PERVERTED WORSHIP

LESSON 1

It is preached that music in congregational worship is mentioned seven times in the New Testament and that it is always singing. This is not entirely true! I got your attention didn't I? If we read the contexts possibly only three fit this criteria. For example James 5:13 says if we are happy we should sing. This is no more the assembly than v. 14 is a faith healing service. Romans 15: 9 & 11 are Old Testament prophesies about the Gentiles rejoicing because they are included in salvation thru Christ. I wouldn't try to use Acts 16:25 if I were you. Paul and Silas were praying and singing in their jail cell but the jailer would have taken away a guitar as contraband. It is also true that an example of instrumental music in the O.T. or in heaven is not authority for or against their use in our worship today. To tell you the truth when I get to heaven I want God to give me one of those harps when I sing the "song of Moses and the Lamb" (Rev. 15:2-3), but he hasn't given me one yet. The remaining three passages can and should be applied to our understanding of acceptable music in our worship.

"I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also."

1 Cor. 14:15

"Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord."

Eph. 5:19

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

Col. 3:16

If this study were about our music in worship I would go into much more detail. However the subject is "Perverted Worship" and instrumental music is only an example. So what can we learn from these three verses? (1) There are two types of music and the Bible only mentions one in the worship of his church, (2) Only vocal music allows us to make melody in our hearts and (3) No one has invented a piano that can speak, much less teach and admonish the saints. If we are trying to please God we will always do what he says, nothing more and nothing less. We will never say, "but he didn't say we couldn't have a piano." This is what respecting the silence of the scriptures means. We know too well the Bible stories where God punished men simply because they added to his instructions. For example, God's instructions for worship by the Jews in the tabernacle were specific. God told the people thru Moses exactly what he wanted. All those who failed to obey, changed something or added anything were put to death. Anyone who believes that God doesn't care needs to go back and read these stories that "were written for our learning." (Rom. 15:4)

The New Testament makes it clear that God still demands the same obedience today:

"Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son."

2 John 9

"If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God."

1 Pet. 4:11

"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

Rev. 22:18-19

The principle taught in these scriptures and many others like them are the reasons that the Restoration Movement believed that to please God and end sectarian division all believers must "speak where the Bible speaks and be silent were the Bible is silent." They believed in "calling Bible things by Bible names and doing Bible things in Bible ways." These were not hollow slogans but truths based on what they knew the Bible to teach. The movement ended and the plea died when Christians lost their respect for the authority of God's word. This happened when they stopped asking for "book, chapter and verse". This happened when innovations were added because "it doesn't matter" instead of asking "is this authorized by God." It also happened when searching the Scriptures was replaced with a "we have the all the truth" attitude.

If you know me I am not one to waste time "preaching to the choir." I am writing to brethren who sing, pray, give, break bread and study God's word because they are authorized. I am writing to brethren who refuse to have instrumental music in their worship because it is not authorized. I am writing to brethren who take the Lord's Supper on the first day of the week because God said so. I am writing to brethren who know it would be wrong to add burgers to the unleavened bread and fruit of the vine because they respect the silence of the scriptures. I am writing to brethren who know that Biblical authority is established by commands, approved apostolic examples and necessary inference. I am writing to these same brethren because they are perverting the worship of the church. Their worship is not like that of the 1st century Christians and therefore is not pleasing to God. If the Biblical principles that we have applied to instrumental music are correct then our worship services are sinful! If I didn't get your attention in the first paragraph I know I have it now.

When I am finished there will be no question about what the Bible teaches about acceptable worship. There will be no question that today's congregations have deviated from the divine pattern. There will be no question that this is the primary reason for our spiritual weakness. There will be no question that this is the major factor in our declining conversions. There will be no question that this perversion is as serious, if not more so, than instrumental music! But the question will be: Are Churches of Christ willing to make the changes necessary in order to "speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent"?

To be continued.

The Parson