Regulative Principle of Worship

Definition and Meaning

The regulative principle of worship holds that God Himself has determined how He is to be worshiped. Accordingly, it maintains that public worship may include only those elements commanded in Scripture and those legitimately inferred from Scripture. It stands in contrast to the view that whatever Scripture does not forbid is permitted, a position commonly called the "normative principle."

Those who follow this principle distinguish between the "elements" and the "circumstances" of worship. The elements include prayer, the reading of Scripture, preaching, singing, and the sacraments. The circumstances are matters such as the time and place of worship and the arrangement of seating, which may be determined according to common sense and good order.

Biblical and Historical Background

Proponents cite the following passages in support:

• Leviticus 10:1-2: the death of Nadab and Abihu after they offered "strange fire" that the LORD had not commanded
• Deuteronomy 12:32: the command neither to add to nor to take away from God's commandments
• Matthew 15:9: the rebuke of vain worship that teaches the commandments of men
• Colossians 2:23: the warning against "will worship"

The principle is generally understood to have been systematized during the Reformation by Reformed theologians, including John Calvin. The Puritans and Presbyterians of England and Scotland placed particular emphasis on it. The Westminster Confession of Faith, in chapter 21, section 1, confesses that God may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men. The Heidelberg Catechism reflects a similar understanding in its exposition of the second commandment of the Ten Commandments.

Some Reformed churches that applied the principle strictly arrived at conclusions such as the following:

• Singing only the Psalms in worship
• Not using musical instruments
• Not observing any holy days other than the Lord's Day

Lutherans and Anglicans, by contrast, generally follow the normative principle. They hold that the church may retain traditions and liturgical practices that do not conflict with Scripture.

Practice in the Korean Church

Most Presbyterian denominations in Korea accept the Westminster Confession of Faith as a doctrinal standard and include a directory for worship in their denominational constitutions. In practice, however, the great majority of Presbyterian churches have adopted the following:

• Seasons and feasts of the church year, such as Christmas and Easter
• Instrumental accompaniment and hymns
• Worship teams

The strict form of the regulative principle is discussed mainly among certain theologians and churches that emphasize the Reformed tradition. Their discussions address issues such as the recovery of psalm singing, the observance of holy days, and performance elements in worship, and they also intersect with the worship music debate.

The positions of other denominations are as follows:

• The Korean Methodist Church, the Anglican Church of Korea, and the Lutheran Church in Korea make active use of traditional liturgy and the church year, regarding them as a heritage of the church in harmony with Scripture.
• Pentecostal and Holiness churches have strong worship traditions that emphasize the free working of the Holy Spirit. For this reason, the principle rarely becomes a central topic of discussion among them.