SINGING PRAISES TO THE KING: EXEGETICAL AND THEOLOGICAL WARRANT FOR SINGING AS WORSHIP

SINGING PRAISES TO THE KING: EXEGETICAL AND THEOLOGICAL WARRANT FOR SINGING AS WORSHIP

By: Daniel McMillin

THE WAY WE WORSHIP MATTERS

As New Testament Christians, we believe that “God is in charge of every element of worship, including the use of instruments…we believe God alone has the authority to decide whether or not to use instruments in worship. If He hasn’t placed any instruments in His worship. We don’t believe we have the authority to bring any in.”[1] When we examine the Old Testament, we do read passages about instruments being used in worship; however, it should be noted that what was acceptable in worship under the Old Testament may not be in the New Testament since it has been nailed to the cross (Col. 2:14) and Christ has instituted a new and better covenant (Heb. 8:6-10).[2] In the New Testament, we do not find any instances where the early Church worshiped with instruments. Thus, the burden of proof is on those who argue for the use of instruments in worship. I will be arguing positively that we are commanded only to sing praises to God and negatively that we are not permitted to add instruments to our worship. “In this New Testament system,” Dan Chambers writes, “God dramatically changed how His people would worship Him, and he revealed His new plants for worship through His apostles.”[3] We want to answer the following question: How did the early Church worship? Did they sing with the accompaniment of instruments, or did they only sing? As we examine the New Testament and Church history, we discover that “the earliest references to Christian services mention singing but are silent about instruments.”[4]

SINGING AS AN ACT OF WORSHIP: RETRIEVING THE APOSTOLIC DOCTRINE

In Acts 2:42, those who were immersed in Christ’s name and received the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit were said to be “devoted” to the “apostles’ teaching.”[5] The New Testament Church followed the authority of the apostles, and so, if an apostle said it, then the Church did it; that is the pattern we are seeking to follow. We sing because we are devoted to the apostle’s doctrine. 

On matters of doctrine, it is important to ask, what would the apostles do? For centuries, Christians asked this question and refused to use instruments in worship because the apostles did not. So, is there something that was overlooked concerning the apostle's doctrine, or is there simply a departure from what the apostles explicitly taught in Scripture?  My plea with each of you is that we, to use the words of N.B. Hardeman, “Take God at his word, believe what he says, do just what he requires, live as he directs, and trust him for the promises.”[6] If we are following a tradition, it is the tradition set by the apostles. We are not simply following the Restoration pioneers, the Reformers, or the Church Fathers, though our views on this matter surely align with theirs; rather, we are attempting to follow the New Testament pattern and allow the “oracles of God” to speak for themselves.

SINGING AS AN ACT OF WORSHIP: CHURCH HISTORY

Everett Ferguson, a Church historian who has the most extensive research on early Church worship, concluded that “the historical argument is quite strong against early Christian use of instrumental music in church.”[7] Governor Pliny reported to Emperor Trajan that Christians sang hymns to praise Jesus of Nazareth as a deity.[8] Universally, all of the Church Fathers, like Augustine and Origen, were intensely opposed to the use of instruments in worship—if the patristics unanimously agree on something that is very telling.[9]  The Reformers like Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli were passionately against the use of instruments in worship. McGarvey notes, “In the earlier years of the present Reformation there was entire unanimity in the rejection of instrumental music from our public worship. It was declared unscriptural, inharmonious with Christian institutions, and a source of corruption.”[10] 

While there may be a few isolated events where churches introduced instruments into the worship services (the earliest was 800 years after Christ), it was not until the 1700s that instruments were incorporated within worship services. The first time an instrument was played in the Lord’s Church in the United States was in the year 1858 in Midway, Kentucky.[11] The question is: What changed? Either it was the Word of God, or it was man’s conviction to the truth of God’s word. And I assure you; it was not the word of God that changed—it was man’s interpretation. At this point, it is obvious that history is not on my opponent’s side, and what I want my opponents to answer is: Why did the early Church, the Church Fathers, and the Reformers refuse to use instruments? They would argue: “Since God didn’t place any instruments in Christian worship, they weren’t going to bring any in.”[12] Likewise, “since God didn’t place any instruments in Christian worship, we aren’t going to bring any in.”[13] The absence of instruments in worship is an overwhelming reality. Ferguson has repeatedly noted that the early Church worshiped God with its voices without instruments:

The early Church did not sing with the accompaniment of instruments, but they sang with one voice for the glory of God. “The shift from unison singing or changing to four-part harmony is still vocal singing. It is not bringing in an instrumental accompaniment.”[18] Early Christians continued to maintain their conviction that they were to sing with “one voice”[19] Early Christians sang hymns that borrowed a Hellenistic and Jewish style.[20] Christian worship can borrow style from the culture because that is just how music and poetry are translated in other cultures. The activity of worship cannot be translated. Just because you use four-part harmony does not mean you are fundamentally changing the act of singing; it is simply permissible within the realm of style. In addition, one would not argue that all songs must be sung the same; otherwise, there would not be distinctions made concerning the types of songs sung during the first-century (cf. Eph. 5; Col. 3). According to Basil of Caesarea, there were three types of congregational participation in singing:

