Are Musical Instruments Forbidden in Church Meetings?

[Clay]

Question: What does it mean to “sing to the Lord a new song” (Psalm 96:1)?

Answer: Psalm 96 may hold the key to understanding why worship has continuously evolved throughout history, and new songs have ever been written and sung to the Lord. The psalmist declared, “O sing unto the LORD a new song: Sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Sing unto the LORD, bless his name” (Psalm 96:1–2, KJV).

Many other psalms unite in the refrain: “Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him” (Psalm 98:1). David intoned, “I will sing a new song to you, my God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you” (Psalm 144:9). “Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy,” insists Psalm 33:3. Again and again, God’s people are encouraged to “Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people” (Psalm 149:1).

In each of these passages, new means “original,” “fresh,” “one of a kind,” and “never seen before,” or, in this case, “never heard before.” God is a creative God. He’s always doing something new—like saving, intervening, answering prayers, and working miracles. Through the prophet Isaiah, God said, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:18–19). Right before this, the Lord declared, “Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the earth” (Isaiah 42:9–10, ESV).

When we are born into the family of God, He makes us new creatures in Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul explained, “The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17; see also Galatians 6:15). To the Corinthians, Paul said, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10).

One thing our inventive God loves is for His newly created people to express innovative, spontaneous, and unrehearsed praise and thanks to Him. Singing unto the Lord a new song is the natural reaction of an individual who is newly saved and transformed by the Lord: “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD” (Psalm 40:3, ESV).

The “new song” we sing does not have to be a newly composed worship number. The new song is merely a fresh response of praise and thanks—one that matches the freshness of God’s goodness and mercy, which are “new every morning” (Lamentations 3:23). A new song springs forth unrehearsed from the heart of a worshiper who has been struck anew with wonder at the greatness of God and the salvation He has provided. When we see the mighty hand of God working in a way we’ve never observed before, we can’t help but burst forth with a song we’ve never sung before.

A new song has been heard from people of every generation—sung by a choir of born-again believers who have tasted and seen the goodness and salvation of the Lord. From days of old and for all eternity, followers from every tribe, language, people, and nation sing unto the Lord a new song (Revelation 5:9). Throughout the earth and before the throne of God in heaven, we can hear the redeemed singing a new song to the Lord (Revelation 14:3).


Got Questions Ministries

 

[Seabass]

Can I ask if you ever watch TV

Yes, but everything a person does does not need authorization from God, there are specific and general authorizations.

Did the Apostles have to have specific authorization on what they could or could not eat for breakfast? No.

God has authorized how a Christian should live without specifying every iota of action involved in living. Therefore watching TV does not require authorization from God. But God has authorized what type of programming a Christian can or cannot watch...cannot watch something unwholesome.

You can tell someone to take the garbage out with no further details. You authorized the garbage to be taken out but did not specify every detail in how it was to be taken out. This is general authorization. In general authorization you did not give specific details, you did not detail every little action to the person as to walk to the garbage can, pull the full bags of garbage out, tie the bags, then walk through a specific door outside, put the full bag in the garbage recepticle, etc etc. You gave the general authorization to take the garbage out and as long as that person did as authorized in taking the garbage out you gave freedom as to how that person goes about doing it.

 

[civic]

Yes, but everything a person does does not need authorization from God, there are specific and general authorizations.

Did the Apostles have to have specific authorization on what they could or could not eat for breakfast? No.

God has authorized how a Christian should live without specifying every iota of action involved in living. Therefore watching TV does not require authorization from God. But God has authorized what type of programming a Christian can or cannot watch...cannot watch something unwholesome.

Ones entire life is worshipping God regardless of where you are at physically. See Romans 12:1-2.

So either instruments are acceptable and ok or they are not and its sinful whether you are at home or in a church building.

 

[FreeInChrist]

I have no trouble with musical instruments in church.

I have no trouble with singing in church.

I do think the instruments are a necessity if there is to be singing... for various reasons.

Just please. NO BAGPIPES.

 

[Seabass]

Ones entire life is worshipping God regardless of where you are at physically. See Romans 12:1-2.

