📖 Biblical Definition
The Lord's Day is the first day of the week — Sunday — the day on which Christ rose from the dead and the day the early church gathered for worship. John writes, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day" (Revelation 1:10). The early church met on the first day of the week to break bread (Acts 20:7) and Paul instructed the Corinthians to set aside their collection on "the first day of every week" (1 Corinthians 16:2). The Lord's Day is the Christian Sabbath — not merely a day of rest from labor but a day set apart for worship, Word, sacrament, and fellowship. It celebrates the new creation inaugurated by Christ's resurrection and anticipates the eternal rest to come.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Lord's Day: the Christian sabbath; the first day of the week, observed in commemoration of the resurrection of Christ.
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LORD'S DAY, n. The first day of the week; the Christian sabbath, observed by most Christians in memory of the resurrection of Christ on that day. Note: Webster recognized Sunday as the Christian Sabbath, set apart for worship in honor of the resurrection.
📖 Key Scripture
• Revelation 1:10 — "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day."
• Acts 20:7 — "On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them."
• 1 Corinthians 16:2 — "On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside."
• Hebrews 10:25 — "Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
The Lord's Day is treated as just another day — worship is optional, rest is ignored.
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The modern world has effectively erased the Lord's Day as a distinct day set apart for God. Sunday is now a day for shopping, sports, entertainment, and catching up on work. Even within the church, attendance has become sporadic — "whenever it fits my schedule." The Sabbath principle of one day in seven devoted to worship and rest is dismissed as legalism. But Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man — it is a gift, not a burden. When believers treat Sunday as optional, they lose the rhythm of worship that orders the Christian life, the corporate gathering that sustains the Christian community, and the weekly anticipation of the eternal rest that awaits the people of God.
Usage
• "The Lord's Day is not merely a day off — it is the day Christ rose from the dead, and the church has gathered on that day since the apostles."
• "When the early church gathered on the first day of the week, they were declaring that the resurrection had changed everything — including the calendar."