Worshiping Jesus

In making a structural point about Matthew’s references to “worship” of Jesus last week, I skimmed a bit too lightly over the details. Reader Ronald Man caught me, and offered these comments:

There is no indication that the Magi (or Herod) recognized Jesus’ deity; rather it is clearly stated that they were coming to pay honor to a “King.” While Matthew certainly has the perspective of Christ’s deity, it seems to be reading back to consider worship being in view in this context. “Pay homage” is in fact the rendering in Phillips, NRSV and NEB. See also: “Worship” need not imply that the Magi recognized Jesus’ divinity; it may simply mean “do homage. Their own statement suggests homage paid royalty rather than the worship of Deity. But Matthew, having already told of the virginal conception, doubtless expected his readers to discern something more—viz., that the Magi worshiped better than they knew.” (Don Carson’s commentary, p. 86; see also p. 89).

“Although some English versions view this action as ‘worship’ (AV, RSV, NIV), the statement of the Magi in verse 2 suggests that the meaning is homage paid to royalty rather than the worship of deity (so Phillips, NEB; cf. 1 Sam 25:23; 2 Kings 4:36). Of course, Matthew’s opening chapter has pointed to Jesus’ divine sonship and the evangelist no doubt intended his readers to discern that this homage had a greater significance than the visitors from the East could have imagined. Their attitude to Jesus anticipated the submission of the nations to the risen Lord, which is the essence of discipleship according to Matthew 28:16—20. The immediate context in Matthew 2, however, does not demand that worship of Jesus as Son of God is yet in view.” (David Peterson, Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship , pp. 84-5)

Another perhaps significant effect of reserving the translation of “worship” for a clearer contextual warrant would be that the first use of proskuneo in the NT with the clear meaning of worship would be in Matthew 4:9-10—with its cosmic proclamation of the Second Adam (in contradistinction to the refusal of the first Adam to “glorify God as God” [Rom 1:21; cf. 1:22-25]), which is reflective of both the first commandment AND the Great Commandment.