Ti Priesthood Part 6: What Is the Meaning of Prostration, and Can It Be Offered to Other Than God or Not?

The lecture explains that the Holy Bible forbids worshipful prostration to anyone other than God, and not every type of prostration absolutely. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that prostration may carry many meanings such as respect, reverence, submission, or supplication, while worship belongs to God alone.

He confirms that the divine commandments always connected prostration with pagan worship, such as bowing to idols or strange gods, because the real sin is worshiping other than God. Therefore, the intended prohibition is the prostration that is an expression of idol worship.

He also explains that understanding the texts should be according to their spirit and not their literal wording, because clinging only to the letter may lead to misunderstanding. The image or statue is not a sin in itself, but the sin happens when it becomes an object of worship.

The lecture presents many biblical examples in which prostration happened with blessing or permission from God, such as the prostration of Joseph’s brothers to him, and the prostration of Jacob’s brothers to him, where this prostration was a sign of respect, submission, or fulfillment of a divine prophecy, and not worship.

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III also explains that righteous Joseph never accepted worshipful prostration, because this contradicts his faith and holiness, but the prostration carried other meanings such as respect, supplication, or acknowledgment of authority.

The lecture also explains that God Himself sent prophecies confirming this kind of prostration, as in Joseph’s dreams, which clarifies that there is a clear difference between worshipful prostration and prostration carrying human or social meanings.

Then examples are presented from the lives of the fathers and prophets, such as Abraham’s prostration to the guests and to the people of the land, Jacob’s prostration to Esau, and Moses’ prostration to his father-in-law Jethro. All of these were men of faith, and their prostration was not worship but an expression of respect, humility, or supplication.

At the end, the lecture confirms that worship belongs to God alone, while prostration may carry many meanings according to the inner intention of the person. Therefore, spiritual matters should be understood through the spirit of the Church and the Orthodox faith, and not merely through literal interpretation of the texts.