Meet Dr. Tom Wadsworth
Dr. Tom Wadsworth is a seasoned minister, New Testament scholar, and speaker whose life’s work has been a profound re-examination of what the early church truly looked like—and how far modern practice has drifted. Raised in Lutheranism, he experienced a life-changing “born again” moment at 18 and became deeply rooted in the Church of Christ tradition. Wadsworth holds a bachelor’s in Biblical Studies and New Testament Greek from Harding University and an MTh (now MDiv) from Harding School of Theology in Memphis About Tom Wadsworth
After spending decades preaching and teaching, a sermon series through 1 Corinthians 14 ignited his curiosity when he noticed that the Greek terms underlying our word “worship” didn’t appear to match how Christians gathered in the New Testament. Rather than the typical passive “worship service,” Paul emphasized oikodome—edification or building up the body . This discovery propelled him into doctoral-level research and a lifelong quest to restore the biblical rhythm of Christian community.
An introductory video that explains the next 7 lessons
Wadsworth’s Core Thesis: Worship, Ecclesia & One‑Anothering
1. The “Worship Anomaly”
Dr. Wadsworth highlights what he calls the “worship anomaly”: while modern gatherings use the word “worship” heavily, the New Testament does not describe Christian assembly that way. The Greek terms translated as “worship” in Scripture aren’t used to define gatherings or their purpose https://www.danharding.com/worship/
2. Church as Edification (Oikodome)
Instead, 1 Corinthians 14:26 makes it clear: “Let all things be done for edification [oikodome].” This establishes building one another up as the central function of gatherings—more than mere singing, preaching, or ceremony .
3. Ecclesia in Homes
Wadsworth emphasizes that early Christians met informally—in homes, not elaborate sanctuaries. These assemblies were participatory: believers were encouraged to teach, prophesy, share meals, and actively minister to each other https://www.tomwadsworth.com/answers-to-questions
4. “One‑Anothering” as the Heartbeat of Community
He highlights the biblical pattern of “one-another” statements—about 100 occurrences—commanding believers to encourage, console, bear burdens, love, confess, and serve one another . This mutual care is the lifeblood of ecclesial gatherings.
Wadsworth’s research illuminates how the modern “worship service”—with its stage, sermon, music team, and silence—originated centuries later, influenced by temple rituals and clergy-laity divides. He argues that this model has stifled participation, hindered spiritual growth, and muted the Spirit’s work within the community.
What he calls for instead is:
- Believers gathering in small, interactive settings—homes, parks, restaurants.
- A shift from performance to mutual edification, where everyone serves and builds others.
- A return to the one-another culture that fosters deeper spiritual formation and shared responsibility.
Translations of the word “Worship”
1. Proskuneō (προσκυνέω)
Common translation: worship
Literal sense: to prostrate, to fall down, to bow in reverence
- Usage in LXX (Septuagint):
- Often describes physical posture before Yahuwah or even earthly rulers (Gen 18:2, Dan 2:46).
- Always tied to a concrete act of bowing or falling down.
- Usage in NT:
- Magi “fell down and worshiped” Jesus (Matt 2:11).
- Satan tempted Jesus to “fall down and worship” him (Matt 4:9).
- The Samaritan woman asked about the right “place to worship” (John 4:20).
- Wadsworth’s conclusion:
- Does not denote a structured “worship service.”
- Focuses on reverence and bodily submission.
- Modern “worship services” are a conceptual leap beyond this original meaning.
2. Latreia (λατρεία)
Common translation: service, worship
Literal sense: ritual service, priestly duty, religious service
- Usage in LXX:
- Refers to temple service or priestly functions (Exod 12:25, Num 8:22).
- Closely linked to sacrificial and covenantal service.
- Usage in NT:
- Romans 12:1: “present your bodies a living sacrifice … this is your reasonable service (latreia).”
- Hebrews 9:1, 6: temple regulations of “divine service.”
- Philippians 3:3: “we who worship (latreuontes) by the Spirit of God.”
- Wadsworth’s conclusion:
- More about lifelong service and obedience, not a music-centered gathering.
- Romans 12:1 anchors latreia in daily life, not in assembly liturgy.
3. Leitourgia (λειτουργία)
Common translation: worship, service, ministry
Literal sense: public service, priestly ministry, communal duty
- Usage in LXX:
- Used for priestly and Levitical duties in the temple (Num 8:22, 2 Chron 31:2).
- Meant the official, communal functions performed on behalf of the people.
- Usage in NT:
- Luke 1:23: Zechariah finished his temple “service.”
- Acts 13:2: “While they were ministering (leitourgountōn) to the Lord…”
- Hebrews 10:11: “Every priest stands daily ministering (leitourgōn).”
- Wadsworth’s conclusion:
- Carried the sense of priestly or ministerial work, not corporate “worship services.”
- When applied to NT believers, it emphasizes ministry to others in the community.
