BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES ON WORSHIP

WORSHIP IS TRINITARIAN
This Biblical principle is essential to a worship gathering and honors God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God is revealed in the Bible to be equally in three persons and our worship must exalt all three, the Trinity.

The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all established as God within Scripture. God is referred to as the Father in many verses, such as John 6:27, Romans 1:7, and 1 Peter 1:2. God is referred to as the Son in many verses, including 1 John 5:20 and  Romans 9:5, “Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.” God is also referred to as the Holy Spirit in many verses. 1 Corinthians 3:16 refers to the Holy Spirit as “God’s Spirit”. The three Persons are also referenced to equally in verses including Matthew 28:19, “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Jesus states in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” The Greek word used for “one” is hen, meaning Jesus and the Father are one entity, claiming Jesus’ deity. When Jesus declared that he is one with the Father, he was asserting that he is as equally powerful and perfect as God the Father. The Father also sent a Helper (paraklétos), the Holy Spirit, to be with us forever (Jn 14:16). Jesus introduces the Holy Spirit to his disciples, indicating that the Holy Spirit will replace and continue Jesus’ presence with them when he leaves. Each member of the Trinity is equally God. 

According to Karkkainen, the first step as a believer is knowing the doctrine of the Trinity, but this is not the same as knowing the Triune God. Karkkainen goes on to say that we come to truly know the Triune God only through our worship of all three persons - the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Worship is what connects our knowledge and doctrine of him, to this personal relationship of knowing him. Thomas Torrance adds to this notion as he also states, one does not truly understand the majesty of the Triune God if knowing the doctrine does not lead us to a place of worship in “unrestrained awe and adoration”. Worshipping the Trinity is an essential component in the life of a believer. James Torrance says understanding Trinitarian worship means participating in in the relationship between the Father and Son, through the Holy Spirit.

Knowledge of the Trinity is formed into worship through words and actions. Early creeds reinforce Triune Worship through their explicit statements of belief. It is recorded that the first creed to include Trinitarian doctrine was the Athanasian Creed written approximately in the year 500. A segment in the Athanasian Creed includes: “The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God”. The Nicene Creed also acknowledges all three persons: “I believe in one God, the Father Almighty…”, “....in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God”, and “I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and giver of Life…” The recitation of creeds guides the congregation in turning knowledge into statements for people to declare that they confidence in the Trinity and will worship all three persons.

All three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are equally God, the one we worship and adore. 

WORSHIP ACKNOWLEDGES OUR SINFUL NATURE AND NEED FOR A SAVIOUR  

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). Worship acknowledges man’s sinful nature. Recognizing this innate sinful nature leads to a place of confession and understanding that mankind desperately needs a Saviour, Jesus Christ. Only through Christ, who has died for our sins, assurance is given for cleansing and purification.

Many verses in the Bible affirm that mankind is born into a sinful nature. Galatians 5:17 says, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever you want”. The Greek word antikeitai is used to describe the opposition between fleshly desires and the Holy Spirit’s desires. Antikeitai is translated to mean opposition and contradiction. Believers cannot be in the middle and are continually struggling to live by the human desires or the Holy Spirit’s.  Ecclesiastes 7:20, “Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.” Romans 3:10, “As it is written: ‘None is righteous, not even one.’” The Bible firmly indicates that the human race is naturally sinful.

The consequence of sin is death. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death.” In order for believers to fully worship and acknowledge their need for a Savior, they must first recognize that their sin deservedly leads to the dire consequences of death. Jesus Christ came into the world to take the place of everyone’s sin. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Understanding this gift of life through Jesus Christ draws us to a place of worship in humility, gratitude and freedom. 

The response to this overwhelming gift of life and grace is repentance. 

In the Old Testament, repentance was required before approaching God’s presence. A mandatory Purification Offering was to be brought unto the Lord before approaching his presence. In Numbers 8:21, Aaron presents an offering unto the Lord for the Levites to be purified. Not only was this offering required before coming to the Lord, but it was also understood that the Levites could not approach the sacred things unless they were first cleansed. David Peterson calls our purification a “prerequisite” to entering God’s presence. 

A Greek word for worship is Metanoia, which is also translated to mean “a change of mind, change in the inner man.” Repentance brings believers to a place of recognizing their humanity and a greater understanding of the sovereignty of God: William Dyrness calls this a “healthy orientation to reality.”  Brian Chapell also says we come to know God’s saving grace only when we come to acknowledge our sins. Understanding and embracing this truth leads us to a place of worship.

WORSHIP IS A RESPONSE TO GOD, THE CREATOR

Worship acknowledges God as Creator. God, the Creator, is to be honored and adored while all other idols are his creation and do not deserve man’s praise. Worship remembers God’s works in the past, and responds in adoration.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1). This verse is the first fundamental truth to everything else that follows in Scripture. All other Scripture cannot fully be understood without the knowledge that God existed before all mankind and creation. God’s work of creating the heavens and the earth is stated repeatedly in Colossians 1:16: "For in him all things were created...all things have been created through him and for him.” “You alone are the Lord, You have made the heavens, the heaven of heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the sea and all that is in them You give life to all of them and the heavenly host bows down before you” Nehemiah 9:6. Also Revelation 4:11, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” The Greek word for “create” found here is Ktizó. Ktizó is translated to mean “create, build, not there before.” It is evident that God has built and created all things out of nothing, and as Craig Bartholomew states, creation is the beginning of the entire Christian story. The Creation story is repeated many times throughout Scripture, so it must also be repeated to the church. This truth affects how the church responds in worship and to whom worship is directed to.

