Romans 12:1 Is "latreia" a worship service or a way of life?
- alw6541
- Jul 22
- 15 min read
Updated: Aug 12
Romans 12:1 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, well-pleasing - unto God, which is your logical (logikos) priestly service (latreia).
Definition of the Greek words:
There are many variations on how the last 2 Greek words in this verse, logikos latreia, are translated:
- reasonable service (KJV)
- priestly service (CSB)
- spiritual service (ASV)
- spiritual worship (ESV)
- true and proper worship (NIV)
- spiritual service of worship (NASB)
So which one of these translations is correct? This is what we will examine further in this article.
“Logikos” is similar to our English word “logical”, meaning something that is reasonable, makes sense or is a rational conclusion.
“Latreia” is a special kind of service done by certain people and involves animal sacrifice. This Greek word is found in the Bible a total of only 10 times: 5 times in the Greek O.T. (LXX) and 5 times in the N.T.
It is important to see the contexts in which this Greek word is used in the Bible, because if we don’t, we will believe people who give it their own definitions based on man-made doctrines.
Many Christian groups (Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, etc) and even Google says that “latreia" (also spelled latria) is adoration/worship given to God, which likely explains this word sometimes being translated as worship. But is that what the Greek word latreia actually means? Let’s examine how “latreia” is defined in the scriptures.
Latreia: Old Covenant and New Covenant
In the Old Testament, latreia is a word used to define 3 things:
The yearly observance of Passover by the Israelites (in which lambs were sacrificed)
(Exo. 12:25 & 26, 13:5)
Sacrifices, burnt offerings and peace offerings (animal sacrifices) on the one altar chosen by God (Jos. 22:27)
The work done by the priests & Levites in the house of the Lord (including animal sacrifice) (1 Chr. 28:13).
I don’t see anything in these 5 instances of anything that could be classified as “worship”, do you? I do see specific people offering an animal to God as a sacrifice for various reasons that God commanded. This is a definition we will take into our study of the word in the New Testament.
In the New Testament, Paul uses the word “latreia” only two times - and both in the book of Romans. Besides his use of it in 12:1, he also uses it in Romans 9:4, in which he defines the latreia of God (priestly/sacrificial service of God) as something that previously belonged only to the Israelites (including Israel’s adoption as sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the promises and the forefathers, from whom Christ was a fleshly descendent (Rom. 9:4-5)
So in addressing the Gentile Christians in Rome, the “therefore” in Romans 12:1 is a reasonable conclusion by Paul to the previous chapters of Romans 9-11: instead of outsiders and strangers to Israel - the Gentiles who believe in Jesus are now children of the promise (9:8) and sons of God too. (9:25-26)
The other 3 usages of “latreia” in the New Testament, in addition to Paul’s two usages in Romans (for a total of 5), are as follows:
3-4. The writer of Hebrews twice defines/describes latreia as the offering of gifts and sacrifices by the priests in the temple (Hebrews 9:1, 9:6). This fits the action of latreia as described by Paul in Rom. 12:1, of Christians offering our bodies as living sacrifices, just like the priests had previously offered the bodies of animals as sacrifices in the temple.
5. Jesus uses the word latreia once, in John 16:2, where he tells his followers that in the future, they would be put out of the synagogues and whoever killed them would think they were offering “latreia” to God (perhaps as a pleasing sacrifice or offering).
Jesus could well have been talking about Paul specifically here, because this is what Paul himself was doing to the Christians before his own conversion to Christ, believing that he was pleasing and serving God by his zeal in imprisoning, persecuting and contributing to the deaths of Christians. (Acts 8-9, Phl. 3:6)
But after his conversion, Paul is doing something very different! As a follower of Christ, instead of killing Christians as a pleasing offering to God, he is now teaching them (and us) about a new way of sacrifice that pleases God: by offering our lives to Him!
Latreia & location:
One of the main differences between latreia under the First Covenant and latreia under the New Covenant, is that for us Christians, our latreia (priestly/sacrificial service) is not restricted to a time (like once a year for Passover) or a place (like the temple or tent of meeting) as it was previously for the Israelites.
Hebrews 9:1-8 tells us that under the First Covenant, latreia had regulations (for how it would be done) in the earthly/wordly holy place inside the tabernacle by the priest. But it also says in verse 8, that the way into the holiest place of all - in heaven - was not entered into by anyone while the earthly tabernacle was still standing.
