the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON 26

Why on Sunday?
O. Palmer Robertson
(Reprinted by permission from New Horizons, March 2003 the Magazine of the OPC)
The author has served as a pastor, seminary professor, and teacher at African Bible College in Malawi.
This question can be embarrassing, cant it? Why
do you worship on Sunday? Doesnt the Bible say
that the seventh day is the time God consecrat-
ed for his people? Where does the Bible say that
Christians should sanctify the rst day of the week,
rather than the seventh day?
Its a good question, you will have to admit. Its also
a question that needs an answer. So what can be
said?
Creation and Redemption
Begin by considering the evidence of the Old Testament.
The Sabbath in the Old Testament was not merely a spe-
cial day that was to be recognized once a week. It had
much richer signicance. It pointed forward to the future
rest of redemption that God would accomplish for his
people. The Sabbath was not only a reminder of the rest
that came after the six days of creation. It also was cele-
brated because God had delivered his people from slavery
in Egypt.
God repeated the law for Moses after Israel had wandered
in the wilderness for forty years, just before they entered
the land of promise. When God repeated the law that had
been given at Sinai, the Ten Commandments were the
same. Not one of the original ten commandments had
been changed. But another reason for observing the Sab-
bath was given. At Sinai, Gods people had been told to
keep the Sabbath because God had rested after the six
days of creation (Ex. 20:11; cf. Gen. 2:3). But in Transjor-
dan, God told Israel to keep the Sabbath in view of their
redemption from Egypt (Deut. 5:15). Not only because of
creation, but also because of redemption, the people of
God were to rest one day in seven.
We know that Israels deliverance from slavery in Egypt
by the Passover lamb was only a shadow, a prophecy, of
the deliverance that would come through the sacricial
death and powerful resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Old
Testament saints were looking forward to the coming rest
from the burdens of sin, just as each week they looked
forward to their rest from work on the Sabbath day.
The Promised Land
So when Israel entered the land of their rest under
Joshua, they marched around Jericho for seven days.
Then on the seventh day they marched around the city
walls seven times. When they had completed the march
around Jericho the seventh time on the seventh day, the
walls came tumbling down, and the people of God began
to enter their rest in Canaan. The taking of Jericho
was a picture of Gods people entering into their
Sabbath-rest.
In a similar way, the seventy years of Israels captiv-
ity pointed toward the rest of the redemption that
was to come to the Promised Land. For the seventy
years of Israels captivity in Babylon, the land was
enjoying its sabbath rests (2 Chron. 36:21).
These Old Testament experiences showed that Gods peo-
ple were looking forward to the rest, the redemption, that
would be accomplished by Gods Messiah one day in the
future. They worked six days in the week, looking forward
to the rest that they would experience in the future. They
looked to the land of promise as the place where they
would enter into their rest from all the burdens of life.
A New Perspective
But now redemption has been accomplished. Jesus has
come as the fulllment of prophecy. By his death and res-
urrection, he has brought his people into their redemp-
tive rest. We look back to the salvation that has been com-
pleted through Christ. It is nished was his cry from the
cross, and so we know that everything has been done for
our deliverance from sin, death, and all other evils in this
world.
So now the Christian has a new perspective on the rest
of redemption. For the resurrection of Christ is an event
as signicant as the creation of the world. By his resur-
rection, a new order of the universe came into being. A
new way of life for man came into existence. The stone
was rolled back from the door of Jesus tomb to let the dis-
ciples in, not to let Jesus out! Because of his new form of
existence in his resurrection body, he could pass through
stone walls and locked doors without needing to open
them.
The Resurrection of Christ
So it should not be surprising to nd the disciples follow-
ing a new pattern of worship and work. They began their
week assembling with the resurrected Christ. Consider
carefully the following evidence that the redemption ac-
complished through Christs resurrection determined the
day for Christian worship:
1. Jesus Christ arose on the rst day of the week (Matt.
28:1). He entered into his rest from labor, not on Satur-
day (the seventh day), but on Sunday (the rst day of the
week). As Jesus entered into his rest on the rst day, so he
the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON 27
encourages us to begin the week by resting in the con-
dence that he will provide for all our needs for seven days
with only six days of labor.
2. Jesus Christ appeared to his assembled disciples on the
rst day of the week, as well as to Mary and to the two dis-
ciples on the road to Emmaus (John 20:10; Luke 24:13).
