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“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

The Jewish Synagogue and the Gospel

Beginning with Abraham, God chose the Jewish people to be a separated and divinely prepared people – His witnesses and blessing to the nations (see Genesis 12ff.). Furthermore, God gave Old Testament Scripture which prophesied the coming of a Messiah who would atone for the sins of all people. Rather than extend the hope they had received to the whole world, the Jews viewed God’s offer of salvation in a nationalistic sense. Nonetheless, God was directing history, and whether they intended it or not, He used the Jewish synagogue both as a means to prepare them to anticipate their coming Messiah and as a place for Jesus to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom quickly and widely. The Jewish synagogue played a crucial role in these events.

19th century painting of Jesus healing a woman in a Jewish Synagogue
A nineteenth-century painting depicted Jesus healing a woman in the synagogue (Luke 13:9-11). “Christ healing an infirm woman on Sabbath,” by James Tissot, ca. 1886-1896. (Public domain.)

Before and during the time of Jesus, to intensify the Jew’s messianic anticipation, God brought persecution to them through Babylon, Antiochus Epiphanes, and finally Rome. Through these persecutions the Jews were scattered throughout the ancient world. At the time of Christ’s birth, fewer than one million Jews resided in Palestine, while over three million were dispersed. 

Jesus and the Jewish Synagogue 

All four Gospels identify the synagogue as intrinsic to Jesus’ ministry. Synagogue buildings featured a main assembly hall with stepped benches lining the walls. Since the synagogue served as both a town hall and a religious institution, this venue was perfect for Jesus to teach and to proclaim His message to entire communities. From the New Testament, we know it was in the synagogue that He: taught (e.g. Matthew 9:35); exorcised demons and healed people (e.g. Luke 13:10-17); and introduced new revelation (e.g. John 6:30-59).

Oldest Jewish Synagogue yet to be discovered.
Gamala is located on a steep hill 3.7 miles east of the northern end of the Sea of Galilee.  Excavations revealed what may be the oldest synagogue yet to be discovered, perhaps built as early as 103–76 B.C..
(Image courtesy: holylandphotos.org)

Archaeologists have now discovered sixteen first century A.D. synagogues in Palestine. It is becoming clear that synagogues were everywhere, from small rural villages seating only a small number of people; to large city centers (e.g. Gamala, in the Golan) seating more than 400. The discovery of two synagogues in Magdala indicates the likely presence of multiple synagogues in urban areas. Furthermore, they were beautiful places with colorful frescoed walls, painted columns, and mosaic floors. The Jewish synagogue was indeed central to community life.

Ancient Jewish Synagogue discovered in Magdala.
One of two synagogues discovered in Magdala, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Note the mosaic pattern in the floor.
(Image courtesy: holylandphotos.org)

The Apostle Paul and the Synagogue

Wherever the Jews were scattered, they built a synagogue(s) in their community. In these, they taught the Old Testament and proclaimed their hope of a coming Messiah. 

Zealous about their faith, these dispersed Jews made many converts (proselytes) and “God-fearers” from among the Gentiles in each community where they settled. When the apostle Paul and other disciples of Jesus later went on missionary journeys, they found in every city a prepared place to preach the Gospel (the synagogues) and a prepared bridge within them to the Gentiles. This highlights the strategic importance of the Jewish synagogue in spreading early Christianity.

  • Pisidian Antioch: “…on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue… and when the meeting had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes [Gentiles] followed Paul and Barnabas…” (Acts 13:14, 43)
  • Athens: “…he [Paul] was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles…” (Acts 17:17)
Remains of a Jewish Synagogue in the ancient city of Sardis in modern day Turkey.
The Jewish presence in the ancient city of Sardis in modern day Turkey, began in the third century B.C.. The remains of a synagogue there (above), construction of which may have begun as early as A.D. 17 and concluded in the fourth century, have been restored. (Public domain.)

In the Fullness of Time

The world into which Jesus came was experiencing a mounting loss of confidence in the ever-expanding roster of Greco-Roman gods and ancient religions. Occultism and magic-workers often trapped people in fear. Broken and hungry hearts could find no satisfaction, though they tried all that Rome and the world could offer. James Stewart expressed the uniqueness of the time in which Jesus came:

Search the pages of history up and down, and in all the tale of the centuries you will not find any generation in which Christ could better have come than just the generation in which He did come. 

The apostle Paul summarized God’s preparation of the world very succinctly when he wrote, “But when the fullness of the time came God sent forth His Son…” (Galatians 4:4). Surely the widespread presence of Jewish synagogues throughout the Roman Empire was a part of God’s preparation so that the Good News of His Son would spread like wildfire! The Jewish synagogue served as a vital foundation for this remarkable spread.

Ancient Roman bridge connect the Jewish Synagogue around the known region.
This ancient Roman bridge was on the Via Sebastia, which ran from Perge on the coast to Pisidian Antioch, then Iconium and eventually Lystra (in modern Turkey). The Roman road was constructed in 6 B.C. It has been suggested that the network of roads, and the common Greek language of trade, facilitated the spread of the Gospel in the first century.
(Image courtesy: holylandphotos.org)

Sources: Biblical Archaeology Review, Spring 2023, Vol 49, No 1, “Jesus in the Synagogue,” pp. 34-41.
Donald Bierle, New Testament History and Survey, Volume One, pp. 1-3.
James Stewart, The Life and Teaching of Jesus Christ (Nashville: Abingdon, 1978), p. 12.
Andrew R. Seager, American Journal of Archaeology, Oct., 1972, Vol. 76, No. 4 “The Building History of the Sardis Synagogue,” pp. 425-435.

About Dr Don Bierle

Dr. Don Bierle, christian speaker and president of FaithSearch International, holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in the life sciences, and an M.A. in New Testament Studies. As a research scientist he was a team member on scientific expeditions to both the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions. As an educator and academic dean, Dr. Bierle has been active for thirty years teaching biology, Bible, and worldview subjects in the college classroom. He has conducted training around the world, in places such as the Marshall Islands in the south Pacific, Amsterdam, Nepal, the Philippines, and throughout India. He has published several articles in scientific journals, is the author of Surprised by Faith (see below) and several other books and DVDs on practical apologetics. He specializes in evidential evangelism. Dr. Bierle has an unusual ability to analyze technical, scientific, and theological subjects, and to communicate them in a clear, original, and fascinating way. Most presentations include professional PowerPoint® animation.