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What does it mean to worship God?
All false teaching requires one main ingredient, regardless of the false teaching. God's word must be changed. Since false teaching can't be found in the original texts of Scripture, the illusion must be created that something not taught or found in Scripture is, in some mysterious way, in Scripture.
There are different steps to this process.
1. Only use selected verses.
2. Ignore verses that contradict the false teaching.
3. Change the meaning of the original words./
4. Not defining the original words.
5. Ignore the original words found in the original text.
6. Add or take away from Scripture.
7. Separate a verse from a passage and teach it as if it "stands alone," Or only quote part of a verse.
8. Use flawed English translations as "proof."
False teaching only has success when two things are in place. It is not just a false teacher putting forth a lie as truth. No false teacher can force others to believe what they teach. There needs to be an audience with itchy ears,
2Tim 4:3-4 For the time will come (it did come and has been here for a long time) when they will not listen to and believe sound doctrine but will follow after many false teachers who will teach things that scratch their itchy ears. The false teachers shall turn their ears from the truth unto Scripture fiction.
"Itchy ears" describe individuals who will seek out messages and doctrines that appease and give approval to them and how they live as opposed to believing and obeying what Scripture teaches. They want their ears "tickled."
When you hear teaching these days always requires one of two approaches. Do you want to believe Scripture or what a man says? How do you determine if a teaching is true or not? You search the Scriptures.
Mat 22:29 You do err, not knowing the scriptures...
Acts 17:11 ...In that, they received the word (Paul's teaching) with all eagerness and open mind, and they searched (studied) the scriptures daily to see if what Paul was teaching was actually in scripture.
Scripture doesn't lie. Men do.
Worshiping God is a simple concept in Scripture. Something not complicated. But false teaching has turned the concept into a monstrous, man-made concept that incorporates many aspects that have nothing to do with worship. It is taught as the most critical part of a believer's life. Instead of a simple, easy-to-understand doctrine, it has been turned into some "mystical experience" or a list of things a believer does that are all a part of worship. It is supposed to be a priority in a believer's life.
I've said over and over that English translations are not accurate, contain many bad translations of words and verses, and change the original meaning of the original text. You are about to see a classic example of this.
A Hebrew word in Scripture is translated into the English word "worship," shachah, Strong's number 7812. This word means: to bow down, to prostrate oneself. Nothing else! All of the following verses use this word, KJV.
Gen 22:5 And Abraham said to the young men, stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go over there to worship, then return.
Gen 24:26 And the man bowed down his head and worshipped the LORD.
Ex 34:14 For you shall worship no other god...
Deut 26:10 ...And you shall set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God.
1Sam 15:25 Now, therefore, I pray you, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD
Psalm 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
As a reminder, the same Hebrew word is used in the following verses.
Gen 27:29 Let people serve you and nations bow down to you...
Ex 18:7 And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance, and kissed him.
1Kings 1:53 So king Solomon sent, and they brought [Adonijah] down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon...
Same word, same meaning but "translated" differently. When the word describes action toward God or any deity, it is always translated as "worship." When the word is used when showing an action towards man, it is translated as "bow down," "bowed," or "obeisance."
Do you see the trickery here? You don't want to show a man "worshiping" another man, and you don't want to show a man "bowing down" to God.
When I started studying and found mistakes or inaccuracies in English translations, especially the KJV, I chalked it up to "honest accidents." But the more I've learned about how bible translations were "put together," starting specifically with Jerome's Latin Vulgate and the KJV, I began to see that the translations were done with nefariousThis agendas. The agenda of Jerome's work was to incorporate Catholic dogma into Scripture to present the dogma as "biblical." There were three main agendas of the KJV work. The first was to force the unscriptural concept of the "church" into Scripture. In this hierarchical system, all members of the "clergy" (another word not found in Scripture) would have the rule and authority in all matters of Scripture, especially in the areas of teaching and "interpretation," over every person of the "laity," another word not found in Scripture. Laity means ordinary people, as distinct from professionals or experts. The second was to present the KJV as the "Authorized Version" version of Scripture. James was Anglican. In those days, in the Anglican church, the king was not only the ruler of the country but also the head of the church. Thus, the KJV was treated as the official and only "bible" of the Anglican Church of England. Third, the KJV was used to promote the "Divine right of Kings," a belief among royalty that a country's ruler was there because it was the "Divine will of God." One great perk of this belief was that no ruler was under any laws or answerable to any man or branch of government. This doesn't mean the KJV cannot be used for study or learning. Regardless of the translation, they all must be compared against the original texts, using the actual words.
So, if a person read 1Kings 1:53 and compared it to Psalms 29:2, he would see no connection, no parallels, between the two verses. He would think, "Oh, men can bow down to other men, but when it comes to God, men "worship." In America, most people believe that to worship God means to have or show extravagant admiration or devotion to God. Which can always move into a "mystical" experience.
