We who follow Christ have felt the disconnect of modern church gatherings from the simplicity we see clearly in the scriptures. Your work is gaining traction because it reveals yet another FREEDOM we have in Christ. We are NOT bound by the legalism and rituals that had crept into the church by the 4th century. We are indeed free to gather in our homes, love on each other, encourage, correct, support and serve each other. We can remember the sacrifice of Christ, be generous to each other, read the teachings of the apostles, Jesus, and any other part of God’s word together whenever we want to do so. We are free. This is a liberating truth that you are teaching with clarity and honesty. I pray the Holy Spirit continues to spread this message around the world.
Romans 14 speaks about those who are "weak" in faith and believe all the additional restrictions are necessary to maintain their relationship with God.
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
More simple plain truth exposing the manipulation of so-called church gatherings by later influencers. My King James Bible refers to a church building once in Acts 19 : 37, and that is a pagan temple in Ephesus. Thanks a lot for all of your vital work. Colin ( England ).
I have been watching Tom explain/defend his thesis since he exploded on to the RUclips scene a few months ago. I've watched the full seven part video series plus a number of interviews and videos like this. What he is asking us to do can best be described as giving up on the idea of church as we know it today in favor of something much different. This is certainly a hard pill to swallow. So if what he's asking appears to be so radical then why am I still here after all of this time? Why haven't I written him off as yet another false prophet? Please, let me explain... Like many others here, I've felt a distinct lacking in my 61 years spent in Christian assemblies. Our current system of worship, which is basically an hour-long monologue focused on a sermon does little to promote growth in our Christian faith. That's not to say that I've not learned anything in church for all of this time. It just means that it's hard to make anything stick. More and more, I look to sources other than my church for true learning and edification. Sometimes it's a conference, but increasingly more often it's content on the Internet such as newsletters, RUclips videos, chats, etc. So a few years ago, when the church that I was attending encouraged me to leave for voicing concerns that Communion is for penitent sinners and not exclusively for the members, I quickly found myself without a home and unable to find a new one. My knowledge of church denominations gained over 20 years led me to believe that there was no new place for me to go. Regardless of denomination, EVERY church believes that it's the true church. They often erect barriers not only to the Lord's table, but also to membership. There is a lot of this kind of "my way or the highway" mentality within church structures. Yet what I was looking for is a place where sinners can hear the Good News of salvation and find respite from God's wrath. Jesus says in John 10:27, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me". I was no longer hearing the voice of our dear Savior in church. At this point, one may be tempted to say that Tom's appeal to me is because I've been hurt by my old church and that I just need to continue looking until I find the right place. This is certainly what my Christian friends tell me. Theirs is an almost a visceral reaction to the notion that church as we know it is not what the New Testament describes. I certainly have struggled with this mightily myself for the past few years. But it is not the pain of being pushed out the door by my old church that drives me, even though it was a traumatic event. (I wept when I was told to leave.) Instead, it is my desire to see God's people brought together under Christ that motivates me. Having spent most of my time as a believer in the Reformed faith, I know the importance of being able to tie everything back to Scripture. And the Bible is very clear that we all have the same standing before God as sinners. We are all called as believers to be one Body with Christ as its Head. By the grace of God, my eyes have been opened. What I've been seeing in church today is a far cry from what we are commanded to be as believers. Church denominations cause divisions and everyone seems to be ok with that. For me, it just causes more sorrow and pain. I've been unable to find a new church home simply because I know that this will be the outcome wherever I go. I can no longer be a part of that system. Sorry, Mr. Luther., your work on a correct understanding of justification was welcomed by the church, but in many ways the outcome of your Reformation has been something of a disaster for our assemblies. In the immediate aftermath of being pushed away from the church, I asked myself what about church is Biblical and what is cultural. While I've kept a great deal of the teaching of Reformed theology, I see much of the practice of the church to be in disarray. I've asked simple questions like, "what ever happened to the Sabbath as a day of rest on the seventh day?" or "why are churches governed by Robert's Rules instead of unity?" or "why is the Lord's Supper a cracker and a swig of juice instead of a real meal in which we gather together?" or "why is church leadership structured only for the benefit of some believers and not all?" It seems like every time I ask questions like these, the answer comes back to tradition. So why, when it comes to considering whether "worship" is the New Testament model for our gatherings, should I not be asking the same type of question? So far, as I ask myself the question of whether Tom's thesis is valid, I go back to Scripture for the answer. In Col 1:15-20 we are told that Christ is preeminent and that "all things were created through him and for him" (v16b). Switching our assemblies from monologues back to dialogues does not seem to make Christ any less central to the believer. On the contrary, having a plethora of voices only enhances our understanding of who God is and what He desires for His people. The temple cult with its priests is no more. I know that many will say, "if you let anyone speak in the assembly then heresy will abound". Such a statement takes a low view of the power of God to lead His people. We need to trust in God more and let the power of the Holy Spirit guide our thoughts and guard our hearts. While I don't always agree with every "Christian" RUclips video that I watch, I do try to discern the content creator's words based on the test of the Christian faith as found in 1 John 4:2,14-15. There we are told that any spirit that confesses that Jesus is God Incarnate, come in the flesh to save us from our sins, is from God. While I'd love to hear my Christian friends say this explicitly more often, I look to the fruits of what they say to determine whether they are a fellow believer. In that way, Tom's desire to return to what he sees as the hallmarks of the early church, especially around the "one anothering", demonstrates his love for God and the assembly. Before I conclude this rather lengthy post, I'd like to explain why I call Tom by his first name and not "Dr. Wadsworth". I do it as a show of respect and admiration. So much of what passes as "the Gospel truth" today comes to us from people who purport to have expertise in a field. How often have you heard a politician use the phrase "experts say" or "scientists tell us" to justify their ideas? The same is true in the church, only to a greater degree. For as much as my Christian friends like to tell me that they believe that Scripture is their sole guide for faith and practice, it's not often that they will bring out a Bible and read passages in context when explaining their beliefs. Oftentimes, they cite a confession or catechism or the Church Order. In other words, they rely on what "experts say". I have found many church leaders to be woefully lacking in their understanding of the Gospel because they rely so heavily on the work of others. Because Tom has done some very heavy lifting with God's Word, I have to applaud him for his efforts. And respect him for them as well. I believe that it would be disrespectful to both Tom and the Lord to say, "well, Dr. Wadsworth has been anointed by some committee of smart Christians that I've never met, so he MUST be right". Tom is not right because he's written a book and holds the title "Dr. Wadsworth". He's worth listening to because he's actively engaging Scripture, and so should we. To be honest, I think that this is exactly why the church struggles today. There are too many "experts" and too few leaders who get that the heart of the Gospel is God's mercy and grace to an undeserving people as expressed in the Bible. Christianity is not about rules. It's about Christ. It's even in the name 🙂
Our brother, Todd, you wrote, "I've been unable to find a new church home simply because I know this will be the outcome wherever I go." May Holy Spirit open your heart to a message of encouragement. God took me out of the institutional system in the year 2000 in the middle of a "worship service." He said four words in my spirit -- "You are done here." After 23 years in the institution, including being employed as a youth pastor, I knew no other way of following Jesus. Those four words led me into a wonderful and needed wilderness season of years for the purpose of unlearning what I had been taught concerning what I had understood it meant to follow Christ. I picked up my Bible and started to see that I had accepted ideas that weren't actually there. My journey included coming to the place of longing to find or "start" a small group of disciples with whom we could walk this road together. Over and over again I was unable to "find" these people. My longing, which was truly Jesus' longing, began to be fulfilled in a powerful way last year (after 23 years!!). The Spirit connected me to a brother who a similar heart for God's Purpose for Jesus' Family, and he had involved with a very small, traditional, Bible church. After a few months and much prayer, this brother met with the few core people of this institution when he declared that the "pastor" would no longer be "preaching" on Sundays, and the pews would be replaced with chairs in the round so that we could allow Holy Spirit to lead us when we gather. I won't go into all of the details of the changes here, but it's been a short 15 months, and it is simply amazing how we are LEARNING what it means to Live out being a Family. EVERYTHING is questioned and prayed about, particularly since nearly everything in the institution is done because of tradition rather than using the Bible, rightly interpreted, as our guide. Two items of priority to note: 1) We are increasingly growing to have and keep Jesus at the center of ALL that we are and decide to do. Christians think by default that they are doing this in their lives and church systems, but it's clearly not the case. Spirirual blindness abounds about this. 2) We now understand what Tom W. is saying -- our assemblies are for building up one another, as the NT clearly describes, rather than singing a few "worship" songs hearing and listening to a traditional long "sermon." We now are growing in Christ to share what Christ is doing in and around us. Some are actually growing to assemble primarily to encourage each other rather than to get something out of the gathering! We are learning to value PROPHESYING and what that is. 1 Corinthians 14, properly interpreted, has been an important passage for us to consider in making changes. I will seek our Papa's face with you that He would connect you with one other likeminded and thirst brother. May your fellowship be the seed that allows Holy Spirit to have His way in you and guide you to walk out together the Good News in a way that God intended for all of us!!
@@rickmeunier9291 thank you, Rick. I'm not only open to encouragement, but I very much welcomed every word that you wrote along with the spirit of building up the Body of Christ that you convey behind it. Just to be clear... when I say that I'm a man without a home in the church system, I feel as though this is God's purpose for my life in this season of my life. The early days were a struggle, and as you point out there is a lot of unlearning to do. They key to success is to always keep Christ in focus. One part of my journey that has come as a big surprise for me - what the church system taught me for decades was that "those other Christians over there, if you can really even call them Christians", were people who didn't quite measure up to the standards of my church. Why? I mean really, WHY??? With all of my love and respect to people who come from broken homes, the institutional church makes me feel a lot like a little kid growing up in a home whose parents fight all of the time and then try to make their kids pick sides. I am so very sick of all the bickering. It hurts down to the depths of my soul. Sadly, when I found myself in conflict with the leaders of my last church as to whether Christ was truly its Head, the advice that I got from my fellow congregants was to either take the fight to Presbytery or to be passive-aggressive and ignore the leadership altogether. At no time did anyone propose examining Scripture directly and praying for God's wisdom. Nor did it seem to be an option to set aside the cultural issues driving the conflict in favor of allowing God to speak directly to His people. So for as much as I hated to just give up on the institution of the church, I believe that it was God's will to move me away from a dubious system of religion and back into the arms of my loving Savior. I'm so sorry to hear that you've spent so long in the wilderness. I do think that assembling with other Christians is important, whatever "assembling" means these days. I've found a lot of fellowship online, though there are those who will tell you that you cannot be edified by watching RUclips. To them I would ask, "have not the churches throughout the centuries been edified by Paul's 'posts' (letters) to the churches in the New Testament?" In fact, I find it rather ironic that any Christian would claim that their fellow Christian cannot be edified using electronic means when they themselves are commenting on videos for the purpose of correcting other believers. So thank you again, Rick, for your kind words and gentle spirit. My prayer is that God continues to grow you in your faith and grants to you the desires to deepen your faith in concert with other believers. As for myself, I have recently connected with other Christians, who like me are exploring our desire to find Christ's righteousness through the confession of sin. It can be a real challenge to be truly repentant for your sins while not driving yourself to despair or feeling as though you're scoring Brownie Points with God along the way. God bless you my dear brother, and keep up your good work!
I read it all, beautifully said, Amen!💞📖🙏🏼 You are not alone… 59 yrs following God, left the churches almost 20 years ago, I’m closer to Jesus’s teachings now, than ever before…💞🙏🏼📖 We don’t need no stinking, money grubbing, box church…. We’ve got God, and His Son Jesus, and a world of true believers scattered everywhere in these final days…. Rejoice, it’s getting late…..💞📖
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
Can we all PLEASE start a community of believers who know this truth - I will move there! Keep spreading the truth brother Tom! I am an Uber driver who tries to plant seeds of the gospel and my car is more of a church than all the churches I have gone to over the last two decades.... sad but true -- and GOD be praised! JESUS CHRIST bless all here! P.S. regarding the "scholars" who wrote about "worship"... "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men. For you neither enter, nor even do you allow those who are entering to go in." Mat 23:13
Amen!!! Your testimony is SO encouraging! Thanks for sharing!!!! I have been doing what I call marketplace ministry just by going up to complete strangers and praying for them. The response is amazing! People are SO receptive and love it! They feel loved by the Lord and it is a great testimony. I am LOVING it! So much better than being a PEW warmer!!!
1. I've just read Robin Fox's book Pagans and Christians (before Constantine). The early church was very different to the pagans, but gradually and at least in part got to follow pagan customs, particularly with seeking oracles and developed an 'expert' layer that tended to merge into pagan civic practices. 2. The problem with the church as performance (one person/band/choir at the front) is that it makes it 'special' in a very wrong way, separating it from the normal Christian life and implicitly teaches believers that they have nothing to say, or if they do are not competent or trusted to say it. This means that the average Christian has no practice or experience in talking about their faith, defending their views, seeking others' approaches to Christian conversation and often is ill prepared or equipped to discuss their faith. Yet, I find many Muslims are very able to talk about their faith: they are wrong in every way, alas, but are vocal, know their dogmas and are supremely self-confident in many cases. Proper church gatherings would go a long way to build an articulate, confident pervasively missionary church.
Well said. It is my experience many Sunday goers cannot articulate what they actually believe and why. I have asked men in our Saturday prayer breakfast to share the gospel message in 30 seconds +/- and it is kind of shameful what they try to say
Amen! Great explanation! Over the last couple of years I have been speaking out more and talking about faith with other believers, sometimes questioning the traditions of men. Most of the time when I speak about the traditions, no one can give me an answer, as I back it up with scripture. Traditions can never be explained really but the scriptures sure can! It has helped me to grow in my faith and given me confidence to share the gospel with others. I am still learning but I am loving the adventure!
@AbideNowinJesus Jesus critiques the "traditions of men" in several passages, particularly when they conflict with God’s commands or distort true worship. Key examples include: Mark 7:6-13 Jesus rebukes the Pharisees and scribes for nullifying God’s commands by upholding human traditions. He says: “You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” (Mark 7:8) He gives the example of the Pharisees allowing people to declare their possessions as Corban (dedicated to God) to avoid helping their parents, thereby violating the commandment to honor one’s father and mother. Matthew 15:3-9 Similar to Mark 7, Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites for elevating traditions over God’s Word. He quotes Isaiah, saying: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” Matthew 23 Jesus repeatedly criticizes the scribes and Pharisees for imposing burdensome traditions on others while neglecting the weightier matters of the law, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. roman catholics give their church Traditions the Same Status as Scripture: church traditions should not hold the same authority as Scripture. Here’s why: Scripture as the Final Authority: The Bible presents itself as the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17), sufficient for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. Traditions must align with Scripture, not supersede or contradict it. Jesus’ Example: Jesus Himself upheld Scripture as the ultimate authority, repeatedly saying, “It is written” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10) when confronting error or temptation. Traditions Must Be Tested: Traditions can be helpful when they support biblical principles (e.g., communal worship or celebrating the Lord’s Supper) but should always be evaluated against Scripture (Acts 17:11). Warnings Against Adding to Scripture: The Bible warns against adding to or subtracting from God’s Word (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18-19). Traditions that attempt to do so risk leading people away from the truth. In summary, traditions should serve Scripture, not replace or rival it. While traditions can enrich faith when rooted in biblical principles, they must never obscure or contradict the Word of God.
@@AbideNowinJesus I recommend getting a copy of St. Basil the Great's Christian Ethics. It is very comprehensive and for the layman and leader, because as a leader and the one of the best educated men of the Classical world he labored to keep the ecclesia on the ethical path. The Church fathers laid down their lives for the ecclesia, and wrote beautifully. C.S. Lewis was heavy into the Fathers and recommended them. They are our spiritual friends.
I am SO glad you have been getting the word out! I knew there was something wrong but could not ever put my finger on it. The more I listen, the more it makes sense and how the enemy wants to try and destroy the true church. It has really opened my eyes and also shows me where I went so wrong. Our culture has been so wrong! I believe that the false way of "doing church" is being exposed. Hallelujah!
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
Amen your presentation accurately describes the spiritual discontentment that I have had with what I see in most churches today. What I see today is more entertainment oriented, or teacher/student oriented. It seems to me that most churches aspire to grow much like a business grows. Therefore, the Holy Spirit would not be as needed because a business has a life of its own. I appreciate the study and deep dive you have done because I think in these last days we need to think more about what gathering together actually means. The acceptable worship we give to God is by presenting our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice having our minds renewed through the Holy Spirit, not conforming to this world, and this worship takes place every day and every hour. Romans 12:1-2
I have listened to to many of Tom’s teachings on this subject and I concur heartily with his conclusions. I am wanting to share this at my church but find myself timid as I don’t think it would go down well with the majority. In my type of reasoning they had to make it a worship service because they made sacraments and gave them mystical powers. Such as declaring the priest changed the bread and wine into the body and blood. They brought in a religion system that was not known in the early church and therefore had to make the gathering together something more than what the first believers did. Add to this the thirst for power over the laity and the aim to micromanage the lives of believers under their power. When I read the Didache I see not an early church document, I see a l document which reflects the Religious Church mentality and a monk mentality of the time around 1000ad.
Speaking truth to power is always scary. Remember that any revelation of truth comes from the Holy Spirit. He will never leave you. Pray for wisdom in how and when to present the information to your church leadership. God will give you the wisdom you need. He’s already given you the desire and the courage to do it. You may also consider emailing Tom for some suggestions. 👍🏼
@@lindajeanniton5290I don't think the leadership is the place to start. Try starting a small group of friends (12 ) to gather for dinner and prayer and the reading and studying of scripture. Dinner will be the Eucahrist. Exchange prayer concerns and struggles in life.
