Will Dudding (the Reforming Baptist) has a great post on music. He challenges fundamentalists regarding their stance on music. I don’t agree 100% with everything he says, but his post is definitely worth a read if you are interested in reforming fundamentalism. I am happy for any who are reforming and growing in relation to the word, whether they are fundamentalist still or not. Will’s posts are always a blessing and often challenging. Here’s an excerpt.
What I see is that we have constructed a culture in fundamentalism that is an extreme opposite of the ever-developing worldly culture within new evangelicalism. It’s an atmosphere of “us vs. them”. We wear suits and ties, they don’t; we use classical style music, they don’t; we use a King James Bible, they use everything else but a KJV; we make our women wear dresses, they don’t care what their women wear; and so on and so forth…
Let me make something clear from the beginning: I am no fan of the modern gimmicks and fads that the weak, luke-warm broader evangelical church has to offer! They must turn to all their new methods (or waves, as Rick Warren puts it) to cover up their inadequate, watered-down gospel which has made them irrelevant in the true sense of the word. On that same note, I am no more a fan of the man-made, manufactured traditions and taboos of fundamentalism that so many feel that they have to defend in order to stay holy and separate from worldliness. Just as the Pharisees were clean on the outside, they neglected the weightier things of the law and we tend to do the same thing….
Music has been another component in the Christian sub-culture of Fundamentalism. You can take the most un-scriptural, theologically bankrupt song and sing it with a piano, organ and an opera singer and the song automatically passes fundamentalist standards.
The post is entitled “Music -Style, Emotion, Instruments and Associations“. Be sure to read the whole thing.
I won’t get too entangled on this, but I simply feel we must remember that worship is NOT FOR US, it’s FOR GOD.
I believe that since David invented instruments specifically for use in the temple worship on very specific occassions and by Levites, we are a bit presumptuous to assume instruments similar to the ones David invented (at the command of God) can be used in worship now. Matthew Henry agrees, saying ” But David, being a prophet, instituted it by divine direction, and added it to the other carnal ordinances of that dispensation, as the apostle calls them, Heb_9:10. The New Testament keeps up singing of psalms, but has not appointed church-music.”
Outside of church, I am all for theologically correct and edifying music. I am a big fan of Casting Crowns, for instance, but I would never want them playing as part of the Sunday services.
This type of music can be beneficial outside of congregational worship because it is for our encouragement outside the church building.
I agree, that worship is for God, but we glean many benefits thereby. Anytime we take the focus off of ourselves we benefit. Worship is making God the center of our focus and through the very act of worship we receive joy; strength; deliverance; an actual change of mind and heart.
Sacrificial praise and worship are powerful weapons that depose the enemy of our souls. Bringing Glory to God.
Worship is for God, but if we are to follow the spirit of the Bible’s teaching on it, their should be nothing wrong with “Making melody” using instruments as David and company did.
Moses and the ladies of his day sang with instruments. The nature of a song includes accompaniment in it. Their are other good arguments against singing psalms only, but I’m all for singing psalms.
Where Scripture doesn’t specify, we have freedom. The commands of singing to God, for God, and with the added benefit of mutual edification and teaching, are to be obeyed. There are Biblical principles a plenty for how we use music.
Anyone interested in more study could pick up any of a number of good books or resources. You could click on the music category of my blog (see drop down category list to the right) for more. Or you could click on the music tab towards the top.
Thanks guys for contributing your thoughts.
Blessings from Jesus,
Bob Hayton
Fundy, long time no read…
You may remember the last time we discussed religion, on a previous post of mine, I thought even though we disagreed, we at least had an understanding of each other.
Well of course I’ve come up with another question to help me understand the believers view on the world.
https://potomac9499.wordpress.com/2008/08/31/a-question-for-believers-are-there-any-limits-to-your-faith/
Hopefully you can give me your thoughts and help me to understand the mind of a believer, just a bit better.