Tom:
[SIZE=10pt]Mark 16:1-2 says that He rose after the Sabbath had passed, on the “first day of the week”.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]The Barrd:[/SIZE]
Here is the verse you cited:
Mar 16:1 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.
It goes on to say that the women were concerned about how they would roll the stone that sealed the entrance to the tomb away, but when they got there, the tomb was already opened. They met a young man in a long white robe who told them that Jesus was risen, and that they'd see Him in Galilee.
It doesn't specifically say that He rose "after the Sabbath had passed",......
You are correct. I should have said they discovered on the "first day of the week" that he had risen. That day of discovery is now called Sunday.
Tom:
[SIZE=10pt]In 1 Corinthians 16:2 (written around 55AD) it says[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] on the “first day of every week” they (early Christians) should set aside a sum of money so that when I (Paul) come no collections will have to be made.[/SIZE]
The Barrd:
Here is the verse you cited:
1Co 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.
The first day of the week would have been a working day. We modern Christians have forgotten just what that would have meant to these ancient people. There would have been little time for a regular meeting.
And no meeting is mentioned here. The Corinthians are being instructed to put some money aside (lay by him in store), so that when he got there, the money would be ready.
My point in quoting that verse was to show, once again, "the first day of the week" is mentioned in scripture. In the passage just before that (16:1) it tells us what the "lay by him in store" is. It is a ".... collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia,...". He had already ordered other churches to do the same thing on "the first day of the week". which is why I wrote, "Collection of money! Breaking of bread! Sound familiar? (Church service)".You are right, it doesn't say specifically they are having a meeting (church service). But there are allot of things in scripture that are not specifically spelled out but we piece it together by reading ALL of scripture along with early christian writings/history/practices.
Tom:
[SIZE=10pt]The Didache, (written around 80 AD) refers to the “Lords Day” as the day the early Christians gathered together to break bread.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]The Barrd:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]From the Christian History web site:[/SIZE]
Introduction
The
Didache meaning “Teaching” is the short name of a Christian manual compiled before 300AD. The full title is
The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. Some Christians thought
Didache was inspired, but the church rejected it when making the final decision which books to include in the New Testament.
Didache contained instructions for Christian groups; and its statement of belief may be the first written catechism. It has four parts: the first is the “Two Ways, the Way of Life and the Way of Death;” the second explains how to perform rituals such as baptism, fasting, and Communion; the third covers ministry and how to deal with traveling teachers; the fourth part is a reminder that Jesus is coming again, with quotations from several New Testament passages which exhort Christians to live godly lives and prepare for “that day.”
https://www.christianhistoryinstitute.org/study/module/didache/
While the Didache is a very good source, it was not actually written by the Apostles, nor was it included in the canon.
However, having read the text, it does have me thinking. I'm not quite convinced, because there is too much evidence in the Bible that the early church started out keeping the original Sabbath. But it does have me thinking.
I wrote 80 AD because a majority of scholars believe it was written between 50 AD and 150 AD. The Didascalia draws it's work from the Didache and the Didascalia is dated around 230 AD so we know it was written before that. The Didache was not included in the canon, however, there were several early church fathers who thought it should have been included because it is believed to have been around since some of the early writings of the NT and was inspired by the Apostles while they were alive. My point in mentioning the Didache was because it refers to the “Lords Day” as the day the early Christians gathered together to break bread. That leads to the question: What day was the Lords Day when the Didache was written?
Tom:
[SIZE=10pt]In Acts 20:7[/SIZE] (written around 100 AD) it says they came together on the “first day of the week” to break bread.
The Barrd:
Here is the verse you cited:
Act 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.
Paul was leaving the next day. This was not a eucharist, this was a farewell dinner. And, of course, Paul took the opportunity, as he always did, to preach.
Paul was long-winded that night...and a young man fell asleep, and fell to his death. What a horrible thing to occur! Long winded preachers, take warning! Keep your messages short and simple!
Fortunately, Paul was able to restore the poor kid to life. Whew!
In any case, this could have been a special occasion, and not necessarily a weekly occurrence...just as well for young men who had worked that day!
My point in quoting that verse (Acts 20:7) was to show, once again, "the first day of the week" is mentioned in scripture. Why did they come together on the "first day of the week"? To break bread!! Jesus broke bread with his disciples at the last supper and he said "do this in remembrance of me" AND shortly after he had risen they didn't recognize him until "he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him;...". Which is why I wrote: Collection of money! Breaking of bread! Sound familiar? (Church service). Jesus did it (broke bread). The apostles did it on the "first day of the week" (Sunday) in remembrance of Him AND we still do it today "on the first day of the week" in remembrance of Him! They broke bread and there was some preaching going on and people were falling asleep during that preaching....just like a modern day church service 
Scripture does not say it was a "farewell dinner".