By these appearances on the rst day of the week, the res-
urrected Lord set a pattern for meeting with his disciples.
They began expecting to meet with him on the day of his
resurrection, which is the rst day of the week.
3. Jesus appeared to the assembled disciples one week
later on the rst day of the week, with doubting Thomas
present this time (John 20:26). Already a new pattern of
assembly for worship was emerging. Gods new covenant
people were making it a habit to assemble together on
the rst day of the week, the day of Christs resurrection.
Jesus honored these assemblies by appearing to the dis-
ciples at this time, and encouraged their faith in him as
the resurrected Lord.
4. The resurrected Christ poured out his Spirit on the as-
sembled disciples exactly fty days after the Sabbath of
the Jewish Passover, which was the rst day of the week
(Acts 2:1; cf. Lev. 23:1516). The word Pentecost means
fty, referring to the fty days after the Sabbath of the
Passover. Forty-nine days would span seven Jewish Sab-
baths or Saturdays, and the ftieth day would then fall
on a Sunday, the rst day of the week. So it would ap-
pear that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit came on the
rst day of the week, when Gods new covenant people
were assembled for worship. So the pattern would be es-
tablished more rmly. Both the resurrection of Christ and
the outpouring of the Spirit occurred on the rst day of
the week.
5. As Paul spread the gospel of Christ among Jews and
Gentiles throughout the world, the rst day of the week
was used as the time for Christians to assemble for wor-
ship. In Greece, Paul and Luke assembled with the people
of God to break bread and to hear the preaching of Gods
word on the rst day of the week (Acts 20:7). This was
the day that the people of the new covenant assembled to
hear Gods word.
6. Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth to establish the
pattern for their presenting of offerings for the service of
the Lord. He ordered the Christians in Corinth to follow
the pattern that had already been set with the churches
in Galatia (1 Cor. 16:1). On the rst day of every week
they were to consecrate their offerings to the Lord (1 Cor.
16:2). This schedule for honoring the Lord had become
the pattern for Gods people throughout the churches.
The churches were not to present their offerings any time
they wished. Rather, on the rst day of each week, all the
Corinthian Christians were to follow the pattern that had
already been set among the Galatian churches. The rst
day of the week was the designated time for the presenta-
tion of offerings to the Lord.
The Lords Day
7. The apostle John, now aged and perhaps the only liv-
ing member of the original twelve apostles, had been
banished to the island of Patmos. In this circumstance,
he could not assemble for worship with the people of God.
But the apostle informs us that on the Lords Day he
was in the Spirit (Rev. 1:10). The signicance of his be-
ing in the Spirit seems quite clear. He had entered into
the presence of the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit,
and was offering his adoration to him.
But what is the meaning of the phrase on the Lords Day?
In one sense, it may be said that every day of the week be-
longs to the Lord, and so might be called the Lords day.
But John is referring to something more specic. He does
not speak merely of a day that has been consecrated to
the Lord. Instead he speaks of the Lords Day.
That one day that may be called the Lords Day was the
day in which he proved to the world that he was Lord. On
one particular day, Jesus made the universe understand
that he was Lord of all. That day was the day of his resur-
rection. On that day, he conquered the last of the sinners
enemies, which is death. On the rst day of the week, he
showed that his power could overcome all enemies, even
death itself. That day is the Lords Day.
So by the end of the lifetime of the rst apostles, Chris-
tians knew about one day of the week that was called the
Lords Day. On that day, they celebrated the resurrection
of Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That
day became the time for their assembly as they rejoiced in
the resurrection of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy
Spirit.
Honoring God
So it is the same today. The original commandment to
honor God by worship one day in seven still holds, since
this requirement was a part of the Ten Words laying down
the moral standards of God for men. One day in seven
must be consecrated for worship and service to him. Both
creation and redemption show that God must be honored
in this way.
From the creation of the world until the coming of Christ,
that day was the last day of the week. People in the days of
the Old Testament were looking forward to the rest that
the Savior would bring.
But now Christ has come. He has risen victoriously over
all his enemies. This victory he won on the rst day of the
week. On this day he meets with his disciples as they as-
semble to commune with him.
So we are to celebrate the rest he has won for us. We are
to taste and anticipate his rest by offering our worship on
the rst day of the week. For it is the only pattern dem-
onstrated in the Scriptures of the new covenant for the
worship of Gods people today.
O. Palmer Robertson