Refresh Yourself With Rivers of Living
Water
Online
Audio
Daily Webcasts
Sermons, Services and
Bible Studies
Library
Bookstore
Discussion
and News Lists
Bible
Study Resources
Success
Resources at Destiny Central
How
You Can Help
Links
rcg@destiny-worldwide.net
|
Assembling
on the Sabbath
"Remember the Sabbath day,
to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the
seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no
work..." —Ex 20:8-10
Is the Sabbath only a day to
refrain from work? Are there positive things we should do on the Sabbath? Do
we need to assemble with others? What should we do in services? What does the
Bible say?
By Norman S. Edwards
May 1995
____________________________________________
OUTLINE
MORE THAN A "DAY OFF"
GOOD THINGS TO DO ON THE SABBATH
DID THE COMMAND TO ASSEMBLE
CONTINUE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT?
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THEY WERE
PUT OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUES?
ARE ASSEMBLIES REQUIRED OR
OPTIONAL?
BACKGROUND TO FIRST CENTURY
WORSHIP
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT
WORSHIP SERVICES
1 CORINTHIANS 14:26: THINGS TO
DO AT SERVICES
OTHER ITEMS THAT ARE PART OF
WORSHIP SERVICES
IS A MINISTER OR ELDER REQUIRED
TO WORSHIP?
CAN THESE PRINCIPLES BE MADE TO
WORK TODAY?
CONCLUSION
This copy distributed by Friends
of the Brethren, PO
Box 6516, Springdale,
AR 72766-6516
Tel: 501-872-1003 Fax: 501-872-1004 E-mail: 75260.1603@compuserve.com
The Sabbath was given as a
"perpetual covenant" between the Eternal and his people (Ex
31:13-17). This covenant did not end with the death of our Savior. Isaiah 56
pictures a time when Israel will be gathered (vv 7-8) and salvation will be
available to everyone—clearly after the Messiah's return. What will these
people be doing? "Also the sons of the
foreigner who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name
of the Lord, to be His servants—everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath
and holds fast My covenant" (v 6). With all of the contention between
the Jewish leadership and the Messiah's followers, do we find arguments about
keeping the Sabbath? No, we find only clear statements that the apostle Paul
taught Jews and Gentiles on that day (Acts 13:42, 16:13, 17:2,
18:4).
More Than a "Day Off"
Many people are familiar with
the instructions not to work on the Sabbath Day (Ex 20:10, 31:14-15, 35:2, Lev 23:3, Jer
17:22-24, Neh 13, etc.). But is that
all there is to it? "If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing
your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy
day of the Lord honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor
finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall
delight yourself in the Lord; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills
of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the Lord has
spoken" (Isaiah 58:13-14). This day is for seeking the Lord and serving
him, not a day of frivolous entertainment.
"Six days shall work be
done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy
convocation" (Lev 23:1-4) The Hebrew words for "holy
convocation" here are the same used elsewhere in this chapter for
assembling on feast days. Deuteronomy 16:16 and other
Scriptures make it clear that the people were to gather together. Twice we
read "You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the
Lord" (Lev 19:30,
26:2). It is on the Sabbath day that people went to the temple, which
contained the sanctuary or "holy place," the physical
representation of the Eternal on earth. They were to worship and
"reverence" his holiness.
This pattern of the faithful
meeting at the temple on the Sabbath continued even during difficult times
of the evil queen Athalia. It was on a Sabbath day
that Jehoiada made Jehoash
king in front of the large crowds at the temple (II Kngs
11:9,13-14).
Sabbath assemblies will continue
in the millennium. Chapters 40 through 48 of Ezekiel are a prophecy of the
future restoration of a temple at the Messiah's return. They contain
instructions to the priests that mention the keeping of the Sabbath and
appointed assemblies in the same sentence: "And they [the priests] shall
teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause
them to discern between the unclean and the clean. In controversy they shall
stand as judges, and judge it according to My judgments. They shall keep My
laws and My statutes in all My appointed meetings,
and they shall hallow My Sabbaths" (Ezk 44:23-24).
Good Things To Do On the Sabbath
Psalm 92 is titled "A Song
for the Sabbath day." These 15 verses provide some wonderful insights
about what we should be doing on the Sabbath day. We will quote the entire
Psalm:
1A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath
day. It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name,
O Most High; 2To declare Your lovingkindness in the
morning, And Your faithfulness every night, 3On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute, And on the harp, With harmonious sound. 4For You, Lord, have
made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands. 5O
Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep. 6A senseless man
does not know, Nor does a fool understand this. 7When the wicked spring up
like grass, And when all the workers of iniquity flourish, It is that they
may be destroyed forever. 8But You, LORD, are on high forevermore. 9For
behold, Your enemies, O Lord, For behold, Your enemies shall perish; All the
workers of iniquity shall be scattered. 10But my horn You have exalted like a
wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil. 11My eye also has seen my
desire on my enemies; My ears hear my desire on the wicked who
rise up against me. 12The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall
flourish in the courts of our God. 14They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing, 15To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
These are the major points that
we learn:
1. We should praise the Eternal on the Sabbath day, with
singing and instrumental music (v 1,3). This is done
to some degree in many "Church
of God" groups, but there is probably much more that we
could do. If people are not available that can sing or play special praises
to God, perhaps we could utilize the 20th century convenience of recorded
music. In any case, the music should praise the Eternal for his great deeds
(v 2,4-5); not praise the membership.
2. We should appreciate the knowledge that has been given to
us, realizing that others do not understand (v 6). (This must be
done with a humble spirit; we should not look down on others just because
they do not understand—Zph 3:11.)
3. We should receive fresh oil, which is a symbol of the holy
spirit (v 10). The holy spirit is given in increased measure when we pray for
it (Luke 11:13, Acts 4:31)
4. We should go to the "house of the Lord" (v 13).
This expression is used over a hundred times
in the Bible to indicate either the tabernacle built in Moses' day or one of
the temples in Jerusalem. Being "planted" in it certainly means that we
make a habit of going there. (Since there are no temple services today, we
will deal with their replacement later.)
5. When trials and evils are surrounding us, we should use
this day to remember that good will triumph over evil, the righteous over the
wicked, etc. (vv 7-11). Many other prophecies show that this will ultimately
happen in the millennium, which the Sabbath pictures. [Revelation 20:2-6
shows the thousand year reign of the Messiah and 2 Peter 3:8 explains the
parallel of one day being like a thousand years. There have been
approximately 6000 years since Adam wherein men have failed to produce
peaceful governments. These 6000 years are like the first 6 days of the week,
to be ended by the millennium, pictured by the weekly Sabbath. It is only
through this teaching that we can understand the Eternal's
statement to Adam "... in the day that you eat of it you shall surely
die" (Gen 2:18). Adam died at age
930 (Gen 5:5) during the first thousand-year "day," not the literal
24-hour day.
6. Those who are mature in the word
should "bear fruit" or teach others the greatness of the Eternal,
how we can trust him. The Sabbath is a day for teaching and learning.
