Acts 20:7 assembling in Troas
Verse 7a: They met “upon the first day of the week.”[1] Many who observe the Seventh-Day Sabbath cite Canon 29 of the Council of Laodicea to support their claim that here occurred a post-apostolic change from Christians keeping the Sabbath (Saturday) to keeping the first day of the week (Sunday).[2] Canon 29 states: “Christians must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honouring the Lord’s Day; and, if they can, resting then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ.” However, the first day of the week is historically shown to be time of gathering in early writings such as those ascribed to Barnabas, Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus – all before the edict of Laodicea in the 4th century.[3] In New Testament times, Christians are already found meeting on the first day of the week, the day of the Lord’s resurrection (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19, 26; I Corinthians 16:2; Revelation 1:10).[4] Christ our firstfruits rose on the first day of the week, the day of the feast of firstfruits, the first day after the Sabbath after Passover. See I Corinthians 15:20, 23 and Leviticus 23:9ff. Jesus Christ was sacrificed as the Passover lamb (I Corinthians 5:7), and was raised up as firstfruits to God.
[2] The Council of Laodicea was composed of about thirty representatives from Asia Minor who convened circa AD 364 in Laodicea. This is the same Laodicea mentioned in the epistle to the Colossians and the book of Revelation.
[3] For example, Justin Martyr, who lived in the 100s AD, in his First Apology, Chapter 57 wrote, “And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things.” Ignatius of Antioch, circa AD 250, wrote of “no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord’s Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death…” Epistle to the Magnesians, Chapter 9. See also Tertullian, An Answer to the Jews, Chapters 2-4.
[4] Though the first day of the week is not specifically mentioned, both Acts 21:4 and 28:14 emphasize tarrying with disciples in a certain place for seven days. The significant Day of Pentecost, or feast of weeks, also occurred on the first day of the week (Leviticus 23:15-21; Deuteronomy 16:9-12; Acts 2:1).
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