The First Day of The Week, Countdown to Pentecost!

“The First Day of The Week”—Countdown to Pentecost!

Chapter 38 Preview: You are about to see that “the first Day of the week” is really all about counting Sabbaths to Pentecost! This is one issue that absolutely requires looking at a few Greek terms to discern the truth—due to “the tradition of men” influencing the translators. Slight of hand is exposed here. Who is doing the hiding and what is their motive? Grab onto your lexicon. For some readers this will be a rough ride!

Colossians 2:8 Be careful that you dont let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ. WEB

For centuries the entire Christian world celebrated the seventh day Sabbath. The Roman Emperor Constantine changed all of that by force—a fact that is easily verified in Roman historical records. Before starting on the actual Greek phrase thought to be about “Sunday”, I’d like to provide a few quotes to set the stage:

Edict of Constantine

“In 321, while yet an unbaptized ‘catechumen’ [‘one who had not yet been initiated into the sacred mysteries’: Catholic Encyclopedia], the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great issued an edict, part of which dealt with the issue of a day of rest:

“On the venerable day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country however persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits because it often happens that another day is not suitable for gain-sowing or vine planting; lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost.”

The controversy concerning the Sabbath has many similarities to the Easter/Passover controversy that was “settled” at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. Emperor Constantine controlled the outcome of this notorious conclave. The following quotes reveal Constantine’s mindset. Here is what he said:

“It was, in the first place, declared improper to follow the custom of the Jews in the celebration of this holy festival, because their hands having been stained with crime, the minds of these wretched men are necessarily blinded.... Let us, then, have nothing in common with the Jews, who are our adversaries ... avoiding all contact with that evil way ... who, after having compassed the death of the Lord, being out of their minds, are guided not by sound reason, but by an unrestrained passion, wherever their innate madness carries them ... a people so utterly depraved.... Therefore, this irregularity must be corrected, in order that we may no more have any thing in common with those parricides and the murderers of our Lord ... no single point in common with the perjury of the Jews.” —The Epistle of the Emperor Constantine, Theodoret’s Ecclesiastical History, 1.9.

Eusebius, also recorded Constantine’s thoughts in the evolution of the Roman Church [off site] as it distanced itself from the “Jewish” Scriptures:

“... it appeared an unworthy thing that in the celebration of this most holy feast we should follow the practice of the Jews, who have impiously defiled their hands with enormous sin, and are, therefore, deservedly afflicted with blindness of soul.... Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd; for we have received from our Saviour a different way.” —Eusebius, Life of Constantine, Book 3, chapter 18.

The Roman Catholic Church has readily admitted to the switch from Sabbath to Sunday in every century since the change was made. [Until perhaps February 22, 2007. (off site)] That is beyond dispute as well. Here are a couple of quotes. I saw the first one when I was a kid:

“You may search the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify.” —James Cardinal Gibbon, The Faith of Our Fathers, chapter 8.

“It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and all other Christians, that the Bible does not support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday. Sunday is an institution of the Roman Catholic Church, and those who observe the day observe a commandment of the Catholic Church.” —Priest Brady, in an address at Elizabeth, N.J., March 17, 1903, reported in the Elizabeth, N.J. News of March 18, 1903.

This is important because Jesus (actually Yeshua, off site) is the “Lord (Master) of the Sabbath”:

Luke 6:5 He said to them, “The Son of man is Master of the Sabbath”.GB

It is for this reason that the Protestant world has sought a “reason” for claiming to sanctify Sunday worship from the Holy Scriptures. Other articles on this site adequately cover the Sabbath topic, such as Is the Seventh Day the Sabbath—Yes or No?. From this point in the chapter on, the focus will be on the backbone of the “Sunday verses”. The only scriptures that Sunday Christians have come up with to support their claim has to do with the eight passages that contain the words “the First Day of the Week”.

Protestants almost universally base Sunday worship on their belief that Yeshua was resurrected on the so-called “first day of the week”. But that belief is due to a deliberate mistranslation.

(I began to investigate the meaning of “the first day of the week” after seeing some comments concerning “the First Day of the Week” in Ron Dart’s book: The Thread. Still, this truth is none-the-less very little known among even Sabbatarians. Ron Dart’s explanation is also found here—off site).

