Transcript Document

It’s About the First Day
of the Week
Not about “Easter Sunday”!
Acts 20:7
1 Corinthians 16:2
1
Acts 20:7
“Now on the first day of the week,
when the disciples came together to
break bread, Paul, ready to depart the
next day, spoke to them and continued
his message until midnight”
2
1 Corinthians 16:2
“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”
3
Introduction
• Today is traditional “Easter Sunday”
• This is a big day religiously for some
• Some participate emotionally
• Some participate physically
• Some participate traditionally
• Sadly many don’t know why they worship
• Don’t know the Who, What, When or Why
• These are similar to those Jesus mentions
• John 4:20-24
4
John 4:20-24
20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in
Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh,
when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem,
worship the Father.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship:
for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true
worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for
the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him
in spirit and in truth.
5
Scriptural Worship on the
First Day of the Week
6
What We Do On This Day
• Read and Study God’s Word
• 2 Timothy 3:15
• Sing songs and hymns in praise to God
• Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16
EVERY
• Pray to God and give thanks
• 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Ephesians 5:20
• Remember the death of Christ
• 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
• Give of our means
• 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2
7
First Day of the Week Worship
Honors Christ’s Resurrection
• Resurrected on 1st day of the week
• Mark 16:2-9
• His resurrection proclaimed & His church
established on the 1st day of the week
• Acts 2:1, 24-32, 36, 41, 47
• Regular worship on the 1st day of the week
• Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2
• The Lord’s day
• Revelation 1:10
8
Unscriptural Worship
Practices of Men
9
Easter Traditions
• Lent
• Ash Wednesday
• Palm Sunday
• Good Friday
• Easter Sunday
“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” - Col. 2:16
10
Easter Traditions - LENT
• An old English word (“lecten”) meaning Spring
• The 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter
Sunday observed by the R.C. Church
• 40 Days signify Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness
• Matthew 4:1-12
• Observed by fasting, prayer, self-denial and
attending church services
• Lent was enforced by the Catholic Church after
800 A.D.
11
Easter Traditions – Ash Wednesday
• This day begins Lent:
• Wednesday, February 28th 2015
• Earliest reference to this day is about the 8th
century
• The ashes are from burned palm leaves used in the
previous years Palm Sunday observances
• The priest marks the head of the worshiper by
putting a mark in the shape of a cross on the
forehead and saying:
• “Remember that you are dust and unto dust you shall return,” or,
• “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel,” or,
• “Repent and hear the good news”
12
Easter Traditions – Palm Sunday
• The last Sunday before Easter and beginning
of the “Holy Week” – March 29th, 2015
• This is to commemorate the entry of Christ
into Jerusalem when the people spread
palm leaves in His path
• Matthew 21:1-11
• This day is observed by a solemn march
carrying palm branches, chanting, and
hymns
• This practice began in the 4th century
13
Easter Traditions – Good Friday
• Friday April 3rd, 2015
• This is supposed to commemorate the
day Christ was crucified
• The origin of this day is not known
• On this day, the altar and the priests
of the Catholic Church are dressed in
black
14
“Easter is found the Bible”
• What about Acts 12:4 in the KJV?
• “And when he had apprehended him, he
put him in prison, and delivered him to
four quaternions of soldiers to keep him;
intending after Easter (pascha) to bring
him forth to the people”
• Greek word “Pascha” occurs 29 times in the
N.T. and is translated “Passover” 28 times
• Translated “Passover” in other versions…
• NKJV, MKJV, NIV, ASV, NAS95, RSV, WEB, YLT
15
Albert E. Barnes on “Easter”
In Acts 12:4 -KJV
• “There never was a more absurd or unhappy
translation than this. The original is simply after the
Passover. The word Easter now denotes the festival
observed by many Christian churches in honor of the
resurrection of the Savior. But the original has no
reference to that; nor is there the slightest evidence
that any such festival was observed at the time when
this book was written. The translation is not only
unhappy, as it does not convey at all the meaning of
the original, but because it may contribute to foster
an opinion that such a festival was observed in the
times of the apostles.”
• Barnes Notes, on Acts, p. 190
16
Easter Unknown in NT Times
“There is no indication of the observance
of the Easter festival in the New
Testament or in the writings of the
apostolic fathers. The sanctity of the
special times was an idea absent from
the minds of the first Christians”
• The Encyclopedia Britannica, 14th edition, II:859
17
An Historical Revision
“There is no trace of Easter
celebration in the NT”
• H. Porter, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Volume II, page 889
18
A Religious Holiday from Men
“The baptism of John—where was it
from? From heaven or from men?”
•
Matthew 21:25
“The (celebration of Easter)—where
is it from? From heaven or from
men?”
