I was hoping you would have had a discussion about the verses in question but you failed to respond to my invitation and so here below is my understanding of the passages you cite:
The Truth About Acts 20:7 And I Corinthians 16:2
The passages above are the scriptures chiefly used by persons who claim Sunday is the Lord's day, to justify their teaching. A proper examination of the passages show, however, that
neither of them are examples of Sunday worship services.
"And upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the morrow: and continued his speech until midnight" (Acts 20:7).
From this passage, many claim this was the regular time for the Church to meet for worship and also to celebrate the Lord's Supper (break bread). Note, however, to break bread does not necessarily refer to the Lord's Supper, as the disciples also
broke bread daily and on the night in question,
Paul broke bread again. (See Acts 2:46; Acts 20:11).
The
breaking of bread simply refers to the disciples
partaking in a meal. (See also Mark 6:41; Luke 24:30,35).
The gathering referred to in
Acts 20:7 is mistakenly believed by
some to have happened, as is now practiced by those who hold worship services, on a Sunday
i.e. they meet on a Sunday morning. They have not considered the Bible's determination of the day and they have also failed to discern from the passage the conditions which show this was
not a Sunday Morning Meeting.
According to the scriptures, the beginning of the day is the evening and so the first day begins on what we call Saturday evening:
"...and the evening and the morning were the first day."(Genesis 1:5; see also Leviticus 23:32,
which shows a yearly Sabbath is celebrated from "even unto even")
The lights in the chamber shows that this was a
night or evening meeting (Acts 20:8) and some translations in fact say,
"On the Saturday night..." (Acts 20:7, New English Bible).
Paul preached until daybreak or morning and then went on his journey as he had planned
(Acts 20:7,11-13).
Hence, the gathering on the first day of the week and the preaching to midnight, shows Paul and the brethren coming together on a
Saturday night and Paul speaking right through the night until he departed
on the morning of the first day i.e. Sunday morning. Paul was traveling on the Sunday morning showing clearly
it was not apostolic tradition to meet on Sunday mornings for worship services. Paul apparently gave a farewell message to the disciples in Troas as they gathered for their evening meal and in the morning departed to Assos to join his companions (Acts 20:14).
Sunday Collection Or Alms Gathering?
"Upon the first day of the week let everyone of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." (I Corinthians 16:2).
The scripture above is said by many to be proof that Christians met regularly for worship on the first day and that the collection of the offering took place at this time.
This is far from the truth. There is no mention of the brethren coming or being together and the collection was not for the churches in Corinth but for brethren in Jerusalem who had fallen on hard times due to a famine. (See
I Corinthians 16:1-3;II Corinthians 9:1-9; Acts 11:27-30)
What does
"lay by him in store" refer to? This is instructing each brother in Corinth to put aside or
reserve in his own place something which he had gained from his occupation for the saints in Jerusalem. This was to be done prior to Paul's visit to them so that they would not be doing any gathering or collection of the gift for the saints when he came. All this would have been done before hand and it was to be done on the first day.
Paul's instruction is therefore about
alms gathering for Christians in Jerusalem and not about a church service or meeting. Hence, brethren in Corinth may very well be working in their occupations, in order to provide this relief for the saints, on the first day of the week.