Chapter V: The Worship

Of the people under the new covenant the Holy Spirit, through Peter, said: "But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye may show the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (I Peter 2:9). They constitute a nation--not a republic, but a kingdom--so we read: "Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood; and he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever" (Rev. 1:6, 7). "And madest them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests" (Rev. 5:10).

A nation or kingdom of priests is equal to a nation or kingdom without priests. And so the whole Church of God is his lot, heritage, "clergy," or priesthood. As a kingdom, not of this world, though in the world. When on trial for his life, Jesus said: "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from hence" (John 18:36). Though on earth, not earthly, and its honors and grandeur are not akin to those of the nations of this world. The subjects of this "kingdom" were born, "not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13); "born of water and the Spirit." They were all the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty.

Congregated for worship and service they were not only a priesthood, but their edification was committed to the whole body of male members, excluding from ministering therein only those incapable of edifying. There were elders, required to be "apt to teach," not to be the sole instructors of the church, but taking part therein; securing order and propriety on the part of all.

Every member was taught to attend the worship regularly, but this was not the end. Even if every member attended regularly and punctually, this was not to be the end of the teaching, the worship, the service. These were necessary, because without these the end could not be attained. The end was to excite and secure the active and earnest labor of every member in serving God and teaching and helping humanity. One could not serve God without helping others. He was to help them spiritually, morally, intellectually and materially. The end of all the teaching and training of men in the church was that they might bear fruit in doing good to men. Paul said of Christ Jesus: "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14). They were to cease to do evil and be zealous in good works. "Faithful is the saying, and concerning these things I desire that thou affirm confidently, to the end that they who have believed in God may be careful to maintain good works. These are good and profitable unto men.... And let our people also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, and that they be not unfruitful" (Titus 3:8-14). The end of the teaching and the worship was to develop the activity and direct the energies of every member in good works. The first element of true good to others was to bring them into proper spiritual relations to God, for without this no good can be enjoyed. But this spiritual harmony with God must show itself in bringing every thought into harmony with the will of God and so direct the bodily energies as to bring all good--spiritual, intellectual and material--to all creatures.

Every member of the Church was to participate in all the services of the church; and the members not only were competent to do all the work pertaining to the church, but they needed this work and service for their own spiritual growth. In this service alone could the Christian find the food and exercise needed for his growing wise and strong in the inner man. The spiritual man could no more grow strong and active without himself doing the worship and work of the church than the body could grow strong while refusing the food and exercise needed for its growth and life. In this service in the church man could alone find the highest development of the soul and the mind and the body. One could no more worship and do the work in the church by proxy and grow spiritually thereby than he could eat and take exercise by proxy and his body grow thereby. The well-being of every member demanded that he should take active part in the worship, the well-being of the church demanded the help of every member that it "may grow up in all things unto him, who is the head, even Christ; from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part, making the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love" (Eph. 4:15, 16). The point emphasized here is that every member had his work to do, his office to fill, and by this harmonious working of all the parts the body grew into the well-proportioned body of Christ--the Church. The welfare and development of the whole was dependent upon the proper workings of each and every member.

Every child of God, by virtue of his birthright into God's family, a family of priests to God, had the right to perform any and every service connected with the Church of God, limited only by God's directions and by the ability to do it decently and in order. All were encouraged to take part in the service, and in doing the service each member manifested his talent for the work and trained himself for fitness in God's work.

Every dispensation has had its peculiar worship. That of the Jewish dispensation differed from the patriarchal. The worship under the Christian dispensation is radically different from both. The worship which was acceptable under the patriarchal would condemn a Jew; and that which would justify a Jew would condemn a Christian. During the patriarchal dispensation religion was confined to the family. Every one was his own priest, and he could build his own altar and offer his own sacrifices for himself and for his family. (Gen. 4:4; 8:20; Job. 1:5.) But when the priesthood was changed, and confined to the family of Levi (Ex. 28:1; Num. 25:11-13), this worship was no longer permitted by those included in the Sinaitic covenant; hence no longer acceptable. It is likewise true that the sacrifices offered by the Levitical priesthood ceased to be acceptable after the death of Christ and the establishment of the Church. When Christ ascended to the Father the priesthood was changed. The high priesthood then passed into the hands of one belonging "to another tribe, from which no man hath given attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord hath sprung out of Judah; as to which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priests" (Heb. 7:13, 14). The priesthood being changed, a change of the Worship follows as a necessity. "For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law" (Heb. 7:12). While the worship of the three dispensations had some things in common, each had its distinctive peculiarities. Since Christianity is distinguished from every other religion by its institutions and worship, it of necessity follows that, in order to its preservation, these must be strictly observed. Nothing short of this can preserve the Church from degeneracy and final extinction. As we have already learned, a fundamental feature of the worship in the Church of God is the _Universal Priesthood_ of its membership. All the members of God's family have became "a royal priesthood," who no longer offer bloody sacrifices of the law of Moses, but they offer their "bodies a living sacrifice" (Rom. 12:1), and the "sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which make confession to his name" (Heb. 13:15). Since all were priests, all worshiped God without any mediatorship other than that of the Lord Jesus Christ. They could all come with equal boldness to the throne of grace. Such clerical distinction and arrogance as we have at the present time had no place then.

