Elements Of Synagogue Worship

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 su…