Public Reading of the Scripture (1)

Introduction: God's Jealousy for Pure Worship and the Public Means of Grace

0:07 The following message was delivered on Sunday morning, June 20th, 1993, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey.

0:18 Will you turn in your Bibles with me to the book of Deuteronomy? We shall have occasion to come back to this passage in the exposition this morning, but in order to make our minds familiar with the particulars of this particular section of the Word of God, please follow as I read Deuteronomy 31, verses 1-13. Deuteronomy chapter 31, verses 1-13. And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel. And he said unto them, I am a hundred and twenty years old this day. I can no more go out and come in. And Jehovah hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

1:22 Jehovah thy God, He will go over before thee. He will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt dispossess them. And Joshua, he shall go over before thee as Jehovah. And Jehovah hath spoken.

1:38 And Jehovah will do unto them as he did to Sihon, and to Og, the kings of the Amorites, and unto their land, whom he destroyed. And Jehovah will deliver them up before you. And ye shall do unto them according to all the commandment which I have commanded you. Be strong and of good courage.

2:01 Fear not, nor be affrighted at them. For Jehovah thy God, he it is, doth go with thee. He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of good courage.

2:21 For thou shalt go with this people into the land, which Jehovah hath sworn unto their fathers to give them, and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And Jehovah, he it is, that doth go before thee. He will be with thee. He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee.

2:44 Fear not, neither be dismayed. And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests, the sons of Levi, that bear the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and unto all the elders of Israel. And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles, when all Israel is come to appear before Jehovah thy God, in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Assemble the people, the men and the women, and the little ones, and thy sojourner that is within thy gates, that they, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear Jehovah your God, and observe to do all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known, may hear, and learn to fear Jehovah your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over the Jordan, to possess it.

4:04 Now, the God of the Bible is not at all ashamed or embarrassed, to call himself a jealous God. In the midst of giving the Ten Commandments, we read in Exodus 20 and verse 5, For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. Again, in Deuteronomy 4.24, Moses asserts by the inspiration of the Spirit, that Jehovah thy God is a devout, a soaring fire, a jealous God.

4:48 There are few things concerning which God manifests a greater jealousy than he does with respect to the maintenance of the purity of his worship, and the activities connected with that worship. This is reflected in that very reference in Exodus 20 and verse 5, for Jesus said, It comes in the context of the second commandment, which addresses the purity of God's worship. The commandment in which God says, You shall not make any graven images. You shall not worship me in any other way than the way of my prescription, and in that setting, he says, For I am a jealous God. Now, why do I assert these things? Regarding the reality of God's self-disclosure as a jealous God, and one of the focal points of his jealousy being the purity of his worship? Well, I say them because we are in the midst of a series of studies in which I am highlighting the biblical truths which have, under the blessing of God, been the very lifeblood of this congregation for the first 25 years of its existence.

6:15 The special truth which we are presently highlighting is that we as a church are determined to maintain a balanced biblical doctrine of the Christian life, and that one of the central aspects of such a determination is the conviction that there are no effective substitutes for the God-appointed means of grace in living the Christian life. And having considered for some weeks the private means of grace, we've begun to focus our attention upon the public means of grace, and in doing this, we first of all examined a general principle, namely, that the public means of grace are deposited and exercised primarily in a biblically ordered church. Then, in our study last week, we saw the identity of the primary means of grace which are deposited in a biblically ordered church, and we focused our attention upon Acts 2 and verse 42, in which we read concerning the 3,000 added to the church on the day of Pentecost,

7:42 added to the existing 120, that they continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching, in fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and the prayers. And we noted then that these four major public means of grace were the persevering attainment, the dependence upon the ministry of the word of God, persevering involvement with the people of God, persevering remembrance of the Son of God, and persevering dependence upon the power of God. And having then identified those major means of grace deposited in the church, we had occasion to highlight the fact that whoever begins to worship the Lord in a worship of God is considered a follower of the Holy Spirit. It is parts of the state of being a convert, of being a follower of the Holy Spirit. So this is the example of a church that is being used widely in the ministry of God, and which is also used to bring the glory of God to the whole earth, to the city and the world, in the whole earth, and to the spiritual world. Let us briefly now look at what is being used to bring the glory of God and for the whole world

