Days Israel Observed – God-Ordained

This topic identifies the days/occasions which God commanded His people ancient Israel to observe.

In the Old Testament (OT), these occasions are divided into three categories…feasts, new moons, sábbaths.  Concerning Israel, the Lord declared in Ho.2:11 LXX, “I will turn away all her gladness, her feasts [Strongs g1859 hehortáy, Greek], her new moons [g3561 noumenía], her sabbaths [g4521 sábbaton], all her public assemblies”.  (God would send away Israel captive to Assyria in 721 BC.)

Those days/occasions are entered in the two Tables below.  On the left side of the Tables, the sabbaths, new moons, and feast days are listed in rows.  The four columns across the top of each Table show the various Aspects of the Days/Occasions, and their differing characteristics.  A bullet dot ● means an Aspect applies to a Day or Occasion.  Analysis and discussion of the data is below the Tables.

DAYS ISRAEL OBSERVED – Table 1

Aspects (across):	Sábbath	No Work	Holiday	No Work
	Cessation	At All	Semi-Rest	“Servile”
Strongs numbers:	sábbaton	érgon	anápausis	latréutos
Greek = g	g4521	g2041	g372	g2999.1
Hebrew = h	shabáwth	melakáh	shabathón	abodáh
	h7676	h4399	h7677	h5656
DAYS/OCCASIONS:
Weekly 7th Day Sábbath	●	●	●
Day of Atonement	●	●	●
Land Sabbath – Year 7	●		●
New Moons
New Moon – Month 7			●	●
Passover Sacrifice
Unleavened Bread Day 1				●
Unleavened Days 2-6
Unleavened Day 7				●
Péntecost/Weeks				●
Feast of Booths Day 1			●	●
Booths Days 2-7
Last Great Day 8			●	●

DAYS ISRAEL OBSERVED – Table 2

Aspects (across):	Feast/	Do Only By	Assembly	Assembly
	Festival	God‘s Place	Summons	Feast Exit
Strongs numbers:	hehortáy	God‘s tópos	klaytós	éxodios
Greek = g	g1859	g5117	g2822	g1840.5
Hebrew = h	chag	mawkomé	miqrá	atzerét
	h2282	h4725	h4744	h6116
DAYS/OCCASIONS:
Weekly 7th Day Sabbath			●
Day of Atonement			●
Land Sabbath – Year 7
New Moons	●		●
New Moon – Month 7	●		●
Passover Sacrifice	●	●
Unleavened Bread Day 1	●	●	●
Unleavened Days 2-6	●
Unleavened Day 7	●		●	●
Pentecost/Weeks	●	●	●
Feast of Booths Day 1	●	●	●
Booths Days 2-7	●	●
Last Great Day 8		●	●	●

The above two Tables/grids reflect the days and occasions which the Lord gave to ancient Israel.  There are three categories of occasions…sabbaths, new moons, feasts.

The three categories were evident in the prophecy of Ezk.45:17 JPS Tanakh. “It shall be the prince’s part… in the feasts [Strongs h2250 chag, Hebrew], the new moons [h2320 chódesh], the sabbaths [h7676 shabáwth], in all the appointed seasons [h4150 móed] of the house of Israel.”

The apostle Paul wrote in the Greek New Testament (NT) Col.2:16, “Don’t let anyone judge you…with respect to a feast [g1859 hehortay] day, a new moon [g3561 noumenia], or a sabbath [g4521 sabbaton] day”.  (False teachers and Pharisees were acting as judges of how to keep various occasions.)

All days in my two Tables were an appointed time/season, h4150 moed.  There are 220 occurrences of this Hebrew term in the OT.  Moed h4150 had various meanings: Occasions both God-ordained and man-ordained (Zec.8:19), a personal meeting time (David & Jonathán in 1Sm.20:35, Amasá in 2Sm.20:5), a set meeting place (140 occurrences, Ex.27:21 tent of meeting), a signal (Jg.20:38), the regularity of migratory birds (Je.8:7), a period of years (Da.12:7).  The Greek LXX translation in English is season, time, assembly, signal, etc.  Moed h4150 didn’t refer solely to religious days/times of God.

