Please always get the latest version of this document, from the Bible Pages web site, at this address: www.biblepages.web.surftown.se/ea04c.htm
Need larger text? Go to your browser's "View" menu and look for "Text size" or "Zoom".
Worship and serving God is something important, for most believers. There is a custom
to gather for worship services. Indeed, for many people, worship seems to be the
same as "going to church" or "attending church". But, where does the word "worship"
really come from, and what does it mean? And, what about praise and giving thanks,
and "offerings" and so on? In what way and when and where should believers be serving
and worshipping God?
There are other, related questions, such as, does the Bible talk about "going to church", and, are there some ceremonies or rituals that believers should observe or perform? And also, does the Bible command the keeping of a specific weekday (or some other days) as "special time" for new covenantal "worship"?
(Later in this essay, there is more on the two covenants, old and new. Look also under the heading "Covenants" on the index-page keyw-c4.htm.)
Also: Some preachers have claimed giving money to the preacher or his church, "tithes and offerings", to be an "act of worship". One Californian preacher went as far as to claim that "worship" supposedly means "shipping worth", that is, sending money to the preacher. His "word interpretation" is total nonsense, of course – the meaning of the word "worship" will be explained below – but what about that other claim, that giving money to a church or preacher supposedly is "an act of worship"? Is that true? Do the Scriptures somehow connect money and worship?
This essay considers those questions and others like them, and the whole matter of serving and worshipping God. In short, the question under study is, what does the Bible say about worship, when it comes to New Covenant times? It will be especially studied what the Scriptures really say about serving God, in the light of the New Covenant. But before that, also worship in old covenant times and even earlier than that, will be considered. The etymology (meaning and origin) of the word "worship" in the English language will be explained as well.
Prayer is closely related to the matter of worship. The essay eb11c.htm has more on prayers and praying. See also the essay eg08b.htm which explains what the word "righteous" means, and what new covenantal righteousness really is and consists of.
In Old English, the noun wurscip (Anglian) or weorscipe (West Saxon) referred to "the condition of being worthy", "honour", "renown". In other words: The Old English word wurscip, weorscipe was not specific to respect shown towards God but was a general reference to "esteem", "regard", "honour" and "respect". More: Originally, the adjective "worshipful" simply referred to a respectable person, and "worship" was the same as what we in our would call "worthiness". In short, the word "worship" did not have the "religious" connotation and meaning that it has today.
A note: It seems that the word "worship" was originally used as a noun, already before the 1100s, but that its use as a verb is of a later date, early 1200s. And, it is said that the sense of "reverence paid to a supernatural or divine being" is first recorded circa 100 years after that. There is more on this under the next heading, where even the etymology of the word "worship" is explained in more detail.
Knowing and understanding that originally, the word "worship" had to do with honour and respect, makes it easier to understand the matter of "worship" in the Bible as well.
But, there is more to this subject than merely the meaning of an English word. For, the Bible was not written in English but in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. There are several Hebrew and Greek words to take into account. This essay contains a detailed study on those things. The first part of this treatise considers "worship" in the Old Testament. After that follows an in-depth study of the matter of "worshipping" and serving God in the New Testament. Further, certain passages which many bible-versions have translated in misleading ways, will be analysed and explained.
It is also good to know that the saints – who lived here on Earth in the first century – had neither "churches" nor "worship services" (of the kind the "Christian world" has today), and that they did not have any priests, besides Jesus as their "high priest". The saints' gathering together and being together was not a matter of "going to church" or "gathering for a weekly service" – it was a seven-days-a-week community matter. And, their motives for that were totally different from what we see in churches in our day.
Because of misleading bible-translations, some might connect Hebrews 10:25 and 12:23 with churches. But, a closer study of the Greek text of those verses shows that the apostle was talking about something very different. This will be explained later in this essay.
The essays eg06b.htm, ea01d.htm, ea02d.htm and ea03d.htm have more on churches.
Here is an excerpt from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia's entry on the word "worship":
wur'-ship (Anglo-Saxon: weorthscipe, wyrthscype, "honor," from weorth, wurth, "worthy," "honorable," and scipe, "ship")[...]
In Old English, the word weorthscipe meant "worthiness" and "respect". This is from the Online Etymology Dictionary:
worship (n.)
O.E. worscip, wurscip (Anglian), weorscipe (W.Saxon) "condition of being worthy, honor, renown," from weor "worthy" (see worth) + -scipe (see -ship). Sense of "reverence paid to a supernatural or divine being" is first recorded c. 1300. The original sense is preserved in the title worshipful (c. 1300). The verb is recorded from c. 1200.
Please note that statement, "Sense of 'reverence paid to a supernatural or divine being' is first recorded c. 1300". That was in the Catholic Church, where "worship" has very little in common with what the saints had done and practised.
More from the Online Etymology Dictionary:
worthy (adj.)
c. 1250, "having merit," from worth (1). Attested from c. 1300 as a noun meaning "person of merit" [...]
worth (1)
O.E. weor "equal in value to," from P.Gmc. *werthaz "toward, opposite," hence "equivalent, worth" (cf. O.Fris. werth, O.N. verr, Du. waard, O.H.G. werd, Ger. wert, Goth. wairs "worth, worthy"), perhaps a derivative of PIE *wert- "to turn, wind," from base *wer- "to turn, bend" (see versus). O.C.S. vredu, Lith. vertas "worth" are Gmc. loan-words. Worthless is first attested 1588; worthwhile is recorded from 1884.
-ship – O. E. -scipe "state, condition of being," from P. Gmc. *-skapaz. Cognate with shape.
In other words: The modern-day use and meaning of the word "worship" is very different from how that word was used in the past. In old times, a man could possess "worship" – that is, he could have the quality of worth(iness), thus being honourable and respectable. A man who was "worshipful", was merely a man of honour who had worth(iness) – that is, someone who deserved respect.
In other words: Just as "ownership" refers to the state of being an owner, the same way, the noun "worship" originally referred to the state of being worthy (respectable). Likewise, the adjective "worshipful" had the meaning "respectable".
In the 1300s, the word "worship" began to be used also as a verb, and not only as a noun. Knowing this, makes it easier to understand why the Wycliffe version has in Matthew 19:19, in the English of the 1300s, "worschipe thi fadir and thi modir" (the Greek verb being timaô). Today, that is translated as "honour your father and mother".
A side-note regarding Matthew 19:19 which was mentioned above: A closer analysis of that verse and related ones shows that on the practical level, a very important part of in the that verse mentioned "respect" or "honour" towards parents, consisted of providing for those parents' needs when they were old. But, the meaning of Matthew 19:19 and Exodus 20:12 is something for a separate study, and is not really related to this study on "worship". The essay em07b.htm has some details on how the saints took care of their elderly people.
The point here is that over time, the meaning of the word "worship" has changed. This has led to much confusion. Today, the word "worship" has come to refer to religious rituals and "going to church" – concepts and things copied from Catholicism. Again, that has nothing to do with what the New Testament teaches. The New Covenant has no mortal priests, and no physical rituals of that kind. To "go to church", to "congregate", or the act of "attending church", is not what the New Testament talks about when it comes to serving God. This world's "worship services" and "church worship" have very little to do with what the saints practised.
A note: Many churches have priests, and rituals of various kinds. But again, that has nothing to with the New Testament's teaching on the matter of serving God, or with what saints did or practised. The present-day concept of "worship" in the religious context, that of "attending church" in order to "serve God" or to "worship together", has very little to do with what the Greek text of the New Testament teaches.
The saints' fellowships were not "churches", nor did the saints have "worship services" of the kind that churches have. The saints' manner of gathering together – which was not a "weekly service" but a seven-days-a-week community matter – and their motives for that, were totally different from what we see in churches.
Another note: Anyone can try finding the phrase or concept "going to church" in the New Testament – it simply is not found there. Some might refer to Hebrews 10:25, but if one carefully studies the Greek text of that verse with its context, one will find that it talks about something very different. There is more on Hebrews 10:25, later in this essay. What churches have (and are), is not a copy of what the saints practised. What churches have is more a copy of ancient idol-worship rites, although in slightly "modernised" forms, mixed with some pseudo-old-covenantal things in order to give those rites a "biblical" appearance.
For many people, this may be hard to understand or to accept, because they are so used to churches and the "worship" that churches have. The rites that churches practise, are wrong in several ways – and, many of their rituals can easily be traced back to ancient idol-worship customs. Again, the essays ea01d.htm, eg06b.htm, ea02d.htm and ea03d.htm have more on churches.
The 1769 KJ version has the word "worship", "worshipped" or similar, in around 188 passages, 115 of them in the OT and 73 in the NT. All of them cannot be included in this essay; only a few examples are mentioned here.
In 99 of the 115 Old Testament passages where KJV-1769 contains words that begin with the letters "worship", the Hebrew word in question is the verb shachah which referred to "bowing down".
The word shachah occurs in around 172 passages in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. The makers of the 1769 KJ version were not consistent in their manner of translating it. Around 49 times, they rendered it as "to bow" or "to bow down", 9 times as "obeisance", 5 as "reverence", 3 as "fall down", a few times in miscellaneous ways such as "stoop", "crouch", "fall flat" and "humbly" – and then, 99 times as "worship".
It is not clear why the Hebrew word shachah came to be translated as "worship". Already the 1395 Wycliffe bible used such words as worschipe and worschipid. But again, earlier the word "worship" did not refer to bowing down – which is what shachah meant – and also, the Old English noun wurscip, weorscipe was not specific to respect shown towards God but was used as a general reference to "esteem", "regard", "honour" and "respect". And again, earlier for instance the adjective "worshipful" was used of men, in the meaning "respectable".
The point here is that it is good to remember that when English translations of the Old Testament have the word "worship(ped)", the Hebrew word in question is for the most part shachah, referring to "bowing down" (as a sign of reverence and/or submission). There is more on this, under the following headings.