9:06 primary means of grace, public means of grace, were indeed instrumental in the description of the life and ministry of the church as it follows in the subsequent paragraph. Now today and in the next few studies, I intend to go back over each of these public means of grace that we identified by that textual study and to give a more expanded and comprehensive treatment of each of them. And today we begin to address ourselves to this matter of persevering attendance upon the ministry of the word of God as a means of grace, as a public means of grace. And a careful study of the scriptures, will yield the conclusion that this ministry of the word of God involved the reading, preaching, teaching, and application of the scriptures. The reading, preaching, teaching, and application of the

The Biblical Basis for Public Reading: Old Testament Roots

10:25 scriptures. And today we're going to limit ourselves to a consideration of the regular, consecutive, consecutive, or some form of systematic public reading of the scriptures as an expression of this persevering attendance upon the ministry of the word of God. If you've come to this congregation for longer than several weeks, you will have noted that in each public service of worship, there is at least one dominant segment given to the congregation. This is before, after, and after, and after, and through worship, there is a greatitals なついつくる list. This thick list, of are there elements in our worship that are unbiblical that ought to be changed, elements that are biblical that ought to be included, suppose someone were to stand and say, well

11:47 I really think that this practice of the consecutive public reading of the word of God has outworn its usefulness, I believe it could be jettisoned without any violation of our consciences in the light of the word of God, would you be able to stand and give a solid, convincing biblical polemic for refusing such a suggestion? I'm asking you the question, I'm not expecting a verbal response, but it is my concern that there be a clear, intelligent, spirit-wrought conviction in the corporate heart of the membership of Christianity. The Trinity Baptist Church, that if it is to be said of us, they continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching, that is, they perseveringly attended upon the ministry of the word of God, then this matter of giving a prominent place to the reading of the whole of the word of God must continue, and even perhaps increase. This is an integral part of our public gatherings. And so this morning I set before you, first

13:12 of all, the biblical basis for the public reading of the scriptures in the gathered church. The biblical basis for the public reading of the scriptures in the gathered church. And under this heading, we'll look first of all at the Old Testament roots of the practice, and secondly, the New Testament trunk and branches of the practice. So we're going to dig beneath the surface and look at the Old Testament roots of the practice, and then above the surface, the trunk and the branches of the practice as it comes to expression in the New Testament. First of all then, the Old Testament roots of the practice. So an important point, I would say, is that a large part of the new Buckingham B parks, the earliest, records date way back in our history, only put at the start of Caesar's runes.

Individual and Corporate Responsibility for God's Word in the Old Testament

14:34 under the condemnation of God as sinners, as violators of his law, they stand in a posture of equal necessity of being forgiven and pardoned if they are to have acceptance with God, he then asks the question in chapter 3 and verse 1, what advantage then has the Jew? Or what is the profit of circumcision? If with all of his privileges the Jew is equally guilty with the Gentile, what then are his advantages? Verse 2, much every way there are many advantages, but notice first of all that they were entrusted with the oracles or literally the words of God. Verse 3, what were their privileges? Many, Paul says, but first among them is this, they were entrusted with the words of God. And having been given those oracles or words, every adult Israelite

15:50 had a solemn individual responsibility laid upon him to be acquainted with and constantly to regulate his life by those words. For example, in Deuteronomy chapter 6, 6 through 8, that duty is made abundantly clear. Deuteronomy 6, notice who is addressed in verse 4, hear, oh Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. God is speaking to the entire nation, and he's all men, and he's the will of God." Rabbi bakın 7,13, 6-10 of Israel, verse 6, and these words which I command thee this day shall be upon thy heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up, and thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontless between thine eyes, thou shalt write them upon the doorpost of thy house, and upon thy gates.

17:08 And without the advantages of desktop printers or even the Gutenberg printing press, there was a responsibility laid upon every single Israelite to make himself intimately acquainted with the words of God, and to have those words not only treasured up in his heart, but also part and regulative of his own life, but to pass them on as a legacy to his own children. Here is one of the fundamental passages which underscores the principle of the necessity of the study of the word of God as a private or individual means of grace. However, in addition to this individual exposure, God gave a clear directive concerning the public periodic reading of the book of the law, and it is in the passage read in your hearing that this directive is first set before us in scripture. Deuteronomy chapter 31. You remember the gist of verses 1 through 8. Moses says, I'm 120 years old, my work is done.

