Sunday Evening Worship?

Is it Scriptural? When this question comes up among many of our brethren today, a myriad of arguments against this longstanding tradition among Baptists is presented. The majority of these are based on humanism and fulfilling the desires of the flesh, rather than any attempt to remain Scriptural and spiritual.

Let’s take a brief look at the subject both from modern tradition and from the antiquity of the Scriptures.

I contend, that the modern attempts to change this longstanding tradition among Baptists originates from a desire to be just like “other Christian churches”, which are not really churches at all, and especially not something we need to use as a pattern to follow. (II Corinthians 6:14-17) Then we also must deal with the false assumption that there is no Biblical example or teaching on this subject.

In days gone by, before the modern conveniences and ease of transportation, there may have been reason for some rural

churches to hold an early afternoon service. For those living away from town, where the church was probably located, this would ease the burden and time restraints of travel for farmers and others who did not live within a reasonable distance of the church sanctuary. Most of this argument is mute today as we have much more choice as to where we live, work, and recreate. Our transportation is almost as convenient and easy as it could be.

I fear that most desiring to change our meeting times to earlier in the day on Sunday, or dismissing Sunday evening service altogether, stems from our own wanting to spend the larger block of the end of our weekend fulfilling the desires of our own social and selfish wants, rather than following the Biblical manner and tradition of considering the LORD’S Day.

The first day of the week is the day for worship and devotion to the LORD. Even in the Old Testament, a large number of Holy Convocation days (Feast/Worship) of the Jewish Calendar took place on the first day of the month, and/or on the first day of the week. The Holy Days of the Jewish Calendar would fall on the eighth or the fifteenth days of their month. This kept the Sabbath day as a day of rest and preparation for their Holy Days of gathering and worship. (Leviticus 23) Even though on the Sabbath there was a Holy Convocation, notice the times also when they met the morrow after the Sabbath. (the first day of the week) (Leviticus 23:6-7,11,15-16,24, 34-36,39-40)

One other point about evening worship in the Old Testament is the priests came before the LORD both morning and evening to offer their daily sacrifices. As a matter of fact, God’s original timing for the Israelites was first the evening and then the morning. The evening was when the daily sacrifices were first presented by the priest, and when the trumpets were to be blown. (Psalm 81:3-4)

As we move into the New Testament, we almost always remember and want our worship on Sunday because this is the recognized first day of the week, the day of Jesus’ resurrection. We many times forget, though, that when Jesus met with the disciples that day, it was in the evening. (Luke 24:1,29-36; John 20:19) I suggest, (Though I may have a hard time proving it, it does follow a pattern!) that when Jesus met with them eight days later, with Thomas in their midst, (The first day of the week again, if you count it correctly.) this was also in the evening. (John 20:24-26)

One exception to the examples given in the Scriptures being consistent with the worship of God’s people taking place in the evening, is on the Day of Pentecost, in Acts 2. Peter describes to those witnessing the phenomena of the Holy Spirit as Comforter as taking place in the morning. (the third hour of the day – around 9 AM) (Acts 2:15) This does confirm the references earlier to the Jewish Feast Days coinciding with the first day of the week, and the church meeting on this same day. Here, God fulfilled the pattern and the promise of the Comforter on this occasion.

Through most of the rest of the book of Acts, the example is of the churches meeting in the evenings on the First Day, being emphasized in Scripture that they traditionally met in the evenings, possibly more often than in the mornings. In Acts 5, where we read about Ananias and Sapphira, the Church in Jerusalem was together at their regular time of worship on the First Day of the week. I suggest that if Sapphira came in three hours after Ananias had died, that they had a service that lasted all day, or at the least, they met later in the day (In the evening?) of the same day when Ananias was confronted by Peter. (Acts 5: 3-11)

In Acts 20, when Paul met with, and preached to the church at Troas, even though it was the first day of the week, he continued preaching in this service until at least midnight. (Acts 20:6-11) This was definitely an evening service, not early in the day.

Today, too often we give so much attention to the traditions that suit us and our wants. We will do almost anything to put away those that inconvenience us, even to the point of forsaking Biblical traditions. Paul told the Thessalonian Church, “Brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” (II Thessalonians 2:15) If we can use any of the Old Testament Biblical patterns and traditions for our doctrine and practice today, especially if we have them confirmed in the New Testament, let’s not forsake them just so we can have the personal time to consume on the lusts of the flesh. The temporal should not be put before the spiritual by the LORD’S people. Especially if we would call it “The LORD’S Day”. Yes, all days should be His, but what’s wrong with honoring Him with a full day, and that according to the Biblical record?