Ephesians 3:16 continues this approach:
" Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing
with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
The book of Psalms mentions a wide variety of vocal arrangements, instruments, and styles of music. Music could be quite loud (Psalm 98:4; 33:3). The
only major limitation is that the songs we sing should praise the Eternal, or teach some valuable lesson as described in the verses above. We should avoid songs that primarily praise the
singers.
The Scriptures are not fulfilled if we only sing decade-old or hundred-year-old hymns. There are seven commands in the Old Testament to sing a "new song" to the Eternal (Psalm 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Isaiah 42:1). Even in Revelation 5:9 and 14:3 we find that new songs are still being sung. Those who have a talent
for writing music should be encouraged. The performing of music new to the congregation (often called "special music") should be continued.
Teaching. Most congregations typically do this—some do it for many hours each week! The Greek didache used here has a broad
meaning—like the English word "teach". It could apply to an exposition of Scripture or a discourse on some particular subject. It does not imply divine inspiration. Our concept of a
sermon or sermonette fits into this category. However, many people believe that only "elders" or "ministers" and a few carefully selected men should be allowed to teach in services. This
idea is supported neither by the Bible nor history. The Scripture says, "each one of you"—everyone had something to contribute and teaching could be one of those things.
We have read the history of synagogues, how they allowed any man of Israel to speak about the Scriptures. We have seen how Christ and His apostles
were able to teach in a number of synagogues having no "rank" or position in those organizations nor being part of some regional or national organization. In Acts 6 we find seven men
selected and appointed to serve widows—Stephen and Philip, two of the seven, are doing major Gospel preaching in the next two chapters of the book. Indeed, all the brethren except the
apostles were scattered from Jerusalem, but they preached the Gospel everywhere (Acts 8:1,4). Acts 18:18-28 shows the story of how Apollos, a man neither selected by the brethren nor having
hands laid on him, of his own accord began to teach the Truth. Aquila, Priscilla and others had to teach him other things, but he continued on in his role as a teacher (1Corinthians 4:6; 16:12).
Hebrews 5:12 mentions that men who have attended for a long time should be teachers. All of these things do not neatly fit into the typical "church organization" with which most
"Christians" believe they must be members.
Yet 1Corinthians 12:29 indicates that not everyone is a teacher, so no individual should ever be "required" to teach. Those who have the gift of
teaching (Romans 12:7; 1Corinthians 12:1-8,28; Ephesians 4:11) should be doing most of the teaching. Since "God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased," (1Corinthians 12:18), we
must not artificially limit who is allowed to teach.
A natural question arises: if nearly every man is given a chance to teach, will not the congregation be subjected to error and confusion? Sometimes
corrections will need to be made, but confusion should not result (the entire fourteenth chapter of 1Corinithians is about how to remove confusion—see verse 33). 1Timothy 1:3-4 is an
admonition to stop some people from teaching wrong or unnecessary doctrines. Also, Titus 3:9-10 tells us to "avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the
law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition. " The Greek Paraiteomai ("reject") means "refuse"—the same
word is used in 1 Timothy 5:11 where women were not allowed to join the special service. As the women in these verses who were not accepted were not "put out" of their congregation, so
those who speak error are not to be "put out". Those who teach error are to be rejected as teachers after two warnings. Yes, congregations will probably hear some error. But for years,
nearly all congregations have heard some doctrinal error from their trained ministry. The purpose of fellowship is for those who assemble to grow. Part of that growth is learning to
distinguish truth from error (Deuteronomy 13:3; 1Corinthians 11:19).
Since each member of the congregation is responsible for detecting a speaker’s error, are the speakers free to say whatever comes to mind,
hoping it is inspired, but counting on the congregation to catch any doctrinal error? Absolutely not! A teacher is responsible to the Eternal for teaching truth.
"My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment" (James 1:3).
A person would be much better off not teaching than teaching error. Those who teach must pray, study, and put their heart into their efforts.
