Since Christ never
authorized mechanical instruments of music in the New Testament to be used
in worship of the church, we might ask, when did man "take it upon
himself" to start using them in trying to worship God? It is a
historical fact according to early church history, no mechanical
instruments of music were ever used in church worship until about the year
670 A.D. At this time the church at Rome introduced an organ which
produced such disturbances that it was removed. It was not until
about 775 A.D. that it was introduced again, but this time it was kept,
even with many people objecting. The instrument was not accepted by
many churches for many years.
Even in the
13th century Thomas Aquinas, a noted Catholic scholar, wrote
against its use. This showed that even by the 13th
century the instrument had not gained full acceptance. Men wanted to
have it their way with no regard to what God had specified. This was
a departure from the faith and practice of what God has authorized.
Those who have respect for the word of God should wonder why the use of
mechanical instruments of music was totally unknown in the worship
of the church for the first six hundred years after the New Testament was
written.
The word "A
Capella" means singing without instrumental accompaniment. It
actually means, "as done in the chapel." For the first 600 years of
the church "as done in the chapel" meant singing in worship of the church
without instrumental accompaniment. This is the way the early church
worshipped. Why shouldn’t we also worship this way?
When people can
find no authority for the use of the mechanical instrument of music in the
New Testament, they try to go to the Old Testament for their
justification. But we are no longer under the Old Testament.
The Old Testament is still of great benefit for us today, because without
it the New Testament would be difficult to understand. Romans 15:4
tells us, "For whatever things were written before
were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of
the Scriptures might have hope." But we do not go to the Old
Testament for instructions of how to be justified and to worship
God. If we did we would be worshipping in the temple in Jerusalem,
burning daily animal sacrifices, and the many other requirements of the
Old Law.
Our Lord has made
the Old Testament obsolete. As we read in Hebrews 8:13,
"A new covenant, He has made the first old." He
has taken it away as we see in Hebrews 10:9, "He takes
away the first that He may establish the second." In the Old
Testament’s place Christ has replaced it with the New Testament as we
continue to read in Hebrews 9:15-16 (KJV), "And for
this cause He is the Mediator of the New Testament…For where a testament
is, there must also of necessity be the death of the
testator." Christ’s will, the New Testament, is now in
effect.
We are no longer
under the Old Testament because in Colossians 2:14 concerning the Old
Testament we read that Jesus, "has taken it out of the
way, having nailed it to the cross." In Romans 7:6 we read,
"But now we have been delivered from the
law." And then in Galatians 3:24-25,
"Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that
we might be justified by faith. But after faith is come, we are no longer
under a tutor." In speaking of the Old Testament, Galatians
5:4 (KJV) says, "Christ is become of no effect unto
you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from
grace." Here God is telling us we will fall from grace if
we try to justify what we do by the Old Testament. Unless we want to
fall from God’s grace let’s not use the Old Testament to try to justify
the use of mechanical instruments of music in our worship to
God.
Singing in worship
to God is for the purpose of honoring God and teaching one another.
Singing is what pleases God. Singing without the instrument of music
shows our respect of God and what He says in His word when He specifies
our heart as the instrument where the melody is to be made. If we
love and respect God we will do everything He says and in the way He says
to do it. We will not change, substitute, or add to what He
says. We must only sing if we want to worship God "in spirit and in
truth."
Questions Lesson 20
Singing In Worship (Part 4)
(click on the button of the answer of your
choice)
1) (Hebrews 8::13, 10:19) In order to establish
and put the New
Testament in effect
The Lord left the Old Testament in effect.
The Lord made the Old Testament obsolete and took it out of
the
way.
The Lord has both the Old and New Testaments in effect
today.
2)
We are still under the Old Testament.
3) (Hebrews 9:15-16) What had to happen before the
New Testament
came into effect?
There had to be the death of the testator who is Christ.
It will not come into effect until the end of the world.
Christ had to be born.
4)
Christ’s will, the New Testament, is now in effect.
5) (Colossians 2:14) When was the Old Testament
taken out of the way?
When John the Baptist was beheaded.
The Old Testament is still in effect.
When Jesus died on the cross.
6)
We are no longer under the Old Testament.
7) (Galatians 3:24-25) What happened to our tutor,
the Old Testament,
when faith came?
The Old Testament was taken out of the way.
Nothing.
We are still under our tutor, the Old Testament.
8)
We are still obligated to keep the Old Testament.
9) (Galatians 5:4) If we try to justify ourselves by
the Old Testament law
We are fallen from grace.
We will be saved.
God is well pleased.
10)
If we try to justify the use of mechanical instruments of
music in worship
to God by the Old Testament law, we are
fallen from grace.