Jesus said - ?

Instrumental music was not an issue in the first century church because it wasn’t an issue with God. Instruments of worship are not new. They were abundantly available back in Jesus and Paul’s day.

God does not require us to use instruments and he does not prohibit us from using them. It seems clear to me that God approves of instruments since Paul tells believers to be Psalm-singers (Eph. 5:19) and several of the Psalms specifically call on God’s people to praise him with instruments (Psalm 150 is a notable example).

Further, the Greek word translated “psalm” itself includes songs sung to musical accompaniment.

For many of us, however, unaccompanied singing is a tradition, not a matter of scriptural requirement.

Christians who think that instrumental music displeases God ought not to use it, for they cannot do so in good faith. It would be sinful for them to violate their own consciences (Rom. 14:23).

The earliest Jewish believers in Jesus continued to worship in the Temple (Acts 2:46; 3:1), where instruments were used.

The very word translated “Psalm” originally meant a song sung with a stringed instrument. It later included an unaccompanied song, but it kept its original meaning as well. Revelation, though symbolic, pictures harps in heavenly worship (Rev. 14:2-3).

Through the centuries, those opposing instrumental music have argued that it is not “spiritual,” or have rejected instruments because someone else used them — whether the pagans or Jews, or Roman Catholics or “the denominations.”

Some early church Fathers also rejected singing in harmony. Many early Protestants sang in harmony but rejected “uninspired hymns” — singing only biblical Psalms.

The New Testament neither requires instrumental music in worship nor forbids it. What one makes of that silence has nothing to do with respect for biblical authority. It has everything to do with the human assumptions which one brings to the interpretation of Scripture.

I will miss you! Nice topic. It’s pretty nice. Please write more!…

Examine the ways we have employed or not employed the “music” passages in the New Covenant Scriptures:

Luke 15:22-32–This is a parable of lost sons coming home to the Father’s house (that is the church). This suggests that we worship the Father ause of his grace, mercy and salvation. We worship by celebrating the return of the lost. This celebration involves music (from symphona which means music from many instruments). How did we miss that passage in our “red letter” additions of the New Testament with the very words of Jesus? Question was raised about killing the calf, putting sandles on the feet, robes on the bag and a signet ring on the finger. These are all things which the Father in the story did. The Father is our God and Father. Father did kill the calf, the sin offering for our return home to him. Father did put sandles on our feet because he does not want anyone to think we are slaves but true sons. Father did put a signet ring on our finger by making us not only sons but sons of royalty. We mneet Father in worship. He has done our part; now our part is to celebrate our return home with all kinds of music. Why do I know that is true? Because Jesus taught it in our red letter New Testament.

Acts 2:42-47–The earliest Christians gathered daily in both private homes and the Jewish temple court. When and whereever they gathered they were praising the Lord in the way the Lord commanded for the Temple. It seems very likely that the first congregation of the Lord’s church regularly (even daily) praised the Lord with instruments. How did we miss that “necessary inference”? If God ever commanded instrumental praise, how did we ever create such a schizophrenic out of Him to turn His commandment into a sin?

1 Corinthians 10:14-14:40–This is the only detailed discussion of the church assembly in the New Covenant Scriptures. From this exhaustive discussion by Paul, we learn that the earliest disciples used music as part of their assembly time. They may have even understood that psallo sometimes included instruental accompaniment. This conclusion is especially relevant with Paul’s mention of five mechanical instruments in the passage. How did we miss the mention of those instruments and draw the conclusion of some hidden prohibition against instruments between the lines of the text? If we really followed our Restoration premise of “Being silent where the Bible is silent” we never would have legislated God’s damning prohibition out of the thin air of textual silence.

Ephesians 5:18-21–Contextually, this is not even a passage about a church assembly but about life. The early disciples’ praise found its source in their being “filled with the Spirit. They understood that praise, while being addressed primarily to the Lord was also shared with fellow Christians. They recognized three resources sources from which to select their praise music: the Psalms, Hymns of NT Scripture, and later Christian praise songs. They were given TWO verbs for praise and worship instruction. Two different kinds of praise are called for as an offering to the Lord–BOTH sing and make music (ado & psallo).