(If teachers in services were always appointed by a ministerial hierarchy, this verse makes no sense—Paul should have been instructing the "ministry" not to "ordain" many
teachers.)
Speaking in Tongues and Interpretation. (Continuing our analysis of 1Corinthians 14:26). Numerous Bible references explain that speaking in tongues
was a sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit (Mark 16:17; Acts 2:4; 10:46; 19:6; 1Corinthians 12:10). Much information is contained about this gift in the 12th and 14th chapters of 1 Corinthians.
Today, most church groups go to one extreme or the other. Most do not speak in tongues and may even automatically "put out" anyone who does. The opposite extreme are groups whom frequently
"speak in tongues"—sometimes dozens of people doing it at once (in opposition to Paul’s instruction).
It is important to recognize that the scriptures mention three different types of "speaking in tongues". In Acts 2:1-11, people spoke under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit and others heard them all in their own language. This is a miracle that few claim today, but if it does happen, we would hope that church leaders of any sort
would have the wisdom not to try to stop it. Another kind of "speaking in tongues" is done privately, as an encouragement to the believer:
"For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men
but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries" (1Corinthians 14:1).
This practice should not be much of an issue among believers if those who do it
do it privately.
In regard to "tongue speaking" in services, Paul says:
"If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God" (1Corinthians 14:27-28).
It is important to note that the Greek
word used here for interpret is diermeneuo, which conveys the idea of "explain the meaning". This is distinct from the other Greek word methermeneuo which means specifically to translate from one language to another.
There may be some need to allow people to speak in tongues in a service to see if there is someone who believes they have been given an
interpretation, but the process should be only a small part of the service as Paul shows above. How do we know if someone is just "faking it"? We might not be able to tell the first time.
But if a certain tongue-speaker never has an interpreter or if the interpretation is never edifying, then brethren or an overseer should go to him and ask him to stop doing it. A
congregation should not vilify this gift. Paul says, "do not forbid to speak with tongues" (1Corinthians 14:39). On the other hand, one should never seek this gift so much that they are
willing to accept "mindless babble" instead of the real thing.
Revelation or Prophecy. Paul seems to use these words interchangeably (see 1Corinthians 14:29-31). Both of them indicate a message directly revealed
from the Eternal, either about the future or information for the present. Many commentaries will say any "inspiring" sermon is prophecy, citing verses like 1Corinthians 14:3:
" But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men."
This verse shows the effect of prophecy, but does not define it. Most of the usage of the words "prophet" and "prophecy" (Greek prophetes and propheteuo) in the New Testament are references to the Old Testament prophets who received messages directly from the Eternal or his angels. Many more uses are found in the book of
Revelation, a prophecy of Christ. Every place where we have the actual message of a New Testament prophet written, it is a miraculous revelation (John 11:48-52; Acts 11:27-30; 13:1-3;
21:10-11; Revelation , the book). Many theologians like to define prophecy as "inspired or encouraging preaching" so they can give a sermon and feel like they have this spiritual gift—when they do not have it! Sermons are often wonderful examples of "teaching", but they are not "prophecy"!
Teaching is conveying information that you have learned from Scripture and your life experience. Prophecy is a message directly from the Eternal. The
prophet may not even understand the message himself (Dan 12:8-9; John 11:48-52). In the case of Balaam, he was not a righteous man, and hoped to give a prophecy opposite to what the Eternal
gave him, but he had to speak what he was given (Numbers 22-24). The New Testament easily demonstrates that teaching and prophesying are not the same thing: women were allowed to
prophesy (Acts 21:9; 1Corinthians 11:5) but were not allowed to teach (1Timothy 2:12).