Deuteronomy 31: The Command for Public Reading

18:30 Because of my rashness, the sin of striking the rock in unbelief and in impetuosity, God has chastised me and told me that I will see the land of promise from afar, but I will not enter it. Joshua is to be your leader to take you in. God promises through Moses that there will be success in this next chapter in their national life. That he will, in a unique way.

19:00 Strengthen his servant Joshua as he leads the people into the land of promise. Now then, verse 9. And Moses wrote this law. Now the commentators differ.

19:14 Is this referring to the book of Deuteronomy, which in a very real sense is a summary of Jehovah's legislative will over the nation? Does it have reference to the entire Pentateuch? Does it have reference to a codified sort of composite of what we might call the more preceptual elements? I don't intend to go into that discussion, but this much is clear.

19:44 After Moses wrote this law, he delivered it unto the priests, the sons of Levi, that bear the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and unto all the elders of Israel. Those 70, which would give leadership and counsel to Moses and help him in the less difficult matters and ultimately bring the more difficult things to him as the primary leader. Now then, notice this clear directive. And Moses commanded them, saying, at the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of release. In the feast of tabernacles, when all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place that he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.

20:51 Assemble the people. Now notice, something is added. In the ordinary feast, throughout the ordinary course of the...

21:00 In other years, God had said that all of the adult males should appear before God at least three times a year in the place of his appointment in conjunction with the divinely designated feasts. But now, with respect to this particular feast of tabernacles, every seventh year, when the land would lie untilled, when men would die, when men would die, when men would die, when men would not be as occupied with their ordinary care of making provision for their families, God said that not only should the people in general be gathered, but he specifies the men and the women and the little ones and thy sojourner that is within thy gates, there was to be an expansion of those who... They were required to go up to the place of God's appointment for this seven-year cyclical reading of the law of God in the hearing of all of the people.

22:17 And what was the purpose of this institution? Look at the text. That they may hear and that they may learn and fear Jehovah your God and observe to do all the words of this...

22:31 This law and that their children who have not known may hear and learn to fear Jehovah your God as long as ye live in the land with you go over the Jordan to possess it. You see, in addition to God's clear requirement to every Israelite that he was to lay up the words of God within his own heart and have his own individual life regulated by that word. In addition to the requirement that every parent was to confront his child with that word, wherever he turned so that that child grew up, seeing that all of life had the stamp of God's authority and God's directive upon it, God also instituted this requirement that once every seven years, all of the Israelites with the strangers... And sojourners within their gates and their women and their children should go up at the feast of booths or tabernacles at which time the book of the law would be read in its entirety in their hearing.

23:50 And that for two reasons. That every Israelite who had been feeding upon the words of God, who had been taking seriously...

24:02 The commandment of passages such as Deuteronomy 6, 6 through 8, that every Israelite would have a fresh, concentrated, refresher course in the book of the law. Furthermore, that those who had been negligent in that responsibility, those who had been careless in fulfilling it, would nonetheless every seven years be confronted with and powerfully reminded of the fact that they were Jehovah's people. And that the entirety of their life, both nationally and individually, was under the regulative power of the word of God. And then the second great purpose was that the rising generation, verse 13, that their children who have not known, that their children who have not known, that children who apparently were cursed with parents who didn't take the time. To teach them the ways of God. Who didn't take the time to set before their children the word of God, would at least in this recurring seven year cycle be confronted with the book of the law that they might learn

25:22 to fear Jehovah their God as long as they were living in the land. Amen. Amen. Amen.

Historical Implementation in the Old Testament: Joshua, Josiah, and Ezra

25:31 Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

25:31 Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

25:32 Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

25:32 Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

25:32 Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

25:33 Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

25:34 Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

25:34 Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

25:34 Amen. Amen. God gave a very clear directive as to when it was to be implemented every seven years after they were established in the land. Where it was to be done in the place of his appointment.

25:50 What was to be done the entire book of the law was to be read. What was the purpose for it being done. This was all clearly laid out. And when we turn to Joshua chapter 8, we find that Joshua was obedient, at least in the early part of his administration of the national life of Israel.

