The Nightfall of the Old Covenant
Hebrews 8: 13, "When He said, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear."
Hebrews 10: 20, the New Covenant is given to us not by a stone but, "by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh."
This New Covenant is not to be patched onto the Old. (Mark 2: 22)
Those under the laws of the New Covenant are not obligated to keep the holy days of the Old Covenant. (Romans 14: 1-6, Colossians 2: 14-17 and Galatians 4: 10-11, 21)
Now, as a New Covenant Christian we are free to keep or discard a holy day. So the early Christians, even the Apostles themselves, began to worship on all days. However, because the work of all time, the work of our Salvation was fulfilled on Sunday, the day of Christ’s resurrection, they began to celebrate it. That was a fitting and honorable thing to do. There is nothing in scripture anywhere that would suggest something like this would be wrong. A celebration of the day of Christ’s conquering death and hades is worth a memorial!
There is no Biblical nor historical evidence (in the first two centuries) anywhere that suggests worshipping on Sunday was considered the Sabbath or was considered wrong. If worshipping on Sunday were wrong, why would the Apostles do it? Why would not the Apostle John in Ephesus, alive till the turn of the second century, chastise the early Christians for it? There is no shred of evidence anywhere that says Sunday was the fourth commandment seventh day. In fact, many Christians--the Jewish Christians--for centuries kept both Saturday and celebrated Sunday (Sabbath and The Lord’s Day) as well as the Passover and other Jewish holidays.
Early Christian debates were not about Sabbath versus Sunday but keeping the Jewish festivals (including Sabbath and Passover) or not keeping them. There was never at any time a debate about the celebration of Sunday and the Resurrection of our Lord.
The Dawn of the New Covenant
There was nothing in the life and death of Jesus that could save us. There was nothing in the law that could save us. Living the example of Jesus life could not save us. Attending worship every Sabbath from the beginning to the end of eternity can do nothing to save us.
There is only ONE extraordinary, immense and redemptive act upon which the salvation of ALL MANKIND depends. Only one act that man must rejoice in as the act that saved us from everlasting damnation and that is JESUS WAS RESURRECTED! (I Corinthians 15: 17, 18; Romans 1:4, John 2:18-21, Matthew 12:38-40.)
The Divine infinite and salvific resurrection! And Jesus wasn’t accidentally raised on Sunday. It didn’t just slip His mind and then afterwards, cringe an “uh oh, boy is this going to be a problem. I am going to have to depend upon the Seventh-day Adventists to straighten out the unfortunate incident of being raised on Sunday.... and explain the importance of Sabbath.”
NO from the foundation of the earth, the great mystery of Salvation was planned exactly. He chose and determined the great day of our Redemption to be on Sunday--the DAY OF THE LORD!!
The early church understood this great and mighty day, foretold from the beginning. Known as the eighth day, the first day in the eternal cycle of grace and mercy.
Death, where is thy sting?! Now the powers of hell were broken, the cosmos again could rejoice in the victory as on Sunday, the Lamb that was slain stood before the Great and Almighty Father and offered His blood for our salvation in the Heaven of Heavens (John 20:17, Revelation 1:18).
Sunday Jesus met with His disciples and ordained them, breathing upon them the Holy Spirit and pronouncing peace. (John 20:19-22)
Sunday, many dead arose and were seen. (Matthew 27:51-53)
Sunday, the first NEW COVENANT gospel was preached. (Luke 24:34)
Sunday, Jesus opened the minds of His disciples to understand the gospel. (Luke 24: 27, 45).
Sunday is when our Salvation was complete. It became the day at Pentecost when the tongue of fire ignited the church.
Adventists, we who celebrate Sunday wish you greetings as you drive to church on Sabbath. But for you who believe that worshipping and celebrating Sunday as the LORD’S day is somehow not biblical and even consider it an evil, please rethink your position. It is not Biblical.
It is good to celebrate the day the Lord was risen from the dead. Hallelujah!!
Note: This is for those who believe the New Testament scriptures are the infallible, Spirit-breathed, Word of God. Thank to Reverend D. M Canright and his book, Observance of Sunday in the First Centuries.
1 comment:
I think that you're misunderstanding the Lord's Day. You first say that ”early Christians, even the Apostles themselves, began to worship on all days”. Historical evidences shows that early Christians had a holy day in which they worship God. Pliny the Younger, who was a Governor of Bithynia about 111 AD, wrote:
”They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so” (Letter 86 of Pliny to Emperor Trajan)
But you're right about daily fraternal meetings of early Christians (Acts 2:42).
Was just at fifth century when some theologians start to preach that Sunday replace the Sabbath. At that time Sunday and Saturday coexist as worship days, like some historians wrote.
Before that time, the most Christians churches adored on Saturday:
“Nor is there less variation in regard to religious assemblies. For although almost all churches throughout the world celebrate the sacred mysteries on the Sabbath of every week, yet the Christians of Alexandria and at Rome, on account of some ancient tradition, have ceased to do this” (Socrates Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical History, book 5, chap 22)
The Sunday keeping started on Alexandria or Rome in the end of second century, like many scholars agree. There is not any evidence of Sunday worship in first century.
The argument of “Resurrection Day” for Sunday keeping comes from third century. Nor Jesus not even the apostles ever command to keep the Sunday. Before Jesus’ death there’s not any teaching concerning the end of Sabbath’s keeping or the start of Sunday keeping. And that’s the most important biblical evidence against any holy day’s keeping change.
Saint Paul wrote to us:
“Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannuls, or adds thereto.” (Gal. 3:15 KJV)
The New Covenant cannot be change at any way after its confirmation. And, when was the confirmation of the New Testament?
“And for this cause he is the mediator of the new covenant, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they who are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a will is, there must also of necessity be the death of the maker. For a will is in force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the maker lives.” (Heb. 9:15-17 KJV)
In the original greek, the words “covenant” and “will” are the same: diatheke.
So, the Apostle Paul is saying that afterward Christ’s death the New Covenant wouldn’t be change. And the truth is that before crucifixion Jesus Christ does not abolish o change the Sabbath and His followers still were keeping Sabbath day:
“And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment.” (Luke 23:56)
As the New Covenant couldn’t be modified after its confirmation (which was Christ’s death, I guess that is clear) the Sunday keeping as Resurrection’s memorial cannot be part of it. So the Christians, who live under the New Covenant, are not force to keep Sunday. And, as Sabbath keeping wasn’t abolished or changed before crucifixion, it remains as the holy day of God which we must to watch.
The Disciples didn’t gather on Sunday. The Biblie says:
“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.” (John 20:19)
They weren’t worshiping God or keeping Sunday. Actually, they were hidden for fear.
Blessings to you.
PD: I apologize if made some mistake. English is not my native language.
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