Articles
Instrumental Music: "Listen to Our Hearts"
I’d venture to say that when you heard we were going to be talking about Biblical author-ity this month, that this topic was going to come up. Well, you would be right! This is an important topic to understand and also to be able to teach to others. We always need to be gentle and loving as we teach others, and we can’t forget that most people think they are just right in their belief as we are. Being gen-tle, loving, patient, reasonable and clear is so important. Also, this topic can’t be fully cov-ered in 1,000 words, but here’s my best effort!
When we look at the Old Testament, instru-ments were being used to praise God. Exam-ples of include and are not limited to 1st Chronicles 23:5, Psalm 43:4 and Psalm 150:3-5. Just for the sake of time in this article, we are going to stop talking about the Old Testa-ment because that’s not the covenant that we are under. I just wanted to point out what was in the Old Testament as those who be-lieve that instrumental music is pleasing to God, likely will use the Old Testament to justi-fy their belief.
We are under the new covenant and need to be focused on what is taught in the New Tes-tament. Verses such as Hebrews 7:12-18, Ga-latians 5:1-18 and Galatians 3:24-25 among others, make it clear that the Old covenant has been done away with and we are under the new covenant. So, what does the New Covenant, the New Testament have to say about instrumental music? Well, we aren’t going to find a verse that flat out says “God doesn’t approve of instruments being used to worship him.” What we will find however, is based on examples and what we are told to do in regard to praising God, that instruments are not something a Christian should use to worship God.
First, let’s talk about a term that is called the silence of the scriptures. In a brief and simple summary, it is just because the New Testament doesn’t talk about something (like using instruments in worship) doesn’t mean that it’s ok to do. Why the New Testament? Because as we’ve covered so far in this article, we are under the New Covenant, and we need to follow what it teaches. The New Testament being si-lent on a matter doesn’t make it right. For example, if you tasked me with going to get bread from the grocery store with your credit card and I went to the grocery store and came back with bread, but I also came back with candy, chips, and a slushie, you would likely be upset. Why? Because you didn’t give me the authority to buy those extra things. Did you tell me that I could or couldn’t buy those extra things? No, but it’s obvious from what you did tell me to get that I only should’ve got bread. To take this illustration into our topic of instru-mental music God tells us to sing in worship and praise (we’ll look at 2 verses in the next two paragraphs). That’s what He tells us to do. We have no right or authority to add anything on to what God has said to do, like adding instruments.
Ephesians 5:19 is quoted on the back page of this bulletin for your ref-erence. The context surrounding this verse is being imitators of God and making sure we are fleeing from sin. Verse 17 of this same chapter begins with the word therefore, which is specifically talking about how we are to make the most of our time because the days are evil (as said in v16). Verse 17 tells us not to be foolish but to understand what the Lord’s will is. Verse 18 speaks on not getting drunk with wine which is debauchery (reckless living) but we are to be filled with the Spirit. The very next thing mentioned is singing to each other and singing and making melody with our hearts to God. Following verses speak on giving thanks and being subject to each other and then it will get into the Christ and the Church’s relationship being like the marriage relationship. The context is important as we never want to take verses out of context. When we see that in context, we are told to understand what God’s will is and not be foolish and one of the next things mentioned after that phrase is singing in praises to God and encouraging each other, I think that’s rather important! Also as was said earlier in this paragraph, verse 18 said be need the be filled with the Spirit and that thought continues into verse 19. The context strongly proves the need to non-instrumental worship.
Colossians 3:16 is also very important to this topic. This verse is also on the back page of this bulletin and the context around this verse is that we have put off the old self and put on the new self, so we need to change our conduct. We need to be more Christ like. Verse 16 makes it clear that we need to have God’s word richly dwelling in us with all wis-dom teaching and admonishing each other. How in this verse? - With Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
In conclusion, when we examine what the New testament teaches, the only conclusion that we should come away with is using our voices only in praise to God. There is no authority for instruments to be used in worship in the New Testament and therefore we don’t need them. In the midst of the study of authority that we have had this month, 2nd John 9 keeps coming back to mind. The verse says “Anyone who goes too far and does not remain in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who remains in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” We need to be so careful with how we approach our worship to God. We must do exactly what He tells us to do because if we add any-thing and go too far from what God has said, we don’t have God and a life without God’s care that He has for His people is a life that I know you or I don’t want to have.