That the apostles taught the churches to do all the Lord commanded will not be called in question by those who receive the Bible as authority. Whatever, then, the churches did by the appointment or concurrence of the apostles, they did by the commandment of Jesus Christ. Whatever acts of worship the apostles taught and sanctioned in one congregation, they taught and sanctioned in all, because all under the same government of the same King. But the church in Troas met "upon the first day of the week ... to break bread" (Acts 20:7), and Paul exhorts the Hebrew brethren to "consider one another to provoke unto love and good works; not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more as ye see the day drawing nigh" (Heb. 10:24, 25). From the manner in which this meeting of the disciples at Troas is mentioned by Luke, two things are very evident: (1) That it was an established rule of the disciples to meet on the first day of the week; (2) that the primary object of their meeting was to break bread. And Luke also tells us that the Jerusalem church "continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and prayers" (Acts 2:42), which shows us that the breaking of bread was a prominent item in those stated meetings. Other corroborating evidences of the stated meetings on the first day of the week for religious purposes are indicated by the instructions Paul gave to the church in Galatia and Corinth: "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I gave order to the churches of Galatia, so also do ye. Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come" (I Cor. 16:1, 2).

As we have seen that whatever the primitive churches did by the approval of the apostles, they did by divine authority, now, as Paul approved their meeting on the first day of the week, it is as high authority as could be required for the practice of meeting to worship on the first day of every week. The items of their worship were:

THE APOSTLES' TEACHING

They believed that the teaching of the apostles was from God and they constantly and diligently studied it, that they might know and do the whole will of God. The constant study of and the profound reverence for the Word of God were recognized traits of their character. They certainly had the word of Christ dwelling in them richly. Not only was reading the Scriptures a part of all the public worship, it was a daily custom in private life--in the family, the social circle, and even at their toil. On this point I will give the testimony of Lyman Coleman, who has gathered much information on this subject. He says:

No trait of the primitive Christians was more remarkable than their
profound reverence for the Scriptures and their diligent study of
them. The Word of God, dwelling in them richly and abounding, was
their meditation all the day long. Those who could read never went
abroad without taking some part of the Bible with them. The women, in
their household labors, wore some portion of the sacred roll hanging
about their necks; and the men made it the companion of their toil in
the field and the workshop. Morning, noon and night they read it at
their meals. By the recitals of the narratives of sacred history, by
constant reading, by paraphrase, by commentary, and by sacred song,
they taught the Scriptures diligently unto their children; talked of
these heavenly themes when they sat in their house, when they walked
by the way, when they laid themselves down, and when they rose up. One
relates with great delight that he never sat at meat with Origen, A.
D. 225, but one of the company read to the other. They never retired
to rest without first reading the Bible. So diligent were they in this
divine employment that "prayers succeeded reading of the Word, and the
reading of the Word to prayer." (Ancient Christianity Exemplified,
Page 57.)

Augustus Neander says:

The nature of single acts of Christian worship will be evident from
what we have remarked respecting its essence generally. As the
elevation of the spirit and heart of the united Church of God was the
end of the whole, so instruction and edification by uniting in the
common contemplation of the divine Word, constituted, from the first,
a principal part of Christian worship. The mode in which this was done
might, like the form of the church constitution, be closely connected
with the arrangement of the assemblies of the Jewish communities in
the synagogues. As in the synagogue assemblies of the Jews the reading
of portions from the Old Testament formed the basis of religious
instruction, so the same practice passed over into the Christian
assemblies. The Old Testament was read first, particularly the
prophetic parts of it, as referring to the Messiah; next, the gospels,
and finally the apostolic epistles. The reading of the Scriptures was
of the greater consequence, since it was desired to make every
Christian familiar with them. (History of the Christian Church, Vol.
1, Page 412.)

THE FELLOWSHIP

The leading idea of this term is that of joint participation. We have fellowship with God because we are made partakers of the divine nature, as we escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. We have fellowship with Jesus Christ because of the common sympathies which his life and sufferings have established between himself and us. To be in fellowship with him means to take part in his poverty and want, to share in his sorrows, his sufferings and self-denial in this world, as well as to partake of the joys and hopes, the consolations and blessedness of this world, and the hopes and glories of the world to come. We have fellowship with one another because of the mutual participation in each other's affections, joys, sorrows and needs. The word as here used includes the contribution which was regularly made on the first day of every week. Paul says: "Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store as he may prosper" (I Cor. 16:2). The small offering of the poor was as much demanded as the greater ones of the rich, and just as acceptable. The regulation governing this was: "For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according as a man hath, not according as he hath not" (II Cor. 8:12). God never valued the offerings brought to him by their intrinsic value, but by the sacrifice made by the one making the offering. It was also required that the worshiper should be liberal and cheerful in giving. "He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Let each man do as he hath purposed in his heart; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver" (II Cor. 9:6, 7). This shows that a cheerful, bountiful offering to God is but a reasonable measure of liberality. God expected this of every worshiper.