What if it could be proven that the Greek Scriptures dont even mention a synonym for “Sunday” at all. The King James translators were under great pressure not to rock the boat too much. Many men had died at the hands of King Henry the Eighth in their effort to bring us trustworthy Bibles and so King James 15 rules for his translators (off site) were not taken lightly.

This article is about what the original Greek Scriptures record, as written by God’s chosen writers who were not influenced by what kings would do to them—and indeed what was done to them—for speaking the truth.

Every single popular English translation of the Bible, uses the phrase “first day of the week” eight times. We need to carefully examine all of these references. First a quick read thru of the first six:

Matthew 28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week [mian sabbaton], came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. KJV

Mark 16:2 And very early in the morning the first day, of the week [mias sabbaton], they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. KJV

Mark 16:9 Now when Yeshua was risen early the first day of the week [prote sabbatou], he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. KJV

Luke 24:1 Now upon the first day of the week [mia ton sabbaton], very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. KJV

John 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. KJV

John 20:19 Then the same ‘day’ [2250] at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the Disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Yeshua and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. KJV

Virtually every English translation renders the Greek words “prote sabbatou”, “mian sabbaton”, “mias sabbaton”, and “mia ton sabbaton” as “first day of the week.” But the KJV translators did leave at least a dimly lit trail for sharp eyes that there is a problem with the translation—they italicized the word “day”. Whenever they italicized a word it means that they added the word in question to the text. Usually it is apparent that the additional word does indeed help the thought to flow better in English. Yet sometimes italicized words should raise a red flag to the reader. This is one such place. The Greek word for “day” (hemera) is nowhere to be found in any of these “Sunday” verses!

This particular Greek phrase has absolutely nothing to do with the weekly occurrence of “Sunday”. We dare not add uninspired words! These words are literally translated as “First Sabbath” (prote sabbatou) and “First of the Sabbaths” (“mian sabbaton”, “mias sabbaton”, and “mia ton sabbaton”).

Because the year of Yeshua’s crucifixion is not recorded in Scripture, the relationship between Passover that year and “first day of the week” is universally considered the key factor in determining not only the day in which Yeshua was crucified and resurrected but also the year. Knowing what “sabbaton” means is critical for any serious investigation of the topic. Is it necessary to question such an obvious phrase? You decide.

Perhaps you were taught that the ancient Greeks didnt have names for the days of the week—that they counted days i.e. “first day of the week” for Sunday etc. Actually, the Greeks had pagan names for the days of the week just as the rest of the world does to this very day:

Ancient Greek Days of the Week

So why does the Bible never use these names? Two answers: First, virtually everything of date worthy importance happened on a Holy Day or a Sabbath. Secondly, why would God acknowledge day names dedicated to pagan Gods? (Jewish secular writings apparently did number the days of the week.)

Young’s Literal Translation

Young’s Literal Translation is an unusually accurate version. Notice how he translated these “Sunday” verses:

Matthew 28:1 And on the eve of the sabbaths [sabbaton], at the dawn, toward the first of the sabbaths [mian sabbaton], came Mary the Magdalene, and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre.... YLT

Mark 16:2 And early in the morning of the first of the sabbaths [mias sabbaton], they come unto the sepulchre, at the rising of the sun.... YLT

Luke 24:1 And on the first of the sabbaths [mia ton sabbaton], at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bearing the spices they made ready, and certain {others} with them.... YLT

John 20:1 And on the first of the sabbaths [mia ton sabbaton], Mary the Magdalene doth come early (there being yet darkness) to the tomb, and she seeth the stone having been taken away out of the tomb.... YLT

John 20:19 It being, therefore, evening, on that day, the first of the sabbaths [mia ton sabbaton], and the doors having been shut where the Disciples were assembled, through fear of the Jews, [Yeshua] came and stood in the midst, and saith to them, ‘Peace to you.... YLT

Mark 16:9 And He, having risen in the morning of the first of the sabbaths [prote sabbatou], did appear first to Mary the Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.... YLT

Even Young tried to improve the translation of Mark 16:9 by rendering prote sabbatou as “first of the sabbaths” to “agree with” the other accounts. But notice that the word sabbatou ends with a “u” instead of an “n”. It is the singular form of the word, tho both forms of the word share Strongs #4521. Properly translated “prote sabbatou” would read “First Sabbath,” as noted below:

Mark 16:9 And He, having risen in the morning of the ‘First Sabbath’ [prote sabbatou], did appear ‘first’ [proton] to Mary the Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.... YLT [with Sabbath corrected into the singular]

“When Yeshua Was Risen....”

