Bruce Reeves Highway 65 Church of Christ Conway, AR

Transcription

1 Bruce Reeves Highway 65 Church of Christ Conway, AR 1

2 Music to His Ears Part One: The Biblical Record Introduction: Our worship offers a glimpse of our perspective of God, our attitude toward His Word and our willingness to rely absolutely on His revelation for our faith and practice as His people. If you visit the assembly of a faithful church of Christ one of the most unique elements of our worship in contrast to the worship of the majority of the religious community will be what is not here we engage in a-cappella singing in praise of God. This is not merely a matter of tradition, but it is a matter of faith and conviction. It is my objective to offer a defense and explanation of Biblical teaching on the subject. I believe that there will be the sharing of information that you may never have heard before but I simply ask you to give a fair hearing to what has been a controversial and important question regarding worship. There are two basic beliefs which underlie some of the skepticism concerning our opposition to instrumental music. First, the belief that God allowed instrumental music in the O.T. and that this should give divine approval for such today. And second, the fact that this seems to be a peculiar tradition of most churches of Christ. If nothing else, I hope to dispel these faulty assumptions. I. The Final Authority is God s Word a. Sufficiency of the Scriptures, Sola Scriptura. 2

3 i. The Bible is all - sufficient to offer us the instruction and guidance for our beliefs, faith, worship and sanctification (2 Timothy 3:16-17). While this text primarily references O.T. Scripture, the New Testament should be considered Scripture (2 Peter 3:16). ii. The scriptures provide what we need to serve God acceptably. iii. Our plea to speak where the Bible speaks and remain silent where the Bible is silent is thoroughly rooted in the teaching of the New Testament (I Peter 4:11). iv. We must make every effort to lay aside our own person preferences and be committed to full submission to the Scriptures without addition or subtraction. b. Principles of Bible Study: How Does One Establish the Authority of the Scriptures? (While there is much more involved in wholesome Biblical interpretation I do want to mention a few principles worthy of consideration). i. Direct command or statement (John 8:24; Matthew 28:19). ii. Approved Example (I Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17). iii. Demanded Conclusion (Acts 8:35-38; Matthew 22:29-32, 41-45). iv. In the absence of a command, example or forced conclusion the silence of the scriptures is prohibitive (Hebrews 7:11-14). (Grocery list) v. A Generic command may permit liberties, whereas, a specific command eliminates other options 3

4 II. 1. We have the generic command to go teach all nations the manner of doing so is up to our judgment. 2. Noah was specifically commanded to build the Ark out of gopher wood (Genesis 6:22; 7:5). vi. Distinction between aid (pitch pipe) and addition (piano) one changes the act of worship and the other does not. vii. Recognize the distinction between the Old Testament and New Testament (Galatians 3:23-25; Ephesians 2:15; Hebrews 8:6-13). 1. The Old Testament Temple worship in all of its outward ceremonies and rituals has been abolished. 2. We must look to Christ and His apostles alone for the worship of the church (John 4:22-24). Did God Approve of Musical Instruments in His Worship in the Old Testament? a. The first instruction God gave Israel for instruments in worship is found in Numbers 10:1-10. i. Notice how specific and explicit God s instructions are this not an ambiguous issue for Israel. 1. Specific instruments two silver trumpets. 2. Specific persons that were to use them. 3. Specific manner and time of their use. ii. The Law of Moses was extremely detailed in its directions regarding the construction of the Tabernacle, every piece of 4

5 furniture, clothing of the priests and all the different offerings. iii. But in all the Law, the only instruments ever recorded that God designated for Israel to use in its worship were these two silver trumpets. iv. God gave Israel these instructions in the time of Moses and until the time of David, these are the only instruments God designated for use in the public worship of the nation. b. David s plans for the Tabernacle were according to the word of the Lord (I Chronicles 15:15b; 15:6). c. David plans for Solomon s Building of the Temple (I Chronicles 28:13, 19). d. Hezekiah s Restoration of God Worship (2 Chronicles 29:25). i. Specific persons Levites and Priests (25). ii. Specific means (26). iii. Specific purpose (27-28). iv. We see the same sort of thing with the restoration efforts of Ezra and Nehemiah. e. Lessons to Learn from Old Testament Regarding MI: i. Musical instruments were specifically authorized by God. 1. Their use was not left up to the discretion of the people. 2. Their use was the result of God s directions. ii. For the first four hundred years of Israel s history all they used in tabernacle worship were the two silver trumpets. 1. Why did they use them? Because God told them to! 5