26:16 For after the conquest of Ai, we read in Joshua 8 and verse 30 that Joshua built an altar unto the Lord, the God of Israel, in Mount Ebal, as Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses. So he was obedient with reference. He was obedient with reference to the institution of sacrifice, verse 32. And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. And all Israel and their elders and officers and judges stood on this side of the ark and on that side before the priests, the Levites, that bear the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, as well the sojourner as the homeborn. Half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses, the servant of Jehovah, had commanded at the first that they should bless the people of Israel.

27:34 And that strange incident recorded in Deuteronomy, where the people stood and the blessings and curses of the law were pronounced, and Moses directed that this should be done when they enter the land. They did. They did it. But now look at verse 34.

27:50 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded. Which Joshua read not before all the assembly of Israel and the women and the little ones and the sojourners that were among them. Now you talk about implicit obedience to the revealed will of God. Here's an example of it. Here's an example of it. God is here saying, as you take Deuteronomy 31.

28:47 And Joshua 8, 34 and 35, Joshua fulfilled his God-given orders.

28:58 And that generation was blessed in that not a word of all that Moses commanded failed to be read in the hearing of the men, the women, the sojourners, and the children as God had commanded. Now amazing. And we cannot argue from silence that this was not repeated until we find it again. But when we trace this out through the Old Testament, the most interesting pattern emerges.

29:32 That there is no reference again of this practice being implemented until we come to the reign of Josiah. There is something relatively close to it or parallel in another instance. That there is no real implementation until hundreds of years later recorded. And it is in conjunction with a season of radical reformation after a time of horrible apostasy and declension that in the midst of that work of restoration, this practice was reinstituted in Israel.

30:17 Turn, please. Turn to 2 Chronicles, chapter 34. 2 Chronicles, chapter 34.

30:33 In chapter 34, we have an account of these reformations and the reinstitution of worship under the reign of Josiah. And in the midst of repairing the temple, we read in verse 14, And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house, the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest, found the book of the law of the Lord given by Moses. And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.

31:16 And Shaphan carried the book to the king. And moreover brought back word to the king saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they are. And he describes what happens. Verse 18, And Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book.

31:36 And Shaphan read therein before the king. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah and Ahicham, Ahicham, the son of Shaphan, and Abdon, the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Esaiah the king's servant, saying, Go inquire of Jehovah for me and for them that are left in Israel and Judah concerning the words of the book that is found. For great is the wrath of Jehovah that is poured out upon us because our fathers have not kept the word of Jehovah to do according to all that is written in this book. In other words, it was not intended, until the king had had the book of the law read in his hearing that the magnitude of Israel's disobedience broke in upon him. He had already been engaged in tremendous reforms, tremendous reformation, and cleaning up of the mess of idolatry and the setting up of idol worship. But when he comes into this direct contact in a concentrated way in this reading of the book of the law, he's devastated.

32:57 Great is the wrath of the Lord that is upon us because of our sin. And then in verse 29 we read, Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, and the king went up to the house of Jehovah and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites and all the people, both great and small. You see again how careful the Spirit of God is to record who was brought together and read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of Jehovah. The king stood in his place and made a covenant before Jehovah to walk in his ways, etc. And here there was, as it were, a reconstitution of the nation in covenantal relationship with God. The king felt that there had been such widespread departure that there need to be a reaffirmation of commitment to that covenant relationship.

34:16 But for our purposes, we focus upon the fact that in the midst of these reforms, the servant of God reinstitutes this practice of reading in the ears of all of the people, great and small, all of the words of the book of the covenant. Nothing was omitted. Nothing was designated irrelevant. Nothing was stricken out as unimportant.

34:50 What God had mandated under Moses, what Joshua had at least one time faithfully implemented is now again instituted by his servant, Josiah. And then, alas, the next reference to this practice is after the return from captivity. Again, I'm not saying it was not done, but the next reference, again interestingly, is in a time when the people of God, having been saved, were sent into captivity for their idolatry. The seventy years of God's predicted time of captivity are past.

