Does Instrumental Music Matter? -- David Pharr
The proposition stands: There is no biblical authority for instrumental music in Christian worship. Numerous have been the quibbles and excuses, but no authority for instruments has ever been shown. There is no principle, no command, no precedent, no logical implication that will show scriptural approval for the practice. However, as time has gone by, the question now surfacing in many progressive, institutional churches is, “Does instrumental music matter?” I want to suggest to you seven reasons why instrumental music does matter.
First, instrumental music matters because it matters how we worship God. The eternal principle that governs worship is that it must be in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Some seek to evade the force of “truth” by saying that to worship “in truth” simply means to be genuine in what we do. But in vs. 23 Jesus had already used an adjective for genuine (“true worshipers”). If “truth” is also to be understood as genuine, the words of Jesus contain a superficial redundancy. He would be saying that genuine worshipers worship in a genuine way. This would be a truism, like saying, “Red cars must be red” or “Real things must be real.” Truth is defined in John 17:17: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” Worship that has only the authority of men in vain (Matthew 15:9) and is not “in truth,” but according to man’s will -- “will worship” (Colossians 2:23).
Second, instrumental music matters because we must respect the authority of the scriptures (1 Peter 4:11; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Isaiah 8:20). In the Christian Standard, a Christian Church publication, Rubel Shelly wrote, “It is simply incorrect for those of us with non-instrumental convictions to say (as I have!) that the use of instrumental music among those with a different conviction in the Christian churches stems from a lack of respect for the authority of scripture.” Our rejection of his assessment is not to impugn the sincerity of those who use the instrument, but we must insist that the issue is indeed one of authority. This is the emphasis of 1 Thessalonians 5:21: “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” Beliefs and practices are to be tested to determine whether they are good. “Good,” that is, acceptable, will always be approved by the word of God. Authority can be found for them. But what is not “good” because it cannot be proven -- practices for which there is no authority -- must be rejected. What would be the point of saying to hold to what is good (proven) if we may also hold to what is not good (not proven)?
Third, instrumental music matters because the inspired writers of the New Testament were guided and guarded to include only what was consistent with the purposes of God. They bound what is bound in heaven and omitted what heaven omitted (Matthew 18:18), and furnished us completely unto every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). They taught everything Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:20), being guided into all truth (John 16:13). To suggest that they overlooked such an obvious item of worship would imply a failure in their inspired teaching and practice.
Fourth, instrumental music matters because there can be no restoration of the New Testament church if we abandon the principle of authority which excludes it. The doctrine that includes certain items (Lord’s supper, prayer, baptism, etc.) must be equally respected in reference to items which are excluded (sprinkling, infant baptism, instrumental music, etc.). Keeping the traditions of the apostles (1 Corinthians 11:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:15) requires not going “beyond the things which are written” (1 Corinthians 4:6). Instrumental music is a tradition of men and falls into the same category as the Jews’ washing traditions (Mark 7:1-13). The whole concept of restoration stands or falls with whether we draw the line where the apostles drew it.
Fifth, instrumental music matters because compromise on this point would justify an endless list of innovations. If it is right to add an instrument in the absence of authority, what objection can be made to burning incense, counting the rosary, Wednesday night communion, etc.? The only way to hold the line against endless fads in worship is respect for the apostolic standard.
Sixth, instrumental music matters because disregarding heaven’s directions on this one point (or any other point) betrays an inclination of disobedience. James 2:10 says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” This warning is not directed at incidents of human weakness, but at any tendency to willfully ignore the will of God. When in the absence of divine authority one adds musical instruments, or any other innovations, he demonstrates indifference toward the Lord’s rule. To encourage it or to compromise with it further compounds the error. This is the principle of Matthew 5:19, applied to the New Testament as well as to the old (Hebrews 2:1-3).
