Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 3/23/2008

Question
QUESTION: Where do people get the idea that the Lord's day is the first day of the week?  Is that biblical?

thanks

ANSWER: Hi Ed,

THank you for this great question.  

Revelation 1:10
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

There are two options for what the Lord's Day is.  It could be the Sabbath, or it could be the First Day of the week.  Here is why I believe it is the latter:

1.  It does not seem to be the Sabbath for several reasons.

The Sabbath was never referred to as the Lord's Day anywhere else in scripture.  There is no shortage of references to the Sabbath Day.

The Sabbath Day was only for Jewish people to establish a covenant bond between God and His people, Israel.

Exodus 31:12-17
12 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. 14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.  16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

The Sabbath was nailed to the cross and no longer binding to believers after Calvary.

Colossians 2:14-16
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.  
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:   
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Paul told us that which day if any day we held to be holy was between us and God.

Romans 14:4-6
4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 5 One man esteemeth one day above another:  another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.  6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.  
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

2.  We have New Testament orecident that the churches met on the First Day of the week.

Acts 20:7
7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

1 Corinthians 16:2
2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

3.  I do not believe that the First Day of the week is a new Sabbath... it is simply when Christians have met for church, centering around the Resurrection.  We are not under the same obligations on Sunday as the Jews were on Saturday.  In fact, we are to be in church any time that the church meets, and sometimes it meets on other days.

Acts 2:46
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,  
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

I hope that this helps you.

In Christ
Pastor Don



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Pastor Don for replying:The bible refers to the sabbath as the lord's day(Ex 20:10)but the 7th DAY is the sabbath OF THE LORD and see Matt 12:8.And if the sabbath was nailed to the cross, how do you explain Isaiah 66:22-23 and Matthew 24:19-20?  please reply

ANSWER: Hi Ed,

Thanks for this great follow up question!

There is no question that the Sabbath is the 7th day of the week.  There is no question that Jesus has authority over that day according to Matthew 12:8... and every other day for that matter... This does not remove Colossians 2 from the Bible, and we know that the Bible does not contradict itself.

Colossians 2:14,16
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:   
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Isaiah does not affirm the existance of Sabbath worship... read the verses again...

Isaiah 66:22-23
22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. 23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.  
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Worship will be 24/7!  Worship will go on from New moon, to quarter moon, to half moon, to full moon... it will go on all month!  Worship will go from Sabbath to Sunday to Monday, to Tuesday, to Wednesday, Thurday, Friday, and the next Sabbath day.  THis is not 7th day observation... it is PERPETUAL observation.... perpetual worship, not the keeping of an old law that was nailed to the cross.

Matthew 24 was written to Jews.  They were looking for the events of the great tribulation.  When the abomination comes and they must flee, they will be in trouble if they are not able to travel on the Sabbath long enough to flee from the anti-christ.... this is not because of Biblical Sabbath keeping, it is because of the man made travel restricti9ons added to the Sabbath.

I hope that this helps you.

In Christ
Pastor Don

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Pastor for replying.Were all the laws nailed to the cross?Matt. 24 was for the jews, was there anything from Jesus that wasn't for the jew?If he nailed the sabbath to the cross, why would he expect them to even worry about the sabbath later on? Can I write you via your e-mail?

Answer
Thanks again for this follow up question.

The Sabbath is unique to other laws in that it was specifically to show the difference between Israel and the other nations.  This is a covenant specific law that is similar to circumcision. It has always been for the Jews.  Notice how often God uses specific terms about who this applies to in the following verses.


Exodus 31:12-17
12 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. 14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.  16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

So, when Jesus was speaking to the children of Israel in Matthew 24, He had this passage as His frame of reference.... the Sabbath as a perpetual covenant for ISRAEL.

If you write me at my e-mail, I may not respond to you nearly as fast as I would through all-experts.  I get a lot of questions, and I am very busy in the ministry.  I try to answer these questions completely, so I may not be able to get to you as quicklly if you e-mail me directly.  All experts has me on a time deadline, so these questions will always come first, but if you do want to e-mail me directly you can.  ebc@cleaninter.net.

I hope that this helps you.

In Christ
Pastor Don