Who alone is to be worshipped according to the biblical understanding?

The understanding that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are to be worshipped stems from the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. This doctrine articulates that God exists as three distinct persons but is one in essence. Each person of the Trinity plays a unique role in the divine economy of salvation and is deserving of worship.

In various biblical passages, such as Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:14, the relational unity and co-equal divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are emphasized, which leads to the conclusion that worship is to be directed to all three persons. This aligns with traditional Christian doctrine, which maintains that worship should be offered to the triune God rather than to any individual person, institution, or community.

Considering the other options, while Jesus Christ is indeed worshipped as the Son of God, worshipping Him alone would not fully recognize the triune nature of God. Church leaders, no matter how authoritative or pious, are not to be the recipients of worship. Lastly, the community as a collective does not represent the divine essence and is not the focus of worship in any classical Christian understanding. In summary, the biblical perspective clearly establishes that worship is to be given to the Father