Yes, Christians Worship Saints, Crosses, & Holy Things - Here's Why
Even Protestants, Catholics, & Orthodox Christians do it...
In addition to worshiping God, all Christians worship things which are not God, such as parents, friends, authorities, Saints, icons, Bibles, crosses, and holy places. This is almost universal, and it is not idolatry.
For some reason, most of them claim that they don't do this. We will take a look at some of the reasons why. But first, let's look at a few examples.
Liturgical Books
As an Orthodox Christian priest, every Sunday morning I kiss an icon of Christ (a painting of Him), while praying the following prayer:
We worship Thine immaculate Icon, O Good One, asking the forgiveness of our failings, O Christ God; for of Thine own will Thou wast well-pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh, that Thou mightest deliver from slavery to the enemy those whom Thou hadst fashioned. Wherefore, we cry to Thee thankfully: Thou didst fill all things with joy, O our Saviour, when Thou camest to save the world.
This prayer is printed in a mainstream, widely-distributed liturgy book which has been in print for many decades, most recently published in 2022, by one of the best known and most highly respected Orthodox Christian publishers: Holy Trinity Monastery of Jordanville, New York.
This is a common prayer, frequently encountered. It is one of the "Entrance Prayers", which I am required to pray every Sunday morning before entering the altar area. If I don't pray this prayer, then I can't even lead the service on Sunday.
Later in the same book, we encounter another prayer, where "We worship Thy Cross, O Christ", and where we "worship Christ's holy Resurrection". This is one of the prayers of the Divine Liturgy, the regular Sunday morning service observed in Orthodox Churches around the world. It is also sung by Orthodox Christians every week, during the Saturday evening vigil.
The same prayer is frequently prayed by Orthodox Christians each morning during "Bright Week", the week following Pascha (Easter). The Holy Trinity Monastery has published a very popular prayer book which includes these prayers, specifically worshiping the Cross of Christ, as well as His Resurrection:
And just prior to celebrating Pascha (Easter), in the Lamentations service during Holy Week, Orthodox Christian choirs also sing the following verse, in honor and reverence for the suffering that Christ willingly endured on the cross:
"Lord, Thy pains I worship, and Thy burial I praise, and I magnify Thy might, Lover of mankind. By them I am freed from passions which destroy."
Wycliffe's Bible
The modern word "worship" comes from the Old English word “weorthscipe” and the Middle English word "worschip", which simply mean “worthy of honor, respect, or dignity.” To worship is to ascribe honor, worth, or excellence to someone, whether human or divine. In Scripture, the term “worship” frequently carries this meaning.
“Wycliffe’s Bible” is the first known complete translation of the New Testament into English. The author, John Wycliffe, is beloved by Protestants, and they frequently refer to him as "The Morning Star of the Reformation". Throughout his translation of the New Testament, he makes it clear that worship is not for God alone. According to Scripture, we are also supposed to worship our father, our mother, and other godly people. And if we live our lives in obedience to Christ, then God will worship us.
When John Wycliffe rendered Matthew’s Gospel into English, he translated Christ’s words in Matthew 19:19 like this: “Worschip thi fadir and thi modir.” With modern English spellings, that would read, “Worship thy father and thy mother.” Of course, when Jesus said this, He was not telling people to idolize their parents. Rather, Jesus was simply reminding us of God’s command to honor our parents. “Honor” is “Worship”. They mean the same thing. Wycliffe translates Luke 14:10 to say, “But when thou art bidden to a feast, go, and sit down in the last place, that when he cometh, that bade thee to the feast, he say to thee, 'Friend, come higher.' Then worship shall be to thee, before men that sit [with thee]...” And in John 12:26, Wycliffe translates the words of Jesus like this: “If any man serve me, my Father shall worship him.” There are many other instances where this first English New Testament uses the word “worship” in similar ways.
