WHAT IS YOUR STAND? (PART III)

A Review of Positions Opposed to the Use of Instruments in Christian Worship.

1. Instruments should not be used in Christian worship because this violates the
principle of seeking to restore New Testament Christianity. It is widely accepted
that instruments were not used in Christian worship when the inspired apostles
were in charge of worship assemblies. Everett Ferguson quotes J. W.
McKinnon’s doctoral dissertation at Columbia University which places the
introduction of instruments in the tenth century (12). If we seek, then, to restore
New Testament Christianity in worship, as well as in doctrine, organization, and
membership, then we certainly would not use instruments. Since instruments had
been used both by themselves and with singing under the Jewish system, it seems
clear that abstaining from the use of instruments in either fashion under the New
Covenant was intentional. If, then, one is seeking to be the church of the New
Testament, as restoration churches do, then one would sing without instruments.
To add them is clearly to weaken one’s stance as a restoration church and, thus, to
make it more difficult to stay with the restoration concept on other issues. If one
refrains from the use of instruments in worship for no other reason that this, the
choice would be the best one. “Because the early church when under apostolic
guidance did not do it that way” is an excellent reason to refrain from any activity
in worship or church practice.

2. Instruments should not be used in Christian worship because they hinder rather
than aid the congregational singing. That congregational singing was part of
Christian worship is clear both from references to it in the New Testament and in
Patristic writing. What was the purpose of this singing? Christians were to
“teach and admonish one another” as they sang “psalms, hymns and spiritual
songs” (Col. 3:16). The singing was to edify or strengthen the church (1
Corinthians 14:26). The singing was to praise God (Hebrews 2:12; 13:15;
Romans 15:9). But instruments can do none of these things. Instruments do not
teach, admonish, edify, or praise. So playing an instrument cannot achieve what
we are to achieve with our singing. Churches using instruments with their singing,
moreover, do not have as much congregational participation in the singing as do
those do those not using instruments. Often the instruments overpower the
singing so that it is hardly heard. Rather than help achieve the purposes of
praising God and teaching and edifying one another, instruments tend to thwart
such purposes.

3. Instruments should not be used in Christian worship because they tend to move
“worship” toward “entertainment.” A problem in many churches today is that
their worship occasions are becoming more and more like entertainment. This
trend involves two wrong moves: (1) those who are supposed to be offering their
own worship to God are transformed into mere spectators, and (2) worship that
should be “God-centered” becomes “me-centered.” Thus the occasion is planned
around what the people like to hear rather than around what can help people send
the right message to God in the way He has prescribed. Unfortunately, some
churches use the “concert” mode to attract people to attend and, in the process,
“sell out” their worship to entertainment. The use of instruments adds to this
“entertainment” mode along with other elements of a concert—singers on stage
with microphones, lots of sound equipment in evidence, lots of clapping after the
songs, adulation expressed to the “big name” singers, and songs chosen to please
the crowd. Such “entertainment” is not the picture we get of New Testament
worship offered to God and the use of instruments contributes to this trend.

4. Instruments should not be used in Christian worship because they have frequently
been a source of division among churches. Churches where instruments are
introduced are often split apart and churches which use them and those who do
not cannot have close fellowship because of the difference in their worship style.
This has been true through the ages and is still true today. Why introduce
something into Christian worship, which is supposed to bring us together,
(Romans 15:5) which, in actuality, tears congregations apart?

5. Instruments should not be used in Christian worship because they introduce an
unauthorized element to worship. The Bible makes it clear that we must worship
God only as He has authorized. God has never left human beings to design their
own plans to worship Him. Since the New Testament does not authorize
instruments in worship and since Christians in the apostolic age did not use them,
we should not presume that God desires them in our worship. The use of
unauthorized elements into worship is condemned in the Bible and those who did
it were censured. We would have to believe, therefore, that God would be
displeased by adding such unauthorized elements today.
Once two men were debating the use of instruments in worship. Since the one for using
instruments played the piano, the other asked him to go to a piano and play Amazing
Grace. When he was finished his opponent asked, “Why didn’t you sing?” The man
favoring instruments said, “Because you didn’t ask.” The opponent of instruments said,
“I rest my case. I don’t use an instrument in Christian worship because God didn’t ask.”
In this study, we have seen that positions taken in favor of the use of instruments in
Christian worship do not stand in the light of examination. The positions against such
use, on the other hand, are worthy of acceptance. At the very least, the use of instruments
in the assembly of Christians is highly questionable, and there are strong indications that
God does not authorize or approve their use. Of course there are other elements involved
in acceptable worship, and we should all be concentrating on how to make our singing as
God would have it as well as how to improve our participation in other elements of
worship. Any congregation, however, that wants to be sure its worship receives God’s
approval will refrain from including unauthorized elements such as the use of
instruments. We can be certain that sincere a cappella singing is pleasing to the Lord.
We cannot, however, be sure that using instruments pleases Him. At the very least, it
would seem wise not to take such a chance? If those singing are otherwise worshipping
properly, no one thinks that singing without instruments is unacceptable to God. Surely
this is the better course to follow!

Works Cited

(Ferguson, Everett. “Lifting Our Voices.” Gospel Advocate (February, 2000), 12-13.)

NOTE: As the trend of apostasy is going on and people enjoy doing something new in-spite of doing what is right in the sight of God, it is very important for us to realize the importance of being just Christian, only Christian. Let us not be a Pentecostal, Baptist, Mormon or any one of the denomination but rather a follower of Jesus Christ. Let us preach Christ through the love, Jesus has shown us to do to others. Let us preach the Truth in love and unity. Amen!

Joseph Khati