Preface
We believe all secondary authority is derived from the authority of the scriptures and is therefore subject to reform when compared to the teaching of the Bible. We also agree with the consensus of the historic church in basic theology. True Christians throughout history have sought to build their lives on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Christ Jesus as the chief cornerstone (Eph 2:20).
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to discuss "worship" in the New Testament. We often hear it said that Christians should regularly attend church worship services. Some people encourage worship "liturgy." Is this what Jesus wants us to focus on when we gather together?
What do we mean by "Worship"?
Based on our study of the Bible over the years we like the idea of house church, simple Christian gatherings, and relationship-focused meetings. But sometimes we feel like we are the only ones in town who feel this way. There is a strong emphasis on traditional church ideas. Our first time finding someone who really understood this clearly was NTRF.org in 1998. But this article is focused on "worship" and church worship services in the Bible. In 2022 we discovered an interesting talk on "worship" by Tom Wadsworth. These are his talks. Let us know what you think. We would love to discuss these ideas, especially if you find these ideas new and interesting.
Tom Wadsworth - Worship 7 videos in 1
Tom Wadsworth - Worship #1
Tom Wadsworth - Worship #2
Tom Wadsworth - Worship #3
Tom Wadsworth - Worship #4
Tom Wadsworth - Worship #5
Tom Wadsworth - Worship #6
Tom Wadsworth - Worship #7
There is such a disconnect between the modern church and these ideas that we
don't know what to say. We just created this page to highlight this topic
and hope for God to work a miracle (a change of mind).
May we worship God in spirit and in truth as His Word guides us.
"Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way
into him who is the head, into Christ." (Eph 4:15)
"... as the truth is in Jesus" (Eph 4:21)
"... but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of
the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, Christ Jesus being the cornerstone." (Eph 2:19,20)
"Only let your manner of life be worth of the gospel of Christ...
standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by
side for the faith of the gospel, not frightened in anything
by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their
destruction... (Phil 1:27-28)
"complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same
love, being in full accord and of one mind." (Phil 2:2)
(ESV)
How can we come to "one mind" if we are never allowed to ask questions about the sermon? How can we honor the apostles if our modern experience is nothing like the ways of the apostles in 1 Cor 14? I don't expect change in my lifetime, but I rejoice in anyone looking to honor Christ and the apostles in following their ways over our modern ways.
We dream about the possibility of Christians gathering with an eye to what God's Word says, with a higher priority on the ways of the apostles than our modern church traditions. We hope for a day when men can encourage one another in the Biblical way (1 Cor 14, etc). We long for a time when men and women and children can participate in the Lord's Supper as a Passover-like full meal in honor of Christ. We long for the day when appropriate and respectful open testing can be done in the early church style home-sized setting (the NT way), so we can approach the oneness God's Word speaks of (and strive for the "faith of the gospel"). Until then, we look for small pockets of healthy Christian discussion that honors God. With patience, we wait for more men to see this Biblical way, following the lead of the apostles, and in so doing, "worship" God in spirit and truth.
Email discussion with Tom about John Piper's "Worship"
Tom, Sorry to send an email to your business... But I just wanted to try to connect in email.. I was the first to "Like" some of your videos... I randomly searched for early church and found your stuff... so glad. I got a bit excited... and shared the videos with my friend Steve Atkerson, in Atlanta GA (I've been a guest in his house once when his wife Sandra was still alive). I run the website fivewords.org that is almost exactly all about what you said in your videos, except I cover other topics. But the key driving motivation is basically your 7 video series on early church. I get "five words" from 1 Cor 14:19. I've been thinking about this stuff since teenage years reading my Bible and very much encouraged from reading NTRF stuff since 1998. I go to a traditional church and meet with men regularly.. but I am one of those folk that you talked about in your 7th session... unable to stand up and speak in the "congregation" (my nerves go nuts... when I speak in public). But with a group of men... I often lead out... and often have the most to say... it is odd. Part of my anxiety is that I respect the orderly guidelines in 1 Cor 14 that are not respected in 90% of churches today. I also run jbible.org and I was working on my 3rd chapter (Rom 8, Ezek 34, and now Philipians 4) (trying to come up with the best free translation of the bible, though, I know it is more than I can handle). I'm just saying, I greatly appreciate everything you said in each of your 7 videos. Thanks for doing it... You added some depth of research that is greatly appreciated. Thanks, Richard Faber ....................................................................... Hi Richard, Thanks for the email. I noticed your support of my YouTube videos, and I really appreciate your vote of confidence. Tom ....................................................................... Tom, I listened to your talks again with my son (driving from Texas to PA), trying to influence the younger generation (for good), He really did struggle with the first of your YouTube talks being 20% garbled.... for me, I'm so much in support of your ideas, that I hardly care about it... But I would love to see it replaced with a fixed version (Someday). I proudly added a link to 4 of your talks in my latest article on "organized religion." https://rlfaber.com/organizedreligion.html Meanwhile, a friend of mine is getting ready to teach a Bangladesh house church group about Worship (and sacraments).... and I just sadly ponder what he will be teaching... sad. Blessings to you, Hope things are going well, I would love to know if you post any more on your website related to this stuff, or post other things on YouTube, or if you know of other developments... all for the glory of God. Thanks, Rich ....................................................................... Hey Rich, Your email was the "straw the broke the camel's back." Thanks to your prompting, I shot a re-creation of Worship #1: Why the Early Church Didn't Have 'Worship Services'." I’m not too adept at all this video production stuff, but your email helped me get my act together and "get 'er done." The re-created video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z84QJzWlRJc&t=2690s Now that I'm getting acquainted with the technical aspects of video-creating, I hope to produce some more content soon. Thanks again for your support and encouragement! Tom ....................................................................... Tom, It was such a joy to wake up this morning and eagerly listen to your new #1 video! I woke up to look for an encouraging YouTube video, with my wife and kids away from home (some baby shower thing). I eagerly listened to your updated video #1 and just had to create a new shell document on my website to contain these videos of yours. https://rlfaber.com/worship.html You have put great effort into this study, and I see this effort as honoring Christ (our chief shepherd) and the apostles (whom the H.S. revealed things of Christ in more detail). I just had to blurt out my thoughts in brief form as I met with some men for a time of encouraging each other this morning, as they focused on Psalm 95. I added my thoughts about how we can 1. test God and 2. worship God in ways God may not have intended (both ideas in Psalm 95). For many years I have felt the obvious frustration one should have with the difference between our modern "worship services" and what we see in the New Testament. But, this whole topic is confusing to the modern Christian. Things have changed in subtle ways and it really takes wisdom to unpack it (as you have done). I am so thankful for your careful study that respects how we should encourage one another in these modern days. I have enjoyed ntrf.org for years (and other similar ministries), since discovering it in 1998, even though there is no church like the one-another kind of church in my area. But your study goes in a different direction with a scholarly study and an observation about "worship" that is most appreciated. I look forward to how God will use this video series and all your efforts in serving God. Thank you! Rich ....................................................................... Tom, I wonder if you have noticed the parallel statements from John Piper's "Brother's we are not professionals", on page 232,233,236,237. I don't think he is radical enough in his observation of Old Testament and New Testament "worship service" form changes... but he certainly has about 70% of what you are saying... and funny, he uses the "worship wars" terminology on page 236. I wrote in my copy of his book... on page 233.... when he says, "the Old Testament was mainly a 'come and see' religion and the New Testament fulfillment is a 'go tell' religion. .... I wrote near that... "not quite right... come and see family style." (Meaning, the New Testament house church with its one-another relationships and full meal Lord's Supper... and responsible living... encouraging one another ideas... is something the world will see, they will observe it clearly... they will notice the Christians in town getting along... the love... and Jesus says, make disciples of all nations... teaching them to observe all that I command... which includes ideas that are foundational to the ideas in 1 Cor 14. It is certainly not a "go tell" religion... if you present a "temple worship" distortion to the world... or a disunified "we do our own thing in our little 501(c)(3) group... ignoring other Christians in town." Thanks for your inspiring work over the years, Rich ....................................................................... Hi Rich, I don't have Piper’s book, but you've piqued my interest. I like your commentary! In many conservative churches, it's certainly dangerous to buck against the "go tell" concept. But I think your comments are more in tune with the NT than the common "everyone is an evangelist" concept that is so prevalent. I had similar thoughts in my "Excursus on Evangelism" at the end of Worship Video #4: Why They Didn't Preach Sermons in the Early Church. Tom ....................................................................... Tom, I already got a 2nd lending copy, but I think I'm going to get more of these Piper books... for lending copies! (Brothers we are not professionals) Why? Because this morning I read a few more pages... primarily page 230! It is so good and so aligned with what you are saying. The chapter 28 is titled: Brothers, focus on the essence of worship, not the form. Page 230 speaks about the NT stunning silence of the outward "worship"... and the intensification of the inner (heart) kind of worship. He speaks about the us of the word proskuneo.... and the one use in 1 cor 14, etc. I'm taking Piper's chapter 28, esp pg230, as a good introduction to your videos... I think of Piper saying in summary... what you say in more depth. Thanks for your comments. Thanks, Rich ....................................................................... Tom, Sadly, Piper does not end the chapter well. His traditional "worship service" assumptions dominate his application of the "worship" observations that he has discovered somewhere. Very tricky of him, he applies all the insights to his "corporate worship" - sermon model without opening the possibility of other forms of gathering. He never mentions "house church." You can see he has never thought very deeply about 1 Cor 14, how the early church met, and how to retain the one-another participatory aspects of how the 1st-century church assembled. Sad. Thanks, Rich ....................................................................... Hi Rich, Since Piper has so much influence today, I took a closer look at what he is saying. He did so well in his observations about how the NT deals with the Greek "worship words." He’s absolutely right that, in the NT, proskuneo and latreuo are "being significantly deinstitutionalized, delocalized, de-externalized" and that "the whole thrust is being taken off of ceremony and seasons and places and forms." But then he concludes that "Worship is all about consciously reflecting on the worth or value of God." (p. 233) Here's where Piper stumbles: o He assumes that proskuneo and latreuo are synonyms. They are not. He even throws in a few verses that use the Greek words sebomai (Mt 15:8-9) and leitourgeo (Rom 15:16; Phil 2:17). But these words, too, are not synonymous with each other or with proskuneo and latreuo. o He also assumes that these words should be translated as "worship." Proskuneo should be translated with the idea of ritual (and literal) prostration, and latreuo should be translated with the idea of offering (literal) sacrifices. Sebomai should translated with the idea of revering, and leitourgeo should be translated with the idea of performing priestly services. The English reader only gets confused when all these different words are lazily translated with "worship." o Most importantly, Piper also assumes that we need to define the English word "worship." This effort is futile and meaningless because none of the NT writers ever used the English word "worship." Our task is not to define an English word; our task is to define the Greek words used in the NT and to examine the NT approach to Christian assemblies. Defining the English word "worship" only leads to greater confusion. If we want to discuss and understand the Christian assembly, we will achieve much greater clarity if we refrain from using the word "worship." In reality, proskuneo (prostrating), latreuo (sacrificing), sebomai (revering), and leitourgeo (performing priestly services) have nothing to do with Christian gatherings in the NT. Piper's point that Judaism was a "come see" religion and Christianity is a "go tell" religion is interesting, but it misses the point. When the temple was destroyed (as Jesus predicted), God accomplished several massive changes: (1) Jesus became the sacrifice that made the temple obsolete, (2) God's people no longer needed to travel to Jerusalem to the "dwelling place of God" to perform their ritual obligations to God, and (3) Since God now dwells in the heart, access to forgiveness and to God can be accomplished anywhere. As Piper admits, "ritual obligations" have become obsolete. "Come see" vs. "go tell" has little to do with it. Really, the key point is that sacred places are obsolete. God is now accessible anywhere by anyone, independent of ritual services. When we continue to use the word "worship" in reference to our assemblies-no matter how we define it-we continue to send the message that ritual obligations are still necessary to achieve forgiveness. Piper even says that "worship services should be about... 'going hard after God'." Why are Christians "going hard after God" when He has already taken up residence in our hearts? One of the problems of our intense "worship culture" is that God is "out there somewhere," and Christians need to "go hard after Him." Paul was clear that "When you come together" let all things be done to build up one another (1 Cor 14:26). Piper has a different message: "When you come together, we need to 'go hard after God'." Piper is being true to his Calvinism, but in this case, the apostle Paul has the better idea. I apologize for the long email, but this exercise was helpful for me. I hope it means something to you also. I have a question for you, Rich. I admit that my stuff is hard to understand, but I'm impressed that you're grasping what I'm saying. Do you have any formal biblical training? What is your denominational background? Tom
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