I’ve been reading over some of the responses to questions involving music, and I keep hearing Ephesians 5:19 being thrown around a lot.  To a musician, anything that comes from us is from the heart… be it banging trashcan lids together or the serenade of a choir spanning all octaves.

As a musician, everything I play, I play for the Lord because I want to deliver a beautiful gift for Him and for all to hear.  There is beauty in Metallica, there is beauty in Psalms, and there is beauty in prayer, but the people answering questions on here have a strong tendency to not like instruments (or more specifically in church).  With every instrument I touch, I can feel ideas exploding from my heart for God, but you seem to rebuke others who want to join along in song with me using other instruments if they don’t carry the same praise that I do for the Lord.

The standard response to my question is “you’re looking too deeply at the Scripture” + “Scripture is perfect” = Only sing, but I want the long answer.

So could you please expand on the “…and make music from the heart” part of Ephesian 5:19 for me?

Thanks and God Bless.

Sincerely,
Musician

Dear Musician,

Before we go into the specifics of this issue, it is important to note that how we feel about a topic is not the same as the truth on a topic.  We may feel that a certain activity is pleasing to God, but that doesn’t mean it is.  God tells us that His ways are not our ways (Isa 55:8) and that every man’s ways are right in his own eyes (Pr 21:2).  The issue isn’t whether or not you feel that you are pleasing God when using instruments to worship – the question we have to ask is: “What do the Scriptures say about instruments in worship?”

The fact is that God has given us instruments to use for worshipping Him – our hearts (Eph 5:19).  In the New Testament, God tells us to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to Him.  He wants the only melody He hears to come from our hearts.  Instrumental music wasn’t introduced into the church until over three hundred years after Christ.  In fact, ‘a cappella’ singing (singing without instruments) literally means ‘as the church’.  There are no examples of the church using instruments to worship God in the New Testament.  If we start using them, we are adding something to God’s Word (Rev 22:18-19).  All we are ever told to do is “sing and make melody in our hearts”… pluck your heartstrings as you sing to God, and you will make God happy.  If a congregation begins to use instruments in worship, they must do so without any New Testament Scripture to back up the practice.

The problem with instrumental music in worship is that it isn’t a part of the Bible pattern, and the moment we start doing things outside the Bible, we have gone beyond what God intended (1 Cor 4:6).  Instrumental music may sound appealing to us, but it is just one more manmade additive that adds to the division and confusion found in the religious world.

I love Christmas, and I don’t celebrate it as a religious holiday, but a cultural one (because it’s not in the Bible).  However, I love Christmas music, but when the hymns which are associated with Christmas come on with instruments, I want to make sure I’m not sinning by hearing/singing the songs.  I know I’m not listening to them with the intent to praise God, so my question is… is it okay to listen to Christmas hymn music? Or when the hymns come on, should I change it?

Sincerely,
In The Christmas Spirit

Dear In The Christmas Spirit,

This is an issue that good brethren disagree on and certainly falls within the category of being an individual conscience issue.  Some brethren believe that it is impossible to listen and sing along with religious Christmas music without it being a form of worship; others feel that there is a distinction between listening and singing for your own personal enjoyment and actively worshipping.  There are good points to be made on both sides of the argument.  There are several things to consider before you decide to listen or to refrain:

1. Rom 14:5 says that in cases such as these it is important that “each man be fully assured in his own mind”.  Whatever you decide to do, make sure that it is a conscious decision, not just a reaction to peer pressure or the feelings of the moment.  Honestly look at yourself and ask the question, “Do I believe I can do this without feeling like I am sinning?”  It is not always easy to discern the line between singing along as a form of entertainment and singing along as worship. You must decide for yourself if your behavior crosses the line between personal enjoyment and active participation in a form of worship God doesn’t desire.
2. Can you do this with a clear conscience? If you cannot feel completely convinced in your mind that what you are doing is acceptable before God, you have to refrain. Whatever cannot be done in faith is sin (Rom 14:23). Even if you rationally believe that you can do something, if your conscience is still bothered – it is best to avoid the activity.  God wants all of us to listen and obey our conscience (1 Tim 1:5).
3. Is your behavior hurting others’ conscience?  There may be times where you cannot listen to certain music for the sake of others.  If something you are doing is offensive or a stumbling block to other brethren, it is always best to refrain from doing it while they are there (1 Cor 8:11-12).  We must always consider how our choices are perceived by others… as well as how we personally feel.

If you factor in all three of those categories, you will be able to make a sound decision as to how you personally should proceed.

Why do some churches not allow musical instruments?  Ephesians 5:19 says to speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.  “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord…”  The Greek definition of psalms says “from a set piece of music or a sacred ode accompanied with the voice, harp, or other instrument”.

Sincerely,
Don’t Mean To Harp

Dear Don’t Mean To Harp,

The reasons some churches don’t use musical instruments (ours included) is because of the very verse you mentioned.  In the New Testament, we are commanded to “speak to one another” and “make melody in our hearts” (Eph. 5:19).  Col 3:16 says that we should “sing with grace in our hearts”, and 1 Cor 14:15 says that we should “sing with our spirit” and “sing with understanding”.  All of these verses clearly tell us what to be offering God in worship – heartfelt singing.

