Why Do Christians Worship on Sunday?

You were designed to rest. The rest Scripture describes is not the frantic weekend recovery of modern life but a complete cessation woven into creation itself. Yet somewhere along the way, the day changed. The Roman Catholic Church openly claims responsibility for moving worship from Saturday to Sunday. Scripture contains no such command.

Over 2.3 billion Christians gather on Sunday each week, assuming this practice comes from the Bible. The Fourth Commandment identifies the seventh day as the Sabbath. Jesus kept it as His custom (Luke 4:16). So who changed it, and by what authority?

What Does Scripture Say?

The Bible's teaching on the Sabbath is consistent from Genesis to Revelation. God established the seventh day at Creation, before any nation existed:

The Fourth Commandment made this blessing permanent:

Jesus kept the Sabbath throughout His ministry. It was His "custom" (Luke 4:16). He declared Himself "Lord of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:28), affirming His authority over it, not His intent to abolish it.

The apostles continued keeping the Sabbath after Christ's resurrection. Paul's custom was to attend synagogue on the Sabbath (Acts 17:2), and he met with Gentile believers on the Sabbath as well (Acts 13:42-44).

No verse in the Bible commands Sunday worship. You can search the entire Bible for yourself and verify this claim.

When Did the Change Happen?

For the first three centuries after Christ, many Christians continued observing the seventh-day Sabbath. The change to Sunday came gradually through Roman legislation:

• 321 AD: Emperor Constantine issued the first civil Sunday law, requiring rest on "the venerable day of the Sun."
• 364 AD: The Council of Laodicea forbade Christians from resting on the Sabbath, stating they "shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday."
• 538-1798 AD: The papacy enforced Sunday observance throughout medieval Europe, persecuting Sabbath-keepers for over a millennium.

The change was not made by apostolic command. It was made by church councils and civil legislation centuries after Christ.

The Catholic Admissions

The Roman Catholic Church openly acknowledges that it changed the day of worship. These are not accusations from critics. They are official statements from Catholic sources:

For more documented admissions, see Appendix C: Catholic Admissions or explore the Interactive Quote Wall.

Common Objections

"Jesus rose on Sunday, so we worship on Sunday."

While Jesus rose on the first day of the week, Scripture never commands us to worship on that day because of the resurrection. The resurrection is commemorated through baptism (Romans 6:4), not through a change of the Sabbath. Read the full response.

"The Sabbath was only for the Jews."

Jesus said, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath" (Mark 2:27). The word is "man" (Greek: anthropos), meaning humanity, not Jews specifically. The Sabbath was established at Creation, 2,000 years before any Jew existed. Read the full response.

"Colossians 2:16 abolished the Sabbath."

Paul wrote about ceremonial sabbaths connected to Jewish feasts, not the weekly seventh-day Sabbath of the Ten Commandments. The Greek text and context make this distinction clear. See the complete explanation.

Frequently Asked Questions

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