Tom:
Collection of money! Breaking of bread! Sound familiar? (Church service)
The Barrd:
You mean, a modern day church service. What makes you so sure that those early meetings were anything like what we experience today?
I am using scripture to show you how important the first day of the week was and what THEY say about the first day of the week. What I have quoted from scripture reflects what most Christians practice today, 2000 years later. Breaking of the bread, collection of money on the first day of the week, the day Jesus rose from the dead. That's not to say it can't be done everyday. Scripture shows us WHY "the first day of the week" (Sunday) became so important to Christianity and what they did on that day.
Tom:
[SIZE=10pt]John, in Revelation 1:10 (written around 96 AD), said he was “in the Spirit on the Lords Day”.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]The Barrd:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Do you think John was at a church service when this happened?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] What I was pointing out is that even John, an apostle of Jesus, mentions the Lords Day, just like the Didache. So my question is what day is the Lords Day? [/SIZE]
Tom:
[SIZE=10pt]Ignatius of Antioch (a Church Father who was a student of the Apostle John) in his letter to the Magnesian’s said they were… “[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]no longer observing the[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord’s day, on which also our life has sprung up again by him and by his death". [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]The Barrd:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]But where was the Divine Authority to go changing God's Sabbath?[/SIZE]
In Genesis it says on the "first day" (first day of the week) God said "let there be light" and "the light was good". Jesus said he was the light of the world (Jn 8:12). In the NT it says Jesus was crucified the day before the Sabbath (which is Friday in modern times) and according to Paul in Corinthians He rose on the third day. Sunday would be the third day, the day they discovered him missing from the tomb, which was "the first day of the week" mentioned in Mark 16. The first Pentecost was the day after the Sabbath (the first day of the week). As mentioned before (Acts 20:7) they came together on the "first day of the week" to break bread and it was the day they collected money for the saints. So if you put it all together I guess the bible gives us the Divine Authority you speak of. Thru scripture we can see the Apostles gathered together on Sunday. Jesus was discovered to have risen on Sunday. The earliest historical documents show Christians gathering on Sunday, the Lords Day.
Tom:
[SIZE=10pt]Since we historically know 2,000 years ago the Jews had no names for the weekdays they designated them with reference to their Sabbath (Saturday). Thus the first day, with reference to the Sabbath, would be the first day following the Sabbath or, as we now say in our day, “the first day of the week” which is Sunday which is the Lords Day.[/SIZE]
The Barrd:
Traditionally, it is the day that the Lord rose from the dead and went back to work. Don't forget, to these people, the first day of the week was a working day...and also don't forget that they knew nothing of an eight hour workday. Most, if not all of these early Christians would be poor people who had to work hard for a living. I'm not convinced that they even had time for a regular weekly meeting, complete with collections, and a eucharist, and long winded sermons. And I'm pretty sure that they'd be much too tired to put their minds on worship.
I can see where your opinion makes some sense. I guess that means they never had time for any of the Apostles to preach to them? Kind of like on the first Pentecost when Peter preached and 3,000 were converted and baptized. I wonder how long it took to baptize 3,000 people? Or the 5,000 that sat and listened to Jesus preach for so long they had to feed them a meal of fish and bread? Both of those events probably only took 20 minutes out of their day and then they went back to work because they didn't have time or were too tired?? Thus I use the words "your opinion".
Tom:
[SIZE=10pt]So as we can see from scripture and an early Church Father who was a student of an Apostle and historical Christian writings, Christians have been practicing Sunday as the Lords Day since the death of Jesus.[/SIZE]
The Barrd:
And if we keep practicing, maybe eventually we'll get it right.
All kidding aside, at this point, we've managed to rip the Body of Christ into some 30,000 different "denominations", all of whom think all the rest are "doing it wrong".
And let's not forget that we have a vicious enemy "raging up and down like a lion", waiting to pounce on us in our weakness....for surely being divided up as we are, we are weak, and easily swayed. We have paid pastors who will preach just what we want to hear...
Perhaps if we had kept God's original Sabbath as He intended, He might have kept us together?
Just a thought...
With all that said there is nothing wrong with making everyday the Lords Day. The resurrection of Jesus on Sunday (the first day of the week) began a new Covenant or Law (whatever you want to call it) that made the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday) null and void and replaced it with Sunday (the first day of the week). Just like many other Mosaic or Jewish laws that became null/void after He had risen (like circumcision).
Respectfully…Tom55