Did the Command to Assemble
Continue in the New Testament?
We learn from the Gospel of Luke
that our Savior was in the habit of assembling on the Sabbath and Holy Days
as he grew up: "His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover" (Luke 2:41). "So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He
went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read" (Luke 4:16).
While the Messiah sometimes
spoke outdoors as in the famous "sermon on the mount" (Matt 5:1),
his most frequent places of teaching were the synagogues and the temple.
"Jesus answered him, 'I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in
synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I
have said nothing'" (John 18:20).
During His early ministry there are mostly references to synagogue teaching.
For example: "Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue
and taught" (Mark 1:21).
"And He entered the synagogue again..." (Mark 3:1). "And when
the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue..." (Mark 6:2).
During his later ministry we find more Scriptures mentioning his teaching in
the temple. "Now about the middle of the Feast, Jesus went up into the
temple and taught" (John 7:14).
"And he was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the
scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him" (Luke 19:48).
After the death of our Savior,
His way was taught in the temple for a while, as well as in synagogues and
houses. "So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking
bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of
heart" (Acts 2:46). "But at night an angel of the Lord opened the
prison doors and brought them out, and said, 'Go, stand in the temple and
speak to the people all the words of this life'" (Acts 5:19-20).
"And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease
teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ"
(Acts 5:42). The number of disciples in Jerusalem continued to grow for a while (Acts 6:1), but not much
later "a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.... As for Saul, he made havoc of
the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing
them to prison. Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching
the word" (Acts 8:1,3-4). We find little
mentioned about preaching in the temple after this time.
Paul certainly had a custom of
synagogue attendance, both to preach to new people and to assemble with the
brethren. "... They came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of
the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three
Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures" (Acts 17:1-2). Acts 18
shows that these were regular meetings of the brethren, not just efforts to
convert the Jews: "And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and
persuaded both Jews and Greeks" (v 4). "And he departed from there
and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshipped God,
whose house was next door to the synagogue.... And he continued there a year
and six months, teaching the word of God among them (v 7,11).
"Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler
of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat...." (v 17). Sosthenes was a converted
man and continued as a leader of the brethren (1Cor 1:1), but he maintained
his position as ruler of the synagogue. Additional references to teaching and
assembling in synagogues are available (Acts 9:20, 13:5,14,42, 14:1,10,17, etc.).
Obviously, this practice of the
Messiah's followers attending synagogue services was not appreciated by the
unbelieving Jews. His prophecy came to pass: "They will put you out of
the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think
that he offers God service" (John 16:2). It is noteworthy that His
followers were not told to leave the synagogues, but told they would be put
out. Sometimes the disciples recognized a hopeless situation and left
the synagogues before they were put out. "And he [Paul] went into the
synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading
concerning the things of the kingdom
of God. But when some were hardened and did not believe, but
spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and
withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school
of Tyrannus. And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt
in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and
Greeks" (Acts 19:8-10). Here we have a good example of meeting in
another facility that was not designed for worship services—something done
frequently in our age.
The last Bible reference we find
to brethren meeting in a synagogue is in James 2:2-3: "For if there
should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and
there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes..." The word
"assembly" is translated from the Greek sunagoge,
which is translated "synagogue" in all 56 other places that it
appears in the New Testament. There is no linguistic or contextual reason for
translating it differently here. The King James and most other Bible
translators could not bring themselves to admit that the Messiah's followers
were still using "Jewish" forms of worship as late as 60 AD (the
approximate time of James' writing). Such an admission would be tremendous
evidence for keeping the Sabbath rather than Sunday—evidence they would
rather not face. (A few less-known translations do render sunagoge
properly: The Emphasized New Testament by Joseph Bryant Rotherham,
Kregel Publications; The Jewish New Testament by
David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Publications; and The Sacred Scriptures,
Bethel Edition, An Assemblies of Yahweh Publication.)
What Happened After They Were
Put Out of the Synagogues?
Whether it took a few years, or
many years, the true believers were eventually put
out of the synagogues (John 16:2). Persecution may have moved more slowly
among "the twelve tribes that are scattered abroad" (Jms 1:1)—thus explaining the later reference to
synagogues in James 2:2. So where did the saints (the believers in the
Messiah) assemble after they were put out of the synagogues? The commonly
thought answer is "in Christian Churches!" But what does the Bible say? Do we find Biblical
descriptions of church buildings or church services? The surprising answer is
largely "No."
The Greek word translated
"church" in the New Testament is ekklesia.
It means "assembly" or "people that have come together."
"Called out ones" is preferred by some, and if a crowd "comes
together," they certainly must have come out of somewhere! Of interest, ekklesia is translated "assembly" three times
in Acts 19, once for a "lawful assembly," (v 39) and twice for a
rather unruly mob. "And some cried one thing and some another, for the
assembly [ekklesia] was confused, and most of them
did not know why they had come together" (vv 32, 41). The word ekklesia is also used in Acts 7:38 to describe the
Israelite nation at the time of Moses, the "church in the
wilderness." It is also used in Heb 2:12, a quotation from Psalm 22:22
to translate from the Hebrew qahal, which is
usually translated "congregation" in the Old Testament..
All other uses of ekklesia in the New Testament refer to the body of the
Messiah—the assembly of saints or the true believers. Sometimes
it refers to the entire body of believers as in Ephesians 5:25:
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ
loved the church [ekklesia] and gave himself for
it." Other times it refers to a local congregation in a certain area:
"To the church [ekklesia] which is at Corinth" (1Cor 1:2, cf Rev 2 &
3). The plural form is used to refer to multiple assemblies: "so that we
ourselves boast to you among the churches [ekklesia]
of God" (2Thes 1:4).
The Biblical definition of the ekklesia is the body of the Messiah (Col 1:24). It is
the Eternal that sets the members in the Body when they are baptized (1Cor 12:12-14,18,27). Only those that obey
Him receive his spirit and are part of the body (Acts 5:32, Rom 8:9). There is no record of an apostle or any other
leader placing someone into or out of the ekklesia.
This author prefers using
"congregation," "assembly," or "body of
believers" rather than the word "church" for two reasons:
First, when most people hear the word "church" they think of either
a building or some kind of organized group of which one can become a member,
not the definition given above. Second, most dictionaries trace the origin of
the word "church" to the old English circe
or cyrce which is the name of a Greek goddess that turned men into swine
(see Homer's Odyssey). (Dictionaries will attempt to trace the word back to
the Greek kyriakon, meaning "master," but
the connection is tenuous and not at all related to the word ekklesia used in the Scriptures.) We use the word
"church" when it appears in Bible translations and other literature
or conversations because people understand us, but we do not feel that it
honors our Father to call His body after the name of a false deity.
Are Assemblies Required or
Optional?
We have already seen much of the
Old Testament evidence for Sabbath Assemblies. The New testament contains
more!
