Synagogue

Biblical References

The synagogue appears chiefly in the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles.

• The teaching of Jesus: Jesus taught in synagogues throughout Galilee (Matthew 4:23). In the synagogue at Nazareth, on the Sabbath, he read from the scroll of Isaiah and declared that the passage had been fulfilled that day (Luke 4:16-21).
• The synagogue at Capernaum: In the synagogue at Capernaum, Jesus healed a man possessed by an unclean spirit (Mark 1:21-28) and taught about the bread of life (John 6:59).
• Synagogue rulers and Sabbath disputes: The Gospels recount the raising of the daughter of Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue (Mark 5:22-43). They also record how a ruler of the synagogue became indignant when Jesus healed a bent-over woman in the synagogue on the Sabbath (Luke 13:10-17).
• Paul's evangelism: During his missionary journeys, Paul customarily went first to the synagogue upon arriving in a new city and reasoned with those gathered there (Acts 13:14-15; 17:1-2; 18:4).

In the Old Testament, the Korean Revised Version (New Revised Edition) uses the word "synagogue" only once, in Psalm 74:8.

Background

The word "synagogue" renders the Greek synagōgē, meaning "a gathering together" or "a place of assembly."

Sacrifice could be offered only at the Temple in Jerusalem. Synagogues, by contrast, existed in Jewish communities throughout Palestine and the Mediterranean world. Acts 15:21 states that the writings of Moses were read in the synagogues of every city each Sabbath.

At synagogue gatherings as described in the New Testament, the Law and the Prophets were read, followed by a word of exhortation based on the reading (Acts 13:15). These meetings were led by a ruler of the synagogue. The synagogue also served as a place for handling community affairs, which is why the New Testament mentions people being scourged in synagogues (Matthew 10:17) and being put out of the synagogue (John 9:22).

The origin of the synagogue is uncertain. A widely held view is that it arose during or after the Babylonian exile, when the Temple lay in ruins. Scripture, however, does not address the question directly, and scholars differ. The Hebrew of Psalm 74:8 means "meeting places of God," so opinions also vary on whether this verse refers to synagogues of the kind found in the New Testament era.

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

The synagogue was where Jesus and the apostles first proclaimed the gospel. Paul's hearers included not only Jews but also "God-fearing" Gentiles who attended the synagogue (Acts 13:16, 26). These Gentiles became the foundation of the early Gentile churches.

Many hold that the order of Scripture reading, preaching, and prayer in early church worship was influenced by synagogue gatherings. James 2:2 also uses the word "synagogue" to refer to a Christian assembly.

Interpretations and Issues

• "The synagogue of Satan": Revelation 2:9 and 3:9 use the expression "the synagogue of Satan." The common interpretation is that it reflects the conflict that the churches at Smyrna and Philadelphia, two of the seven churches of Asia, experienced with the local Jewish communities. Many scholars and churches caution against reading these verses as a condemnation of the Jewish people as a whole.
• The dating of the expulsion accounts: Opinions differ on the accounts of expulsion from the synagogue in the Gospel of John. Some regard them as describing the situation in Jesus' own day, while others see them as reflecting circumstances at the time the Gospel was written.
• A frequently repeated claim: It is often said that men and women sat separately in first-century synagogues. However, some point out that the biblical text contains no such record and that evidence for this practice in that period is unclear.

In the Korean Church

Luke 4:16 records that it was Jesus' custom to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath. This passage is often cited in sermons encouraging attendance at worship on the Lord's Day.