Creekview Church of Christ

Why Don't We Use Musical Instruments in Worship?

I. INTRODUCTION

A. In the first part of this lesson, we established the Scriptural distinctions between the covenants and noticed that the new covenant of Christ has a new form of worship, which is "in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).

B. Presently, we will consider what the New Testament teaches specifically concerning music in our collective worship and gain a historical perspective on the issue.

II. DO ALL IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS

A. In anything that Christians do, we must seek to understand and perform the will of God.

1. Just after an instruction for singing in Colossians 3:16, notice verse 17 -- Whatever you do in word of deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

2. To do anything "in the name of the Lord Jesus" is to act on His authority. Therefore, regarding music in the collective worship of God, we must seek the authority of Christ just as we do for everything else.

B. In the New Testament, there are commandments and examples of singing, but there are no commandments or examples in the New Testament for the use of musical instruments in worship.

1. The commandments and examples for singing are found in Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26; Acts 16:25; 1Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; James 5:13.

2. Therefore, the only authority for music that we have from Christ is to offer vocal music in our collective worship.

III. THE HEART IS THE INSTRUMENT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT'S SPIRITUAL MUSIC

A. Consider two New Testament passages that describe the music of the church.

� Ephesians 5:19 -- ...speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.

� Colossians 3:16 -- Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

1. The phrase "making melody with your heart to the Lord" indicates that the harp, the lyre, and the tambourine of the Old Testament worship have been replaced with the strings of the heart.

a. The word "melody" is translated from the Greek word psallo (compare to the word "psalm"), which means "to twitch, twang; to play a stringed instrument with the fingers."

b. The instrument of our melody is clearly designated as the heart.

c. This would have been a logical place for the Holy Spirit to endorse instrumental music in our worship, but He did not.

2. The phrase "making melody with your heart to the Lord" also indicates a depth of worship that has meaning.

a. Christians are not commanded to sing simply because it is enjoyable, beautiful, or pleasing to the ear. These reasons are often used to justify the use of musical instruments in collective worship, but these neglect the true purposes of music in the worship.

b. Some of the purposes for Christians to sing are to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18), to speak to one another (Eph. 5:19), to have the word of Christ dwell in us (Col. 3:16), to teach and admonish one another (Col. 3:16), to express thanksgiving to God (Col. 3:16), and to express praise to God (Acts 16:25; Jas. 5:13).

c. These purposes are achieved by communicating through words. It is the words of the songs that give the depth of meaning.

d. It is the message conveyed in the words that makes worship in music spiritual. Jesus said, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life" (John 6:63).

e. Singing in the worship is not about excellence in music. It is about understanding and expressing the truth.

i. For singing to be done properly, the mind must be fully engaged upon the words that are sung. Paul stated, "I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also" (1Cor. 14:15). This indicates the necessity of understanding the message of the songs we sing.

ii. Therefore, the best singers are not necessarily those who have the best voices or the best musical understanding. The best singers are those who sing every word from the heart with understanding.

f. This meaningful worship cannot be achieved with a musical instrument.

3. Although the words give the depth of meaning to our worship, there is power in music and singing that gives a benefit.

a. If there was no benefit to the music, then we would merely speak the words to one another and to God.

b. The music makes an impact and enables us to remember. Music employs the emotions, engages the mind, and gives expression beyond simple speech.

IV. HISTORY CONFIRMS THE PLAIN TRUTH OF SCRIPTURE

A. The term a capella is an Italian phrase that means "in the manner of the church." A capella music is defined a vocal music without instrumental accompaniment. This term recognizes the historical fact that the early church did not use instruments in worship.

B. From the beginning of the church, instrumental music was not found in its worship. The Catholic Encyclopedia says, "... the first Christians were of too spiritual a fibre to substitute lifeless instruments for or to use them to accompany the human voice." It was not until about 660 that Pope Vitalian brought the pipe organ into the Roman Catholic Church.

C. Beginning in the sixteenth century, the leaders of the Protestant Reformation rejected musical instruments from the churches they founded. Consider some of their own words:

1. "The organ in the worship is the insignia of Baal; a sign of the devil...the Roman Catholics borrowed it from the Jews." -- Martin Luther, founder of the Lutheran Church

2. "Musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting up of lamps, the restoration of the other shadows of the law. The Papists, therefore, have foolishly borrowed this, as well as many other things, from the Jews. Men who are fond of outward pomp may delight in that noise; but the simplicity which God recommends to us by the apostle is far more pleasing to Him." -- John Calvin, founder of the Presbyterian Church

3. John Knox, father of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland, called the organ a "kist of whistles, fit only to entertain children."

4. "I have no objection to instruments of music, in our chapels, provided they are neither heard nor seen." -- John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church

5. "Music as a science, I esteem and admire: but instruments of music in the house of God I abominate and abhor. This is the abuse of music; and here I register my protest against all such corruptions in the worship of the Author of Christianity." -- Adam Clarke, commentator and prominent nineteenth century Methodist teacher

6. "I would as soon attempt to pray to God with machinery as to sing to Him with machinery." -- Charles H. Spurgeon, prominent nineteenth century Baptist preacher

7. These men are not quoted because they have any divine authority, but rather these quotes prove that the modern practices of these churches have departed from their former tradition, which was to worship with vocal music only. It was these denominations that chose to change, not the churches of Christ.

V. CONCLUSION

A. The Scriptural evidence is strong and convincing that God's desire for His worshipers in the church regarding music is for singing alone. Likewise, the historical evidence overwhelmingly shows that most churches rejected musical instruments in their collective worship.

B. So then, why is there any controversy about the matter?

1. At one time, there was no debate because churches did not use instrumental music. The use of mechanical instruments in worship is a relatively new concept to most churches and denominations (nineteenth century).

2. The debate exists now because most churches have returned to worshiping God in the flesh rather than in spirit. This is not because it is God's will but because it is man's will.

3. God's will has not changed from the beginning of the church. His word in the New Testament still stands as the standard. May we never depart from it.