Hebrews 1:1 does not say that there are no more prophets. One of the biggest prophecies of all Scripture was written after this time,
the book of Revelation (Revelation 22:7-10). Also, John warned his readers to "try the spirits" because "many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1John 4:1). If
there were no more true prophets, why would John warn them to "try the spirits"? Should he have told them "all prophets are false"? No! The nature of prophets continues as it always has
been: some are true, some are false, and we are left to read the Scriptures and judge. As with tongues, Paul gives specific instruction on how to deal with prophets in the congregation:
" Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep
silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of
confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints" (1Corinthians 14:29-33).
Obviously, anyone could stand up and say, "I have a message from God!" But in most cases, they would be liars—false prophets. For this reason,
the other saints must judge, to determine if the prophet's sayings are according to Scripture (Deuteronomy 13; Isaiah 8:20; Deuteronomy 18:21-22). There should be no contradictions.
" If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord make Myself known to him in a vision, and I speak to him in a dream" (Numbers 12:6).
The Eternal used visions and dreams frequently in the Old Testament and also in the new (Matthew 2:12-22; 27:19; Acts 2:17; 11:5; 16:9). Also, we
find that the Holy Spirit speaks directly to people (John 16:13; Acts 8:9; 10:19). (This does not make the Holy Spirit a person: tape recorders and computers speak the messages of others
and are not people. The great power of the Eternal can speak His message at a distance.) Paul tells us that the prophet must be in control of himself. Never accept messages from someone who
is not in control of him or herself!
While warnings against false prophets abound (Jeremiah 23:9-40, Matthew 7:15, 24:11,24, Acts 13:6), no Scripture says to ignore prophets, rather we are told:
" Do not despise prophesyings" (1Thessalonians 5:20, KJV).
"Therefore brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy... " (1Corinthians 14:39).
Some church organizations joke about being a "non-prophet organization." We would all be better off if we asked the Eternal to send us some true
prophets who will speak His words to us today. We need a better understanding of scripture. We need His direct guidance in our services. We need His deliverance in the difficult times
ahead.
Let all things be done for edification. This is a general principle that should guide all worship services. Everything should be beneficial to the
congregation. Services are not a place for speakers, musicians, or those with spiritual gifts to show off their abilities. They are not a place to tell unrelated jokes or personal stories.
Parts of the Bible are humorous, but all of it has a purpose. We never find a message from the Eternal starting with, "Have you heard the joke about the...." Messages should
be interesting and significant enough to hold a serious listener’s attention. Unrelated jokes may draw attention to the speaker, but often distract from the real message.
Another practice of some that does not edify and should not take place: some speakers sometimes tell "tall tales" or put down other
members of the congregation. Those doing this usually claim it is all "good clean fun", but thousands of parents have been asked about these stories and have had to tell their children that
the speaker was "joking" or "not telling the truth that time". Even worse, some children may not have asked and really believe that "Mr. So-and-so runs over people with his
pickup truck" (or whatever the phony story was about).
" Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, is the man who deceives his neighbor, and says, "I was only joking" (Proverbs 26:18-19).
Other Elements of Worship Services
Scripture Reading. Scripture readings were a part of worship services since the time of Moses (Deuteronomy 31:11; Josh 8:30-35; Nehemiah 8:1-8; 9:1-3).
"For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath" (Acts 15;21). Any synagogue history will show that the
Scripture readings were a central part of the service. Acts 13:15 confirms that both the Law (the first five books) and the Prophets were read every Sabbath. Our Savior
participated in these synagogue readings:
" 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. And when he had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:... [He read Isaiah 61:1 and half of verse 2] Then
He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is
fulfilled in your hearing" "(Luke 4:16-17,20-21).
The eyes of everyone were "fixed on Him" because He did not complete the passage normally read. He stopped in the middle of a verse! The latter half
of the verse talks about "the day of vengeance of our God" which was not being fulfilled at that time. Since this was the start of His ministry, this may have been the first time He
deviated from the usual synagogue practices. Most synagogues participate in one of two systems whereby the bulk of the law and prophets are read either every year or every three years. With
this system in place, even a person who moves or travels will hear a consistent presentation of the Scriptures.