(1)   Responsorial singing: the reader or precentor sang the body of the text, and the congregation repeated what was sung (this is called a ‘refrain’).
(2)   Antiphonal singing: the congregation was divided into two groups and alternated what they sang.
(3)   Unison singing: the entire congregation sang together in harmony.[21] 

The early patristic literature suggests that responsorial singing was the earliest and most common form in the early Church.[22] According to Ferguson, “Since voices differ according to age and sex, the emphasis must have been on total participation and the unity and harmony of the church more than on maintaining the same tone.”[23] 

SINGING AS A PATTERN FOR WORSHIP

In a conversation with a Samaritan woman, Jesus said in John 4:23-24, “An hour is coming, and now is, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people, the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Singing has a place in true worship because its aims are directed to the glory of God.[24] There is something unique about how we worship in the Churches of Christ. We sing without the accompaniment of instruments. We just sing acapella music (in Latin, this means “in the manner of the chapel”). We did not always stand out for the way we worship because, historically, no one used instruments in worship because it was in conflict with God’s command to sing. This debate is primarily concerned with what is authorized by Scripture and what is not. I am arguing that singing in worship is authorized by God in Scripture, and instrumental music is not authorized by God in Scripture.[25] The New Testament provides a pattern for New Testament worship, which includes singing, but it does not contain a single verse in the New Testament that authorizes instruments in worship. The burden of proof resides with those who support using instruments in the public assembly for worship.  However, one will find that any attempts to introduce the use of instruments is an afront to restoring New Testament Christianity. As J.W. McGarvey rightly notes, “It is manifest that we cannot adopt the practice,” that is, the practice of the instrument in worship, “without abandoning the obvious and only ground on which a restoration of primitive Christianity can be accomplished or on which the plea for it can be maintained. Such is my profound conviction, and consequently the question with me is not one concerning the choice or rejection of an expedient the maintenance or abandonment of a fundamental and necessary principle.”[26] Our movement rests on this proposition. If we accept this, then we will be allowing the floodgates to open on a whole load of other things that we once previously rejected out of necessity if we are seeking consistency.

In Matthew 26:30, after Jesus introduced His disciples to the emblems of communion, we read that they sang a “hymn.” This signals the singing of Hallel Psalms (Ps. 111-118) during the Jewish Passover. This is why early Christians sang praises to the Lord, similar to why they partook of what we call the “Lord’s supper,” it is because the Lord has given His disciples a pattern to follow. There is no evidence to suggest that Jews used instruments in this, nor that Jesus did on that day. In Acts 16:25, Paul and Silas were imprisoned, and many of the prisoners could hear them “praying and singing hymns of praise to God.” In 1 Corinthians 14:15, the apostle Paul said, within the context of the necessity for orderly worship, “I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the mind also.” In light of the immediate context, Paul emphasizes the necessity of intelligible worship that produces edification. Therefore, we sing to praise God with our minds and spirits to glorify God and to, as he says in verse 26, “build up” our brothers and sisters in Christ. In Romans 15:9, Paul, quoting Psalm 18, “wrote, “I will…sing to your name.” In Ephesians 5:19 after Paul exhorts his brethren to “be filled with the Spirit,” he encourages them to speak “to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.” Here, we notice that this act of singing was to be done in the presence of fellow Christians in the assembly according to the authority of Jesus. In Colossians 3:16, Paul tells his brethren to focus on the things above and remove their sinful past as they “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.” Hebrews 2:12, citing Psalm 22:22, pictures Christ in the presence of the assembly singing. In James 5:13, the brother of Christ admonishes those who are “cheerful” to “sing praises.” In Revelation 4:11, we see that God is praised through “singing.” In Revelation 5:9 and 14:3, we notice that they “sang a new song.” In Revelation 15:3, “they sang the song of Moses” and “the song of the Lamb.” Finally, as we see Hebrews 13:15, we confess our faith in Christ as we sing by offering up our songs “to God as a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.” Ferguson notes, “Instead of the material offerings of the ancient pagan and Jewish temple worship, Christians offer spiritual sacrifices. One of the items that qualifies as a spiritual sacrifice is song, if it is offered from the human spirit and is in accord with God’s will.”[27]

In the early Church, Christ was the content of songs, that is, He was “the standard for the content of songs in the assembly that meets in his name.”[28] For example, Philippians 2:6-11 and 1 Timothy 3:16 have been identified as early Christian hymns that Paul cited in his letters. “Christ’s saving work on behalf of humanity is the reason why Christians sing. But he is not only the inspiration for Christian song; he also provides its essential content.”[29] That is why we are commanded to sing. We confess our faith in Christ as we sing.

