Luke 24:33-40 (KJV)
33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
John 20:19 (RSB)
"The 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, came Yahshua and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you."
So we see here in the above two passages of scripture that describe the first instance on record of the apostles meeting on Sunday, that the motive for the disciples gathering together on this particular day was "FOR FEAR OF THE JEWS". The disciples were demoralized after the death of Yahshua their master. Not one mention here of prayer, exhortation, or the reading of scriptures. The purpose for this meeting was not to inaugurate Sunday as the new "holy" day but rather it was simply due to their fear of the Jews, nothing more nothing less.
ACTS 2:1
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place."
The next instance of the apostles gathering on Sunday is described in the above text. Sunday keepers love to quote this verse as the institution of Sunday worship, however the Jews had been keeping this day of Pentecost for 1500 years (The Feast of Pentecost) and they still keep it to this day, even if it falls on a Sunday, while at the same time keeping the Seventh day weekly Sabbath.
Today's modern Christian would do well to realize that Jesus and His apostles always kept the Sabbath. Many of today's Christians use this verse in ACTS to justify the abolition of the Sabbath and justification of Sunday keeping. What they don't realize is that their teachers have resorted to using a Jewish festival as a pretext for the desecration of the Bible Sabbath.
Acts 20:6-7 (KJV)
6 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.
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.
Sunday keepers will use the above scriptures to justify their disobedience to Jehovah's Sabbath and institution of a new "holy" day, however if you remember ACTS 2:46 "And they, continued daily in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house," etc. Luke here informs us that the type of fellowship noted above in ACTS 20:6-7 was common to every day of the week not just Sunday. The Christian who uses this verse to prove Sunday solemnity has their hopes vanish into thin air with the text from ACTS 2:46.
1 Corinthians 16:1-2 (KJV)
16 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
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.
Presuming that the request of Paul had been strictly adhered to, let us call attention to what had been done each Sabbath during our Saviour Jehoshua's life and continued for 30 years after.
The followers of the Lord Jesus Christ met "every Sabbath" to hear the word of Jehovah; the Scriptures were read every Sabbath day." "And Paul, as his manner was to reason in the synagogue every Sabbath, interposing the name of the Lord Jesus Christ," etc. ACTS 18:4. What twisting of scripture it is to infer that the reading of the Scriptures, prayer, exhortation, and preaching, which formed the routine duties of every Sabbath, as has been abundantly proved, were overslaughed by a request to take up a collection on another day of the week?
In order to truly understand the text in 1st Corinthians is to recall the action of the apostles and holy women on Friday before sundown. They brought spices and ointments to Jesus burial tomb. They suspended all action until the Sabbath "holy to Jehovah" had passed, and then took steps on Sunday morning to complete the embalming process.
Why didn't they complete the embalming process on the Sabbath? Because they knew well that the embalming of their Lord would violate Sabbath observance.
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