So either instruments are acceptable and ok or they are not and its sinful whether you are at home or in a church building.

everything a person does is not worship. Again God authorizes how Christians should live but God does not authorize every detailed thing the Christian does giving the Christian freedom to eat what he wants for breakfast. Hence the Christian does not need authorization to eat cereal or pancakes for breakfast.

God has determined how a Christian, a true worshipper, is to worship (Jn 4:23-24) God did not leave it up to man to determine for himself how to worship. If God left worship up to man then there would be no such things as vain worship (Mk 7:7) or will worship (Col 2:23) both of which are condemned. The very idea of 'will worship' shows man worshipping according to his own will which Paul condemns....

Paul's Condemnation of Will-Worship

What is "will-worship"? Why did Paul, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, condemn it? Study carefully this article.

christiancourier.com

Condemnation of Will Worship

"Famed scholars of Greek papyri, Moulton and Milligan, suggested that the particular form used in the Colossian text was coined by Paul himself (1930, 181). There appears to be a general consensus among scholars as to the significance of the term. We cite the following testimony for those who do not have access to the many tools that address this issue.

The Geneva translation (1557) renders the word as “voluntarie worshipping,” with the text using “voluntarie” in the sense of “arbitrary.” The same version in the 1560 edition has this marginal note: “Such as men have chosen according to their own fantasy” (Hastings 1902, 923). In other words, it is a self-contrived worship. It is “worship originating in the human will as opposed to the Divine, arbitrary religious acts, worthless despite the difficulty of performance” (Orr 1939, 3085).

J. B. Lightfoot called it a “self-imposed, officious, supererogatory service” (204). F. F. Bruce declared that such stands in

contrast with the spiritual service which true Christianity enjoins in harmony with the will of God, “good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2), this “would-be-religion” is a “self-made cult” (1984, 128).

Even John Calvin called this worship one “which men choose for themselves at their own option, without authority from God” (1965, 202).

J. H. Thayer depicted will-worship as:

worship which one devises and prescribes for himself, contrary to the contents and nature of the faith which ought to be directed to Christ(168).

W. E. Vine characterized the ambitious action as “voluntarily adopted worship, whether unbidden or forbidden” (1952, 236). Vine was following the work of Cremer (1895, 733). In the words of another, it is “a form of worship which a man devises for himself” (Carson 1979, 79), a “self-made religion” (Mounce 2006, 1131). Everett Harrison described it as a worship “not prescribed by God but only by (the will of) man” (1971, 72).

In the work edited by Kittel, Schmidt said will-worship is a “cultus which is freely chosen, which is not commanded or forbidden” (Kittel 1965, 159). In other words, it may not be commanded (i.e., authorized), and is not explicitly forbidden, so that if used such is innovative. Lenski says it is “a self-chosen worship that is willed by the will of those who want it and not a type of worship that is willed by God” (1937, 144). The “devotion was not authorized or commanded by Jesus Christ but was stimulated by the dictates of an unregenerate heart” (Pinnock 1985, 195).

The British scholar, Nigel Turner, suggests it is a form of religion “which fails to maintain the true object of worship and in place of Christ selects its own objects.” He calls it an “uncontrolled worship.” It is a worship of “free choice” rather than that of divine choice (1982, 493). The respected work of Balz and Schneider defines ethelothreskia as “self-chosen worship, superfluous worship” (1990, 381). Another scholarly source describes the error as “self-made religion, do-it-yourself religion, idiosyncratic religion” (Danker et al. 2000, 276; see also Hendriksen 1979, 132). Ellicott asserted the term clearly reflects “an arbitrary, self-imposed service” (1978, 181)."

 

[civic]

everything a person does is not worship. Again God authorizes how Christians should live but God does not authorize every detailed thing the Christian does giving the Christian freedom to eat what he wants for breakfast. Hence the Christian does not need authorization to eat cereal or pancakes for breakfast.