The first occurrence of the word shachah in the OT Hebrew text is found here:
Genesis 18:1 And the LORD appeared to him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; 2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, see, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself [shachah] toward the ground (AKJV, comment added)
Simply: Abraham bowed [shachah] himself down, before the Lord. Later, when Abraham was on his way to offer his son Isaac, he said (this is quoting the Voice in the Wilderness translation):
Genesis 22:5 And Abraham said to his young men, Stay here with the donkey; and the lad and I will go over there and do homage, [shachah] and we will come back to you. (VW-2006, comment added)
Again, various bible-versions in the "King James" group render shachah as "worship" in around 100 passages, including Genesis 22:5. But, the literal meaning of that word was "to bow down". The above-quoted VW-2006 rendered it as "do homage".
Those who have read the context, know that on that occasion, the Lord asked Abraham to offer (kill) his own son Isaac (but was stopped, when he showed his obedience and was about to do that). That was something very special, and most people would not use the word "worship" of that event.
Then, Genesis 24:52 records how Abraham's servant, when he had found a wife for Isaac, bowed himself down (shachah) to the ground, revering and thanking the Lord.
In the passages where the KJV-1769 Old Testament has the word "worship", the Hebrew word is for the most part shachah. In a few passages, that version translates even other Hebrew words as "worship" or "worshipped" or similar, but with the exception of Daniel 3:28, all of those passages refer to people serving idols, or bowing down before men or idols. This leads us to the next heading.
At Sinai, when the Lord made the Old Covenant with ancient Israel, he told the Israelites that they were not to have idols or bow down before such. We read:
Exodus 20:5 You shall not bow down [shachah] yourself to them, nor serve them [...] (AKJV, comment added)
Here, the same verb shachah was used, the meaning being "to bow down".
Sadly enough, shortly after that, the Israelites were deceived into making the golden calf, and they "worshipped" it (shachah, see Exodus 32:8) – that is, they bowed down to it, just as some translations have it. That was the kind of bowing down to idols that the Lord had just warned them about.
Deuteronomy 5:8-9 records how the people of Israel were reminded that they were not to bow down (shachah) before images (of heavenly or earthly things). Deuteronomy 30:17-18 records how they were warned that if they bowed down (shachah) before idols, they would be cast out from the Promised Land.
The most relevant Hebrew word in this context is shachah (which, again, literally referred to "bowing down", or, by extension, expressing respect or reverence). But, the Hebrew text of the Old Testament contains even other, "worship-related" words, for instance in connection with the servants of Baal and their rites. There, also the word abad ("to serve") was used and not only shachah.
The warnings against idol-worship in Exodus 20:5 and 23:24 and Deuteronomy 5:9 and 30:17 contain both shachah ("worship", that is, "to bow down") and abad ("to serve").
A note: Nearly all of the approximately 30 passages where shachah ("to bow down") and abad ("to serve") occur together, are related to idols and idol worship.
In certain passages in the books of Isaiah and Daniel, the words cagad and cagid ("to fall down") are used instead. Those passages are mostly about bowing down before men or idols and not about revering the Lord.
There were many rituals at the Old Covenant's sanctuary. Some might eventually want to call those things "worship". But were they called that, in the Bible? And also: Considering what those rituals consisted of, the question is, would people of our day call them "worship"?
In the KJ version, the word "worship" is not at all found in the books of Leviticus and Numbers which contain instructions regarding the Old Covenant's rituals at the sanctuary.
But, in other parts of the Old Testament, for instance in 1 and 2 Samuel, there are some passages, in connection with the Old Covenant's sanctuary, where the makers of KJV-1769 wrote in the word "worship". The following will take a look at some of them, but first some background info:
Before the Temple was built, there was the Tent, the portable sanctuary. In the days of Samuel, it stood in Shiloh. People travelled there, in order to bring in their sacrifices, and also in order to—yes, what? We read, here in the VW version which, in this passage translates the old Hebrew verb shachah as "bowing down":
1 Samuel 1:3 And this man went up from his city year after year to bow down [shachah] and sacrifice unto Jehovah of Hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests unto Jehovah there. (VW-2006, comment added)
But the question was, were the rituals at the Old Testament's sanctuary – the sacrifices and so on – called "worship"? The answer is no. Please note that the above-quoted passage mentions two different things – on the one hand sacrificing which was a part of the old covenantal rituals, and then, on the other hand, bowing down (in prayer), shachah. Point: Bowing down in prayer is not a ritual, nor is it specific to the Old Covenant. People, among them Abraham, had bowed down in prayer (or bowed down before the Lord in person) a long time before the Old Covenant came into existence.
Here are some other, similar passages, as the VW version translates them:
1 Samuel 1:19 And they arose early in the morning and bowed down [shachah] before Jehovah, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and Jehovah remembered her. (VW-2006, comment added)
1 Samuel 15:25 Now therefore, please forgive my sin, and return with me, that I may bow down [shachah] before Jehovah. (VW-2006, comment added)
2 Samuel 12:20 So David rose up from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of Jehovah and prostrated himself. [shachah] Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. (VW-2006, comment added)
Psalms 95:6 Oh come, let us prostrate ourselves [shachah] and bow down [kara]; let us kneel before Jehovah our Maker. (VW-2006, comments added)
These passages might eventually need an explanation:
2 Kings 18:22 But if you say to me, We have trusted in Jehovah our God, is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has removed, and has said to Judah and Jerusalem, You shall bow down [shachah] before this altar in Jerusalem? (VW-2006, comment added)
Psalms 5:7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the abundance of Your mercy; I will bow down [shachah] in Your fear toward Your holy temple. (VW-2006, comment added)
Do those two passages mean that the Old Covenant's rituals were called "worship" (as many bible-versions have it)? No. Again, the Hebrew word in question was shachah which simply meant "to bow down" (before God). In temple times, when the Israelites prayed, they bowed themselves towards Jerusalem, or if they were in that city, towards the temple, or if they were in the temple area, towards the altar. But that bowing down was connected to prayer and not rituals.
A few bible-versions, such as the VW and YLT, translate shachah mostly as "bow down". Again, it is a bit strange that many versions have rendered shachah as "worship", because it referred to bowing down, while the Old English word "worship" did not. (Worship – Old English wurscip, weorscipe – was a general reference to "esteem", "regard" and "respect". Earlier, for instance the adjective "worshipful" was used of men, in the meaning "respectable".)
Anyway, the point here is that the Old Covenant's rituals were not called "worship" – that is, in the above-quoted passages, the word shachah did not refer to those rituals but instead to people bowing down "before the Lord", in prayer.
Regarding the Old Covenant's rituals – all the details of that matter cannot be included here, but let us note that a large part of them consisted of slaughtering – cutting the throats of sacrificial animals and then cutting up their bodies and burning parts of them on the altar; see for instance Leviticus 1:3-13. (In the case of pigeons, the killing was done by wringing the neck; see Leviticus 1:14-17.) Not many people of our day would call those things "worship".
What one can learn from the Old Testament text, is that when people met the true Lord in person, it was correct for them to bow down before him. And, that they were not to bow down in that way in front of anyone or anything else. And also, people could bow down "before God" in prayer, even though the Lord was not personally present. (The essay eb11c.htm has more on the matter of praying.)
Then, it important to understand that the Old Covenant came to its full and final end, and that the New Covenant is indeed a new, different covenant, and not a "confirmation" or "enhancement" of the Old Covenant, as some have claimed. Again, there is more on the two covenants, old and new, later in this essay. Look also under the heading "Covenants" on the index-page keyw-c4.htm.
Now, to the matter of "worship" in the New Testament.
A note: Some of this will be a bit "technical", with etymologies of words and other linguistic matters, but even those things are a part of the matter and they are included here so that those who want to consider that side of this subject, can do that.
Let us first take a look at certain words in the Greek text of the New Testament – words that in one way or another are connected to the matter of "worship". After this, a number of things more on the practical level will be considered.
First, a note: It is important to realise that the saints had no churches, no altars and no mortal priesthood. ("Saints" – people who in the first century received the Holy Spirit.)
In our day, many religious denominations in the "Christian world" have churches and altars and priests, but that is something that has been copied from the Catholic Church, and has nothing to do with what the saints practised, or with what Jesus or the apostles taught. (Again, the essays ea01d.htm, eg06b.htm, ea02d.htm and ea03d.htm have more on churches. The essay ee02b.htm takes a closer look at the concept or "ordaining" which even many non-Catholic denominations practise, and which has been written into many English bible-translations.)
In the Greek text of the New Testament, the most common "worship-related" word is the verb proskuneô (60 occurrences, from Matthew 2:2 to Revelation 22:9 – KJV-1769 renders it as "worship"). The meaning of proskuneô seems to have been similar to shachah of the Old Testament. It was combined from pros, "towards", "before", and kuneô, "to kiss"; on the practical level it referred to bowing down before someone (and eventually even kissing that person's hand). But, beyond such bowing down, the verb proskuneô was also used in the practical and idiomatic meaning "to revere", "to respect", "to honour", and similar. Related noun: Proskunêtês, "worshipper", which appears in the Greek text of John 4:23.
Other words in the Greek NT text: The verb sebomai, "to revere" (10 occurrences, related to the old Greek word sebas which meant something like "awe"), and the related words sebasma (2 occurrences) and sebazomai, theosebês and theosebeia, 1 occurrences each. Further, the verb eusebeô, "to show respect", "to be devoted to", the adjective eusebês, "devout", the noun eusebeia, "reverence", "devotion", and the adverb eusebôs.
More: 21 passages contain the verb latreuô; the 1769 KJV mostly translates it as "serve" or "do service" but sometimes even as "worship" and in Hebrews 10:2 as "worshippers".