Do not be afraid, dear sister. The very worst they can do is send you into the arms of Jesus-and what a glorious arrival that would be. Yet, you are right to approach with gentleness, not for your sake, but for theirs. Many are unprepared for the truth and the deep disappointment that comes with realizing they’ve been unknowingly following the wrong path. It is no small thing to confront the deception of a lifetime. Speak the truth in love, and trust that Yeshua will work through your words, even if they are met with resistance. He is the one who opens hearts and minds; your role is simply to plant many seeds.
I think that when the Lord Jesus instituted the rememberence of the breaking of bread and drinking of wine at the last supper,He never meant it to become a instituted sacrament with a table,and all the trappings of institutional athourity it has become today.I think as He said where two or more are gathered together,I will be there',this rememberence was meant as a ritual that should be performed at every meal when we sit down to eat,a daily rememberance for all as we partake of substance.Also worshiping God entails much more than gathering in one place and focusing on God,it's touches every aspect of life,how we work,order our lives,raise our familys,as Jesus said,those that worship Him worship in spirit and truth,and our temple is each and every believers body,not a building.Your work Tom sheds serious light for those who seek God.
Thank you sir, you have given me much to consider. You presented this well without ranting, with wisdom and humility, opening our eyes. Thanks again sir, blessings upon you.
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
Refreshing to hear say someone say it out loud. Having been a pastor for many years, I struggled with the modern-day church concept. I always felt I didn't fit the mold. Well, I didn't, and I don't. Thank you!
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
This is very interesting and I'm glad you and others have brought this out. That being said I do not see a problem with the way a good Bible believing church conducts a modern assembly. Singing and listening to a sermon can be good and edifying to the body gathered. But... I do believe there is too much emphasis put on the institutionalized repetitious way church is done. We would be better off with getting in groups and talking and reading Scripture and growing together😁👍🏻
I came across your teachings a few months ago and they have fundamentally changed the way I view the assembly. What’s especially interesting to me is denominations like the Churches of Christ will put all sorts of rules surrounding worship (like only accapella singing) when in reality there is no command to even worship God when we assemble.. so there are definitely no instructions about how to do so.
Agreed. In 1 Cor 14, the famous chapter about the assembly, Paul expressly states that a musical instrument can indeed convey a message that edifies (1 Cor 14:7-8). If instruments were sinful to use in the assembly, it's shocking that Paul would use instruments as a positive example of conveying an edifying message.
A truly insightful presentation! The detailed analysis clearly highlights how much terminology and practice have shifted since the 1st century. Especially in light of the changes after Nicaea, this work serves as another important piece of evidence for understanding how communal edification evolved into institutionalized forms. Thank you for the clear explanation and well-grounded arguments-a valuable reminder to revisit the origins.
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
Excellent discussion Dr Wadsworth and opportune too. I think that one should note that we are Biblically unable to offer to God anything that He needs or is even fully acceptable and "clean". I have often felt and expressed the view that "worship" is certainly not the singing of devotional hymns, psalms or songs (though that can be an expression of such), nor should the gathering together be focused expressly, as you put it, to a vertical relationship, but on horizontal ministry and service (and this has unsurprisingly been met with significant opposition and critique as well as unfortunately, obstinate refusal to even consider the alternative). For though we cannot give God anything of worth, true worship can be achieved by serving (those whom He loved so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die on their behalf, so that all who believe in Him may be saved). That is WHY this is a true expression of worship, we serve Him by serving each other with the gifts he gave us, equipping us for this service, and so bless him - for as you do to the least of these, you have also done for me. And we are not saved for ourselves only but for good deeds, to obey all the commands Jesus left with and for us and making disciples (that is, not converts, for then we shall make them twice as selfish, unholy and children of the lie as we ourselves are - I hope I'm not over-stressing that point, but it needs to be driven home). Verses Showing Our Inability to Offer Anything Fully Worthy of God’s Glory: Psalm 50:9-12 "I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it." Isaiah 64:6 "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." (Hebrew for “righteous acts” here is "צְדָקוֹת" (tsedaqot).) Acts 17:24-25 "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else." Romans 11:35-36 "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." Job 41:11 "Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me." These verses highlight the insufficiency of human efforts to meet God's greatness, emphasizing His self-sufficiency and the inadequacy of our offerings. Verses and Pericopes Explaining True Worship and the Practices of the Early Church: John 4:23-24 "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth." The Greek word for worship here is προσκυνέω (proskuneō), meaning "to bow down" or "to prostrate oneself." It emphasizes reverence, humility, and submission to God, not merely external rituals. Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship." The Greek word used here is λατρεία (latreia), which is better translated as "service" or "ministry." True worship involves offering one’s life in service to God as an act of devotion. Acts 2:42-47 "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people." The early church focused on communal worship, characterized by εὐχαριστία (eucharistia) or thanksgiving (as seen in the breaking of bread) and acts of fellowship. Hebrews 13:15-16 "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." Here, worship involves continual θυσία (thusia), meaning "sacrifice," emphasizing praise and acts of goodness as forms of worship. 1 Corinthians 14:26 "What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up." The participatory nature of worship reflects the Greek concept of οἰκοδομή (oikodomē), meaning "edification" or "building up," emphasizing collective growth through spiritual gifts. The Five Greek Words Translated as "Worship" προσκυνέω (proskuneō) Meaning: "To bow down," "to prostrate oneself in reverence." Usage: Indicates deep humility and reverence, often physical gestures of submission (e.g., John 4:23-24). Significance: Worship as an act of acknowledging God’s greatness and one’s dependence on Him. λατρεία (latreia) Meaning: "Service" or "ministry." Usage: Refers to acts of devotion and service as forms of worship (e.g., Romans 12:1). Significance: Worship is not confined to rituals but encompasses a life of service to God. εὐσεβεία (eusebeia) Meaning: "Piety" or "godliness." Usage: Emphasizes an inward attitude of devotion and respect toward God, leading to righteous behavior (e.g., 1 Timothy 4:8). Significance: True worship begins with inward reverence and reflects outwardly in one’s life. θρησκεία (thrēskeia) Meaning: "Religious practice" or "ceremonial worship." Usage: Refers to external expressions of worship, such as rituals or ceremonies (e.g., James 1:27). Significance: True religion involves not just ceremonies but practical expressions of care and holiness. σεβασμός (sebasmos) Meaning: "Reverence" or "awe." Usage: Often describes the attitude of respect and awe in worship (e.g., Hebrews 12:28). Significance: Worship stems from an overwhelming sense of God’s majesty and holiness. These terms reveal the multifaceted nature of worship, encompassing reverence, service, devotion, practical actions, and communal edification. By understanding these nuances, we see that worship is not limited to ritual acts but is a holistic expression of one’s life and relationship with God. Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention. I do not think our liturgical order need change very much (or perhaps I just don't feel that it would be a big change for me personally) in order to reform to a "gathering together" that is in line with scripture, but we have to ensure that the purpose thereof as originally intended is re-incorporated into the church (body). Truly inspirational at a level much needed today.
Excellent comments! Our individual studies of "worship" have resulted in remarkably similar findings. If you'd like to connect, send me an email at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
Might the doctrine of the Nicolations in Revelations be refering ro the growing artificial distinction between so called clergy and laity?A thing the Lord hated maybe because the assembly became focused on the preacher and his message and not the edification of the members?
The question I have not heard asked or answered is “Why?” Why did our forefathers shift from a simpler gathering to a complex worship service? Is there historical evidence giving the reasons for the shift?
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
Unfortunately, “pastors” in today’s sense are not Biblical. So these “pastors” really need to quit their jobs of “pastoring”, identify others in their “church” who qualify as elders and deacons, and encourage their “members” to start local house churches. (And sell of the church properties and put the funds into true Biblical giving.)
@@garmac6174 While I generally agree with your comment here, I've personally tried to avoid talking about the waste of the institutional church. The fact that billions are wasted on church buildings is a symptom of a problem, not the cause. The cause is that we've lost sight of who Jesus is as our Messiah. Most churches these days are more focused on the "rules" than on salvation. Rules can come in many forms, whether it's obedience to creeds, catechisms, confession, and the Church Order on the intellectual side, or meeting arbitrary tests of whether you're "on fire" enough on the emotional side. It never seems to be enough to consider the work of Christ by reading Scripture while at the same time allowing the Holy Spirit to wash over you and convict you of your need for a Savior. Recently I have returned to Psalm 51. It's a passage from my youth that demonstrates that I have no righteousness of my own to offer God, that my only hope of salvation is if God wills it, and that the hope and joy of restoration of the saints is upon us. This being said, I'd encourage you to continue speaking up about how the current church system lacks a Christ-centered focus. Another $1 million in the church building fund is the last thing that any church needs.
It’s getting ugly, for example, a Pr. Begley is telling his flock to stop doing bible studies at peoples houses, they’re getting it wrong… (paraphrased)…. It was a few weeks ago, very disturbing prosperity pastor, I really wish Tom could do a half hour with him like the other shows he’s set up to do in the circuit… Begley, and his mystic sidekick mike from around the world needs a lot of prayers, and so do their poor spiritually abused cult followers… so, we pray, hard! 🙏🏼📖💞
Excellent 30 minute summary Tom! I have been recommending your work and videos to many and this 30 minute summary is great. Perhaps a 30 minute summary going over the how we got here would be good also. The whole sacrificial system needs a priest needs an alter in a temple chronology. Is excellent with a few words of comparison as to how in many ways the Roman church which had a habit of perhaps trying to co-opt and overlay native traditions and festivals had effectively brought back pagan worship practices both because they got funding and to keep up with the jones or provide similar worship experiences with other pagan traditions. And perhaps most importantly - the pagan temple priest expert model is somewhat incideous in that it forgets, neglects and negates the whole idea of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that happens when one becomes a believer and should Be getting stronger as one grows in discipleship. It’s like the Roman church model deliberately stunts growth and starves and discourages the believer of true discipleship. We have nearly empty elementary school like churches when, if a gathering plan based on edification had been developed we might have a thriving network of deep believers who were connected with and raising up and tending to the growth of new believers. Great insights that I am trying to implement but I do think we are so late in the prophetic clock that end times and a global system that has dispersed and fragmented and atomized the population and keeps them isolated has already been set in place that it will now be very hard to implement . But at least this can be a grass roots movement
Brother Tom, you put into easily understandable words what we (my husband and I) had been observing for several years before we finally left the "church" establishment. Actually, God took us out when we confronted the pastor with his erroneous theology and he got highly offended. 😊 I am praying to find a gathering of like-minded saints, but so far, nothing.
I was wondering too and have searched. I saw the need directly with my own family . I am going to be starting a bible study with my cousin, daughter and grandchildren and trust for God to grow it. Pray that God will provide. I believe He will! Also, I have gone to a couple of healing trainings. I came home from the most recent one and went out to start to minister to others and ask if they needed healing. Most of the people are asking for prayer for what is currently going on in their lives. So I am praying for these people. A lot of times they break down and cry. The Lord is reaching them. I was nervous at first but now I am not scared at all. I was praying of a man in Wal Mart and all of a sudden, a stranger joins us in prayer! NOW that was encouraging! You wanna hear something else??? Prior to that encounter, I was praying for a woman who recently had surgery. I prayed for her and in the natural, it appeared nothing happened. We parted ways and I continued on in the store. All of a sudden I heard over the intercom, it was like a commercial but it wasn't and the lady was saying, "are you planting seeds? Don't get discouraged if you don't see a harvest yet. Keep planting." I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EARS!!!!!!! I was SO overjoyed by that word of encouragement I went to find the next person to pray for and that was when I encountered the man that I prayed for and when the stranger showed up. God is moving! We just have to have faith and step out of the boat! This is MUCH more exciting than any church service I ever went to!!! Praying that God blesses you abundantly as you step out!
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
@tomwadsworth yes, thank you. I would like to be on your email list. By the way, I have watched all 7 of your videos and my spirit bears witness to what you taught.
Love your teachings. If we remove the word church in our conversations it opens up a void where the real essence of Christ's Body can fit in. The "assembly" is the piece of the puzzle that has been left out. "Church" has created such a misnomer that it blinds believers to the truth. From the old Norse, Saxon "Kirk" which was a small temple built along a waterway where their gods dwelt, to the building most assemblies gather in. This should be expunged from our vocabulary. Assembly is the term used and is self explanatory.
I'm a pastor in a Pentecostal church. I think people should worship where they want and with other believers of course. Principles found in-the bible can be implemented in many different kinds of worship settings. Find a group if believers, live the bible, love Jesus.
I find it refreshing to have someone (you) cut through all the misleading teaching about traditions and rituals. I always said, there's nothing wrong with tradition in itself (unless they clearly violate the bible's teaching) and that we owe the traditions nothing more than considering if they should be part of our own traditions or not. I am so weary of hearing about "the local church". That phrase is tossed around by so many pastors and teachers and they don't realize how much their definition of "the local church" is rooted in their own extrabiblical traditions. Please keep up the great stuff that you do. It needs to rach more people and set them free too on this issue.
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
Yes, obviously these flaws and assumptions have been the problem with scholarship through the decades! This is patently obvious! I’m happy to see scholars finally addressing these flawed assumptions. Hallelujah!
In your article (About 'Worship') you mention how πίπτω (to fall down) and προσκυνέω (to prostrate) are used, but you don't mention the passage where the apostle John falls down with the intention of giving worship to the angel. In your opinion, why did the angel reject this προσκυνέω and how did he know this act was reserved for God alone? Additionally, I would like to ask about your dissertation. Where can I read it?
Rev 19:10 and 22:8-9 are more excellent examples of falling down and prostrating as a respectful form a greeting. The angel rejected the act because of the Second Commandment (Ex 20:4-5). Jesus himself cited the Second Commandment when he responded to the appeal to prostrate to Satan: "Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You shall prostrate to the Lord your God, and serve Him only’” (Matt 4:10; Luke 4:8). In Rev 19 and 22, the angel is saying that proskynesis should be given to God alone. That same point is emphasized frequently in Revelation, where proskuneo is used a remarkable 24 times, condemning those who prostrate before the Beast and false gods (Rev 9:20; 13:4, 12, 15; 14:11; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4) and commending those who prostrate before God (cf. Rev 4:10; 5:14; 7:11; 11:1, 16; 14:7; 15:4; 19:4; et al.). Contact me at tomwadsworth.com/contact. I will send you my complete dissertation in PDF.
All my life beginning as a Catholic, when I read the new testament, I always wondered why church services were not like the early meetings. They assembled,ate together, had a communion service and EDIFIED each other. They pooled money to help the brothers and sisters that needed help. The Romans were astonished at how Christians helped poor people in Rome. We are supposed to be servants and examples to others. All Christian’s are saints!
God doesn't need building up, but we do. Interesting that all the things Paul mentioned the Scriptures were useful for were all "oneanothering" - evidently the Scriptures are not for learning how to "worship" God. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good action.
These "one another" commands in Scripture emphasise how believers are to interact and care for each other as part of the body of Christ. Here is a list of over fifty of these commands, all aimed at fostering love, unity, and growth within the church community: 1. Love one another - John 13:34, John 15:12, 1 John 3:11, 1 John 4:7, 1 John 4:11 2. Be devoted to one another - Romans 12:10 3. Honour one another above yourselves - Romans 12:10 4. Live in harmony with one another - Romans 12:16, 1 Peter 3:8 5. Build one another up - Romans 14:19, 1 Thessalonians 5:11 6. Be like-minded toward one another - Romans 15:5 7. Accept one another - Romans 15:7 8. Admonish one another - Romans 15:14, Colossians 3:16 9. Greet one another - Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Peter 5:14 10. Serve one another - Galatians 5:13 11. Bear one another’s burdens - Galatians 6:2 12. Forgive one another - Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13 13. Be patient with one another - Ephesians 4:2 14. Speak the truth in love to one another - Ephesians 4:15, Ephesians 4:25 15. Be kind and compassionate to one another - Ephesians 4:32 16. Submit to one another - Ephesians 5:21 17. Consider others better than yourselves - Philippians 2:3 18. Look to the interests of one another - Philippians 2:4 19. Bear with one another - Colossians 3:13 20. Teach one another - Colossians 3:16 21. Encourage one another - 1 Thessalonians 4:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 3:13 22. Exhort one another - Hebrews 3:13 23. Stir up one another to love and good works - Hebrews 10:24 24. Do not slander one another - James 4:11 25. Do not grumble against one another - James 5:9 26. Confess your sins to one another - James 5:16 27. Pray for one another - James 5:16 28. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling - 1 Peter 4:9 29. Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another - 1 Peter 5:5 30. Do not lie to one another - Colossians 3:9 31. Seek good for one another - 1 Thessalonians 5:15 32. Do not envy one another - Galatians 5:26 33. Do not provoke one another - Galatians 5:26 34. Show hospitality to one another - 1 Peter 4:9 35. Carry one another's burdens - Galatians 6:2 36. Live in peace with one another - 1 Thessalonians 5:13 37. Be at peace with one another - Mark 9:50 38. Do not judge one another - Romans 14:13 39. Do not boast against one another - James 3:14 40. Do not bite, devour, or consume one another - Galatians 5:15 41. Do not be conceited toward one another - Romans 12:16 42. Do not be arrogant toward one another - 1 Corinthians 4:6 43. Wait for one another - 1 Corinthians 11:33 44. Comfort one another - 1 Thessalonians 4:18 45. Be of the same mind with one another - Romans 15:5 46. Be compassionate to one another - 1 Peter 3:8 47. Be tender-hearted toward one another - Ephesians 4:32 48. Correct one another with gentleness - Galatians 6:1 49. Meet with one another regularly - Hebrews 10:25 50. Rejoice with one another - Romans 12:15 51. Mourn with one another - Romans 12:15 52. Do not repay evil for evil to one another - 1 Thessalonians 5:15 53. Confess faults to one another - James 5:16 These commands serve as a guide for how we should treat each other in the body of Christ, demonstrating love, patience, humility, and unity. Living by these commands helps build a strong, spiritually healthy ekklesia, a body (family) of Christ. By prioritizing these attitudes and behaviours, we reflect the love of Christ and fulfil His call to live in harmony with others, just as described in Scripture.