It is true that a psalm means “a piece of music or sacred ode accompanied with the voice, harp, or other instrument”, and if God hadn’t specified what accompaniment we should use, we could use any instrument we wanted… but God did specify what instrument He wanted us to use.  He wanted us to use our voices and heartstrings.  Incidentally, the word ‘acappella’ means ‘as the church’ because the early church never used instruments in their worship.  Instruments weren’t introduced into worship services until the sixth century.  The church of the first century understood that when God asked for them to sing – that meant they should only sing.  Since we desire to do exactly what the Bible says and neither add nor subtract from God’s Word (Rev 22:18-19), we simply use our voices.  God doesn’t ask for instruments in His worship, and we don’t go beyond what He has written (1 Cor 4:6).

I have just joined a new church, and I have a question.  The songs that they sing are christian rock, but I am used to the old-fashioned songs.  Is it okay for a church to sing christian rock?

Sincerely,
A Classic

Dear A Classic,

The Scriptures give a few qualifications for the songs that we sing.  First of all, they must always be reverent (Heb 12:28).  Songs that treat God flippantly or treat worship more as entertainment than reverence to God are wrong.  Many churches are more interested in fascinating the people with trendy music than they are with bringing gravity to the minds of young souls that need to be reminded that their Maker is to be treated with fear and awe (Pr 1:7).

Secondly, the songs must be psalms, hymns, or spiritual songs (Col 3:16).  The songs must have Bible-based language and doctrinally sound lyrics.  They must agree with the teachings of the Bible, and they must be focused on spiritual things.  Once again, worship is about God, not us.

Thirdly, they should be songs that are sung from our hearts and by all the members (Eph 5:19).  The Bible never authorizes rock bands, choirs, pianos, etc.  Instrumental music in worship is an invention that has no biblical foundation to it.  The New Testament example is everyone singing from the heart – no more, no less (Rev 22:18-19).  If you would like to read more on the subject of instrumental music in worship, we suggest you read “A Cappella”.

I recently came across a Christian music station that I have been listening to in my car.  My spouse and I were talking about it, and we both know the reasons not to bring musical instruments in to the worship service (Eph 5:19).  However, we were wondering if there is anything wrong with listening to a Christian radio station where all the music is in concert with musical instruments.

Sincerely,
Just Wondering

Dear Just Wondering,

It isn’t inherently wrong to listen to “Christian Music”, but it is worth considering the effects it will have upon your influence, your behavior, and your conscience. You are right, God asks us to worship Him through singing and making melody in our heart (Eph 5:19). God never asks for any instrument to be plucked but our heart strings. That is the worship He asks for, and that is the worship we should give Him – no more and no less (Rev 22:18-19, Deu 4:2).

If you are going to listen to religious music with instrumental accompaniment, you must understand that they recorded it as a form of worship as well as a form of entertainment… which is wrong. Therefore, by buying and actively listening to such music, you may be sending mixed messages to others and supporting an industry that is built upon a false teaching. We have to consider how our behavior looks to others (Matt 5:16). Just because you know anything but acapella worship is wrong doesn’t mean others would.

You also must consider your behavior – are you singing along with the music? If so, are you worshipping God with the words of the song? It is not always easy to discern the line between singing along as a form of entertainment and singing along as worship. You must decide for yourself if your behavior crosses the line between personal enjoyment and active participation in a form of worship God doesn’t desire.

Which brings us to the last question – does it bother your conscience? If you cannot feel completely convinced in your mind that what you are doing is acceptable before God, you have to refrain. Whatever cannot be done in faith is sin (Rom 14:23). If you consider your conscience, your influence, and your behavior before God, only then will you be able to come to a sound personal decision on whether or not you can listen.

My parents believe and my church believes that it is okay to have instruments on Sunday mornings when you worship God.  I was wondering if that was okay.

Sincerely,
Out Of Tune

Dear Out Of Tune,

God has given us instruments to use for worshipping Him – our hearts (Eph 5:19).  In the New Testament, God tells us to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to Him.  He wants the only melody He hears to come from our hearts.  Instrumental music wasn’t introduced into the church until over three hundred years after Christ.  In fact, ‘a cappella’ singing (singing without instruments) literally means ‘as the church’.  There are no examples of the church using instruments to worship God in the New Testament.  If we start using them, we are adding something to God’s Word (Rev 22:18-19).  All we are ever told to do is “sing and make melody in our hearts”… pluck your heartstrings as you sing to God, and you will make God happy.

The problem with instrumental music in worship is that it isn’t a part of the Bible pattern, and the moment we start doing things outside the Bible, we have gone beyond what God intended (1 Cor 4:6).  Instrumental music may sound appealing to us, but it is just one more manmade additive that adds to the division and confusion found in the religious world.