Worship in the Early Church

Worship in the early church was both a formal meeting and a life style.[1] Within the early church several core practices were included in the formal worship gatherings; reading of sacred texts, teaching and prayer, the Eucharist meal, and baptism. These core practices made up the Christian worship service.

Early Church worship elements can be grouped in different ways. Often the elements are divided by the historic context of Jewish practices, synagogue worship and Christ’s instructions or Upper Room worship.[2] Using this division the reading of sacred texts, teaching, and prayer are grouped together as Jewish worship practices common the synagogue while the Eucharist and baptism are Christ’s instructions to his disciples. Upper Room worship derives its name from Upper Room where Christ and his disciples had the last supper. These divisions are significant because they show the development of worship the practices and the historical significance within the Christian community. They also highlights the unique Christian practices of the Eucharist and baptism

Early church worship elements can also be dived by the type of action. Using this classification there are three divisions, the charismatic elements, the didactic side, and the Eucharistic element.[3] The charismatic elements are praise and spontaneous prayer. The didactic elements are the teaching and reading of scripture; it can also contain planned prayers. The Eucharistic elements are also called the thanksgiving elements they include prayer, praise, and most significantly the Eucharist and baptism. These divisions are both helpful and complicated. They show the purpose and style of the worship elements. They also draw out the dual nature of certain elements. This system is not as clean as the other because of the over lap of certain elements, it also lacks a historic context.

A third division is a helpful extension and reflection of the historic context. The early church self divided their worship into what has come to be known as worship of Word and worship of the table. This can also be referred to as open and closed worship or open and secret worship.[4] The divisions are the same as the Jewish practices, and Christ’s instructions but the significance is different. The first division, the Word or the open worship, is comprised of the reading of sacred texts, teaching, and prayer. The second division, the table, closed or secret worship is comprised of the uniquely Christian elements of worship, the Eucharist and Baptism.[5] Since this division parallels the historic context divisions it retains the historical significance of the elements. The language of open and closed to describe the worship divisions shows how certain worship elements were perceved. Both baptized and non-baptized persons were allowed to attend the open portion of the worship where only baptized persons could attend the closed or table portion of worship.



Open Worship

The first major division of worship contains the reading of sacred texts, teaching and prayer. These practices were derived from Jewish worship practices in the synagogue. These are the charismatic and didactic elements of worship. This division is also referred to as the service of the Word because it contains the reading of sacred texts, and the teaching, elements relating to God’s Word. This service was open to all persons both baptized and non-baptized.



The Reading of Sacred Texts

The practice of reading sacred texts closely reflected the practices of reading sacred texts within the Jewish synagogue.[6] The readings focused on the remembrance of what God has done.[7] The reading of sacred texts was the main focus of synagogue worship.[8] This focus influenced the practices of early Christian worship.

Within the early church the reading of sacred texts would have initial been from Greek versions of the Old Testament.[9] Letters from Christians and memoirs of apostolic life eventually made their way into the reading of sacred texts. It is difficult to point to an exact date when these additions occurred because it depends on many factors, including the date of the writing, the authorship and the location of the writing. Various writings were adopted at different times by different congregations. Paul’s letters would have been read immediately by the congregations they were written two, eventually copies would have circulated to other congregations. Over time the readings became more standardized and eventually the canon gave a uniformed standard for the readings.

The reading of scripture was given a significant place within worship. In 1 Timothy 4:13 Timothy is extorted to “devote yourself [himself] to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.” This passage of scripture shows the importance and magnitude of the scripture reading in the early church. This importance is also stressed by Justin [Martyr] in his First Apology, he writes, “And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits.” [10] Justin [Martyr] stresses the significance of reading scripture within the church in two different ways. First he stresses the significance of scripture reading by placing it first on the list of worship elements to perform when gathered. This gives it prominence and importance within worship. Second, he writes the reading should last as long as time permits. By giving scripture reading an unrestricted amount of time he is enabling it to be the majority player and focus in the service. He is preventing the scripture reading from being shortened or for any number of other reasons..

Scripture was read in the early church by a practiced reader. This position is often referred to as the office of the reader. [11] This office was necessary because the majority of people could not read. The reader would have learned the text and practiced reading it before the gathering. The reader had to study the text because it was not neatly divided, he or she would have had to decide where to start and stop reading the text. This would have taken and educated reader. The reader would also have been in charge of keeping the scrolls they read from.[12]

The text would have been read in a dramatic style in large chunks. The reader would have read entire books or large sections of books. The reader would have used voice inflection, pitch and tone to emphasize various parts or characters within the reading. This helped maintain the oral tradition by which scripture had originally been passed down. Some texts may have had markings or notes to the reader.[13] For example the phrase, “let the reader understand,” found in Matthew 24:15 may be a note for the office of the reader.

