Is it Wrong to go to Synagogue?

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Blik

Senior Member
Dec 6, 2016
7,312
2,424
113
#1
The first Christians had no wish to break with Judaism, they worshipped the Lord together with the Jews in synagogue. They also met together in their homes to celebrate the Lord's Supper.

They would have been shocked at the idea that they should not go to worship God in synagogue. They would also have been shocked if they were told to celebrate the Lord’s Supper as we do, sitting sedately in our seats and taking a waver and small cup of wine. They ate a meal together, and shared love of Christ and each other.

Does anyone know when or why this stopped? Was it wrong? Is our worship services today an improvement? Should we celebrate the ways we are the same as the Jews, or should we let their rejection of Christ cause enmity between us? Are we worshipping the Father as we worship Christ?
 

JaumeJ

Senior Member
Jul 2, 2011
21,196
6,509
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#2
Synagogue, a word used by the Greeks meaning assembly, c congregation or even a church. It was not limited to the worship places for those who are descendants of Abraham.
 
B

Blackpowderduelist

Guest
#3
The first Christians had no wish to break with Judaism, they worshipped the Lord together with the Jews in synagogue. They also met together in their homes to celebrate the Lord's Supper.

They would have been shocked at the idea that they should not go to worship God in synagogue. They would also have been shocked if they were told to celebrate the Lord’s Supper as we do, sitting sedately in our seats and taking a waver and small cup of wine. They ate a meal together, and shared love of Christ and each other.

Does anyone know when or why this stopped? Was it wrong? Is our worship services today an improvement? Should we celebrate the ways we are the same as the Jews, or should we let their rejection of Christ cause enmity between us? Are we worshipping the Father as we worship Christ?
These questions are answered in the book of acts.
As for the Lord's supper, I believe it is answered in Corinthians. Paul corrected their supper, "don't you have homes to eat and drink in?"
 

Blik

Senior Member
Dec 6, 2016
7,312
2,424
113
#4
These questions are answered in the book of acts.
As for the Lord's supper, I believe it is answered in Corinthians. Paul corrected their supper, "don't you have homes to eat and drink in?"
The apostles taught from what they had learned from Christ, we now follow Paul. Is it better?

Certainly, the people Paul was scolding in 1 Corinthians 11:22 were not celebrating the Lord's supper, they weren't sharing with love, either. They were misusing the Lord's Supper.
 

Lucy-Pevensie

Senior Member
Dec 20, 2017
9,261
5,618
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#5
I don't see how it would be wrong but if you are Gentile I think you have to be invited.
If you can find a Messianic synagogue it would be best.
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
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#6
Yes it wasn't like they had the batist church of such and such straight away . It took time to establish ' church ' . Thats why its ridiculous to make doctrines out of Acts .
 
B

Blackpowderduelist

Guest
#7
The apostles taught from what they had learned from Christ, we now follow Paul. Is it better?

Certainly, the people Paul was scolding in 1 Corinthians 11:22 were not celebrating the Lord's supper, they weren't sharing with love, either. They were misusing the Lord's Supper.
My point is that you find the early church abandoning the synagogue in acts, through out the new testament you find them meeting in homes, and other buildings, even in one passage they started meeting in a school.

We follow Paul's, writings which are not in disharmony with Jesus or Peter, because the number of letters of instruction that he wrote.

We have letters and messages, and sermons that follow the apostolic age, but we don't call them scripture, some call them the church fathers. All the way back to a disciple of John named Polycarp. I know why we don't call their writings scripture, but I don't know why the modern church has dismissed them so readily.
 
B

Blackpowderduelist

Guest
#8
How ever to directly answer your title question, yes, it is wrong. They know the Gospel yet deny Christ so we have no fellowship with them. Simple enough.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
55,249
25,719
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#9
There is neither Jew nor Greek in Christ Jesus. Paul said he followed Christ.
Therefore, if you believe him, to follow Paul is to follow Christ.


The apostles went to synagogue, yes, to preach the gospel.
Not to follow the Jewish ways. They evangelized in the synagogues.
 