Colossians 3:15-17–Contextually, this is not a passage about a church assembly but about life. Two concerns are addressed: (1) Let the peace of Christ rule our hearts and pursue the unity of the body of Christ. (2) As to praise ado, not psallo, is used to say “speaking and sings” but part of the singing is of the Psalms and many of the Psalms call for instruments. By citing Psalms as legitimate praises for Christians, the prohibition against instruments is not only mute but absolutely irrational. Note this: if the “human heart” is the exclusive instrument of the “psallo” in Ephesians 5:19, then the “human heart” is also the exclusive agent of “ado” in both Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. Therefore, the Church of Christ hermeneutical “law of silence and exclusion” would consistently eliminate all music, singing or instrument, except silent meditation. In fact, the Reformer Ulrich Zwongli prohibited all audible music in the Zurich church because he insisted that the “human heart” was revealed as the exclusive agent or instrument of praise, eliminating both voice and muchanical insturment. Zwingli was more consistent that we but he too missed the point.

Revelation 5:6-14–The first 20 chapters of John’s Revelation may be seen as a parabolic narrative to instruct and comfort the church on earth. The Revelation of John ties together both the earthly and heavenly portions of the Lord’s new sanctuary-the Lord’s church where the curtain between the two rooms has been torn away by the death of Christ.

It is most likely that this is a parabolic picture of the “church” age and not primarily a picture of eternity after time has ended. This is most likely true because when time ends, Jesus will not be on the throne but will turn all Kingdom rule back to the Father (1 Corinthians 15). It is clearly a picture of “church age” also because Christ is on the throne/mnercy seat in heaven as “the one who was, and is, and IS TO COME.” The sacrificial Lamb of God is receiving adoration from the elders of the church “holding golden bowls of incense which are the prayers of the saints” AND each is also praising the Lord with both singing and the music of harps.” Millions of angels join the elders in worship to the Lamb. Heaven and earth become fully “one” in the new Jerusalem where the unshaded brilliance of the Son of God is the temple, because where we are together in the presence of Jesus, there is the true temple in all its fullness.

Revelation 7:9-17–The spiritual leaders of Revelation 5, who are praising Jesus with singing and instruments, are joined by the great multitude which no one oculd count from every nation, tribe, poeple and language. All the angels of the Lord are present. Who makes up the great multitude? All who “have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.” Their worship is not Sunday-only! Before the throne, they serve Him DAY AND NIGHT in his temple. The Lamb at the center of the throne will be their Shepherd: He LeadS them to springs of living water, etc. What would it do to our worship if we saw the assembled multitude like John did? What would it mean if we were to see worship as serving the Lord day and night in His temple?

Maybe this is part of what Jesus meant when He taught us to pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The real church, the body of Christ is not just the congregation at a given location, nor is the church just made up of of all the living believers in the here and now.

Hebrews 12:18-29–In light of the “heaven and earth” implications of John’s Revelation passages, if we were to capture the full meaning of the Lord’s church, the grand assembly, we need to vastly enlarge our view of the church to embrace the Lord’s faithful in all ages, the holy angels, the spirits of righteousness men made perfect, and come fully into the presence of Jesus Himself!

It the presence of His majesty, our worship wars look like little children playing with noisy toys in church if not much worse!

The most irrational aspect of the “prohibition against instrumental accompaniment to our praise” is our insisting something is a SIN this side of the cross which was COMMANDED by the Lord before the cross.

Even if we were to insist there is no specific New Testament mention of instrumental praise (which is not the case as cited by many passages above, it would NOT be SINFUL for Christians to participate in some Old Testament Jewish religious practices

–Like going to the Jewish temple for the traditional hours of prayer (Acts 2)

–Performing fleshly circumcision (Acts 15)

–Participating in purification rights with vows and sacrifices in the temple (Acts 21:17-27)

–Keeping Jewish special days, following Jewish dietary laws, drinking wine as opposed to total abstinence of the Nazarites? (Romans 14:1-15:5).