Since nearly everyone can obtain and read the Bible, do we really need Scripture readings at our services? If you ask an elder or minister at most
any congregation, they will admit that many of their members have a very shallow knowledge of the Bible. In congregations where those attending have been given Bible tests, the results have
not been encouraging. Many people know the teachings and practices of their "churches headquarters" much better than they know the Scripture. If Scripture readings are not included in
services because "people can read them at home", then we should stop sermons (teaching), too, because people could subscribe to religious magazines and read them at home as
well. When the Scriptures are read, we can be sure people are hearing truth (realizing there may be a few translation errors). When a man is speaking or writing, we have to be a lot more
careful!
When we see the biblical precedent for Scripture readings in services, the next question is "How do we decide what to read?" Some
congregations leave it rather arbitrary, allowing an official or the reader to decide which Scripture to read. We feel this is a mistake as we are commanded to "live by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 8:3). There is a tendency to read the Scriptures that we think we understand and ignore the ones that do not fit into our theology. Some
groups have adopted the synagogue readings and added a New Testament reading for each week. Some read the Scriptures in their original canonical order (Law, Prophets, Writings,
Gospels/Acts, General Epistles, Paul’s Epistles, Revelation). A simple approach is to read from Genesis to Revelation. Reading the scriptures in any order is probably better than not
reading them at all.
Group Prayer. The Scriptures appear to refer to two kinds of prayer: personal prayer and group prayer. Christ taught that personal prayer
should be in private, and it should not be repetitious:
"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that
they may be seen of men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in
the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard
for their many words" (Matthew 6:5-7).
We find the majority of examples of the prayers of Christ and his followers were private (Mark 1:35; Acts 10:9, and many others). Yet we do find
examples of group prayers in the Scriptures. Certainly the histories of temple and synagogue services record many memorized prayers. The temple is called a "house of prayer"
in Matthew 21:13. When Zacharias received his message from the angel, "the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense" (Luke 1:10). The apostles went to the
temple for prayer services.
" Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour" (Acts 3:1).
This is the exact time of the traditional temple and synagogue afternoon (or minchah) prayers. We find other references to temple prayers in
Acts 16:16 and 22:17 and other prayer services in Acts 12:12 and 16:13.
Paul’s instructions for group prayers come in the famous "hair" chapter (1Corinthians 11).
"Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions as I delivered them to you " (1Corinthians 11:2).
The Greek word for "traditions" here, is the same word used for the traditions of the Scribes and Pharisees. Chapters 11 through 14 all relate to
various aspects of worship services (verses 16-18 make the context of worship services clear). Without getting into a discussion of whether hats, hair or veils should be used for a
covering, we discover in verses 4-5 that both men and women pray and prophesy in services.
In many ways, group prayers are much like songs without music. Indeed many of the Psalms are prayers (see Psalm 17; 55; 61; 86; 90; 102; 142). They
can be sung or they can be read by a group. While music can make words easier to remember and enhance the overall beauty, it is often easier for us to focus on the meaning when we are just reading. Some historians are convinced that we have actual copies of some of the prayers used in first-century synagogues. These prayers usually consist of several related
Scriptures with a few references to significant events or traditions. The prayer in Acts 4:24-31 seems to follow the general formula. This prayer was obviously written down for the book of
Acts, but we have no way of knowing if it was ever repeated as a group prayer.
Group prayers can be included in today’s services by reading existing prayers in the Psalms, prophets and New Testament. The prophets contain many good passages confessing the sins of our nation and asking for national mercy in times to come. Writing prayers specifically for our day is no more
difficult than writing new songs for worship services—many individuals have done a fine job. As congregations must decide which hymnbook(s) to use, they must also decide which prayers
to use. No one should ever think that group prayers replace personal prayers. Each person is still responsible to praise, to confess to, and to ask of his Creator.