When Christians assembled to worship during the first century, they regularly engaged in acapella singing (Acts 16:25; 1 Cor. 14:15). The Bible shows us that God has commanded us to sing in worship. In Paul’s letters to Ephesus and Colosse (Eph. 5:19-21; Col. 3:16), he notes that the early church sang. When they sang, they taught, admonished, and praised God through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. When Christians praise the Lord in song, they make melody in their hearts with thanks unto God. As A. Chadwick Thronhill says, “The songs function both to offer thanks and praise to God and to transform the minds and hearts of believers as they sign and set their attention on the message of Christ.”[30] The New Testament is clear: instruments are never permitted in worship. God has set the standard for what is acceptable in praise to Him. He is in charge of every element of worship. Instruments are not permitted according to God. Since God has not placed instruments in worship, they are not allowed to be brought in and used when praising the Lord. God will not be pleased by this form of worship because it is not acceptable. It should not have to be said, yet I believe it is often time missed that worship is about God, not ourselves. Worship should be done the way God wants if it is for Him. Worship is not about what we think or how we feel, but rather, it is all about submitting to God and giving Him what He has commanded, not recommended. Worship is about giving glory to God and exhorting the brethren; it is not a time for fun and games. Worship is a serious and intimate time where we fellowship with our fellow Christians to honor the Lord.

To provide some interaction with the Biblical text, I will examine in more detail Paul’s letters to the Ephesians and Colossians (see figure 1 and 2 for overlap).

In this first passage, it shows us the power of allowing Christ’s words to penetrate our hearts and influence us from the inside-out. These words of wisdom and admonition are sung by three different methods: psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. The attitude is then provided; not only are we to do the act of singing, but we are to do so with gratitude within our hearts towards the Lord. I do affirm that instrumental music in worship is an unacceptable method of praise to the Lord. It is not according to His pattern because it is not in His design; that is to say, it is not something He desires. Anything other than what He has commanded is against His will, and He will not accept it.

FIGURE 1: PARALLELISM IN COLOSSIANS 3:15-17 AND EPHESIANS 5:18-20[31]

However, I find it relevant to note that the emphasis of this text is not upon whether or not instrumental music can be used in worship and is not to prove that we are to sing acapella when we sing praise to the Lord, though these are important topics and subjects that this text is highly qualified of proving, the purpose is to promote the power of the Lord’s “word” that it may live in them. Too often, I have heard individuals teach and preach from this beautiful text, and they miss the entire point. They want to discuss what the text does not mean at the expense of missing what the text actually says. Going back to the discussion at hand, a principle must be stated. A passage authorizes only what it authorizes. Singing it authorized, teaching and admonishing, singing in worship with grace in the heart. This text shows that there is a need for authority; Christ is the authority. There is the authority to sing; however, there is no authority, according to the pattern of the New Testament, for the use of mechanical instruments in worship.

FIGURE 2: A SYNOPSIS OF EPHESISIANS 5:18-20 AND COLOSSIANS 3:15-17[32]

Singing is an expression of gratitude directed to God. Paul associates singing with the indwelling of the word of Christ and the Spirit of God. As Everett Ferguson wrote, “Singing is the result of being filled with the Holy Spirit and of possessing the word of Christ. The Spirit and the word belong together, and vocal praise is a consequence of their presence. The singing, therefore, will be spiritual in nature and will accord with the word of Christ.”[33] According to Ralph P. Martin, “it is hard to draw any hard-and-fast distinction between these terms; and modern scholars are agreed that the various terms are used loosely to cover the various forms of musical composition,” a statement that is still true sixty years later in modern academia.[34] Normally, when these three methods of singing are distinguished, they are categorized as follows:

“Psalms” – Songs that pattern the Old Testament psalter.
“Hymns” –Songs of praise such as the hymns used by the New Testament authors (Phil. 2:6-11; 1 Tim. 3:16)
“Spiritual songs” –Spirit-inspired or biblically-based songs (1 Cor. 14:15, 26)

In Ephesians 5:19, Paul encouraged his readers to assemble and worship the Lord as Spirit-indwelled Christians who speak or sing to each other in “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” When they do this, they are “singing and making melody” in their “heart.” Paul suggests that “the innermost depths of one’s being must also participate in worship to God.”[35] Singing should involve our entire mind, body, soul, and strength. Olbricht notes, “Worship in singing requires a conscious effort. The fact that we are singing does not mean we are worshiping. Only when we are concentrating on the words and making melody in our hearts to the Lord are we truly worshiping God with our singing.”[36] Notice Paul’s point on the presence of the human “heart” in our singing. The heart is the center of the will. Frank Thielman says, “This musical speech is to be heartfelt and directed to the Lord.”[37] Our songs of praise from the heart are then directed “to the Lord” in gratitude. That is why “where Christ and the fullness of God dwell, the joyful hearts of those who are filled with the Spirit overflow in praise to the Lord.”[38] These songs of thanksgiving and praise are to be done “In the name of,” or, according to the authority of, “our Lord Jesus Christ” and God “the Father.” The apostle is saying that the “song proceeds from the heart and is accompanied by the attitudes of the heart, especially the attitude of thanksgiving.”[39] 

