'Why Are They Keeping Sunday?' Church and the Origin of Sunday Worship

“I have repeatedly offered $1,000 to anyone who can prove to me from the Bible alone that I am bound to keep Sunday holy. There is no such law in the Bible. It is a law of the holy Catholic Church alone. The Bible says, 'Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.' The Catholic Church says: 'No. By my divine power I abolish the Sabbath day and command you to keep holy the first day of the week.' And lo! The entire civilized world bows down in a reverent obedience to the command of the holy Catholic Church."

— T. Enright, C.S.S.R., lecture at Hartford, Kansas, Feb. 18, 1884.

THESE bold words cut to the heart of a question many never pause to consider: Why do most churches worship on Sunday, when the Bible plainly sanctifies the seventh-day Sabbath?

The Origin of Sunday as a Sacred Day

Scholars agree: the early Christian church kept the seventh-day Sabbath. Both Jewish and Gentile believers met on Saturday for rest and worship (Acts 13:42–44; Acts 17:2; Acts 18:4). Sunday worship was not commanded in Scripture but gradually emerged centuries later.

In the Roman world, Sunday had long been associated with sun worship. Historian Arthur Weigall wrote: “The Church made a sacred day of Sunday … partly because it was the weekly festival of the sun; for it was a definite Christian policy to take over the pagan festivals endeared to the people and to give them Christian significance” (The Paganism in Our Christianity, p. 145).

Constantine and the “Venerable Day of the Sun”

The turning point came under Emperor Constantine I, who in 321 AD decreed:

“On the venerable day of the sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed.”

This was not a biblical command—it was a civil law honoring the sun god. Later church councils, such as the Council of Laodicea (364 AD), reinforced Sunday observance and even forbade resting on the Sabbath. Thus, by the authority of Rome—not by Christ or His apostles—Sunday became the dominant day of worship.

Protestants Adaptation and the Emergence of 'Daughters' of Rome

When the Protestant Reformation broke away from the Catholic Church in the 16th century, reformers retained Sunday worship. Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others rejected many Catholic traditions but clung to the first day of the week.

This practice flowed into modern denominations—Baptists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, Evangelicals, and even groups like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Iglesia ni Cristo, and countless independent “Born Again” churches. In this, they remain daughters of the Roman Church, keeping the tradition of Sunday without biblical authority.

Sunday in the Bible?

Defenders of Sunday often point to a handful of New Testament passages. Let us examine them:

Acts 20:7 — Disciples gathered on the first day of the week. Yet this was a one-time evening meeting before Paul’s departure, not a command to observe Sunday.

1 Corinthians 16:2 — Paul instructs believers to set aside offerings on the first day. This was private preparation for collection, not a church service.

Revelation 1:10 — John was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day”, a clear reference to a prophetic time period of God's wrath to unbelievers (Joel 2:1-11), not a day for worship. Yet Jesus said the "Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:28), making the seventh day—not Sunday—God's set apart day for worship.

These verses are red herrings—read into by tradition, not by commandment. The truth remains: nowhere does the Bible declare Sunday holy.

The Sabbath: Still God’s Day of Worship

Jesus Christ Himself affirmed the Sabbath: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27–28). The Sabbath was not “made for the Jews” but for all humanity, instituted at Creation (Genesis 2:2–3) and enshrined in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8–11).

Far from abolishing it, Jesus and the apostles honored the Sabbath. The prophet Isaiah foresaw Sabbath-keeping continuing even in God’s Kingdom: “From one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me” (Isaiah 66:23).

A Call Back to Truth

So why do billions keep Sunday? Because tradition, enforced by the authority of Rome and perpetuated by her Protestant daughters, has overshadowed the Word of God.

But Christ calls His followers to come out of Babylon (Revelation 18:4)—to reject man-made customs and return to God’s law. The Sabbath remains a sign between God and His people (Ezekiel 20:20).

The question is not simply which day to attend church. It is a matter of obedience and allegiance. Whose authority do we follow—God’s Word or human tradition?

The world may bow to Rome’s decree, but those who truly love Christ will keep His commandments (John 14:15). And one of those commandments still says, without alteration:

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”