Why does the Church of Christ not believe in using instrumental music?

Question

I visited a friends church and found it odd that they were not even able to have a piano in church. Anyone know why???

Answer 1

I do! I was Church of Christ for about 20 Years. ( well I went because My parents made me. I never liked it!)

The reason is that the original church (Jesus time) did not have them. The Church of Christ tries to do everything they way they did in the old times. It does say to sing to the lord. Not play instruments

Makes you wonder why they have electricity and air conditioners though!!!!

Alex

Answer 2

It goes back to a very strict interpretation of Eph. 5:19, particularly. The logic is not real good, though, since the Greek word in that passage is psalmos, or something like that, which actually meant "songs accompanied by instruments."

Historically, the divide between instrumental and non-instrumental Churches of Christ came at about the time of the Civil War. The northerners and the southerners needed something to dispute over besides the war and slavery, and this issue was available, probably because organs were more liikely to be availably in the north.

The prohibition may be on its way out, though, as current members revisit the controversy.

Answer 3

I've asked and they say to make music and melody in your heart, but I'm not Church of Christ, I'm Baptist you can have a piano all you want.

Answer 4

this is a guess but i think lucifer was also the angel of music, or had the greatest voice they might associate music with this. i know during the middle ages music that wasn't commissioned by the church was considered evil. i guess pope inocent could tell badmusic for holy music, that might by why he's the only pope with an action figure

Answer 5

They are quite some nut cases. Most my relatives are those sort.

They also believe no one but church of Christ attenders are going to heaven.

Answer 6

because in the bible it says to worship God with your voice, not with instruments. we take this to mean that we should sing acapella, at least for worship. that doesnt mean that we dont listen to popular music (ie, kelly clarkson, movie scores, rap, etc.)

Answer 7

some chuches are really humble -- like the shakers or amish . No need for flash and bling

Answer 8

I believe it is a question of authority. Who has authority? Whose authority do we follow?

Christ says he has "all authority" and the disciples were to teach the things He had commanded. (Matthew 28:18-20) Nowhere in the New Testament did the apostles teach or show an example of the use of instrumental music in worship of the church. ALL of the verses in the New Testament that talk about music in the church have SINGING as the type of music.

To use another type of music cannot be done from authority found in the New Testament because the New Testament nowhere authorizes its use. The authority to use instruments in the Christian church therefore does not come from God. If used, instruments must be authorized by men. If we follow a man's authority (teaching), does Christ still have "all authority" in our religious lives? Most is not the same as “all”!

One of the verses that teaches about music is Col. 3:16. This verse specifically tells us to sing. The very next verse (verse 17) says, "Whatever you do in word or deed, DO ALL IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS."

"In the name of" means by the authority of, or according to the instructions. Jesus and the apostles did not authorize the use of mechanical instruments in the New Testament church. You cannot play an instrument by the authority, according to the instructions of, or in the name of Christ because he did not instruct it.

The New Testament did specify "singing" as the type of music we are to use in worship. To do anything else is to follow the commandments (doctrine) of men rather than God. Teaching as doctrine the commandments of men makes worship “vain”, or useless in God’s eyes! (Matt. 15:9) Why not be satisfied to worship in the way God's word has authorized? “We ought to obey God rather than men”! (Acts 5:29)

When God told Noah to use "gopher wood", other types of wood were excluded. When Naaman was told to dip in the Jordan River, he knew other rivers were excluded (2 Kings 5). God has been specific about the music in the church, singing. Why add to his word?

Interesting, many of the founding fathers of denominations that now use instruments were opposed to their introduction. Among those against instrumental music were John Wesley, Adam Clark, John Calvin, and Martin Luther. So one should not question why we don't use them, the question should be "By what authority do you add them to your worship"? Why not be satisfied to simply worship as God's word instructs?

Also, history tells us that instruments were not used in the church for about 600 years after it was established! They always used A Capella music. In fact, the original Italian and Latin words we got the word "A Capella" from literally means "in the manner of the church". So, when you hear the term "A Capella music", that is literally referring to music like you would find in the original church - singing without instruments!

Some point out that David used instruments. As for David’s harp, He lived under the Law of Moses (Old Testament). We are now under the Law of Christ (New Testament). If you bind one part of the Old Law today, you are subject to keep the whole law.

In Galatians 5:3, some were trying to bind circumcision, an Old Testament commandment. Paul said if they bound this one item, they were “debtor to keep the whole law”. In James 2:10, if you keep the whole law, but miss one point, you are guilty of all.

If you try to bring over authority for David’s harp from the Old Testament, you must with the same authority bring over all of the animal sacrifices, feasts, Passover, the Sabbath day observance, yearly trips to Jerusalem, and the all of the other Old Testament commands. We must keep the whole law if we keep any part.

If we try to justify ourselves by the Law of Moses, we have “fallen from grace!” (Galatians 5:4)

God is not worshiped with men's hands (Acts 17:25) but with the heart. This verse talks about God not living in a temple made with hands, but it also applies this to hand-made worship, yet many say they worship on an instrument that was made with hands and played with the hands.

The instrument God wants is our heart. Ephesians 5:19 instructs us to make melody in the heart. These verses also say the purpose of music in worship is to speak and teach. An instrument cannot do this. In fact, it is more difficult to speak where there is background noise, therefore an instrument may interfere with these scriptural purposes of music in worship.

We should not add to or take away from God’s word. We should worship as he instructs! The New Testament does not instruct the use of a mechanical instrument in worship, so the church of Christ has no authority from the Bible to add it.

Yes it would seem that at times, the God at least tolerated instruments in the Old Testament, but we now have a new covenant, the New Testament.

Also by the end of the Old Testament, God’s word says, “Woe to you… Who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments, and invent for yourselves musical instruments like David” (Amos 6:3-5)

Does this sound like God now wants instruments?

Here is a list of EVERY VERSE in the New Testament that speaks of music on earth directed toward God. If we follow the authority of the New Testament, we must follow these verses concerning our music.

Matthew 26:30
Mark 14:26
Acts 16:25
Romans 15:9
1 Corinthians 14:15
Ephesians 5:19
Colossians 3:16-17
Hebrews 2:12
Hebrews 13:15
James 5:13

Answer 9

Because they are nut cases!

Answer 10

They will use theirs in hell