# Lection
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{{Redirect|Scripture lesson|the school subject|Religious Education}}
[[File:Sèrvice dé Neu Léçons et Cantiques dé Noué Dézembre 2009 f.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A Scripture lesson being read in a service of [Nine Lessons and Carols](/source/Nine_Lessons_and_Carols).]]
[[File:Textläsning ministrant Kungsholms kyrka Annandag påsk.jpg|thumb|A lector does the first reading during the [Mass](/source/Mass_(liturgy)) of [Easter Monday](/source/Easter_Monday) at [Kungsholm Evangelical-Lutheran Church](/source/Kungsholm_Church), part of the [Diocese of Stockholm](/source/Diocese_of_Stockholm_(Church_of_Sweden)) in Sweden (2026)]]
A '''lection''', also called the '''lesson''', is a reading from [scripture](/source/Sacred_Scripture) in [liturgy](/source/Christian_liturgy). In many [Christian denomination](/source/Christian_denomination)s, the readings of the day are appointed in the [lectionary](/source/lectionary).
== History ==
The custom of reading the [books of Moses](/source/Pentateuch) in the [synagogue](/source/synagogue)s on [Sabbath](/source/Biblical_Sabbath) is a very ancient one. Since the [prophetic books](/source/Nevi'im) were written after the books of Moses, readings from them began later, and were common at the time of [Jesus](/source/Jesus). This element in synagogue worship was taken over with others into the [Christian divine service](/source/Christian_worship), as may be gathered from passages in the [gospel](/source/gospel)s such as [St Luke](/source/Gospel_of_Luke) 4:16–20 and 16:29. During [early Christianity](/source/early_Christianity), readings began to be made from the writings of the [Apostles](/source/Apostles_in_the_New_Testament) and [evangelist](/source/Four_Evangelists)s as the [New Testament canon](/source/Development_of_the_New_Testament_canon) developed. Mention of this is found within the [New Testament](/source/New_Testament) itself, for example in [Colossians](/source/Colossians) 4:16 and in [First Thessalonians](/source/First_Epistle_to_the_Thessalonians) 5:27.[{{EB1911 |wstitle=Lection, Lectionary |volume=16 |page=357 |first=Frederick Edward |last=Warren |inline=1}}]
The oldest manuscripts of the Gospels have marginal marks, and sometimes actual interpolations, which can only be accounted for as indicating the beginnings and endings of liturgical lessons.[
From the [2nd century](/source/Christianity_in_the_2nd_century) onwards references multiply, though the earlier references do not prove the existence of a fixed [lectionary](/source/lectionary) or order of lessons, but rather point the other way. [Justin Martyr](/source/Justin_Martyr), describing divine worship in the middle of the 2nd century says: "On the day called Sunday all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the Apostles, or the writings of the Prophets are read as long as time permits" (''Apol.'' i. cap. 67). [Tertullian](/source/Tertullian) about half a century later makes frequent reference to the reading of Holy Scripture in public worship (''Apol.'' ~9; {{lang|la|De praescript.}} 36; ''De amina'', 9).][
The canons of [Hippolytus](/source/Hippolytus_of_Rome), written in the first half of the [3rd century](/source/Christianity_in_the_3rd_century) says, "Let [presbyter](/source/presbyter)s, [subdeacon](/source/subdeacon)s and [readers](/source/Reader_(liturgy)), and all the people assemble daily in the church at time of cockcrow, and betake themselves to [prayer](/source/prayer)s, to [psalms](/source/psalms) and to the reading of the Scriptures, according to the command of the Apostles, until I come attend to reading" (canon xxi).][