35:33 They are back in their own land, reestablishing their own life, rebuilding the walls, rebuilding the temple, reinstituting their religious and national life. The prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi are God's instruments to guide and spur the nation into the kingdom of God. They are on the people, and Ezra and Nehemiah are God's instruments in the accomplishment of this work. And in the midst of that, we find this practice once again.

36:06 Nehemiah chapter eight. Nehemiah chapter eight. We read in verse one, And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the broad place that was before the water gate. And they spake unto Ezra the scribe, to bring the book of the law of Moses which Jehovah had commanded to Israel.

36:40 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly. Now notice, both men and women and all that could hear with understanding upon the first day of the seventh month. And he read therein before the broad place, that was before the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of all the men and women and of those that could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.

37:19 Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit or tower of wood which they had made for the purpose. And it mentions the men standing with him. Verse five. Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people.

37:33 Verse six. He prays. He blesses God. And then we read the account of how Ezra and his companions, because now there was a language problem.

37:45 And these people in the period of captivity had had a shift from being fluent in but one language, the language of their fathers. They now had a linguistic problem. And so these men reading the law of God in that original language, that Hebrew tongue in which it had been delivered, now they had to help them to understand the law. And so we read in verse eight, they read in the book in the law of God distinctly or with an interpretation and gave the sense so that they understood the reading.

38:27 Verse seven. And the subsequent history as recorded in the book of Nehemiah shows how that when they discovered from this reading further aberrations in their national life, in their marital relationships and in other areas, they had more affirmation because they had heard the reading of the words of God. It's interesting then that by the time we come into the New Testament. The Bible says, it's the beginning of the New Testament.

38:59 We have not understood the word of God in that. In fact, the Bible says and says an elaborate version of the New Testament as to what happened in the beginning of the world. So, to make it clear what the Holy Bible means, let me just quote a wee bit about some of the verses. And, you know, we all know what we're told in the New Testament.

39:05 We all know that maybe we're not going to see the Word of God. We're not going to see the Word of God in the New Testament, but here's a few words from the New Testament. There is a little passage from the New Testament. It says, you know, that the Lord brought theormuş and the prophets into the new world.

39:10 The prophets, who were called when the Holy Spirit came, and the prophets of Israel were called in the New Testament. and they established a synagogue, not for sacrifice, they would still make the trek up to Jerusalem, but gathered every Sabbath day, you know what was central to their life? Was unitedly confessing the words of Deuteronomy 6, for here, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. No more would they confess anything else to be God, they were at least externally forever purged from their idolatry through the experience of the captivity.

39:54 But then the rabbis established a rule that no fewer than 22 verses had to be read from the law and the prophets at every synagogue service, so that by the time, by the time we come into the New Testament, you find such statements as these going unchallenged. Acts chapter 15, Acts chapter 15 and verse 21,

40:25 as they are seeking to sort out some of the tensions in the early church, in the amalgamation of Jew and Gentile, and the Judaizers trying to make Gentile converts into kosher Jews, and all of the rest, in the midst of the discussion they can say what we find in Acts 15, 21, for Moses from generations of old hath in every city them that preach Him being read in the synagogues every Sabbath. Moses has in every city them that preach Him. How is Moses preached? Because those who preach him, because those who preach him, because those who preach him, law was read in the synagogues every Sabbath. And for an example of this, you turn back to Acts 13, 13 to 15. Paul and his company set sail from Paphos and came to Perga and Pamphylia, verse 14. They passed through and came to Antioch of Pisidia and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. And after the reading of the law and the prophets,

41:46 the rulers of the synagogues sent unto them, saying, Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. And Paul stood up and, beckoning with the hands, said, After the reading of the law and the prophets. So that an integral part of synagogue life, if we may use the term worship, was the public reading of the law and of the prophets. A situation that made the synagogue a natural launching pad for evangelism as Paul and his companions went throughout the Roman Empire. Well, what do we say in summary then? To this Old Testament data. Well, some of you might say, what a bunch of boring history. Well,

Summary of Old Testament Data: God's Mandate for Corporate Engagement with His Word

42:42 God have mercy on you if that's your response. God have mercy on you. What we should say is that God obviously believed it necessary that his people's contact with his written word be not a matter entrusted to individual fidelity alone. He had said to every Israelite, you shall have this law upon your heart. You shall speak of it when you rise up and sit down. You shall teach it diligently to your children. But he also secured that in her public services of worship, in her public corporate gatherings, that book of the law should impinge upon the understanding and the conscience of the people. And he had said to every of his people. And though the obedience of the people of God apparently was sporadic,

