In The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Dr. Geoffrey Bromiley writes: “The expression “Lord’s Day” (Gk. kyriake hemera), found only in Christian sources, first appears in Rev. 1:10 as a designation of the first day of the week. It is not to be confused with the eschatological “day of then Lord” (hemmer you kyriou). The most plausible explanation of the term is that it derives from the parallel expression “Lord’s Supper” (1 Cor. 11:20), since the early Christians gathered on the first day of the week to celebrate this meal as the culmination of their corporate worship. An account of an early (late 50’s) Lord’s Day service is found in Acts 20:7-11, beginning with the words “on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread.” Christians chose the first day of the week for worship undoubtedly because Christ rose on that day and met with the gathered disciples at the time of the evening meal. At this time He ate and drank with them (Lk. 24:41-43; cf. Acts 10:41), renewing the table fellowship that He had shared with them on the night on which He was betrayed. Hence the Lord’s Day worship is the Christian festival of the Resurrection, in which Christians, like the original disciples, have fellowship with one another and with the risen Christ whom they trust as Savior and worship as God.
“This conclusion throws light on Paul’s reference to the first day of the week when writing to the Corinthians about a collection for the Jerusalem church: “On the first day of the week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that contributions need not be made when I come” (1 Cor. 16:2). Paul did not choose the first day above others as peculiar to the situation of the Corinthians; he said that he gave the same instructions to the churches of Galatia (v. 1). Nor does the idea of regular saving of money imply that it must be done on the first day of the week. Hence there must have been some other reason, understood by Paul and his readers, why he expressly designated the first day. Since in a later letter (2 Cor. 9:12) he called the collection set aside on this day a leitourgia, i.e., a ministration of a sacred character, the choice of the day definitely points to its religious significance. Here then is further evidence that by the middle of the Ist cent. the first day of the week had unique meaning for the Christian community” (pg. 158; The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; volume 3, “Lord’s Day,” by G. W. Bromiley).
Here’s my point in this quotation… Observing the Lord’s Supper weekly is not a “church of Christ” tradition. It was the biblical pattern of the Christians under the direction of the twelve apostles.
Paul Holland