6 2. Why did they not use other instruments at that time? Because there was no authorization from God to do so. 3. For the next thousand years of history Israel only used what David had commanded. a. Why did David give them additional instruments? Because God commanded it. 4. With such a clear emphasis on the command of God as the reason to use instruments, the obvious question for us when we come to the New Testament is, has God given us instructions in the New Testament when we assemble to worship regarding the use of instruments in our worship? III. Music in the New Testament a. Argument: If they were used in the Old Testament, it can be assumed that it is o.k. whether it is mentioned in the New Testament or not. i. Yet when you recognize the distinctions in the Old and New Testaments (which we have already discussed) this is a failing argument. ii. Additionally, when one considers how closely instrumental music was connected to the tabernacle/temple this is a poor assumption. 1. Under the New Covenant, worship was not in a centralized location and it was not to possess ceremonial ritualism of the previous dispensation, but 6

7 was in spirit (spiritual versus carnal) and in truth (John 4:21-24) John Owen writes, For God is Spirit, and will be worshipped in spirit; which our Savior asserts to belong unto the gospel-state, in opposition unto all the most glorious carnal ordinances of the Law, John 4: David commanded the use of musical instruments as an inherent part of the Levitical priesthood (I Chronicles 16:4-6; 23:1-5). When the priesthood is taken away, so must be all of its functions, including its use of musical instruments in the worship of God (Hebrews 7:11-14; 8:1-5, 13; 9:8-14). 4. The Old Testament s record of temple worship including instrumental music in worship gives no more authority for us to do so in the Lord s church 1 The word spirit, here, stands opposed to rites and ceremonies, and to the pomp of external worship. It refers to the mind, the soul, the heart. They shall worship God with a sincere mind; with the simple offering of gratitude and prayer; with a desire to glorify him, and without external pomp and splendor. Spiritual worship is that where the heart is offered to God, and where we do not depend on external forms for acceptance For the Father seeketh... - Jesus gives two reasons why this kind of worship should take place. One is that God sought it, or desired it. He had appointed the old mode, but he did it because he sought to lead the mind to himself even by those forms, and to prepare the people for the purer system of the gospel, and now he sought or desired that those who worshipped him should worship him in that manner. He intimated his will by Jesus Christ. (Albert Barnes) But spirit here does not refer to the Holy Spirit, but the spirit of man that part of man s constitution through which he bears the image of God the worship in spirit is worship contrasted with all mere carnal shadows of the good things to come, all mere ritual, all specialties of place, or time It need not be in despite of a genuine reverence for days, or seasons or postures or washings and they, without this, will be eventually valueless Only the spirit of man can really touch or commune with the Spirit of spirits and the history of the new dispensation is the history of a progress from forms to realities, from the earthly to the heavenly (Pulpit Commentary, p. 169, 170). 2 Owen, Vol.21, 419 7

8 than the special clothing of priests, burning of incense or animal sacrifices authorizes us to do such today. b. The New Testament Pattern: Singing. i. Specific command/practice (Acts 16:25; I Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 2:12). ii. So we are to sing from the heart to glorify God and edify each other. iii. But nowhere in the NT did God give us the kind of instructions He gave to Moses or David, to incorporate instruments into our worship. iv. Our desire must be to follow the example of the New Testament and there is absolutely nothing stated, whether by direct command or statement, forced conclusion or approved example of Christians using instruments in worship to God nothing. c. Argument: Does the Verb Psallo translating make melody and the Noun Psalmos translating psalm in Ephesians 5:19 justify instrumental music in worship? i. What does the word, translating make melody psallo mean? 1. The term passed through very clear changes in its meaning throughout the centuries of the Old Testament and up to the time of the apostles the change was from play to play and sing to only sing. 8