How did the earliest church handle such things? (See Acts 15)

1. If there is any “sin” related to Christians’ involved with Old Testament Jewish religious practices, it is NOT IN THE PRACTICE BUT IN THE IMPOSING such practices on the church as a condition of faithfulness to the Lord?

2. For the few who still may not see that instrumental praise is as clearly taught in the New Testament as singing, WHY CANNOT INSTRUMENTAL PRAISE BE SEEN AS ONE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT RELIGIOUS PRACTICES to be worked out by the church leaders in the same way that other such customs were, in fact, worked out in the First Century with the view of balancing individual freedom and conscience WITH congregational unity? (Acts 15)

3. For any objective student of the Word, the use of GOD-COMMANDED instrumental music in praise to the Lord IS NOT AN ISSUE of clearly defined biblical “doctrine”! It is an issue with which Elders/Pastors/Shepherds must engage the congregation and address with wisdom together because it falls in the category of “disputable matters” where leaders dare not permit a disruption in the unity of the church by forcing EITHER position as the ONLY acceptable course? (Romans 14:1-15:7)

The world’s Christian scholarship is in essential agreement that “ADO” and “PSALLO” does not mean SING and SING but includes instrumentation, SING and PLAY something!

(1) Out of the debates over 100 years ago, the interpretation of the passage became allegorical for the first time: insisting that the instruments called for are the “heart” NOT the “harp,” “spirit” NOT “cymbals,” and “mind” NOT the “multiple instruments” mentioned in the Psalms.

(2) The predominate view of scholars in each age of the historic church is that the interpretation of the passage is literal: permitting both the “harp” AND the “heart,” “cymbals” AND “spirit,” and “multiple instruments” AND the “mind.”

The safest way to interpret a Scripture is to take it literally unless to do so does injustice to the over all thought.

Look especially to Colossians 3:16—from this we recognize that the Lord calls for believers to let the Lord’s word dwell so richly within their hearts that out of the abundance of their hearts they teach, counsel and praise the Lord.

The human “heart, mind and spirit” are NOT the instruments BUT the source of our praise to the Lord! It is not the “heart” but the lips and vocal cords which teach, counsel and praise the Lord. Their message, whether teaching to other believers or praise to the Lord, springs from the source of a deeply devoted heart.

The Reformer Ulrich Zwingly was more consistent than we in wresting with the two Pauline passages (Ehesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16). He concluded that the “heart” was the instrument for both the ado and the psallo portions of the praise. Therefore, he silenced both voices and instruments in congregations he served. To Zwingly in Paul’s writings, praise was to originate in the heart, mind and spirit and stay in the heart, mind and spirit—just between the worshipper and the Lord.

The adverbial phrase “in/by/with the heart” most likely modifies both the ADO and the PSALLO portion of the Ephesian passage. This becomes even clearer in the case of the Colossians passage which states, “sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs … in/by/with your hearts to God.”

We can skip Paul and go right to Jesus himself. Jesus used a term which means “make music” in his parable of the prodigal son. The Greek word employed is sumphonia which meant and means a “unison of sound; i.e., a concert of instruments.” Luke 15:11-32 (especially vv. 22-23, 31-32) calls for vibrant celebration when prodigals come home to the Father’s house and come to enjoy new life in the Lord’s family. The Father in the parable of Jesus is our Father. The Father insisted that in his house, his family, his children must celebrate and be glad for their salvation. The Father’s directive called for (or unequivocally permitted) the household to “make music” all the way up to a concert of instruments. The church of Jesus Christ is the house of God. A “red letter” New Testament and the words of Jesus hit me like a thunderbolt!

