What Is A Ritual?

So much of the English language has been slaughtered s-o-o-o-o very badly, that it has become nearly impossible to understand what a person is saying. For example, when we hear a person say someone is "sick," we usually understand that to mean he has a health condition. However, when we refer to something as "sick," it may be taken that it was disgusting or that it was impressive. Years ago, the theme song for the original TV show "The Flintstones" had a line in it: "We'll have a gay old time." Back then, "gay" meant fun and carefree. Nowadays, no one in their right mind would ever use that phrase (“gay old time”) for fear of being severely criticized -- both from the "straight" and "gay" communities. In fact, there is yet another word, "straight." Although the original meaning of "extending or moving uniformly in one direction only; without a curve or bend" is still in use, it has also come to refer to sexual orientation. I could cite dozens of other examples.

However, the one I want to discuss is the term "ritual." Today, just the healthy habit of daily brushing one’s teeth is loosely referred to as a ritual. However, doing something, even repeatedly, does not match the official dictionary definition of that word. Be assured, I am not complaining about people loosely using words in this manner. It would be like standing in the middle of a raging river and complaining that the stream is too strong. To base one’s intellectual evaluation of a matter on common usage is wrong. Languages change with time -- it is just one of those “facts of life.”

But with regards to religious practices, what truly constitutes a “ritual”? (Although I’ve written about it before, this article takes a slightly different angle.) Originally, Jehovah had never expressed any such desire to have ritualism associated with his worship. Even though corrupted humans had set up ritual worship, it was not until some 2,000 years later that anything formalistic was set up for true worship. Before that, for those humans that were loyal to God, sacrificing an animal seemed to represent the depth of appreciation some had for the true God. The healthier, the more prized, the animal was, the greater the demonstration of appreciation. It was more than a ritual killing, it was truly a sacrifice, a personal loss of valuable livestock, that was readily given. (In contrast to making a real sacrifice and just going through a cursory ritual, notice this account.)

Focusing on the very first sacrifices mentioned in the Bible: Scripture does not say what or how much insight Abel's parents gave to him and Cain. Scripture does not say what individual conclusions Abel and Cain may have reached in seeing the angels and the flaming sword standing at the entrance to the garden. They both seemed to know enough that there was a God to be acknowledged. What Abel did was a demonstration of heartfelt appreciation for Jehovah’s material blessings. He slaughtered the animal and offered it up. Was it a form a ritualistic worship?  One definition used of “ritual” is:  An “established or prescribed procedure for a religious or other rite.” So, no, Abel’s offering was not a ritual. In contrast to Abel, what Cain did seems to have been a perfunctory offering.

Today, what can we offer God that truly goes beyond merely performing some rite or ritual of a religion? Hebrews 13:15 recommends making a “sacrifice of praise.” But Jesus cautions us that mere “lip service” is insufficient. The sacrifice of praise we offer must be sincere and heartfelt. To know how to do that, we must first learn what God really wants from us. (Hint: Rituals, rites, and ceremonies are not what he wants.)

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Is All Religion Man-made?

Over the years I’ve heard the claim that "Religion, ALL religion, is man-made. God did not invent religion, man did that."

I’m frankly surprised when I hear that, especially when it comes from someone that does believe in God. Maybe I’m splitting hairs, but my perception is different. These three scriptures indicate that it was indeed Jehovah God that set up not only the social order but also the guidelines regarding worship. It was Jehovah that instituted the priesthood. It was Jehovah that provided the blueprints for the temple. There are other scriptures, in fact, the whole of Exodus 25 covers a number of details. At Hebrews 8:5, Paul confirms that what Moses built was what Jehovah God showed him. The sum of all statutes, regulations, and other details of worship is what the religion of the Israelites became.

Christianity, as espoused in the Bible, likewise has a start with God and God’s Son. Peter, at Acts 4:12, indicated that it was God himself that both prophesied and provided his Son as our savior. Jesus, while on earth, outlined a number of things that would identify his true followers, such as: 1) all Christians are brothers, no one is elevated; 2) the preaching of the Good News is paramount; 3) meeting together as Christians is mandatory (because it provides our encouragement, comfort, spiritual nourishment); and 4) getting our priorities straight and the Golden Rule are essential ways of life. There are many other guidelines for true Christianity as a religion in the Bible. Suffice it to say, man did not invent true worship, true religion. God did. I will however agree that all other religions indeed have their start in human philosophy.

