The worship of the New Testament church: A grammatical and contextual analysis of first-century Christian devotion

Abstract

This thesis examines the nature of New Testament church worship and seeks to understand the concept of worship among first-century Christians. Chapter 1 describes the misconceptions held by present-day worshipers and presents unusual scholarly positions.

Chapter 2 analyzes the eight Greek words that are translated "worship" in the New Testament. Two words, [proskuneo ; special characters omitted] and [latreuo ;special characters omitted], stand out in both frequency of use and importance of meaning.

Chapter 3 examines six passages that deal specifically with worship. Portions of Matthew 2, John 4, Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 14, Hebrews 9, and Revelation 7 are analyzed in order to understand the contextual setting of worship.

Chapter 4 offers conclusions based on chapters 2 and 3. First-century worship is understood to focus on God primarily, with congregational ministries being of subsequent importance.