Learning to Read For the Glory of God

 By Pastor Benjamin Glaser - Posted at Thoughts From Parson Farms:

The Bible's Place in the Worship of the Church on the Lord's Day

Howdy!

For today’s look at the Westminster Directory of Public Worship we have a particularly long section which is focused on the content and place of the reading of the Bible in the morning and evening worship services. At Bethany you will notice that we follow this pattern more or less. We have the reading of whole chapters one after another in the evening, and at the 11 o’clock hour we have two readings of parts of Scripture which are normally one after the other. There is a reason for this. It is a traditional Presbyterian practice born out of what we read below. As we get into the intentions behind this let’s first see what our forefathers in the faith had to say about it:

All the canonical books of the Old and New Testament (but none of those which are commonly called Apocrypha) shall be publickly read in the vulgar tongue, out of the best allowed translation, distinctly, that all may hear and understand.

How large a portion shall be read at once, is left to the wisdom of the minister; but it is convenient, that ordinarily one chapter of each Testament be read at every meeting; and sometimes more, where the chapters be short, or the coherence of matter requireth it.

It is requisite that all the canonical books be read over in order, that the people may be better acquainted with the whole body of the scriptures; and ordinarily, where the reading in either Testament endeth on one Lord’s day, it is to begin the next.

We commend also the more frequent reading of such scriptures as he that readeth shall think best for edification of his hearers, as the book of Psalms, and such like.

When the minister who readeth shall judge it necessary to expound any part of what is read, let it not be done until the whole chapter or psalm be ended; and regard is always to be had unto the time, that neither preaching, nor other ordinances be straitened, or rendered tedious. Which rule is to be observed in all other publick performances.

Beside publick reading of the holy scriptures, every person that can read, is to be exhorted to read the scriptures privately, (and all others that cannot read, if not disabled by age, or otherwise, are likewise to be exhorted to learn to read,) and to have a Bible.

So first out we read above that the only thing that is to be read with authority to bind the conscience of those who hear it is the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament. This seems kind of obvious, but we need to remember the context of why the Westminster Divines would say such a thing. In the Anglican prayer book it contains forms for the expositing of the books we call the Apocrypha, which are works which generally speaking appear in the inter-testamental times (between Malachi and Matthew). While we think they can be neat and interesting we do not believe that they are the word of God, and because of this they have no place in His worship.

Continue here.