To bow down or prostrate oneself before another was a common practice among all cultures during that era of history in that area of the world. It physically said that you were in the presence of a superior one, superior in rank or status. When you "prostrated" or " bowed down" before your king, you were also showing that your king had the rule over you and the authority to command you and that you would obey your king. Your life was in the hands of the king. His word was the law you followed.
We see this concept still followed in Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Instead of prostration, people bow to each other. The one of inferior status or rank still bows lower to the other. If we saw one man kneel before another in our culture, we would instantly recognize the dynamics of what is going on.
I already showed you the primary Hebrew word for "bowing down or prostration." In the Greek N.T., the main word used for "worship" is proskuneo. No Hebrew or Greek word in Scripture translated into the English word "worship" means "to sing to" or "praise."
Unfortunately, Mr. Strong chose to get involved with this. When you read the definition for proskuneo in the Strong's Expanded Concordance, you will read; from 4314, and a PROBABLE der of 2965 (mean to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (lit or fig.) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore):-worship.
When false teachers "define" the word proskuneo, they almost always say it means to "kiss the hand to." They never say prostrate! In the definition, certain words are in italics, fawn, crouch, prostrate, reverence, and adore. Now pay attention as to why words are in italics in the Strongs. Italics in translations do not indicate emphasis but omission. The italicized words do not occur in the Hebrew or Greek text but were added by the translators in an attempt to clarify the meanings. Anytime you find a word in italics in your translation, you will understand why.
But, this begs the question. Why are the "definitions" in the Strong's written in italics? Isn't the purpose of a dictionary to give the meanings of words? I can't recall any dictionary I have used to print their definitions in italics. Any person or group who has ever compiled a dictionary for publication would never dare to publish their dictionary without studying each word to get the most exact meaning! So, why did Strong use italics to "suggest" possible meanings? None of Strong's "suggested" meanings are good or actual definitions! Thus, the Greek word proskuneo does not mean "to kiss the hand towards." Neither does it mean to prostrate.
The Strong's Concordance reads, "a probable derivate of 2965." This could also be stated as "probably a derivate of...," indicating a "strong possibility." I'm sorry, but to say there is a strong possibility that proskuneo might be a derivative of 2965 does not meet the criteria to be called a definition.
Let's look at 2965 from the same Concordance, kuon-dog. Kuon is used in two senses, 1. a literal dog. 2. metaphorically, "dogs" were ungodly men with impure minds exercising immorality..." It is effortless to see no linguistic connection between proskuneo and kuon. Just as a point of emphasis, the Hebrew word for "kiss" is nashaq. The Greek words are kataphileo, phileo, and philema—no connection to proskueno.
Where did Strong get his "inspiration" to define proskuneo the way he did? I'm betting he created his definition based on how the word proskueno was used in the Septuagint. It was used to translate different Hebrew verbs that mean: "bow," "kiss," "serve," and "worship." If you notice, Strong put the word "worship" at the end of the possible meanings.
When I used an app called "Bibletool" to find the interlinear rendering of Lk 4:8, I was surprised. The Greek word for "worship" was different than proskueno. It is proskyeno! Watch this! The actual definition of proskueno is "pilgrimage!" If you type in your browser 'What is the Greek word for worship,' the answer is letreia, not proskueno! If you type in proskyeno in a Greek to English tool, the result is PROSTRATE! This is the Greek word that should be used in the text! I am positive that when the Septuagint was done, proskueno was intentionally substituted for proskyeno! Why? To further cement the lie that "worship" doesn't mean to "bow down, prostrate before God! One of the main sources used by the KJV translators was the Septuagint! They would consult the Septuagint to "see" what Greek words were used to translate the Hebrew words! The KJV translators trusted in that since the Septuagint was "a work of 70 Jewish scholars," that the Greek words used were the correct equivalents to the original Hebrew words! A big urban myth is that the Septuagint was a work by 70 Jewish rabbis/Scholars. Historical evidence points to Origen, one of the most prominent Christian heretics, as the author of the Septuagint! Origen, a staunch Catholic, was very anti-Scripture!
I am shocked that this gross error in the Strongs has not been caught and denounced by scholars! I hold Mr. Strong personally responsible for believing that "worship" doesn't mean to bow down, to prostrate oneself before God, among those whose mother tongue is English and those foreigners who learned English!
For any person to set out and do a Greek dictionary for readers of English would require an immense knowledge of the Konie language and volculabry. After all, is not his work titled an "Exhaustive Concordance?" There have been millions of copies of The Strong's Concordance, all of the different versions sold. The "new Strong's expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible," published in 1990, has sold over half a million copies alone! The first edition of the Strong's Concordance was first published in 1890! This is not a "simple error, a small mistake" by Mr.Strong; this is chicanery!
