TAM Initiative

In the Gospel of John, chapter 4, we find the well-known account of the encounter between Jesus and a Samaritan woman. Sitting down by the well, the Lord Jesus began a conversation with a woman who had come to draw water. This encounter gives us insight into the relationships between Jews and Samaritans, as well as a general perspective on their religious concepts. In that context, Christ presented Himself as the Messiah. What He said helps us today to understand true worship:

“Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.’” (John 4:21–24)

Jesus made clear in this dialogue that worship would not depend on a location, but on certain attitudes. We understand, then, that true worship presupposes knowledge of the One who is worshiped, and that this worship must contain two foundations: “that it be in spirit and that it be in truth.” How should we understand these terms?

Some interpreters choose to understand the terms spirit and truth as specific references to the Divine Person, who is spirit and is (the) truth. However, I believe Jesus was referring specifically to certain conditions or attitudes necessary for worship to be pleasing to God. Thus, I understand that worship has a spiritual source and is not absolutely identified with any external ritual practice involving the form in which it is expressed or a specific location. It depends fundamentally on a new birth that occurs through faith in Christ, through which the individual receives eternal life. The worshiper, in this sense, is in a spiritual position in God’s eyes, such that the believer’s spirit communicates with the Spirit of God.

Worshiping in truth carries at least two meanings: that authentic worship of God is not directed toward an imaginary divine entity, but toward the One who is truly known as the person who has been truly revealed to be GOD! It is worship grounded in truth and not in the worshiper’s imagination — Jesus Christ as the Son of God, His eternal Father, and the Spirit of God who dwells in the believer.

The term “in truth” also refers to the authenticity of worship. Worship is not something borrowed from one’s parents, from a pastor, from a worship leader, or from any other religious figure. The way these other people worship also does not guarantee us the Father’s acceptance. Our worship needs to be genuine and not an imitation. It is not necessary (nor better) to stylize songs exactly as they are performed on a recording, or to repeat the same ministrations that some singer performs.

While I do not judge other people’s personal styles of expression by my own standards and personal expectations, I do consider the practice of imitating well-known gospel singers questionable. If their style is genuine, praise God! But if we think we worship our Lord better by doing exactly or equally what these famous performers do, we are deceiving ourselves. God is interested in each one of us, having created us uniquely, and desires us to be genuine and sincere worshipers.

Finally, I make one more observation: the expression “in spirit and in truth” joins the two concepts through a single preposition (“in”) in the original language. It would literally read: “in spirit and truth.” Without trying to impose undue importance on this detail, I would say, however, that Christ is undoubtedly suggesting here that it is not possible to worship the Father in spirit alone and not in truth, nor in truth alone but not in spirit. These foundations are indispensable for the true worship of God regardless of our particular models or forms of expression.