| SINGING PRAISES TO GOD Eph 5:19 19 (speaking to one another) in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and (making melody in your heart) to the Lord, Col 3:16 16 (Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly) in all wisdom,( teaching and admonishing one another) in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, (singing with grace in your hearts) to the Lord. Definitions: 2980 Speaking - NT:2980 laleo (lal-eh'-o); a prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. utter words: James 5:13-18 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him (( sing )) psalms. Personal Note: You don't sing an instrument. You sing psalms ( Words, a sacred ode - A lyric poem ). 5568 in psalms - NT:5568 psalmos (psal-mos'); from NT:5567; a set piece of music, i.e. a sacred ode (accompanied with the voice or harp or other instrument; a "psalm"); collectively, the book of the Psalms: 5215 hymns - NT:5215 humnos (hoom'-nos); apparently from a simpler (obsolete) form of hudeo (to celebrate; probably akin to NT:103; compare NT:5567); a "hymn" or religious ode (one of the Psalms): 4152 spiritual - NT:4152 pneumatikos (pnyoo-mat-ik-os'); from NT:4151; non-carnal, i.e. (humanly) ethereal (as opposed to gross), or (daemoniacally) a spirit (concretely), or (divinely) supernatural, regenerate, religious: 5603 songs - NT:5603 oide (o-day'); from NT:103; a chant or "ode" (the general term for any words sung; while NT:5215 denotes especially a religious metrical composition, and NT:5568 still more specifically, a Hebrew cantillation): 103 singing - NT:103 aido (ad'-o)' a primary verb; to sing: (making melody in your heart) to the Lord. > Acts 16:25 25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Personal Notes: Here we have an example where God is very pleased with their praying and singing. Because he interacts with them by releasing them from prison. > Rom. 15:9 7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. 8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, 9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: "For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name." ( Ps. 18:49 Psalm of David ) 10 And again he says: "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!" 11 And again: "Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!" Personal Notes: King David praises God among Pagan people by singing to God's name. Notice what he is singing. Words from a Psalm. Therefore he would be singing psalms. Remember psalms don�t refer to musical instruments, it refers to words to be sung or played. Here he is singing and praising God. > 1 Cor. 14:15 9 So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance. 11 Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me. 12 Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. 13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? 17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified. 18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. Personal Notes: Paul says, I will sing. > Eph. 5:19 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God. Personal Notes: The keys to this verse are: Speaking to one another and singing and making melody in you heart. And it tells us how to do this by singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. > Col. 3:16 3 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Personal Notes: The keys here is: teaching and admonishing one another and singing. Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs are what we are to teach and sing. Teaching and singing are adjectives that describe how we are to present psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to the Lord and admonish one another. No where here do we get the idea that we are to play musical instruments of psalms and hymns to admonish one another and to the Lord. > Heb. 2:12 10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You." Personal Notes: The passage here is another one of King David's psalms which refers to how the coming Messiah / Jesus will Praise God the Father in the assembling of the saints. This is a very powerful verse that shows us how we are to praise God in the assembly. Through, Singing Praise to God in the midst of the saints. > Matt. 26:30 26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." 30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Personal Notes: Here is an example when Jesus was worshipping with his disciples and singing a hymn. The were assembled together and they sung a hymn. Singing a hymn gives the idea that a hymn is something ( words ) that can be sung. It does not give the idea that we are to sing hymns with the accompaniment of musical instruments. Just the opposite. Do you think that there was any musical instruments accompanying Jesus and the disciples when they sang this last hymn before His crucifixion. I would be willing to guess that this was one of the most moving, sacred and holy hymns that has ever been sung here on the earth. This shows great respect and reverence to God and we should adopt this as our standard approach to Praising and Revering God. > James 5:13 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Personal Notes: Describing what we are to do with psalms. ( SING ) Psalms are something that can be sung. Again it doesn't describe how we are to sing. >Amos 5:21-24 21 "I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies. 22 Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. 