(I will also agree that both modern-day Judaism and the bulk of modern-day religions claiming to be Christian are not based on the Bible, but on human ideas. In fact, regarding Judaism, I was surprised that much of their modern-day beliefs are based on what they call “the oral tradition” or “oral Law.” This seems to have supplanted the “written tradition,” or Law of Moses recounted in the Torah.)

           

Based on the last paragraph, the question begs itself: “At what point does religion cease being from God and become “from man”? To me the line of demarcation seems very clear. It is the point at which a religion stops following the Bible and starts laying down its own beliefs, which eventually even contradict the Bible. Have all religions been guilty of this? Yes. But the one(s) that adjust their thinking once they realize their error, those are the ones humbly and truly looking to their Creator for direction.

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John 4:24 Neither location nor ceremony important

Quoting Jesus: “God is a Spirit, and those worshipping him must worship with spirit and truth.” The circumstances surrounding that statement involved a Samaritan woman that Jesus engaged in a conversation. She raised one of the differences between her beliefs and those of Israelites. Jesus’ response involved two key points recorded in the 21^st and 24^th verses. (Other translations) In verse 21 Jesus indicates that the location is not important to true worship. In verse 24 he indicates that sincerity, obedience, and understanding the true essence of a personal relationship with our Creator are the key elements to true worship in a manner that God approves.

Focus more closely now on verse 24 and consider: How does a person worship "in spirit"? According to the actual Greek text, the word "pneumati" (as used in verse 24) can have two meanings. The first is a personage (God, the demons, spirit beings). The second is a dominate disposition (meek, haughty, etc.). A current-day example might be when someone says: “You have a very kind spirit.”

In context of the scripture, to worship God "in spirit" would be to demonstrate the qualities of a true Christian such as recorded at Galatians 5:22,23. (Note that none of the things listed in Galatians have to do with ceremony, ritual, or formalistic worship.) In contrast, the religious leaders in Jesus day were more concerned with outward appearance than with sincere devotion.

So how then do we worship "in truth"? With ceremonial and ritualistic forms of worship stripped away, what is left is realizing that the only truth is found in God's own word. For those living today, that "truth" can only be found in the Bible. So-called "truth" beyond that is not what God has sanctioned, no matter how good it sounds. Why is that significant? Because the Bible itself says that God’s word is all a true Christian needs to serve God properly.

Related articles:
What Does God Really Want From Us?
True Righteousness - Romans 14:17

Worship, What Is It?

I was speaking recently with a man who gave the impression he had disdain for the term “worship.” From the context of the conversation, I concluded he felt that way because to him worship was little more than formalized rituals that have no relevance to today. Although that seems to be the major application in most religions today, it is NOT consistent with the etymology (or, original definition).

So I checked a few dictionaries, both in-print and online, and discovered that the word is rooted in the terms “worthiness” and “acknowledgement of worth.” With regards “worthiness,” the sources pointed to the Old English (British) use of “your worship” in reference to people of station and high esteem. In this case, the word is used as a noun, but to me actually seems closer to a descriptive adjective.

In the case of being used as a verb (an action word), “acknowledgement of worth” is very close to what true worship, the worship promoted in the Bible by Christ, is all about. (Yes, I readily admit that under the Mosaic Law, there were numerous ritual-based instructions. They served a purpose, however they are not the focus of this article. My focus is the instructions Jesus left his followers. Those instructions define what true worship means for Christians.)

So how does a Christian make an “acknowledgement of worth” regarding God, regarding the Bible, regarding everything Jesus taught? I have talked about these things before. (See links at end of article.) The point I want to make in this article is that worship is NOT ceremonialism, rituals, customs, or even memorized prayers. First, regarding our own lives, we demonstrate respect for God by living within the moral and social guidelines mentioned in the Bible. A true Christian should also studiously read the Bible. Regarding the love we have for God and fellow humans, we use our “whole strength” by freely, willingly sharing what we’ve learned with others. So essentially, we intelligently use our resources in practical and tangible ways, not in frivolous rituals. We honor God both by word of mouth (promoting his ways as beneficial) and by our personal obedience. Those things demonstrate "worth" that others can appreciate and understand.

