Many concepts and functions extant in Christian churches today are adapted from 1st century Jewish sýnagogues. Early Christianity was viewed as part of Jewish sectarianism. The beginnings of conversion to Christianity outside the synagogue aren’t clearly visible from scripture. No New Testament writer describes any mass conversion of gentiles (or God-fearers) outside the synagogue!
The word synagogue (Strongs g4864) is actually a Greek term, not a Hebrew term. It occurs 57 times in the New Testament (NT). Eight synagogues are named in the NT where Paul is at synagogue. Initially a synagogue was an assembly or congregation of people.
Later it came to mean a building or meeting place, as did the word church. The Greek term which is rendered church in English is ekklésia (g1577), occurring 118 times in the NT. Initially an ekklesia was a gathering of citizens (not a church building).
In the Old Testament (OT), the general Hebrew term for an assembly, company, or organized body of people is qahál (h6951). It occurs 123 times. The BC Jewish translators of the old Greek version that became the Septúagint/LXX rendered qahal as ekklesia 87 times, and as synagogue 36 times. For example, De.5:22 LXX “These words the Lord spoke to all the assembly [synagogue] of you in the mountain.” The Greek terms synagogue and ekklesia were somewhat synonymous.
In modern parlance, a synagogue has come to mean a place of worship and study for Jews, whereas a church usually means a place of worship for Christians.
The synagogue system began sometime after the period of Babylonian captivity, but is unmentioned as such in the KJV OT. Anciently the city gates were public meeting places and the site of judicial courts (ref Ru.4:1-2). City gates and prayer houses were perhaps the forerunners of synagogues. (Also later there were judicial courts within synagogues.)
Two main reasons why synagogues were set up: 1) To teach the people the Lord’s Toráh/Law, in hopes they wouldn’t ignorantly disobey Him and again be sent into captivity. 2) The Greek king Antíochus Epíphanes in 175 BC replaced the priest of Zadók with his own high priest (Jason), breaking the commanded family line of Aaronic succession. High priests then would no longer serve for life, but were appointed and dismissed at the whims of the ruling power. These priests usually supported the ruling power, instead of having allegiance to God and the Jewish people. Priests controlled the temple. With the temple priesthood viewed as corrupt by many, synagogues started cropping up.
Unlike the priesthood, the synagogue was mostly an unpaid lay institution, in the hands of elders (zakén h2205, Hebrew). It required 10 men (a minyán) to form a synagogue (cf. Ru.4:2).
It is estimated that 20% of 1st century Jews regularly attended synagogue. According to the Talmud, there were around 400 synagogues in Jerusalem in the 1st century. Mt.23:1, 6 Jesus said the scribes & Pharisees loved the chief seats in the synagogues. (Also see the topic “Jewish Sects of the 1st Century”.)
Many synagogues were rectangular buildings with a women’s gallery at the north end of the structure. The Court of the Women in the temple precinct was the prototype for this gallery. Also some synagogues were in houses.
The synagogue pattern of service resembled the temple service, but there were no sacrifices. Prayer, blessings, reading from the Torah & Prophets (rarely the Writings), homily teaching (sermon deráhsha) were components of the service. The favorite teaching mode was a charúz (h2737, SSol.1:10), described as the stringing together of scriptures or passages as ‘pearls’ in a form of chain reference.
We also see these components of services present in Christian churches. (It is said the temple itself even had a pneumatic organ, and Jewish priests wearing robes would chant.)
Jesus taught in synagogues (and at the temple precinct), e.g. Jn.18:20. ref Lk.4:15-16, 20-21 Jesus was teaching in the synagogues. Scripture readers in synagogues would customarily stand up to read.
In Ac.13:14-16, 27 the Law and the Prophets of the OT were read in the synagogue at Pisidían Antioch on the sabbath (the reading preceded Paul’s discourse). Ac.15:21 the Law portion which Christ had given to Moses (the Péntateuch in the old Greek and LXX) was read in synagogues of cities outside the Holy Land too. Paul admonished Timothy in Ephesus in 1Ti.4:13-16. “Give attention to the [public] reading of scripture and to your teaching.”
