Should Christians Worship Jesus? PROSKYNEO - Always "Worship"?

[jnoelbalana14]

While browsing the net, I’ve encountered this argument in favor of “not” worshiping Jesus.

Should Hebrews 1:6 be properly rendered "worship" or "obeissance"?

    Hebrews 1:6 reads: "But when he brings the first born into the world , he says let all the angels worship [Greek: proskuneo] him". (also see Matthew 28:9; Luke 24:52)

    Matthew 2:1-2 "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of judea ...]behold wise men from the east came to Jerusalem saying where is he who has been born king of the jews? for we have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him."

The greek word word translated to the english WORSHIP by many translators is actually "proskuneo" and is properly rendered in these instances “do obeisance” "pay homage", "bow down" as in an act of showing respect and honour rather than worship. (see John 9: 38; Philipians 2: 10). "Worship" may be implied from the context within which the word is used it is NOT the words principle meaning.

Note the basic definition listed in BDAG (scholarly Greek lexicon):

    προσκυνέω : "To express in attitude or gesture one’s complete dependence on or submission to a high authority figure, (fall down and) worship, do obeisance to, prostrate oneself before, do reverence to, welcome respectfully" [END QUOTE] -- Arndt, William ; Danker, Frederick W. ; Bauer, Walter: A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature.

Unfortunately, many bible's do not show the distinction between the two meanings of the greek word.

How can i refute this? Thanks alot…

 

[Nine_Two]

According to Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon - the pre-eminant Greek-English Dictionary - the primary meaning is to fall down before a god or gods.
The dictionary notes that only in a clearly Oriental context can its meaning be more human.

This is not the case. The word should be read in a Jewish cultural context, and in the Jewish context to bow down before something was to worship it.

 

[Formosus]

According to Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon - the pre-eminant Greek-English Dictionary - the primary meaning is to fall down before a god or gods.
The dictionary notes that only in a clearly Oriental context can its meaning be more human.

This is not the case. The word should be read in a Jewish cultural context, and in the Jewish context to bow down before something was to worship it.

There are so many meanings of this word in the full *Liddell and Scott *that point towards divine worship that it would be nearly impossible to not take that as the intended meaning.

It should also be considered that Oriental Kings considered themselves to be gods. So even in an Oriental context, paying obeisance would be considered part of divine worship.

 

[Nine_Two]

There are so many meanings of this word in the full *Liddell and Scott *that point towards divine worship that it would be nearly impossible to not take that as the intended meaning.

Yes, it is quite an entry, with only a line or two for the alternate meaning this group is championing, most of it taken up with a description of the context it must appear in.