Addendum:
I just realized I neglected a very important component to this discussion and that is Greek original words used to convey "worship" in the days of Jesus. Bowing down to, or making other demonstrative gestures were common in acknowledgement of humble submission to another. The various Greek words used in the Bible all convey nuances of humble submission. So again, worship is not ritual.

http://bartreflect.blogspot.com/2012/06/true-christianity-defining.html

http://bartreflect.blogspot.com/2012/06/many-i-meet-today-would-answer-that.html

http://bartreflect.blogspot.com/2014/12/types-of-christians.html

Sly Wolves

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It never ceases to amaze me how those I meet are so quick to condemn my faith but have nothing to offer in place of it. Oh sure, they’d probably love if I came and joined their church, but based on the way they treat me, I’m certainly not attracted to that. Would you want to associate with a religion that right from the get-go does nothing but tells you what a loser you are? Me neither. Recently I was told I’d been deceived. I responded that for there to be deception, there would have to be motive. Money isn't the motive because we follow Jesus’ directive regarding our preaching work, “you received free, give free.” We don't charge people for our literature. We don't pass collection baskets. We don't require a tithe. (Matthew 10:8) He defended the right of other religions to require tithing. (I later learned he is a pastor at his church.)

During all our discussions, both in person and through email, he continually tried to find fault with Jehovah’s Witnesses and nit-picked everything I said. At one point during an in-person meeting, he showed me a Greek-language Bible that was amalgamated using numerous fragments (not an uncommon practice). He had learned to read Greek, so he could directly translate it to English. It was very impressive. But he tried to make a point about the punctuation it used compared to the punctuation in the New World Translation. He pointed to his Greek-language Bible as an authority showing the real punctuation. I politely listened and nodded, but I knew he was not telling the truth. When I got home I found three websites that have nothing to do with Jehovah’s Witnesses—all of which confirmed what I vaguely remembered—Greek did not have any punctuation. So the use of punctuation by all translators and original-language renderers is subjective and, to some degree, a form of interpretation. When I pointed this out to him, he didn't like that. I guess he thought I would swallow his lie hook, line and sinker.

At first I thought he sincerely wanted my responses to his challenges. I even acknowledged that he brought up some very good questions that deserve an honest answer. But when I attempted to respond, I discovered his real intentions. He wasn’t interested in anything that might exonerate us. He was fully convinced we are wrong. His only purpose was to raise sufficient doubt in my mind so I'd stop serving the one true God. 

I researched one other issue he raised that he said gave indisputable proof that Jesus is God Almighty. It all centered on the Greek word “proskuneo” which, when rendered in English, can be translated “worship, obeisance,” or even “prostrate.” It comes from two root Greek words meaning “towards to kiss.” His faulty argument was that since Jesus permitted others to do this toward him, he was accepting worship, therefore proving he was God. The problem with that thinking is that he was using a very narrow definition of the word. When I found an occurrence of that word where Jesus used it in an illustration about a man begging for mercy from another man, that blew his whole argument out of the water. Although I’ll be the first to admit I am not a Greek scholar by any means, I do own some well-respected reference works that made this an easy discovery. Maybe he thought I’d be too lazy or dumb to research this. He boasted about his degree from his studies. The fact is, the message in the Bible was never intended to be intellectualized. God and his son, Jesus, both worked with common folk, down to earth folk. True religion, true faith, was and is a matter of a personal relationship with God, something anyone with average intelligence can grasp. The message in the Bible was to average people that could understand simple concepts. (Downloadable PDF with more extensive analysis)

Still, I was happy for this experience. I even thanked the man and I meant it with all sincerity. He helped me once again reaffirm my faith and see how others so slyly try to twist scriptures for their own benefit.

Here are the links to the three websites regarding Greek and punctuation:

http://greek-language.com/grklinguist/?p=657

http://www.baptistboard.com/archive/index.php/t-20749.html

On this next link, notice the 7th paragraph, the one under the heading: "Strong's Hebrew/Greek Dictionary.

http://www.churchofgoddfw.com/women/w_love.shtml

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