One of the common assumptions about the Christian faith is that God commands disciples to gather specifically for the purpose of “worship.” However, as we dig into the language of the New Testament, particularly regarding the Greek words translated as “worship,” we find that the text does not support this assumption. Nowhere does the New Testament instruct Christians to assemble for the purpose of worship or rituals. In fact, the Greek terms (proskuneo, latreuo, leitourgeo, sebomai, threskeia) were all used in connection with Jewish temple activities and rituals which the early church did not adopt.
Why does this distinction matter? Modern Christians structure their weekly gatherings around the concept of a ‘worship service,’ assuming this pattern comes directly from Scripture. If, however, the New Testament never actually instructs believers to gather specifically for worship, this could reshape our understanding of both church gatherings and worship itself. Rather than seeing worship as something confined to Sunday mornings or requiring specific rituals, we might need to reconsider how the early church viewed both their assemblies and the nature of worship in the new covenant.
In this article, we will explore the sebo word group in the New Testament. We will show that these words relate to the Old Testament temple, not the practices of the early Christian community. Understanding this distinction can shed light on why Christians do not need to rely on rituals. Instead, we are called to live out our faith in a new way.
Overview of the sebo word group
Dr. Tom Wadsworth, in his extensive research on this topic, notes that the sebo word group includes several related Greek terms: sebō, sebasma, sebazomai, sebastos, eusebeō, eusebeia, eusebēs, eusebōs, theosebeia, theosebēs, asebeia, asebēs, and asebeō.1 In regard to how the Bible defines these words, Wadsworth writes:
“Even though BDAG claims that sebo means ‘to express in gestures, rites, or ceremonies one’s allegiance or devotion to deity; worship,’ the context of NT and LXX evidence offers better support for viewing sebo as a feeling or emotion rather than the physical activities of ‘gestures, rites, or ceremonies.’ Since the Hebrew counterpart of sebo in the canonical OT is ירא (‘to fear’), sebo should be primarily understood as a feeling, not a physical action. In addition, as is frequently noted in other lexicons, sebo in the NT and LXX frequently connotes the feeling or attitude of ‘revering,’ which is roughly synonymous with fearing God.’ Foerster adds that, in the Greek world, ‘seb– always denotes awe,’ is ‘used to denote an attitude,’ and ‘is not something visible.’”2
Thus, the sebo words are about feelings and attitudes – piety – not physical actions. They are more about having reverence than expressing reverence.
The New Covenant: A shift away from rituals
Among the fifty-six New Testament occurrences of sebo words, only four different terms are ever translated as ‘worship’ in the NASB, and these appear just ten times total across all New Testament books.3
In summarizing the sebo word group, Wadsworth said, “none of the seb– terms—or the euseb– terms—were used in the NT to describe what first-century Christians did in their assemblies.”4 This is not to say that the early Christians did not have piety. Rather, Wadsworth is noting that “worship” is not the best word to translate the sebo- terms. The Bible does not portray Christians engaged in some sort of activity or ritual. Generally speaking, the sebo– words would be better translated as something akin to “godliness” or “pious reverence.”
Worship as a way of life
The early Christian church did not continue the Jewish temple rituals nor did they have sacred spaces or objects. The sebo words primarily expressed an attitude of reverence and piety, not ritual actions. This perfectly aligned with their understanding that worship is about living a pious and godly life. This is why words like eusebeia (godliness) and eusebeo (to act piously) become central in the New Testament as descriptions of the Christian life. These terms emphasize living in a way that pleases God rather than performing external religious acts.
In passages like 1 Timothy 5:4, where eusebeo refers to the pious behavior of widows, the word links everyday actions to a heart devoted to God. The New Testament, especially in Paul’s writings, connects worship with godly living. Paul emphasizes that worship is not about external rituals but about offering our bodies as “living sacrifices” (Rom 12:1).
Worship is not something we do only on Sundays or in a special building. It is a way of life that honors God in all things.
The Church and temple rituals
The early church did not gather to perform rituals; they gathered for fellowship, teaching, prayer, and mutual edification. The shift from temple-centered rituals reflects the new reality brought by Jesus. In Christ, God’s presence is no longer confined to a physical temple; it is with His people wherever they are.
The New Testament makes it clear that the church is the new temple (1 Cor 6:19). Believers now serve as the dwelling place of God’s Spirit. Worship is no longer confined to a specific place or time. As Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:5, Christians are “living stones” being built into a spiritual house. This idea further distances the Christian community from the temple practices of the old covenant.
Conclusion
In summary, the New Testament does not instruct Christians to gather for worship. The sebo word group reveals that these words convey a way of life, not a “church service.” Jesus’s death and resurrection made Old Testament observances obsolete. The early church did not adopt the temple practices because Jesus instituted a new covenant. Under this new covenant, worship is no longer about external rites. Rather, it is about living a godly life that honors God in spirit and truth.
In the next article, we’ll examine the last of the New Testament “worship” words: threskeia.
References
- Wadsworth, Thomas Richard. “A Worship Service or an Assembly: An Investigation of the Terminology Used to Describe Church Meetings in the New Testament,” 2022. 235.
- Wadsworth, Thomas Richard. “A Worship Service or an Assembly: An Investigation of the Terminology Used to Describe Church Meetings in the New Testament,” 2022. 236-237.
- The NASB translates sebō with some form of “worship” six times (Mt 15:9; Mk 7:7; Acts 16:14; 18:7, 13; 19:27). Eusebeō appears only twice in the NT (Acts 17:23b; 1 Tm 5:4). The NASB translates it as “worship” only in Acts 17:23b. Sebazomai appears only once in all the NT and LXX. In its lone occurrence (Rom 1:25), the NASB translates sebazomai with “worship.” The NASB translates sebasma with “object(s) of worship” in Acts 17:23a; 2 Thes 2:4.
- Wadsworth, Thomas Richard. “A Worship Service or an Assembly: An Investigation of the Terminology Used to Describe Church Meetings in the New Testament,” 2022. 246.