Thankfulness and praise toward God, be it praying or singing, is edifying to the Body. How can it not be? To proclaim that praise and worship is strictly vertical is ludicrous to those that do so from the heart. My "worship", if you will (In today's context, we call it "worship", sorry). I am deeply edified. And when I gather with othe "worshers" I have found it to be edifying to them as well as we encourage one another. Words change in meaning often from one generation to the next and certainly from one translation to another. Worship means praise and adoration and proclaiming His glory until He comes, these days.
Fantastic video and very interesting, but this raises some questions for me. One of the major ones is how you deal with the sacramentalist prooftexts higher-Church Christians cite in the Ante-Nicene Fathers. How should we understand the Eucharist and Baptism in light of this fact? Does 1 Corinthians 11 conflict with this with the unworthy reception of the bread and cup? I’m Low Church myself but I’m curious our how you address these topics.
To start with, I think we do well do simply "call Bible things by Bible names." When we apply an unbiblical term like "sacrament" to things like baptism and the Lord's Supper, we are imposing some extra-biblical ideas upon these practices. The same is true with the term "Holy Eucharist." It's not a term used by first-century Christians. We stand on much firmer ground when we describe these practices by citing specific scriptures that describe them. And remember: Our task is not to try to justify modern church constructs. Our task is to look afresh at the NT text and determine exactly what they say about any given topic.
For those who have a copy of Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words by MacDonald, you can look up "worship" for clarification of everything discussed in this video. In my copy it is pages 1258-1259. All these words align with the conversation Jesus had with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:19-26. What it is clear, at least to me, is the current "corporate worship" we must suffer through once or twice a week is NOT found in God's Word.
You mentioned that most of the actual language for worship in the New Testament is directed towards the idea of the temple. Since most of the New Testament (if traditional authorship is granted) is written before the destruction of Jerusalem, wouldn't it make sense, then, that such language was referencing the temple there, and perhaps the synagogues which were scattered wherever the Jewish diaspora was located, since Christianity began first as a Jewish sect? If so, wouldn't that entail that the language which refers to vertical worship is not necessarily foreign to the New Testament church, but could rather be the water around which the concept of church assembly was situated? In other words, the idea of vertical worship was not addressed as much in the NT simply because the Jewish mind at the time already had an understanding of that vertical worship as it was expressed through the temple cult in Jerusalem, as well as the writings of the Torah, the Prophets, and the Ketuvim? Furthermore, since the worship at the temple cult revolved around animal sacrifice as a picture of substitutional offering, and we as Christians acknowledge that Christ came as the ultimate fulfillment of that, then wouldn't the vertical worship of the New Testament be referenced every time Christ's sacrifice and resurrection is mentioned? And thus, while not always explicitly mentioned, vertical worship would actually be an integral part of the New Testament understanding of its assembly/gathering, in addition to the horizontal edification being expressed? I'm not against the re-emphasis of edification in the assembly of believers (God knows we need it), but it does seem like we're throwing the baby out with the bathwater if the intention is to get rid of worship as it has become understood in the modern day to be replaced only or even mostly by horizontal edification. There is a "both/and" course we can take here, rather than "either/or".
For the Jewish believers, maybe. For the gentile believers, most likely didn’t have a clue about Judaism and the rituals - hence the showdown in Acts 15.
@@JoanneJolee since we're talking about the New Testament, a time prior to 70AD (if we accept traditional authorship), the church would still be more Jewish than Gentile.
You have given me something interesting to watch for in my studies. If worship words are all temple related what do you think that means for how we should approach the temple in scripture?
It seems the spiritual worship that the Gospels talk about (Worship God in spirit) pertains to edification of one another and serving the people in need, as explained in the parables. So, the Bible teaches of worship by works, not by rituals and superstitions.
Dear Tom, l have a feeling that you might be the part of the flaw. You don't mention what the bible says: they have broken the bread in houses . As well read the Didache (around AD 50) and Justin the Martyr (around AD 150) who reports what the early Christians did. The Eucharist was a central piece of the liturgy ( worship). Words of prophecy, speaking in tongues, interpretations of tongues was part of the assembly gatherings of the first Church.
The context of those passages makes clear that the "sacrifices" are to be understood metaphorically, a dramatic departure from the standard OT/Jewish view of "sacrifices." Rom 12:1 is the classic verse that uses much sacrificial language, but in a metaphorical sense.
As I see what Tom is getting at, its the participation aspect of Pauls instruction that seems to be absent from the body of Christ in our western culture. There was never meant to be a one man show so to speak when it came to our gathering together but rather a participatory interaction from one another, edifying and building up model. What we call church today does not even come close to that model. House churches operating under these guidelines and following the teachings of the scriptures can achieve this and should be encouraged even within the confines of modern congregations. Our problem arises out of about 18 centuries of mis applying scripture and Roman Catholicism's adoption of more paganist ideas of God. In other words we have practiced the wrong thing for so long, the right thing now looks absurd. There is nothing wrong about singing praises to God , there is nothing wrong with gathering together, prayer, hymns, giving as all these are encouraged in scripture but IF we are not connecting with one another in this way Paul describes in 1 Cor:14, we are not nourishing the body as it was meant to be nourished and that's why the Church in western culture is not as powerful in its impact as it should be. I think Tesla's theory of how to transmit electricity is how the church should be operating in the power of the Holy Spirit and that happens by loving one another like Jesus loves us, that only happens in a small intimate group setting mostly. Sorry to be so long in this, but our hard drives take a long time to reorganize
What’s important when we think about WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? is this. A better biblical expression for what early Christians were doing in their assemblies is the word “fellowship” (1 Jh 1) - I think it bridges the gap between the ideas of “Growing In Maturity” and “Becoming Good At Worshipfulness”. The word “fellowship” involves not only the Christian but also God Himself. Fellowship then encompasses both the horizontal “building up” and the vertical “worship”. For the early Christian (and biblically speaking) it’d be redundant to say, “We are going to fellowship to worship God” Fellowship is one and the same - all in Christ. And this highlights something vital that perhaps Mr. Wadsworth wants to avoid and that is the fact that early Christians would have had no conception of fellowship as being an orchastrated, intentional gathering of believers and unbelievers for the purpose of “growing the church”, while unbelievers surely attended Christian fellowships they were not there as a byproduct of formulaic religious confessions of faith and ritual performances which synthetically “Christianized” them. Much of the teachings we see in churches which amount to “How to be a Christian” would not have existed as we see today. (1 Jh 2:27) The answer to it all is in the biblical meaning of “fellowship”. (1 Jh 1:3)
Yes, "fellowship" (κοινωνία) has some application to biblical assembly function, but Paul had a better biblical expression for what early Christians should do in their assemblies: Edification (οἰκοδομή). He said so explicitly (1 Cor 14:26).
Most of us know that church means a gathering of Christians and that saint or hallow refers to every Christian; indeed some translations wield the word gathering or congregation for churches, which is quite right. When I think of the word church, I think of the congregation not the building in which they worship. Surely Christians do worship God whether or not they are on their own or when they gather; so what is the dispute about? Yes, they met in houses in the first century to edify, fellowship, and teach one another; but does this exclude worship and prayer? Surely it does not. How can you edify one another unless you first worship Him who is altogether worthy of worship. And duly appointed and gifted church leaders are there in the first century too: you have apostles, elders and the brethren. Indeed you have those who preach, pastor and teach, and those who do not. These are referred to in the Deeds of the Apostles and in the Epistles of Paul to the Ephesians, and of John in his epistles and in his Revelation.
Love the section about the error of Anachronisms! I agree that “Church & Worship” are the greatest error of our christian culture. You could also add to your list “Servant”, from the greek word “Doulos” which always means Slave! These Anachronisms or mistranslations of important greek words, have definitely twisted what we understanding today, and accounts for so many immature christians, sitting for decades in pews every week.
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
None of the Greek words for "worship" are ever used in reference to the Lord's Supper, either. While today's "communion" is commonly thought to be a communion with God, the NT depicts the meal as also depicting communion with the other members of the body of Christ. In 1 Cor 11, Paul declares that when the Corinthians took the Lord's Supper, it was not the "Lord's" Supper because of the divisions among them (1 Cor 11:18-21).
@ I think I have a long way to go to understand. But I intend to., Lord willing. After 66 years of being part of the Church of Christ , which has been a great blessing in my life, it is hard to hear these things.
Hebrews 13:10 said, we (Christians) have an altar from which those (judaizers) who still serve in the (jewish) temple have no right to eat of the sacrifice. What is the need for altar if not worship?
You are raising a serious question here! This statement obviously underscores the prevailing argument of what we could hear in this video. Christian assemblies had to have more of a liturgical content (no doubt more flexible in its form and appearance than the later developments brought) in order to be inaccessible to those "others". The imagery of the altar and the temple used in Hebrews is clearly rooted in the Old Testament, but this 'anachronistic' use points in the direction that a deeper content (liturgical in its essence I believe) shaped the uniqueness of the Christian assemblies, defining its boundaries, more than mere ethical components which were however highly appreciated in the philosophical circles of the age.
Agree fully. 1Cor 12 - 14 says how to gather and the place and role / gifts of each member of Christ's body. No vertical one man / pastor / preacher / teacher shows. Paul says the spiritual and true prophets know it is GOD'S COMMAND! All one preacher, one speaker, or appointed or selected speakers, one band / one songleader shows are demonic - against GOD'S COMMAND. God ignores such gatherings!! Ezek 3 and 33 and Matt18 apply to us who know this - we need to warn them, even before the whole assembly. They will kick us out, as Jesus warned. Then, we obey the Great Commission, make disciples and we gather Biblically, in our homes, with all who now follow and obey Jesus' commands. This new wine cannot go into and be kept in the old wineskins. I have been kicked out of ALL such "churches" where I presented 1Cor 14 to the leaders and gatherings. They will NEVER accept it, but we must still warn them.
Imagine how many of these anachronisms exist in todays Christendom? Shall we root them all out? What would Christ's Body look like then? I could only imagine!
18:18 I'm not sure that worship is entirely vertical. Isn't helping widows and orphans worship? We love God by loving our neighbour. I may be nitpicking, but I don't think the two-dimensional perspective is an accurate representation. That said, I have no idea how to represent it in two dimensions: perhaps a circle going left and right from a person to their neighbours and then up to God?
Yes, the apostle Paul teaches us that we are to 'present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God' and that will be our 'latreia' - one of the words Dr Wadsworth mentioned as being used to talk about worship. I think from the context in Romans 12 it's clear that this 'latreia' or 'service' is something we are supposed to be doing continuously, every single day and in every circumstance. We dedicate ourselves to him in all we are and all we do. The same point is being made by James, as you quoted. Dr Wadsworth's discussion is about what happens during the Christians' gatherings. What's the main purpose of the meeting? And he stresses that the teaching of the New Testament is that it's the edification of one another.
@@tomwadsworth Thanks. I've downloaded the two PDFs that seem to be parts of your PhD thesis. BTW - the links in the 'questions' section seem to be broken. Two of them lead to the 'About Worship' paper, and three of them to the 'About the New Testament' paper, rather than to the subjects referred to. Only the 'Didache' link leads to its own paper.
The Greek word ecclesia (assembly) mistranslated as church is why we have what is going on today. There were no churches in the New Testament! There were assemblies, gatherings!
Assuming Liturgy, Sacraments, and Confession are later developments is a methodological flaw too. It's a low-church Protestant assumption read into history as an anachronism.
I’m not so interested by what the early church did, nor what the Greek means, I’m interested what Jesus taught, or God taught and what the Hebrew or Aramaic meant.
In my understanding, the idea's of the 5 Greek words which get translated worship is what individuals do, where the assembly is for the one another's. As Jesus said, it is the individual that will worship in spirit and truth. One cannot make the congregation do this. When it comes to singing, it is the individual that makes melody in his heart to the Lord. So an individual may be speaking the word, but not making the melody to the Lord in his heart. Plus, I like the fact it says speaking because not everyone can sing on key, but speaking to one another can happen; even if it is in sign or gestures. I have a tendency to look around the room during singing because I am single and do not have a family to focus on. There would be times I lock eyes with someone at a particular phrase of the song and it became a way to edify the person. Others, I would point to. They may be several aisles away, but it was a way to bring edification. Others in the congregation caught on and it brough about a betterment of the Church. You are correct, edification is what is needed amongst the congregation. And it is the individual to give him/herself over to the Lord.
Hello Dr. Wadsword. I think you are putting your finger on something important. Christianity functioned as a philosophy of life practiced by the ecclesia, the Church. That was its primary function in the Classical World. It was called by Fathers such as Chrysostom the "True Philosophy," the fulfillment of what the Greek Philosophers defined but could not live. Christ in the Gospels and The Apostles in their epistles described in great detail the moral/ethical life of the Christian community including the warnings of the loss of salvation without an ethical life of good works and love for the stranger. Christ minimized the importance of the Temple though he kept the Torah, since the Temple had become a temptation for the Judeans. The Sabbath became a day of good works not of rest and a reason to disregard the Ethics of the Torah. But the Sacraments are there and were kept by the Apostles which you see in Acts. They continued the liturgy of the Temple. The Church Fathers who defended Christianity against the loss of ethics and the various gnostic heresies that arose are very important for bridging the first Century Christians in their common Torah practice with ethnic converts with the 4th Century Ecclesia and worship. The massive Catacombs in Rome are complete evidence of continuity from the 1st Century to the 4th. Paul and Barnabus were called during the liturgy clearly stated in Acts. The Church Fathers especially Ephraim the Syrian were very influential in extending the Jewish liturgy into Christian Hymnody. But the divided American churches where the plump pastor is a wealthy untucked and tatooed prima donna or a eucharist provider without much teaching of the ethics where the people indulge in the latest and watch the towns and cities go to pot is a far cry from the spiritual and ethical energy of early Christianity and through the first Millennium before the Great Schism of 1054. I am part of a Roman Catholic parish, which has its problems, though the people and the priests are conservative, but nodding to a Papacy run by a Cynic grates. But its the best we can do in this small city. The Catholics here have a moderate ethic of good works, but here in the South the separatism and racial divide is strong because of the loss of Christian ethical teaching over the centuries.
Thanks much for your comments. We are *mostly* on the same page. My research makes me question these statements: "The Sacraments were kept by the Apostles which you see in Acts." "They continued the liturgy of the Temple." "Paul and Barnabas were called during the liturgy clearly stated in Acts."
@@tomwadsworth Let me try to explain. Acts 13:2 At Antioch Paul, Barnabus, Manaen, who also evangelized Cyprus, were all present. They were λειτουργέω - liturgizing - conducting the service to God as the Judeans practiced in the Temple using the Psalms. This word also involves the laity - ergon or work of the people, the laity. A public service. See these two words in the Greek of λειτουργέω. So they were functioning as presbyteros anglicized as priests, leading the people. Much like we anglicized deacons from deaconos. The rich icononography in the Catacombs illustrates these practices and many of the icons refer back to Old Testament events. So the early Christians did not leave the Old Testament behind, just as Paul instructed Timothy to become wise for salvation through the Old Testament, just as much the Holy Scriptures. Peter when praying on the roof at the 6th hour was following the liturgical hours of the Old Testament, as was Cornelius, though a Roman having learned the liturgical hours from Jewish practice as he was likely one of the Roman Soldiers evangelized by John the Baptist we see in Luke. Paul kept the Old Testament feasts. The Mediterranean is a treasure trove of early Christianity. I saw myself the bones of Lazarus who became bishop of Cyprus. But their holy activity was done in piety because of their obedience to the moral will of God, in contrast to the hypocritical Temple hierarchy who sacrificed their messiah in order to save their temple. I have been among the Eastern Orthodox for much of the last 25 years who have preserved this knowledge like the Syriac Orthodox and the Coptic Christians of Egypt.
Of course the center of the liturgy for the Apostles is now the eucharist, as termed in the West, and the Holy Mysteries as termed in the East, which Christ instituted as the Communion Supper of his body and blood.
@@italophile2011 Thanks for your kindly-stated explanation. I expound more on Acts 13:2 and λειτουργέω in my dissertation, and I include some excerpts on my website: www.tomwadsworth.com/answers-to-questions/about-worship. I also have had the good fortune to travel extensively throughout the Mediterranean basin, including the catacombs of Rome. It's marvelous!
@@tomwadsworth Yes I agree with you having read the link that you provided. Eastern Orthodox prostrate themselves toward the altar. It is hard to the Protestant imagination to make sense of this passage. They were facing an altar. To see this in action the Eastern forms of liturgy preserve the facing toward the altar oriented to the East. But the main point is the commission that Paul and Barnabus received from the voice they all heard. Fully active Eastern churches have the prayers at the appointed hours daily. But only once a day following Matins is the Divine Liturgy. This is the pattern. There was no guesswork or debate in the Holy Scriptures about how to worship or liturgize toward the altar, because the Judeans already had the forms handed down by Holy tradition. The problem that most concerns me is not the form, but the true piety of moral purpose and ethical catechism, the teachings of Christ, that has been lost to modern Christians of the divisions that have been upended by the Enlightenment and the loss of logic, or logos in our approach to our life lived here. Our situation I would characterize as a gnostic separation of soul and body, of theology and ethics, of present severed from past and future.
