should we worship god with instrumental music? as some see it… “instrumental music is much more...

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Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many enjoy it more than singing alone.” “It is a mark of growing progressive modern churches.” “The Bible doesn’t say you can’t use instruments.”

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Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? I. Instruments of Music in the Bible. A. Instrumental music was authorized during the Old Testament period in temple worship (2 Chron. 29:25). 1. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia instrumental music is “a modern feature in synagogal worship” (“Synagogal Music”). 2. The first organ was introduced in Berlin June 14, 1815 by Israel Jacobson causing great indignation and division (“Organ”).

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Page 1: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

As some see it…• “Instrumental music is much more

moving.”• “Many enjoy it more than singing alone.” • “It is a mark of growing progressive

modern churches.”• “The Bible doesn’t say you can’t use

instruments.”

Page 2: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

What does the Bible teach on this?

What should our position be on this subject?

Page 3: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

I. Instruments of Music in the Bible.A. Instrumental music was authorized

during the Old Testament period in temple worship (2 Chron. 29:25).1. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia

instrumental music is “a modern feature in synagogal worship” (“Synagogal Music”).

2. The first organ was introduced in Berlin June 14, 1815 by Israel Jacobson causing great indignation and division (“Organ”).

Page 4: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

I. Instruments of Music in the Bible.B. Singing is commanded under the Law of

Christ (Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:18-19; James 5:13).1. New Testament examples of music in

worship are all singing alone. • Jesus and the disciples sang a hymn

(Mark 14:26).• Paul and Silas (Acts 16:25).• Church assembly (1 Cor. 14:26).

Page 5: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

I. Instruments of Music in the Bible.B. Singing is commanded under the Law of

Christ (Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:18-19l James 5:13).1. New Testament examples of music in

worship are all singing alone. 2. New Testament references to

instrumental music in worship describe conditions in heaven (Rev. 5:8; 14:2; 15:2).

Page 6: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

II. Instrumental Music in Church History.A. Early church writers opposed

instrumental music.• “The one instrument of peace, the

Word alone by which we honour God, is what we employ. We no longer employ the ancient psaltery, and trumpet, and timbrel, and flute” — Clement of Alexandria, A.D. 153-217).

Page 7: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

II. Instrumental Music in Church History.A. Early church writers opposed

instrumental music.• “...Now, instead of organs, we may use

our own bodies to praise him withal.... Instruments appertain not to Christians.” — John Chrysostom , Homily on Psalm 149 (4 th century).

Page 8: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

II. Instrumental Music in Church History.A. Early church writers opposed

instrumental music.• “We render our hymn with a living psalterion and

a living kithara , with spiritual songs. The unison 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 (church historian/bishop, Palestine), Commentary on Psalm 91 (4th century).

Page 9: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

II. Instrumental Music in Church History.A. Early church writers opposed

instrumental music.1. It was gradually introduced into Roman

Catholic practice. a. According to Vatican librarian

Bartholomaeo Platina, in his De vitis Pontificum (Cologne, 1593), pope Vitalian I (657-72) first introduced the organ into church worship.

Page 10: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

II. Instrumental Music in Church History.A. Early church writers opposed

instrumental music.1. It was gradually introduced into Roman

Catholic practice. b. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia,

“a strong objection to the organ in church service remained pretty general down to the twelfth century... But from the twelfth century on, the organ became the privileged church instrument…” (“Organ”).

Page 11: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

II. Instrumental Music in Church History.A. Early church writers opposed

instrumental music.1. It was gradually introduced into Roman

Catholic practice. c. “But our Church does not make use of

musical instruments such as harps and psalteries, in the divine praises, for fear of seeming to Judaize.... As the Philosopher says (Polit. viii, 6).

Page 12: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

II. Instrumental Music in Church History.A. Early church writers opposed

instrumental music.1. It was gradually introduced into Roman

Catholic practice. c. “Teaching should not be accompanied

with a flute or any artificial instrument such as the harp or anything else of this kind: but only with such things as make good hearers.” — Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica (1200s).

