Would you bow down and worship Jesus?

[postroad]

It seems the final breakthrough in faith for the disciples was their willingness to worship Jesus. Yet Christians don't do so? Why not? I have asked a few evengelical types to prove they believe in Jesus and the truth of the Bible by dropping to their knees and offer up a prayer beginning with the words "Dear Jesus, my Lord and my God I worship you" They won't do it? It can not be a sin if the disciples did it.

[JehovahsWitness]

Would you bow down and worship Jesus?

I would certainly bow before Jesus as this would be for me a sign of respect and submission, recognizing him as my king and savior. I would never worship Jesus.

Why not?

Because Jesus never asked me or anyone to worship him and because my worship is reserved for JEHOVAH alone - see Rev 5:11.


JW

source: https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesse ... -in-jesus/

[postroad]

[Replying to JehovahsWitness] Where the disciples in error? Is the New Testament in error. It records that people worshiped Jesus from his birth untill his ascension.

Matthew 2:11
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Matthew 14:33
Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, Truly you are the Son of God
Matthew 28:9
Suddenly Jesus met them. Greetings, he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.

Matthew 28:17
When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

Luke 24:52
Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.


John 9:38
Then the man said, Lord, I believe, and he worshiped him.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to JehovahsWitness] Where the disciples in error? Is the New Testament in error. It records that people worshiped Jesus from his birth untill his ascension.

QUESTION: Did Jeseus accept worship from his followers?

WORSHIP or HOMAGE?

Many people are not aware that the word "worship" has not always refered exclusively to an act of devotion offered to God. In English its archaic meaning is simply a show of respect (hommage) in recongnition of a persons position. Indeed the greek word pros-ky-neo" and essentially means (do obeisance pay homage, bow down).

source: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/worship


In bible times the above acts of homage, bowing down even to the ground, were not unusual and were not viewed as an act of religious devotion. Several bible passages use the word in this sense (see Matthew 2:11;Matthew 14:33 ; Matthew 28:9; Matthew 28:17; Luke 24:52; John 9:38) . Throughout Jesus' life there were people that showed such reverential recognition of royalty and position by bowing down before him and these were entirely appropriate. As one bible commentator points out regarding Matthew 28:17...

Barnes' Notes on the BibleAnd worshipped him - See the notes at Matthew 8:2. In this place the word "worship" seems to denote the homage due to the Messiah risen from the dead

That said, since this historic meaning of the word "worship" is no longer of general knowledge and usage, and since worship in terms of acts of devotion rendered to God is biblically the exclusive reserve of the Creator (see Mat 4:10; Rev 5:11), some bible translators have made the distinction clear by either leaving the word "pros-ky-neo" with its original meaning (bow down) or render it as "homage" or "obeisance".

MATTHEW 14:33 - Darby Bible Translation
But those in the ship came and did homage to him, saying, Truly thou art
God's Son.

LUKE 24:52 - Young's Literal Translation
and they, having bowed ("pros-ky-neo") before him, did turn back to Jerusalem with great joy,
JOHN 9:38 - New World Translation
He said: I do put faith in him, Lord. And he did obeisance to him.

CONCLUSION: Throughout Jesus life, individuals and groups paid "homage" or did "obeisance" to him, bowing down ("pros-ky-neo") before him. These acts, while not an acts of religious adoration are rendered in archaic English in many translations as "worship" retaining the original meaning of the word.

[postroad]

The disciples and Paul would have been aware of the scriptures concerning worshiping only God. Jesus himself stated as much.

Matthew 4:8-10New International Version (NIV)

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 All this I will give you, he said, if you will bow down and worship me.

10 Jesus said to him, Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.

Yet Jesus accepts worship of himself without rebuke. Paul states in this letter.

Philippians 2:9-11New International Version (NIV)

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

. This is an honour previously claimed by God himself who alone is the saviour.

Isaiah 45:22-24New International Version (NIV)

22 Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.
23 By myself I have sworn,
my mouth has uttered in all integrity
a word that will not be revoked:
Before me every knee will bow;
by me every tongue will swear.
24 They will say of me, In the Lord alone
are deliverance and strength.
All who have raged against him
will come to him and be put to shame

[postroad]

[Replying to post 4 by JehovahsWitness]

I am growing weary of the constant apeal to the original languages and speculation concerning how meanings have changed. This renders the Bible meaningless and of no value whatsoever. Then the truth has not been hidden from the wise and learned and revealed to the little children. The Bible records that blessed are those who accept and believe this truth that Thomas acknowledged to Christ.

John 20:27-29New International Version (NIV)

27 Then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.

28 Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God!

29 Then Jesus told him, Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

[postroad]

If those that acknowledge that Jesus is their Lord and God are blessed then it follows that those that believe only in his name and not his divinely are cursed.

John 2:22-24New International Version (NIV)

22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people.

That is who had been chosen to believe.

Matthew 13:10-12New International Version (NIV)

10 The disciples came to him and asked, Why do you speak to the people in parables?

11 He replied, Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

. So those that can not accept that Jesus is God and are not willing to worship him will lose everything. Anyway I can explain all these things and even those who believe in the Trinity will not fall to their knees and declare that Jesus is their
Lord and their God. Why not?

[Elijah John]

I think most Evangelicals would bow down and worship Jesus.
Most Trinitarians would probably cite the "every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord" verse and would have no objections to worshiping Jesus. It surprises me that you indicate otherwise.

But that verse itself is a corruption of a verse in Isaiah, which reads:

..."to me [YHVH speaking] every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear"

(Isiah 45.23)

And Jesus himself in the temptation in the wilderness episode rebukes Satan with the reminder that:

"It is written, worship YHVH your God and serve only him"

(Luke 4.8)

So Jesus himself teaches that we are to worship YHVH alone. Jesus is not YHVH, but is a servant of YHVH.

But modern Trinitarians seem to care more about what Paul says than what Jesus says.

So though I love and honor Jesus I would not bow down and worship him. I doubt very much Jesus would want me to anyway.

Judging by the passage from Luke and others, Jesus would be happy if his disciples worshiped YHVH (the Father) alone.

[postroad]

[Replying to post 8 by Elijah John]

Interesting. I only hear "In Jesus's name" It doesn't seem that any Christian members reading this thread are confirming they would do it? It seems odd that the gospels would remain neutral on the matter, because if Jesus were simply a man as a glorified image of God, worship of him would be idolatry. One would be hard pressed to finding a higher form of blasphemy against God. Surely Jesus would have rebuked them and the texts would reflect on it negatively. I have also noticed that Paul plays fast and loose with OT scriptures.

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 4 by JehovahsWitness]

I am growing weary of the constant apeal to the original languages and speculation concerning how meanings have changed. This renders the Bible meaningless and of no value whatsoever. Then the truth has not been hidden from the wise and learned and revealed to the little children. The Bible records that blessed are those who accept and believe this truth that Thomas acknowledged to Christ.

John 20:27-29New International Version (NIV)

27 Then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.

28 Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God!

29 Then Jesus told him, Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

I am growing weary of your blatant rejection of reason and research. Jesus never expected nor requested in any way others giving him the worship that belongs only to Jehovah, his Father.

Jesus did not say to Thomas "because you say I am God," he said "because you have seen me," or, recognized that I am alive. Big difference. It is sad that you fail to recognize the difference.

Have a nice evening.