Sunday, March 01, 2009
Being still somewhat of the Church of Christ "tribe," there are times when I pause and think about our church's journey. Despite the fact that in some ways like the Richland Hills Church of Christ, we too have been voted off our tribe's island by many of our local churches, I still consider us a Church of Christ. When I think about the upcoming Pepperdine Bible Lectures, my 20th in 19 years I think my thinking becomes more "tribal" than usual.
To me, the subject of "the use of the instrument in worship" seems both irrelevant and impersonal. Thoughts of irrelevancy flood my mind with respect to Scripture. The main argument I hear and read from some of our Brotherhood's brightest is based on "the Law of Silence." In other words, if it isn't mention in the New Testament then we can't and shouldn't do it. This irrelevancy falls into two categories:
1. Perhaps it isn't mentioned because Jesus and the Apostles had bigger fish to fry. Jesus is quite clear on things that will send one straight to Hell. One need only read Matthew 25, "the Sheep and the Goats" to know that we must be about service to everyone with no strings (no pun intended) attached. James 4:17 says:
"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."
2. To the degree "logic" is used to appeal to the lack of mentioning of instruments in the N.T., what about explaining their use in Scripture? There are too many O.T. passages to list and here's one - why would God mention their presence in Rev. 15 and the fact that He supplied them-
1I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God's wrath is completed. 2And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God 3and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. 4Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."
2nd Category - Impersonal - Just the very phrase, "the use of the instrument" seems to forget that there is "someone" using and worshipping with that instrument! Every Sunday I look at our Praise Band and consider how many hours they have practiced to do what they do on Sundays. Moreover, I know their hearts, their walks, their families, their shortcomings, and their gifts! For the record to my fellow Church of Christ brothers and sisters, they are not instruments! They are people with God given talents and a passion for God so that they want to use their gifts to glorify God.
My point isn't to promote churches in our Brotherhood to start artificially allowing their gifted members to facilitate instrumental worship. As with many facets of non-denominational autonomy, that decision should be based on where the Holy Spirit is leading that church.
I just pray that our Fellowship can return to the times of David Lipscomb, one of our Restoration Fathers. I'll leave you with a passage from a recent article John Mark Hicks wrote on the (http://www.hugsr.edu/bridge/bulletin12.php) Harding Grad website. Happy Monday.
David Lipscomb and T. B. Larimore, prominent leaders in the Restoration Movement at the turn of the century, did not press the instrument issue to the division of the body, and they preached in instrumental churches where some others would not. They did not believe that this issue alone should divide the fellowship of churches. When Lipscomb was asked in 1871 whether we should disfellowship or condemn to hell those churches which used the instrument, he responded: “While we condemn the organ certainly as wrong, unauthorized, corrupting, we have never decided that it is Christian to go to this extremity. Churches became corrupt in primitive times and yet no such advice is given in the scriptures.”14 For many years Lipscomb continued to hold meetings and preach for churches that used the organ.15 But nevertheless Lipscomb also continued to oppose the use of musical instruments in the worship of God. We too can press this truth with our friends and with fellow-Christians without condemning them to hell.
To me, the subject of "the use of the instrument in worship" seems both irrelevant and impersonal. Thoughts of irrelevancy flood my mind with respect to Scripture. The main argument I hear and read from some of our Brotherhood's brightest is based on "the Law of Silence." In other words, if it isn't mention in the New Testament then we can't and shouldn't do it. This irrelevancy falls into two categories:
1. Perhaps it isn't mentioned because Jesus and the Apostles had bigger fish to fry. Jesus is quite clear on things that will send one straight to Hell. One need only read Matthew 25, "the Sheep and the Goats" to know that we must be about service to everyone with no strings (no pun intended) attached. James 4:17 says:
"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."
2. To the degree "logic" is used to appeal to the lack of mentioning of instruments in the N.T., what about explaining their use in Scripture? There are too many O.T. passages to list and here's one - why would God mention their presence in Rev. 15 and the fact that He supplied them-
1I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God's wrath is completed. 2And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God 3and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. 4Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."
2nd Category - Impersonal - Just the very phrase, "the use of the instrument" seems to forget that there is "someone" using and worshipping with that instrument! Every Sunday I look at our Praise Band and consider how many hours they have practiced to do what they do on Sundays. Moreover, I know their hearts, their walks, their families, their shortcomings, and their gifts! For the record to my fellow Church of Christ brothers and sisters, they are not instruments! They are people with God given talents and a passion for God so that they want to use their gifts to glorify God.
My point isn't to promote churches in our Brotherhood to start artificially allowing their gifted members to facilitate instrumental worship. As with many facets of non-denominational autonomy, that decision should be based on where the Holy Spirit is leading that church.
I just pray that our Fellowship can return to the times of David Lipscomb, one of our Restoration Fathers. I'll leave you with a passage from a recent article John Mark Hicks wrote on the (http://www.hugsr.edu/bridge/bulletin12.php) Harding Grad website. Happy Monday.
David Lipscomb and T. B. Larimore, prominent leaders in the Restoration Movement at the turn of the century, did not press the instrument issue to the division of the body, and they preached in instrumental churches where some others would not. They did not believe that this issue alone should divide the fellowship of churches. When Lipscomb was asked in 1871 whether we should disfellowship or condemn to hell those churches which used the instrument, he responded: “While we condemn the organ certainly as wrong, unauthorized, corrupting, we have never decided that it is Christian to go to this extremity. Churches became corrupt in primitive times and yet no such advice is given in the scriptures.”14 For many years Lipscomb continued to hold meetings and preach for churches that used the organ.15 But nevertheless Lipscomb also continued to oppose the use of musical instruments in the worship of God. We too can press this truth with our friends and with fellow-Christians without condemning them to hell.