In the earthly tabernacle, any person (Israelite or Gentile) could bring an animal to the door of the tent of meeting, or to the outer courts of the temple, where it would be offered by the priests as an offering on the altar that was inside the tent or temple. However, a regular person was restricted from coming near to the priests or the altar or going any further inside the set apart/holy place - upon penalty of death! (Lev. 17:8-9, Num. 5:3-10, 16:40, 18:7, 21-22, 1:51, 3:10)
Under the New Covenant, Jesus, who is seated at the right hand of God in heaven, has been appointed as our eternal high priest and priest of the true temple in heaven, where the true most set apart (holy) place is, that God made. Earthly, man-made tabernacles were only copies of the heavenly places. (Heb. 8:1-2, 9:24, 12:2, Rev. 14:17, 15:5).
Jesus entered into this most set apart (holy) place in heaven - not bringing with him the blood of bulls and goats (like an earthly high priest was required to do under the regulations of latreia on the day of atonement & cleansing, Lev.16 ) - he entered the most set apart (holy) place bringing his own blood that was shed (Heb. 9:12, Lev. 16:15).
Jesus has also been appointed as our mediator (Heb. 7:28, 10:21) and now appears before the face of God in heaven on our behalf (Heb. 9:24). So when the writer of Hebrews says that we can now “come near” to God through Jesus as our intercessor (Heb. 7:25), with confidence (Heb. 4:16) and full assurance of faith (Heb. 10:22), it’s because the prohibition and resulting fear about being put to death by “coming near” the priestly things/places under the First Covenant is now removed and replaced with something better!
As for needing a priest, (who, under the First Covenant, was the only person qualified as a descendent of Aaron) to offer a sacrifice for us or help us with sacrificing ourselves, this has also changed under the New Covenant. When God said that Israel would be his kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exo. 19:6), now all of us as Christians are now designated as priests - a royal priesthood a holy people (1 Pet. 2:5, Rev. 1:6, 5:10)
Instead of offering up animal sacrifices as priests - we can continually be offering up spiritual sacrifices, such as thanking and praising God (1 Pet. 2:5, 2:9, Heb. 13:15). We don’t need to go to a temple to do this or any part of , each one of our bodies is the holy temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16-17, 6:19). We also don’t need to go to a “church building” to do this, because we are also the spiritual house of God collectively as the church (1 Pet. 2:5, 1 Tim. 3:15).
Let’s go to church to worship God (and ignore each other)
Now, when “latreia” is translated or interpreted as “worship” or “worship-service” in Romans 12:1, it can easily confuse us and cause us to reason that the focus of this verse is on worship - i.e., that what pleases God is NOT our service to God through offering ourselves by living a holy (set apart) life, as Paul is trying to teach us.
By the way, the Revised Standard Version (RSV) published in1952, is the first English translation to translate "latreia" as "worship" in this verse (due to the “dynamic equivalence” movement in Bible translating that happened in the mid 1900’s - and many modern translations (NIV, ESV, NASB, etc.) have unfortunately followed this idea). So, for the first 1,950 or so years of Christianity, Christians understood this verse to be talking about serving God.
It's only in the last 70-ish years that any Christians have believed this verse to be talking about "worship". I think that's important, don't you?
And what exactly is a worship service? Well...there are many varying definitions for this idea, but pretty much, we (both churches of Christ and denominations) have defined “worship” and “worship services” as something we do for one hour on Sundays in a church building. (This usually consists of “acts or worship” such as praying, singing, listening to a sermon, etc., similar to the Catholic doctrine of “acts of adoration” and "holy hour".
So when ‘latreia’ to God gets translated as “ worship” or “a worship service” - then latreia gets redefined, squeezed down and restricted into certain time and certain place: what we do for one hour on Sundays in a church building. This is exactly like how latreia was restricted to a specific time and place for the Jews under the First Covenant. My brethren: this is NOT what latreia is supposed to be for Christians under the New Covenant!
I grew up hearing that the purpose of going to church was to worship God. Even though many of us in the churches of Christ identify our time of gathering together as “worship services”, you will not find the phrase “worship service” in any English Bible! (Nor will you find a Hebrew or Greek word that means “worship”, but that’s a separate topic and I have an article about that on my blog, link will be at the end of this article).
“Going to church to worship God” is an idea handed down through Protestant / Denominational Christian tradition - and even though I think we have held onto it with good intent - I don’t think we have had the knowledge to really identify - much less challenge - this doctrine until now.
The apostle Paul lists out 9 reasons for Christians to assemble together and instructions as to what to do while assembled. For what main reason? So that everyone in the church would be built up/edified (1 Cor. 14:26) and that all may be encouraged (1 Cor. 14:31)
exhorting/encouraging each other (Heb. 10:25)
teaching the word of God (Acts 11:26, 13:44, 20:7),
hearing the word of God (Acts 11:26, 13:44, 20:7),
taking turns in prophesying (1 Cor. 14:31)
taking turns in sharing a psalm/song (1 Cor. 14:31)
taking turns in sharing a tongue (1 Cor. 14:31),
taking turns in sharing a revelation (1 Cor. 14:31)
taking turns in sharing an interpretation (1 Cor. 14:31),
sharing in participating in the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:20)
I think Paul must have left out something important here. Not only does he NOT define the main purpose of assembling as "worshiping God", he doesn't even list it! How can this be the case? If worshiping is God so important, where is it?
