I have been attending your church for the past few weeks. I was raised Seventh Day Adventist. My question is why do you have church on Sunday rather than Saturday?

IPHC from its beginnings adopted Sunday as the day of worship for several reasons. The first is that the church had Methodists roots back into the late 19th century and inherited this as part of its practice.

Secondly, the church recognized Sunday as the day of resurrection and so joined early Christians who would gather on Sunday morning to worship. Many of these first century Christians were Jews who continued to observe the Jewish Sabbath as well as gather on Sunday morning, the first day of the week. As the church spread into the predominately Gentile world, Gentile Christians, who did not have the tradition of the Jewish Sabbath, used Sunday as the day of worship to the Risen Lord.

This is reflected, and endorsed, in the New Testament. First, the apostle Paul in Colossians 2:16 told the Colossian Christians (most of whom were Gentiles) that they were no longer under certain aspects of the Old Testament law since they "are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ" (Col. 2:17), "Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths." In other words, Paul taught that observing the Jewish Sabbath was not mandatory since the purpose of the Sabbath, to be at rest in God, was met in the death and resurrection of Christ.

This pattern is reflected in the Gospel of Mark where in 16:1, 2 where the word Sabbath is used twice. It is first used in verse 1 to describe the end of Sabbath and in verse 2 to describe the beginning of sabbaths. This portion of verse 2 is normally translated "on the first day of the week" (NKJV) which reflects the Greek text that literally reads, "the first of sabbaths." In other words, the resurrection of Jesus has inaugurated a new sabbath that is commonly called "the first day of the week."

IPHC has historically respected those who continue to use the Jewish Sabbath as the day of worship. However, we affirm that the New Testament provides direction and liberty in regards to the Christian Sunday.

Doug Beacham, Executive Director
Church Education Ministries
International Pentecostal Holiness Church