The 1769 KJ version renders:
Please note that this list merely shows how the 1769 KJ version renders those words. The original KJV was produced in the 1600s; since then, the meaning of many words in the English language has changed. Also, the KJ version's wordings are not always the best or most correct way of expressing things. (The essay es03c.htm has more on the King James version and the men who were involved in producing it.)
Further, there is the noun neôkoros of Acts 19:35 (but that was about serving idols), and the verb therapeuô which the 1769 KJ version in Acts 17:25 translates as "worshipped" (but in other passages as "heal", 38 times, and as "cure", 5 times). There is even the noun thrêskeia which that version renders 3 times as "religion" (Acts 26:5 and James 1:26 and 27) and as "worshipping [of angels]" (Colossians 2:18), and the combination ethelothrêskeia that occurs in Colossians 2:23 in connection with angel-worship (which was wrong).
In addition, in Luke 14:10 the KJV-1769 renders the Greek word doxa as "worship". Explanation: The King James version's use of the word "worship" in that verse reflects the older, original meaning of the English word "worship", which was "esteem", "respect".
In short: When it comes to the concept of "worship" in the New Testament, it is mostly the use of the verb proskuneô that must be studied, and also the verb sebomai. Some of the passages in question will be considered, below.
A side-note: In 1 Timothy 5:4, KJV-1769 renders eusebeô (eusebein) as "piety". That is misleading. The verb eusebein (eusebeô) is hard to translate in an exact way, but in some connections, "showing respect" and "devotion" are possible translations. Other bible-versions render 1 Timothy 5:4 in different ways, among them "let them first learn to be devoted to their own house" (that is, to their own family). In Acts 17:23, the 1769 KJ version renders eusebeô (eusebeite) as "worship"; some other bible-versions have instead "devotion" or similar.
Several New Testament passages show how people bowed down before Jesus, to revere him or to ask something of him. That was right and proper, of course, for Jesus is the Son of God. But revering anyone else in that way, besides God and his Son, would be wrong.
The passages in question include Matthew 2:2, 8:2, 9:18, 14:33, 15:25, 20:20, 28:9 and 28:17, Mark 5:6, Luke 24:52 and John 9:38. Even Hebrews 1:6 is related to this. In those passages, the relevant Greek word was for the most part proskuneô whose meaning was explained under the preceding heading.
Matthew 2:2 records how a number of men "from the east" (the Bible does not tell us who or how many they were, or where they came from) had come to pay reverence (proskuneô) to the young child Jesus, as "he that is born King of the Jews". They had been miraculously guided, so that they could find him.
But, that event has nothing to do with the matter of "worship" in our day.
An important note: Christmas has nothing to do with the true Jesus but is an altogether unbiblical, idol-related festival. The essay ew05c.htm has more on this.
Matthew 15:9 and Mark 7:7 record how Jesus warned against paying (seeming) reverence to him, while at the same time actually following men and men's teachings.
Matthew 15:9 but in vain do they worship me, teaching as teachings commandments of men. (DBY)
Mark 7:7 contains the same wording. In the Greek text, the verb is sebomai, and the word behind the translation "in vain" is matên, meaning "fruitlessly", "in error", "falsely".
That certainly is something that believers should carefully consider, and then keep in mind.
A note in that connection: Many preachers – and bible-translators – have twisted such passages as 1 Corinthians 4:16, Philippians 3:17, 1 Thessalonians 1:6 and 2 Thessalonians 3:7, causing people to think that the apostle Paul supposedly told people to "follow him as a leader". But those are twisted translations. In the Greek text, the wordings in question refer to imitating an example. In other words: Paul was not telling anyone to "follow him as a leader". That would have been wrong, and also against Matthew 15:9 and Mark 7:7. What Paul and his companions did, was that they set an example, regarding certain specific things, and then they told the other saints to imitate that example, in regard to those specific things. The essay em03c.htm explains this matter, and shows what that example really was.
Here, the point was (in connection with Matthew 15:9 which was quoted above) that believers are to follow Jesus and have him as their Teacher and Master, and not men. Let us consider something that Jesus said to his disciples:
Matthew 23:8 "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 "And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 "And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. (NASB-77)
Some notes: Certain preachers have twisted even this, and other similar passages, into a talk about "servant leadership". That shrewd dogma was introduced by an American writer, around 1970. The essay ee03c.htm has more on this, and shows that the Greek text of the New Testament gives no support to "servant leadership" (or "spiritual leadership" or "biblical leadership") of the kind that many preachers talk about.
The essay es06d.htm takes a closer look at what the Bible says about "spiritual authority" (or "religious authority" or "biblical authority"), and who really has that. The essay es07c.htm has more on the word and concept "clergy". Then there is the concept of "ordination" – this might surprise some, but the Greek text of the New Testament does not give any support to such a concept. It is an invention of men (churches and preachers) which has been written into bible-translations, through a shrewd choice of words. The essay ee02b.htm has more on this.
The essay es05c.htm considers whom one should listen to in biblical matters, and whom not.
Matthew 4:8-10 and Luke 4:5-8 record how Satan wanted Jesus to revere him (proskuneô), but, of course, Jesus did not do that.
Jesus' reply:
Matthew 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'" (NKJV)
Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'" (NKJV)
There is yet another Greek word which KJV-1769 renders as "worship", therapeuô. That is, in Acts 17:25, while it in other passages it renders that word as "heal", 38 times, and as "cure", 5 times.
An explanatory note: The old Greek verb therapeuô really meant "to be an attendant", that is, "to serve", but it was also used in the meaning "to take care (of a person)", "treat (medically)", as well as in a number of other meanings. In the case of Acts 17:25, Paul used it in the meaning "to serve" as to "worship" – but, it is important to check the context, what the apostle really was talking about.
This is the passage in question:
Acts 17:22 And standing in the middle of the Areopagus, Paul said, Men, Athenians, I see how you in everything are fearful of gods; 23 for passing through and looking up at the objects of your worship, I also found an altar on which had been written, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Not knowing, then, whom you worship, I make Him known to you. 24 The God who made the world and all things in it, this One being Lord of Heaven and of earth, does not dwell in handmade temples, 25 nor is served [therapeuô] by hands of men, as having need of anything. For He is giving life and breath and all things to all. (LIT, comment added)
Here, Paul was in Athens at a place called Areios Pagos (Ares' hill), explaining to Athenians that the true God cannot be "served" (therapeuô) in hand-made temples, the way the Greek (idol) religion had it.
Indeed, as Paul pointed out, it would be totally meaningless to "serve" the true God or his son Jesus, with rituals of some kind. God the Father and his son Jesus cannot be benefited by men's rites, nor can a believer be benefited by performing any such man-made rituals.
(However, it must be noted that the saints did practise certain symbolic rituals, such as baptism and anointing of the sick. The essay eb01c.htm has more on baptism and the distribution of the Holy Spirit.)
Some translations have the word "worship" even in Philippians 3:3. The Greek was latreuontes (latreuô), "serving". That word was often used of idol-worship rites, and also of the Old Covenant's rituals (and also of other things, such as being an attendant, taking care of people, treating sicknesses).
This is how the 1899 DR version renders that passage in Paul's letter to the saints in Philippi:
Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, who in spirit serve God and glory in Christ Jesus, not having confidence in the flesh. (DR-1899, highlighting added)
The apostle was simply stating the fact that the New Covenant has no physical "service" or rituals of the kind the Old Covenant had. He noted that the saints "served" God in spirit, and not through physical rites.
The matter of serving God in spirit, instead of "serving" him through physical rituals, may for many people be hard to understand. This is because most churches have various kinds of customs and rituals which they call "worship" and cause people to think that they must do those things, as if they somehow were a proper way to "serve" or "worship" God. But, most of those customs and rituals have very little to do with the Bible, or with what the saints practised.
The essay eg08b.htm explains what it means to be righteous.
A side-note, regarding the phrase "the circumcision" in Philippians 3:3 which was quoted above: Paul used symbolic language. He was not talking about physical circumcision; he referred to the "circumcision of the heart" – in other words, the Holy Spirit. The Old Covenant's circumcision was only a dim shadow of better things to come. The essay ec09b.htm has more on this. (The Jews were sometimes called "the circumcision", in the NT Greek τες περιτομης. This comes to expression for instance in Galatians 2:8, along with several other passages. The saints, however, had a different, spiritual "circumcision", "that of the heart", Romans 2:29. That simply meant that they had received the Holy Spirit.)
A common stumbling point regarding how to serve or "worship" God, is the matter of the two covenants. Many preachers have caused people to believe that the Old Covenant supposedly is still in effect, in some way or to some part. That is not so. The apostle Paul wrote:
Romans 7:6 But now we have been delivered from the law, [A] having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. (NKJV)
[A] "Delivered from the Law" – from the Old Covenant. Paul wrote as a Jew. The word "we" in that verse referred to himself and other Jewish saints who had been under the Old Covenant (which came to its end when Jesus the Offspring of Galatians 3:19 came and performed his Sacrifice).
Many people have been misled here, because a lot of preachers have twisted this verse as well as certain related ones. However, if one considers that passage and all of Paul's letters in more depth, one will see that by the phrase "the Spirit", Paul referred to the Holy Spirit and the New Covenant, and that by the phrase "the letter", he referred to the Old Covenant and its rules. The essay ec13c.htm has more on this.
(The New Covenant is written, "not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not on tables of stone, but on fleshly tables of the heart" – 2 Corinthians 3:3; see even Jeremiah 31:33. That "writing" does not refer to "the Holy Spirit teaching people the rules of the Old Covenant", as some have claimed. No, the New Covenant's "writing" consists of the Holy Spirit itself. Through his Spirit, God came to dwell in the saints, and personally guided them in the right ways. The essay ec08c.htm has more on this.)