Role of women in worship services. The biblical statements about women being "silent" in services are easily misunderstood. "Silent" is a poor
translation since it means "no sound at all". We have just covered the Scriptures that talk about women "praying and prophesying" in meetings. Obviously, they must make sound to do that. So
how should these "silent women" verses be translated and what did Paul mean?
The problem is much easier to understand when we realize that during Paul’s day temple and synagogue services had separate areas for men and
women. Synagogue rooms were divided by a partition. Orthodox Jews still do this. It has some benefit in that it was much easier for mothers (and grandmothers) to tend to small children with
less interruption to the service. Since electronic sound was not available then, the women’s section might be considered a large "mother’s room". Most of the reading and teaching
would come from the front and the men’s side. (This practice of separating men and women is not taught by the Bible and we are not teaching it either, but it helps us understand the
context in which Paul made his statements.) Anyone who has spent much time in mothers’ rooms of a large congregation realizes that there is a tendency for all sorts of
"side-conversations" to develop. When one looks at the Greek words used for silence in the verses below, we see that Paul was not excluding them from all service participation but from
unrelated chatter:
"Let your women keep silent [Greek sigao] in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as
the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church" (1Corinthians 14:34-35).
The Greek sigao is used in the context of "being quiet while someone else is talking"(Acts 12: 17; 1Corinthians 14:28,30). The interpreters and
prophets were simply quiet while the others spoke, not for the entire duration of the service. Similarly, women were not to start their own conversations on their side of the room when
someone else was speaking. If they did not understand what was being said (or missed something due to crying children) they were not to speak across the room to ask their husbands, but to
wait to ask them at home.
We should consider the other related Scripture, 1Timothy 2:11-12:
" Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. "
The Greek hesuchia ("silence") refers to a quiet crowd (Acts 22:2, 2Thessalonians 3:12). Again, women should be listening to the service, rather than
creating auxiliary conversations. There is nothing in this or other scriptures that would prevent a woman from asking questions or participating in a congregation’s discussion. Some
take the above scripture to mean that a woman should never teach at all, but this is not the case as other scriptures show that Priscilla helped to teach Apollos (Acts 18:26), older women
need to teach the younger (Titus 2:3-4), and mothers must teach their children (2Timothy 1:5—Timothy apparently gathered most of his Bible knowledge from his mother and grandmother).
Some Bible students have concluded from the above statements that women can teach privately, but not in a service. This raises the question, "what
is a service?" If a female Sabbath-school teacher conducts a meeting where the entire class sings, prays, reads the Bible, and hears a teaching message, is that a service? When Aquila,
Priscilla, and Apollos studied the Bible together, was that a service? Remember, that Scripture requires no formal building or ministry to be present for a worship services, but Christ
promises to be wherever two or three are gathered in His name (Matthew 18:20).
We cannot hope to solve this issue in this short paper. All we will do is echo Paul’s words: "Let all things be done for edification"
(1Corinthians 14:26). If the Eternal has truly given a message to a woman, other people should not refuse to hear it (The Eternal used Deborah to judge Israel (Judges 4:4). On the other hand, it
makes little sense for a woman to teach if she has little edifying to say, but wants to teach simply because she thinks she is "just as good as the men who teach". If a congregation is
experiencing uncertainty or difficulty with the role of women in services, they should ask Christ to show them what to do.
Is a Minister or Elder Required for a Worship Service?
It exceeds the scope of this paper to cover all the Scriptures regarding leadership and government among the people of the Eternal. Nevertheless, we
need to cover this point lest anyone feel they cannot assemble without a "minister". First, let us understand that nearly every time the words "minister" or "deacon" appears in the New
Testament, they are translated from the Greek diakonos or huperetes meaning "servant". They do not imply some kind of administrative or religious office as most
every church organization teaches. You cannot find a place in Scripture where someone is "ordained" or has hands laid on them and becomes a "minister" or an "elder". We do find "elders"
selected for leadership in Acts 14:23 and Titus 1:5. The Greek presbuterous ("elder") is often used to describe the older men who were not believers (Acts 23:14, 24:1, 25;15). It is
used for any older person (1Peter 5:5), for men in the Old Testament (Hebrews 11:2) and for women (1Timothy 5:2). When the term is used without qualification, it implies men typically over 40,
though men of wisdom and capability (such as our Savior and John the Baptist) may have been considered elders at age 30.