23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. 24 But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream. Personal Notes: God is not happy with Israel's attempt to Praise God in their assemblies. God says, I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. >Amos 6:1-5 Woe to you who are at ease in Zion, And trust in Mount Samaria, Notable persons in the chief nation, To whom the house of Israel comes! 2 Go over to Calneh and see; And from there go to Hamath the great; Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory? 3 Woe to you who put far off the day of doom, Who cause the seat of violence to come near; 4 Who lie on beds of ivory, Stretch out on your couches, Eat lambs from the flock And calves from the midst of the stall; 5 Who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments, And invent for yourselves musical instruments like David; Personal Notes: When God says, Who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments, And invent for yourselves musical instruments like David, it doesn't sound like God's happy with the way they are worshipping Him. The writer lists the things God is not pleased with and Musical instruments is on this list. Personal Thoughts: > The word ( play or playing ) in the old testament refers to actual play and to play music or instruments. But the word play is only in the new testament one time and it refers to an old testament passage. >The word 'playing' is found in the new testament once and it is referring to a sound in heaven. Rev 14:2 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. > The Christians of the New Testament were poor ( Jerusalem ) and I'm sure they couldn't afford instruments. Notice that Paul didn't condemn them for not having musical instruments in the church. Nothing is mentioned about it. There was no indication from all of John's, Peter's, Paul's teachings that would give us any idea that musical instruments were in the church. > New testament either refers to Psalms ( the OT book ) or it refers to singing psalms and hymns. > The Old Testament was a ( Do ) religion and the New Testament is all from the heart / spiritual. This interpretation is in harmony with what we learn elsewhere about the contrast between OT and NT worship 1) From Heb. 9:1-10 we learn that OT worship consisted of FLESHLY ordinances; e.g.: a) A physical structure (tabernacle) b) Special clothing for priests c) Lampstands d) Burning of incense e) Instruments of music f) Animal sacrifices -- all of which appeal to the PHYSICAL senses 2) But NT worship is geared more toward the SPIRITUAL side of man: a) God's temple is spiritual, made up of Christians - 1 Cor 3:16; Eph. 2:19-22 b) All Christians are priests, offering up spiritual sacrifices - 1 Pet. 2:5,9; Rom 12:1; Heb 13:15 c) Our prayers are sweet incense - Rev 5:8 d) Our music is making melody with the HEART - Eph 5:19 3) The physical ordinances of the OT were to last until a "time of reformation" - Heb 9:9-10 (which has occured with the coming of the New Covenant) 4) To "worship in spirit", then, is to offer up SPIRITUAL worship as taught in the NT and not the PHYSICAL as found in the OT. > Psalms teach or praise God. > Singing Praises gives God Glory and Uplifts our spirits. >Praise - When we hear saints offering Praise to God in the New Testament, it is through words that are sung or through speaking to God. Not through playing an instrument in or out of the assembly. An instrument can't praise God. We praise God through our words. Telling God how Great He is and how thankful we are. Luke 18:43 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. Luke 19:37-38 37 Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, 38 saying: " 'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Personal Notes: In these passages we see that God is given praise through the words that are said. Arguments for using Musical Instruments in Worship to God 1) Musical Instruments were used in Temple worship. 1 Chron. 25:1-6, 2 Chron. 29:25, Ps. 150:all, Col. 2:14-15, 2 Cor. 3:6, Gal. 5:6. 2) Playing instruments of music with spiritual songs isn't forbidden. Col. 3:16-17, 2 Jn. 9, 1 Cor. 4:6. 3) Playing musical instruments aids our singing. 1 Cor. 6:12, 1 Cor. 10:23, Gen. 6:14, Col. 2:12. 4) Because Psalms are mentioned, instrumental music is allowed. James 5:13, Eph. 5:19, Col. 3:16. 5) Instrumental music is fine, for Revelations mentions the use in heaven. Rev. 5:8-9, Rev. 14:2-3, Rev. 15:2-3, Rev. 1:1. My personal summary. All I need is one example or indication where the church used any musical instruments in their worship to God. Just one. If we could remember that music in Christian worship is not for the purpose of entertaining, but for teaching and for exalting, we would have no trouble seeing why God demanded vocal music and left out instrumental music. The following chart can help us to see the way in which the Scriptural purposes of music in worship are best fulfilled: The Bible says to: The Voice: The Instrument: Speak in song (Eph 5:19) Can Cannot Teach (Col 3:16) Can Cannot Admonish (Col 3:16) Can Cannot Sing with the Spirit (1Cor 14:14) Can Cannot Sing with understanding (1Cor 14:15) Can Cannot Make melody in Heart ( Eph 5:19) Can Cannot END |