The scripture readings took a significant place in the worship of the early church. The reading of scriptures was done by a trained and educated leader. This stressed the importance of scripture to the early church.



Preaching

The early church used the Jewish synagogue model of preaching. The preaching followed the scripture reading. The preacher studied, explained and applied scripture that was read by the reader.[14] In the Jewish synagogue the preacher was referred to as the searcher because it was his job to search for the meaning of the passage and clarify it for the congregation.[15] In the same fashion as Jewish preaching early Christian preaching in was the explanation and application of the scripture reading.

The significance of preaching is tied to the significance of the scripture reading. Preaching was seen as an explanation and application of the reading so the lofty place the scripture reading took in early Christian worship elevates the place of preaching to a similarly significant status.

In his First Apology Justin [Martyr] gave instructions on preaching; he writes, “When the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things.”[16] Justin [Martyr]’s statement reveals a good deal about the preaching practices of the early church. First, he connects preaching directly with the reading of scripture. His writing show that the preaching came directly after the reading of scripture. Second, his writing shows that the president of the congregation was the one who preached. The president is to be understood as one who presides over the congregation.[17] It also clarifies the purpose of preaching to instruct the congregation and help them to imitate what was read.



Prayer

The third core piece of early Church worship is public prayer. Prayer has had a steady place in Christian church worship since the beginning of the church. The Christian practice of public prayer was copied from the Jewish Synagogue prayer model. Prayer was one of the more frequent practices within early Church worship. When compared to the length of the reading or preaching a single prayer would have taken less time but the frequency of the prayers made up for their length. The early church had two main types of public prayer, ritual prayer and corporate prayer.

The church had set and formalized ritual prayers. The practice of having ritual prayers was carried over from the Jewish synagogue. The Lord’s Prayer or Our Father was a set ritual prayer in the early church. Not only was the Lord’s Prayer used in public worship it was used during private prayer throughout the day. Christian’s would have learned the Lord’s Prayer as Catechumens before they were baptized, this way the whole church could join in the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer would have been recited at every church gathering in a ritualistic manner. Some parts of the church had ritualized Eucharist prayers. One ritual set of Eucharist prayers is found in the Didache’s instructions about the Eucharist. Ritualistic prayer falls into the didactic category of worship.

The corporate prayers were prayed in a non-ritualistic manner, meaning that it was not recited by all members in unison, like the Lord’s Prayer. These corporate prayers were most likely extemporaneous in manner.[18] The Acts of the Apostles contain several prayers of the early church, though they were not ones prayed in a standard worship gathering. The early Christians offered charismatic prayers from the heart. The prayers focused on the concept of prayer taught in Matthew 18:19, which reads, “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.” The prayers of the early church were guided by belief in this concept. Extemporaneous prayers fall into the charismatic division of worship practices.

The Didache’s section on prayer is only three lines long stating, “You must not pray like the hypocrites, but ‘pray as follows’ as the Lord bid us in his Gospel.” It then contains the Lord’s Prayer then continues with further instructions on prayer saying, “You should pray in this way three times a day.”[19] Even though the content of this section is small its implications and instructions are vast. First, it contains a stern scriptural warning from Matthew 6:5 to not pray like the hypocrites. The audience of the Didache would have been familiar with this illusion to knowing it was instructing them not to pray “on the street corners to be seen by men” but to “go into your [their] room, close the door and pray to your Father.”[20] Second, they would have recognized the Lord’s Prayer and known it was taught by Christ to his apostles as the manner in which to pray.[21] Thirdly, the Didache instructs Christian’s to prayer the Lord’s Prayer three times a day. This instruction is similar to ones given by Tertullian and Cyprian among other church leaders. The Didache’s instructions show the importance of prayer within early church worship, both corporate and private.



The reading of scripture, teaching scripture, and prayer were significant core practices within early church worship. They constituted the open-service of Christian worship meaning that both baptized and non-baptized persons could attend the service.



Closed Worship

The church closed the service of the table to non-baptized members. All catechumens, those Christians who were awaiting baptism, were dismissed service. The worship continued with the service of the Word or the Eucharist. Baptism is not strictly part of the service of the table but it is placed within the division of the closed service because only baptized Christians would be present for a baptism.



