Music in
Worship—What is the New Testament pattern?
If we are going to claim we
are trying to restore the New Testament pattern of worship, then we can’t use
instruments in worship and make that claim. We cannot claim, “We are going by the
bible.” There is no instrumental music used by the church in worship in the New
Testament Scriptures. Period. There is only singing
(i.e. a cappella singing—singing without the accompaniment of instrumental music) in the
New Testament. The New Testament admonishes us to sing, sing, sing! (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16, James 5:13) It shows
the Apostles singing (Acts 16:25). The Word of God admonishes us to sing
elsewhere (1Corinthians 14:15). And there is
only one time in Scripture where our Savior is shown to engage in use of music.
And guess what? He sang—with no instruments! (Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26)
It is an historical fact
that instrumental use in the worship service did not come about for roughly
650-700 years after the church had been established. The
early church fathers railed against such a thought as using an instrument in
worship. Even the Reformers from 500 or so years ago could not stand the
thought of instrumental music in worship.
These days the churches of Christ are known for several
beliefs unique to them, non-instrumental music use among them. But this has not
always been so. Several hundred years ago many other denominations shared the
same convictions regarding instrumental music in church. Hundreds of years ago,
this was not a unique “
These statements are from the founders of the Lutheran,
Reformed and Methodist churches:
Martin Luther stated, "An organ in the
worship of God is an ensign of Baal."
John Calvin said "Musical instruments in
the celebration of praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of
incense, the lighting of lamps, and the restoration of other shadows of the
law...men who are fond of outward pomp may delight in such noise; but the
simplicity which God recommends to us by the apostles is far more
pleasing."
John Wesley said; "I have no objection
to instruments of music in our chapels, provided they are neither
seen or heard."
Charles Spurgeon, some
say, the greatest Baptist preacher of all time protested; "I'd as soon
pray to God with machinery as to sing to God with machinery."
Adam Clarke (Methodist) said, "I am an
old man, and an old minister; and I here declare that I never knew them
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,"
They could plainly see then
what every Bible student should be willing to freely admit today.
To claim that instrumental
use is seen in the Old Testament and in the Psalms is to be ignorant of what
the New Covenant is all about. Jesus said, “New wine for new wineskins” (Luke 5:38) If we are going to use parts of the Old
Testament as guidelines for our worship, will we also use incense and start
sacrificing animals? Using that line of reasoning, it won’t be long before we
are in search of a Levitical priesthood. The point is, they did lots of things under the Old Covenant that are no
longer done under the New.
If we are going to claim to
follow Christ and are going to follow Christ in His example, then let’s do
that. Let’s stop pushing our way, what we want, and start
submitting to God’s way, and what God wants. Who are we trying to
please? Ourselves or God? God has gone to the effort
to tell us what kind of music He wants in His church. So let’s be obedient
servants and give Him what He requires. As Jesus said,
"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake
instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?” (Luke 11:11-13) Our heavenly Father, who gave us His Son,
asks us to give Him a cappella singing in worship. How can we be so
audacious as to give Him anything less?
Those that do not see the error of instrumental music in worship,
have failed to see what it is God Himself wants. Instrumental music is not
evil, but to stubbornly refuse God what God has asked for,
is.
Perhaps it is
best said that a cappella singing is the music God wants to listen to. Those
that protest this practice the loudest often say they “like instrumental music
better”. But the point is that our worship of God is not for our
benefit; It is for His. We do not do this to
serve ourselves, but to serve Him! And God has said this is how
He wants us to worship Him when we worship Him in music.
When asked about rock music used in church worship services, one
person tried to justify it by saying, "This is a way of bringing the
outside world into the church itself." Did you get that? Read it again."This is a way of bringing the outside
world into the church itself." That says it all right there. The cat
is out of the bag. The outside world belongs outside the church. It is the
church that needs to be brought into the world, not the other way around. Jesus
commanded us to “Go into all the world and
preach the gospel to all creation…” (Mark 16:15) He did not want the
church to become watered down and polluted by the world. It is the church that
is supposed to change those in the world, not those in the world that changes
the church. Sadly, many “Christians” have lost connection with the Head.
1John 2:15
Do not love the world or anything in the
world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
John 4:23-24
“Yet a time is coming and has now
come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for
they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit,
and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
What may seem
“insignificant” or “trivial” is never such when dealing with God. When God says
to do something, it is always best to do it just as He said. When we try to rationalize
God’s directives, it only ends in our own pain. Remember what happened with Eve
and the serpent in the Garden of Eden?