Worship in Spirit and in truth- what does it mean?

alw6541
Jun 9
13 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

This examination of the words of Jesus to the Samaritan woman in John 4 is the subject of this article.

It is specifically addressed to my beloved brethren in the churches of Christ, who wholeheartedly believe that this passage about “worshiping” in spirit and in truth is referring to musical instruments in our assemblies.

In John 4, Jesus goes through Samaria, and stops to visit Jacob’s well, which is in Shechem, near Mount Gerizim. He meets a Samaritan woman who says:

“Our fathers worshiped (proskyneo) on this mountain [Mount Gerizim], and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship (proskyneo)”.John 4:20 (NJKV)

The Greek word “proskyneo” is translated as “worship” 9 times in this passage, but the part I’m most familiar with is the part that says we must worship God “in Spirit and in truth”.

Now, growing up in the church of Christ, “worshipping in Spirit and in truth” is something very important, because this has been interpreted and taught as ‘worshiping God without musical instruments’. But is this what Jesus is talking about?

Let’s read what Jesus said with the actual definition of the Greek word “proskyneo”: which means “bow down”, not “worship”:

John 4:21-24 . Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you bow down (proskyneo) to the Father You bow down (proskyneo) to what you do not know, but we bow down (proskyneo) to what we know, because salvation is from the Jews.

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true ones who bow down (proskynētēs) will bow down (proskyneo) to the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to bow down (proskyneo) to Him. God is Spirit, and those who bow down (proskyneo) to Him must bow down (proskyneo) to Him in spirit and truth.”

The Samaritan woman is referring to Jews believing that Jerusalem was where the temple and altar should be for all Israel to bow down (shakah) and burn their sacrifices (1 Chr. 22:1 , 2 Chr. 32:12, 2 Kin. 18:22).

And 3 times per year, for each of the 3 major feasts (Passover, Firstfruits and Tabernacles), all Jewish men had to appear before the Lord and do this at Jerusalem (Deut. 16:16, Exodus 23:14-17)

The Samaritans believed differently, they believed that:

Mount Gerizim was where God’s people should bow down and offer sacrifice, not Jerusalem.
they had their own version of the pentateuch (first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible) which says that Mount Gerizim is the right place
Their version of the pentateuch (Genesis - Deuteronomy) was their entire Bible - they rejected anything written after that, i.e. the rest of the books of the Old Testament after Deuteronomy

So now we must ask, if John 4 is actually talking about “bowing down” and not “worship”: then what does it mean to bow down “in spirit and in truth”?

Shechem: righteousness and truth

The location where Jesus is talking to the Samaritan woman is in Shechem, and a parallel can be made to 2 previous events that happened in Shechem.

In Joshua chapters 23 and 24, Joshua gives his final words to the people of Israel in Shechem before he died.

Joshua instructs them not to mention the name of other gods, swear by them, serve them or bow down (Hebrew: shakah, Greek: proskyneo) to them - and that if they served other gods and bowed down (Hebrew: shakah, Greek: proskyneo) to them, that God would be angry and remove them from the land.

He also tells them to fear the Lord and serve Him in righteousness and in truth, and the people said they would serve God and obey Him. Johsua made a covenant with them that day and wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God

Now, since the Samaritans only believed that their version of the first 5 books of the Old Testament were valid, (Genesis - Deuteronomy), they would not have any knowledge of this incident that Joshua recorded.

So the Samaritans (and the woman at Jacob’s well) would also not have been aware of the covenant that the people made with Joshua and God at Shechem, that they would serve God in this way - in righteousness and in truth. (So the phrase that Jesus uses, “Spirit and in truth”, may not have been understood by her, but it was similar to the words of Joshua).

Another thing happens in Shechem in the book of Judges, in which the same two Hebrew words for truth and righteousness are used, as in Joshua 24.

In Judges 9, Abimelech wants to be king over Shechem, so he convinces the men of Shechem to help him murder his 70 brothers, then he was anointed King near the place where Joshua made the covenant with the Israelites (the covenant that they would serve God in righteousness and truth).

The only brother to escape called out to the men of Shechem while he stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, challenging whether or not they made Abimelech king in righteousness and truth.

But he knew this was not done in righteousness and truth, because he knew his brothers had been murdered to make Abimelech king. (The Samaritan woman would not have been familiar with the book of Judges, either).

Before we move on to New Testament scriptures about truth and righteousness, here are a few more from the Old Testament:

“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them (Eze. 36:27)

“David walked before God in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart” 1 Kings 3:6

“fear the LORD, and serve Him - in truth, with all your heart” 1 Sam. 12:24

The house of Jacob, Israel and Judah take oaths in the name of the LORD, And make mention of the God of Israel, But not in truth or in righteousness” Isaiah 48:1

“They shall be My people And I will be their God, in truth and righteousness”. Zec. 8:8

In the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, God wanted his people to once again understand that the righteous person serves God and the wicked person does not serve God or obey his commands (Mal. 3:5, 18). Malachi says that God is sending his messenger to cleanse and purify the sons of Levi for a purpose: So that they may offer an offering that will be pleasing to the Lord, an offering in righteousness” (Mal. 3:3,4)

*Above in Joshua 23, he told the people “not to mention the name of their gods or swear by them”. It seems like the people were indeed obeying that because they were instead mentioning the God of Israel and taking oaths in HIS name (Isa. 48:1), but they weren’t doing it in truth and righteousness. Isn’t that interesting?