As the Creator of the heavens and the earth, no other gods compare. Jeremiah 10:11-16 declares that God is the Creator, and all other gods will perish from the earth. This verse is challenging to direct our worship to the Creator, not creation. Only the Lord is worthy of all praise. Romans 1:18-25 calls those who “worship and serve created things rather than the Creator” fools, godless and wicked.

In Psalm 95:6-7, David writes an exhortation originally to the Jewish people to bow down to God the Creator and worship him. This invitation extends now to both Jews and Gentile believers. To bow down, kara in Hebrew indicates that a person bows down very low on both hands and knees, displaying humble submission. The response to God the Creator is worship and humble submission. 

SHARING IN UNIQUE FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER BELIEVERS IS WORSHIP

This Biblical principle highlights the importance of fellowship (koinónia) among believers, predominantly displayed in Acts 2. When believers engage in this unique fellowship, it pleases the Lord and is worship unto him. 

Throughout Scripture, it is seen that the Lord greatly values the way believers treat their brothers and sisters in Christ. The second greatest commandment that comes right after loving the Lord is to “love your neighbour as yourself” (Matt 22:37). Believers are directed in Hebrews 10 to not neglect meeting with other believers but to “stir one another to love and good works.” In this fellowship with others, the church must strengthen and encourage one another to the tasks God has called us to.

The Greek term, Koinonia is translated to mean “participation, communion, fellowship.” Koinonia is used several times in the New Testament and is also translated to mean “common share or participation in the Spirit.” Koinonia is when believers share in the fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and also when believers give and receive with other believers. The church is able to take part in this unique fellowship as it is enabled by the Holy Spirit and is only possible through the blood of Jesus. Jesus dismantles any barrier between all types of people: rich and poor, male and female, Jews and Gentiles. Through Jesus, koinonia among all believers is possible.

Koinonia is first seen in the Bible in Acts 2, the Day of Pentecost. Luke states in Acts that the Holy Spirit enabled the body of believers to engage in Koinonia. Their first act in their fellowship together was “[devoting] themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42). Believers are called to live a righteous life in the eyes of God, and in Acts 2, the believers devoted themselves together to live according to the apostles teaching. As they follow the apostles' teaching, they join together as believers and set themselves apart from unbelievers. Paul also reaffirms in 2 Corinthians 6:14 that believers must live a different lifestyle than unbelievers. Paul knew that the Corinthians were engaging in pagan worship, which is why he exhorts the church to devote themselves to be set apart as a body away from unbelievers. Paul encourages intimacy between believers so that they may encourage each other to devote themselves to righteous living.

The fellowship in Acts 2 then participated in “many wonders and miraculous signs” (Acts 2:43).  Believers are to share the awe and excitement of God’s works with others. This fellowship is also seen in 1 John 1:3. John writes to the body of believers that they will proclaim what they “have seen and heard, so that [the believers will] also have fellowship with [them].” Again, the term koinonia is used. Part of this fellowship with one another is sharing and extolling God in his great deeds.

The church in Acts continues to engage in fellowship through acts of “generosity,” koinonikos. “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need” (Acts 2:44-45). This generosity is also encouraged by Paul in the Epistles. 2 Corinthians 9:13 indicates that through believers’ generosity with others, not only will it benefit the ones receiving, but it will also lead others to “praise God for the obedience that accompanies [believer's] confession of the gospel of Christ, and for [their] generosity in sharing.” This act of sharing with others is obedience and worship to God and will also lead others to praise Him.

Believers engaged in this unique fellowship when they took part in the Lord’s Supper together (Acts 2:42). Communion highlights community. Bread is broken among believers gathered together rather than the individual on their own. Martha Moore-Keish says it well when she says participating in Communion is a communal celebration but focuses on the individual’s salvation.  

Acts 2:46 continues to say believers together had “glad and sincere hearts.” Indicating that there is a time to be joyful and there is a time to be reverent in sincerity. Just as Romans 12:15 instructs believers to “rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” It is honoring to God to be so devoted and encouraging to one another. 

Another element of this unique fellowship is evangelistic. “The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (sózó).  Though there is such unity among the believers, witnessing to unbelievers was still a large priority. Believers shared this fellowship with each other within the temple and outside in their own homes (2:46). This is an example of what the Lord desires in believers’ unique fellowship. 

WORSHIP ENGAGES OUR BODIES IN PHYSICAL RESPONSE 

Worship engages our bodies in physical response through emotional expression and also as an act of obedience. According to Scripture, many physical gestures were used to engage in worship, and believers today are invited to use their bodies in the same way. Humans have a natural tendency to express their emotions through physical responses. Through his studies, Albert Mehrabian explained how people interpret what others are saying through physical expressions much more than the words that are being said. It is a natural form of communication to use our bodies. For example, this physical expression is displayed when one shows affection to a loved one. Love can be expressed through a hug, a rub on the back, or holding a hand. Physical expression is a natural form of communication and must not be limited when expressing love towards our Creator.