9 2. These changes have been documented and witnessed by numerous lexicographers a. 900 B.C. to rub, wipe, handle, touch, pluck off, pull out (Thayer, 675). b. 5 th Century B.C. to cause to vibrate and absolutely to play on a stringed instrument c. How was it used in the first century when Paul used the term? i ψάλλω [psallo /psal lo/] 2d in the NT to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song.1 ii. [6010] ψάλλω psallō 5x the strings or chords of an instrument; absol. To play on a stringed instrument; to sing to music; in NT to sing praises, Rom15:9; 1 Cor. 14:15; Eph 5:19; Jas 5:13* [5567] See sing.2 iii. Dozens of scholars can be produced to prove that Paul s common usage of this term would have demanded a-cappella singing (Old Light on New Worship, John Price, ). 3. When Paul admonished the Ephesians to make melody in their heart he was specifying the instrument of their praise, i.e. heart. 4. The New Testament always translates the term as sing. 9

10 5. The participial form of the verb retains the imperative character of the main verb, be filled with the Spirit (18). This means that it carries the force of a command. a. If it means play an instrument then that would mean all praise would have to be instrumental and every Christian would have to use an instrument. b. This is just not a tenable interpretation and to force such a definition damages the immediate context and ignores the remote context of the entire New Testament. ii. What does the word psalmos, translating psalm mean? 1. The argument is that since the psalms mention instrumental music and Christians are to sing psalms it must be permissible to use instruments in worship. 2. Since the psalms were the hymnal of Israel and Israel lived under a different covenant we would expect that not everything in the psalms would be applicable to us. a. Psalm 149:6-7 also mentions slaughtering other nations is this a responsibility of the church? b. Or offering animal sacrifices (Psalm 51:18-19). 10

11 3. Interestingly, the psalms were sung without instrumental music accompaniment for hundreds of years before the New Testament in synagogues, therefore, the singing of psalms does not demand instrumental music. a. It should be noted that scholars almost unanimously admit that the early church adopted a format similar to the synagogues. d. The New Testament Church i. According to the New Testament evidence instrumental music was not present in the worship of the early church. Singing was incontestably was present in the corporate life of the early Christ and this was rooted in the practice of Jesus with his disciples. But there is no clear reference to instrumental music in worship So no instrument is found in the N.T. reference, but only vocal praise, and thus no N.T. authority for instrumental music in worship is available (Everett Ferguson). ii. A refugee to Strasbourg in 1545 after Calvin s reform gives us this account: 1. On Sundays we sing a psalm of David or some other prayer taken from the New Testament. The psalm or prayer is sung by everyone together, men as well as women, with a beautiful unanimity, which is something beautiful to behold. For you must understand that each one has a music book in his hand; that is why they 11

12 cannot lose touch with one another. Never did I think that it could as pleasing and delightful as it is. For five or six days at first, as I looked at this little company, exiled from countries everywhere for having upheld the honor of God and his gospel, I would begin to weep, not at all from sadness, but from joy at hearing them sing so heartily and as they sang giving thanks to the Lord No one could believe the joy which one experiences when one is singing the praises and wonder of the Lord as one sings there e. Historical References to Practices of Christianity IV. Instrumental Music and the Theology of Grace a. Common Accusation: You don t believe in grace. i. It is a common charge from those who are advocating for the use of instrumental music in worship that those who oppose them do not really believe in grace. ii. We are not saved through perfect performance but our salvation in Christ should be characterized by a sincere desire to surrender to God s will. iii. This type of stereotypical descriptions of one s opponents is evidence of a weak position. iv. The acceptance of God s grace does not allow him or her to do whatever they want to in worship to God. V. Instrumental Music and the Eternal Judgment. a. It is not a question of who will be condemned or not condemned, it is a question of what the New Testament authorizes us to do in 12

13 worship and what it does not authorized us to do in worship. When we obey God s word we have the promises of salvation But we are told that we will be judged by God s Word (G. C. Brewer). VI. The Power of Praise Conclusion: Historically the argument I have presented for simple, spiritual and substantive worship in a cappella singing has been the majority position. I believe you will be surprised to see the vast support for what we have been studying from God s word this morning. I also want to challenge us as we worship the Lord to realize what we are doing as we sing praises to our God. 13