At that time, the ‘scriptures’ known by the early church were primarily the OT. This practice of reading scripture and teaching was carried over into the NT church. Charles Bell writes, “Christians maintained with little change this same liturgy; the places were almost indistinguishable”. (also see the topics “Church Meetings of the Apostolic Age” and “Church Structure and Member Functions”.)
Each synagogue elected (for life sometimes) its chief administrator or ordained nási/ruler (ar-kee-syn-ág-o-gos, g752). Jesus’ relative James/Jacob is said to have been an esteemed ruler in Jerusalem. Sometimes a nasi was a regular teacher. Lk.8:41 Jáirus was an archisynagogos/ruler. (Jesus raised-up his daughter, who had just died.)
Other synagogue functions/positions were (there may be some overlap): A shaliách was an emissary sent forth (cf. h7971), like an apostle or migratory evangelist. A maggíd was a preacher or teacher. These maggid attracted a following of disciples/pupils/devoted learners/talmidim (h8527, 1Ch.25:8) who desired to become completely like their rábbi or prophetic teacher in understanding and ethical conduct. Jesus’ disciples called Him “Rabbi”/Master (Jn.1:38). Jesus was a maggid too. A man said to Jesus in Mt.8:19, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go”. Usually students chose a maggid, but Jesus did the choosing of His 12 disciples, e.g. Mk.2:14. A meturgan or language interpreter stood near the readers & teachers; these spoke the scriptures or message ‘in his ear’. (cf. Mt.10:27, Ne.8:8.)
At least three synagogue párnasin or álmoners, knowledgeable in scripture, cared for the poor and distributed alms. Collections for the poor were put in the poor box or taken up. ref 1Co.16:1-2 where collections were made on Sunday (not on the 7th day sabbath). In addition to meeting on the sabbath, some synagogues had more than one weekly service.
The first seven were called the ‘seven good men of the city’ (from the Talmud). Ac.6:1-6 “Select seven men of good reputation.” JFB Commentary “The parnasin of the synagogue, like the ancient ‘deacon’ of the church, took care of the poor.” This was a common Jewish appointment, and a prototype for deacons. Later, Paul gave instructions about deacons serving in the Christian church, 1Ti.3:8-10.
So much of what is commonly thought of as new for the church in the NT…wasn’t new! Excavations indicate some synagogues had banquet or eating areas. For Jewish Christians and the church, the synagogue custom of communal meals on a weekly or monthly basis (with the Lord’s Supper added) became the NT love feasts. ref Jude 12 “love feasts”, and 1Co.11:26, 33 bread & wine with eating. (see the topics “Bread and Wine in the Church” and “Wine or Grape Juice in Jesus’ Cup?”.)
Synagogue judicial courts exercised authority in some matters, limited by the Roman ruling power. But only Roman authority could condemn Jesus. (Since Jesus was a Galilean, the Jerusalem synagogue court authority in Judea couldn’t condemn Him to death.)
According to Dr. Ron Moseley, “In the synagogue structure three leaders would join together to form a tribunal for judging cases concerning money, theft, immorality, admission of proselytes, laying on of hands (etc.)”. This judicial practice is seen in Mt.18:15-20, and in 1Co.6:1-5 for the church.
Ac.18:1, 4, 8, 17 Críspus and Sosthénes had been synagogue rulers/nasi in Corinth. 1Co.1:1, 14 they both became Jewish Christians (Messianic Jews). They’d known the synagogue tribunal process (e.g. 1Co.5:12-13). Timothy, a church planter, also was involved in church judicial decisions (1Ti.5:19-20).
Only zaken/elders voted in the synagogue. Each local elder had one vote (two brothers who were both elders shared one vote).
In Lk.21:12 & Jn.9:22, Jesus said Jewish Christians would eventually be brought before synagogue courts, and put out of synagogues. Ac.26:11 Paul (when he was Saul) had been a persecutor of Jews who believed Yeshúa/Jesus is the Messiah. Paul later became a leader of the believing “sect of the Nazarénes” (Ac.24:5). Again, early Christianity was considered a Jewish sect.