43:48 whenever there is a record of its implementation, it is in conjunction with a state of Israel that is commendable and desirable. Never, never is it mentioned as something that led to the dullness and declension rather the opposite is true. Spiritual apostasy and dullness and declension led to the giving up and the non-practice of what God had instituted and every reformation and return to God and renewal of covenantal fidelity was marked by the reinstitution of this practice of the public reading of the law of God well those are the old testament roots now very quickly and it's obvious I'll not even get into the manifold benefits this will be heavy in the teaching end but I'm sorry that's the only way I know to build a solid congregation and if you want something more spectacular go and play games somewhere else you say pastor you're kind of feisty no I'm getting to be an old and weary man with reference to some things I've been in spiritual leadership for over 41 years longer

New Testament Trunk and Branches: Continuing the Practice

45:16 than Moses marched around the wilderness with the children of Israel and I've seen the movements come and go and I've seen the people of God and professing people of God grow restive under solid systematic instruction and I am too old to change I know of no other way to get to your conscience than to lay out the biblical data so we turn quickly now to the new testament trunk and branches of the practice you say pastor that's all well and good we see it was there but we're in the new covenant and new covenant worship is free of those regulative principles of old covenant worship I say yes that's true but there emerges in the new covenant community a very clear body of evidence that the public reading of the word of God both the old testament scriptures and that which would eventually become the new testament scriptures namely the inspired apostolic letters were to be publicly read in the gathered assembly of God's people and I set before you that evidence very quickly first of all first Timothy chapter 4 and this text has a peculiar

46:44 relevance because you remember Paul's great burden in writing at least first Timothy was this matter of behavior in God's house he is concerned according to chapter 3 and verse 15 how men ought to behave themselves in God's house he's concerned about the divinely mandated conducting of the life of the church and it is in that setting that he says to Timothy in first Timothy 3 13 till I come give heed pay close attention to three things to and the article is there before the word reading the reading to the exhortation and to the teaching neglect not the gift that is in thee till I come give attention pay constant careful attention to three things the reading the exhortation and the teaching now what is the reading was he telling Timothy Timothy be sure to be studious don't stop studying now that you're in the ministry well that would be a good exhortation to give to any preacher but that's not what he's saying to Timothy

48:11 the word the reading is technical language pointing to that very practice with which Timothy would have been well acquainted in the synagogue it was the public reading of the Old Testament scriptures listen to Fairbairn's comment on this very passage till I come give attention to the reading the definiteness indicating respecting these things by the use of the article the reading seems to point to them as well known stated employments connected with ministerial agency the reading therefore will most naturally be taken for that kind of reading which form part of the public service of the church namely the reading of scripture chiefly as yet if not entirely old reading and then he makes reference to some of the very passages in Acts which I've quoted in your hearing and then goes on to discuss what is the exhortation and the teaching you get a clue from the Acts 13 passage after the reading of the law and the prophets the leader of the synagogue said to Paul and his companions if you have any word of exhortation

49:40 say on so that obviously the words exhortation and teaching point in the direction of public instruction based upon and taking their clue from the reading of the holy scriptures and so for Timothy as a servant of God he cannot think of his duties as mandated by the apostle in conducting the internal life of the church there at Ephesus if he is indifferent to this matter of the public reading of the word of God it was to have a dominant place in his ministerial duties and certainly that would be true in the light of what Timothy is told in the second letter from Paul in verse 16 of chapter 3 all scripture is God breathed and profitable for teaching for reproof, for correction for instruction which is in righteousness that the man of God may be complete thoroughly furnished completely outfitted unto every good work and so in the New Testament at this stage in the unfolding of the will of God

51:09 for the contours of the church in its life when apostles would be dead here the apostolic representative Timothy is given this mandate give attention to the reading and Timothy would understand that to be nothing other than the regular reading of the scriptures primarily for Timothy then of the Old Testament but now turn to Colossians chapter 4 Colossians Colossians chapter 4 for the second strand of New Testament trunk and branches of this duty and this great privilege in Colossians chapter 4 verses 15 through 17 greet the brethren that are in Laodicea and Memphis and the church that is in their house and when this epistle has been read among you who's the among you it's the church at Colossae that's whom he addresses according to chapter 1 verse 2 to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ that are at Colossae this was a letter sent to a church and he says when this epistle hath been read among you

