Church Is Not for Worship?
Church Is Not for Worship?  
Podcast: The Remnant Radio's Podcast
Published On: Wed Jul 23 2025
Description: In this episode of Remnant Radio, Joshua Lewis and Michael Rowntree interview Dr. Tom Wadsworth to explore a controversial question: Is our modern understanding of “worship” truly biblical? Dr. Wadsworth, a New Testament scholar, argues that what we call “worship services” today is drastically different from the gatherings of the first-century church. Instead of a primarily vertical act of offering praise to God, he proposes that early Christian assemblies focused on mutual edification – building up one another through teaching, encouragement, and the practical application of the “one anothering” commands found throughout the New Testament. Dr. Wadsworth traces the history of our modern “worship” concept, exploring its roots in the second century and onward, highlighting the influence of Roman Catholic traditions and the evolving understanding of the Lord’s Supper. He also unpacks the crucial distinction between preaching (proclamation to outsiders) and teaching (discipleship within the community), and challenges the assumption that the early church was simply a new version of the Old Testament temple. 0:00 Introduction7:26 Origin of Worship Language12:54 Exploring Vertical Lines of Worship in Scripture18:50 Are We Over-examining the Differences?26:38 Redefining Worship33:06 What Did a New Testament Church Look Like?37:02 A Matter of Purpose?44:16 Teaching50:44 Modern Discipleship Practices53:58 Closing ThoughtsABOUT THE GUEST:Dr. Wadsworth is a New Testament scholar with a PhD from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. @tomwadsworth  📖RESEARCH https://www.tomwadsworth.com/the-christian-assembly Hey Guys, Josh Lewis here. Have you ever wondered if the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit—like prophecy, healing, and tongues—really stopped after the apostles? Cessationists claim they vanished throughout church history, but that's a myth. In Remnant Radio’s new ebook, History of Spiritual Gifts: The Myth of Cessationism, I dive into church history to reveal the active use of spiritual gifts by early church fathers 🙏 God’s been GOOD! 🙏 Watch our year-end message from Joshua Lewis & see how your support helps us resource & equip believers in God's Word & Spirit!If Remnant Radio has blessed you, would you consider partnering with us as we step into the new year? Your support helps us produce content, courses, conferences & more! Thank you!Donate Today: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GC2Z86XHHG4X6&ssrt=1686780016992  Support the showABOUT THE REMNANT RADIO: 📧 SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER 📚 COURSES & CONFERENCES 🛒 SHOP MERCH 💝 SUPPORT OUR MINISTRY: • Leave a Tip• Become a Patron• Make a Tax-Deductible Donation 🌐📧 Check Out Our Church PagesJosh's ChurchMiller's ChurchRowntree's Church