The New Testament clearly teaches that a Christian is to present his body as \u201ca living sacrifice\u201d to God (Romans 12:1-2) and do everything in the name of the Lord (Colossians 3:17) and to the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31). It is also true that a Christian can and should worship God apart from those times when the church assembles together (Acts 16:25; Hebrews 13:15). Does this mean, however, that all of life is worship?<\/p>\n Just a few examples in the Bible clearly illustrate that all of life is not worship. Abraham told his servants that he and Isaac would \u201cgo yonder and worship, and we will come back to you<\/em>\u201d (Genesis 22:5). God told Moses to \u201ccome up to the Lord \u2026and worship from afar<\/em>\u201d (Exodus 24:1). After the death of his son, David \u201cwent into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house \u2026<\/em>\u201d (II Samuel 12:20). The wise men came to Bethlehem to worship Jesus (Matthew 2:2) and when they found him, they \u201cfell down and worshiped Him<\/em>\u201d (Matthew 2:11). John \u201cfell at his feet to worship<\/em>\u201d the angel (Revelation 19:10; 22:8). The Bible clearly teaches that worship has a beginning point (Matthew 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 28:9,17; Mark 5:6; John 9:38; Hebrews 11:21) and an ending point (Luke 24:52) and that worship does involve a \u201cwhen\u201d and a \u201cwhere\u201d (John 12:20; Acts 8:27; 24:11).<\/p>\n In light of this kind of evidence, from where does this \u201call of life is worship\u201d concept come? The proponents of this concept hang their hat on Paul\u2019s statement: \u201cTherefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship<\/em>\u201d (Romans 12:1, NASB; cf. ESV, NIV, NRSV). Other translations say \u201cwhich is your reasonable service<\/em>\u201d (KJV, NKJV) or \u201cwhich is your spiritual service<\/em>\u201d (ASV). Although the original word translated \u201cspiritual service of worship\u201d (latreia<\/em>) can refer to worship (Romans 9:4; Hebrews 9:1,6), it more generally refers to service (John 16:2; Luke 1:74). In fact, the verb form (latreuo<\/em>) is contrasted with the usual word for \u201cworship\u201d (proskuneo<\/em>) (Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:8; Romans 1:25), suggesting a difference between the two. This evidence indicates that while all of life is service, not all of life is worship.<\/p>\n Of the assembly in Troas (Acts 20:7), Mike Root says: \u201cThis first day of the week assembly was as unstructured and informal as an unplanned reunion of college friends\u201d (Spilt Grape Juice<\/em>, pp. 50-51). Who says so? Luke certainly doesn\u2019t say anything like that, and since Paul taught the same things in all the churches (I Corinthians 4:17; 7:17), there is every reason to believe that the assembly in Troas followed the principles of decorum that Paul taught the church in Corinth (I Corinthians 14:26-40).<\/p>\n For the promoters of the all-of-life-is-worship concept, it\u2019s all about me (or to be as charitable as possible, it\u2019s primarily about me); it\u2019s not about God. Root says: \u201cEncouragement is the glue that keeps us close, the rah-rah that keeps us going, and the hook that keeps us coming back for more. It\u2019s a drug we can\u2019t get enough of and a gift that we never tire of giving\u201d (Spilt Grape Juice<\/em>, p. 73). The New Testament teaches, however, that worship is not about me; it\u2019s all about God (Matthew 4:10; John 4:21-24; Revelation 14:6-7).<\/p>\n That sounds pretty innocent until you learn that this includes, in Root\u2019s theology, the eating of a common meal when Christians assemble. All of this despite the fact that Paul told the Corinthians, after they had turned the Lord\u2019s Supper into a common meal, to \u201ceat at home\u201d (I Corinthians 11:22, 34).<\/p>\n With a touch of sarcasm, Root writes, \u201c\u2026women can talk all they want before and after those magical opening and closing prayers because being silent in the church is referring to the formal assembly. Five minutes before that opening prayer, the same women in the same building, sitting in the same seats, could comment, share, and edify others, simply because it was called \u2018a Bible class,\u2019 and everyone knows that\u2019s not the same as the formal worship. There is some sense of consistency in this; neither Bible classes nor formal worship is found in the New Testament, so we can make up the rules as we go\u201d (Unbroken Bread<\/em>, p. 128).<\/p>\n Root suggests that Paul\u2019s restrictions on women (I Timothy 2:11-12; I Corinthians 14:34-35) were \u201cjust dealing with specific first century problems in Corinth and Ephesus\u201d (Unbroken Bread<\/em>, p. 180); but in the context Paul instructs men \u201ceverywhere\u201d (I Timothy 2:8) and his instructions for the Corinthians were the same \u201cas in all the churches of the saints\u201d (I Corinthians 14:33-34, ASV, ESV, NIV, NRSV). Others argue that these restrictions were based on the first-century culture, and, therefore, have no application in twenty-first-century America; but Paul bases his restrictions on women on Creation (I Corinthians 11:7-9; I Timothy 2:13), the Fall (I Timothy 2:14) and the Law (I Corinthians 14:34) \u2014 three things that have absolutely nothing to do with culture.