Jewish Christians and some God-fearers were able to continue attending synagogue for a while, as well as meeting among themselves. As persecution in synagogues increased, they left. Believers kept meeting together (He.10:25), often in houses. (also see “Sabbath Day Became Sunday in Rome”.)
Some Jewish Christians called their own assemblies “synagogues”. In Ja.2:2, James used the Greek term synagogue for the meeting of believers. “If a man comes into your assembly [synagogue g4864]….” (Originally a “synagogue” was an assembly, not a building.)
It’s important to understand that the New Covenant is made “with the house of Israel and the house of Judah” (Je.31:31, He.8:8). We gentiles are “grafted-in”, according to Paul in Ro.11:17.
Other synagogue-type traditions were given by the Holy Spirit to saints in cities of the gentiles. Zaken were unpaid elders/overseers/shepherds, usually age 40 and over. Ti.1:5-9 Paul instructed Titus to appoint elders in all cities. (See 1Ti.3:1-7 for qualifications of overseers.) It is said these zaken/elders could be paid to teach (e.g. synagogue schools), but not to shepherd. Perhaps 1Ti.5:17-18 indicates there were some exceptions, or functions were not clearly defined throughout all churches in the Roman Empire. Generally, elders and pastors in the early church were not a paid professional clergy!
The chazán (presbyter & public minister) prayed and spoke behind a wooden pulpit. In Ne.8:1-5, we read of a lengthy service in the days of Ezra. (This has served as a prototype for some churches.) The chazan customarily assigned Torah readings, etc. Traditionally he selected seven readers each sabbath – one priest, one Levite, five common Israelites (a literate competent woman also may be allowed to read). In the 1st century, usually the chazan wasn’t a paid clergyman, whereas the cántor today is paid.
The chazan stood by to oversee the scripture reading (cf. Lk.4:17, 20). Some historians think the common usage of the terms for overseer, minister, messenger/angel (malák) may tie back to the chazan. Re.1:20, 2:1, 8, 12, 18, 3:1, 7, 14 “To the angel [messenger] of the church at….” Benson Commentary Re.2:1 “To the pastor, presiding elder, or bishop, called an angel because he was God’s messenger to the people.” Poole Commentary Re.1:20 “To interpret the term ‘angels’ by nature, seems not agreeable. Christ would never have ordered John to charge them [supernatural angels]…to be faithful unto death [Re.2:1, 10]. Cambridge Bible Re.2:1 “Likelier he would be one appointed by Timothy [at Ephesus 1Ti.1:3, 2Ti.4:9-13].” Vincent Word Studies Re.1:20 “The officials known as angels or messengers of the synagogue, transferred to the Christian church.”
But perhaps the nasi/ruler is meant by “angel” (or messenger) in Re.2, not the chazan. Again, historians see some position duties as overlapping. Timothy was to be reading & teaching in Ephesus (1Ti.4:13-16), not long before Paul’s death. Ac.18:19 previously Paul himself had probably seen this practice being done at an Ephesus synagogue.
Dr. Moseley notes in The Jewish Background of Christian Baptism that the church owes to its Jewish beginnings “such items as Messiah, Scripture, canon, liturgy, altar, pulpit, church offices, songs, offerings, the Lord’s Supper, as well as baptism.”
To conclude: Early synagogues were controlled by the laity. But through the centuries, the Christian church clergy transformed these member functions of expertise & authority into large salaried hierarchies (sometimes abusive).
The early church was hierarchical only as it was familial. 1Ti.5:1-3 reflects fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters as the church family. Respect, authority, and order are necessary for the well-being of the household of saints, just as for a family. And a family household also is a lay institution. Christian churches are local and are family – all are brothers & sisters in the Lord through the Holy Spirit.
The apostolic era New Testament practices and customs given to the (Jewish) saints by the Holy Spirit is our scriptural model for the church.
Bible Topic Exposition 