Another reason why so many Christians have chosen Sunday as their day of worship, is that there are a few verses in the New Testament that appear to support the idea. One of these verses is 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." Some people may say that this was a Sunday service right? But it wasn't! This was a special gathering, because Paul was "ready to depart on the morrow [the next day]." Verse 7. As the disciples were establishing the word of God, they frequently met together to break bread & praise God. As taught in Acts 2: "And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart... Praising God, and having favour with all the people...." Acts 2:46-47

In Acts 20:6-13 it reads; .....And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. 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. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted. And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot.”

This passage is often misused to support Sunday observance, but it doesn’t. This was Paul's last meeting with a small group of believers in "Troas" (verse 6). The meeting took place at night (20:7, 8) on the "first day of the week." Biblically, the day begins at sunset. Genesis 1:5, 8; & Luke 23:54, etc. Therefore this meeting took place on a Saturday night. The New English Bible says, "On Saturday night." That night Paul preached his farewell sermon, "ready to depart on the morrow [ verse 7 on Sunday morning]." At the “break of day" (verse 11), while Luke "sailed" (verse 15), Paul walked 25 miles "to Assos" (verse 13 & 14). Thus Paul travelled many miles that Sunday. He had been in Troas for "seven days" (vs. 6). Simple math reveals that Paul arrived on the previous Sunday, stayed for a week, and conducted his last meeting on Saturday night, which would have been right after the Sabbath. Significantly, the Book of Acts mentions “the first day of the week” only once (in Acts 20:7), yet “the Sabbath” is mentioned 11 times (see Acts 1:12; 13:14, 27, 42, 44; 15:21; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4). A careful study of Acts 20:6-13, the "Saturday Night in Troas, Sunday Travel to Assos Text” is proof that Paul did not keep Sunday holy.

Another classic verse is found in 1 Corinthians 16:1-3 Paul wrote: "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...whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem."

Please carefully notice what the apostle said, and also, what he did not say. Many have assumed that a religious meeting was held and a collection plate passed. This is not the case. Paul was writing special appeals to the churches in Asia Minor, because many of the Christians in Jerusalem were suffering greatly for lack of food and daily necessities. Paul asked the church at Corinth to gather food, clothing, etc.., and store it up at home until he could send men to transport it to Jerusalem. The expression "lay by him in store" in the original Greek gives the clear connotation of putting aside at home. Even Sunday advocates agree to this!

There was no service held on the first day of the week. The gathering up and storing was to be done on that day. Why did Paul suggest that this work be done on Sunday, and what was involved in getting it done?

First of all, the letter would have been shared with the church on the Sabbath Day when they were all gathered for worship. The first opportunity to do the work would be the next day - first day of the week. Keep in mind that there was an apparent food shortage in Jerusalem, and the need was not primarily for money. Such famine conditions were not unusual in areas of the Middle East, as Luke reminds us in Acts 11:28-30.

The church in Rome gives a clue as to the special needs of those suffering Christians "But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things. When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain." Romans 15:25-28.

Here the apostle touches a tender spot in his eloquent appeal. The Roman Christians owed a great debt of gratitude to the mother church in Jerusalem which had sent teachers to evangelize them. Paul urges them to return carnal, or material, gifts in appreciation of the spiritual truths received from them. What kind of gifts did Paul have in mind? It is very interesting that he describes it as sealing to them "this fruit". The Greek word used here is "karpos", which is the universal term used for literal fruit. It can also have the connotation of "fruits of one's labour".

This throws light on Paul's counsel to the Corinthian Christians to do their work on the first day of the week, "that there be no gatherings when I come." In these verses, Sunday is identified once again as a day for secular activities and gives no indication of a religious observance.

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