Do you know of a tracker site of some sort to connect with people of similar views in our general areas around the country? I am turned off to tell people to find a good church. They can exist but it is like a needle in a haystack.
No, but I found these three “house church portals” that allow you to search in a given area for a “simple organic church,” as they are sometimes called. I have not used any of these, so I cannot testify as to the quality or quantity of their listings. housechurchconnect.com/ findahousechurch.com/ www.hccentral.com/directory/ Besides that, you can always pray that the Lord leads you to find other like-minded believers in your area. If you keep your eyes and ears open, opportunities may reveal themselves.
With respect, I believe that Dr Wadsworth’s work also suffers from a major methodological flaw. If the methodological flaw of modern studies is taking modern conceptions of worship and reading them backwards in time, Dr Wadsworth’s “major methodological flaw” (IMO) is refusing to read the ancient understanding of worship *forward* in time. Namely: by strongly divorcing the Christian and its practices from the of Israel and its practices (despite the scholarship of Staples, et al and the translation choices of the LXX). This is because he is (in my understanding) committed to a radical discontinuity between old and new testaments/covenants. To be clear, I’m perfectly happy to say that there is discontinuity of a kind there. But the kind Dr Wadsworth advocates for is radical discontinuity: something “totally new”, to quote from his dissertation. It would seem that the way forward is one that commits neither error: do not assume that our use of worship informs the early Church, nor assume that the Jewish context of worship has nothing substantive to say for Christian worship.
I think there are significant flaws in the assumptions undergirding this presentation - in addition to negative consequences of the non-institutional, assembly model that are not adequately anticipated or addressed here. Firstly, isn't the entire argument an argument from silence?? Just because the NT doesn't define Christian worship doesn't mean the Apostles didn't leave their successors with specific instructions on how to worship on the Lord's Day (and indeed we have evidence of this in the Didache). Curious that there was no discussion of the ante-Nicene fathers who were literally the disciples of the Apostles. Neither was there any mention of Orthodox or Catholic scholarship or responses to these arguments. My understanding is that we don't get instructions on worship because early Christians were still worshiping in the synagogue / temple until they were thrown out, at which point they were under intense persecution from both Romans and Jews - making smaller, home (or catacomb) assemblies necessary. Not sure Tom's formal position, but the implication of this presentation is that small assemblies of Christians edifying one another is sufficient for a "church" (maybe he would go even farther and say that's the ideal church), and yet I believe the ante-Nicene fathers would seriously object to this notion. In terms of the negative consequences of this view, a couple quickly come to mind: like the Protestant notion of an "invisible church" today, it seems this concept of a "church" has significant shortcomings in preventing / defending against schism and heresy, and in meaningfully disciplining its members. I'm sure Orthodox / Catholic historians and theologians could identify countless more issues.
Thanks for your comments! The real argument from silence is the argument that the purpose of the Christian assembly is Worship. The NT nowhere states or implies that Worship is the purpose of the assembly. The NT is completely silent about that concept. To argue that the purpose of the assembly is Worship is an argument from silence. However, the NT is NOT silent about the purpose of the assembly. Paul explicitly and emphatically stated that it is Edification (1 Cor 14:26). You say I provided "no discussion of the ante-Nicene fathers." But I devoted a full 1-hour video to the ante-Nicene fathers: Video #6 How the Later Church Developed Worship Services ruclips.net/video/4CfNZbjK6Sg/видео.html You can also read my doctoral paper on this topic here: www.tomwadsworth.com/s/shift.pdf. I've had a few brothers from Catholic or Orthodox background who cite the Didache as the authority in this matter. But neither the Catholic Church nor the Orthodox Church regards the Didache as authoritative. The Didache has several other serious problems, as I've outlined here: www.tomwadsworth.com/answers-to-questions/about-the-didache
.' [Malachi 1:10-12] [So] He then speaks of those Gentiles, namely us, who in every place offer sacrifices to Him, i.e., the bread of the Eucharist, and also the cup of the Eucharist, affirming both that we glorify His name. Justin Martyr, dialogue with Trypho the Jew, chapter 41.
I discuss Malachi 1 and Justin Martyr in Video #6 How the Later Church Developed Worship Services ruclips.net/video/4CfNZbjK6Sg/видео.html and in this paper: www.tomwadsworth.com/s/shift.pdf.
Why does one have to use the word, "worship?" Because it makes people feel super spiritual. It covers a myriad of failings. If they don't read their Bible, don't witness for Christ, nor do they serve Christ in any outward horizontal fashion, they can say they're going to worship. Almost makes it sound as if they were a priest themselves.
The Bible accurately describes the early Church. We don't need to assume that though out the Church age that the Church would not grow and change, even for the better. To assume that everything we do should be exactly as the earliest Church is not necessarily a correct assumption. Remember, they laid much of what they owned at the Apostle's feet, and had all material things in common. Should we therefore live in communes, sharing our entire wealth and incomes? They sang in the early Church, likely often from Psalms, a book largely of praise. Jesus Himself sang, obviously to God. We cannot become vertically edified without horizontally drawing from the font of life and goodness, from exercising relationship and fellowship with God Himself, in all places, times, and situations. This was understood. We have nothing of substance that is not drawn first from God, perpendicularly. No edification can come, except first from above. The word Trinity is not in the Bible, but the concept rings throughout all of its pages. Worship, I believe, was fundamental, and understood. Read the book of Revelation, and see the saints in heaven worshipping. The problem is not our worshipping, but rather, is our worship after God's own heart, or in our image, for our pleasure, our emotional entertainment and excitement? We need to seek God for His prefect, unearthly ways of worshipping Himself, the very nature to please Him, not to mainly excite our emotions and feelings in ways that are actually fleshly.
When we gather together into one place as an assembly it isn't to do what you see the world's way of doing ,there concept of what they call worshipping the MOST HIGH YAH but rather to learn how to worship him in spirit and in truth to have a more profound knowledge of all that YAHSHUA THE MESSIYAH did in fulfillment of scriptures Matt.5:17-18 Matt.11:25-27 Vurses the ritualistic practicing and so forth and so on socalled praising and worship is really a man made traditions and concepts preaching to the flesh not in know way doing anything for the benefit for the Soul in understanding what the purpose and will of our heavenly FATHER has purpose for all mankind John 4:23-24- and how the MESSIYAH fulfilled those things that was written of him in the Law and Prophets (Scriptures) from Genesis to Malachi and the books of Matt. Mark Luke and John are the fulfillment of it all this is what Jeremiah the prophet prophesied about in Jer.31:31-3 which was his birth, life, death, buria,l and resurrection and the Ascension those are the day's he Jeremiah were referring too not to enslave one to ritualistic views and theories concepts and opinions of what they think or do instead of realizing the freedoms that has been delivered to us all from the shackles and burdens of the Old ways that was given to a particular people chosen by him the children of Israel to make himself known and eternal power understood he created all mankind to know him as he really is and actually exist
I am simply a Christian who believes that the Christian Scriptures should be the basis for Christian beliefs and practices. Consequently, I resist being pigeonholed as Trinitarian, Unitarian, Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Liberal, Conservative, Cessationist, Pentecostal, Calvinist, Arminian, Evangelical, Sacramentalist, Inerrantist, Premillennialist, Amillennialist, Preterist, Egalitarian, Complementarian, or whatever. I simply try to understand the biblical text in the context in which it was written. And I try to be understanding and compassionate of others who have arrived at an opposing view. We all have much to gain by learning from one another.
But christians today will ask the big question... "What's wrong with what we're doing?" That opens a big #10 can of worms. Are the people being edified? Is The Word studied? Are people in need being helped? With today's resources are we researching scriptures? Are we teaming up to evangelize/kerux? Is the spiritual life of believers stunted? And on the list goes...
You are flawed in your understanding if you believe that singing songs of praise and adoration to God (which is, in a modern context, called "worship") and singing about His glory is strictly vertical in nature. While we do so we are also reminding ourselves and each other of His greatness, mercy and grace, which, in effect, foster our edifying of one another. How is that not in the spirit (if in nothing else) of what Paul wrote concerning gatherings in 1st Corinthians 14. In short, Dr. Wadsworth..... what's your point?
@tomwadsworth I understand. My point is that, in modern contexts, that is what is meant by "worship." It's taken on a different meaning these days. All due respect (and I sincerely mean that as I consider you as one of the most thorough and dedicated scholars I've had the pleasure of hearing teach) a criticism of a modern practice on the basis of an antiquated definition is flawed, don't you think?
@@patrickd.mccallister4723 But, you are not supposed to change the meaning… full stop! That’s blasphemy of the Word. Keep it real, don’t go with the new age flow, man…….💞📖🙏🏼
@MSaintG it's not the bible that has changed. It's the english word "worship" that has changed in its meaning over the years. Like many words. For example, what does the word "angel" mean? The translators invented that word from the original greek word in scripture "angelos". They chose not to translate it into the English equivalent but rather to transliterate (a made up English word) in order to show the usage in proper context. But proper translation would have been "messenger". Did they "change the meaning"? Arguably, yes. Translators used the English word "worship" as they understood the word in their time. Not according to an ancient Hebrew word or an ancient greek word. The readers understand the word worship to mean to adore honor and praise the Lord and not to lay down prostrate before Him. Look up the etymology of the word "worship".
Here: The word worship comes from the Old English word weorþscipe, which means "worthiness" or "worth-ship": weorþ: Means "value" as a noun and "valuable, having status, deserving" as an adjective -scipe: A suffix that indicates a condition or character The word worship means to venerate, or to show honor or respect to an object or deity. It can also mean to conduct religious rites.
Much of these terminology mistakes were deliberate. By the time of the texts that are used today, the copyists have long since adhered to the scribners of days gone by. Tyndale, KJV etc all follow the texts that were passed down from the Third Century. The errors were put in there by those ancient Pastors, Elders, Bishops, to secure their seats in posterity. Today these people do the same "anachronism" by putting themselves in history that likewise didn't exist.
Tom Wadsworth sound like you do not believe in worship, you gave five terms that mean worship. Worship meaning the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity. "the worship of God" So what the point of assembly if you not going to worship The Lord Jesus. Please let me know?
What I believe is not important. The apostle Paul expressly says that the point of the assembly is to build up one another (1 Cor 14:26). That's what's important.
@@tomwadsworth what you believe is important. We are saved by our faith alone in The Lord Jesus. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Faith meaning complete trust or confidence in someone or something: We can not earn our salvation it is a gift. Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. I know People who thinks they need to follow the Law of Moses to keep their salvation. I also have people in my family , who are Jehovah Witness. But I believe it only in name of Jesus. Acts 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. I also believe in The Apostle Paul Gospel. Romans2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
@@tomwadsworth perhaps a solution is simple: a cadre of believers can carry their collective gestalt to the throne of grace, as we say with high expectation. The implication that it’s wrong simply because it isn’t specified merits a bit more justification. The solution? We can continue collectively do what we do in our hearts alone when we meet and stop calling it worship. I see nothing intrinsically lacking edification in that process. Of course, authenticity must be the ethos.
It seems your presentation says that all of the Christian gathering is mean to be about edification and not about worship due to 1 Cor 14.26, and you seem to say that 1 Cor 14 is THE passage where Paul talks about what should happen when Christians gather. Why do you not also talk about 1 Cor 11 which also seems to be instructions on Christian gatherings? Or acts 2.42 that gives a summary description of Christian gatherings? Or the fact that Jewish synagogues were known as places of prayer and influenced the first Jewish Christ followers? Or whenever 2 or 3 are gathered, Jesus is there in their midst. That certainly is meant to have a horizontal effect, but how could it not also have an effect of worship when the risen Lord is tangibly in your midst? It is hard to escape the fact that both horizontal and vertical and a simultaneous mix seemed endemic to gatherings of N.T. Christians. You point out that many gatherings have all but given up the horizontal focus and it needs to be reclaimed. Yes, I agree. But you seem to minimise prayer which naturally has a vertical focus and remembering/reflecting on Christ’s death together which naturally has both a vertical and horizontal focus. 1 Cor 11.1-16 & 14.27 These seem to say that prayer is a normal part of Christians gathering. 1 Cor 11.17-34 Seems to say that remembering Jesus’ sacrifice and the love they share together as a result is meant to be a normal part of gathering. Whether this is an entirely casual celebration or has ceremonial elements, as in the liturgy of mass is not clear but seems likely to have early forms of both. And it seems likely that would naturally involve a response of worship. Obviously Acts 2.42-43 indicates: teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer, and also indicates that awe was a continuing response. It also seems inescapable that in such a context, the joy of being connected to the risen Jesus and to each other would be the order of the day. That is both horizontal and worshipful.
I think you have come to some incorrect conclusions about my presentation. I deal with all those verses extensively in my dissertation. See also my hours of videos at ruclips.net/p/PLBymWQLP-rkGoTzyS81-MIi5q63Aq4UgI
Disappointing and ignorant. Cullman, Brunner and Hahn are all written in German and use the word "Gottesdeinst" in their titles which may be understood as us serving God or God serving us. Both vertical. No reference to the eucharist which was central regardless of any theology of it. Most significantly, that there was a Christianity rather than divergent Christianities. Paul and Jesus went to synagogues-one would expect what happened in those meetings to carry into Christian meetings, and this is reflected in later, early Christian liturgies.
Freemasons use the term "Most WORSHIPFUL Master" in their services... Also, your Greek knowledge can be interesting, but please don't fall for the Alexandrian Cult trying to correct the advanced revelation of the King James Bible's text (although you may clarify it in the context). Because the so called "originals" are a mythological idol the intellectuals veneer at the expense of the Christian simplicity of the KJV. Too bad you're not KJV-only, you let yourself being robbed of many blessings by sticking to a Bible perVersion.
Man you talk about “you” more than JESUS, it’s me, my , mine, my my my my, dr this dr that, just like the religious Pharisees, hey look at me, I detest any one who thinks or acts like they are above another person or better because they went to a money machine and read some books
Have you watch the video thoroughly? He needs to mention other scholars to put on the foundation of his studies. To show us he is not only the person who has seen this issue about Christian assembly. That puts credibility. He is not making this as a law. He is merely making a comparison and contrast of how Christians assemble then and now.
John 4:24 "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. / For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me 1 Peter 1:14-16 As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance. / But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, / for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.
@@Angus-t1j The assembly is a component of Christian life: our life is as Paul enjoins: total sacrifice and renewed thinking. When we meet together for edification we also get taught. (Teaching not being a liturgical ceremony like a sermon, but a discussion with all Bible's open.) So this is a contextually apposite comment. I've made a similar comment above.
We who follow Christ have felt the disconnect of modern church gatherings from the simplicity we see clearly in the scriptures. Your work is gaining traction because it reveals yet another FREEDOM we have in Christ. We are NOT bound by the legalism and rituals that had crept into the church by the 4th century. We are indeed free to gather in our homes, love on each other, encourage, correct, support and serve each other. We can remember the sacrifice of Christ, be generous to each other, read the teachings of the apostles, Jesus, and any other part of God’s word together whenever we want to do so. We are free. This is a liberating truth that you are teaching with clarity and honesty. I pray the Holy Spirit continues to spread this message around the world.
Amen sister. God bless all here!
Well said.
Amen, funny how all of a sudden a month ago or so, someone puts into words a sum-up of most of my life😊
Romans 14 speaks about those who are "weak" in faith and believe all the additional restrictions are necessary to maintain their relationship with God.
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
More simple plain truth exposing the manipulation of so-called church gatherings by later influencers.
My King James Bible refers to a church building once in Acts 19 : 37, and that is a pagan temple in Ephesus. Thanks a lot for all of your vital work. Colin ( England ).
I have been watching Tom explain/defend his thesis since he exploded on to the RUclips scene a few months ago. I've watched the full seven part video series plus a number of interviews and videos like this. What he is asking us to do can best be described as giving up on the idea of church as we know it today in favor of something much different. This is certainly a hard pill to swallow. So if what he's asking appears to be so radical then why am I still here after all of this time? Why haven't I written him off as yet another false prophet? Please, let me explain...
Like many others here, I've felt a distinct lacking in my 61 years spent in Christian assemblies. Our current system of worship, which is basically an hour-long monologue focused on a sermon does little to promote growth in our Christian faith. That's not to say that I've not learned anything in church for all of this time. It just means that it's hard to make anything stick. More and more, I look to sources other than my church for true learning and edification. Sometimes it's a conference, but increasingly more often it's content on the Internet such as newsletters, RUclips videos, chats, etc. So a few years ago, when the church that I was attending encouraged me to leave for voicing concerns that Communion is for penitent sinners and not exclusively for the members, I quickly found myself without a home and unable to find a new one. My knowledge of church denominations gained over 20 years led me to believe that there was no new place for me to go. Regardless of denomination, EVERY church believes that it's the true church. They often erect barriers not only to the Lord's table, but also to membership. There is a lot of this kind of "my way or the highway" mentality within church structures. Yet what I was looking for is a place where sinners can hear the Good News of salvation and find respite from God's wrath. Jesus says in John 10:27, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me". I was no longer hearing the voice of our dear Savior in church.
