Douglas Jacoby Podcast

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

3rd century – church buildings (converted houses)

• 4th century
  • Influx of O.T. culture (priesthood, church/state, and more)
  • Influx of paganism (holidays, images...)
  • Basilicas
  • Role of Imperial support
• 5th century
  • Relics
  • Cult of saints
  • Mary
  • The stern Christ
• High Middle Ages
  • Serious ecclesiastical abuses (crusades, Inquisition, etc)
  • Congregations pay little attention during services
  • Yet it was also an age of saints!
• Reformation – Center moves from Eucharist to sermon
• Restoration Movement – even less ceremony
• Modern times
  • Seeker-friendly services
  • "Satisfying“ worship – yet satisfying us or God?

Modern worship scenarios

• House churches
• Park services (trees)
• Renting spaces
• Renting synagogues
• Renting churches
• Churches with buildings
• Underground churches

Oh, Worship the King!

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Oh, worship the King, all glorious above.

And gratefully sing his power and his love;
Our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

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Oh, tell of his might; oh, sing of his grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space;
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
And dark is his path on the wings of the storm.

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The earth with its store of wonders untold,
Almighty, Thy power has founded of old,
Established it fast by a changeless decree,
And round it has cast, like a mantle, the sea.

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Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light,
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

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O measureless Might, ineffable Love,
While angels delight to hymn Thee above.
The humbler creation, though feeble there lays,
With true adoration shall sing to Thy praise.

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Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,

In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail;
Thy mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,
Our maker, defender, redeemer, and friend!

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Justin Martyr, First Apology 65-67

But we, after we have thus washed him who has been convinced and has assented to our teaching, bring him to the place where those who are called brothers are assembled, in order that we may offer hearty prayers in common for ourselves and for the baptized illuminated person, and for all others in every place, that we may be counted worthy, now that we have learned the truth, by our works also to be found good citizens and keepers of the commandments, so that we may be saved with an everlasting salvation. Having ended the prayers, we salute one another with a kiss.

There is then brought to the president of the brothers bread and a cup of wine mixed with water; and he taking them, gives praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and offers thanks at considerable length for our being counted worthy to receive these things at His hands... all the people present express their assent by saying Amen… those who are called by us deacons give to each of those present to partake of the bread and wine mixed with water over which the thanksgiving was pronounced, and to those who are absent they carry away a portion.

And this food is called among us Eucharist, of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Savior, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation

For the apostles, in the memoirs composed by them, which are called Gospels, have thus delivered unto us what was enjoined upon them; that Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, said, “This do ye in remembrance of Me, this is My body;” and that, after the same manner, having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, “This is My blood;” and gave it to them alone. Which the wicked devils have imitated in the mysteries of Mithras, commanding the same thing to be done…

… And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Spirit. And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits…

then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons.

And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succors the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly…

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Pliny, Letter to Trajan, 10.96-97, c.110 AD

It is my practice, my lord, to refer to you all matters concerning which I am in doubt. For who can better give guidance to my hesitation or inform my ignorance? I have never participated in trials of Christians. I therefore do not know what offenses it is the practice to punish or investigate, and to what extent. And I have been not a little hesitant as to whether there should be any distinction on account of age or no difference between the very young and the more mature; whether pardon is to be granted for repentance, or, if a man has once been a Christian, it does him no good to have ceased to be one; whether the name itself, even without offenses, or only the offenses associated with the name are to be punished.

Meanwhile, in the case of those who were denounced to me as Christians, I have observed the following procedure: I interrogated these as to whether they were Christians; those who confessed I interrogated a second and a third time, threatening them with punishment; those who persisted I ordered executed. For I had no doubt that, whatever the nature of their creed, stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy surely deserve to be punished. There were others possessed of the same folly; but because they were Roman citizens, I signed an order for them to be transferred to Rome.

Soon accusations spread, as usually happens, because of the proceedings going on, and several incidents occurred. An anonymous document was published containing the names of many persons. Those who denied that they were or had been Christians, when they invoked the gods in words dictated by me, offered prayer with incense and wine to your image, which I had ordered to be brought for this purpose together with statues of the gods, and moreover cursed Christ—none of which those who are really Christians, it is said, can be forced to do—these I thought should be discharged.

They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so. When this was over, it was their custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of food—but ordinary and innocent food.

Others named by the informer declared that they were Christians, but then denied it, asserting that they had been but had ceased to be, some three years before, others many years, some as much as twenty-five years. They all worshipped your image and the statues of the gods, and cursed Christ.

Even this, they affirmed, they had ceased to do after my edict by which, in accordance with your instructions, I had forbidden political associations. Accordingly, I judged it all the more necessary to find out what the truth was by torturing two female slaves who were called deaconesses. But I discovered nothing else but depraved, excessive superstition.

I therefore postponed the investigation and hastened to consult you. For the matter seemed to me to warrant consulting you, especially because of the number involved. For many persons of every age, every rank, and also of both sexes are and will be endangered. For the contagion of this superstition has spread not only to the cities but also to the villages and farms. But it seems possible to check and cure it. It is certainly quite clear that the temples, which had been almost deserted, have begun to be frequented, that the established religious rites, long neglected, are being resumed, and that from everywhere sacrificial animals are coming, for which until now very few purchasers could be found. Hence it is easy to imagine what a multitude of people can be reformed if an opportunity for repentance is afforded.

