Original Word: λατρεία
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: latreia
Pronunciation: lah-TRY-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (lat-ri'-ah)
KJV: (divine) service
NASB: divine worship, service, service of worship
Word Origin: [from G3000 (λατρεύω - serve)]

1. ministration of God, i.e. worship

divine service, worship

From latreuo; ministration of God, i.e. Worship -- (divine) service.

see GREEK latreuo

Cognate: 2999 latreía (from 3000 /latreúō, "render sacred service") – sacred (technical) service. 2999 /latreía("technical, priestly-service") occurs five times in the NT (Jn 16:2; Ro 9:4, 12:1; Heb 9:1,6). See 3000 (latreuō).

Word Origin
from latreuó
Definition
service
NASB Translation
divine worship (2), service (2), service of worship (1).

STRONGS NT 2999: λατρεία

λατρεία, λατρείας, ἡ (λατρεύω, which see);

1. in Greek authors "service rendered for hire; then any service or ministration (Tragg., Plutarch, Lucian); the service of God": τοῦ Θεοῦ, Plato, Apology 23 b.; καταφυγεῖν πρός θεῶν εὐχάς τέ καί λατρείας, ibid. Phaedr., p. 244 e.;servitus religionis, quam λατρείανGraeci vocant, Augustine civ. dei 5, 15.

2. in the Greek Bible, the service or worship of God according to the requirements of the levitical law (Hebrew עֲבֹדָה, Exodus 12:25f, etc.): Romans 9:4; Hebrews 9:1 (1 Macc. 2:19, 22); λατρείαν προσφέρειν τῷ Θεῷ (to offer service to God) equivalent to θυσίαν προσφέρειν εἰς λατρείαν (to offer a sacrifice in service), John 16:2; ἐπιτελεῖν τάς λατρείας, to perform the sacred services (see ἐπιτελέω, 1), spoken of the priests, Hebrews 9:6; universally, of any worship of God, ἡ λογικη λατρεία, Romans 12:1 (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 59, 9 a.); (of the worship of idols, 1 Macc. 1:43).

Biblical Scope Of Service And Worship

The word draws a direct connection between the outward acts of worship prescribed by God and the inward posture of the heart. It encompasses priestly duties at the altar, corporate liturgy, and the personal devotion of believers who belong to the new covenant.

Old Testament Roots

Israel’s sanctuary service (cf. Exodus 30:20; Numbers 8:22) framed every aspect of community life around sacrifice, cleansing, and intercession. These acts anticipated the Messiah, training the nation to look beyond symbols to the substance they foreshadowed.

Usage In The Gospels

John 16:2 records Jesus’ warning: “They will put you out of the synagogues; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God”. Here, service is tragically misdirected zeal—a sober reminder that ritual without truth can persecute true worshipers instead of glorifying God.

Israel’s Privilege And Responsibility (Romans 9:4)

Paul names “the temple service” among Israel’s distinctive blessings. Their divinely mandated worship distinguished them from surrounding nations and safeguarded revealed theology until Christ came. The mention highlights continuity: God’s plan has always moved through covenant worship toward redemptive fulfillment.

Spiritual Worship Of The Whole Life (Romans 12:1)

“I urge you, brothers, … to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship”. Paul shifts the location of service from a building to the believer’s very body. Every arena of conduct—work, family, citizenship—becomes sacred space when offered to God through Christ.

Hebrews: From Shadow To Reality (Hebrews 9:1, 9:6)

The epistle contrasts the “earthly sanctuary” with the heavenly, showing how priests “entered regularly into the first room to perform their sacred service.” Yet those repeated acts could never cleanse the conscience. Christ’s once-for-all offering now grants believers bold access to the true sanctuary, transforming worship from external regulation to Spirit-enabled communion.

Historical Outworking In The Early Church

Early Christians gathered around Scripture, prayer, breaking of bread, and mutual service (Acts 2:42-47). Temple imagery continued—elders as overseers, deacons as servants—and yet the locus of worship was clearly Christ Himself, risen and present among His people. The church understood itself as “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9), fulfilling Israel’s calling to mediate God’s glory to the nations.

Practical Ministry Implications

1. Corporate liturgy should remain Christ-centered, Word-saturated, and reverent, for God still values ordered worship.
2. Personal devotion is integral; every believer is a priest whose daily obedience is acceptable service.
3. Zeal alone is insufficient; worship must align with revealed truth to avoid the peril foreseen in John 16:2.
4. Mission flows naturally from worship: the more the church beholds Christ, the more it proclaims Him.

Application For Contemporary Believers

True service integrates heart, mind, and body. It resists compartmentalizing “sacred” and “secular,” viewing every decision—career choices, financial stewardship, relationships—as offerings laid upon God’s altar. By the Spirit, believers echo the hymn of Revelation: “To Him who sits on the throne … be glory and honor” (Revelation 5:13), living lives of continual, joyful worship until faith becomes sight.

λατρεια λατρεία λατρειαν λατρείαν λατρειας λατρείας λατρευτόν latreia latreía latreian latreían latreias latreíasInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts