover.
New Catholic Bible
Beyond the Roman Catholics, the most popular translation used in the Protestant organizations also translated the Greek word correctly.
4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
New International Version
God did not set this day as a Holy Convocation [Strong’s #H4744 – meeting or assembly], however He commanded Passover to be a day of observance. With all of this, ‘Christianity’ passed over the Passover and went straight to Good Friday and Easter, two non-recognized days scripturally.
For more understanding on the Passover read: https://www.biblicalcalendarproof.com/articles/has-passover-been-passed-over.
Just two verses in Acts demonstrate that careful study can alter the outcome of faith and, in this case, action. God never removed the Sabbath day of rest from His commandments and He never gave His stamp of approval for the pagan Easter feast. Yet, ‘Christians’ worldwide follow the deceptive teachings of their pastors, ministers, priests and scholars thinking these people know the true way.