Why do people not have instruments in church?

Question

I heard someone say that it was ceramonial law. I'm guessing they ment that it was done away with.

Through out psalms and other books it talks about lifting your voice AND string instruments in praise.

WHy come singing is not alowed in church then....??? Its music and praise, whats the differents?

Answer 1

I fully agree with you. Everyone is on a time schedule now. They have to be at church at a certain time and church must let out at a certain time. They don't realize, when God said 10% he was talking also about worship. God loves music, loud music. Horns, tambrings, and such can't be played low and silent.

Answer 2

I think a church should have music and singing and praises, that's what the Bible says, but not all of them does it and in my opinion the church is dead, theres no life, am sure I will get thumbs down but a church should have the Spirit of God there and if the Spirit of God isn't there then theres not much going on in the church..

Answer 3

HUH??? I have never been in a church that didn't have some type of musical / band sort of set up for music and praise....and members of the church who played....


where have you been??

Answer 4

Our church has singing and praise. We have members who play the banjo, guitar, mandolin, trumpet, flute and piano. We just don't believe in christian rap, rock and pop.

Answer 5

about my question.....sweetheart if you were actually educated enough to study the bible and not just pick up quotes that the pastor reads in church youd know that the customs and lifestyle support all the things ive mentioned. go read it thoroughly. i challenge you. but then ignorance is bliss so i highly doubt you will...later.

Answer 6

Some know OF God, but have not Known Him...

Forever learning, but not able to come to the knowledge of the TRUTH...

Answer 7

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