The Bible Does Not Say Jesus Rose On The First Day Of The Week

Have you ever heard that Jesus rose on the first day of the week? It is a common held belief. Would you be surprised to learn that the Bible does not say He rose on the first day of the week? I know if you look at Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1 and John 20:1, where each carry the account of our Lord's resurrection, that this is what is written in virtually every translation. However, it is not what the Greek says. This also holds true for Acts 20:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:2. The truth is that the phrase "first day of the week" never appears in the New Testament. So why do we find it in all these passages? It is called translation bias. What to know what the text really says? Then read the next paragraph or two.

In all of these instances the Greek text actually says, "eis mian sabbaton" (A transliteration from the Greek), literally translated, "one to or toward Sabbath". For the Hebrews there is one significant day each week. It is the day YAHWEH set aside and declared holy in Genesis 2:3. It is the seventh day, or the Sabbath. Every other day was lived in expectation of Sabbath. Thus, from a Jewish perspective, days were "one toward Sabbath, two toward Sabbath, three toward Sabbath ... Six toward Sabbath and finally Sabbath." Virtually all English translations hide this Hebraic perspective. The intentional mistranslation is rationalized by calling it an equivalent translation. Everyone knows the day "one toward Sabbath" is also the first day of the week. So for English this is the equivalent of the Greek, thus close enough for most translators. This may seem incidental. After all, they both mean the same thing so we haven't really lost anything, have we? Besides, it is an easier read in English. This way we do not even have to think. We do not have to recognize the Hebraic nature of the New Testament.

However, there is more to consider. If the phrase throughout the New Testament is "one toward Sabbath", which is undeniably Hebrew in its origin, then something else holds true as well. The Hebraic understanding of time also comes into play. The day for a Jew begins at sundown and ends at sundown. Following the Genesis account of "evening and morning day one, evening and morning day two, etc." Therefore the Lord rose from the dead any time after sundown on our Saturday night. The women waited until after Sabbath, sundown on our Saturday, to prepare the spices and headed for the tomb while it was still dark. Perhaps our Western/American perspective has skewed our understanding a bit. Maybe we could have a Saturday night worship time celebrating Messiah's resurrection instead of a sunrise service. Or maybe not.  One doesn't want to mess with tradition. Messiah could have waited twelve hours to to rise from the dead. Anyway, we know it was getting light, one toward Sabbath, when the women found the empty tomb. I really am fine with the traditional sunrise celebration.

The "equivalent" translation of "first day of the week" has little bearing as to the timing of the resurrection. No matter what the clock in your house says, Yeshua rose after sundown Saturday and before sundown on Sunday so we are clearly in the right ballpark. The real problem with this "equivalent" translation is the damage it does outside of the Gospel accounts. It leads to misinterpretation, some poor preaching and false support for an end to Sabbath observance. This error is most pronounced in the account found in Acts 20.

I suggest you take a moment and read Acts 20:7-11 but, if you do not have time, here are the high points. On the first day of the week, actually on one toward Sabbath, Paul breaks bread with the disciples and then preaches all the way to midnight. It is warm from all the lanterns. Eutychus falls asleep and drops from a window and appears to be dead. Paul revives him, has something to eat, preaches some more and at daybreak he departs. I have heard many a sermon about Paul preaching for fourteen hours and then another six "And you thought my sermons were long" says the preacher. Because we all know every "church" meets at 10:00 on Sunday morning and Paul preached until Monday morning.  Thus, it may be one of the worlds longest sermons.

Let us return this account to the culture and Hebraic context it was written in. It is the seventh day, the Sabbath, our Saturday, and Paul and the disciples have been at the synagogue, as was Paul's custom throughout Acts. At sundown, the beginning of one toward Sabbath, our Saturday night, Paul and the disciples gather for the breaking of bread. Perhaps a meal and the memorial we call communion. It is around eight or nine on our Saturday night. Paul preaches three hours or so, it is now midnight, and Eutychus takes his tumble. Paul revives him, eats and teaches a while longer. He then leaves early on our Sunday morning. Actually, the whole account is more reasonable when we put things in a Hebraic context. It also discounts the "evidence" that this points to the  "church" beginning to meet on Sundays, replacing the Sabbath day with "first day" worship.

Refusing to acknowledge that the text clearly points to the Hebraic understanding of time distorts the account. This is also true with the offering gathered "one toward Sabbath" in 1 Cor. 16:2. Following their time at the synagogue, as the sun went down and one toward Sabbath or the first day of the week began, Paul says, "Before you go home for the night remember to gather the offering for the suffering saints in Jerusalem." This is used as well as evidence for an end to Sabbath and the beginning of Sunday worship. It simply does not exist in the text or the New Testament.

Just as an end note. Sunday worship began under the rule of Constantine who was antisemitic and worked to complete the divide between the "church" and Judaism. Until this time the Messianic believers were, for the most part, viewed as a sect of Judaism. Also, everyone in the Roman Empire worked on Sunday. The only day recognized as a day of rest was the seventh day or the Sabbath due to the influence of the Jews scattered throughout the empire. Sunday worship never replaces the Sabbath in the New Testament. However, I believe any day is a great day to praise and worship so do not think I believe Sunday worship is a bad thing.

I hope you enjoy your Resurrection Celebration. When we remember that Yeshua, our Messiah, rose one toward Sabbath and conquered the grave. We are set free from the curse of death and have life everlasting in Him. He is risen indeed!