Paul and the book of Revelation both present a pattern of worship that is fully compatible with the commandment to worship God alone, while also assigning proper devotion to Jesus. In Paul’s letters, the Father is consistently called God, the ultimate source of creation, salvation, and life, and worship directed to the Father reflects His unique, supreme status. Jesus, on the other hand, is called Lord and is portrayed as God’s appointed agent through whom all divine work is accomplished. He participates fully in God’s authority and power, executing creation, mediating salvation, and sustaining the cosmos, yet always in a role derivative of the Father’s initiative. Worship of Jesus is therefore appropriate, not as an independent deity, but because of his unique relationship to God, functioning as representative, mediator, and highest priest.
Revelation reflects the same pattern, depicting God the Father as the ultimate source of all things while portraying the Lamb, Jesus, as fully worthy of worship due to his role in God’s salvific plan. Worship directed to Jesus flows from and magnifies the glory of God, affirming that devotion to him does not compete with or diminish God’s unique status. In both Paul and Revelation, the relationship between Father and Son explains the propriety of worship: Jesus is worshiped because of his divine agency, his mediation, and his participation in God’s work, making him the proper focus of devotion without violating the exclusivity of worship due to God. This framework preserves monotheism while allowing Jesus a fully worshipable status as God’s representative and highest priest.
[AI wording as prompted by Stephen D Green]