At this point, one may be tempted to say that Tom's appeal to me is because I've been hurt by my old church and that I just need to continue looking until I find the right place. This is certainly what my Christian friends tell me. Theirs is an almost a visceral reaction to the notion that church as we know it is not what the New Testament describes. I certainly have struggled with this mightily myself for the past few years. But it is not the pain of being pushed out the door by my old church that drives me, even though it was a traumatic event. (I wept when I was told to leave.) Instead, it is my desire to see God's people brought together under Christ that motivates me. Having spent most of my time as a believer in the Reformed faith, I know the importance of being able to tie everything back to Scripture. And the Bible is very clear that we all have the same standing before God as sinners. We are all called as believers to be one Body with Christ as its Head. By the grace of God, my eyes have been opened. What I've been seeing in church today is a far cry from what we are commanded to be as believers. Church denominations cause divisions and everyone seems to be ok with that. For me, it just causes more sorrow and pain. I've been unable to find a new church home simply because I know that this will be the outcome wherever I go. I can no longer be a part of that system. Sorry, Mr. Luther., your work on a correct understanding of justification was welcomed by the church, but in many ways the outcome of your Reformation has been something of a disaster for our assemblies.
In the immediate aftermath of being pushed away from the church, I asked myself what about church is Biblical and what is cultural. While I've kept a great deal of the teaching of Reformed theology, I see much of the practice of the church to be in disarray. I've asked simple questions like, "what ever happened to the Sabbath as a day of rest on the seventh day?" or "why are churches governed by Robert's Rules instead of unity?" or "why is the Lord's Supper a cracker and a swig of juice instead of a real meal in which we gather together?" or "why is church leadership structured only for the benefit of some believers and not all?" It seems like every time I ask questions like these, the answer comes back to tradition. So why, when it comes to considering whether "worship" is the New Testament model for our gatherings, should I not be asking the same type of question?
So far, as I ask myself the question of whether Tom's thesis is valid, I go back to Scripture for the answer. In Col 1:15-20 we are told that Christ is preeminent and that "all things were created through him and for him" (v16b). Switching our assemblies from monologues back to dialogues does not seem to make Christ any less central to the believer. On the contrary, having a plethora of voices only enhances our understanding of who God is and what He desires for His people. The temple cult with its priests is no more. I know that many will say, "if you let anyone speak in the assembly then heresy will abound". Such a statement takes a low view of the power of God to lead His people. We need to trust in God more and let the power of the Holy Spirit guide our thoughts and guard our hearts. While I don't always agree with every "Christian" RUclips video that I watch, I do try to discern the content creator's words based on the test of the Christian faith as found in 1 John 4:2,14-15. There we are told that any spirit that confesses that Jesus is God Incarnate, come in the flesh to save us from our sins, is from God. While I'd love to hear my Christian friends say this explicitly more often, I look to the fruits of what they say to determine whether they are a fellow believer. In that way, Tom's desire to return to what he sees as the hallmarks of the early church, especially around the "one anothering", demonstrates his love for God and the assembly.
Before I conclude this rather lengthy post, I'd like to explain why I call Tom by his first name and not "Dr. Wadsworth". I do it as a show of respect and admiration. So much of what passes as "the Gospel truth" today comes to us from people who purport to have expertise in a field. How often have you heard a politician use the phrase "experts say" or "scientists tell us" to justify their ideas? The same is true in the church, only to a greater degree. For as much as my Christian friends like to tell me that they believe that Scripture is their sole guide for faith and practice, it's not often that they will bring out a Bible and read passages in context when explaining their beliefs. Oftentimes, they cite a confession or catechism or the Church Order. In other words, they rely on what "experts say". I have found many church leaders to be woefully lacking in their understanding of the Gospel because they rely so heavily on the work of others. Because Tom has done some very heavy lifting with God's Word, I have to applaud him for his efforts. And respect him for them as well. I believe that it would be disrespectful to both Tom and the Lord to say, "well, Dr. Wadsworth has been anointed by some committee of smart Christians that I've never met, so he MUST be right". Tom is not right because he's written a book and holds the title "Dr. Wadsworth". He's worth listening to because he's actively engaging Scripture, and so should we. To be honest, I think that this is exactly why the church struggles today. There are too many "experts" and too few leaders who get that the heart of the Gospel is God's mercy and grace to an undeserving people as expressed in the Bible. Christianity is not about rules. It's about Christ. It's even in the name 🙂
I read the whole thing! Whew! You make good points. Let's stick to scripture, and we'll all be better off.
Our brother, Todd, you wrote, "I've been unable to find a new church home simply because I know this will be the outcome wherever I go."
May Holy Spirit open your heart to a message of encouragement. God took me out of the institutional system in the year 2000 in the middle of a "worship service." He said four words in my spirit -- "You are done here." After 23 years in the institution, including being employed as a youth pastor, I knew no other way of following Jesus. Those four words led me into a wonderful and needed wilderness season of years for the purpose of unlearning what I had been taught concerning what I had understood it meant to follow Christ. I picked up my Bible and started to see that I had accepted ideas that weren't actually there.
My journey included coming to the place of longing to find or "start" a small group of disciples with whom we could walk this road together. Over and over again I was unable to "find" these people.
My longing, which was truly Jesus' longing, began to be fulfilled in a powerful way last year (after 23 years!!). The Spirit connected me to a brother who a similar heart for God's Purpose for Jesus' Family, and he had involved with a very small, traditional, Bible church. After a few months and much prayer, this brother met with the few core people of this institution when he declared that the "pastor" would no longer be "preaching" on Sundays, and the pews would be replaced with chairs in the round so that we could allow Holy Spirit to lead us when we gather. I won't go into all of the details of the changes here, but it's been a short 15 months, and it is simply amazing how we are LEARNING what it means to Live out being a Family. EVERYTHING is questioned and prayed about, particularly since nearly everything in the institution is done because of tradition rather than using the Bible, rightly interpreted, as our guide.
Two items of priority to note:
1) We are increasingly growing to have and keep Jesus at the center of ALL that we are and decide to do. Christians think by default that they are doing this in their lives and church systems, but it's clearly not the case. Spirirual blindness abounds about this.
2) We now understand what Tom W. is saying -- our assemblies are for building up one another, as the NT clearly describes, rather than singing a few "worship" songs hearing and listening to a traditional long "sermon." We now are growing in Christ to share what Christ is doing in and around us. Some are actually growing to assemble primarily to encourage each other rather than to get something out of the gathering! We are learning to value PROPHESYING and what that is. 1 Corinthians 14, properly interpreted, has been an important passage for us to consider in making changes.
I will seek our Papa's face with you that He would connect you with one other likeminded and thirst brother. May your fellowship be the seed that allows Holy Spirit to have His way in you and guide you to walk out together the Good News in a way that God intended for all of us!!
@@rickmeunier9291 thank you, Rick. I'm not only open to encouragement, but I very much welcomed every word that you wrote along with the spirit of building up the Body of Christ that you convey behind it. Just to be clear... when I say that I'm a man without a home in the church system, I feel as though this is God's purpose for my life in this season of my life. The early days were a struggle, and as you point out there is a lot of unlearning to do. They key to success is to always keep Christ in focus.
One part of my journey that has come as a big surprise for me - what the church system taught me for decades was that "those other Christians over there, if you can really even call them Christians", were people who didn't quite measure up to the standards of my church. Why? I mean really, WHY??? With all of my love and respect to people who come from broken homes, the institutional church makes me feel a lot like a little kid growing up in a home whose parents fight all of the time and then try to make their kids pick sides. I am so very sick of all the bickering. It hurts down to the depths of my soul. Sadly, when I found myself in conflict with the leaders of my last church as to whether Christ was truly its Head, the advice that I got from my fellow congregants was to either take the fight to Presbytery or to be passive-aggressive and ignore the leadership altogether. At no time did anyone propose examining Scripture directly and praying for God's wisdom. Nor did it seem to be an option to set aside the cultural issues driving the conflict in favor of allowing God to speak directly to His people. So for as much as I hated to just give up on the institution of the church, I believe that it was God's will to move me away from a dubious system of religion and back into the arms of my loving Savior.
I'm so sorry to hear that you've spent so long in the wilderness. I do think that assembling with other Christians is important, whatever "assembling" means these days. I've found a lot of fellowship online, though there are those who will tell you that you cannot be edified by watching RUclips. To them I would ask, "have not the churches throughout the centuries been edified by Paul's 'posts' (letters) to the churches in the New Testament?" In fact, I find it rather ironic that any Christian would claim that their fellow Christian cannot be edified using electronic means when they themselves are commenting on videos for the purpose of correcting other believers.
So thank you again, Rick, for your kind words and gentle spirit. My prayer is that God continues to grow you in your faith and grants to you the desires to deepen your faith in concert with other believers. As for myself, I have recently connected with other Christians, who like me are exploring our desire to find Christ's righteousness through the confession of sin. It can be a real challenge to be truly repentant for your sins while not driving yourself to despair or feeling as though you're scoring Brownie Points with God along the way.
God bless you my dear brother, and keep up your good work!
I read it all, beautifully said, Amen!💞📖🙏🏼
You are not alone… 59 yrs following God, left the churches almost 20 years ago, I’m closer to Jesus’s teachings now, than ever before…💞🙏🏼📖
We don’t need no stinking, money grubbing, box church…. We’ve got God, and His Son Jesus, and a world of true believers scattered everywhere in these final days…. Rejoice, it’s getting late…..💞📖
Keep spreading this truth Dr. Wadsworth!
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
Can we all PLEASE start a community of believers who know this truth - I will move there! Keep spreading the truth brother Tom! I am an Uber driver who tries to plant seeds of the gospel and my car is more of a church than all the churches I have gone to over the last two decades.... sad but true -- and GOD be praised! JESUS CHRIST bless all here! P.S. regarding the "scholars" who wrote about "worship"... "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men. For you neither enter, nor even do you allow those who are entering to go in." Mat 23:13
AMEN !!!!!!!!
Amen!!! Your testimony is SO encouraging! Thanks for sharing!!!!
I have been doing what I call marketplace ministry just by going up to complete strangers and praying for them. The response is amazing! People are SO receptive and love it! They feel loved by the Lord and it is a great testimony. I am LOVING it! So much better than being a PEW warmer!!!
1. I've just read Robin Fox's book Pagans and Christians (before Constantine). The early church was very different to the pagans, but gradually and at least in part got to follow pagan customs, particularly with seeking oracles and developed an 'expert' layer that tended to merge into pagan civic practices.
2. The problem with the church as performance (one person/band/choir at the front) is that it makes it 'special' in a very wrong way, separating it from the normal Christian life and implicitly teaches believers that they have nothing to say, or if they do are not competent or trusted to say it.
This means that the average Christian has no practice or experience in talking about their faith, defending their views, seeking others' approaches to Christian conversation and often is ill prepared or equipped to discuss their faith. Yet, I find many Muslims are very able to talk about their faith: they are wrong in every way, alas, but are vocal, know their dogmas and are supremely self-confident in many cases.
Proper church gatherings would go a long way to build an articulate, confident pervasively missionary church.
Well said. It is my experience many Sunday goers cannot articulate what they actually believe and why. I have asked men in our Saturday prayer breakfast to share the gospel message in 30 seconds +/- and it is kind of shameful what they try to say
Correct. devil couldn't care less about silencing islam but he made a very fine job of muting Jesus' followers over the centuries.
Amen! Great explanation! Over the last couple of years I have been speaking out more and talking about faith with other believers, sometimes questioning the traditions of men. Most of the time when I speak about the traditions, no one can give me an answer, as I back it up with scripture. Traditions can never be explained really but the scriptures sure can!
It has helped me to grow in my faith and given me confidence to share the gospel with others. I am still learning but I am loving the adventure!
@AbideNowinJesus
Jesus critiques the "traditions of men" in several passages, particularly when they conflict with God’s commands or distort true worship. Key examples include:
Mark 7:6-13
Jesus rebukes the Pharisees and scribes for nullifying God’s commands by upholding human traditions. He says:
“You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” (Mark 7:8)
He gives the example of the Pharisees allowing people to declare their possessions as Corban (dedicated to God) to avoid helping their parents, thereby violating the commandment to honor one’s father and mother.
Matthew 15:3-9
Similar to Mark 7, Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites for elevating traditions over God’s Word. He quotes Isaiah, saying:
“This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
Matthew 23
Jesus repeatedly criticizes the scribes and Pharisees for imposing burdensome traditions on others while neglecting the weightier matters of the law, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
roman catholics give their church Traditions the Same Status as Scripture:
church traditions should not hold the same authority as Scripture. Here’s why:
Scripture as the Final Authority:
The Bible presents itself as the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17), sufficient for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. Traditions must align with Scripture, not supersede or contradict it.
Jesus’ Example:
Jesus Himself upheld Scripture as the ultimate authority, repeatedly saying, “It is written” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10) when confronting error or temptation.
Traditions Must Be Tested:
Traditions can be helpful when they support biblical principles (e.g., communal worship or celebrating the Lord’s Supper) but should always be evaluated against Scripture (Acts 17:11).
Warnings Against Adding to Scripture:
The Bible warns against adding to or subtracting from God’s Word (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18-19). Traditions that attempt to do so risk leading people away from the truth.
In summary, traditions should serve Scripture, not replace or rival it. While traditions can enrich faith when rooted in biblical principles, they must never obscure or contradict the Word of God.
@@AbideNowinJesus I recommend getting a copy of St. Basil the Great's Christian Ethics. It is very comprehensive and for the layman and leader, because as a leader and the one of the best educated men of the Classical world he labored to keep the ecclesia on the ethical path. The Church fathers laid down their lives for the ecclesia, and wrote beautifully. C.S. Lewis was heavy into the Fathers and recommended them. They are our spiritual friends.
Your life as a living sacrifice is worship. Bowing to the sovereign will of God is worship. External visual/auditory rituals are vanity.
Paul sets it out in Romans 12: 1, 2. Tom has mentioned this in one of his other videos.
if i have to choose, church father or modern scholar.
1000% i choose church father
@@iwansaputra1890 I wouldn't chose them. They introduced many heresies.
@iwansaputra1890 "church" fathers were men. Today they are giants, men of renown, and become gods themselves.
Like teachers and preachers...?
I am SO glad you have been getting the word out! I knew there was something wrong but could not ever put my finger on it. The more I listen, the more it makes sense and how the enemy wants to try and destroy the true church. It has really opened my eyes and also shows me where I went so wrong. Our culture has been so wrong! I believe that the false way of "doing church" is being exposed. Hallelujah!
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
Amen your presentation accurately describes the spiritual discontentment that I have had with what I see in most churches today. What I see today is more entertainment oriented, or teacher/student oriented. It seems to me that most churches aspire to grow much like a business grows. Therefore, the Holy Spirit would not be as needed because a business has a life of its own. I appreciate the study and deep dive you have done because I think in these last days we need to think more about what gathering together actually means.
The acceptable worship we give to God is by presenting our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice having our minds renewed through the Holy Spirit, not conforming to this world, and this worship takes place every day and every hour. Romans 12:1-2
I have listened to to many of Tom’s teachings on this subject and I concur heartily with his conclusions. I am wanting to share this at my church but find myself timid as I don’t think it would go down well with the majority.
In my type of reasoning they had to make it a worship service because they made sacraments and gave them mystical powers. Such as declaring the priest changed the bread and wine into the body and blood. They brought in a religion system that was not known in the early church and therefore had to make the gathering together something more than what the first believers did. Add to this the thirst for power over the laity and the aim to micromanage the lives of believers under their power. When I read the Didache I see not an early church document, I see a l document which reflects the Religious Church mentality and a monk mentality of the time around 1000ad.
Speaking truth to power is always scary. Remember that any revelation of truth comes from the Holy Spirit. He will never leave you. Pray for wisdom in how and when to present the information to your church leadership. God will give you the wisdom you need. He’s already given you the desire and the courage to do it. You may also consider emailing Tom for some suggestions. 👍🏼
I have spoken this truth and then left the church. They don't want to hear this....many are hirelings.
@@lindajeanniton5290I don't think the leadership is the place to start. Try starting a small group of friends (12 ) to gather for dinner and prayer and the reading and studying of scripture. Dinner will be the Eucahrist. Exchange prayer concerns and struggles in life.
Do not be afraid, dear sister. The very worst they can do is send you into the arms of Jesus-and what a glorious arrival that would be.
Yet, you are right to approach with gentleness, not for your sake, but for theirs. Many are unprepared for the truth and the deep disappointment that comes with realizing they’ve been unknowingly following the wrong path. It is no small thing to confront the deception of a lifetime.
Speak the truth in love, and trust that Yeshua will work through your words, even if they are met with resistance. He is the one who opens hearts and minds; your role is simply to plant many seeds.
@lindajeanniton5290
Lovely: NT ekklesia encouragement 🤗
I think that when the Lord Jesus instituted the rememberence of the breaking of bread and drinking of wine at the last supper,He never meant it to become a instituted sacrament with a table,and all the trappings of institutional athourity it has become today.I think as He said where two or more are gathered together,I will be there',this rememberence was meant as a ritual that should be performed at every meal when we sit down to eat,a daily rememberance for all as we partake of substance.Also worshiping God entails much more than gathering in one place and focusing on God,it's touches every aspect of life,how we work,order our lives,raise our familys,as Jesus said,those that worship Him worship in spirit and truth,and our temple is each and every believers body,not a building.Your work Tom sheds serious light for those who seek God.
GOD, all knowing, never foresaw this?????