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
5,494
2,153
113
#10
Synagogue is a type of service. Not so much a specific building. (I know today it's used as a noun instead of a verb but whatever eh?)

According to a schedule, it was a community event involving both scholar and common man telling what they knew about God and the rest of the community chiming in. Your specific scriptures would be assigned to you over a year in advance.

Jesus, as a member of the community in Nazareth was assigned the scriptures he read in his hometown assembly years before he did so. And because of his considered "blasphemy" of claiming to be the Messiah...he was banned from ever doing so again.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
55,249
25,719
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#11
Jesus, as a member of the community in Nazareth was assigned the scriptures he read in his hometown assembly years before he did so. And because of his considered "blasphemy" of claiming to be the Messiah...he was banned from ever doing so again.
I do not recall reading this anywhere in the NT. Do you have verses? About the year's notice and then Jesus being banned?
 

OneFaith

Senior Member
Sep 5, 2016
2,270
369
83
#12
The first Christians had no wish to break with Judaism, they worshipped the Lord together with the Jews in synagogue. They also met together in their homes to celebrate the Lord's Supper.

They would have been shocked at the idea that they should not go to worship God in synagogue. They would also have been shocked if they were told to celebrate the Lord’s Supper as we do, sitting sedately in our seats and taking a waver and small cup of wine. They ate a meal together, and shared love of Christ and each other.

Does anyone know when or why this stopped? Was it wrong? Is our worship services today an improvement? Should we celebrate the ways we are the same as the Jews, or should we let their rejection of Christ cause enmity between us? Are we worshipping the Father as we worship Christ?

Jesus is the One Who changed it. You can read about it in John chapter 4. He spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well and told her that a time is coming, and has actually now come, when you will worship the Father not on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem.

So what will we worship Him in? We will worship Him in spirit and in truth. So what He was saying is the physical place doesn’t matter. We must still assemble together, but the physical building doesn’t matter. Acts 7:48 says the Most High God does not live in a building made of human hands. (He’s everywhere, not contained in one spot).

The reason the Lord’s Supper was made so small is because early christians were having seconds before some had firsts, and they were getting drunk. God said “Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in?”
 

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
5,494
2,153
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#13
I do not recall reading this anywhere in the NT. Do you have verses? About the year's notice and then Jesus being banned?
The way the Synagogue functioned is still done today in Jewish communities. It's anthropology and history...two of those sciences needed for accurate hermeneutics. Many of the list schedules have survived over the years as an archeological artifact. (Of course the ones listing Jesus didn't)

And this story is told in detail in Luke 4:14-30.
Matthew and Mark gloss this story but cover it as well.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
55,249
25,719
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#14
The way the Synagogue functioned is still done today in Jewish communities. It's anthropology and history...two of those sciences needed for accurate hermeneutics. Many of the list schedules have survived over the years as an archeological artifact. (Of course the ones listing Jesus didn't)

And this story is told in detail in Luke 4:14-30.
Matthew and Mark gloss this story but cover it as well.
I am familiar with Jesus reading the prophesy, and saying it was fulfilled. That is not what I asked for.
I also doubt that nothing has changed in two thousand years regarding how synagogues operate.
 

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
5,494
2,153
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#15
I am familiar with Jesus reading the prophesy, and saying it was fulfilled. That is not what I asked for.
I also doubt that nothing has changed in two thousand years regarding how synagogues operate.
I thought that you might be familiar with it...but the fact that he did it in his hometown of Nazareth gets somewhat glossed over...he was past Bar mitzvah and a devout adult Male in the community...he would have been put on the schedule, voter roles, and driver's license taxes...lol.

Gotta remember he had grown up there for decades by this point.

Just the manner they handled things are not usually explained often.

But can you imagine the chaos if it was left to whoever showed up on any given Saturday?
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
55,249
25,719
113
#16
I thought that you might be familiar with it...but the fact that he did it in his hometown of Nazareth gets somewhat glossed over...he was past Bar mitzvah and a devout adult Male in the community...he would have been put on the schedule, voter roles, and driver's license taxes...lol.

