THE BIBLE IN WORSHIP
Let’s admit that people who attend worship services, even on a weekly basis, aren’t always paying close attention to what’s going on. Christian worship, whether in a traditional stained-glass setting or a more free-wheeling modern style, is saturated with words, phrases, and actions rooted in the Bible.
You might say this set of questions is about “decoding” Christian worship. You may be surprised to find just how Bible-rich the average worship service is.
1. Many pastors start their worship service with the words “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Where would you find that in the Bible?
2. “Holy, holy, holy” is a familiar phrase said (or sung) in many churches. Where does that phrase occur in the Bible?
3. What do you call a fixed set of Bible passages that are to be read in worship on particular days?
4. Some churches still practice “the holy kiss” in the worship service. Which New Testament books mention this practice?
5. “Peace be with you” is a part of many worship services. Where is that in the Bible?
6. Charismatic churches often “lift up hands to the Lord.” What worshipful book of the Bible mentions this practice?
7. “Glory to God in the highest” is a common worship phrase. In the Gospels, who used these words?
8. “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” are mentioned often in worship, but they are mentioned together in only one New Testament book. Which one?
9. Footwashing is still practiced in some churches. Which is the only Gospel to tell the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet?
10. The Lord’s Prayer is found in both Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels. Which form is ordinarily used in Christian worship?
11. Which New Testament passage refers to infant baptism?
12. Which New Testament books mention speaking in tongues?
13. The Letter to the Ephesians refers to “making melody in your heart.” Which denominations interpret this to mean that worship services should not have instrumental music?
14. Which apostle laid down the rule that women were not to be pastors?
15. The New Testament word episkopos is translated “bishop” in the King James Version, “superintendent” or “overseer” in some newer translations. Which New Testament books discuss the necessary qualifications for a bishop?
16. In what city was the first church building constructed?
17. In the early church, how often was the Lord’s Supper celebrated?
18. Which New Testament letters are called the Pastoral Letters because they contain advice to deacons and pastors?
19. Which New Testament letter contains the most advice on conducting Christian worship?
20. What musical instruments are mentioned in connection with Christian worship?
21. Which Old Testament book was used as a “hymnal” by the early church?
22. What book of the Bible refers to a Christian marriage service?
23. In the Roman Catholic mass, what familiar praise word is said (or sung) after the reading from the New Testament?
24. When songs or prayers from the Bible are sung in worship, what are they called?
25. What type of contemporary churches are noted for singing Bible passages set to music?
26. In the liturgical churches (Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, and some other denominations), what words are said after a person finishes a Scripture reading?
27. And what does the congregation say immediately afterward?
28. If you are in a church with a large Bible resting on a stand shaped like an eagle, what denomination is the church?
29. What book of the Old Testament is reprinted in the Episcopalians’ worship book, The Book of Common Prayer?
30. Which books of the Bible are read in Roman Catholic churches but not in Protestant churches?
31. The church season known as Epiphany celebrates which two key events in the life of Jesus?
32. The famous “love passage” in the Bible, so often read at church weddings, is from which New Testament book?
33. In baptism, people are baptized “in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Which New Testament book indicates that this is the proper form for baptism?
34. The passage beginning “I know that my Redeemer liveth” is read in many Christian funerals. Which Old Testament book is it from? (No, not Psalms.)
35. The word Hallelujah (or Alleluia) occurs frequently in worship. What is the only book of the Bible that actually contains the word?
36. Some denominations celebrate the Feast of Holy Innocents on December 28. What event in the Gospels is commemorated on this day?
37. What biblical event is commemorated every Sunday?
38. Many Christian burial services quote the words “I am the resurrection and the life.” Who said this, and what book are they recorded in?
39. In the liturgical denominations, what three divisions of the Bible are always read from in each worship service?
40. In which book of the Bible would you find the Apostles’ Creed?
41. How many church buildings are mentioned in the Bible?
THE BIBLE IN WORSHIP (ANSWERS)
1. Psalms (118:24)
2. Isaiah (6:3). The words were said by the angels Isaiah saw in the Temple.
3. Lectionaries. They are used in Catholic, Orthodox, Episcopal, and other churches.
4. Romans (16:16), 1 Corinthians (16:20), 2 Corinthians (13:12), 1 Thessalonians (5:26). It apparently was common practice in New Testament times.