There is another assumption that translators make in this verse. Virtually every modern translator assumes that Yeshua “rose” in the morning—even if they get past which morning is in question. The inspired wording says that He “was risen”, meaning “He was already risen” when they got to the tomb.

Additionally, there was no punctuation in Biblical Greek. Take away nearly two millennia of “sunrise service” tradition and the argument hangs by the misplacement of a comma!

Notice what Mark 16:9 looks like with the comma moved:

Mark 16:9 And He, having risen, in the morning of the First Sabbath did appear first to Mary the Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven demons....

Mark 16:9 Now when Yeshua was risen [450] (5631) early [4404] the first [4413] day of the week [4521], he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. KJV

Notice that both the KJV and the YLT have the tense right. Yeshua was ALREADY RISEN when it was discovered that the tomb was empty. The Pharisees asked Yeshua for a sign—proof of His being the Messiah. Yeshua answered that the only sign He would give to prove that He was our Messiah was that He would be “THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:39-40). Skeptical? Well, you are in good company; for not one of His Disciples waited near the tomb for His resurrection. And upon hearing that He had arisen, three days later, they they were still skeptics! Do you believe Him?

Most modern versions forget all pretense of objectivity and use “rose” instead of “was risen” to arrive at an “Easter sunrise”. Notice above that the Online Bible link shows you the tense of the word “risen”. The number (5631) indicates the aorist tense.

The Encyclopedia Wikipedia does a good job of explaining what the aorist tense means: “It is used to denote action in the past....”

For Yeshua to have been exactly three days and three nights in the grave He would have to have arisen from the grave at the same the same time of day that He was put in the grave. In fact Yeshua said that the time that He spent in His grave would be the only sign that He would give them that He was indeed the Messiah!

Matthew 12:38-40 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

The second problem with the phrase “first day of the week” is the word “week”. It is a real stretch to translate sabbaton as week here. In the KJV “sabbaton” is translated as “sabbath day” 37 times, and “sabbath” 22 times, then there are the eight twisted references where translators try to make “sabbaton” look like the word “week”. Sabbaton is the exact equivalent of the Hebrew word for Sabbath (shabbath). Notice in the Hebrew that Sabbath almost always means the “weekly” sabbath, but also refers to the one* annual Sabbath: The Day of Atonement and in Leviticus 25:2 “the land shall keep a sabbath” every seventh year.

It is quite apparent from every account that the women came to the empty tomb on the “First of the Sabbaths.” But what did “First of the Sabbaths” mean to not only Yeshua’s followers but the entire Jewish community under the Saduccees? At the time the phrase was never questioned because it was well understood and counted out. [Pharisaical Judaism soon afterward stopped counting to Pentecost and fixed the date on Sivan 6. The Catholics began counting to their “Pentecost” from Easter {footnote #1} ] It was the morrow after a particular yearly Sabbath—wave sheaf “Sunday”. “First Sabbaths” or “One Sabbaths” was like the pistol shot at the race tracks that begins the race to Pentecost. From that day we count seven Sabbaths. Here is how the countdown goes:

Leviticus 23:9-16 [Yehovah’] spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you have come into the land which I give to you, and shall reap its the harvest, then you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest: 11 and he shall wave the sheaf before [Yehovah], to be accepted for you. On the next day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 On the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb without blemish a year old for a burnt offering to [Yehovah]. 13 The meal offering with it shall be two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire to [Yehovah] for a pleasant aroma; and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin. 14 You shall eat neither bread, nor roasted grain, nor fresh grain, until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God. This is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 15 “You shall count from the next day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be completed: 16 even to the next day after the seventh Sabbath you shall number fifty days; and you shall offer a new meal offering to [Yehovah]. WEB

In the Hebrew there is only one “annual” Sabbath—that being the Day of Atonement. (Leviticus 23:26-32).

While we are in Leviticus 23 it is a good time to clarify the three mistranslated occurrences of a word that should always be translated as “rest” rather than “Sabbath”.

Shabbathown [07677] is a word that simply means “rest”. If Shabbathown meant Sabbath then Leviticus 23:3 below, for example, would be both redundant and ridiculous. Eight times Shabbathown is correctly translated as “rest” in the KJV but three times the translators missed the mark. All three mistranslations are in Leviticus 23 (verses 24 and 39).