Paul wrote about that matter, in connection with the concept of "serving God" (which some call "worship"), even here:
2 Corinthians 3:6 Who has made us able to be servants [diakonous] of a new agreement; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter gives death, but the Spirit gives life. 7 For if the operation of the law, giving death, recorded in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the eyes of the children of Israel had to be turned away from the face of Moses because of its glory, a glory which was only for a time: 8 Will not the operation of the Spirit have a much greater glory? (BBE, comment added)
Here, Paul did not use the verbs latreuô or douleuô; instead, he used the noun diakonous, "servants". But, he was talking about that same matter of "serving God", and the context was that of comparing the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. The Old Covenant had a lot of physical rituals whereby the Levitical priesthood was to "serve" the Lord, but the New Covenant has neither mortal priests nor rituals of that kind.
A note: Many preachers, and even some bible-translations, have twisted 2 Corinthians 3:6 altogether and caused people to think that it supposedly refers to "priests" or "elders". But, Paul was talking about the saints, plural, as a group. In the phrase "who has made us able to be servants of a new agreement" (2 Corinthians 3:6, as quoted above), the word "us" referred to the saints as a whole, all together. The saints "served" God, not through symbolic physical rites of the kind that the Old Covenant had or which the religions of this world have, but instead in the Spirit.
The essay ec13c.htm has more on 2 Corinthians 3:6-9. That essay also shows that the popularly used phrases "the letter of the law" and "the spirit of the law" simply are not found in the Bible. When the apostle Paul wrote, "the letter", he referred to the Old Covenant and its rules. When he wrote, "the Spirit", he referred to the Holy Spirit and the New Covenant. This very important matter is explained in more detail, in the essay ec13c.htm. And again, the essay ec08c.htm has more on the Holy Spirit as the New Covenant's "writing".
A note: This does not in any way mean that there were no moral principles as to what the saints could or could not do, or how they were to live their lives on the practical, physical level. Paul and the other apostles made it very clear that the saints were to live holy, righteous lives. However, that subject is too large to be included here. Romans 6:16 is a good passage, but in order to understand what Paul's words recorded in that verse really meant for the saints on the practical level, one must first know the basic facts regarding the matter of the two covenants. For more on that subject, look under the heading "Covenants" on the index-page keyw-c4.htm. The essay eg08b.htm sorts out the word and concept righteousness; it is important for believers to know what new covenantal righteousness really is.
In his letter to the Jewish saints ("Hebrews"), the apostle Paul several times used the words latreuô and latreia ("to serve" and "service"). The context shows that he was comparing the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.
In the context of "serving God", it is good to note this passage in the apostle's letter to those saints:
Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service [latreuô] with reverence and awe (NASB-95, comment added)
Some bible-versions have in that verse "let us have grace", but since the word "grace" is today more seldom used in the meaning "thankfulness", that wording may not be easy to understand for all. A number of other bible-translations have instead "gratitude" (such as NASB-95, quoted above) or "thankfulness", or "giving of thanks" which obviously is what Paul was talking about. He told the Jewish saints that considering what God was giving them, they certainly had a reason to give thanks to God.
Thanking and praising God was both proper and important for the saints. Paul repeated that, in that same letter:
Hebrews 13:12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. 15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. (NASB-95)
Regarding chapters 12 and 13 in the epistle to the Hebrews: Again, Paul was comparing the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, and used symbolic language. Under the Old Covenant, "serving God" meant burning corpses of animals (or parts of them), and other similar rituals. That had to be done in the temple in Jerusalem, which was the Old Covenant's "lasting" or "permanent" place for "serving" or "worshipping" God. The New Covenant has no sacrifices (offerings) of the kind the Old Covenant had, and, the saints' "service" and "worship" (during their earthly lives) was not bound to any particular place, "temple", city or rituals. They could "serve" and "worship" God, wherever they happened to be, and there were no priests, ceremonies or rituals connected to that. Hebrews 13:15 shows that their "service" could consist of such things as expressing thankfulness to God. (Under the Old Covenant, even thankfulness to God was expressed by burning animals, or parts of them, as "thank offerings". The New Covenant has no such sacrifices or rituals.)
Even believers – people of our day – can "offer" thanks and praise to God – not by sacrificing anything, but simply by thanking God in prayer.
A side-note: Praying and giving of thanks is for the most part best done in private. The essay eb11c.htm has more on prayer.
However – there is a sacrifice or "service" of a certain kind that believers in the future may be forced to perform, in a way similar to what many of the saints had to do, in the first century. That is not connected to thankfulness and praise, but is instead a very serious sacrifice of a different kind. There is more on this, later in this essay.
A note: Preachers and churches ask for money and call that "offerings" (a synonym for sacrifices) but that has nothing to do what the Bible teaches. For more on what the Scriptures say about monetary things in connection with the saints' fellowships, look under the heading "Silver and gold" on the index-page keyw-s5.htm.
John 4 records how a Samaritan (non-Jewish) woman said to Jesus:
John 4:20 Our forefathers worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem." (WEY)
Jesus told her that it really was not so, any longer:
John 4:21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (NASB-95)
A note: We do not know what language Jesus and that woman used in that discussion. It could have been Aramaic, but it could also have been Greek. In those days, Greek was a commonly spoken language among the Jews and other people in Palestine. (That area had been under Greek rule and influence for centuries.) Anyway, each time when the above-quoted verses 20-24 in John 4 have the word "worship", the word in the Greek NT text was proskuneô.
Obviously, the point Jesus was making was that those places (Samaria and Jerusalem, see John 4:20 and 21) and the rites there, were not the real thing. That Samaritan site ("this mountain" of verse 21) was perhaps a site of false worship of some kind – and, the temple in Jerusalem was only a dim shadow of better things to come (and, to a certain part, a shadow of things in Heaven).
Under the Old Covenant, "serving God" was bound to one place only, "the place which the Lord chose". From the days of king David to New Testament times, that place was Jerusalem and the sanctuary there. But, the New Covenant has no such earthly "place" at all. The saints had received the Holy Spirit and had direct access to Jesus and the Father and could "serve" them, wherever they happened to be. What was needed was not a place or a "church" or a "temple"; what was needed was the Holy Spirit.
The saints had the Holy Spirit. Through that, they formed God's spiritual "temple" (house, dwelling). God dwelled in those saints, through his Spirit. That is obviously what Jesus was talking about.
In short: The New Covenant has no earthly "temple of God". Many churches and preachers have claimed that their buildings are "temples of God" or "houses of God", or that their church as an organisation is that. But they are not that. Or at least they are not temples of the true God who is in Heaven. Thus, the concept of "going to a temple of God to worship", is erroneous, in more than one way.
Again, the New Covenant's "temple of God" (or "House of God" or "Dwelling of God") is not a place or a building. The saints (those who have the Holy Spirit) are the New Covenant's House of God (Dwelling of God). Again, God had placed his Holy Spirit in the saints and was thus dwelling in them.
The essay eb01c.htm has more on the distribution of the Holy Spirit. The essay eb02c.htm considers the matter of "calling"; the essay eb03d.htm contains a study on "predestination".
Because of confusing translations, Hebrews 10:25 is a very misunderstood passage. That has its reasons; it is not very easy to know what original language words and meanings are hidden behind such wordings as "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together". Churches and their bible-translators and preachers have caused people to think that the apostle supposedly was talking about "going to church". But, Paul was writing about something very different.
His words referred to the event when the saints were to be gathered up to Jesus. Here is a different translation of the passage in question (there is more on the meaning of these verses, below). Let us begin in verse 22, in order to see some of the context:
Hebrews 10:22 let us then draw near, [B] with a true heart, in total faithfulness, [C] having our hearts sprinkled [D] from an evil conscience and our bodies washed [E] with pure water. 23 We should hold fast to [our part in] the agreement, [F] in an assured expectation, [G] because, he who gave the promise [H] [to us] is faithful. 24 And we should keep an eye on one another, provoking unto love and to good works; 25 not turning our backs on our [coming] gathering [I] (as some do), but admonishing one another: And so much the more, as you see That Day [J] approaching. 26 For if we deliberately trespass after having received the full knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a furious fire that will consume those who oppose. (Author's tr.)
[B] and [C] Verse 22, "drawing near" and "faithfulness" – these things are explained later under this present heading.
[D] and [E] Verse 22, "sprinkled" and "washed" – the meaning of those words is explained in the table that follows after this note section.
[F] Verse 23, "agreement" – the Greek word is homologia. It did not mean "profession" as some have it. Here, it referred to "an agreement" in the meaning "betrothal" – the saints' betrothal to Jesus. For more on this, look under the heading "Homologia" on the index-page keyw-h3.htm.
[G] Verse 23, "expectation" – the Greek word is elpis which meant "hope", "expectation" (not "faith" as some have it).
[H] Verse 23, "who gave the promise" – the Father had betrothed those saints to his son Jesus. That was a promise regarding marriage. Those saints were waiting for the Wedding Feast.
[I] Verse 25, "gathering" – the Greek word is episunagôgê whose primary meaning was "carrying away" or "gathering". That referred to the episunagôgê of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 – the day when angels were to gather up those saints and take them to the Lord Jesus.
[J] Verse 25, "that day" – the day when those saints were to gathered up to the Lord Jesus, the same day and event which 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 mentions, "the Day of the Anointed".
Regarding these old Greek words – please note that "biblical" Greek-English lexicons are often very misleading, because of dogmatic reasons. See instead the "Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon" by Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott, or their more extensive "Greek-English Lexicon". (Even they contain some religious bias, but not at all as much as "biblical" lexicons do.)
There is more on these things, later in this essay.
