Worship as Foundation of New Testament Ethics: A Reflection on Some New Testament Passages

Worship as Foundation of New Testament Ethics: A Reflection on Some New Testament Passages

Samuel P. CHIA

The discussions of Christian ethics seldom connect with one aspect of Christian life, that is, worship. This paper attempts to show that worship that is construed in the right direction is the foundation of Christian ethics. In John 4:20-24, Jesus' whole discourse with the Samaritan woman centers on the realm of worship. He tries to redirect the woman's attention from the external to the internal. In the pericope of Jesus' temptation recorded in Luke 4:7-8, Jesus' refusal to worship the devil means that he refused to submit to the moral characteristics of the devil. For Jesus, cultic behaviors have a great effect on a person's ethical resolve. Jesus' rebuke aptly presents the concept that the cultic and practical side of worship cannot be separated. It follows that knowing the character of the deity and His requirements are essential for the worshiper, ensuring that whatever is performed and resolved is in accordance with His wishes and person. When we turn to Paul's teaching in Romans 12:1-2, we see that the act of genuine worship has to be generated from the worshiper's inner conviction of submitting oneself to God. The cultic aspect of worship cannot be separated from the moral resolve attained and the subsequent behavior of the worshiper. Thus, it is more than just a sporadic ritualistic act; it is a continual submission of one's life to God's moral guidance. Also, worship in the New Testament is more of a community event than an individual event. The believers gather together as a community. They proclaim their submission to God in recognition of the salvation by the mercy of God through their Lord Jesus Christ. The breaking of bread, the hearing of the words, the singing of songs, and so on so all tie together to form the community's moral resolve to act and live in accordance to God's moral attributes. Paul's dealing with the Church of Corinth shows that another important dimension of worship is serving the fellow believer sitting next to the worshiper. In other words, worship should foster an attitude of caring, upholding, loving, nurturing, and respecting of one another. It has ethical implication for Christ's community.

In the light of the above discussion, several areas of concern for today's church are in order: (1) The worship leaders and pastors, as a team, need to evaluate each segment of the meeting to see if it moves the worshipers into a decision to conform to God's holiness after the meeting has ended. (2) The worship service should be one that solidifies the local community of believers so that the community is motivated to ethical thinking and actions. The believer should be taught to see that he/she cannot worship God by himself/herself when he/she is in the presence of a believers' community. (3) An ethically oriented worship, therefore, also represents the community of Christ that belongs to the one and the same spiritual body though physically present in different locations. It is a kind of fellowship that flows beyond geographical boundaries. A sense of awareness for other communities, prompting our care and concern, should be fostered during worship time. (4) Worship cannot escape from addressing the social evil that confronts the community daily. Beside evangelism and missions, the church needs to move its worshipers into actions that exemplify to the society (and nations) the moral character of God.