Following is detail about the three categories of days, and a comparison:

1. Sabbath Strongs h7676 shabawth noun occurs 100 times in the OT Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT).  In the OT Greek Septúagint/LXX the corresponding term is sabbaton g4521.  In the NT, sabbaton g4521 occurs 60 times.  I commonly refer to the Hebrew shabawth & Greek sabbaton as “sabbath” in English.

The root of the Hebrew shabawth h7676 is shabáth h7673 verb, meaning ‘to cease, rest’.  Ge.2:2 “On the 7^th day God ended His work which He had made, and He ceased [h7673, g2664 katapáuo] on the 7^th day.”

Sabbath h7676 was a near-full cessation.  The only occasions which are sabbaths: The weekly 7^th day sabbath, the annual Day of Atonement (Yom Kíppur), and the land sabbath every 7 years (Le.25:1-7).  Although the land sabbath year of rest isn’t a ‘day’, I’ve included it among God’s other OT occasions.

Pertinent OT LXX and NT verses about the 7^th day sabbath g4521: Ex.16:23-29, 20:8-11; De.5:12-15; Ne.13:15-22; Is.56:1-6; Je.17:21-27; Mt.24:20; Mk.2:27-28, 6:2; Lk.4:16, 23:56; Ac.13:42, 16:13.

The Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur was a double sabbath, according to the LXX (Le.16:31, 23:32).  It was the holiest day of the year.  Verses pertaining to the Day of Atonement: Le.16:1-34, 23:26-32, 25:9; Nu.29:7; Is.58:5, 13; Ezk.40:1-ff; He.9:6-7.

2. New Moons Strongs h2320 chodesh Hebrew noun, meaning moon or month.  As a new moon (the 1^st day or beginning or head of a month), it occurs 30 times in the Hebrew MT: Ex.40:2, 17; Le.23:24; Nu.1:1, 18, 10:10, 28:11, 29:1, 6; De.1:3; 1Sm.20:5, 18, 24; 2Ki.4:23; 1Ch.23:31; 2Ch.2:4, 8:13, 29:17, 31:3; Ezr.3:5-6; Ne.8:2, 10:33; Ps.81:3; Is.1:13-14; Ezk.45:17-18, 46:1-6; Ho.2:11; Am.8:5; Hag.1:1.  In the Greek LXX, the 1^st/beginning of the month is often rendered as “new moon”/noumenia g3561.  In the NT, “new moon” (noumenia g3561) occurs only in Col.2:16.

In the OT, there’s no direct command for the general populace of Israel to observe all new moons.  However, a combining of the above verses (in bold) regarding new moons indicates they were kept.  The new moon traditionally was sort of a mini-holiday for women in some respects.  The religious importance of new moons (Rosh Hashánah excepted) was less than that for sabbaths and pilgrim feasts.  Recognizing each passing new moon maintained awareness of God’s calendar for annual festivals.

Rosh Hashanah was New Year’s Day.  It traditionally commemorated the ‘birthday of the world’ of Genesis 1 at creation.  Le.23:24 Rosh Hashanah is the new moon (day 1) of Month 7 (as in the above Tables), according to Israel’s sacred year/calendar which begins near the spring equinox.  However, Rosh Hashanah is the new moon of Month 1, according to Israel’s civil year/calendar which begins near the autumnal equinox.  The Month 7 new moon references in Le.23:24; Nu.29:1; Ezr.3:6; Ne.8:2…are according to the sacred calendar occasion of Rosh Hashanah which is around Sep 22.  Barnes Notes Le.23:24 “The 1^st day’ of this month was the 1^st day of the Civil year…and was observed as the festival of the New year.”  JFB Commentary “That was the 1^st day of the ancient civil year.”

Rosh Hashanah means ‘head of the year’.  Rosh Hashanah precedes the Day of Atonement by 10 days and the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles/Ingathering by 15 days; these were at the “end of the year” (Ex.23:16).  That is, when the old civil year ended and the new civil year began.  The onset of a Jubilee year was proclaimed on the Day of Atonement (Le.25:9-10).  cf. Ezk.40:1 (“beginning of the [civil] year”).

