Instrumental Music At Home
Is it right to sing religious songs accompanied by instruments of music outside the worship assembly? This question has been a matter of concern for many, and it is certainly deserving of our careful thought and study; for surely no one can say it is a matter of indifference, since it involves a practice related to one of the most obvious differences between the church of the Lord and the churches of men.
We are all familiar with the arguments from scripture that have to do with the absence of the instruments in our worship assemblies. Basically, all the arguments can be boiled down to the simple fundamental statement. "We have no authority from God to use the instruments." The same reasoning applies to the burning of incense, the using of hamburgers and coke as the Lord's Supper, etc. The Lord has told us what he wants, and we are content to abide within the revelation he has given on these and other subjects. But some counter by saying that since we can use hamburgers, cokes and incense at home, we can also use instrumental music at home. With this I have no quarrel. In my own home we have an organ, a piano, harmonicas, a guitar, and drums. BUT WE DO NOT USE THESE IN OUR WORSHIP TO GOD. Nor do we partake of hamburgers, nor burn incense as an act of worship to God.
Part of the problem seems to stem from a misunderstanding on the part of some who think you cannot worship except in an assembled capacity such as we have on Sunday mornings. (Some have even gone so far as to declare that our assembly on Wednesday evenings was not "worship," since we did not have the "five acts of worship.") But "worship," the English translation of the Greek word "proskuneo" (literally "to bend the knee towards") involves an act or acts of homage or devotion paid to God, and there are some things we are authorized to do at any time and in any place. (Another Greek word translated "worship" is "latreuo," which refers to service rather than homage.)
While it is true that we are instructed in the New Testament concerning the music we make in the assemblies (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16), we are not left without direction concerning individuals or groups other than the general assembly. Acts 16: 25 tells us of Paul and Silas "praying and singing hymns unto God" while in prison. James 5:13 gives us a good formula for expressing happiness: "Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise." Now, if the language of Eph. 5 and Col. 3 does not authorize instrumental music in assembly worship, how do we escape the same conclusion from the language of Acts 16 and James 5? There is no escape!
Not only is the individual's worship in song accompanied by the instrument unscriptural, but it is highly inconsistent. How do you go about explaining to your neighbors that a song that cannot be sung with the instrument in the church building can be accompanied by the instrument at home? And let us include school choirs while on the subject. I have attended school programs in which young people who were members of the church participated in singing religious songs while someone was banging away at the piano. And I have heard the comments of others in the audience, "Why, I thought so-and-so was a member of the church of Christ?" What do you say then? You just clear your throat and weakly mumble, "Well Even if you cannot see that such is unscriptural, surely you can have no trouble seeing the inconsistency of such a practice. In fact, I have even ceased singing along with the "gospel quartettes" on the radio, unless I can determine that they are not using instrumental accompaniment. Who can argue with such a practice?
Some reply that they do not worship when they play while singing at home. But this would still be hard to explain to the neighbors, and furthermore raises the question of what is meant by "taking the name of the Lord in vain." If these songs are not "worship" but are sung in a frivolous and empty manner, what have we done then?
Think about these things, brethren.
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