Notice that for the exception of taking the Lord’s supper, most of the focus of gathering together, both in the instructions from Paul and the writer of Hebrews - seems to be ON EACH OTHER. This is very different from what I hear often and grew up hearing: that the focus of our worship service should be on God. But, I ask, do we have to go to a certain place to focus on God? Do we have to go to a certain place to give God praise?
Does the New Testament say that we have to GO somewhere to pray to God, praise God or thank him? No! (1 Thess. 1:2, 5:17, 2 Thess. 1:11, 2:13, Col. 1:3, Eph. 5:20, 6:18).
We don’t need to GO TO a specific place to offer the sacrifice of praise to God, as they did in the Old Testament (Psalm 27:6, 100:4. Jer. 17:26, 33:11).
Under the New Covenant, we are God’s earthly temple (1 Cor. 3:16-17, 6:19, 2 Cor. 6:16) and God’s spiritual house (1 Pet. 2:5, 1 Tim. 3:15). As Christians, God’s spirit dwells in our bodies - not in a building. (Acts 7:48, 17:24). This means that the church building is NOT God’s house, as many of us have been taught!
*An important side note here: When Paul talks about building up/edifying the church (1 Cor. 14), the building he is referring to is worth pointing out: church “building” is not a place. “Church building” is an activity that we as Christians can and should do for one another (1 Cor. 14:26)! It’s the whole point of assembling together! That's why he says "let all things be done for edification"!
I truly believe that we are missing the point of assembling together and we - as the church AND individually - are suffering because of it, as in, we aren’t being encouraged or built up. I feel like that responsibility is being put solely on the preacher, and honestly, how fair is it to put everyone’s encouragement on one man’s shoulders?
(as to how we change that, I would be interested in discussion/suggestions)!
A “living”, walking, breathing sacrifice
Paul wants to explain in Romans 12:1 - to both the Jews and Gentiles - this new way of sacrifice and serving under the New Covenant: by living a holy life, reasoning that our physical bodies are sacrifices to God, and seeking to please Him with how we live.
Now a believer in Jesus himself, Paul is teaching his fellow believers how to serve and please God under the New Covenant in a new way (Acts 9:1-22) not by killing these Christians as a “latreia” - as Jesus predicted some like Paul would do - but by teaching these Christians and us about how to voluntarily live sacrificial lives by walk[ing] in newness of life, after voluntarily being buried with Christ in baptism, dying to the flesh and being raised up to walk and live in this new way. (Romans 6:1-11)
The verb form of “logikos” (logical), is the Greek word logizomai (to reckon, logically conclude). Paul uses it in Romans 6:11 to say that the purpose of being baptized into Christ’s death and raised is this: that just like Jesus died in the flesh and lives to God, we should also logizomai (reckon/conclude) ourselves to be dead to sin, but also alive (living) - living to God in Christ Jesus [not living “for” ourselves].
So what does it mean to be a living sacrifice? Well, it means that we are not just laying on an altar like a dead animal, we are living, breathing, walking, talking sacrifices. Paul says in Romans 8 that if we are in Christ Jesus, we are walking/living according to the Spirit and setting our minds on Spiritual things, not walking according to the flesh and having our minds focused on fleshly things. (Rom. 8:1-7) And why is this important? Because those who live and walk according to the flesh are not pleasing to God. (Rom. 8:8).
(BTW, this is very different from thinking what we do in a worship service is truly what pleases God, is it not? I know many of us in the church of Christ will point to Heb. 12:28 for that, but the word “worship” is not there either, it's another verse that the word "worship" was first used in, in 1952, and that’s in a separate article linked below.)
Paul tells the Christians in Corinth that because Jesus died for us, we should live for Him and not for ourselves. (2 Cor. 5:15) This is what it essentially means to be a living sacrifice - to sacrifice our lives and our wills and what pleases us - and instead live for God and do His will and what pleases Him, just like Jesus did (John 6:38).
Paul also tells the Christians in Thessalonica that the instructions he gave them were in how to walk (live) in order to please God. (1 Thes. 4:1) Examples of sacrifices that are well-pleasing to God are identified as things people did in contributing to Paul’s physical needs (Phi. 4:18) and also in doing good and sharing (Heb. 13:16).