Brothers and Sisters, really pray about these matters. Go just to the text of the word of God.

It is not easy for me to write these things because I spent many decades as a professional preacher feeling I had to do anything possible to support the a cappella doctrine of my church tradition. This meant that I combed thousands of pages of scholarly material by Christians throughout the centuries because I felt desperate to wring instrumental praise out of the fabric of New Testament Christianity. I was not dishonest nor was I insincere. I was rabidly sectarian until the Lord drove me to my knees to either support my tradition or His TEXT.

Through John the Revelator, Jesus is pictured as standing and knocking at the door of His congregation in Laodicea, He wants all believers to see their spiritual wretchedness, poverty, blindness and nakedness. He wants all of us to see that all of our self-righteous efforts leave us with nothing. He wants all of us to see that He alone must be “the beginning and end of our faith.” The Lord’s desire is that His grace and mercy alone be our spiritual defense and the basis for our bold confidence for all of life and eternity!

But you do not recognize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
(Revelation 3:17b-20, NIV)

As Jesus is helping me see my own spiritual wretchedness, poverty, blindness and nakedness, I pray for all my brothers and sisters in every place to let our blessed Savior tenderly reveal their own spiritual emptiness to them as well. I pray that all of us, as disciples of the Son of God, will become rich in grace and mercy. He wants to refine us as gold by His precious and costly death for us. I pray that the only cover-up we ever dare to put on is the white robe of his gift of righteousness. I pray that we can all see clearly (in our self-righteous, unkind, judgmental and divisive ways), how far we have departed from pure biblical Christianity. Pure and unadulterated faith means just following the Son of God. I pray that we can see and accept the Savior’s love and benefit from his many different ways of rebuking and trying to discipline us.

I praise Jesus for continuing to knock at my heart’s door, after all these years, calling me away from allegiance to religious movements, sects, cults, denominations and human systems of any kind. I now realize Jesus just wants to be my “all in all.” Jesus wants to be the only source and focus of my faith and trust. Jesus wants me just to walk in his footsteps. Jesus begged me to repent of my own sectarian pride, cultic exclusiveness and divisiveness which held other sincere believers and even sincere seekers at a distance from myself and (as a result) often at a distance from Jesus.

Jesus had to knock pretty hard to get my full attention. When I let Him in, Jesus whispered to my too often guarded heart, “I want to so fully come into your heart and life that you will find the ability to accept and love all of my disciples, those who deeply love me in every place. I know you will find great joy in touching more and more lives which I have touched. I commission you to communicate my prayer which brought sweat drops of blood from my body in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was my prayer for the community of faith in all ages!”

“My prayer is not for (the apostles) alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be ONE, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.

“May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be ONE as we are ONE; I in them and you in me. May they be brought to COMPLETE UNITY to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
(John 17:20-23, NIV)

You really didn’t answer the questions I asked you. The 3 that you didn’t address, I’m giving them to you again so that you can address them; please do so. Then, I’ll respond to what you wrote.

1. Why was Nadab and Abihu’s worship rejected by God? If the reason was not that it was unauthorized, please give the reason and support with Scripture.

2. If going “contrary to His command” was reason enough for God to destroy them in Lev. 10, does He feel the same way today about those who go against His command?

4. You said that using instruments in worship would not send someone to hell. How, then, do you determine what is a salvation issue? Which issues can someone believe and practice wrongly and still be saved? Which issues are the core, salvation issues?

Concerning my question, “Is there any command in the NT about how we are to worship?” you say, if I understand you correctly, that certain passages in the NT permit the usage of mechanical instruments in worship. I have a couple of questions.

