The synagogue, a central institution in Jewish religious life, served as a place where the Scriptures were read and expounded upon. This practice was integral to the spiritual and communal life of the Jewish people, particularly during the Second Temple period and beyond. The synagogue functioned not only as a place of worship but also as a center for teaching and learning the Torah and other sacred texts.

Historical Context and Function

The origin of the synagogue is not explicitly detailed in the Hebrew Scriptures, but it is believed to have developed during the Babylonian Exile when the Jewish people were separated from the Temple in Jerusalem. By the time of Jesus, synagogues were well-established throughout Judea and the Diaspora. They provided a venue for communal prayer, instruction, and the reading of the Scriptures.

Scriptural Readings and Exposition

The reading and exposition of the Scriptures in the synagogue were central to its function. This practice is evidenced in several New Testament passages. In Luke 4:16-21, Jesus Himself participates in this tradition: "He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath. And when He stood up to read, the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it was written: 'The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.' Then He rolled up the scroll, returned it to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him, and He began by saying, 'Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.'"

This passage highlights the practice of reading from the Prophets, a key component of synagogue worship, and the subsequent exposition or teaching that followed the reading.

Role of the Synagogue in Early Christianity

The synagogue played a significant role in the spread of early Christianity. The Apostle Paul frequently began his missionary work by visiting synagogues in various cities. Acts 13:14-15 records one such instance: "From Perga, they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath, they entered the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent word to them, saying, 'Brothers, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, please speak.'"

Paul's engagement with the synagogue demonstrates its importance as a venue for discussing and interpreting the Scriptures. It was a place where Jews and God-fearing Gentiles gathered to hear the Word of God, making it a strategic starting point for Paul's evangelistic efforts.

Structure and Leadership

The synagogue service typically included readings from the Torah and the Prophets, followed by a sermon or teaching. The leadership of the synagogue, often comprising elders and a ruler of the synagogue, was responsible for maintaining order and facilitating the service. In Acts 18:8, we read about Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue in Corinth, who became a believer in the Lord, illustrating the influential role of synagogue leaders.

Conclusion

The synagogue's role in reading and expounding the Scriptures was foundational to Jewish religious life and provided a critical context for the early Christian movement. Through the synagogue, the teachings of the Scriptures were made accessible to the community, fostering a deep engagement with the Word of God.Nehemiah 8:1-8
And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.
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Nehemiah 9:3,5
And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.
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Matthew 4:23
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
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Matthew 9:35
And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
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Matthew 13:54
And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, From where has this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
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Mark 1:39
And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.
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Luke 4:15-33
And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
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Luke 13:10
And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
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John 18:20
Jesus answered him, I spoke openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, where the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.
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Acts 9:20
And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
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Acts 13:5-44
And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.
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Acts 14:1
And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.
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Acts 15:21
For Moses of old time has in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
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Acts 17:2,10
And Paul, as his manner was, went in to them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
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Acts 18:4,19,26
And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
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Judaism and Heathenism in Contact.
... The Old Testament Scriptures were translated into Greek two centuries before Christ,
and were read and expounded ... Every synagogue was a mission-station of ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 13 judaism and heathenism.htm

The Worship of the Church. The Religion of the Primitive ...
... In the church, as well as in the synagogue, the whole ... to confine himself to the
Scriptures pointed out ... then, petitions, long since antiquated, were muttered in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/killen/the ancient church/chapter i the worship of.htm

Brief Outline of Ancient Jewish Theological Literature
... the analogy scarcely holds good; nor, indeed, were such collectors employed in every
synagogue. ... what was read out of the Hebrew Scriptures, and also ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 18 brief outline of.htm

Text-Divisions: Stichi, Chapters, Lections, Catenae.
... inherited by the Church from the Synagogue (Lc. ... Socrates) on Wednesdays and Fridays
the Scriptures are read ... allusions which shew that they were usually based ...
/.../chapter vi text-divisions stichi chapters.htm

Extracts No. vii.
... the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the ... 9. "That the gospels were attacked
by the ... That formal catalogues of authentic scriptures were published, in ...
/.../ballou/a series of letters in defence of divine revelation/extracts no vii.htm

Easter Tuesday
... Accordingly, when he came to the synagogue the next sabbath ... Though ye were ordained
by God and given authority ... point us to the Old Testament Scriptures, that we ...
//christianbookshelf.org/luther/epistle sermons vol ii/easter tuesday 2.htm

Introduction
... the necessities of the Alexandrian synagogue that brought ... not a Hellenist, and could
read his Bible ... the Gentiles knew that the Scriptures were interpreted by ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/conybeare/a grammar of septuagint greek/introduction.htm

The Original Text and Its History.
... The public manuscripts consist of synagogue-rolls carefully written out on ... Probably
both were of Egyptian origin ... as the received text of the Hebrew Scriptures. ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xiv the original text.htm

John Chapter ii. 11-Jan
... proof cannot be found),"nevertheless, the Scriptures, perhaps, on ... the very beginning,
Adam and Eve were the parents ... By leaving the synagogue of the Jews, of ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate ix john chapter ii.htm

The Septuagint as a Version.
... to supply the wants of the Alexandrian Synagogue. ... of translating the Hebrew Scriptures,
eventually became ... Hebrew characters, which however were read as Kurios. ...
/.../chapter v the septuagint as.htm

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