GODLY SERVICE - WORSHIP 2

2999 LATREIA (5): religious service, contextually always service for God in the FCM (NT). This can be seen in Jn.16.2: "... They will exclude you+ from the assemblies; but an hour is coming for everyone who is slaying you+ to suppose he is offering service (latreia) to God." Similarly Rom.12.1 shows that the service is to God, "...present your bodies to God, a living sacrifice, your rational [godly] service (latreia)." Also Heb.9.6: "Now when these things had been prepared, the priests always went into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the [godly] services."

Latreia refers to service to or for God whereas diakonia (1248) is a Greek word used to describe "service" in general. Using the word "godly" along with the word "service" in translating latreia ("[godly] service") helps distinguish it from "service" in general.

See "offer [godly] service" (3000 latreuo) for discussion.

Recommended translation:

[GODLY] SERVICE Rom.9.4; 12.1. Heb.9.1,6.
SERVICE Jn.16.2.

3000 LATREUO (21): usually translated "serve," or "worship." However, its usage in God's FCM (NT) shows that it means to perform religious service, usually to God. Latreuo is used in context with other words that are sometimes translated "worship," showing that each word has a different meaning and both cannot mean "worship." See "show submission" (proskuneo) for discussion.

Comparison of latreuo to:

1) Proskuneo (4352, show submission) is used in context with latreuo in Mt.4.10, Lk.4.8, and Act.7.42-43. In Mt.4.9-10 Jesus told the adversary (devil), "You are to show submission (proskuneo) to your Master, God, to him only will you 'offer [godly] service (latreuo).'" The fact that proskuneo and latreuo are used in the same sentence shows that these two words have different meanings and cannot both mean "worship."

2) Sebomai (4576 "show devotion") is used with latreuo in Rom.1.25, where the usage shows wrongful devotion and service: "...Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and showed devotion (sebomai) and offered [godly] service (latreuo)to the thing created rather than to the one having created..." These two words are very different in meaning and cannot both mean "worship."

3) Diakoneo (1247 "serve") is never translated "worship" in the FCR. It is akin to latreuo in that it means "to serve," but in a broad sense, rather than the restricted sense in which latreuo means "to serve God". Note that in Act.7.42 the latreuo "serving" is misdirected to idols.

OFFER [GODLY] SERVICE (17) Mt.4.10. Lk.1.74; 2.37; 4.8. Act.7.7,42; 24.14; 26.7. Rom.1.9,25. 2Ti.1.3. Heb.9.9,14; 10.2; 12.28. Rev.7.15; 22.3.
DO [GODLY] SERVICE (4) Act.27.23. Php.3.3. Heb.8.5; 13.10.