3. Feasts Strongs h2282 chag Hebrew noun, occurs 60 times in the OT.  The corresponding LXX term is hehortay g1859, which also occurs 27 times in the NT.

The three pilgrim feasts were Passover/Unleavened Bread, Péntecost/Weeks, Tabernacles/Sukkót.

Pilgrim feasts were based on the agricultural cycle in Israel.  The Lord commanded they be kept only at the one place where He dwelt, De.12:5, 16:16; 2Sm.6:2…never at two or more locations simultaneously.  Passover wasn’t allowed in their other various towns, De.16:5.  Those who didn’t come to Jerusalem for Booths/Tabernacles were to get no rain, Zec.14:16-19.  No location of man’s choosing was authorized.  (King Jeroboám’s attempted feast elsewhere failed, 1Ki.12:32–13:5.)  Pilgrim feasts, with their required offerings, were done only near/by God’s place (it was only in Israel).  see Table 2.

Israelite males were to attend three times each year.  ref Ex.34:22-24, De.16:16.  Benson Commentary Le.23:3 “Feasts were to be kept before the Lord in Jerusalem only, where all the males were to come for that end; but the sabbath was to be kept in all places, in synagogues, and in their private houses.”

Unlike the feasts, the weekly 7^th day sabbath and the Day of Atonement were observed in all their dwellings/towns.  see Le.23:3, 31-32.

Passover h6453 pésach occurs nearly 50 times in the MT.  The corresponding LXX term is g3957 pásha, which also occurs nearly 30 times in the NT.  ref Ex.12:1-11, 43-48; Le.23:5; Nu.9:1-14; De.16:1-8; Mk.14:12; Lk.22:1, 7; Jn.11:55.  Passover and the 7 Days of Unleavened Bread began on Abíb 14-15.

Passover was done only at one location (at a time).  Lk.2:41-42 Jesus’ parents took Him to Jerusalem every year.  It would have been sin for them to try to ‘keep’ Passover in a Galilee town, De.16:5.  (A man unable to do Passover at God’s sole place was allowed to keep it there the next month, Nu.9:9-14.)

After the initial Passover meals (and the Wave Sheaf ceremony, Le.23:9-14), the remainder of the seven days of Unleavened Bread can be kept in their home dwellings.  ref Lk.24:13-ff where two people were leaving Jerusalem on Sunday a few days after Passover, but still during the Days of Unleavened Bread.

During Israel’s history, the Passover became somewhat synonymous with the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  Ezk.45:21 “Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.”  Lk.22:1 “The Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover….”  Interchangeable terms.

Unleavened bread h4682 matzáh occurs 50 times in the OT.  The corresponding LXX term, ázumos g106, also occurs 9 times in the NT.  ref Ge.19:3; Ex.12:15-20; Jdg.6:19-21; Ac.12:3, 20:6; 1Co.5:7-8.

The feast of Pentecost or Weeks (Ex.34:22-23) or Shavúot was 50 days later, Le.23:15-21.  Some may interpret v.21 as Pentecost can be kept “wherever you live” (CSB) in some circumstances?  Barnes Notes Le.23:21 “The Feast of Weeks was distinguished from the two other great annual [pilgrim] feasts by its consisting, according to the Law, of only a single day.”  In the OT, there’s no clear example of anyone traveling to the temple to observe Pentecost (there is in the NT, Ac.2:1-14, 20:16).  The apocryphal book of Tobit 2:1 shows him eating a meal in the land of Assyria at the time of Pentecost.  As Israelites migrated from captivity, many couldn’t afford the trip back to Jerusalem for this one-day observance.

The annual seven-day Feast of Booths/Tabernacles/Ingathering/Sukkot h5521 was very early in each new civil year (5 days after Atonement).  At the culmination of this feast was the 8^th Last Great Day called Shémini Atzerét.  ref Le.23:33-43; De.16:13-16; Ne.8:14-18; Zec.14:16-19; Jn.7:2, 37-39.  The Feast of Booths or Tabernacles too was kept only at the sole place in Israel where God’s Name dwelt.

