The Day Changed

Driving home: Philip Schaaf in his History of the Christian Church says that quote the day was transferred from the Sabbath to the first day of the week not on the ground of a particular command but by the free spirit of the gospel an…

Martin quotes Philip Schaff, a church historian, who states that the day was transferred not by command but by the 'free spirit of the gospel' and 'great facts' at the church's foundation, supporting the idea of precedent over explicit command.

and it's of the second nature that the church of Jesus Christ the second category apostolic precedent it's of this sort that is the change of the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day of the week there is indeed no positive command changing the day but the precedent set in the apostolic church appears to me to be determinative Philip Schaaf in his History of the Christian Church says that quote the day was transferred from the Sabbath to the first day of the week not on the ground of a particular command but by the free spirit of the gospel and by the power

7:20 - 8:03 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The finished work of Christ the advent of the spirit these are the two great pillars upon which the new covenant church stands

Martin quotes a hymn by Christopher Wordsworth that poetically expresses the triple light given on the Lord's Day: creation's light, Christ's resurrection, and the Spirit's advent, reinforcing the foundational events for the day change.

and seeing that that is so that these are not inconsequential things these are not minor things the resurrection of our Lord from the dead the coming of the spirit on the day of Pentecost seeing that these are major items in the history of redemption these are epic making events that changed old covenant to new covenant is it then unreasonable to think that the day of rest would change to reflect these great facts to reflect these great events Christopher Wordsworth gives poetic expression to the point I'm trying to make when he speaks speaking of the Lord's day in his hymn he says on thee at ...

19:10 - 19:55 Read in full sermon

Driving home: John Owen Berry judiciously observes he says hence Christ left Thomas under his doubts a whole week before he gave him his gracious conviction that he might do it in the assembly of his disciples on the first day of the …

Martin quotes Matthew Poole, who suggests the disciples assembled on the second first day of the week hoping Christ would appear, supporting the idea of a regular first-day gathering.

again are assembled together there is no indication to indicate to indicate or to show us that they have gathered together in this fashion in the intervening week in fact we are left with a distinct impression that they have not gathered together in this way John says and after eight days again the disciples were within the implication is that was not true up to that point Matthew Poole suggests that they were assembled on this day in hope that Christ might manifest his presence again among them and indeed Jesus appears on this occasion as he did the previous first day and on this occasion he ...

25:06 - 25:51 Read in full sermon

Driving home: John Owen Berry judiciously observes he says hence Christ left Thomas under his doubts a whole week before he gave him his gracious conviction that he might do it in the assembly of his disciples on the first day of the …

Martin quotes John Owen, who observes that Christ waited a whole week to relieve Thomas's doubts in the assembly of his disciples on the first day of the week, highlighting Christ's intentionality in sanctifying that day.

doubts John Owen Berry judiciously observes he says hence Christ left Thomas under his doubts a whole week before he gave him his gracious conviction that he might do it in the assembly of his disciples on the first day of the week why did Christ wait an entire week to manifest himself to Thomas to dispel to relieve his doubts why did he not come immediately why did he not come on the Monday the Tuesday the Wednesday the Thursday the Friday even the next Saturday the Jewish Sabbath and relieve the doubts of Thomas

25:51 - 26:35 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Evidence from Acts shows the early church gathering on the first day of the week, particularly on Pentecost and in Troas for breaking bread (likely the Lord's Supper), indicating…

Martin quotes John Owen, who comments on Acts 20, stating that Paul taught daily but the first day of the week was when the whole body of believers assembled for solemn observances, indicating a fixed day of worship.

includes a reference here to the church meeting on the first day of the week he introduces it with no further explanation he does not explain for the sake of his readers why the church is gathering on the first day of the week he simply introduces the fact as though his readers will understand what he is referring to as Owen says there is no further explanation indicating that this is that which was in common observance among the disciples of Jesus Christ and here I would like to read just a very brief comment by Owen on this point he says I doubt not but in the seven days that the apostle abo...

33:17 - 34:02 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Besides it was to be such a laying aside such a treasuring of it in a common stock as that there should be no need of any collection when the apostle came but if this was done only privately it would not of itself come t…

Martin quotes John Owen, who argues that limiting the collection to the first day of the week in 1 Corinthians 16 implies a fixed day for the church's solemn assemblies, refuting the idea of private contributions.

a paragraph out of Owen as he deals with this issue he says the constant day of the church's solemn assemblies being fixed he here takes it for granted and directs them to the observance of a special duty on that day he assumes that the first day of the week is going to be a day when they can make their contributions to a common treasury Owen says that the constant day of the church's solemn assemblies being fixed Paul here takes it for granted and directs them to the observance of a special duty on that day what some accept that is that there is no mention of any such assembly in the text but...