And those in Malachi were making offerings, but weren’t serving God or obeying his commands, so their offerings weren’t done in righteousness and God wasn’t pleased with them. Perhaps serving God in truth with all of our hearts, as in 1 Sam. 12:24, and walking before God like David, in truth, righteousness and uprightness of heart is what pleases God?

Holy places vs. holy people

The woman talking to Jesus in John 4, is living in sexual immorality and possibly adultery. She can’t be serving God in righteousness and truth if she is disobeying his commands about sexual immorality and adultery. But she wants to know 2 things:

Who is right - Jews or Samaritans
Where is the right place: Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim

So why would a woman who was not serving God be concerned about bowing down to God? It does not make sense for a servant to bow to someone they do not serve, but this woman is asking about it, because this was a point of contention between Jews and Samaritans - about who is right and where the RIGHT PLACE is - not who is righteously serving God!

Here are some New Testament verses about the Spirit, truth and righteousness:

God does not show partiality, but accepts people from every nation who fear him and practice righteousness Acts 10:35

If we don’t keep his commandments, the truth is not is not in us and we do not know God. Perhaps this is why Jesus said that the Samaritan woman and her forefathers did not know God, because they did not keep his commandments.

1 John 2:3-4

“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him”. John 2:4

Paul says that

“the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from unrighteousness.” 2 Tim. 2:19.

Paul also says that serving Christ in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit is what is pleasing to God. (Rom. 14:17-18)

The hour is coming:

“the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you bow down (proskyneo) to the Father”

Jesus says a time is coming when people won’t bow down at either place.

Even though he also tells her that the Jews are correct because they are ones that know God and salvation (the Messiah) will come through the Jews, one day soon, neither location would truly matter.

Samaritans would be barred from practicing their religion and going to Mount Gerizim under the rule of various empires over time, even though there is still a small group that gather there today. The city of Jerusalem, including the holy place inside the temple and the temple itself was all destroyed in 70. A.D.

After the death of Jesus (33 A.D.) and the tearing in half of (done by God) the curtain inside the most holy place in the temple, the need for priests and sin sacrifices was no longer necessary, as Jesus fulfilled the roles of sacrifice, high priest (Heb. 9) and the place of mercy (lid of the ark - hilasterion - where God’s presence would appear (Heb. 9:5, Rom. 3:25).

The human body of the Christian now being God’s temple (1 Cor. 6:19-20) and a holy “place” (John 17:17) and a living sacrifice as well (Rom. 12:1) made a physical temple no longer necessary.

God’s spirit would no longer be in a “place”, God’s spirit would be in a people!

Saying this in another way, a time was there and coming when there would no longer be HOLY / set apart PLACES - there would be A HOLY / set apart PEOPLE.

Holy/set apart (hagios) are they who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. (Rev. 14:12)

And the only way to come to the father is not at a PLACE, neither in Jerusalem or Mt. Gerizim, but through Jesus: Jesus himself said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me". John 14:6

Hebrews 13:11-12 talks about the holy place where the blood of animals was brought into previously, and says that now the blood of Jesus is what makes us Christians holy (hagiazo).

There is no longer a most holy (set apart) place on earth made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true holy place. (Heb. 9:23,24)

The only set apart place that exists - and has always existed - is heaven, the new Jerusalem, the holy / set apart city (Rev. 21, 22) where God lives - and we too can enter into this most holy set apart place, just like Jesus did - not with the blood of animals, but with the blood of Jesus . Hebrews 9:24, 9:12 (all of Heb. 9)

This is why the curtain separating the most set apart place was torn into by God - from top to bottom. (Mat. 27:51) The place made holy/set apart and cleansed with animal blood is no longer necessary, and has been replaced by a holy/set apart people, cleansed and made holy/set apart with the blood of Jesus.

Jesus said his words are spirit and life…and.the Spirit of truth will be in us. He prayed to God to make us holy/set apart (hagiazo) by the truth, the word of God. John Jhn 6:63, Jhn 14:17 17:17

Paul echoes this and says our love for and belief in the truth is what saves us, because if we don’t believe the truth, we will take pleasure in unrighteousness. Christians are made holy/set apart (hagiasmos) by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 2 Thes. 2:10-13 .

A purchased place or a purchased people:

Another side note I would like to point out about Shechem and Jerusalem, is that these are 2 of only 3 places in Israel that are recorded as having been purchased in the Old Testament: (the only other place is where Abraham purchased a burial place for Sarah).