Here is an example of Shabbathown [07677] being translated correctly:

Leviticus 23:3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the ‘sabbath’ [07676] ‘of rest’ [07677], an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. KJV

Here is an example of Shabbathown being translated incorrectly:

Leviticus 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a ‘sabbath’ [07677], a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. KJV

The WEB version correctly renders it as “solemn rest” because it is a type of rest associated with both the Sabbath (v.3) and the Holy Days in Leviticus 23:

Leviticus 23:23-24 [Yehovah] spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest to you, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. WEB

The Hebrew scriptures concerning Sabbaths really dont refer to weeks either but “seven days” can be inferred because Sabbaths are every seventh day. The Hebrew usage of Sabbath helps us establish that the Greek equivalent word “sabbaton” seldom implies “week”.

There is only one usage in the Greek Scriptures where the word sabbaton does imply a week:

Luke 18:12 But I fast twice a ‘week’ [sabbaton], and tithe on all I possess. GB

This usage of the word “Sabbath” above does imply the entire seven day period ending with the Sabbath.

For argument sake tho, even if “first of the Sabbaths” really meant “first of the weeks”, you would still not have a phrase that meant “Sunday” because it is plural. It would still indicate a countdown to the “Feast of Weeks” (or Feast of “sevens”) or “Pentecost”, which literally means “the fiftieth day” (Strong’s 4005).

Exodus 34:22 You shall observe the feast of weeks with the first fruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of harvest at the year’s end.

Resolve This!

Let’s have another look at Matthew 28:1 with Sabbaths in mind—with the understanding that Sunday is not even mentioned.

Matthew 28:1In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the “week” [sabbaton], came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. KJV

There seems to be a problem. On the surface it appears that Matthew cannot make up his mind! Was it Sabbath evening (end/sundown) or dawn when the Marys came to the cemetery? He mentioned both!

First let’s check out the word “evening” or “evening”. While this word only appears in the Bible three times—every usage implies evening. Even so, the lexicon threw in line 1b1 to “account for” the perceived “contradiction” of Matthew 28:1. Evening defined:

The problem is not with the word “evening”, so now let’s check out “dawn” [2020]. It is used only twice in the Scriptures. We just read the “dawn” rendering, so to be thorough lets look at the other one. Interestingly, it is also describing the crucifixion time period:

Luke 23:54 And the day was a preparation, and sabbath ‘was approaching’[2020] ... YLT

The second reference to Strong’s #2020 was not translated “dawn” because it is clearly in reference to sundown rather than dawn! The root word has to do with light appearing. So are the stars coming out in Matthew 28:1 or is the sun rising? Strong’s #2020 alone may not answer that question (but Yeshua rising from the grave without any witnesses present does).

It is apparent that Matthew used one term to describe two distinct periods of day—two “dawns”, as it were, in one day!

It is sometimes difficult to get a good grasp on the meaning of a word when it is used in limited contexts and “dawn” is a good example. It seems that two “dawns” is a reference to one or the other parts of a day:

Genesis 1:5 God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night.” There was evening and there was morning, one day. WEB

Apparently Yeshua’s body was only temporarily placed in the tomb much as bodies are kept in a morgue today, awaiting burial preparations. Putting some spices on a corpse on the Sabbath was considered a “donkey in the ditch” situation. Even the straight laced Talmud permitted a degree of that, with convoluted restrictions, (tho apparently healing on the Sabbath was a “sin”). I have also read that the full treatment of burial spices were not used for three days—just in case the “dead” was really only comatose. Yeshua raised Lazarus after three days apparently so that there was no doubt that he was quite dead.

We are left with the following facts:

1) Yeshua died late in the afternoon of the Preparation Day and was “buried” at nightfall..

2) Counting forwards three days and three nights means that He was resurrected very late on another afternoon but was not found Him missing until dawn.

3) I believe it can be proven that Yeshua died on Wednesday, Abib 14, 31AD as explained in The Mysterious Seventy “Weeks” of Daniel

4) Counting forwards three days and three nights from a Wednesday evening burial means that Yeshua was resurrected on a Sabbath evening as the sun was setting!

5) The Marys arrived at the tomb “at the dawn, toward the first of the sabbaths [mian sabbaton] ...” YLT.

