FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK

What Is the First Day of the Week in the Bible?
This phrase appears eight times in the New Testament. It is the ancient term for what modern society calls "Sunday." The significance of this day is readily apparent in the following cases: 
  • It was the day on which Christ was raised from the dead (Mt. 28:1; Mk. 16:2, 9; Lk. 24:1; Jn. 20:1). 
  • The Lord's day was the day on which the kingdom of Christ was established (Acts 2:1; cf. Lev. 23:15-16). 
  • It was the day on which the church assembled to observe the Lord's Supper (Acts 20:7). 
  • Sunday was the day the church regularly met to contribute to the congregation's treasury for benevolent and evangelistic purposes (1 Cor. 16:1-2). In this passage, the Greek text specifically says, "upon the first day of every kata week." 
Although the early disciples frequently entered Jewish synagogues on the Sabbath to teach the Hebrew people, there is no evidence in the New Testament that the early Christians (including Jewish Christians) worshipped on the Sabbath. The Sabbath, along with other elements of the Mosaic law, was abolished at the cross (Col. 2:14ff).

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Adapted from the book "Bible Words and Theological Terms Made Easy" by Wayne Jackson