Feasts and new moons weren’t complete rests…they weren’t shabawth h7676 or sabbaton g4521.  (see Table 1.)  Rather, extensive work could be done preparing the food they’d feast on.  No “servile” work was done.  They were holidays or semi-rests/near-rests, in that sense.  Assemblies/convocations were held at the tabernacle or temple during feast days.  (Assembly days for Occasions are noted with a ● in Table 2.)  Some days were shabathón h7677 or anápausis g372 rest (noun)…not a near-full cessation.

The Hebrew term shabathon h7677 noun occurs 10 times in the OT (all in Exodus and Leviticus): Ex.16:23, 31:15, 35:2; Le.16:31, 23:3, 24, 32, 39 (2), 25:5.  The LXX term is anapausis g372, which also occurs 5 times in the NT as “rest” KJV (not as “sabbath”/sabbaton g4521!).

Harvard grad William Converse Wood Sabbath Essays, p.130-131 “Sabbath days’ does not refer to Jewish festivals….feasts are often spoken of in the NT, but not one of them anywhere is called a sabbath, or credited with the nature of the sabbath….The feasts of trumpets [Rosh Hashanah] and tabernacles are termed merely shabathon….The Septuagint notes this distinction, not translating these feasts by the Greek sabbaton [sabbath], but by anapausis, rest.”  Shabathons were like sabbatóids.

Bible translations don’t always reflect the distinction between (Hebrew) shabawth h7676 and shabathon h7677.  They wrongly translate shabathon as “sabbath”.  e.g. Le.23:24, 39 KJV incorrectly rendered shabathon as “sabbath” for Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Booths Day 1, and Last Great Day 8.

Sabbaths did encompass the concept of semi-rest or near-rest, so they too were h7677/g372.  Yet more than that…sabbaths were near-total cessations.  Le.23:3 “Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, a holy convocation; you shall do no work therein.”  The “sabbath” is a holy day/period of cessation from certain activities, most (tiring) activities.  see Table 1.

Pulpit Commentary Le.23:3 “The sabbath and the Day of Atonement were the only days in which no work might be done, whereas on the other festivals it was only no servile work that might be done.”  No work at all was done on the 7^th day sabbath h7676/g4521 (De.5:14).

Again, sabbaths weren’t feasts and feasts weren’t sabbaths.  The Lord prohibited extensive food preparation on the sabbaths (unlike the feasts).  The Day of Atonement sabbath was even a fast day!  Israel was taught the lesson in Ex.16 by gathering manna six days each week…for 40 years!  But they didn’t gather on the 7^th day.  No work of any kind was permitted on sabbath (other than priests may do God’s work, Mt.12:5).

Bible translations in English differ.  But God’s various occasions (with their Aspects) can be accurately identified by the Strongs numbers which are associated with the old Hebrew & Greek source terms.

The Hebrew OT Ex.20:8, “Remember the shabawth [h7676] day, to keep it holy”.  It doesn’t say, ‘Remember the shabathon [h7677] (semi-rest) day, to keep it holy’.  The Hebrew/Greek terms shabawth h7676/sabbaton g4521…aren’t shabathon h7677/anapausis g372.

In Mt.11:28-30, Jesus exhorts believers to come be yoked to Him and find “rest”.  v.29 the Greek term here is anapausis g372…not sabbaton g4521 sabbath.  Jesus didn’t say He is the sabbath/shabawth!  To see Jesus as the sabbath is wrongly adding to His words.  Jesus isn’t our sabbath.  God/Jesus is greater than the sabbath and all else He created or ordained!  Thus Jesus is Lord of the sabbath (Mk.2:27-28), and of all creation.  Since Christ ceased from creating on the 7^th day, the weekly sabbath identifies God as Creator.  Vincent’s Word Studies Mt.11:29 “By coming to the Savior, they would first take on them the yoke of the kingdom of heaven, and then that of the commandments, finding this yoke easy and the burden light.”  A rest from the Pharisees’ oral law yoke of bondage; cf. Ac.15:10, Ga.5:1.

