Question: Is the worship of Jesus idolatry?

Answer: No. Let’s take a look at what the Scriptures show us regarding this issue.

In I Chronicles 29:20, we are shown that people are worshipping God and king David. –

And David said to all the congregation, “Now bless the LORD your God.” And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king.

The prophesied Messiah comes from David’s lineage and David in the Scriptures is a similitude of the Messiah. –

But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. – Jeremiah 30:9

Here God speaks through the prophet Jeremiah many years after King David’s death, referring to the coming Messiah as David.

In the first chapter of Hebrews, the writer is quoting from a lost prophecy concerning the Messiah. –

And again, when He brings in the first begotten into the world, He (God) says, “And let all the angels of God worship Him,” – Hebrews 1:6

We can determine from these Scriptures that the worship of the Messiah with God is acceptable and not idolatry, because God, not man, has ordained the Messiah to be one with Him.

Wherefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11.

The following is a portion from our book, “Understanding the Biblical Trinity”. –

There is only One Spirit, (Ephesians 4:4). The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, (John 15:26) – and is the Spirit of the Father - (Matthew 10:20) – which is Christ’s Spirit –(Romans 8:9).
     There is only One God, there is only One Spirit that is God. God the Father’s Spirit is Jesus’ Spirit. God gave the soul of His Son “The Spirit of the Father” which enables Him to have life in Himself (John 5:26). Thus Jesus’ soul which is in the bosom of the Father (John 1:18) is joined with God’s Spirit and the two are One. I and My Father are One (John 10:30).

     Jesus is not a second god but God the Father is within Him; in Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossian 2:9),- the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). No man has seen God at any time - John 1:18. He who has seen Me has seen the Father - John 14:9.

     God will not give His glory to another (Isaiah 42:8). Therefore Jesus can be worshipped, (Luke 24:52, Hebrews 1:6, Rev. 5:13, Philippians 2: 10, Romans 14:11, Isaiah 45:23) and it is not idolatry because His Spirit is God’s Spirit, or God manifest in human flesh (I Timothy 3:16).
     When we worship Jesus, we are worshipping the Father through Him, just as the first century church worshipped God through the Messiah Jesus; they recognized that God the Father was in the Messiah by His Spirit, and the two are one. Again, the Apostle Paul tells us that we worship the Father through the Son by One Spirit, the object of worship is the Father through the Son.

     For through Him (Jesus) we both (Jew and Gentile) have access by One Spirit unto the Father - Ephesians 2:18.
     Unto Him (God the Father) be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end (Ephesians 3:21). – and let all the angels of worship Him. – Hebrews 1:6

For a more related content please see “Understanding the Trinity – It’s all about God’s Love for You”

Copyright 2020 by H.D. Shively

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