THANK YOU
Thank you sir, you have given me much to consider. You presented this well without ranting, with wisdom and humility, opening our eyes. Thanks again sir, blessings upon you.
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
This is awesome! I think this information is incredibly important. Thank you for posting.
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
Refreshing to hear say someone say it out loud. Having been a pastor for many years, I struggled with the modern-day church concept. I always felt I didn't fit the mold. Well, I didn't, and I don't. Thank you!
Just found your videos. Very interesting. Will learn more
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
This is very interesting and I'm glad you and others have brought this out. That being said
I do not see a problem with the way a good Bible believing church conducts a modern assembly. Singing and listening to a sermon can be good and edifying to the body gathered.
But... I do believe there is too much emphasis put on the institutionalized repetitious way church is done. We would be better off with getting in groups and talking and reading Scripture and growing together😁👍🏻
I came across your teachings a few months ago and they have fundamentally changed the way I view the assembly. What’s especially interesting to me is denominations like the Churches of Christ will put all sorts of rules surrounding worship (like only accapella singing) when in reality there is no command to even worship God when we assemble.. so there are definitely no instructions about how to do so.
Agreed. In 1 Cor 14, the famous chapter about the assembly, Paul expressly states that a musical instrument can indeed convey a message that edifies (1 Cor 14:7-8). If instruments were sinful to use in the assembly, it's shocking that Paul would use instruments as a positive example of conveying an edifying message.
Bingo
A truly insightful presentation! The detailed analysis clearly highlights how much terminology and practice have shifted since the 1st century. Especially in light of the changes after Nicaea, this work serves as another important piece of evidence for understanding how communal edification evolved into institutionalized forms. Thank you for the clear explanation and well-grounded arguments-a valuable reminder to revisit the origins.
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
Glad to have found your channel Tom. Keep spreading the truth. (Mark Glass)
Thanks, Mark!
Excellent discussion Dr Wadsworth and opportune too. I think that one should note that we are Biblically unable to offer to God anything that He needs or is even fully acceptable and "clean". I have often felt and expressed the view that "worship" is certainly not the singing of devotional hymns, psalms or songs (though that can be an expression of such), nor should the gathering together be focused expressly, as you put it, to a vertical relationship, but on horizontal ministry and service (and this has unsurprisingly been met with significant opposition and critique as well as unfortunately, obstinate refusal to even consider the alternative).
For though we cannot give God anything of worth, true worship can be achieved by serving (those whom He loved so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die on their behalf, so that all who believe in Him may be saved). That is WHY this is a true expression of worship, we serve Him by serving each other with the gifts he gave us, equipping us for this service, and so bless him - for as you do to the least of these, you have also done for me. And we are not saved for ourselves only but for good deeds, to obey all the commands Jesus left with and for us and making disciples (that is, not converts, for then we shall make them twice as selfish, unholy and children of the lie as we ourselves are - I hope I'm not over-stressing that point, but it needs to be driven home).
Verses Showing Our Inability to Offer Anything Fully Worthy of God’s Glory:
Psalm 50:9-12
"I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it."
Isaiah 64:6
"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."
(Hebrew for “righteous acts” here is "צְדָקוֹת" (tsedaqot).)
Acts 17:24-25
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else."
Romans 11:35-36
"Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."
Job 41:11
"Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me."
These verses highlight the insufficiency of human efforts to meet God's greatness, emphasizing His self-sufficiency and the inadequacy of our offerings.
Verses and Pericopes Explaining True Worship and the Practices of the Early Church:
John 4:23-24
"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth."
The Greek word for worship here is προσκυνέω (proskuneō), meaning "to bow down" or "to prostrate oneself." It emphasizes reverence, humility, and submission to God, not merely external rituals.
Romans 12:1
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship."
The Greek word used here is λατρεία (latreia), which is better translated as "service" or "ministry." True worship involves offering one’s life in service to God as an act of devotion.
Acts 2:42-47
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people."
The early church focused on communal worship, characterized by εὐχαριστία (eucharistia) or thanksgiving (as seen in the breaking of bread) and acts of fellowship.
Hebrews 13:15-16
"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."
Here, worship involves continual θυσία (thusia), meaning "sacrifice," emphasizing praise and acts of goodness as forms of worship.
1 Corinthians 14:26
"What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up."
The participatory nature of worship reflects the Greek concept of οἰκοδομή (oikodomē), meaning "edification" or "building up," emphasizing collective growth through spiritual gifts.
The Five Greek Words Translated as "Worship"
προσκυνέω (proskuneō)
Meaning: "To bow down," "to prostrate oneself in reverence."
Usage: Indicates deep humility and reverence, often physical gestures of submission (e.g., John 4:23-24).
Significance: Worship as an act of acknowledging God’s greatness and one’s dependence on Him.
λατρεία (latreia)
Meaning: "Service" or "ministry."
Usage: Refers to acts of devotion and service as forms of worship (e.g., Romans 12:1).
Significance: Worship is not confined to rituals but encompasses a life of service to God.
εὐσεβεία (eusebeia)
Meaning: "Piety" or "godliness."
Usage: Emphasizes an inward attitude of devotion and respect toward God, leading to righteous behavior (e.g., 1 Timothy 4:8).
Significance: True worship begins with inward reverence and reflects outwardly in one’s life.
θρησκεία (thrēskeia)
Meaning: "Religious practice" or "ceremonial worship."
Usage: Refers to external expressions of worship, such as rituals or ceremonies (e.g., James 1:27).
Significance: True religion involves not just ceremonies but practical expressions of care and holiness.
σεβασμός (sebasmos)
Meaning: "Reverence" or "awe."
Usage: Often describes the attitude of respect and awe in worship (e.g., Hebrews 12:28).
Significance: Worship stems from an overwhelming sense of God’s majesty and holiness.
These terms reveal the multifaceted nature of worship, encompassing reverence, service, devotion, practical actions, and communal edification. By understanding these nuances, we see that worship is not limited to ritual acts but is a holistic expression of one’s life and relationship with God.
Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention. I do not think our liturgical order need change very much (or perhaps I just don't feel that it would be a big change for me personally) in order to reform to a "gathering together" that is in line with scripture, but we have to ensure that the purpose thereof as originally intended is re-incorporated into the church (body). Truly inspirational at a level much needed today.
Excellent comments! Our individual studies of "worship" have resulted in remarkably similar findings. If you'd like to connect, send me an email at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
Thank you for your research, Tom. Very refreshing!
Excellent video! God Bless you brother!✝️
Might the doctrine of the Nicolations in Revelations be refering ro the growing artificial distinction between so called clergy and laity?A thing the Lord hated maybe because the assembly became focused on the preacher and his message and not the edification of the members?
The question I have not heard asked or answered is “Why?” Why did our forefathers shift from a simpler gathering to a complex worship service? Is there historical evidence giving the reasons for the shift?
Loss of the Temple?
They did it to control and fleece the people. Still happening today.
My prayer is for more pastors to hear this message and learn to lead others into freedom by truth rather than tradition.
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
Unfortunately, “pastors” in today’s sense are not Biblical. So these “pastors” really need to quit their jobs of “pastoring”, identify others in their “church” who qualify as elders and deacons, and encourage their “members” to start local house churches. (And sell of the church properties and put the funds into true Biblical giving.)
@@garmac6174 While I generally agree with your comment here, I've personally tried to avoid talking about the waste of the institutional church. The fact that billions are wasted on church buildings is a symptom of a problem, not the cause. The cause is that we've lost sight of who Jesus is as our Messiah. Most churches these days are more focused on the "rules" than on salvation. Rules can come in many forms, whether it's obedience to creeds, catechisms, confession, and the Church Order on the intellectual side, or meeting arbitrary tests of whether you're "on fire" enough on the emotional side. It never seems to be enough to consider the work of Christ by reading Scripture while at the same time allowing the Holy Spirit to wash over you and convict you of your need for a Savior. Recently I have returned to Psalm 51. It's a passage from my youth that demonstrates that I have no righteousness of my own to offer God, that my only hope of salvation is if God wills it, and that the hope and joy of restoration of the saints is upon us.
This being said, I'd encourage you to continue speaking up about how the current church system lacks a Christ-centered focus. Another $1 million in the church building fund is the last thing that any church needs.
It’s getting ugly, for example, a Pr. Begley is telling his flock to stop doing bible studies at peoples houses, they’re getting it wrong… (paraphrased)…. It was a few weeks ago, very disturbing prosperity pastor, I really wish Tom could do a half hour with him like the other shows he’s set up to do in the circuit… Begley, and his mystic sidekick mike from around the world needs a lot of prayers, and so do their poor spiritually abused cult followers… so, we pray, hard! 🙏🏼📖💞
@@garmac6174 🙏🏼📖💞 Yes!
Excellent 30 minute summary Tom! I have been recommending your work and videos to many and this 30 minute summary is great. Perhaps a 30 minute summary going over the how we got here would be good also. The whole sacrificial system needs a priest needs an alter in a temple chronology. Is excellent with a few words of comparison as to how in many ways the Roman church which had a habit of perhaps trying to co-opt and overlay native traditions and festivals had effectively brought back pagan worship practices both because they got funding and to keep up with the jones or provide similar worship experiences with other pagan traditions. And perhaps most importantly - the pagan temple priest expert model is somewhat incideous in that it forgets, neglects and negates the whole idea of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that happens when one becomes a believer and should
Be getting stronger as one grows in discipleship.
It’s like the Roman church model deliberately stunts growth and starves and discourages the believer of true discipleship.
We have nearly empty elementary school like churches when, if a gathering plan based on edification had been developed we might have a thriving network of deep believers who were connected with and raising up and tending to the growth of new believers.
Great insights that I am trying to implement but I do think we are so late in the prophetic clock that end times and a global system that has dispersed and fragmented and atomized the population and keeps them isolated has already been set in place that it will now be very hard to implement . But at least this can be a grass roots movement
Brother Tom, you put into easily understandable words what we (my husband and I) had been observing for several years before we finally left the "church" establishment. Actually, God took us out when we confronted the pastor with his erroneous theology and he got highly offended. 😊
I am praying to find a gathering of like-minded saints, but so far, nothing.
Christine, where are you located? My wife and I are on a similar path.
@bearheart1657 NW Arkansas.
I was wondering too and have searched. I saw the need directly with my own family . I am going to be starting a bible study with my cousin, daughter and grandchildren and trust for God to grow it. Pray that God will provide. I believe He will!
Also, I have gone to a couple of healing trainings. I came home from the most recent one and went out to start to minister to others and ask if they needed healing. Most of the people are asking for prayer for what is currently going on in their lives. So I am praying for these people. A lot of times they break down and cry. The Lord is reaching them. I was nervous at first but now I am not scared at all. I was praying of a man in Wal Mart and all of a sudden, a stranger joins us in prayer! NOW that was encouraging!
You wanna hear something else??? Prior to that encounter, I was praying for a woman who recently had surgery. I prayed for her and in the natural, it appeared nothing happened. We parted ways and I continued on in the store. All of a sudden I heard over the intercom, it was like a commercial but it wasn't and the lady was saying, "are you planting seeds? Don't get discouraged if you don't see a harvest yet. Keep planting." I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EARS!!!!!!! I was SO overjoyed by that word of encouragement I went to find the next person to pray for and that was when I encountered the man that I prayed for and when the stranger showed up.
God is moving! We just have to have faith and step out of the boat!
This is MUCH more exciting than any church service I ever went to!!!
Praying that God blesses you abundantly as you step out!
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
@tomwadsworth yes, thank you. I would like to be on your email list.
By the way, I have watched all 7 of your videos and my spirit bears witness to what you taught.
Love your teachings.
If we remove the word church in our conversations it opens up a void where the real essence of Christ's Body can fit in. The "assembly" is the piece of the puzzle that has been left out. "Church" has created such a misnomer that it blinds believers to the truth.
From the old Norse, Saxon "Kirk" which was a small temple built along a waterway where their gods dwelt, to the building most assemblies gather in. This should be expunged from our vocabulary.
Assembly is the term used and is self explanatory.
Fantastic.
Thank you for another excellent message…revolutionary!
I'm a pastor in a Pentecostal church. I think people should worship where they want and with other believers of course. Principles found in-the bible can be implemented in many different kinds of worship settings. Find a group if believers, live the bible, love Jesus.
I agree, I was talking about it for years and was punished for it repeatedly. What should we do now?
So, if we don't worship, what happens in the assembly?
1 Corinthians 14:26
Edification, Teaching, Training, eating a good meal and talking about life and offering solutions
I find it refreshing to have someone (you) cut through all the misleading teaching about traditions and rituals.
I always said, there's nothing wrong with tradition in itself (unless they clearly violate the bible's teaching) and that we owe the traditions nothing more than considering if they should be part of our own traditions or not.
I am so weary of hearing about "the local church". That phrase is tossed around by so many pastors and teachers and they don't realize how much their definition of "the local church" is rooted in their own extrabiblical traditions.
Please keep up the great stuff that you do. It needs to rach more people and set them free too on this issue.
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
Luke 24:53 is important, at least for the Jerusalem church. “And they were always in the temple praising God.”
Yes, obviously these flaws and assumptions have been the problem with scholarship through the decades! This is patently obvious! I’m happy to see scholars finally addressing these flawed assumptions. Hallelujah!
In your article (About 'Worship') you mention how πίπτω (to fall down) and προσκυνέω (to prostrate) are used, but you don't mention the passage where the apostle John falls down with the intention of giving worship to the angel. In your opinion, why did the angel reject this προσκυνέω and how did he know this act was reserved for God alone? Additionally, I would like to ask about your dissertation. Where can I read it?
Rev 19:10 and 22:8-9 are more excellent examples of falling down and prostrating as a respectful form a greeting. The angel rejected the act because of the Second Commandment (Ex 20:4-5). Jesus himself cited the Second Commandment when he responded to the appeal to prostrate to Satan: "Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You shall prostrate to the Lord your God, and serve Him only’” (Matt 4:10; Luke 4:8). In Rev 19 and 22, the angel is saying that proskynesis should be given to God alone. That same point is emphasized frequently in Revelation, where proskuneo is used a remarkable 24 times, condemning those who prostrate before the Beast and false gods (Rev 9:20; 13:4, 12, 15; 14:11; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4) and commending those who prostrate before God (cf. Rev 4:10; 5:14; 7:11; 11:1, 16; 14:7; 15:4; 19:4; et al.).
Contact me at tomwadsworth.com/contact. I will send you my complete dissertation in PDF.
All my life beginning as a Catholic, when I read the new testament,
I always wondered why church services were not like the early meetings. They assembled,ate together, had a communion service and EDIFIED each other. They pooled money to help the brothers and sisters that needed help. The Romans were astonished at how Christians helped poor people in Rome. We are supposed to be servants and examples to others. All Christian’s are saints!
All my life being a Protestant, I asked the same question.
I'm surprised about your silence re the letters of Ignatius of Antioch. They seem to fly in the face of much of your theory.
God doesn't need building up, but we do. Interesting that all the things Paul mentioned the Scriptures were useful for were all "oneanothering" - evidently the Scriptures are not for learning how to "worship" God.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good action.
Excellent observation!
These "one another" commands in Scripture emphasise how believers are to interact and care for each other as part of the body of Christ. Here is a list of over fifty of these commands, all aimed at fostering love, unity, and growth within the church community:
1. Love one another - John 13:34, John 15:12, 1 John 3:11, 1 John 4:7, 1 John 4:11
2. Be devoted to one another - Romans 12:10
3. Honour one another above yourselves - Romans 12:10
4. Live in harmony with one another - Romans 12:16, 1 Peter 3:8
5. Build one another up - Romans 14:19, 1 Thessalonians 5:11
6. Be like-minded toward one another - Romans 15:5
7. Accept one another - Romans 15:7
8. Admonish one another - Romans 15:14, Colossians 3:16
9. Greet one another - Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Peter 5:14
10. Serve one another - Galatians 5:13
11. Bear one another’s burdens - Galatians 6:2
12. Forgive one another - Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13
13. Be patient with one another - Ephesians 4:2
14. Speak the truth in love to one another - Ephesians 4:15, Ephesians 4:25
15. Be kind and compassionate to one another - Ephesians 4:32
16. Submit to one another - Ephesians 5:21
17. Consider others better than yourselves - Philippians 2:3
18. Look to the interests of one another - Philippians 2:4
19. Bear with one another - Colossians 3:13
20. Teach one another - Colossians 3:16
21. Encourage one another - 1 Thessalonians 4:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 3:13
22. Exhort one another - Hebrews 3:13
23. Stir up one another to love and good works - Hebrews 10:24
24. Do not slander one another - James 4:11
25. Do not grumble against one another - James 5:9
26. Confess your sins to one another - James 5:16
27. Pray for one another - James 5:16
28. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling - 1 Peter 4:9
29. Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another - 1 Peter 5:5
30. Do not lie to one another - Colossians 3:9
31. Seek good for one another - 1 Thessalonians 5:15
32. Do not envy one another - Galatians 5:26
33. Do not provoke one another - Galatians 5:26
34. Show hospitality to one another - 1 Peter 4:9
35. Carry one another's burdens - Galatians 6:2
36. Live in peace with one another - 1 Thessalonians 5:13
37. Be at peace with one another - Mark 9:50
38. Do not judge one another - Romans 14:13
39. Do not boast against one another - James 3:14
40. Do not bite, devour, or consume one another - Galatians 5:15
41. Do not be conceited toward one another - Romans 12:16
42. Do not be arrogant toward one another - 1 Corinthians 4:6
43. Wait for one another - 1 Corinthians 11:33
44. Comfort one another - 1 Thessalonians 4:18
45. Be of the same mind with one another - Romans 15:5
46. Be compassionate to one another - 1 Peter 3:8
47. Be tender-hearted toward one another - Ephesians 4:32
48. Correct one another with gentleness - Galatians 6:1
49. Meet with one another regularly - Hebrews 10:25
50. Rejoice with one another - Romans 12:15
51. Mourn with one another - Romans 12:15
52. Do not repay evil for evil to one another - 1 Thessalonians 5:15
53. Confess faults to one another - James 5:16
These commands serve as a guide for how we should treat each other in the body of Christ, demonstrating love, patience, humility, and unity. Living by these commands helps build a strong, spiritually healthy ekklesia, a body (family) of Christ. By prioritizing these attitudes and behaviours, we reflect the love of Christ and fulfil His call to live in harmony with others, just as described in Scripture.
