Introduction:
There is no example of mechanical instruments of music being used to accompany singing, during corporate worship of God, in the New Testament of God’s Word.
1.) Jesus said those who worship God must do so in spirit and in truth (John
2.) For the Christian believer God’s Word is truth.
3.) M.C. Kurfees, a well-known gospel preacher from the latter part of the 19th century, made the following statement about example and practice according to scripture concerning this issue within the Christian’s corporate worship services…
“There is not a solitary mention of instrumental music in the worship of any New Testament Church, nor in any instance of Christian worship throughout the Apostolic Age. Now if there were no other proof in connection with the whole controversy, this fact in itself, so far as the wish to occupy infallibly safe ground is concerned, would be entirely sufficient for all thoughtful and unbiased minds” (1896 The Gospel Advocate Co. Nashville TN)
I.) There are many people who would disagree with that statement.
B.) The reasons on both sides of this debate have many valid and invalid points.
1.) The list of pros and cons for both sides are seemingly endless, however it is my hope to scratch the surface of the issue with the limited amount of time at my disposal.
2.) There are many issues of importance that should be dealt with in regard to Christianity.
3.) Many times people spend countless hours debating issues of no importance to eternal salvation.
4.) A contrite attitude and limited or narrow mind does nothing to open the eyes of the literarily blind, nor does it educate the ignorant.
II.) Anyone who has opinions about any given thing can generally be pinned down to having obtained their opinions from another source.
A.) Those people who have an open mind on issues that are not clear sometimes fall into the web spun by those who would advocate a practice by manipulating the facts in favor of their particular opinion.
1.) I am going to present both sides equally here without favoritism
2.) Then you can determine for yourself what is the correct or incorrect direction or course of action.
III.) First there is the position of those who advocate using mechanical instruments for producing music to accompany singing in worship
A.) They say that David played the harp and sang praises to God, which is a valid assertion based on the evidence presented in 2 Samuel 6:5, 1Chronicals 16:42, Nehemiah 12:36, Ecclesiastes 2:8.
1.) These are only a few of the better known passages cited by those who advocate the use of instruments in corporate worship services.
2.) It does indeed state in those scriptures that people of the Old Testament used all manner of instruments or all kinds of them.
3.) It would seem to be reasonable to assert if David was considered a man after God’s own heart, then examples based on his worship of God would not be outside of proper ideology.
4.) The advocate for instrumental music in corporate worship of God has a very reasonable premise based on these statements.
IV.) On the other hand those who are against using instruments of music in corporate worship of God could however cite the scriptures regarding the ordinances or former shadows of the Law of Moses as having been taken out of the way by Christ as the text reads, nailing them to His cross
(Col.2: 14).
A.) And that those things written in the Law were a schoolmaster which brought the worshiper of God to the school of Christ and now that faith has come those who worship God are no longer under a schoolmaster (Gal 3: 17-26).
B.) It might also be added that there is no direct evidence asserting God ever commanded David, or anyone else for that matter, to build a mechanical instrument of music for use in corporate worship.
C.) These too would be true and valid assertions based on scriptural evidences, with regard to the information in the Holy Bible.
V.) The advocate of non-instrumental worship in the corporate sense holds to a very simple basis in their position on the issue.
A.) The greatest reasoning for this position is based on the fact that there is no example of anyone using instruments of music in combination with singing or praising God in corporate worship in the entire New Testament.
1.) Non-instrumentalists cite scriptures such as Ephesians
2.) There are other scriptures such as Romans 15:9, 1Corinthians
3.) This is a valid position based on the evidence provided.
VII.) The advocates of using instrumental music, on the other hand, can easily cast dispersions on these assertions because of the terms psalms or psalm, which is used in three of the afore mentioned scriptures (Eph 5:19, Col. 3:16 and Jam. 5: 13).
B.) They could say that the term or terms refer to the plucking of a stringed instrument. Or they could apply plucking to touching of instruments for the reason of producing music.
C.) The word psallo or psalm is a highly debated term and its use is somewhat hard to discern from the standpoint of modern interpretations of the Greek language used in the text of origins.
