What does Rev 1:10 have to do with the first day of the week as stated in your "The Bible and 'Christmas'" article?

asked by Bob

1 Answer

answered by kmpope

Here is the article mentioned: http://olsenpark.com/Bulletins16/FS18.50.html  Near the end of the study I make this statement, “The approved apostolic example of when early Christians did so was upon the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:20, 16:1, 2; Rev. 1:10). To follow this example is to act within the authority of Scripture.” In Revelation 1:10 John records at the beginning of his record concerning the vision he received while on Patmos, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day” (NKJV). I include Revelation 1:10 among passages that describe activities Christians observed on the “first day of the week,” because it is my judgment that Revelation 1:10 refers to the same day. Here’s why…

  1. The Scriptural evidence indicates that the first day of the week was a special day of assembly for Christians. It was the day Jesus rose from the dead (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2, 9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). It was the first day Jesus met with His disciples after His resurrection (John 20:19). It was on this day Christians met to observe the Lord’s Supper and study God’s word (Acts 20:7), and on this day they were commanded to offer a “collection for the saints” (1 Cor. 16:1-2).
  2. The Sabbath Day was never referred to as “The Lord’s Day” (or “The Day of the Lord”) and the Sabbath Law is not restated under the Law of Christ. References to the “day of the Lord” are used of times of Divine Judgment in general or to the final Day of Judgment but never to the Sabbath day. While Christ restates every other command of the Ten Commandments, He does not restate the Sabbath command under the Law of Christ. In fact Christians are taught that observance of special days is something of indifference before God (Rom. 14:5-6) and that no one has the right to judge another regarding “sabbaths” (Col. 2:16-17).
  3. Writings immediately after the New Testament use the term “Lord’s Day” and “First Day of the Week” synonymously. While the New Testament does not specific ally identify what is meant by John’s reference to the Lord’s Day” in Revelation 1:10, immediately after the new Testament a work known as the Didache (describing what Christians were to do in worship) after describing the procedure for the Lord’s Supper claims it was observed on “The Lord’s Day” (14). Another text from the same period, written to the emperor in defense of Christian beliefs and practices describes the same thing as happening “on Sunday, since it is the first day, on which God transforming darkness and matter made the universe, and Jesus Christ our Saviour rose from the dead on the same day” (Justin, First Apology 66).

In light of this Scriptural and historical evidence it is reasonable to conclude that John is calling “the first day of the week” the “Lord’s Day” making his reference to it a further indication that Christians treated Sunday as a special day of worship unto God.

For more on this see my tract entitled “The Lord’s Day”: http://www.ancientroadpublications.com/Tracts/TheLordsDay.html   or the sermon of the same name: http://olsenpark.com/Sermons17.1.html#sermons

Kyle Pope, January 2017

Welcome to the Question Board of the Olsen Park church of Christ.

Post a Bible question and we will answer it as soon as possible.

To contact us directly call: (806) 352-2809 or email: kmpope@att.net

  Member Section     Home    Directions    Elders    Deacons    Preachers    Lessons    Contact Us    Facebook Page  

...