One hundred years ago churches of Christ were in the midst of a crisis; instrumental music had been imposed upon the worship. For decades brethren had enjoyed praising God together without the addition of various types of musical accompaniment. In fact, many had left all of that behind when they departed from the denominations they had grown up with in order to obey the gospel of Christ (Acts 2:38, 8:35-39; Rom. 6).
Today, God’s people find themselves in a much worse situation than that of the last century: Not only have “change agents” found even more ways to pervert worship, but they are clearly leading many back to denominationalism. “Professors,” such as Carroll Osburn (The Peaceable Kingdom 91-92) are downplaying church organization (why be organized the way the Bible teaches?), doctrine (is premillennialism so bad?), worship (why can’t we just do what we want, like Cain?), and even salvation itself (we exclude too many fine folk). What else is left to pervert, after minimizing God’s plan of salvation, appropriate worship, New Testament doctrine, and church organization? Why does not Osburn just say, “The Bible doesn’t mean anything it says”?
While false teachers are attempting to dynamite the bases of the pillars of the church, it may seem frivolous to patch a crack in the wall of the temple, but we must recognize the way that Satan works. It is not enough for him to launch torpedoes at a ship; he also wants to create a mutiny on board at the same time (a principle demonstrated in the movie Crimson Tide). So, while radicals are being resisted by faithful members, the devil is busy tempting Christians with other errors.
Most brethren reject the use of instrumental music, but in the past fifteen years they have begun to accept other additions to singing. Before these are considered, however, it might be prudent to state what our opposition to instrumental music is and has always been.
Instrumental music is not authorized as an acceptable form of worship in the New Testament. From a study of Colossians 3:17 we know that everything we practice or teach must be authorized: “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through God the Father through Him.” What we do in word pertains to doctrine; what we do in deed pertains to practice. To do these things in the name of the Lord Jesus means to do them by His authority. This principle is not difficult to grasp.
How do these precepts apply to worship? Do we have authority to sing? Yes. The New Testament tells us in the preceding verse: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spirituals songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16). There are other verses which also mention singing. BUT there is NOT ONE that authorizes the use of musical instruments to accompany the singing. NOT ONE!!
For precisely this reason, many (such as Adam Clarke and John Wesley, who were quoted in last week’s bulletin) through the ages have opposed the imposing of instruments of music upon the worship. Neither Jesus nor the apostles ever commanded, used, or implied that such should ever be used to accompany singing.
Does it matter to them that they have introduced something that wounds the consciences of their fellow Christians, for whom Christ died? Are they disturbed at the loss of those with whom they have worshipped for years? Are they ashamed of having erected a barrier to fellowship? No, they have the instrument, and musical sounds designed to please the ear mean more to them than people made in the image of God and washed by the blood of Jesus
Impose is the precise word to refer to the introduction of anything into the worship that God did not put there. If a person holds a strange doctrine and keeps it to himself, it does not affect other members of the body; if he insists, however, on adding (or binding) anything to the corporate worship (not authorized in the Scriptures), that innovation will affect everyone.
Of course, all of these are made with the voice, but they do not consist of actual words with definitions. They are vocal sounds, but they do not communicate an edifying message to the church. These sounds are usually performed by secular artists for the entertainment of their audiences (yes, there are a capella vocal bands that perform the songs of the Beatles and other groups by imitating musical instruments with their voices). Likewise, religious groups who style their songs in this fashion are entertaining brethren.
Ephesians 5:19 does NOT read, “Making sounds to one another.” Speaking is the word selected by the Holy Spirit: “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” Everything about this word involves the use of words, not vocal noises.
Notice also that the object of this form of worship is twofold: 1) to teach, admonish, and speak to one another (with intelligible words), and 2) to honor God. We all sing (it is “to one another”), and in doing so we “make melody” in our hearts “to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19). We also sing “with grace” in our hearts “to the Lord” (Col. 3:16). When a small group sings to entertain brethren, the Lord is left out. The alternative is to ask the Lord to accept our “dum-dum-de-dums” as meaningful worship.
The problem is that they too are additions to the singing which God has authorized. Most people have a favorite type of secular music, and many of us like a hard-driving beat, but in worship we are to give God the fruit of our lips. How ludicrous to mix the spiritual with the profane: “On a hill far away (clap, clap, clap) stood an old rugged cross (clap, clap, clap). . . .”
This amalgamation of the two has been accomplished with great success in the “gospel music” field. Some may not care for heavy metal “Christian” music, but once people begin blending the two concepts, there is no stopping place. Why bother trying to put religious words with a secular beat? Why not just book ELO (“Don’t Bring Me Down”) if they have a reunion tour or ask Bob Seger to come in and sing “Old Time Rock N Roll”–or better yet “Give Me That Old Time Religious Rock N Roll”?
Those who defend hand-clapping inconsistently use the same argument that they have rejected from those who impose the instrument: “Where does the Bible say you can’t do it?” That is not an appropriate question to ask about any innovation; the correct question must always be, “Where does the Bible authorize it?”
Many started the practice of handclapping outside the assembly in youth meetings or Bible camps, but now it has worked its way into worship assemblies on the first day of the week. The fact is that there is no authority for it anywhere–in or out of the assembly.
Will there ever come a time when Christians will refuse to be distracted by innovations? Will there ever be a time when brethren will be satisfied to do those things which God has authorized without the desire to “jazz up” the worship? Will the church never learn to be content to just speak, teach, and admonish one another, with our voices, as our Lord has directed? We pray so.