" For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded
you " (Titus 1:5).
Titus was written late in Paul’s ministry. Are we to believe that there had never been any Sabbath assemblies in Crete before Titus came to
appoint leaders? The following verses give rather involved qualifications of a "bishop" or "overseer". How could Titus know who was a good father, not self-willed, not given to wine, not
greedy, hospitable, just and holding fast the faithful word unless he asked the various congregations that had been together for some time. He probably followed the formula in
Acts 6:3 of appointing those known by the brethren to be good servants. Paul gives reasons why leaders of various kinds are needed, but "so you can assemble together" is not one of them. We
see a number of congregations simply met in homes (1Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 2, etc.).
There are many purposes for leaders in congregations, especially as they grow larger. One of the first things a group will want to agree on is who
will take care of the various functions. These decisions do not require someone of a certain "rank" (an unbiblical concept), but "when two or three are gathered together in my name, there
am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20). The unconverted certainly need a "man to guide them" (Acts 8:31). But once the Holy Spirit is established in us, it will
"…lead you into all truth…" (John 16:13) and it is the "…Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation…" (2Timothy 3:15). Whenever the
Eternal’s people read the Scriptures, they all "speak the same thing" (1Corinthians 1:10).
Can These Principles Be Made to Work Today?
Many of the readers of this article will come from a background where Sabbath services consisted of a certain number of prayers, congregational
songs, and messages. (Special music and announcements may have been added, but were not considered an essential part of the service.) Many people have learned in this format, but only a few
have gained the valuable teaching experience that all of us need. If you and those with whom you fellowship are interested in implementing some of these changes, a practical "how to do it"
section follows:
The Place. Try to arrange a home or a hall that is relatively free of distractions. The "quality of the building" is not nearly as important
as the ability to conduct the service according to biblical principles. Hotel meeting rooms tend to be surrounded by business and worldly influences not conducive to keeping the Sabbath. If
small children are present, a separate mothers’ or parents’ room is desirable, preferably with piped-in sound. It is best to have a room where setup and take-down can be done
before and after the Sabbath, but that is not always possible. Scripture allows necessary "work" to be done on the Sabbath: "the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are
blameless" (Matthew 12:5). We are priests now (1Peter 2:5-9, Revelation 1:6).
Music. The traditional opening, middle, and closing songs work quite effectively, though the number could certainly be increased. People who
must (or just do) arrive late or leave early do not disturb this part of the service as much as they would a reading or teaching. Those with musical interests should be encouraged to write
and/or perform a variety of music praising the Eternal. Since most people in our western culture do not perform music, but primarily listen to recorded music, perhaps recorded music could
be made a part of services. There are hundreds of small religious groups producing music—some of which is completely taken from Scripture and very appropriate for services. Members can
listen to some of these in stores or at home and then bring the best to services. Teens and children should be encouraged to participate in both performing and selecting. A few simple songs
that young children can sing should be included.
Scripture Reading. This is one of the easiest changes to implement. One of the Scripture reading methods previously discussed can be chosen
and followed each Sabbath. As many individuals as possible should take part in this. The ancient synagogue tradition allowed boys to begin reading the Scriptures once they had completed
their bar mitzvah ceremony, usually at age 13. It is a near historic certainty that there were times when our Savior sat in a synagogue and listened while a 13-year-old read. For
most young people, a "church service" simply means a time they must be quiet for an hour or two. Younger people are far more likely to listen and learn if they and their friends have
something to do in the service. We do not feel we have a scriptural basis for setting a minimum age, but we will suggest that the person should be willing to read and certainly be old
enough to read loudly, clearly, and without continual distraction due to misspoken words. The responsibility should be taken seriously—a person who treats it like a big joke should be
stopped and replaced.