All false teaching requires one main ingredient, regardless of the false teaching. God's word must be changed. Since false teaching can't be found in the original texts of Scripture, the illusion must be created that something not taught or found in Scripture is, in some mysterious way, in Scripture.
There are different steps to this process.
1. Only use selected verses.
2. Ignore verses that contradict the false teaching.
3. Change the meaning of the original words./
4. Not defining the original words.
5. Ignore the original words found in the original text.
6. Add or take away from Scripture.
7. Separate a verse from a passage and teach it as if it "stands alone," Or only quote part of a verse.
8. Use flawed English translations as "proof."
False teaching only has success when two things are in place. It is not just a false teacher putting forth a lie as truth. No false teacher can force others to believe what they teach. There needs to be an audience with itchy ears,
2Tim 4:3-4 For the time will come (it did come and has been here for a long time) when they will not listen to and believe sound doctrine but will follow after many false teachers who will teach things that scratch their itchy ears. The false teachers shall turn their ears from the truth unto Scripture fiction.
"Itchy ears" describe individuals who will seek out messages and doctrines that appease and give approval to them and how they live as opposed to believing and obeying what Scripture teaches. They want their ears "tickled."
When you hear teaching these days always requires one of two approaches. Do you want to believe Scripture or what a man says? How do you determine if a teaching is true or not? You search the Scriptures.
Mat 22:29 You do err, not knowing the scriptures...
Acts 17:11 ...In that, they received the word (Paul's teaching) with all eagerness and open mind, and they searched (studied) the scriptures daily to see if what Paul was teaching was actually in scripture.
Scripture doesn't lie. Men do.
Worshiping God is a simple concept in Scripture. Something not complicated. But false teaching has turned the concept into a monstrous, man-made concept that incorporates many aspects that have nothing to do with worship. It is taught as the most critical part of a believer's life. Instead of a simple, easy-to-understand doctrine, it has been turned into some "mystical experience" or a list of things a believer does that are all a part of worship. It is supposed to be a priority in a believer's life.
I've said over and over that English translations are not accurate, contain many bad translations of words and verses, and change the original meaning of the original text. You are about to see a classic example of this.
A Hebrew word in Scripture is translated into the English word "worship," shachah, Strong's number 7812. This word means: to bow down, to prostrate oneself. Nothing else! All of the following verses use this word, KJV.
Gen 22:5 And Abraham said to the young men, stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go over there to worship, then return.
Gen 24:26 And the man bowed down his head and worshipped the LORD.
Ex 34:14 For you shall worship no other god...
Deut 26:10 ...And you shall set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God.
1Sam 15:25 Now, therefore, I pray you, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD
Psalm 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
As a reminder, the same Hebrew word is used in the following verses.
Gen 27:29 Let people serve you and nations bow down to you...
Ex 18:7 And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance, and kissed him.
1Kings 1:53 So king Solomon sent, and they brought [Adonijah] down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon...
Same word, same meaning but "translated" differently. When the word describes action toward God or any deity, it is always translated as "worship." When the word is used when showing an action towards man, it is translated as "bow down," "bowed," or "obeisance."
Do you see the trickery here? You don't want to show a man "worshiping" another man, and you don't want to show a man "bowing down" to God.
When I started studying and found mistakes or inaccuracies in English translations, especially the KJV, I chalked it up to "honest accidents." But the more I've learned about how bible translations were "put together," starting specifically with Jerome's Latin Vulgate and the KJV, I began to see that the translations were done with nefariousThis agendas. The agenda of Jerome's work was to incorporate Catholic dogma into Scripture to present the dogma as "biblical." There were three main agendas of the KJV work. The first was to force the unscriptural concept of the "church" into Scripture. In this hierarchical system, all members of the "clergy" (another word not found in Scripture) would have the rule and authority in all matters of Scripture, especially in the areas of teaching and "interpretation," over every person of the "laity," another word not found in Scripture. Laity means ordinary people, as distinct from professionals or experts. The second was to present the KJV as the "Authorized Version" version of Scripture. James was Anglican. In those days, in the Anglican church, the king was not only the ruler of the country but also the head of the church. Thus, the KJV was treated as the official and only "bible" of the Anglican Church of England. Third, the KJV was used to promote the "Divine right of Kings," a belief among royalty that a country's ruler was there because it was the "Divine will of God." One great perk of this belief was that no ruler was under any laws or answerable to any man or branch of government. This doesn't mean the KJV cannot be used for study or learning. Regardless of the translation, they all must be compared against the original texts, using the actual words.
So, if a person read 1Kings 1:53 and compared it to Psalms 29:2, he would see no connection, no parallels, between the two verses. He would think, "Oh, men can bow down to other men, but when it comes to God, men "worship." In America, most people believe that to worship God means to have or show extravagant admiration or devotion to God. Which can always move into a "mystical" experience.