39:33 - 40:18 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: John's reference to being "in the spirit on the Lord's Day" in Revelation 1 is argued to signify the first day of the week, a term understood by the churches as belonging…

Martin quotes John Owen, who states that John did not surprise the churches with a new name for a holy day but used a term well-known to them, supporting the established nature of the Lord's Day.

to what he meant as Owen again says he did not surprise the churches John did not surprise the churches with a new name that is a new name for a holy day but denoted to them the time of his visions by the name of the day which was well known to them he wants them to know what day it was that these visions came to him they came to him he says on the Lord's day well what day is the Lord's day what day at this point is the Lord's day

48:39 - 49:23 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Ignatius lived from 30 a.d to 107 a.d he died approximately 15 to 20 years after the death of the apostle john born in 30 a.d the approximate time of the death of our lord jesus christ so here is a man who grew up in tha…

Martin quotes Philip Schaff, who asserts that the universal and uncontradicted Sunday observance in the second century can only be explained by its roots in apostolic practice, providing historical confirmation.

pastor that all sounds very good is there anything else that as it were kind of nails the whole thing down well there is you see though we do not give evidence from the church fathers from the early second century fathers the same way that we do scripture we don't regard their writings as inspired yet on the other hand we don't simply turn away from them as though they have nothing of value to say to us and we find in the writings of the church fathers in the next generation after the apostles we do find reference to the distinctive day of worship of the new covenant church philip shop arguabl...

51:16 - 52:00 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Ignatius lived from 30 a.d to 107 a.d he died approximately 15 to 20 years after the death of the apostle john born in 30 a.d the approximate time of the death of our lord jesus christ so here is a man who grew up in tha…

Martin quotes Ignatius, an early church father, who calls the Lord's Day the "resurrection day, the queen and chief of all the days of the week," demonstrating early recognition of its significance.

now i'm not competent to evaluate shop's accuracy when he speaks using the language universal and uncontradicted sunday observance in the second century i'm not that kind of a church historian but there are a couple of sources that i can point you to that i think have great relevance to the issue at hand and here i would like to first of all read to you a section from a letter by a church father named ignatius ignatius lived from 30 a.d to 107 a.d he died approximately 15 to 20 years after the death of the apostle john born in 30

52:44 - 53:28 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Ignatius lived from 30 a.d to 107 a.d he died approximately 15 to 20 years after the death of the apostle john born in 30 a.d the approximate time of the death of our lord jesus christ so here is a man who grew up in tha…

Martin quotes Justin Martyr's First Apology, detailing the early church's Sunday assembly for reading, preaching, prayer, and the Lord's Supper, and explaining its significance due to creation and Christ's resurrection.

god having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof first day of the week resurrection day ignatius says is the lord's day likewise justin martyr justin martyr born in 110 dies in 165 again in that second generation of christian writers and in what is called his first apology where he's defending christianity against the judaism of his day justin says and on the day called sunday all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place and the

55:00 - 55:45 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Eusebius says the word that is christ by the new covenant translated and transferred the feast of the sabbath to the morning light and gave us the symbol of the true rest the saving lord's day the first of life in which …

Martin quotes Eusebius of Caesarea, who states that Christ transferred the Sabbath feast to the morning light, giving the "saving Lord's Day" precedence over the Jewish Sabbath, showing historical understanding of the change.

and then eusebius of caesarea the great church historian who wrote about 325 a.d. in commenting on psalm 92 which is entitled in the hebrew bible a psalm for the sabbath day eusebius says the word that is christ by the new covenant translated and transferred the feast of the sabbath to the morning light and gave us the symbol of the true rest the saving lord's day the first of life in which the savior gained the victory over death all things which it was the duty to do on the sabbath these we have transferred to the lord's day as more appropriately belonging to it because

57:24 - 58:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Rejoice and be glad in the Lord's Day, acknowledging it as the day the Lord has made.

Martin reads an extended quote from John Owen, who testifies that the highest expressions of godliness and foretastes of heaven he observed were among those who held the Lord's Day in highest esteem and strict observation.

legitimate what is illegitimate we'll begin to take that up next time but in closing this morning i want to read for you one further quote from owen i hope you'll bear with me and i hope that what owen says in this statement is going to ring true with all who love the lord's day owen is speaking at this point towards the end of his treatment of the subject of the sabbath and he is speaking in terms of his own observations in his own generation he says for my part i must not only say but plead while i live in this world and leave this testimony to the present and future ages if these papers see...

61:09 - 61:53 Read in full sermon