Let us first consider the "drawing near" which verse 22 mentions. The
wider context shows that the apostle was comparing the Old Covenant and the New
Covenant. He made an analogy where he used symbols and parallels. Here are some
of them:
| The ancient Israelites and the Old Covenant: | The saints and the New Covenant: |
| When the Old Covenant was made at Mount Sinai, the Israelites had to wash their clothes before they drew near the mountain where the Old Covenant was made (Exodus 19:10-14). | Even the saints had gone through a washing – baptism – before they were formally joined to the Lord in the New Covenant. That is what the words "bodies washed with pure water" in Hebrews 10:22 refer to. |
| The ancient Israelites were sprinkled with "the blood of the covenant", at Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:8). | The saints' (symbolic) "sprinkling" (Hebrews 10:22) was by Jesus' blood. See even Hebrews 12:24 and 1 Peter 1:2. |
| The ancient Israelites drew near an earthly mountain, Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:10-14). | The saints were not "drawing near" an earthly mountain but a very different one: "Mount Zion, the City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem" (see Hebrews 10:22 and 12:18-22). |
| The Old Covenant's "formal celebration" (like a "wedding feast") took place up on Mount Sinai – present were the Lord, and Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel – see Exodus 24:9-11. | The New Covenant's "Wedding Supper" is actually mentioned, not only in Revelation 19:9 but also in other passages, among them Hebrews 12:23. Most bible-versions hide this away, but the Greek text of that verse mentions panêgurei kai ekklêsia prôtotokôn en ouranois apogegrammenôn, "the festal gathering and assembly of the first-born ones registered in Heaven". That did not refer to some "church" as bible-translators have made it seem; that referred to the New Covenant's formal celebration or "Wedding Supper", the location being "Mount Zion, the City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem". (Again, see Hebrews 12:18-22, and then verse 23.) The essay eb04c.htm has more on this. |
Then, regarding Hebrews 10:23 – see it quoted above – the saints had a "forward-looking
agreement" with God (tên homologian tês elpidos) [K]
– that is, God had betrothed them to his son Jesus. That betrothal was an agreement
regarding a marriage. Verse 23 contained even the word pistos,
[K] in the meaning "faithful".
[K] As was mentioned earlier in note [F], the primary meaning of the old Greek word homologia was "an agreement", "a contract". In the case of verse 23, it referred to "an agreement" in the meaning "betrothal" – the saints' betrothal to Jesus. In the same verse, the word elpidos (elpis) referred to "hope", "expectation". Look also under the headings "Homologia" and "Elpis" in the key-word index for this site. The essay eb10b.htm has more on the words pistis and pistos and related ones, and even some notes on Hebrews 10:23 with its context and a few comments on the words homologia and elpis.
That is what the words "not turning our backs on our [coming] gathering" in Hebrews 10:25 are all about. The apostle Paul was urging those saints not to turn their backs on that agreement (betrothal). They were to remain faithful to Jesus in their betrothal, and look forward to the time when he would come for them and take them to the Wedding Feast. Indeed, that is what the words mê egkataleipontes tên episunagôgên heautôn in the Greek text of Hebrews 10:25 referred to. In other words: That verse referred to the very special episunagôgê ("gathering" or "carrying away") which Paul mentioned even in his letter to the saints in Thessalonica:
2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of our gathering together [episunagôgê] to Him [...] (VW-2006, comment added)
Please note that the word episunagôgê occurs only twice in the New Testament – in Hebrews 10:25 and in 2 Thessalonians 2:1. The noun epi-sun-agôgê was composed of the preposition epi, the preposition sun, "together", and the noun agôgê. The primary meaning of agôgê was "carrying away", but it could also refer to other things, especially if combined with other words.
In short: Both Hebrews 10:25 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1 were about the time when Jesus was to came and send down his angels who then were to take (gather, carry) those saints up to him.
The phrase "That Day" in Hebrews 10:25 refers to "the Day of the Anointed" which is mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:2 – the day when Jesus was to come for those saints; the day when they were to be gathered together and taken up to him.
Again: The gathering or carrying away that is mentioned in Hebrews 10:25, is the same one which is mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:1. Those passages did not refer to "going to church" but to the saints being taken up to Jesus.
Jesus was the Bridegroom who had promised to come for his Bride and take her to the Wedding Feast. Again, the saints were betrothed to Jesus, and were to be faithful to him. They were not to forget the Bridegroom and the coming Wedding.
A note regarding Hebrews 10:23: Some bible-translators have put in that verse the words "profession of faith". But, that verse has nothing to do with churches or with the modern-day concepts of "profession of faith". See the translation of Hebrews 10:23 above, in its context (Hebrews 10:22-27). The apostle Paul was just reminding the saints of the fact that they were betrothed to Jesus, and that they had to remain faithful to him, for God and Jesus certainly were faithful and kept their part of the contract. The essay eb10b.htm has more on this, as well as on the linguistic background of the earlier quoted translation of Hebrews 10:22-27.
This is a "side-point", however, a significant one. Even though the New Covenant has no ritual sacrifices, there nevertheless was a sacrifice that many saints had to perform, and which believers may have to perform in coming days which from our viewpoint is "end time".
Paul wrote to the saints in Rome:
Romans 12:1 Therefore, I beseech you brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies in living sacrifice, holy, well pleasing unto God, which is your rational worship. (JB-2000)
Romans 12:1 Therefore, brothers, I call on you through the compassions of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. (LIT)
A note: This passage is included here, mostly for the reason that some translations have put the word "worship" in it.
Now, one must understand that the saints in Rome were severely persecuted, and that when Paul wrote to them, they were in danger of being tortured and killed. Even though one might interpret the above-quoted verse to mean that the saints "should live holy lives" (and possibly, that could have been what Paul meant), one must also remember that most probably, many of the saints in Rome had to perform a "sacrifice" that indeed was a "full offer" – that of giving their (earthly) lives, for Jesus' sake.
Paul used symbolic language. He likened those saints' sacrifice – the martyrdom which they were in danger of – to (their) logikos latreia, "logical service" and thusia, "sacrifice" (Romans 12:1), similar to the Old Covenant's "full offer".
The word logikos meant what it means today also: "Following reason", "logical". In other words: For the saints in Rome, it was logically inescapable that some of them would be forced to present their bodies as a "sacrifice". They would be tortured and murdered, for Jesus' sake. It is said that at least one Roman caesar even used believers as "decorative lights" in his garden parties – that he had them stuck on poles (alive) around the party area, and then tarred and lit afire.
The times are coming when people who turn to God, will once again be persecuted. Most probably, some of them will have to give their (earthly) lives, thus performing their "logical service", just as some of the saints did. The essay et04c.htm has more on the persecution the saints had to go through, and on the persecution that is to come.
Many preachers have caused people to believe that giving money to preachers somehow is an "act of worship". It is amazing that they dare to come up with such an outrageous dogma – but, as many people do not really study what the Bible actually says but just lamely accept whatever they are told, those preachers get away with that.
There is no mention in the Bible, not even the slightest indication, that giving money to a preacher would somehow be an "act of worship".
Some preachers have talked about something that they have called "the give way". They have twisted the apostle Paul's words, and through that produced a dogma about "worship by giving". This has to with Acts 20. Let us take a look at that matter.
On that occasion, Paul was travelling towards Jerusalem. He knew that when he arrived there, he would be imprisoned and his days as a free man would be over. On his way to Jerusalem, he stopped in Miletus, called to himself the elders from Ephesus, and gave them warnings and instructions – and, in a way, also an account of his own life. We read:
Acts 20:17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the assembly. 18 And when they had come to him, he said to them [...] 33 I have not wanted anyone's silver or gold or clothes – 34 rather, as you yourselves know, these hands have provided for my needs and for those who were with me. 35 I have shown you in everything, by working like this, that we must support the infirm and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive". (Author's tr.)
That is how the apostle Paul served God – and his fellow humans. Please carefully consider what Paul said. For the first, please note that he was talking to elders. He reminded those elders of the fact that they knew that he, Paul, had always supported himself through his own, manual work. (Acts 18:3 tells us that he was a tent-maker.) More: He had even provided for those who travelled with him, and to others. So, it was Paul who had been on the giving side – and, he told the elders whom he was addressing, to follow his example in that.
So much for "biblical support" for the concept of giving money to some church or preacher, as some kind of an "act of worship".
The essay em02c.htm contains a detailed study on Acts 20. The essay em03c.htm has more on Paul's example in general. The essay em01d.htm sorts out the "tithe question". For more on monetary things in connection with the saints' fellowships, look under the heading "Silver and gold" on the index-page keyw-s5.htm.
In ancient Israel, there was an earthly temple, and rituals which were connected to it: Butchering animals, pouring forth their blood and burning certain parts of them on an altar (and eating or in some other way using the remainder). And so on. Those rituals were the way the Lord was "served" under the Old Covenant, in the temple in Jerusalem.
Without going into the details, it is enough to note that all that killing and burning of animals is over, even for the Jews and other Israelites whose forefathers once were under the Old Covenant.
The New Covenant has no such rites, and it has no earthly temple or altar. More: The New Covenant has no mortal priests. The only priest the saints had, was Jesus who was their "High priest".
It is true that there was a New Covenant related sacrifice which had to be done – the one Jesus performed when he presented himself as an Offer, in place of others. But, that was also the only and the last sacrifice (offering) of that kind. No man can add to that. And again: The saints had no temples, no churches, no altars, and no rituals of the kind the Old Covenant had, and again, they had no mortal priests. (Again, the essays ea01d.htm, eg06b.htm, ea02d.htm and ea03d.htm have more on churches.)
And still, today, most "Christian" churches have temples, altars and priests, and rituals which on the surface look like vague copies of the Old Covenant's "service" (but which in fact are more copies of old Roman and Babylonish idol-worship rites). And, there is a custom to "attend" some of those churches, for taking part in their "worship services" (once a week, or, once in a while). The churches of this world have offerings and even sacrifices and a lot of rituals of various kinds, all of which are called "worship" and "services".
People are so used to those things, that they believe them to be what one should in order to "serve God". Even many of those who sincerely want to please God, are caused to think that way. When people wonder how they should go about "serving God", they look at churches, and merely accept or copy their concepts of "worship" and often even their other customs, rites and teachings.
