There is no point of greater distinction between the reign of law and of grace then the observance of the seventh day and the first day of the week. Each represent a different dispensation and how God related to man.

There are many Sabbatarian groups that trace this event to Constantine in 321 A.D. and the council of Laodicea held in 364 A.D. In changing the Sabbath day of worship to Sunday. In the 4^th cent. Sunday was declared to be the day of rest and worship. This does not mean Constantine changed the Sabbath day to Sunday, the Sabbath is still Saturday.

On the contrary the historical evidence to show Sunday worship was a universal practice of all the church’s outside the land of Israel by the beginning of the 2^nd century.

While there was a dispute between the Roman Catholic and Eastern church (hundreds of years later), on which day to worship there certainly was a repulsion to keep anything that was related to Judaism. ...again, the point is that Sunday worship was practiced by all the church’s outside the land of Israel long before 321 A.D.

While there may be a grain of truth in some of the arguments their is much exaggeration and even more extremism in changing the historical facts.

Some more extreme Sabbatarian groups even go as far as saying that Sunday is the pagan day of Sun worship and so what Christians are doing on Sunday is participating in a pagan practice…

Take note that every day of our week has a reference to a pagan name since these words come from an ancient culture and time period, but! Could we also apply their example of Sun worship to Saturday which is named after the Roman god Saturn?Like every day of the week it has a reference to a pagan name since many of these words come from that time period.

The point is, is it fair by those who motivate others by guilt to apply their example of Sun worship to us and not to also apply the similar example to themselves as participating in a form of idolatry of Saturn worship.

 We don’t worship the day or the name of that day (which would be idolatry) we worship the maker of days, of that day and every day. God made all the days of the week and does not expect us to only worship on one day.

Philip Schaff a noted historian who is honest with history writes in his book the history of the Christian church cites Ignatius, Barnabus and Justin Martyr as observing the first day of the week. History includes Dionysius, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian of Africa and numerous others attesting to Sunday as the day of worship from the beginning of the church.

Schaff writes in the Schaff- Herzog Encyclopedia of religious knowledge 1891 Ed., vol.4 Article on Sunday. "Sunday… was adopted by the early Christians as a day of worship.. . Sunday was emphatically the weekly feast of the resurrection of Christ, as the Jewish Sabbath was the feast of creation.

 It was called the Lords day, and upon it the primitive church assembled to break bread. No regulations for its observance are laid down in the New Testament nor, indeed, is its observance even enjoined. Yet Christian feeling led to the universal adoption of the day, in imitation of the apostolic precedence. In the second century its observance was universal."

In other words. This wasn’t to replace the Sabbath but held as a whole new day for a new dispensation, from law to grace.

Ignatius 110 A.D. wrote in his epistle to the Magnesians 9…" If they who were concerned in old things, arrived at a newness of hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living according to the Lord’s day, by which our life sprung from him and by his death (whom certain persons deny)…we have been made his disciples, let us live according to Christianity."

Barnabas 120A..D. "Wherefore, also, we keep the eighth day with joyfulness, the day, also, on which Jesus rose again from the dead"

Justin Martyr 140 A..D. "Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness, made the world; and Jesus Christ our savior , on the same day rose from the dead."

Didache 80-90 A.D. "And on the day of our lords resurrection, which is the Lord’s day meet more diligently."

The quotes given here are only a few in comparison to numerous others available. We do not formulate our doctrine from history in and of itself however! Their quotes do show what took place in history. These are quotes from those who kept the canon of scripture, built churches and defended the faith among the pagans long before 361 A.D.

There are simply mountains of evidence supporting Sunday worship in the early Church and no evidence for a continued required Sabbath keeping that was for the Hebrews under the covenant of Moses.

The only reason Paul and others participated in the Sabbath with unbelieving Jews in the Temple and elsewhere was to not offend them so that their ears might be more open to hearing the Gospel ...  in order to evangelize the Jews, not because they believed they were under any obligation to the Law.

The change of day was not instituted by the Pope centuries after the apostles nor was it made to replace the Sabbath day no matter what the Sabbatarian groups might claim.

Catholic Encyclopedia states "Sunday was the first day of the week according to the Jewish method of reckoning, but for Christians it began to take the place of the Jewish Sabbath in Apostolic times as the day set apart for the public and solemn worship of God." 

It is claimed by Sabbatarians that Constantine's edict was the institution of change from the Sabbath to Sunday as  the day of worship. This is  nonsense and untrue. 

Pliny was governor of Bithynia, in Asia Minor from AD 106-108. He wrote to Trajan the emperor concerning the Christians in 107 AD. He writes:  “They were wont to meet together, on a stated day before it was light, and sing among themselves alternately a hymn to Christ as God....When these things were performed, it was their custom to separate and then to come together again to a meal which they ate in common without any disorder.” 

History and the Bible agrees with this... The day the early church broke bread was Sunday according to the Bible. "Upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread" (Acts 20:7).

Ireneaus in 155-202 A.D. wrote: “The Mystery of the Lord's Resurrection may not be celebrated on any other day than the Lord's Day, and on this alone should we observe the breaking off of the Paschal Feast.” We all know he resurrected the day after the Sabbath, the feasts of first fruits which establishes what the early church calls the LORD’S day. All these quotes prove the Church held Sunday as a significant day long before any edict in the 300's.

