Identifying the New Testament Church #5

A. Last week we explained in an introductory manner why we do not use instrumental music in worship. Many people honestly wonder "Why don't you have instrumental music in your worship services, are you poor?" And that’s a normal question. Our songs of praise are "a cappella" which means without the accompaniment of an instrument. It’s a Latin word meaning “In Chapel.” It described the only music used by the Catholic Church for hundreds of years.
First Century Christians did not use such man-made innovations. To practice what the New Testament Church practiced we believe that instrumental music in worship and singing praises is both unscriptural and anti-scriptural. It is an innovation not authorized by God in the New Testament. It is something man has added to the worship of God.
a. Our belief is based solely on God's Word and our belief in that Word. Let me explain why
we hold such a belief and how we arrived at that practiced conclusion by calling on five
witnesses: Historical Witness, Christian Scholarship, Original Language, Scriptural
Authority and the Law of Exclusion.
(A) Historical Witness. Instrumental music in New Testament worship is of recent origin.
And came about as the result of human tradition, added as a means of worship. It was never authorized by God in His Word. Jesus speaks directly to this problem
in Matt 15:1?14. God condemns the substitution of man-made tradition in the place of His Word as a means of worship and rejects those who do so.
When you replace Scripture with man-made traditions you are guilty of flat out treating God and His Word with contempt.
2 Pet. 1:2?4. That says God calls us to partake of His divine nature so we can receive His promise of salvation. How has God called us? Rom. 10:17, says we are called to faith by hearing the Word of God. We find grace and peace in the knowledge of God and Jesus when we read the Bible and do what it tells us to do with out additions and deletions.
We are to worship God the way He tells us to do it in the Bible.
Did you know that In the past all Christian Denominations forbid the use of Instrumental music in their worship services. No instrument was used in the Presbyterian Church prior to 1841. Unless there has been a recent change, no instrument was used in the Pope’s private chapel of the Vatican. Listen to the Historical Witnesses from the past.
SUMMA THEOLOGIA, QEAESTIO 91, Thomas Aquinas, "Instrumental music as well as singing is mentioned in the Old Testament, but the Church has accepted only singing..."
SCHAFF-HERZOGG ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE, "In the Greek church the organ never came into use. But after the eighth century it became more and more common in the Latin church; not, however, without opposition from the side of the monks."
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA, "For almost one thousand years, Gregorian chant, without any instrumental or harmonic addition, was the only music used with the liturgy. The church holds up as her ideal the unaccompanied chant, and polyphonic, A CAPPELLA style.
ERASMUS, 16th century Roman Catholic Theologian and Scholar, "We have brought into our churches a certain operose and theatrical music;...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 theater, to have their ears tickled."
NEW WINSTON DICTIONARY, “Instrumental music has been added because of it's fleshly human attraction and enjoyment---simply because we like it!"

M.R. Vincent fought against the admittance of instrumental music into the Presbyterian Church. In his four volume set of "WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT," quotes the writings of the early church fathers in reference to the instrument in New Testament worship: "Neither Basil nor Ambrose, nor Crysostom , in their panegyrics upon music, mention instrumental music, and Basil expressly condemns it. Justin Martyr says expressly that instrumental music was not used in the Christian Church.” These men we have quoted lived between A.D. 340 and 407 and Justin Martyr from A.D.100 - 167. He was born just ten years after the apostle John died.
Just a few years ago the denominational world, did not use or tolerate the instrument of music in their worship. It was conspicuously absent from those denominations because the religious scholars of those groups said God’s Word would not allow it. And that brings us to our second witness.
(2) Christian Scholarship.
(1) Martin Luther, "Instrumental music in worship to God is an ensign of Baal and a sign of the devil." Luther, would not allow any instrument to be used in worship while he lived. It was only brought in hundreds of years after his death.
(1) John Calvin (Founder of the Presbyterian Church), "Musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, lighting of candles, or the restoration of the other shadows of the Law of Moses."
(2) Adam Clark (Methodist Scholar), "Music as a science I esteem and admire, but instruments of music in the house of God I abominate and abhor." = And in the next sentence He then quotes John Wesley (Founder of the Methodist Church), who said, "I have no objection to instruments of music in our chapels, provided they are neither seen nor heard."
(3) Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Baptist Scholar), "I would as soon pray to God with machinery as to sing to God with machinery."
(4) A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Baptist Scholar) Rom. 15:9,
“I will sing” - psalo - 1 Cor. 14:15, “Singing that reaches the intellect as well as
stirs the emotions.“ Eph. 5:19, “Here to sing without an instrument.” Heb. 2:12,
“...I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the congregation I will
sing thy praise.” To prove his point he quotes Ps. 22:22, “...unto my brethren...” “In
the congregation. The word came to mean the local church as also the general
church or kingdom,” Matt. 16:18; Heb. 12:23. “Here we have the picture of public
worship.” Robertson shows the New Testament worship in song was congregational
singing without the use of the instrument of music.
(5) Alexander Campbell (Disciples of Christ), "The use of a musical instrument in singing praises to God would be as inappropriate as a cowbell at a concert."
(2) From denominational founders, and scholars come echoes of concern and strong words of descent about instrumental music in New Testament worship. With one voice they proclaim that instrumental music is unscriptural, anti-scriptural and forbidden by the inspired writers of the New Testament. While they lived, the denominations to which they belonged, did not permit the use of instrumental music. The instrument of music crept in only after they died and their voices of scholarship and demands for adherence for scriptural authority were silenced.
(1) Jude 3; 1 Cor. 4:6; Heb. 4:11?13; Jno. 12:48?49. Does the church of which you are a member offer God songs of praise in Spirit and in Truth according to the Word of God and not the traditions of men?
(3) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 05/26/2002 am