The Origin of "the Lord's Day"

"I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Matthew 15:24


In the book of Genesis, we read the story about Jacob (meaning "deceiver") who stole the birthright from his brother Esau. And Jacob, God renamed "Israel," and he became the father of Israel.

But here we want expose a deceiver, who deceived Jacob (Israel) of his birthright of salvation.

Until the fourth century, believers all over the world observed rest on the Sabbath day, the day of rest blessed by God, until church councils outlawed the Sabbath rest with statements like this one by the council at Laodicea, in 364 AD:

 "Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday, but shall work on that day; but the Lord's day they shall especially honour, and, as being Christians, shall, if possible, do no work on that day. If, however, they are found Judaizing, they shall be shut out from Christ."[82]

"The Lord's day" is possibly the first religious day instituted by the Church. This day, and Easter, (named for the goddess of fertility) were declared "doctrines of the Church" to Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161 to 180 AD). "The Lord's day" is the midnight to midnight day on the Roman calendar we know as Sunday.

From the Bible, we will see the catalyst behind "the Lord's day" is likely the collection of offerings, but first we want to undo the deception that separated us from the love of God. "As it is written, 'Jacob I have loved but Esau I have hated.'" (Romans 9:13)


1. Did Jesus really rise on Sunday?


Today, some believe that "the Lord's Day" has to do with the resurrection of Jesus.

But what does history tell us?  Did Jesus really rise on "the Lord's Day," on Sunday?

Actually in Church history, we see no association of "the Lord's Day" with the resurrection of Jesus, until at least the third century. Even though this day was widely discussed and made a doctrine in the second century. So why is no connection made to the resurrection of Jesus?

There is only one verse in the Bible that states Jesus rose on Sunday, and this is Mark 16:9. But today, you can see by the footnote in your Bible, that Mark 16:9-20 does not appear in any of the earliest and most reliable manuscripts. Eusebius (AD 263 - 339), the Bishop of Emperor Constantine, confirms that this passage is not in any manuscripts. This passage of the Bible, is perhaps the only passage of the Bible most textual scholars agree is fraudulent.

All we know for certain is that Jesus rose sometime on the third day, sometime after 6 PM on Saturday, the beginning of the third day according to the Jewish calendar.


2. Did the Holy Spirit descend on Sunday?


Some churches today celebrate "Pentecost Sunday" and believe the Holy Spirit descended on a Sunday. But in fact, the day of Pentecost is so named because it falls 50 days after the Passover. And the Passover is on the 14th day of the month. We do not know the day of the Passover when Jesus was crucified. Many believe it was on a Thursday, which would put the day of Pentecost on a Friday.

But God does not want us to "observe days, months, seasons, and years." (Galatians 4:10). He does not want us to worship "on this mountain or in Jerusalem," but in "Spirit and truth." (John 4:21-24). And maybe that is why we are given very little information regarding the time of these events.


3. Did the Apostolic Church meet on Sunday?


Today, some believe that the early church met every Sunday, and this is true because the Bible tells us that the Church met daily.

But there is not one single account, in the Bible, of the Church meeting on a Sunday, though we can assume they met on Sunday night after the day's work, because they met daily.

Some have referred to Acts 20:7, where we are told that the disciples came together on the "first of the week" to break bread, after the rest of the Sabbath day, because Paul was leaving on "the morrow," the morning. But this was a Saturday night meeting, and not a Sunday meeting. The first day of the week, on the Jewish calendar, starts in the evening: "the evening and morning being the first day" (Genesis 1:5). 


4. Did John refer to "the Lord's Day" in the Book of Revelation?


In Greek, there is no meaning to word order for compound expressions as there is in English: "the Lord's day" (hemera kyrios) and "the Day of the Lord" (kyrios hemara) have exactly the same meaning in Greek.

So what does "the Day of the Lord" have to do with "the Lord's Day?"

The expression "the Day of the Lord" refers to the return of Jesus, who will come back in the clouds, and we can read this in 1 Thessalonians 4:17-5:2

"Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air...But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know that the Day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night."

The Apostle John opens the Book of Revelation with this same vision of "the Day of the Lord:" John writes:

"Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8)

John goes on to describe... "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day (hemera kyrios), and I heard behind me a loud voice as of a trumpet..." Revelation 1:10

But unfortunately, some have read this verse, and still do so today! ...thinking that John was in the Spirit on a Sunday! And not that he was "in the Spirit in the Day of the Lord," when he saw Jesus coming in the clouds.

As ridiculous as this seems, this verse may be the origin of the expression "the Lord's Day."


The Collection of Offerings


From the Old Testament, we know that offerings are taken up on the first day of the week, Sunday. (Numbers 7:12, Leviticus 23:16 and other verses).

We are expected to give our "first fruits" to God. And so the first work day is the day to collect our offering, our "first fruits."

And Paul just instructs the believers to do the same:

"On the first day of the week let each of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come." (1 Corinthians 16:2)

But Paul did not ask the church to collect the offering on the first day, he only asked the believers to set aside their offerings on the first day, to set aside the first fruits of their labour.

And likely believers began bringing their offerings to the meeting of the brethren on Sunday night. And as believers brought their offerings every Sunday night, it likely became a central meeting day. And no doubt, ministers encouraged the brethren to keep attending, every Sunday.

But what we really need to note from Paul's instruction, is that he upheld Sunday as the first work day of the week, a day for us to consecrate our work to God.


A Day of Blessing Remains


Jesus did not establish any religious days, but He did uphold the Sabbath day of rest. Jesus told us "the Sabbath (Saturday) was made for man."  (Mark 2:27)

The Sabbath day is the day for rest that God blessed in the beginning of creation. (Genesis 2:3)

And it is a good day to go to church.  Because Sunday does not have God's blessing as a day of rest.

But we know that the blessing of God, and Spirit of God, abides in all those that love Him and walk according to the truth.


"All Israel will be saved"


The repentance of believers from the errors of the past has much to do with God's desire to create "one new man" of the Jews and Gentiles.

Paul tells us:

"do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.  And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved.."

Romans 11:18-26