But again, those who study these things in more depth, can easily find that the source of those modern-day church rites lies in ancient idol-worship, or (to a certain part) in a twisted way of copying the Old Covenant's manners and rituals.
For many people, these are difficult and quite challenging things. But, the hard and cold facts are that the "worship" that churches have and practise, has nothing to do with what the saints did and practised, or with what the Bible teaches. However, let us now consider some related matters.
The saints did gather together. Saints in each town or village, if and when there were many of them, met each other and fellowshipped. However, if one studies that matter more closely, one will find that they did not do that on a "once a week" basis, but as a daily, community matter. They formed communities, within which they took care of the sick and the aged, and so on. And yes, they certainly spoke about spiritual things also, and yes, occasionally they even sang a hymn together. Sometimes they prayed together, and yes they could listen to brothers who explained the things and ways of the Lord. Add to that, there were prophets in those days, saints to whom the Holy Spirit gave special messages to convey to others. ("Brothers" and "prophets": Saints, of both sexes.)
When did they meet? When did they sing? Read the New Testament and try finding out. Was it on some given day of a week? No, the saints' fellowshipping was not a "once-a-week" thing. It was seven-days-a-week, and it was not a "church" but a community-matter. Acts 6:1 gives one example of that; the social welfare distribution arranged by the saints in Jerusalem was a daily matter. (Of course, because people need to eat every day.) The apostle Paul taught in a house owned by a man called Tyrannus, not "once a week" but daily.
(There is more on Acts 19:9 which mentions how Paul in Tyrannus' house daily explained the Scriptures, in a footnote towards the end of this essay.)
Study all of the New Testament for yourself, analytically and with care, in order to find out what the saints really did. (Note: What the saints did. This is not about the corrupt religion that came on the scene in the second and third centuries and onward and which had nothing to do with the saints.)
And no, this does not mean that people should rush to move into some "religious community". There are many such "communities" in our day, but they are not beneficial for those who join them. Instead, they are harmful. This is an evil world, with lots of confusion, deception an evil – very much so, also in religious circles.
However, there might be the rare occasion where some geographical area happens to have several like-minded people who all sincerely want to please Jesus and the Father, and who look up to Jesus as their Teacher, and not to men. On such a rare occasion, such people could meet together, and help, support, guide and encourage each other – not "once a week" but on any day, whenever that is needed and fitting.
As was mentioned above, the saints did not "go to church once a week". Their gathering together and being together was not once-a-week matter. Again, the saints' fellowship meant being together – like a community – all days of the week. Also, the true meaning of Hebrews 10:25 was explained earlier in this essay.
Some have claimed that the saints observed the Old Covenant's high days, including its weekly, ritual rest on the seventh day, the Sabbath (which was from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday). But, it is important to find out what the New Testament really says about that, including what Jesus and the apostles actually did teach concerning days and eventual keeping of days.
The New Testament makes the matter of "keeping of days" quite plain, but different churches have spread many kinds of dogmas, causing people to read things into the Bible, instead of reading what it actually says. Those things have confused many and made the whole matter complicated for them. Because of that, a fully satisfactory answer to the "days" question cannot be compressed into only a few words. The essay ex10d.htm gives a more detailed answer, from the Scriptures.
There is also the Decalogue, "the ten words of the covenant". Even that matter must be considered in connection with the Sabbath-question. This might surprise some, but the phrase "the Ten Commandments" was coined in the Middle Ages and is a mistranslation. Earlier English translations did not have it. The meaning of the Hebrew text is, "and he wrote on the tables the words of the covenant, the ten words" (Exodus 34:28). If one knows and understands this, then the answer to the Sabbath-question may be a bit easier to understand. Read on.
The three passages where the changed wording "Ten Commandments" was put in the Middle Ages, are Exodus 34:28 and Deuteronomy 4:13 and 10:4.
Let us read them in the 1917 Jewish Publication Society translation:
Exodus 34:28 And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten words. [L] (JPS-1917, highlighting and note sign added)
Deuteronomy 4:13 And He declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, [M] even the ten words; and He wrote them upon two tables of stone. (JPS-1917, highlighting and note sign added)
Deuteronomy 10:4 And He wrote on the tables according to the first writing, the ten words, which the LORD spoke unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly; and the LORD gave them unto me. (JPS-1917, highlighting added)
[L] The Septuagint or LXX, an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, has in Exodus 34:28 kai egrapsên ta rêmata tauta api tên plakôn tês diathêkês tous deka logous, "and he wrote those words on the tables, the ten words of the covenant". In Deuteronomy 4:13 and 10:4, we find shorter wordings, ta deka rêmata and tous deka logous, both meaning "the ten words".
That is the origin on the word "Decalogue" – it comes from Exodus 34:28 in the Septuagint, from the Greek phrase tous deka logous which means "the ten words" (just as the phrase eser dabarim does, in the Hebrew text). Once again: The phrase "the Ten Commandments" was coined in the Middle Ages and is a mistranslation; the Hebrew text talks about "the words, the covenant's ten words". The thing to understand here is, regarding the words on those tables of stone (Exodus 34:28) – which covenant was that? Why, the one that was made at Sinai, of course – the Old Covenant. The essay ec06f.htm has more on this important matter.
[M] Deuteronomy 4:13 – some might wonder about the word "commanded" which the 1917 JPS version has in that verse. But, anyone who checks what really happened at Sinai, will find out that the Lord was not forcing anything on the Israelites. One does not "command" anyone into a covenant. Three times, the Israelites were asked whether they wanted to make such a covenant with the Lord. It was only after they had, three times, given their consent to the covenant which the Lord was proposing, that they became bound by that covenant and its rules. Concerning the translation of that part of Deuteronomy 4:13 – the meaning probably was something like "and he showed you the covenant which he asked you to make [with him], the ten words, and he wrote them on two tablets of stone". The essay ec06f.htm has more on this and sorts out the matter of the Decalogue, including Deuteronomy 4:13.
The essay ex11b.htm shows what (and where) the sabbatismos or "Rest" of Hebrews 4:9 really was and is. The essay ex10d.htm has more on whether or not the saints observed special days, and on what Jesus and the apostles actually taught regarding that subject. The essay ex03c.htm contains a study on the symbolism of the Old Covenant's weekly, ritual day of rest.
And, they might continue, "After all, most Christian churches have Sunday as their day of worship – the Lord's day."
Even though this might, for some people, be hard to cope with, let us face it – the facts regarding the origin of Sunday-worship are quite simple:
Sunday certainly has been kept as a day of a certain "lord", since the days of Constantine, and perhaps even in earlier times – but then, one must also know which lord Constantine worshipped, or caused people to bow down to. (Constantine – the Roman emperor who can be said to have been the de facto founder of the Catholic Church.)
Anyone who really wants to know the facts, can quite easily find out that all the way to his death, the emperor Constantine remained a servant of the lord Mithra the sun-god. One of his last acts was to uphold the rights of the priests of Mithra. When he forced people to begin observing "the Lord's day", the lord which that day pointed to was Mithra the sun-god. It was Constantine who established and enforced the keeping of Sunday (Sun-day, Dies Solis) as the day of Sol Mithras Deus Invictus, whose servant he was.
In short: There is no biblical support or basis for Sunday-worship; it is fully and totally idol-related. That is how things are; there is no way out of that.
That is, Easter, Whit Sunday, Halloween, Christmas, and so on. Even there, anyone who really wants to find out the facts, can quite easily do that. Those days are idol-related. Believers should not keep or observe them, in any way. Those days, and Sunday, are connected to idol-worship.
The essay ew05c.htm has more on the real meaning and symbolism of Christmas and the Advent period. Regarding Easter, look under the heading "Easter" on the index-page keyw-e1.htm.
Those who have come to understand these things, must then carefully find out whether or not the saints kept or observed religious high days, as a part of how they "served God". The essay ex10d.htm has more on that question, and on what Jesus and the apostles really taught regarding that subject.
Indeed, where does the custom of using candles in religious rituals really come from? There is more to consider: Why is that for instance in the Catholic Church, it is demanded that altar candles (and similar) must be of beeswax, or must at least contain some beeswax? What do those candles and the beeswax in them really symbolise and point to?
A short way of answering the question regarding the ritual use of beeswax is that since ancient times, the beehive has been used as a symbol for the Queen of Heaven. That is where one must look for an explanation for why (for instance) the Catholic Church demands that their ritual candles must contain beeswax.
As to the use of candles in religion, in general: There is no biblical example or support for such a practice. Many English bible-translators have put in "candles" and "candlesticks" into the Bible, but the Hebrew and Greek words in question refer to oil-burning lamps and lampstands. Neither the portable sanctuary nor the temple had candles; the menorah (Exodus 25:31, et cetera) was in fact a lamp-stand with several parts where pure olive-oil flowed through ducts into seven separate fires. Likewise, Revelation 11:4 does not talk about "candlesticks"; the Greek text refers to lamps burning olive-oil. The word "olive" is actually mentioned in the context, and the symbolism points to the Holy Spirit. (In the Bible, olive oil is often used as a symbol for God's Spirit.) Similarly, Zechariah 4 does not talk about "a candlestick" but about – well, "[...] a lampstand all of gold, with its bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps on it. There are seven pipes to each of the lamps, which are upon the top of it, and two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side of it" (Zechariah 4:2-3, ACV).
In short: The use of candles in "worship" is a Catholic thing, with no scriptural basis.
Even some Catholic writers admit that before the Catholics began ritually using candles (and incense and lustral water), they were "commonly employed in pagan worship and in the rites paid to the dead" (Catholic Encyclopedia 1914, article "Candles"). And then, the fact that the Catholic Church demands that the ritual candles must contain beeswax, clearly indicates that their candle-burning must be some kind of a symbolic offer to the Queen of Heaven. (See what was said earlier in this essay, regarding beeswax and the beehive as symbols.)