In Colossians 3:16, Paul encouraged his readers to allow the “word of Christ” to take residence within them so the teachings about Christ may “dwell” in them “richly” with “all wisdom.” As they praise the Lord in song, they will be “teaching and admonishing one another,” that is, instructing and guiding each other through the various “psalms,” “hymns,” and “spiritual songs.” Songs must be spiritual if our worship is to be spiritual. Instrumental music “does not meet the criteria of edifying, instructive, spiritual, and rational worship.”[40] These songs are to generate mutual edification and exhortation. “Christians are to exhort and build each other up through singing, which can be emotional as well as instruction.”[41] As they sang these songs, they were to maintain a character of thanksgiving within their “hearts” for the sole purpose of praising “the Lord.” When we assemble to worship, “the singing should be heartfelt, sincere, proceeding from the inner being of each singer.”[42] In addition, our singing should be done “in the name of the Lord Jesus” – To do something “in the name of” something signifies that the action is done in accordance with the authority named. Thus, singing is to be done according to Christ’s authority since it is done in His name. Primarily, our songs of praise are directed towards Christ as His words dwell within us richly. In the following verse, Paul will tell his readers that whatever they do “in word or deed,” that is, in teaching and practice, is to be done according to the authority of Christ (3:17). Thus, “whatever you teach, it must be by divine authority. Whatever you practice, it must be by divine authority.”[43] How can we do all things, including worship, in Christ’s name and by Christ’s authority and use instruments in worship?

WHY DID NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANS NOT USE INSTRUMENTS IN WORSHIP?

In the first-century, instruments were used in everyday life. It was a Jewish custom to use instruments like flutes in mourning ceremonies, as we see in Matthew 9:23 and 11:7. At the end of the age, a “trumpet” will announce the second coming of Christ, according to Matthew 24:31. In 1 Corinthians 13:1, Paul mentioned “a noisy gong” and “clanging cymbal” in his discussion about love. In 1 Corinthians 14:7-8, Paul, in his discussion about prophecy, mentions the “flute,” “harp,” and “bugle.” In light of these texts, we see that instruments were readily available to New Testament Christians. If they were accessible, why were they not used in worship for the early Church? Lewis says, “Despite the use of instruments in the Old Testament worship and despite the availability of instruments, instruments are never mentioned as being used in New Testament worship.”[44] The burden of proof is placed upon my opponent to answer why we do not find first-century Christians did not use instruments in worship. 

FOLLOWING THE PATTERN OF WORSHIP TO SING

Under the New Testament, there is no authority for the use of instruments in worship. The bible’s pattern of worship in the New Testament is that we sing. Individuals have departed from God’s original design for worship. Thus, there is a grand need for restoration in the Church. If we intend to restore New Testament Christianity, then we will return to the beginning and examine what the early Church did to worship the Lord. What we will discover is that the New Testament Christians did not use instruments in worship. “In the Bible, followers of Christ simply sang in worship, without instruments.”[45] I admonish my opponents to follow the pattern laid out in the New Testament. If the inspired Scripture provides us with the proper guidelines to obey God (2 Tim. 3:16-17), that is, if it offers us a pattern to follow in worship, then where is the pattern in the New Testament? One may provide texts from the Old Testament, but what about the New Testament evidence? If it is not located in the New Testament, then it is not a pattern that instruments were used in worship by the early Church. In conclusion, the New Testament authorizes singing but does not authorize the use of instruments in worship. As New Testament Christians, we should follow the New Testament pattern for New Testament worship.[46]      

MELODIOUS CONFLICT: THE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC DEBATE

The use of instruments in corporate worship is a topic that is often assumed in Christendom, but there is major pushback in the debate for instrumental music.[47] I will outline a few arguments that are often used to support the use of instruments in worship and offer some rebuttal to each point.

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS ON INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

“Something approved in the Old Testament could be disapproved in New Testament worship.”[48] For example, we do not practice Jewish customs like not eating bacon, we do not observe the Sabbath day, and we do not sacrifice animals on altars. We are under the New Testament, not the Old. What was acceptable worship under one covenant does not translate to another. In addition, if instruments were important to God’s worship, as they were under the Old Testament, then they would appear in the New Testament. The New Testament’s silence on the matter bears much weight on the matter. Why should we use instruments in worship as they did under the Old Law and not the other requirements, and why did they not worship God with instruments under the New Testament?

“One cannot assume,” as Miller notes, “that simply because God approved of a worship practice under Judaism, He likewise approves of it in Christian worship.”[49] In the early Church, there were two views concerning the usage of instruments in the Old Testament:[50] 

(1)   Historical-covenantal distinction: God allowed instrumental music to prevent the Jews from apostasy since they may be tempted by the attractive music played by the idolaters.[51] 
(2)   Allegorical: the usage of instruments in the Old Testament are not literal instruments but are descriptions of the human body since it is the true instrument of praise.[52] 

According to two early church theologians, the reason why instruments were used in worship in the Old Testament was because they were among the same category of practices during the child state of God’s people. It is not until the establishment of the New Testament that singing without the accompaniment of instruments was the only standard.[53] 

PSALLO: THAT’S GREEK TO ME

Without a doubt, psallo means “sing.” All five times that the term is used in the New Testament it is translated “sing” or “make melody.” It is very telling that the majority of translations and biblical scholars agree that this word should be translated as “sing,” while my opponent calls into question the academic consensus on the translation of this word. If one desires to disagree with how this Greek word has been translated, then I would like for them to demonstrate how we have falsely departed from the “correct” understanding of psallo.