Paul teaches that women may participate in prayer, prophesying and singing (1Corinthians 11:5; Hebrews 2:10-13). Should women participate in Scripture
readings? We do not have a clear Bible answer on the subject. History of synagogue services is divided on this point, also. As men are not required to read, women certainly should
never be required to. But should they be allowed to read if they want to? We offer this as a possible understanding of the scriptures: 1Timothy 2:12 states that a woman should not "have
authority over a man". However, women are permitted to prophesy, which could involve speaking a message from the Eternal that the people may obey. Does this conflict with Paul’s other
statement about authority? No, it does not! A woman who prophesies is not giving orders, but merely communicating what she has seen or heard through the power of the Holy Spirit. Hearers
may decide to listen or they may not. Similarly, if a woman reads from the Scriptures, she is not in authority over her readers, but merely communicating the authority of the Eternal.
Group Prayer. The most common group prayer is where one person speaks and the others say "amen" if they agree. These are scriptural and should
continue. In addition, the congregation can all pray together by reading from the Psalms or prophets. Of course, one person should announce the passage and lead the reading. Anyone who does
not distract from the service can read along. It helps if everyone has the same version of the Bible. If this is not possible, perhaps the leader can copy the passage beforehand and
distribute it to the congregation. As congregations do pick and choose hymn and special music selections from a variety of sources, so they may also decide to include additional written
prayers in their services. Obviously, these things must be done to worship the Eternal and for edification of the brethren, not to bolster some type of personal or group loyalty. Group
prayers for the repentance of our nation or for the strengthening of those saints struggling with heresies would be appropriate for today.
Speaking in Tongues and Interpretation. If no one in your congregation has this gift, this will not be a part of your services. Instead,
someone in the congregation might give a short prayer asking the Eternal to give His people the spiritual gifts mentioned in the Scriptures (1Corinthians 7:7; Romans 12; 1Corinthians 12; 1Corinthians 14; 2Timothy 1:6).
If someone does speak in tongues, one who can interpret should also be sought. If someone does have this spiritual gift, the main thing they need to do is be careful not to offend others
who may not be used to this as a part of a service.
Prophesying. This is another gift to pray for regularly if no one you know has it. Sometimes, people may have dreams or visions where they are
not certain of the origin: the Eternal, an evil spirit, or their own overactive mind. If there is nothing obviously against Scripture, they should be given time to explain the vision or
dream, and the others should judge—look to the Scripture to see if anything conflicts. The purpose of the one doing the speaking should be to describe exactly what he or she saw and
heard, not to try to interpret the dream or vision. If the meaning is unclear, brethren can seek more understanding later. A dream should not dominate a service.
Teaching. This is still a vital and important function. Each congregation needs someone who can teach about a subject from the Scriptures,
expounding certain passages, encourage others, etc. Paul indicated that mature brethren should be teachers (Hebrews 5:12). The opportunity to teach should be made available to those who believe
that the Eternal has given them something to teach. If they begin to teach error, then the congregation or its leaders will need to correct them and they should stop teaching. It usually
does not take long to see who has the gift of teaching. All teachers should pray for understanding and wisdom before they speak. This is not an opportunity to just "say what is on your
mind". Those who speak false doctrine should lose the chance to speak after two warnings (Titus 3:10).
