History of Christian Worship Wednesday night study

 

 

Order of Discussion

 

  1. Ask for people mention elements of worship. Write down the answers on the marker board.
  2. The New Testament does not contain a “blueprint” for worship. There is no set formula or pattern for how to do worship. Instead, worship went through stages of development from the New Testament to the 4th century.

 

New Testament Period

 

  1. Christians began meeting on the Lord’s Day (Sunday – 1st day of week) to commemorate the resurrection.
  2. When Christians met on Sunday, they met in homes. The earliest Christians also met on Saturday (Sabbath), and then worshipped through the evening until Sunday to celebrate resurrection.
  3. There was no order of worship, but worship certainly included teaching, fellowship, Lord’s Supper, and prayer (Acts 2:42). Other acts of worship included reading of Scripture, singing of hymns (Phil 2:6-11), and possibly a confession of beliefs.
  4. Baptism was accomplished immediately upon conversion. Infant baptism: no evidence for or against infant baptism (Acts 16:33). In Roman culture, the father made all decisions for the family, including matters of faith.
  5. There were many similarities between Christian and Jewish worship:
    1. they came together in corporate worship once a week
    2. Neither religion tolerated pluralism in worship
    3. Both were monotheistic
    4. Historical re-enactment very important to both (Jews – Passover/Christians – Lord’s Supper); the events were remembered in such a way to make them contemporary events
    5. Language
    6. Readings from Scripture
    7. Calendar
    8. Feasting common meals

 

  1. Dissimilarities between Christians and Jews:
    1. Jews worshipped in Temple; Christians had no need of sacred space
    2. Jews emphasized Law; Christians minimized Law
    3. Christians worshipped Jesus as God in human form; The Jews did not believe God could inhabit a human body.
    4. Christians worshipped on Sunday, and celebrated Easter
    5. Christians believed Jesus was coming back imminently
  2. Kiss of peace practiced to symbolize the unity of fellowship
  3. Equal participation of all persons in worship – ordained ministers a later development

 

Post-New Testament Period (100 A.D. – 313 A.D.)

 

  1. Order of worship developed:

 

Greeting

Scripture reading

Psalm – hymn

Scripture reading

Sermon

Prayer

Kiss of peace

Offering

Prayer

Breaking of the bread

Communion

Dismissal

 

Communion taken by deacons to those who could not worship

 

  1. Homes are purchased for the purpose of worship
  2. Catechumen period develops: up to 3 years long, then baptism and Lord’s Supper
  3. Read from The Apostolic Tradition, chapters 17-21, for description of baptism.
  4. Infant baptism becomes normal practice in north Africa. By the end of the 4th century (when Christianity becomes state sponsored religion), almost all baptism is infant baptism.
  5. A full meal is no longer normal for worship.
  6. Preaching done from a chair (Jewish influence) by the bishop.
  7. The Kiss of peace at some point becomes abused. Whereas in the beginning it was practiced by both genders, by this time it is only practiced by persons of the same .
  8. Church government shows signs of development. In Alexandria, Athanasius was bishop in charge of over 100 other congregations in Egypt.

 

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1