How did the New Testament church worship?

[FollowerofShiloh]

Well, true. You need truth and order also. It’s important to be appropriate for the atmosphere.

I am just saying when our mind controls what we do it's never the truest worship we can offer. It's our own understanding of what we think worship is. But to be lost in the spirit means we've allowed God to be worshiped in Truth because we are not controlling it with our flesh understanding.

 

[FollowerofShiloh]

To control worship is self control. Self control in its own concept is worshiping self.

 

[Cameron143]

So I don't need a church body around to do it or singing. But I do it in both scenarios.

My consideration wasn't the where of worship, but the substance of worship. Anyone can worship anywhere anytime.

 

[Burn1986]

I’m sure Paul and the disciples lived in frustration dealing with all the situations in getting some order and structuring the first church.

 

[presidente]

I don't even pay attention to what is being sung. I am there to Praise and Worship even if everything else is wrong.

Read I Corinthians 14. Even prayers are to be understood so that others can be edified through the understanding. If someone prays in tongues, others cannot be edified because they do not understand. They have to be edified through the interpretation.

 

[Burn1986]

Looks like I steered the thread away from the original topic of How the First Generation church worshipped instead of “worship” in general.

 

[presidente]

I was on a lust with retired Greek and Latin (Classics) scholar who was familiar with Greek through Koine, Byzantine, even modern Hellenic. He also knew Hebrew.

He said 'proskuneo' literally means to kiss the foot and refers to the act of frustration bowing down with one's head towards the ground or floor. Another word for worship or service is latreia. This includes what we do outside of church. It is not limited to what is mentioned in the OP.

 

[presidente]

The OP leaves out many things the Bible says to do in church that are not among the five points described.

Protestants have a tradition of singing songs having one man called the pastor preach the sermon which is a long speech followed by more songs. certain individuals praying and collecting the offering are intermixed in there and there's also Holy Communion which could be weekly or monthly depending on the Protestant church.

But the Bible does not teach this pattern.

In the Bible the apostles appointed multiple elders in a single church and exhorted them to pastor the church/flock.

Nowhere do we read that one pastor must preach a 45-minute sermon.
according to protestant tradition one clergyman exhorts the congregation but in scripture more than one member of the congregation speaks to edify the assembly.

According to tradition there is one sermon but according to scripture the people in the assembly may sing teach prophesy speaking tongues interpret tongues and exhort. (I Corinthians 14:26-31, Hebrews 10:24-25. cf. Romans 12:6-8, Romans 15:14.)

 

[Pilgrimshope]

Looks like I steered the thread away from the original topic of How the First Generation church worshipped instead of “worship” in general.

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
‭‭John‬ ‭4:24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

In spirit

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭6:63‬ ‭

and in truth

“ Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”
‭‭John‬ ‭18:37‬

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
‭‭John‬ ‭8:31-32‬ ‭KJV‬‬

 

[FollowerofShiloh]

Read I Corinthians 14. Even prayers are to be understood so that others can be edified through the understanding. If someone prays in tongues, others cannot be edified because they do not understand. They have to be edified through the interpretation.

It's only if it's Tongues and Interpretation. People just make things up and wonder why their life is how it is.

 

[oldman]

I’m sure Paul and the disciples lived in frustration dealing with all the situations in getting some order and structuring the first church.

never thought about that but you're probably right

 

[oldman]

Has anyone ever heard and teaching on praise and or worship? Probably not but it well worth the time to dig deep into the subject and draw comparisons to what we have today. Start back with the construction of Moses' tabernacle and the placement of the 'furniture'. Then look at David's tabernacle (the one GOD said He would rebuild).

Today the words praise and worship have become synonymous - interchangeable. This is an error. In short praise is giving thanks for what GOD has done for you/us. True spiritual worship is a level up - giving praise, thanks, worship. adoration to the Father for Who and What he is.
Strongs greek dictionary defines worship as (mean. to kiss like a dog licking his masters hand)
To relate the natural to the spiritual, I have a dog. While sitting he will sometimes walk over and for no apparent reason lick my hand.
I understand that action as a sign of friendship or companionship. This action takes a certain level of trust from both of us. I could strike my dog or otherwise hurt him if I wanted to. My dog could bite me if he wanted to. So the actions takes a certain level of trust that neither will intentionally hurt the other. And we can indeed hurt the Father.

In true spiritual worship there is a flow of His Holy spirit through us and back to Him of love, peace, joy that cannot be generated by a human. We can very easily get lost in worship. From what I have seen, we seldom get lost in praise - worship is a different level.

So to answer the op question, they were growing spiritually to get into spiritual worship albeit slowly with good teachers to guide them.
The patterns are in the OT. Study is necessary. And walking through this life in constant spiritual worship can be attained. I think that this is where Paul and the other apostles lived and strove to get new believers to.

 

[presidente]

Paul said 'let all things be done unto edifying, which includes singing in v 26.

 

[SabbathBlessing]

Scripture shows. Jesus and the apostles kept every Sabbath. The Lords Supper was not on Sunday, it was before His death and He rose on Sunday, or the first day, resting the Sabbath day even in death. Never once teaching anything changed with His Sabbath commandment. God personally blessed the Sabbath day, only He can reverse Num 23:20 and there is no thus saith the Lord where God or Jesus says we don’t have to keep, all the thus saith the Lords on the Sabbath and there are many are for us to keep and not profane.