Eucharist

The Eucharist is the main focus of the service of the table. It has origins in both Jewish practice and Christ’s instructions. Christ gave the Eucharist instructions to His disciples at the Passover meal in the Upper Room during the Passover meal, a Jewish Celebration. The significance of the Eucharist celebration in Christian worship reflected these early events.

The Eucharist celebration reflected the Jewish heritage of Christianity. Christ grew up in a Jewish culture attending Jewish Celebrations. The Jews celebrated the Passover meal with family. The meal was symbolic of God rescuing the Jewish people from captivity. It was into this meal that Christ introduced the Christian Eucharist celebration. The symbolism and thanksgiving of the meal continued into early church worship.

Early Christians celebrated the Eucharist in the closed service, any believing and baptized Christian was allowed to attend the service. The Eucharist was practiced at the end of a larger meal, the agape meal. Eventually the agape meal was closed off to non-baptized believers in order to maintain the purity and sanctity of the meal. This idea is seen in the writing of Justin [Martyr], he writes, “And this food is called among us Eukaristia [the Eucharist], of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined.”[22] This concept is also found in the Didache which reads, “you must not let anyone eat or drink of your Eucharist except those baptized in the Lord’s name.

The Eucharist was offered at the end of the agape meal and was presided over by the president, the same leader who gave the sermon. The Eucharist meal was a meal of thanksgiving; this is known because the term Eucharist means “the thanksgiving.” The liturgical practice of the meal set out in the Didache focused on thanksgiving, it instructs how to give thanks in connections with the cup and the piece [bread]. Justin [Martyr] instructs the president to “offer thanks at considerable length for our being counted worthy to receive these things at His hands.” He also referred to the Eucharist as “that over which thanks have been given.”[23]

The Agape meal and Eucharist were practice at least once a week but most likely practiced daily.[24] The early church gathered daily for prayer and celebration part of which would have been the sharing of the Agape meal and the partaking of the Eucharist.

The Eucharist meal was a combination of liturgical elements and charismatic prayers. Some portions of the church would have practiced in a highly ritualistic manner; this is seen in the Didache’s instructions about the Eucharist. To contrast this Justin [Martyr]’s description of a Eucharist meal contains the word’s Christ spoke to His disciples in the upper room. It also leaves rooms for prayers of thanksgiving. These prayers would have been prayed with the fervor and emotion like many of the other prayers in the early church.

The Eucharist meal was a combination of Jewish practices and Christ’s instructions. It is also a combination of didactic practices and charismatic elements. This hybrid element is focused on thanksgiving and the remembrance of Christ. Its purity and sanctity were taken seriously by the early church.



Baptism

Baptism is the final core worship practice of the Early Church. Baptism is the most uniquely Christian worship practice in the early church. Some have pointed to its connection between Jewish cleansing rituals but this connection is not definitive and any connection would have only been significant to Jewish Christians.[25]

Baptism is part of closed worship because only baptized Christians would have attended a baptism. This is seen in the language of Justin [Martyr] when he writes, “Then they are brought by us where there is water, and are regenerated in the same manner in which we were ourselves regenerated.” The use of plural pronouns alludes to baptism being a closed event. It is clear in this writing that baptism would have been attended and preformed by other baptized Christians.

Baptism was the initiation rite for Christians.[26] Before a Catechumen could participate fully in the life of the church they had to be baptized. This rite replaced the Jewish initiation rite of circumcision. The church needed a rite which was not nationalistic and was open to all believers. In these ways it differed from the Jewish rite of circumcision which was nationalistic and preformed only on males.[27]

As the initiation rite the early church saw baptism as extremely significant. The Didache instructs candidates for baptism and the one baptizing to fast. Justin [Martyr] gave a similar instruction writing that those seeking baptism are “instructed to pray and to entreat God with fasting.”[28] Both the Didahce and Justin [Martyr] also instruct others who are able to fast to join with the candidate and the baptizer in fasting. The instructions to fast show the early church felt baptism was a serious practice.

In the earl church baptism was a ritualistic worship element. Fasting preceded the ritual of baptism. The ritual it self is not a didactic ritual but a ritual of action. The Didache gives instructions on the mode of baptism. It suggests that baptism in cold running water is the first proper choice for the ritual but it also allows for baptism by pouring. While Justin [Martyr] writes, “Then they are brought by us where there is water.”[29] The didactic portion of the ritual was most likely a simple statement of faith. One such statement of faith appears in the form of a question and answer. Acts 8:37 records such an exchange between Philip and the Eunuch; “Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he [the Eunuch] answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’”[30] It is likely the whole of the early church used this formula or a similar formula for the baptism ritual.

