Articles
Music In Worship
When God specifies something it excludes all other ways or kinds. For example: when God told Noah to build an ark to save his people from the floods destruction, God told him to build the ark out of "gopherwood" (Genesis 6:14). We don't know today exactly what gopherwood is (some think it is a type of Cyprus) but Noah knew what it was and he did exactly as God commanded him (Genesis 6:22).
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Our question is: could Noah have used any other type of wood and pleased God? No. God specified what kind of wood Noah was to use, as well as certain dimensions and ways to fill in the gaps between the wood planks and one door and one window (Genesis 6:14-16). If Noah had deviated from any of those instructions he would not have done what God told him to do.
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The type of music to be used in the New Testament church is also specified (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Romans 15:9; Hebrews 2:12 and James 5:13). By reading these Bible verses you will discover that singing is specified. Singing is a type of music. If God had said, "make music" then we could use any kind of music we wanted. But, just as God specified gopherwood to Noah, He has specified singing as the type of music by which to praise Him today.
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In the Old Testament, particularly the Psalms, one can read of all kinds of music used in worship to God (see Psalm 150 for instance). We are no longer under the Old Testament law (Ephesians 2:11-16; Romans 7:4). We no longer have a Levitical priesthood, no longer offer animal sacrifices and no longer follow the prescribed manners of worship found in the law given through Moses. We cannot go to the Old Testament to justify ourselves and how we serve God today (see article on "Which Law").
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One can examine church history and discover that instrumental music in the church of Christ did not exist before the 7th century A.D. The Christians of the New Testament knew the instruction God had given concerning music in worship and they followed that way until innovations were made to please the tastes of humanity. Instrumental music in worship is used outside the authority of Christ. Observe the following quotes:
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"Instrumental music is also of very ancient date, its invention being ascribed to Tubal, the sixth descendant from Cain. That instrumental music was not practiced by the primitive Christians but was an aid to devotion of later times, is evident from church history."
(FESSENDENS ENCYCLOPEDIA; P.852; Art. Music)
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"Pope Vitalian is related to have first introduced organs into some of the churches of Western Europe, about 670; but the earliest trustworthy account is that of one sent as a present by the Greek emperor Constantine Copronymus to Pepin, king of the Franks in 755." (AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA; Vol.12; p. 688)
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"In the Greek church the organ never came into use. But after the eighth century it became more and more common in the Latin church; not however, without opposition from the side of the Monks." (SCHAFF-HERZOG ENCYCLOPEDIA; Vol. 2, P. 1702)
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"The organ in worship of God is an ensign of Baal." Martin Luther
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"Musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting of lamps, and the restoration of the other shadows of the law. The Papists have foolishly borrowed this, as well as many other things from the Jews. Men who are fond of outward pomp may delight in that noise, but the simplicity which God recommends to us by the Apostles is far more pleasing to him." John Calvin, Comments on Psalms 33
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" I have no objection to the organs in our chapels provided it is neither heard nor seen." John Wesley, as quoted by Adam Clark Commentary on Amos 6
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"I am an old man and an old minister and I here declare that I have never known instrumental music to be productive of any good in the worship of God, and have reason to believe that it has been 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." Adam Clark, Clark Commentary on Amos 6
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"'I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also. I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the understanding also.' I would as soon pray to God with machinery as to sing to God with machinery." Charles Spurgeon
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When we sing praise unto God, using the God given instrument of the vocal chords of humanity, we know that we are pleasing God and using the music authorized in the New Testament.