Of all the days in the Tables, the 7^th day sabbath is the only occasion made holy (Gen.2:1-3) prior to Moses, the Old Covenant, and the Levitical order.  JFB Commentary Le.23:3 “The sabbath has the precedence given to it.”  Presbyterian scholar Ligon Duncan acknowledges in The First Things – The Creation Ordinances “In Genesis 1 and 2…there are four great creation mandates given….our four Creation ordinances are procreation [Ge.1:28], labor [Ge.1:28, 2:15], Sabbath [Ge.2:1-3] and marriage [Ge.2:21-25].”  Not Old Covenant Levitical feasts or new moon celebrations.  God’s four Creation ordinances supersede both the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, and all priestly orders!  Therefore, the 7^th day sabbath is the only day in the Tables which may be applied to the present Christian order of Melchisedek.  Let’s not forget…the 7^th day has been holy time since Creation!

{Sidelight: My own personal practice for decades is to observe the 7^th day sabbath as a day of rest.  (I’m not Seventh Day Adventist.)  I may also worship the Lord and traditionally go to church on Sunday or any day.  I’ve found that putting out leavened bread for seven days each spring helps renew my resolve to put/keep sin out of my life.  (cf. Ac.20:6.  Paul figuratively related leaven to sin, 1Co.5:6-8.)  Also I fast on the Day of Atonement (cf. Ac.27:9) and may attend a church meeting on that day or on Rosh Hashanah.  Doing these things can help a Christian stay focused on God.  This isn’t to say that honoring the annual Days of Unleavened Bread, Yom Kippur, or Rosh Hashanah is a substitute for Jesus’ sacrifice.  “Repent and be baptized” (Ac.2:38), and belief in His blood…is vital.}

Much more can be said about God’s occasions (and other observances) and their timing on the calendar.  For more detail, see the topics: “Sabbath 7^th Day” (series), “Sabbath Day Became Sunday in Rome”, “Day of Atonement”, “Feasts of the Lord and the Jews”, “Passover and Peace Offerings”, “Passover and the Exodus Timing”, “Feast of Booths”, “Jesus’ Last Supper Timing”, “Christmas and Jesus’ Birth Month”, “Halloween All Souls Day”, “Wedding Pattern in Bible Holydays”.

Church Structure and Member Functions

Many Christians try to attend church every week or two.  Others attend only occasionally or just at Easter and Christmas.  Some are so turned-off with religion and churchianity…they just stay home.

Many atheists, Jewish anti-missionaries, Muslims, and other non-believers are opposed to people becoming believers in Jesus as Savior.  The institution of church and our assembling together provides a measure of protection for our belief in God and the truths of the Bible.  This topic is about church fundamentals and believer functions, from the New Testament (NT).

The saints of the early church assembled together.  Originally the NT church was a gathering of people…not the building where they met!  The Greek term for church is ekklésia, Strongs g1577, occurring 118 times in the NT.

Lk.4:16 it was Jesus’ custom to attend the formal style of service of His day at synagogue (g4864) on the sabbath (g4521).  This custom resulted from the instruction God gave to Moses/Israel in Le.23:3. “On the 7^th day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. It is a sabbath to the Lord in all your dwellings.”  Jewish synagogues were lay institutions with unpaid elders (h2205 zaqén, Hebrew).  see the topic “Synagogue Influence on the Church”.

Mt.18:15-20 Jesus authorized His own future assemblies or messianic Beit Din (‘House of Judgment’) with zaqen/elders overseeing decisions…to “bind and loose” (forbid and permit), Mt.16:19.  Two or three local elders helped resolve internal disputes and made legal decisions for each local congregation (ref Mt.18:15-18, 1Co.6:1-5).

But Jesus said church leaders aren’t to be lords (Mt.20:25-28).  Jesus is Lord (Ro.10:9).  He is the only Head of the church (Ep.5:23)!  He died and rose again…and His church was launched in Acts 2, ca 30 AD.

