Part 15 (1/2)

2. The _chazzan_ (Luke 4. 20, ”the minister”), who united the functions of clerk, schoolmaster, s.e.xton, and constable to administer sentence on offenders.

3. The _batlanim_, ”men of ease,” seven men who were chosen to act as a legal congregation, were pledged to be present at the regular services, and sometimes received a small fee for being present.

VI. =Its Services.= These were held on Sat.u.r.day, Monday, and Thursday, and were conducted by the members in turn, several taking part in each service. They consisted of:

1. Forms of prayer, conducted by a leader, with the responses by the wors.h.i.+pers.

2. Reading of selections from the law and the prophets, according to an appointed order (Acts 15. 21). The reading was in Hebrew, but it was translated, verse by verse, into the language of the people, whether Greek or Aramaic.

3. Exposition or comment upon the Scripture, in which any member might take part (Luke 4. 20, 21; Acts 13. 15, 16).

VII. =Its Influence.= It is easy to perceive how widely and how powerfully the results of such an inst.i.tution would reach.

1. It perpetuated the wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d and united the wors.h.i.+pers.

2. It supplied a more thoughtful and spiritual wors.h.i.+p than the elaborate ritual of the Temple.

3. It promoted the study of the Old Testament Scriptures and made them thoroughly familiar to every Jew.

4. It attracted the devout and intelligent among the Gentiles, many of whom became wors.h.i.+pers of G.o.d and were known as ”proselytes of the gate”

(Acts 10. 1, 2).

VIII. =Its Preparation for the Gospel.= It is evident that the apostles and early Christian teachers were greatly aided by the synagogue.

1. It furnished a _place_; for everywhere the church began in the synagogue, even though it soon left it (Acts 13. 5; 18. 4; 19. 8).

2. It prepared a _people_; for the synagogue was attended by the earnest and thoughtful, both of Jews and Gentiles, who were thus made ready for the higher truths of the gospel (Acts 13. 42, 43).

3. It supplied a _plan of service_; for it is evident that the early Christian wors.h.i.+p was modeled, not on the ritual of the Temple, but on the simpler forms of the synagogue.

4. It gave a _system of organization_; for the Government of the early church was similar to, and doubtless suggested by, that of the synagogue.

Blackboard Outline

I. =Ori.= Cap. Ez. B. C. 440.

II. =Univ.= 10 fam. 460 Jer.

III. =Pl. Meet.= Buil. ro. op. air. sec. us.

IV. =Arr.= 1. Ark. 2. Ch. sea. 3. Desk. 4. Pla. wor. 5. Gal.

V. =Off.= 1. Rul. 2. Chaz. 3. Batl.

VI. =Serv.= 1. Pr. 2. Read. Ser. 3. Exp.

VII. =Inf.= 1. Per. wor. 2. Spir. wor. 3. St. O. T. 4. Attr. Gen.

VIII. =Prep. Gosp.= 1. Pla. 2. Peo. 3. Ser. 4. Org.