The Church of Jesus Christ is not simply a gathering place for private devotion, nor a hall for inspirational speeches. It is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15), entrusted with the Scriptures and called to minister them faithfully. From Old Testament Israel to the New Testament Church, the people of God have always been gathered, instructed, and strengthened through the public reading of Scripture, the faithful exhortation of its meaning, and the teaching that applies it to daily life.
In this study, we will examine the biblical foundation for this ministry. We will see how God designed His Word to be read aloud, explained, and applied in the assembly of His people, and how the Church today must carry forward this ministry if it is to remain welcoming, grounded, and fruitful.
1. The Word of God at the Center of Worship
Scripture makes clear that the worship of God’s people is centered on His Word. From the earliest days of Israel, the Law was to be read aloud in public gatherings so that all might hear and obey (Deuteronomy 31:9-13). This pattern carries through the entire biblical record.
- Nehemiah 8:8 records: “They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.” – When the exiles returned to Jerusalem, Ezra and the Levites restored worship by publicly reading God’s Word and explaining it. It was not enough to hear the text; they also needed clarity and understanding.
- 2 Chronicles 17:9 describes how Jehoshaphat sent teachers throughout Judah: “They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD. They went throughout the towns of Judah and taught the people.” – God’s Word was portable, traveling with His people wherever they went, always to be made plain in their hearing.
- Acts 2:42-43 describes how the early church met together, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. A sense of awe came over everyone, and the apostles performed many wonders and signs.”
In all these cases, we see the centrality of public reading combined with faithful exhortation and instruction. This is not an optional ministry but the God-ordained means of preserving His people in truth.
2. The Ministry of Exhortation (Explanation and Guidance)
A second biblical pattern is the necessity of explanation. Scripture itself testifies that understanding is not automatic; the Spirit uses teachers, preachers, and faithful guides to make the truth clear.
- Acts 8:30-31 recounts Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch: “So Philip ran up and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. / ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.” – Here, a man earnestly reading Scripture still required guidance. Philip, led by the Spirit, unfolded Isaiah 53 and preached Christ to him.
- Luke 24:27 reveals that even Jesus’ disciples, after His resurrection, needed explanation: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself.” – If the apostles themselves needed Christ to open the Scriptures, then surely the Church today needs the same ministry of explanation through Spirit-enabled teachers.
This is why Paul charged Timothy: “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13). The Word must be read, the meaning must be exhorted, and the truth must be taught with clarity.
3. Narration and Testimony as Spirit-Inspired Ministry
Scripture also includes Spirit-inspired narration and orderly accounts for the sake of certainty and assurance.
- Luke 1:1-4: Luke carefully investigated, gathered eyewitness testimony, and wrote an orderly account so that Theophilus “may know the certainty of the things [he had] been taught.” – God used Luke’s careful narration to strengthen the Church.
- Acts 17:11 praises the Bereans: “Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.” – Notice the balance: they welcomed instruction but verified it by Scripture. The public teaching ministry of the Church is never to replace the Word of God, but to point the people back to it with eagerness and discernment.
Thus, narration and testimony are not mere opinions. When Spirit-led, they are means of building up the faith of God’s people.
4. The Role of Parables, Proverbs, and Hidden Wisdom
God has also chosen to reveal His truth through parables, proverbs, and figurative sayings that require humble hearts to understand.
- Psalms 78:2: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning.”
- Proverbs 1:5-6: “Let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel, by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.”
- Matthew 11:25: Jesus praised the Father for revealing truth to little children and hiding it from the proud and self-sufficient.
Jesus frequently spoke in parables, not to obscure truth from the sincere, but to draw out humble, Spirit-dependent faith. This form of teaching is itself a ministry of grace. The “welcoming church” is not one that merely entertains with stories, but one that uses illustration and parable in submission to the Word so that the simple may receive light (Psalms 119:130).
5. Scripture as the Source of Exhortation, Hope, and Equipping
The purpose of all public reading and teaching is not academic, but pastoral and transformational.
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.”
- Romans 15:4: “For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.”
- 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Gives a reason why the history of Israel has been preserved for us, “Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.”
The Church welcomes by teaching—not with clever ideas, but with God’s all-sufficient Word. The aim is maturity, endurance, encouragement, and hope.
6. Hearing and Obeying: The Final Test
Jesus gave the parable of the house built on rock and sand (Matthew 7:24-27) to show that hearing the Word without obedience is futile. The ministry of public reading and teaching must lead to obedience. True wisdom is to hear, understand, and obey.
When we welcome people into the household of God, it is not just to give them access to truth, but to urge them to live upon it as their foundation.
- Embracing God’s Word by Hearing, Hiding, and Heeding – Embracing God’s Word by hearing with all readiness, hiding it in our hearts, and heeding it in our daily lives.
- A famine of hearing the words of the LORD – Thousands of years ago, the prophet Amos wrote about a coming famine of hearing the words of the LORD in the end times. How should we prepare?
- The Welcoming Church: David Gives Pop Quizzes – Ninety percent of the goal of these pop quizzes is to tell young people you are proud of them for attending church and paying attention.
- Faith comes from hearing God’s word – Faith comes by hearing the living voice of God that spoke the world into existence and is available in every language on earth. Have you…
7. The Welcoming Church in Practice
What then does a welcoming church look like? It is a community where:
- The Scriptures are read aloud regularly and reverently, following the example of the early church.
- Faithful teachers explain the meaning clearly, following the example of Ezra, Philip, and Paul.
- Exhortation presses the truth upon hearts, calling for faith and obedience.
- Narration and testimony strengthen faith, as believers share how the Word has worked in history and in life.
- Parables and illustrations are used humbly, pointing to Christ and inviting the childlike to understand.
- All teaching is tested by the Word, in the noble spirit of the Bereans.
- The outcome is obedience, hope, and maturity, as the Spirit equips the saints for every good work.
Conclusion
The Church is truly welcoming when it centers its life and worship on the Word of God. Public reading, exhortation, and teaching are not optional programs—they are God’s appointed means for the growth and health of His people. From the Levites in Nehemiah’s day, to the apostles in the early Church, to faithful teachers today, God has always provided guides to unfold His Word.
Yet the end goal is never mere knowledge, but obedience—the house built on the solid rock of Christ’s teaching. May our churches welcome the world not with empty words or personal opinions, but with the life-giving ministry of the Scriptures, faithfully read, explained, and applied, so that all may know the certainty of the things they have been taught and walk in the hope of Christ.