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“And let us consider how to stir up one another to reverence and devotion, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but worshiping together, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”  (Heb 10:24-25?)

“How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for worship.”  (1 Cor 14:26?)

The passages above align closely with how most modern churches operate. So, they must be accurate quotes from the New Testament, right? Given their familiar tone and resemblance to contemporary practices, it’s easy to overlook that these verses have been intentionally misquoted.

In this series, we have drawn from Dr. Tom Wadsworth’s exhaustive research on early church gatherings. What have we learned? Studies of five Greek words (proskuneo, latreuo, leitourgeo, sebomai, threskeia) translated as “worship” reveal that worship is an imprecise term. Unlike the five Greek words which have very specific meanings, worship is ambiguous and can mean different things to different people. When we encounter “worship” in the Bible, what does it refer to? Using only our English Bibles, the reader doesn’t know exactly what is meant by worship!

Depending on the underlying Greek term, “worship” could be referring to prostration, offering sacrifices, doing the work of a priest, piety, or religion/religious rites. This places a burden upon serious Bible students when we encounter the word “worship.” To understand a Bible author’s intent, we must identify the word in the original language which is behind the English word “worship.” Then, we need to consult a reliable Bible dictionary for its meaning.