What is "Worship?"

What is the biblical view of worship?

Is it singers on a stage with guitars and drums, or a pipe organ and choir?

In the Old Testament word most often translated "worship" is shaha and it means to "bow down" before someone (see Genesis 22:5).  It actually was a common way to great someone who was highly honored.

Of course it was done before the true God as well as false gods.

In the New Testament the Greek word proskune is most commonly translated worship.  It literally means to "kiss the hand" and kneel before in a sign of reverence to someone of high honor.

The common theme is to show honor and reverence toward God.

Our English word worship comes from the old English worth-ship, which had a similar meaning, to bow before a king in honor and acknoweldge his worth.

More on this topic....

But get this:  the common New Testament word for "doing worship" or performing a religous service or ritual is latreu, and Paul said his favorite way to do it was by preaching the gospel,

"...God, whom I serve in my spirit [latreu] in the preaching of the gospel of His Son..." (Romans 1:9 NASB).

For Paul, the more people who became believers in the good news and began to worship the true God the better.  And that meant preaching the gospel! 

It was like turning on more and more lights all over the spiritually dark Roman Empire.  That was Paul's "ritual" of worship.

So gathering together as a church to sing, pray, teach the Word praise and honor God is combined with our spreading the gospel so more can join in and bring Him glory.

For more, see Why do different churches have different worship styles.

 Waypoints  1   2   3   4   5    6