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Some more 'food for thought' - before we start to pull the strings together.
Worship: Emphasis of the Old Testament
It is instructive to observe the activities which were part of Old Testament worship. In the Psalms: "I will worship towards thy holy hill," (Psalm 5:7); "let us bow down and worship Him," (Psalm 95:6); "worship at His holy hill," (Psalm 99:9); "I will worship towards thy holy temple," (Psalm 138:2). Worship is associated with alters (2 Chronicles 32:12), God’s manifest glory (Exodus 33:10), the firstfruits of labor (Deuteronomy 26:10), repentance (1 Samuel 15:30), purification (2 Samuel 12:20), sacrifice (1 Samuel 1:3), and praise and music (2 Chronicles 29:28).
The most basic and prevalent idea, indeed the essence of the Hebrew word "worship," was to "bow down" (cf. 2 Chronicles 29:29). The key ingredient to all this is structure. Worship for these unregenerate congregates was appointed; appointed place, appointed time, appointed sacrifices, and even an appointed choir for praise! If there is a word to describe this, it is ritual, not Spiritual.
(Excerpted from: "Worship in the New Testament Church" - Daniel Thompson)
What of New Testament Worship?
There are few doctrines in the New Testament that give us as much surprise as the doctrine of worship. One might even say we are stunned. Although there are references to worship in the Gospels, the book of Acts and Revelation, the New Testament Epistles - the doctrinal/explanatory part of the New Testament - is completely silent as to worship.
This is all the more incredible when we consider: First, 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14 is an extensive treatment of church life and interaction with no mention of worship. Second, 1 Timothy was an epistle written to make known "how thou [Timothy] might behave thyself in the house of God." Surely one would expect a reference to worship here, yet there is none.
Third, our Lord tells the Samaritan woman that "the hour is coming ... and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him" (John 4:21-23). With such a definitive statement of future devotion, it is inconceivable that worship would be passed over completely in the instructional part of the New Covenant, the Epistles, yet this is exactly what we find.
A quick examination of "worship" in the Gospels and Acts finds worship of individuals to Christ, deceitful or false worship and, with reference to Acts, worship directed towards Jerusalem. But there is no direction as to Christian worship. This leads us to one of two possibilities; either the church was to continue Old Testament worship (or the "synagogue" worship developed in post- exilic Israel, ca. B.C. 200), or we might be looking in the wrong place for our direction regarding New Testament worship.
The difficulties with the first option are that the issues of "place," "time," "sacrifice," and such terminology in the law which formed the essential ingredients of Old Covenant worship ceased to have meaning because God has established a New Covenant. Now, under the New Covenant, a holy place is where two or three are gathered (Matthew 18:20); time is always special, such that God calls upon us to redeem it (Ephesians 5:16; Col 4:5); and our sacrifices are ourselves (Romans 12:1), giving (Phillipians 4:17), and praise (Hebrews 13:15).
Worship in the New Testament
In, 'Exploring Primitive Christianity', Robert Nguyen Cramer writes:
We saw that in the OT a tension developed between the spiritual and ritualistic aspects of worship, the prophets being the exponents of the former, and the Temple priests of the latter. Jesus adopts the prophetic conception of worship, and gives the inward spiritual element absolute primacy. He does not so much attack ceremonial worship as simply ignore it.
The true service (worship) of God is adoring and obedient love to him, together with loving service of one's neighbour as God's child. 'This do, and thou shalt live' (Luke 10:25ff.). Implicit in this assertion is the denial that ritual, ceremony or sacrifice have any determinative effect on man's relationship to God. See also Matthew 5:23, and John 4:20-24, where the same teaching is further enforced.
This is not to say that external forms and rules of worship are valueless... Any form or rule is good which is proved by experience to be an aid to that worship which is in spirit and in truth. A further consequence of Jesus' teaching is that the barrier between sacred and secular, worship and daily living, crumbles away. Since worship means the service of God, and this in turn implies loving one's neighbour, it follows that every kindly act performed in this spirit and intention is an act of worship (Matthew 25:34-40; James 1:27).
These principles of Jesus regulate the teaching of the Apostles. Thus as regards the observance of certain days as sacred, St. Paul refuses either to approve or condemn the practice. No absolute rule can be laid down. External observances are to be expressions of inward faith, not matters of outward regulation (Romans 14:5,6). Let each man act according to conscience in this, subject only to regard to the conscience of his brother.
As with times of worship, so also with places of worship. It was a matter of indifference to the Christians where they met. Christ was with them always and everywhere, and wherever two or three gathered in his name he was in the midst. No building was sacred, because none was secular. Corporate worship was offered in the house of any believer who had a room conveniently large. Expectation of the the Parousia discouraged the building of special places of worship.
