• The question has been one of the most divisive in Christian history: “Why not use instrumental music in Christian worship?” This is the question that concreted the division between the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches more than a millennium ago. The Pope installed them in the worship for the first time around the 10th century and the Orthodox church rejected it and left the Roman establishment. (Some scholars suggest the Pope decreed the introduction of an organ about the year 700 A.D. and other scholars claim it occured much later; around the year 950 A.D. Either way, this is the first historically recorded incident of instrumental music being introduced into Christian worship. Needless to say, the result was massive division of the church.)

• Similarly, the Restoration movement suffered division in the late 19th century, over the issue of whether churches of Christ should use instrumental music in the Lord’s Day worship services. Those who demanded the introduction of this kind of worship left churches of Christ and formed a man-made denomination called The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Perhaps 1 Jn 2:19 would be applicable in this situation: They went out. They were not happy and it was their decision to go out from the Lord’s church and establish their own.

• The reason I provide these examples is to show that history is repeating itself today. God has shown us the way he wants us to worship him in his Word and man has often gone his own path, following his own carnal desires. Man follows his own way when he is not happy with what God commands him to do. Among us, there are some who are trying to argue for the introduction of mechanical instruments of music in the worship of the church. Their arguments are not new, they are only resurrected from debates of centuries and decades ago and used again. There are many arguments for the introduction of instruments and I will not waste time dealing with all of them but I want to make 3 specific points in this brief study, today.

Point Number 1) Mechanical instruments in worship are unauthorized

Point Number 2) Mechanical instruments in worship are unscriptural

Point Number 3) Mechanical instruments in worship are unacceptable to God

• First of all, worship with the accompaniment of musical instruments is unauthorized. Of course, Christ is the one who has all authority over us and what we do. Matt 28:18 reads,

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

• If Christ has ALL the authority, how much does that leave for you or I? None, of course. He has it all! If we could sum up in one sentence, why mechanical instruments should not be used in worship, it would be stated so: “Jesus is the Lord”. I am not the Lord, neither are you, which leaves us with a specific statement designating the one who has the authority in all matters of faith and practice: Jesus alone has all authority.

• In Col 3:16 we are commanded to sing and in verse 17 we are told to do everything with the authority (or in the name of) Jesus.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

• We find no example of Christians using instruments in worship or a single command to use them. Those who bring them into the worship of the church are not respecting the silence of the scriptures or the authority of Christ. In 2 Tim 3:16 and 17 we read,

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

• According to this text, we learn that scripture is provided by God to make us complete or perfect for all good works. Does that leave any room for a new innovation of man? I think not. God’s Word is complete and gives us all we need to be a perfect Christian. This proves instrumental music is not only unauthorized, but unauthorized for a reason: It is simply unnecessary.

• My second point is actually the simplest of the three. Instruments of Music in worship are unscriptural. This is to say that there is not one ounce of evidence in the scriptures which supports the introduction and use of mechanical instruments in the sphere of Christian worship to God. God’s Word has been clear that He wants us simply to sing to him.

• Yes, we all know that King David was inspired to use instruments in the Psalms, as he was also inspired to burn incense, slaughter animals, burn offerings to the Lord, dance, and perform other ceremonial tasks as worship unto God. Indeed, the Lord accepted this worship in the Mosaic period. For he commanded it to be carried out.

• Why, though, are the proponents of instrumental worship being selective in their interpretation of scripture? If we are authorized by Old Testament example to use instruments, we are obligated to bring back all the other commandments within the Law of Moses to be consistent. These would include observance of the Sabbath, burnt offerings, a carnal levitical priesthood, dancing and all listed above.

• Are we authorized to pick and choose what kind of worship we want to practice simply because it exists in the Bible? Well, I can say that we cannot choose any act of worship from Old Testament times and introduce it into the Christian Age we presently live in. It is unscriptural and illogical to do so. Col 2:14 reads,

“…having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

• Christ nailed the Law and all it’s ordinances to the cross. We are not under it’s requirements nor it’s decrees anymore. There are many more scriptures which can show we are not under the old coventant anymore (i.e. Gal 3:25, Jer 31:31, 32) .

• The fact remains that the church Jesus established on Pentecost in 33 A.D. did not use mechanical instruments in the worship of God. The New Testament proves this and other historical documents prove this. It is unscriptural to bring instruments into worship because the Bible provides no passage where they are used or commanded to be used. 1 Cor. 4: 6 reads,

“Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.”

• We are warned not to go (or even think) beyond what has been written. What has been written is the example of (and command for) Christians engaging in acappella singing. This act of worship is important for us to preserve to be part of the church that Jesus established and not to institute man-made worship (Matt 15:9). Songs of worship are to be vocal, congregational (Heb 2:12) and in “Spirit and truth” (Jn 4:23).

• My final point is thus stated: Mechanical Instruments in worship are unacceptable to God. This is simply to say that God does not tolerate worship invented by man and not according to his pattern. God only tolerates what he authorizes and does not accept a man’s initiative to go beyond his words.

• This is under the Mosaical age but, nonetheless, clarifies that under any dispensation, God does not accept worship that accompanies man’s innovations. This example given in Leviticus 10:1-3 of unauthorized addition is very sobering:

“Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them.So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke, saying:

‘By those who come near Me

I must be regarded as holy;

And before all the people

I must be glorified.’”

• Notice that the Lord “had not commanded them”to add this incense to their fire censers, yet Nadab and Abihu did so anyways. They were punished as the result of their audacity to add to what God had commanded them to. The reason for God’s harsh punishment was to show that for those who come near to him he must be “Holy” and “Glorified“. There is no mention of a prior command of God not to add incense but God has shown that he does not tolerate the innovations of man and it is unnecessary for him to list every innovation he does not accept in order for it to be sinful. Those who add to God’s Word are not respecting the authority and simplicity of God’s commands.

• This reminds me of an illustration I heard about related to this concept. Let’s say you were to go to the doctor and get a few medications for your particular illness. Let’s say you were prescribed some antibiotics and pain killers to treat your illness. After going to the pharmacy you noticed that the pharmacist had added some anti-depressants, birth-control pills and heart medications to your doctor’s prescription. After the confusion of looking at all these unnecessary drugs and wondering why they were added to the prescription, you inquire of the pharmacist, “Excuse me! Why did you add all of these medications to my order which were not prescribed by my doctor?”. His answer is, “well, your doctor didn’t say not to”. What absurd and illogical reasoning on the part of the pharmacist. He has just usurped the authority of your doctor by making an addition to your medical prescription. It would be very dangerous if you were to take those meds without knowing any different.

• This concept applies to God and His church. He has prescribed a particular kind of worship for us and anything added to it is dangerous for us to engage in. This takes me back to my first point. Christ has all authority and we should not think that we have the right to usurp it with the addition of mechanical instruments to the worship. Let us obey him instead of the precepts of men (Matt 15:9).

• In conclusion, I will answer the question I presented at the beginning of this study: “Why not use instrumental music in worship?” We must not use them because they are unauthorized, unscriptural and unacceptable to God. Our goal should be to please the Lord in our worship. Despite all the debates and arguments about this issue, this fact remains true: Either instrumental music in worship is sinful or it is not. You must decide for yourself what is true.

-(Michael Hildreth)