To bow down or prostrate oneself before another was a common practice among all cultures during that era of history in that area of the world. It physically said that you were in the presence of a superior one, superior in rank or status. When you "prostrated" or " bowed down" before your king, you were also showing that your king had the rule over you and the authority to command you and that you would obey your king. Your life was in the hands of the king. His word was the law you followed.
We see this concept still followed in Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Instead of prostration, people bow to each other. The one of inferior status or rank still bows lower to the other. If we saw one man kneel before another in our culture, we would instantly recognize the dynamics of what is going on.
I already showed you the primary Hebrew word for "bowing down or prostration." In the Greek N.T., the main word used for "worship" is proskuneo. No Hebrew or Greek word in Scripture translated into the English word "worship" means "to sing to" or "praise."
Unfortunately, Mr. Strong chose to get involved with this. When you read the definition for proskuneo in the Strong's Expanded Concordance, you will read; from 4314, and a PROBABLE der of 2965 (mean to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (lit or fig.) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore):-worship.
When false teachers "define" the word proskuneo, they almost always say it means to "kiss the hand to." They never say prostrate! In the definition, certain words are in italics, fawn, crouch, prostrate, reverence, and adore. Now pay attention as to why words are in italics in the Strongs. Italics in translations do not indicate emphasis but omission. The italicized words do not occur in the Hebrew or Greek text but were added by the translators in an attempt to clarify the meanings. Anytime you find a word in italics in your translation, you will understand why.
But, this begs the question. Why are the "definitions" in the Strong's written in italics? Isn't the purpose of a dictionary to give the meanings of words? I can't recall any dictionary I have used to print their definitions in italics. Any person or group who has ever compiled a dictionary for publication would never dare to publish their dictionary without studying each word to get the most exact meaning! So, why did Strong use italics to "suggest" possible meanings? None of Strong's "suggested" meanings are good or actual definitions! Thus, the Greek word proskuneo does not mean "to kiss the hand towards." Neither does it mean to prostrate.
The Strong's Concordance reads, "a probable derivate of 2965." This could also be stated as "probably a derivate of...," indicating a "strong possibility." I'm sorry, but to say there is a strong possibility that proskuneo might be a derivative of 2965 does not meet the criteria to be called a definition.
Let's look at 2965 from the same Concordance, kuon-dog. Kuon is used in two senses, 1. a literal dog. 2. metaphorically, "dogs" were ungodly men with impure minds exercising immorality..." It is effortless to see no linguistic connection between proskuneo and kuon. Just as a point of emphasis, the Hebrew word for "kiss" is nashaq. The Greek words are kataphileo, phileo, and philema—no connection to proskueno.
Where did Strong get his "inspiration" to define proskuneo the way he did? I'm betting he created his definition based on how the word proskueno was used in the Septuagint. It was used to translate different Hebrew verbs that mean: "bow," "kiss," "serve," and "worship." If you notice, Strong put the word "worship" at the end of the possible meanings.
When I used an app called "Bibletool" to find the interlinear rendering of Lk 4:8, I was surprised. The Greek word for "worship" was different than proskueno. It is proskyeno! Watch this! The actual definition of proskueno is "pilgrimage!" If you type in your browser 'What is the Greek word for worship,' the answer is letreia, not proskueno! If you type in proskyeno in a Greek to English tool, the result is PROSTRATE! This is the Greek word that should be used in the text! I am positive that when the Septuagint was done, proskueno was intentionally substituted for proskyeno! Why? To further cement the lie that "worship" doesn't mean to "bow down, prostrate before God! One of the main sources used by the KJV translators was the Septuagint! They would consult the Septuagint to "see" what Greek words were used to translate the Hebrew words! The KJV translators trusted in that since the Septuagint was "a work of 70 Jewish scholars," that the Greek words used were the correct equivalents to the original Hebrew words! A big urban myth is that the Septuagint was a work by 70 Jewish rabbis/Scholars. Historical evidence points to Origen, one of the most prominent Christian heretics, as the author of the Septuagint! Origen, a staunch Catholic, was very anti-Scripture!
I am shocked that this gross error in the Strongs has not been caught and denounced by scholars! I hold Mr. Strong personally responsible for believing that "worship" doesn't mean to bow down, to prostrate oneself before God, among those whose mother tongue is English and those foreigners who learned English!
For any person to set out and do a Greek dictionary for readers of English would require an immense knowledge of the Konie language and volculabry. After all, is not his work titled an "Exhaustive Concordance?" There have been millions of copies of The Strong's Concordance, all of the different versions sold. The "new Strong's expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible," published in 1990, has sold over half a million copies alone! The first edition of the Strong's Concordance was first published in 1890! This is not a "simple error, a small mistake" by Mr.Strong; this is chicanery!
