The Lord's Day
This is an exchange I had with a friend and sister in Christ last week which I thought would be helpful for anyone else who might have this question.
Her Question:
Thanks Daniel, When I actually get a moment to sit and write out some thoughts and questions I will but for now, one that is on my mind is in reference to "The Lord's Day" (not a Greek question). When those in the church refer to this they mean (and I did too until I started looking into scripture for a reference for it) The first day of the week; or Sunday if you will. However, when looking up scripture for it, I find that all I have found so far refers to The Day of the Lord or The Lord's Day as a day of reckoning or judgment between God and man. See: II Thess.2:2,3; Joel 2:1, 2:11, 3:14; and Amos 5:18; and Malachi 4:5. I'm sure there are more references but I cannot find any that refer to The Lord's Day as being the day we meet together each week. It is bothering me because I think we are using it from tradition as scriptural reference and I hear it used all the time in the pulpit…I understand what is implied, that we as Christians meet upon the first day of the week for worship and communion with God just as the disciples met with Christ and one another upon the first day of the week; however....where is the scriptural text that says that is "The Lord's Day"? If you could be of help in this area, I'd greatly appreciate it. Talk with you soon…
My Response:
Hey, great question. The "Lord's Day" is a term John used in Rev. 1:10. I believe - along with many scholars that Revelation was written in about 95ad. The term was used to describe Sunday in other Christian, non-scriptural, texts. For example, Ignatius, an elder in Antioch made reference to the "Lord's Day" rather than "the Sabbath" being the day that we celebrate (c. 115ad) Another widely circulated early Christian document, the Didache (c. 120ad) instructs that Christians should meet every first day of the week called the "Lord's Day." The helpfulness of these references is that they assist us in understanding what John meant in Revelation 1 with this reference. There would not have been a need for John to clarify what he meant by the reference if it was something that his whole audience would have already understood. Therefore, when we look at use of the term in the early church, we find early Christians using this term for Sunday. It also makes sense. This is the Day Christ rose from the dead, the day the apostles established as the day we remember the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ through the "Lord's Supper" the day Christians from earliest times met to worship and the day money was (is) set aside for the Lord's work. It has been called "The Lord's Day" ever since the first century and the reference is used at least (only) once in Scripture to designate Sunday.In the Old Testament prophets, the reference to "The Day of the Lord" referred to the time period when all things would be made new, when the messiah would come. I think the clearest reference is found in comparing Joel 2:28-32 with Acts 2:17-21. Peter is saying that this "day of the Lord" has now come. The way people would know that the time had come would be the presence of the working of the Holy Spirit.The construction in Greek between the "the Day of the Lord"(Acts 2:20) and "the Lord's Day" (Rev. 1:10) is actually different. The way they are translated helps to clarify the difference.Still another term is used in the New Testament to refer to a different "Day of the Lord" which is the judgment to come. Every time you find the "Day of the Lord" translated at least in the NIV, the term for "Day" comes before the term for "Lord" and is in what is referred to as the "genitive" case. The genitive shows possession. However, in Rev. 1:10 it is actually in the "dative." The dative shows "personal interest." In this case it is used as the "dative of possession" which puts emphasis on the possessor rather than the genitive which puts emphasis on what is possessed. Therefore, the "Day of the Lord" references emphasize the day. The "Lord's Day" emphasizes the Lord. This is appropriate, since it is upon this day that the Lord is our focus.
See you Sunday! Daniel
Her Question:
Thanks Daniel, When I actually get a moment to sit and write out some thoughts and questions I will but for now, one that is on my mind is in reference to "The Lord's Day" (not a Greek question). When those in the church refer to this they mean (and I did too until I started looking into scripture for a reference for it) The first day of the week; or Sunday if you will. However, when looking up scripture for it, I find that all I have found so far refers to The Day of the Lord or The Lord's Day as a day of reckoning or judgment between God and man. See: II Thess.2:2,3; Joel 2:1, 2:11, 3:14; and Amos 5:18; and Malachi 4:5. I'm sure there are more references but I cannot find any that refer to The Lord's Day as being the day we meet together each week. It is bothering me because I think we are using it from tradition as scriptural reference and I hear it used all the time in the pulpit…I understand what is implied, that we as Christians meet upon the first day of the week for worship and communion with God just as the disciples met with Christ and one another upon the first day of the week; however....where is the scriptural text that says that is "The Lord's Day"? If you could be of help in this area, I'd greatly appreciate it. Talk with you soon…
My Response:
Hey, great question. The "Lord's Day" is a term John used in Rev. 1:10. I believe - along with many scholars that Revelation was written in about 95ad. The term was used to describe Sunday in other Christian, non-scriptural, texts. For example, Ignatius, an elder in Antioch made reference to the "Lord's Day" rather than "the Sabbath" being the day that we celebrate (c. 115ad) Another widely circulated early Christian document, the Didache (c. 120ad) instructs that Christians should meet every first day of the week called the "Lord's Day." The helpfulness of these references is that they assist us in understanding what John meant in Revelation 1 with this reference. There would not have been a need for John to clarify what he meant by the reference if it was something that his whole audience would have already understood. Therefore, when we look at use of the term in the early church, we find early Christians using this term for Sunday. It also makes sense. This is the Day Christ rose from the dead, the day the apostles established as the day we remember the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ through the "Lord's Supper" the day Christians from earliest times met to worship and the day money was (is) set aside for the Lord's work. It has been called "The Lord's Day" ever since the first century and the reference is used at least (only) once in Scripture to designate Sunday.In the Old Testament prophets, the reference to "The Day of the Lord" referred to the time period when all things would be made new, when the messiah would come. I think the clearest reference is found in comparing Joel 2:28-32 with Acts 2:17-21. Peter is saying that this "day of the Lord" has now come. The way people would know that the time had come would be the presence of the working of the Holy Spirit.The construction in Greek between the "the Day of the Lord"(Acts 2:20) and "the Lord's Day" (Rev. 1:10) is actually different. The way they are translated helps to clarify the difference.Still another term is used in the New Testament to refer to a different "Day of the Lord" which is the judgment to come. Every time you find the "Day of the Lord" translated at least in the NIV, the term for "Day" comes before the term for "Lord" and is in what is referred to as the "genitive" case. The genitive shows possession. However, in Rev. 1:10 it is actually in the "dative." The dative shows "personal interest." In this case it is used as the "dative of possession" which puts emphasis on the possessor rather than the genitive which puts emphasis on what is possessed. Therefore, the "Day of the Lord" references emphasize the day. The "Lord's Day" emphasizes the Lord. This is appropriate, since it is upon this day that the Lord is our focus.
See you Sunday! Daniel
posted by Daniel Cherry at 6:07 AM
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