Just as
only God deserves to wear certain unique names, possesses certain unique
characteristics, and do certain unique works, so there are certain unique forms
of worship and honor that belong only to God. Because God created and rules the
whole creation, it follows that all created things must honor and worship Him.
No man or other created being may rightly receive such worship. To give such
honor to men or created beings constitutes blasphemy or idolatry.
In this study we consider the Bible evidence about the worship and honor Jesus deserves to receive.
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Only God deserves to receive spiritual worship from men.
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The New
Testament word for worship (proskuneo) means to do obeisance, reverence, or
acts of homage (see Thayer, Vine, and Arndt & Gingrich). This word is often
used to describe men worshiping God: John 4:20-24; Revelation 4:10; 7:11;
11:16; 14:7; 19:4; 15:4; 1 Corinthians 14:25.
Many verses forbid worshiping men, angels, or any created thing.
Acts
10:25,26 - Cornelius fell down to worship Peter. Peter forbade it saying that
he himself was just a man. God deserves worship, but men do not. (Cf. Acts
12:20-23; 14:8-18.)
Revelation
22:8,9; 19:10 - John sought to worship the angel, but the angel forbade it
because he was a "fellow servant." "Worship God."
Romans
1:25 - People who worship and serve created things, rather than the Creator,
have left the truth of God.
To
worship any created thing - whether man, angel, heavenly body, or some other
object in nature (mountain, ocean, etc.) - constitutes idolatry.
Only the true God deserves to be worshipped.
Matthew 4:9,10 - Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.
Revelation
9:20 - Idolatry is forbidden because it constitutes worship of someone other
than God (Exodus 20:3-6; Deuteronomy 6:13-15; Revelation 14:9-11). [See also
Exodus 34:14]
Note:
proskunew is forbidden when used for obeisance to men from a spiritual or religious
motivation or purpose. The word is sometimes (but rarely) used in the New
Testament non-religiously to refer to bowing in obeisance to a king, master, or
other person in authority (see Matthew 18:26 - this usage is more common in the
Old Testament).
When
used for religious honor, however, worship is forbidden toward any except God.
In this sense, "worship" is like "lord,"
"father," "master," etc. The words may be acceptably used
for earthly, physical relationships (Ephesians 6:1-9; Colossians 3:21,22), but
we are forbidden to use such as religious honor to men or created things
(Matthew 23:8-12). [On Revelation 3:9, cf. to 1 Corinthians 14:25]
The
concept of Deity distinguishes the Creator from the creature. Things which are
created do not have the unique characteristics of God, do not do the unique
works of God, and therefore should not be addressed by the unique names of God
nor should they be worshipped.
But Jesus received the unique worship God deserves.
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He was often worshipped while He appeared on earth before His
resurrection.
Matthew 8:2 - A leper came and worshipped Jesus. [9:18; 15:25;
Mark 5:6]
Matthew
14:33 - After Jesus had calmed the storm, the disciples worshipped Him saying
He was the Son of God.
John
9:38 - After Jesus had healed the blind man, He revealed Himself to be the Son
of God (v35). The man said he believed, and he worshipped Jesus.
Note
that such religious worship would have been blasphemy and should have been
forbidden as it was in the case of Peter, the angel, etc., if Jesus had been
just a man on earth.
Created beings also worship Him after His resurrection.
Matthew
28:9,17 - After His resurrection, His disciples worshipped Him. [Cf. John 20:28,29]
Luke 24:52 - Even after He had ascended back to heaven, they
worshipped Him.
Hebrews 1:6 - Angels are instructed by God to worship Jesus.
Note
that men were rebuked for worshipping men, angels, or created beings, but they
were never rebuked for worshipping Jesus. Angels are even instructed by the
Father to worship Jesus. The context of the above passages cannot fit the idea
of obeisance to an earthly king or ruler. They refer to honoring Jesus as a
religious authority - the very thing forbidden when offered to Peter, angels,
etc.
Hence,
Jesus accepted worship as an act of religious honor. The Scriptures, including
Jesus' own teachings, would absolutely forbid this unless He possesses true
Deity.
B. Glory and Honor
==================
"Glory"
(doxa) means "...praise, honor ... magnificence, excellence, preeminence,
dignity, grace ... majesty" - Grimm-Wilke-Thayer.
"Honor"
(timh) means "...honor which belongs or is shown to one; the honor of one
who outranks others, pre-eminence ... veneration ... deference,
reverence..." - Grimm-Wilke-Thayer.
Like
the words "power" and "wisdom," both these words can
properly be used to refer to men in the physical realm (Matthew 6:29; 1 Peter
1:24). But they are also used to describe a special degree of glory which no
one but God can possess.
God receives a special, unique glory and honor.
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Psalm 24:7-10 - Jehovah is the "King of glory."
Psalm 29:3
- He is the "God of glory." [Acts 7:2; cf. Isaiah 60:19; Galatians
1:5; etc.]
