Bible Questions and Answers

Why do we go to church on Sunday?

At the last supper before his crucifixion Jesus commanded his followers to share bread and wine in remembrance of him.

Luke 22:19,20 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

Paul who after his conversion was given instruction directly by Jesus writes:

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

No day is specified, only that it should be ‘often’.

Paul explains that when we meet to do this we are to ‘examine ourselves’ to see whether we are living by Jesus commandments.

1 Corinthians 11:27-29 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

The apostles and the early Church found it convenient to meet on the first day of the week (Sunday) and this became a tradition.

Acts 20:7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.

1 Corinthians 16:2 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.

From this we see that it is not a matter of ‘going to Church’ but rather of meeting with fellow believers to share bread and wine in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice. Church is the translation of the Greek ἐκκλησία ekklesia which describes a body of believers rather than a building.

This is the only ordinance to be observed by those who believe the Gospel and are baptised into Jesus Christ. It is not to be confused with the Jewish Sabbath which runs from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown and is part of the Old Covenant made with Israel at Sinai. Those in Christ come under the New Covenant and are required to live by the commandments of Jesus Christ, not the commandments of the Law of Moses.

The writer to the Hebrews explains:

Hebrews 12:22-24 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

I hope you find this helpful.

God bless,
Glenn