The question of the day is: What is “first of the sabbaths” or as some state it “one of sabbaths”?

Does “in the midst of the week” refer to Yeshua’s Wednesday sacrifice? Didnt Yeshua’s sacrifice cut off sacrificing in the midst of the week?

Sacrifices were not stopped until 70 AD which is a prototype of the end of the age scenario. Remember that this is the very famous Seventy Weeks Prophecy in which days represent years.

Daniel 9:26-27 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 And he [the destroying prince/abomination] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. KJV

So the Destroyer “shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease”. Two chapters later there is a lengthy story about this destroyer. Again the wording concerns the Destroyer, not Yeshua, who “shall take away the continual burnt offering”:

Daniel 11:31 Forces shall stand on his part, and they shall profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and shall take away the continual burnt offering, and they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. 32 Such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he pervert by flatteries; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

Years ago I submitted several of my articles (now chapters) to various evangelists of a sizable Church of God that I was a member of, that incidentally explained this error. One herald immediately got the church to change on this lone point and very shortly afterward made the change public at a Feast of Tabernacles site that I happened to be at—but he had not responded to my correspondence. I approached the man after his sermon. I told him who I was and he immediately turned tail and literally ran away! I also got dishonourable mention (tho not by name) by another herald for submitting Satan’s Second Death. So much for that!

The Millennial Sabbath

The Greek scriptures do not have an equivalent to Shabbathown because Passover is mentioned as a “Sabbath” (Sabbaton) that was a “high” (actually: great) day.

Interestingly, there is a special word that actually compares the “millennial Sabbath” to the day when all of Israel should have entered the Promised Land. This special word is used only once but the vast majority of versions deliberately omit the word “Sabbath” entirely, because they oppose God’s Sabbath. Sabbath is the unquestioned meaning in both the Aramaic and the Greek:

Hebrews 4:1-11

4 Let’s *use great caution* since there is a firm promise of entering into His *resting place*, because some of you may be find yourselves *left behind*[5302]. 2 For the *Good News* was given to us, as well as to them; but the voice* they heard didnt profit them, because it wasnt mixed with faith by those who heard it. 3 But we who have believed will enter into *the resting place*[2663]. But as He said, “As I have sworn in My wrath, they wont enter into My *resting place*”; even tho, the accomplishments*[2041] of Yehovah were predestined*[1096] from the foundation of the world. 4 As he said about the Sabbath, “God rested on the seventh day from all His works”. 5 Here again, He said, “They wont enter into My rest”. 6 *As it was, some could have entered*; but those who heard the *Good News* *first announced*, didnt enter, because they didnt believe. 7 So He renewed*[3825] *the previously designated*[3724] specific*[5100] day, after a long period of time. As was mentioned above, David said, “Today, if you hear His voice, dont harden your minds”. 8 For if Yeshua*[2][2424], the son of Nun, had given them rest, he wouldnt have spoken afterwards of another*[243] day. 9 So there remains*[620] a *Sabbath-rest*[4520] for the people of Yehovah. 10 For He[1] who entered into His rest, rested from His own works, as Yehovah did from His. 11 So let’s labor*[4704] to enter into that *resting place*; so that we dont *fall dead*[4098], like the others who didnt believe. GB

[1] Yeshua alone received His immortality “immediately”, in a place “you cannot come” to. We will receive ours later: John 13:32-33.

[2] Yeshua and the English “Joshua” are both from the Hebrew name Yehoshua.

The context of Hebrews 4 indicates that Joshua (Yeshua) did not lead the adults of ancient Israel into the Promised Land. That generation died in the wilderness but that another Yeshua will lead us into a new and improved Promised Land when we too are resurrected. The seventh thousand years will be the long awaited millennial Sabbath!

First Sabbath

Johnston Cheney’s unique composite account of the life of Yeshua, plainly explains what the “First Sabbath” is:

“Seven sabbaths were to be counted from the Feast of First-fruits or Passover. Consequently, these came to be known as ‘First Sabbath,’ ‘Second Sabbath’ etc., down to the seventh. And according to Julian Morgenstern, former President of Hebrew University, this practice continued in Galilee till the time of Christ or the Common Era. It is still observed by some groups in Palestine today. Thus, there was an annual date known as ‘First Sabbath,’ just after Passover.” —p. 230, The Greatest Story

Apparently there is a “Second Sabbath” mentioned concerning the countdown.