Revelation
4:9-11 - God deserves this glory because He created all things. Note again the
distinction between the creature and the Creator. [Revelation 5:13; Romans
11:36]
Isaiah
42:8; 48:11 - This glory is unique to God in that He refuses to share it with
anyone else. Idols and created things have no right to receive this glory.
It
follows that it would be blasphemy for anyone but God to receive this unique
kind of glory. If anyone does receive this glory with God's approval, then that
one must possess Deity.
But Jesus receives the unique glory of God.
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John
5:23 - All men should honor the Son "just as" they honor the Father.
To fail to give this honor to the Son is to fail to properly honor the Father.
"Just
as" (kathos) is translated "even as" in KJV, ASV, NASB, RSV (cf.
Thayer and Arndt & Gingrich). Other examples of its use in comparisons is
found in Luke 6:31; 11:30; 17:26; John 3:14; 2 Corinthians 10:7; Colossians
3:13; etc.
The
significance of the word, when used in comparisons, is that one item or action
is just like the other regarding the aspect in which they are being compared.
Hence Jesus rightly receives honor just like the honor the Father receives. And
if we refuse to give such honor to the Son, then we are refusing to honor the
Father!
John
17:5 - Jesus prayed to the Father to "glorify Me together with Yourself,
with the glory which I had with You before the world was" (NKJV, cf. NASB,
NEB; others are similar - ASV, KJV). Jesus asks to be glorified together with
the Father with the glory He possessed "with" (para) the Father from
eternity.
The
clear implication is that Jesus and the Father both possessed the same glory
before the world began. Jesus, in coming to earth as a servant, did not then
appear to possess that glory but appeared as a man (this is part of what he
gave up on coming to earth - Philippians 2:6-8). But having nearly completed
His work on earth (John 17:4) and being ready to ascend to the Father, Jesus
anticipated receiving this glory again (Philippians 2:9-11).
However,
we have already learned that no one but God can receive the glory God has
(Isaiah 42:8; 48:11). Jesus did receive that glory with the approval of the
Father. Therefore, Jesus possesses Deity.
Revelation
5:12-14 - Both the Father and the Lamb (Jesus) were praised by the created
things, who attributed to them "blessing and honor and glory and power."
Note that the same glory and honor belongs to both Father and Son.
Hebrews
1:3 - Jesus is the brightness of the Father's glory (or the effulgence or
radiance of His glory). That glory which shines from the Father also shines
from Jesus because He is the creator (v2), upholds all things (v3), and is the
express image of God (v3).
1
Corinthians 2:8; James 2:1 - Jesus is called the "Lord of glory,"
just as God in the Old Testament is called the "King of glory" (Psalm
24:7-10).
Note
that the glory Jesus possesses is not just the glory possessed by men or
angels. His glory is above that of angels (Hebrews 1:6,13). He is above all
principality, power, might, dominion, and every name that is named (Ephesians
1:21; Philippians 2:9-11). No created being possesses the glory and honor Jesus
does.
We have
seen, however, that Jesus deserves the glory, honor, and worship of Deity even
as the Father does. God forbids this to be given to any but Deity, but Jesus
does receive it. This would be blasphemy if Jesus were not God.
Conclusion
==========
If
Jesus is not Deity, then who is He? To understand God we must realize that God
is not part of the created things. God is the Creator, separate and far above the
creatures. This distinction is made again and again in the passages we have
studied. Jesus must be classed on one side or the other. Either he is a created
being or else He is Deity. To say He is not Deity is to say He is a created
being. To say He is not a created being is to say He is Deity. There are no
other alternatives.
Men are
creatures; angels are creatures that are above men. But Jesus is above the
angels and is not classed with them (Hebrews chap. 1 - see especially vv
5,6,13). We have seen that He is not an angel nor an exalted man, but the Bible
attributes to Him that which can only be said of God. We have learned that:
* Jesus
is expressly stated to be God or to possess Deity.
* Jesus
is called by names that may only be used for God.
* Jesus
possesses characteristics that only God can possess.
* Jesus
does work that only God can do.
* Jesus
deserves worship and honor that only God deserves.
In all
these areas Jesus is described as the Creator, not a created being. He is
eternal, has the power, and did the work of creation. He deserves honor as the
Creator. Clearly He is not to be classed with the created things but with
Deity.
But we
have also proved that there is only one true God who made the universe. If
Jesus is "god," He is not an idol nor a false god. Since He possesses
Deity and there is only one true God, then He must possess true Deity, not some
lesser form of deity. He must be included in the one true God or Godhead along
with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Finally,
if Jesus is God then He always has been God and always will be God, since God's
unique nature cannot change (Hebrews 13:8). God cannot cease to be God nor can
God lose the characteristics of God. He can take on non-Divine characteristics
as Jesus added the characteristics of a man when He came to earth, and He can
limit the use of His powers in order to accomplish His Divine purposes as Jesus
did on earth. But He cannot cease to be God and He cannot lose the power and
characteristics of God.
Jesus possesses Deity.
(C)
Copyright 1995, 2005, David E. Pratte
