Why Doesn't The Church Of Christ Use Instrumental Music In Church Worship?
I. The music question, like the question, "What must I do to be saved?" is not now to be answered by the Old Testament.
1. God speaks to us through his Son. (Heb. 1:1-2.)
2. We are to be judged by the New Testament. (Heb. 9:15-17; John 12:48.)
II. The New Testament specifies "singing" for church worship. (Matt. 26:30; Acts 16:25; Rom. 15:9; I Cor. 14:15; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; Heb. 2:12; 13:15; James 5:13.)
III. But are there not harps in heaven?
1. The supposed harps of Revelation 14:2-3, was a "voice" which John heard. The voice sounded like "many waters" and "great thunder" and "harps." But it was none of these. Just sounded like these things. The "voice" John heard was the singing of the "new song." (But, if there were literal harps in heaven, they are not for church worship on earth.)
IV. It doesn't say not to use instrumental music in church worship does it?
1. Jesus tells us to do: "What I have commanded you." Jesus never commanded mechanical instruments in church worship. (Matt. 28:20.)
2. All we do in the worship must be done "in the name of the Lord," and this means by the authority of the Lord. (Col. 3:17.)
3. We are forbidden to "go beyond" or "add to" Christ's teaching. (II John 9; Rev. 22:18.)
V. You have instrumental music in your home don't you?
1. Yes, but we don't use it in church worship. We have meat and pie on our table at home, too, but we don't put it on the Lord's table.
VI. You use a tuning fork to get the pitch don't you?
1. Sometimes, but there is no accompaniment. The tuning fork pitch is silent before the worship in song starts. Nothing is added to the singing. That is all that is done.
VII. Doesn't the Greek word psallo permit the use of mechanical instrumental music in church worship?
1. It does not, and this upon the authority of one hundred forty eight of the best Greek scholars who gave us the King James and the Revised Versions of the New Testament. Thayer says psallo Means: "In the N. T., to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song."
VIII. But do we not have as much authority for mechanical music in church worship as we do for meeting houses, seats, lights, and books?
1. We do not. While this comparison is not parallel at all, we cite scripture for meeting houses and seats (James 2:2-3), lights (Acts 20:8), and books. (II Tim. 4:13.)
IX. Did not David use instrumental music in the worship, and tell us to praise God on an organ?
1. David lived under the Old Testament, but we are to obey King Jesus, not king David. (Matt. 17:15.)
2. David also told us that he "hated his enemies." (Psalms 139:22.) But Jesus teaches us to "love our enemies." (Matt. 5:44.)
3. David offered animal sacrifices, but Christ is the end of such sacrifices, and the end of the law (Rom. 10:4) to which they belonged.