Bill Mounce defines psallo as, “to move by a touch, to twitch; to touch, strike the strings or chords of an instrument; absol. to play on a stringed instrument; to sing to music; in New Testament to sing praises.”[54] You cannot define a word by its etymology, that is, its root meaning, and ignore the immediate context where the term is used differently. Rather, words are defined by their usage. That is why every time the word psallo means “to play an instrument,” an instrument is identified in the text. The word psallo demands an instrument if it is supposed to mean what my opponent is arguing. In addition, regardless of how a word may be used elsewhere, this too does not determine a word’s use, but the immediate context does. If the word meant to include instruments, it would have included them in the context. The question we should concern ourselves with is: How did the New Testament authors use the word?

It just so happens that every time psallo is used, it does not include instruments, and it always means “to sing.” In addition, the word psallo including the usage of instruments, was “true of one stage in the history of the usage of these words but not of late Jewish and of Christian usage, where a vocal expression is all that can be affirmed.”[55] In the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, the LXX, there is a shift in meaning where the playing of an instrument is not required in the definition of psallo. This term was used 58xs with 3 separate usages: (1) use of an instrument, (2) singing with the accompaniment of an instrument, (3) singing [the majority of the time it is referring to singing]. At an earlier time in linguistic history, the term psallo encompassed playing musical instruments; however, according to two of the most highly respected Greek lexicons, BDAG and TDNT, when the New Testament was being written, it did not include mechanical instruments. Finally, regardless of how the term may be used in the Old Testament, Septuagint, or New Testament the words psallo and kardia are dative. Thus, “it is your heart that is the instrument.”[56] The burden of proof is on those who would suggest otherwise.

Kurfees notes five ways psallo is used: “(1) to pluck the hair; (2) to twang the bowstring; (3) to twitch a carpenter’s line; (4) to touch the chords of a musical instrument, that is, to make instrumental music; and (5) to touch the chords of the human heart, that is, to sing, to celebrate with hymns of praise.”[57] He further suggests that in the New Testament, the term is used to mean sing praises.

If one were to argue that the word psallo did include instruments, it seems strange that the early Church did not recognize this to be the case. As we have seen, there is no historical evidence to suggest this to be the case. In addition, no one used instruments in worship for over a thousand years, so did we just now get it right but we, and everyone before us, were sinning since we did not use instruments in worship? This is surely a preposterous position to hold that lacks sufficient biblical and historical evidence.[58]

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION

I want to offer three considerations concerning the argument that we should allow instruments to be used on earth as they are in Heaven: (1) This principle does not appear anywhere in Scripture, nor does it necessarily follow as a consequence of God’s pattern for worship. (2) If this principle were true, then we would have the ability to justify anything so long as it happens in heaven, but that would be impossible since we dwell on earth. In addition, if what happened in heaven conflicted with what God commanded us to do on earth, then we must choose to worship God the way He has commanded us to on earth rather than the way things operate in heaven. (3) This goes against their entire argument because in heaven, they worship God by singing how God alone is worthy of worship.

Heavenly music does not dictate earthly worship. It does not follow that just because something is done in heaven, it should, therefore, be done on earth. In Rev. 1:10 and 4:10, John hears a voice LIKE a loud trumpet, but it is not a trumpet. In Rev. 8:2, 6, seven trumpets are sounded, but they do not have to do with worship. In Rev. 18:22, “the sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters will never be heard” again in Babylon. In Rev. 5:8 and 15:2-3, the emphasis is on singing, not on playing the harps. In fact, this goes against my opponent’s point because the instruments SYMBOLIZE singing. In addition, if we were to say that this is evidence for adding instruments to our worship, then why would we not apply incense? John Calvin similarly argued, “When they (believers) frequent their sacred assemblies, musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting up of lamps, and the restoration of the other shadows of the law.”[59] Revelation does not support instrumental music in worship because it does not provide evidence for first-century practice, nor does it show that instruments are a form of worship meant to be practiced by us today. Let us leave the harps in heaven and use our voices to sing on earth as God has commanded.[60] 

EXPEDIENCY ARGUMENT

Singing involves emotion. I will readily admit that while instruments may stir up our emotions, they are not associated with captivating our emotions, according to the New Testament. Rather, the unadulterated presence of these “songs of praise” induces a “cheerful” heart. Singing is an expression of not only our soul but our emotions. This does not require mechanical instruments. Now, while they may not be necessary, can they be considered expedient? God commands the kind of singing we should worship. Instrumental music is not an aid to worship; it is a different kind of music. Instruments are not expediencies like songbooks, PowerPoint projectors, pitch pipes, or microphones that aid our worship. Rather, Instruments do not aid our worship but add to it. In fact, the majority of the time, they eliminate the presence of congregational singing. If we are to include instruments in our worship and claim that they complement the beauty of our worship, but the entire congregation is not involved, then it is not aiding our singing but replacing it. This goes against everything Paul wrote in Romans 15:5-6 concerning joint participation in worship that produces Christian unity. The introduction of instruments does not complement our worship but adds something destructive to our worship; it is something that God does not desire but is something man desires. Instruments interrupt the order that God commands in our worship, as we have seen in 1 Corinthians 14. I agree with John Wesley when he said, “I have no object to instruments of music in our worship, provided they are neither seen nor heard.”[61]

