Todd Clippard

Topic(s):  Worship

God's plan for saving man and instructing the church today is found in the New Testament.  Jesus came to do the will of God, and in so doing took away the first covenant that He might establish the second (Heb 10:9).  The new covenant is better than the first, being established upon better promises (Heb 8:6).

When Jesus died on the cross, he took away the old law of Moses, making it of none effect (Eph 2:13-16; Col 2:14).  He replaced a faulty will (Heb 8:7-9) with a new one (Heb 8:10-13).  Though the Old Testament is given for our learning (Rom 15:4), we cannot appeal to it for justification for anything we do in the worship of the church (Gal 5:1-4).  All authority is given to Jesus (Matt 28:18); the church belongs to Him (Matt 16:16), and everything Christians do must be done in His name, that is, by His authority (Col 3:17).

The Principle of Exclusion

So, what does the New Testament say about instrumental music in worship?  Absolutely nothing.  Does this therefore mean we are liberty to use it since God is silent concerning its use?  No, and here's why:

Though God is silent on the use of the instrument in worship, He was not silent in specifying the type of music in the worship of the church.  Had God simply said, "Make music in worship," we would then be at liberty to use any type of music in worship, whether it be singing, playing an instrument, humming, or any combination of these.  Singing is a form of music; playing an instrument is a form of music, whistling and humming are forms of music, but each is not the equivalent of the other.  They differ in their very nature.  But God did not say "Make music;" He said "Sing."  In specifying singing, God excluded every other form of music.  This is known as the principle of exclusion, we function under this principle every day and never think twice about it.  For example:

When one orders at a fast food drive thru, he specifies exactly what he wants to the exclusion of every other item on the menu.  One need not list for the employee everything he does not want that is on the menu.  Additionally, the employee is not authorized to change the order in any way.  If cheese was not requested on the burger, he is not at liberty to add it, even if he thinks it will make the burger taste better.  As one who only orders hamburgers, I can tell you that a hamburger is not a cheeseburger.  Therefore, the employee is only authorized to provide and charge for the things specified.  Providing anything more, less, or different is to err in filling the order. 

Similarly, God has specified singing in the worship of the church.  It is the only kind of music one can find in the church of the New Testament.  Here are the verses where they may be found:

Matthew 26:30 - "And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of olives.

Acts 16:25 - "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God."

Romans 15:9 - "Sing unto thy name."

1 Corinthians 14:15 - "I will sing the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also."

Ephesians 5:19 - "Singing and making melody in your hearts unto the Lord."

Colossians 3:16 - "Singing with grace in your hearts unto the Lord."

Hebrews 2:12 - "In the midst of the congregation will I sing they praise."

Hebrews 13:15 - "Through Him let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips"

James 5:13 - "Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise."

This is the sum total of New Testament passages showing how men are to praise God in music.  Note the absence of any instruments.  It is also interesting to note that the instrument was not found in the worship of the church until the Catholic church introduced them hundreds of years after the close of the New Testament.  There was a great controversy over their addition, and the division between the Roman Catholics and Greek Catholics in A.D. 1054 shows the Greeks did not use the instrument in their worship.  For the most part they still do not use the instrument in worship, and for the same reasons we do not use them today - there is no authority for them to be found in the New Testament.

Denominational Founders Rejected Instrumental Music

Many people who are members of denominations look at the church of Christ as being oddballs for their rejection of instrumental music in worship.  However, most do not know the founders and early religious leaders of their own religion also rejected the use of instrumental music in worship.  Here are a few quotations from these men.  These are given, not as any kind of authority in the matter, but to show that the present position of churches of Christ is not so peculiar as modern day denominationalists think.

MARTIN LUTHER (early 1500's Catholic Reformer; regarded as founder of the Lutheran Church): "The organ in worship to God is an ensign of Baal." (i.e., an emblem or symbol of idolatry)

JOHN CALVIN (mid-1500's, 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, and the restoration of other shadows of the law... 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 WESLEY (mid to late-1700's, Methodist): "I have no objection to the instruments being in our chapels, provided they are neither seen nor heard."

CHARLES SPURGEON (mid to late-1800's, Baptist) "Praise the Lord with the harp. Israel was at school, and used childish things to help her learn; but in these days, when Jesus gives us spiritual food, one can make melody without strings and pipes... We do not need them. they would hinder rather than help our praise. Sing unto him. This is the sweetest and best music. No instrument like the human voice." 

Also, in Spurgeon's The Treasury of David, commenting on the 42nd Psalm, Spurgeon commented, "We might as well pray by machinery as praise by it."

JERRY O'NEIL (present-day Reformed Presbyterian preacher) "The purpose is to present worship that's pleasing to God, no matter what's pleasing to us. God doesn't need all the instruments to know there's real praise going on." Quoted by Michael Pearson- AP in Firm Foundation April 1996

Finally, there is no command for the instrument in the worship of the church; there is no example of its use in the worship of the church, and there is not even the slightest implication of its use in the worship of the early church.  In spite of the presence of instrumental music in the temple and the Jews familiarity with it, the early Christians (all of whom were Jewish converts) never used instrumental music in worship.  The use of instrumental music in worship was not included in the apostles' doctrine that instructed and guided the early church, neither was it included in the inspired record which is our only source of faith today (Rom 10:17).

Since faith comes by hearing God's Word, and since God's Word for the church does not include the instrument in worship, then one cannot in faith offer up instrumental music as worship.  Worship must be done in spirit and truth (John 4:24). God's Word is truth (John 17:17).  Therefore, instrumental music in worship cannot be done in truth.