Baptism in the early church was significant because it was seen as the entrance rite for the church. Early Christians took seriously their baptism and the baptism of others. The rituals surrounding baptism were often rituals of action rather than liturgical language.



The secret service or closed service primarily focused on the service of the table but also can include baptism. Christ instructed the apostles to practice these forms of worship. They are steeped in ritual and are of great importance to formation and belief of the early church.



Conclusion

Worship practices in the early church were derived from two backgrounds; Jewish practices and the instructions of Christ. The manner in which the early church read scripture, prayed and taught or preached reflected the Jewish practices they grew up with. The church also practiced the rituals of communion and baptism which contained elements Jewish heritage but truly evolved from Christ’s instructions to the apostles.

It is difficult to label or divide the elements of Christian worship; perhaps the most descriptive labels are the service of the Word and the service of the table. The service of the word contained the reading of scripture, teaching and prayer. This service is also known as the open service because both baptized Christians and yet to be baptized Catechumens could attend. The service of the table involved the Agape meal which contained the Eucharistic practices. This part of the service was closed to any non-baptized persons. The connection of the closed service with baptism is why baptism is often placed within the division of the service of the table.

The early church took worship and worship practices seriously. They required people to be baptized before they could take full part in the church. Their prayers and rituals were focused on thanksgiving and Christ. They spent lengthy amounts of time reading and teaching the scriptures so they could imitate what they heard.



Works Cited

Barnard, Leslie William. St. Justin Martyr the First and Second Apologies. New Jersey: The Newman Press, 1997.



Drury, Keith. The Wonder of Worship. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2002.



Martin, Ralph P. Worship in the Early Church. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1975.



Moule, CFD. Worship in the New Testament. Richmond, Virginia: John Knox Press, 1962.



Order and Prayers for Church Worship. Payne, Ernest A. London: The Carey Kingsgate Press, 1960.



The Early Church in Its Context: Essays in Honor of Everett Ferguson. Ferguson, Everett. Netherlands: Brill Academic Publishers, 1998.



Willimon, William H. Word, Water, Wine and Bread. Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1980.





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[1] When used in this writing the early church refers to the time from Christ’s death to the around 150 a.d.

[2] Order and Prayers for Church Worship, Payne, Ernest A (London: The Carey Kingsgate Press, 1960)

[3] Martin , Ralph P., Worship in the Early Church (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1975), 132

[4] Drury, Keith, The Wonder of Worship (Indianapolis, Indiana: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2002), 62

[5] Baptism is placed within this section because only baptized members of the congregation would have been present for baptism.

[6] Scripture was most likely sung at the very start of the church due to the low literacy rate and inaccessibility of written texts.

[7] Willimon , William H., Word, Water, Wine and Bread (Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1980), 15.

[8] Martin , Ralph P., Worship in the Early Church (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1975), 24.

[9] Drury, The Wonder of Worship, 34.

[10] Barnard, Leslie William, St. Justin Martyr the First and Second Apologies (New Jersey: The Newman Press, 1997)

[11] The Early Church in Its Context: Essays in Honor of Everett Ferguson, Ferguson, Everett (Netherlands: Brill Academic Publishers, 1998), 91.

[12] Drury, The Wonder of Worship, 35.

[13] Drury, The Wonder of Worship, 36.

[14] Drury, The Wonder of Worship, 38

[15] Drury, The Wonder of Worship, 36

[16] Barnard, St Justin Martyr the First and Second Apologies

[17] Drury, The Wonder of Worship, 36

[18] Martin, Worship in the Early Church, 30.

[19]

[20] Matthew 6:5-6

[21] Matthew 6:9-13

[22] Barnard, St Justin Martyr the First and Second Apologies

[23] Barnard, St Justin Martyr the First and Second Apologies

[24] Drury, The Wonder of Worship, 60.

[25] Drury, The Wonder of Worship, 46.

[26] Moule, CFD, Worship in the New Testament (Richmond, Virginia: John Knox Press, 1962), 47

[27] Drury, The Wonder of Worship, 47.

[28] Barnard, St Justin Martyr the First and Second Apologies

[29] Barnard, St Justin Martyr the First and Second Apologies

[30] Moule, Worship in the New Testament, 50.