Word Studies

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.

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.

The New Testament never refers to Christian assemblies as times of worship. Yet, modern church practice makes worship the primary aim of our gatherings. What did the word “worship” mean in the context of the New Testament? Do the original Greek words translated as “worship” align with our modern practices? Dr. Tom Wadsworth’s research challenges our assumptions and shows how key Greek terms convey something deeper.  As in prior posts in this series, we’ll examine another such term, leitourgeo, rendered as “worship” or “serve.” Understanding its biblical connections to the temple reveals a more precise meaning, rooted in priestly service.

We’re continuing our blog series on “worship terms,” drawing from Dr. Tom Wadsworth’s extensive research. His work explores why the New Testament never refers to Christian assemblies as times of worship. When we think of worship, we imagine things like singing hymns, praying, or attending church services. Modern Christians describe these activities as “worship.” But are these ideas what the New Testament conveys? 

What did the Greek terms that our English New Testaments translate as “worship” mean in their original context? In this post, we’ll explore two important Greek words, latreuo and latreia. Our Bibles translate these words as worship or serve. 

No New Testament passage instructs Christians to assemble for the purpose of worship. In fact, many of our modern worship terms, ideas, and practices are not found in the New Testament. First-century Christians gathered for a different purpose, so their gatherings looked different. The New Testament shows that their goal was not worship but mutual edification and discipleship.

What do Christians mean by the word worship? Here’s how different believers might respond if we ask them what worship is: