THE CHURCH’S UNDERSTANDING AND
USAGE OF THE CONCEPT OF THE LITURGY
INTRODUCTION:
The word liturgy is derived from a Greek word ‘Leitourgia’ with two roots
words, Laos and ergon which means people and work respectively. In the ancient
Greek world, this word Leitourgia is used to refer to works done by slaves for
their master, a good deed one does for his friend, public office, state
project, public work etc.
The
above meaning and usage of the word Leitourgia, was different from the way the
church uses it, as well as their understanding of it. This word was a kind of
encultured in to church but its implication in the church is different from its
formal mean of Greek origin.
Here
we will examine the church’s understanding and usage of the concept of the
liturgy as it implies to them.
THE CHURCH’S UNDERSTANDING OF THE
CONCEPT OF THE LITURGY
The
early Christians had a cultic understanding of the word liturgy.
THE CHURCH’S USAGE OF CONCEPT THE
LITURGY
The
word liturgy as the church uses it today is not the word the western Latin Church
is using to refer to the sacred rites of the church until about the pontificate
of Pope Gregory XVI. The church has been using words like: Officia divina, Opus
divinum, Sacri ritus and Ecclesiae ritus before then.
The
word Liturgy is use in the septuagian, the Greek Old Testament Bible. This word
appears as many as seventy times in the septuagian and it was used to refer to
the Levitic cult in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, the word Liturgy
appeared at least fifteen times and it is used to refer to the circular
functions of the magistrate in Romans 13:6, the Old Testament priestly office
of Zachariah in Luke 1:23 and the sacrificial priestly office of Jesus in
Hebrews 8:2. Christ’s offering of himself made him the Leitourgos of the
sanctuary. The word liturgy as used in at least fifteen instances in the New
Testament in summary is generally used to refer to the Christians spiritual sacrifice
as seen in Roman 15:16 and Acts 13:2.
In
the Easter rite churches, the word liturgy is used to refer to sacred rites.
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