And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he (Jesus) entered into the synagogue, and taught.
- Mark 1:21

And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
- Mark 2:27

And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
- Mark 6:2

And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
- Mark 15:42

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
- Luke 4:16

And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.
- Luke 4:31


And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
- Luke 6:6

And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
- Luke 6:7

Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
- Luke 6:9

And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
- Luke 13:10

And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
- Luke 23:54

And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
- Luke 23:56

The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
- John 19:31

Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbathday's journey.
- Acts 1:12

But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
- Acts 13:14

For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.
- Acts 13:27

And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
- Acts 13:42

And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
- Acts 13:44

For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
- Acts 15:21

And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
- Acts 16:13

And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
- Acts 17:2

And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
- Acts 18:4

Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbathfrom polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
- Isaiah 56:2

Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
- Isaiah 56:6

If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
- Isaiah 58:13

And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
- Isaiah 66:23

 

[Cameron143]

Scripture shows. Jesus and the apostles kept every Sabbath. The Lords Supper was not on Sunday, it was before His death and He rose on Sunday, or the first day, resting the Sabbath day even in death. Never once teaching anything changed with His Sabbath commandment. God personally blessed the Sabbath day, only He can reverse Num 23:20 and there is no thus saith the Lord where God or Jesus says we don’t have to keep, all the thus saith the Lords on the Sabbath and there are many are for us to keep and not profane.


And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he (Jesus) entered into the synagogue, and taught.
- Mark 1:21

And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
- Mark 2:27

And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
- Mark 6:2

And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
- Mark 15:42

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
- Luke 4:16

And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.
- Luke 4:31


And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
- Luke 6:6

And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
- Luke 6:7

Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
- Luke 6:9

And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
- Luke 13:10

And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
- Luke 23:54

And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
- Luke 23:56

The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
- John 19:31

Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbathday's journey.
- Acts 1:12

But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
- Acts 13:14

For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.
- Acts 13:27

And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
- Acts 13:42

And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
- Acts 13:44

For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
- Acts 15:21

And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
- Acts 16:13

And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
- Acts 17:2

And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
- Acts 18:4

Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbathfrom polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
- Isaiah 56:2

Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
- Isaiah 56:6

If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
- Isaiah 58:13

And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
- Isaiah 66:23

Jesus was a Jew born under law. His disciples were Jewish. Of course they kept the 7th day Sabbath.

 

[SabbathBlessing]

Jesus was a Jew born under law. His disciples were Jewish. Of course they kept the 7th day Sabbath.

Had Jesus not kept the law He could not have been our example to follow 1 John 2:6 1 Peter 2:21-22 Heb 4:15 or Savior

Jesus didn’t just come to take the penalty for sin, He came to show how a righteous person lives and led by example- our example.
If we are in Christ, we have His imputed righteousness, which means we are living just as He lived. Which is why the apostles and His faithful followers kept the Sabbath according to the commandment Luke 23:56 because a servant is never greater than their master John 13:16. Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man Mark 2:27 and man does not spell Jew. The Sabbath is called the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Exo 20:10 My holy day Isa 58:13 never once called the Sabbath of the Jews.

If one wishes to follow another example other than Jesus Christ- who is the WAY, thats a choice they can make. It’s all about choices.

Take care.

 

[Cameron143]

Had Jesus not kept the law He could not have been our example to follow 1 John 2:6 1 Peter 2:21-22 Heb 4:15 or Savior

Jesus didn’t just come to take the penalty for sin, He came to show how a righteous person lives and led by example- our example.
If we are in Christ, we have His imputed righteousness, which means we are living just as He lived. Which is why the apostles and His faithful followers kept the Sabbath according to the commandment Luke 23:56 because a servant is never greater than their master John 13:16. Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man Mark 2:27 and man does not spell Jew. The Sabbath is called the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Exo 20:10 My holy day Isa 58:13 never once called the Sabbath of the Jews.

If one wishes to follow another example other than Jesus Christ- who is the WAY, thats a choice they can make. It’s all about choices.

Take care.

And yet it was specifically given to the Jews on 2 occasions, the second time in conjunction with God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt. To say that the law wasn't given in relationship to the nation Israel is a bit untenable.

 

[SabbathBlessing]

And yet it was specifically given to the Jews on 2 occasions, the second time in conjunction with God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt. To say that the law wasn't given in relationship to the nation Israel is a bit untenable.

It was given by God , made for man Mat 2:27 at Creation Exo 20:11 before Jew or Gentile, just man Gen 1:26 and God. Gen 2:1-3. God wants to bless everyone- hence why He used the words everyone and man, not Jew. Isa 56:1-6 but if one doesn't want God's sanctification Eze 20:12 or blessing Isa 56:2 or feel God's commandments are for "other people" instead of God's people Rev 14:12 that's a choice.

 

[Cameron143]

It was given by God , made for man Mat 2:27 at Creation Exo 20:11 before Jew or Gentile, just man Gen 1:26 and God. Gen 2:1-3. God wants to bless everyone- hence why He used the words everyone and man, not Jew. Isa 56:1-6 but if one doesn't want God's sanctification Eze 20:12 or blessing Isa 56:2 or feel God's commandments are for "other people" instead of God's people Rev 14:12 that's a choice.

Sure, God gave rest to all people through Jesus. Rest is in a person, not a day. The Sabbath was always about Christ...the greater Sabbath. Hope you find your rest in Him, and not the keeping of commandments.

 

[SabbathBlessing]

Sure, God gave rest to all people through Jesus. Rest is in a person, not a day. The Sabbath was always about Christ...the greater Sabbath. Hope you find your rest in Him, and not the keeping of commandments.

Appreciate the opinion, but for me I'm sticking with the scriptures and what God said. Exo 20:8-11 Isa 56:1-6 Mat 2:27 Mat 5:19