November
7, 2019
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What Constitutes Acceptable Worship
In our midweek meeting, we looked at chapter 22 of the 1689 CoF; there are 8 paragraphs, and we covered the first two. Some notes of the study:
1689.22.
OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP AND THE LORD'S DAY
Introduction
a.
The immediate historical context of this chapter was the controversy concerning
"What constitutes acceptable worship?"
- Some insisted, "What is commanded is right, anything not
expressly forbidden is permissible." Thus the church is free to innovate
what is not expressly forbidden.
-
Others insisted that the biblical doctrine is that in the worship of God, the
church has NO authority to practice anything except what is expressly or by
necessary inference enjoined by the word of God, i.e. "What is commanded
is right, anything not commanded is wrong."
-
This is known as the Regulative Principle of Worship; acceptable worship is
strictly regulated by God Himself through His inspired Holy Scriptures.
b.
The biblical argument for the Regulative Principle of Worship:
-
It is the sole prerogative of God alone to determine the terms on which His
creatures may approach Him in worship.
The Scriptures show that God exercises this prerogative, eg. Gen 4:1-5, Ex
20:4-6.
-
When a man is conscious of the sovereignty of God and his salvation by free
grace alone he will worship God in His terms. What a blasphemy for a man to
think that he has any business in deciding how God is to be worshipped!
-
The wisdom of Christ and the authority and sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures
are denied by the addition of anything not expressly commanded into worship.
Christ does not leave His redeemed people - with all their weakness,
fickleness, ignorance and folly - without an adequate guide in the most
important matter of worship.
-
Since acceptable worship for the glory of God is a good work that a man of God
is especially required to perform, then surely the Scriptures are adequate and
able to equip the man of God for this blessed task. see Mt 28:20, 2Tim 3:16-17.
-
The Scriptures explicitly condemns all worship that is not commanded by God (eg
Gen 4:3-7; Lev 10:1-3; Deut 12:29-32,
17:3; Josh 1:7; 23:6-8; Mt 15:13; Col 2:20-23). They are the sacrifice of
fools, Ec 5:1.
-
The introduction of extra-biblical practices into worship inevitably tends to
nullify and undermine God's appointed worship (2Kg 16:10-18; Mt 15:3,8-9).
- 'O Lord, teach thy children to worship Thee acceptably.' Amen.*
1689.22.1
The
light of nature shows that there is a God, who has lordship and sovereignty
over all; is just, good and does good to all; and is therefore to be feared,
loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart and all
the soul, and with all the might.(1) But
the acceptable way of worshipping the true God, is instituted by himself,(2) and
so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshipped according to
the imagination and devices of men, nor the suggestions of Satan, under any
visible representations, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy
Scriptures.(3) 1 Jer. 10:7; Mark
12:33 2 Deut. 12:32 3 Exod. 20:4-6
1.
The Regulative Principle of Worship Stated (22:1)
a.
The general duty revealed by nature:
-
"The light of nature shows that there is a God..."
: "... Who has lordship and sovereignty
over all, is just and good, and who does good to all…"
: "… and is, therefore, to be feared,
loved and praised, called upon, trusted in, and served..."
: “… with all the heart and all the soul, and
with all the might.”
-
Worship is justly OWED to the Creator by the creatures made in His image for
all these natural reasons.
-
Man is left without excuse for not doing his just and reasonable duty.
b.
The specific rules divinely revealed by the Holy Scriptures:
- Positively
"But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God has been instituted by
Himself…"
-
Negatively: “… and so limited by his own revealed will…”
-
Therefore:
:
"that he may not be worshipped according to the imagination and devices of
men...'
:
"... nor the suggestions of Satan.
:
He may not be worshipped “under any visible representations..."
:
"... or by any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures."
Q.
How does this paragraph explain John 4:23-24
23
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the
Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in
truth.
1689.22.2
Religious
worship is to be given to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to him
alone;4 not to angels, saints, or any other creatures;5 and since the fall, not
without a mediator,6 nor in the mediation of any other but Christ alone.7 4 Matt. 4:9,10; John 6:23; Matt.
28:19. 5 Rom. 1:25; Col. 2:18; Rev.
19:10. 6 John 14:6. 7 1 Tim. 2:5.
2.
The Divinely Imposed Limits of Worship (22:2)
a.
With respect to its object:
-
Positively: "Religious worship is to be given to God the Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit, and to Him (the Triune God) alone...'
-
Negatively: "... not to angels, saints, or any other creatures."
b.
With respect to the absolute necessity of a mediator
-
"And since the fall, not without a mediator,” i.e. worship without a
mediator is unacceptable.
-
"... nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone".
Q.
Why is worship to be given to God alone?
Q.
Why the necessity of a mediator?
Q.
Why is Christ alone the acceptable mediator?
John
14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man
cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Q.
On what ground did Christ make such an exclusive claim?
3.
The NT Components of Worship (22:3-5a)
-
to be continued
