The New Testament born again Church is a brand-new thing that God did ,and it does not replace Israel is any way. Sunday is the day God did something new.
We live in a world that is filled with Babylonian paganism and remnants of the Roman gods, and sometimes getting at the truth of a thing can be pretty hard to do. For whatever you can see
above the surface, like you see the peaks of an iceberg, there lies a hundred-fold more below the surface. Such is the case with Sunday, the pagan sun god day, and it's 1,700 year connection with the
Roman Catholic Church. Fortunately we have a Book, powerfully inspired and perfectly preserved, that shows us that the day we call Sunday is one of the most important days in God's estimation, and a day on which some very foundational things related to the Church took place.
"And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun." Mark 16:1,2 (KJV)
The Bible calls Sunday the 'first day of the week', the day that comes after the sabbath day which we call Saturday. Our seven 'days of the week' are all derived from Babylonian and Roman paganism, and are intimately connected with that motherlode of paganism known as the
Roman Catholic Church. Let's took a look at our
seven days of the week and their meaning.
- SUNDAY: Ancient Greek hemera heli(o)u, "day of the sun". Sun-day.
- MONDAY: Ancient Greek hemera selenes "day of the moon. Moon-day or Monday.
- TUESDAY: Middle English tiwesday or tewesday. Old English tiwesdæg "Tiw's (Tiu's) day". Tues-day. Tiu (Twia) is the English/Germanic god of war and the sky. He is identified with the Norse god Tyr.
- WEDNESDAY: Old English wodnesdæg "Woden's day". Woden is the chief Anglo-Saxon/Teutonic god. Woden is the leader of the Wild Hunt. Woden is from wod "violently insane" + -en "headship". He is identified with the Norse Odin.
- THURSDAY: Old Norse thorsdagr "Thor's day". Old English thunresdæg "thunder's day". Thurs-day. Thor is the Norse god of thunder. He is represented as riding a chariot drawn by goats and wielding the hammer Miölnir. He is the defender of the Aesir, destined to kill and be killed by the Midgard Serpent.
- FRIDAY: Old English frigedæg "Freya's day". Ancient Greek hemera Aphrodites "day of Aphrodite". Fri-day. Freya (Fria) is the Teutonic goddess of love, beauty, and fecundity (prolific procreation). She is identified with the Norse god Freya. She is leader of the Valkyries and one of the Vanir. She is confused in Germany with Frigg.
- SATURDAY: Old English sæter(nes)dæg "Saturn's day". Latin dies Saturni "day of Saturn". Satur-day. Saturn is the Roman and Italic god of agriculture and the consort of Ops. He is believed to have ruled the earth during an age of happiness and virtue. Cronus (Kronos, Cronos) is the Greek god (Titan) who ruled the universe until dethroned by his son Zeus.
The Sabbath Day Is Still Saturday
Quite often I will see a post online talking about how the popes and the Catholic Church ‘
changed the sabbath day‘ from the last day of the week, our Saturday, to the first day of the week which we know as Sunday. These types of posts are always very polarizing as those for and against square off against each other. But one thing is for certain, the biblical sabbath day is indeed on Saturday.
“Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.” Deuteronomy 5:12 (KJV)
What is the sabbath day? First and foremost, the sabbath day was instituted and ordained for the Jews as a sign of the covenant between the Jewish people and the God of Abraham. This is where the sabbath day as a day of worship begins.
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 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. 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. 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. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 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.” Exodus 31:12-17 (KJV)
So we see that the sabbath day
belongs to the Jews alone, it is one of the many promises made to them by God concerning their eternal relationship with each other. Nowhere in the bible is anyone outside of the Jewish people commanded to worship and observe the sabbath day. The Jewish sabbath day is part and parcel of the Law given to Moses by God. Now that we have cleared that up, let's look at why the first day of the week, the day we call Sunday, is so important to the Church.
The Importance Of Sunday For The New Testament Church
The New Testament born again Church is a brand-new thing that God did, it is not instead of His covenant with Israel and it does not replace Israel is any way. It is what God created to call a Bride for His Son, Jesus Christ. And because it is something wholly different from His, the Father's, covenant with His Bride, Israel, God established a different day for worship as well. In the New Testament we see some very big things happening on a Sunday, take a look:
- JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD ON A SUNDAY: "Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre." Luke 24:1,2 (KJV)
- JESUS APPEARED TO HIS FOLLOWERS ON A SUNDAY: "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you." John 20:19 (KJV)
- PAUL HELD CHURCH SERVICES ON A SUNDAY: "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. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together." Acts 20:7,8 (KJV)
- PAUL ORDER CHURCH COLLECTIONS ON A SUNDAY: "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 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. And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem." 1 Corinthians 16:1-3 (KJV)
As you can see, the day that we call Sunday is the foundational day of the New Testament, born again Christian church, and has literally nothing to do with anything connected with paganism and the Roman Catholic Church. We go to church on a Sunday because the apostles met on a Sunday. We take up a free will offering on a Sunday because that's what the apostles did. Jesus proved all His claims on a Sunday for a reason. That reason being it was the start of something new.
I think it is time, past time actually, that we as bible believers begin to wash away the paganism of the Roman Catholic roots of one of the most important days in the Bible, Sunday, and restore it to its place of prominence. And now you know why God didn't attach any names to the days of the week, He let the pagans do that. Jesus showed the proof of His divinity by appearing to his followers on a Sunday, the early Church met on a Sunday because of the
connection to the resurrection, the foundation stone of the Christian Church.
"And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power." 1 Corinthians 6:14 (KJV)
Why did all these things happen on a Sunday? Because that's how God wants it to be. The first day of the week was very special to God, and it should be to you as well. Sunday is the day we remember that a Man raised Himself from the dead by His own power, the very same power that He will use to raise up all those who believe on Him. That's the real meaning of Sunday, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the pagan Roman Catholic Church.