That Jesus Christ should be worshipped is a matter not to be disputed.  Indeed, one of the Greek words for worship, proskune/w*, is repeatedly assigned to Christ.  Yet this word carries with it a wide range of meanings, including to “worship, do obeisance to, prostrate oneself before, do reverence to, [and] welcome respectfully.”[1]  So we must ask what sense is appropriate for Christ. 

Within this article we will not consider every aspect of worship that should or should not be given to Christ, but we will consider several points on what Scripture explicitly defines should be given to him.  We will also consider the basis for his deserving this worship along with points worthy of discussion within the context of these statements.  

The Blessings, Honor, Glory and Dominion
Revelation 5 has recently drawn the attention of many Trinitarians, with them arguing for it to be proof of Christ being a member of the Triune God and uncreated.  When one disregards the context of the passage, the argument might be convincing.  As with many claimed proof texts, context provides the answers to the so-called proof.

The primary text in question is Revelation 5:13.  We quote it here from the American Standard Version.

Revelation 5:13  And every created thing which is in the heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all things are in them, heard I saying, Unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb, be the blessing, and the honor, and the glory, and the dominion, for ever and ever.

Christ and God are both in view receiving an outcry of praise.  This praise is expressing their worthiness to receive “the blessing, and the honor and the glory and the dominion.”  While this outcry might not be considered worship itself, what they are said to be worthy of would certainly be categorized as such.  Blessing, honoring and glorifying God are aspects of our worship of him today, and so we are to do the same for Christ as well. 

Trinitarians abuse this text to make it a proof text by making two observations.  First they rightfully note that “every created thing” is spoken of relative to Christ.  As this is the case, they argue that Christ must not be created.   The context will address this point soundly.  The second observation made by Trinitarians is that this is the highest form of praise, and so if the Lamb is receiving this then he cannot be created, for only God is worthy of such.  Yet, they ask, if he is created, then how we are to know when a creature deserves this or at what point it becomes idolatry. 

Throughout this article we attempt to address these points in a clear manner by context and related texts.

Every Created Thing
As we have already mentioned, this text speaks of “every created thing” relative to Christ.  In fact it becomes even more specific, speaking of those “in the heaven, and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea and all things in them.”  We note that almost the exact same phrase is also used within verse 3, and it is on this basis we understand that the language can be nothing less than hyperbole.  

In Revelation 5:3 we again read those “in the heaven, on the earth and under the earth.”  Specifically we see that it speaks of “no one” in these places being found worthy to open the scroll in question.  Looking to verse 5 we come to find that the Lamb was found worthy to open the scroll.   The Lamb was most certainly in heaven, and so unless one was absurd enough to argue that he was either in the sea or under it, the two locations mentioned in verse 13 that are not discussed in verse 3,  the language could be taken as nothing less than hyperbole.  Clearly “no one” is used in an exaggerated sense, for the Lamb, in heaven, was found to be worthy![2]

It is in line with this that we find a similar use of hyperbole only a few verses later in 13.   While verse three finds “no one” used hyperbolically, in verse 13 “every creature” is used this way. There was no need to qualify the statement because it was not intended to demonstrate Christ as uncreated.  The context in no way supports that John was trying to create a doctrine of an uncreated Messiah.  The point is that everything is giving this worship to God and Christ, so obviously Christ is excluded.  Indeed, if one were to demand that Christ could not be a part of creation because it speaks of “every creature” relative to Jesus, one would also have to argue that Jesus was not in heaven per verse 3, and as another example, they would have to similarly argue that Moses were not part of Israel when “all Israel” is spoken of relative to him (Deut. 31:1).

A Simultaneous Address
God and Christ are simultaneously addressed in receiving the praise spoken of in Revelation 5:13.  This is not unusual though, for even God and the Jewish king simultaneously received worship. (1 Chron. 29:20 LXX)  The real question should not be whether or not they were simultaneously addressed in receiving this worship, but if they received it equally.

To answer such a question we might look to John 5:23.  Here we read of the son being honored “just as they honor the Father.”  In other words, both are to be honored equally.  Would this honor carry with it the thought of worship?  While honor itself is not worship (c.f. Joh. 12:26), the way we honor somebody can include worship.  Our honoring God is seen, in part, through our worshipping him.  If this be the sense of Jesus’ words, we would indeed learn that we should worship Christ as we do God.

Does this force us to conclude that Christ is God?  Not at all, for we must note that this equality of honoring is dependant not only upon the Father’s will, but also his actions.  Considering verse 22 we find that God has handed judgment over to the son.  The text contains, as Robertson notes, a “purpose clause with i#na and present active subjunctive of tima/w,”[3] This means that God specifically purposed for the Son to have this honor, and more so that his action of exalting Christ resulted in this honoring.  Christ’s reception of this proves itself entirely dependant upon God’s will and as such exempts this text from evidence of Christ as God himself.