1. Which passages permit the instruments? You listed Col. 3 and Luke 15. Are there any others?

2. Do these passages demand mechanical instruments in worship or simply permit them as an option if so desired?

3. Did the 1st century church use them in worship?

I’ll go ahead and address your usage of Luke 15 and address all the other passages once you list them. Honestly, I was very shocked at your (mis)use of Luke 15. Is it your claim that everything the father did in response to the son’s newfound condition is a pattern for acceptable worship to God in the church? The father had a calf killed; would this be acceptable and permitted like the instrument as worship in the church? It must be, if consistency is to be maintained. The father put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet; could this be done in today’s church and labeled worship because the father did it to the son in Luke 15? If you’re going to use Luke 15, you must explain why the celebration is pattern for the NT church, but none of the other actions are.

“I love you brothers, but we really need to become serious students of the word of God again and not just echos of an ignorant tradition! Honestly, there is more basis for honest confusion about the primacy of Peter as Pope (from a Catholic hermaneutic of Matthew 16) than for the exclusive bindig of a cappella praise as doctrine (from a “Church of Christ” hermaneutic!”

Kieth,

Do you realize how historically inaccurate that statement is? I find it amazing that so many members of Churches of Christ truly despise Churches of Christ that their bias leads them to overlook even the obvious. You talk as if Churches of Christ are the only ones who don’t use mechanical instruments of music in worship for theological reasons. What about the 15 million Orthodox Greeks (compared to the not even 3 million in Churches of Christ) . . . now you wouldn’t dare call their tradition “ignorant,” would you, Kieth? Don’t you know this (instruments in worship) was a polemic issue in religious history some 1200 years before it became contentions in the Restoration Movement? Do you even know the reasons why the Greek church doesn’t use instruments?

I repeat . . . I think some are so bent on casting Churches of Christ in a negative light, they’ll do and say things about Churches of Christ that they would not do or say with another group that advocates a similar teaching. So, let’s see if you call Orthodox Greeks ignorant and not serious students of the word like you just did with Churches of Christ.

Here is what the New Covenant Scriputres say about praise and worship:

Praise in worship in the N.T comes under two verbs–many of us are in agreement that “ado” and “psallo” does not mean SING and SING but includes instrumentation, SING and PLAY something!

(1) In one case, the interpretation of the passage is allegorical: insisting that the instruments called for are the “heart” NOT the “harp,” “spirit” NOT “cymbals,” and “mind” NOT the “multiple instruments” mentioned in the Psalms.

(2) In the other case, the interpretation of the passage is literal: permitting both the “harp” AND the “heart,” “cymbals” AND “spirit,” and “multiple instruments” AND the “mind.”

The safest way to interpret a Scripture is to take it literally unless to do so does injustice to the over all thought.

Look especially to Colossians 3:16—from this we recognize that the Lord calls for believers to let the Lord’s word dwell so richly within their hearts that out of the abundance of their hearts they teach, counsel and praise the Lord.

The human “heart, mind and spirit” are NOT the instruments BUT the source of our praise to the Lord! It is not the “heart” but the lips and vocal cords which teach, counsel and praise the Lord. Their message, whether teaching to other believers or praise to the Lord, springs from the source of a deeply devoted heart.

The Reformer Ulrich Zwingly was more consistent than we in wresting with the two Pauline passages (Ehesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16). He concluded that the “heart” was the instrument for both the ado and the psallo portions of the praise. Therefore, he silenced both voices and instruments in congregations he served. To Zwingly in Paul’s writings, praise was to originate in the heart, mind and spirit and stay in the heart, mind and spirit—just between the worshipper and the Lord.

The adverbial phrase “in/by/with the heart” most likely modifies both the ado and the psallo portion of the Ephesian passage. This becomes even clearer in the case of the Colossians passage which states, “sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs … in/by/with your hearts to God.”

We can skip Paul and go right to Jesus himself. Jesus used a term which means “make music” in his parable of the prodigal son. The Greek word employed is sumphonia which meant and means a “unison of sound; i.e., a concert of instruments.” Luke 15:11-32 (especially vv. 22-23, 31-32) calls for vibrant celebration when prodigals come home to the Father’s house and come to enjoy new life in the Lord’s family. The Father in the parable of Jesus is our Father. The Father insisted that in his house, his family, his children must celebrate and be glad for their salvation. The Father’s directive called for (or unequivocally permitted) the household to “make music” all the way up to a concert of instruments. The church of Jesus Christ is the house of God. A “red letter” New Testament and the words of Jesus hit me like a thunderbolt!

