What is wrong with a piano in a Church of Christ ,or piano music on CD?

Question

I attend a very nice traditional Church of Christ, we sing Accapella music, I have been to anothe CoC with a piano,& my church calls them libral! I'd like the idea of a piano music with hymnals on CD , or a person playing it in service, but I also respect the accapella music.

Answer 1

GOD Servant,
The Non-Denominational Churches of Christ choose to follow the scriptures as closely as they can. They do NOT use Instrumental Music because they are instructed to "SING" in the scriptures and there are words that could have been used in the New TEstament scriptures for instrumental music that were NOT used. This has been a question asked by many in Churches of Christ for several years and Denominational Churches of Christ use instrumental music freely. Have a wonderful week.
Thanks,
Eds


.
PS... This is an Excellent Question!

.

Answer 2

Both instruments lend themselves easily to singing, especially with harmony as in choral singing. Also, back in the day, they were the only single instruments which were loud enough to be heard in a large auditorium. Even today, the largest churches are dominated by the organ. The piano with significantly less volume is used more in smaller churches. The pipe organ is the loudest unamplified instrument made. In fact some organs are louder than a full symphony orchestra, and can mimic many other instruments much like a synth. Of course, nowadays, rock / country style bands are becoming more popular in the church. They have the volume, and attract the younger crowd. I dont often go to a traditional church , but I have heard some great bands in ones I have been to. One church even intersposed songs by U2 ,The Police, Sister Hazel and others between the religious songs. THe songs had a spiritual / positive message.

Answer 3

As a Minister (not CoC) I would suggest that you do 2 things.

1. Tell your leader you want to have Bible study for why they do not use Musical Instruments (they do admitt that there was Instruments before Christ and there will be instruments after Christ returns-The trumpet sound will bring instruments back)

2. I would go to the other leader (where there is a piano) and tell him the same thing. You want to know why they feel it is ok to use musical instruments.

For me I like the Hymn for Worship service and I have to have my BlueGrass Gospel and Southern Gospel for the Praise service...Glory! God is good!

Answer 4

I had this explained once to me by a friend who attends a C of C; essentially, she said that it was because there weren't pianos (or pipe organs, or string quartets, etc.) accompanying the hymn-singing in the early Christian church, and so if voices alone were good enough for them, present-day C of C's wish to follow their example.

Edit: I should add that I think it's really beautiful to hear all those voices in harmony. A capella is my favorite form of singing, which is why I also love Gregorian chant.

Answer 5

My congregation does the same just acapella. The believe is that there is no mention of instruments during an actual service so they are not necessarily against but try to emulate the first century church as much as possible. erring on the side of caution.

Answer 6

Christ says he has "all authority" and the disciples were to teach the things He had commanded. (Matthew 28:18-20) No where 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 the music is singing.

To use another type of music can not be done from authority found in the New Testament because the New Testament no where authorizes its use. The authority to use instruments in the Christian church therefore does not come from God. If used it must be authorized by men. If we follow a man's authority (teaching), does Christ have "all authority"?

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 of men rather than God. Such makes worship vain. (Matt. 15:9) Why not be satisfied to worship in the way God's word has authorized?

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 Luthur. 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?

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 allowance of polygamy. 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?

Answer 7

Pianos are the devil's harmonica...or something like that...