Music In Worship

By: Dan C. Bailey

People often ask the question, "Why don't you have a piano or organ in your worship services?" My response is, the Lord's church stands upon the solid rock of the authority of God's word. Mechanical of music, like the piano, organ, drums, saxophones, etc., are simply not authorized by God in New Testament worship. He specifically teaches us to sing. Since God specifies singing, that is what God authorized.

The communion or the Lord's Supper is authorized by God in the New Testament. The two elements in the communion are clearly specified, the fruit of the vine, and the unleavened bread. In general terms, the fruit of the vine is a drink. And in general terms, the unleavened bread is food. Now who would say that it is alright to take Pepsi and potato chips at the Lord's table?

Had God used the general term "to make music," then we could use instruments or we could sing, or we could do both. But God specifically said sing. That rules out all other types of music, in exactly the same fashion that the fruit of the vine rules out all other drink, and the unleavened bread rules out all other food. Please consider the following scriptures in order to determine the type of music that God authorized in the New Testament.

John 4:23-24--But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Matt 15:7-9-- Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Eph 5:17-19--Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Matt 26:30- - And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

Acts 16:25- -And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Romans 15:9- - And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

1 Cor 14:15- -What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

Eph 5:19 --Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Col 3:19 - - Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Heb 2:12 - - Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

James 5:13- - Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

The following quotation is not authoritative. However, it does demonstrate that other notable Bible students or preachers had a clear understanding of the difference between singing and playing instruments of music in worship.

Adam Clark was one of the most prominent Methodist preachers ever. His commentary on the Bible, under Amos 6:5, says the following: "I am an old man, and an old minister; and I here declare that I never knew them [musical instruments] productive of any good in the worship of God; and have had reason to believe that they were productive of much evil. 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. The late ...  John Wesley, who was a lover of music, and an elegant poet, when asked his opinion of instruments of music being introduced into the chapels of the Methodists said, in his terse and powerful manner, 'I have no objection to instruments of music in our chapels, provided they are neither HEARD nor SEEN.' "