“Which things have indeed a shew of willworship, and humility, and neglecting the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh” (Col. 2:23, KJV). The New King James uses for the word willworship the phrase self-appointed religion. The Greek word from which these translations come consists of a compound word, which literally translated is “will worship.” Kittell defines it as a “cultus which is freely chosen, which is not commanded or forbidden” (3:159).
Will worship, therefore, consists of offering up worship according to our will (because we like it) rather than giving God worship as He has commanded. It is an old problem, dating back to Cain, who gave God what he desired to give Him rather than the blood sacrifice He required (Gen. 4:1-7). People have not changed; they freely choose the kind of worship that pleases them, “which is not commanded or forbidden.”
Does this phrase sound familiar? Every time men have sought to add something such as instrumental music, handclapping, or vocal sounds in addition to the singing of words, they have made the argument, “The Bible does not forbid it.” Such is the essence of will worship–doing that “which is not commanded or forbidden.” The Bible does not forbid fund-raising as an alternate way for churches to increase their bank accounts, nor does it specifically forbid having the Lord’s Supper on Saturday (or on weekdays). In the Old Testament incense was offered; the New Testament does not forbid doing so. David danced before the Lord; no Scripture would prohibit Christians from dancing for the Lord in worship today. All of these constitute “will worship.”
Nowhere has “self-imposed religion” been so applied, however, than in the corruption of the New Testament emphasis upon singing. Singing was designed to be a spiritual practice, in which God is glorified and brethren are edified (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). Handclapping, foot-stomping, imitating sounds of instruments, or adding literal instruments perverts and prostitutes the worship God designed.
Although these things are not forbidden, they likewise are not authorized (Col. 3:17). The worship that God commands and authorizes is pleasing to Him; that which He does not authorize is will worship, even though it “is not commanded or forbidden.” Just as God refused to accept Cain’s “self-imposed religion,” so does He reject ours, which makes it worthless.
Abundant Violations
Recently, I spoke with a minister who works with young people in a certain geographical region. Youth from several congregations periodically get together for special worship and activities. He said he was experiencing a problem. Since these teens have grown accustomed to clapping along with singing spiritual songs, they now are wondering why they cannot do the same thing in the assembly on Sundays. The same problem has occurred in time past with instrumental music. Many have wondered why we can sing hymns around a piano in someone’s home on Saturday night but not in the church building on Sunday a few hours later on the first day of the week. This brings to mind three important aspects: the quality, place, and purpose of worship.
By the quality of worship we mean that God designed our worship in this age to be spiritual. Clapping hands, adding instruments, or imitating the sounds of instruments changes singing to a carnal affair. They appeal to our carnal nature; as some are often prone to say, “I like a song with a good beat.” It would be just as appropriate to add peanut butter or jelly to the unleavened bread in the Lord’s Supper (to liven it up a bit) as it is to add these things. If young people have no spiritual appetite, clapping hands is not going to produce it.
Second, some say, “It is the place that determines whether or not a practice is permissible.” Really? What verse sets forth that principle? If we are sitting around a campfire somewhere, and the group decides to sing, are they somehow not speaking to themselves “in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody” in their hearts “to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19)? Where is the authority for young people to clap their hands or for someone to play the harmonica while they sing?
If brethren gather for a singing in someone”s home, (rather than the church building), how does the location alter the precept of “teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16)? Adding the instrument is done out of will worship, which means doing what WE want to do because it pleases US.
Jesus and His disciples were certainly not in a church building when they sang a hymn in an upper room and then went out to the Mount of Olives (Matt. 26:30), but no violins or trumpets accompanied them. When Paul and Silas sang praises unto God, their feet were in stocks; apparently their hands were free. Paul did not charge Silas to give him a handclapping beat so they could keep up the tempo when they sang (Acts 16:24-25). Why cannot Christians ever seem to be satisfied with just singing? A geographic site does not change either the purpose or the manner of singing.
A third consideration of worship is that its purpose is to honor and praise God. Is it right to change worship into entertainment for our enjoyment (which relates to singing groups, choruses, etc.)? Some argue that these groups are worshipping and entertaining at the same time; others opine that they are only entertaining people–but that it is all right to entertain people with spiritual acts of worship.
