Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and ScopeRituals in the biblical context refer to prescribed religious ceremonies and practices that are performed in worship and devotion to God. These rituals are often detailed in the Old Testament and are integral to the covenantal relationship between God and His people. They encompass a wide range of activities, including sacrifices, feasts, purification rites, and other ceremonial observances.
Old Testament RitualsThe Old Testament is replete with examples of rituals that were commanded by God to the Israelites. These rituals served as a means of maintaining holiness, expressing devotion, and ensuring the community's covenantal relationship with God. The Book of Leviticus, in particular, outlines many of these rituals, including the sacrificial system. For instance,
Leviticus 1:3-4 describes the burnt offering: "If one's offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer an unblemished male. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, so that he may be accepted by the LORD. He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, so that it may be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him."
The rituals also included various feasts and festivals, such as Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Day of Atonement, each with specific instructions and significance. These observances were not only acts of worship but also served as reminders of God's deliverance and faithfulness.
Purification and HolinessRituals often involved purification processes to maintain the holiness required by God. The Israelites were given detailed instructions on how to cleanse themselves from ceremonial impurity, as seen in
Leviticus 15:31 : "You must therefore keep the Israelites separate from that which makes them unclean, so that they do not die in their uncleanness for defiling My dwelling place that is among them."
New Testament PerspectiveIn the New Testament, the emphasis on ritual shifts with the coming of Jesus Christ, who fulfills the Law and the Prophets. The sacrificial system, for instance, finds its ultimate fulfillment in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
Hebrews 10:11-12 states, "Day after day every priest stands to minister and to offer again and again the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God."
While the New Testament does not abolish the concept of ritual, it redefines it in light of Christ's work. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are two key rituals instituted by Christ for the Church. Baptism symbolizes the believer's identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (
Romans 6:3-4), while the Lord's Supper is a commemoration of Christ's sacrifice and a proclamation of His death until He returns (
1 Corinthians 11:26).
Rituals in the Early ChurchThe early Church continued to observe certain rituals, but with a focus on the spiritual realities they represented.
Acts 2:42 highlights the practices of the early believers: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." These activities, while ritualistic in nature, were centered on fostering a community of faith and devotion to Christ.
Theological SignificanceRituals in the Bible are not mere formalities but are deeply theological, pointing to the nature of God, the sinfulness of humanity, and the need for redemption. They serve as tangible expressions of faith and obedience, teaching God's people about His holiness, justice, and mercy. Through rituals, believers are reminded of their identity as God's covenant people and their call to live in accordance with His will.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
a.) Of or pertaining to rites or ritual; as, ritual service or sacrifices; the ritual law.
2. (n.) A prescribed form of performing divine service in a particular church or communion; as, the Jewish ritual.
3. (n.) Hence, the code of ceremonies observed by an organization; as, the ritual of the freemasons.
4. (n.) A book containing the rites to be observed.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
BREACH OF RITUALrit'-u-al.
SeeCRIMES.
Greek
2356. threskeia -- religion... religion. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: threskeia Phonetic Spelling:
(thrace-ki'-ah) Short Definition:
ritual worship, religion Definition
...167. akatharsia -- uncleanness
... Cognate: 167 (from 1 "not" and 2513 , "clean because unmixed, pure") --ritual ,
caused by leprosy, open infection, child birth, touching a corpse, etc....
3009. leitourgia -- a service, a ministry
... ah) Short Definition: a charitable gift, public service Definition: a charitable
gift, public service in the widest sense; service as of priest or Leviteritual...
Library
Under Ban of theRitual
... CHAPTER II UNDER BAN OF THERITUAL.... Not one law of the sculptor'sritual
but thou hadst broken, in the sacrilegious fresco. Gods!...
The Fact of the Redeemer's Return was Foreshadowed in theRitual...
... Chapter Three The Fact of the Redeemer's Return 5. The Fact of the Redeemer's Return
was foreshadowed in theRitual on the annual day of Israel's Atonement....
The Fallacy of the Young Nation
... The curious thing is, in that example as in others, that it is the conscious ritualism
which is comparatively simple, the unconsciousritual which is really...
Appendix v. Rabbinic Theology and Literature
... of Moses from Sinai,' tradition enumerates fifty-five, [6370] which may be thus
designated: religio-agrarian, four; [6371]ritual, including questions about...
Malachi
... Here, as in Haggai, interest gathers roundritual rather than moral obligation,
though the latter is not neglected, iii.5, and the religion for which Malachi...
The Secret of Gladness
... said: 'Fasting is a good thing in itself, and meritorious in the sight of God.'
The modern Pharisee says the same about many externals ofritual and worship...
The Passover: an Expiation and a Feast, a Memorial and a Prophecy
... The Passoverritual, as appointed here, divides itself into two main parts"the
sprinkling of the sacrificial blood on the door-posts and lintels, and the...
The Day of Atonement
... The Talmudical treatise on theritual of the day of atonement is entitled 'Yoma,'
the day, which sufficiently expresses its importance in the series of...
The Making of a Prophet
... Now, I would notice as to this stage of the process, first, that Isaiah singularly
passes beyond all the oldritual in which he had been brought up, and...
Legislation Concerning Public Worship in the Period Subsequent to...
... survived, and exerted itself in fostering, in many parts of the land, a sentiment
even more hostile to everything that might savor of even the simplestritual....
Thesaurus
Ritual (3 Occurrences)... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Of or pertaining to rites or
ritual; as,
ritual service or sacrifices; the
ritual law. 2. (n.) A
...Clean (298 Occurrences)
... The physical,ritual, ethical, spiritual, figurative uses continually overlap,
especially the last four. 1. Physical: The physical use is infrequent: "Wash....
Trumpets (52 Occurrences)
... herbs. On the 1st of Shebat is the new year for trees." 3.Ritual: The
ritual for the day consequently needs little explanation....
Leaven (24 Occurrences)
... the Bedouin of today, probably made their bread without leaven; but leaven came
to play a great part in their bread-making, their law andritual, and their...
Feast (209 Occurrences)
... herbs. On the 1st of Shebat is the new year for trees." 3.Ritual: The
ritual for the day consequently needs little explanation....
Salvation (386 Occurrences)
... Standard Bible Encyclopedia. SALVATION. sal-va'-shun: I. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT 1.
General 2. Individualism 3. Faith 4. Moral Law 5. Sacrifices 6.Ritual Law II....
Red (124 Occurrences)
... was employed in the removal of the uncleanness of a person or thing that had been
in contact with a dead body, and also in removingritual defilement from...
Exploration
... in patriarchal times; upon the thought and language of a neighboring Semitic community
at the time of the Monarchy; upon the religiousritual and festivals of...
Ordinance (89 Occurrences)
... or'-di-nans: 1. Old Testament Use: This word generally represents chuqqah, something
prescribed, enactment, usually with reference to matters ofritual....
Guilt (180 Occurrences)
... holiness. When these areritual and legal, instead of ethical and spiritual,
they will determine similarly the idea of guilt. This...
Resources
Are there supposed to be any rituals in Christianity? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does Corban mean in Mark 7:11? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is a mikvah? | GotQuestions.orgRitual: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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