The Key Biblical Words for Worship

Here are excerpts from David Peterson's excellent book, "Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship":

“From one point of view, worship in the Old Testament is an attitude of homage [submission/allegiance] or adoration to God as a great king. It could be expressed in silence or by a simple gesture. It could be indicated by that gesture in association with praise or the offering of sacrifices.

“In the final analysis, it is the attitude of the heart that really matters. Such responses were made spontaneously, in recognition of some new disclosure of God’s character and will, or in the course of some regular pattern of ritual activity.

“Adoration was not a form of intimacy with God or an indication of special affection towards him, but rather an expression of awe or grateful submission – a recognition of his gracious character and rule…..

“From another point of view, acceptable worship in the Old Testament is service rendered to God. With the use of such terminology, the focus is again on the acknowledgment of his divine kingship in national and personal life.

“Moreover, Scripture indicates that it was possible to serve the Lord acceptably because of his gracious initiative, rescuing his people from bondage to other masters, and revealing his will to them. [cp. Ex.20:1-2, 3-17; cp. Deut.5]

“The service to God demanded obedience and faithfulness in every sphere of life, with cultic [religious/liturgical] activity being viewed as a particular expression of Israel’s dependence upon and submission to God. The service of priests and Levites within the prescribed cult [system of religious worship/ritual] was designed to facilitate the service of all Israel to God.”

“Reverence or the fear of the Lord in the Old Testament means faithfulness to all the covenant demands of God. While this found expression in cultic [religious/liturgical] activity, the reference was normally to the honoring of God by total lifestyle. When Christians imply that reverence is essentially a matter of one’s demeanor in church services, they show little understanding of the Bible’s teaching on this subject!”

“Thus, acceptable worship in Old Testament terms involves 1) homage, 2) service and 3) reverence, demonstrated in the whole of life. A common factor in these three ways of describing Israel’s response to God is the assumption that he had already acted towards them in revelation and redemption, to make it possible for them to engage them with him acceptably. By contrast, the worship activities of the nations are considered to be offensive to God because they are human inventions, arising from misconceptions about God and ignorance about what pleases him.” (p. 74)

“The gospel is the key to the New Testament teaching about worship. The gospel declares to us the ultimate revelation of God in the person of Jesus Christ and the ultimate redemption in his sacrificial death. He fulfils and replaces the whole method of approach to God associated with the Sinai covenant.

“The teaching and practice of the Old Testament is not discarded but is transformed in the New Testament. It becomes the means for understanding the work of the Messiah and how we can relate to God under the new covenant.

“Through the gospel message of God’s mercy in Christ, and through his Spirit, men and women from all nations are united in his praise and service.” (p. 288)

Thinking Christianly About All of Life

“To talk about a Christian worldview is simply another way of saying that when we are redeemed, our entire outlook on life is re-centered on God and re-built on His revealed truth.”

~ Nancy Pearcey, Total Truth (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 2004), 46.
posted at "The Big Picture"

Confidence Based on Whose Righteousness?

“If the truth of being justified by Christ alone (not by our works) is lost, then all Christian truths are lost. For there is no middle ground between Christian righteousness and works-righteousness. There is no alternative to Christian righteousness but works-righteousness; if you do not build your confidence on the work of Christ, you must build your confidence on your own work. On this truth and only on this truth the church is built and has its being.”

- Timothy Keller, Paul’s Letter to the Galatians: Living in Line with the Truth of the Gospel (Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2003), 16.
posted at "Of First Importance"

Lectures on Worship

Justin Taylor has done a characteristically good job of providing links to excellent resources; specifically, this time, related to worship.

See his blog post here.

"The Cross of Christ"

Kevin DeYoung, quoting from John Stott, focuses on the crucial importance of the cross-work of Christ as a substitutionary atonement. You can read it here.

Scripture reading in Gathered Worship

From Justin Taylor:

A good post here by Dan Phillips on why we should do it (hint: the Bible tells us so) and how we should do it.Paul commanded Timothy to devote himself to the public reading of Scripture (1 Tim. 4:13). And the early church took this seriously. In about A.D. 150–155 Justin Martyr, describing a typical church service, includes the importance of reading the Word aloud:

On the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together in one place, and the memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has finished, the president speaks, instructing and exhorting the people to imitate these good things (First Apology 67)

David Powlison on the Place of Desiring in Sanctification

In a recent post, Justin Taylor refers to David Powlison's essay, "I Am Motivated When I Feel Desire," reprinted in his book, Seeing With New Eyes: Counseling and the Human Condition Through the Lens of Scripture.

Powlison, like Lewis (and like Calvin, and like the apostle Paul), distinguishes between ordinate and inordinate desires. He does a sort of FAQ on the "lusts of the flesh" which is very insightful and helpful:

How does the New Testament commonly talk about what's wrong with people?

Why do people do specific ungodly things?

But what's wrong with wanting things that seem good?

Why don't people see this as the problem?