The Bible refers to individuals expressing joy and celebration through physical response. Exodus 15 records Miriam dancing (mecholah) before the Lord. Mecholah is the feminine noun in Hebrew literally translated “to dance”, or as a company of dancers. David records in Psalm 30:11 how the Lord turned his mourning into dancing (machol). Machol is the masculine Hebrew word used for dancing. In 2 Samuel 6, David is found dancing (pazaz) before the Lord. Pazaz is to “spring or leap.” In Psalm 149 and 150 people are instructed to praise God with dancing, “Let them praise his name with dancing…”. Again, the term machol is used. Believers are invited to praise the Lord through dance. These are all examples from the bible of rejoicing and joy expressed through a physical response and as worship unto the Lord.

Apart from dancing, other physical expressions that are recorded in the Bible are: bowing (shachah) , kneeling (barak) and lying prostrate (naphal) before the Lord. These postures can communicate submission, awe and reverence. Simon Peter “fell at Jesus’ knees” because he felt unworthy to be in Jesus’ presence. Simon Peter felt unworthy after Jesus performed a miracle in providing many fish for him and his fishermen (Lk 5:8). The Greek word used here is prospiptó, meaning to “fall down before.” Some verses in the Bible direct/invite believers to kneel before the Lord in worship. As an example: Psalm 95:6 “Come, let us worship and bow down (kara), let us kneel (barak) before the Lord our Maker.” “Kara implies bending the legs (kera),” it also implies that both hands and knees are on the ground, as the body faces the ground. This is a posture of absolute submission. Barak is translated as “to kneel, to bless.” The physical act of kneeling blesses the Lord. Romans 14:11 says, “every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” This is a posture the Lord desires and invites all people to, as it communicates submission, honor and respect. 

Worship can also engage bodies in physical response through desire and petitions. There are many verses in the Bible where people fall to their knees in petition to the Lord. In Mark 5:6, a man “ran and fell on his knees in front of [Jesus]” asking for a miracle. In Matthew 8:2, a leper came to Jesus and bowed down asking for healing. A Canaanite woman asked for Jesus to heal her daughter in Matthew 15:25, so she “came and knelt before him.” Another man asked for healing for his demon-possessed son, so he “approached Jesus and knelt before him” (Matt 17:14). These verses are only a few examples of the many times people have come before God on their knees in petition and worship. Falling on one’s knees expresses a yearning, desire, and acknowledges that God is powerful, to be honored and feared.

Engaging in physical response can be an emotional expression, but it can also be as an act of obedience. These acts of obedience include honoring the sabbath. The sabbath is a time meant for believers to stop, break their normal routine, and rest. The book of Exodus shares God’s commandment that on the sabbath “you shall not do any work” (Ex 20:10). As Dennis Olson explains in the book, Touching the Altar, this sabbath rest can be anywhere from a few seconds in an interruption to a full day of sabbath rest. The idea of the sabbath is to stop everything one is currently doing and set their mind on God. This rest can be practiced through prayer, through historic recitation, meditation on His word, etc. The purpose is to physically stop an individual in his/her daily routine and take time to worship God with his/her body through rest. By responding in obedience to the command of the Sabbath, individuals use their bodies in worship.

Physical bodies can also be used to worship the Lord through care and proper nourishment. Scripture commands people to “glorify God in [our] body” as the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19-20). In caring for, feeding, exercising, resting the body, this is worship unto the Lord.

Recommended Reading:
Bartholomew, Craig G. and Michael W. Goheen. The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story, Second Edition.
Boogaart, Thomas A.. “Drama and the Sacred: Recovering the Dramatic Tradition in Scripture and Worship,” in Touching the Altar: The Old Testament for Christian Worship.
Brink Emily et al.. The Worship Sourcebook.
Chapell, Bryan. Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape our Practice.
Dyrness, William. “Confession and Assurance: Sin and Grace,” in A More Profound Alleluia: Theology and Worship in Harmony.
Hess, Valerie E., and Lane M. Arnold. The Life of the Body: Physical Well-Being and Spiritual Formation.
Karkkainen, Veli-Matti. The Trinity: Global Perspectives.
Kearsley, Roy. Church, Community and Power.
Kostenberger, Andreas J. John: Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament.
Meyers, Jeffery J. The Lord’s Service: The grace of Covenant Renewal Worship.
Moore-Keish, Martha L.. “Eucharist: Eschatology,” in A More Profound Alleluia: Theology and Worship in Harmony.
Olson, Dennis T.. “Sacred Time: The Sabbath and Christian Worship,” in Touching the Altar: The Old Testament for Christian Worship.
Peterson, David. Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship.
The Book of Common Prayer. New York: Seabury Press, 1979.
Torrance, James B.. Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace.
Torrance, Thomas F. The Christian Doctrine of God: One Being Three Persons.