Did the Apostolic Church Celebrate Saturday as the Lord's Day?

 

Did the Apostolic Church Celebrate Saturday as the Lord's Day? A Biblical and Historical Analysis

Sabbath observance has been a subject of debate in Christianity since its origins. Although many modern churches have adopted Sunday as their day of worship, the question arises: Did the apostolic church, that is, the one led by the apostles and founded by Jesus Christ, teach that Christians were to observe the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week?

1. The “Day of the Lord” in the Bible

In the Bible, the expression “the day of the Lord” appears in several prophetic contexts (Isaiah 13:6, Joel 2:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:2) to refer to the glorious return of Jesus Christ, the judgment, and the establishment of his Kingdom. This eschatological usage should not be confused with a day of the week. Identifying Sunday as the “day of the Lord” is a later interpretation, with no basis in the original biblical usage.

2. Jesus Christ, Lord of the Sabbath

Jesus said, “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8). This does not eliminate Sabbath observance; on the contrary, it reaffirms its relevance and reveals Christ’s authority over its true meaning, rescuing it from Pharisaical legalism. Furthermore, Mark 2:27-28 clarifies that “the Sabbath was made for man.”

3. The Meeting in Acts 20:7

The disciples are mentioned as having gathered on the first day of the week to break bread and listen to Paul, who was departing the next day. According to the Hebrew calendar, the day begins at sunset, so this meeting actually occurred at dusk on Saturday, not Sunday morning. Furthermore, Paul traveled on Sunday, something that would be unlikely if that were a holy day.

4. 1 Corinthians 16:2 and the Offerings

Paul instructs believers to set aside offerings on the first day of the week, but not in the context of a worship service. The expression suggests individual preparation at home, possibly of food or goods for the brothers in Jerusalem, due to a famine.

5. Colossians 2:16-17

The Gentile believers in Colossae are exhorted: “Let no one judge you in regard to food, or drink, or a festival, or the New Moon, or the Sabbath days…” Paul does not abolish the Sabbath, but warns against those who imposed legalistic judgments, possibly influenced by human philosophies (v. 8). The “shadow” points to Christ, but it does not imply that the festivals or the Sabbath were abolished.

6. The Chronology of the Death and Resurrection of Christ

Jesus Christ died on Wednesday, Nisan 14, and was buried before the beginning of the 15th (a great annual Sabbath). He was resurrected at the end of the Sabbath, literally fulfilling the sign of Jonah: three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40). Matthew 28:1 confirms that his resurrection occurred “at the end of the Sabbath.”

7. Galatians 4:10 and Paul's Criticism

Paul rebukes the Galatians for wanting to return to "days, months, times, and years," not necessarily referring to the biblical Sabbath, but to a combination of misapplied Jewish customs and pagan practices. Paul's concern was a return to legalism or empty rituals, not to faithful observance of God's commandments.

Conclusion

The apostolic Church did not eliminate the Sabbath or replace it with Sunday. References to the "first day of the week" do not constitute a new Sunday institution. Christ gave the Sabbath its full, spiritual meaning, and the apostles did not impose its observance on the Gentiles, but neither did they abolish it. The replacement of the Sabbath with Sunday was a later ecclesiastical decision, without apostolic basis or divine mandate.

True rest is in Christ (Hebrews 4), but that does not mean discarding what God sanctified from creation (Genesis 2:3; Exodus 20:8-11).