The Place of the Scriptures in Worship

So far during this year I have made a strong argument based on historic Baptist and Reformed confessions as well as Calvin's Necessity for Reforming the Church that all we do as Christians in the worship of God is to be done according to worship commandments or clear and approved examples from the Scriptures. With that stated, the Scriptures themselves are part of the worship of God.

Baptist worship is Reformed worship; this is the case I've also attempted to place forward. Since I believe this is the case, Terry L. Johnson, longtime pastor of Independent Presbyerian Church in Savannah Church, has written in a nice little book called Reformed Worship that in Christian worship we read the Bible, we preach the Bible, we pray the Bible, and we sing the Bible. Our worship should be saturated with the Holy Word of God.

There is a place for the straight reading of the Scriptures in worship. Paul wrote to Timothy that he must give place to reading in the worship (1 Timothy 4:13), which specified the OT writings. Also Paul knew and assumed that the letter he wrote to the Church at Colossae would be read into their hearing at their Lord's Day assemblies, and he commanded that the letter he wrote to the neighboring church at Laodicea be read in Colossae(see Colossians 4:16). What these passages demonstrate by command and approved practice is that both the OT and NT are to be read in Christian worship.

In the Westminster Directory Public of Worship (1645), there are directions regarding the public reading of the Scriptures on the Lord's Day. The writers urge that both OT and NT books be read one chapter of each at every meeting. Whereever the minister leaves off reading on one Lord's Day, the next chapter is read the following Lord's Day. The Bible should be read in succession. Along with the reading there should be comment on the passage for the hearers to gain an understanding.

It has been my experience in National Baptist churches that a small portion of the Word of God is read at every service. Usually the reading is a few verses; I've never heard a whole chapter of the Scriptures read unless it was a short to moderately length psalm. Though the Scriptures are read, both testaments are hardly read in one service and the readings are out of continuity from week to week.

We need to hear the voice of God in the assembly on the Lord's Day; therefore, let us read the Holy Word more---both testaments in succession each Lord's Day.