Hebrews 1:6 states that Jesus is worshipped by angels. Does that make him God?
1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”.
6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
Trinitarians hard at work use verse 6 to demonstrate that Jesus is God because God says that the Angels should worship him and other scriptures say that only God should be worshipped. Sort of make sense on the outset, but let’s dig deeper to reveal the truth here.
First of all verses 1-5 the preceding verses demonstrate clearly that Jesus is the Son of God.
If we read the verse as seen through the eyes of the writer of Hebrews we see that the writer says “Let all God’s angels worship him”. In this view the word HIM can just as easily mean God if the writer is quoting what God has said, but seen through the eyes of the writer. So we should worship God himself when God brings his firstborn into the world, for doing such a great deed. On the other hand if we render the “Let all God’s angels worship him” as being a direct quote from God and not spoken by the writer and hence the word HIM means CHRIST, then we read it as follows: “When God brings Jesus into the world, all His Angels should worship His Firstborn.
Now neither option supports a Trinity. The first option says that we should worship God and the second option says that we should worship Jesus. But nowhere are we told in the scriptures that we are to worship Jesus as God. If he is worshipped at all, it is as the Son of God and the Lamb of God. Only the Father is to be worshipped as God. The answer is really is simple as that. But we will look further.
In support of the first option, verse 6 is supposedly a quote of Psalm 97:7 which actually reads, ” Worship Him, all gods (elohim)” and is rendered in the Greek as ‘Let all God’s angels worship him’. In this Psalm, God is not the speaker, the writer is. The context of that Psalm doesn’t make any sense for God to be saying to Himself, “Worship Him, all gods,”. However, it would make perfect sense if the composer was commending his audience to “Worship Him, all gods/angels.” So if this the case, then The HIM is referring to God and not Jesus.
In support of the second option there are other verses that talk about worship toward Jesus, however it is never as God, but the Son of God or the Lamb.
Matthew 14:33
Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
The next verse shows that Jesus is worshipped as the Lamb of God and God is also worshipped, but God is definitely someone else and not Jesus.
Revelation 5: 12-14
12 In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”
13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”
14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Further, we know that the Father and the Son sit on the throne.
Revelation 3:21
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
So as you can see neither view doesn’t support a Trinity, rather it supports the truth that God has a Son and his son is worthy of praise and honour. So where is it recorded that Jesus was worshipped as the Almighty God?
‘Shachah’ is the word used for “worship” in the OT. It means:
- worship
- bow
- bow down
- obeisance
- reverence
- fall down
- stoop
- crouch
Let’s see some example verses.
Old Testament
God
‘Shachah’ is translated as worshiped in the following verse:
Genesis 24:26
Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD,
Man
‘Shachah’ is also used in 1 Kings 1:23. The king here is David and the word worship is translated as ‘bowed’.
And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.
New Testament
God
‘proskuneo’ is translated as worship in the following verse:
Revelation 7:11
All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
Jesus
‘proskuneo’ is also translated as worshiped in the following verse:
Matthew 14:33
Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
Man
‘proskuneo’ is again translated as worshipped in the following verse:
Revelation 3:9
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
So when you see the word worship with regards to God, Jesus, King David, overcomers etc, think of the word honour and praise. Jesus, King David, and those who are overcomers can be honoured and praised for what and who they are. But we do not honour/praise/worship any of them as God. Only God is worshipped as God and if we honour God then it should be the highest honour we can give to anyone, hence worship/honour of God is only different in that he should be honoured more than all others and this would usually involve being prostrate or bowing down before him in absolute praise and regard.
The worship of Jesus as the son of God doesn’t and never has supported the view that Jesus is God. The “Jesus is God because he is worhipped” argument falls over when it is tested.
As believers, we should honour Jesus as the son of God. We should not honour him as the Almighty God because there is only one who is the Almighty God, and that is the Father. We do not honour two Gods, but one who is God, the Father who is the only true God.
1 Corinthians 8:6
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
1 Timothy 1:17
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.
John 17:3
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
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