BREAKING BREAD

That the churches in apostolic times met on the first day of every week to partake of the Lord's Supper, is well at tested by both inspired and uninspired writers. It is plainly stated that the disciples at Troas gathered together to break bread; and what one church did by the authority of the Lord, as a part of his instituted worship, they all did. That they met for this purpose is not to be inferred, for Luke says: "And upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and prolonged his speech until midnight" (Acts 20:7). From the way this meeting is mentioned two things are quite obvious: (1) That it was an established custom for the disciples to meet on the first day of the week; and (2) that the primary object of this meeting was to break bread.

All Biblical scholars and church historians, without regard to denomination, generally concede that the apostolic church observed the Lord's Supper on the first day of every week. Out of the many proofs that might be given of this I will give the testimony of only one. Mosheim says:

The first of all the Christian churches founded by the apostles was
that of Jerusalem; and after the form and model of this, all the
others of that age were constituted. That Church, however, was
governed immediately by the apostles, to whom the presbyters and the
deacons, or overseers of the poor, were subject. Though the people had
not withdrawn themselves from the Jewish worship, yet they held their
own separate meetings, in which they were instructed by the apostles
and presbyters, offered up their united prayers, celebrated the sacred
supper, the memorial of Jesus Christ, of his death, and the salvation
he procured.... The Christians of this century assembled for the
worship of God and for their advancement in piety on the first day of
the week, the day on which Christ reassumed his life; for that this
day was set apart for religious worship by the apostles themselves,
and that, after the example of the Church of Jerusalem, it was
generally observed we have unexceptional testimony. (Ecclesiastical
History, Vol. I, page 46, 85.)

This testimony is confirmed by the pagan Pliny in his well-known letter to Trajan (about A. D. 100), written while he presided over Pontus and Bithynia. He says:

The Christians affirm the whole of their guilt or error to be that
they were accustomed to meet together on a stated day, before it was
light, and to sing hymns to Christ as a god, and to bind themselves by
a sacrimentum, not for any wicked purpose, but never to commit fraud,
theft, or adultery; never to break their word or to refuse, when
called upon, to deliver up any trust; after which it was their custom
to separate, and to assemble again to take a meal, but a general one,
and without guilty purpose. (Epistle X, 97.)

PRAYERS

Simplicity characterized everything in the primitive worship. Consequently the prayers of the first Christians were of the most simple and artless character. They regarded prayer as a quickening spirit, drawing forth the inward inspirations of the soul after God, and accompanied every important act of their public and private life with this holy privilege, and Paul exhorts his readers to "pray without ceasing." On this subject Lyman Coleman says:

The prayers of the Church were offered in language the most artless
and natural. Even the most learned of the apologists and early
fathers, such as Justin Martyr, Theophilus of Antioch, Clement of
Alexandria, Origen, Tertullian, Cyprian, Arnobius, and Lactantius, who
were no strangers to the graces of diction, refused all ornamental
embellishments in their addresses to the throne of grace, alleging
that the kingdom of heaven consists not in words, but in power. Their
prayers were accordingly offered in the greatest simplicity, and as
far as possible in the phraseology of Scripture. This artlessness and
elegant simplicity appears in striking contrast with the ostentation
and bombast of a later date. This contrast appears equally great also
in the brevity of these prayers. It was a maxim of the primitive
Church that many words should never be employed to express what might
be better said in a few. (Ibid, page 316.)

SINGING

Their singing was a real heartfelt service. The Holy Spirit said: "And be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord" (Eph. 5:18, 19). And again, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God" (Col. 3:16). In this delightful service the whole congregation doubtless took part. It has been contended, recently, that the singing of the first churches was not congregational, and therefore our congregational singing is as unscriptural and unauthorized as any musical performance in the worship. The testimony of history is against this statement. On this subject Philip Schaff says:

The song, a form of prayer, in the festive dress of pietry and the
elevated language of inspiration, raising the congregation to the
highest pitch of devotion, and giving it a part in the heavenly
harmonies of the saints. This passed immediately, with psalms of the
Old Testament, those inexhaustible treasures of spiritual experience,
edification and comfort, from the temple and the synagogue into the
Christian Church. The Lord himself inaugurated psalmody into the new
covenant at the institution of the holy Supper, and Paul expressly
enjoined the singing of "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" as a
means of social edification. (History of the Christian Church, Vol. I,
page 463.)

To the same effect testifies Lyman Coleman:

The prevailing mode of singing during the first three centuries was
congregational. The whole congregation united their voices in the
sacred song of praise, in strains suited to their ability. Their
music, if such it could be called, was, of necessity, crude and
simple. Indeed, it appears to have been a kind of recitative or chant.
The charm of their sacred music was not in the harmony of sweet
sounds, but in the melody of the heart.... But, however this may be,
the most ancient and most common mode of singing was confessedly for
the whole assembly; men, women and children blend their voices in
their songs of praise in the great congregation. Such is the testimony
of Hillary, of Augustin and Chrysostom. "Formerly all came together
and united in their song, as is still our custom." "Men and women, the
aged and the young, were distinguished only by their skill in singing,
for the spirit which led the voice of each one blended all in one
harmonious melody." (Ancient Christianity Exemplified, pages 329,
330.)