19
Easter Traditions
• Lent
• Ash Wednesday
• Palm Sunday
• Good Friday
• Easter Sunday
“Howbeit in vain
do they worship
me, teaching for
doctrines the
commandments of
men” - Mark 7:7
20
Unscriptural Practices of
Men Concerning the Lord’s
Supper
21
Irregular
Schedule
22
•
http://www.ebucc.com/2014-communion-schedule/
Bi-Monthly
23
•
http://www.blcremer.org/schedules/communion_schedule
1st Weekend
of Month & Special 24
Occasions
•
http://www.firstumchanover.org/worship/communion-schedule/
Monthly
25
•
http://www.2pc.org/worship/communion/
Annually
26
Different Frequencies
• Irregular schedule
• Monthly
• Bi-monthly
• 1st Weekend of the Month
• Special Occasions
• Annually - On “good Friday”
27
Bible Evidence For
Remembering The Lord’s
St
Death on the 1 Day of
Every Week
28
Lord’s Supper Instituted By Jesus To
Remember His Death
Matthew 26:26-29
“26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and
blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and
said, Take, eat; this is my body.
27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to
them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is
shed for many for the remission of sins.
29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this
fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with29
you in my Father's kingdom”
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
“23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered
unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was
betrayed took bread:
24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take,
eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in
remembrance of me.
25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had
supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this
do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do
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shew the Lord’s death till he come”
Acts 20:7
“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”
31
“Break Bread” (Acts 20:7) = Lord’s Supper
Refers To The
Lord’s Supper
Matthew 26:26
Mark 14:22
Luke 22:19
Acts 2:42
1 Corinthians 10:16
1 Corinthians 11:23-24
Acts 20:7 is a worship
Assembly. No common
meal in assembly (1 Cor. 11)
Refers To A
Common Meal
Acts 2:46
32
A Day of Significance
•
•
•
•
•
Jesus rose - Matt. 28:1-7; Mk. 16:2, 9; John 20:1
Jesus appeared to His disciples - John 20:19, 26
First gospel sermon preached - Acts 2
Church established - Acts 2:41
Apostle John was in the Spirit - Revelation 1:10
A Day of Worship
•
•
•
•
Pentecost on this day - Acts 2:42; Leviticus 23:16
Christians broke bread - Acts 20:7
Paul preached - Acts 20:7
Christians gave as prospered - 1 Corinthians 16:2
33
1 Corinthians 16:2
“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”
34
“1st Day of the Week” Means Every Week
1 Corinthians 16:2
Parallel Statements
“Upon (kata) the first
day of every week”
- RSV, NIV, NASV
“Bible study is on
Wednesday”
“Kata (NT:2596) has a
distributive force, ‘every’
first day” - Vincent's
Word Studies of the New
Testament
“Payday is Friday”
“Saturday is overtime”
“Our club meets on
Monday”
35
“1st Day of the Week” Means Every Week
Memorial
Feast
Scripture
Time
Frequency
Passover
Ex. 12:6, 14, 24
14th day of 1st
Month
Annual
Trumpets
Lev. 23:24
1st Day of 7th
Month
Annual
Atonement
Lev. 23:27
10th Day of 7th
Month
Annual
Tabernacles
Lev. 23:39-44
15th day of 7th
Month
Annual
Sabbath
Exodus 20:8-11
7th day of
week
Weekly
Lord’s Supper
Acts 20:7
1st day of
week
Weekly
Chart – by David Pratte - http://www.gospelway.com/church/lords_supper_day.php
36
“1st Day of the Week” Means Every Week
“On the first day of every week”
1 Corinthians 16:2
If day of the week stated, its WEEKLY!
Frequency
Annually
Monthly
Weekly
Time
Day of Year
Day of Month
Day of Week
37
Sabbath Day - 1st Day of Week Parallel
“And upon the
first day of the
“Remember the
week, when the
Sabbath day,
to keep it holy” These disciples came
together to
Exodus 20:8 Special break bread”
Days Acts 20:7
Occurred
Every Time Every
Every Time
Sabbath Day
First Day
Week!
Occurs
Occurs
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Worship on the First Day of the
Week Honors Christ’s Resurrection
“The ‘first day of the week,’ the Lord’s
Day, was the regular, weekly
commemoration of our Lord’s
resurrection. It is more than doubtful if
there was an annual commemoration
(‘Easter’) in Apostolic times.”
• James Hastings, Dictionary of the Apostolic Church,
Grand Rapids: 1973, II:133
39
The Religious Holiday “Easter”
is Without Bible Authority
• Religious celebration of Easter is from man
• Matthew 21:25
• No NT pattern (authority) for it
• Hebrews 8:5; Colossians 3:17
• Only pattern for it is human tradition
• Galatians 4:10-11; Colossians 2:20-23
• Matthew 15:8-9
• It is a perversion of the gospel of Christ
• Galatians 1:6-10
40
Calling on the Name of Christ
Without His Authority is Wrong
Acts 19:11-17
• 1st day of the week worship approved by
heaven – Acts 20:7
• True worship celebrates the name of the Lord!
• John 4:24 (Acts 19:17)
• Easter worship approved by men but is
rejected by heaven
• Easter does not celebrate the name of the Lord!
• Matthew 7:21-23
41
Be Content with God’s Way
Acts 5:29
• Worship in spirit & in truth
• John 4:24
• Distinguish between religious traditions of
men & the divine will of God!
• Proverbs 14:12
• Uphold all the truth:
• Death, Burial & Resurrection of Jesus Christ
• True worship
• Oppose all error
• 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 4:2-4
42
Acts 5:29
“Then Peter and the other
apostles answered and said, We
ought to obey God rather than
men”
43