WCF 21.2
Westminster Confession of Faith
21.2. Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath-day
Religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and to Him alone; not to angels, saints, or any other creature: and since the fall, not without a Mediator; nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone.
Proof texts
- Matt. 4:10 with John 5:23 and 2 Cor. 13:14
- Col. 2:18, Rev. 19:10 — [18] Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,
- Rom. 1:25 — [25] because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
- John 14:6 — [6] Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
- 1 Tim. 2:5 — [5] For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
- Eph. 2:18 — [18] For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
- Col. 3:17 — [17] And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
For discussion
- The Assembly cited Matt. 4:10 with John 5:23 and 2 Cor. 13:14 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
- 7 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
- WSC Q89 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
- WLC Q155 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
Read alongside
WSC Q89 · WLC Q155 · WLC Q156 · WLC Q157 · WLC Q158 · WLC Q159 · WLC Q160 · 1689 22.1 · IAR 6.1 · SHC 4.1 · SHC 4.2 · SD 22.1
Leader's notes
A Commentary on the Confession of Faith (A.A. Hodge): These Sections teach — 1st. That the obligation to render supreme worship and devoted service to God is a dictate of nature as well as a doctrine of revelation. 2d. That God in his word has prescribed for us how we may worship him acceptably, and that it is an offence RELIGIOUS WORSHIP, A]SD THE SABBATH-DAY. 367 to him and a sin in us either to neglect to worship and serve him in the way prescribed, or to attempt to serve him in any way not prescribed. 3d. That the only proper objects of worship are the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and that since the fall these are to be approached only through a Mediator, and through the mediation…
An Exposition of the Confession of Faith (Robert Shaw): In this section the object of religious worship is defined. 1. Our Confession affirms that religious worship is to be given to God alone. While the first commandment forbids us to have any other gods before him, it requires us to worship him alone. Most explicit, too, was the answer which Chiist gave to Satan, when he would have our Saviour to fall down and worship him. " It is written," he replied, " Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." — IVIatt, iv. 10. And when the Apostle John attempted to offer religions worship to an angel, either through surprise, or through a mistake of him for .Jesus Christ, the angel said unto…