The Great Bible
The first English translation of the entire Bible, also known as the "Great Bible", was put together by Miles Coverdale in 1535. Published a full 76 years before the King James Version (KJV) came into existence, royal decree placed a copy of the Great Bible in every parish church throughout England. The KJV eventually eclipsed the Great Bible in popularity. However, one section of the Great Bible—the Psalms—continued to carry spiritual and literary influence for the next several hundred years, even into the present. Throughout the centuries, most versions of the English Book of Common Prayer have included the Psalms from the Miles Coverdale translation, not from the KJV. Even in the Orthodox Church, there are some Western Rite parishes which currently use this version of the Psalms.
The Miles Coverdale version of the Psalms "is a translation that since the sixteenth century has occupied a central position in both the private devotions and public liturgies of the English-speaking people", as William Peterson has aptly noted. This copy of the Psalms has greatly contributed to the history of the English language, and for five hundred years it has continued to be influential.
In the following passages from this copy of the Psalms, consider who is receiving worship:
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him lower than the angels, to crown him with glory and worship. (Psalm 8:4-5)
His [King David's] honour is great in thy salvation; glory and great worship shalt thou lay upon him." (Psalm 21:5)
For one day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of ungodliness. For the Lord God is a light and defence; the Lord will give grace and worship; and no good thing shall he withhold from them that live a godly life." (Psalm 84:10-12)
In these three Scripture verses, we do not see man worshipping God. Rather, we see God giving worship to man. In Psalm 8:5, God crowns man “with glory and worship”. In Psalm 21:5, God lays “glory and great worship” upon David, the King of Israel. And Psalm 84:12 explicitly says that God “will give grace and worship” to those who live a godly life. Obviously, God is not an idolater. These Scripture passages make sense because “worship” is “honor”. These two words mean the same thing.
Traditional English Wedding Ceremony
Another interesting resource is the traditional English wedding ceremony that has been used in England and America for hundreds of years. Most of us are familiar with popular phrases from this ceremony, such as:
Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation, to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony . . .
Wilt thou have this Woman to be thy wedded Wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?
Here is another part of the same wedding service:
. . . and the Man shall give unto the Woman a Ring, laying the same upon the book with the accustomed duty to the Priest and Clerk. And the Priest, taking the Ring, shall deliver it unto the Man, to put it upon the fourth finger of the Woman's left hand. And the Man holding the Ring there, and taught by the Priest, shall say,
With this Ring I thee wed, with my Body I thee worship, and with all my worldly Goods I thee endow: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
When English Protestants wrote this wedding service, they were not contemplating open idolatry. These Anglicans were not telling one spouse to worship another, as one would worship a god. Rather, they were simply advocating honor and respect, which are important aspects of any healthy marriage.
Bowing Down is Not Idolatry
It is well known that the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, rather than English. The Hebrew word most commonly translated as “worship” is שחה, which is pronounced “shachah” when transliterated into English. This word “shachah” literally means “to bow down” before someone. There are many places in the Bible where it is clearly used in reference to the worship of God. For example:
I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham (Genesis 24:48)
And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with [their] faces to the ground. (Nehemiah 8:6)
Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. (Psalm 72:11)
In the first two verses, the Hebrew word “shachah” is translated as the English word “worship”. In the third verse, the word is translated as “fall down”. These passages convey the idea of a person bowing down in reverence and honor.
Obviously, bowing down before false gods is prohibited. Giving them any honor at all is off limits. But what about bowing down before kings, parents, and loved-ones? If a Christian bows down to another person under such circumstances, is that considered idolatry? Or does Scripture consider such activity to be an appropriate display of love, honor, and respect?
