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HOUSMAIL HM011 29
December 1998 WORSHIP OF
JESUS? I received
the following question in response to Bible Digest Nos. 87, 88, 89 & 90.
I thought it might be worth sharing my answer. QUESTION After
perusing these studies, I would like you to answer the following: Did
the disciples worship Jesus? Should
Christians worship someone other than God? MY
ANSWER It
depends on what you mean by "worship". The word seems to have
several different shades of meaning. In
the English language it can mean:
In
the Bible, the main meaning seems to be much the same: To
bow down before. By kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make
obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication. It
is used of homage shown to superior rank .... to GOD; and to MEN; and to
ANGELS. WHEN ANGELS OR MEN RECEIVE "WORSHIP" IT DOES NOT MEAN
THAT THEY ARE GOD! WORSHIP
OF GOD ALONE We
have seen above that "worship" has several meanings. But there is
ONE particular sense in which GOD ALONE is to be worshipped. Worship in this
sense applies to no other. There
are many places in the Old Testament where it is clear that The LORD is to be
the sole object of divine worship. The LORD (Yahweh) is the ONLY GOD. "For thou shalt worship NO OTHER GOD: for
the LORD, (Yahweh) whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." (Exodus 34:14) It is
quite clear from many OT references that God the Father is Yahweh, and that
Jesus is NOT Yahweh. IN
THE NEW TESTAMENT It
was Jesus who said: "You shall worship the Lord your God and
him ONLY shall you serve". (Matthew 4:10) and, "This is eternal life, that they might know
thee the ONLY TRUE GOD, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent". (John 17:3) and, "I ascend unto my Father, and your Father;
and to MY God, and YOUR God." (John 20:17) and, "True worshippers shall worship THE FATHER
in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." (John 4:23) From
this we understand that Jesus directs all (primary) worship to His Father,
and that Jesus Himself intends us to understand that He is NOT to be
worshipped as the One True God. THE
STATUS OF JESUS When
the OT prophets foretell the coming of the Messiah, he is made SECOND in rank
after GOD. e.g.
"Sit
thou at my right hand." (Psalm 110:1) Any
HONOUR, or RANK, predicted for the Messiah, is DERIVED or DELEGATED from His
Father. WORSHIP
OF JESUS BY
ANGELS. "Let all the angels of God worship
him." (Hebrews 1:6) BY
THOMAS. "My Lord and my God". (John 20:28) BY
ALL MEN. "Therefore God has highly exalted him and
bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every
tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father." (Philippians 2:9-11) In
each of these places "worship" cannot mean quite the same as it
does when applied to Yahweh. Instead, it has the secondary meaning of bowing
the knee to someone of superior rank. In
Australia, it is customary to bow to the Governor General, not in his own
right, but as a token of homage to the Queen, whose representative he is.
When we "worship" Jesus, it means much the same thing. He is the
RULER appointed by GOD. We acknowledge the authority of God vested in Him as
God's representative. Philippians
explains that men are to bow before Jesus (worship) because He has been
exalted by God. This is actually worship of GOD, WHO EXALTED Him. It is done
to the GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER ..... not to Jesus as God! WORSHIP
OF MEN "But when thou art bidden, go and sit down
in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee,
Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have WORSHIP in the presence of them
that sit at meat with thee." (Luke 14:10) Newer versions use
"honour" instead of "worship". "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue
of Satan ..... to come and WORSHIP before thy feet, and to know that I have
loved thee." (Revelation 3:9) Of
course, the MEN who are worshipped here are NOT supplanting God or being
worshipped as GOD! They are merely being acknowledged as of superior rank to
those who bow before them. We
close with the last message from the angel who brought the vision to John
from Jesus. Speaking for Jesus, the angel said: WORSHIP GOD! (Revelation 22:9) Allon |