Having established this, we note that the “honor” spoken of here in John 5 is the same “honor” that is spoken of in Revelation 5:13.  Inasmuch as this is given equally between the two, we can accept that they be given nothing less than equal blessing, glory and dominion as well.  God receives it because he created all things (Rev. 4:11), but what about Christ?

As God’s allowing of Christ to judge is a matter of his exaltation, and this is the basis for him receiving the equal honor, we find the worship discussed in Revelation 5 to be also within the context of that exaltation.  Considering Revelation 5 and verse 9 we find that Christ’s sacrifice, which resulted in his exaltation, is the basis for his worthiness to open the scroll.  Similarly, when he is spoken of as receiving this great praise within verse 12 we find another mention of his having been slain, placing emphasis on this fact in relation to the praise of worship that he receives.  On this point, Barnes correctly make this observation: “The idea here is, that the fact that he was slain, or was made a sacrifice for sin, was the ground or reason for what is here ascribed to him.”[4]

When we consider these in light of Philippians 2:9-10 it cannot be denied that this praise is given to Christ because of his exalted state. In this text we read that “because” Christ died God exalted him “so that” all would bow to Christ, a bowing clearly thought of as worship.  Yet was this giving the glory to Christ that properly belonged only to God?  Not at all, for in verse 11 we are told that this is done “to the glory of God the Father.”

Many have correctly observed that this text makes use of language from Isaiah 45:23, yet on numerous occasions this text has been improperly identified as a quote.  While much of the language is similar and some identical, there is significant modification in the text itself.   On the surface we notice that God is no longer speaking in the first person, but Paul speaks of Jesus in the third.  This in itself does not rule out the text quoting from Isaiah and alluding to Jesus being Jehovah.  However, the significant change is that it is a purpose clause just as at John 5:23.  This clause makes the bowing to Christ it dependant upon the Father’s will and action.

Considering Philippians 2:9 we note that basis of every knee bowing to Christ.  It is said to be because “God highly exalted him” and “gave him a name above every name.”  This is what is done for the purpose of and thus resulting in every knee bowing to Jesus.  This is entirely dependant on the Father’s will and what he did, which was not the case within Isaiah where there is no will or action specified that resulted in their bowing to God.  He was their creator and the Almighty and so he was simply deserving of it. On the other hand, with Christ they do so because of his exalted state.  Indeed, within Revelation 5, we cannot deny his reception of worship from anything other than this.  In fact, we would consider Revelation 5 a direct fulfillment of Isaiah 45:23 for God and Philippians 2.9-11 for Christ.

A Violation of Law?
Some might object to this view being a violation of the law (Matt. 4:10), and yet with Christ’s death we must observe that the law was fulfilled.  Many things that were once not allowed were allowed, while things that were once required no longer were.  Christ was not exalted prior to this and so he was not worthy of this worship.  When the law was given God had decreed that none other should receive worship and he was correct in this, for he is God.  Yet now we will come to see that he has commanded that Jesus receive it.

The apostles repeatedly warned against the worship of idols (1Joh. 5:21), but Christ has become worthy of such since he was exalted.  What can indisputably make this acceptable is that the worship of Christ is the worship of God for what is given to Christ glorifies God (Phil. 2:11).  The more we honor and worship Christ, the more we honor and worship God.  Not that we should be worshipping Christ exclusively, but along side God, for in doing so God is glorified only that much more!

It is interesting to observe that Hebrews 1:6 speaks of worshiping Christ, and in doing so it quotes from Deuteronomy 32:43 where the quoted text was actually inserted into the Septuagint.  By applying this quotation to Christ we find that the angels, who were commanded to worship God, are here commanded to worship Christ by the imperative statement.[5]  

The full sense of this text could be debated, for the word translated worship, proskune/w, has various senses.  While the text was originally applied to God, obviously providing the meaning of full religious worship, the sense of proskune/w could be debated in the quotation.[6] Nevertheless, we see no real reason to object to it carrying the fullest sense.

What cannot be disputed is that God is here making this command to the angels, and by implication all men, for if his angels are commanded to worship the Messiah we should certainly be doing the same.  So we would ask the following:  If God commanded you to do something, would you do it?  God commanded his angels to worship Christ, and so we by necessity must follow their lead.[7]

We are to honor Christ just as we do the Father.  To them both are the honor, glory, blessings and dominion forever!