There are traces of fixed lessons coming into existence in the course of the 3rd century. [Origen](/source/Origen) refers to the [Book of Job](/source/Book_of_Job) being read in [Holy Week](/source/Holy_Week) (''Commentaries on Job'', lib. i.). In the 4th century such references are frequent. [John Cassian](/source/John_Cassian) (c. 380) states that throughout Egypt the [Psalms](/source/Psalms) were divided into groups of twelve, and that after each group there followed two lessons, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament (''De caenob. inst.'' ii. 4), implying but not absolutely stating that there was a fixed order of such lessons just as there was of the Psalms. [St Basil the Great](/source/Basil_of_Caesarea) mentions fixed lessons on certain occasions taken from [Isaiah](/source/Book_of_Isaiah), [Proverbs](/source/Book_of_Proverbs), St [Matthew](/source/Gospel_of_Matthew) and [Acts](/source/Acts_of_the_Apostles) (Hom. xiii. ''De bapt.''). From [Chrysostom](/source/John_Chrysostom) (Horn. lxiii. in Act. etc.), and [Augustine](/source/Augustine_of_Hippo) (Tract. vi. in Joann. &c.) both state that [Genesis](/source/Book_of_Genesis) was read in [Lent](/source/Lent), Job and Jonah in [Passion Week](/source/Passion_Week), the Acts of the Apostles in [Eastertide](/source/Eastertide), lessons on the [Passion](/source/Passion_of_Jesus) on [Good Friday](/source/Good_Friday), and lessons on the [Resurrection](/source/resurrection_of_Jesus) on [Easter](/source/Easter) Day.][
In the [Apostolic Constitutions](/source/Apostolic_Constitutions) (ii. 57, ca. 380) a service is described which is required of the church. First come two lessons from the Old Testament by a reader, the whole of the Old Testament being made use of except the books of the [Apocrypha](/source/Apocrypha). The Psalms of [David](/source/David) are then to be sung. Next the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of [Paul](/source/Paul_the_Apostle) are to be read. Finally the four Gospels are to be read by a deacon or a priest. Whether the selections were [ad libitum](/source/ad_libitum) or according to a fixed table of lessons is not mentioned.][
The [Third Council of Carthage](/source/Third_Council_of_Carthage) (397) forbade anything but Holy Scripture to be read in church. This rule has been adhered to so far as the liturgical [epistle](/source/epistle) and [gospel](/source/gospel), and occasional additional lessons in the [Roman Missal](/source/Roman_Missal) are concerned, but in the [divine office](/source/Liturgy_of_the_Hours), on [feasts](/source/feast_day) when nine lessons are read at [matins](/source/matins), only the first three lessons are taken from Holy Scripture, the next three being taken from the [sermon](/source/sermon)s of [ecclesiastical writers](/source/Church_Fathers), and the last three from expositions of the day's gospel; but sometimes the lives or Passions of the saints, or of some particular saints, were substituted for any or all of these [breviary](/source/breviary) lessons.][
Nothing in the shape of a [lectionary](/source/lectionary) is extant older than the 8th century, though there is evidence that [Claudianus Marnercus](/source/Claudianus_Marnercus) made one for the church at [Vienna](/source/Vienna) in 450, and that [Musaeus](/source/Musaeus_of_Marseilles) made one for the church at [Marseille](/source/Marseille) ca. 458.][
== Conclusion of readings ==
In many [Christian denomination](/source/Christian_denomination)s, when the lector finishes reading the scripture lesson, they say one of the following:][{{cite web |last1=Enticott |first1=Ian |title=‘This is the word of the Lord’ |url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2016/28-october/regulars/out-of-the-question/this-is-the-word-of-the-lord |publisher=[Church Times](/source/Church_Times) |access-date=5 April 2021 |language=English |date=28 October 2016}}]
*"The Word of the Lord."[{{cite web |last1=Raymond |first1=Erik |title=Some Best Practices for Public Reading of Scripture |url=https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/erik-raymond/some-best-practices-for-public-reading-of-scripture/ |publisher=[The Gospel Coalition](/source/The_Gospel_Coalition) |access-date=5 April 2021 |language=English |date=4 February 2020}}]
*"Here endeth the first/second lesson."