We can start with the signs the
Eternal gave His people. Exodus 31:13 shows that the Sabbath would be a sign
between the Eternal and his people. In John 13:34-35, our Savior gave a new
sign whereby his people would be known: "A new commandment I give to
you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one
another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love
for one another." Today, many Jews claim to keep the Sabbath, but do not
claim to have the love spoken of in these verses. Many Christians
claim to have this love, but do not keep the Sabbath. We should be doing
both. How can we be identified by these signs unless we are assembling
regularly on the Sabbath? How can we show such love to others and how can the
world see that we are showing it unless we have close acquaintances and
regular fellowship? The most common reasons for people not to regularly
fellowship are: meetings that are too far away, meetings that take too long, and doctrinal disagreement with others. If these
things prevent us from assembling on the Sabbath, will we still be able to
set the good example of love for each other during the other six days of the
week? That is hard to believe.
There are numerous Scriptures
that show us that the saints assembled together on a regular basis—usually on
the Sabbath (Acts 13:44, 14:27, 15:6, 15:30, I Cor
5:4, etc.). Paul and Barnabas spent a year in Jerusalem assembling with the brethren (Acts 11:26). "And let us hold fast the confession of our hope
without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one
another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another,
and so much the more as you see the Day approaching" (Heb 10:25).
The Greek word used for
assembling here is very interesting: episunagoge.
The prefix epi means "on,"
"upon," or "towards" and the rest of the word is sunagoge; the exact same form used for "synagogue"
everywhere else in the Bible. This same word, episunagoge,
is used only one other place in the Scriptures where it describes the
gathering together of all the brethren for the Messiah's return. As Hebrews 10:25 makes clear, we need to meet together to exhort one
another all the more as we are nearing the end.
Background to First Century
Worship
Before we look at the Scriptures
to see what they say about New Testament services, it helps to have a
historic prospective about the services in which our Savior participated. As
we have shown previously, He taught in both the temple and synagogue. The nature
of these services would allow any man of Israel to speak and teach provided that he had something
worthwhile to say that was in keeping with the Scriptures. If Jesus (or Yeshua as his fellow Israelites called him) did not
participate in the rest of services (songs, prayers, Scripture readings), he
certainly would not have been considered a man of Israel and would not have been allowed to speak.
The synagogue services were
patterned after the temple services. Even though top-level Jewish leaders in
the New Testament period had great faults and broke the law by their
tradition (Mark 7, Matt 23), they did not seize control of local synagogue
services. Our Savior (as well as other less-honorable teachers) were able to teach through that system. He was able to
teach a message that was in many points contradictory to what the top leaders
believed. Contrast this with most modern-day church services where a
traveling teacher, no matter how knowledgeable or righteous, would not be
allowed to speak unless given permission by the organization in charge. To
provide a historic background of this kind of service, we will quote selected
paragraphs from chapter 19 of William L. Colman's Today's Handbook of Bible
Times and Customs (Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1984):
The synagogue was extremely
important in the time of Christ, serving as the center of religious education and the
spiritual lighthouse of Jewish community life....
When Jesus began His ministry,
the synagogue could not be ignored as a force in Israel. Other than the temple in Jerusalem, no religious institution in Israel held such importance. The advantage of a synagogue was
that it was in close proximity to the common person. Consequently much of the
early church's initial impact was felt in synagogue services.
DIVERSITY. Synagogues might be
compared with the present diversity among Christian
churches. While there were similarities between most synagogues, there were
also notable differences between congregations and between regions. Ten
Jewish males were necessary to form a synagogue, but beyond this standard
they were free to establish their own structure and format.
The Synagogue of the Libertines
or Freedmen (Acts 6:9) may have been comprised of former Roman slaves.
Consequently they had their own background and perspective. Some synagogues
allowed meetings concerning political intrigue and insurrection against Rome. Others were very traditional, staid and
non-controversial.
A synagogue, especially outside
of Israel, might have people from diverse backgrounds. Often,
converted Gentiles made up part of the congregations.
Architecture of the buildings
could differ drastically....
LEADERSHIP. Most of a
synagogue's affairs were managed by a committee of ten elders. It was their
job to oversee synagogue life and select those who would be in charge of the
activities. Two officials were expected to provide the main leadership,
though this number often varied.
Ruler of the synagogue. This
general overseer is found in the New Testament. He was expected to maintain
smooth order in the services or other meetings. He needed to assign people to
read the Scriptures and lead in prayer. When a visitor came to the synagogue,
the ruler invited him to address the congregation, as was done at Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:15). Jesus was invited to speak in synagogues as He
traveled about (Luke 4;14,15). Such a ruler objected
to Christ's audacity to heal on the Sabbath (Luke 13:14).
Attendant of the synagogue.
Called a hazzan, this was the person who worked in
the synagogue and received a salary. When the Scriptures were to be read, he
removed the appropriate scrolls from the chest and afterward returned them.
Jesus handed the Isaiah scroll to the attendant after reading to the
congregation (Luke 4:20).
It was not uncommon for the
attendant to live in a part of the synagogue.
Not every attendant was a godly
person. Some were known to save the prestigious seats for those who offered a
small gift. Such men may be the objects of James' scorn when He condemned the
practice of selective seating. In some congregations the wealthy were given
the best benches, and the poor had to stand at the back or sit on the floor
at someone's feet (James 2:1-4).
SERVICES. Considering the
pluralism that existed among Jews, it is impossible to define a standard
order of service. Nevertheless, there were certain ingredients that would
have been found in most.
Shema. As an affirmation of their faith in one God, the
congregation recited a passage from the writings of Moses (Deut 6:4,5). The shema is the central credal statement of the faith. [It was reaffirmed by our
Savior in Mark 12:29-30!] Monotheism was the cornerstone of Judaism and
conflicted with the polytheistic religions that surrounded Israel.
Several prayers of thanksgiving
also were used, interspersed with hearty "Amens."
Reading the scrolls. The
Scriptures were at the heart of the synagogue services. Jews believed God had
revealed His will in written form; consequently literacy and the scrolls were
paramount. Those who recorded their experiences in the synagogue, especially
around the New Testament era, noted the centrality of the Scriptures.
Often someone would then explain
the Scriptures. Occasionally young people were invited to render their
interpretations. [In most "Church
of God" services the young person's role is primarily to
be quiet.] If an honored or respected visitor was in their midst, he was
invited to speak....
The Jews were quite liberal
in allowing people to interpret the Scriptures. They did not look to a select
few gifted, trained or anointed leaders. Most any Jewish man was eligible to pre-sent his insights concerning the Word of God.
All of these elements are not
directly supported by Scripture, but it is hard to find where they contradict
Scripture. This is the kind of service in which our Savior, the apostles, and
most of the first-century brethren participated since childhood. This is the
system in which He preached the Gospel to Israel. We must read the New Testament with this in mind. These
people did not consider a Sabbath service to be a few songs, two prayers, and
a short and long sermon given by men carefully chosen to represent
headquarters' theology. We are not suggesting today's congregations look
primarily to Jewish tradition for their format of services, but we do suggest
that they use the applicable instructions for services from the Old and New
Testaments and fill in the missing details from what history tells us our
Savior and apostles were doing at their services. Let us see what the
Scriptures say:
What does the Bible Say About
Worship Services?