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Normally, I would address this question in a more personal e-mail but, since I know I intend no criticism and am not trying to start an argument, I just want to ask a question. And it is JUST a question, because I wonder, too. How do you deal with the passage "sing and make melody in your hearts to the Lord?" Thank you for the informatin about Lipscomb et al. I did not know that. And, again, I love your heart for worship.
No fight here Judy, just good old fashion, out in the sunshine dialog. Thank you for asking one of the common questions that comes up among our tribe when discussing this issue.
From my perspective this particular verse in Ephesians 5 has nothing to do with what we might call “corporate worship” or worship when we’re all together under one roof.
In verses 1 – 2, Paul highlights the context – “Live a life of love” with the context of life being in Christ. In fact, it is my opinion that this entire letter has to do with Paul telling the Ephesians to stop living their lives as Christians on Sunday and then living as Ephesians the rest of the week.
In verses 3 – 7, Paul is very specific with “Ephesians living” that is outside the norm for a born-again Christian. In fact, he outlines the penalty in verse 6 (Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient) as being the recipient of “God’s wrath” for such living.
If I digress for one moment I would say this – If Paul is slamming these Ephesians for things that will put you in direct conflict with God’s wrath, at some point in any of his corrective epistles or in the writing of the Gospels, I would think there would be a directive either for or against the use of instrumental music in worship. To arrive at either position takes suppositions on our part.
In verses 8 – 21 Paul continues to outline how to “live” and how not to “live.” When we get to the verse in question, (19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,….) it comes at the end of a long list of how to live a Christ like life. You and I must somehow input a “worship in church scenario” to make verse 19 apply to our 21st Century style of worshipping together on Sunday mornings.
This may be my longest comment in blog history but Judy; it was for a great question and an even greater cause – the seeking of knowledge and truth.
From my perspective this particular verse in Ephesians 5 has nothing to do with what we might call “corporate worship” or worship when we’re all together under one roof.
In verses 1 – 2, Paul highlights the context – “Live a life of love” with the context of life being in Christ. In fact, it is my opinion that this entire letter has to do with Paul telling the Ephesians to stop living their lives as Christians on Sunday and then living as Ephesians the rest of the week.
In verses 3 – 7, Paul is very specific with “Ephesians living” that is outside the norm for a born-again Christian. In fact, he outlines the penalty in verse 6 (Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient) as being the recipient of “God’s wrath” for such living.
If I digress for one moment I would say this – If Paul is slamming these Ephesians for things that will put you in direct conflict with God’s wrath, at some point in any of his corrective epistles or in the writing of the Gospels, I would think there would be a directive either for or against the use of instrumental music in worship. To arrive at either position takes suppositions on our part.
In verses 8 – 21 Paul continues to outline how to “live” and how not to “live.” When we get to the verse in question, (19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,….) it comes at the end of a long list of how to live a Christ like life. You and I must somehow input a “worship in church scenario” to make verse 19 apply to our 21st Century style of worshipping together on Sunday mornings.
This may be my longest comment in blog history but Judy; it was for a great question and an even greater cause – the seeking of knowledge and truth.
Bottom line: The context of the verse in Ephesians has absolutely nothing to do with worship in an assembly of saints and everything to do with interpersonal relationships among those worshipping saints! That verse was hand-picked and wrestled from its context to support a conclusion drawn apart from the context.
We also must begin to see the scripture not as a rule book on how to "do church," but God's love story revealed in a journey of many people.
The instrumental issue is just another of those things that we must die to in order to live to the truth.
I have been through the struggle of being a musician scared of playing my instrument to God's glory too long. I want to proclaim to the world that I've been set free in my mind about this issue and no longer have a problem with it anywhere at any time.
All that being said, I know where many of my brothers and sisters are and respect their journey too.
Someone said, "You can only bring to the table that which you have." We must struggle and grapple with these issues that we've so long just accepted as true. We must not ever presuppose that those things that we've been taught have to ever be true.
Remember this, always ask the question of any issue, "What does that have to do with the overall plan of God to save mankind through Jesus?" Another way to ask it is, "How can that information be measured by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus?" One last way to ask it is, "What does that have to do with the greatest commands to love God and Love others?"
I hope this helps.
The instrumental issue is just another of those things that we must die to in order to live to the truth.
I have been through the struggle of being a musician scared of playing my instrument to God's glory too long. I want to proclaim to the world that I've been set free in my mind about this issue and no longer have a problem with it anywhere at any time.
All that being said, I know where many of my brothers and sisters are and respect their journey too.
Someone said, "You can only bring to the table that which you have." We must struggle and grapple with these issues that we've so long just accepted as true. We must not ever presuppose that those things that we've been taught have to ever be true.
Remember this, always ask the question of any issue, "What does that have to do with the overall plan of God to save mankind through Jesus?" Another way to ask it is, "How can that information be measured by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus?" One last way to ask it is, "What does that have to do with the greatest commands to love God and Love others?"
I hope this helps.
Keith - It does. The pattern that the N.T. Churches were trying to model and more times than not, messed it up was Jesus! I think (and you've indicated it well in your comment) the Biblical pattern is:
1. Jesus
2. Jesus
3. Jesus
Again, there were plenty of chances were Paul was correcting somebody for messing up the pattern. If that pattern also included a specific, lay off the instruments or else incur the Wrath of God - he could have written it but it isn't there.
Thanks for the comment.
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1. Jesus
2. Jesus
3. Jesus
Again, there were plenty of chances were Paul was correcting somebody for messing up the pattern. If that pattern also included a specific, lay off the instruments or else incur the Wrath of God - he could have written it but it isn't there.
Thanks for the comment.
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