Gotta remember he had grown up there for decades by this point.

Just the manner they handled things are not usually explained often.

But can you imagine the chaos if it was left to whoever showed up on any given Saturday?
Driver's license? :giggle:
 

Blik

Senior Member
Dec 6, 2016
7,312
2,424
113
#17
How ever to directly answer your title question, yes, it is wrong. They know the Gospel yet deny Christ so we have no fellowship with them. Simple enough.
You must feel that if you entered a synagogue you would be agreeing with the Jews that Christ is not the Messiah, is that it?

Scripture tells us a lot about the attitude we are to have toward the Jews. According to what scripture tells us about that, would you consider looking for the way we do not differ from them? As an example, we both believe that it is only through the Lord that we have forgiveness of sin, and that forgiveness is necessary for us. They do not know it is through Christ that forgiveness is attained, they think the Father (they don't know the Father and Christ are one) forgives them.
 
B

Blackpowderduelist

Guest
#18
You must feel that if you entered a synagogue you would be agreeing with the Jews that Christ is not the Messiah, is that it?

Scripture tells us a lot about the attitude we are to have toward the Jews. According to what scripture tells us about that, would you consider looking for the way we do not differ from them? As an example, we both believe that it is only through the Lord that we have forgiveness of sin, and that forgiveness is necessary for us. They do not know it is through Christ that forgiveness is attained, they think the Father (they don't know the Father and Christ are one) forgives them.
You go and worship with Christ deniers and see where it gets you.
As for me if you do not know Christ you have no truth.
Good luck you will need it. Because God isn't going to bless it. He allowed the temple to be utterly destroyed. Now they transgress the law, and deny the sacrifice of Christ.
 
Oct 19, 2020
723
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#19
The first Christians had no wish to break with Judaism, they worshipped the Lord together with the Jews in synagogue. They also met together in their homes to celebrate the Lord's Supper.

They would have been shocked at the idea that they should not go to worship God in synagogue. They would also have been shocked if they were told to celebrate the Lord’s Supper as we do, sitting sedately in our seats and taking a waver and small cup of wine. They ate a meal together, and shared love of Christ and each other.

Does anyone know when or why this stopped? Was it wrong? Is our worship services today an improvement? Should we celebrate the ways we are the same as the Jews, or should we let their rejection of Christ cause enmity between us? Are we worshipping the Father as we worship Christ?

They [Broke] Bread together. 20 men tearing off a piece of bread and passing the rest to the next man. No wearing gloves. They broke bread together. They were Brothers/Sisters/Family.
 

iamsoandso

Senior Member
Oct 6, 2011
7,773
1,548
113
#20
The first Christians had no wish to break with Judaism, they worshipped the Lord together with the Jews in synagogue. They also met together in their homes to celebrate the Lord's Supper.

They would have been shocked at the idea that they should not go to worship God in synagogue. They would also have been shocked if they were told to celebrate the Lord’s Supper as we do, sitting sedately in our seats and taking a waver and small cup of wine. They ate a meal together, and shared love of Christ and each other.

Does anyone know when or why this stopped? Was it wrong? Is our worship services today an improvement? Should we celebrate the ways we are the same as the Jews, or should we let their rejection of Christ cause enmity between us? Are we worshipping the Father as we worship Christ?

I would suggest you research what your asking on the internet first. Call first and ask permission and tell them why your asking don't just just show up. Be sure to dress correctly not showing a lot of skin. Men and women sit in different sections. If you are offered benefits don't it's similar to taking the Lords supper before baptism,accepting Christ ect. Don't wear a Cross or any other things representing Christianity(it's offensive to them) and you are expected to be there learning about Judaism not to evangelize if you try you'll be told to leave(Rabbi will explain the rest). Another thing is that just like in Christianity we have many different beliefs(denominations) and so does Judaism so search for one that's publicly known because there are some that are one way(like your thinking) but others are as extreme as Jim Jones,Koresh,Manson ect(they'll probbably tell you no if you call).