By: Kevin L. Moore

From earliest times, the Jews gave attention to the public reading of God’s Word (Exodus 24:1-7; Joshua 8:30-35; Nehemiah 8:1–9; etc.). In the first century A.D., public reading was a regular part of synagogue gatherings (Acts 13:15, 27; 15:21). Jesus customarily attended synagogue meetings and participated in the communal reading and exposition of the sacred writings (Luke 4:16–22).

The prevalence of illiteracy in the first-century Mediterranean world made public reading indispensable. In the earliest New Testament document, James charged his audience to be doers of the implanted word and not just “hearers” (James 1:21-25). At the end of the New Testament, the apostle John pronounced a blessing on “the one reading and those hearing the words of the prophecy, and keeping the things having been written in it…” (Revelation 1:3, author’s own translation).

Paul commended the Holy Scriptures to Timothy, charging him to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 3:16–4:2) and “to give attention to the public reading” (1 Timothy 4:13). At that time, in addition to the Old Testament, the writings of Luke were already regarded as “scripture” (1 Timothy 5:18), and within a comparable timeframe so were Paul’s epistles (2 Peter 3:15–16). In the apostle’s earliest writing, the directive was given, “I solemnly charge you in the Lord, that this letter be read to all the brethren” (1 Thessalonians 5:27). Paul intended for his writings to be circulated rather than to be kept isolated in their respective localities; “and when this letter shall be read in your presence, have it also read among the church of the Laodiceans…” (Colossians 4:16).

By the mid-second century, Justin Martyr wrote from Rome, “And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits…” (First Apology 1:186).

As we strive to be the church of the New Testament, remember that our first-century brethren did not have the luxury of each owning his or her own personal copy of the Bible. When God’s Word is read in our public gatherings, may we replicate their attentiveness, eagerness and reverence as Almighty God speaks through it to his humble servants.