When & Where? We have
already seen that services should be held on the Sabbath day. There are
scriptural references to other Holy Days, but they exceed the scope of this
article. While the early believers did meet primarily in synagogues, it was
not a "requirement." The school
of Tyrannus was used (Acts 19:9) as well as houses (1Cor 16;19, Col 4;15, Phlm 2). Since the
synagogue had few specific architectural requirements and no other
requirements are specified in the New Testament, we can conclude that the
shape or nature of the building is not a critical part of the service..
Outdoor meetings were used,
also. Acts 16:11-13 mentions people meeting for prayers by "the
riverside" (a more limited service since the Jewish-required 10 men were
not present). It is likely that the synagogues in Philippi, a
Roman Colony, were destroyed a few years before when Claudius had commanded
all Jews to depart from Rome (See Acts 18:1). It is possible that political situation
may have forbidden men to meet together, but an assembly of mostly women
would not be considered "dangerous." The overall lesson to be
learned is: The need to assemble to encourage each other is far more
important than the physical facilities. We should make the best use of what
is available.
Who assembles? Several
Scriptures tell us all believers assembled together, both men and women.
History shows children were present, too. The instructions to children in
Ephesians 6:1 and Colossians 3:20 indicate that Paul expected children in the
audience when his epistles were read to the congregations.
Should unbelievers be allowed to
attend? Not usually. People with obvious flagrant sins should not be
permitted (1Cor 5:11). We
should not accept deceivers that are teaching false fundamental doctrines
(2Jn 7-11). We should not meet with those that are "obsessed with
disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling,
evil suspicions, useless wranglings," nor
should we meet with those that feel wealth is a sign of righteousness (1Tim
6:3-10). There is no command to seek out unbelievers and bring them into the
assemblies, but 1 Corinthians 14:23-25 shows that in some cases they might
come in. If they did, they should not be immediately escorted out, but they
should witness a service convincing them that "God is truly among
you."
While the Scriptures tell us we
should assemble on the Sabbath, neither the Old nor New Testament commands
any kind of punishment for non-attendance. It is the individual's
responsibility to attend as often as possible. If sickness or other
circumstances interfere, each believer must decide what to do. Indeed, the
Old Testament commands us to stay away if we have certain diseases. When Paul
talked about "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is
the manner of some" (Heb 10:25), he
did not say to disfellowship or shun those that
were forsaking the assembling.
How should we be dressed? This
writer knows of a woman with an unbelieving husband who studied his Bible for
years and finally decided to attend services with her. They were not wealthy
and he did not own a suit and tie. He wore a clean shirt and pants but when
he arrived at services he was not permitted to enter because he did not have
a suit. While Scriptures such as Isaiah 64:6 and Zechariah 3:3-4 compare
dirty clothes with sin, our mission is to bring not "the righteous, but
sinners to repentance" (Mark 2:17). The parable of the man rejected for
not having a wedding garment (Matt 22:1-14) is not talking about a worship
service either literally or by analogy. It is telling us that we must be
completely ready for His Kingdom when it comes.
Individually, we should strive
to be clean and neat for services, but the Bible clearly teaches that we
should not reject anyone based on their dress. John the Baptist wore very
plain clothes but was called the greatest man (Math 3:4, 11:8-11). The
context of 1 Timothy 2:9-10 seems to be public
worship: women should not put on a "style show" but emphasize
modesty. Finally, we have specific instructions in James 2:2-4: "For if
there should come into your assembly [synagogue] a man with gold rings, in
fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and
you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, 'You
sit here in a good place,' and say to the poor man, 'You stand there,' or,
'Sit here at my footstool,' have you not shown partiality among yourselves,
and become judges with evil thoughts?"
1 Corinthians 14:26:
Things To Do At Services
This single verse states many of
the activities of the Corinthians' Sabbath services:
"How is it then, brethren?
Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a
tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let
all things be done for edification."
This entire section of Scripture
is about worship services. Paul goes on to explain how to do many of these
things. There are a few other things mentioned elsewhere which we will cover
later. We will go through them one at a time.
Psalms or songs. Most
congregations of all denominations have maintained this instruction to some
degree. There are dozens of commands in the Old Testament to sing praises to
our Father. Paul repeats one in Hebrews 2:12, specifically stating: "In
the midst of the congregation I will sing praise to You." Ephesians 5:19 mentions "speaking to one another in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the
Lord." Ephesians 3:16 continues this approach: "Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to
the Lord."
The book of Psalms mentions a
wide variety of vocal arrangements, instruments, and styles of music. Music
could be quite loud (Psalm 98:4 and 33:3). The only major limitation is that
the songs we sing should praise the Eternal, or teach some valuable lesson as
described in the verses above. We should avoid songs that primarily praise
the singers.
The Scriptures are not satisfied
if we only sing decade-old or hundred-year-old hymns. There are seven
commands in the Old Testament to sing a "new song" to the Eternal
(Ps 33:3, 40:3, 96:1, 98:1, 144:9, 149:1, Isa
42:1). Even in Revelation 5:9 and 14:3 we find that new songs are still being
sung. Those that have a talent for writing music should be encouraged. The
performing of music new to the congregation (often called "special
music") should be continued.
Teaching. "Church
of God" congregations have typically done much of this.
The Greek didache used here has a broad
meaning—like the English word "teach." It could apply to an
exposition of Scripture or a discourse on some particular subject. It does
not imply divine inspiration. Our concept of a sermon or sermonette
fits into this category. However, many people believe that only
"elders" or "ministers" and a few carefully selected men
should be allowed to teach in services. This idea is supported neither by the
Bible nor history. The Scripture says, "each one of you"—everyone
had something to contribute and teaching could be one of those things.
We have read the history of
synagogues, how they allowed any man of Israel to speak about the Scriptures. We have seen how the
Messiah and his apostles were able to teach in a number of synagogues having
no "rank" or position in those organizations nor being part of some
regional or national organization. In Acts 6 we find seven men selected and
appointed to serve widows—Stephen and Philip, two of the seven, are doing
major Gospel preaching in the next two chapters of the book. Indeed, all the
brethren except the apostles were scattered from Jerusalem, but they preached the Gospel everywhere (Acts 8:1,4). Acts 18;18-28 shows the
story of how Apollos, a man neither selected by the
brethren nor having hands laid on him, of his own accord began to teach the
Truth. Aquila, Priscilla and others had to teach him other things, but
he continued on in his role as a teacher (1Cor 4:6, 16:12). Hebrews 5:12 clearly
shows that men who have attended for a long time should be teachers. All of
these things do not neatly fit into the hierarchical structure that many of
us thought was the "government of God."
Yet 1 Corinthians 12:29 indicates that not everyone is a teacher, so men should
never be "required" to teach. Those that have the gift of teaching
(Rom 12:7, 1Co 12:1-8,28, Eph 4:11) should be doing the most of the teaching. Since
"God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He
pleased," (1Co 12:18), we
must not artificially limit who is allowed to teach.
