What’s the point of meeting every week. Is it from the Bible – or is it just tradition?

Answer:

In the book of Acts, we read that the believers meet up daily and their worship of God and Christian service was not limited to just Sundays. (Luke 19:47; Acts 19:9; Acts 6:1) At the same time, we also know that the church set aside Sunday (the Lord’s Day) to come together as a congregation to worship God, break bread, and preach the Word.

1 Cor 16:2 – “On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.”

Acts 20:7 “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.”

The earliest Christian source that we have of the first few centuries supports this conclusion. The first century document (~65-80A.D.) the Didache, also known as the teaching of the twelve apostles, mentions that the church would gather together weekly on Sunday to break bread, give thanks, confess their sins to God, exercise church discipline, and be reconciled with one another.

“14:1 But on the Lord’s day, after that ye have assembled together, break bread and give thanks, having in addition confessed your sins, that your sacrifice may be pure.
14:2 But let not any one who hath a quarrel with his companion join with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be polluted,
14:3 for it is that which is spoken of by the Lord. In every place and time offer unto me a pure sacrifice, for I am a great King, saith the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the Gentiles.”

This document is also cited by a number of Christian leaders in the 2nd and 3rd century. While it is not inspired, the Didache tells us a lot of what the early church during the time of the apostles believed. It also confirms the interpretation of scripture that the New Testament church saw the Sunday congregational worship as a special day of worship. While the New Testament church did not keep the Sabbath as they did in the Old Testament, they viewed Sunday as a special day of worship modelled after the New Testament Sabbath and the resurrection of Jesus. This day came to be known as the Lord’s Day (Rev 1:10)

Rev 1:10 “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet.”

In conclusion, the practice of Sunday worship is both taught in Scripture as well as practised by the New Testament Church.

To read more on how various aspects of Christian living can only be lived out when a believer is in the midst of a local body of believers, refer to the following questions:

- Why do we have to go to church? What is the purpose behind this?
- What we must do if we do not want go to church?
- Can Baptism and Holy Communion only be done by the church?
- Can Christians build one another up without the church?
- What is Church Discipline and how does it work?
- Are spiritual gifts for the edification of the church or for my benefit?
- How does the church help make disciples?

Slick, M. “The Didache.” Retrieved 18 June 2010, from

http://www.carm.org/christianity/miscellaneous-topics/didache.

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