Synagogue worship consisted of three main elements: praise, prayer, and instruction. The earliest Christians, who were Jews, would have been familiar with this pattern, which in Christian worship gave shape to what is called the service of the Word.
Jewish scholars have helped us form a picture of the essential pattern of synagogue worship, although it must be confessed that there are some debatable matters. For the period before the destruction of the temple in a.d. 70, the New Testament is a valuable source (especially Luke 4:15–21). Very few precise details are given in any contemporary document. The general picture, however, is tolerably clear. There are three main elements: praise, prayer, and instruction.
Praise
It is the note of corporate praise that opens the service, and this is in accord with the principle laid down in the Talmud: “Man should always first utter praises, and then pray.” The adoption of this procedure may underlie the order of 1 Corinthians 14:26, which suggests that, at the head of the list of Christian corporate worship at Corinth, “a hymn” of praise should be sung.
The “ruler” summons the “minister” (Luke 4:20) to invite someone from the congregation to commence the service with this “call to worship.” He begins with the cry “Bless ye the Lord, the One who is to be blessed,” and the people respond with the benediction “Blessed be the Lord … forever,” in the spirit of Nehemiah 9:5. At the outset, then, the worshipers are invited to think of God and to acknowledge his greatness and blessing.
Prayers
Prayers in Jewish worship fall into two types. The first group comprises two lovely utterances: the Yotzer, which means “He who forms,” takes up the theme of God as Creator of all things, and the ’Ahvah, which means “love,” is concerned both to recall God’s love for his people and to pledge their obligation to love him in return. It ends, “Blessed art thou, O Lord, who has chosen thy people Israel in love.” Immediately following these prayers comes the Shma‘, which is both a confession of faith and a glad benediction. The title for the Shma‘ derives from its opening word. (“Hear” in Deut. 6:4; “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one.”) As soon as the congregation comes to the word one—for the Shma‘ is recited antiphonally—the leader adds the glad ejaculation “Blessed be the name of the glory of his kingdom forever and ever.” The term one, emphasizing the unity of God, has always been the central Jewish confession. It is given, therefore, a special prominence in the liturgy. The great Rabbi Akiba (c. 50–132), influential in the formation of Jewish rabbinic tradition, died with this Hebrew word for “one” (’eḥad) upon his lips. In its full form, the Shma‘ consists of Deuteronomy 6:4–9, 11:13–21, and Numbers 15:37–41.
The second division of united prayer comes next. The way for this division is prepared by the reciting of the prayer known as “true and firm” (“is this the word—the Shma‘—to us forever”), with its reminder that God’s promises are sure and dependable to his people. At this point, the “minister” summons a member of the assembly to lead in the “prayer proper,” that is, the “Eighteen Benedictions,” or blessings. The man so appointed steps forward in front of the ark and, with his face turned toward the ark, leads the united intercessions of the company, who reply with “Amen.” These “Eighteen Blessings” cover a wide range of themes. They are partly an expression of praise, partly petitions for spiritual and material benefits, and partly supplication for those in need (exiles, judges and counselors, and the chosen people). We may catch the tone of these prayers by considering the last one: “Grant peace upon Israel thy people and upon thy city, and upon thy inheritance, and bless us all together [literally, “as one”]. Blessed art thou O Lord, the maker of peace.” It seems permissible to believe that these precise words were on the lips of Jesus as he entered the synagogue, according to his custom, for worship in his day.
Instruction
Once the prayers were said, the service assumed a form that has given the synagogue its distinctive ethos. Indeed, the Jews themselves called it “the house of instruction,” for there is nothing more in keeping with Jewish worship than the emphasis placed on Scripture reading and exposition. The instruction was given by these two means. First, the Law and the Prophets were read by members of the congregation, who came up and shared the task (according to the length of the portions involved). As the ancient Bible language of Hebrew was not understood by all present, someone would translate the Scripture lessons into the vernacular, usually Aramaic. Then the homily, or address, based on the passages read, was delivered by a person in the assembly who was considered suitable. This person was invited to deliver the “sermon”—as proved the case both at Nazareth (Luke 4:14–30) and at Antioch (Acts 13:14–42). The service concluded with a blessing and the congregational “Amen.”
There were modifications of this basic pattern, depending on the season of the year and the day of the week. (Market days, Monday and Thursday, had shorter Scripture lections!) But the ingredients that provide the staple diet of synagogue worship—praise, prayer, and instruction—are found in every case.
These same elements are discovered in the New Testament patterns of worship, along with some distinctively Christian innovations. The evidence supports the thesis that Christian worship, as a distinctive, indigenous practice, arose from the fusion, in the crucible of Christian experience, of the synagogue and the upper room.