So did Jesus purchase a piece of land for his church? Is there a holy place now under the new covenant? Is there a temple somewhere?

1 Cor. 6:19-20

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Jesus didn’t purchase a place or piece of land - he purchased a people - the church! With his own blood! We are a royal priesthood of believers, a holy/set apart people, and our bodies are God's temple! Acts 10:28, 1 Pet. 2:9

God’s house is not a church building - it’s us - and we do not need to go to a certain place to “worship” Him. (The Catholic church has tried to reintroduce this into Christianity by having priests and altars and holy places - but this is not necessary because our bodies are the temple of God’s Holy Spirit, and we are a holy people!)

Conclusion to John 4:

I think there are 2 ways of seeing this or 2 parts:

Part 1: If we do not believe in the truth, love God with all of our hearts and serve God in righteousness in truth by keeping his commandments, what’s the point of bowing down to God? (and in the case of the Samaritan woman, even if it was done in the right location).

Truth is something we can have in us - and bow down to God, in truth and spirit, by serving him and obeying him with all of our heart, by having his words and truth and spirit in us.

If we are loving God with all of our hearts by serving him and following his commands, it seems (to me) that these are the people that God is seeking to bow down to him. (not like the Samaritans, Abimelech, those in Isaiah 48 or Malachi 3.

Part 2: The only way to come to the father is not at a PLACE (neither at a temple in Jerusalem or Mt. Gerizim or a church building) but through a PERSON: Jesus.

The only way we now have access to the father is through Jesus - Jesus being the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). and our one mediator (1 Tim. 2:5)

“For through Him [Jesus - the truth] we both [Jews and Gentiles] have access by/in one Spirit to the Father” Eph. 2:18

Whether we are Jew or Gentile or Samaritan, it doesn’t matter. We now have access to one God through the one mediator, Jesus. He makes all Christians into one people (Eph. 2:14), his holy people - and it is in/by one spirit, the Holy Spirit, that we have that access to God.

Jesus said he would send us the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, and it will be in us. John 14:16-17

The command for all males to go to Jerusalem 3 times per year and offer a sacrifice is no longer required. As living sacrifices, we don’t need to go anywhere to offer ourselves, we can offer ourselves by serving God continually.

3: The whole garrison of Roman soldiers that crucified Jesus, called Jesus the King of the Jews, spat on him and struck him, and fell on their knees and bowed down (proskyneo) to him. (Mark 15:19). Some translations translate proskyneo as “worship” here.

But, whatever they were doing, bowing down or worshiping, they were not doing it in Spirit and in truth! Even though they bowed down to him, physically, they didn’t believe he was the son of God or serve God.

So, God is not just seeking just anyone to bow down to him, he seeks people who bow down to him who love him, serve him and obey Him and have the Spirit of Truth in them, not in a mocking way or hypocritical way like the Roman soldiers did.

To my brethren in the churches of Christ:

We can bow down to God, or sing or pray - at any place and at any time. Let us call singing as singing, praising as praising, praying as praying, giving as giving, and gathering together as gathering together, and bowing down as bowing down, like the first Christians did! They didn’t use the word “worship”!

We must understand that there is so much more to being a Christian (or member of the church of Christ) than going to church on Sunday and singing without musical instruments. This is not what makes us righteous and other denominations unrighteous. We are living sacrifices, serving God is our life - not an hour on Sundays.

(Truly, I can’t count how many times, at different churches of Christ in different cities, that I have heard closing prayers to an assembly include praying to God that what we did for an hour was pleasing to Him - but not that how we serve Him in our daily lives would be pleasing to Him! It’s very sad to me!

But, many Christians (including us in the churches of Christ) have also been misled by unfortunate translations of Hebrew 12:28, which actually says to “serve God well-pleasingly”, but a few versions say “offer acceptable worship”, and that’s just one of the reasons that our emphasis and concern has shifted from wanting to please God in how we serve him - to concern and emphasis on pleasing him in how we worship for one hour per week.

(I’ve written a separate article about Hebrews 12:28 on my blog, we in the churches of Christ need to understand what this verse actually says!)

As for musical instruments: when people ask us why we don’t use musical instruments, we really can’t give the reason anymore that it’s “because we are worshiping in Spirit and in truth”, since Jesus is talking about bowing down in this passage (and everywhere else the word “proskyneo” is used).

What we can say, is that it’s historically accurate to say that the first century church did not use musical instruments - as we can read about Pope Vitalian (in the 7th century) being recorded as being the first person to introduce an organ into a church assembly, and it wasn’t quick to catch on until the 1800’s in American churches. So for the first 600 years of Christianity, there was just singing.

Also, the Eastern Orthodox church, which split from the Catholic church in the 11th century, also does not use instruments in their assemblies to this day - and they never have.

We - as the church of Christ - want to be like the Christians we read about in the Bible - in all that we do and believe and how we serve (including what we do in our assemblies!)

Thank you for reading this!

If you want to print this article, here is the PDF.