Luke 6:1-2 Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first, that he was going through the grain fields. His Disciples plucked the heads of grain, and ate, rubbing them in their hands. 2 But some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why do you do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day?”

Barnes New Testament Notes has this to say about the second Sabbath:

“This phrase has given great perplexity to commentators. A literal translation would be, ‘on the sabbath called second first,’ or second first Sabbath. The word occurs nowhere else. It is therefore exceedingly difficult of interpretation. The most natural and easy explanation is that proposed by Scaliger. The second day of the Passover was a great festival, on which the wave-sheaf was offered, Le 23:11. From that day they reckoned seven weeks, or seven Sabbaths, to the day of Pentecost. The first Sabbath after that second day was called the second first, or the first from the second day of the feast. The second Sabbath was called the second second, or the second Sabbath from the second day of the feast; the third the third second, &c. This day, therefore, on which the Saviour went through the fields, was the first Sabbath that occurred after the second day of the feast.”

The last two “first day of the week” passages (Acts 20:7 and I Corinthians 16:2) are also explained by Sunday keepers as evidence that the early “Church” met every week on Sunday. “Coincidentally”, a look at the last remaining references to “the first day of the week” also show the Unleavened Bread connection counting toward Pentecost!

Acts 20:6-7 We sailed from the Macedonian city of Philippi during*[3326, meta] the Days of Unleavened Bread; and sailed to Troas in five days, and stayed there seven days. 7 Then on the first *of the Sabbaths* [mia ton sabbaton], when we assembled to break bread, Paul *had dialog*[1256, dialegomai] with them, because he was to depart the next day; and he continued his dialog* till midnight. GB

If “after” was the correct translation, then there would be a contradiction. If Paul sailed away “after” the days of Unleavened Bread then he could not have afterward spent time with the Disciples on “the first of the Sabbaths” because that day had just passed.

While the word “meta” usually means “with” (345 times in the KJV) or “after” (88 times), in this particular instance, with the assurance that the Scriptures cannot be broken, “meta” means “in the midst of”, or simply “during”.

Online Etymology Dictionary: prefix meaning 1. “after, behind,” 2. “changed, altered,” 3. “higher, beyond,” from Gk. meta (prep.) “in the midst of, among, with, after,” from PIE *me- “in the middle” (cf. Goth. miþ, O.E. mið “with, together with, among,” see mid). Notion of “changing places with” probably led to senses “change of place, order, or nature,” which was the principal meaning of the Gk. word when used as a prefix. Third sense, “higher, beyond,” is due to misinterpretation of metaphysics (q.v.) as “transcending physical science.”

So instead of “after”, as it is usually rendered, in this instance “during” would not conflict with “the first of the Sabbaths”.

Acts 20:6-7 We sailed from the Macedonian city of Philippi during* the Days of Unleavened Bread; and sailed to Troas in five days, and stayed there seven days. 7 Then on the first *of the Sabbaths*, when we assembled to break bread, Paul *had dialog*[1256,dialegomai] with them, because he was to depart the next day; and he continued his dialog* till midnight. GB

Once again we have “First of the Sabbaths,” rather than “first day of the week”.

The last alleged “Sunday scripture” is in 1 Corinthians 16:

1 Corinthians 16:1-8 Concerning the *relief money*[3048] for the Saints, as I arranged for the Assemblies of the Galatians, so you should do as well. 2 After*[2596] the *mian sabbaton* [the phrase in question], let everyone lay aside a stockpile[2343] at home, whatever he is able; so that the collecting is finished when I come. 3 Then, I will send those *you choose as being worthy*[1381], with a letter, to carry your bounty to Jerusalem. 4 If it is best that I go as well, they’ll come with me. 5 I will come to you, when I pass from Macedonia; for I am about to pass thru Macedonia. 6 Perhaps I’ll remain with you, or winter with you, so that you can accompany me, wherever I go. 7 For I dont want to see you now, just passing thru; because I hope to spend some time with you, if Yehovah permits me. 8 For I’ll remain in Ephesus until Pentecost.... GB

Is Paul referring to a weekly “offering” to be collected every Sunday to support the “church” so that there would be a sizable stash when he arrived or is this yet another reference to “the first of the Sabbaths”?