Seventh, instrumental music matters because there is no room for fellowship when worship is corrupted. Instruments in the assembly involves every participant. Those who seek to worship “in truth” (John 4:24), and who know there is no truth that allows the instrument, cannot with good conscience participate and thus fellowship must be broken (Romans 16:17; 2 John 9-11).
A touching example of this was the case of J. W. McGarvey and the Broadway Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky. McGarvey had assisted in the founding of the congregation in 1870, but in 1902 he had to move to another congregation because, in spite of all of his teaching and protests, the church voted in the organ. This great Bible scholar saw it as both unscriptural and divisive, and as a cause for withdrawing fellowship. He stated, “The party which forces an organ into the church against the conscientious protest of a minority is disorderly and schismatical, not only because it stirs up strife, but because it is for the sake of a sinful innovation upon the divinely authorized worship and the church; and, inasmuch as the persons thus acting are disorderly and schismatic, it is the duty of all good people to withdraw from them until they repent.”
It is not expected that the world will understand or appreciate why instruments do not belong in worship. Few, even among religiously-minded people, understand the parameters of biblical authority. We can expect that instrumental music, as well as other innovations, will be popular and that objections will be dismissed and even ridiculed. But Christ is still Lord over His church, the Bible is still absolutely correct and infallible, acceptable worship still requires submission to heaven’s will, and singing remains the only music ever authorized for Christian worship.
-- David Pharr
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Criticize by Allen DavesThanks Mike,
I am still working on a more detailed address of this for you, based on some debates i have had with folks at Faulkner and Harding... .but if you have this man's contact information i would love to have it ...He is quite ignorant of scripture and needs to learn to keep his mouth shut before trying to teach utter nonsense....
Almost all of the scriptures that command Singing are a specific ref to the book of Psalms itself!?!.
So where do you find Psalms? He is so selfrighous as to claim he only speak where the bible speaks and silent where the bible is silent
"First, instrumental music matters because it matters how we worship God.
Second, instrumental music matters because we must respect the authority of the scriptures
Third, instrumental music matters because the inspired writers of the New Testament were guided and guarded to include only what was consistent with the purposes of God. They bound what is bound in heaven and omitted what heaven omitted (Matthew 18:18)
Fourth, instrumental music matters because there can be no restoration of the New Testament church if we abandon the principle of authority which excludes it.
Fifth, instrumental music matters because compromise on this point would justify an endless list of innovations. If it is right to add an instrument in the absence of authority, what objection can be made to burning incense, counting the rosary, Wednesday night communion, etc.?
Sixth, instrumental music matters because disregarding heaven’s directions on this one point (or any other point) betrays an inclination of disobedience.
Seventh, instrumental music matters because there is no room for fellowship when worship is corrupted. Instruments in the assembly involves every participant. "
and yet you get your psalms where?...…The book store?! The Psalms in scriptures are the Psalms and New song that we are to sing....it tells you what to sing and how to sing it...... the whole context of Psalms is the NT teachings on Doctrine both for singing as well as all of Eschatology and soterology...!?!
The NT authors referenced psalms in the very NT commands to sing and even quoted from it such that you can't mistake what psalms He is referring to both in what to sing and how to sing it..?!?
If you show your servant some people using a weed eater to get rid of weeds and then latter tell your son "go get the weeds out of the yard"..would you berate and ask him...."why are you using a weed eater?...I did not say anything about a weed eater". The verse and commands to sing, make melody, speak all ref the source or example of what you are to do and you can know this because .....The very context of psalms is about the church and what the church would do......Must God quote every verse in psalms in order to say " i want you to sing psalms?..Must God quote the whole ot in order to tell us that we are and they did evaluate and understand nt doctrine from the ot scriptures?.......He referenced psalms in the very NT commands and even quoted from it such that you can't mistake what psalms He is referring to???......
