The Greek compound noun eidololatreia (εἰδωλολατρεία) combines eidolon (idol/image) and latreia (service/worship). It means idolatry — the devotion, service, and worship given to idols or false gods. The word appears four times in the New Testament and represents one of the most consistently condemned sins in both testaments.
Eidololatreia in the New Testament extends far beyond bowing before physical statues. Paul's radical broadening of the concept in Colossians 3:5 equates greed with eidololatreia — revealing that idolatry is fundamentally about misplaced ultimate allegiance, not just ritual practice. Whatever takes the place of God as the ultimate source of security, identity, and value is an idol. The New Testament lists eidololatreia among the 'works of the flesh' (Galatians 5:20) and as grounds for exclusion from God's kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:9). John's final warning in 1 John 5:21 — 'Little children, keep yourselves from idols' — shows that the battle against eidololatreia is ongoing and personal.