Worship: Emphasis of the Old Testament
It is instructive to observe the activities which were part of Old Testament worship. In the Psalms: "I will worship towards thy holy hill," (Psalm 5:7); "let us bow down and worship Him," (Psalm 95:6); "worship at His holy hill," (Psalm 99:9); "I will worship towards thy holy temple," (Psalm 138:2). Worship is associated with alters (2 Chronicles 32:12), God’s manifest glory (Exodus 33:10), the firstfruits of labor (Deuteronomy 26:10), repentance (1 Samuel 15:30), purification (2 Samuel 12:20), sacrifice (1 Samuel 1:3), and praise and music (2 Chronicles 29:28).
The most basic and prevalent idea, indeed the essence of the Hebrew word "worship," was to "bow down" (cf. 2 Chronicles 29:29). The key ingredient to all this is structure. Worship for these unregenerate congregates was appointed; appointed place, appointed time, appointed sacrifices, and even an appointed choir for praise! If there is a word to describe this, it is ritual, not Spiritual.
(Excerpted from: "Worship in the New Testament Church" - Daniel Thompson)
What of New Testament Worship?
There are few doctrines in the New Testament that give us as much surprise as the doctrine of worship. One might even say we are stunned. Although there are references to worship in the Gospels, the book of Acts and Revelation, the New Testament Epistles - the doctrinal/explanatory part of the New Testament - is completely silent as to worship.
This is all the more incredible when we consider: First, 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14 is an extensive treatment of church life and interaction with no mention of worship. Second, 1 Timothy was an epistle written to make known "how thou [Timothy] might behave thyself in the house of God." Surely one would expect a reference to worship here, yet there is none.
Third, our Lord tells the Samaritan woman that "the hour is coming ... and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him" (John 4:21-23). With such a definitive statement of future devotion, it is inconceivable that worship would be passed over completely in the instructional part of the New Covenant, the Epistles, yet this is exactly what we find.
A quick examination of "worship" in the Gospels and Acts finds worship of individuals to Christ, deceitful or false worship and, with reference to Acts, worship directed towards Jerusalem. But there is no direction as to Christian worship. This leads us to one of two possibilities; either the church was to continue Old Testament worship (or the "synagogue" worship developed in post- exilic Israel, ca. B.C. 200), or we might be looking in the wrong place for our direction regarding New Testament worship.
The difficulties with the first option are that the issues of "place," "time," "sacrifice," and such terminology in the law which formed the essential ingredients of Old Covenant worship ceased to have meaning because God has established a New Covenant. Now, under the New Covenant, a holy place is where two or three are gathered (Matthew 18:20); time is always special, such that God calls upon us to redeem it (Ephesians 5:16; Col 4:5); and our sacrifices are ourselves (Romans 12:1), giving (Phillipians 4:17), and praise (Hebrews 13:15).
Worship in the New Testament
In, 'Exploring Primitive Christianity', Robert Nguyen Cramer writes:
We saw that in the OT a tension developed between the spiritual and ritualistic aspects of worship, the prophets being the exponents of the former, and the Temple priests of the latter. Jesus adopts the prophetic conception of worship, and gives the inward spiritual element absolute primacy. He does not so much attack ceremonial worship as simply ignore it.
The true service (worship) of God is adoring and obedient love to him, together with loving service of one's neighbour as God's child. 'This do, and thou shalt live' (Luke 10:25ff.). Implicit in this assertion is the denial that ritual, ceremony or sacrifice have any determinative effect on man's relationship to God. See also Matthew 5:23, and John 4:20-24, where the same teaching is further enforced.
This is not to say that external forms and rules of worship are valueless... Any form or rule is good which is proved by experience to be an aid to that worship which is in spirit and in truth. A further consequence of Jesus' teaching is that the barrier between sacred and secular, worship and daily living, crumbles away. Since worship means the service of God, and this in turn implies loving one's neighbour, it follows that every kindly act performed in this spirit and intention is an act of worship (Matthew 25:34-40; James 1:27).
These principles of Jesus regulate the teaching of the Apostles. Thus as regards the observance of certain days as sacred, St. Paul refuses either to approve or condemn the practice. No absolute rule can be laid down. External observances are to be expressions of inward faith, not matters of outward regulation (Romans 14:5,6). Let each man act according to conscience in this, subject only to regard to the conscience of his brother.
As with times of worship, so also with places of worship. It was a matter of indifference to the Christians where they met. Christ was with them always and everywhere, and wherever two or three gathered in his name he was in the midst. No building was sacred, because none was secular. Corporate worship was offered in the house of any believer who had a room conveniently large. Expectation of the the Parousia discouraged the building of special places of worship.
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