As Scripture reveals, some of the holiest people in history bowed down before other people. To show their love, honor, and respect, they bowed down before them. And to describe what is happening, the Hebrew Scriptures use the word “shachah”, the very same word that is elsewhere translated as the “worship” of God. As you read the following passages, you will see godly people like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Abigail, Solomon, and Elisha engaged in “shachah”. Sometimes they bowed down to other people, and sometimes other people bowed down to them:
And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, [even] to the children of Heth. (Genesis 23:7)
And his [Jacob's] father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. . . . Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed [be] every one that curseth thee, and blessed [be] he that blesseth thee. (Gen. 27:26-29)
And he [Jacob] passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother [Esau]. Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves. (Genesis 33:3,6-7)
And Joseph [was] the governor over the land, [and] he [it was] that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him [with] their faces to the earth. (Genesis 42:6)
And Joseph brought them [his sons] out from between his knees, and he bowed himself [to his father] with his face to the earth. (Genesis 48:12)
Judah, thou [art he] whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand [shall be] in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. (Genesis 49:8)
Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him (Exodus 18:7)
Then she [Ruth] fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him [Boaz], Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I [am] a stranger? (Ruth 2:10)
[And] as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of [a place] toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times [toward Jonathan]: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. (1 Samuel 20:41)
David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself. (1 Samuel 24:8)
And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and fell at his feet . . . And she arose, and bowed herself on [her] face to the earth, and said, Behold, [let] thine handmaid [be] a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife. (1 Samuel 25:23-42)
And Saul perceived that it [was] Samuel, and he stooped with [his] face to the ground, and bowed himself. (1 Samuel 28:14)
Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed himself, and said, What [is] thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I [am]? (2 Samuel 9:6-8)
And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king. (2 Samuel 14:4)
And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, To day thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant. (2 Samuel 14:22)
And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed [be] the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king. (2 Samuel 18:28)
And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground. (2 Samuel 24:20)
And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshing floor, and bowed himself to David with [his] face to the ground. (1 Chronicles 21:21)
And Bathsheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou? And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, [saying], Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne. . . . And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? . . . Then Bathsheba bowed with [her] face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever. And king David said . . . Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon. Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah. (1 Kings 1:16-35)
Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand. Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; [I pray thee], say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay. (1 Kings 2:19-20)
And when the sons of the prophets which [were] to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. (2 Kings 2:15)
Then she went in, and fell at his [Elisha’s] feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out. (2 Kings 4:37)
Without exception, all 22 Scripture passages use the Hebrew word “shachah” to describe the honor and respect being showed. When this word is translated into English, it is variously translated as “worshipped”, “fell down”, “bowed”, “bowed down”, “did obeisance”, and “did reverence”. And regardless of how this word is translated into English, it still carries the same meaning. To worship someone is to give them honor and reverence. According to Scriptural usage, the words “worship” and “reverence” are synonyms.
The worship of false gods is prohibited, for the same reason that giving honor and reverence to false gods is prohibited. False gods are idols, and it is not appropriate to give them any honor or respect. But offering reverence to King David or to the Prophet Elisha is another thing altogether. Unlike false gods, David and Elisha are fitting recipients of our honor and respect. It is appropriate to give reverence to holy people who faithfully follow God. That is why Scripture makes a distinction between worship that is offered to idols, and worship that is offered to God’s faithful followers. The first is condemned as idolatry. The second is not condemned at all.
In Revelation 22 and Revelation 19, the apostle John is told not to bow down before angels, so one must be careful not to go overboard. Bowing down before others is not always appropriate. Still, the number of Scripture passages which present bowing in a positive light, far outnumber those which present it negatively.
There is a notable place in Scripture where the worship of God and the worship of man occurs simultaneously, within the same passage, using a single instance of the Hebrew word “shachah”:
And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king. (1 Chronicles 29:20 - KJV)
King David is well-known as the “man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). And in the passage quoted above, he leads the entire congregation in worshiping God. In response to his godly leadership, Scripture says that all the people bowed their heads, and worshiped both the Lord and the king. They worshipped God, and they also worshipped David. Thus King David was not only a giver of worship (to God); he was also a willing recipient of worship (from the people).
Whether we use the word “worship”, or whether we use terms such as “homage”, “bowed”, “knelt”, or “obeisance”, we are still saying the same thing. And regardless of which word we use, we need to remember that the underlying Hebrew word is still “shachah” — the same word used in Scripture for the worship of God.
The Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew. But by the time of Christ, Greek was the primary language of the Empire. A couple hundred years before Christ, a group of approximately 70 Jewish scholars translated the Scriptures from Hebrew into Greek. This translation was called the “Septuagint”, which means “Seventy”.
The Septuagint Scriptures are what Jesus and the apostles heard and read their entire lives. From the time they were children, the Septuagint shaped their understanding of how the Greek language is spoken in the context of worship. In the New Testament, Jesus and the apostles quoted from the Old Testament hundreds of times. And virtually every time, they quoted directly from the Septuagint.
As we saw earlier, the Hebrew word “shachah” is the Old Testament word for “worship”. In virtually every case, the Septuagint translates “shachah” as “προσκυνέω” (proskyneō), which is the Greek word for “worship”. Thus for Jesus and the apostles, reading the Scriptures in Greek was no different than reading the Scriptures in Hebrew. In both languages, they read about Abraham worshiping the inhabitants of Heth, Jacob worshiping Esau, the Israelite Patriarchs worshiping Joseph, Abigail worshiping King David, King Solomon worshiping his queen mother, and the prophets worshiping Elisha. And throughout the New Testament, Jesus and the apostles used this same Greek word, whenever they wanted to talk about worship.
How Do We Avoid Idolatry?
On a popular traditional Orthodox website, and also on a local Orthodox church website in the midwestern United States, the following statement is made concerning worship. Some of the text is bold here for added emphasis:
We worship the saints, their holy relics and their icons only because He [God] dwells in them. Thus, the creatures that are sanctified by God are venerated and worshipped because of their relation to Him and on account of Him. This has always been the teaching of the Church: "The worship of the icon is directed to the prototype."
Famous for writing books attacking Roman Catholicism, John Terry was a member of the clergy in the Church of England in the early 17th century. In his book titled Theological Logic, this Protestant minister made a helpful statement regarding the proper boundaries of worship:
And again, we worship the Saints with charity, but not with service . . . the Saints which have shut up the course of their lives with a blessed end, ought worthily to be honoured of us as the worthy members of Christ's body, but not with that honour which is due unto God, but with that reverent regard of society and love, wherewith holy men may be honoured of us here in this life.
Christians are supposed to treat everyone with love and charity. But we are commanded to shun pagan gods. In Scripture, idol worshipers are those who "serve" false gods. They openly call them "gods", and they perform various forms of religious service for these gods. In ancient times, this often took the form of animal sacrifice. Today, other forms of pagan worship are more common. For example, a Hindu believer might burn a candle in honor of some false god, and then put some of the candle wax on her forehead, as a testimony that she is a servant of that particular god. This is idolatry — not because there is anything wrong with candles or prayer, but because the person is serving a demon that poses as a pagan god.
It is one thing to give honor and respect to someone who is honorable. It is quite a different thing to give honor and respect to false gods. No Christian is offended when the New Testament honors a long list of faithful OT Christians in the 11th chapter of Hebrews. Giving the Saints this sort of worship and honor is perfectly acceptable. But the moment we give love and honor to Baal, Ashtoreth, or Molech, or to any member of the Hindu pantheon, we are giving reverence to demons, and thus we become guilty of idolatry.
God gives love, honor, and worship to those who please Him. He honors those who faithfully follow Him. But He never honors demons who pose as substitues for Him. As followers of Christ, we should respond in similar ways:
Honoring faithful Christians is good and acceptable. Honoring pagan gods is not.
Giving reverence to godly authorities is right. Giving reverence to false gods is not.
Worshiping that which is good and pure is reasonable. Worshiping pagan gods is not.
Showing love for holy people and holy places is normal. Showing love for false gods is not.