A natural question arises: if
nearly every man is given a chance to teach, will not the congregation be subjected
to error and confusion? Sometimes corrections will need to be made, but confusion should
not result (the entire fourteenth chapter of 1Corinithians is about how to
remove confusion—see verse 33). 1 Timothy 1:3-4 is
an admonition to stop some people from teaching wrong or unnecessary
doctrines. Also, Titus 3:9-10 tells us to "avoid foolish disputes,
genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are
unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second
admonition." The Greek Paraiteomai
("reject") means "refuse"—the same word is used in 1
Timothy 5:11 where women were not allowed to join the special service. As
these women that were not accepted were not disfellowshipped,
so those that speak error are not to be disfellowshipped
but rejected as speakers after two warnings. Yes, congregations will probably
hear some error. Judging from the past few years' history of the "Church
of God" groups, congregations should have had a lot more practice
distinguishing truth from error (Deut 13:3, 1Cor 11:19).
Since each member of the
congregation is responsible for detecting a speaker's error, are the speakers
free to say whatever comes to mind, hoping it is inspired, but counting on
the congregation to catch any doctrinal error? Absolutely not! A teacher is
responsible to the Eternal for teaching truth. "My brethren, let not
many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter
judgment" (James 1:3). A person would be much better off not teaching
than teaching error. Those that teach must pray, study, and put their heart
into their efforts. (If teachers in services were always appointed by a
ministerial hierarchy, this verse makes no sense—Paul should have been
instructing the "ministry" not to "ordain" many teachers.)
Speaking in Tongues and
Interpretation. (Continuing our analysis of 1Cor 14:26) Numerous Bible references explain that speaking in
tongues was a sign of the presence of the holy spirit (Mark 16:17, Acts 2:4, 10:46, 19:6,
1Cor 12:10). Much information is contained about this gift in the
12th and 14th chapters of 1 Corinthians. Not all believers speak in tongues
(1Cor 12:30). Today, these gifts are exceedingly rare among
"church or God" organizations, but that is probably because almost
nobody asks for them, and most organizations would refuse to let the persons
speak if the gifts were granted. Yet Paul says, "do not forbid to speak
with tongues" (1Cor 14:39).
The most often asked question
regarding tongues is, "Are not most people that claim to have this gift
just 'faking it?'" The answer may well be "yes." So we need to
follow Paul's other instructions: "If anyone speaks in a tongue, let
there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But
if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak
to himself and to God" (1Cor 14:27-28).
In our modern day we can record such speaking and find out later if a real
language is involved. Also, if we have someone with the gift of discerning of
spirits (1Cor 12:10), they will usually be able to tell. If the speaker or interpreter are "faking it," they should be
stopped and asked to read Acts 5:1-11. If they do not repent, they should be
treated like a false prophet and put out of the congregation. In any case,
Paul states that they should be limited to two or three per service so they
do not monopolize it.
If the Eternal has not granted
anyone the miraculous gift of tongues, then there is no need for it to take
up time in services. "yet in the church I would
rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also,
than ten thousand words in a tongue" (1Cor 14:19).
Revelation or Prophecy. Paul
seems to use these words interchangeably (see 1Cor 14:29-31). Both of them indicate a message directly revealed
from the Eternal, either about the future or information for the present.
Many commentaries will say any "inspiring" sermon is prophecy,
citing verses like 1 Corinthians 14:3 "But he who prophesies speaks
edification and exhortation and comfort to men." This verse shows the
effect of prophecy, but does not define it. Most of the usage of the words
"prophet" and "prophecy" (Greek prophetes
and propheteuo) in the New Testament are references
to the Old Testament prophets who received messages directly from the Eternal
or his angels. Many more uses are found in the book of Revelation, a prophecy
from the Messiah. Every place where we have the actual message of a New
Testament prophet written, it is a miraculous revelation (John 11:48-52, Acts 11:27-30,
13:1-3, 21:10-11, Rev, the book). People like to define prophecy as
"inspired or encouraging preaching" so they can give a sermon and
feel like they have this spiritual gift—when they do not have it! Sermons are
often wonderful examples of "teaching," but that is another gift—it
is not prophecy!
Teaching is conveying
information that you have learned from Scripture and your life experience.
Prophecy is a message directly from the Eternal. The prophet may not even
understand the message himself (Dan 12:8-9, John 11:48-52). In the case of Balaam, he was not a righteous man,
and hoped to give a prophecy opposite to what the Eternal gave him, but he
had to speak what he was given (Num 22-24). The New Testament easily
demonstrates that teaching and prophesying are not the same thing: women were
allowed to prophesy (Acts 21:9, 1 Cor 11:5) but
were not allowed to teach (1Tim 2:12).
Hebrews 1:1 does not say that
there are no more prophets. One of the biggest prophecies of all Scripture
was written after this time, the book of Revelation (Rev 22:7-10). Also, John
warned his readers to "try the spirits" because "many false
prophets have gone out into the world" (1Jn 4:1). If there were no more
true prophets, why would John warn them to "try the spirits?"
Should he have told them "all prophets are false?" No! The nature
of prophets continues as it always has been: some are true, some are false,
and we are left to read the Scriptures and judge.
As with tongues, Paul gives
specific instruction on how to deal with prophets in the congregation:
"Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. But if
anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. For
you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to
the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all
the churches of the saints" (1Cor 14:29-33).
Obviously, anyone could stand up
and say "I have a message from God," but in most cases they would
be liars—false prophets. For this reason, the other saints must judge, to
determine if the prophet's sayings are according to Scripture (Deut 13, Isa 8:20, Deut 18:21-22). There should be no
contradictions. "If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord make
Myself known to him in a vision, and I speak to him in a dream." The
Eternal used visions and dreams frequently in the Old Testament and also in
the new (Matt 2:12-22, 27:19, Acts 2:17, 11:5,
16:9). Also, we find that the holy spirit speaks directly to people (John 16:13, Acts 8:9, 10:19).
(This does not make the holy spirit a person: tape recorders and computers
speak the messages of others and are not people. The great power of the
Eternal can speak His message at a distance.). Paul tells us that the prophet
must be in control of himself. Never accept messages from someone that is not
in control of him or herself!
While warnings against false
prophets abound (Jer 23:9-40, Matt 7:15, 24:11,24,
Acts 13:6), no Scripture says to ignore prophets, rather we are told "Do
not despise prophesyings" (1Thes 5:20 KJV) and
"Therefore brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy..." (1Cor 14:29). Perhaps, if we would pray for these gifts rather than
joke about being a "non-prophet organization," the Eternal would
send us some true prophets. We need a better understanding of scripture. We
could use His direct guidance in the difficult time ahead.
