The New Testament never applies worship terminology to the church assembly. This point may surprise many, especially since modern Christian practices often involve a focus on “worship” during church gatherings. A closer examination of the language used in the New Testament, however, reveals something different. It shows that the early church did not view their gatherings through the lens of worship as we understand it today. In fact, the terminology associated with worship was almost exclusively tied to Jewish temple rituals. The New Testament church did not continue these rituals after Jesus instituted the New Covenant.
This article is part of a series that explores the use of worship terms in the New Testament. These terms, when properly understood, reflect the context of the temple and its rituals rather than activities in church meetings.
Understanding the Meaning of threskeia
In this series, we have examined the Greek words that our English Bibles translate as “worship.” The last word for us to look at is threskeia. The word appears four times in the New Testament (Acts 26:5; Col. 2:18; James 1:26-27). It is rendered as “religion” in three of those appearances. Only in Colossians 2:18 is it translated “worship.”
The meaning of threskeia is not the modern conception of “worship” as we know it today. Today, we think of singing, praising, or engaging in formal services. Instead, threskeia in the New Testament, as well as in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), most commonly referred to the ceremonial and ritual practices associated with the Jewish temple system. In addition to examining the usage of the word in the New Testament and Septuagint, Dr Tom Wadsworth also researched the writings of Josephus to gain insight on how the ancients used this word:
“A close survey of the use of threskeia in the NT, LXX, and Josephus reveals that the term has two basic meanings. The first is ‘religion,’ which can be defined as ‘a set or system of religious beliefs and practices.’ The second meaning is ‘religious rites,’ which can be defined as ‘ceremonial acts performed to or for a god,’ such as sacrifices performed in a temple.”1
Religion, not “worship”
The lexicon of the New Testament, BDAG (Bauer, Danker, Arndt, and Gingrich), defines threskeia as an “expression of devotion to transcendent beings,” typically involving cultic rites or temple worship.2 This usage emphasizes the formal, ritualistic aspects of worship—sacrifices, offerings, and other sacred actions. Furthermore, scholars such as Moises Silva and Walter Radl in the NIDNTTE and EDNT entries also highlight that the word encompasses the entirety of religious observance, especially those activities related to the temple and the priesthood, rather than the individual, inward aspects of faith or communal practices outside the temple.3 Thus, Dr. Wadsworth remarks:
“[I]n the NT, LXX, and Josephus, none of these 100+ references to threskeia (or threskeuo) implies that singing or praising God with music is inherently a part of the term. So, it seems best to translate threskeia as either ‘religion’ or ‘religious rites,’ depending on the context.”4
Ethical living, not rituals
In James 1:27, the apostle uses threskeia to speak of “pure and undefiled religion.” However, James does not associate threskeia with any temple rituals or sacrifices. Instead, he describes it as something quite different. For instance, living out the ethical teachings of Christ, such as caring for widows and orphans and keeping oneself unstained from the world. This reflects a shift from ritualistic religion to a living, practical expression of faith. One that focuses on love, rather than ritual observance. Thus, when James uses the term threskeia, he is not advocating for rituals. Instead, a religion marked by ethical action and purity in daily life.
“Worship” in Colossians 2:18?
Moreover, when Paul writes to the Colossians, he warns against the “worship of angels” (Col 2:18). The word threskeia is again used, but it does not suggest anything related to the modern idea of worship as singing or praising God. The Greek text is somewhat ambiguous leaving translators with a choice of “angels who worship” or “angels who are worshiped.” Regardless, the question is whether “worship” is the correct word to translate threskeia in this verse.
Translating threskeia as “worship” in Colossians 2:18 creates confusion. This is because the English term often carries connotations that do not align with the context. Modern readers associate “worship” with singing, praising, prayers, or a general act of devotion. However, threskeia does not inherently include these ideas. Instead, it points to religious practices, ceremonies, or systems.
If threskeia refers to the “religious rites of angels,” as many scholars suggest,5 using “worship” misleads readers into thinking the heresy involved praising, singing to, or praying to angels. However, there is no evidence in the New Testament, the Septuagint, or Josephus that threskeia ever involves these acts of devotion.
The Colossian context further supports this. Paul warns against human traditions and ascetic practices, not acts of devotion. A better translation of threskeia in this passage would focus on “religious practices” or “religion of angels.” This aligns with Paul’s broader critique of adhering to unnecessary rituals rather than holding fast to Christ. This translation is also consistent with how threskeia is used throughout the New Testament, the Septuagint, and Josephus’s writings, where it consistently refers to religion or ritual practices—not worship.
Early Christian gatherings: Not focused on rituals
This understanding of threskeia as referring to religious rituals rather than general worship helps explain a significant shift in the early church. While threskeia was deeply associated with temple rituals and ceremonial practices, the evidence suggests that early Christian assemblies intentionally moved away from this ritual-centered approach (Heb 10:10). They did not merely substitute new rituals for old ones – the church gathering was something fundamentally new.
It is crucial to recognize that, while threskeia was a term used to describe religious rituals in the context of the temple, early Christians did not structure their assemblies around rituals. Under the New Covenant, Christians are not meant to continue the practices of the Jewish temple system. Jesus’s death and resurrection marked the fulfillment of the old covenant and its rituals.
Conclusion: A shift away from ritual worship
The evidence shows that the New Testament writers did not view church assemblies through the lens of “worship” as we use the term today. The Greek word threskeia was closely tied to Jewish temple rituals and sacrifices. It represented a system of religious observance that the early church intentionally moved beyond (Heb 8:13, 10:1-18). While praise and thanksgiving naturally emerged from church gatherings, the primary aim of early church assemblies was not acts of worship. Instead, they focused on mutual encouragement, teaching, remembering Christ’s sacrifice, and equipping believers to spread the gospel (Acts 2:42-47, Heb 10:24-25, Eph 4:11-12).
This understanding challenges us to reconsider how we approach our church gatherings. By recognizing this intentional shift from Old Covenant rituals to New Covenant edification, we can better evaluate our current practices. We must ensure our assemblies serve their intended purpose: strengthening believers and glorifying God through transformed lives rather than through formal religious observances (Rom 12:1-2).
In the next post, we’ll begin to connect the ideas explored in this series of word studies.
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. 248.
- BDAG, s.v. “θρησκεία,” 459.
- Wadsworth, Thomas Richard. “A Worship Service or an Assembly: An Investigation of the Terminology Used to Describe Church Meetings in the New Testament,” 2022. 249.
- Wadsworth, Thomas Richard. “A Worship Service or an Assembly: An Investigation of the Terminology Used to Describe Church Meetings in the New Testament,” 2022. 250.
- Wadsworth, Thomas Richard. “A Worship Service or an Assembly: An Investigation of the Terminology Used to Describe Church Meetings in the New Testament,” 2022. 252.