5. 1 Peter 5:14
6. Psalms (134:12); 1 Timothy 2 also mentions “lifting up holy hands.
7. The angels who announced Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:14)
8. Matthew (28:19), Jesus’ “great commission,” in which he tells the disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit 9. John (13)
10. Matthew’s
11. None. So far as we know, infants were not baptized in the early church.
12. Acts (2:4; 19:6) and especially 1 Corinthians (12–14)
13. The Churches of Christ and some other noninstrumental churches
14. Paul, notably in 1 Timothy 2:12, which states that women are not to have authority over men
15. 1 Timothy and Titus
16. No one knows, since church buildings are not mentioned in the New Testament. In the early church, all churches were “house churches,” meeting in private homes.
17. Apparently at every worship service (1 Corinthians 11)
18. 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus
19. Probably 1 Corinthians, which addresses such issues as the Lord’s Supper, speaking in tongues, spiritual gifts, and order in worship
20. None are, which is why some denominations do not use instruments in worship
21. The book of Psalms
22. Not one. The New Testament gives the impression that Christians had been married either in a Jewish service or in a Roman civil ceremony.
23. Alleluia
24. Canticles. This word usually refers not to the Psalms but to other Bible passages that are poetic and are often sung or chanted.
25. The “praise churches,” that is, charismatic churches
26. “The Word of the Lord”
27. “Thanks be to God.”
28. Probably Episcopalian
29. The Psalms
30. The books of the Apocrypha, that is, the books between the Old and New Testaments. Most Protestant churches do not believe that the Apocrypha is inspired—at least, not in the same way as the Old and New Testaments are.
31. The visit of the wise men and also the baptism in the Jordan 32. 1 Corinthians 13: “Love is patient, love is kind.”
33. Matthew’s Gospel, in which Jesus commands the apostles to “go and make disciples” and baptize them with this formula (Matthew 28:19)
34. Job (19:25)
35. Revelation (19:1, 3, 4, 6). But in the original Hebrew Old Testament, the Hebrew words Hallelu jah occur many times—and in our English translations, it almost always appears as “Praise the Lord” (which is what it means, of course).
36. King Herod’s slaughter of the infant boys of Bethlehem when Jesus was born (Matthew 2:16)
37. The resurrection of Jesus, who was raised on the first day of the week
38. Jesus, of course, spoken before he raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11)
39. Old Testament, Gospel, Epistle. (Also, a Psalm is usually said—or sung—or chanted.)
40. It isn’t in the Bible.
41. None. The first generation of Christians did not have (or seem to want) special buildings in which to worship. They met in homes, or wherever they could gather a group of believers together.
Bible Promises
PSALM 119...
Psalm 119 is filled with God’s promises.
It shares what God can do for us through His Word, and His Word is a major part of your spiritual inheritance.
Let’s review some of those promises here:
Verses 1-2: You are blessed as you walk in His ways and keep His testimonies.
Verse 6: You will not be ashamed as you walk according to His Word.
Verse 8: God will not forsake you.
Verse 9: You are cleansed as you take heed to His Word.
Verse 11: The Word of God will keep you from sin.
Verse 17: God will deal bountifully with you.
Verse 18: Your spiritual eyes will be opened.
Verse 24: God’s testimonies are your delight and your counselors.
Verse 25: God’s Word gives life to you.
Verse 28: God’s Word strengthens you.
Verse 41: God’s mercies come to you as you meditate upon His Word.
Verse 42: Trusting in God’s Word enables you to give answers to others.
Verse 45: You will walk at liberty.
Verse 50: God’s Word is your comfort in times of affliction.
Verse 57: God is your portion.
Verse 66: God’s Word teaches you good judgment and knowledge.
Verse 77: God’s tender mercies will come to you.
Verse 80: Your heart will be sound.
Verse 98: God’s Word gives you wisdom.
Verse 99: God’s Word gives you spiritual understanding.
Verse 105: God’s Word is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path.
Verse 111: God’s Word is your heritage forever.
Verse 114: God’s Word gives you hope.
Verse 117: God’s Word holds you up and keeps you safe.
Verse 130: The entrance of God’s words gives you light.
Verse 144: Through God’s Word you are made righteous.
Verse 153: Deliverance comes through God’s Word.
Did You Know
- Moss is the first living organism to grow back after a fire.
- Teratoma tumors can grow teeth, hair, organs, and even limbs, but scientists are clueless as to why they form.
- Some people have begun putting QR codes on tombstones. Scanning them will allow you to read the deceased’s obituary online.
- Only 4% of Americans are vegetarians.
- A donkey will sink in quicksand, but a mule will not. For some reason, a donkey will struggle whereas a mule stays calm.
- The average American 3-year old can recognize about 100 brand logos.
- The average butterfly has 12,000 eyes.
- Messages travel through the human nervous system at speeds of 180-200 mph.
- A snail’s reproductive organs are inside its head.
- Istanbul, Turkey, is the only city in the world located on two continents, Asia and Europe.
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