Let all things be done for
edification. This is a general principle that should guide all worship
services. Everything should be beneficial to the congregation. Services are
not a place for speakers, musicians, or those with spiritual gifts to show
off their abilities. They are not a place to tell unrelated jokes or personal
stories. Parts of the Bible are humorous, but all of it has a purpose. We never
find a message from the Eternal starting with: "have you heard the joke
about the..." Messages should be interesting and significant enough to
hold a serious listener's attention. Unrelated jokes may draw attention to
the speaker, but often distract from the real
message.
Another practice of some that
does not edify and should be stopped: speakers telling "tall tales"
or putting down other members of the congregation. Those doing this usually
claim it is all "good clean fun, " but thousands of parents have
been asked about these stories and have had to tell their children that the
speaker was "joking" or "not telling the truth that
time." Even worse, some children may not have asked and really
believe that "Mr. So-and-so runs over people with his pickup truck"
(or whatever the phony story was about). "Like a madman who throws
firebrands, arrows, and death, is the man who deceives his neighbor, and
says, 'I was only joking'" (Prv 26:18-19).
Other Elements of Worship
Services
Scripture Reading. Scripture readings were a part of worship services
since the time of Moses (Deut 31:11, Josh 8:30-35, Neh 8:1-8, 9:1-3).
"For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in
every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath" (Acts 15;21). Any synagogue history will show that the Scripture
readings were a central part of the service. Acts 13:15 confirms that both the Law (the first five books) and
the Prophets were read every Sabbath.
Our Savior participated in these
synagogue readings: "So he came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He
went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was
handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, He
found the place where it was written:... [He read
Isaiah 61:1 and half of verse 2] Then He closed the book, and gave it back to
the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue
were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, 'Today this Scripture is
fulfilled in your hearing'" (Luke 4:16-17,20-21).
The eyes of everyone were
"fixed on Him" because he did not complete the passage normally
read. He stopped in the middle of a verse! The latter half of the verse talks
about "the day of vengeance of our God" which was not being fulfilled
at that time. Since this was the start of his ministry, this may have been
the first time he deviated from the usual synagogue practices. Most
synagogues participate in one of two systems whereby the bulk of the law and
prophets are read either every year or every three years. With this system in
place, even a person that moves or travels will hear a consistent
presentation of the Scriptures.
Since nearly everyone can obtain
and read the Bible, do we really need Scripture readings at our services? Recent events
among people within "Church
of God" organizations have shown that far too many people
are relying on the teaching of their headquarters' literature or their local
minister instead of looking to the Bible. A few pastors have given their
congregations tests and found them greatly lacking in basic Biblical
knowledge. If we should stop Scripture readings in services because people
can read them at home, then we should stop sermons (teaching) too because
people could subscribe to religious magazines and read them at home as well.
When the Scriptures are read, we can be sure people are hearing truth (realizing
there may be a few translation errors). When a man is speaking or writing, we
have to be a lot more careful!
When we see the Biblical
precedent for Scripture readings in services, the next question is "How
do we decide what to read?" Some congregations leave it rather
arbitrary, allowing an official or the reader to decide which Scripture to
read. We feel this is a mistake as we are commanded to "live by every
word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord" (Deut 8:3). There is a
tendency to read the Scriptures that we think we understand and ignore the
ones that do not fit into our theology. Some groups have adopted the
synagogue readings and added a New Testament reading for each week. Some read
the Scriptures in their original canonical order (Law, Prophets, Writings,
Gospels/Acts, General Epistles, Paul's Epistles, Revelation).
A simple approach is to read from Genesis to Revelation. Reading the
scriptures in any order is probably better than not reading them at all.
Group Prayer. The Scriptures appear to refer to two kinds
of prayer: personal prayer and group prayer. The Messiah taught that personal
prayer should be in private, and it should not be repetitious: "And when
you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray
standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may
be seen of men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you,
when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to
your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret
will reward you openly. But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the
heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words"
(Matt 6:5-7). We find the majority of examples of the prayers of the Messiah
and his followers were private (Mark 1;35, Acts
10:9, and many others).
Yet we do find examples of group
prayers in the Scriptures. Certainly the histories of temple and synagogue
services record many memorized prayers. The temple is called a "house of
prayer" in Matthew 21:13. When Zacharias
received his message from the angel, "the whole multitude of the people
was praying outside at the hour of incense" (Luke 1:10). The apostles went to the temple for prayer services.
"Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of
prayer, the ninth hour" (Acts 3:1). This is the exact time of the
traditional temple and synagogue afternoon (or minchah)
prayers. We find other references to temple prayers in Acts 16:16 and 22:17 and
other prayer services in Acts 12:12 and 16:13.
Paul's instructions for group
prayers come in the famous "hair" chapter (1Cor 11). "Now I
praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the
traditions as I delivered them to you" (1Cor 11:2). The Greek word for
"traditions" here, is the same word used
for the traditions of the Scribes and Pharisees. Chapters 11 through 14 all
relate to various aspects of worship services (verses 16-18 make the context
of worship services clear). Without getting into a discussion of whether
hats, hair or veils should be used for a covering, we discover in verses 4-5
that both men and women pray and prophesy in services.
In many ways, group prayers are
much like songs without music. Indeed many of the Psalms are prayers (see
Psalm 17, 55, 61, 86, 90, 102, 142). They can be
sung or they can be read by a group. While music can make words easier to
remember and enhance the overall beauty, it is often easier for us to focus
on the meaning when we are just reading. Some historians are convinced that
we have actual copies of some of the prayers used in first-century
synagogues. These prayers usually consist of several related Scriptures with
a few references to significant events or traditions. The prayer in Acts
4:24-31 seems to follow the general formula. This prayer was obviously
written down for the book of Acts, but we have no way of knowing if it was
ever repeated as a group prayer.
Group prayers can be included in
today's services by reading existing prayers in the Psalms, prophets and New
Testament. The prophets contain many good passages confessing the sins of our
nation and asking for national mercy in times
to come. Writing prayers specifically for our day is no more difficult than
writing new songs for worship services—many individuals have done a fine job.
As congregations must decide which hymnbook(s) to use, they must also decide
which prayers to use. No one should ever think that group prayers replace
personal prayers. Each person is still responsible to praise, to confess to,
and to ask of his Creator.
Role of women in worship
services. The Biblical statements
about women being "silent" in services are easily misunderstood.
"Silent" is a poor translation since it means "no sound at
all." We have just covered the Scriptures that talk about women
"praying and prophesying" in meetings. Obviously, they must make
sound to do that. So how should these "silent women" verses be
translated and what did Paul mean?
