Two Parts of True Worship

Someone says "I just can't wait to be at worship again." Does this imply that the person is not worshipping at present? Undoubtedly, the comment has to refer to Christians assemblying to worship together. Although Hebrews 10:24, 25 emphasizes assemblying for the nurture and care of one another, there is another facet to true worship other than the interaction of a community of Christians. When tempted by Satan, Jesus quotes the OT and uses the two Greek words that covers the entire gamut for the true worship of God; i.e., as an individual and as a group.

By doing this, Jesus emphasizes by quoting two thingsⁱ that are common to both the Old and the New Testaments and both equally have to do with worship. To the devil, Jesus maintains that God alone is (1) the object of our worship while, and this is the second point, in our daily lives, (2) our service in life must be dedicated to Him. "And [devil] saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship^G4352 me. Then saith Jesus unto him [the devil], Get thee hence, Satanⁱⁱ: for it is written, Thou shalt worship^G4352 the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve^G3000” (Matthew 4:9,10).

THE "KISS" WORSHIP. The first worship^G4352 is something you do concretely toward God in spirit and in Truth (John 4:22-24). “ God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” Thayer's first definition of worship^G4352is “proskuneō: (1) to kiss the hand toward one, in token of reverence.” Strong's tells us why its meaning contains the idea of a “kiss”, “to kiss, like a dog [kuneo] licking his master’s hand); to fawn or crouch to, that is, (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore).” This is something that we concretely do toward God, such as Abraham went to Mt. Moriah to worship ^G4352(LXX) God; i.e., he offered an authorized specified act of sacrifice and it was toward God. But it was actually a figurative “kiss” that was directed to God. Due to Jesus' sacrifice, we now are to worship God in "spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Truth is defined by Jesus as "God's Word" (John 17:17) which is made known through the apostles (and NT prophets) by the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13).

THE SECOND WORSHIP: SERVE. The second word, translated in the KJV as "service"^G3000, is broader in meaning and is translated in some versions, such as in Romans 12:1 as “worship” ⁱⁱⁱ, according to Strong's, means “to minister (to God), that is, render religious homage: - serve, do the service, worship (-per).” After all, we are "slaves" to our Saving God. “Now you have been set free from sin, and you are God's slaves. This will make you holy and will lead you to eternal life.” (Romans 6:18, CEV). In other words, it is what we do as a servant for God towards one another for God. It is therefore, proper to refer to the assembly "services" but we can just as well also refer to our life activities as "services" to God. Assembly is an authorized way for expediting our care for one another (Hebrews 10:25). Although Hebrews 10:25 does not mention the "kiss" worship in its required assembly, yet we can conclude the Scripturally authorized acts as being applied at this time.

This may be the import of the statement, "I just can't wait to be in worship again?" We miss the human contact commanded by the Holy Spirit. While we can worship in prayer to God in our closets, we cannot serve one another (for God) in our closets?

SOCIAL DISTANCING IN ASSEMBLYING. Do you miss your brethren's hand shakes, hugs, sprinkled with kind words "at church assembly"? The government should soon advise/permit assemblying ourselves with the caution of "social distancing." Will such requirement allow us to fully obey God’s injunctions for "true SERVICE worship"? What about the "holy kiss"? Have you ever heard of that^iv ? Or, what about sharing a single container (one cup) for "the wine" at the Lord's Table^v? Did Jesus not command us to "wash one another's feet"^vi? And what about that 1 Corinthian 11's good hair cut for the man, or Sunday nice clothing along with a veil (or hat) for the ladies to wear?

INTERPRETATION ACCORDING TO CUSTOMS. I believe these behaviors toward one another are related in function^vii to our respecting customs. The apostle and Holy Spirit uses current customs to illustrate our service to one another. We are to "imitate" the apostle in dealing with these matters.^viii When with the Jewish society, we respect their customs, but when with the Gentiles, we are to respect their customs.^ix It is appropriate to study the Bible’s statements about demonstration of Biblical behavior of love, respect, and care for each other in assembly (Hebrews 10:25).^x We are to do certain things that are beyond human customs in our attention to "our kiss" worship directly towards God, while our service to one another that must be done must be within the realm of courtesy to one another. For example, a female would not rush up to a male stranger and kiss him on the lips. Neither would the opposite gender act accordingly.

"WASHING FEET." As an example, let's consider the command "washing one another's feet" (John 13). During the 60's, I preached in a rural north Florida "church" next to another "church" where some of the members would absent themselves to ritually observe that on certain Sunday afternoons. I do not mean to sound flippant but some of the members would take it "washing feet" as special worship to God and be absent from this one "church" to attend at the other. There are a series of social practices that have caused divisions over questions of how to observe them and this is one of them.

AN ANCIENT CUSTOM BEFORE EATING. Jesus illustrated this imperative just before the evening meal. Washing sandaled feet that had walked through sand was an act of hospitality particularly before eating meals in the homes. It was not assembly worship toward God but an act of actual service worship. At Simon's inhospitality in Luke 7:44, "And he [Jesus] turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.” Jesus, although master, served by washing His apostles' feet before eating the last supper. "You ought to wash one another's feet." “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15). "Should": the mutual obligation "ought" or "should" (active subjunctive) is to do this or any other needed service. The widows who washed the saints’ feet in 1 Timothy 5:10 did it “as an incident of their hospitable ministrations” (Bernard). The widows were to have exemplified this behavior toward others and would identify them as worthy servants of the Lord for church support.

But "service" to God must include orientation toward contacts with our neighbors as well as our believing brethren whom we are to love even as we love God, the "great" commandment (Romans 13:8; Galatians 5:14, Matthew 22:37).

i When Jesus describes His coming Kingdom for the Kingdom did not exist while He was on Earth, He illustrates a scribe bringing in old Treasures (from the past). “Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old” (Matthew 13:52).

iv Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26). Peter expresses it for us as the kiss of love (1 Peter 5:14).

vii Function: Dictionary online: “the kind of action or activity proper to a person, thing, or institution; the purpose for which something is designed or exists; role. any ceremonious public or social gathering or occasion. a factor related to or dependent upon other factors”

viii Paul as an apostle ordained rules in all churches. 1 Corinthians 7:17b (MKJV) "And so I ordain in all churches." Compare to “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the Law [of Moses] I became as one under the Law [i.e., a Jew; Romans 2:17; 3:1,2] (though not being myself under the Law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the Law [of Moses] I became as one outside the Law [of Moses; i.e., a Gentile, Romans 2:14] ; (not being outside the Law of God but [being] under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the Law [i.e., the non-Jew]. ... I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings” (1 Corinthians 9:19-22).

ix “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the Law [i.e., a Jew; Romans 2:17; 3:1,2] (though not being myself under the law [of Moses]) that I might win those under the law [of Moses—the unconverted Jews]. To those outside the law [of Moses] I became as one outside the law [i.e., a Gentile, Romans 2:14] ; (not being outside the law of God but [being] under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law [i.e., the non-Jew]. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23, ESV).

x “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24,25). Notice that the command to assemble does not limit this to just worship. For example, we are to pray anytime anywhere. “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).