Is the phrase "lusts of the flesh" useful in practical life and counseling?

Does each person have one "root sin"?

How can you tell if a desire is inordinate rather than natural?

Is it even right to talk about the heart, since the Bible teaches that the heart is unknowable to anyone but God? (1 Sam. 16:7; Jer. 17:9)

Doesn't the word lusts properly apply only to bodily appetites: the pleasures and comforts of sex, food, drink, rest, exercise, health?

Can desires be habitual?

What about fears? They seem as important in human motivation as cravings.

Do people ever have conflicting motives?

How does thinking about lusts relate to other ways of talking about sin, such as "sin nature," "self," "pride," "autonomy," "unbelief," and "self-centeredness"?

In counseling, do you just confront a person with his sinful cravings?

Can you change what you want?

"Magnifying God" Conference Audio Available Online

You can listen online to sessions from the conference: "Magnifying God: the Legacy of John Calvin for the 21st Century." Collin Hansen, editor at large for "Christianity Today," was the keynote speaker. (I had the privilege of doing one of the seminars and taking part in the panel discussion).

Justin Taylor has also posted about the upcoming conference -- "Calvin for the 21st Century" -- at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids.

The Key Biblical Words for Worship

Today in our pastoral staff meeting we returned to the subject of authentic, God-pleasing worship. I think one thing that would go a long way in helping us understand this crucial topic (and practice) in the right way is if we think carefully about the three key biblical words translated 'worship'. Here's a quick outline:

The Key Biblical Words for Worship:


1. Worship as homage or grateful submission (proskynein)

• kneeling, or prostrating oneself, bow down (cp. Gen. 24:26ff., “Then the man bowed down and worshiped [lit., fell on his face to] the Lord…..” Cp. Gen.42:6; Ex.4:31; 34:8; 1 Chron.29:20; 2 Chron.20:18; Ps.95:6; Isa.66:23; Matt.2:11; Phil.2:10
• expression of awe and submission
• falling on one’s face in reverence/prayer/petition/entreaty/supplication Cp. Num.20:6; Rev.7:11
• offerings given to God (cp. Rom.12:1-2; Phil.2:1; 4:187; 2 Tim.4:6;)

2. Worship as service (latreuein) rendered to God

• The service of a slave; cf. Deut.5:9; cp. Deut.10:12,20; Matt.4:8-10
• Specifically, religious or priestly service (cp. Rom.12:1-2; Heb.12:28-29)
• “The language of service implies that God is a great King, who requires faithfulness and obedience from those who belong to Him.” (D. Peterson, “Engaging with God” p.69), cp. 1 Cor.10:31

3. Worship as reverence or respect (sebomai)
· Cp. again Heb.12:28-29; Acts 9:31; 2 Cor.7:1; Phil.2:12-13

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Free Online Access to the ESV Study Bible

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Irresistible (and Essential) Grace

“We declare on scriptural authority that the human will is so desperately set on mischief, so depraved, so inclined to everything that is evil, and so disinclined to everything that is good, that without the powerful, supernatural, irresistible influence of the Holy Spirit, no human will ever be constrained toward Christ.”

- Charles Spurgeon (Sermons, Vol. 4, p.139)
posted at "Of First Importance"

Comforting Words: "You are a sinner."

“Luther taught that every time you insist that I am a sinner, just so often do you call me to remember the benefit of Christ my Redeemer, upon whose shoulders, and not upon mine, lie all my sins. So, when you say that I am a sinner, you do not terrify, but comfort me immeasurably.”

—Thomas Oden, The Justification Reader (Grand Rapids: Eeerdmans, 2002), 5
posted at "Of First Importance"

Guy Waters Critiques N.T. Wright's Latest Book

Guy Waters is the latest guest on the Christ the Center podcast, analyzing N.T. Wright's latest book on justification.

HT: James Grant; Justin Taylor

Lives Molded By the Gospel

“The doctrines of the gospel are meant to mould us so that our lives begin to ’set’ in the likeness of Christ. We have made little or no impression upon the world, for the very reason that the gospel doctrine has made a correspondingly slight impression upon us. It cannot be overemphasized that men and women who have accomplished anything in God’s strength have always done so on the basis of their grasp of truth.”

- Sinclair Ferguson, The Christian Life (Carlisle, Pa.: Banner of Truth Trust, 1981), 8-9.
posted at "Of First Importance"

Our Complete Happiness in Him

John Calvin on piety: "For this sense of the divine perfections is the proper master to teach us piety, out of which religion springs. I call 'piety' that reverence joined with love of/for God which the knowledge of his benefits induces.

"For until men recognize that they owe everything to God, that they are nourished [or, cherished] by his fatherly care, that he is the Author of their every good, that the should seek nothing beyond him -- they will never yield him willing service.

"Nay, unless they establish their complete happiness in him, they will never give themselves truly and sincerely to him."

--"Institutes of the Christian Religion, ch.2"