The Biblical View of Corporate Worship

I. The Components of Corporate Worship

Colossians 3:16- “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts.

First, Paul makes a distinction between teaching and admonishing.

The substance of teaching in the church is to be about the Lord Jesus Christ.

The gospel should be the central fixture in teaching because there is no unity in the church without the recognition that Christ took on the form of human flesh, lived a perfect life, satisfied the wrath of God as a substitionary atonement for sinners, and was resurrected that sinners may also be raised and gain everlasting life.

Admonishing: to warn or counsel in terms of someone’s behavior

An example of admonishing would be to warn a lazy person that they are not bearing fruit in their life, and Christ could return at any time (1 Th. 5:14)

Sinners need to be admonished for their sin.

Second, we are to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in our hearts.

The songs we are to be singing should be within one of the aforementioned categories, and they should inflame in our souls a desire to give thanks to God and to give Him glory.

Other passages that supply us with the components of corporate worship

The reading and teaching of Scripture (1 Tim. 4:14)

Praying (1 Tim. 2:1-2)

Celebrating the sacraments (Mt. 28:19, 1 Cor. 11:17-34)

Stirring one another up to love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24-25)