4. Sebomai / Eusebeia (σέβομαι / εὐσέβεια)
Common translation: worship, devotion, godliness
Literal sense: reverence, piety, showing respect to deity
- Usage in LXX:
- Refers to fear and reverence toward Yahuwah (Isa 29:13).
- Usage in NT:
- Acts 16:14: Lydia, “a worshiper (sebomenē) of God.”
- 1 Tim 2:2: calls for living in godliness (eusebeia).
- Wadsworth’s conclusion:
- Points more toward reverence and devotion of heart, rather than organized assemblies.
- Stresses inner piety, aligning conduct with reverence for God.
5. Therapeuō (θεραπεύω) (less common but related)
Common translation: serve, worship, heal
Literal sense: to serve, attend, heal (originally “to wait upon”)
- Usage in LXX:
- Can mean serving God (Josh 24:15) or serving in daily life.
- Usage in NT:
- More often used for healing (Luke 4:40).
- Revelation 22:3: His servants (therapeuousin) shall serve Him.
- Wadsworth’s conclusion:
- Rarely used, but reinforces the idea of “serving” God rather than ceremonial “worship events.”
Summary of Wadsworth’s Thesis on Worship Terminology
- Proskuneō = bowing / reverence
- Latreia = priestly service / life-sacrifice
- Leitourgia = ministry / communal service
- Sebomai / Eusebeia = reverence / godliness
- Therapeuō = service / care
Main Point: None of these words mean “weekly worship service” in the way churches commonly use the term today. Instead, they emphasize reverence, service, ministry, and lifestyle obedience.
A Vision for Renewal
Dr. Wadsworth isn’t advocating a wholesale abandonment of church buildings or structure. Rather, he calls the church back to a biblically grounded balance—where worship is heartfelt devotion, but the primary purpose of gathering is edifying the body of Christ through shared life, service, and accountability.
As he puts it, “The point of all those things… is for the benefit of the body to be talking to one another” The Real Reason to Go to Church
THE 7 MAIN BODY OF LECTURES
This presentation is an overview of Wadsworth’s PhD dissertation, which investigated the “worship anomaly,” i.e., the fact that Christian assemblies in the NT are not described as “worship,” nor are any assembly activities described as “worship.” The original video of Worship #1, which is also available on Wadsworth’s YouTube channel, had several audio glitches. In response to several requests, this video is a remake of the same presentation but without the glitches.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to the Series of 7 Episodes
05:26 Introduction to Episode #1
13:46 Review of Scholars on Worship
30:43 Church Meetings in the NT
36:13 Barriers to Understanding
44:50 Conclusion to Episode #1
Worship Seminar #2: The Real Meaning of “Worship” in the Bible. A public lecture by Tom Wadsworth, PhD, presented on Oct. 11, 2022, at the Loveland Community Building in Dixon, IL. The presentation explains why the Greek terms proskuneo, latreuo, and leitourgeo are commonly mistranslated in English Bibles.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Worship Words
06:49 The Meaning of Proskuneo
11:56 What is Prostration?
19:37 Prostration Indicators
24:43 Proskuneo is a Greeting
35:24 Worship in Spirit and Truth
41:11 The Meaning of Latreuo
47:06 Latreuo vs. Leitourgeo
48:40 A Jew’s Two Obligations: Proskuneo + Latreuo
55:03 Metaphorical Latreia
58:03 The Meaning of Leitourgeo
1:02:18 Summary of Worship Words
Worship Seminar #3: The Temple That Changed Everything. A public lecture by Tom Wadsworth, PhD, presented on Oct. 18, 2022, at the Loveland Community Building in Dixon, IL. The presentation explains the often-neglected impact of the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in AD 70 and how it shaped “the Way” of the early Christians.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to the Temple
10:04 The Purpose of the Temple
14:58 The Jerusalem Temple
19:15 The Destruction of Jerusalem
30:50 Tisha B’Av
37:15 Masada
40:59 The Significance of the Temple’s Destruction
45:33 The NT View of the Temple: The Gospels
48:53 The NT View of the Temple: Acts
52:29 The NT View of the Temple: The Epistles
56:01 The NT View of the Temple: Early Christian History
1:00:26 Temple Summary
Worship Seminar #4: Why They Didn’t Preach Sermons in the Early Church. A public lecture by Tom Wadsworth, PhD, presented on Oct. 25, 2022, at the Loveland Community Building in Dixon, IL. This presentation takes a closer look at the specific kinds of “assembly speaking” employed in church meetings in the New Testament.
