The question of which day Christians typically worship according to the Bible is one that has been discussed and debated for centuries. To provide a thorough and thoughtful answer, we must delve into both the Old and New Testaments, examine early Christian practices, and consider historical and theological developments within Christianity.
In the Old Testament, the Sabbath is clearly established as the seventh day of the week, which corresponds to Saturday. This day was set aside for rest and worship in commemoration of God's rest after the six days of creation. Genesis 2:2-3 states, "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." The commandment to observe the Sabbath is also one of the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai: "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:8-10).
For the Jewish people, the Sabbath was a sign of the covenant between them and God. It was a day of rest, reflection, and worship, involving specific prohibitions and rituals outlined in the Torah. Observance of the Sabbath was a central aspect of Jewish religious life.
As we move to the New Testament, we see that Jesus Himself observed the Sabbath, as was customary for a Jewish man of His time. Luke 4:16 tells us, "He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom." However, Jesus also emphasized the deeper, spiritual meaning of the Sabbath, challenging the legalistic interpretations of the religious leaders of His day. In Mark 2:27, He said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."
The early Christian church, which emerged from a Jewish context, initially continued to observe the Sabbath. However, a significant shift occurred with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which took place on the first day of the week, Sunday. This event became the cornerstone of Christian faith, and it profoundly influenced Christian worship practices.
The New Testament records that the early Christians began to gather on the first day of the week to break bread and worship. Acts 20:7 states, "On the first day of the week we came together to break bread." Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 16:2, Paul instructs the believers to set aside a sum of money on the first day of the week. These references indicate that Sunday had become a special day for the early Christians, likely because it was the day of Christ's resurrection.
The transition from Sabbath (Saturday) worship to Sunday worship was further solidified by the early church fathers and the writings of the Apostolic Fathers. Ignatius of Antioch, writing in the early second century, referred to Christians as "no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord's Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death" (Ignatius, Epistle to the Magnesians, Chapter 9). Similarly, Justin Martyr, writing in the mid-second century, described the Christian practice of gathering on Sunday for worship, reading of the Scriptures, and the Eucharist (Justin Martyr, First Apology, Chapter 67).
The shift to Sunday worship was not merely a matter of convenience or cultural adaptation. It was deeply theological, rooted in the resurrection of Christ, which was seen as the fulfillment of the Sabbath rest and the inauguration of the new creation. The writer of Hebrews speaks of a "Sabbath-rest for the people of God" (Hebrews 4:9), which many early Christians understood as being fulfilled in Christ and celebrated on the day of His resurrection.
Throughout church history, Sunday worship became the norm for most Christian communities. The Council of Laodicea (circa 363-364 AD) explicitly instructed Christians to honor the Lord's Day and, if possible, rest on that day, while discouraging the observance of the Jewish Sabbath. The practice of Sunday worship was further reinforced by the Roman Emperor Constantine, who in 321 AD declared Sunday a day of rest and worship throughout the Roman Empire.
Despite the predominance of Sunday worship, there have always been groups within Christianity that have continued to observe the Sabbath on Saturday. The Seventh-day Adventist Church, for example, emphasizes the importance of the Saturday Sabbath and sees it as a vital aspect of Christian obedience and worship.
In summary, while the Sabbath (Saturday) was the original day of rest and worship as established in the Old Testament, the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the first day of the week (Sunday) led to a significant shift in Christian worship practices. The early Christians began to gather on Sunday to commemorate the resurrection, and this practice was solidified by the teachings of the early church fathers and the historical developments within the church. Today, most Christians worship on Sunday, seeing it as the Lord's Day and a celebration of the new creation inaugurated by Christ's resurrection. However, some Christian groups continue to observe the Sabbath on Saturday, maintaining a connection to the original biblical commandment.
