New Testament Backgrounds - Part 4

The synagogue is an important part of the New Testament.  Jesus attended the synagogue often and Paul went to them everywhere he traveled.  What was it?  There is no mention of the synagogue in the Old Testament, so where did it come from?

The word comes from the Greek language.  “In Hellenistic Greek, synagogue (synagoge) was the term for assembly, and also for community – corresponding to the Hebrew keneseth.  Later it came to designate the place where the assembly gathered, the beth hakeneseth” (“Synagogue” in the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, page 119).

The origin of the synagogue is unknown, but it probably developed during the exile or shortly after the return as a place for worship and study of the Law of Moses.  Lee Levin wrote,

Over the centuries the synagogue became a fully developed communal institution and apparently the central one in most communities.  It served as a place for study, sacred meals, court proceedings, depositing communal funds, and political and social meetings, as a hostel, and as a residence for certain synagogue officials.  Of central importance, of course, were the religious services (The Oxford Companion to the Bible, page 722).

One important aspect of the synagogue service was reading and then translating the Hebrew Bible into the language of the people.  In Palestine the Hebrew was translated into Aramaic and for those outside of Palestine the language was Greek.

Another part was the preaching or exposition of the Scriptures.  Anyone was permitted to speak, which allowed Jesus to preach while attending the synagogue.  It also opened the way for the spread of Christianity.  It was the practice of the apostle Paul to begin his mission work at the local synagogue when there was one in the towns where his missionary journeys took him.  This allowed him the opportunity to present then gospel message to people, both Jews and Gentile proselytes, who knew the Bible.  These were people looking for the Messiah, and knew the Old Testament passages which pointed to Him.  As Paul traveled he would visit the synagogues and preach the gospel of Jesus.

—Denny