<\/p>\n Brethren, some preachers are trying to affect radical change in the church as we know it today. The “all of life is worship” concept is a step in that direction. This concept, however, lacks a divine foundation and must to be rejected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Kevin Kay via\u00a0Biblical Insights, July 2006 That\u2019s what some are saying. In his book,\u00a0Unbroken Bread, Mike Root says: \u201cWorship is a life given in obedience to God. It\u2019s not a when or where proposition, but a what. It\u2019s what we are. You can\u2019t go to it or leave it, dress for it or from…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[151,82,84],"class_list":["post-10730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-eating-in-the-building","tag-womens-roles","tag-worship"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":81545,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-the-difference-between-entertainment-and-worship\/","url_meta":{"origin":10730,"position":0},"title":"What is the difference between entertainment and worship?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 11, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good day, Minister, My question to you is, can you kindly explain the difference between true worship and Christian concerts using sufficient Bible passages? I have friends in various denominations who attend concerts organized by various so-called Christian bodies, where gospel singers are invited to perform and do all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":44869,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-non-christians-worship-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":10730,"position":1},"title":"Can non-Christians worship God?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 16, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Should a Christian invite his neighbor (who is not a Christan) to \"come and worship with us\"? I believe I can and should invite him to come and attend with us, but a person who is not a Christian can not worship God as the Bible commands. A person\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":94676,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-must-you-use-instrumental-music\/","url_meta":{"origin":10730,"position":2},"title":"Why Must You Use Instrumental Music?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 19, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Author Unknown Recently, a congregation in the city where I preach decided to start using instruments in their worship assembly. Apparently, even the community realizes that among churches of Christ, this is a big deal because the local news and newspaper have done stories on it. Obviously, I love\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2705,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-worship\/","url_meta":{"origin":10730,"position":3},"title":"What is Worship?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 6, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Text: John 4:19-24 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I was asked recently to address a question of what constitutes worship \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Defining terms, such as worship, is interesting because there is a tendency in the religious world towards vagueness. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Pentecostal beliefs emphasize the emotional experience (the spirit). Worship is not real unless you can feel\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":58244,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/where-did-god-say-that-we-are-not-allowed-to-use-instruments-in-worship\/","url_meta":{"origin":10730,"position":4},"title":"Where Did God Say That We Are Not Allowed to Use Instruments in Worship?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 21, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"by Paul Mays Question: Where did God say that we are not allowed to use instruments in the avenue of Christian worship that is music? Answer: The thing is God doesn't owe us a list of what worship we are not allowed to offer. He is merciful enough to give\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37972,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/arguments-i-used-for-the-use-of-instrumental-music\/","url_meta":{"origin":10730,"position":5},"title":"Arguments I Used for the Use of Instrumental Music","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 15, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"(When I Was a Preacher for the Christian Church) by Dan Goddard Men have long been prone to go beyond the limitations of God's word in their zeal to serve Jehovah. Zeal for God is commendable when it is coupled with a knowledge of God's will; but when one allows\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10730"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10730\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/life-300x200.jpg\")
That\u2019s what some are saying. In his book,\u00a0Unbroken Bread<\/em>, Mike Root says: \u201cWorship is a life given in obedience to God. It\u2019s not a when or where proposition, but a what. It\u2019s what we are. You can\u2019t go to it or leave it, dress for it or from it, and you can\u2019t start it or stop it\u2026 it doesn\u2019t open and close with a prayer, and it doesn\u2019t have human leader or a special day\u201d (115).<\/p>\nAppealing to the Scripture<\/h2>\n
What Is Behind the “All of Life Is Worship” Concept?<\/h2>\n
Informality<\/h3>\n
Pep-rally religion<\/h3>\n
Eating together<\/h3>\n
An expanded role for women<\/h3>\n