God has determined how a Christian, a true worshipper, is to worship (Jn 4:23-24) God did not leave it up to man to determine for himself how to worship. If God left worship up to man then there would be no such things as vain worship (Mk 7:7) or will worship (Col 2:23) both of which are condemned. The very idea of 'will worship' shows man worshipping according to his own will which Paul condemns....

Paul's Condemnation of Will-Worship

What is "will-worship"? Why did Paul, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, condemn it? Study carefully this article.

christiancourier.com

Condemnation of Will Worship

"Famed scholars of Greek papyri, Moulton and Milligan, suggested that the particular form used in the Colossian text was coined by Paul himself (1930, 181). There appears to be a general consensus among scholars as to the significance of the term. We cite the following testimony for those who do not have access to the many tools that address this issue.

The Geneva translation (1557) renders the word as “voluntarie worshipping,” with the text using “voluntarie” in the sense of “arbitrary.” The same version in the 1560 edition has this marginal note: “Such as men have chosen according to their own fantasy” (Hastings 1902, 923). In other words, it is a self-contrived worship. It is “worship originating in the human will as opposed to the Divine, arbitrary religious acts, worthless despite the difficulty of performance” (Orr 1939, 3085).

J. B. Lightfoot called it a “self-imposed, officious, supererogatory service” (204). F. F. Bruce declared that such stands in



Even John Calvin called this worship one “which men choose for themselves at their own option, without authority from God” (1965, 202).

J. H. Thayer depicted will-worship as:



W. E. Vine characterized the ambitious action as “voluntarily adopted worship, whether unbidden or forbidden” (1952, 236). Vine was following the work of Cremer (1895, 733). In the words of another, it is “a form of worship which a man devises for himself” (Carson 1979, 79), a “self-made religion” (Mounce 2006, 1131). Everett Harrison described it as a worship “not prescribed by God but only by (the will of) man” (1971, 72).

In the work edited by Kittel, Schmidt said will-worship is a “cultus which is freely chosen, which is not commanded or forbidden” (Kittel 1965, 159). In other words, it may not be commanded (i.e., authorized), and is not explicitly forbidden, so that if used such is innovative. Lenski says it is “a self-chosen worship that is willed by the will of those who want it and not a type of worship that is willed by God” (1937, 144). The “devotion was not authorized or commanded by Jesus Christ but was stimulated by the dictates of an unregenerate heart” (Pinnock 1985, 195).

The British scholar, Nigel Turner, suggests it is a form of religion “which fails to maintain the true object of worship and in place of Christ selects its own objects.” He calls it an “uncontrolled worship.” It is a worship of “free choice” rather than that of divine choice (1982, 493). The respected work of Balz and Schneider defines ethelothreskia as “self-chosen worship, superfluous worship” (1990, 381). Another scholarly source describes the error as “self-made religion, do-it-yourself religion, idiosyncratic religion” (Danker et al. 2000, 276; see also Hendriksen 1979, 132). Ellicott asserted the term clearly reflects “an arbitrary, self-imposed service” (1978, 181)."

Romans 12:1-2 refutes your false claims.

 

[Seabass]

Romans 12:1-2 refutes your false claims.

When a Christian obeys and conforms to God's will as spelled out in the Bible, then that Christian is worshipping God. But God's will is not involved in what color shirt a person puts on or what a person eats for breakfast hence those activities are not worshipping God.


Gen 22:5

Is All of Life Worship? - Apologetics Press

[AP auxiliary writer Earl Edwards holds a B.A. from David Lipscomb University, an M.Th. from Harding School of Theology, and a D.Miss. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Dr. Edwards was a missionary in Italy for 16 years and also served as director of the Florence Bible School. For 20...

apologeticspress.org

 

[Aeliana]

When a Christian obeys and conforms to God's will they are focused on themselves not praising God for who He is.

One Hebrew word for “praise” is yadah, meaning “praise, give thanks, or confess.” A second word often translated “praise” in the Old Testament is zamar, “sing praise.” A third word translated “praise” is halal (the root of hallelujah), meaning “to praise, honor, or commend.” All three terms contain the idea of giving thanks and honor to one who is worthy of praise.

