Worship of and prayers to Christ

By David Bailey. Supporting article for the book Talking with God.

I provide the following to support Chapter 16, Prayers to Christ in the book Talking with God. To get a better understanding of the subject, it would be helpful to read this section in connection with Appendix 7.

First, the two articles referred to in the text of Chapter 16, one by Brother John Thomas and the other by Brother Robert Roberts. One deals specifically with prayers to Christ, the other with the worship of Christ. While these may appear to be two different subjects, the fact is that prayer is an act of worship.

Prayers to Christ — John Thomas

In our number for October, a worthy correspondent in Halifax inquires, “Is Prayer to Christ Scriptural?” To answer this question aright, we must understand what is meant by prayer, and the circumstances under which it is offered.

The word prayer is defined petition to heaven, entreaty, submissive importunity. In the sense of entreaty, &c., we find in scripture many prayers to Jesus, whom we receive as “Christ.” Thus, when Peter feared that he would be drowned, he exclaimed to Jesus, “Lord, save me!” But we suppose that the question does not have regard to the scripturality of petitions to Jesus for temporal favours in the days of his sin-flesh, but rather to the propriety of offering petitions to him now that he is the Lord at the right hand of power.

After Jesus had himself been praying to the Father, one of his disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” From this it would appear, that under the new circumstances created by his presence in Israel, his followers did not know how to pray to God acceptably — they did not know what to pray for, nor how to address the Invisible One. Though perfectly true, he did not say, “I am of God manifest in the flesh; therefore pray to me, and say, Our God who art on earth, showed by thy name.” The time is coming when the saying of the prophet shall be fulfilled, “The God of the whole earth shall he be called;” still though Jesus knew that he was the heir of this title, he did not teach his disciples to pray to him as such. He taught them to pray to the same invisible personage that he himself prayed to. If prayer were to be offered to him, he would have taught his disciples so to do. This, however, he did not; but said, “When ye pray, say, Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” He was accustomed to address Him dwelling in the light, whom no man hath seen, nor can see, as his Father; so that by telling his disciples to do likewise, he taught them that he himself and they were all sons of God — children of one common Father. Is it scriptural to pray to the Elder Brother for the gifts the Father has in store? But as the First-born is well-beloved, is there not a fitness in securing his favour, that he may present and commend the petitions of his brethren to the gracious consideration of the Divine Majesty?

When Jesus first taught his disciples to pray, he instructed them to pray for the hallowing of the Father ’s Name; but did not teach them to pray for things in that name. He is himself the Name of the Father. Now, five days before the Passover of crucifixion, he said, “Father, glorify thy name!” This was answered by a voice from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again;” that is, it had been glorified in the past, and was about shortly to be again. Alluding to the time when it should be made glorious, he said, “In that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive.” Here, then, is a precept to ask the Father in the name of Jesus, which is the reverse of praying to Christ in the name of the Father. Praying to the Father in the name of Jesus, however, is equivalent in its results to praying directly to Jesus. This is apparent from the words of Jesus himself, who said to his disciples, “Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.

The favours of the Father are granted through the Son; so that what comes from the Father comes also from the Son. Hence their intimate association in the epistles in the formula: “Grace and peace to you from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” These are distinct persons; for “there is one Lord, and one God and Father of all, who is above all;” yet, in relation to things terrestrial, one in manifestation. In this text, Paul teaches that the one God and Father is above the one Lord; for He is “above all.” We should pray to Him in the name of the Lord; and in so doing we “honour the Son even as we honour the Father.” This is the scriptural procedure.

The Mosaic Law is “the patterns of things in the heavens”—“the form of the knowledge and the truth.” Hence the Aaronic high priesthood and its ordinances were typical, or representative, of the Melchizedec. Would it have been in conformity with scriptural propriety for Israel to have offered prayer to Aaron? No; the people in the courts without prayed to Him who dwells between the Cherubim, which the high priest entered within the veil with blood and incense, and stood before the Ark of the Covenant in presence of the Shekinah. He returned with blessing, but it was blessing from the glory of Yahweh. Now the Lord Jesus is high priest over the house of God, which is composed of those who embrace and hold fast to the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope to the end. These are his priestly household, all of whom “call upon his name” on becoming members of it. Thus they are “in his name,” and being in his name, when they pray they pray in his name, and when they praise they praise in his name, and whatsoever they do religiously they do in his name to the glory of God the Father. When they pray, they do not pray to their high priest, but they pray with him as their “advocate with the Father.” When they call upon his name, as Paul did in obedience to the exhortation of Ananias, who said to him, “Be baptised, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord,” the attention of the High Priest is fixed upon them. A union is then established between him and them, and he undertakes for them with the Father. His ears are open to their prayers, and he bears their names and petitions before the Father ’s throne. This is according to the Mosaic representation. Thus, the faithful go to the Father by him; for he is “the way, the truth, and the life: and no man cometh to the Father but by him”.

