In 1 Timothy 4:13, the Apostle Paul tells the young pastor Timothy to "give attention to the reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." Interpreters for centuries have understood he was referring to the public reading of the Bible in a worship setting. When the Westminster Confession was drafted (1643-1647), several other documents were also written. One of particular interest was called "The Directory For the Publick worship of God" (DFW)." The DFW has a lengthy section on "The public reading of the Holy Scriptures" that includes some of the following directives:
- All the canonical books of the Old and New Testament (but none of those which are called the Apocrypha) shall be publicly read in the vulgar tongue, out of the best allowed translation, distinctly, that all may hear and understand.
- How large a portion shall be read at once is left to the wisdom of the minister; but it is convenient that ordinarily one chapter of each Testament be read at every service.
- All the canonical books should be read, that the people may be better acquainted with the whole body of the Scriptures, and so ordinarily, where the reading ends on the Lord's Day it is to begin on the next.
- Besides public reading of the Holy Scriptures, every person that can read is to be exhorted to read the Scriptures privately, (and all others that cannot read are to be exhorted to learn how to read) and to have a Bible.
Our own Book of Church Order (which is one of our "constitutional documents" that we abide by) has a complete chapter (#50), which also orders that sizeable portions of the Scripture be read in worship.
Why has this practice been so important to Reformed folks?
*Because, as Louis DeBoer says, Christianity is a divinely revealed religion and that revelation is a written one: the Holy Scriptures. Christians are not mystics that dabble in dreams and visions and other additions to the Word of God. When we read the Word, publicly in worship, we are re-committing to the principle of the singular Authority of Scripture.
*Because we are acknowledging that in all eras the people of God gathered to hear the Word read (Ex. 24:7; Deut. 31:11-13; Joshua 8:34-35; Nehemiah 8:5), and we are carrying on that practice, and standing in solidarity with them.
*Because they have understood that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17). They (and we!) fully expected that God would use His Word to convict, humble, teach, and transform people.
*Because the Lord Jesus did it! Listen to Luke 4:16: "So He came to Nazareth where He had been brought up. And as His custom was He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah .
What would Jesus do in our midst? He would read the Word! A few observations about how we seek for this to be done at MEC:
1. We will show our reverence for and submission to the Word by reading together from the selected text. This is a big part of why we recently purchased the new pew Bibles.
2. We will typically read a chapter, or so.
3. We will attempt to give a "whole Bible" perspective; so that if we are preaching from an Old Testament text we will have a New Testament reading, and vice-versa.
Our goal in all of this is that we may be a church that truly practices, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17)
Under the Word,
Pastor Mark