The final words of the writer of Hebrews prays that we will be complete in every good work and to do God’s will - which is what is well-pleasing to God. (Heb. 13:20-21). This reflects the words in Hebrews 10 and Psalms 40, saying that in sacrifices and burnt offerings God was not pleased - but he was pleased with his Son who came to do His will. (Heb. 10:5-9)
Paul says this also in Romans12:2, that God’s will is good and well-pleasing - the same Greek word for well-pleasing he uses to describe “latreia” in Romans 12:1. And this is what we are to do also - sacrificing our own will and our own pleasures - for God’s will and God’s pleasure, following in the example of Christ by how we are living (1 Peter 4:1-2, ,Eph. 6:6).
Application of Romans 12:1
Brethren: I think we have long mistakenly held the idea, albeit with good intentions, that our assembling together for one hour per week is our “service” to God (how we serve God). When we end our “services” with a closing prayer, are we not done with “serving” God when we leave the building? I thought so for many years, I think because of the way “latreia” has been confusingly interpreted as “worship” and “service of worship” in some translations, plus the denominational tradition we have continued in, in identifying our gathering together as “worship services”.
Gathering together as Christians (Heb. 10:25, 1 Cor. 14) - and serving God as living sacrifices - are both good and necessary, but they are NOT THE SAME THING! This is a very important distinction that we must understand, even though this idea is very prevalent in the religious world around us!
The house of God is no longer a building - and it is certainly not our church buildings!
God’s house is the church, which is a people, not a place.
Holy buildings have been replaced by our holy bodies. Holy places - and their priests and sacrifices - have now been replaced by a holy people.
We do not need to go to a specific place to perform our priestly service to God, our priestly service to God is how we live our lives as His sacrifices by doing His will. In other words, our logical priestly service is being living, pleasing sacrifices.
My brothers and sisters in Christ : Latreia is not a weekly checkbox. Latreia is not a worship service. Latreia is a way of life!
Questions and personal reflections:
1. What if we called our assembling or gathering together as “assembling” or “coming together” like they did in the New Testament, instead of calling it our “worship” or “worship service”?
(And accordingly, I suppose we would need to replace the phrase “we are going to church to worship God” with something like “we are going to assemble /gather together with the church”).
2. As for replacing the traditional “reason" for gathering with the church as, “worshiping God”, we could replace that with the "building up of the church" that Paul says is the reason for gathering together (1 Cor. 14:26) and encouraging one another, as the writer of Hebrews says is the reason for gathering together (Heb 10:25).
3. Do you think identifying “latreia” as “priestly service” in Romans 12:1 instead of “worship service”, would make a helpful difference in how we think about and live our daily lives as holy priests of God, offering ourselves as living sacrifices to Him? Would it help us think more about what is well-pleasing to God on an hourly/daily basis - instead of thinking about it 1 hour per week?
4. Would it help with the challenge of many Christians seeing Sunday mornings as a weekly “checkbox” - and a duty that they check off/ fulfill by going to church? And the challenge of many being “Christians” on Sunday, but living like the world the rest of the week?
On a personal note, for most of my life I went to church on Sundays and Wednesdays. I sang “tiptoe, tiptoe in God’s house” during the church of Christ VBS and sang “we have come into his house to magnify his name and worship Him” at many churches of Christ. But, I also rushed out of assembly after the closing prayer because I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I had checked off “going to church to praise and worship God and take the Lord’s supper” - and then I was done with ‘church stuff’.
It seems to me like Paul is saying that we assemble with the church to edify each other, but that would mean going to church to interact?!?!? And actually talk!?!?! with other people?!?!?! Gasp!!! which horrified me as an introvert, and still is a challenge…but I’m trying to get better at it after studying this. Even so, it really is just SO odd for me to think about interacting with others being the purpose of going to church: most of my life has been spent going to church to IGNORE other people and focus solely on worshiping/praising God. And I felt I was pleasing God and justified and righteous in doing that. Seriously! But…isn’t that what we’ve ALL been taught???
When I got older, I had to miss “going to church” for periods of time due to physical illness - and I remember asking myself, am I still a Christian if I haven’t been to church in a while? I think that’s how many people feel who can’t regularly assemble due to age or physical challenges, as well as for those who only go to church occasionally or a few times a year. Some of them worry that God isn’t happy or pleased with them because they haven’t been going to church.
Tell me if this is not true: many people worry they won’t go to heaven if they don’t go to church. Many more believe they will go to heaven as long as they go to church. I think that this is a HUGE problem in our understanding of what it truly means to be a Christian and follower of Christ!
Latreia is not a weekly checkbox. Latreia is not a worship service. Latreia is a way of life!
Thank you for reading this article, I welcome questions and comments! Below is a PDF of this article if you want to print it.
For further reading, please see some of the other links below:
Did you know: there is no Greek or Hebrew word for "worship"? Hebrews 12:28: Is it about serving God or worshiping Him?
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