WORSHIP THAT IS PLEASING TO GOD

Lewis says, “At the heart of the discussion about instrumental music in worship is the question of who is to be pleased by our worship.”[62] God is the audience of praise, and we are the servants who humbly lift our praise to the heavens. Ultimately, our worship is reserved for the glory of God alone (Soli Deo gloria). “Scripture insists,” as Greg Allision writes, “that the church must worship God according to the way he finds acceptable.”[63] We are giving thanks to God. If we want to thank God, we ought to do it the way that He desires to be thanked; otherwise, it is not directed to God and accomplishing our purpose of gratitude. If a wife sends her husband to the store to get milk, eggs, and bacon, but when her husband returns from the store, he returns with a pack of gum, lobster, and Dr. Pepper. Should the wife be thankful for her husband going to the store and accepting what he has given her, or should she be displeased with him for not carrying out her instructions? We cannot treat God in such a disrespectful way to try and get what we want, and do as we please and then pretend as though He will be pleased by what we do when it is not what He has commanded. God does not desire us to use instruments; He commands us to sing. I also want to note that this is not optional. I cannot just participate in whatever I feel like doing when I am worshipping God. I have to sing. It does not matter if I am tone-deaf. It does not matter if I am embarrassed to sing. It does not matter if I do not like to sing. Worship is an act of sacrifice that is offered to God. He is pleased by the worship we offer in truth and spirit, but if I never offer Him anything, then I am just as bad as the man who was given a talent and never did a thing with it. That is repulsive to God. God wants me to sing, and so I ought to sing.

THE BIBLE DOES NOT CONDEMN THE USE OF INSTRUMENTS IN WORSHIP

The Bible does not have to say, “Do not use instruments in worship.” How do we determine an authoritative pattern? When is an example binding? According to Allision, “God and God alone determine what is pleasing to him in terms of worship. Furthermore, God’s revelation of acceptable worship is found in Scripture and Scripture alone.”[64] We need to ask: Is it commanded in the Scriptures? Is it a good and necessary consequence of Scripture? We want to follow what is called the “regulative principle,” that is, God dictates how He is worshiped in Scripture. “The regulative principle,” according to Ligon Duncan, “states that worship in its content, motivation, and aim is to be determined by God alone. He teaches us how to think about him and how to approach him. The further we get away, then, from his directions, the less we actually worship.”[65] The Bible does not have to say, “Sing only a cappella music” and “Do not use instruments” since that is not the sort of book that it claims to be, nor is it how it outlines doctrine.

CULTURAL ARGUMENT

There are four socio-economic arguments that may explain why instruments were not used in the first-century:

(1)   Not all Christians were wealthy. Instruments were not as accessible at that time. Thus, it was impractical for Christians to use instruments in worship.

(2)   Christians faced Roman persecution and would announce their presence to soldiers if they used trumpets, gongs, or lyres.

(3)   Instrumental music was often associated with idolatry and immorality, which would obviously detract from the Gospel.

(4)   Just because the New Testament does not record the use of instruments in worship does not regulate whether or not we can or cannot use them.

In response: (1) there were instruments in the first century that were accessible to the common man. For example, flutes were inexpensive and could have been used. (2) The hypothetical Roman persecution does not permit the usage of instruments simply because they could have possibly used instruments only if they had not been caught. There is no evidence to suggest that this was a dilemma. Also, we have no reason to suggest that any Christians were caught singing and were persecuted. In fact, Christians were known to worship God through songs.[66] (3) Jewish Temple music was not associated with idolatry and immorality, so if that is true, then why would Christian music? In addition, those who converted from idolatry abandoned the use of instruments in worship, which appears to draw the line even further.  (4) The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. In addition, silence is not permission.[67] This does not prove that instruments are acceptable to God for the use of worship. It simply states that the New Testament authors do not address the issue of instrumental music, which may be more telling than anything else if they assumed singing excluded instrumental music. As Lewis notes, “The New Testament does not pretend to contain a list of all the things people should not do in worship.”[68] If the Bible contained a grand list of “DO NOT’s” when He commands us to “DO” a certain thing, then the Bible would be unbearable. All that God has to do is command something one way, and anything that contradicts that through addition or subtraction is against what God has commanded. “God’s commands are inclusive and exclusive. Those commands include everything that is specified, and they exclude everything that is not specified.”[69] There are two types of commands: (1) Generic command, which authorizes the imprecise performance of some act, and (2) Specific command, which authorizes the performance and manner of a particular act.[70]

FINDING THE RIGHT HILLS TO DIE ON: IS THIS A SALVATION ISSUE?

