Biblical Foundations of Corporate Worship

Ever since Cain and Abel, God’s people have been asking, “What is the proper way to worship God?” In five compelling chapters, Scott Aniol explains that corporate worship theology and practice must be founded in the Word of God. There, we discover that corporate worship’s goal is communion with God through regular, weekly covenant renewal, wherein the entire congregation engages in dialogue with God in a meeting structured around the gospel, toward the goal of spiritual fellowship with God through Christ by the Spirit.

136 pages.

Scott Aniol has given the church a small book of monumental importance. His commitment to the authority of Scripture as revealed truth; the centrality of the gospel as the intended message of Scripture; the prerogative, initiative, and glory of God as the telos of Scripture; and specific directions for corporate worship as a consistent theme of Scripture permeates his discussions of gospel-shaped worship. Every person responsible for shaping and leading corporate worship should read this book with a serious intent of allowing its arguments and its presentation of examples be considered seriously as a matter of conscience. Christian congregations will find their times together as God-centered, Word-centered, gospel-centered persuasives to conviction, confession, assurance, holiness, and witness.

– Tom J. Nettles
Professor Emeritus,
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Scott Aniol has provided an excellent book for understanding the importance of recognizing the Word of God as the authority of corporate worship and the practical implications that flow from grounding our theology of worship in the Scriptures. The book’s clarity and conciseness make it particularly accessible by the layperson who wants to learn foundational principles of worship and helpful for the church leader or pastor who wants to refine his articulation of biblical worship. I look forward to getting this in the hands of the worshipers God has tasked me with shepherding.

– Laramie Minga
Pastor, Worship and Discipleship
Woodlawn Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, LA

The devilish attack of deformation transcends beyond the doctrines of Scripture to the functionality of the church. The church and Scripture are inextricably bound together. Therefore, the need of the hour is biblical reformation of the church’s worship. Scott Aniol does an excellent job of directing our attention to Scripture and warning us of the steady stream of man-centered worship philosophies constantly luring Christians outside the boundaries of Scripture.

– Josh Buice
Pastor, Pray’s Mill Baptist Church, Douglasville, GA
President, G3 Ministries

Semper Reformanda—“always reforming”—is the church’s call. With the embrace of Reformed theology, many begin with soteriology and the doctrines of grace. Few think of what it means to regulate worship based solely on the instruction of Scripture. In Biblical Foundations of Corporate Worship, Scott Aniol starts by challenging this audience to examine worship through the lens of God’s revelation in Scripture. As Scripture shapes our thinking, it should also shape our worship of God. This book is a fantastic foundation for many in the church who have embraced Reformed doctrine in expositional preaching but have yet to apply these biblical truths to every facet of corporate worship. Scott reminds us in the book that well-intentioned ideas about worship that do not begin with God’s revelation of himself are, at best, short-sighted and, at worst, reflective of a low view of God. This book is a must-read for those who have not applied these ideas to corporate worship and an excellent Bible-saturated reminder for those who have made proper applications.

– Virgil Walker
Executive Director of Operations, G3 Ministries

Biblical Foundations for Corporate Worship is no empty title. For a subject that can be so easily hijacked by personal preferences, cultural fads, or denominational snobbery, in these pages you will hear the authoritative voice of Scripture alone speaking. I am grateful that Aniol, already a trusted scholar in the field, has delved again into the world of worship to produce this useful resource. If you want help exploring all the Bible says about the praise of God’s people, start here.

– Jonathan Landry Cruse, Pastor, Author,
Hymns of Devotion and What Happens When We Worship