THE FALSE WORSHIP OF GOD

"Take heed that no man deceive you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ...." Colossians 2:8-10

When we study a certain practice we should not ask, "Where does God say not to do this?" Instead, ask, "Where does God's word show this act would be acceptable?" If the act cannot be found included in God's will for the church, then we should not participate in it.

Mimes, clowns, dances, the dramatization of hymns, dancers, etc., this is beyond the biblical order of worship in the New Testament, no matter how you try to justify it today. We have to examine with a biblical foundation the differences between the true worship of God and the false. And when we speak of worship, we are talking about ministry and worship in the church that God has already determined in His Word how it should be done for the spiritual growth of the church.

The church was designed to transform lives, not to entertain crowds in theatrical or circus form. Today too many churches and their pastors do not know the true nature of Christ's body, converting the worship of God into a sensual public act, sensational and appealing to the emotions of the people, and not genuine worship of obedience to God.

Was liturgical dancing ever a part of worship in the primitive apostolic church or throughout the first few centuries? If so, why was it abandoned? Liturgical dancing was not part of worship in the early apostolic church. Jewish culture featured liturgical dancing at weddings and the Feast of Tabernacles, and of course there are numerous references to David dancing in the Old Testament, but such dancing was spontaneous and celebratory, not liturgical. As a result, early Christians from Jewish backgrounds probably lacked a tradition of dance during formal worship. Dancing only appears in the New Testament in two contexts: Herod's banquet (Mark 6:21-22) and the celebration of the Prodigal Son's return (Luke 15:22-27).

By contrast, dance played a prominent role in many pagan cults, such as the orgiastic cult of Dionysius. Because early Christians in no way wished to be associated with such rites, they most likely avoided liturgical dancing in church, though their intense, sometimes ecstatic worship (Acts 2:43, 1 Cor. 14:26) may well have included motions of some sort. 

To justify themselves, there are those with subjective experiences that say, "God revealed to me and ministered to me with such methods." The truth is that God does not contradict His own Word, revealing that these alleged experiences are nothing more than personal emotions and not God's Word. Preachers today have the bad habit of using half-truths to teach and try to justify entertainment in the church, using some biblical words and phrases, but with a twisted sense of the text. These adopt (for convenience and profit) carnal methods of worship, so they say, to attract people to Christ when the Bible clearly tells us that that corresponds to God (John 6:44), the only one capable of adding those who will be saved (Acts 2:47), and the only one with the power to convict of sin hearts through the power of his Spirit (John 16:8). To say otherwise is blasphemy and heresy of the devil himself, which attempts to neutralize the power of the Spirit in the church, in order to convert into lasciviousness the Grace of God (Jude 4).

According to the Bible, true worship of God is exercised through the spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit has assigned to believers, for the church is essentially a living spiritual body, which for growth depends on the power of the Holy Spirit "... because each are given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good "(1 Cor.12: 7). And God has ordained minister according to the gifts received for the building of the church:" So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church "(1 Cor. 14:12)." Each one has received the gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God "(1 Peter 4: 10). It is through the spiritual gifts that God meets the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the church so that it reaches the growth He demands, after all, it is God who produces the growth of the church, not man (1 Cor 3:7-9, Eph. 4:15-16). The church is complete in Christ with all the capabilities it needs for its spiritual growth (Col. 2:9.) and has no need for carnal and pagan methods to evangelize.

Unfortunately, today many churches that have been badly indoctrinated have adulterated the worship of God, virtually replacing the gifts of the Spirit for methods and formulas of secular and pagan origin, with the vague excuse to evangelize. The arguments that today many ministers and Christians use to defend these methods have no biblical basis whatsoever. This has led to an unprecedented deterioration and spiritual chaos, at this time. Today in many churches that have converted the worship of God into a place of entertainment, its members do not want to endure sound doctrine, in fulfillment with what the apostle Paul said: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires and will turn away from listening to the truth and shall be turned unto fables (II Tim. 4:3-4). Fables are nothing but tales, stories, and narrations that are not real, pure fiction.

The pastors of these churches, as a pretext to give way to liturgical dancing (Hebrew) in the church, use verses from the Old Testament (II Sam 6:5-14, 1 Cor 15:29; Jer. 31:4 -13; Isa. 3:16). This argument fails completely, ignoring that the church is not subject to the liturgy of worship (Hebrew) of the Old Testament, understanding their festivals, ritual ceremonies, and sacrifices: "For finding fault with them saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make with the house of Israel and the house of Judah a new covenant ... By saying new covenant, he hath made the first old and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary ... But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is, not of this creation ( Hebrews. 8:8, 13; 9:1-11)". The Scriptures tell us here that the Lord's church was called to the new order of worship and praise of the New Testament, by the administration, singing, and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:7, Eph. 5:19; Col. 3: 16, 1 Peter 4:10). It is noteworthy that the only two mentions of the word "dance" in the New Testament, are in relation to "Hebrew" festivity (Luke 15:25), and sensual and erotic dances to seduce (Mt. 14:6; Mr . 6:22)

The early church never used formulas or human dynamics of its time in its worship of God, even to evangelize, because they only depended on the power of the gifts of the Spirit. For example, the apostle Peter in his first public preaching, around 3,000 people were converted to the gospel, and in his second message over 5,000 received the Lord. Peter did not need worldly methodologies to evangelize; he just needed the preached word (verbally) in the power of the Spirit, which convicts hearts of sin. It is God who gives growth to the church, not man. Today some believers speak of the "talents" as implying that in the Bible the word "talent" or "art” would result or allows all kinds of worldly methods and pagan practices to be used in the church. Not so, the Lord himself said about his house, 'and reverence my sanctuary, I am the LORD "(Leviticus 19:30)" My house shall be called a house of prayer "(Matthew 21:13) so, those that want to be entertained go to the theater or the circus. Because the church is to be reverence and worship in spirit and truth of God to transform lives, not for entertainment or shows to entertain people.

FALSE WORSHIP USING METHODOLOGIES OF PAGAN AND WORLDLY ORIGIN

1. Pantomimes: Dramatic work of Greco-Roman origin that substitutes verbal language for body language "mimicry" used as entertainment throughout history. Dramas and theater performances which originated in ancient Greece to entertain the viewer and exalt the audience's emotions. (Practice not used by the first apostolic church).

2. Clowns: Actor, or satirist that makes fun of everyday life and whose function is to make people laugh with jokes mocking and tricks, or magic tricks. The practice of Greco-Roman origin was used in the royal courts as a spectacle. (Practice not used by the first Apostolic Church)

3. Melodies of pagan origin with Christian lyrics: Practice prohibited by God in the Old Testament (Eccl. 7:5, Isaiah 23:15-17), and the singers of Israel were forbidden to use pagan tunes in worship to God, they should provide "new song", as worship (Ps. 33:3). Music was never used to evangelize. Also in the New Testament (Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19-20), the apostle Paul established that the songs to  God must be spiritual, that is, must be inspired by the Holy Spirit, both in letter and in the melody.

It doesn't matter what excuses or pretexts you might have today to practice such methods of worship, this does not fit within the biblical framework. God already determined in his word how the church should grow, this, through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The liturgy of worship of the first apostolic church is the immutable model of worship for the Church of every age: "If any man minister, with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 4:11).