And again, even though a number of English bible-translators have sneaked in "candles" and "candlesticks" into the Bible, there are several English translations that do not have them but use such words as "lamp" and "lamp-stand".
The oil-burning lamps in the temple were symbolic, and pointed to God's Spirit. It is the same with Zechariah 4:11 and Revelation 11:4, and so on.
For more on the candles matter, look under the heading "Candles" on the index-page keyw-c1.htm.
A note: There is nothing wrong in using candles for other, non-religious purposes.
In some churches, priests walk around waving censers, burning incense in them (or perhaps even "frank-incense"). Should believers do such things, or take part in them?
It is important to remember that what churches do, and what Jesus and his apostles taught, are two totally separate and different things. Again, the New Covenant has no mortal priests, no burning of incense, no altars, no sacrifices or offerings.
Because of that, it would be wrong to burn incense, for some "religious purpose". Regarding candles, see the previous heading.
For the first, one must realise and then keep in mind that the modern-day concept of "worship" has very little to do with the Bible or with what the saints practised.
Also, one must remember that whenever English translations contain the word "worship" (or similar), the words in the Hebrew and Greek for the most part referred to "bowing down".
Bowing down "before God" is something one can do in prayer (preferably in private; see Matthew 6:6) – but, there is no "commanded prayer position". The important thing is to acknowledge the true God who is in Heaven, and his son Jesus, as one's Masters and Rulers. Bowing down to others in that way, or having some other "Masters", would be idolatry. In that connection – for avoiding idolatry – let us again consider what Jesus said to his disciples:
Matthew 23:8 "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 "And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 "And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. (NASB-77)
That certainly is important to keep in mind, not only for the disciples whom Jesus spoke to, but also for people of our day, in connection with the matter of worship. Believers must not have spiritual "Teachers", "Masters" or "Leaders", besides Jesus. And, they must not call any man "Father", in connection with spiritual things.
And then, one must live in a way that it pleasing to God. One "serves" God, by the way one lives. A part of that is connected to how one treats one's fellow humans beings. Consider what Jesus said, to someone who asked what is important: "Have love for the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest rule. And a second like it is this, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39, BBE.)
Loving one's neighbour – having care for one's fellow humans beings, doing good works – was something that was central in Jesus' and the apostles' teachings. Many people may not have fully realised this, because many preachers in their preaching put the weight on giving money to the preacher, and not on doing good to others which is what the Bible teaches.
Believers should live just and honest lives, as best as they can, and do good works. That is an acceptable way of "serving God". The essays eb12b.htm, em07b.htm and eb13e.htm have more that matter; look also under the heading "Good works" on the index-page keyw-g3.htm.
And then, one should find out what the Bible really says regarding how one should live, so that one's life is pleasing to God. In order to know what guidelines one should follow and how one should live, one must first find out the basics regarding the matter of the two covenants – the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, and what really applies in our day. For more on this, see the essays ec01c.htm and ec02d.htm, and continue with those that are mentioned under the heading "Covenants" on the index-page keyw-c4.htm.
It is also important to understand the real facts regarding whether or not there is a New Covenant command to keep or observe some "religious high days". That includes the Sabbath-question. For understanding what really applies in our day, one must first fully understand the matter regarding the "words of the covenant, the ten words", which was discussed earlier in this treatise. The essay ec06f.htm has more on that subject. The essay ex11b.htm shows what and where the sabbatismos or "Rest" of Hebrews 4:9 actually was and is. The essay ex10d.htm explains the matter of "high days" in general, in the light of the New Covenant.
In a nutshell: Carefully read the New Testament all through, and see what it really says about the matter of "serving God". Be open-minded, and try to avoid reading old, familiar dogmas into the Bible. Instead, start afresh and try finding out what the Bible really teaches. And again, the covenants matter is where one must begin.
Unfortunately, many bible-translations twist things and can make them seem something that they actually are not. But, those who in a dedicated way study the Bible, can penetrate the smokescreens created by bible-translators. There are ample study tools freely available today. The pages es01d.htm and es02c.htm have more on bible study, and on proper tools and helps for study. The essay eg02c.htm provides a number of easy but vital keys to easier understanding of the Bible, including how one can avoid certain common mistakes in study.
Also, as was mentioned, prayer is closely related to the matter of worship. And, prayer certainly is one of the keys to understanding the ways of God. The essay eb11c.htm has more on prayers and praying.
Then, believers must also consider the fact that even they may eventually be forced to perform their "logical service" (Romans 12:1, discussed earlier in this essay), just as many saints had to do in the first century. That is a part of the deal, a part which must not be forgotten.
Consider what Jesus said this to his disciples:
Matthew 10:38 and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. (NRSV)
Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? (NRSV)
Of course, that was something Jesus said to his disciples, people of New Testament times, and not to anyone in our day. But, the Bible indicates that even in what we view as "end time", when the great multitude will be sealed with the Holy Spirit, many believers may have to be forced to go through something similar to what many of the saints had to go through. The essay et04c.htm has more on the great persecution that took place in the first century, and on the coming time of persecution. (The essay eet03c.htm has more on the 144,000 and the great multitude and the difference between those two groups.)
Do not forget this: Believers must also remember to perform the kind of "service" that Paul repeatedly mentioned to the saints: That of giving praise and thanks to God. Even though things were different for the saints (saints: people of the first century), because they were offered and given a very special inheritance and destiny, still, even people of our day can have many things to thank God for. The essay eb11c.htm has more on prayer, including prayer for the purpose of giving thanks to God.
A footnote regarding Acts 19:9 which talks about Paul explaining the Scriptures, daily, in Tyrannus' house.
Many bible-versions have a "school" in that verse, such as "disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus" as the 1769 KJ version has it. Some "theologians" (preachers) have tried to use that translation for the purpose of establishing in people's minds the thought that what is recorded in Acts 19:9, supposedly was "institutional theology training", similar to what the churches of this world have today. But, it was not. The Greek text of that passage contains no such concept.
We read:
Acts 19:8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall [N] of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. (ESV)
[N] Here, the ESV translates the Greek word scholê as "hall". Some have "school", but that is an error. The original, literal meaning of scholê and related words had to do with "idleness", and when scholê used of such things as houses or buildings, it meant "vacant", "empty". That applies to Acts 19:9 as well. "A vacant room", "an empty house".
(It was only later, and only by extension, that scholê came to have its present-day meaning. To understand the older, and biblical usage of the noun scholê which appears in Acts 19:9, one has to look at how scholê actually was used in the Bible, including the Greek Septuagint (LXX). There is more on that matter, in a footnote towards the end of the essay es07c.htm which is about such concepts as "scholars", "professional theologians", "amateur bible students" and "clergy" and "laity".)
Table of contents – What's new here? – Key-word index – Search function – Goal and purpose – Contact, comment, question
If this page did not contain what you were looking for, see the links below, and the key-word index and the table of contents, or use the search function.
Additional reading at the Bible Pages, on related as well as other issues:
A clarifying explanation of the short names for the bible-versions quoted or mentioned at this site, such as that NKJV stands for New King James Version, YLT for Young's Literal translation, HCSB for Holman Christian Standard Bible, NRSV for the New Revised Standard Version, and so on. → es09c.htm
If you like brain-teasers in the form of word-search puzzles, here is one with words related to the Old Covenant's "worship" in the Tent (the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary). → puzzle08-p.pdf – A large print version, and many more bible-based word-mazes. → ep01.htm
How should one pray? A study on prayer, prayers and praying. → eb11c.htm
What does the word "righteous" really mean? What does the Bible say about righteousness? → eg08b.htm
Serving God includes good works. → keyw-g3.htm (Look under the heading "Good works".)
Religion must not be skin-deep only. Believers must take the matters of faith seriously. → eb12b.htm
Luke 12:34 and Matthew 6:21, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also". What does that mean? What was Jesus talking about? → eb13e.htm
Matthew 16:18, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it". What was Jesus talking about? What is the immortal assembly or ekklêsia which he said he would form, and where is it located? Is it an earthly religious organisation in this world – a church – or is it a heavenly assembly that has as its members the saints who have become immortals? → ea01d.htm
The origin and meaning of the word "church". → eg06b.htm
What does Galatians 4:26 mean? It talks about the heavenly Jerusalem and is a part of an allegory regarding the two covenants. Why have some preachers then claimed that it refers to some church? This essay finds the facts regarding the allegory of Galatians 4:21-31, and shows what the different things named in it pictured and symbolised. → ea02d.htm
Church eras – do they exist? Are there seven "eras of the Church", as some have claimed – "Sardis era", "Philadelphian era", "Laodicean era" and so on? Is there any biblical basis for that dogma? The question in a nutshell: The seven assemblies mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3 – were they contemporary assemblies of saints in the days of John (as the book of Revelation describes them), or are they, as some have claimed, successive "eras of the Church of God" that exist in later times and continue to our day? → ea03d.htm
What does the Bible say about ordaining and ordination? In other words: How did the saints appoint or choose their elders? And, were those elders "ordained", and did they function as "priests" of some kind? → ee02b.htm
Galatians 3:17-19 – what did Paul mean by the term "added law"? What was the original thing? And, the addition that came 430 years later, was it some "extra rituals", or something else? Further: What did the apostle Paul mean when he in that same epistle wrote, "This is the only thing I want to find out from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?" (3:2) and, "Tell me, you who want to be under the Law, do you not understand the Law?" (4:21). Those things in the letter to the saints in Galatia might seem confusing, but this essay makes them clearer and more easily understood, and shows what the apostle was talking about.→ ec10c.htm
Covenant signs, including the sign of the New Covenant which shows who really are God's people. The Old Covenant's sign was the circumcision of males. What is the New Covenant's sign, seal or token? → ec09b.htm
What does the Bible say about calling, election, sanctification and justification? → eb02c.htm
Predestination. The destiny of humans: Is it already fixed and decided, as some have claimed? Are all people, or some individuals, "predestined"? → eb03d.htm
The Holy Spirit – an outline and a no-nonsense synopsis of the matter of the distribution of God's Spirit, in the past, today, and in the coming days of the future. Also: Whose baptism is valid? Churches and preachers baptise people, but they are not notably changed and no obvious signs or fruit of the Spirit are seen in their lives. Why is that? Is the Spirit of God at all given to humans, at this present time? → eb01c.htm
Many talk about "the letter of the law" versus "the spirit of the law" – but those expressions are not found in the Bible. A detailed, down to the core study on 2 Corinthians 3:6-8 and Romans 7:6 and what the apostle Paul really meant and referred to when he wrote about the letter as opposed to the Spirit. → ec13c.htm
How to understand the Bible. Easy keys to interpreting and understanding Scripture in a better and deeper way, by avoiding certain fundamental but common mistakes and errors in bible study. These vital keys are really the basics for objective bible study. Knowing these keys will make many things easier to interpret and comprehend, and one will see several central matters in the Bible from a new and different perspective, especially in connection with the Gospels and the Epistles. → eg02c.htm
Where can one find New Covenant's law or rules, in written form? Also, notes on Jeremiah 31:33 and the Holy Spirit. → ec08c.htm
The two covenants, old and new. → keyw-c4.htm (Look under the heading "Covenants".)