 

[civic]

When a Christian obeys and conforms to God's will as spelled out in the Bible, then that Christian is worshipping God. But God's will is not involved in what color shirt a person puts on or what a person eats for breakfast hence those activities are not worshipping God.


Gen 22:5

Is All of Life Worship? - Apologetics Press

[AP auxiliary writer Earl Edwards holds a B.A. from David Lipscomb University, an M.Th. from Harding School of Theology, and a D.Miss. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Dr. Edwards was a missionary in Italy for 16 years and also served as director of the Florence Bible School. For 20...

apologeticspress.org

diverting again as we are talking about musical instruments and worshipping God.

worshipping God is 24/7 in spirit and truth.

so is is true or false that it is ok to worship God with musical instruments ?

this time try and stay on point with the question.

there is no getting around it-

this should be a black and white question and answer. there is no wiggle room.

hope this helps !!!

 

[Red Baker]

@civic

so is is true or false that it is ok to worship God with musical instruments ?

Yes, one can, because we have clear examples in the scriptures where David did, and others as well.

diverting again as we are talking about musical instruments and worshipping God.

Yet, they should never be used to simulate our worship, or get us into the proper mindset to worship, if so, then we have a serious problem of walking by naked faith, without feelings being needed to cause us to worship God. We worship God in the face of trails, tribulations, rejections, hatred, and being all alone as Elijah thought he was~the flesh can and does often deceives us in thinking we are pleasing God, but a man walking by faith, and cleaving to God in the face of all I just mentioned is the man who is truly worshipping God in spirit and truth.

I have never been a part of a group of believers that used musical instruments~there are a few of Particular Baptist (which is what I'm) in America, that do not use musical instruments. My position is stated above, so I may be a little more lenient than some of them, but not much more.

 

[Julie]

 

[Seabass]

When a Christian obeys and conforms to God's will they are focused on themselves not praising God for who He is.

One Hebrew word for “praise” is yadah, meaning “praise, give thanks, or confess.” A second word often translated “praise” in the Old Testament is zamar, “sing praise.” A third word translated “praise” is halal (the root of hallelujah), meaning “to praise, honor, or commend.” All three terms contain the idea of giving thanks and honor to one who is worthy of praise.

Obedience to God is focusing on God and His will, lack of obedience is focusing on self and what self wants rather than what God wants.

 

[Seabass]

diverting again as we are talking about musical instruments and worshipping God.

worshipping God is 24/7 in spirit and truth.

so is is true or false that it is ok to worship God with musical instruments ?

this time try and stay on point with the question.

there is no getting around it-

this should be a black and white question and answer. there is no wiggle room.

hope this helps !!!

You falsely accuse me of diverting when the issue was dealt with that everything a Christian does is not worship. post #47


The real issue is people want to do what they want to do ("I think", "I feel", "I see nothing wrong with it") instead of doing what God says to do...a thus sayeth the Lord.

 

[FreeInChrist]

Does Psalms count?

Psalms 33:2​

“Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.” – Psalms 33:2

Does not Psalm 100:1 states, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands,"

Psalm 150​

1Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
4praise him with timbrel and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
5praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.

 

[Aeliana]

Obedience to God is focusing on God and His will, lack of obedience is focusing on self and what self wants rather than what God wants.

And it has nothing to do with worship. What your saying is like works salvation. Like I said "When a Christian obeys and (try's to) conforms to God's will they are focused on themselves not praising God for who He is.

When we worship God we are lifting Him up and praising Him for who He is. It's not about us trying to be supper Christian.

Works Worship... turning what is meant for God and making it about us.

 

[civic]

You falsely accuse me of diverting when the issue was dealt with that everything a Christian does is not worship. post #47


The real issue is people want to do what they want to do ("I think", "I feel", "I see nothing wrong with it") instead of doing what God says to do...a thus sayeth the Lord.

I’m not falsely accusing you. It’s a double standard.

