Why was Moses preached in synagogues every Sabbath according to Acts 15:21? Acts 15:21—Text “For from earliest times Moses has been proclaimed in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” Immediate Setting: The Jerusalem Council The apostles and elders had just resolved that Gentile converts were not to be burdened with circumcision or the full ceremonial yoke of the Mosaic Law. James’s closing comment (v. 21) explains why only four abstentions (vv. 19–20, 29) were required: the rest of the Law was already accessible to every Gentile who wished to hear it. Historical Origin of the Synagogue Reading • 5th-century BC reform under Ezra (Nehemiah 8:1–8) instituted public Torah reading after the return from exile. • By at least the 3rd-century BC, the practice had stabilized: the Greek translator of the Letter of Aristeas (§158–160) and later Philo (Embassy 156) testify that “the Law is read aloud in full every Sabbath.” • Josephus, Against Apion 2.175: “Our Law … every week is heard by the people….” Why Moses Was Read Every Sabbath 1. Covenant Maintenance Reading renewed the covenant verbally (Deuteronomy 31:10–13) and preserved national identity under foreign rule. 2. Instruction & Formation With scrolls rare and mostly in Hebrew, weekly oral delivery ensured literacy in God’s commands (Psalm 1:2). 3. Authority & Continuity The Law given by the prophet of record (Exodus 24:4) held ultimate written authority, so it framed prophecy, wisdom, and the emerging Writings. 4. Missional Attraction Diaspora synagogues drew “God-fearers” (Acts 13:43), who first encountered Scripture through this liturgy. James’s Logic at the Council Because the Torah was already preached everywhere, Gentile believers could access its moral content freely; imposing circumcision was unnecessary. The four prohibitions (blood, strangled meat, idols, sexual immorality) formed a minimum table-fellowship standard so Jewish and Gentile Christians could worship together while hearing Moses week by week. Structure of the Sabbath Lectionary • Palestinian triennial cycle (166 sections) attested in Megillah 29b. • Babylonian annual cycle (54 parashot) solidified by the 2nd century AD. Both systems ensured Genesis–Deuteronomy were covered in steady sequence. Theological Function: Moses as Pedagogue to Christ Gal 3:24—“So the Law became our guardian to lead us to Christ.” Regular exposure to Moses pointed hearers toward the Messiah foreshadowed in types (John 5:46). Thus the synagogue reading prepared hearts for the gospel Paul and Barnabas proclaimed (Acts 13:27–33). Practical Pastoral Application Believers today inherit this pattern by public reading of Scripture (1 Timothy 4:13). The same Spirit who inspired Moses illumines the text to convict of sin and testify of Christ (John 16:8–14). Summary Moses was preached every Sabbath because, from Ezra onward, God ordained the public reading of the Law as the covenant’s heartbeat. By the first century this universal synagogue practice made the moral will of God accessible in every city, enabling the Jerusalem Council to lift ceremonial burdens from Gentiles while trusting that continual exposure to the Torah—and to the Christ it heralds—would guide their sanctification. |
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