Christian Cyclopedia

(from OE sunne, “sun,” and daeg, “day,” tr. of Lat. dies solis, tr. of Gk. he tou heliou hemera, “the day of the sun”). 1st day of the week; named after heathen consecration of it to the sun(god).

The “Sunday question” (whether to exclude from ch. fellowship those who held that the ch. had to set apart 1 day in 7 because God had rested 1 day in 7) was a point of controversy bet. the Ev. Luth. Syn. of Iowa* and Other States and the Mo. Syn. The latter summarized its position in the Brief* Statement: “We teach that in the New Testament God has abrogated the Sabbath and all the holy days prescribed for the Church of the Old Covenant, so that neither 'the keeping of the Sabbath nor of any other day' nor the observance of at least one specific day of the seven days of the week is ordained or commanded by God, Col. 2:16; Rom. 14:5 [AC XXVIII 51–60].

”The observance of Sunday and other church festivals is an ordinance of the Church, made by virtue of Christian liberty. [AC XXVIII 51–53, 60; LC I 83, 85, 89]. Hence Christians should not regard such ordinances as ordained by God and binding upon the conscience, Col. 2:16; Gal. 4:10. However, for the sake of Christian love and peace they should willingly observe them, Rom. 14:13; 1 Cor. 14:40. [AC XXVIII 53–56]“

See also Lord's Day; Sabbath, 6, 8.