The problem is much easier to
understand when we realize that during Paul's day temple and synagogue services
had separate areas for men and women. Synagogue rooms were divided by a
partition. Orthodox Jews still do this. It has some benefit in that it was
much easier for mothers (and grandmothers) to tend to small children with
less interruption to the service. Since "piped in" sound was not
available then, the women's section might be considered a large
"mother's room." Most of the reading and teaching would come from
the front and the men's side. (This practice of separating men and women is
not taught by the Bible and we are not teaching it either, but it helps us
understand the context in which Paul made his statements.) Anyone that has spent
much time in mothers' rooms in a large congregation, specially
at a Feast, realizes that there is a tendency for all sorts of
conversations to develop. When one looks at the Greek words used for silence
in the verses below, we see that Paul was not excluding them from all service
participation but from unrelated chatter:
"Let your women keep silent
[Greek sigao] in the churches, for they are not
permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And
if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for
it is shameful for women to speak in church" (1Cor 14:34-35). The Greek sigao is used in the context of "being quiet while
someone else is talking"(see Acts 12: 17 and
1Cor 14:28, 30). The interpreters and prophets were simply quiet
while the others spoke, not for the entire duration of the service. They were
not to start their own conversations on their side of the room when someone
else was speaking. If they did not understand what was being said (or missed
something due to crying children) they were not to speak across the room to
ask their husbands, but to wait to ask them at home.
We should consider the other
related Scripture, 1Timothy 2:11-12: "Let a woman learn in silence with
all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority
over a man, but to be in silence." The Greek hesuchia
("silence") refers to a quiet crowd (Acts 22:2, 2Thes 3:12). Again, women should be listening when the men are
talking. Also, it is clear that women were not to be teachers in the
services. While women such as Deborah occasionally had to do men's jobs when
men would not do them, we find no case of a woman teaching the Scriptures to
others in a public setting. However, women must learn and know the Scriptures
as they have opportunity to teach in other places. Priscilla helped to teach Apollos (Acts 18:26),
older women need to teach the younger (Titus 2:3-4), and mothers must teach
their children (2Tim 1:5—Timothy apparently gathered most of his Bible
knowledge from his mother and grandmother).
Is a Minister or Elder Required
to Worship?
It exceeds the scope of this
paper to cover all the Scriptures regarding leadership and government among
the people of the Eternal. You may write to the address at the end for our
free article How does the Eternal Govern Through Humans? Nevertheless, we
need to cover this point lest anyone feel they cannot assemble without a
"minister." First, let us understand that nearly every time the
words "minister" or "deacon" appears in the New
Testament, they are translated from the Greek diakonos
or huperetes meaning "servant." They do
not imply some kind of administrative or religious office as most every
church would like you to believe. You cannot find a place in Scripture where
someone is "ordained" or has hands laid on them and becomes a
"minister." We do find "elders" selected for leadership
in Acts 14:23 and Titus 1:5, but it is important to realize
that the term "elder" is not a religious office, but simply means
an older person (as would be eligible for leadership positions). The Greek presbuterous ("elder") is often used to
describe the older men that were not believers (Acts 23:14, 24:1, 25;15). It is used for
any older person (1Pet 5:5), for men in the Old Testament (Heb 11:2) and for
women (1 Tim 5:2). When the term is used without qualification, it infers men
typically over 40, though men of wisdom and capability (such as our Savior
and John the Baptist) may have been considered elders at age 30.
"For this reason I left you
in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and
appoint elders in every city as I commanded you" (Titus 1:5). Titus was
written late in Paul's ministry. Are we to believe that there had never been
any Sabbath assemblies in Crete before Titus came to appoint overseers? The following
verses give rather involved qualifications of a "bishop" or
"overseer." How could Titus know who was a good father, not
self-willed, not given to wine, not greedy, hospitable, just and holding fast
the faithful word unless he asked the various congregations that had been
together for some time. He probably followed the formula in Acts 6:3 of
appointing those known by the brethren to be good servants. Paul gives
reasons why leaders of various kinds are needed, but "so you can
assemble together" is not one of them. We see a number of congregations
simply met in homes (1Cor 16:19, Col 4:15, Phm 2, etc.).
There are many purposes for
leaders in congregations, especially as they grow larger. One of the first
things a group will want to agree on is who will take care of the various
functions. These decisions do not require someone of a certain
"rank" (an unbiblical concept), but "when two or three are
gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matt 18:20). The unconverted certainly need a "man to guide
them" (Acts 8:31). But
once the holy spirit is established in us, it will "…lead you into all
truth…" (John 16:13) and it is the "…Holy Scriptures which are able
to make you wise for salvation…" (2Tim 3:15). Whenever the Eternal's
people read the Scriptures, they all "speak the same thing" (1Cor 1:10).
Can These Principles Be Made to
Work Today?
Many of the readers of this
article will come from a background where Sabbath services consisted of two
messages, five songs, some announcements, two prayers and maybe some
"special music." Many people have learned in this format, but only
a few have gained the valuable teaching experience that all of us need. If
you and those with whom you fellowship are interested in implementing some of
these changes, a practical "how to do it" section follows:
The Place. Try to arrange a home or a hall that is
relatively free of distractions. The "quality of the building" is
not nearly as important as the ability to conduct the service according to
Biblical principles. Hotel meeting rooms tend to be surrounded by business
and worldly influences not conducive to keeping the Sabbath. If small
children are present, a separate mothers' or parents' room is essential,
preferably with piped-in sound. It is best to have a room where setup and
take-down can be done before and after the Sabbath, but that is not always
possible. Scripture allows necessary "work" to be done on the
Sabbath: "the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are
blameless" (Matt 12:5). We are priests now (1Pet 2:5-9, Rev 1:6).
Music. The traditional opening, middle, and
closing songs work quite effectively, though the number could certainly be
increased. People that must (or just do) arrive late or leave early do not
disturb this part of the service as much as they would a reading or teaching.
Those with musical interests should be encouraged to write and or perform a
variety of music praising the Eternal. Since most people in our western
culture do not perform music, but primarily listen to recorded music, perhaps
recorded music could be made a part of services. There are hundreds of small
religious groups producing music—some of which is completely taken from
Scripture and very appropriate for services. Members can listen to some of
these in stores or at home and then bring the best to services. Teens and
children should be encouraged to participate in both performing and
selecting. A few simple songs that young children can sing should be
included.
Scripture Reading. This is one of the easiest changes to implement. One of
the Scripture reading methods previously discussed can be chosen and followed
each Sabbath. As many individuals as possible should take part in this. The
ancient synagogue tradition allowed boys to begin reading the Scriptures once
they had completed their bar mitzvah ceremony, usually at age 13. It is a
near historic certainty that there were times
when our Savior sat in a synagogue and listened while a 13-year-old read. For
most young people, a "Church
of God" service simply means they must be quiet for two
hours. Younger people are far more likely to listen and learn if they and
their friends have something to do in the service. We do not feel we have a
scriptural basis for setting a minimum age, but we will suggest that the
person should be willing to read and certainly be old enough to read loudly,
clearly, and without continual distraction due to mis-spoken
words. The responsibility should be taken seriously—a person that treats it
like a big joke should be stopped and replaced.
