How does Acts 20:6 demonstrate the importance of observing the Lord's Day? Setting the Scene in Troas • Acts 20:6 records, “But we sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and five days later we reached them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.” • Luke’s travel log is precise: leave Philippi, sail five days, remain in Troas exactly a week. • Why note the “seven days”? Because the next verse shows the goal: “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread” (Acts 20:7). • Paul’s itinerary is shaped around the coming Lord’s Day gathering rather than mere convenience. Cues within the Calendar • “After the Feast of Unleavened Bread” anchors the journey in the biblical calendar; Luke expects readers to track days carefully. • A deliberate seven-day stay ensured Paul would be in Troas on the first day of the week. • The structure highlights two sacred time markers: an Old-Covenant feast and the New-Covenant Lord’s Day. Why Waiting Matters • Five days at sea plus seven days on land equals valuable ministry time—yet Paul invests it to share the Lord’s Day assembly. • He could have taught any evening, but he waits for the day already recognized by believers for covenantal worship. • The text underscores the priority of Sunday fellowship above efficiency or personal schedule. The Pattern of the Early Church • Acts 20:6-7 is consistent with other first-day references: – John 20:19, 26 – Jesus appears to the disciples on the first day. – 1 Corinthians 16:2 – believers set aside offerings “on the first day of every week.” – Revelation 1:10 – John is “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.” • Scripture repeatedly presents Sunday as the gathered-worship day, and Acts 20:6 shows leaders arranging travel to honor it. Practical Takeaways for Today • Plan life rhythms—travel, work, recreation—around weekly worship rather than squeezing worship around everything else. • Recognize the Lord’s Day as a covenant sign: weekly remembrance of Christ’s resurrection and the believer’s rest in Him (Hebrews 4:9-10). • Use the full day for the means of grace—Word, fellowship, breaking bread, prayer—following the Troas model. Confidence in the Text • Luke’s meticulous chronology confirms Scripture’s historical reliability. • Because the narrative is factual, its implicit teaching on the Lord’s Day carries binding authority for believers in every age. |
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