The New Covenant versus the Old Covenant, or the Old Covenant versus the New Covenant. Also, some notes on Matthew 5:17 and 18. → ec01c.htm
Several important points regarding the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. This essay ties in with its companion ec01c.htm (look above) which is about those two covenants and the difference between them. → ec02d.htm
Monetary things in connection with religious fellowships. → keyw-s5.htm (Look under the heading "Silver and gold".)
Check your bible knowledge. A basic self-test with 15 biblical questions (with answers and commentary). → es04b.htm
How the saints took care of widows, the elderly, the sick and the needy. Also, special comments on 1 Timothy 5:17. → em07b.htm
What does the word "faith" mean? What is true faith? On the words and concepts "faith", "faithfulness", "believe" and "believing", in the Bible and especially in the New Testament, and what those things meant in the saints' lives. → eb10b.htm
What does the Bible say about Heaven? What does it look like? Were the saints to go there, and if so, for how long? What about others? → eb04c.htm
What is the biblical teaching regarding the great tribulation? When is it, and what is it like? Who are subjected to it, and who are allowed to escape from it, to a place of safety? Also: Does Matthew 24 point to the future, the "end time", or to the events of the first century, or to both times? What do the Scriptures in actual fact say about that subject? → et04c.htm
Acts 20:35 – what did the apostle Paul mean when he said to the elders from Ephesus, "it is more blessed to give than to receive", and when he said to them, "I have shown you in everything, by working like this, that we must support the infirm"? → em02c.htm
On the example the apostle Paul set, for others to imitate. Paul did not tell people to "follow him as a leader"; what he did was that he told the saints to imitate him, to copy his example. It is important for believers to know what kind of example Paul referred to and meant, and in what connection. → em03c.htm
Is "servant leadership" a biblical concept? Did elders in the saints' fellowships act as "servant leaders"? What the Bible says about leadership among Jesus' disciples. → ee03c.htm
The King James bible, the Authorised Version – is it somehow "the inspired Word of God", better than other translations, or a particularly "holy" bible-version, or the best or most exact or accurate one as some have claimed? Also: In what way or sense is it authoritative, or, who "authorised" it? This essay has some details of the story behind the King James translation or KJV, including the men who were involved in producing it. Two examples of pages in KJV-1611 are included as well; one is an image showing the page with Hebrews 1, the other is a PDF-file containing a facsimile, picture format copy of the book of Matthew in the year 1611 edition of the King James version. There are also some brief remarks on the so-called "Received Text" or Textus Receptus, the Greek NT text compilation produced by the Catholic priest Gerrit Gerritszoon ("Erasmus").→ es03c.htm
What does the Bible say about authority? Who has biblical, spiritual or religious authority on the mundane, human level? Who can speak for God? Knowing the answers to those questions is a vital key to understanding the Bible in a better and deeper way. → es06d.htm
Whom should one listen to in biblical matters, and whom not? → es05c.htm
What is the truth about tithing, the concept of giving "tithes" and "offerings" to a church? In the light of the New Covenant, is tithing right or wrong, biblical or unbiblical? → em01d.htm
The Ten Commandments – that phrase was coined in the Middle Ages and is a mistranslation. The Hebrew text talks about "the words of the covenant, the ten words". On the Decalogue, the "ten words" or eser dabarim as the Hebrew text has it, or tous deka logous as the Greek Septuagint or LXX translated it. → ec06f.htm
The Old Covenant's high days, those of Leviticus 23, should they be kept in New Covenant times? What about the weekly, ritual rest on the seventh day, the Sabbath? → ex10d.htm
A clarification of the actual nature of the sabbatismos or Rest of Hebrews 4:9. → ex11b.htm
The symbolism of the Sabbath. What the Old Covenant's weekly, ritual day of rest pictured and pointed to. → ex03c.htm
What all should know about Christmas and the Advent period and what they really symbolise and point to. → ew05c.htm
On the use of candles in "worship". → keyw-c1.htm (Look under the heading "Candles".)
Regarding Easter. → keyw-e1.htm (Look under the heading "Easter".)
"Amateur bible students" versus "professional theologians". Some preachers have spitefully called people who actively study the Bible on their own, "amateur theologians". Indeed, many a clergyman seems to feel that a layman should not put his or her nose into theological studies but should rather leave those things to "experts". But, is that correct? This treatise sorts out that matter, and clarifies and explains in layman's terms the linguistic and historical background of the concepts "clergymen" and "laymen", and gives the definition and actual meaning of such words as "clergy", "laity", "scholar" and "scholarly". → es07c.htm
The identity and timing of the 144,000 and the great multitude of Revelation 7, and the first-fruits or virgins of Revelation 14:1-4 – who those groups really are, and when they came or come into existence. → et03c.htm
Info on the goal and purpose of this site, and a contact address.
→
purpose.htm
Table of contents for this site, including a synopsis or a short, summary description
of each essay or article. →
filename.htm
Search for specific words, phrases or bible passages at this site. →
search.htm
An alphabetical bible topic keyword index of the essays and articles at this site:
1-9
– A
– B
– C
– D
– E
– F
– G
– H
– I
– J
– K
– L
– M
– N
– O
– P
– Q
– R
– S
– T
– U
– V
– W
– X
– Y – Z –
Detailed index overview
If you find any of the essays or treatises at this site interesting and helpful, please provide a copy to other people as well. But before printing or distributing anything, make sure to get the very latest version, exactly as it is, directly from this web site. In regard to printable copies of these pages, for example as PDF-format papers, booklets or brochures or so – there are no specially printer friendly variants (except some bible puzzles), nor is there a need for that – simply, when you print an essay, set the margins and the text size to fit your needs and the paper you use, in the program you use for viewing these pages, and then send it to your printer. (This varies in different browsers and word processing programs. In web browsers, for setting the margin size and headers and footers, look for "Print Format" in the File menu; to set the text size for print-out, look under "Preview" or "View" in the same menu.)
Important: You are welcome to quote the documents at this site – the Bible Pages – provided that you mention the source, by giving the full web address to the page in question. Please link to these essays and give copies to friends. However, you may not re-publish any part of the contents of this site, as a booklet, brochure or on the Internet or in other ways, without a permission from the author; he retains the copyright. For more on copying and quoting, and a few words about the author and his religious education and credentials, see the page purpose.htm.
The essays at this site are not in "bible lesson" or "bible study course" format, nor are they meant as on-line "bible study classes" of some kind. Even though this site gives ready answers to biblical questions of many kinds, its main goal is providing food for thought on a variety of biblical subjects, and challenging and encouraging people to get started with deep personal bible study and then continue with that. (Many religious organisations and denominations have their bible lessons and correspondence courses; they are ready-made "studies" which are shrewdly constructed and written in such a manner that they lead the reader to conclusions that fit the dogmas of the group in question.) A careful, closer study of the books of the Bible with proper tools will help a believer to gain better and deeper biblical understanding. In that way, one will find out more about what the Bible really says, means and teaches. One can then, with wisdom, use that knowledge as a guide for one's life, instead of accepting as "biblical truths" whatever commercial religion – churches and their ministers (preachers) – have taught and want people to believe.
A more thorough, bible-based study with care and with thought will, not only help one to learn more, but also show one how many a popular belief has no scriptural basis or support but is altogether false and not biblical at all. This applies, not only to prophecy and "end time" related things, but also to many other subjects where prevailing dogmas are often taken "for granted". For this reason, it is extremely important for believers to personally study the Writings, and to thoroughly analyse them down to the smaller details, in order to find out the real facts. For doing that, it is not necessary to know the Hebrew, Greek or Latin languages (even though learning their letters and alphabet can be a good idea); there are modern, advanced tools which can help one to study in an effective way – see the pages es01d.htm and es02c.htm for more on this. The essay eg02c.htm supplies a number of easy, elementary keys to acquiring a better and deeper understanding of the Bible, simply by consciously and methodically avoiding certain usual errors and pitfalls.
This site is non-denominational and non-sectarian. It is not connected to any church, sect or religious organisation or movement. This site looks at things from a biblical perspective, and not from a dogmatic one. It does not claim to be without error or to "know it all" or to have a perfect or complete explanation to all things – it consists of an ongoing bible study that has been made public, and as the study goes on, the contents of these pages are revised and also expanded, with new topics and themes being addressed. Readers are invited and welcome to write to the author with thoughts and comments, or to ask questions or to point out a mistake if they feel that they have found one. For more on this, see the page purpose.htm.
The address to this page is www.biblepages.web.surftown.se/ea04c.htm
Please send or mention the address to this site to others, and link to these pages.
This page was created or modified 2010-03-11.