The Apostles did not have to quote the entire OT scriptures in order to validate them or to convey that we are to study them....Their doctrine came from the OT we are to study and learn not to think beyond it.... they studied and patterned doctrine after the OT scriptures .....!?!.....Acts 17:11; 1 Cor 14:34;
God does not have to quote every scripture verbatim in every other verse or mention every detail in every verse of what the church was to do in order to tell you where to get your doctrine from and how to use it!?!
Col 2:14. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances ( we still have a differnt set of hand written ordnances!?!) that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. This is specific to old law ordnances of purification and sacrifice
Heb 9:13. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?15. And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament
The OT practices that were for the sanctification "to the purifying of the flesh" were nailed to the cross and blotted out.......Not the old testament scriptures !!!
A.To claim "singing psalms hymns and spiritual songs" is silent with respect to mechanical instruments in our worship is equivalent to claiming "Acts2:21 whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." is silent with respect to baptism!?!. ......Scripture defines what calling on the name of the lord is....and scriptures defines what a "psalm" is and how it was sung. The beareans study those scriptures and Paul told us not to think of men [doctrines] beyond those scriptures)
B.To claim that scripture is silent with respect to instruments because it does not mention a specific instrument they used is like saying scripture is silent about baptism with the thief therefore he was not baptized....you cannot build a argument on the fact that scripture does not give you a certain detail(s)...I don't have to "authorize" you to put air in the tires or gas in the car when i give you permission to use the car particularly if the car uses gas.....and Psalms is what and how we are to sing...I suggest he read them...!?!.
C. Logic tells you that if you are not to think beyond what is written and you are to sing psalms then you should begin with the ones actulay listed in scripture the ones that are found in scripture...they were told not to think beyond them....NT Doctrine comes from OT scripture.....
A .Psalms mentions instruments inclusively not exclusively ......This is to say.....If i say "you guys are going to clean up this yard using weed eaters, clippers, rakes and shovels and even your hands"......No one in their right mind would take that to mean that Although i commanded you to clean up the yard that I commanded everyone to use a rake and everyone must use a shovel and everyone must use just their hands.........And why?...because the statement of what will be done is inclusive, It is not exclusive to the action or to each person. The statement is one of permissive inclusion not exclusion and cannot be said to restrict the action of cleaning up with everyone using all the elements listed or even limit the object of "clean up this yard" to those particular tools.....or just hands
Scripture can only ever be said to demand instruments in worship, and never be used to claim that scripture is either "silent" or forbids Instruments!?!...and thus if you do not then the same logic that you condemned others now condemns you for the same reasons.....learn in us not to think beyond what is written.....The book of Psalms is where many of the ref and quotations come for for the very act of sining.....but many think they are righteous because they ignore those psalms and get the "authorized" psalms from the book store...that is hypocritical and will condemn those who apply that logic....
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Mat 7:2. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
People like him.....
1 Tim 1: 7. Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
Further, many if not most of the folks that condem instriments are duble minded and unsatble and you should stay far away from them.
The Psalms that scriptures do mention, they don't sing even though scripture is obviously not silent about what a psalm is or how to sing it ....Oh but they say instruments we don't dare use because they are not present in scripture?!?!
So you don't do foot washing although scripture is not silent about that with explicit command and example..
And you do use the Church treasury to build church buildings and maintain them when the scriptures are silent about that in spite of explicit command and example..
The fallacy in the logic used to arrive and maintain the position against instruments is significant and leasds to damdable heresy...why?....because it is the very same logical and scriptural error that pervades all of doctrine and why there are so many Damnable heresy, as defined in scripture, out there being taught even in the churches own "statements of faith"...ie "Christ is going to return someday".... 2 Tim 4:8...shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
The appearing in context is the 2nd comming"....you can't love that which you spend your time denouncing... note also John 14:19-24 the context there is Christ 2nd coming as well.......and most folks do not understand any of this for the very reason they are not looking at the OT scriptures and as such denying the lords appearing waiting for the periodic table of elements to "melt with a fervent heat"........God help us!?
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