Thankfulness and praise toward God, be it praying or singing, is edifying to the Body. How can it not be? To proclaim that praise and worship is strictly vertical is ludicrous to those that do so from the heart. My "worship", if you will (In today's context, we call it "worship", sorry). I am deeply edified. And when I gather with othe "worshers" I have found it to be edifying to them as well as we encourage one another. Words change in meaning often from one generation to the next and certainly from one translation to another. Worship means praise and adoration and proclaiming His glory until He comes, these days.
Fantastic video and very interesting, but this raises some questions for me. One of the major ones is how you deal with the sacramentalist prooftexts higher-Church Christians cite in the Ante-Nicene Fathers. How should we understand the Eucharist and Baptism in light of this fact? Does 1 Corinthians 11 conflict with this with the unworthy reception of the bread and cup? I’m Low Church myself but I’m curious our how you address these topics.
To start with, I think we do well do simply "call Bible things by Bible names." When we apply an unbiblical term like "sacrament" to things like baptism and the Lord's Supper, we are imposing some extra-biblical ideas upon these practices. The same is true with the term "Holy Eucharist." It's not a term used by first-century Christians.
We stand on much firmer ground when we describe these practices by citing specific scriptures that describe them. And remember: Our task is not to try to justify modern church constructs. Our task is to look afresh at the NT text and determine exactly what they say about any given topic.
For those who have a copy of Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words by MacDonald, you can look up "worship" for clarification of everything discussed in this video. In my copy it is pages 1258-1259. All these words align with the conversation Jesus had with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:19-26. What it is clear, at least to me, is the current "corporate worship" we must suffer through once or twice a week is NOT found in God's Word.
You mentioned that most of the actual language for worship in the New Testament is directed towards the idea of the temple. Since most of the New Testament (if traditional authorship is granted) is written before the destruction of Jerusalem, wouldn't it make sense, then, that such language was referencing the temple there, and perhaps the synagogues which were scattered wherever the Jewish diaspora was located, since Christianity began first as a Jewish sect? If so, wouldn't that entail that the language which refers to vertical worship is not necessarily foreign to the New Testament church, but could rather be the water around which the concept of church assembly was situated? In other words, the idea of vertical worship was not addressed as much in the NT simply because the Jewish mind at the time already had an understanding of that vertical worship as it was expressed through the temple cult in Jerusalem, as well as the writings of the Torah, the Prophets, and the Ketuvim?
Furthermore, since the worship at the temple cult revolved around animal sacrifice as a picture of substitutional offering, and we as Christians acknowledge that Christ came as the ultimate fulfillment of that, then wouldn't the vertical worship of the New Testament be referenced every time Christ's sacrifice and resurrection is mentioned? And thus, while not always explicitly mentioned, vertical worship would actually be an integral part of the New Testament understanding of its assembly/gathering, in addition to the horizontal edification being expressed?
I'm not against the re-emphasis of edification in the assembly of believers (God knows we need it), but it does seem like we're throwing the baby out with the bathwater if the intention is to get rid of worship as it has become understood in the modern day to be replaced only or even mostly by horizontal edification. There is a "both/and" course we can take here, rather than "either/or".
For the Jewish believers, maybe. For the gentile believers, most likely didn’t have a clue about Judaism and the rituals - hence the showdown in Acts 15.
@@JoanneJolee since we're talking about the New Testament, a time prior to 70AD (if we accept traditional authorship), the church would still be more Jewish than Gentile.
@ @tomwadworth Tom, can you enlighten us?
You have given me something interesting to watch for in my studies.
If worship words are all temple related what do you think that means for how we should approach the temple in scripture?
It seems the spiritual worship that the Gospels talk about (Worship God in spirit) pertains to edification of one another and serving the people in need, as explained in the parables. So, the Bible teaches of worship by works, not by rituals and superstitions.
Dear Tom, l have a feeling that you might be the part of the flaw. You don't mention what the bible says: they have broken the bread in houses . As well read the Didache (around AD 50) and Justin the Martyr (around AD 150) who reports what the early Christians did. The Eucharist was a central piece of the liturgy ( worship). Words of prophecy, speaking in tongues, interpretations of tongues was part of the assembly gatherings of the first Church.
Brother, I have two questions: Where can I get your book? And, have you been peer reviewed?
Both concepts of edification and worship have there places in the ecclesia (Heb 6:1 ff and Revelation 7:10-12).
How do you understand passages that use language of sacrifice such as Hebrews 13:15; Philippians 4:18 and other such passages.
The context of those passages makes clear that the "sacrifices" are to be understood metaphorically, a dramatic departure from the standard OT/Jewish view of "sacrifices." Rom 12:1 is the classic verse that uses much sacrificial language, but in a metaphorical sense.
Yes. It is metaphoric. But does this not mean that this language can be used for what the church does in assembly?
Sad to see what is happening in the so called churches today.
As I see what Tom is getting at, its the participation aspect of Pauls instruction that seems to be absent from the body of Christ in our western culture. There was never meant to be a one man show so to speak when it came to our gathering together but rather a participatory interaction from one another, edifying and building up model. What we call church today does not even come close to that model. House churches operating under these guidelines and following the teachings of the scriptures can achieve this and should be encouraged even within the confines of modern congregations. Our problem arises out of about 18 centuries of mis applying scripture and Roman Catholicism's adoption of more paganist ideas of God. In other words we have practiced the wrong thing for so long, the right thing now looks absurd. There is nothing wrong about singing praises to God , there is nothing wrong with gathering together, prayer, hymns, giving as all these are encouraged in scripture but IF we are not connecting with one another in this way Paul describes in 1 Cor:14, we are not nourishing the body as it was meant to be nourished and that's why the Church in western culture is not as powerful in its impact as it should be. I think Tesla's theory of how to transmit electricity is how the church should be operating in the power of the Holy Spirit and that happens by loving one another like Jesus loves us, that only happens in a small intimate group setting mostly. Sorry to be so long in this, but our hard drives take a long time to reorganize
What’s important when we think about WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? is this. A better biblical expression for what early Christians were doing in their assemblies is the word “fellowship” (1 Jh 1) - I think it bridges the gap between the ideas of “Growing In Maturity” and “Becoming Good At Worshipfulness”.
The word “fellowship” involves not only the Christian but also God Himself. Fellowship then encompasses both the horizontal “building up” and the vertical “worship”. For the early Christian (and biblically speaking) it’d be redundant to say, “We are going to fellowship to worship God” Fellowship is one and the same - all in Christ.
And this highlights something vital that perhaps Mr. Wadsworth wants to avoid and that is the fact that early Christians would have had no conception of fellowship as being an orchastrated, intentional gathering of believers and unbelievers for the purpose of “growing the church”, while unbelievers surely attended Christian fellowships they were not there as a byproduct of formulaic religious confessions of faith and ritual performances which synthetically “Christianized” them. Much of the teachings we see in churches which amount to “How to be a Christian” would not have existed as we see today. (1 Jh 2:27) The answer to it all is in the biblical meaning of “fellowship”. (1 Jh 1:3)
Yes, "fellowship" (κοινωνία) has some application to biblical assembly function, but Paul had a better biblical expression for what early Christians should do in their assemblies: Edification (οἰκοδομή). He said so explicitly (1 Cor 14:26).
Most of us know that church means a gathering of Christians and that saint or hallow refers to every Christian; indeed some translations wield the word gathering or congregation for churches, which is quite right. When I think of the word church, I think of the congregation not the building in which they worship. Surely Christians do worship God whether or not they are on their own or when they gather; so what is the dispute about? Yes, they met in houses in the first century to edify, fellowship, and teach one another; but does this exclude worship and prayer? Surely it does not. How can you edify one another unless you first worship Him who is altogether worthy of worship. And duly appointed and gifted church leaders are there in the first century too: you have apostles, elders and the brethren. Indeed you have those who preach, pastor and teach, and those who do not. These are referred to in the Deeds of the Apostles and in the Epistles of Paul to the Ephesians, and of John in his epistles and in his Revelation.
Love the section about the error of Anachronisms! I agree that “Church & Worship” are the greatest error of our christian culture. You could also add to your list “Servant”, from the greek word “Doulos” which always means Slave! These Anachronisms or mistranslations of important greek words, have definitely twisted what we understanding today, and accounts for so many immature christians, sitting for decades in pews every week.
Thank you for your kind words. I'm working on a book on this topic. If you'd like to be updated on its publication, you can join the email list at tomwadsworth.com/contact.
What about communion? That can be nothing but worship, it seems to me? Am I wrong?
None of the Greek words for "worship" are ever used in reference to the Lord's Supper, either.
While today's "communion" is commonly thought to be a communion with God, the NT depicts the meal as also depicting communion with the other members of the body of Christ. In 1 Cor 11, Paul declares that when the Corinthians took the Lord's Supper, it was not the "Lord's" Supper because of the divisions among them (1 Cor 11:18-21).
@ I think I have a long way to go to understand. But I intend to., Lord willing. After 66 years of being part of the Church of Christ , which has been a great blessing in my life, it is hard to hear these things.
Hebrews 13:10 said, we (Christians) have an altar from which those (judaizers) who still serve in the (jewish) temple have no right to eat of the sacrifice.
What is the need for altar if not worship?
You are raising a serious question here! This statement obviously underscores the prevailing argument of what we could hear in this video. Christian assemblies had to have more of a liturgical content (no doubt more flexible in its form and appearance than the later developments brought) in order to be inaccessible to those "others". The imagery of the altar and the temple used in Hebrews is clearly rooted in the Old Testament, but this 'anachronistic' use points in the direction that a deeper content (liturgical in its essence I believe) shaped the uniqueness of the Christian assemblies, defining its boundaries, more than mere ethical components which were however highly appreciated in the philosophical circles of the age.
Agree fully. 1Cor 12 - 14 says how to gather and the place and role / gifts of each member of Christ's body. No vertical one man / pastor / preacher / teacher shows. Paul says the spiritual and true prophets know it is GOD'S COMMAND!
All one preacher, one speaker, or appointed or selected speakers, one band / one songleader shows are demonic - against GOD'S COMMAND. God ignores such gatherings!!
Ezek 3 and 33 and Matt18 apply to us who know this - we need to warn them, even before the whole assembly. They will kick us out, as Jesus warned.
Then, we obey the Great Commission, make disciples and we gather Biblically, in our homes, with all who now follow and obey Jesus' commands.
This new wine cannot go into and be kept in the old wineskins.
I have been kicked out of ALL such "churches" where I presented 1Cor 14 to the leaders and gatherings. They will NEVER accept it, but we must still warn them.
Imagine how many of these anachronisms exist in todays Christendom? Shall we root them all out?
What would Christ's Body look like then?
I could only imagine!
18:18 I'm not sure that worship is entirely vertical. Isn't helping widows and orphans worship? We love God by loving our neighbour. I may be nitpicking, but I don't think the two-dimensional perspective is an accurate representation. That said, I have no idea how to represent it in two dimensions: perhaps a circle going left and right from a person to their neighbours and then up to God?
Yes, the apostle Paul teaches us that we are to 'present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God' and that will be our 'latreia' - one of the words Dr Wadsworth mentioned as being used to talk about worship. I think from the context in Romans 12 it's clear that this 'latreia' or 'service' is something we are supposed to be doing continuously, every single day and in every circumstance. We dedicate ourselves to him in all we are and all we do. The same point is being made by James, as you quoted.
Dr Wadsworth's discussion is about what happens during the Christians' gatherings. What's the main purpose of the meeting? And he stresses that the teaching of the New Testament is that it's the edification of one another.
and reducing the number in the gathering. In groups of 20 or more, this is impossible!
I didn't say that "worship" is entirely vertical, nor did I say that edification is entirely horizontal.
@@tomwadsworth I greatly appreciate your work. Thank you. Do not be mistaken: It is edifying.
Circa 110 AD, Pliny the Younger wrote that Christians gathered and sang hymns to Christ “as to a god.” That’s a lot earlier than fourth century.
I have never said that the early church didn't praise God. They certainly did.
Is there a text version of this video?
No, but there are similar resources at my website at www.tomwadsworth.com.
@@tomwadsworth Thanks. I've downloaded the two PDFs that seem to be parts of your PhD thesis.
BTW - the links in the 'questions' section seem to be broken. Two of them lead to the 'About Worship' paper, and three of them to the 'About the New Testament' paper, rather than to the subjects referred to. Only the 'Didache' link leads to its own paper.
@@bandanaman Thank you! We've fixed those broken links!
The Greek word ecclesia (assembly) mistranslated as church is why we have what is going on today. There were no churches in the New Testament! There were assemblies, gatherings!
Assuming Liturgy, Sacraments, and Confession are later developments is a methodological flaw too. It's a low-church Protestant assumption read into history as an anachronism.
I’m not so interested by what the early church did, nor what the Greek means, I’m interested what Jesus taught, or God taught and what the Hebrew or Aramaic meant.
You might like: Video #2 The Real Meaning of "Worship" in the Bible ruclips.net/video/BgDQ5hUSoE0/видео.html
In my understanding, the idea's of the 5 Greek words which get translated worship is what individuals do, where the assembly is for the one another's. As Jesus said, it is the individual that will worship in spirit and truth. One cannot make the congregation do this. When it comes to singing, it is the individual that makes melody in his heart to the Lord. So an individual may be speaking the word, but not making the melody to the Lord in his heart. Plus, I like the fact it says speaking because not everyone can sing on key, but speaking to one another can happen; even if it is in sign or gestures.
I have a tendency to look around the room during singing because I am single and do not have a family to focus on. There would be times I lock eyes with someone at a particular phrase of the song and it became a way to edify the person. Others, I would point to. They may be several aisles away, but it was a way to bring edification. Others in the congregation caught on and it brough about a betterment of the Church. You are correct, edification is what is needed amongst the congregation. And it is the individual to give him/herself over to the Lord.
Hello Dr. Wadsword. I think you are putting your finger on something important. Christianity functioned as a philosophy of life practiced by the ecclesia, the Church. That was its primary function in the Classical World. It was called by Fathers such as Chrysostom the "True Philosophy," the fulfillment of what the Greek Philosophers defined but could not live. Christ in the Gospels and The Apostles in their epistles described in great detail the moral/ethical life of the Christian community including the warnings of the loss of salvation without an ethical life of good works and love for the stranger. Christ minimized the importance of the Temple though he kept the Torah, since the Temple had become a temptation for the Judeans. The Sabbath became a day of good works not of rest and a reason to disregard the Ethics of the Torah. But the Sacraments are there and were kept by the Apostles which you see in Acts. They continued the liturgy of the Temple. The Church Fathers who defended Christianity against the loss of ethics and the various gnostic heresies that arose are very important for bridging the first Century Christians in their common Torah practice with ethnic converts with the 4th Century Ecclesia and worship. The massive Catacombs in Rome are complete evidence of continuity from the 1st Century to the 4th. Paul and Barnabus were called during the liturgy clearly stated in Acts. The Church Fathers especially Ephraim the Syrian were very influential in extending the Jewish liturgy into Christian Hymnody. But the divided American churches where the plump pastor is a wealthy untucked and tatooed prima donna or a eucharist provider without much teaching of the ethics where the people indulge in the latest and watch the towns and cities go to pot is a far cry from the spiritual and ethical energy of early Christianity and through the first Millennium before the Great Schism of 1054. I am part of a Roman Catholic parish, which has its problems, though the people and the priests are conservative, but nodding to a Papacy run by a Cynic grates. But its the best we can do in this small city. The Catholics here have a moderate ethic of good works, but here in the South the separatism and racial divide is strong because of the loss of Christian ethical teaching over the centuries.
Thanks much for your comments. We are *mostly* on the same page. My research makes me question these statements:
"The Sacraments were kept by the Apostles which you see in Acts."
"They continued the liturgy of the Temple."
"Paul and Barnabas were called during the liturgy clearly stated in Acts."
@@tomwadsworth Let me try to explain. Acts 13:2 At Antioch Paul, Barnabus, Manaen, who also evangelized Cyprus, were all present. They were λειτουργέω - liturgizing - conducting the service to God as the Judeans practiced in the Temple using the Psalms. This word also involves the laity - ergon or work of the people, the laity. A public service. See these two words in the Greek of λειτουργέω. So they were functioning as presbyteros anglicized as priests, leading the people. Much like we anglicized deacons from deaconos. The rich icononography in the Catacombs illustrates these practices and many of the icons refer back to Old Testament events. So the early Christians did not leave the Old Testament behind, just as Paul instructed Timothy to become wise for salvation through the Old Testament, just as much the Holy Scriptures. Peter when praying on the roof at the 6th hour was following the liturgical hours of the Old Testament, as was Cornelius, though a Roman having learned the liturgical hours from Jewish practice as he was likely one of the Roman Soldiers evangelized by John the Baptist we see in Luke. Paul kept the Old Testament feasts. The Mediterranean is a treasure trove of early Christianity. I saw myself the bones of Lazarus who became bishop of Cyprus. But their holy activity was done in piety because of their obedience to the moral will of God, in contrast to the hypocritical Temple hierarchy who sacrificed their messiah in order to save their temple. I have been among the Eastern Orthodox for much of the last 25 years who have preserved this knowledge like the Syriac Orthodox and the Coptic Christians of Egypt.