 

[Burdock]

Music and praise are a vital part of worshipping God as a congregation. Paul encouraged the Ephesians to be “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” Ephesians 5:19-20

 

[civic]

Music and praise are a vital part of worshipping God as a congregation. Paul encouraged the Ephesians to be “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” Ephesians 5:19-20

Yes and what is a melody

A stringed instrument

psalló: To sing, to make melody, to play a stringed instrument.
Original Word: ψάλλω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: psalló
Pronunciation: psal'-lo
Phonetic Spelling: (psal'-lo)
KJV: make melody, sing (psalms)
NASB: sing, making melody, sing praises
Word Origin: [probably strengthened from psao "to rub or touch the surface"]

1. to twitch or twang, i.e. to play on a stringed instrument (celebrate the divine worship with music and accompanying odes)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
sing, make melody
Probably strengthened from psao (to rub or touch the surface; compare psocho); to twitch or twang, i.e. To play on a stringed instrument (celebrate the divine worship with music and accompanying odes) -- make melody, sing (psalms).

End of discussion. Instruments are commanded by Paul under inspiration of the Holy Spirit

hope this helps !!!

 

[Seabass]

Does Psalms count?

Psalms 33:2​

Does not Psalm 100:1 states, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands,"

Psalm 150​

1Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
4praise him with timbrel and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
5praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.

No.

In post #29 the OT law of Moses is not the delegated authority for NT Christianity. Christ and His NT is what NT Christians following..."hear ye Him". Moses, the OT Prophets, David, Abraham do not determine NT doctrine. David's use of musical instruments do not justify their use in NT Christian worship no more than David's animal sacrifices (Psa 66:15) justify the offering of animal sacrifices for sins.

OT Judaism has no place in NT Christianity. Jesus' point in Mt 9:16 was the NT was not to be just a patch to put on an old garment (OT) but the NT would replace the OT with a new and much better religion. The OT law was to be temporal to prepare the Jews for the coming of the Messiah...."Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." Gal 3:25-26. Christ abrogated the OT by His death (Rom. 7:4,6-7; Eph. 2:15; 2 Cor. 3:3ff). By taking away the OT law Christ took down that wall of partition that separated Jew and Gentile where now both Jew and Gentile are one in Christ under NT Christianity.

The OT law cannot justify as the NT law can. The OT law was only given to the Jews to keep (Deut 5:1-3) and that law was an advantage to the Jew over the Gentile (Rom 3:1-2) yet that OT law could not justify, it left the Jew unjustified as the Gentile (Rom 3:9). The book of Galatians shows the OT law could not justifiy (Gal 3:11) hence it could not justify those Galatians who left the NT to find justification through the OT. A related point Paul makes in Galatians is if the OT could justify then Christ died in vain (Gal 2:21). Those who leave the NT looking to find justification for a particular practice cannot find justification by going back to the OT law. The OT law cannot be used as a loophole to get around what the NT teaches.

It is sinful for the NT Christian to try and keep both the NT and OT laws at the same time. In Rom 7:1-6 Paul speaks how we have been delivered from that OT Law v6. Paul used the institution of marriage to make his point. A woman that is married yet lives with another man is an adulteress, but if her first husband is dead she would be free from the law to be married to another man. Similarly the Christian is married to Christ and His NT but if the Christian also tries to keep the OT law also he would be committing spiritual adultery against Christ. But since Christ took the OT law out of the way freeing the Jew from that OT law where he can now be married to Christ and not be committing spiritual adultery. This was a major problem in the first century church where Jews became Christians but they tried to hold on to the OT law and keep it, even trying to bind it up on the Gentiles (Acts 15:1; Book of Colossians).

 

[Seabass]

And it has nothing to do with worship. What your saying is like works salvation. Like I said "When a Christian obeys and (try's to) conforms to God's will they are focused on themselves not praising God for who He is.

When we worship God we are lifting Him up and praising Him for who He is. It's not about us trying to be supper Christian.

Works Worship... turning what is meant for God and making it about us.

God has determined how Christians are to worship (Jn 4:23-24) therefore the Christian must be obedient to God's way. God did not leave it up to man to devise his own way to worship, that is 'will worship' which Paul condemns in Col 2. To not worship as God directed but as man directs is vain worship (Mk 7:7).