Modern translators, supporting the Sunday school of thought begin verse 2 with: “On the first day of the week”. There are two problems here. The first problem is the word “on”. To choose to translate “kata” as “on” is to choose an unlisted application for the word, however the commonest rendering—“after”, makes perfect sense.

The second problem is of course, the “first day of the week”. So “on the first day of the week” is really the day after the first Sabbath during the Days of Unleavened Bread!

The context of I Corinthians 16 above shows Paul’s itinerary. Paul was gathering a “collection for the saints” of funds or actual food due to a famine (off site) in Jerusalem. The word “collection” here is a reference to charity—not tithes or offerings:

It is only after wave sheaf “Sunday” following Passover that the new grain harvests could be eaten. So the most logical time of the year to collect grain for the needy would be when the new crop was being harvested and a surplus was undoubtedly known to be available. These instructions to the Corinthians dated the collection time so that it would be completed when Paul arrived. Sunday? No.

Had God wanted people to think “Sunday” when “first of the Sabbaths” was mentioned then why do all eight references to it have to do with Unleavened Bread and the arrival of Pentecost?

So the “first day of the week”, as a synonym for every Sunday, is not a Biblical concept!

I suppose that somehow a person could rationalize that “the Lord’s Day” might still mean Sunday from the one instance that the phrase appears:

Revelation 1:10-11 I was in the Spirit on the Yehovah’s day [aka the Lord’s Day]; and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, which said, 11 “That which you see, write in a book, and send to the seven Assemblies, to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea”. GB

However, the Lord’s Day is really “the Great and Awesome Day of the Lord” or “Day of the Lord” mentioned dozens of times in Bible prophecy. And it was a deadly serious prophecy that John was to “write in a book and send to the seven assemblies”! John’s “Lord’s Day” was no Sunday picnic!

“Objection has been taken to the interpretation of ‘the Lord’s Day’ here, because we have (in 1:9) the adjective ‘Lord’s’ instead of the noun (in regimen), ‘of the Lord,’ as in the Hebrew. But what else could it be called in Hebrew [or Aramaic]? Such objectors do not seem to be aware of the fact that there is no adjective for ‘Lord's’ in Hebrew; and therefore the only way of expressing ‘the Lord's Day’ is by using the two nouns, ‘the day of the Lord’—which means equally ‘the Lord’s Day’ ([Y]ehovah’s day). It is useless, therefore, to make any objection on this ground; for if a Hebrew wanted to say ‘the Lord’s Day,’ he must say ‘the day of the Lord.’ link

Conclusion:

In truth, the inspired New Scriptures (“New Testament”) say absolutely nothing about a “first day of the week”! The really “inconvenient truth” is that the scriptures repeatedly mention “the first of the Sabbaths” with Pentecost in mind. It was never intended to mean Sundays. Fearless translators, century after century, perpetuate the “first day of the week” myth. “Mia ton sabbaton” actually means the day following a particular Sabbath in the year—the first one after Passover. Before the renegade Pharisees overthrew the Levitical Priesthood—the Sadducees—and exchanged the counting of the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) to the fixed date of Sivan the 6th, in the mid first century, “mia ton sabbaton” indicated the day following the Sabbath which immediately followed the Passover— day #1 of the countdown to Pentecost. Ancient Greek literature never used “first of the Sabbaths” to mean “first day of the week”! If you are not certain about which day Yeshua’s Disciples kept the Sabbath, I would urge you to find out rather than lose out!

Footnote #1 concerning how the Catholic Church determines Easter and hence Pentecost:

“The Syrian Christians always held their Easter festival on the Sunday after the Jews kept their Pasch [Passover]. On the other hand at Alexandria, and seemingly throughout the rest of the Roman Empire, the [Roman] Christians calculated the time of Easter for themselves, paying no attention to the Jews [or Yeshua’s Passover]. In this way the date of Easter as kept at Alexandria and Antioch did not always agree; for the Jews, upon whom Antioch depended, adopted very arbitrary methods [meaning they didnt use equinoxes] of intercalating embolismic months (see CALENDAR, Bol. II, p. 158) before they celebrated Nisan, the first spring month, on the fourteenth day of which the paschal lamb was killed. In particular we learn that they had become neglectful (or at least the Christians of Rome and Alexandria declared they were neglectful) of the law [an alleged law] that the fourteenth of Nisan must never precede the equinox (see Schwartz, Christliche und judische Ostertafeln, pp. 138 sqq.).”