At this time, I want to make an additional point concerning the tone of this debate. We do not base doctrine upon the metric of salvation. That is, the weight of a doctrines value or it's relevance is not determined by whether or not you will go to hell for affirming one way or another. The only salvation issues are those located within the realm of soteriology. I affirm that true Christians in Christchurch church will be true worshippers (John 4:23-24). However, when the discussion of our worship is being debated, it doesn't matter if you will be condemned or not. It appears as though that becomes the primary subject matter or the standard by which we discuss a certain issue. But if that is all that you are focused on, whether or not you will be damned if you worship one way or another, then you are missing the entire point of worship. It is not about whether or not we will be condemned for what we do. It is not about what is permissible so long as my salvation is secure. It is about being pleasing to God and giving him what he desires. And you will do that not to be saved but because you are saved. Our view of scripture has become incredibly self-centered. We do not stop and ask what God wants, but rather, we test the bounds of worship to see if it goes outside of what God has asked for and determine whether or not it is good based upon the standard of: Will I be condemned for this or not?

There is an exegetical and theological case for singing in corporate worship that cannot be made for the use of instrumental music. As Ferguson notes, “Instruments cannot do the things that we have seen singing does. Instrumental music, indeed, serves no theological purpose.”[71] Ferguson offers nine theological points for singing:[72]

·       Singing proclaims the glory of Christ

·       Singing confesses faith in Christ

·       Singing expresses the indwelling Spirit and word of Christ

·       Singing offers spiritual sacrifice

·       Singing is a participation in the heavenly praise

·       Singing mutually edifies

·       Singing exemplifies Christian unity

·       Singing involves the whole person

·       Singing expresses deep religious emotion 

Ferguson summarized this “rich doctrinal teaching in the New Testament about vocal music” when he said that “singing proceeds from the heart and is accompanied by the attitudes of the heart, especially the attitude of Thanksgiving and praise to God. Singing expresses thanksgiving and praise expresses our adoration of God.”[73]  Our songs should reflect deep theology (doctrine), and our theology of worship (doxology) should produce rich singing.

To preserve the beauty of singing, I believe we must follow the early church’s pattern for New Testament worship and not add instruments to our praise; otherwise, the elegance of singing becomes corroded. My mentor Earl Edwards concluded that “to add instrumental music is wrong because it goes beyond what is authorized in God’s Holy Word. It is a question of submission to God. It is not an area of human judgment.”[74] My prayer is that we would restore New Testament Christianity today in the worship assembly by retrieving the biblical doctrine of singing without the accompaniment of instruments for the glory of Christ.

END NOTES:

[1] Chambers, Churches in the Shape of Scripture, 80.

[2] For a survey on the Bible’s teaching of music and a thorough treatment of the Christian assembly under the New Testament and not the Old Testament, see Olbricht, A Cappella Music, Why?: Music of God’s Choice for Christian Worship, 37-54.

[3] Chambers, Churches in the Shape of Scripture, 88.

[4] Ferguson, “Music,” in Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, 789.

[5] Turner argues that “apostle’s teaching” is a broad term that “includes all methods of and means of setting forth the teaching of the apostles—whether by informing, exhorting, reproving, or singing.” (Biblical Theology, 358)

[6] Hardeman, Tabernacle Sermons, 272.

[7] Ferguson, The Instrumental Music Issue, 98.

[8] Ferguson, Early Christians Speak: Faith and Life in the First Three Centuries, 145-162.

[9] Foley, Foundations of Christian Music: The Music of Pre-Constantinian Christianity; McKinnon, “The Church Fathers and Musical Instruments”; Stapert, A New Song for an Old World: Musical Though in the Early Church.

[10] McGarvey, “Instrumental Music in Churches,” in Millennial Harbinger (November 1864): 510.

[11] West, The Search for the Ancient Order, 16.

[12] Chambers, Churches in the Shape of Scripture, 89.

[13] Chambers, Churches in the Shape of Scripture, 90.

[14] Ferguson, A Cappella Music in the Public Worship of the Church, 83.

[15] Ferguson, The Church of Christ, 272.

[16] Ferguson, “Early Church History and the Instrumental Music Controversy,” in The Instrumental Music Issue, 79.

[17] Ferguson, “Early Church History and the Instrumental Music Controversy,” in The Instrumental Music Issue, 97-98.

[18] Lewis 140.

[19] Ignatius, Eph.

[20] See Ferguson, “Hymns” in Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, 548-550; also see “Music,” 787-790.

[21] Basil of Caesarea Ep. 207.

[22] Tertullian, Or. 27; John Chrysostom, Hom. 36 in 1 Cor. 14:33; Const. app. 2.57.6; Test. Dom. 2.11, 22; Pliny the Younger, Ep. 10.96.

[23] Ferguson, “Music,” in Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, 788-789.

[24] “When Christians did reflect on the nature of their own music, they called attention to its moral purpose.” (Ferguson, “Music,” in Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, 789) We give ourselves to God as moral creatures who offer a moral sacrifice of ourselves, namely, our moral character. This is why we live morally. “Christian music was intended to glorify God, to edify the faithful by lifting thoughts above and reaffirming the faith, to improve conduct, and to proclaim the truth.” (790)

[25] “The unison of voices of Christians would be more acceptable to God than any musical instrument. Accordingly, in all the churches of God, united in soul and attitude, with one mind and in agreement of faith and piety, we send up a unison melody in the words of the Psalms.” (Eusebius of Caesarea, Comm. Ps. 91:2-3)

[26] McGarvey. “A little Farther Along,” Apostolic Times 1 (April 22, 1869): 13.