We all know Jesus resurrected the day after the Sabbath, the feasts of first fruits which establishes what the early church calls the LORD’S day. Again!  these quotes prove the Church held Sunday as a significant day long before any edict in the 300's.

What Sabbatarians are doing is ignoring historical facts and replacing them with a fantasy in order to promote their own legalistic view of what a Christian can and cannot do.

THE NEW TESTAMENT AND THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK

What we need to do is look at what transpired on the first day of the week and then look at the scriptural evidence for the assembly on the first day in the New Testament.

1. Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week after the Sabbath (John 20:1). He was the first fruit until eternal life, then others were also raised Mt.27:53. The resurrection is the capstone of our faith and the proving of the new covenant. He was raised for our justification.

2. Jesus appeared to ten of His disciples on that first day of the week (John 20:19).If he appeared on the 7th day do you think the Sabbatarians would use this to promote the Sabbath? Of course they would...

3. Jesus waited one week, and on the next first day of the week appeared to the eleven disciples (John 20:26).

4. The promised coming of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled on the first day of the week, the day of Pentecost he was sent, (Pentecost by law came on the first day of the week (Lev. 23:16).

5. On the first day of the week the first gospel sermon  preached by an apostle on the death and resurrection of Jesus (it was preached by Peter, Acts 2:14).

6. On that first day of the week the three thousand converts were united into the New Testament covenant separating from Judaism (Acts 2:41). While at the first Pentecost 3,000 were slain on this day God reversed it and instead they were given eternal life. The law kills the new covenant gives life.

7. On that same first day of the week the rite of Christian baptism into the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit was administered for the first time (Acts 2:41).

9. Paul instructed the Christians at Corinth to make contributions on the first day of the week (I Cor. 16:2).Why did Paul specifically give orders to the church for this to be done on the "first day of the week."  Offerings are a part of worship itself, and since offerings took place on the first day of the week, wouldn't it make sense that worship also took place on the same day of the week they assembled together. This is only day in the New Testament that commands Christians to give corporately, they would have to be gathered together to do so.

If Sunday was not an allowable day to worship or teach on ...then none of this would have occurred.

The 8^th commandment- forbids one to be dishonest, stealing,Ex.20:15 is found in the New Testament (6 times) Rom. 2:21 Eph. 4:28: 1Thess.4:6: Jms.5:4; Mk.10:19; Lk.18:20.

The 9^th commandment- condemning a false witness, to lie Ex.20:16 is found in the New Testament (4 times) Mt.15:19,19:18; Lk.3:14 and 1 Tim.1:9-10.

The 10^th commandment- tells us not to covet Ex.20:17 is repeated (9 times) in Mk.7:21-23; Lk.12:15,33-34; Rom.1:29, 13:9 1 Cor.5:11; 6:10; Eph.5:3.

Isn’t it amazing the one law that the legalists use to bully everyone around to show their disobedience is not found specifically in the epistles of the New Testament. Why? Not because its practice was self evident as some claim! Its just as self evident not to murder. This was law before the 10 commandments but it is repeated often.

At the Jerusalem council in Acts 15 dealing with the teaching of the Judaizer's and how the Gentiles are to practice their Christianity it does not mention the Sabbath. The very law (circumcision) that is a requirement in the Abrahamic covenant and a condition in the Mosaic is rejected in the New covenant. Under the Abrahamic covenant it was for Jews only under the Mosaic it was mandatory for the Jews and the gentile proselytes showing their submission to the law (Lev.12:3).

Paul states about keeping the law, "for I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to the whole law. (Gal.5:3) This can be substituted with any part of the Mosaic law, diet, clothing and the Sabbath. The Hebrew epistles such as James and Hebrews written to dispersed Israel never refer to continue keeping the Sabbath day because even Jewish believers were not obligated.

"Grace that had been behind the law came to light through Jesus Christ so that it could be realized" (Arthur Pink)

D.N. Canright who left the 7^th day Church in 1914  had this to say: For myself, I feel profoundly impressed that the Sabbatarian theory is built all the way through upon a narrow, forced, and unnatural interpretation of the Bible, one that cannot stand the test of fair criticism. The more I study it the more apparent these facts become to me. I am devoutly thankful to God that he has led me out of that error.

The New Testament Church clearly saw Sunday not as the substitute and replacement for the Jewish Sabbath. Sunday was not seen as a modification or as a new Sabbath, but as a day that stood on its own merits having its own meaning. The church was given the resurrection and used this day to proclaim the very capstone of our faith. What some have done is use fear and devious manipulation to prove one is under the wrath of God by simply worshipping on a day apart from the Covenant given to Moses.

There is no Scripture in the New Testament which states that God will punish Sabbath breakers.

There is in the New Testament statements for those who practice idolatry, thieves, liars, murderers, the covetous, the sexually immoral will be not enter the kingdom of God and be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur (1Cor.6:9,10; Eph.5:5-7;  Rev. 21:8). These were included in the 10 commandments for Israel but notice the Sabbath is missing. Because it was not in the moral law category but a ceremonial one.

Acts 13:38-39: "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses." The Sabbath was part of the law of Moses.

Gal.4:10-11: "You observe days and months, and times, and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain." To observe days the months years the holy days is a sign of weakness and immaturity.