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Singing
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to
them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me
in heaven and on earth.
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or
deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father through Him.
John 4:24 "God is Spirit, and those who worship
Him must worship in spirit and truth.“
John 17:17 "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your
word is truth.
1 Corinthians 4:6 Now these things, brethren, I
have figuratively transferred to myself and
Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us
not to think beyond what is written, that none of
you may be puffed up on behalf of one against
the other.
2 John 1:9 Whoever transgresses and does not
abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God.
He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both
the Father and the Son.
Hebrews 8:13 In that He says, "A new covenant,"
He has made the first obsolete. Now what is
becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to
vanish away.
Our authority comes from the New Testament
Ephesians 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in
which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in
your heart to the Lord,
Colossians 3:16 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.
Two different purposes for singing.
1. To sing praises unto God from our heart
Hebrews 2:12 .. "I will declare Your name to My
brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing
praise to You.“
Hebrews 13:15 Therefore by Him let us
continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God,
that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His
name.
James 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let
him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing
psalms
Acts 16:25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were
praying and singing hymns to God, and the
prisoners were listening to them.
2. We are teaching and admonishing one another
1 Corinthians 14:15 What is the conclusion then?
I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray
with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit,
and I will also sing with the understanding.
“Night with Ebon pinion, Brooded ore the vail”
We need to concentrate on what we are singing
and remember that our singing is to come from
our heart.
Eph.5:19 and Col. 3:16 command that we sing.
Who should sing?
Everyone is to sing!
Eph.5:19 and Col. 3:16 These verses show us that
everyone is to sing so this rules out solos or
choirs.
Why does the church of Christ not use mechanical
instruments of music in their worship to God?
One of the main problems with people today is
that they are focused on their desires instead of
God’s desires.
You cannot find one scripture in the NT which
authorizes mechanical instruments by a direct
command or by example.
The history of the instrument in worship.
Musical instruments were NOT USED in the early
church.
First mentioned around the 5th and 6th century
Pope Vitalian sanctioned their use for the first
time in 670 AD
Catholic Encyclopedia: “…the first Christians were
of too spiritual fiber to substitute lifeless
instruments for or to use them to accompany the
human voice”.
“The rejection of all musical instruments from
Christian worship is consistent among the
fathers” (New Catholic Encyclopedia 10:106)
It wasn’t until 1851 and beyond that people
started embracing their use.
John Calvin founder of the Presbyterian Church:
“Musical instruments in celebrating the praises of
God would be no more suitable than the burning
of incense, the lighting of lamps or the
restoration of the other shadows of the
law.”(Commentary on the Book of Psalms, Vol, I,
p. 539)
John Wesley founder of the Methodist Church: “I
have no objection to instruments of music in our
chapels provided they are neither heard nor
seen,”
Adam Clark famous Methodist commentator:
“Music as a science, I esteem and admire: but
instruments of music in the house of God I
abominate and abhor.”
Martin Luther: “Martin Luther called the organ
and ‘ensign of Baal’.” Mcclintock & Strong’s
Encyclopedia.
Charles H. Spurgeon a well known Baptist
preacher: “I would as soon attempt to pray to
God with machinery as to sing to him with
machinery.”
J.H. Garrison of the Christian Church: “ There is
no command in the NT, Greek or English
commanding the use of the instrument.
All of these denominational preachers agreed in
the past that mechanical instruments of music
are not to be used in our worship to God.
History alone tells us that using a mechanical
instrument in worship to God is not be done.
They say, “The NT doesn’t specifically say that
you can’t use them.”
Eph.5:19 speaking to one another in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making
melody in your heart to the Lord,
Colossians 3:16 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.
God commands us to sing and names the
instrument as our heart. In saying this he
excludes everything else including the use of
musical instruments because God means what he
says.
Since the Bible doesn’t say SPECIFICALLY that
you CAN’T use Hamburgers and Lemonade for the
Lord’s Supper then they should be allowed if
mechanical instruments of music can be allowed.
2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by
sight.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible
to please Him…
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God.
Where there is no word there can be no faith
and where there is no faith we cannot please
God and since the NT does not command us or
give us an example of using mechanical
instruments they cannot be a part of faith and
therefore are not pleasing to God.
The Bible
Commands
The
Voice
The
Instrument
Speak in song
Eph. 5:19
Can
Cannot
Teach
Col. 3:16
Can
Cannot
Admonish
Col 3:16
Can
Cannot
Make Melody
in the heart
Eph. 5:19
Can
Cannot
An aid is something that is used that doesn’t
make a change to a command.
An addition is something that is added and does
change the command.
Dishes for carrying the Lord’s Supper is an aid.
Adding Hamburgers and Lemonade is an addition.
A song leader or a song book is an aid.
Musical instruments are an addition and not a aid
because something other than singing is taking
place.
The Greek word “Psallo” is used in Eph 5:19,Col
3:16, Rom. 15:9, 1Cor. 14:15.
From 17 different lexicons.
1. To pluck the hair
2. To twang the bowstring
3. To twitch a carpenters line
4. To touch the Chords of a musical instrument.
5. To touch the Chords of the human heart, that is
to sing.
Should we pluck each others hair? Neh. 13:25
Should we twang the bow string or twitch the
carpenters line?
How do we determine which definition goes with
the NT time?
Sophocles, a native Greek taught Greek for 38
years at Harvard University. He examined the
Roman Period and beyond from 146 BC to 1100
AD. He went through over 594 authors during this
1200 year period and he declares that not one
single example of Psallo throughout this period of
time can be found involving or implying the use of
instrument. Instead every time it meant to chant
or sing a religious hymn.
Out all of the version of the Bible’s that I know of
not one of them translates Psallo as a musical
instrument.
If the word Psallo means musical instrument in
Eph. 5:19 and Col. 3:16 then that would mean
that everyone would have play an instrument and
sing or they would violate this passage.
They like to say, “It was ok for them to use an
instrument in the OT so it should be ok for us to
use them in the NT”
2 Chronicles 29:25 And he stationed the Levites
in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with
stringed instruments, and with harps, according
to the commandment of David, of Gad the king's
seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for thus was the
commandment of the LORD by his prophets.
Revelation 5:8 Now when He had taken the scroll,
the four living creatures and the twenty-four
elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a
harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are
the prayers of the saints.
The book of Revelation is highly symbolic.
Since there is no marriage in heaven Mt. 22:30
than we should have no marriage on earth if we
are to apply what is spoken of heaven to us
today.