[27] Ferguson, Living and Worshiping as the Body of Christ, 104.

[28] Ferguson, The Church of Christ, 269.

[29] Ferguson, Living and Worshiping as the Body of Christ, 103.

[30] Thornhill, “Worship in the Prison Epistles” in Biblical Worship: Theology for God’s Glory, 436.

[31] Thornhill, “Worship in the Prison Epistles” in Biblical Worship: Theology for God’s Glory, 435-436.

[32] Block, For the Glory of God: Recovering a Biblical Theology of Worship, 232.

[33] Ferguson, The Church of Christ, 270.

[34] Ralph P. Martin, Worship in the Early Church, 47.

[35] Lightfoot.

[36] Olbricht, Worship: Life’s Greatest Moments, 120.

[37] Thielman, Ephesians, 362.

[38] Lockhart, Ephesians, 276.

[39] Ferguson, Living and Worshiping as the Body of Christ, 103.

[40] Ferguson, The Church of Christ, 272.

[41] Roper, Colossians, 38.

[42] Moo, Colossians, 283.

[43] Highers, “Why Churches of Christ Do Not Use Instrumental Music in Worship,” 13.

[44] Lewis, Basic Beliefs, 139.

[45] Alsup, The Church of Christ, 117.

[46] For additional resources not cited, Jividen, Worship in Song; Lewis, Olbricht, and Manor, The Question of Instrumental Music in Worship.

[47] Blakely and Highers, Debate on Instrumental Music in Worship; Flatt, The Instrumental Music Issue; James, Lipe, May, and Swetmon, Instrumental Music: Faith or Opinion.

[48] Lewis 140.

[49]  Miller, Instrumental Music, 7-8.

[50] This section is indebted to Ferguson’s article on “Music” in Encyclopedia Early Church.

[51] Theodoret, Affect. 7.16; Ps. 150.4; John Chrysostom, Exp. Ps. 149:2.

[52] Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 2.4.41-42; John Chrysostom, Exp. Ps. 150; Hom. in Ps. 145.2, 3; Athanasius, Ep. Marcell. 20; Jerome, Hom. 21 in Ps. 91; Augustine, in Ps. 43.5; 92.5.

[53] Theodoret, Quaes. Et. Resp. ad Orth. 107; Niceta, Util. hymn., 9.

[54]  Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words, 1313.

[55] Ferguson, The Church of Christ, 273.

[56] Gilmore, Pleasing God, 75.

[57] Kurfees, Instrumental Music in the Worship, 275.

[58] See Alexander, Music in Worship: New Examination of an Old Issue, 67-80; Ferguson, Lewis, and West, The Instrumental Music Issue; Olbricht, A Cappella Music, Why?, 131-144.

[59] John Calvin, Girardaeu, 163-164.

[60] See Hiram Kemp, “Does Heavenly Music Dictate Earthly Worship (Rev. 5:8; 15:2)” in FHU Lectureship 2024.

[61] Clarke's Commentary, IV:684.

[62] Lewis, “Instrumental Music in Worship: Who Is to Be Pleased?” HU Lectureship 2007, 13.

[63] Allision, Strangers and Sojourners, 428.

[64] Allison, Sojourners and Strangers, 430.

[65] Duncan, “Does God Care How We Worship?” in Give Praise to God, 27.

[66] See Pliny the Younger.

[67] Shelly rightly notes, “The use or non-use of instrumental music in worship relates to a hermeneutical method (i.e. how to interpret the so called ‘silence’ of Scripture) rather than a difference of view concerning the sufficiency and authority of the Bible.” (Sing His Praise: A Case for A Capella Music as Worship Today, 20) It does appear that Shelly has since changed his approach or stance on the instrumental music issue, and I do not advocate for many of Shelly’s views today. Regardless, I do find his comments here to be insightful and valid.

[68] Lewis 142.

[69] Turner, Biblical Theology, 345.

[70] Turner, Biblical Theology, 345.

[71] Ferguson, Collected Popular Articles & Lectures, 198.

[72] Ferguson, The Church of Christ, 269-273.

[73] Ferguson, Living and Worshiping as the Body of Christ, 101.

[74] Edwards, Protecting Our “Blind Side”: A Discussion of Contemporary Concerns in churches of Christ, 283.

SUGGESTED READING:

Ferguson, A Cappella Music in the Public Worship of the Church.

Ferguson, Lewis, and West, The Instrumental Music Issue.

Kurfees, Instrumental Music in the Worship.

Lewis, Olbricht, and Manor, The Question of Instrumental Music in Worship.

Olbricht, A Cappella Music, Why?: Music of God’s Choice for Christian Worship.

DEDICATION

This article was written to prepare Kane and Hunter Barrett for a mock debate at the Lads 2 Leaders Convention 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. I am incredibly proud of their preparation and presentation on the topic and am thankful for their influence on me throughout the process of thinking through and writing about the beauty of singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.