It is not easy for me to write these things because I spent many decades as a professional preacher feeling I had to do anything possible to support the a cappella doctrine of my church tradition. This meant that I combed thousands of pages of scholarly material by Christians throughout the centuries because I felt desperate to wring instrumental praise out of the fabric of New Testament Christianity. I was not dishonest nor was I insincere. I was rabidly sectarian until the Lord drove me to my knees to either support my tradition or His TEXT.

Through John the Revelator, Jesus is pictured as standing and knocking at the door of His congregation in Laodicea, He wants all believers to see their spiritual wretchedness, poverty, blindness and nakedness. He wants all of us to see that all of our self-righteous efforts leave us with nothing. He wants all of us to see that He alone must be “the beginning and end of our faith.” The Lord’s desire is that His grace and mercy alone be our spiritual defense and the basis for our bold confidence for all of life and eternity!

But you do not recognize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
(Revelation 3:17b-20, NIV)

As Jesus is helping me see my own spiritual wretchedness, poverty, blindness and nakedness, I pray for all my brothers and sisters in every place to let our blessed Savior tenderly reveal their own spiritual emptiness to them as well. I pray that all of us, as disciples of the Son of God, will become rich in grace and mercy. He wants to refine us as gold by His precious and costly death for us. I pray that the only cover-up we ever dare to put on is the white robe of his gift of righteousness. I pray that we can all see clearly (in our self-righteous, unkind, judgmental and divisive ways), how far we have departed from pure biblical Christianity. Pure and unadulterated faith means just following the Son of God. I pray that we can see and accept the Savior’s love and benefit from his many different ways of rebuking and trying to discipline us.

I praise Jesus for continuing to knock at my heart’s door, after all these years, calling me away from allegiance to religious movements, sects, cults, denominations and human systems of any kind. I now realize Jesus just wants to be my “all in all.” Jesus wants to be the only source and focus of my faith and trust. Jesus wants me just to walk in his footsteps. Jesus begged me to repent of my own sectarian pride, cultic exclusiveness and divisiveness which held other sincere believers and even sincere seekers at a distance from myself and (as a result) often at a distance from Jesus.

Jesus had to knock pretty hard to get my full attention. When I let Him in, Jesus whispered to my too often guarded heart, “I want to so fully come into your heart and life that you will find the ability to accept and love all of my disciples, those who deeply love me in every place. I know you will find great joy in touching more and more lives which I have touched. I commission you to communicate my prayer which brought sweat drops of blood from my body in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was my prayer for the community of faith in all ages!”

“My prayer is not for (the apostles) alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be ONE, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.

“May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be ONE as we are ONE; I in them and you in me. May they be brought to COMPLETE UNITY to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
(John 17:20-23, NIV)

Please slow down, go back and reread my post. My intent was not to equate the Leviticus 10 episode with the modern-day usage of mechanical instruments in worship to God; I was simply showing how Don’s view that Nadab and Abihu’s worship was not accepted because it was done in the wrong spirit was not based on the text. The text tells us why their worship was rejected, and the key word is “authority.” That word is in the text; it’s not my word.

A couple of questions for you:

1. Why was Nadab and Abihu’s worship rejected by God? If the reason was not that it was unauthorized, please give the reason and support with Scripture.

2. If going “contrary to His command” was reason enough for God to destroy them in Lev. 10, does He feel the same way about those today who go against His command?

3. Is there any command in the NT about how we are to worship?

4. You said that using instruments in worship would not send someone to hell. How, then, do you determine what is a salvation issue? Which issues can someone believe and practice wrongly and still be saved? Which issues are the core, salvation issues?

I look forward to your responses.