Love, honor, worship, and reverence do not constitute idolatry, unless they are directed towards a pagan god. You can love your spouse, and that is not idolatry, unless you believe your spouse is a god. You can honor your parents, and that is not idolatry, unless you consider your parents to be gods. You can worship the Scriptures, the cross, or a holy icon, and that is not idolatry, unless you actually consider those items to be gods. You can show reverence to your religious leaders, and that is not idolatry, unless you consider them to be gods.
Why Do Some Modern People Use the Word "Worship" Differently?
In ancient times, there was a clear distinction between worship that is given to holy people, and religious service that is given to God alone. Holy men and women in the Old Testament would often give appropriate levels of worship to one another. But they would never offer an animal sacrifice to a human being. Bowing to one another is good and acceptable. Offering a sacrifice is for God alone.
After the coming of Christ, animal sacrifices were replaced by the Eucharist — the Body and Blood of Christ — which is offered by the priest at every Sunday morning service. This offering is never made to any angel or saint — it is offered to God alone. At every Orthodox Christian liturgy on every Sunday morning, the priest holds the Eucharist high above the altar and calls out to God, "Thine own of Thine own, we offer unto Thee, on behalf of all and for all."
This practice continued for more than one thousand years, before Protestants appeared on the scene and made significant changes to Christian worship, redefining the Eucharist as being merely symbolic, and in many cases removing the Eucharist altogether from the normal weekly service.
When Protestants removed the Eucharistic sacrificial aspect from the liturgy, they removed the very thing which was set apart for God alone. Their "service" was left with little more than songs and prayers being offered to God. Yet, understanding that there should be a clear distinction between that which may be given to men, and that which is given to God alone, they grew uncomfortable with giving any sort of worship or honor to holy people and holy objects. They started to believe that bowing, praying, singing, and all such things should be directed to no one other than God. They called these things "worship", and over time, they eventually impacted the English language, changing the word "worship" so that many modern people mistakenly believe that worship is restricted to God alone. Strangely enough, they did not change the words "honor" or "reverence", even though they mean the same thing as "worship".
Unfortunately, a number of modern Orthodox Christians (and also Roman Catholics) have adopted this Protestant change to the English language, and have been tricked into thinking that worship is for God alone. As a result, they often write articles, desperately attempting to explain why kissing icons, bowing, and honoring saints is something other than "worship". But that approach is a mistake, causing confusion for multiple reasons:
That approach comes across as either dishonest or uninformed, because a number of modern publications still use the word "worship" in a broader, more accurate sense. As seen at the beginning of this article, mainstream Orthodox Christian liturgical books continue to advocate the worship of icons and other holy things. Various Orthodox teaching websites and local church websites do likewise.
That approach is out of alignment with over 500 years of English language history. For many centuries, not only Orthodox Christians and Catholics, but also Protestants have used the word "worship" in the broader sense, freely approving the worship of parents, spouses, saints, and holy places.
That approach is out of touch with Scripture, where we are frequently instructed to worship holy people, places, and things. Scripture does not restrict worship to God alone, just as it does not restrict love, honor, or reverence to God alone.
We should never worship false gods. — We should worship God, and we should worship those who worship Him.
All worship is to be directed to God alone, the blessed holy Trinity. He never commanded us to worship things of the earth or any created beings, angels or holy objects. He forbade this and punished the worshippers of the Golden Calf, which was a representation of YHweh, the true God. Nowhere in the Old Testament was it commanded to worship Abraham, Moses or King David. Nowhere did the Apostles teach that we were to worship angels, holy men of the Church or martyrs. God alone is worthy of worship. My mother was a godly woman but to worship her would be blasphemous. To honor her and give glory to God for her life is what is taught in Scripture.
I appreciate your position on evolution by the way. Most of the Orthodox folks I know are very liberal, and like most Protestants, readily and unquestionably accept evolution. This is sad.
I believe we ought to follow St. John of Damascus in his apologetics against iconoclasm.
Worship: Latria, for God alone.
Service: Dulia to the Uncreated and the created.
Obeisance, veneration, or respect: Proskenesis for the created.