One of the worst things that can happen at a service is for someone to take a long time "teaching" when he really has nothing to say. Paul talks
about two or three tongue-speakers and two or three prophets at most speaking. At least seven men traditionally read from the Scriptures in synagogue services. It would be better to have
several short teachings than a long one where the speaker is just trying to fill up the time. If the speakers and subjects are always prescheduled months in advance, there is little room
for inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Length of Services. Adding these elements to worship services will make the process take longer. If facilities and driving time permit, a
longer service can be good. It is less tiring to listen to a variety of events over three hours than it is to listen to primarily two speakers for two hours. Historically, many synagogue
services were longer than two hours. Since people may be driving an hour or more to a service, they are likely to be hungry when it is over—especially children. Preparing for snacks
and drinks afterward is a good thing. It gives the children something to look forward to, and encourages continued fellowship among the adults.
The goal of a service should never be to "fill up a certain amount of time", but to make sure there is time for those things that the Eternal
wants to do in your service.
Deciding Who Does What. If you believe that Christ actually directs His congregations, you do not have to "plan out" the last detail of
everything before beginning to meet. It is vital to become friends, and learn about each other’s abilities before trying to "create a structure." Everyone must pray for the
Eternal’s will to be done in every decision. If the Holy Spirit is working through everyone, there will usually be general agreement.
If there is terrible disagreement, try to determine why. Is there someone who insists on running the service "their way"? Do they have a history of
great success running Bible-based services? Or do they simply think they know better than others? If great disagreements exist when there are no officially-recognized leaders in a group, it
will still exist after there are leaders. People need to talk out their major disagreements before committing to fellowship together. If people are more committed to the group than their
own disagreements, then they may eventually be able to work their problems out.
If your group is able to meet together, read scriptures, sing songs, and hear teachings without a lot of "leadership positions", then it will
probably be able to continue. As the apostles added jobs when they needed them in Acts 6, your group can do the same. Eventually, some leadership positions will be needed.
Conclusion
Many of the concepts mentioned in this article are very different from those to which most of our readers are accustomed. Nevertheless, every effort
has been made to base them on the reality of Scripture and history.
We feel you are better off fellowshipping with a traditional church organization than staying home for the Sabbath. We need to learn to get along
with others, to learn from others and to serve others. These things can be done much better in a group of other believers, even if they have obvious problems.
Do not expect either a small group or a large organization to change their format of services in one day. Everyone needs time to study these issues
on their own and come to their own convictions. These things require prayer, fasting and study. Most church leaders have never studied this subject and really think that the Bible teaches
that services should be completely run by a single pastor. They look at years of "churchianity" and say, "See, that is how it has been done!" But if politely challenged, they may agree to
study the scriptures on the subject. If your group does study this subject, they may agree with some of this article but not other parts. They may not see it the way you do.
"If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men " (Romans 12:18).
If you can agree well enough to continue to meet together, do so. If not, like Paul and Barnabas, two groups may need to work separately for a while,
remaining friends (Acts 15:36-39).
We would like to issue a warning to anyone thinking to use the principles in this article to make a following for themselves. Yes, it
is relatively easy to show anyone with an open mind that most congregations do not take their format of services from the scriptures. It might not be hard to convince them to leave. But
unless you point them to our Father and His Son as their leaders (rather than yourself) you have helped them very little. Those who are ignorant of the scriptures will be punished lightly
while those who know better will receive "many stripes" (Luke 12:48). Our fellowship is first with the Father and His Son (1Corinthians 1:9 1John 1:3), not with a human leader.
We hope this article encourages many to look into the Scriptural basis for Sabbath services and to make changes to their worship where possible.
There is certainly evidence that the Eternal does work through the traditional church services. People have changed their lives and served others in that context. However, we believe that
looking directly to Christ for leadership, rather than to men or organizations, allows Him to accomplish much more through His spirit (1Corinthians 3:1-11).
We realize that we do not have all the answers. Comments and criticisms of this paper are welcomed—especially regarding misuse or
misunderstanding of Scripture. Real-life experiences with Bible-based Sabbath-service formats would be appreciated. We hope to use such information in future versions of this article. We
would appreciate your prayers in these matters.
Written by: Norm Edwards
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