Now where do they say worship?
I love challenges like this.
Just signed up to answer. Hope I’m not too late. Don’t know what translation you prefer. Will use whichever of them acceptable to Protestants that seems to me clearest & closest to Greek—according to textual analysis; I don’t know Greek, sorry. Also, my main Bible-research site is the Protestant Bible Hub (because it has textual analysis & tons of other useful features). Still, these verses, & the definition of ‘worship’ will probably seem shockingly Catholic.
First, what does ‘worship’ mean? It doesn’t mean ‘pray to’, & it doesn’t necessarily mean ‘honor as God’. The etymology is ‘worth-ship’, i.e. whatever thing is worth giving or doing. And so there can even be the secular title ‘Your Worship’. In the Bible, the word most often translated as ‘worship’ is
proskyneó, root of
proskynesis, which is ‘prostration’. Definitions incl. ‘to kiss the ground when prostrating before a superior…fall down/prostrate oneself to adore on one's knees…do obeisance…to kiss…to kiss the hand to (toward) one, in token of reverence…to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence (“to make a ‘salam’”)…in the N. T. by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication. It is used a. of homage shown to men of superior rank…b. of homage rendered to God and the ascended Christ, to heavenly beings, and to demons…[to] prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore)—worship.’ Also it ‘suggests the willingness to make all necessary physical gestures of obeisance.’ (And so it’s not idolatry to ‘worship’ the Virgin Mary or other saints, it’s merely giving them whatever respect they deserve.) Other words translated as ‘worship’ have similar definitions.
So here are verses commanding worship/proskynesis… (I may have missed some, or a lot.)
- Give thanks unto the LORD with harp, Sing praises unto Him with the psaltery of ten strings. (Ps 33:2)
- Exalt the LORD our God; bow in worship at His footstool. He is holy. (Ps 99:5)
- For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. (Mal 1:11)
- ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ (Mt 4:10b)
- Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, yet you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus told [the Samaritan woman], “Believe Me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (Jn 4:20–24)
- Therefore also indeed, the first [Covenant] had regulations of worship and an earthly sanctuary. (Heb 9:1) …i.e. it was taken for granted that we Christians have regulations of worship.
- And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.” (Rev 14:6,7)
- Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (Rev 19:10d,e)