“Instrumental Music.1” by. Steven J. Wallace

A cappella versus Instrumental WHY NOT mechanical music INWORSHIP? WHY NOT mechanical music IN WORSHIP?

Historical Dates  st instrument added to Lord’s church  670 1st time instrument ever added successfully to a church’s worship

Our Opposition is NOT  because we are cranky  because we cannot afford them  because we want to be different  because prominent historical figures resisted...

Voices of the Past  Alexander Campbell, “But I presume, to all spiritually- minded Christians such aids would be as a cow bell in a concert.”  Adam Clarke (Methodist) “I am an old man, and I here declare that I never knew them to be productive of any good in the worship of God, and have reason to believe that they are productive of much evil. Music as a science I esteem and admire, but instrumental music in the house of God I abominate and abhor. This is the abuse of music, and I here register my protest against all such corruption of the worship of the author of Christianity.”

Voices of the Past  J. H. Garrison (Christian Church) “There is no command in the New Testament, Greek or English, commanding the use of the instrument. Such a command would be entirely out of harmony with the New Testament.”  Lyman Coleman, “The tendency of this was to secularize the music of the church, and to encourage singing by a choir. Such musical accompaniments were gradually introduced; but they can hardly be assigned to a period earlier than the fifth and sixth centuries. Organs were unknown in church until the eighth or ninth centuries. Previous to this, they had their place in the theater, rather than in the church. they were never regarded with favor in the Eastern church, and were vehemently opposed in many places in the West" (Lyman Coleman, a Presbyterian, Primitive Church, p )

Voices of the Past  John Calvin, “Musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting up of lamps, and the restoration of the other shadows of the law” (Psalms, Vol. 1, p. 539).

Voices of the Past  Charles Spurgeon (Baptist), “We might as well pray by machinery as sing by it” and “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. That would hinder rather than help our praise. Sing unto Him. This is the sweetest and best music. No instrument like the human voice” (Commentary on Psalm 42)

Voices of the Past  Erasmus, 16 th Century, “We have brought into our churches certain operatic and theatrical music; such a confused, disorderly chattering of some words as I hardly think was ever in any of the Grecian or Roman theatres. The church rings with the noise of trumpets, pipes, and dulcimers; and human voices strive to bear their part with them. Men run to church as to a theatre, to have their ears tickled. And for this end organ makers are hired with great salaries, and a company of boys, who waste all their time learning these whining tones” (Erasmus, Commentary on I Cor. 14:19)

Voices of the Past  John Wesley (Methodist), “I have no objection to the organ in our chapels, provided it is neither heard nor seen.”  Martin Luther, Reformation Leader, “The organ in the worship service is a sign of Baal” (Realencyklopadie Fur Protestantische Theologie und Kirche, Bd, 14, s.433 cited in Instrumental Music and New Testament Worship, James D. Bales, p. 130.)  Thomas Aquinas, (Catholic Theologian; 13th century), “Our church does not use musical instruments, as harps and psalteries, to praise God withal, that she may not seem to Judaize” (Bingham's Antiquities, Vol. 2, p.483, London)

Voices of the Past  Catholic Encyclopedia, “Although Josephus tells of the wonderful effects produced in the Temple by the use of instruments, the first Christians were of too spiritual a fibre to substitute lifeless instruments for or to use them to accompany the human voice. Clement of Alexandria severely condemns the use of instruments even at Christian banquets” (Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 10, p. 652)Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 10, p. 652

Voices of the Past  Eusebius, c.a. 330 AD “Of old at the time those of the circumcision were worshipping with symbols and types it was not inappropriate to send up hymns to God with the psalterion and cithara and to do this on Sabbath days... We render our hymn with a living psalterion and a living cithara with spiritual songs. The unison voices of Christians would be more acceptable to God than any musical instrument. Accordingly in all the churches of God, united in soul and attitude, with one mind and in agreement of faith and piety we send up a unison melody in the words of the Psalms” (commentary on Psalms 91:2-3)

A Cappella  ETYMOLOGY: Italian: a, in the manner of + cappella, chapel, choir historical word handed down by the Catholic Church for music that was appropriate in chapel (viz. church) differentiated music that was proper for the church service versus entertainment suitable music in the church was then viewed as being solely vocal Greek Orthodox/Roman Catholic split

What does this information PROVE?  the practice of using instruments in praise is recent  virtually all the founders of every major denomination was staunchly opposed to instruments in worship  why should we not be opposed?

 “...Sir Richard Terry (Director of Music for nearly 25 years at Westminister Cathedral) who gives a little historical remembrance in the following quote from his native Scotland when this was written in the late 1920's: ‘The history of Scottish music is full of paradoxes. Most of us are old enough to have caught echoes of the furious opposition to instrumental music in the Kirk ("kirk" is Scot. for "church"). This was supposed to be a protest against 'Popish practices' and it is only in modern times that Scottish church music has ceased to be exclusively vocal’ (quoted by Percy A. Scholes, The Puritans and Music in England and New England, Oxford at the Clarendon Press: 1934; reprinted 1969, page 220)” (Marc Smith, The Simple Gospel A Capella [sic. a cappella],

Why Do We OPPOSE IT? 1. ITS NOT ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN is there a pattern for music in worship? if there is a pattern, it must be followed (Heb. 8:5) if there is no pattern, there is no sin: “because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression” (Rom. 4:15)

Ephesians 5:19 “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” when we sing in worship we are to make melody:  on our harp?  in our heart? TEST

Ephesians 5:19 “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” the mechanical instrument has a heart in which God desires the melody to spring from?  TRUE  FALSE TEST

What do we learn from these verses  singing is acceptable  the New Testament is silent about playing instruments in worship WARNING: “Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD” (Lev. 10:1, 2)

Psalm 19:13 “Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression”

Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” All that we do in worship is to be done by the authority of Christ? is to be done to entertain everyone? is to be done according to our choice? TEST

Why Do We OPPOSE IT? 1. ITS NOT ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN 2. ITS AN ADDITION  “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Is. 8:20)  Revelation 22:18, 19  Proverbs 30:6

Why Do We OPPOSE IT? 1. ITS NOT ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN 2. ITS AN ADDITION 3. IT CANNOT BE DONE BY FAITH  Romans 10:17  there is no “word of God” in the N.T. to worship God with Instruments

Why Do We OPPOSE IT? 1. ITS NOT ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN 2. ITS AN ADDITION 3. IT CANNOT BE DONE BY FAITH 4. IT RENDERS WORSHIP VAIN

Matthew 15:8, 9  “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” teaching the commands of God produces true worship teaching the commands of men produces vain worship I.M. can only be authorized by man’s word; therefore I.M. is vain worship

Next Lesson: Analyze Arguments for Mechanical Music in Worship