Although many arguments have been presented from both perspectives, one continues to wonder, “Where is the Biblical authority for special groups and using worship as entertainment?” Do we enjoy their singing? Yes. Are we inspired by it? Yes. Is it entertainment? Yes (if it is not, why do people feel compelled to applaud?). Is it authorized? If so, where? Are we guilty of adopting a man-made tradition?
Christian Rock Music
Seven years ago we published an article by this title in Spiritual Perspectives, which was originally written for the Columbia City Crusader (October 1995). In that article we pointed out that “Christian rock” is a misnomer, since the first word signifies something spiritual, and the latter word is a type of secular music, which usually encompasses instruments of music.
A speaker at a “Family Adventure Seminar” had advocated Christian rock, and those arguments were refuted. His first one was that many brethren were endorsing it. The same could have been said in favor of instrumental music being used in our assemblies around 1900. At least one congregation in Asia Minor had some that held the doctrine of the Nicolaitans (Rev. 2:15); did that mean that other congregations should follow suit?
A second argument was that “Christian rock music got a girl off of illicit sex.” Testimonials are usually effective, but could not the Scriptures have accomplished the same result? What caused the people around Ephesus to burn their books of magical arts (Acts 19:18-20)? It was not Zamfir and his pan flute; it was the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Often times a false dilemma is presented: “It’s either Eminem or DC Talk.” No, most markets have a variety of musical selections; anyone can choose a suitable style of music to enjoy. As we asked before, why not teach young people to exercise good judgment? Whenever anything is played in their hearing that is objectionable, they should automatically turn it off.
Some will argue: “What I listen to by myself is my business.” This statement is not entirely true. What a person does privately is his business–but not his alone, since God is also involved. Do we not need authority to do what we practice in private, as well as what we do publicly? What makes it wrong for the church to use instruments collectively but right for me to do so privately? Are we still not to “make melody in the heart”?
Besides, if everyone kept such matters private, how is it that we know all about it? As soon as someone tells another, “Here is what I do privately,” it has ceased to become a private matter. Now he has encouraged others to practice privately what he does. Furthermore, if we are accustomed to listening to spiritual songs (with instrumental accompaniment) by ourselves in our cars, then what do we do if a guest rides with us? And do not our family members wonder why we have “Christian rock” CDs in our cars? Most people would view us as inconsistent, to say the least, having one type of conduct for the assembly and another set of rules for ourselves. It will be difficult to teach someone else that we are serious about “singing only.”
Is it not the right course to pursue to practice what we know we are authorized to do and eliminate those things that are questionable? Should we not be persuaded in our own minds that we are within the boundaries of acceptable worship set forth in the Scriptures? If we are unsure of a practice, what does wisdom encourage us to do–refrain from an activity or forge ahead regardless? We might also ask if there is anything comparable in the Scriptures relative to various innovations.
Can anyone imagine Peter imitating the sound of a harp and James doing that of a tambourine, while Jesus snapped His fingers to “Amazing Grace”? Can anyone envision the apostles scheduling appearances around Jerusalem to sing songs of the crucifixion with a rock beat? Is it possible that Paul could have taken around a lyre with him and strummed his way through the sermon on Mars’ Hill? Better yet, since music can have a soothing effect, he might have defended himself in Jerusalem with a pleasant melody as he sang of his conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 22:16).
In light of the spiritual emphasis in Jesus’ teachings, these various scenarios sound blasphemous! But we have brethren changing the sacred into the profane all the time, and few think anything about it. We need a better spirit of discernment to be able to distinguish the spiritual from the carnal. The combination of the two is both demeaning and dangerous–whether we are alone or together.
And let us save our applause for secular events. Nobody applauded Jesus after the Sermon on the Mount; Philip did not applaud the eunuch after he baptized him; the apostles were not applauded by the crowd after they spoke in tongues; those in the house did not applaud the Lord after He healed the paralytic. When our efforts are directed at Heaven, Divine approval is sufficient. Knowing that we are pleasing our heavenly Father is reward enough.