Trajan (97-117 AD) replies to Pliny

You observed proper procedure, my dear Pliny, in sifting the cases of those who had been denounced to you as Christians. For it is not possible to lay down any general rule to serve as a kind of fixed standard. They are not to be sought out; if they are denounced and proved guilty, they are to be punished, with this reservation, that whoever denies that he is a Christian and really proves it—that is, by worshiping our gods—even though he was under suspicion in the past, shall obtain pardon through repentance. But anonymously posted accusations ought to have no place in any prosecution. For this is both a dangerous kind of precedent and out of keeping with the spirit of our age.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Acts 13:2 – worshipping and fasting / insight, plans

• Acts 24:11 – Paul says he went up to worship (Jerusalem) see 26:7, Acts 27:23.
• 1 Cor 11 – Somberness? What’s the meaning of “discerning the body”?
• 1 Cor 14 – Participatory house churches
• 1 Cor 14:25 – convicted visitors will fall down and worship God.
• Heb 12:28 – Acceptable worship entails reverence.
• Rev 19:16 – Jesus is the true God (not Caesar).

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Seven confessions (John's Gospel)

• 1:34   John the Baptist
• 1:49   Nathanael
• 4:42   Samaritans (4:29)
• 6:69   Peter
• 9:38   blind man
• 11:27 Martha
• [19:19 Pilate] ~ 11:50 Caiaphas
• 20:28 Thomas

Critical principles (New Covenant)

• Phil 2:11 (John 20:28) – Worshipped Jesus as Lord.
• John 4:42 – Worship through Spirit (also Phil 3:3) and truth. (It’s not the location or the institution.)
• Phil 2 + John 4 + Rom 12 : Worship is a spiritual lifestyle flowing from a right orientation to Jesus as the Lord of our lives.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

• 1 Sam 15:25 — the appearance of worship (Saul)
• 2 Kings 10:19 — pretending to worship Ba’al (John 19:3)
• Isaiah 29:13 — hearts far from God
• Isaiah 44:15— the folly of idolatry
• Jeremiah 7:2, 26:2 — worship intercept
• Ezek 8:16 — what’s really in our hearts (elders)?
• Mal 1:10 – “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you… and I will accept no offering from your hands.

Next time: Critical Principles & Seven Confessions

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Position and Disposition

• Kneeling
• Sitting
• Lying
• Standing
• Raising hands (Christian art)

Heart

• Expressiveness – 2 Sam 6; Luke 7, 17; feeling: two extremes
• Humility – 1 Kings 8; Psalm 51
• Holiness

Holiness

• If you weren’t living in God’s presence on Monday, were you really worshiping on Sunday?
• For there to be true worship, some things in my life will need to be destroyed/ eliminated.
• For one day it will be too late. Rev 16:9 --refusal to worship; Phil 2:9-11 (Isa 45:23).

Seven occasions of worship

• Exodus 4:31 – knowing God cares
• Exodus 15:1-21 — redemption
• Exodus 34:8 — when we know God’s name
• Joshua 5:14 — realizing the presence of God
• 1 Samuel 3:1 — when we sacrifice
• Job 1:20 — despite severe loss!
• Nehemiah 8:12 — learning the Word

Next time: Seven Places the Heart Goes Wrong

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

7 Aspects of worship under the Old Covenant

• Pilgrimage: 3 annual visits (males)
• Animal sacrifices
• Singing, choirs, instruments
• Reading of scripture
• Priesthood
• Ritual, ornamentation, liturgy
• Limited access to YHWH

7 gods

• Idols (false religions) – Exodus 20:3-4
• Idols (false Christs) – 1 John 5:21; 2 Cor 11:4
• Nature – Ezekiel 8:16
• Mammon – Matt 6:24; Luke 16:9,11,13
• Power – Hab 1:11; Acts 8:10,19
• Self (modern man) – 2 Thess 2:4
• The holy God – Lev 19:2

Next time: Position & Disposition: Seven Considerations

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

• Genesis 28:10-17 - Jacob's vision of the stairway to heaven (see John 1:51).
• 1 Chron 16:29-30 – Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. Tremble before him, all the earth! See also 2 Chron 29:28.
• Neh 12:27-43 – [choirs on the walls]
• Psalm 96:9 – Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.
• Isaiah 6:1-8 – [sanctuary cannot contain Him] (1 Kings 8:27)
• Isaiah 19:19-25, 66:23 – [vision for Gentiles]
• Hab 2:20 – The Lord is in his holy temple;
 let all the earth be silent before him.

Next lesson: Seven Aspects of Old Covenant Worship & Seven (mainly) False Gods

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Introduction to the series: important questions

• Worshippers enjoy healthier, more dynamic lives than non-worshippers. Why is that?
• What (if anything) does the Old Testament have to offer Christians?
• What disqualifies worship?
• How does true worship fortify lame spiritual lives?
• How does New Testament worship differ from the Old Testament variety?
• How has the church approached worship through the ages (and will it every learn from its own history)?
• Have our (mis)conceptions about heavenly worship demotivated us?

The essence of worship

• Reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power; an act of expressing such reverence
• A form of religious practice with its creed and ritual
• Extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem
• “It is a delusion to think that because we suddenly feel expansive and poetic in the presence of the storm or stars or space that we are spiritual. I need only remind you that drunkards or tyrants or criminals can have those ‘sublime’ feelings, too. Let’s not image that they constitute worship.” – A. W. Tozer, Whatever Happened to Worship? 124

Worship in ancient (pagan) world

• Energetic
• Weather deities
• Noise, instruments
• Immoral: ritual prostitution
• Sacrifice: infants
• Mutual manipulation
• Stark contrast to ethical monotheism (readings from Isaiah 1)

7 Sanctuaries

• Eden as primal Temple (Genesis)
• Tabernacle (Exodus)
• Temple (1 Kings)
• [In exile: Babylon / Egypt / Samaria]
• 2nd Temple / Herod's Temple
• Christ’s body (John 2, 1)
• The Church (1 Cor 3)
• New Jerusalem (Rev 21)

Next podcast in this series: Seven grand passages on worship