What Is Synagogue?
The synagogue is the Jewish community's house of assembly, prayer and Scripture reading; the Greek 'synagoge' means 'a gathering together'. The institution's roots lie in the community's need to gather around the word when the temple was far away or destroyed, especially after the Babylonian exile. In Jesus' day nearly every town had a synagogue; in its meetings the Scriptures were read and explained, and prayers were offered. The Gospels record that Jesus went to the synagogue 'as was his custom' on the Sabbath and taught there; his reading of the Isaiah scroll in the Nazareth synagogue and declaring 'Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing' is one of the opening scenes of his ministry. In Acts, Paul too visits the synagogue first in every city he reaches; synagogues are often where the gospel is first announced. The synagogue pattern — reading, explanation, prayer — also deeply shaped the worship of the first Christian communities.