This coming Sunday, May 10, 2009, I’ll be preaching on Acts 8.26-40. The sermon will be another in our peculiar treasures series, this time focusing on the Ehiopian eunuch. An interesting side note that probably won’t make it into the sermon: in Acts 8.28-30 we learn that the Ethiopian was sitting in his chariot reading from the prophet Isaiah and Philip heard him. According to one of the commentaries I consulted for the sermon “it was customary to read aloud rather than silently” until the time of Augustine (354-430 A.D.)
This supports my belief that because the scriptures were written primarily with a hearing audience in mind, reading good sized portions of scripture aloud in worship is essential. In the time of the early church you read aloud (and thus heard the scripture) even when you were alone.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with reading silently. Indeed, the commentary I cited earlier notes that reading silently may have developed as part of the early monastic movement. The fact that the Ethiopian was reading aloud when he had his life-changing enounter, and that his reading aloud helped make the encounter possible simply underscores the importance of not only reading, but hearing the word of God (the Bible).
*The commentary was Karen Baker-Fletcher’s commentary on Acts 8.26-40 in Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 2.