It’s About the First Day of the Week Not about “Easter Sunday”!

Acts 20:71 Corinthians 16:2

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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”

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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”

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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 4:20-2420 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

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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• 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, 21st D

ay o

f th

e W

eek

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EVERY

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• 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

First Day of the Week Worship Honors Christ’s Resurrection

Unscriptural Worship Practices of Men

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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

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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.

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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”

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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

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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

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“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

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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

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“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

Easter Unknown in NT Times

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An Historical Revision

“There is no trace of Easter celebration in the NT”

• H. Porter, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Volume II, page 889

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“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?”

A Religious Holiday from Men

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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

Unscriptural Practices of Men Concerning the Lord’s

Supper

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• http://www.ebucc.com/2014-communion-schedule/

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IrregularSchedule

• http://www.blcremer.org/schedules/communion_schedule

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Bi-Monthly

• http://www.firstumchanover.org/worship/communion-schedule/

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1st Weekendof Month & Special

Occasions

• http://www.2pc.org/worship/communion/

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Monthly

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Annually

• Irregular schedule• Monthly• Bi-monthly• 1st Weekend of the Month• Special Occasions• Annually - On “good Friday”

Different Frequencies

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Bible Evidence For Remembering The Lord’s

Death on the 1St Day of Every Week

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“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 with you in my Father's kingdom”

Lord’s Supper Instituted By Jesus To Remember His Death

Matthew 26:26-29

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“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 shew the Lord’s death till he come” 30

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

“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”

Acts 20:7Acts 20:7

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Refers To TheLord’s Supper

Matthew 26:26Mark 14:22Luke 22:19Acts 2:42

1 Corinthians 10:161 Corinthians 11:23-24

Refers To ACommon Meal

Acts 2:46

Acts 20:7 is a worshipAssembly. No common

meal in assembly (1 Cor. 11)

“Break Bread” (Acts 20:7) = Lord’s Supper

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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 16:21st

Day

of

the

Wee

k

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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”

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“1st Day of the Week” Means Every Week

1 Corinthians 16:2

“Upon (kata) the first day of every week”- RSV, NIV, NASV

“Kata (NT:2596) has a distributive force, ‘every’ first day” - Vincent's Word Studies of the New Testament

Parallel Statements

“Bible study is on Wednesday”

“Payday is Friday”

“Saturday is overtime”

“Our club meets on Monday”

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MemorialFeast

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

MonthAnnual

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

“1st Day of the Week” Means Every Week

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“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 TimeAnnually Day of YearMonthly Day of MonthWeekly Day of Week

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Every TimeFirst DayOccurs

Every TimeSabbath Day

Occurs

“Remember the Sabbath day,

to keep it holy”

Exodus 20:8

“And upon thefirst day of theweek, when thedisciples came

together to break bread”

Acts 20:7

Sabbath Day - 1st Day of Week Parallel

TheseSpecial

DaysOccurred

EveryWeek!

TheseSpecial

DaysOccurred

EveryWeek! 38

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“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

Worship on the First Day of the Week Honors Christ’s Resurrection

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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

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Calling on the Name of Christ Without His Authority is WrongActs 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

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Be Content with God’s WayActs 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

Acts 5:29

“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men”

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