Chapters:
00:00 Recap of Episode #3 on The Temple
07:17 Introduction and Praise for Pastors
14:58 The Sermon in the NT
20:35 Church Speakers in the NT
28:37 Preaching in the NT
45:14 What We Lack #1: One Anothering
48:44 What We Lack #2: Multiple Perspectives
54:05 What We Lack #3: Opportunity for Development
59:53 Excursis on Evangelism
1:04:21 Summary
Worship Seminar #5: Worship Wars and Biblical Role of Music. A public lecture by Tom Wadsworth, PhD, presented on Nov. 1, 2022, at the Loveland Community Building in Dixon, IL. This presentation uses the conclusions of Seminars #1-#4 to analyze the so-called Worship Wars that first erupted in churches around 1997. In other words, if Christian assembly activities (including music) are to be done “for edification” (1 Cor 14:26), how should we assess the modern emphasis on contemporary music and praise songs?
Chapters:
00:00 Recap and Introduction
04:16 Part 1: The Biblical Role of Music in the Assembly
04:42 (1) Assembly Singing is Rarely Mentioned
08:30 (2) Singing is Directed to One Another
09:48 Part 2: The Problem of the Worship Wars
14:30 Worship Music Benefits
14:41 #1 Benefit: Lyrics are More Intelligible
18:03 #2 Benefit: The Music Style Communicates to Modern Culture
21:10 #3 Benefit: More Christians are Involved in Speaking
25:27 Worship Music Problems
25:50 #1 Problem: Excluding Other People
30:42 #2 Problem: The Assumption That God Has Needs
35:45 #3 Problem: The Loss of Horizontal Music
42:55 #4 Problem: The Overemphasis on Sensuality
46:48 #5 Problem: The Trance
53:00 #6 Problem: The Unending Striving for Hipness
55:03 #7 Problem: Living in a Fad
1:00:49 Summary
Worship Seminar #6: How the Later Church Developed Worship Services. A public lecture by Tom Wadsworth, PhD, presented on Nov. 8, 2022, at the Loveland Community Building in Dixon, IL. If the NT church never had “worship services,” when did they start and why? This presentation reveals the results of studying over 2,500 references to the word ‘worship’ in early Christian writings from the second, third, and fourth centuries.
Chapters:
00:00 Recap and Introduction
07:16 How Early Christians Described Their Assemblies
22:39 How Early Christians Viewed the Temple
30:00 Shift #1: The Lord’s Supper Becomes a Sacrifice
36:24 Shift #2: Ministers Become Priests
44:38 Shift #3: The Building Becomes a Temple
50:28 The Turning Point: Constantine and the Edict of Milan
1:02:14 The Problem of the Shift
1:09:02 Summary
Worship Seminar #7: What Do We Do Now? A public lecture by Tom Wadsworth, PhD, presented on Nov. 15, 2022, at the Loveland Community Building in Dixon, IL. In this 7th and final episode, Tom recaps the key points of the first six presentations and identifies nine practical ways to improve church assemblies by implementing the biblical findings of his research.
Chapters:
00:00 Recap of Key Findings
04:09 Key Slides from Episodes #1-#6
15:17 #1 Change Terminology
19:17 #2 Make Edification The Purpose of Going to Church
30:02 #3 Less Concert, More Content
32:07 #4 More Speakers, Shorter Speeches
43:07 #5 More Dialogue, Less Monologue
45:20 #6 Break Big Groups into Small Groups
46:21 #7 Arrange Room to Maximize Edification
52:10 #8 Incorporate the Meal
55:37 #9 Make Love an Assembly Mandate
57:23 Summary and Conclusion
The 7 “One‑Anothering” Steps
- Love One Another (John 13:34; 1 John 3:11)
The foundational command—Christ’s love for us becomes the standard for our love for each other. - Restore One Another (Galatians 6:1)
Gently help believers who stumble, moving from judgment to mercy and reconciliation. - Bear With and Forgive One Another (Colossians 3:13)
Show patience and offer forgiveness—letting go of grievances as Christ forgave you. - Build Up One Another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Encourage spiritual growth through affirmation, teaching, and shared life. - Encourage One Another (Hebrews 3:13)
Guard against hard hearts through constant exhortation and heartfelt support. - Stir Up One Another (Hebrews 10:24‑25)
Motivate each other to love and good deeds, spurring one another on toward deeper devotion. - Confess and Pray for One Another (James 5:16)
Share struggles and pray in community, unlocking healing and spiritual power.
Why These Steps Matter
- They reflect the one-another commands found throughout Scripture—nearly 100 references emphasizing mutual care.
- In intimate settings like house churches, these practices flourish naturally—because deep relationships form the context for authenticity and growth.
- Dr. Wadsworth emphasizes these steps as the true purpose of gathering: not performance or ceremony, but the spiritual building up of the body together.
Putting It into Practice
Promote a culture of one-anothering by encouraging:
- Real friendships—time alone with trusted friends, meeting Kingdom needs together.
- Mentorship circles—small groups where honesty, accountability, and praying for one another are natural.
- Reciprocal ministry, where everyone contributes gifts and God’s truth. No spectators.
Final Thought
When believers truly love, restore, forgive, build, encourage, spur, confess, and pray for one another, we recreate the neighboring, participatory, Spirit‑filled reality of the early church that Dr. Wadsworth so passionately calls us to rediscover.