Of course the center of the liturgy for the Apostles is now the eucharist, as termed in the West, and the Holy Mysteries as termed in the East, which Christ instituted as the Communion Supper of his body and blood.
@@italophile2011 Thanks for your kindly-stated explanation. I expound more on Acts 13:2 and λειτουργέω in my dissertation, and I include some excerpts on my website: www.tomwadsworth.com/answers-to-questions/about-worship.
I also have had the good fortune to travel extensively throughout the Mediterranean basin, including the catacombs of Rome. It's marvelous!
@@tomwadsworth Yes I agree with you having read the link that you provided. Eastern Orthodox prostrate themselves toward the altar. It is hard to the Protestant imagination to make sense of this passage. They were facing an altar. To see this in action the Eastern forms of liturgy preserve the facing toward the altar oriented to the East. But the main point is the commission that Paul and Barnabus received from the voice they all heard. Fully active Eastern churches have the prayers at the appointed hours daily. But only once a day following Matins is the Divine Liturgy. This is the pattern. There was no guesswork or debate in the Holy Scriptures about how to worship or liturgize toward the altar, because the Judeans already had the forms handed down by Holy tradition. The problem that most concerns me is not the form, but the true piety of moral purpose and ethical catechism, the teachings of Christ, that has been lost to modern Christians of the divisions that have been upended by the Enlightenment and the loss of logic, or logos in our approach to our life lived here. Our situation I would characterize as a gnostic separation of soul and body, of theology and ethics, of present severed from past and future.
Do you know of a tracker site of some sort to connect with people of similar views in our general areas around the country? I am turned off to tell people to find a good church. They can exist but it is like a needle in a haystack.
No, but I found these three “house church portals” that allow you to search in a given area for a “simple organic church,” as they are sometimes called. I have not used any of these, so I cannot testify as to the quality or quantity of their listings.
housechurchconnect.com/
findahousechurch.com/
www.hccentral.com/directory/
Besides that, you can always pray that the Lord leads you to find other like-minded believers in your area. If you keep your eyes and ears open, opportunities may reveal themselves.
With respect, I believe that Dr Wadsworth’s work also suffers from a major methodological flaw. If the methodological flaw of modern studies is taking modern conceptions of worship and reading them backwards in time, Dr Wadsworth’s “major methodological flaw” (IMO) is refusing to read the ancient understanding of worship *forward* in time. Namely: by strongly divorcing the Christian and its practices from the of Israel and its practices (despite the scholarship of Staples, et al and the translation choices of the LXX).
This is because he is (in my understanding) committed to a radical discontinuity between old and new testaments/covenants. To be clear, I’m perfectly happy to say that there is discontinuity of a kind there. But the kind Dr Wadsworth advocates for is radical discontinuity: something “totally new”, to quote from his dissertation.
It would seem that the way forward is one that commits neither error: do not assume that our use of worship informs the early Church, nor assume that the Jewish context of worship has nothing substantive to say for Christian worship.
I think there are significant flaws in the assumptions undergirding this presentation - in addition to negative consequences of the non-institutional, assembly model that are not adequately anticipated or addressed here. Firstly, isn't the entire argument an argument from silence?? Just because the NT doesn't define Christian worship doesn't mean the Apostles didn't leave their successors with specific instructions on how to worship on the Lord's Day (and indeed we have evidence of this in the Didache). Curious that there was no discussion of the ante-Nicene fathers who were literally the disciples of the Apostles. Neither was there any mention of Orthodox or Catholic scholarship or responses to these arguments. My understanding is that we don't get instructions on worship because early Christians were still worshiping in the synagogue / temple until they were thrown out, at which point they were under intense persecution from both Romans and Jews - making smaller, home (or catacomb) assemblies necessary. Not sure Tom's formal position, but the implication of this presentation is that small assemblies of Christians edifying one another is sufficient for a "church" (maybe he would go even farther and say that's the ideal church), and yet I believe the ante-Nicene fathers would seriously object to this notion. In terms of the negative consequences of this view, a couple quickly come to mind: like the Protestant notion of an "invisible church" today, it seems this concept of a "church" has significant shortcomings in preventing / defending against schism and heresy, and in meaningfully disciplining its members. I'm sure Orthodox / Catholic historians and theologians could identify countless more issues.
Thanks for your comments!
The real argument from silence is the argument that the purpose of the Christian assembly is Worship. The NT nowhere states or implies that Worship is the purpose of the assembly. The NT is completely silent about that concept. To argue that the purpose of the assembly is Worship is an argument from silence.
However, the NT is NOT silent about the purpose of the assembly. Paul explicitly and emphatically stated that it is Edification (1 Cor 14:26).
You say I provided "no discussion of the ante-Nicene fathers." But I devoted a full 1-hour video to the ante-Nicene fathers: Video #6 How the Later Church Developed Worship Services ruclips.net/video/4CfNZbjK6Sg/видео.html You can also read my doctoral paper on this topic here: www.tomwadsworth.com/s/shift.pdf.
I've had a few brothers from Catholic or Orthodox background who cite the Didache as the authority in this matter. But neither the Catholic Church nor the Orthodox Church regards the Didache as authoritative. The Didache has several other serious problems, as I've outlined here: www.tomwadsworth.com/answers-to-questions/about-the-didache
@@tomwadsworth Thanks for the response - I'll check these materials out
.' [Malachi 1:10-12] [So] He then speaks of those Gentiles, namely us, who in every place offer sacrifices to Him, i.e., the bread of the Eucharist, and also the cup of the Eucharist, affirming both that we glorify His name.
Justin Martyr, dialogue with Trypho the Jew, chapter 41.
I discuss Malachi 1 and Justin Martyr in Video #6 How the Later Church Developed Worship Services ruclips.net/video/4CfNZbjK6Sg/видео.html and in this paper: www.tomwadsworth.com/s/shift.pdf.
Why does one have to use the word, "worship?"
Because it makes people feel super spiritual. It covers a myriad of failings.
If they don't read their Bible, don't witness for Christ, nor do they serve Christ in any outward horizontal fashion, they can say they're going to worship. Almost makes it sound as if they were a priest themselves.
The Bible accurately describes the early Church. We don't need to assume that though out the Church age that the Church would not grow and change, even for the better. To assume that everything we do should be exactly as the earliest Church is not necessarily a correct assumption. Remember, they laid much of what they owned at the Apostle's feet, and had all material things in common. Should we therefore live in communes, sharing our entire wealth and incomes?
They sang in the early Church, likely often from Psalms, a book largely of praise. Jesus Himself sang, obviously to God.
We cannot become vertically edified without horizontally drawing from the font of life and goodness, from exercising relationship and fellowship with God Himself, in all places, times, and situations. This was understood. We have nothing of substance that is not drawn first from God, perpendicularly. No edification can come, except first from above.
The word Trinity is not in the Bible, but the concept rings throughout all of its pages.
Worship, I believe, was fundamental, and understood. Read the book of Revelation, and see the saints in heaven worshipping.
The problem is not our worshipping, but rather, is our worship after God's own heart, or in our image, for our pleasure, our emotional entertainment and excitement? We need to seek God for His prefect, unearthly ways of worshipping Himself, the very nature to please Him, not to mainly excite our emotions and feelings in ways that are actually fleshly.
#Redeemed #Zoomer #Usefulcharts #Wesley #Huff #TruthUnites #Dr #Gavin #Ortlund
When we gather together into one place as an assembly it isn't to do what you see the world's way of doing ,there concept of what they call worshipping the MOST HIGH YAH but rather to learn how to worship him in spirit and in truth to have a more profound knowledge of all that YAHSHUA THE MESSIYAH did in fulfillment of scriptures Matt.5:17-18 Matt.11:25-27 Vurses the ritualistic practicing and so forth and so on socalled praising and worship is really a man made traditions and concepts preaching to the flesh not in know way doing anything for the benefit for the Soul in understanding what the purpose and will of our heavenly FATHER has purpose for all mankind John 4:23-24- and how the MESSIYAH fulfilled those things that was written of him in the Law and Prophets (Scriptures) from Genesis to Malachi and the books of Matt. Mark Luke and John are the fulfillment of it all this is what Jeremiah the prophet prophesied about in Jer.31:31-3 which was his birth, life, death, buria,l and resurrection and the Ascension those are the day's he Jeremiah were referring too not to enslave one to ritualistic views and theories concepts and opinions of what they think or do instead of realizing the freedoms that has been delivered to us all from the shackles and burdens of the Old ways that was given to a particular people chosen by him the children of Israel to make himself known and eternal power understood he created all mankind to know him as he really is and actually exist
Dr…are you still a trinitarian? If so, why?
I am simply a Christian who believes that the Christian Scriptures should be the basis for Christian beliefs and practices. Consequently, I resist being pigeonholed as Trinitarian, Unitarian, Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Liberal, Conservative, Cessationist, Pentecostal, Calvinist, Arminian, Evangelical, Sacramentalist, Inerrantist, Premillennialist, Amillennialist, Preterist, Egalitarian, Complementarian, or whatever.
I simply try to understand the biblical text in the context in which it was written. And I try to be understanding and compassionate of others who have arrived at an opposing view. We all have much to gain by learning from one another.
But christians today will ask the big question...
"What's wrong with what we're doing?"
That opens a big #10 can of worms.
Are the people being edified?
Is The Word studied?
Are people in need being helped?
With today's resources are we researching scriptures?
Are we teaming up to evangelize/kerux?
Is the spiritual life of believers stunted?
And on the list goes...
❤❤❤
You are flawed in your understanding if you believe that singing songs of praise and adoration to God (which is, in a modern context, called "worship") and singing about His glory is strictly vertical in nature. While we do so we are also reminding ourselves and each other of His greatness, mercy and grace, which, in effect, foster our edifying of one another. How is that not in the spirit (if in nothing else) of what Paul wrote concerning gatherings in 1st Corinthians 14. In short, Dr. Wadsworth..... what's your point?
I never said that singing praise was strictly vertical in nature. I actually agree that singing such songs fosters our edifying of one another.
@tomwadsworth I understand. My point is that, in modern contexts, that is what is meant by "worship." It's taken on a different meaning these days. All due respect (and I sincerely mean that as I consider you as one of the most thorough and dedicated scholars I've had the pleasure of hearing teach) a criticism of a modern practice on the basis of an antiquated definition is flawed, don't you think?
@@patrickd.mccallister4723 But, you are not supposed to change the meaning… full stop! That’s blasphemy of the Word. Keep it real, don’t go with the new age flow, man…….💞📖🙏🏼
@MSaintG it's not the bible that has changed. It's the english word "worship" that has changed in its meaning over the years. Like many words. For example, what does the word "angel" mean? The translators invented that word from the original greek word in scripture "angelos". They chose not to translate it into the English equivalent but rather to transliterate (a made up English word) in order to show the usage in proper context. But proper translation would have been "messenger". Did they "change the meaning"? Arguably, yes. Translators used the English word "worship" as they understood the word in their time. Not according to an ancient Hebrew word or an ancient greek word. The readers understand the word worship to mean to adore honor and praise the Lord and not to lay down prostrate before Him. Look up the etymology of the word "worship".
Here: The word worship comes from the Old English word weorþscipe, which means "worthiness" or "worth-ship":
weorþ: Means "value" as a noun and "valuable, having status, deserving" as an adjective
-scipe: A suffix that indicates a condition or character
The word worship means to venerate, or to show honor or respect to an object or deity. It can also mean to conduct religious rites.
It sounds much like the practice of Calvin.
Much of these terminology mistakes were deliberate. By the time of the texts that are used today, the copyists have long since adhered to the scribners of days gone by. Tyndale, KJV etc all follow the texts that were passed down from the Third Century. The errors were put in there by those ancient Pastors, Elders, Bishops, to secure their seats in posterity. Today these people do the same "anachronism" by putting themselves in history that likewise didn't exist.
Tom Wadsworth sound like you do not believe in worship, you gave five terms that mean worship. Worship meaning the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity. "the worship of God"
So what the point of assembly if you not going to worship The Lord Jesus. Please let me know?
What I believe is not important. The apostle Paul expressly says that the point of the assembly is to build up one another (1 Cor 14:26). That's what's important.
@@tomwadsworth what you believe is important. We are saved by our faith alone in The Lord Jesus. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Faith meaning complete trust or confidence in someone or something: We can not earn our salvation it is a gift. Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. I know People who thinks they need to follow the Law of Moses to keep their salvation. I also have people in my family , who are Jehovah Witness. But I believe it only in name of Jesus. Acts 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. I also believe in The Apostle Paul Gospel. Romans2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
@@tomwadsworth perhaps a solution is simple: a cadre of believers can carry their collective gestalt to the throne of grace, as we say with high expectation. The implication that it’s wrong simply because it isn’t specified merits a bit more justification. The solution? We can continue collectively do what we do in our hearts alone when we meet and stop calling it worship. I see nothing intrinsically lacking edification in that process. Of course, authenticity must be the ethos.
Major methodological flaw is using dodgy "secondary" sources.
Name one "dodgy" source.
@@tomwadsworth Well you for a start
@@anonymoussource701 Well, you got me there.
It seems your presentation says that all of the Christian gathering is mean to be about edification and not about worship due to 1 Cor 14.26, and you seem to say that 1 Cor 14 is THE passage where Paul talks about what should happen when Christians gather.
Why do you not also talk about 1 Cor 11 which also seems to be instructions on Christian gatherings? Or acts 2.42 that gives a summary description of Christian gatherings? Or the fact that Jewish synagogues were known as places of prayer and influenced the first Jewish Christ followers? Or whenever 2 or 3 are gathered, Jesus is there in their midst. That certainly is meant to have a horizontal effect, but how could it not also have an effect of worship when the risen Lord is tangibly in your midst? It is hard to escape the fact that both horizontal and vertical and a simultaneous mix seemed endemic to gatherings of N.T. Christians.
You point out that many gatherings have all but given up the horizontal focus and it needs to be reclaimed. Yes, I agree. But you seem to minimise prayer which naturally has a vertical focus and remembering/reflecting on Christ’s death together which naturally has both a vertical and horizontal focus.
1 Cor 11.1-16 & 14.27 These seem to say that prayer is a normal part of Christians gathering.
1 Cor 11.17-34 Seems to say that remembering Jesus’ sacrifice and the love they share together as a result is meant to be a normal part of gathering. Whether this is an entirely casual celebration or has ceremonial elements, as in the liturgy of mass is not clear but seems likely to have early forms of both. And it seems likely that would naturally involve a response of worship.
Obviously Acts 2.42-43 indicates: teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer, and also indicates that awe was a continuing response. It also seems inescapable that in such a context, the joy of being connected to the risen Jesus and to each other would be the order of the day. That is both horizontal and worshipful.
I think you have come to some incorrect conclusions about my presentation. I deal with all those verses extensively in my dissertation. See also my hours of videos at ruclips.net/p/PLBymWQLP-rkGoTzyS81-MIi5q63Aq4UgI
Discipleship. Make disciples of all nations. The great commission. Not evangelism.
Disappointing and ignorant. Cullman, Brunner and Hahn are all written in German and use the word "Gottesdeinst" in their titles which may be understood as us serving God or God serving us. Both vertical. No reference to the eucharist which was central regardless of any theology of it. Most significantly, that there was a Christianity rather than divergent Christianities. Paul and Jesus went to synagogues-one would expect what happened in those meetings to carry into Christian meetings, and this is reflected in later, early Christian liturgies.
How about the flaw that YOU WERE NOT THERE! LOL! What a genius!
Freemasons use the term "Most WORSHIPFUL Master" in their services...
Also, your Greek knowledge can be interesting, but please don't fall for the Alexandrian Cult trying to correct the advanced revelation of the King James Bible's text (although you may clarify it in the context).
Because the so called "originals" are a mythological idol the intellectuals veneer at the expense of the Christian simplicity of the KJV.
Too bad you're not KJV-only, you let yourself being robbed of many blessings by sticking to a Bible perVersion.
Yet another person who thinks he's found what's missing. Maybe 2000 years too late 🙄
Man you talk about “you” more than JESUS, it’s me, my , mine, my my my my, dr this dr that, just like the religious Pharisees, hey look at me, I detest any one who thinks or acts like they are above another person or better because they went to a money machine and read some books
Have you watch the video thoroughly?
He needs to mention other scholars to put on the foundation of his studies. To show us he is not only the person who has seen this issue about Christian assembly.
That puts credibility.
He is not making this as a law. He is merely making a comparison and contrast of how Christians assemble then and now.
@ I’ll watch it
John 4:24 "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
Matthew 16:24-25
Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. / For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me
1 Peter 1:14-16
As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance. / But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, / for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.
Good point, but the context here is in Christian assembly.
@@Angus-t1j The assembly is a component of Christian life: our life is as Paul enjoins: total sacrifice and renewed thinking. When we meet together for edification we also get taught. (Teaching not being a liturgical ceremony like a sermon, but a discussion with all Bible's open.) So this is a contextually apposite comment. I've made a similar comment above.
And he is suggesting that what was 'worship' then isn't the same as what we now see as 'worship'