52:35 cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans and the church of the Laodiceans that you also read the epistle from Laodicea and I'm amazed the scholars go on for pages trying to discern what is this epistle from Laodicea and I don't know that I read a one of them that underscored the obvious truth that God is here revealing his mind and his will that these apostolic letters which are constituting the New Testament the New Covenant Word of God are to be read in the assemblies of the people of God when they gather see that this epistle be read after it's read among you make sure it's read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you read the epistle from Laodicea ah but someone says well they didn't have any resident elders or pastors or proven preachers so that's why they read it or they had to do this no look at verse seventeen and say to Archippus a man described in Philemon verse two as Paul's fellow soldier a proven preacher and servant of God who apparently was now involved

54:02 in pastoral labors there say to Archippus take heed to the ministry you've received in the Lord that you fulfill it and what is one of the ways he fulfills his ministry by making sure when someone delivers the epistle from Laodicea that he reads it every word of it to the people of God there at Colossae so this is not a matter of saying that with the institution of the ministry and pastoral oversight and elders laboring in the word and in doctrine it makes that unnecessary the very context shows that was not in the apostles mind at all and here we have the clear indication of apostolic directive that the apostolic letters be read now we can only deduce that they ought to be expounded as we seek to expound them and we're convinced they ought to be and I hope to set forth the case for that but that they be read surely we have explicit warrant in such a passage as this first Thessalonians five twenty seven first Thessalonians five twenty seven we're coming near the end now of the New Testament evidence as Paul brings this epistle to the close to a close and gives these miscellaneous

55:29 parting exhortations verse twenty five brethren pray for us first Thessalonians five twenty five verse twenty six greet all the brethren with a holy kiss whenever you gather make sure there's none of the brethren whom you cannot embrace not with a Judas kiss a holy kiss not a defiled Judas kiss but a holy kiss that is make sure your heart is right with all your brethren and if your heart's right then show it in the way you greet them now verse twenty seven he says I adjure you and he uses a word which means I solemnly charge you as a Jew and he uses a word which means I solemnly charge you as a Jew and he uses a word which means I solemnly charge you as a Jew and he uses a word which means I solemnly charge you as a Jew

56:26 strange that he should introduce that word but he does enor interacts with his students although still looo let he entrada along pool he's food Could it be that some of the very people whose problems and aberrations were addressed in this letter had gotten word that Paul had composed a letter that was going to address those issues and were going to be sure to be absent the day they knew that that letter was going to be read? I don't know, but this is what the text says. I adjure you, I lay upon you a solemn charge with the overtones of an oath sworn commitment from the Lord himself that this epistle be read unto all the brethren. All of the brethren are to hear all of the words of this epistle and that publicly.

57:43 He didn't say that all the brethren can borrow it. Take it home and read it at their convenience. It is to be read unto the brethren.

57:56 Likewise, the opening words of the book of the Revelation, Blessed is he, singular, that readeth, and they that hear and keep, plural. The assumption is that the book of the Revelation would be read in its entirety to the seven churches in Asia Minor and there would be one...

58:18 One who would be skilled in the reading. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear, and that keep the words of this book. Well, by this broad overview of the biblical materials, I trust you can see with me that the reading of the Old Testament scriptures was continued in the New Testament community and...

Historical and Confessional Support for Public Reading

58:49 And that the apostolic letters which comprise the bulk of our New Testament and therefore the holy scriptures of the Old and the New Testament, that there is indeed warrant from God's dealings with the covenant community under the Old and the New Covenants, that his covenant words be systematically, periodically read in their entirety, in the company of God's assembled people. And, dear people, this is not some novel position to which we have come as a church. In commenting on Deuteronomy 31, Thomas Scott writes, The public reading of the scriptures is indeed an honor which should in all places be shown them. It is likewise equivalent to the minister's producing his commission and instructions, the touchstone and warrant of his doctrine, and the important means of bringing men in general acquaintance with the other parts of scripture besides those texts which the servants of God expound. Furthermore, our own confession of faith, which we say constitutes things most surely believed among us in chapter 22

60:14 of religious worship in the Sabbath day, addresses the matter... of the gatherings of God's people and the activities that are warranted by scripture.