However, in true worship to God, it’s not about me, it’s not about the instrument player, the band, the song leader or the soloist or the choir singing one of the favorite hymns or something new. It’s about True Worship to our Father in Heaven. “in Spirit and in Truth” It’s about our Saviour Jesus Christ, and spiritual edification of the brethren. Worship to God is not about conforming to wordly ways, or compromise with others and the way they feel, or what they like or prefer.

Let us put our attention to where it belongs. On our God, our Saviour, and in the Spirit, worship our heavenly Father, “singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord” collosians 3:16

If you can’t here the words over the loud musical instruments, what edification is there. The worship service is not to be a provocation to jealosy or envy, in who can sing the best, or who can play the best, who makes the choir, but I’ve seen it be just that with many. Jesus, and he alone should be on the pedistal.

We could all argue and never agree, concerning instrumental music to be pleasing or not to God. But we can all agree that singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord, is pleasing to God.

I am not an advocate for instrumental music in Worship to God, for several reasons. There is to much of a worldly tone with their use in the worship service to our Father. You think, that maybe God in his wisdom, knew where the use of musical instruments would help to create a decadent society.

Ehesians 5: 18, 19. …;but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord; …

Not as I was taught or raised, do I choose to worship God in singing and without the use of musical instruments. I find singing as Truth, without question.

As the redeemed, we’ll someday be in the midst of Gods Glory, we will All sing in praise to God. If playing a musical instrument is included, we will All sing and ALL play in praise to God.

When we will stop trying to equate instrumental music in New Covenant worship with the forbidden “strange fire” of Nadab’s offering? I sincerely preached it that way more than 45 years until the Lord opened my eyes and heart to some very obvious material on praise in the New Covenant Scriptures.

There is more than ample New Covenant Scriptural support to indicate that the Lord is pleased with instrumental music and certainly has never suggested it is a sin that will send a man to hell!

If we are really interested in discussing this from a scriptural, RATHER THAN PURELY SECTARIAN, perspective, I beg you to go back and seriously read my three contributions to this blog on the following dates:

Dec. 6, 2006
Dec. 7, 2006
Jan. 9, 2007

Let’s ALL prayerfully study the solid impact of NEW COVENANT SCRIPTURES and not ignorantly assume that God shut down instrumental accompaniment to our praise when Jesus died on the cross. We have been fed a SECTARIAN line that the NT has nothing to say about any kind of praise other than a cappella singing.

I love you brothers, but we really need to become serious students of the word of God again and not just echos of an ignorant tradition! Honestly, there is more basis for honest confusion about the primacy of Peter as Pope (from a Catholic hermaneutic of Matthew 16) than for the exclusive bindig of a cappella praise as doctrine (from a “Church of Christ” hermaneutic!

I disagree with your assessment of Nadab and Abihu’s worship. You said that Nadab and Abihu were condemned simply because they didn’t have a desire to do things in a way that God would be pleased, but you have no text to support this. I am sorry, dear brother, but you’re not going to get away with this. The text actually says why their worship was condemned, and it was not as you say. “They offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command.” (Lev. 10:1, NIV). The phrase “contrary to his command” explains why the fire was unauthorized. Nothing is said about their disposition or attitude in worship, so how can you suggest that that was the reason why the worship was rejected when the text explicitly states otherwise? You’re adding to the text. The text is clear; just accept the text.

This is a problematic text for those who claim that “in spirit and in truth” simply means a desire to do what pleases God and not actually doing what pleases God. Yet, the Scripture is replete with examples (OT and NT) of those who were sincere in their approach to God, but they were condemned because they simply didn’t do or believe the right thing. Do you need examples?

Several things must be addressed for NT teaching. 1. Does this “unauthorized” principle apply for NT teaching and theology? 2. Do we have a command concerning how we are to worship?

This brings us to another statement you made: “I don’t know of a commandment that he made regarding that issue.” Please clarify. Is there no command in the NT about how we are to worship?