In the early church of the 1^st century, a group of believers usually met in a large room or courtyard of a believer’s house.  See Ro.16:5, Col.4:15, Philemon 1:2, 2Jn.1:10 for evidence of house churches.

The apostle Paul planted churches on his missionary journeys.  The churches Paul started were structured (similar to the synagogue pattern).  As Paul departed a city on his journey, a few local elders would emerge to lead & guide that new church group.

In Ac.20:17, 28 Paul instructed the elders [g4245 presbúteros] of Ephesus, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers [g1985 epískopos, bishops], to shepherd the church of God.”  Church overseers/bishops care for the figurative ‘sheep’.  Often one elder was the householder where that church met.

Ti.1:5 Paul instructed the church planter Titus to appoint elders who’d emerged in cities on the island of Crete.  After a period of time, Paul or another church planter (e.g. Peter, Timothy, Titus) would revisit the local group.  Churches grew & spread as believers shared the gospel with family, friends, associates.

Apostles/church planters had spiritual authority.  The Holy Spirit (HS) confirmed them.

Paul wrote to the Corinthian church in 1Co.4:21. “Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?”  Later in 2Co.7:13-16, “He [Titus] remembers your obedience, how you received him [Titus] with fear and trembling”.  Also ref Philemon 1:8-9 and 1Ti.5:19-21 regarding authority.

By the time the 1Timothy letter was written, ca 63 AD, many churches were being established throughout the Roman Empire.

Guidelines were to be observed for each local NT assembly.  Although leading men should be honorable, the NT doesn’t indicate that local elders were imbued with the same degree of spiritual authority the apostles/church planters had.

Ti.1:5-9 and 1Ti.3:1-7 distinguish the characteristics of elders & overseers.  1Ti.3:8-13 distinguishes the characteristics of deacons (g1249 diákonos).  Dr. Spiros Zódiates “Deacons in this sense were helpers or servants of the bishops or elders.”  Php.1:1 Paul addressed this letter to the saints, overseers/bishops (plural) and deacons at Phílippi.

It appears the NT church government was more like an oligarchy, not a hierarchy.  Ga.2:7-9 Paul indicated that Peter, John, James apostled mostly physically circumcised Jews; whereas Barnábas & Paul went more to uncircumcised gentiles.

There was no Pope!  The HS is the ‘vicar of Christ’, so to speak.  The apostolic church wasn’t an immoral, indolent, corrupt monopoly.

The Lord gave Jewish and gentile Christians various spiritual gifts & functions via the HS.  Ep.4:11-13 “He gave some apostles, and prophets, and evangelists, and shepherds/pastors, and teachers; for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ. ‘Til we all come into the unity of the faith.”  Many of the functions indicated in Ep.4:11-13 are performed by elders.

In addition to the NT model eldership structure, the HS has also blessed and gifted the church.  Anointing with oil while praying for the sick to be healed is an example of a local function done by elders, Ja.5:14-16.

Yet, in a sense, all Christians are priests in God’s holy royal priesthood (1Pe.2:5, 9)!

Several believer functions are listed in 1Co.12:27-31.  These functions and gifts are distributed by the HS among the saints (in local areas).  1Co.12:27-31 “God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, gifts of healings, admins, tongues.”  Yes, miracles & healings are for the church (Ja.5:14-16).  see “Spiritual Gifts and ‘Tongues”.

Also Ro.12:4-8, 13 is in regards to believer functions. “Just as we have many members in one body and all the members don’t have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.”  Here Paul includes serving, exhorting, giving, contributing to the needs of others, hospitality, etc.  also see “Female Roles in the Early Church.”

1Co.12:29-30 not all Christians are apostles, or prophets, or teachers, etc.; all aren’t pastors; all don’t speak in tongues.  All haven’t been given evangelistic gifts or talk about Jesus well one-on-one.  Those who don’t speak in tongues or evangelize well, for example, shouldn’t be made to feel inadequate.