60:24 And you know which is the first one mentioned in paragraph 5? The reading of the scriptures! And you know what text is given as a proof text? 1 Timothy 4, 13.

60:38 Preaching, the hearing of the word of God, teaching and admonishing one another in songs, etc. It is the public reading of the word that is mentioned first. And when our spiritual forefathers, those great Puritan divines who drew up the Westminster standards, when they sought to draw up a directory for public worship that was reflective of thoroughgoing reformation, they were dissatisfied with the Anglican prayer book. And in the preparatory remarks, they're very gracious, saying they're so thankful for many good things in the Anglican prayer book that reflect the departure from Rome, but they say, it doesn't go far enough.

61:20 And when they drew up a directory for the public worship of God that would constitute the outline of the agreed rubric of worship in all the reformed churches of England, Scotland and Ireland, it's very interesting that under this matter, no sooner do they have their opening paragraph on the necessity of gathering as congregations, as congregations for public worship, that the first specific subject dealt with is the public reading of the Holy Scriptures. And in this section, listen, it is requisite, requisite that all the canonical books be read over in order that the people may be better acquainted with the whole body of Scripture and ordinarily, where the reading in either testament endeth on one Lord's day, it is to begin in the next. How large a portion is to be read at once is to be left to the wisdom of the minister. But it is convenient that ordinarily one chapter of each testament be read at every meeting, and sometimes more where the chapters be short or where the coherence of the matter require it.

62:48 Now since they met only once on the Lord's day and met for three hours, our reading Old and New Testament morning and evening at least keeps the spirit. You see what the brethren were saying? Surely a minimum is on the Lord's day that the gathered people of God have a chapter of the old and the chapter of the new be read in their hearing. And this wasn't a few cranks.

63:14 This is the creed. This is the creed of the godly, most knowledgeable, useful, pastor, theologian, leader in the reformed churches that drafted this in the mid-1600s. This is no novelty. And when Spurgeon writes in his two articles on commenting and commentaries, he has some marvelous things to say on this very subject as well.

63:41 And why do I bring in these human authors? To underscore, dear people, that this is not novel. This is not some off-the-base conclusion to which we've come, though we came to it in our study of the scriptures and didn't realize we were merely rediscovering a wonderful legacy that had already been hammered out by our forefathers. But how encouraging it was, having been driven to these things by our study of the word in the early days of our life together, we subsequently found out we were only standing in a stream that had enriched the church in other ages. God willing, in our next time together, we'll take up the manifold benefits of the public reading of the scriptures in the gathered church. My homework's done. I have seven benefits.

Conclusion and Exhortation: Demand God's Voice in Worship

64:40 And then I have three concluding exhortations. I guess I was foolish to think I'd get through that today. But I hope if I've done nothing else, I hope, I hope, I trust, I pray that I've convinced your judgment that if we're to be a church where God's own means of grace operate freely and with his blessing, we had better be a church that gives due consideration and ample opportunity for the public reading of the word of God.

65:17 There is no warrant for choirs, no warrant for solos, no warrant for trumpeters and drum bangers and guitar twangers. But there is warrant that God's in the company of God's people. And may you as the people of God demand that God's voice be heard when you gather in his special presence on his appointed day. In order to employ his appointed means for your growth in grace.

66:01 Let us pray. Oh our Father, how we thank you for your word. We praise you that it is a lamp to our feet and a light to our pathway. And though this morning our study has been more didactic, we pray that the Holy Spirit would warm our hearts with your truth.

66:27 And that he would fuse our wills to that truth. And that we as a people may thirst and hunger to hear your words, not only expounded and preached, but read in our hearing in all of their naked truth and purity. Oh Lord, have mercy upon your church. We think today of the many places where scripture barely impinges upon the public worship.

67:02 Gracious God, have mercy. May there be a rediscovery of the book of the law, even the Holy Scripture. Seal then your word and help us as your people to walk in its light. For Jesus' sake.

67:21 Amen.