Paul teaches that women may
participate in prayer, prophesying and singing (1Cor 11:5, Heb 2:10-13), but not teaching (1Tim 2:12). Should women participate in Scripture readings? We do
not have a clear Bible answer on the subject. History of synagogue services
is divided on this point, also. As men are not required to read, women
certainly should never be required to. But should they be allowed to read
(not teach) if they want to? We offer this a possible understanding of the
scriptures: 1 Timothy 2:12 states
that a woman should not "have authority over a man." However, women
are permitted to prophesy, which could involve speaking a message from the
Eternal that the people may obey. Does this conflict with Paul's other
statement about authority? No, it does not! A woman
that prophesies is not teaching or giving orders, but merely communicating
what she has seen or heard through the power of the holy spirit. Hearers may
decide to listen or they may not. Similarly, if a woman reads from the
Scriptures, she is not in authority over her readers, but merely
communicating the authority of the Eternal. The author would be interested in
other scriptural views on this matter.
Group Prayer. We certainly should continue with prayers
where one person speaks and the others say "amen." In addition, the
congregation can all pray together by reading from the Psalms or prophets. Of
course, a man should announce the passage and lead the reading. Anyone that
does not distract from the service can read along. It helps if everyone has
the same version of the Bible. If this is not possible, perhaps the leader
can copy the passage beforehand and distribute it to the congregation. As
congregations do pick and choose hymn and special music selections from a
variety of sources, so they may also decide to include additional written
prayers in their services. Obviously, these things must be done to worship
the Eternal and for edification of the brethren, not to bolster some type of
personal or group loyalty. Group prayers for the repentance of our nation or
for the strengthening of those saints struggling with heresies would be
appropriate for today.
Speaking in Tongues and
Interpretation. If no one in your
congregation has this gift, this will not be a part of your services.
Instead, someone in the congregation might give a short prayer asking the
Eternal to give His people the spiritual gifts mentioned in the Scriptures
(1Cor 7:7, Rom 12, 1Cor 12, 1Cor 14, 2Tim 1:6). If someone does speak in tongues,
another should interpret. It is possible to use an interpreter that has
learned the language naturally. However, the purpose is to show the Eternal's power; there is no point in two people that
both naturally learned a foreign language taking up time at services to show
their skill.
Prophesying. This is another gift to pray for regularly
if no one has it. Sometimes people may have dreams or visions where they are not
certain of the origin: the Eternal, a fallen angel, or their own overactive
mind. If there is nothing obviously against Scripture, they should be given
time to explain the vision or dream, and the others should judge—look to the
Scripture to see if anything conflicts. The purpose of the one doing the
speaking should be to describe exactly what they saw and heard, not to try to
interpret the dream or vision. If the purpose or meaning is unclear, everyone
can pray for more understanding.
Teaching. This is still a vital and important
function. Teaching about a subject from the Scriptures, expounding certain
passages, encouraging, exhorting, all should be done. This job has been
assigned to the men of the congregation (1Tim 2:12), and should be available to every baptized converted
man that desires to fulfill it. Obviously, those with the gifts of teaching
or knowledge should do the most of the teaching. All teachers should pray for
understanding and wisdom before they speak. This is not an opportunity to
just "say what is on your mind." Those that speak false doctrine
should lose the chance to speak after two warnings (Tit 3:10).
Paul talks about two or three
tongue-speakers and two or three prophets at most speaking. At least seven
men traditionally read from the Scriptures in synagogue services. It seems
logical to have two or three teachers, also—with shorter messages. Many
people are tired of hearing half-hour message stretched out to 80 minutes
with stories and repetition. The number of speakers and time allotted should
depend on the men available to serve in this capacity.
Length of Services. Adding these elements to worship services
will make the process take longer. If facilities and driving time permit, a
longer service can be good. It is less tiring to listen to a variety of
events over three hours than it is to listen to primarily two speakers for
two hours. Historically, many synagogue services were longer than two hours.
Since people may be driving an hour or more to a service, they are likely to
be hungry when it is over—especially children. Preparing for snacks and
drinks afterward is a good thing. It gives the children something to look
forward to, and encourages continued fellowship among the adults.
Deciding Who Does What. If a
group intends to follow a format similar to the one described in this
document, some men will need to be leaders; organization does not happen
by itself. See our article, How Does the Eternal Govern Through Humans?, for a scriptural explanation of congregational
government. To summarize: start with a meeting of the elders (the older men)
in your congregation. Everyone must pray for the Eternal's
will to be done in every decision. If there is not agreement on who should
run the meeting, "cast lots": put everyone's name on pieces of
paper and pull one out of a hat. From there, decide which jobs you need:
speaker scheduler, facility manager, treasurer, gospel-preaching coordinator,
etc. From there, decide who will do the jobs. If the holy spirit is working
through everyone, there will usually be general agreement among the elders.
If there is not agreement, everyone may agree to defer to a recognized spiritual leader (he
could be someone in your group or someone invited to come for the meeting).
If agreement cannot be reached with these methods, then cast lots (Acts 1:26).
Conclusion
Many of the concepts mentioned
in this article are very different from those to which most of our readers
are accustomed. Nevertheless, every effort has been made to base them on what
the Scriptures and history really say.
We feel you are better off
fellowshipping with a traditional group than being home alone for the
Sabbath. So much of the fruit we must bear can be born much better in a group.
Do not expect either a small
group or a large organization to change their format of services in one day.
Everyone needs time to study these issues on their own and come to their own
convictions. These things require prayer, fasting and study. Many
congregation leaders have never studied this subject and really
think that the Bible teaches a minister-controlled service or they may assume
it must be right because Herbert Armstrong used it for his last 30 years and
did a powerful work.
If your group does study this
subject, they may agree with some of this article but not other parts. They
may not see it the way you do. "If it is possible, as much as depends on
you, live peaceably with all men" (Rom 12:18). If you can agree well enough to continue to meet
together, do so. If not, like Paul and Barnabas, two groups may need to work
separately for a while, remaining friends (Acts 15:36-39).
We would like to issue a warning
to anyone thinking to use the principles in this article to make a following
for themselves. Yes, it is relatively easy to show anyone with an open mind
that most congregations do not take their format of services from the
scriptures. It might not be hard to convince them to leave. But unless you
point them to our Father and His Son as their leaders (rather than yourself)
you have helped them very little. Those that are ignorant of the scriptures
will be punished lightly while those that know better will receive "many
stripes" (Luke 12:48). Our
fellowship is first with the Father and His Son (1Cor 1:9 1Jn 1:3), not with
a human leader.
We hope this article encourages
many to look into the Scriptural basis for Sabbath services and to make
changes to their worship where possible. There is certainly evidence that the
Eternal does work through the traditional "church
of God" service. However, we believe that looking directly
to the Messiah for leadership, rather than to men or organizations, allows
Him to accomplish much more through his spirit (1Cor 3:1-11).
We realize
that we do not have all the answers. Comments and criticisms of this paper
are welcomed—especially regarding misuse or misunderstanding of Scripture.
Real-life experiences with Bible-based Sabbath-service formats would be
appreciated. We hope to use such information in future versions of this
article. We would appreciate your prayers in these matters.
ASABB02
This copy distributed by Friends
of the Brethren, PO
Box 6516, Springdale,
AR 72766-6516
Tel: 501-872-1003 Fax: 501-872-1004 E-mail: 75260.1603@compuserve.com
|