Page 13: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

II. Instrumental Music in Church History.A. Early church writers opposed

instrumental music.1. It was gradually introduced into Roman

Catholic practice. 2. Greek Orthodox churches have generally

opposed its use.

Page 14: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

II. Instrumental Music in Church History.B. During the time of the Protestant

Reformation instrumental music was again opposed.• “We have brought into our churches a certain

operose and theatrical music...as I hardly think was ever heard in any of the Grecian or Roman theatres. The church rings with the noise of trumpets, pipes and dulcimers; and human voices strive to bear their part with them.... Men run to church as to a theatre, to have their ears tickled.” — Erasmus (classical scholar and humanist), In Novum Testamentum... Annotationes (1522).

Page 15: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

II. Instrumental Music in Church History.B. During the time of the Protestant

Reformation instrumental music was again opposed.• “When we are told that David sang with a musical

instrument, let us carefully remember that we are not to make a rule of it. Rather, we are to recognise today that we must sing the praises of God in simplicity, since the shadows of the Law are past, and since in our Lord Jesus Christ we have the truth and embodiment of all these things which were given to the ancient fathers in the time of their ignorance or smallness of faith.” — John Calvin (Reformer, Geneva), Sermons on Second Samuel (1562).

Page 16: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

II. Instrumental Music in Church History.B. During the time of the Protestant

Reformation instrumental music was again opposed.1. It was gradually introduced into most

Protestant churches. 2. Some still opposed its use.

a. 1888, John L. Girardeau a Presbyterian seminary professor - Instrumental Music in the Public Worship – a return to Roman Catholic practice.

Page 17: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

II. Instrumental Music in Church History.C. This issue divided the Restoration

Movement in the late 19th Century.• Midway, KY in 1859 L.L. Pinkerton

introduced a melodeon into worship.1. Those who became the Christian Church

(Disciples of Christ) accepted this. 2. Those who sought to be simply churches

of Christ opposed this.a. This is not “progressive” but an old

digression.

Page 18: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

III. Answering a Few Objections.A. “This is just an argument from silence!”B. “But, the Bible doesn’t say you can’t!”

Page 19: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

III. Answering a Few Objections.C. “Doesn’t the word psallō mean ‘to pluck’?

—Doesn’t that show it’s ok?”1. A word used five times in the NT.

a. In Ephesians 5:19 it is translated, “singing and MAKING MELODY in your heart to the Lord.”

b. In James 5:13 it is translated, “Is any merry? let him SING PSALMS.”

Page 20: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

III. Answering a Few Objections.C. “Doesn’t the word psallō mean ‘to pluck’?

—Doesn’t that show it’s ok?”1. A word used five times in the NT.

c. In 1 Corinthians 14:15 it is translated, “I WILL SING with the spirit, and I WILL SING with the understanding also.”

Page 21: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

III. Answering a Few Objections.C. “Doesn’t the word psallō mean ‘to pluck’?

—Doesn’t that show it’s ok?”1. A word used five times in the NT.

d. In Romans 15:9 it is translated, “I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and SING unto thy name.” This is a quote from 2 Sam. 22:50.

Page 22: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

III. Answering a Few Objections.C. “Doesn’t the word psallō mean ‘to pluck’?

—Doesn’t that show it’s ok?”2. Psallō is defined to mean...

• “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” (Thayer).

Page 23: Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music? As some see it… “Instrumental music is much more moving.”“Instrumental music is much more moving.” “Many

Should We Worship God with Instrumental Music?

III. Answering a Few Objections.C. “Doesn’t the word psallō mean ‘to pluck’?

—Doesn’t that show it’s ok?”3. Evidence shows change in meaning over

time: “play” > “sing with accompaniment” > “sing.” • If it means “play” why hasn’t it been

translated that way?• If it means “play” what instrument is to

be played? (Eph. 5:19; 1 Cor. 14:15).