All prayers, then, ascending from the children of the covenant, ascend to the Father as sweet odours from Christ. He is the golden censer in which the incense is deposited. He the censer; the prayers of his brethren, and only theirs, the incense fuming around the priest after the Order of Melchizedec. The arrangement is very beautiful, both in type and antitype; but so much more so in the antitype, as the reality transcends its shadow. Jesus prayed to the Father, and was heard in the days of his flesh, for his circumspection or obedience, in all things. He needed not to approach the Father in any other name than his own. He prayed to God, and he instructs his people to do the same. They dwell in him, and he dwells in them by faith — Christ in them the hope of glory. As incarnation of Christ, they pray to Him whom Christ prayed to. This is scriptural, in type and substance — in form and precept. So let us be therewith content.

John Thomas, Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, Vol. pp. 282–3, 1855

Worship in Relation to Christ — Robert Roberts

Is Jesus an object of worship?—J. E.

Answer.—The blind man at the temple, cured by Christ, “worshipped him (John 9:38), and Jesus did not say as Peter said to Cornelius, when Cornelius “fell down at his feet and worshipped him,” “Stand up; I myself also am a man.” His disciples worshipped him.—(Matt. 28:17; Luke 24:52.) So did the women who met him after his resurrection.—(Matt. 28:9.) So also a ruler came and worshipped him.—(Matt. 9:18.) A leper did the same.—(Matt. 8:2.) They that were with him in the ship worshipped him.—(Matt. 14:33.) The angels were commanded to worship him.—(Heb. 1:6.) The saints in glory are represented as worshipping him, saying, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and wisdom, and riches, and honour, and glory, and blessing.”—(Rev. 5:12–13.)

But these testimonies do not exclude, nor are they in any degree inconsistent with the fact, that the Father is the Supreme object of worship, as the source of all being and power; that Christ is subordinate to Him (1 Cor. 11:3; 15:28; John. 14:28), the mediator or connecting link between God and man.—(1 Tim. 2:5.) To “worship” is to do reverence, and this act is recognised as permissible towards even a human object, if the circumstances justify it. Thus Jesus says to the ecclesia at Philadelphia: “I will make them (of the synagogue of Satan) to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.”—(Rev. 3:9.) Thus, also, Jesus says to a man taking the lowest seat, and afterwards invited to go higher: “Thou shalt have worship (or glory) in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.”—(Luke 14:10.) Thus again, the servant of the parable is represented as “falling down and worshipping his lord.”—(Matt. 18:20.) Thus also, Nebuchadnezzar worshipped Daniel.—(Dan. 2:46.)

Now, though the Father is the highest object of reverence, is not Jesus an object of reverence also? Yes, verily, for God hath given him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow and every tongue confess.—(Phil. 2:9–10.) To him will we sing the song of praise, and make the completest obeisance in the day of his glory. Yet it remains true that there is a worship of the Father that Jesus will not accept. When offered more than his due, when on earth, he refused it, saying, “Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.” Jesus did not teach the disciples to make their supreme petitions to him, but to the Father through him: “Ye shall pray the Father in my name”—(John. 14:13; 15:16; 16:23, 24, 26); “We come unto God by him”—(Heb. 7:25; John. 14:6); “We give thanks to God, through our Lord Jesus.”—(Rom. 16:27; Eph. 5:20; Rom. 7:25.) Yet this need not exclude such prayer and thanks (subordinately permissible to him) as are illustrated in “Lord Jesus, come quickly”—(Rev. 22:20); “Lord, save me.”—(Matt. 14:30.) “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord.”—(1 Tim. 1:12.) If Jesus were on earth, and we were to meet him, would we not do homage and make request of his favour? Undoubtedly. Well, he lives, and though we see him not, he sees us, and has all power: for it is given to him (Matt. 28:18); and symbolised in the seven horns and seven eyes of the slain Lamb.—(Rev. 5:6.) He is able to succour those who are tempted (Heb. 2:18), and shall we not make request? But this does not clash with or conceal the fact that “the head of Christ is God” (1 Cor. 11:3), and that “out of him, are all things.”—(1 Cor. 8:6.) There is a place for every element of truth. The difficulty is sometimes to find it: and the misfortune often finds illustration in one man with one element of truth fighting another man who holds another element, both equally making havoc of that which properly blended is harmony itself.

Robert Roberts, The Christadelphian,Vol. 10, pp 233–234, 1873

Worship of Christ and prayers to Christ in the Bible

The following is a list drawn from my study of all references to prayer in the Bible (all I could find). You can download the working document (Excel spreadsheet) from the Talking with God Resources page.

Worship of Christ during his first coming

The word used for worship can simply mean to bow, implying homage, deference, respect and honour to someone superior. Matt. 2:1-2, 8, 11; Matt. 8:2; Matt. 9:18; Matt. 14:33; Matt. 15:25; Matt. 27:29; Mark 5:6, 22-23; Mark 15:19; Luke 5:8; John 9:38.

Worship of Christ after his ascension

Psalm 97:7; Luke 24:52; Acts 9:21; Acts 22:16; 1 Cor. 1:2; Phil. 3:3; Col. 3:1-2; 2 Tim. 2:22; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 5:8; 9:20–21; Rev. 14:7.

Praise and Thanksgiving offered to Christ

During his mortal ministry: Matt. 21:9; Matt. 21:15; Mark 11:9–10; Luke 17:15–16; John 12:13.

After Christ’s ascension: Acts 5:41; Gal. 1:3–5; Eph. 1:3 (to verse 14); Phil. 1:26; Phil. 3:1, 3; Phil. 4:4; Col. 3:16; 1 Tim. 1:12; 2 Tim. 2:22; 2 Tim. 4:18; 1 Pet. 1:7; 2 Peter 3:18; Rev. 1:4–6; Rev. 5:8, 13, 14; Rev. 7:9–10, 11–12; Rev. 14:2–3; Rev. 19:1-4, 5, 6–7.

Note: You could add to this list the passages referring to worship of Christ, because worship implies praise and honour.

Invocations to Christ after his ascension

As we have concluded that prayer is talking with God, which involves making requests, invocation of blessings or as witness, we now apply this to Christ. Zech. 13:6; Matt. 18:26, 31; Matt. 21:9; Luke 13:25–26; John 12:13; Acts 1:23-26; Acts 3:6; Acts 7:59–60; Acts 9:5–6, 10–16, 14, 21; Acts 10:13–15; Acts 11:7–9; Acts 19:13; Acts 22:8–10, 16, 18–21; Acts 26:14–15; Rom. 1:7; Rom. 10:12–13; Rom. 16:20, 24; 1 Cor. 1:2, 3; 1 Cor. 16:23–24; 2 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 12:8; Gal. 1:3–5; Gal. 6:18; Eph. 1:2, 3 (to verse 14); Eph. 6:23–24; Phil. 1:2, 19; Phil. 4:23; Col. 1:2; Col. 3:1-2; Col. 4:18; 1 Thess. 1:1; 1 Thess. 3:11–13; 1 Thess. 5:27, 28; 2 Thess. 1:2; 2 Thess. 2:16–17; 2 Thess. 3:5, 16, 18; 1 Tim. 1:2, 18–19; 1 Tim. 5:21; 1 Tim. 6:13–16, 17–19, 21; 2 Tim. 1:2, 16, 18; 2 Tim. 2:7, 14, 22; 2 Tim. 4:1–2,5, 16, 22; Titus 1:4; Titus. 3:15; Philemon 3, 25; Heb. 1:8-12; 2 Peter 3:18; 2 John 3; Rev. 1:4–6, 7; Rev. 6:9–10; Rev. 8:3–5; Rev. 16:9, 10–11, 21; Rev. 17:3; Rev. 22:20, 21.