“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture.” (1 Timothy 4:13)
The Public Reading of Scripture
God’s Word is the most important word that is heard when the church gathers for worship. The public reading of Scripture, therefore, has always been of central importance to God’s assembled people:
- “Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people.” (Exodus 24:7)
- “You shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.” (Deuteronomy 31:11)
- “And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.” (Joshua 8:34–35)
- See also 2 Kings 23:1–2 and Nehemiah 8:2–3.
Jesus modeled the ancient practice of the public reading of Scripture:
- “And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.” (Luke 4:16)
It is Christ’s will for his Church to be devoted to the public reading of Scripture, faithfully reading God’s Word for God’s people week after week:
- “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture.” (1 Timothy 4:13)
- “And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.” (Colossians 4:16)
- “I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.” (1 Thessalonians 5:27)
For an excellent introduction to the public reading of Scripture, see the “Public Reading of Scripture” video by the Bible Project. “Reading the Bible aloud with a group of people is an ancient practice. In fact, the origins of the Bible are deeply rooted in the public reading of Scripture.”
Jesus Speaks in the Readings
Craig G. Bartholomew makes the powerful point that Christ himself speaks when the Scriptures are read in the gathered congregation:
The vocative “Israel” in Deuteronomy 6:4 alerts us to the fact that God’s Word is addressed primarily to his gathered people. Theologically this means that the gathered church is the primary context for the reception of the Word. Magrassi rightly observes how it is in the liturgy that the Word is living and active maximally although not exclusively. The gathering of the ecclesia is God’s appointed place where he promises to meet with his people. We gather for a multitude of reasons but primarily in order to eat and drink of Christ, and so to become like him and thus ever more fully human. And Scripture is that field in which is hid the pearl of great price. As Newbigin stated, “We go to the Bible to meet Christ, our present and Living Lord.”
Christ promises to be present when we gather in his name so that “the Word is living when the speaker [Christ] is present and it is actually coming from his mouth.” The Catholic Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy rightly declares, “It is he himself who speaks when the Holy Scriptures are read in the church.”
The “Reader” or “Lector”
From the earliest times, members of the Church were appointed to assist in the public reading of Scripture. Revelation 1:3 refers to a recognized reader, “the one who reads aloud,” and promises a special blessing to him or her:
- “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” (Revelation 1:3).
In his First Apology (defense of the Christian faith), Justin Martyr describes the weekly worship of the early Christians. A lengthy portion of the service was devoted to the public reading of Scripture by “the reader” who assisted “the president” of the assembly (e.g., the Senior Pastor):
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; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. (Chapter 67)
Readers are also called “lectors,” from a Latin word for “reader.”
The Readings and Lectionary
Across the centuries, many churches have developed a public Bible reading plan to ensure that major portions of Scripture are not overlooked. This is in keeping with the biblical principle of orderly worship (1 Corinthians 14:40) and aids in “declaring to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). These cycles of readings known as lectionaries. John Wesley’s Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America included a lectionary that was adapted from the Book of Common Prayer.
The Revised Common Lectionary (available online at lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/) draws on many historic lectionaries to provide a three-year cycle of weekly readings. For example, Year A focuses on the Gospel of Matthew, Year B focuses on the Gospel of Mark, and Year C focuses on the Gospel of Luke. Each week includes four readings:
- A reading from the Old Testament (“first reading”)
- A Psalm
- A reading from the Epistles (“second reading”)
- A Gospel reading
During the Easter season, the Old Testament reading is usually replaced with a reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
The first three readings are typically read by the lector from a lectern, while the Gospel is read by a clergyman from the pulpit.
The Lectern
Churches with a historic floor plan have a lectern that is separate from the pulpit and is devoted entirely to the public reading of Scripture. A church that is serious about publicly reading Scripture will find that this is immensely practical: it allows for a large Bible (e.g., the ESV Pulpit Bible) to be kept open for the reader at all times.
From the congregation’s perspective, the lectern is placed on the right side of the church, while the pulpit is placed on the left side, and the communion table (also called an “altar” in some traditions) is placed at the center.
Instructions for Lectors
Those who are formally or informally appointed to be a lector should be given some instruction in how to publicly read Scripture (see the resources list below for books and articles on the subject). Before the Sunday worship service:
- Make sure you know which passages you are supposed to read, and at what point in the service you are supposed to read them. If you forget or are uncertain, call your pastor.
- Practice reading the passages out loud in advance.
- Look up the pronunciation of any words that you are unsure about. For example, listen to the passage in an Audio Bible.
- Audio Bibles can also provide you with an example of how to read Scripture aloud in a way that is clear and compelling. Remember that public reading is an art. To do it well takes practice. Since reading God’s Word to God’s people is a high honor and responsibility, it is appropriate to set aside time to intentionally develop your reading skills (see the resources below).
During the Sunday worship service:
- Walk to the lectern as soon as it is your time to read.
- The congregation may remain seated during the Scripture reading.
- Unless you feel led by the Spirit to say something, simply announce the reading (e.g., the traditional way to announce 1 Corinthians 1:18 is “A reading from Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians, Chapter 1, at the eighteenth verse”).
- Pause for a few seconds.
- Read the passage slowly, with a clear and confident voice.
- When you are finished, say, “This is the Word of the Lord.”
- Return to your seat immediately.
Resources for Further Study
- [Article] “Scripture Engagement through the Public Reading of Scripture – Practice Tips,” Bible Gateway.
- [Article] “How to Read Aloud,” WikiHow.
- [Video] “Public Reading of Scripture,” The Bible Project. See also “What Happens When We Read the Bible Together? Experiencing Scripture’s Design for Public Reading.”
- [Article] Simon Camilleri, “The Ministry of Public Bible Reading,” The Gospel Coalition.
- [Book] Jeffrey D. Arthurs, Devote Yourself to the Public Reading of Scripture: The Transforming Power of the Well-Spoken Word (Kregel, 2012). 144 pages. The book comes with a DVD that offers instruction, demonstration of the concepts, and sample readings. Also available as an Audiobook.
