- The New Testament commands congregational singing to make music for worship and edification. The early church sang together with one voice as a congregation and never used musical instruments when they worshiped in song. The Christian Scriptures specify singing and do not mention the playing of instruments for praise, worship, and thanksgiving to God (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16). The instrument cannot speak, teach, or thank God with meaningful words. Christ, His apostles, and His prophets commanded singing for worship in the New Testament.
- No believer should change the worship that Jesus instituted. The Bible forbids anyone adding or annulling God’s commands (Gal 3:15; Rev 22:18–19). The apostle Paul commanded, “Maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you” (1 Cor 11:2b). Christians can no more change the fruit of the grapevine in the Lord’s Supper than change the fruit of the lips in praise to God (Matt 26:27–29; Heb 13:15). Furthermore, Jesus is sinless and His words are without error, so no one should change His commands or the words of the Holy Spirit in Scripture (John 6:63; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22; cf. John 16:12–13; 1 Cor 2:13).
- Jesus changed worship from the instrumental worship in Jerusalem to true worship (John 4:21–24). Old Testament worship was a physical worship including Levitical priests, a temple, various sacrifices, and musical instruments. New Testament worship is spiritual with Christians as priests offering spiritual sacrifices in God’s temple — the church — including sacrifices of praise by singing with meaningful words (John 4:21–24; Heb 13:15–16; 1 Pet 2:9). According to Jesus, David’s instrumental worship in Jerusalem as described in the Old Testament is not a model for worship in spirit and truth.
- Worship is not for show. The Scriptures teach that worship to God is for worshipers to focus on God and Christ (Heb 12:28). Singing loses its purpose when people turn spiritual songs from worship and teaching into a concert or show for amusement and entertainment. Christ preached against worshiping for show as some practiced righteousness to be seen by others (Matt 6:1–7, 16–18).
- Understandable words are essential for worship and edification in the assembly of the church. Christians are not to speak in unknown languages within the congregation. The Scriptures exclude speaking in unknown languages without interpretation in the assembly (1 Cor 14:7–19). Furthermore, Paul also described musical instruments as “lifeless” (soulless) and compared the instrument to those who spoke foreign languages in assembly (1 Cor 14:7). Paul expressed, “In church, I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue” (1 Cor 14:19). The principle stands that nonverbal sounds do not fit the character of Christians singing, praying, and teaching.
Christianity, Church of Christ, churches of Christ, Theology
Seeing God's Breath 
Comments and questions
Five reasons why churches do not use musical instruments for worship.
Since when don’t they do this? Every church I’ve ever visited uses musical
instruments. Are you confused? What churches are you talking about?
Christ, his apostles and his prophets only commanded singing for worship in the
New Testament.
What are some specific Scriptural references to this affect? How about some
verses that specifically inform us what worship is and what it consists of.
No believer should try to change the worship Jesus instituted.
Again, what specific verses in the NT describe the worship Jesus instituted?
Christians can no more change the fruit of the grapevine in the Lord’s Supper than
change the fruit of the lips of praise to God.
You are so correct in this regard. There are actually denominations and
individual fellowships that desecrate the Lord’s Supper by using grape juice in
place of wine. This is so egregious they would be better off omitting their flaccid
attempt at celebrating this most holy of sacraments. To compound this travesty,
the majority of those using grape juice further defile the Supper by using
individual thimbles rather than the common cup Christ commanded. Changing
the fruit of the grapevine in such a manner is a gross sin.
The whole point of this section is well taken. Christian churches today have
stopped focusing on Jesus Christ and are consumed with entertainment,
marketing and facilities management. The “church service” today has all the
trappings of a stage show: props, lighting, ushers, special music, elaborate
sound systems, performances by the pastor and featured programs. Most local
churches are no longer built on the Word of God but on the wisdom of man, with
gimmicks and slick promotions.
The New Testament teaches that words are essential to worship and edification
in spiritual songs.
Again, what specific verses, not just a verse out of context, teaches this
principle?
Paul described musical instruments as “lifeless”.
A careful reading of this verse says lifeless musical instruments must “give distinct
notes” to be appreciated. It in no way suggests that “nonverbal sounds do not fit
the character of Christian singing, praying and teaching”.
