The Christian Assembly

    The New Testament writers assumed that Christians would assemble together for worship on the Lord's Day, Sunday.  Being a part of these assemblies was an important part of Christian growth and encouragement (Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Corinthians 14:26).  The practice of assembling together for worship is clearly reflected in Scripture and is confirmed by sources from the ancient church immediately after the time of the New Testament.  The very word "church" is from the Greek word EKKLESIA, which ,means a group or gathering or assembly.  The word always refers to a group of people in the New Testament, never to a building.  In many places, like 1 Corinthians 11-14, it refers to the worship assembly.  It is in the very nature of the church to assemble together.  

    The first day of the week, Sunday, was a special day on which Christians assembled together.  Luke tells us about Paul and his companions meeting with the Christians at Troas when he says, "On the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them...," (Acts 20:7).  At first, this may not seem like a passage about the assembly, but there are several reasons to believe that it is.  First of all, remember that the ancient Christians devoted themselves to "the apostles' teaching, the fellowship, the breaking of bread, and the prayers," (Acts 2:42).  This "breaking of the bread" was not just a meal, but was a part of their continued religious devotion.  In Acts 20:7, it also took place on a special day, "the first day of the week," or literally, "the first of the seven."  It was on that same day that Jesus rose from the dead (Mark 16:2).  This was the day on which the Corinthian church and other churches were instructed to contribute money for the helping of the saints (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).  The reason for this is that it was the day of their assembly.  The day called Sunday was called "the Lord's day" in the New Testament (Revelation 1:10).  The adjective used to describe that day, KURIAKE, is used only one other time in the New Testament, and in that instance it is used to describe the "Lord's Supper," (1 Corinthians 11:20).  It makes sense that the "Lord's Supper" was eaten on the "Lord's Day."  

    Another reason for seeing in Acts 20:7 a celebration of the Lord's Supper is the fact that it says, "we came together" to break bread.  The notion of assembling or coming together is associated in other passages with the Lord's Supper. In 1 Corinthians 11-14 we have the most complete description of an ancient assembly in the entire New Testament, including a description of the Lord's Supper.  Several times in that narrative, Paul says, "when you come together..." or "when the whole church comes together," (1 Corinthians 11:17,18,20,33-34; 14:23,26).  The fact that the passage in Acts mentions "coming together" along with the first day of the week and the breaking of bread, makes it virtually certain that we are talking about the Sunday assembly.

    This idea is confirmed by the Christian writings closest in date to the New Testament.  In a Syrian Christian document from the late first century, known as the Didache, it says, "On the Lord's day of the Lord, come together, break bread, holding the Eucharist after confessing your transgressions that your offering may be pure, (Didache 14:1).  The part translated "hold the Eucharist" can be translated "give thanks."  It has reference to the prayers of thanksgiving that are offered in connection with the Lord's Supper (Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25).  In the middle of the second century, Justin Martyr wrote an explanation of Christianity to the Roman emperor.  In it he said, "But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is first day on which...Jesus Christ our Savior...rose from the dead.  He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn, and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun...he appeared to his apostles...," (Apology I.67).  Justin goes on to describe the Lord's Supper, including the prayers of thanksgiving and the partaking of the bread and wine.  He also describes the singing, the giving, and the reading of the Scriptures.  Near the beginning of the second century, Ignatius of Antioch wrote to the church in the Asian city of Magnesia, saying, "If then they who walked in ancient customs came to a new hope, no longer living for the Sabbath, but for the Lord's Day...."  All of this makes it clear that Sunday was the Christian day of worship.

    There was, then, a clear apostolic precedent set for the Lord's Day assembly.  It was based on the command of Jesus when he instituted the Lord's Supper and said, "Do this in remembrance of me," (1 Corinthians 11:24-25).  The Christians gathered on Sunday, sang, prayed, gave of their means, took the Lord's Supper, read the Bible, and expounded on the biblical text in preaching.  It is for these reasons that we assemble on Sundays today and do what we do in those assemblies. While Christians are free to meet together and study the word of God or sing or pray on any day, the Sunday assembly was a special time in the New Testament church, and it should be special to Christians today as well.