Is it biblical to worship anyone other than God?

The question of whether it is biblical to worship anyone other than God is one that delves deeply into the heart of Christian doctrine and the teachings of the Bible. Worship, in its truest sense, is an act of reverence, adoration, and devotion directed towards a deity. For Christians, this deity is the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To understand whether it is appropriate or even permissible to worship anyone other than God, we must explore the biblical texts and the theological principles that inform Christian worship practices.

The Bible is unequivocal in its directive that worship should be reserved exclusively for God. This is rooted in the foundational texts of the Old Testament. In the Ten Commandments, God explicitly commands, "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3, ESV). This commandment sets the stage for the monotheistic worship that characterizes the Judeo-Christian tradition. The subsequent commandment reinforces this by forbidding the making of idols and the worship of them (Exodus 20:4-5, ESV). Here, the exclusivity of worship is clear—God alone is to be the object of worship.

This theme is reiterated throughout the Old Testament. For instance, in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, known as the Shema, it is written, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (ESV). The Shema is a central declaration of Jewish faith and underscores the singular devotion to God. The prophets also consistently called the people of Israel back to the exclusive worship of Yahweh, condemning idolatry and the worship of other gods as a grave sin. For example, the prophet Isaiah proclaims, "I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols" (Isaiah 42:8, ESV).

The New Testament continues this emphasis on the exclusive worship of God. Jesus Christ himself reaffirms the centrality of worshiping God alone. When tempted by Satan in the wilderness, Jesus responds by quoting Deuteronomy 6:13, saying, "You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve" (Matthew 4:10, ESV). This is a direct affirmation from Jesus that worship is to be directed solely towards God. Moreover, in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray to the Father, underscoring the focus on God in worship (Matthew 6:9-13, ESV).

The early Christian community also adhered to this principle. The apostles and early church leaders consistently directed worship towards God and Jesus Christ. The Book of Acts records instances where apostles like Peter and Paul explicitly reject any attempts to worship them. In Acts 10:25-26, when Cornelius falls at Peter’s feet to worship him, Peter responds, "Stand up; I too am a man" (ESV). Similarly, in Acts 14:11-15, when the people of Lystra attempt to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas, mistaking them for gods, Paul vehemently rejects this, saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God" (ESV).

Furthermore, the Book of Revelation provides a vivid picture of worship in the heavenly realms. In Revelation 19:10 and 22:8-9, the apostle John falls at the feet of an angel to worship him, but the angel rebukes John, saying, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God" (ESV). These passages reinforce the principle that worship is to be directed exclusively towards God.

From a theological perspective, the exclusivity of worship is deeply connected to the nature of God as revealed in the Bible. God is depicted as the Creator of all things, the Sovereign Lord, and the Redeemer of humanity. In Isaiah 45:22-23, God declares, "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance'" (ESV). This passage highlights the unique and unparalleled position of God as the sole object of worship.

Moreover, the New Testament reveals the mystery of the Trinity, where Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are also recognized as divine and worthy of worship. Jesus, being fully God and fully man, is worshiped by his disciples and the early church. For instance, Thomas addresses Jesus as "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28, ESV), and Jesus does not rebuke him. In Philippians 2:9-11, Paul writes that at the name of Jesus, "every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (ESV). This passage indicates that worshiping Jesus is in accordance with worshiping God, as it ultimately glorifies the Father.

The Holy Spirit, as the third person of the Trinity, is also involved in the worship of God. The Spirit leads believers into all truth (John 16:13, ESV) and empowers them to worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:24, ESV). The Trinitarian understanding of God thus encapsulates the fullness of divine worship, directed towards the Father, through the Son, and in the Spirit.

In light of these biblical teachings, it becomes clear that worshiping anyone or anything other than God is not only unbiblical but also contrary to the very essence of Christian faith. The Bible consistently warns against idolatry and the worship of false gods, emphasizing that such practices lead to spiritual ruin and separation from the true God. The call to exclusive worship is not merely a command but an invitation to enter into a relationship with the living God, who alone is worthy of all honor, glory, and praise.

Christian literature and historical church teachings also support this biblical mandate. The early church fathers, such as Augustine and Athanasius, wrote extensively about the importance of worshiping God alone and the dangers of idolatry. Augustine, in his "Confessions," speaks of the restlessness of the human heart until it finds rest in God, highlighting the centrality of God in worship. Athanasius, in his defense of the divinity of Christ, underscores that worshiping Jesus is integral to worshiping the one true God.

In conclusion, the biblical directive to worship God alone is a cornerstone of Christian faith and practice. From the Old Testament commandments to the New Testament teachings of Jesus and the apostles, the Bible consistently affirms that worship is to be directed exclusively towards God. This principle is rooted in the very nature of God as the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of all things. As Christians, our worship is a response to God’s revelation and an expression of our devotion to the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Worshiping anyone or anything other than God not only contradicts biblical teaching but also undermines the very foundation of our faith.