Paul’s summation in 1Co.14:1, “Pursue love, yet desire spiritual gifts”.  It’s not one or the other.  It’s spiritual gifts and love…both.  The various gifts and love from the HS enables those so gifted to spread the gospel and knit the church together in godly love.  Personal evangelism (by those who have that gift) is key to a living and growing church.  Of note, it wasn’t the apostles who evangelized in Ac.8:1-4.  also see “Evangelism in the Apostolic Church”.

Gentile peoples come from backgrounds of different cultures, customs and beliefs.  Even the Jews had their own sects.  (see “Jewish Sects of the 1^st Century”.)  As the gospel went to the nations, the result was a much diverse group coming into the church at large.  And differing customs can cause some disunity.  Also see “Doctrinal Disunity Impacts Evangelism”.

Jesus prayed there would be unity.  Jn.17:11 “Holy Father, keep them in Your name, that they may be one.”  Continuing in Jn.17:22-23, “That they may be one, just as We are one, that they may be perfected in unity”.  Jesus prayed that all Christians would become unified, as one in Spirit with God.

Paul didn’t charge money for the gospel.  Nor did he cause division for the church in regards to points of Levitical ceremonial laws or Judaism’s oral traditions from his background.  1Co.9:18-23 “When I preach the gospel I offer the gospel without charge. To the Jews I became as a Jew, though not being myself under [man-made oral?] law; to those [gentiles] without law as without [oral?] law, though not being without the [written] law of God….that I may by all means save some.”  Paul was willing to set aside Jewish oral traditions (but not the Lord’s written principles) to help grow God’s Kingdom.

Our Christian journey is a process of personal growth and learning.  There were big differences and some problems, for example, among the seven churches of western Turkey (Rev.2–3)!  Yet they were all still Christ’s churches (Rev.1:13, 20), though some desperately needed to repent more fully.

All Christian churches today lay claim to the Bible as the written word of God.  This written word, as inspired by the HS, is the universal standard and unifying instruction guide for the Body of Christ.  As Jesus & Paul affirmed when referring to the Old Testament…“It is written!” (e.g. Mt.4:4, Ro.3:10.)

But to fully obey God’s word, we must be willing to lay aside traditional (and nationalistic) differences which contradict His word.  see “Governmental Loyalty for Christians”.  Also we should be willing to de-emphasize any differences regarding non-salvation issues so-called, and speculations.

Jesus said in Jn.13:34-35, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another”.  What is godly love?  1Jn.5:3 provides a definition of true godly love. “This is the love of God, that you keep His commandments.”  As we obey God while loving each other, and do our part to spread the gospel…the Kingdom of God will be expressed more and more.  The church has been called the Kingdom of God in miniature.  (see “Kingdom of God” and “Love – Godly Love”.)

Although there are apostles, elders, etc., the bottom line is…all believers are necessary parts of the Body of Christ…whether they’re an eye or a hand or a part less noticeable (1Co.12:20-25).  As our body parts come to the aid and defense of our physical body; the church provides protection from false teaching, and from those who reject Jesus as Savior.  Our local assembly is part of our spiritual immune system.

God’s people are exhorted to maintain the habit of gathering together regularly in an approved manner, based upon what we see in the NT.  Individually a believing member may be a figurative hand, or finger, foot, toe, ear, lung, etc., of the Body of Christ.  (Christ is the Head.)  But no body part can exist alone!  Each group or congregation is a local body where believers are to function in sync with each other.

The writer to the Hebrews urged believers to meet & commune together.  He.10:24-25 “Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good works, not forsaking our own assembling together.”

We’re to share in a unified local body.  Through the HS within us, we can be living examples of God’s written principles in our thoughts, words, actions, conduct and habits.  Then our purpose and destiny will be…we ourselves unified together with God for all eternity!  What a glorious future we have!

So let’s look to spread the gospel as the opportunity arises…and carry-on the church practice of meeting together, as did the New Testament saints who went before us.

Synagogue Influence on the Church

Many concepts and functions extant in Christian churches today are adapted from 1^st 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 1^st century Jews regularly attended synagogue.  According to the Talmud, there were around 400 synagogues in Jerusalem in the 1^st 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 1^st 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 7^th 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 1^st 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.