comments would constitute a criticism of His words, and we should stand

condemned.  He was teaching this woman, and all who will learn, not the

nature of the absolute and unconditioned, but what the character of that

worship must be that is offered to, and is acceptable to, a Being of such a

nature.  To obtain but a glimpse of the Divine Being, is to forego for ever

all the trapping of ceremonialism, and to see that all rites and all

observances are antagonistic to 'true' worship -- a God who is 'spirit' must

be worshipped 'in spirit and in truth', i.e. as 'true' worshippers, in the

'true' Tabernacle (Heb. 9:24).

In the Old Testament, worship is offered to 'The Lord', Who is referred

to as 'The Lord thy God'.  In the New Testament (The Revelation), worship is

offered to 'God', and to 'Him that made heaven and earth', but here in John 4

it is the 'Father' that is worshipped, it is the 'Father' that seeks worship

-- and surely none but 'children' can worship the 'Father', none but children

can offer to Him His due.  And will children who seek thus to render homage

to the Father feel under any necessity to pay such reverence in a temple made

with hands?  Need such adopt priestly vestments?  Need such perform an

elaborate ritual?  No title of God is so intimate, so near the heart, so far

removed from ritual and ordinance as the title 'Father', and worship that is

offered to Him in that capacity must of necessity participate in the same

If we rigorously restrict our New Testament  studies in connection with

worship to the occurrences and usage of proskuneo, our task is practically

ended.  The reader, however, naturally expects that such passages as that of

Philippians 3:3 or of Colossians 2:18,23 will be included.  We must give

these passages a consideration, for they are the only references to 'worship'

found in the epistles of Paul written after Acts 28, and so have distinct

bearing upon the worship offered by the church of the Mystery.  Before we

consider these portions, let us pause and seek to realize what lesson is

intended for us particularly in the fact that proskuneo is never once used in

Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and 2 Timothy.

In the first place, Paul, the writer of these epistles was fully

acquainted with the use and occurrence of this word, for as he was a reader

of the Septuagint, he would know of its presence throughout the Law, the

Prophets and the Psalms.  In that version of the Old Testament proskuneo

occurs nearly two hundred times.  The omission of this word therefore is

deliberate and inspired, and consequently both the fact of its omission, and

the change suggested by the words substituted challenge our deepest

First let us cite the passages that speak of worship in the Prison

'We are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice

in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh' (Phil. 3:3).

'Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and

worshipping of angels' (Col. 2:18).

'Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and

humility' (Col. 2:23).

Two out of three references to worship are seen to be negative, only

one positive statement appears, namely at Philippians 3:3, and even that in a