Jesus established worship in spirit and truth changing worship from the physical
place in Jerusalem to the spiritual place of spirit and truth.
And, with Jesus abrogating worship in a physical place, Christians today are still
building-driven. The building and maintaining of their “holy” structures has
become more important than lost souls in the rest of the world. Church buildings
are not found in the New Testament. Jesus said “neither on this mountain nor in
Jerusalem will you worship the Father”, meaning you don’t go somewhere to
worship the Father because “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and
truth”, not the church building.
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Hey Gary,
I know this is late due to your previous comments. I hope you will reconsider some of your positions and views in the light of Scripture.
Here are my notes addressing your questions:
** Most churches throughout history have not used musical instruments despite the current trend. Tens of thousands of churches today in the U.S. do use musical instruments for worship in assembly. That is including 12,000 churches of Christ and many other primitive churches, 9Mark churches, and orthodox churches.
** I think the scriptures above are sufficient to account for the instruction about singing in the assembly. I think you are able to search “Bible verses about singing.”
** Grape juice and wine in the Bible come from the same Greek word oinos. In Jesus’s time, the common wine was 0-3% alcohol from natural fermentation. The intoxicating wine was 10% alcohol by adding yeast and sometimes included opiates. Today’s wine uses GMO yeast to ferment wine for 12-18% alcohol. [See my article on biblical wine for more details.]
** All of 1 Corinthians 14 is about the assembly and the need to use understandable words for teaching, singing, and praying.
First Corinthians 14:7 still says that musical instruments are lifeless and literally meaning “soulless” like uninterpreted foreign languages, and this is noted in contrast to meaningful words from Christians in the assembly.
** Jesus changed to true worship from the worship with sacrifices, incense, musical instruments, etc. from the Old Testament when David brought these things to Jerusalem (1 Chr 15). I do not see you asking for any specific passage condemning animal sacrifices and temple worship. People can worship anywhere with exception to the assembly and communion together where the whole congregation assembles together (1 Cor 14:23; cf. 1 Cor 11:17-34).
** The first-century Christians met in church buildings as they met in synagogues as noted in James 2:2 (ASV) and guestrooms such as in Acts 20:7–8. The church at Corinth met somewhere that was not their homes (1 Cor 11:22, 33–34). According to Acts 18:1–8, the Christian converts in Corinth included the manager and one whose house was connected to the synagogue. That is most likely where they met.
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Just a few pertinent comments. I noticed you conveniently ignored the vast majority of my questions in the 2018 memo I wrote.
Concerning your latest post, the first-century Christians did not meet in “church” buildings as you stated. James 2:2 does not address meeting in synagogues, in this case it is referring to their gatherings, assemblies and meetings. They met in homes as per the Acts 20 verses you referenced, in the upper room of someone’s house. Neither does 1 Cor. 11:22 lend any support to your contention. The setting was a gathering of Christians in someone’s house, each one going “ahead with his own meal…One goes hungry, another gets drunk”. Paul is pointing out such shenanigans do not a Christian gathering make. Do this in your own house he says. “What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in?” Then you reference verses 33 & 34 as a proof text that Christians met “somewhere that was not in their homes”. Paul is giving the same teaching: if your aren’t coming to our gatherings to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, then don’t come to this home, go to your own if your only concern is your hunger. There is no way anyone can construe from these verses the early Christians were meeting in places other than homes.
Finally, the way I understand it, you don’t use musical instruments in your gatherings because they weren’t used by the New Testament Church. Your services consist of sermons. There was no such things as sermons in the early Church. You gather up weekly offerings. There was no such thing in the early church. You participate in choreographed and planned “worship services”. There was no such thing in the early church. You meet in buildings specifically constructed for Christian gatherings and meetings. There was no such thing in the New Testament Church. You use teeny weeny thimbles containing grape juice and wafers to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. There was no such thing in the early Church. You meet on a certain day at a certain time in a certain place for your gatherings. There was no such thing in the New Testament Church.
Hypocrisy is defined as behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel. If you claim you don’t use musical instruments because the New Testament Church didn’t, then why do you persist in doing so many other things that the early church didn’t?
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