Q: Why do Christians worship on Sunday?
A: In the early days of Christianity, the Church began in Jerusalem and slowly spread across nearby regions—Asia Minor, Macedonia, and eventually Rome. As the faith grew, early Christians found themselves in conflict with the Roman Empire’s religious traditions.
How Roman Culture Shaped Early Christian Worship
Rome followed a polytheistic religion and saw Judaism—and by extension Christianity—as strange and stubborn. Both faiths believed in one God and kept the seventh‑day Sabbath. Because of this, Romans often viewed Christians as a branch of Judaism and persecuted them as such.
To avoid constant suspicion and hostility, the Church in Rome tried to distinguish itself from Judaism. In doing so, it eventually adopted Sunday, the Roman day dedicated to the sun god Mithra, as its main day of worship.
Mithraism was extremely influential in the Roman Empire, especially among soldiers. Mithra, known as the “invincible sun,” had become a favorite deity of Roman emperors. By the time Christianity reached Rome, Sunday worship was already deeply rooted in Roman culture. To ease persecution and fit into Roman society, the church in Rome began shifting worship from Saturday to Sunday.
Constantine’s Role in Making Sunday the Christian Day of Rest
This change became even more widespread under Emperor Constantine. After issuing the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D.—which gave religious tolerance to Christians—Constantine continued to blend political strategy with religion. Although he supported Christianity, he also kept pagan titles and honored the sun god. In 321 A.D., he issued a civil law requiring rest on Sunday, solidifying the day as a public day of worship throughout the empire.
Over time, Sunday observance spread across most churches. However, many Christians maintained that the biblical day of worship—the seventh‑day Sabbath—was never changed by God.
According to Scripture, God’s commandments are not to be altered by human authority. For believers who keep Saturday as the Sabbath, this day remains the original and unchanging day of worship taught in the Bible.
