1. Worship is intentional. In Acts 24:11 Paul said that he had gone
up to Jerusalem “to worship” [proskuneō]. We see that (a) not everything one does in life is worship;1
(b) worship is done intentionally/on purpose; and (c) one cannot worship
unintentionally or by accident.2
2. Something that is often done as “worship” in a worship setting might be
done in another setting where it does not necessarily constitute worship. For
example, prayer is a worshipful act (Acts 2:42; 3:1), but when Jesus was
teaching his disciples how to pray and shared with them a “model” for praying
(Luke 11:1-4), he does not appear to have been worshiping in this particular
context. When Paul was on a ship with a large number of unbelievers and he “gave
thanks to God in the presence of them all” (Acts 27:35-36), he may have been
engaging in worship on this occasion, but those who heard him and were
encouraged by what he did were not necessarily participating in worship
themselves.
3. While the singing of psalms and hymns and spiritual songs is generally
directed to God as vertical worship, a secondary purpose is for horizontally
teaching, edifying, and admonishing (Ephesians 5:19-20; Colossians
3:16-17; Hebrews 2:12). In fact, worship to God is not the only
biblically-sanctioned reason to sing spiritual songs. “Is anyone cheerful? Let
him sing psalms” (James 5:13b).
4. One or more persons singing spiritual songs while others listen without
singing is not inherently wrong. “But at midnight Paul and Silas were
praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25).
5. In a “worship setting,” i.e. an assembly of Christians who have gathered
for the express purpose of worshiping, everyone should be
participating in worship as a collective activity in accordance with biblical
guidelines (1 Corinthians 11:17-29; 14:12-19; 16:1-2; etc.).
6. In an environment that is not intended as congregational worship,
would it be appropriate and not inconsistent with Bible teaching for a
Christian to receive edification from something another Christian offers to
God, whether a heart-felt expression of thanksgiving and praise in a
beautifully worded prayer or scripture reading, or a heart-felt expression of
thanksgiving and praise in a beautifully worded song?
7. From a practical standpoint, if one deems it acceptable to listen
to a recording of Christians singing gospel songs, in what way would it be
unacceptable to listen to the same Christians singing the same gospel songs in
person (perhaps while the recording is being made)?
8. Based on the above principles, I
do not view a cappella choral singing as mere “entertainment” or something that
replaces congregational (reciprocal) praise in a worship setting but, in my judgment, as an
opportunity for spiritual edification outside the appointed boundaries of a
corporate assembly without violating biblical teaching.
--Kevin L. Moore
Endnotes:
1 What about Romans 12:1? “I beseech you therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable to God, which is your …” (a) “reasonable service” (NKJV); (b)
“spiritual worship” (ESV); (c) “spiritual service of worship” (NASB); (d)
“spiritual act of worship” (NIV)? The Greek adj. logikos means reasonable, rational, or spiritual. The noun latreia is “service or worship” (BAGD
467), with emphasis on divine service (cf. Rom. 9:4; John 16:2; Heb. 12:28);
the verb form latreuō means to
“serve” [esp. the carrying out of religious duties] (BAGD 467). This is not the
same concept as what is conveyed by the verb proskuneō, which means to “worship, do obeisance to, prostrate oneself before, do
reverence to …” (BAGD 716).
2 Scriptural worship [proskuneō] is something
that is done purposefully, involving concentration, consideration, and
reverence (John 4:20-24; 12:20; Acts 8:27; 24:11). Not everything one does in
life, therefore, constitutes worship (e.g. reading the newspaper, sleeping,
watching a movie, et al.).
Related Posts: Proxy Worship. Is Everything We Do in Life "Worship"?
Image credit: http://www.wmnaz.org/clientimages/20190/singing_choir.jpg
No comments:
Post a Comment