D.) This claim can be both valid and invalid depending on which lexicon is being used.
E.) The overall definition should mean the plucking of strings or hairs as applied to a bow, lyre or harp. The following are definitions from two different lexicons for Greek biblical terms.
These definitions should show why the layman or the expert does not easily define the term psalm or psalms.
5568 yalmo&v s { psal-mos’}
From 5567; TDNT - 8:489, 1225; n m AV - psalm 5, Psalm 2; 7
GK - 6011 { yalmov" }
1) a striking, twanging
1a) of a striking the chords of a musical instrument
1b) of a pious song, a psalm
5567 ya&llw { psal’-lo}
Probably strengthened from yw_xw (to rub or touch the surface, cf 5597); TDNT - 8:489, 1225; v AV - sing 3, sing psalms 1, make melody 1; 5
GK - 6010 { yavllw }
1) to pluck off, pull out
2) to cause to vibrate by touching, to twang
2a) to touch or strike the chord, to twang the strings of a musical instrument so that they gently vibrate
2b) to play on a stringed instrument, to play, the harp, etc.
2c) to sing to the music of the harp
2d) In the NT to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song
It can be a difficult task, based on these definitions, to differentiate the exact application of the terms found in New Testament scriptures regarding the commands for praising God with songs. One side can find grounds to support their position in the same definition the opposing view uses to support their position. The question that each person who chooses to Worship God must ask is this one…]
VIII.) What does the Bible say? If those who choose to worship God want to Please God then they must look at the overall picture on any given issue.
A.) A person must apply the answer directly to them self. Both sides of this issue should make sure they have examined the New Testament scripture thoroughly before making assertions beyond example. (And example is the key)
B.) An Old Testament scripture that shows that God requires obedience to command comes from the mouth of Samuel when he told Saul, it is better to obey than to sacrifice (1 Sam.
C.) Many scriptures are cited in this age-old debate; almost all of them are hard to pin down in terms of exactness according to human opinion. One that I think is overlooked here says that God is not served or worshipped with men’s hands (Acts
Conclusion:
A.) If the Christian holds God’s Word as truth and believes that God has purposed certain commands in a specific nature for the church of the New Testament, then it should be simple to decide on the issue of instrumental music.
1.) But for many the need to please themselves or prideful intentions will cause them to refuse to see beyond the end of their own nose. People should never look to the Word of God to support what they want to believe. They should instead look to the Word of God and want to believe what it supports.
2.) Those who look to the Word for cause and not for comfort will have no comfort. Singing and playing are two distinctly different acts; each can be done without the other. However, from the scriptural standpoint one is definitely commanded in the New Testament, with regard to the corporate worship of God, and the other is not.
B.) In Matthew 21:23, the chief priests and the elders came to Jesus while He was teaching in the Temple and asked Him, "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave you this authority?"
1.) Jesus did not rebuke their concern for the need of the proper authority. He recognized that these men were not interested in knowing the truth so He answered their question with a question. In the next two verses, Jesus replied saying, "I will ask you one thing too, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.
2.) The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?"
3.) Jesus understood that there were only two possible answers for the source of John's baptism. Either God commanded it, or it was devised in the heart of man.
C.) Everything people do in their religious service falls under one of these two categories. Either God commanded it or man invented it.
1.) The question those who use instrumental music must answer is, "By what authority are you doing these things?"
2.) The burden is not on those who do not practice something but on those who do practice it. They are the ones who must give answer to man and God.
a.) When we baptize one into Jesus, what authority do we have?
b.) When we take the Lord's Supper, what authority do we have?
c.) When we collect or spend money, what authority do we have?
d.) If we use instrumental music, what authority do we have?
D.) We should be able to give book, chapter, and verse in God's Word to establish the authority for anything we are doing in our worship to God.
1.) If no scriptural authority can be found, the practice must be given up. To do something without Biblical authority is to ignore the will of God.
2.) Based on this which one would you chose? Guessing at possibility of applications based in human opinion, or the truth and example of God’s Word and will for us?
I KNOW WHAT I WILL CHOOSE >>TRUTH AND EXAMPLE OF THE WORD.