Paul, did much preaching in the synagogues. When entering a city, Paul usually went first to the synagogue and preached there, giving the Jews the first opportunity of hearing the good news of the Kingdom, afterward going to the Gentiles. In some cases he spent considerable time, preaching for several sabbaths, in the synagogue. In Ephesus he taught in the synagogue for three months, and after opposition arose he withdrew the disciples who believed and used the school auditorium of Tyrannus for about two years.—Acts 13:14; 17:1, 2, 10, 17; 18:4, 19; 19:8-10.

Paul was not using the Jewish synagogues as places of meeting for a Christian congregation. Neither was he having Sunday meetings, for he was using the Jewish sabbath, which was Saturday, to preach to the Jews because of their being gathered together on that day.

CHRISTIAN SIMILARITIES

It was not difficult for the first Jewish Christians to conduct orderly, educational Bible study meetings, for they had the basic pattern in the synagogues with which they were familiar. We find many similarities. In the Jewish synagogue, as also in the Christian congregation, there was no set-apart priesthood nor clergyman who did virtually all the talking. In the synagogue, sharing in the reading and in the exposition was open to any devout Jew. In the Christian congregation all were to make public declaration and to incite to love and fine works, but in an orderly way. (Heb. 10:23-25) In the Jewish synagogue women did not teach or exercise authority over men; neither did they do so in the Christian assembly. The fourteenth chapter of First Corinthians gives instructions for the meetings of the Christian congregation, and it can be seen that they were very similar to that of the synagogue procedure.—1 Cor. 14:31-35; 1 Tim. 2:11, 12.

Synagogues had presiding officers and overseers, as did the early Christian congregations. (Mark 5:22; Luke 13:14; Acts 20:28; Rom. 12:8) Synagogues had attendants or assistants, and so did the Christians in their form of worship. There was one called the “sent one” or “messenger” of the synagogue. While finding no counterpart in the historical record of the early Christian congregation, a similar designation, “angel,” appears in the messages that Jesus Christ sent to the seven congregations in Asia Minor.—Luke 4:20; 1 Tim. 3:8-10; Rev. 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14.

Among other respects in which the synagogue served as a precursor of the Christian assemblies are the following: The local synagogues recognized the authority of the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem, even as Christian congregations recognized the authority of the governing body at Jerusalem, as Acts, chapter 15, so clearly shows. In neither were collections taken, and yet in both provision was made for contributions for the assembly and its ministers and for the poor.—2 Cor. 9:1-5.

Both also served as courts. The synagogue was the place where all minor cases involving Jews were heard and disposed of; and so also the apostle Paul argues that Christians should let the mature ones in the congregation judge matters rather than go to worldly courts to settle differences between themselves. While the synagogue arrangement made provision for the administering of stripes, in the Christian congregation such punishment was limited to rebukes. (1 Cor. 6:1-3) Like the synagogue, in the Christian congregation the severest measure that could be taken against the one professing to be a Christian was that of expelling him, disfellowshiping or excommunicating him from the Christian congregation.—1 Cor. 5:1-8, 11-13; see CONGREGATION; EXPELLING.

Jesus foretold that his followers would be scourged in the synagogues (Matt. 10:17; 23:34; Mark 13:9), and that they would be put out, expelled. (John 16:2) Some of the rulers among the Jews believed in Jesus, but for fear of being expelled from the Jewish congregation, they would not confess him. (John 12:42) For giving testimony in behalf of Jesus, a man whom he had healed from congenital blindness was thrown out by the Jews.—John 9:1, 34.

SYNTYCHE

(Synʹty·che) [fortunate].

A Christian woman at Philippi whom Paul commended for her integrity and whom he exhorted to “be of the same mind in the Lord” with a Christian sister named Euodia. (Phil. 4:2, 3) The apostle gave this counsel apparently because of some disagreement between these two, a conclusion supported by several modern translations.—The Amplified New Testament, JB, NE, Ph, TEV.

SYRACUSE

(Syrʹa·cuse).

A city with a fine harbor, on the SE coast of the island of Sicily. According to Thucydides, a Greek colony was established at Syracuse in the eighth century B.C.E.

The apostle Paul stayed at Syracuse for three days toward the close of his trip to Rome in 59 C.E. The layover there may have been necessary because of having to wait for suitable sailing wind. (Acts 28:12) From Syracuse Paul’s ship went “around” and came to Rhegium, on the southern tip of Italy. The exact meaning of this expression is not known. Possibly the vessel took a somewhat curved route, away from the coast, in order to get sufficient wind to fill its sails. Or, maybe it “made a circuit—following the coast—” to reach Rhegium.—Acts 28:13, The Amplified New Testament.

SYRIA

That region bounded on the E by Mesopotamia, on the W by the Lebanon mountains, on the N by the Taurus mountains, on the S by Palestine and the Arabian Desert. The region is called Aram in the Hebrew Scriptures. These boundaries are only general, since Syrian influence and domination within this area were rather fluid and unstable most of the time.

IN PATRIARCHAL TIMES

Of patriarchal times our only Biblical records of the Syrians concern events around Haran involving the lives of Rebekah’s family, her father Bethuel and brother Laban both being described as Syrians, or literally, Aramaeans. (Gen. 25:20; 28:5; 31:20, 24) Because Jacob resided twenty years in this territory, and there married Laban’s two daughters and fathered sons and daughters, and because of the afflictions he experienced in Laban’s service, he was later described as “a perishing Syrian.” Also, Jacob’s mother was a Syrian.—Deut. 26:5; Gen. 31:40-42; Hos. 12:12.

PERIOD OF THE JUDGES

During the period of the Judges when the Israelites fell away from Jehovah’s worship, the Syrian king Cushan-rishathaim subjugated them for a period of eight years. (Judg. 3:7-10) On another occasion, Syria’s influence proved strong enough to cause Israel to worship her gods along with other pagan deities.—Judg. 10:6.

PERIOD OF KINGS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH

From and after the birth of Israel’s monarchy, Syria became aggressively active militarily, and throughout the entire history of the northern kingdom hostilities between the two prevailed. Israel’s first king, Saul, went to war with the Syrian kings of Zobah. (1 Sam. 14:47) David, upon becoming king, inflicted heavy losses on the army of Syrian King Hadadezer. At the same time much gold, silver and copper were taken and sanctified to Jehovah. David also set up garrisons in Damascus and compelled the Syrians to pay tribute. (2 Sam. 8:3-12; 1 Chron. 18:3-8) Later, more than 30,000 Syrian mercenaries that were hired by the Ammonites, instead of fighting, took flight before the Israelites. However, after Syrian reinforcements were brought up, a battle with Israel ensued and the Syrians suffered great losses, causing them to sue for peace.—2 Sam. 10:6-19; 1 Chron. 19:6-19.