Same Days of Worship?
The Roman Catholic Church makes use of the Roman calendar, in which the day begins at midnight. In contrast to this, the Hebrew calendar day begins at evening. For example, Genesis 1:31 tells us: 31 And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. [Genesis 1:31]
Leviticus 23 verifies this, telling us that the Hebrew day lasts from evening to evening:
32 On the ninth day of the month, at evening, from evening to evening, you shall observe your Sabbath.” [Vayiqra (Leviticus) 23:32]
We will see that the Apostles continued to worship on the Jewish-Israelite calendar (which is why Shaul went up to Jerusalem, for the Pentecost). However, the Roman Church uses certain passages in the New Covenant to justify their switch to the Roman calendar, in which the primary days of worship have always been the Sun-day, Christmas, and Easter.
Since the Nazarenes lived in First Century Judea (which was under the subjection of the Roman Empire), did the Nazarene Apostles use the Roman calendar primarily? Or (rather) did they continue to use the Scriptural Hebrew calendar, since this was the calendar commanded in Torah?
One passage the Church has traditionally used to justify Sun-day worship is Acts 20:7:
7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Shaul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.
8 There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together. 9 And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Shaul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. 10 But Shaul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, "Do nottrouble yourselves, for his life is in him.” 11 Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. 12 And they brought theyoung man in alive, and they were not a little comforted. [Acts 20:7-12]
According to the Church, the disciples met to eat on Sun-day morning, listened to Shaul until midnight (when Eutychus fell out the window), and then, after eating again, they continued until daybreak (Monday). This interpretation might seem to make sense, except why were there so many lamps in the room, if the disciples initially met during daylight hours? And why did they skip lunch and dinner?
When we examine this passage with the assumption that the Apostles were keeping the Hebrew calendar, then it makes much more sense. Jewish custom is to worship at the synagogue (or at the Temple) during the Sabbath, and then to go over to a friend’s house after sundown, in order to stretch out the day of worship and rest as long as possible. When gathering for this after-Sabbath festivity, the Jewish people usually also share a communal meal. In the Hebrew idiom, this custom is known as ‘breaking bread.’
If we assume that the disciples gathered after the Sabbath was over (just after sundown) and ate such a communal dinner together, this would explain why they needed so many lamps. Also, they would have been enjoying a traditional Jewish time of worship and celebration by eating (rather than going hungry).
This very same kind of post-Sabbath friendship and fellowship bread-breaking also appears in the Good News, in the Book of John: 19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled (for fear of the Jews) Yeshua [Yahshua] came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you.” [Yochanan (John) 20:19]
The Christian Church, however, uses these two passages to justify Sun-day worship. This is curious, considering that the Book of Acts specifies that the Apostle Shaul’s custom [just as Yahshua’s custom] was to go into the Jewish synagogues on the Day of the Sabbath: 14 But going through from Perga, they arrived to Antioch-Pisidia, and going into the synagogue on the day of the Sabbath, they sat down. 15 And after the reading of the Law, and of the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent to them, saying, “Men, brothers, if there is any word of exhortation to the people, speak!” 16 And rising up and signaling with his hand, Shaul said, “Men, Israelites, and the ones fearing Elohim, hear!” [Ma’aseh (Acts) 13:14-16]
Shaul indeed went throughout the known world, trying to persuade those in the synagogues to believe on Yahshua. However, Shaul never ‘planted a Church.’ About the closest he ever got was when he was thrown out of the synagogue in Corinth, and had to establish a Nazarene synagogue next door: 5 When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Shaul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Yahshua is the Messiah. 6 But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, "Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped Elohim, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on YHWH with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were immersed (or baptized). [Ma’aseh (Acts) 18:5-8]
Crispus was apparently also expelled from the main synagogue after coming to believe on Yahshua, as verse 17 (not shown) identifies another man named Sosthenes as the new ruler of the (main) synagogue. However, as the next chapter will show, though Shaul founded a new assembly at Corinth, it would not have been called a ‘Church’ (at least by its attendees); but it would have been called a synagogue. More importantly, this fellowship would not have met on Sun-day. Shaul would have established it as a Sabbath-keeping congregation, since Shaul followed Yahshua, and his custom was the same as Yahshua’s.
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